Creative Ways to Teach Geography (my 10 favorite)

I loved the slide show "103 Creatively Simple Ways to Teach Geography!" It was full of such fun ideas for teachers to use. Each one I read got better and better! I will most definitely be using some of these. Picking a top 10 was hard, but here it is:

Idea 8: Adopt a Rock

Idea 21: Geography Alphabet

Idea 23: Bingo!

Idea 28: Play Taboo

Idea 33: Become a Poet

Idea 36: Wordle Stereotypes

Idea 40: Describing Photos

Idea 51: Landscape in a Box

Idea 60: 10 Questions

Idea 62: Before, Before, After, After


I like the idea of incorporating games into teaching and learning. When students are playing games, they are having fun. My goal is to make learning fun for my students, and what a better way then to play games and learn at the same time! Projects such as Idea 51 allow students to show their creative side. I think this is important. Students should be able to express themselves creatively. How are they able to do this if they are always doing worksheets? They need to have hands- on projects that they can have fun with. Become a Poet will also bring out student creativity. 10 Questions, Describing Photos, and Geography Alphabet are all activities that will help students socially. Students will be in a situation to communicate and work with their peers. Cooperation and good communication among students makes for a stress free classroom environment. These activities will also get the students moving around the room. My 10 favorites are great to keep in mind not only for teaching history, but any subject. Learning should be fun. If learning is not fun, it is less memorable! 

                                       

10 tips to engage students in the classroom

Here are the ten tips from the video "10 Tips of Engaging Students in Active Learning."

1. Make the connection to real life.

2. Incorporate students interests.

3. Present in multiple formats. 

4. Offer choices.

5. Breakouts (groups).

6. Student lead activities.

7. Whole class participation.

8. Get students moving.

9. Chunk it out (break lessons into smaller sections)

10. Be enthusiastic.

I agree that all of these tips make for a successful classroom. Students will thrive in a classroom where all of the above are being practiced. Teachers are more likely to accommodate the learning styles of all students if these tips are used. It is my goal to be able to incorporate all of these tips into my teaching style. I have learned how important it is to provide a variety of activities for students and to make them feel that what they are learning is of significance. 

Animoto and Kahoot

For my project to introduce myself digitally, I created an Animoto. I think this is a great tool to use in the classroom. There are a number of ways it can be used!

• Students/teachers can introduce themselves the first week of school.
• Students/teachers can present research and information. 

I can see myself and my future students using this for many content areas. It would be a great way to incorporate technology into lessons and projects. 

 I really liked Emily's digitally me project using Kahoot. Kahoot was an interactive quiz site, and was so much fun. I would also use this in my classroom rather than just a sheet of paper to quiz my students. It's another fun way to incorporate technology into the classroom, and it will be something different for students. I believe that it is always good to change things up and keep things interesting! After all...

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

After watching the short video "A Vision of K-12 Students Today," I am forced to confront the fact that technology has become such a part of the life I live. Children in this generation spend hours of their day interacting with some form of technology. It makes sense that they are yearning for more of it in their classrooms. There does needs to be a healthy dose of technology-based teaching methods in classrooms today. It has become a great learning tool...the new chalkboard. However, there will always be some students that are not adaptive to all of the advances in technology, and would prefer to learn things "old school". Teachers need to consider all types of learners when planning lessons and activities. Finding a balance will be the challenge.