Cognitive Journal

1.) Online gaming is so popular because it gives people the chance to be submerged in something other than reality. There are definitely pros and cons to this. Drawbacks to being engaged in these activities is being disengaged in what is actually going on around you in the real world. You can be physically present, but mentally somewhere else which is scary and can hinder relationships with the real people in your life. I think that technology as a whole offers opportunities for learning, depending on how much and how the technology is used. There are definitely people who abuse devices and use them to pass time.

2.) I like to write down what I need to get done on a day to day basis. Without a planner, I don't think I would do well in school. In order for me to get things done, my mind needs to be organized. Writing out schedules and crossing off things as I complete them really makes me feel motivated and successful in every aspect of my life. It's also important for me to prioritize. Often, I feel excited about one assignment over others, but it's not due for weeks or months. I write down what needs to get done in the order of when it needs to get done to keep myself on track.

3.) I am a big fan of creating acronyms and songs to remember things. I'm teaching a math lesson on metric units in my fifth grade class next week. I can remember my fifth grade teacher teaching us the acronym King Henry Died Unexpectedly Drinking Chocolate Milk (Kilo, Hecto, Deca, Unit, Deci, Centi, Milli) to memorize the order of metric units from greatest to smallest. I'm using this acronym along with a song to teach this lesson to my students. It's something I never forgot and I hope they won't either. I also like to sketch notes as well. It helps me visualize what actually is going on. This works best in history classes.