After talking about the article, where the teacher was using more hands on strategies for students to learn about different places in the world, do you think that students learn better if you are creative and do more activities with the material, or do you think as a teacher you should teach out of the book so you will not not take any risks at school, and the students will learn the material in a more standard way?

I believe what Dr. turner said in class on Tuesday about being an active and engaging teacher. If your activity causes a loud noise or attracts attention, I think that you should be ready to show how this activity helps your students learn what was taught in the book. If you are asked the benefit your students are getting from an activity and you say "its just fun" or "the book is boring" then you are not going to get a happy reaction from your administration. You should make it clear how your kids are going to learn, and then you won't have to worry about getting in trouble.

I think this can become a sticky situation for a teacher. I was actually discussing this in my Visual Arts class and there are many opinions. Personally I think that the book/curriculum is there for a reason and there to help teachers teach their students what they need to know to pass a test. However, I believe a teacher should look over the curriculum and have a full understanding of what needs to be taught to his/her students so that they have that freedom to create activities that engage the students and allow students to be creative and hands on. I think there can definitely be a balance in the classroom that the curriculum is taught but in a learning environment that students want to be in and enjoy.

Casey Gill