My philosophy of teaching is to use high interest + high touch + high tech! I pick topics from pop culture the students can relate to (high interest). The message is high interest, pop culture topics. For media I combine high touch and high technology. I use props such as costumes (high touch) to engage all the senses including the kinesic sense. Finally, I use my blog to provide a hypermedia mode of instruction (high tech). Most of all I try not to use the same old tired topics with the same old tired ways of presenting material! Effective teaching is the masterful synergy of message and media to create conditions of learning via teaching!
The students will watch several Aesop’s Fables
The students will write a short fable skit and do the skit.
The students will take photos in animal hats.
The students will watch an Insect Man video.
The students will pick an Insect Man power.
The students will break into groups and design their own superhero.
The students will take an Insect Men photos.
Fortune Telling: Palmistry & Tarot
The students will read a palmistry book and read the palms of other students.
The students will read a tarot booklet.
The students will do tarot readings of other students.
After watching Wall-E, the students will design a Robot using a chapter in the Eyewitness Guide for background information: 1) Robots on the move , 2) Robot senses , 3) Artificial intelligence , 4) Robots in industry , 5) Ready-made robots , 4) Robots in the classroom , 5) Playing with robots , 6) Battle of the bots , 8) Sporting robots , 9) Robots in the lab , 10) Robots in medicine , 11) Helping around the home , 12) Going where it’s hard to go , 13) Flying and driving , 14) Underwater robots , 15) Robots in space , 16) Robots and art, 17) Musical robots, 18) Animatronics , 19) Machines with feelings , 20) Teams and swarms, 21) Cyborgs , 22) Humanoids and 23) Into the future.
The students will break into seven groups and design the following seven types of robots:
1) Robotic Alien Handler- The robot will help humans deal with aliens that visit Earth.
2) Robotic Big Monster Fighter- The robot will be designed to fight a Godzilla type monster.
3) Robotic Police Officer- The robot will help police officers fight crime.
4) Robotic Dog Catcher – The robot will catch dogs and cats.
5) Robotic Fire Fighter – The robot will help fire fighters put out fires.
6) Robotic Vampire Killer – The robot will kill vampires.
7) Robotic Zombie Killer – The robot will kill zombies.
The students as a class will create a YouTube dance video using the robot masks. The students will learn the following moves:
Dime Stops
Robot Arm Movement
Robot Hip Movement
Robot Stance
Crazy Robot Move
Advanced Robot Moves
The students will watch an episode of The Walking Dead TV show.
