Children’s interests and physical activity

I am just 23 years old, but still I can see a dramatically change in what kind of interests children have. When I was a child I played with Barbie dolls until an age of 10-11 years, I was interested in building boats so I could send them down the river, all the children in the neighborhood played together and we never got bored. Today I get the impression that the children are bored all the time, they have not got the creativity to find up games they can play. I think it is because many kids play to much computer games. I have some nephews that also are very interested in computer games, but they are not allowed to play all day long, so when they don’t have the computer they very easily get bored. I can also see this tendency in school.

A negative effect of this is obesity. We can see children getting bigger and bigger and it’s a sad side effect of increased use of computer and other static activities. From autumn 2009 every 5-7.class in Norwegian elementary school had to introduce regularly physical activity. They have also made a resource site with good activities to do in school. I think this is a good requirement, because many children like to have more physical activity in school and it is important for their health. “Nasjonalforeningen for folkehelse” in Norway have a competition “jump for your heart” (Hopp for hjertet) for 4. – 7.class, that is about jump rope, and the class that jumps the most win good prizes. So the government and organizations do a lot for increase children’s physical activity. Very good! But I think it’s also important for the teacher to inform about what a healthy lifestyle means, and focus on the importance of it.

Here’s a link to the resource site.
And a movie that shows health benefits of physical activity. (Norwegian)

How to use ict in the classroom?

We have heard that ICT can improve teaching and learning in schools, but in the teachers academy we do not learn anything about HOW to use ICT in the classroom. We have just heard about the importance of it. It is useful to learn about the importance of ICT in school, and know what the curriculum (L06) says about the subject. The problem may be that we learn to little about HOW we can use ICT in school as a pedagogical tool. We have to figure out by ourselves how to use ICT in school. I miss something about teaching methods in relation to ICT in the teachers academy. Many of the textbooks we use in school today have developed good interactive webpage’s, that is good help for the teacher, and the students like to work on these pages. Under I have posted a Norwegian video about ICT in school.



In the video the minister of knowledge Kristin Halvorsen have had a meeting with some students from high school. The students told her about their wishes about more ICT in school and how use of ICT in teaching motivates them. The minister was positive, and the student got the impression that she wanted to work for more ICT in school.

I think it’s lack of knowledge and equipment, that holds use of ICT back, because in the curriculum use of ICT in school is enshrined. So I think more required ICT education in the teachers academy is the solution. Maybe this is improved in the new teachers education that starts up autumn 2010.

Link to a good norwegian site with ICT - articles:
http://www.skolenettet.no/moduler/templates/Module_Overview.aspx?id=17809&epslanguage=NO

Some thoughts about LEARNING

I will in this post write about some of my thoughts concerning learning and what impact computer games have on children.

I think it is harder to be a teacher to day than what it was for some years ago. Why? I think computer games have something to do with it. I don't mean that children should stop playing computer games, but I think the games matters to much to some kids and they use terrible lot of time on it. There are som arguments for use of computer games, such as skills in language, strategy thinking, literacy, dexterity and generally use of the computer. This is good qualities to gain skills in, but is it worth it when we look at the other side. Arguments against computer games are that they increases use of violence and make teens more agressive, are more prone to confrontation with their teachers, see a decline in school achievements, loose of social qualities. I think children also changes their way of learning, by playing to much computer games. In computer games they get immediately respons and they don't easely get bored. In teaching situation I think these kids often get bored and don't pay attention, because they don't get immediately respons, as they are used to from the games. This could also be an indication that the teaching is to "old school", and maybe it is not the children, maybe it's just the teacher that doesen't follow the development? I will add a video from youtube that is about the effect of video games, very interesting.

Read more about the subject her if you want: http://www.pamf.org/preteen/parents/videogames.html

Cyber bullying

In my work teaching a class of 12 years old students, the issue of cyber bullying came up. In my search and and eager to stop this bullying I discovered that cyber bullying is not easy to discover and make and end of. Why it's not easy to discover is that there are often no vitnes of the bullying, and the tracks can be deleted by the person or persons that mobs, the bullying also often occurs in the afternoon or evening. It is hard sometimes almost impossible for the teacher to find out about cyber bullying.

An important job for the teacher is to work on preventing the cyberbullying. In norway we also get some brochures about netsafety and cyberbullying, these are good help. It can also be an idea to get an policeofficer to come to school and have an presentation about netsafety and cyberbullying. I think that the students will se the seriousness about the issue in another and better way when the policeofficer have a presentation. As you can read her (norwegian article) there are also many adult that are cyberbullying others. So the police have good knowledge about the subject.