1. PRESENTATION: The class really seemed to enjoy learning about the population and many had their own opinions. The class was able to divide causes and preventions into two groups and some were able to explain their reasoning behind their choices. Some common misconceptions that our class faced was that only a few were aware of the population being so high. Many students were shocked when we said were at 7 billion people on earth and we are only growing. Some areas that could use some work was our timing of the activities. We were only given a certain time slot which was tough, but we worked with what we were given and made the best of it. I really liked our hook and my teammates and I think it really got out point across. We had our class stand on a small map of the world and some students got frustrated when they couldn't fit on the globe or it was squished. I think using the Ipads worked really well because lots of students use technology and this is one way to get students interested and connected. I think everyone learned one if not more things about the population. The Ipads also helped us to have each student engaged in what they were learning. We had on application that we had our students put their birthdays in and it told them what number person in the world they were born. I think the whole class found this crazy. I think I would wait to give the Ipads out until we were ready to use them because some students were distracted by them.
2. CURRENT EVENTS: I really learned so much about our current event and the causes and preventions that happen. I loved watching our population grow and fall by the second on one of our applications. I am definitely more interested in the news and more on the population. I want to keep up to date with what is happening. I think I will try better to be more involved with community issues but definitely global issues. I am a more active citizen because of this current event!
Lauren's Reflection:
I feel that the overall presentation went well. I believe that we were able to engage the students with the use of our hook as well as our teaching strategies. I feel the class was able to get a better understanding about overpopulation through the use of the concept attainment and the iPad apps. One of the challenges we did have was the amount of time we were given to do the entire lesson. I feel that we would have been able to go into more detail and use the iPad apps more if there wasn't a rush on time. However, I feel that even with the time restriction, we still were able to achieve the effect we hoped for. Another challenge was that we gave the iPads out before we were going to use them and it seemed to distract the students at first. It was great to see how involved and engaged the class was and how shocked they were to see which number in the world they are. I also think they were shocked to use the Population Clock app and see how many births and deaths were happening in the world and where they were happening. Those places where the most births and deaths are occurring are the places that are the most at risk of the effects of population like lack of resources, living space, and increased poverty. The students really were able to see how overpopulation is occurring each and every day and how it is going to affect us. They were able to see how it is something we need to start thinking about sooner rather than later when it is too late. Overall, I think the whole current event project went well. I think it was a great way to make us think about current events and get us more involved in social and global issues. It showed us that we should be educated on these topics rather than choose not to know about them. It made me see overpopulation as a problem that needs to be thought about and how it is going to affect us in the future...2045 seems like it is so far away, when in reality it's actually not that far. I feel that by doing these current events project I am more likely to pay attention to current events and educate myself on them rather than ignore it. It made me see how important it is to be educated and to be an active citizen in these issues because if we don't take a stand then nothing is going to change.
Bianca's Reflection
In general, the presentation was very successful. We were able to convey the message of overpopulation causes through our concept formation. Furthermore, during the lesson, our classmates were able to learn about population-- its causes, effects, and potential prevention. The iPad apps were a great visual and interactive resource for teaching about overpopulation, as it allowed for hands-on learning. With that in mind, we did have some challenges when teaching our lesson. I think that the main challenge was time, as we were not able to give our classmates the opportunity to explore all of the apps and answer each of the questions on the worksheets. Though the lesson was planned out well, we sometimes need to adapt to unpredicted circumstances. In our case, I feel as though we modified the lesson well, although it would have been nice to see it completed in its entirety. Also, I think one of our other challenges was the order in which we carried out our lesson. The hook and the concept attainment were beneficial; however, in the short amount of time that we were given, it might have helped to shorten the concept formation. With time and order in consideration, it may have also helped to handout the iPads after the beginning part of the lesson because it was distracting, even for college students. However, even with these minor challenges, the overall effect of the lesson was a positive one. The students remained interested and engaged throughout the entire lesson. I also was pleased to see that many of the students in the class were excited to learn about their "number" in the world population. Lastly, the Population Clock app was interesting to many students, as it showed when births and deaths were taking place worldwide. I wish that the students had more time to explore the Stats of the Union app, as it had a great deal of detailed information about Massachusetts.
I think that this current event project was a great learning experience for everyone. I definitely feel more interested in the news and would like to keep up with current events. I feel more inclined to read about current issues, especially the ones that we have discussed in class. I think that overall, I can say that I feel more like an active citizen. I believe that it is important to be educated and aware of what is happening in the world, as there is potential to make a change!
