Week 2 Reflection: Ditch that Textbook
I don’t know about you, but I still love watching cartoons. It’s not truly a secret to anyone that knows me. Some of them, I believe, have value and some are just something that I watch when I want to turn my brain off. So when I saw an article in this website that involved cartoons, it peaked my interest to say the least. As I read this article further I felt a real connection. Not only with the surface of it involving a cartoon, but with the idea and fun of what a classroom should be.
In Matt Miller's Phineas and Ferb Post, he brings up the interesting idea of making a classroom more like a Disney Channel cartoon show. Now I know this sounds crazy, but let’s just hear him out. This show, Phineas and Ferb, is about these two boys that try to come up with new and interesting (and often off the wall crazy) ways to past the time during their summer vacation. All while their sister, Candace, tries to get them busted. Now this premise sounds silly and yet entertaining and Matt loves this show. He quotes it as being brilliant, clever, and appealing for kids and adults alike.
Matt then goes on to point out seven ways that our schools should be like this cartoon....
Point #1) “Hey Phineas, Whatcha Doin?” – This is a saying said at the beginning of the show. It represents the spark of curiosity that our students should have. We want them to fall in love with learning. And more “Whatcha doin?” moments is just what we need in our classrooms.
Point #2) “Ferb, I know what we’re going to do today!” – This line speaks of inspiration. Usually Phineas will be struck with an idea from something being said. They then go off to create this outrageous plan. As Miller puts it, “Organic exploration triggered by inspiration has led to some of my own favorite and deepest learning – as a student and as an adult.”
Point #3) Perry vs. Dr. Doofenshmirtz – Perry the Platypus is the boys’ pet but he is also a secret agent who always foils the evil plans of his nemesis, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. Matt feels that when used in classrooms this plot line can turn any dry content into an epic journey for your students.
Point #4) Costumes, and lots of them – Characters within the show are always putting on costumes when the situation calls for it. And according to Matt a little costuming in the classroom can go a long way. Sometimes this can help students become more involved with a subject or as a tool to grab their attention.
Point #5) Don’t have it? Make it! – Many times Phineas and Ferb don’t have certain objects and so they make them. And if they don’t know how to make them, they figure it out. Creating something by yourself (or with others) can be quite rewarding and educational. You learn about the inner workings of just what goes into making the objects. You also gain a better respect for the object itself and the people who have to make them.
Point #6) Great themes – Themes can change the feel of somethings, whether it be a Star Wars theme to certain episodes of the show or just the “average” theme of show. Having a fun and exciting theme for a classroom can really put an interesting spin on things and might grab the attention of a student that might not have noticed otherwise.
Point #7) Lots of custom music – Each episode of the show has at least one song that was created by the writers of the show. They’re catchy and can easily get stuck in your head. Like the “Backyard Beach” one. We, as teachers, are always trying to get things stuck in our students’ heads. Sometimes songs are a good way to do this.
Take for instance the theme song that begins their show….
There’s 104 days of summer vacation
and school comes along just to end it
But the annual problem of our generation
is finding a good way to spend it
And put an educational spin on it (humor me, please) …
There’s 47 minutes of classroom instruction
and the bell comes along just to end it
But the daily problem of the classroom nation
is finding a good way to spend it
I find it so interesting to find a common thread that can connect a teacher to their students. As teachers we have to unafraid to seem silly and outrageous sometimes. Matt Miller is someone that knows and embraces this. He knows that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously all the time. For those of us that plan on teaching in elementary, we have to search for ideas in things that our students like and identify with, even if it might seem a bit silly to us at first. But if you look hard enough you can find tools for your classroom in the most unlikely of places. Please check out Matt at any of the following…
In Matt Miller's Phineas and Ferb Post, he brings up the interesting idea of making a classroom more like a Disney Channel cartoon show. Now I know this sounds crazy, but let’s just hear him out. This show, Phineas and Ferb, is about these two boys that try to come up with new and interesting (and often off the wall crazy) ways to past the time during their summer vacation. All while their sister, Candace, tries to get them busted. Now this premise sounds silly and yet entertaining and Matt loves this show. He quotes it as being brilliant, clever, and appealing for kids and adults alike.
Matt then goes on to point out seven ways that our schools should be like this cartoon....
Point #1) “Hey Phineas, Whatcha Doin?” – This is a saying said at the beginning of the show. It represents the spark of curiosity that our students should have. We want them to fall in love with learning. And more “Whatcha doin?” moments is just what we need in our classrooms.
Point #2) “Ferb, I know what we’re going to do today!” – This line speaks of inspiration. Usually Phineas will be struck with an idea from something being said. They then go off to create this outrageous plan. As Miller puts it, “Organic exploration triggered by inspiration has led to some of my own favorite and deepest learning – as a student and as an adult.”
Point #3) Perry vs. Dr. Doofenshmirtz – Perry the Platypus is the boys’ pet but he is also a secret agent who always foils the evil plans of his nemesis, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. Matt feels that when used in classrooms this plot line can turn any dry content into an epic journey for your students.
Point #4) Costumes, and lots of them – Characters within the show are always putting on costumes when the situation calls for it. And according to Matt a little costuming in the classroom can go a long way. Sometimes this can help students become more involved with a subject or as a tool to grab their attention.
Point #5) Don’t have it? Make it! – Many times Phineas and Ferb don’t have certain objects and so they make them. And if they don’t know how to make them, they figure it out. Creating something by yourself (or with others) can be quite rewarding and educational. You learn about the inner workings of just what goes into making the objects. You also gain a better respect for the object itself and the people who have to make them.
Point #6) Great themes – Themes can change the feel of somethings, whether it be a Star Wars theme to certain episodes of the show or just the “average” theme of show. Having a fun and exciting theme for a classroom can really put an interesting spin on things and might grab the attention of a student that might not have noticed otherwise.
Point #7) Lots of custom music – Each episode of the show has at least one song that was created by the writers of the show. They’re catchy and can easily get stuck in your head. Like the “Backyard Beach” one. We, as teachers, are always trying to get things stuck in our students’ heads. Sometimes songs are a good way to do this.
Take for instance the theme song that begins their show….
There’s 104 days of summer vacation
and school comes along just to end it
But the annual problem of our generation
is finding a good way to spend it
And put an educational spin on it (humor me, please) …
There’s 47 minutes of classroom instruction
and the bell comes along just to end it
But the daily problem of the classroom nation
is finding a good way to spend it
I find it so interesting to find a common thread that can connect a teacher to their students. As teachers we have to unafraid to seem silly and outrageous sometimes. Matt Miller is someone that knows and embraces this. He knows that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously all the time. For those of us that plan on teaching in elementary, we have to search for ideas in things that our students like and identify with, even if it might seem a bit silly to us at first. But if you look hard enough you can find tools for your classroom in the most unlikely of places. Please check out Matt at any of the following…
- like Ditch That Textbook on Facebook
- follow @jmattmiller on Twitter
- check out the #DitchBook community on Twitter
- follow Ditch That Textbook on Pinterest
- follow +MattMiller16 on Google+!