What’s My Name?
By Adam Cirnigliaro
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 19, 2009
We began the first class of the semester by partaking in a name game. It was an intriguing way of introducing the course because not only was the game used to help familiarize students and the professor with each other, but it was also used as a tool to examine teaching methods and student motivation.
When I heard we were going to play this game, I immediately thought back to when I was in school when we played these types of games the first day of school. What I remembered most was how much I hated them and the anxiety they created. I was always worried about thinking of a creative mnemonic that people wouldn’t make fun of me for.
Luckily, that no longer is a personal stressor. As much as I used to dislike the game, today made me realize that being put under that pressure was good because it forced me to be a little creative and step outside my comfort zone. The game is also useful because it is a fun way to engage everyone in the class and break the ice.
I believe that one of the main take home messages from this lesson is the importance of actively engaging all of your students in whatever activity you are doing. Students do not learn by passively sitting by because they need ways to make information personally relevant. This game worked because everyone was forced to create a learning strategy, as well as remember the strategy and names of others. However, I think one possible flaw in the structure of the game is that the students who go first are not required to remain focused throughout the duration of the activity because they only have to remember the names of the few people behind them. Once they are finished, they are able to drift off if they choose.
Although these are the students who I think are least engaged, I always found it less stressful to go later because it gave me more time to think of my mnemonic. It was interesting to hear others in the class say that they felt less stress when they got to go first. This shows that students have very different motivations based on their personalities. Teachers should manipulate the learning environment in order to challenge student’s comfort levels and motivations, while still helping to encourage them. One way this can be done is by altering seating arrangements, such as using a large circle like we did today or by breaking students up into smaller groups.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 19, 2009
We began the first class of the semester by partaking in a name game. It was an intriguing way of introducing the course because not only was the game used to help familiarize students and the professor with each other, but it was also used as a tool to examine teaching methods and student motivation.
When I heard we were going to play this game, I immediately thought back to when I was in school when we played these types of games the first day of school. What I remembered most was how much I hated them and the anxiety they created. I was always worried about thinking of a creative mnemonic that people wouldn’t make fun of me for.
Luckily, that no longer is a personal stressor. As much as I used to dislike the game, today made me realize that being put under that pressure was good because it forced me to be a little creative and step outside my comfort zone. The game is also useful because it is a fun way to engage everyone in the class and break the ice.
I believe that one of the main take home messages from this lesson is the importance of actively engaging all of your students in whatever activity you are doing. Students do not learn by passively sitting by because they need ways to make information personally relevant. This game worked because everyone was forced to create a learning strategy, as well as remember the strategy and names of others. However, I think one possible flaw in the structure of the game is that the students who go first are not required to remain focused throughout the duration of the activity because they only have to remember the names of the few people behind them. Once they are finished, they are able to drift off if they choose.
Although these are the students who I think are least engaged, I always found it less stressful to go later because it gave me more time to think of my mnemonic. It was interesting to hear others in the class say that they felt less stress when they got to go first. This shows that students have very different motivations based on their personalities. Teachers should manipulate the learning environment in order to challenge student’s comfort levels and motivations, while still helping to encourage them. One way this can be done is by altering seating arrangements, such as using a large circle like we did today or by breaking students up into smaller groups.
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