Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Blog Post #5
"Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?" By Dr. Scott McLeod
Dr.McLeod is an associate professor in Iowa.
I wrote a comment to Dr.McLeod : "I am a student in EDM310 at USA. I find your blog post very interesting. I agree with you on many aspects and believe it’s good for kids to explore. I also disagree with you about a few things. I believe that younger children do need to be sheltered to a degree from the activity on the internet. I, myself, have four children and would never let them on YouTube right now, because they are still in the early years of elementary school. To an older student though, the use of YouTube for educational purposes is very useful. The way you laid out the blog post, however, I believe is very impressionable!"
"The iSchool Initiative" By Travis Allen
In this video Mr. Allen expressed how his high school was making budget cuts and letting teachers go. He came up with a plan about using an iPhone to create an "iSchool". Travis showed many different resources that could easily be used for educational purposes. He believes in getting rid of paper in the classroom, eliminating textbooks, and using scientific calculators on the iSchool (rather than buying an expensive calculator).
In his presentation he showed the average cost of one students' materials to go to school. In total they amounted to approximately $600 for only one student. His argument was that a student could buy an iSchool for only about $150. The amount of savings would be incredible, not to mention, a parent would not have to go out and buy all those school supplies for their high school children. I believe it is a great idea and I really appreciate the fact that "apps" and websites would be educational only. Travis presented a very good case that I believe would be good for high school students to use.
Travis and his new team (of 25 students) have done great work with their technological ideas. It's awesome to see that they have been able to travel and help schools adopt their iSchool ideas and put them to use.
Eric Whitacre's "Virtual Choir"
In watching this virtual choir, I have to say that, I was very impressed. The collaboration of all the different people, from all different places and settings, molded together very nicely. It was amazing how all those diverse people in their own atmosphere's and parts of the world (having never met), were all put together harmoniously. At first, I thought it would be quite strange, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! This video shows how much can be done, and is being done with the use of new technology and the internet.
"Teaching in the 21st Century" By Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts presentation was extremely powerful. It challenges a teacher to really take a look at how and what they are teaching. He asks many questions throughout the presentation. His approach really makes you think deeply about what he is saying, and he also uses sarcasm as a way to reach out to his readers. The methods of teaching have changed tremendously in the past years.
We, as teachers, will have to modify the way we teach our students. No more are the years of telling students to look up a word in a dictionary, or an encyclopedia. The internet has made this century so "touch of a button" that students don't regularly use books as much as they do a computer. In this aspect, we need to make our students assignments more engaging, so they won't just "look it up online and print". We need to ask them in ways where they will have to work their minds to find a good answer.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Blog Post #4
Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog
I enjoyed listening to this podcast because it was narrated by a great group of third graders. They were very animated and explained what they were talking about very well. They explained the ways of a gladiator and about Roman architecture, and about how Julius Caesar was killed. They also talked about Cleopatra, the last Pharaoh of Egypt (not originally from there).
I thought it was great that a group of third grade kids could do such a great job on a podcast. This is something that I haven't done yet, and I know if a third grader can do it, that I will be able to do so as well!
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom By: Joe Dale
http://joedale.typepad.com/integrating_ict_into_the_/2009/04/the-benefits-of-podcasting-in-the-classroom.html
This video explains that "podcasting is an effective way of interacting with students, outside of the traditional classroom." It delivers radio and audio content that can be viewed at anytime.
A benefit to a podcast for a teacher would be that they could record their lecture and allow students to view it as a review or even at home if that student has been sick. A podcast is audio content that is recorded on a computer and a vodcast incorporates video with audio. In the video the students liked watching podcasts because they were exciting and they made learning the material easier and more fun. They also liked the fact that they could act while putting together the podcast. Even the principle approved the podcasts believing them to be a great interactive way of getting the students to learn while participating.
I feel as though a podcast will be a great way to reach students and get them more excited about learning. It is a new way of presenting material and getting the students to participate in class. I am exciting to learn how to use the equipment available online, and doing a podcast of my own.
How to Create a Podcast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hrBbczS9I0
In this video I learned about the tools needed to create a podcast: they are; a microphone, audio editing software, a website to upload podcast to, and an RSS feed. This video is a great teaching tool for how to create podcasts! It was very informational and detailed with its descriptions of exactly how to navigate the websites and begin the podcast. I will definitely use this website when I am learning how to do a podcast of my own. It showed step by step exactly how to download needed software and how to execute beginning a podcast. It doesn't get any easier than following the directions on this video!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Blog Post #3
I commented on Taylor Lane's blog today. I enjoyed reading it because he was very descriptive and informative. I also liked how he integrated pictures into his blog post. I offered my compliments and suggestions publicly because I feel like it is a great motivator for the author. It feels good to see compliments and also suggestions to help make his writing better.
"It's Not About the Technology" Posted by Kelly Hines
Mrs. Hines blog is not about the use of technology, but about the importance of the teachers' education. It is extremely important for a teacher to not just teach but he or she needs to be a life long learner. It does no good for a teacher to have an expensive piece of technology in their classroom, if that teacher does not know how to use it well enough or can't explain the use of it to a student.
She talks about how teaching and learning are not the same thing. "Learning will not look the same to all students or all teachers, but it must be the goal." Basically, I believe that if a teacher doesn't put forth the effort to keep up with technology, that teacher may not understand some of what their students do. If the teacher can not connect with the student, how much is that teacher really teaching??
Karl Fisch "Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?"
Mr. Fisch writes about the literacy of teachers about technology. He believes it is almost immoral to not understand fluently how to use a computer and programs associated with one. I agree that a teacher should know a great deal about technology, when we are in an age where technology is so prominent in the world.
There are many advantages to understanding these technologies and passing them on to our children and students. We as teachers greatly influence our children and students by the actions we take and the words we say. We would be very discouraging, if we as teachers, told a student "I don't know much about that". We also would even look like a bad teacher because it would be as if we weren't even willing to learn about it. What kind of message would that send to our students?
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
I had no idea how fast social media was rising in the world. When I looked at this media counter, I was astonished at the numbers. They consistently rise by the second. In a way this is scary to me, to think how fast the world is changing. I also believe that it is a great thing to be able to associate with so many people from all over the world.
By gaining access to so many diverse cultures and opinions, it can be very helpful to us. It can also be beneficial for us to be up to date on what is going on in the world. That way we can be socially literate and knowledgeable.
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This video was very eye-opening for me. I never realized how much time any one person would spend on the computer, phone, and even watching TV. The video was extremely attention getting with all the students holding up their papers with their specific statistics on them.
It is very concerning to think about the fact that a job I am going to school for now, may not even exist by the time I graduate. It shows how much of a person's everyday life is consumed by technology and all the "old school" methods are becoming outdated. Teachers need to be able to be on a students level with the increasingly fast pace of the technology explosion.
"It's Not About the Technology" Posted by Kelly Hines
Mrs. Hines blog is not about the use of technology, but about the importance of the teachers' education. It is extremely important for a teacher to not just teach but he or she needs to be a life long learner. It does no good for a teacher to have an expensive piece of technology in their classroom, if that teacher does not know how to use it well enough or can't explain the use of it to a student.
She talks about how teaching and learning are not the same thing. "Learning will not look the same to all students or all teachers, but it must be the goal." Basically, I believe that if a teacher doesn't put forth the effort to keep up with technology, that teacher may not understand some of what their students do. If the teacher can not connect with the student, how much is that teacher really teaching??
Karl Fisch "Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?"
There are many advantages to understanding these technologies and passing them on to our children and students. We as teachers greatly influence our children and students by the actions we take and the words we say. We would be very discouraging, if we as teachers, told a student "I don't know much about that". We also would even look like a bad teacher because it would be as if we weren't even willing to learn about it. What kind of message would that send to our students?
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
I had no idea how fast social media was rising in the world. When I looked at this media counter, I was astonished at the numbers. They consistently rise by the second. In a way this is scary to me, to think how fast the world is changing. I also believe that it is a great thing to be able to associate with so many people from all over the world.
By gaining access to so many diverse cultures and opinions, it can be very helpful to us. It can also be beneficial for us to be up to date on what is going on in the world. That way we can be socially literate and knowledgeable.
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This video was very eye-opening for me. I never realized how much time any one person would spend on the computer, phone, and even watching TV. The video was extremely attention getting with all the students holding up their papers with their specific statistics on them.
It is very concerning to think about the fact that a job I am going to school for now, may not even exist by the time I graduate. It shows how much of a person's everyday life is consumed by technology and all the "old school" methods are becoming outdated. Teachers need to be able to be on a students level with the increasingly fast pace of the technology explosion.
C4T Content and Comments week 9/11
I read Paula White's "Beyond the Assessment Institute" that she posted on May 1, 2011. In this post Ms. White explains the process of assessing a student. It includes these factors: process, task and item creation, and leadership. She explains that this has come from leaders that see this assessment as a process. Then she questions that concept and if teachers will really leave a three day conference with new skills is assessing.
My comment to her is summarized here: Basically, I said that after a three day conference (CAI), that I would hope that teachers would leave with a better understanding of how to instruct their students. I, myself, have a long way to go before I truly understand the real meaning of assessment. I plan to pay close attention and try to retain all the information that I can to use for my students.
I also read Paula White's post of "Wiki Work" on April 5, 2011. Ms. White was asked to share some wiki's that they could share in a presentation. She shared one that a group of fourth graders put together. Some students ended up composing a story and others began creating pages to add. The children seemed very motivated. Ms. White was amazed by the children and their "willingness to work hard".
My comment to her is summarized here: Basically, I told Ms. White that I loved how the kids were able to create their own stories. This really showcases their imagination and creativity!
My comment to her is summarized here: Basically, I said that after a three day conference (CAI), that I would hope that teachers would leave with a better understanding of how to instruct their students. I, myself, have a long way to go before I truly understand the real meaning of assessment. I plan to pay close attention and try to retain all the information that I can to use for my students.
I also read Paula White's post of "Wiki Work" on April 5, 2011. Ms. White was asked to share some wiki's that they could share in a presentation. She shared one that a group of fourth graders put together. Some students ended up composing a story and others began creating pages to add. The children seemed very motivated. Ms. White was amazed by the children and their "willingness to work hard".
My comment to her is summarized here: Basically, I told Ms. White that I loved how the kids were able to create their own stories. This really showcases their imagination and creativity!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Blog Post #2
In watching the "Did You Know 3.0", ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY ) I learned a great deal of information. It is very interesting to me how extensive the numbers were for so much of technology. I never realized how fast computers and internet usage updated and spread. If you would have asked me 10 years ago, if I would have a laptop, I would have answered, "No". Today there is so much technology that we would have never thought of years ago.
Who would have ever guessed that a phone would be made and all would have to do was touch the screen to use it? Who would have ever thought that we could be on the internet on our cell phones? When I was in school I didn't even have the internet at home, and not until I was at the end of middle school, I had never even heard of a cell phone.
"Mr. Winkle Wakes" by Mathew Needleman is a very strong example of a school that has been unchanged by technology. Sometimes, technology scares me, as I have always been more comfortable with things that stay the same. I have come to learn that the world is always changing and if I don't "change with it", I may not be able to function smoothly in society in the years to come.
Mr. Winkle wakes from a long sleep and realizes that everything in his life and world has changed. I could never imagine waking to something like that. I am extremely grateful to be learning all that I am now, about the computer and all the unique features of it, as well as the internet. I think in the future, I will find many of the resources I have learned about to be useful in my own teaching career.
In Sir Ken Robinson's: "The Importance of Creativity", ( www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html ) he brings up many valid points about the diminishing of creativity in schools. The schools now are primarily focused on certain subjects, such as Math or English. There is a great deal of importance attached to children learning these subjects and doing well in them. Art and music are used for an "elective" (maybe something that is not even required in school) but there are not given the level of importance that other subjects are given.
It seems as though creativity is put on the "back burner" when it comes to education. No one is looking for things that are original, anymore. They are looking for who may be the smartest or know the most information about something, but not for the art or creativeness in it. I believe it is absolutely true that in five years we will have no idea what this world will be like. It is up to us to encourage students to use their creativity and imaginations. They may even be grander than our own, and even be beyond our abilities to believe!
In Cecilia Gault's - Interview of Sir Ken Robinson, I see how very important it is to educate students about the use of technology. Each year it only gets more complex and also more common. The only reasonable thing to do is to educate our children and students at a very young age about technology. The earlier they learn it, the more they will learn and the better off they will be. ( blogs.scholastic.com/kidspress/2010/09/breaking-creative-myths.html )
"Harness Your Students Digital Smarts" ( www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis-video )
In today's world, technology is a very important resource. So much of the world can be accessed from a computer or telephone. In this video Ms. Davis had the students using computers and virtual programs to connect with other students all over the world. This is a very good technique, as it gives the students a unique opportunity to interact with other students and cultures.
In doing this, the students also become extremely educated about computers and the vast technology that is available through them. This approach opens a students mind to the many opportunities available in the world. It also gives them knowledge of how to use these opportunities to their own advantages.
"Mr. Winkle Wakes" by Mathew Needleman is a very strong example of a school that has been unchanged by technology. Sometimes, technology scares me, as I have always been more comfortable with things that stay the same. I have come to learn that the world is always changing and if I don't "change with it", I may not be able to function smoothly in society in the years to come.
Mr. Winkle wakes from a long sleep and realizes that everything in his life and world has changed. I could never imagine waking to something like that. I am extremely grateful to be learning all that I am now, about the computer and all the unique features of it, as well as the internet. I think in the future, I will find many of the resources I have learned about to be useful in my own teaching career.
In Sir Ken Robinson's: "The Importance of Creativity", ( www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html ) he brings up many valid points about the diminishing of creativity in schools. The schools now are primarily focused on certain subjects, such as Math or English. There is a great deal of importance attached to children learning these subjects and doing well in them. Art and music are used for an "elective" (maybe something that is not even required in school) but there are not given the level of importance that other subjects are given.
It seems as though creativity is put on the "back burner" when it comes to education. No one is looking for things that are original, anymore. They are looking for who may be the smartest or know the most information about something, but not for the art or creativeness in it. I believe it is absolutely true that in five years we will have no idea what this world will be like. It is up to us to encourage students to use their creativity and imaginations. They may even be grander than our own, and even be beyond our abilities to believe!
In Cecilia Gault's - Interview of Sir Ken Robinson, I see how very important it is to educate students about the use of technology. Each year it only gets more complex and also more common. The only reasonable thing to do is to educate our children and students at a very young age about technology. The earlier they learn it, the more they will learn and the better off they will be. ( blogs.scholastic.com/kidspress/2010/09/breaking-creative-myths.html )
"Harness Your Students Digital Smarts" ( www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis-video )
In today's world, technology is a very important resource. So much of the world can be accessed from a computer or telephone. In this video Ms. Davis had the students using computers and virtual programs to connect with other students all over the world. This is a very good technique, as it gives the students a unique opportunity to interact with other students and cultures.
In doing this, the students also become extremely educated about computers and the vast technology that is available through them. This approach opens a students mind to the many opportunities available in the world. It also gives them knowledge of how to use these opportunities to their own advantages.
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