Sunday, December 12, 2010
Blog Project #10: PLE
This is my PLE created on Symbaloo. I think that my PLE is very helpful in many ways. It has helped me to be more organized with my internet browsing, because most of what I need is right there on my homepage. I have a link to the EDM310 blog, the USA homepage, Google Docs, and others. My PLE is color coordinated so it is easy to find what I'm looking for and it is neatly organized to my liking. I can add or delete tabs as I see fit and I can arrange them in any order that I wish. Prior to taking this class, I didn't know about Symaloo or PLE's, but I wish that I had. My PLE makes using the internet so much easier.
Blog Project #6: C4K, December
First Post:
Yasmine's Post
Yasmine is a student in Mr. St. Pierre's class. She is feeling the frustration of not having people comment on her blog post that she has worked so hard on. I think that younger students tend to get more easily frustrated when comments do not automatically appear, but I told her that she should not get discouraged because of her lack of comments on some posts. Her work does not go unnoticed and that the comments will come if she keeps posting.
Second Post:
Mrs.Huebner's Class
I commented on a post by Melissa where she told about her upcoming concert that she will be playing in. She told about the concert itself and who plays what, as well as what songs will be sung. I think that her blog post was very informative and there was a lot of excitement coming from her end. I asked her to post a second blog telling the readers how the concert went.
Yasmine's Post
Yasmine is a student in Mr. St. Pierre's class. She is feeling the frustration of not having people comment on her blog post that she has worked so hard on. I think that younger students tend to get more easily frustrated when comments do not automatically appear, but I told her that she should not get discouraged because of her lack of comments on some posts. Her work does not go unnoticed and that the comments will come if she keeps posting.
Second Post:
Mrs.Huebner's Class
I commented on a post by Melissa where she told about her upcoming concert that she will be playing in. She told about the concert itself and who plays what, as well as what songs will be sung. I think that her blog post was very informative and there was a lot of excitement coming from her end. I asked her to post a second blog telling the readers how the concert went.
Blog Project #6: C4K, November
First Post:
2KM at Leopold Primary School
I commented on a post where the children in Ms. McGready's class made a surprise video for her wedding ceremony. The children recited this sweet poem and then a video followed. I think that it speaks alot when the students think so highly of a teacher that they decide to do this for her on her wedding day. To me, it means that she has obviously had some sort of impact in the student's lives.
Second Post:
Ruohullah's Blog
Ruohullah is a student in Canada (Gaudet's class) who is writing blog posts as part of an assignment. In this particular post, Ruohullah wrote about what he did the previous weekend. He seems like a very active child and I think that is very important to maintain -especially while in school.
Third Post:
Mrs.Melito's Class
I commented on a Wordle post done by Cierra M in Mrs.Melito's class. The assignment was to create a words using 20 different terms/definitions that they had learned so far in the class. I think that Cierra had a very nice color scheme and the layout of her words were very neat and organized. I think that it's cool how students are learning how to create Wordles and use the internet to their advantage at such a young age.
2KM at Leopold Primary School
I commented on a post where the children in Ms. McGready's class made a surprise video for her wedding ceremony. The children recited this sweet poem and then a video followed. I think that it speaks alot when the students think so highly of a teacher that they decide to do this for her on her wedding day. To me, it means that she has obviously had some sort of impact in the student's lives.
Second Post:
Ruohullah's Blog
Ruohullah is a student in Canada (Gaudet's class) who is writing blog posts as part of an assignment. In this particular post, Ruohullah wrote about what he did the previous weekend. He seems like a very active child and I think that is very important to maintain -especially while in school.
Third Post:
Mrs.Melito's Class
I commented on a Wordle post done by Cierra M in Mrs.Melito's class. The assignment was to create a words using 20 different terms/definitions that they had learned so far in the class. I think that Cierra had a very nice color scheme and the layout of her words were very neat and organized. I think that it's cool how students are learning how to create Wordles and use the internet to their advantage at such a young age.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Blog Project #6: Podcast
The Coolidge Group conducted an interview with Mr.Sullivan about how the Mac is a useful tool for providing access to the blind.
Blog Project #3: C4T, 3
In my first post for Howard Rheingold, I commented on his blog post Learning, Playing, Designing: Video Games in School. In this post, Rheingold talks about this newly formed school in which students learn in an unconventional way. This school, called Quest to Learn, was founded by Katie Salen and her inspiration comes from children's fascination with video games. Katie quotes,
Games do really really well because they create a need to know in kids. In a game you have to learn to do something because you've been presented with a complex problem you don't know how to solve.With this in mind, Salen creates a school where children receive missions in which they must solve over a specifically set period of time. I think that this is a very smart idea that Salen has come across. Children spend more time these days playing video games, so why not create a school in which they are doing virtually that all day, every day? I wish I would have known about this school when I was younger; I would have enrolled quick!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Blog Assignment #11: Video Responses
Little Kids...Big Potential
This video of Mrs.Cassidy's first grade class in Canada is brilliant! It is amazing that these students are already learning how to create/use not only blogs, but other useful tools such as Skype, Wiki, and various other web pages. I have to hand it to Mrs.Cassidy for having the patience to work with her students in a way that will enhance and prepare them for the future educational world. She has taken her students to such great heights and standards; and she is proving that even first graders have the capability to surpass all previous expectations placed on them. I think that a very important lesson can be learned through Mrs.Cassidy's class and that lesson is we shouldn't limit our students. We, as teachers, should push them to their fullest potential and let them show us what they really can do. I hope to be as great of a teacher as Mrs.Cassidy in the future. I want to be able to incorporate such tools as Skype & Symbaloo and many others. I want my students' minds to be as vast in knowledge as humanly possible.
This video of Mrs.Cassidy's first grade class in Canada is brilliant! It is amazing that these students are already learning how to create/use not only blogs, but other useful tools such as Skype, Wiki, and various other web pages. I have to hand it to Mrs.Cassidy for having the patience to work with her students in a way that will enhance and prepare them for the future educational world. She has taken her students to such great heights and standards; and she is proving that even first graders have the capability to surpass all previous expectations placed on them. I think that a very important lesson can be learned through Mrs.Cassidy's class and that lesson is we shouldn't limit our students. We, as teachers, should push them to their fullest potential and let them show us what they really can do. I hope to be as great of a teacher as Mrs.Cassidy in the future. I want to be able to incorporate such tools as Skype & Symbaloo and many others. I want my students' minds to be as vast in knowledge as humanly possible.
Blog Assignment #10: Video Responses
An Open Letter to Educators
This is a post by Morgan Bayda where she shares a video by Dan Brown that expresses his feelings about the world of education today. He poses the question, "what does it really mean to receive an education?" Dan Brown says that every great mind learned what he needed to learn from a university...back in the day. But now, a revolution is in place - and that revolution is the internet. There are thousands upon thousands of new ways of learning via internet. New tools are being created and distributed every day for public use. Why would the educational world not want to embrace this new kind of learning?? Dan tells of his personal experience where he dropped out of Nebraska University because he felt that "his schooling was interfering with his education." Why do students pay hundreds of dollars to sit in lecture halls franticly writing facts spoken by a professor when they can find the same information and learn on the internet...for free?
This is a blog post written by Tom Johnson entitled 'Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home.' This post is more or less a dialog between Tom & Gertrude, the school's interventionist. She says that students who use pencils at home have lower standardized test scores than those who do not. Mr. Johnson tends to disagree. He says that having children take their pencils home will encourage them to get involved with what activities they have been doing in class - especially if the family is from a low-income household. He says that even if the child is just playing hangman, there is still learning that can be done. And I couldn't agree with that more.
Two Q's That Can Change Your Life
"What is my sentence?" and "was I better today than I was yesterday?" Two simple questions that can have so much meaning. I thought that this video was very thought provoking. If I were to have one sentence sum up who I am and what I can be, what would it be? It seems to be easier said than done. As for the second question, also easier said than done. Being better today than yesterday means a continuous and constant improvement of oneself - which seems very challenging. But I think that in the end, I can do anything. So...what is my sentence?
This is a post by Morgan Bayda where she shares a video by Dan Brown that expresses his feelings about the world of education today. He poses the question, "what does it really mean to receive an education?" Dan Brown says that every great mind learned what he needed to learn from a university...back in the day. But now, a revolution is in place - and that revolution is the internet. There are thousands upon thousands of new ways of learning via internet. New tools are being created and distributed every day for public use. Why would the educational world not want to embrace this new kind of learning?? Dan tells of his personal experience where he dropped out of Nebraska University because he felt that "his schooling was interfering with his education." Why do students pay hundreds of dollars to sit in lecture halls franticly writing facts spoken by a professor when they can find the same information and learn on the internet...for free?
Two Q's That Can Change Your Life
"What is my sentence?" and "was I better today than I was yesterday?" Two simple questions that can have so much meaning. I thought that this video was very thought provoking. If I were to have one sentence sum up who I am and what I can be, what would it be? It seems to be easier said than done. As for the second question, also easier said than done. Being better today than yesterday means a continuous and constant improvement of oneself - which seems very challenging. But I think that in the end, I can do anything. So...what is my sentence?
I am going to mold a child's mind into something great one day.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Blog Project #15: Writing with Multimedia, Movie Trailers
Lucy & the Bully by Claire Alexander
The Cow who Clucked by Denise Fleming
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Blog Project #6: C4K, October
First C4K Post:
The first post that I commented on for the month of October was Room 8 at Pt England School. I commented on their Waka Artwork video that was posted by their teacher. In this video, each student displayed art that he or she drew depicting a "waka on the sea." It was very nice to be able to see each student who drew the pictures individually. The paper was black so it really made the colors pop -especially the sea and the night skyline. Also, from looking at the pictures, the students seemed very creative. It was good to see that creativity still exists at such a young age. I hope these kids never lose it.
Second C4K Post:
My second post for October was on Brodie's blog. In his post Search Engines, he described different types of search engines and what they were exactly. I think that he did a very nice job explaining the concept of search engines such as Google and Bing. He made not of the fact that you have to be specific when searching, which I thought made it seem like he really and truly understood the concept of search engines.
Third C4K Post:
The third post that I made for Kids was on Mr. McClung's World. I commented on a post where Mr.McClung previewed his 8th grade students' "Create You Own Country" project. In this video, he showed one group's virtual map that was made using Google SketchUp. I think that this is an excellent project for students to do, because it teaches them new tools that Google has to offer and also allows for a mass amount of creativity.
The first post that I commented on for the month of October was Room 8 at Pt England School. I commented on their Waka Artwork video that was posted by their teacher. In this video, each student displayed art that he or she drew depicting a "waka on the sea." It was very nice to be able to see each student who drew the pictures individually. The paper was black so it really made the colors pop -especially the sea and the night skyline. Also, from looking at the pictures, the students seemed very creative. It was good to see that creativity still exists at such a young age. I hope these kids never lose it.
Second C4K Post:
My second post for October was on Brodie's blog. In his post Search Engines, he described different types of search engines and what they were exactly. I think that he did a very nice job explaining the concept of search engines such as Google and Bing. He made not of the fact that you have to be specific when searching, which I thought made it seem like he really and truly understood the concept of search engines.
Third C4K Post:
The third post that I made for Kids was on Mr. McClung's World. I commented on a post where Mr.McClung previewed his 8th grade students' "Create You Own Country" project. In this video, he showed one group's virtual map that was made using Google SketchUp. I think that this is an excellent project for students to do, because it teaches them new tools that Google has to offer and also allows for a mass amount of creativity.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Blog Assignment #9: Video Responses
In Mr.McClung's blog post What I've Learned This Year, he makes many vital lessons clear. He starts off by telling about his first year in the educational field. He calls himself "young and inexperienced." But as the year progresses, he learns and grows in so many ways. This blog tells of the growth. He makes many points that, if read, will make you a better teacher. Those points are:
- Read the Crowd
- Be Flexible
- Communicate
- Be Reasonable
- Don't Be Afraid of Technology
- Listen to Your Students
- Never Stop Learning
I think that these are very important lessons that are valuable to teachers everywhere. As teachers, our purpose is to mold the student mind the best way that we can -and that comes with the student comprehending the lesson. We have to know that we are teaching the students; we are not trying to impress other staff members or superiors. Our lesson plans should be flexible in a way that allows us to fully teach our topics and make sure they are comprehended -even if that means deterring away from our initial plan of attack. We must communicate and be reasonable with not only students, but faculty as well. We have to understand that technology is already a vital part of our modern era, so we have to embrace that for what it is. We should always listen to what our students have to say. It will help build a relationship beyond comparison. And lastly, we should never stop learning, because no one knows absolutely everything. There is always something to be learned by everyone.
I believe that I really got a lot out of this post. I am nervous about my first years entering the educational world, but if I keep these points in mind, I think that the first years will run a little smoother. Mr.McClung was very good with his words and with each topic, he related it to a situation that is seemingly common. I hope that I am able to learn and mold as much from my first years of teaching like he has.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Blog Assignment #8: Video Responses
This is How We Dream: Part 1
This is How We Dream: Part 2
In a video from December 2008, Robert E. Miller of Rutgers University presents viewers with insight of how to write using multimedia. Miller grew up loving everything about books and eventually went into a profession that is surrounded by books. But with all of the new technology, does the book have a place in today's classroom? In today's learning era, we rely on laptops and the internet and Microsoft Word. Our books lay inside our desktop. But not only can we read the text within our virtual books, but we can also collaborate through them and create our own documents for them that will live forever on the internet, if chosen to do so.
I think this is very important for teachers in the future eras. With technology and the proper knowledge of how to use tools, we can create documents that include pictures, text, sound documents, charts, and infinitely so on. As teachers, we need to embrace our "digital environment" and learn all that we can in order to utilize it to the best of our ability. We must also be able to share our creations with the internet world so that others can also utilize them, because sharing is the basis for the internet world. By doing this, we are able to teach our students new ways to write -not with pen and paper, but rather with digital tools available to them. And I also think, along with Miller, that this will be the student's future of writing.
The Chipper Series & EDM310 for Dummies
I actually liked the Chipper Series. Chipper wasn't exactly the most ideal student with her procrastination and tardy work (which is ironic considering that this post is also late). She made mention to the fact that she didn't want to learn how to do these things, but rather she wanted to be taught. But my feeling are that we are going to be teachers, so we have to be able to teach. And in order to teach, we must learn. Chipper went on to drop out of school and try her hand at various other jobs -all of which failed. With her newly found "mind cleansing" Chipper decides to return to school and do things differently. I believe that this video shows the importance of doing things how they are to be done and when they are to be done (again, ironic on my part). I think that this video project was very well put together and it relayed the information nicely.
The EDM310 for Dummies video has more of a "what you're going to get out of the class" message. In the beginning, the students were frustrated with the fact that they had no idea as to what they were supposed to be doing in the class. But after reading the fictional book that was created, they had a better understanding of what it is that they are learning and creating. They realize that these tools being taught will be able to help them in their future of teaching.
If I were to be in a video for a project, I would be more apt into being in the first video, The Chipper Series. I like the way that the video was made better than I did the latter. Not to mention the fact, that I would probably be very knowledgeable about the aspects presented in the first video.
Smartboard Argument
I believe that Smartboards are very beneficial in today's educational world. My roommate has personal experience using a Smartboard in a first grade classroom and she found it very beneficial to the student's willingness to learn. She said that it seemed like the students were more apt to learning if it were done on the Smartboard, because they liked the idea of going to the board and participating. I also found a website, Teachers Love Smartboards, where many interactive educational games are shown. This shows that the Smartboard can be useful in the classroom setting and personally, I think they will be the future of our classrooms all together.
This is How We Dream: Part 2
In a video from December 2008, Robert E. Miller of Rutgers University presents viewers with insight of how to write using multimedia. Miller grew up loving everything about books and eventually went into a profession that is surrounded by books. But with all of the new technology, does the book have a place in today's classroom? In today's learning era, we rely on laptops and the internet and Microsoft Word. Our books lay inside our desktop. But not only can we read the text within our virtual books, but we can also collaborate through them and create our own documents for them that will live forever on the internet, if chosen to do so.
I think this is very important for teachers in the future eras. With technology and the proper knowledge of how to use tools, we can create documents that include pictures, text, sound documents, charts, and infinitely so on. As teachers, we need to embrace our "digital environment" and learn all that we can in order to utilize it to the best of our ability. We must also be able to share our creations with the internet world so that others can also utilize them, because sharing is the basis for the internet world. By doing this, we are able to teach our students new ways to write -not with pen and paper, but rather with digital tools available to them. And I also think, along with Miller, that this will be the student's future of writing.
The Chipper Series & EDM310 for Dummies
I actually liked the Chipper Series. Chipper wasn't exactly the most ideal student with her procrastination and tardy work (which is ironic considering that this post is also late). She made mention to the fact that she didn't want to learn how to do these things, but rather she wanted to be taught. But my feeling are that we are going to be teachers, so we have to be able to teach. And in order to teach, we must learn. Chipper went on to drop out of school and try her hand at various other jobs -all of which failed. With her newly found "mind cleansing" Chipper decides to return to school and do things differently. I believe that this video shows the importance of doing things how they are to be done and when they are to be done (again, ironic on my part). I think that this video project was very well put together and it relayed the information nicely.
The EDM310 for Dummies video has more of a "what you're going to get out of the class" message. In the beginning, the students were frustrated with the fact that they had no idea as to what they were supposed to be doing in the class. But after reading the fictional book that was created, they had a better understanding of what it is that they are learning and creating. They realize that these tools being taught will be able to help them in their future of teaching.
If I were to be in a video for a project, I would be more apt into being in the first video, The Chipper Series. I like the way that the video was made better than I did the latter. Not to mention the fact, that I would probably be very knowledgeable about the aspects presented in the first video.
Smartboard Argument
I believe that Smartboards are very beneficial in today's educational world. My roommate has personal experience using a Smartboard in a first grade classroom and she found it very beneficial to the student's willingness to learn. She said that it seemed like the students were more apt to learning if it were done on the Smartboard, because they liked the idea of going to the board and participating. I also found a website, Teachers Love Smartboards, where many interactive educational games are shown. This shows that the Smartboard can be useful in the classroom setting and personally, I think they will be the future of our classrooms all together.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Blog Assignment #7: Video Responses
Randy Paush's Last Lecture
"If you had one last lecture to give before you died, what would it be?" This was quoted by Randy Paush at the very beginning of his lecture. What did he decide would be his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University on September 18, 2007? He chose to lecture on truly achieving childhood dreams. This may seem like an odd topic to present at someone's final hoo-rah, but if you know the back story behind Professor Paush's lecture, then it doesn't seem so odd. Professor Paush has approximately ten tumors in his liver and was given about six months to live.
Before Professor Pauch goes into his own dreams as a child, he shows pictures of his childhood and he made mention to the fact that there wasn't a single picture in which he wasn't smiling. Paush says that enjoying childhood and dreaming was easy for him. He says for children, "the inspiration and permission to dream is huge." He then goes into his personal childhood dreams. These included being in zero gravity, being Captain Kirk, authoring an article in the World Book encyclopedia, winning stuffed animals, and so on. Professor Paugh goes into detail with each one of his dreams, and I thought that his dream on playing in the NFL was especially important, because it was the dream that he never achieved, but got the most out of. He told a story of one day at practice where the coach was riding him pretty hard, saying that he was doing everything wrong. After practice, one of his teammates told him that it was a good thing, because it means that he hasn't given up on you yet. I can relate to this personally, because I was very athletic in high school and I experienced this first hand from my own coaches. I also thing that is good to keep in mind as a teacher, because as long as we have faith in our students that they CAN and are willing to learn, we will never give up on them.
Later in his teaching career, he gave his students in a high technology class a two week assignment similar to what he did on the Imagineer VR Project that he did for Disney's Aladin. He wasn't sure as to what the results would be, because his students were undergrads and their technology was a weaker version of what he had for his VR project. But his mind was blown when his students came back with some of the most amazing pieces of work. He didn't know what to tell his students about their works, so after advice from his mentor, he told his students "you can do better." His class did exactly that -they improved and did better on every other assignment that was given to them. I think that this is amazing to think about --having a teacher have that much influence on a child's life that they WANT to do better for him or her. Each student put all of what they had into their projects and it came out amazingly. By the end of the semester, roommates, other students, and even parents were showing up on presentation day. I think this is something to strive for when you become a teacher. When you have parents and other students not even in your class showing up on presentation day, it shows that you had an impact on that class in some way or another.
The last portion of Randy Pauch's lecture includes the lessons learned. He tells of things that he has learned within his years of experience, and why they're important. He says that you can learn from many people -you can learn from your parents, teachers, colleagues, friends, and even students. This was true when one of his students questioned his Alice Project, which in turn, made him question it. Another lesson learned came from advice that was given to him by a colleague. The colleague said, "teach the importance of having fun." With this, Randy asks,
"If you had one last lecture to give before you died, what would it be?" This was quoted by Randy Paush at the very beginning of his lecture. What did he decide would be his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University on September 18, 2007? He chose to lecture on truly achieving childhood dreams. This may seem like an odd topic to present at someone's final hoo-rah, but if you know the back story behind Professor Paush's lecture, then it doesn't seem so odd. Professor Paush has approximately ten tumors in his liver and was given about six months to live.
Before Professor Pauch goes into his own dreams as a child, he shows pictures of his childhood and he made mention to the fact that there wasn't a single picture in which he wasn't smiling. Paush says that enjoying childhood and dreaming was easy for him. He says for children, "the inspiration and permission to dream is huge." He then goes into his personal childhood dreams. These included being in zero gravity, being Captain Kirk, authoring an article in the World Book encyclopedia, winning stuffed animals, and so on. Professor Paugh goes into detail with each one of his dreams, and I thought that his dream on playing in the NFL was especially important, because it was the dream that he never achieved, but got the most out of. He told a story of one day at practice where the coach was riding him pretty hard, saying that he was doing everything wrong. After practice, one of his teammates told him that it was a good thing, because it means that he hasn't given up on you yet. I can relate to this personally, because I was very athletic in high school and I experienced this first hand from my own coaches. I also thing that is good to keep in mind as a teacher, because as long as we have faith in our students that they CAN and are willing to learn, we will never give up on them.
Later in his teaching career, he gave his students in a high technology class a two week assignment similar to what he did on the Imagineer VR Project that he did for Disney's Aladin. He wasn't sure as to what the results would be, because his students were undergrads and their technology was a weaker version of what he had for his VR project. But his mind was blown when his students came back with some of the most amazing pieces of work. He didn't know what to tell his students about their works, so after advice from his mentor, he told his students "you can do better." His class did exactly that -they improved and did better on every other assignment that was given to them. I think that this is amazing to think about --having a teacher have that much influence on a child's life that they WANT to do better for him or her. Each student put all of what they had into their projects and it came out amazingly. By the end of the semester, roommates, other students, and even parents were showing up on presentation day. I think this is something to strive for when you become a teacher. When you have parents and other students not even in your class showing up on presentation day, it shows that you had an impact on that class in some way or another.
The last portion of Randy Pauch's lecture includes the lessons learned. He tells of things that he has learned within his years of experience, and why they're important. He says that you can learn from many people -you can learn from your parents, teachers, colleagues, friends, and even students. This was true when one of his students questioned his Alice Project, which in turn, made him question it. Another lesson learned came from advice that was given to him by a colleague. The colleague said, "teach the importance of having fun." With this, Randy asks,
"Are you a Tigger or are you an Eeyore?"I think this is a very important concept to keep in mind. Randy Pauch has terminally ill cancer, but he is still staying positive and having fun doing what he does. To me, that is inspiring. Randy also tells his audience to never lose the child-like wonder within and you can't get anywhere alone. An earnest quality is long term and a hip quality is short term, so keep with the earnest and good karma will come your way. This is true when he told of his non-acceptance into Carnegie Mellon University. He had to rely on his mentor to get him a meeting with Nico of Carnegie Mellon, which turned out in his favor, because he was then accepted into graduate school there and became what he is today. Finally, Randy Pauch threw in his twist. He said that this last lecture was not about how to achieve your childhood dreams, but it was about how to live your life. And it also was not for you, but it was for his kids. I think this was one of the most inspirational lectures ever to be given by any professor at any college.
Blog Assignment #6: Video Responses
Networked Student
I think that this was a very well put together video. It was a great visual on the concept of networked learning and it shows that students can learn much more from just a simple textbook. With networked learning, they, themselves, can learn how to interact and find information and tools that are constantly at their expense. I especially liked the comment regarding downloading podcast to an Ipod or other MP3 device. I liked this, because an Ipod is practically universal -as in almost everyone has one in this day and age. At first, I didn't realize how easy it was to find these kind of tools, but this video provides an excellent insight as to how simple it really is to find learning tools that are available for use. I also like how the video kept my attention. The way that the information was presented to the viewer was very interesting -just drawing on pieces of paper and used accordingly. I really like this video concept.
Welcome to my PLE
This student has her stuff together. I think that the way she has her PLE set up is very simple. She can easily find what she it looking for when she needs it. I like how she has everything related to school on one line, while keeping Facebook and Last.fm separate. I also like how having things set up this way gives you freedom to your assignments (i.e. her Box Jellyfish presentation.) I believe that she really understands the concept of networked learning and is able to use it to her advantage.
The Machine is (Changing) Us
I liked this presentation very much. The presenter, Mike, discussed the degeneration of our generation. The quote, "We are, indeed, amusing ourselves to death" is a very important concept within this video. Mike goes on to explain how our society now is being run by what we see on our televisions and what we find on our internet and what we hear in our music. Our society is being influenced primarily be technology. New media that is arising is changing how we relate to others and how we come to know who we are ourselves. The technological world is expanding in mass methods and it's affecting our society in many ways.
I very much liked the way the comparison was made between a standard classroom and the American Idol auditions. It shows that students are engaging in things that are entertaining to them. So, unless they get into a frenzy about learning the basics of Algebra or learning the rules of punctuation, students are more apt to not be active in their learning. It is our jobs as teachers to make learning appealing to our students. I also like how Mike found these quotes and applied a project to them. He quoted,
Mike also explored the world of YouTube and how there are over 1,000,000 videos added each day. In retrospect, that is a HUGE amount of videos that are being available to the public via technology. But how many of these videos are educational and how many are for entertainment?
I think that this was a very well put together video. It was a great visual on the concept of networked learning and it shows that students can learn much more from just a simple textbook. With networked learning, they, themselves, can learn how to interact and find information and tools that are constantly at their expense. I especially liked the comment regarding downloading podcast to an Ipod or other MP3 device. I liked this, because an Ipod is practically universal -as in almost everyone has one in this day and age. At first, I didn't realize how easy it was to find these kind of tools, but this video provides an excellent insight as to how simple it really is to find learning tools that are available for use. I also like how the video kept my attention. The way that the information was presented to the viewer was very interesting -just drawing on pieces of paper and used accordingly. I really like this video concept.
Welcome to my PLE
This student has her stuff together. I think that the way she has her PLE set up is very simple. She can easily find what she it looking for when she needs it. I like how she has everything related to school on one line, while keeping Facebook and Last.fm separate. I also like how having things set up this way gives you freedom to your assignments (i.e. her Box Jellyfish presentation.) I believe that she really understands the concept of networked learning and is able to use it to her advantage.
The Machine is (Changing) Us
I liked this presentation very much. The presenter, Mike, discussed the degeneration of our generation. The quote, "We are, indeed, amusing ourselves to death" is a very important concept within this video. Mike goes on to explain how our society now is being run by what we see on our televisions and what we find on our internet and what we hear in our music. Our society is being influenced primarily be technology. New media that is arising is changing how we relate to others and how we come to know who we are ourselves. The technological world is expanding in mass methods and it's affecting our society in many ways.
I very much liked the way the comparison was made between a standard classroom and the American Idol auditions. It shows that students are engaging in things that are entertaining to them. So, unless they get into a frenzy about learning the basics of Algebra or learning the rules of punctuation, students are more apt to not be active in their learning. It is our jobs as teachers to make learning appealing to our students. I also like how Mike found these quotes and applied a project to them. He quoted,
"in the midst of a fabulous array of historically unprecedented and utterly mind-boggling stimuli...whatever."With this quote, he and his students turned it into a research project of the word "whatever." It seems to me that this kind of project would be very appealing to students, because that is a word that is very common to our culture today. I know that if I were a student, I would be more inclined to research something that was more common to my time. But with this sort of 'whatever, I can do what I want' attitude that is taking over our era comes disengagement and fragmentation. People become disengaged from other because they are busy with self-fulfillment. We, as teachers, should be able to overcome the self-fulfillment and be more engaged into the student's learning so that we can help them to overcome the "whatever generation" that we are setting up for ourselves today.
Mike also explored the world of YouTube and how there are over 1,000,000 videos added each day. In retrospect, that is a HUGE amount of videos that are being available to the public via technology. But how many of these videos are educational and how many are for entertainment?
Monday, October 4, 2010
Blog Project #3: C4T, 2
First C4T Post:
WM Chamberlain's most recent blog post is a reflection blog. It was posted by Chamberlain to show his thoughts on his teaching in the previous week, as well as set a goal for the upcoming weeks. Aside from listing a few things that he feels he could improve upon with his teaching styles, he also mentioned that he will be teaching math next week with another teacher. His goal for this upcoming lesson was to find "real world situations where using angles is important." I think this is an excellent idea, because it seems to me that the younger students tend to be more visual learners. So, I think that by giving the students real world examples, this would better help their understanding of the subject matter.
Second C4T Post:
When I went back to make a second comment on Mr.C's blog, no new updates had been added. I was kind of disappointed, because I wanted to see how the lesson on angles went with the students. So, instead, I commented on a different post called Around the World Multiplication. This post showed a video of Mr.C's students playing the game with multiplication cards. I'm sure that most people have heard of this game, but for those who don't, here's the rules from Mr.C's blog:
WM Chamberlain's most recent blog post is a reflection blog. It was posted by Chamberlain to show his thoughts on his teaching in the previous week, as well as set a goal for the upcoming weeks. Aside from listing a few things that he feels he could improve upon with his teaching styles, he also mentioned that he will be teaching math next week with another teacher. His goal for this upcoming lesson was to find "real world situations where using angles is important." I think this is an excellent idea, because it seems to me that the younger students tend to be more visual learners. So, I think that by giving the students real world examples, this would better help their understanding of the subject matter.
Second C4T Post:
When I went back to make a second comment on Mr.C's blog, no new updates had been added. I was kind of disappointed, because I wanted to see how the lesson on angles went with the students. So, instead, I commented on a different post called Around the World Multiplication. This post showed a video of Mr.C's students playing the game with multiplication cards. I'm sure that most people have heard of this game, but for those who don't, here's the rules from Mr.C's blog:
This is a flash card drill game where students compete to travel around the circle. To start the game two students race to answer the multiplication (or any other kind of flash card) problem. The winner moves to the next student around the circle and race them. When the winner loses they sit in the new winner's seat. The game continues going around the circle until one student ends up at the seat they started at.I think that this is a very good interactive game for students of any age. It provides a little bit of friendly competition, while still maintaining a learning objective. I think all teachers should incorporate more games, especially Around the World, into their learning.
Blog Project #7: C4K, Daniel.L
As my C4K assignment, I was given Daniel.L as my kid to comment on. The comments that I posted on were his 'About Me' post and his 'Manifesto' post. After reading Daniel's About Me post, I realized that the two of us have a lot in common. Daniel, as well as myself, loves soccer. As a former high school soccer player, I can relate to Daniel's love for the game & often wanting to go outside and do tricks with the soccer ball. He also wrote that one of his challenges in school is getting along with the other students. This was so sad to me, because he seems like such an amazing kid. I know that he can be friends with his classmates if he could just overcome his (what he wrote off as) quietness.
I was quite impressed with Daniel's Manifesto. The first of his goals were going to bed on time. I think this is extremely important for young students. If a child doesn't get enough sleep, they are less able to focus the following day -which takes away from their learning. Daniel also said that he wants to study for at least 20 minutes a day. I really hope that he sticks to this goal, because if he does, he will do very well in his school career. Even in college, it is important to study almost every day. So, I am very proud of Daniel for this one. I think that Daniel is a smart kid & he will go far.
I was quite impressed with Daniel's Manifesto. The first of his goals were going to bed on time. I think this is extremely important for young students. If a child doesn't get enough sleep, they are less able to focus the following day -which takes away from their learning. Daniel also said that he wants to study for at least 20 minutes a day. I really hope that he sticks to this goal, because if he does, he will do very well in his school career. Even in college, it is important to study almost every day. So, I am very proud of Daniel for this one. I think that Daniel is a smart kid & he will go far.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
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.
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:
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.
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 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."
I don't want themcreatingsharingthinkinglearningyou know they're just going to look at pornand hook up with predators
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.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Blog Assignment #1: Who Am I?
My name is Donna Renee Gill. I was born and raised in Biloxi, Mississippi. I live at home with my mom and brother. I am the oldest of two children. I am 20 years old, and my brother, Charles, is fourteen. Some of the things that I enjoy doing are running, playing soccer, watching football, and hanging out with friends and family. I graduated from St. Patrick High school in Biloxi, MS in 2008. I attended the University of South Alabama my first year of college in the fall of 2008 and continued in the spring of 2009. I transferred back home to a community college (MGCCC) in Biloxi, and attended school there during fall 2009 to summer 2010 to save up some money to come back to South. I am currently attending South Alabama to pursue my degree in Elementary Education.
I currently do not have a full time job, but I just finished out a summer camp program for kids aged 5-12. I work at Nativity Elementary in Biloxi for their after school care program part time. I also babysit when needed (probably the best job ever...you get payed to play with kids!) I chose elementary education as my major because I love being around kids and enjoy seeing how much fun they have when their learning. My biggest passion other than my sports is being around kids and being somewhat of a role model or influence on them. I am very eager and excited about starting my career as being a teacher and cannot wait to meet my future students!
I currently do not have a full time job, but I just finished out a summer camp program for kids aged 5-12. I work at Nativity Elementary in Biloxi for their after school care program part time. I also babysit when needed (probably the best job ever...you get payed to play with kids!) I chose elementary education as my major because I love being around kids and enjoy seeing how much fun they have when their learning. My biggest passion other than my sports is being around kids and being somewhat of a role model or influence on them. I am very eager and excited about starting my career as being a teacher and cannot wait to meet my future students!
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