Diversity Song Analysis

 In this video you see the inclusion of several different cultures from around the world participating in the video.  The images in the video do an excellent job of reflecting the message that race gender and whats on the outside is not what matters but your ideas and emotions are what defines you.  I believe that this song was written in the midst of growing racial turmoil in the country.  The lyrics work to send the message,to anyone who wants o hear it, that we are more alike that we often would like to admit. The music is high energy and written in a major key to invoke positive responses to the message.  The message is that e need to stop focusing so much on skin color.  I would use this to reinforce the idea that diversity of ideas is more important than diversity of skin color.

Team 4 Diversity Poster

Throughout this past week, I have recognized, to much disappointment, that for too many people the term diversity is simply a politically correct term for discrimination.  It is sad but when you hear the most outspoke members of our society speak of "diversity", they mean "race" or "gender" or "sexual orientation".  When faced with the question of diversity, many only want to be able to walk by a classroom and be confident that they can see a "rainbow of colors" on the outside.  it is all about the outside.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated that his dream was that we all be noticed for what is in side and not the outside.  We have veered too far from that, and have abandoned the concept of intellectual freedom and diversity especially in the academic realm.  Whether it be the endless arguing over keeping evolution or creationism out of schools, or yet another incident of politically motivated censorship/bias or violence at a university, this is the area where intellectual diversity should be celebrated, not stifled (by anyone on any side of any issue).  We wanted to emphasize that need for intellectual diversity in our poster and in our songs and I really think we managed to do that.


 

Songs:

• "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers
• " Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds
• "All Kinds of Kinds" by Miranda Lambert

The Learning Power of Webquests

 

"When a WebQuest poses an open-ended question, students must do more than “know” facts. Open-ended questions activate students’ prior knowledge and create a personal curiosity that inspires investigation and brings about a more robust understanding of the material."

The Learning Power of Webquests

Learning by Playing: Video Games in The Classroom

In recent years (1999 - present) the use of video games in classrooms has become more widespread and accepted.  Developers and programmers have created web sites dedicated to teaching through the use of educational video games.  whats more, is that the games they are creating are fun for students.  so much so that students often times rush through classwork to be able to play these games in their free time in class.  The fact remains that video games have become part of our culture so much that several professions are even recognizing the skills necessary for success can be enhanced through video gam playing.  Military operations are often carried out by unmanned aircraft operated from a control station half a world away, much like a flight simulator program.  Surgeons have even recognized that playing video games can help to improve dexterity, hand eye coordination, and reaction time.  This recognition has led to an incredible advancement in the applications for laproscopic surgery as well as delicate procedures being able to be performed by remote controlled robotics.

The use of video games in classrooms is the future.  Like any other tool it simply needs to be properly utilized.