Chapter 3 - Blog Posting

After reviewing Gee’s principles; I selected three principles, which I believe would be important for education.  To illustrate, I believe the Active, Critical Learning Principle to be of exceptional importance, as it allows one to be able to learn actively rather than passively; a trait that I believe helps all students succeed in a particular subject matter because the learner is taking an initiative to become involved in the technical aspect of design and presentation. Next, I would choose the Probing Principle, because he student is able to learn about the subject by somewhat dissecting the information through the use of a scientific technique which involves doing something about the subject by forming a question, testing the answer, and developing an opinion about it, which I believe is critical in the thinking process of a student.  Then, I would choose the Discovery Principle, which is a principle that I believe all teachers should abide by because it allows the student to find an answer rather than the answer be told to them with the use of self-made discovery, and progress, (Jonassen, Howland, Marra, & Crismond 2008, pp. 54-55).

This type of thinking could also be used when forming a simulation as well.

To illustrate, simulations are used in the classroom in order to connect an observation through a virtual real-life environment where a student will be able to perform certain actions such as an experiment of sorts.  Of course, if I was to allow my students to perform such an action; I would have to consider using a Bioblast Simulation.  Accordingly, there would be variable in which my students could manipulate in such a lab which could include different productions of the body such as hormones, glands, and other small glands order to detect their relationship to one’s health, (KidsBiology.com, 2010).

In essence, in order to a student to fully understand a particular area of thinking or subject matter, there has to be certain methods and/or processes of thinking used when instructing a student.  For instance, a student must be prompted to use an active imagination rather than a passive one so that he/she can fully understand what he/she is learning.  In addition, a student should research in order to find out exactly why this or that is happening and form an opinion rather than conforming to one belief.  Of course, in order to do this, one must take a hands-on approach and search for the answers rather than the answers be given on a platter per say.  This will help the student use his/her critical thinking skills in order to figure out how and/or why events happen the way they do while formulating their own opinion rather than someone else’s.  To illustrate, this could definitely be done with the use of simulations that could assist a student in creating a project which will allow him/her to visualize the subject matter in progress while manipulating variables and experiencing failures, until one has achieved success, which I believe is key to mental exploration and content mastery.

Reference:

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D.,(2008). Meaningful Learning With

Technology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

 KidsBiology.com. (2010). Endocrine System. Retrieved from

http://www.kidsbiology.com/human_biology/endocrine-system.php