Response to Research

My research began with watching a quick video about learning in the 21st century.  In the video, the term "gamer" was used, a term that I have been hearing quite a bit lately.  It prompted me to do some research into the various "labels" the kids are using in middle and highschool to "organize" themselves socially and stratify their population.  I recall a conversation I had with my cousin over the summer about her middle school daughter.  Her daughter had been expressing concern about how kids were labelled at school by their peers.
 I read a few articles on this topic and found a Newsweek article called "The Legacy of High School Cliques: How the labels we get as teenagers shape the rest of our lives, and why social networking and the economy are changing the way a generation  deals with those early stereotypes."  This article discussed how these labels shape who we become, especially in an age when social networking make these labels and social implications so ever-present and difficult to escape.  This is an interesting, and concerning notion.  The article also claimed that kids of this generation are "taking longer to grow up and establish themselves as adults."  The author suggests that this "extended adolescence" could give kids more time to shed their labels and define who they truly are and what their goals are in life.  An interesting angle...

Update on project

My team members and I have continued our work to find and curate math games and activities for what we hope to be more effective, engaging, organized but more academically flexible, and (in some cases) technological math centers.  We spent a fair amount of time collecting the hands-on materials that we will use with students for the first couple months of school.  We still have work to do, which will include preparing our Kindergarteners for being successful during this self-directed time.  This can take time. 

As sort of a side project, we have added a twitter feed to our blogs with the intention of using it to report out a few quick tidbits/conversation starters about each day for parents.  I am anxious to start doing this as a closing circle with my students (what a great built-in shared writing experience too).  I think it will help to hold me accountable for what I believe to be a very important (yet too often rushed) part of our day.

Response to Research

I have spent an hour exploring and creating a favorites list and folders on the PBS Learning Media website.  I am so excited to make use of this website this year.  It is a great place to collect short videos, interactive games, and professional information.  There is a wealth of resources!  I also plan to add this sight to my list of links on my blog so that my families can learn about it as well.