Additional Assignment #1

A/B. Google Squared & WolframAlpha are both very visual search engines. The provide information, as well as graphs & charts. The information also comes very quickly, as well as being efficient. I think that these two search engines would be very useful for students who have upcoming research papers due. Regarding the topics that I searched, the information seemed very reliable & was also presented in a manner that was easily understandable.

C/D. I did not know about either of these search engines before this assignment. I had always done the usual Google search & Wiki search (yes, I know Wiki is not a good search engine since the information can be changed by whoever, whenever.) However, I wish that I had known about them, because they would have made finding information a whole lot easier.

E. I don't think that my opinions in themselves altered as much. Rather, the information just didn't seem as overwhelming. When you realize how much bigger China & India are than the United States, it kind of makes sense that they would be so far ahead of the curve.

F. I think that this assignment taught me to be more careful when reading statistics. They seemed so overwhelming at first, but whenever I did the research behind the stats, they made more sense. This assignment taught me to be more cautious when taking statistics to mind.

Blog Assignment #4: Video Responses

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
     Dr. Scott McLeod is a professor from Minneapolis, MN and he runs the blog Dangerously Irrevelant. In a post from August 29, 2009, Dr. McLeod uses sarcasm to more or less challenge the reader to fuse technology into children's learning. I thought this post was very sarcastic in a very positive way. Most people don't take to sarcasm very well, but I, personally, loved this post. This was an excellent outlet to put his views out into the open and I thought that it was very much to the point. My favorite line of this post was this:

 I don't want them

    creating

      sharing

        thinking

          learning

you know they're just going to look at porn

  and hook up with predators

I think that this shows an excellent insight as to what some parents honestly believe about what their children are doing on the computer in today's day & age. Some parents, teachers, adminstrators don't realize what all learning opportunities are available online. I think Dr. McLeod posed a great challenge: "I'll let my kids use technology, but you don't let yours. We'll see which has the upper hand advantage later."

The iSchool Initiative
     In this YouTube video, Travis, who is a 17 year old high school student, introduces his idea of the iSchool to the internet universe. I think that the idea of having essentially an "educational iTouch" is an excellent idea. It would save plenty of trees by reducing the amount of paper used, the amount of broken No.2 pencils, and the amount of printed copies. In a sense, we are already using a version of "iSchool" now with this online blogging class. Everything that we need to know and turn in is done online.
     However, it makes me wonder where the money for these applications are going to come from. While the iSchool is an amazing idea, who is going to pay for the applications needed by each student? The money adds up in the long run. Sure, buying a $.99 graphing calculator application is more reasonable than a $150 calculator from a store, but who is going to buy the $.99 apps for every student in the school system? Will it be on the parents or will it be on the school system's shoulders? I'm just simply curious.

Lost Generation
     I loved this video. I was very skeptic at first when the words were scrolling like credits. It made me kind of angry, to be honest. Who was this person saying that they will tell their children they aren't the most important thing & saying that work trumps family? I was shocked, but I also knew that this is what our world could succumb to. But then, the words were read in reverse order --scrolling the playback in the opposite order it was just read in. This time, my thoughts were more along the lines of amazement, rather than appalling shock. My mood completely shifted. I think that this video was presented in an excellent manner. It is very thought provoking and simple. There were no distractions -just scrolling words. And it got the point across very well. Nicely done, AARP.

Virtual Choir
     In Eric Witacre's Virtual Choir, composer and conductor Eric Witacre brings together an array of people from 12 different countries and creates a musical masterpiece. 185 voices combine to create a very beautiful piece of music. It's amazing to think that he composed this without ever meeting the singers -or I'm going to assume he hasn't met them personally. From Jennifer Chamber's comment, everything was put together through the internet. I think that is simply brilliant and it shows exactly what the internet is capable of today. People degrade the internet saying that it takes away social skills by putting up a 5th wall, but I think that this video shows quite the contrary. These voices have never met, but they can come together to create an ensemble of amazing music. I, personally, loved this video.

Blog Project #5: Google Presentation

Blog Project #3: C4T

First C4T Post:In a blog post recently published by WM Chamberlain, the idea of The Student Learning Manifesto is created. An 8th grade teacher from Noel, Missouri assigned his students a task to create a "manifesto" containing a few goals or actions that the student can take to become a better student. The students then share their work on here. In my opinion, i think this is an excellent idea. When a student takes the actions that he or she wrote down, they will realize what kind of potential they have within. I think it is great for students and should be done more often in schools around the world.

Second C4T Post:
I decided to stick with WM Chamberlain and his next blog post in the series was One Teacher, One Smartphone. In this post, he elaborated on ways that he plans to use his Droid X within his classroom. I think that this is a very good idea. So many children are getting cell phones at younger and younger ages so it will essentially be very useful. I personally didn't realize how useful an Android can be in the classroom. This post opened my eyes a little as to what all technology we really have right at our fingertips.

Blog Assignment #3: Video Responses

A Vision of Students Today
     I thought that this video hit the proverbial nail on the head. It was very well put together and kept my interest throughout the entire 4+ minutes. I liked how the camera panned from the walls to the seats to the board - all of which were a continuing thought. I also liked in how each student held up a fact. These facts were very interesting to think about. If one was to add up the hours of things we do a day, it would be more hours than are in the actual day? That seems crazy to me. But I think what best explains this would be the sign that said "I'm a multi-tasker (I have to be.)"
     Being a college student today can be very intense. We are expected to learn things for jobs that exist now, but with the continuing growth in technology, are these jobs really going to be the same when we graduate? No one knows for sure. It also seems as though everything is overloaded. The sign that said they get seven hours a week could be a false pretense for others. I personally have had to function on less than that per night. But although I was sleep deprived & potentially overwhelmed, I still stick through with my classes and my assignments. I can't play the victim, because I chose to go to college.

It's Not About the Technology
     In this article, Kelly Hines goes against the grain. Whereas most people would want to infuse technology into our schools & teach children by those means, Kelly states that teaching does not have to be solely about the technology. She agrees that they can be assets, but in summary, she also says that there needs to be a good foundation in place before the technology can become a useful tool.
     The analogy Kelly Hines uses in the "Learning and Teaching Are Not the Same" portion of this article was a very interesting one. I had never thought of learning and teaching in that way. No matter how much effort a teacher puts into the curriculum, if a student does not comprehend it, no learning has been done -thus no teaching. I think this is a powerful statement that more teachers should pay attention to.

Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
     When I first started reading this post by Karl Fisch about technological illiteracy, I agreed whole heartedly. But then I began to wonder what does it really mean to be technologically literate? What may be literate to you, may not be literate to someone else. It's all about perspective. So, with the inset of Terry Freedman's post, I began to feel like this article took a turn towards harsh. Terry stated that the principals and head masters of school that employed technologically illiterate teachers should be to blame. He also stated that, "School inspectors who are technologically illiterate should be encouraged to find alternative employment." This just seems very harsh, because who is to judge what is literate and illiterate.
     I do feel that teachers should be able to work the basics, but it makes me wonder about the older generation of teachers -the ones who have been doing this before technology hit the educational world so hard. Do they feel left behind in this new day and age of their profession? Should they be help accountable for not being able to infuse technology as much as one would like? I think not, because if they are able to teach to the same level that a "technologically literate" teacher can, then I think that they are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. 

Social Media Count
     I believe that Gary Hayes has created an excellent visual into the world of technological growth and expansion. This is an amazing flash app that continuously shows additions to various internet media accounts. It's almost overwhelming to watch and to think about. Every single time a number changes on the list, it means that someone in the world is using technology And at the rate the numbers are changing, it is showing just how many people are being affected by this technological movement. What does this mean for me as a teacher? It means that a good majority of students, no matter how young or old, will be affected by technology in some way. This puts a weight on my shoulders, because now I must keep up with the technological movement so that I can instill the best education into my students.

Blog Assignment #2: Video Responses

Did You Know? 3.0
     This video, researched by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman, is one that shows visually dynamic statistics on how technology has grown and is continuing to do so over the years. I thought that the statistics, such as the years that it took for a marketing device to reach 50 million, are chosen very well. They are facts that are interesting and seem to keep viewers wanting to know more -or atleast, that was the case with me.
     I thought that this video was overall very well put together. The graphics, in combination with the music, kept my interest throughout the entire 4+ minutes. The statistics were thought invoking. As I got to the end of the video and realized what all had happened during those minutes, it made me realize that things are constantly happening. It makes sense that people are being prepared for jobs that don't yet exist. The video made me realize how influential technology is and how it is constantly becoming bigger and better. Our society -not just the United States, but the entire world- is being consumed by technology, and I see that as a good thing.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
     This video was a very unique one to watch. Mr. Winkle wakes up after 100 years to find the world around him has completely changed in so many ways. He gets an unsettling feeling everywhere he goes -until he goes into the school that he stumbles upon.  In the school, he feels comfortable. Everything isn't run by technology or machines; it is just the same as it was 100 years ago.
     While it makes Mr. Winkle happy that nothing has changed within the school setting, it make me wonder what the children are going to be doing after they graduate. They're going to be sent into a world that is being run by technology. If they don't learn about this while they are in school, they are going to be lost when they go into a job setting. As teachers, I believe it is our job to prepare young minds for the future. If we're not infusing technology into our curriculum, then I feel that our students will not be as prepared as they should be. The classroom needs to be on the same track and going at the same pace as other things going on in the world, such as the technological growth.

The Importance of Creativity
     "Creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status," was said by Sir Ken Robinson during this video. I don't think it could have been said any better. I found Sir Ken Robinson's presentation fascinating. He managed to get his very important point across, while still keeping the mood light. He kept people laughing, but also kept them interested. Everything that Sir Ken Robinson said was completely true. Children are being taught out of their creativity, because they are being taught that they can't be wrong.
     I think that a child's creativity is what's going to change the world in 5-50 years. This is true with the story of choreographer Gillian Lynne that Sir Robinson told. If she had been a student in today's classroom, the teacher would have encouraged her to sit still, pay attention, and keep quiet until asked a question. She would have ultimately kept her talent hidden -which is quite a shame. Instead of discouraging students, we need to encourage them to embrace the creativity and imagination that they are born with and improve upon as they grow older.

Digital Smarts
     What Vicki Davis does and how she teaches to her students is truly original. Her views on teaching are some that all teachers can flourish from. She said during the video that you don't have to know how to do something to teach it, and I agree with that. I think that her way of teaching enables the students to develop more of an interest in the subject matter. With this interest and technology at their fingertips, students can teach and learn from themselves rather than relying on a "teacher."
     Her teaching is beyond just a simple pencil and paper method, and I think that this is very valuable to her students. They learn so much more with hands on than they could writing information down on paper. While teachers today do seem to infuse technology into their lessons, I have not seen anyone infuse it as much as Vicki Davis has. And I think that her students will be some of the few that will be well ahead of the learning curve when they graduate. They will be the ones to go into the real world and not get lost in translation with the new emerging technology, because they were taught to teach themselves how to use software, amongst other things.

Blog Project #2: Wordle