3

Notes

- Benefits of causal reasoning

- Enables students to...

- Make predictions, inferences, & explanations

- Draw implications

- Argue for (provide justifications) actions they have taken

- "The computer should be an object to think with" (45)

The reading discusses the use of technology to promote higher levels of thinking, such as causal thinking. I agree that it is important for students to learn how to reason causally. It is imperative that students understand the relationship between various concepts, rather than solely memorize facts.

Currently, I do not feel comfortable using microworlds in my classroom. I participated in the "Air Resistance and Falling Objects" simulation and the "Air Powered Projectile" simulation from the Interactive Physics microworld. Although this may be beneficial to use if I, as a teacher, do not have the funds to provide such materials, I would prefer to do these experiments with real objects, not with a computer. I feel reluctant to use technology to replace activities that I can easily create in my classroom. I think that students will better understand the material if they experience it in real life.

I also visited the Funderstanding Roller Coaster Simulation page. I think it is great to use to explore the relationship between speed, mass, gravity, and friction. However, it should follow a lesson that more comprehensively explains these concepts. The simulation alone is not sufficient to promote students' meaningful learning; it should be used as a reinforcer. This encouraged me to think of how I would teach a Physics lesson using roller coasters. I like the idea of students designing their own roller coasters, with pipe insulation and a marble, for example. The roller coaster simulation can be used for additional practice.

The adventure game Lemmings is a great tool to use to help children practice the skills of planning and strategizing. I was first introduced to the game in elementary school, and, since, I have enjoyed it. The goal of Lemmings is for the player to safely get a certain percentage of lemmings from an entrance to an exit. For the player to achieve this, he must devise a plan for the lemmings to overcome obstacles and dangers posed in the level, usually by assigning individual lemmings specific tasks, such as building stairs or digging. At the start of each level, the player can pause the game to survey the problem scene and create a plan to overcome the obstacles. Then, the player can test his ideas, with the results being immediately noticeable. As the levels become more difficult, the player uses previous strategies and knowledge to solve the problem. The game has many benefits. It allows children to practice problem solving skills and reasoning skills. Furthermore, it allows children to hypothesize and make predictions about what will happen next as a result of a certain move. Note to self: The board game Stratego is great for strategic thinking.

In general, I think that I would use microworlds, simulations, games, virtual worlds, etc. either as options for free time activities for students or to briefly support a lesson plan. I do not feel comfortable sitting children in front of a computer for long periods of time. They most likely use the computer a lot at home and will use it a lot as they progress through school, so I want my classroom to offer a break from it. On my classroom webpage, I would link to such sites and offer ideas on how students can use the sites or offer directions, but I would not depend on them for a lesson in my classroom.