Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Project #10-PLN
Blog Assignment 9
What I Learned This Year- Volume 4. (2011-12)
In this post, McClung talks about how he had trouble with defining himself as a teacher. He said that it is important to look at how the students look at you rather than the teachers because they are all that truly matter. You are not there to impress your peers, but to make an impression on these kid's lives. McClung also talked about how important it is to challenge yourself as an educator. He said that he taught the same two subjects for the past 3 years and felt as if he became to comfortable and lazy with what he was teaching. The children suffered from this and did not learn as much because of it. During this school year, he has been privileged to teach a new subject and grade. This will allow him to grow and become a better teacher. It is his goal to do everything in his power to make the students enjoy class. Overall, this was a challenging, yet fun school year for McClung and he hopes that the 2012-13 will be even better.
What I Learned This Year (2010-11)
During the 2010-11 school year, Mr. McClung learned many valuable lessons. First of all, he realized that you need to not worry about what other teachers think about you. The kids should be the focal point and they are (hopefully) the very reason you are a teacher in the first place. Secondly, you must realize that other educators may not be as excited about change as you are. McClung stated " I feel like the teaching landscape is full of individuals that once had a fire and excitement for the profession but somewhere along the way they joined the darkside." This is so true because some teachers tend to become set in their ways and think that they know what is best after teaching for a while. This in turn makes them become less passionate about changing children's lives. He also showed us that it is okay to be different. Many of his peers would eat lunch in the teacher's lounge, while he would eat lunch with his students.
As a teacher, you do not want to interfere with hands on learning. McClung uses the phrase "Don't Touch the Keyboard". The idea is that you will be doing all of the work if you show them how to do it. Let them learn how to do it on their own. Lastly, he says to not become comfortable with what you are doing. By doing so, we become stagnant and do not better ourselves as educators. This not only hurts yourself, but the children you are teaching.
This post really opened my eyes and reminded me of why I am becoming a teacher. Not to impress the principal or other teachers, but my students. I want to make an impression on them so that they will tell their kids and grandkids about what an awesome teacher I was. I want to get better in everything that I do and become the best teacher that I can be. I may steal Mr. McClung's idea and do a blog like this to look back on what I have accomplished and what I can improve on.
In this post, McClung talks about how he had trouble with defining himself as a teacher. He said that it is important to look at how the students look at you rather than the teachers because they are all that truly matter. You are not there to impress your peers, but to make an impression on these kid's lives. McClung also talked about how important it is to challenge yourself as an educator. He said that he taught the same two subjects for the past 3 years and felt as if he became to comfortable and lazy with what he was teaching. The children suffered from this and did not learn as much because of it. During this school year, he has been privileged to teach a new subject and grade. This will allow him to grow and become a better teacher. It is his goal to do everything in his power to make the students enjoy class. Overall, this was a challenging, yet fun school year for McClung and he hopes that the 2012-13 will be even better.
What I Learned This Year (2010-11)
During the 2010-11 school year, Mr. McClung learned many valuable lessons. First of all, he realized that you need to not worry about what other teachers think about you. The kids should be the focal point and they are (hopefully) the very reason you are a teacher in the first place. Secondly, you must realize that other educators may not be as excited about change as you are. McClung stated " I feel like the teaching landscape is full of individuals that once had a fire and excitement for the profession but somewhere along the way they joined the darkside." This is so true because some teachers tend to become set in their ways and think that they know what is best after teaching for a while. This in turn makes them become less passionate about changing children's lives. He also showed us that it is okay to be different. Many of his peers would eat lunch in the teacher's lounge, while he would eat lunch with his students.
This post really opened my eyes and reminded me of why I am becoming a teacher. Not to impress the principal or other teachers, but my students. I want to make an impression on them so that they will tell their kids and grandkids about what an awesome teacher I was. I want to get better in everything that I do and become the best teacher that I can be. I may steal Mr. McClung's idea and do a blog like this to look back on what I have accomplished and what I can improve on.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Blog Assignment 8
This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
In Part 1, Dr. Miller talks about the restraints of paper books and how they hold us back. On the internet, articles and print can be changed to reflect current conditions, while books become out of date the second they are printed. He talked about when he wrote a book, that has now gone out of print and can be bought on Amazon for $0.59. It is so much easier to research things because you can find information so quickly and easily on the internet. You can also easily access videos for interviews and important moments in history. I know for a fact that you cannot watch a video in a book! It is also easy to do collaborative work. Therefore, people are able to be accessed at any time.
Part 2 talks about new material that is updated instantly and constantly. Teachers can provide students with other teachers lectures so that they can share others ideas with their students. Miller talks about how we can go behind stories and figure out how they were written and put on the website. He also talks about how in the future he sees students writing with digital technology, not word processor. By being able to write with multimedia, this will have an impact on the students and they will be more likely to remember the information. When posting on the internet, the things you say will stay forever. This can be a positive or negative thing, but I think that it will be positive for education.
By being able to write with multimedia, we will be able to show our students information through videos, interactive graphs or polls, and maybe even interactive pictures. Students love hands on activities. It gets them involved in learning the information and they can discuss it among their friends. Lecturing does not do much good because of all of the distractions technology can provide. By integrating the distraction into the lesson plan, this will benefit the student and the teacher.
Carly's Post
When asked by Dr. Strange to create a new assignment, Carly answered the bell. She brilliantly thought of making a playlist on YouTube that contains inspiring videos about teaching and life in general. Students will create their own playlists be able to use YouTube to help inspire them to write and visualize stories. This will follow Dr. Miller's hopes for writing with multimedia. I personally enjoyed Think Different the most. This is also a great idea because students tend to enjoy watching videos and are more likely to stay engaged.
I plan on becoming a PE teacher, so I thought, "What is a way that I can incorporate this into my curriculum?" At the beginning of class each day or every other day, I could show an inspirational video about staying fit or informing them of health risks. As a young student, there are many videos that I watched that I still remember today. Hopefully, these will have the same impact and convince them to make better choices in life.
Student Videos
If I had to create a video or participate in the creation of a video for this class, I would probably make one about time management. As college students, this is a huge problem because we are very busy and it is sometimes difficult to find time to do classwork. By making this video, I hope to inform students of different tools that will help combat problems like procrastination. Another video idea would be "How to Survive Life as a College Student". I would tell incoming freshmen how to become involved, stay on top of their work, and many other things that I would have wanted to know in my first year of college. These young adults would feel more comfortable about college after watching my video. The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies are both excellent for preparing students for EDM310. They highlight issues like procrastination and becoming frustrated with learning on your own. They were both hilarious and these students did an awesome job putting them together.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
Today's schools are treated like they are factories. They bring these children in, they do a bunch of work, then they spit them out and hand them a high school diploma. This is not beneficial to any of them because they are not as prepared for college or the real world. One man in the video said, "Every turned off device is a turned off child."These kids are more in tune to learning things outside of the classroom than inside the classroom due to social media. With all devices being banned, we are only hurting the students because that is where they love to get their information from. It is time to revolutionize our public schools and get out of our comfort zones as teachers. In the end, it will be better for all of us.
Scavenger Hunt 2.0
1.http://www.edmodo.com
Edmodo is a website that is used as a platform for teachers and students to socialize with each other. Teachers can also create a group for their class where they can post assignments and online quizzes. This can be beneficial when you do not get to some information in class, or you just want to mix things up a bit. Students can be rewarded for a job well done with badges that can be awarded. With teachers and classmates being able to comment on student's work or posts, instant critiquing can be received. Overall, this website allows the student and teacher to be connected and have access to each other after school hours.
3.http://www.makebeliefscomix.com
Smart Alec
4.http://photopeach.com
PhotoPeach is an awesome, free website where you can make slideshows with built in quizzes and polls. In most cases, this program is used in correlation with a SmartBoard. It is a great tool for reviews for tests and quizzes. You can even add your own music and students can contribute to the questions! Here is a video that shows how students use PhotoPeach in the classroom.
In Part 1, Dr. Miller talks about the restraints of paper books and how they hold us back. On the internet, articles and print can be changed to reflect current conditions, while books become out of date the second they are printed. He talked about when he wrote a book, that has now gone out of print and can be bought on Amazon for $0.59. It is so much easier to research things because you can find information so quickly and easily on the internet. You can also easily access videos for interviews and important moments in history. I know for a fact that you cannot watch a video in a book! It is also easy to do collaborative work. Therefore, people are able to be accessed at any time.
Part 2 talks about new material that is updated instantly and constantly. Teachers can provide students with other teachers lectures so that they can share others ideas with their students. Miller talks about how we can go behind stories and figure out how they were written and put on the website. He also talks about how in the future he sees students writing with digital technology, not word processor. By being able to write with multimedia, this will have an impact on the students and they will be more likely to remember the information. When posting on the internet, the things you say will stay forever. This can be a positive or negative thing, but I think that it will be positive for education.
By being able to write with multimedia, we will be able to show our students information through videos, interactive graphs or polls, and maybe even interactive pictures. Students love hands on activities. It gets them involved in learning the information and they can discuss it among their friends. Lecturing does not do much good because of all of the distractions technology can provide. By integrating the distraction into the lesson plan, this will benefit the student and the teacher.
Carly's Post
When asked by Dr. Strange to create a new assignment, Carly answered the bell. She brilliantly thought of making a playlist on YouTube that contains inspiring videos about teaching and life in general. Students will create their own playlists be able to use YouTube to help inspire them to write and visualize stories. This will follow Dr. Miller's hopes for writing with multimedia. I personally enjoyed Think Different the most. This is also a great idea because students tend to enjoy watching videos and are more likely to stay engaged.
I plan on becoming a PE teacher, so I thought, "What is a way that I can incorporate this into my curriculum?" At the beginning of class each day or every other day, I could show an inspirational video about staying fit or informing them of health risks. As a young student, there are many videos that I watched that I still remember today. Hopefully, these will have the same impact and convince them to make better choices in life.
Student Videos
If I had to create a video or participate in the creation of a video for this class, I would probably make one about time management. As college students, this is a huge problem because we are very busy and it is sometimes difficult to find time to do classwork. By making this video, I hope to inform students of different tools that will help combat problems like procrastination. Another video idea would be "How to Survive Life as a College Student". I would tell incoming freshmen how to become involved, stay on top of their work, and many other things that I would have wanted to know in my first year of college. These young adults would feel more comfortable about college after watching my video. The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies are both excellent for preparing students for EDM310. They highlight issues like procrastination and becoming frustrated with learning on your own. They were both hilarious and these students did an awesome job putting them together.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
Today's schools are treated like they are factories. They bring these children in, they do a bunch of work, then they spit them out and hand them a high school diploma. This is not beneficial to any of them because they are not as prepared for college or the real world. One man in the video said, "Every turned off device is a turned off child."These kids are more in tune to learning things outside of the classroom than inside the classroom due to social media. With all devices being banned, we are only hurting the students because that is where they love to get their information from. It is time to revolutionize our public schools and get out of our comfort zones as teachers. In the end, it will be better for all of us.
Scavenger Hunt 2.0
1.http://www.edmodo.com
Edmodo is a website that is used as a platform for teachers and students to socialize with each other. Teachers can also create a group for their class where they can post assignments and online quizzes. This can be beneficial when you do not get to some information in class, or you just want to mix things up a bit. Students can be rewarded for a job well done with badges that can be awarded. With teachers and classmates being able to comment on student's work or posts, instant critiquing can be received. Overall, this website allows the student and teacher to be connected and have access to each other after school hours.
3.http://www.makebeliefscomix.com
Smart Alec
4.http://photopeach.com
PhotoPeach is an awesome, free website where you can make slideshows with built in quizzes and polls. In most cases, this program is used in correlation with a SmartBoard. It is a great tool for reviews for tests and quizzes. You can even add your own music and students can contribute to the questions! Here is a video that shows how students use PhotoPeach in the classroom.
Friday, October 19, 2012
C4T #2-Denise Krebs
Happy Constitution Day and Why I’m a Liberal
Denise’s post reveals that she is not a fan of politics, but would call herself a liberal if she had to choose. She states the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution and shows how it has a liberal tone that calls for strong government. Krebs also reveals how being a liberal is related to her spirituality and goes on to show us several examples of verses from the bible as examples. An example of a verse that asks a liberal question includes Mark 10:51-“What do you want me to do for you?” Krebs concludes she is a liberal because she believes that the government was created to help all of its people, and because she wants to be like Jesus. In my comment, I told her how the November election would be my first time to vote and I thanked her for helping me become more informed. Also, I told her how I liked her analysis in connection to the Bible.
Precious Water
In this post, Mrs. Krebs talks about hipporollers. These are jugs that can be easily rolled around if a person has to travel a long way for water. She said that nearly 3 million people die each year due to not having clean water. In my comment, I told her that I thought that this was an awesome idea and I really take the accessibility of water for granted sometimes. It is very easy to spend an extra ten minutes in the shower or leave the sprinkler on for an extra hour. I believe this tool will change many people’s lives and allow them to have as much clean water as they can roll in the hipporollers.
Denise’s post reveals that she is not a fan of politics, but would call herself a liberal if she had to choose. She states the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution and shows how it has a liberal tone that calls for strong government. Krebs also reveals how being a liberal is related to her spirituality and goes on to show us several examples of verses from the bible as examples. An example of a verse that asks a liberal question includes Mark 10:51-“What do you want me to do for you?” Krebs concludes she is a liberal because she believes that the government was created to help all of its people, and because she wants to be like Jesus. In my comment, I told her how the November election would be my first time to vote and I thanked her for helping me become more informed. Also, I told her how I liked her analysis in connection to the Bible.
Precious Water
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Blog Assignment 7
The Networked Student
The network a student possesses will prove to be the most important part of a child's education in the future. They will learn about the concept of connectivism, which is learning that occurs due to the many networks and ties they have. By being taught how to validate information on the internet, they will learn which information to believe just by the content. MP3 players can also be used for students to listen to podcasts. Professors from major universities like Stanford and Berkley have their lectures as podcasts. Therefore, students will be able to receive information from some of the best teachers in the world. Skype can be used to talk to important people that they can learn a lot from. This will make an impression on the students that they will remember forever. The biggest challenge will be how the students manage the information. Within the realm of the internet, there is an unimaginable amount of information. Therefore, some students may have a difficult time finding the "right" information.
If students have all the information they need in the palm of their hand, what is the need for teachers? Well, they provide their students with the tools they need to succeed. Teachers will show them how to gather and validate information. Also, they will teach their students how to build their network and to take advantage of the opportunities they are given. Sometimes students may get stuck and not know what to do. The teachers provide guidance and help them with any questions they may have. Their goal is to provide the kids with networks and tools they will be able to use in the future.
I believe that the idea of a "networked student" will be the future of our education system. This will allow students to have more freedom with what they learn. It will be our job as the teacher to make sure they are choosing the right information and not straying on to sites they shouldn't be. It may seem as if we will just be babysitting, but I do not think that the whole classroom setting will be encapsulated by this concept. If this were to be true, there will be less teachers in the workforce because they will not be needed as much.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
This video talks about a 7th grader's personal learning environment. Her science class is paperless and they had to learn how to use resources on the internet to gather information. She shows all of the different tools they use including Google Docs, Facebook, and Glogster. Her PLE is very similar to my PLN for this class. We both use Google Docs and social networking to gather information and provide information for others. This proves that if a 7th grader is able to perform in this environment, we should be able to as well. I believe that this is the future of our education system.
The network a student possesses will prove to be the most important part of a child's education in the future. They will learn about the concept of connectivism, which is learning that occurs due to the many networks and ties they have. By being taught how to validate information on the internet, they will learn which information to believe just by the content. MP3 players can also be used for students to listen to podcasts. Professors from major universities like Stanford and Berkley have their lectures as podcasts. Therefore, students will be able to receive information from some of the best teachers in the world. Skype can be used to talk to important people that they can learn a lot from. This will make an impression on the students that they will remember forever. The biggest challenge will be how the students manage the information. Within the realm of the internet, there is an unimaginable amount of information. Therefore, some students may have a difficult time finding the "right" information.
If students have all the information they need in the palm of their hand, what is the need for teachers? Well, they provide their students with the tools they need to succeed. Teachers will show them how to gather and validate information. Also, they will teach their students how to build their network and to take advantage of the opportunities they are given. Sometimes students may get stuck and not know what to do. The teachers provide guidance and help them with any questions they may have. Their goal is to provide the kids with networks and tools they will be able to use in the future.
I believe that the idea of a "networked student" will be the future of our education system. This will allow students to have more freedom with what they learn. It will be our job as the teacher to make sure they are choosing the right information and not straying on to sites they shouldn't be. It may seem as if we will just be babysitting, but I do not think that the whole classroom setting will be encapsulated by this concept. If this were to be true, there will be less teachers in the workforce because they will not be needed as much.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
This video talks about a 7th grader's personal learning environment. Her science class is paperless and they had to learn how to use resources on the internet to gather information. She shows all of the different tools they use including Google Docs, Facebook, and Glogster. Her PLE is very similar to my PLN for this class. We both use Google Docs and social networking to gather information and provide information for others. This proves that if a 7th grader is able to perform in this environment, we should be able to as well. I believe that this is the future of our education system.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Blog Assignment 6
Randy Pausch's Final Lecture
Randy Pausch gave several inspiring speeches over his lifetime. They focused on life tools and teaching tools to be the best you can be and to better others. His "Final Lecture" was a little bit different. Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which ultimately would lead to his death, and this was his final speech he gave. He goes into detail about his childhood and his time as a college student, Disney Imagineer, and a professor. All of these moments in his life shaped him into who he was as an educator and a father. At first when I saw this video was an hour long, I was not looking forward to it. But, I found it to be well worth my time and it made me look at my future job as an educator in a different way.
During Randy's childhood, he had several dreams. These included: going to space, playing in the NFL, meeting Captain Kirk, winning big stuffed animals at the fair, and becoming an Imagineer at Disney. He accomplished all of these things except for becoming an NFL player. He learned that "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." You do not always get everything you want, but valuable experiences are gained that can help you in other aspects of your life. Pausch constantly repeated the phrase "Brick walls are there to show how badly we want something." When we face a challenge, sometimes it seems like their is no way to accomplish it or get around it. You must persevere and overcome adversity to receive something you want badly. How can we enable the childhood dreams of others? You set the bar high. Your students are only as good as you allow them to be. Students are not as likely to pursue things on their own. If you are there to encourage and push them, there is no telling what they can achieve.
My favorite concept that Pausch explained was the "head fake". According to Pausch, the best way to teach someone something is to make them think they are learning something else. That is exactly what a head fake is. You may make your students form groups to work on a book report, which they believe is to learn about a certain book. What they are really learning is people skills and how to work in a group. This is an easy way to make your students believe they are doing something fun, when you are really trying to teach them something. Most of the time if you tell them they are going to learn something, they get into the mindset that it will be boring. If the student never knows, it is more likely to make an impression on them.
Sometimes in life, you have to ask for a little bit of help. Pausch outlines how this can be accomplished. First of all, there are some places you cannot get to alone and Pausch believes that karma is a real thing. It is okay to ask for help and if you do not help others, it may come back to haunt you. Secondly, tell the truth and be earnest. If you do not tell the truth, you must weave your way through lies and it gets complicated. Thirdly, apologize when you screw up. There is no need to blame things on others. Own up to your mistakes and people will have respect for you. Lastly, focus on others and not on yourself. Pausch's speech may have shown what he experienced in his lifetime, but the speech really focused on how you should live your life. He impacted many people while he was alive and will continue to do so through his Final Lecture.
During Randy's childhood, he had several dreams. These included: going to space, playing in the NFL, meeting Captain Kirk, winning big stuffed animals at the fair, and becoming an Imagineer at Disney. He accomplished all of these things except for becoming an NFL player. He learned that "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." You do not always get everything you want, but valuable experiences are gained that can help you in other aspects of your life. Pausch constantly repeated the phrase "Brick walls are there to show how badly we want something." When we face a challenge, sometimes it seems like their is no way to accomplish it or get around it. You must persevere and overcome adversity to receive something you want badly. How can we enable the childhood dreams of others? You set the bar high. Your students are only as good as you allow them to be. Students are not as likely to pursue things on their own. If you are there to encourage and push them, there is no telling what they can achieve.
My favorite concept that Pausch explained was the "head fake". According to Pausch, the best way to teach someone something is to make them think they are learning something else. That is exactly what a head fake is. You may make your students form groups to work on a book report, which they believe is to learn about a certain book. What they are really learning is people skills and how to work in a group. This is an easy way to make your students believe they are doing something fun, when you are really trying to teach them something. Most of the time if you tell them they are going to learn something, they get into the mindset that it will be boring. If the student never knows, it is more likely to make an impression on them.
Sometimes in life, you have to ask for a little bit of help. Pausch outlines how this can be accomplished. First of all, there are some places you cannot get to alone and Pausch believes that karma is a real thing. It is okay to ask for help and if you do not help others, it may come back to haunt you. Secondly, tell the truth and be earnest. If you do not tell the truth, you must weave your way through lies and it gets complicated. Thirdly, apologize when you screw up. There is no need to blame things on others. Own up to your mistakes and people will have respect for you. Lastly, focus on others and not on yourself. Pausch's speech may have shown what he experienced in his lifetime, but the speech really focused on how you should live your life. He impacted many people while he was alive and will continue to do so through his Final Lecture.
C4K #1 and #2-September
C4K #1-Tessa
Tessa is a middle school student in Massachusetts. In her post, she explains how she is just entering middle school and would like some advice. Tessa also asked for stories from the commenter's middle school years. I told her that middle school can be difficult at times, but overall I believed that she would enjoy it. Some advice that I gave was to get involved in school activities like clubs or sports. Middle school was one of the best parts of my life so far, but it was not easy.
C4K #2-Jade
Jade is a 13-year-old student in Iowa. In her post, she described how it was homecoming week at their school. During the week, they dressed up each day and had a hallway competition. A couple of the themed days included herd day (they dressed up as farm animals) and school color day. In my comment, I wished her good luck in the hallway competition and revealed to her all of the theme days I had in high school for homecoming week. She commented back and said that there was some really good competition, then later commented and said that their grade level was not going to be judged with the high schoolers. It was kind of cool to have a conversation with someone I don't even know and she was so excited about the comment. This is the most self gratifying thing I have done in EDM 310 so far.
Tessa is a middle school student in Massachusetts. In her post, she explains how she is just entering middle school and would like some advice. Tessa also asked for stories from the commenter's middle school years. I told her that middle school can be difficult at times, but overall I believed that she would enjoy it. Some advice that I gave was to get involved in school activities like clubs or sports. Middle school was one of the best parts of my life so far, but it was not easy.
C4K #2-Jade
Jade is a 13-year-old student in Iowa. In her post, she described how it was homecoming week at their school. During the week, they dressed up each day and had a hallway competition. A couple of the themed days included herd day (they dressed up as farm animals) and school color day. In my comment, I wished her good luck in the hallway competition and revealed to her all of the theme days I had in high school for homecoming week. She commented back and said that there was some really good competition, then later commented and said that their grade level was not going to be judged with the high schoolers. It was kind of cool to have a conversation with someone I don't even know and she was so excited about the comment. This is the most self gratifying thing I have done in EDM 310 so far.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Blog Assignment 5
The iSchool Initiative
Many schools around the country are struggling financially. They receive little funding, if any, to provide their students with the resources they need to compete academically with the rest of the world. Travis Allen had a solution. The iSchool Initiative was created when he was a high school senior in Fayetteville, Georgia and his school was experiencing financial difficulty just like the rest of the nation. So, he discovered the idea of going paperless. All of the students would receive iPod touch devices which would replace books. The students could share work over email and have several useful apps. Some of these apps include a Constitution app (you can see every part of the U.S. Constitution), a planet app (you can discover the solar system), and a presidents app (every president is listed with information about each one). All of these could take thousands of pieces of paper to print or you would need an expensive textbook to find all of this information. Not anymore! The overall cost of supplies/books for a student is normally around $600. With Allen's ideas, the cost to supply a student with the same information is roughly $150. This is a revolutionary thought that could save education systems millions of dollars.
I liked how students formed these plans and began to put it into action. They wanted to change the education system because they felt as if they were falling behind the times. Many kids talk about what should be done, but Travis Allen and The iSchool Initiative put it into action. Because of their perseverance, students across the nation are receiving the top technology possible. This is why EDM 310 is so important because students are beginning to receive this new technology and they do not know how to use it. As teachers begin to understand these innovations, students will only grow into better learners.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
In this video, Eric Whitacre created a choir, but not any ordinary choir. The choir includes roughly 2,000 members that send in video of themselves singing. Whitacre compiles them to form his virtual choir. This would be very difficult to perform in person which is why this is so mind boggling. Imagine 2,000 people in one room. It is just not practical!
I was so amazed by this video. People with incredible voices from around the world can now sing together without having to travel at all. So many different sounding voices can be chosen by the conductor to place into their song. This can change the future of choir and recording songs. YouTube has already become the stepping stone to stardom for many famous artists and I think those numbers will continue to grow.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Kevin Roberts has a plan for teaching students in the 21st century. Teachers will provide all information for their course on the internet, while teaching them the tools that can be used on the internet. This way, they are learning information while learning crucial technology skills. Teachers will allow for students to figure out how to use tools like Google and Facebook, which in turn will teach them how to problem solve and learn things on their own instead of being spoon-fed by the teacher. Also, teachers can warn them about illegal acts that can be committed on the internet. Some of these include plagiarism, pirating, and copyright. Students will be forced to act in a professional manner at a younger age.
There are so many possibilities for educating students with the technology we have today. Computers and phones will no longer just be used for entertainment. They will be used to engage students and make them excited about learning while it will be meaningful at the same time. As an future educator, I will need to start this revolution. The generation of teachers before me did not take EDM 310 to open their eyes to how important technology is. The teacher can make a difference. If they open these new teaching tools to students, the classroom will be a better learning environment and the students will be more prepared for adversity they will face in the world.
Flipping The Classroom
In a classroom setting, there are three types of students. These include the higher level students (who are not challenged), the middle level (in which the majority of students lie), and the lower level students (the struggling students). With Dr. Lodge McCammon's concept of Flipping The Classroom, all three groups of student's needs can be met. Typically in a classroom, 90% of time spent is lecture oriented and 10% of the time is used to learn and practice a concept. Anything you do not complete is finished in homework. Most students learn better by practicing a concept. By "Flipping the Classroom", more of the learning will be done in the classroom and the lecture will be received outside the classroom via videos created by the teacher. This is better for the student because all levels of learners can benefit. Higher level students can move on to new lessons after they have grasped a concept. Middle level students will be able to easily follow along in class. Lower level students can re-watch the lectures until they fully understand a concept. Also, this benefits the teachers because if a student is ill, the students can go online to see what they missed and will not be behind. What if the students do not watch the videos? Does this help with disciplinary issues? These questions and more can be answered by Flipped Classroom-FAQ created by Katie Gimbar. This seems to be a great solution for engaging all students in the classroom. I will definitely try and incorporate this into my curriculum because i think that it will be very practical.
Many schools around the country are struggling financially. They receive little funding, if any, to provide their students with the resources they need to compete academically with the rest of the world. Travis Allen had a solution. The iSchool Initiative was created when he was a high school senior in Fayetteville, Georgia and his school was experiencing financial difficulty just like the rest of the nation. So, he discovered the idea of going paperless. All of the students would receive iPod touch devices which would replace books. The students could share work over email and have several useful apps. Some of these apps include a Constitution app (you can see every part of the U.S. Constitution), a planet app (you can discover the solar system), and a presidents app (every president is listed with information about each one). All of these could take thousands of pieces of paper to print or you would need an expensive textbook to find all of this information. Not anymore! The overall cost of supplies/books for a student is normally around $600. With Allen's ideas, the cost to supply a student with the same information is roughly $150. This is a revolutionary thought that could save education systems millions of dollars.
I liked how students formed these plans and began to put it into action. They wanted to change the education system because they felt as if they were falling behind the times. Many kids talk about what should be done, but Travis Allen and The iSchool Initiative put it into action. Because of their perseverance, students across the nation are receiving the top technology possible. This is why EDM 310 is so important because students are beginning to receive this new technology and they do not know how to use it. As teachers begin to understand these innovations, students will only grow into better learners.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
In this video, Eric Whitacre created a choir, but not any ordinary choir. The choir includes roughly 2,000 members that send in video of themselves singing. Whitacre compiles them to form his virtual choir. This would be very difficult to perform in person which is why this is so mind boggling. Imagine 2,000 people in one room. It is just not practical!
I was so amazed by this video. People with incredible voices from around the world can now sing together without having to travel at all. So many different sounding voices can be chosen by the conductor to place into their song. This can change the future of choir and recording songs. YouTube has already become the stepping stone to stardom for many famous artists and I think those numbers will continue to grow.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Kevin Roberts has a plan for teaching students in the 21st century. Teachers will provide all information for their course on the internet, while teaching them the tools that can be used on the internet. This way, they are learning information while learning crucial technology skills. Teachers will allow for students to figure out how to use tools like Google and Facebook, which in turn will teach them how to problem solve and learn things on their own instead of being spoon-fed by the teacher. Also, teachers can warn them about illegal acts that can be committed on the internet. Some of these include plagiarism, pirating, and copyright. Students will be forced to act in a professional manner at a younger age.
There are so many possibilities for educating students with the technology we have today. Computers and phones will no longer just be used for entertainment. They will be used to engage students and make them excited about learning while it will be meaningful at the same time. As an future educator, I will need to start this revolution. The generation of teachers before me did not take EDM 310 to open their eyes to how important technology is. The teacher can make a difference. If they open these new teaching tools to students, the classroom will be a better learning environment and the students will be more prepared for adversity they will face in the world.
Flipping The Classroom
Monday, September 24, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Blog Assignment 4
Langwitches-Podcasting with 1st Grade
According to Langwitches, podcasting is a positive way to relay information to kids. They love that what they are doing can be received by anyone in the world, showing that they really do matter. In these student's podcast, they did a question and answer series from a popular children's book series, The Magic Treehouse. The students were very interested in making the podcasts perfect. If there was even the slightest sound in the background, they told the teacher they wanted to do it over. For the students, it was kind of like they were in acting class, and they enjoyed it tremendously.
I thought that it was cool that the kids began to deconstruct their voices and the way they sounded. I believe that podcasts will help students speak more clearly and even correct speech impediments. The kids seemed to enjoy critiquing their voices to improve. This trait is hard to grasp, but I think podcasts will help. The podcast was so good that sounded like someone from a audio book company compiled it. This teacher did a great job with these kids and I will definitely try and interweave this concept into my curriculum whenever I become an educator.
Flat Stanley Podcast
It is amazing what children can do with technology. In this post, they discuss a podcast that included children from many parts of the world. What brought all of them together? A little piece of paper cut into a person named Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley is used to show the children and explore different parts of the world. The kids research a certain part of the world by reading or looking on the internet so that the kids could learn about different cultures. This concept has been used for many years now, so these classrooms decided to bring in technology and make a podcast. After students researched their location of choice, they would write a script about that place for the podcast and add them all together to form a large podcast.
I think that by using Flat Stanley, the kids have a better chance of remembering geographical and historical information. Also, it is pretty cool that they get to connect with other parts of the world by doing a similar assignment. Kids like to connect with people they do not know from other places. I believe that Flat Stanley will continue to be used for a long time.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
For the next generation of learners, technology is all that they know. Podcasting is becoming a major part of the way they learn. It allows for creativity and innovation within the students. Podcasts make the students use higher level thinking skills due to them having to explain concepts and ask questions. It can also be much easier on the teacher. They can record their lecture on a podcast, so that they do not have to repeat it every time that a new class comes in. Also, if a student is out sick, they do not miss any important information and can hear the information when they are feeling up to it.
This video is very informative and covers everything anyone would need to know about podcasts. They prove to be very convienient for teachers and save a lot of time. Students also gain a lot more from them because they have to recall information out loud. If they do not know their information, they could mislead or give someone the wrong idea about a concept. Overall, podcasts are the future of our classrooms and will help students better their brain capacity.
I thought that it was cool that the kids began to deconstruct their voices and the way they sounded. I believe that podcasts will help students speak more clearly and even correct speech impediments. The kids seemed to enjoy critiquing their voices to improve. This trait is hard to grasp, but I think podcasts will help. The podcast was so good that sounded like someone from a audio book company compiled it. This teacher did a great job with these kids and I will definitely try and interweave this concept into my curriculum whenever I become an educator.
Flat Stanley Podcast
It is amazing what children can do with technology. In this post, they discuss a podcast that included children from many parts of the world. What brought all of them together? A little piece of paper cut into a person named Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley is used to show the children and explore different parts of the world. The kids research a certain part of the world by reading or looking on the internet so that the kids could learn about different cultures. This concept has been used for many years now, so these classrooms decided to bring in technology and make a podcast. After students researched their location of choice, they would write a script about that place for the podcast and add them all together to form a large podcast.
I think that by using Flat Stanley, the kids have a better chance of remembering geographical and historical information. Also, it is pretty cool that they get to connect with other parts of the world by doing a similar assignment. Kids like to connect with people they do not know from other places. I believe that Flat Stanley will continue to be used for a long time.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
For the next generation of learners, technology is all that they know. Podcasting is becoming a major part of the way they learn. It allows for creativity and innovation within the students. Podcasts make the students use higher level thinking skills due to them having to explain concepts and ask questions. It can also be much easier on the teacher. They can record their lecture on a podcast, so that they do not have to repeat it every time that a new class comes in. Also, if a student is out sick, they do not miss any important information and can hear the information when they are feeling up to it.
This video is very informative and covers everything anyone would need to know about podcasts. They prove to be very convienient for teachers and save a lot of time. Students also gain a lot more from them because they have to recall information out loud. If they do not know their information, they could mislead or give someone the wrong idea about a concept. Overall, podcasts are the future of our classrooms and will help students better their brain capacity.
Project #3- C4T #1
The Power of Educational Technology
Wednesday, July 18, 2012-Focusing on What Works!
Mrs. Liz Davis' post pertained to a book called The Thin Book Of Appreciative Inquiry by Sue Annis Hammond. It gave us eight tips that can be used in the workplace or life. These included:
1. "In every society, organization, or group something works."
2. "What we focus on becomes our reality."
3. "Reality is created in the moment, and there are multiple realities."
4. "The act of asking questions of an organization or group influences the group in some way."
5. "People have more confidence and comfort to journey to the future (the unknown) when they carry forward parts of the past (the known)."
6. "If we carry parts of the past forward, they should be what is best about the past."
7. "It is important to value differences."
8. "The language we use creates our reality."
Under each of these tips, Davis gives a description. In my comment, I told her how I would definitely use these suggestions as an educator and how helpful they would be. Also, I talked about how the book sounded interesting and that I would love to read it.
Wednesday, September 19,2012-iPad Ideas for Sept 19, 2012
This post showed it's readers how to add an icon on an iPad or iPhone for a link to any website you would like. This can be very useful because it is sometimes very time consuming to type in a web address with your fingers every time you need to get to a website. In the classroom, this would be an easy way for your students to quickly get to a page that you are using for your class session. I told Mrs. Davis that I thought this concept was genius. Also, I sometimes have trouble with the iPhone keyboard due to it being so small. This will save me from that hassle of typing things I do not want.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012-Focusing on What Works!
Mrs. Liz Davis' post pertained to a book called The Thin Book Of Appreciative Inquiry by Sue Annis Hammond. It gave us eight tips that can be used in the workplace or life. These included:
1. "In every society, organization, or group something works."
2. "What we focus on becomes our reality."
3. "Reality is created in the moment, and there are multiple realities."
4. "The act of asking questions of an organization or group influences the group in some way."
5. "People have more confidence and comfort to journey to the future (the unknown) when they carry forward parts of the past (the known)."
6. "If we carry parts of the past forward, they should be what is best about the past."
7. "It is important to value differences."
8. "The language we use creates our reality."
Wednesday, September 19,2012-iPad Ideas for Sept 19, 2012
This post showed it's readers how to add an icon on an iPad or iPhone for a link to any website you would like. This can be very useful because it is sometimes very time consuming to type in a web address with your fingers every time you need to get to a website. In the classroom, this would be an easy way for your students to quickly get to a page that you are using for your class session. I told Mrs. Davis that I thought this concept was genius. Also, I sometimes have trouble with the iPhone keyboard due to it being so small. This will save me from that hassle of typing things I do not want.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Blog Assignment 3
Peer Editing
Writing a review for someone is not always the easiest thing to accomplish. It is hard to establish the line between positively critiquing and negatively criticizing. In What is Peer Editing?, the Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial, and Writing A Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes students are given several tips on how to correctly peer edit what someone has written. We must learn how to effectively use peer editing to achieve progress on our writing. These three resources help reveal to us what we must do.
What is Peer Editing gives us the definition of peer and editing. This helps us fully understand what we are trying to accomplish when leaving comments. In the Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial, students are given a three step process to guide us when peer editing. First you must compliment the student on what they have done well. Next, you give suggestions to better their writing. Lastly, you provide them with corrections
like grammar problems or spelling issues. Tim Bedley's class created the video Writing A Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes. They use cute examples like "Picky Patty" to show what not to do when critiquing someones work or how to react when someone is editing what you have written. Peer editing can be useful to better your work if done correctly.
Technology In Special Education
Technology, like computers, can be used to benefit special needs children as shown by Stephanie Tyler in Technology In Special Education. Children who cannot vocalize their thoughts or have trouble reading sometimes have trouble keeping up in their classes. Different devices can help diminish this and begin to excel. Some of these devices include specialized computers and iPod touches that can read to the kids. Students can now focus on learning instead of how to communicate with the teacher.
There are many students that are non verbal or have physical and cognitive complications that doctors may not be able to fix, but educators can make school a lot easier for them. For example, at one point children had to leave the classroom during silent reading if they needed help by having a teacher read to them. Now, iPod touches can read their books to them without having to bother other students in the process. Computers help tremendously in the education of special needs children. They can now type what they want to say instead of struggling to write or point out letters on a sheet of paper. Also due to all of this technology, students are more eager to learn which in turn is improving the lives of many children who would have never had the opportunity a few years earlier.
Assistive Chat
"Assistive Chat" is an app from Apple that helps people who have difficulty with or cannot speak to others have the capability to communicate. The student can type in what they want to say and the device reads it aloud for them. Sentences can be saved and words are predicted so that they do not have to type out all of the words every time they try to talk. You can even choose how you would like the voice to sound and the speed of the voice. This is a revolutionary idea that will be used for several years to come.
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This app would allow these students to be able to have discussions in class and connect with other classmates. Some of these kids probably never thought they would have a chance to carry on an actual conversation. Now the teacher can receive actual responses from their students. Most of these kids are very intelligent, but cannot verbalize it. This would change that and allow them to feel normal for once.
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
In Vicki Davis' classroom, you will not see pencils or paper. She uses technology to teach her students how to learn on their own. Davis said that she does not know everything about technology and learns something new everyday. Davis proves to be very humble by admitting this. Technology is always being innovated to equip people with things to make life easier.
I liked how Davis made the students teach the class. When I was required to do this, it seemed like I was forced to learn something and it made it easier for me to remember. Her class seems to be set up a lot like our EDM 310 class. These students are able to learn from things they use everyday like Twitter, blogs, and even text messaging. Students are more likely to participate if these techniques are used.
Writing a review for someone is not always the easiest thing to accomplish. It is hard to establish the line between positively critiquing and negatively criticizing. In What is Peer Editing?, the Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial, and Writing A Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes students are given several tips on how to correctly peer edit what someone has written. We must learn how to effectively use peer editing to achieve progress on our writing. These three resources help reveal to us what we must do.
What is Peer Editing gives us the definition of peer and editing. This helps us fully understand what we are trying to accomplish when leaving comments. In the Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial, students are given a three step process to guide us when peer editing. First you must compliment the student on what they have done well. Next, you give suggestions to better their writing. Lastly, you provide them with corrections
Technology In Special Education
Technology, like computers, can be used to benefit special needs children as shown by Stephanie Tyler in Technology In Special Education. Children who cannot vocalize their thoughts or have trouble reading sometimes have trouble keeping up in their classes. Different devices can help diminish this and begin to excel. Some of these devices include specialized computers and iPod touches that can read to the kids. Students can now focus on learning instead of how to communicate with the teacher.
There are many students that are non verbal or have physical and cognitive complications that doctors may not be able to fix, but educators can make school a lot easier for them. For example, at one point children had to leave the classroom during silent reading if they needed help by having a teacher read to them. Now, iPod touches can read their books to them without having to bother other students in the process. Computers help tremendously in the education of special needs children. They can now type what they want to say instead of struggling to write or point out letters on a sheet of paper. Also due to all of this technology, students are more eager to learn which in turn is improving the lives of many children who would have never had the opportunity a few years earlier.
Assistive Chat
"Assistive Chat" is an app from Apple that helps people who have difficulty with or cannot speak to others have the capability to communicate. The student can type in what they want to say and the device reads it aloud for them. Sentences can be saved and words are predicted so that they do not have to type out all of the words every time they try to talk. You can even choose how you would like the voice to sound and the speed of the voice. This is a revolutionary idea that will be used for several years to come.
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
In Vicki Davis' classroom, you will not see pencils or paper. She uses technology to teach her students how to learn on their own. Davis said that she does not know everything about technology and learns something new everyday. Davis proves to be very humble by admitting this. Technology is always being innovated to equip people with things to make life easier.
I liked how Davis made the students teach the class. When I was required to do this, it seemed like I was forced to learn something and it made it easier for me to remember. Her class seems to be set up a lot like our EDM 310 class. These students are able to learn from things they use everyday like Twitter, blogs, and even text messaging. Students are more likely to participate if these techniques are used.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Blog Assignment 2
Did You Know? 3.0 By John Strange
Over time, new technology arises. Although this is true, the way we teach our children in the classroom does not mirror the new innovations. In John Strange's presentation, he shows how the United States is falling behind in educational standards and how new technology would help lessen the ratio. Strange states that India has as many honor students as the United States has students! Also at some point in the future, China will have more English-speaking people than US citizens. These incredible numbers show how advanced other countries are educationally and how far we have to go as a nation.
Some may argue that students are not prepared for a move towards new technology.
Although the belief of many is that not all children have computers in their homes, yet in reality 92% of students from the ages 8-12 do have them. Most children seem to know how to use them better than the older generation does. I believe that educators are scared to move towards new technology because the students know how to use computers, Google, SMS texting, and YouTube better than they do. If we were able to start using these things in the classroom, students would be more likely to respond and participate in learning activities. As we start to shift this mindset, the United States will arise to an elite educational status.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
After being asleep for one hundred years, Mr. Winkle awoke to find that many things have changed in the world of technology. He goes to an office building and a hospital which house things that he had never seen nor heard of before. Winkle describes things like printers and computers that were all foreign ideas to him. This shows how technology can change drastically in one hundred years. Things people had never thought of back then can be created now.
Near the end of the video, Mr. Winkle goes into a school. He sees that everything is the same and he feels comfortable there. This shows the progress in the world of technology and how there has been no progression of technology in schools. It seems that with everything else progressing into new horizons, shouldn't the schools also be moving forward. We are only holding the next generation back by not giving them the tools they need to succeed.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
In Robinson's Presentation, he uses his dry sense of humor to persuade the audience how important creativity is in a child. He says that by telling children that they are making mistakes, we are keeping them from expanding their creative ability. Robinson stated "We do not grow into creativity, but grow out of it." I believe that this is true because the world tends to tell us the way things are supposed to be. For example, artistic people are percieved to be not as successful as a lawyer or doctor. People try to say how much money you make is how successful you are and that is not the case. The academic system is based upon academic ability and this is why we are hurting these children.
In the future, degrees will become unimportant because of the push for every child to attend college. Therefore, the job market will not have as many jobs for these kids finishing college. This is why students need to choose a career that they will be happy in because they have a better chance of getting a job for something they are more passionate about than how much money they will make. Ken Robinson makes us realize how education or intelligence is in the eye of the beholder and should not be based upon what others think.
A Day Made of Glass 2
Have you ever wondered what the future holds for technology? This video shows what the world would be like if they developed new innovations with glass. One concept shown was a 3D image that is reflected from the glass. This is something that people want to see in the future and it was cool to actually visualize this. All of the glass will be able to project images and be used as a touchscreen.
Why is this important? Glass is a more eco-friendly substance than other compounds like aluminum. Our world is trying to become more healthy and this will help that. As time goes on, this would be an awesome thing to see our world revolving around glass products.
Over time, new technology arises. Although this is true, the way we teach our children in the classroom does not mirror the new innovations. In John Strange's presentation, he shows how the United States is falling behind in educational standards and how new technology would help lessen the ratio. Strange states that India has as many honor students as the United States has students! Also at some point in the future, China will have more English-speaking people than US citizens. These incredible numbers show how advanced other countries are educationally and how far we have to go as a nation.
Some may argue that students are not prepared for a move towards new technology.
Although the belief of many is that not all children have computers in their homes, yet in reality 92% of students from the ages 8-12 do have them. Most children seem to know how to use them better than the older generation does. I believe that educators are scared to move towards new technology because the students know how to use computers, Google, SMS texting, and YouTube better than they do. If we were able to start using these things in the classroom, students would be more likely to respond and participate in learning activities. As we start to shift this mindset, the United States will arise to an elite educational status.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Near the end of the video, Mr. Winkle goes into a school. He sees that everything is the same and he feels comfortable there. This shows the progress in the world of technology and how there has been no progression of technology in schools. It seems that with everything else progressing into new horizons, shouldn't the schools also be moving forward. We are only holding the next generation back by not giving them the tools they need to succeed.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
In Robinson's Presentation, he uses his dry sense of humor to persuade the audience how important creativity is in a child. He says that by telling children that they are making mistakes, we are keeping them from expanding their creative ability. Robinson stated "We do not grow into creativity, but grow out of it." I believe that this is true because the world tends to tell us the way things are supposed to be. For example, artistic people are percieved to be not as successful as a lawyer or doctor. People try to say how much money you make is how successful you are and that is not the case. The academic system is based upon academic ability and this is why we are hurting these children.
In the future, degrees will become unimportant because of the push for every child to attend college. Therefore, the job market will not have as many jobs for these kids finishing college. This is why students need to choose a career that they will be happy in because they have a better chance of getting a job for something they are more passionate about than how much money they will make. Ken Robinson makes us realize how education or intelligence is in the eye of the beholder and should not be based upon what others think.
A Day Made of Glass 2
Have you ever wondered what the future holds for technology? This video shows what the world would be like if they developed new innovations with glass. One concept shown was a 3D image that is reflected from the glass. This is something that people want to see in the future and it was cool to actually visualize this. All of the glass will be able to project images and be used as a touchscreen.
Why is this important? Glass is a more eco-friendly substance than other compounds like aluminum. Our world is trying to become more healthy and this will help that. As time goes on, this would be an awesome thing to see our world revolving around glass products.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
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