Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Blog Post 5
Langwitches Blog
After reading this blog, and listening to the podcast on it, I was rather impressed. The students were very well spoken, they ejected their voices very well, and the story was cute and well put together.
In my own podcast (which will also be audio), I have to remember that the listeners cannot see my face, so any emphasis would have to be through the inflection in my voice, to be sure to engage listeners.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This video brought up some pretty good reasons why podcasting in the classroom is so useful. It can be especially useful for children who are out sick who don't want to miss anything in class (in fact, I liked this reason the most. It was something I really could have used when I was in secondary school). Other reasons podcasting in the classroom is important is that it allows creativity among the students. Not only that, but it allows for communication among students and among parents.
Hopefully my podcast will allow for more communication among my peers.
Eagles’ Nest Radio & Class Blog
I enjoyed listening to these student's podcasts. They were very informative, and the set up was like that of a radio show. I thought that was very clever.
In my own podcast, I would have to remember to give as much information as possible, for my listeners may know little to nothing about my topic.
After reading this blog, and listening to the podcast on it, I was rather impressed. The students were very well spoken, they ejected their voices very well, and the story was cute and well put together.
In my own podcast (which will also be audio), I have to remember that the listeners cannot see my face, so any emphasis would have to be through the inflection in my voice, to be sure to engage listeners.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This video brought up some pretty good reasons why podcasting in the classroom is so useful. It can be especially useful for children who are out sick who don't want to miss anything in class (in fact, I liked this reason the most. It was something I really could have used when I was in secondary school). Other reasons podcasting in the classroom is important is that it allows creativity among the students. Not only that, but it allows for communication among students and among parents.
Hopefully my podcast will allow for more communication among my peers.
Eagles’ Nest Radio & Class Blog
I enjoyed listening to these student's podcasts. They were very informative, and the set up was like that of a radio show. I thought that was very clever.
In my own podcast, I would have to remember to give as much information as possible, for my listeners may know little to nothing about my topic.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Blog Post 4
Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Scott McLeod, J.D, Ph.D, and co-creator of the Did You Know (Shift Happens) video, wrote an AMAZING blog featuring the dangers of technology. In a very satirical way, Dr. McLeod encourages parents and educators not to expose their children to technology in order to avoid cyber-bullying, sexting, porn, and collaboration (which some call "cheating"). At the end of all of this, he says:
"don't do any of it, please
really
'cause I'm doing all of it with my kids
can't wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two
can you?"
Aside from me LOVING the tone of this post, I think it is a great way of saying, "Yes, there are some bad aspects of technology, but how about we focus on the good?" There is much more good to technology than the bad that people tend to focus on.
The iSchool Initiative (Mobile Learning)
Travis's idea to learn via Apple's iTouch rather than in budget-cut, overcrowded classrooms, seemed like an interesting idea at first, since education is already headed in that direction. However upon reading the comments, I found the following statement:
"HashamFazli
11 months ago
there is so many flaws in this, what if the teachers ipod crashes, there goes alot of work, what if someone steals one.... what if they want to do homework, u cant take it from school since its school property. basic skills need to be learnt at school, this will make the next generation of students rely on poking a metal object instead of learning how to write and read from books. and from marketing this will ruin alot of business's, values on paper, school supplies and ipods will drop. causing a lot of people to go broke and less tax for the government"
I agree with the statement. A lot can go wrong with this initiative. Schools would be responsible for this expensive equipment. And technology isn't always the most reliable tool, as it can crash and delete important information. However if more thought was put into this, the iSchool Initiative would be a good idea.
Lost Generation
This was an amazing video!
The beginning featured a bunch of negative statements that I mostly disagreed with, yet saw the possibility of occurring in my generation. Workaholics only concerned with making money, who don't care about the importance of family, or care about the environment, were some of the negatives in the video.
"And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it."
When the video plays in reverse, all the negatives become positives. I believe this presentation gives viewers a more promising look at the future. "There is hope."
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
This was another mind blowing video! One man, Eric Whitacre, conducted a VIRTUAL CHOIR with dozens of people representing 12 countries. These people have never met. Simply through webcam did they put this video together.
I am utterly AMAZED at the skill, patience, just EVERYTHING it took for this video to be possible. It clearly isn't the same as being in the same room. I expected some delay, or some equipment to malfunction. But this was a beautifully made, beautifully performed project.
Scott McLeod, J.D, Ph.D, and co-creator of the Did You Know (Shift Happens) video, wrote an AMAZING blog featuring the dangers of technology. In a very satirical way, Dr. McLeod encourages parents and educators not to expose their children to technology in order to avoid cyber-bullying, sexting, porn, and collaboration (which some call "cheating"). At the end of all of this, he says:
"don't do any of it, please
really
'cause I'm doing all of it with my kids
can't wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two
can you?"
Aside from me LOVING the tone of this post, I think it is a great way of saying, "Yes, there are some bad aspects of technology, but how about we focus on the good?" There is much more good to technology than the bad that people tend to focus on.
The iSchool Initiative (Mobile Learning)
Travis's idea to learn via Apple's iTouch rather than in budget-cut, overcrowded classrooms, seemed like an interesting idea at first, since education is already headed in that direction. However upon reading the comments, I found the following statement:
"HashamFazli
11 months ago
there is so many flaws in this, what if the teachers ipod crashes, there goes alot of work, what if someone steals one.... what if they want to do homework, u cant take it from school since its school property. basic skills need to be learnt at school, this will make the next generation of students rely on poking a metal object instead of learning how to write and read from books. and from marketing this will ruin alot of business's, values on paper, school supplies and ipods will drop. causing a lot of people to go broke and less tax for the government"
I agree with the statement. A lot can go wrong with this initiative. Schools would be responsible for this expensive equipment. And technology isn't always the most reliable tool, as it can crash and delete important information. However if more thought was put into this, the iSchool Initiative would be a good idea.
Lost Generation
This was an amazing video!
The beginning featured a bunch of negative statements that I mostly disagreed with, yet saw the possibility of occurring in my generation. Workaholics only concerned with making money, who don't care about the importance of family, or care about the environment, were some of the negatives in the video.
"And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it."
When the video plays in reverse, all the negatives become positives. I believe this presentation gives viewers a more promising look at the future. "There is hope."
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
This was another mind blowing video! One man, Eric Whitacre, conducted a VIRTUAL CHOIR with dozens of people representing 12 countries. These people have never met. Simply through webcam did they put this video together.
I am utterly AMAZED at the skill, patience, just EVERYTHING it took for this video to be possible. It clearly isn't the same as being in the same room. I expected some delay, or some equipment to malfunction. But this was a beautifully made, beautifully performed project.
Blog Post 3
A Vision of Students Today
What I got out of this video was that students today are not as interested in facts on a chalkboard or in a book as they used to be. Their attention is focus more on technology. Several students in the video expressed that most of their time in the day is dedicated to technology (Facebook, talking on their cell phones, watching TV, etc). Obviously this was not the case, say, 50 years ago. Students today feel that they could learn much easier if the information they needed to know was presented through technology.
In my own experiences, technology comes in the classroom every now and then. Very recently have I been introduced to SmartBorads and PowerPoints. In fact, this EDM class is where I've encountered the most technology. The good news is that I'm learning about more technology, and kids in elementary and middle school are doing so as well, so our futures will be bright.
It's Not About the Technology
In this blog post, Kelly Hines explains that, as a teacher, having access to the latest technology does not automatically make someone a good teacher. There are things an educator has to keep in mind in order to affect students positively:
1.) Teachers must be learners: Teachers have to know, and the have to be engaged in WANTING to know. This could happen through their own methods or from learning from seasoned teachers. Teachers could also learn through their own students, who of course are not all the same when they enter a classroom, and will not be the same when they leave.
2.) Learning and teaching are not the same things: Ms. Hines provides us with an excellent analogy in this case: "If an object does not move, no matter how much force has been applied, no work has been done. Therefore, if a student has not learned, not matter how much effort has been exerted, no teaching has been done." Just because a teacher stands in front of a class and rambles off a bunch of facts does not mean the students will retain it. It is up to the teacher to find a way for a student to remember the information. If technology will be used, a teacher must know how to use it correctly.
3.) Technology is useless without good teaching: As I stated before, just because a teacher has access to all the latest technology does not mean they are a good teacher. Knowledge of the technology means nothing if a teacher can't do great things with it.
4.) Be a 21st century teacher without the technology: Being a teacher in this day and age does not mean you HAVE to rely on technology. Most subjects can be taught in the traditional manner.
Is It Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Karl Fisch makes it perfectly clear that it is NOT okay to be technologically illiterate as a teacher. A teacher should not produce technologically illiterate students, because the type of world we live in today does not allow such lack of knowledge and skill. He states that in the earlier part of the 20th century, one could have gotten away with not knowing much about technology. These days, more and more careers depend on having some background knowledge in technology. Fisch even goes so far as to say being technologically illiterate is pretty much the same as being unable to comprehend math, or even read.
I have never thought of technology as being on the same skill level as math and reading, so in this case, I agree with Mr. Fisch. One should not be proud of saying "I don't really get computers" because in these times, one wouldn't have a choice but to LEARN to "get" them.
Gary's Social Media Count
Every second, people are doing something related to technology. Even I, as I am typing this post, am checking my Twitter, my Facebook, and my text messages. This may not seem like a big deal. However, Gary Hayes has put things into perspective about how many people are doing the same thing as me. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of people every second are doing something related to technology.
A few years ago (maybe 2000 or 2001), the numbers probably were in the hundreds (since I'm sure there were plenty of people afraid to take that plunge into the technological world). By the time I become a teacher, I'm sure the numbers will be in the millions. This most definitely means that I would be responsible for staying up to date with technological advances, and making sure my future students know how to use technology to their advantage.
What I got out of this video was that students today are not as interested in facts on a chalkboard or in a book as they used to be. Their attention is focus more on technology. Several students in the video expressed that most of their time in the day is dedicated to technology (Facebook, talking on their cell phones, watching TV, etc). Obviously this was not the case, say, 50 years ago. Students today feel that they could learn much easier if the information they needed to know was presented through technology.
In my own experiences, technology comes in the classroom every now and then. Very recently have I been introduced to SmartBorads and PowerPoints. In fact, this EDM class is where I've encountered the most technology. The good news is that I'm learning about more technology, and kids in elementary and middle school are doing so as well, so our futures will be bright.
It's Not About the Technology
In this blog post, Kelly Hines explains that, as a teacher, having access to the latest technology does not automatically make someone a good teacher. There are things an educator has to keep in mind in order to affect students positively:
1.) Teachers must be learners: Teachers have to know, and the have to be engaged in WANTING to know. This could happen through their own methods or from learning from seasoned teachers. Teachers could also learn through their own students, who of course are not all the same when they enter a classroom, and will not be the same when they leave.
2.) Learning and teaching are not the same things: Ms. Hines provides us with an excellent analogy in this case: "If an object does not move, no matter how much force has been applied, no work has been done. Therefore, if a student has not learned, not matter how much effort has been exerted, no teaching has been done." Just because a teacher stands in front of a class and rambles off a bunch of facts does not mean the students will retain it. It is up to the teacher to find a way for a student to remember the information. If technology will be used, a teacher must know how to use it correctly.
3.) Technology is useless without good teaching: As I stated before, just because a teacher has access to all the latest technology does not mean they are a good teacher. Knowledge of the technology means nothing if a teacher can't do great things with it.
4.) Be a 21st century teacher without the technology: Being a teacher in this day and age does not mean you HAVE to rely on technology. Most subjects can be taught in the traditional manner.
Is It Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Karl Fisch makes it perfectly clear that it is NOT okay to be technologically illiterate as a teacher. A teacher should not produce technologically illiterate students, because the type of world we live in today does not allow such lack of knowledge and skill. He states that in the earlier part of the 20th century, one could have gotten away with not knowing much about technology. These days, more and more careers depend on having some background knowledge in technology. Fisch even goes so far as to say being technologically illiterate is pretty much the same as being unable to comprehend math, or even read.
I have never thought of technology as being on the same skill level as math and reading, so in this case, I agree with Mr. Fisch. One should not be proud of saying "I don't really get computers" because in these times, one wouldn't have a choice but to LEARN to "get" them.
Gary's Social Media Count
Every second, people are doing something related to technology. Even I, as I am typing this post, am checking my Twitter, my Facebook, and my text messages. This may not seem like a big deal. However, Gary Hayes has put things into perspective about how many people are doing the same thing as me. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of people every second are doing something related to technology.
A few years ago (maybe 2000 or 2001), the numbers probably were in the hundreds (since I'm sure there were plenty of people afraid to take that plunge into the technological world). By the time I become a teacher, I'm sure the numbers will be in the millions. This most definitely means that I would be responsible for staying up to date with technological advances, and making sure my future students know how to use technology to their advantage.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Additional Assignment #1
GoogleSquared and WolframAlpha
I knew absolutely nothing about either one of these search engines before this assignment. But with each one of them, like any other search engine, one would have to assume that they are delivering accurate and reliable information. GoogleSquared will have the courtesy to let you know that some information is not reliable. It will provide the source of the information, then tell you if it has "Low Confidence" about what was given. I found that to be helpful.
Did You Know?
As far as my comments on this video in a previous blog post, the facts were thrown at me pretty rapidly. GoogleSquared and WolframAlpha helped to put it all into perspective for me. For example, the video says that "25% of India's population with the highest IQ's is GREATER than the total population of the United States". This information alone is pretty amazing (and a little embarrassing). However, when you learn that India's total population is about 1,177,070,000, and that the total population of the United States is about 308,944,000, the information makes more sense.
I knew absolutely nothing about either one of these search engines before this assignment. But with each one of them, like any other search engine, one would have to assume that they are delivering accurate and reliable information. GoogleSquared will have the courtesy to let you know that some information is not reliable. It will provide the source of the information, then tell you if it has "Low Confidence" about what was given. I found that to be helpful.
Did You Know?
 |
| The Pitciarn Islands (WolframAlpha.com) |
Monday, September 13, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Summary Post for C4T#1
Kelly Hines's Blog: Keeping Kids First
Locals and Tourists
In this post, Ms. Hines analyzes technology as a beach, and the users of technology as either "locals" or "tourists".
The locals of a beach would be the people who have been there most of his/her life and know where all the cool/romantic/dangerous places are. They are also the people who love and respect the territory: they don't abuse it and they keep it clean. Similarly, the "locals" of technology would be the people who know the ins, outs, ups, downs, do's and don'ts of it all.
The tourists of the beach, on the other hand, either disrespect the territory, or are fearful of it. Similarly, the "tourists" of technology either don't know how to use it properly, or, as Ms. Hines described, are afraid to "take the plunge"--they see technology as an intimidating shark to avoid at all costs.
In my comment to this post, I described myself as an "in-betweeny" of technology. i explained that I am familiar with it, as I have been exposed to it most of my life. However, I have yet to "take the plunge" into the bigger, deeper ocean.
How Full Is Your Bucket?
After reading the book, How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, PhD, Ms. Hines highlighted a few things from the book that teachers could do to fill up a child's "bucket", or praise them and lift their self esteem, rather than taking away from a child by constantly telling them what they did wrong.
In my comment, I explained that I could identify with having "Empty Bucket Syndrome", from having a teacher who never saw the positive in me. I also feel that a teacher should do whatever they can to make a child feel special, whether it goes from telling them, on the spot, what a good job they've done, or surprising them with a small, yet meaningful gift.
Locals and Tourists
In this post, Ms. Hines analyzes technology as a beach, and the users of technology as either "locals" or "tourists".
The locals of a beach would be the people who have been there most of his/her life and know where all the cool/romantic/dangerous places are. They are also the people who love and respect the territory: they don't abuse it and they keep it clean. Similarly, the "locals" of technology would be the people who know the ins, outs, ups, downs, do's and don'ts of it all.
The tourists of the beach, on the other hand, either disrespect the territory, or are fearful of it. Similarly, the "tourists" of technology either don't know how to use it properly, or, as Ms. Hines described, are afraid to "take the plunge"--they see technology as an intimidating shark to avoid at all costs.
In my comment to this post, I described myself as an "in-betweeny" of technology. i explained that I am familiar with it, as I have been exposed to it most of my life. However, I have yet to "take the plunge" into the bigger, deeper ocean.
How Full Is Your Bucket?
After reading the book, How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, PhD, Ms. Hines highlighted a few things from the book that teachers could do to fill up a child's "bucket", or praise them and lift their self esteem, rather than taking away from a child by constantly telling them what they did wrong.
In my comment, I explained that I could identify with having "Empty Bucket Syndrome", from having a teacher who never saw the positive in me. I also feel that a teacher should do whatever they can to make a child feel special, whether it goes from telling them, on the spot, what a good job they've done, or surprising them with a small, yet meaningful gift.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Blog Post 2
Did You Know?
Considering the video was created in 2008, I'm sure it's pretty outdated by now. Even still, there was some pretty interesting information presented.
People are learning more things at a faster rate than at any point in human history. I found it interesting that students starting a four year degree will learn things that will be outdated by their third year of school. Technology is becoming more and more apart of our lives, and we have adjusted to this change accordingly. There is no way we could go back to living the way we did in, say, the 50's. Pretty soon, we will have even more technology that will do more than any human ever could
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle reacted to the new world as I'd imagine anyone from 100 years ago would. The world has certainly changed as far as communication and health care goes.
Mr. Winkle found relief from the new age in a classroom, where nothing has changed. This means that the students literally did nothing but take notes from the teacher's lecture, and they were not learning the skills they needed for the ever-changing world of technology. In today's world, the lack of these skills will leave these students struggling for survival.
The Importance of Creativity
Ken Robinson brings up several interesting points in his talk. Two quotes I like are "Creativity is as important as literacy" and "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." I especially like the last quote because it has been shown throughout history that some mistakes have become the world's greatest inventions.
Robinson also mentioned that students are being educated out of creativity. This fact is evident in the "hierarchy of education": the arts- the only way students can truly express themselves- are not even a priority in schools. To me, students are underdeveloped this way. They aren't learning anything outside of facts. They just become knowledge-spewing robots.
Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts
Honestly, this video is a mirror image of how Dr. Strange teaches his class. Much like the teacher in the video, he doesn't teach his students anything. In fact, she's learning along with her students. She's teaching her students how to learn, which is pretty much the way it goes in the real world.
Considering the video was created in 2008, I'm sure it's pretty outdated by now. Even still, there was some pretty interesting information presented.
People are learning more things at a faster rate than at any point in human history. I found it interesting that students starting a four year degree will learn things that will be outdated by their third year of school. Technology is becoming more and more apart of our lives, and we have adjusted to this change accordingly. There is no way we could go back to living the way we did in, say, the 50's. Pretty soon, we will have even more technology that will do more than any human ever could
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle reacted to the new world as I'd imagine anyone from 100 years ago would. The world has certainly changed as far as communication and health care goes.
Mr. Winkle found relief from the new age in a classroom, where nothing has changed. This means that the students literally did nothing but take notes from the teacher's lecture, and they were not learning the skills they needed for the ever-changing world of technology. In today's world, the lack of these skills will leave these students struggling for survival.
The Importance of Creativity
Ken Robinson brings up several interesting points in his talk. Two quotes I like are "Creativity is as important as literacy" and "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." I especially like the last quote because it has been shown throughout history that some mistakes have become the world's greatest inventions.
Robinson also mentioned that students are being educated out of creativity. This fact is evident in the "hierarchy of education": the arts- the only way students can truly express themselves- are not even a priority in schools. To me, students are underdeveloped this way. They aren't learning anything outside of facts. They just become knowledge-spewing robots.
Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts
Honestly, this video is a mirror image of how Dr. Strange teaches his class. Much like the teacher in the video, he doesn't teach his students anything. In fact, she's learning along with her students. She's teaching her students how to learn, which is pretty much the way it goes in the real world.
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