Simulations and Bodies

1. What does the author mean when he says, "Learning doesn't work well when learners are forced to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West." 

One cannot learn well when he/she is being forced to engage in an environment that isn't comfortable or natural- learning must take place within your comfort zone

2. According to the author, what is the best way to acquire a large vocabulary?

practice; use it, speak it, every day life should include a wide range of vocabulary

3. What gives a word a specific meaning? 

the context in which it is used. In my clinicals today, the phrase "pick you up" was discussed and the contexts in which it could be used. My host teacher mentioned that you can say "I will pick you up" to a baby and its context is literal. If you say "I'll pick you up after school" -  it just means, I'll be there to make sure you get home. And you can even say "Ice cream will pick you up" meaning to lift your spirits.

4. What does the term "off the hook" mean in each of these sentences?

a. My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present. I don't have to

b. Them shoes are off the hook dog. awesome and in style

c. Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!! again, awesome/cool/entertaining

4. According to the author what is the"work" of childhood? Do you agree?

Everyone knows "a child's work is play". I do agree. Take my 4-year-old for instance. When she plays with others, she has to figure out what's right and wrong and fair and what can everyone agree to play on...

5.Why is NOT reading the instruction for how to play a game before playing a game a wise decision?

It's a learn as you go kind of thing. When I learned to play WoW (World of Warcraft) I didn't sit down and read anything, rather, I logged in, made a toon, and figured it out as I went. It's the same with just about anything else in life: you don't learn by reading about it, you learn by living it and doing it yourself.

6. Does knowing the general or literal meaning of a word lead to strong reading skills?

Yes, if you take general sayings in a literal meaning while reading, you're going to be awfully confused as to why you're going to (for example) throw the baby out with the bath water!  

7. What does the author mean by the terms "identity" and "game". Give an example of 3 "identities" or "games" you play?

I'm a gamer- I play World of Warcraft (For the Alliance!)

I'm a mom and an Army wife

I'm a suggie mamma (I'm the mom to 4 sugar gliders)

8. According to the author what is good learning?

Basically, active learning and playing an active roll... knowing which 'game' to play and where (I like to say that I wear many hats, so good learning is knowing when to put what hat on)

9. How does understanding that being able to build a mental model and simulations of a real-word experience is closely tied  to comprehending written and oral language support of change the way you think children should learn in school?

I'm not sure I fully understand what this question is asking... It is important for children to make these mental connections between school and the real world. When they build these mental models and run through these simulations in their minds, it shows understanding. Likewise, if kids can read and write and talk on different levels (using these different identities) they have a higher chance of success. It's all about making connections with real world experiences.

10. Why is peer to peer interaction so important for the language development of young children? How does knowing this support or change the way you think children should learn in school?

Peer to peer interaction is critical...who can better get into a 3rd graders mind and understand how he/she thinks than another 3rd grader?! I already know that this should be supported in school, and I implement this in my clinical classroom. For example, today "J" was having difficulty with some math and I just wasn't able to get the concept through to her, so I grabbed one of her peers and said "Hey, can you help 'J'? She needs a little bit of help with this problem and I think I'm just frustrating her". Need I say more? Nope, because she got it after that.