Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Blog Post 14
InJose Picardo's Top Ten Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom he explains ten ideas for getting students interested using methods that some traditional teachers might find counterproductive. Skype and social network sites are two of the more unusual approaches to teaching, but both can be used in very important ways. He also suggests the use of Smartboards, music, and blogs. One important statement he makes regarding the use of technology in the classroom is that it should always serve as a vessel for furthering the lesson rather than simply an unnecessary addition. Using technology just for technology's sake is counterproductive.
There were several of his ideas that I would like to incorporate into my classroom. For one, the use of Facebook could be beneficial to both myself and students who miss days of class or need further help on assignments. In my opinion, it would be a great idea to create a Facebook page for each class and use the page to explain assignments and help students who were absent. Many of his other techniques would be useful as well; that is the one I feel could be most successful though. I also enjoyed his glossary of tools for teachers. I saved the link for that because a brief exploration of the material there showed me all kinds of useful ideas.
There were several of his ideas that I would like to incorporate into my classroom. For one, the use of Facebook could be beneficial to both myself and students who miss days of class or need further help on assignments. In my opinion, it would be a great idea to create a Facebook page for each class and use the page to explain assignments and help students who were absent. Many of his other techniques would be useful as well; that is the one I feel could be most successful though. I also enjoyed his glossary of tools for teachers. I saved the link for that because a brief exploration of the material there showed me all kinds of useful ideas.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Blog Post 13
Online Education: My Teacher Is an App is an article from the Wall Street Journal by Stephanie Banchero and Stephanie Simon that discusses online schooling and its effects on modern education. Banchero and Simon objectively relayed a great deal of information on the methods these new online schools are using and the effectiveness of their curriculum. One type of school they discussed was an entirely online school that is available in many states to students from kindergarten to senior year of high school. This type of schooling generally seemed to adversely affect students' performances in most subjects. Obviously this could be contributed to a multitude of factors. For example, many students simply are not self motivated, and this type of education places an enormous amount of pressure on students to motivate themselves and push themselves to learn the new material. Many times students are far less successful if there is no constant driving force, such as an actual teacher, propelling them to stay actively engaged in learning and pushing them to achieve goals. Another type of school that was discussed was a hybrid school that mixes a traditional learning environment with online coursework. This type of school seemed to be discussed in a more positive light, and it definitely seemed to be the preferred method between the two.
Honestly, some of the methods of education discussed in this article scared me. With the monetary problems that numerous school districts are facing, it is not out of the realm of possibility that in the future the number of teachers needed could be greatly diminished. This would be doing a great disservice to most of the school age children in America. The schools that were attended solely online yielded poor results for the majority of kids involved, and this reason alone should cause apprehension amongst leaders in the educational field. I do believe that online learning is an integral part of education, however, and the idea of hybrid elementary and high schools is a promising one. As long as students' educational needs are still being met through personal contact with a teacher on an everyday basis, then hybrid classes should be implemented throughout the country.
Honestly, some of the methods of education discussed in this article scared me. With the monetary problems that numerous school districts are facing, it is not out of the realm of possibility that in the future the number of teachers needed could be greatly diminished. This would be doing a great disservice to most of the school age children in America. The schools that were attended solely online yielded poor results for the majority of kids involved, and this reason alone should cause apprehension amongst leaders in the educational field. I do believe that online learning is an integral part of education, however, and the idea of hybrid elementary and high schools is a promising one. As long as students' educational needs are still being met through personal contact with a teacher on an everyday basis, then hybrid classes should be implemented throughout the country.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Blog Post 11
Little Kids.... Big Potential is a video created by Kathy Cassidy to highlight some of the interesting work her students are doing in her classroom. She has incorporated many aspects of learning that much older students would find advanced and difficult. By introducing students to blogging and Skyping at such a young age, Kathy Cassidy has given those children fortunate enough to be in her classroom an advantage throughout their lives.
I really was impressed with this video. Typically we think of much of this work as difficult, but these kids were able to do a great deal of the things we do in EDM 310. One of my main complaints with a number of the ideas we've discussed so far this semester is that so much time would be required to teach the technology in the methods of learning. If this technology is learned in elementary school as one of the foundations, along with math, science and reading, then a world of possibilities will be opened to students. This type of learning at a young age would cause a domino effect of learning throughout life.
The Skype interview with Kathy Cassidy shed light on how exactly she developed her method of teaching first grade children technology. It shows just how special of a teacher it takes to pursue something outside of the normal curriculum and implement it into a classroom. She explained that most of the initiative was her idea; too many times teachers can fall into a lull and teach the same methods over and over for years. It is important to not become complacent and Ms. Cassidy certainly hasn't.
After learning about all these different technological applications in the classroom, I understand that it is important to incorporate at least some technology into the curriculum. In a perfect world students would learn these types of things at a very young age, but obviously this is not a perfect world. As a future middle or high school English teacher, I realize that most if not all of my students will be unfamiliar with some of this technology;however, if the core learning requirements can be incorporated into technological methods, then it is important to use these methods to promote more learning.
I really was impressed with this video. Typically we think of much of this work as difficult, but these kids were able to do a great deal of the things we do in EDM 310. One of my main complaints with a number of the ideas we've discussed so far this semester is that so much time would be required to teach the technology in the methods of learning. If this technology is learned in elementary school as one of the foundations, along with math, science and reading, then a world of possibilities will be opened to students. This type of learning at a young age would cause a domino effect of learning throughout life.
The Skype interview with Kathy Cassidy shed light on how exactly she developed her method of teaching first grade children technology. It shows just how special of a teacher it takes to pursue something outside of the normal curriculum and implement it into a classroom. She explained that most of the initiative was her idea; too many times teachers can fall into a lull and teach the same methods over and over for years. It is important to not become complacent and Ms. Cassidy certainly hasn't.
After learning about all these different technological applications in the classroom, I understand that it is important to incorporate at least some technology into the curriculum. In a perfect world students would learn these types of things at a very young age, but obviously this is not a perfect world. As a future middle or high school English teacher, I realize that most if not all of my students will be unfamiliar with some of this technology;however, if the core learning requirements can be incorporated into technological methods, then it is important to use these methods to promote more learning.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Blog Post 9
Mr. McClung's blog post do an excellent job of answering some important questions future teachers may have. His first post gives many useful tips for first year teachers. One great point he made was to listen to students and try to take interest in their lives. Many teachers do seem to lose sight of this and generally focus far more on their lesson than each student's reaction to it. Another great point he made was to be flexible. Sometimes lessons need to be altered to better make a point; a great teacher can react to students needs and find creative ways to meet them.
I thought this was a great blog post. I would prefer to read more of these types of posts because they give realistic expectations for young teachers, and they also provide useful tips on how to react to problems that arise in the classroom. Hearing these types of things from a first year teacher was very beneficial
Mr. McClung's third blog post was much different than his first one. It is very obvious that he has undergone a great deal of growth as an educator over the past few years. He focused much less on his mistakes than his successes in this post. His most important piece of advice was to not be afraid to stand out of the crowd as a teacher. Many teachers strive to be accepted by their peers nearly as much as students do, and it is impossible for students to learn that it is okay to make their own path if teachers are afraid to do so.
These posts are some of the best material we have read in EDM 310. I enjoy seeing the pitfalls of being a young educator and how to overcome them. I hope to follow Mr. McClung's advice and never become complacent as a teacher. I always want to push myself and do what I think is right much like Mr. McClung.
I thought this was a great blog post. I would prefer to read more of these types of posts because they give realistic expectations for young teachers, and they also provide useful tips on how to react to problems that arise in the classroom. Hearing these types of things from a first year teacher was very beneficial
Mr. McClung's third blog post was much different than his first one. It is very obvious that he has undergone a great deal of growth as an educator over the past few years. He focused much less on his mistakes than his successes in this post. His most important piece of advice was to not be afraid to stand out of the crowd as a teacher. Many teachers strive to be accepted by their peers nearly as much as students do, and it is impossible for students to learn that it is okay to make their own path if teachers are afraid to do so.
These posts are some of the best material we have read in EDM 310. I enjoy seeing the pitfalls of being a young educator and how to overcome them. I hope to follow Mr. McClung's advice and never become complacent as a teacher. I always want to push myself and do what I think is right much like Mr. McClung.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Blog Post 8
In This Is How We Dream,Parts 1 and 2, Dr. Richard Miller discuses a multitude of ways in which the nature of writing and language is rapidly changing. One of his main points is that soon students will not even be using word processors of computers because projects will require a more varied approach to multimedia. He believes that projects will soon contain a combination of words, pictures, and sounds, to create "beautiful compositions". He sees this as a fundamental change to traditional methods of learning and creation.
Another major point of Dr. Miller's lecture is the notion that these new methods will propel knowledge and opinions into the world much faster than traditional methods. At one point, he mentions that a few years ago he would have had to wait two years to get an article published; now he can send the article on to the web, and in a matter of minutes, receive feedback from all over the world.
I thought Dr. Miller had some valuable ideas in this lecture. I like the idea he had about us living in the most important step for human communication in the history of the world. It is interesting to think that we can be some of the first educators in the process of that fundamental change in human communication.
Carly Pugh's assignment was an extremely creative idea concerning the use of multimedia. She put a great deal of time and effort into this assignment, and her passion for the material really came through. She certainly captures the spirit of Dr. Miller's ideas dealing with multimedia writing.
As a future English teacher, I found her ideas very enlightening and refreshing. The possibilities with the methods she describes are endless. I love the idea of being able to gather different things that interest us and combining them into a useful tool. The thing that separates her idea from many of the other assignments is the fact that it is relevant to every person that does that.
Chipper and EDM for Dummies are two entertaining student made videos that offer some useful ideas. The video of Chipper showed some of the consequences that can happen when people procrastinate and don't put the necessary effort in their work. Obviously it was done in a factious way, but that helped to bring the point across better. I also thought the analogy of flight school was a successful one. It helped to show that teaching is just like any other profession because it takes practice and training.
I thought both videos showed some interesting ways that student's can get involved. I don't consider myself much of an actor, but seeing other students get involved in this way is pretty neat.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn was an interesting video that contained the opinions of a group of forward-thinking educators. They each shared their ideas on what was important in the future of education. Many of their ideas are a summation of what we have been learning and watching so far in EDM 310. The consensus was that education must be radically changed to meet the needs of a changing global job market. Each of the educators stressed the importance of allowing technology in the classroom.
I think this group of people made some valid points. For many job sectors in the future, simple right and wrong answers do not exist and continuing to test young people in this way is counterproductive. I also agree that a greater emphasis should be placed on creative expression in class work because much of what takes place now in a work environment requires out of the box type ideas.
Another major point of Dr. Miller's lecture is the notion that these new methods will propel knowledge and opinions into the world much faster than traditional methods. At one point, he mentions that a few years ago he would have had to wait two years to get an article published; now he can send the article on to the web, and in a matter of minutes, receive feedback from all over the world.
I thought Dr. Miller had some valuable ideas in this lecture. I like the idea he had about us living in the most important step for human communication in the history of the world. It is interesting to think that we can be some of the first educators in the process of that fundamental change in human communication.
Carly Pugh's assignment was an extremely creative idea concerning the use of multimedia. She put a great deal of time and effort into this assignment, and her passion for the material really came through. She certainly captures the spirit of Dr. Miller's ideas dealing with multimedia writing.
As a future English teacher, I found her ideas very enlightening and refreshing. The possibilities with the methods she describes are endless. I love the idea of being able to gather different things that interest us and combining them into a useful tool. The thing that separates her idea from many of the other assignments is the fact that it is relevant to every person that does that.
Chipper and EDM for Dummies are two entertaining student made videos that offer some useful ideas. The video of Chipper showed some of the consequences that can happen when people procrastinate and don't put the necessary effort in their work. Obviously it was done in a factious way, but that helped to bring the point across better. I also thought the analogy of flight school was a successful one. It helped to show that teaching is just like any other profession because it takes practice and training.
I thought both videos showed some interesting ways that student's can get involved. I don't consider myself much of an actor, but seeing other students get involved in this way is pretty neat.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn was an interesting video that contained the opinions of a group of forward-thinking educators. They each shared their ideas on what was important in the future of education. Many of their ideas are a summation of what we have been learning and watching so far in EDM 310. The consensus was that education must be radically changed to meet the needs of a changing global job market. Each of the educators stressed the importance of allowing technology in the classroom.
I think this group of people made some valid points. For many job sectors in the future, simple right and wrong answers do not exist and continuing to test young people in this way is counterproductive. I also agree that a greater emphasis should be placed on creative expression in class work because much of what takes place now in a work environment requires out of the box type ideas.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Blog Post 7
Randy Pausch's last lecture is an emotional speech that covers a variety of topics and is full of useful advice for people in almost any profession. Dr. Pausch describes, in great detail, his childhood dreams and the various ways he achieved each one of them. Even in a failed dream, such as his NFL aspirations, he found a way to become inspired by simply playing football, and he carried that inspiration throughout his life. He consistently listened to advice from people he proclaimed as smarter than him and used that advice to become the successful person that he was. Another major theme of his lecture was to enjoy life to the fullest; even mere months away from his death, Dr. Randy Pausch showed a much more positive demeanor than most healthy people do. It was an extremely inspirational lecture.
Some of Dr. Pausch's best advice can be specifically applied to the teaching profession. Probably the most thought provoking advice he had for teachers was the idea of "head fakes". A head fake is when a teacher essentially "tricks" students into learning by hiding the learning inside a fun activity. Nearly every teacher at least attempts to do this but not to the degree that Dr. Pausch was discussing. Almost his entire curriculum was devoted to fun activities that also educate. Obviously the subject matter that he taught lent itself well to this methodology, but every subject could use some "head faking" to create interest from students.
Dr. Randy Pausch also had some great ideas for the use of technology in the classroom. His class was centered around technology and virtual reality; that is far more advanced than most people will ever teach, but there are several principles that can be taken from the lecture. He approached his class with a few broad goals and allowed them freedom in attacking them. This could be a useful application in a normal classroom. Giving students long-term goals and allowing them freedom with technology to accomplish these goals could be helpful in promoting interest in any subject. These type of activities along with a traditional curriculum could help a wide range of students.
I thought this was by far the most useful video we have watched so far in EDM 310. Dr. Randy Pausch covered a vast array of topics that are applicable to numerous situations in life. Instead of radical and specific ideas, like many of the videos have been, this was an inspiration to anyone who watched it. Many of the ideas can be applied to the education field as well as any other field.
Some of Dr. Pausch's best advice can be specifically applied to the teaching profession. Probably the most thought provoking advice he had for teachers was the idea of "head fakes". A head fake is when a teacher essentially "tricks" students into learning by hiding the learning inside a fun activity. Nearly every teacher at least attempts to do this but not to the degree that Dr. Pausch was discussing. Almost his entire curriculum was devoted to fun activities that also educate. Obviously the subject matter that he taught lent itself well to this methodology, but every subject could use some "head faking" to create interest from students.
Dr. Randy Pausch also had some great ideas for the use of technology in the classroom. His class was centered around technology and virtual reality; that is far more advanced than most people will ever teach, but there are several principles that can be taken from the lecture. He approached his class with a few broad goals and allowed them freedom in attacking them. This could be a useful application in a normal classroom. Giving students long-term goals and allowing them freedom with technology to accomplish these goals could be helpful in promoting interest in any subject. These type of activities along with a traditional curriculum could help a wide range of students.
I thought this was by far the most useful video we have watched so far in EDM 310. Dr. Randy Pausch covered a vast array of topics that are applicable to numerous situations in life. Instead of radical and specific ideas, like many of the videos have been, this was an inspiration to anyone who watched it. Many of the ideas can be applied to the education field as well as any other field.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Blog Post 6
The Networked Student is a video that depicts a student's work in a high school Psychology class that adheres to the principles of connectivism. The video discusses in great length the approach that this particular class uses to give students a new way to learn. This particular student was very successful in the class, and he was able to develop a personal learning network that included a Dutch filmmaker and some top professors across the country. He was able to develop methods of learning to help him in this particular class and the future.
This video made some interesting points, which attempt to convince the audience that books and lecturing are essentially obsolete in today's rapidly changing world. I agree that a great deal of learning today is done independently, and some of the techniques in this class could aid in that. Lecturing directly out of the book does not seem to be the best way to inform students in our fast paced society, but I don't believe that relying on technology exclusively is ideal either. It requires a mix of the two to keep students engaged and to accomplish a goal of teaching skills as well as actual knowledge to young people.
There were a couple of problems that I found with the video that should cause some hesitation with relying solely on this method of teaching. First of all, the video only explains the success of one single student with this method. I have a hard time believing that keeping ninety high school students motivated is as easy as handing them a computer and gently guiding them. Many students may not respond nearly as well to these methods as the one in the video. I also believe books and actual, physical manifestations of work are an important part of learning especially in English classes, which I will be teaching.
The Teach Web Blog shares some concerns with the connectivism approach discussed in The Networked Student. Several obstacles that are mentioned are also concerns that I had with the idea. One of the main concerns that I didn't really consider was the amount of time it would take to teach all the skills necessary for the connectivism approach. All that information has to be taught and mastered before any of the class subject can be taught, and this could cause the entire class to be put behind by days of even weeks.
Welcome to My PLE is a video describing another seventh grader's learning experience with the connectivism approach. She details the ways in which she developed a personal page with all of her materials for the science class she was taking. She also talks a great deal about how the class works and some of the interesting things she was able to accomplish because of the class setup.
I thought the video highlighted some good things about this approach to learning, but I also still have some questions. It was obvious that this particular girl became engaged and motivated, and she took what she learned and used it to gain more knowledge. This domino effect of learning is probably the most beneficial part of teaching certain subjects this way. The main question I would have is how typical these types of results are. I also saw some similarities in what she was doing in her science class and what we are trying to accomplish in EDM 310. Her personal learning network helped her to expand her knowledge beyond the scope of the class, and hopefully ours will do the same.
This video made some interesting points, which attempt to convince the audience that books and lecturing are essentially obsolete in today's rapidly changing world. I agree that a great deal of learning today is done independently, and some of the techniques in this class could aid in that. Lecturing directly out of the book does not seem to be the best way to inform students in our fast paced society, but I don't believe that relying on technology exclusively is ideal either. It requires a mix of the two to keep students engaged and to accomplish a goal of teaching skills as well as actual knowledge to young people.
There were a couple of problems that I found with the video that should cause some hesitation with relying solely on this method of teaching. First of all, the video only explains the success of one single student with this method. I have a hard time believing that keeping ninety high school students motivated is as easy as handing them a computer and gently guiding them. Many students may not respond nearly as well to these methods as the one in the video. I also believe books and actual, physical manifestations of work are an important part of learning especially in English classes, which I will be teaching.
The Teach Web Blog shares some concerns with the connectivism approach discussed in The Networked Student. Several obstacles that are mentioned are also concerns that I had with the idea. One of the main concerns that I didn't really consider was the amount of time it would take to teach all the skills necessary for the connectivism approach. All that information has to be taught and mastered before any of the class subject can be taught, and this could cause the entire class to be put behind by days of even weeks.
Welcome to My PLE is a video describing another seventh grader's learning experience with the connectivism approach. She details the ways in which she developed a personal page with all of her materials for the science class she was taking. She also talks a great deal about how the class works and some of the interesting things she was able to accomplish because of the class setup.
I thought the video highlighted some good things about this approach to learning, but I also still have some questions. It was obvious that this particular girl became engaged and motivated, and she took what she learned and used it to gain more knowledge. This domino effect of learning is probably the most beneficial part of teaching certain subjects this way. The main question I would have is how typical these types of results are. I also saw some similarities in what she was doing in her science class and what we are trying to accomplish in EDM 310. Her personal learning network helped her to expand her knowledge beyond the scope of the class, and hopefully ours will do the same.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Blog Post 5
In Don't teach your kids this stuff. Please? Scott Mcleod uses a satirical rant detailing the reasons why parents and teachers should "avoid" teaching young people how to use various technologies. He uses this rant as a way of illuminating the fact that learning these useful tools early on will give kids an advantage in the future. Scott Mcleod is a renowned professor on technology education at the University of Kentucky, and he is also the co-creator of the Did You Know? video series.
Dr. Mcleod makes some very good points in this blog post, specifically that learning how to use different technologies at a young age could become an advantage in the near future. It is important for kids to be exposed to a variety of technologies throughout their school years, but the fact is, most of the learning in this area will most likely take place away from school. As a future English teacher, I believe my responsibility is to prepare kids for college and future career work. If possible I would like to incorporate a few of Dr. Mcleod's ideas into my curriculum, but I still believe that these ideas come second to teaching the fundamentals of the English language.
The iSchool Initiative is a video created by Travis Allen, a high school senior at the time, and describes a way in which he believes the educational system can be completely revolutionized. He says that schools should completely abandon the use of all paper and textbooks and rely solely on the use of iTouches. He details the reduced cost that would occur if this were to happen by saying that the school system could save six-hundred dollars per student.
I have no clue if these figures are close to correct, but it does seem like a school system strapped for money may eventually resort to something similar to this. While I do believe it could possibly be an effective cost saving option, I do not think it should be considered as anything but a last resort. I applaud Travis Allen's creativity in creating this movement, but it just seems that students would miss out on many important aspects of learning. I do not believe that books are going to go out of fashion any time in the near future, and paper is still going to be used for many things in the near and distant future.
The performance of Lux Aurumque by a virtual choir of 185 people and conducted by Eric Whitacre was an extremely impressive video. The amount of time and effort put into an undertaking like this had to have been incredible. This is a case of the internet and technology being used for something that almost everyone can appreciate.
I've seen a couple of videos similar to this before, where someone compiles a video from many different sources and people who have never met. Lux Aurumque is not the type of music I would normally listen to, but in this setting it's far more enjoyable than any orchestra or choir performing it could be. It is a situation where you can not only appreciate the talent of the individuals but also of the person who compiled and pieced together all the videos. There is another video I found on YouTube where someone put together a compilation of thirty-six different YouTube artists and made a cover of Radiohead's Paranoid Android. That is one of my favorite videos on YouTube, and it is a unique use of technology.
Teaching In The 21st Century is a slideshow presentation created by Kevin Roberts that presents a great deal of information and ideas about teaching in the modern age. He shows numerous ways in which teachers can include technology in the classroom such as blogs, presentations, and research projects. He also makes a good point about how computers in the classroom are a temptation but don't cause problems themselves.
I liked several of the ideas presented here especially some of the homework research type projects. These could lead to some really interesting discussions in the classroom. Another point that I thought was a good idea, was to start by adding one technology based item to the curriculum. I think it is important to not inundate high school students with too much, especially in classes that require a great deal of writing and reading.
Dr. Mcleod makes some very good points in this blog post, specifically that learning how to use different technologies at a young age could become an advantage in the near future. It is important for kids to be exposed to a variety of technologies throughout their school years, but the fact is, most of the learning in this area will most likely take place away from school. As a future English teacher, I believe my responsibility is to prepare kids for college and future career work. If possible I would like to incorporate a few of Dr. Mcleod's ideas into my curriculum, but I still believe that these ideas come second to teaching the fundamentals of the English language.
The iSchool Initiative is a video created by Travis Allen, a high school senior at the time, and describes a way in which he believes the educational system can be completely revolutionized. He says that schools should completely abandon the use of all paper and textbooks and rely solely on the use of iTouches. He details the reduced cost that would occur if this were to happen by saying that the school system could save six-hundred dollars per student.
I have no clue if these figures are close to correct, but it does seem like a school system strapped for money may eventually resort to something similar to this. While I do believe it could possibly be an effective cost saving option, I do not think it should be considered as anything but a last resort. I applaud Travis Allen's creativity in creating this movement, but it just seems that students would miss out on many important aspects of learning. I do not believe that books are going to go out of fashion any time in the near future, and paper is still going to be used for many things in the near and distant future.
The performance of Lux Aurumque by a virtual choir of 185 people and conducted by Eric Whitacre was an extremely impressive video. The amount of time and effort put into an undertaking like this had to have been incredible. This is a case of the internet and technology being used for something that almost everyone can appreciate.
I've seen a couple of videos similar to this before, where someone compiles a video from many different sources and people who have never met. Lux Aurumque is not the type of music I would normally listen to, but in this setting it's far more enjoyable than any orchestra or choir performing it could be. It is a situation where you can not only appreciate the talent of the individuals but also of the person who compiled and pieced together all the videos. There is another video I found on YouTube where someone put together a compilation of thirty-six different YouTube artists and made a cover of Radiohead's Paranoid Android. That is one of my favorite videos on YouTube, and it is a unique use of technology.
Teaching In The 21st Century is a slideshow presentation created by Kevin Roberts that presents a great deal of information and ideas about teaching in the modern age. He shows numerous ways in which teachers can include technology in the classroom such as blogs, presentations, and research projects. He also makes a good point about how computers in the classroom are a temptation but don't cause problems themselves.
I liked several of the ideas presented here especially some of the homework research type projects. These could lead to some really interesting discussions in the classroom. Another point that I thought was a good idea, was to start by adding one technology based item to the curriculum. I think it is important to not inundate high school students with too much, especially in classes that require a great deal of writing and reading.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Blog Post 4
In Integrating ICT into the MFL Classroom, teacher Henry Dell discusses many ways that integrating podcasts into the classroom can benefit students as well as teachers. The video shows a situation where a student is out sick but is able to access the days lecture by downloading the podcast and listening to it on their iPod. It also shows several students recording their own podcasts, which they seem to thoroughly enjoy.
I thought this video showed an interesting way to help students gain interest in subjects they normally may find boring. Some of the the techniques are pretty useful; however, several of them seem like they would only apply to elementary education. Personally I don't really see a way that I could incorporate many podcasts into a high school writing class. There are definitely ways to utilize videos, but not podcasts in particular.
The Langwitches Blog tells about a first grade classroom where the teacher incorporated podcasts into the curriculum and how much it benefited her students learning. She talks about how excited the students got when they were trying to perfect their podcasts. The blog also tells several other situations where teachers have used podcasts and to what degree they were successful.
Some of these ideas were really useful especially the section in which a group of students retold "The Tell-Tale Heart" in a podcast. I'm not sure I would ever use this assignment exactly, but it definitely demonstrated how much more exciting a story can be when students engage in it this way. The way the students incorporated sound effects is also something I could use in my podcast assignment.
The Curriki Blog introduces podcasts and describes what exactly they are; there are also a couple of useful links on how to create them using Audacity. The blog also gives detailed instructions of how to manage the students time when introducing them to podcasts for the first time.
I thought that a lesson plan very similar to this could be very useful for a teacher that wanted to use podcasts in the classroom. The most useful aspect of this blog; though, are the different links that thoroughly explain exactly how to create and upload podcasts to Itunes.
I thought this video showed an interesting way to help students gain interest in subjects they normally may find boring. Some of the the techniques are pretty useful; however, several of them seem like they would only apply to elementary education. Personally I don't really see a way that I could incorporate many podcasts into a high school writing class. There are definitely ways to utilize videos, but not podcasts in particular.
The Langwitches Blog tells about a first grade classroom where the teacher incorporated podcasts into the curriculum and how much it benefited her students learning. She talks about how excited the students got when they were trying to perfect their podcasts. The blog also tells several other situations where teachers have used podcasts and to what degree they were successful.
Some of these ideas were really useful especially the section in which a group of students retold "The Tell-Tale Heart" in a podcast. I'm not sure I would ever use this assignment exactly, but it definitely demonstrated how much more exciting a story can be when students engage in it this way. The way the students incorporated sound effects is also something I could use in my podcast assignment.
The Curriki Blog introduces podcasts and describes what exactly they are; there are also a couple of useful links on how to create them using Audacity. The blog also gives detailed instructions of how to manage the students time when introducing them to podcasts for the first time.
I thought that a lesson plan very similar to this could be very useful for a teacher that wanted to use podcasts in the classroom. The most useful aspect of this blog; though, are the different links that thoroughly explain exactly how to create and upload podcasts to Itunes.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Blog Post 3
In It's Not about the Technology, Kelly Hines discusses the problem with the assumption that brand new technology automatically produces better teachers. She makes several great points about spending a great deal of money on technology for schools can be a waste because they turn into "game systems and word processors," in the wrong hands. She also makes a point to say that many great learning opportunities are available for students that require little or no technology.
I thought Ms. Hine's article made some excellent points. I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that technology is not a necessity for good teaching and learning to take place. In an earlier post I made a statement that a lack of funding for technology was the root of the problem; however, I have changed my opinion about that now. I believe now that it is the misuse of technology that causes a waste of the funds that are available.
The Fischbowl has some very strong opinions on the current state of teacher qualifications. Karl Fisch equates technological illiteracy in the 21st century to actual illiteracy in the beginning of the 20th century. He also discusses how many teachers are proud to be technologically illiterate despite a rapidly changing educational landscape.
I had several problems with this article and basically found it to be a little ridiculous. First of all, I do not know a single person who is proud to be truly technologically illiterate. Almost every person who is in school now to become an educator knows the basics of most technology, and those who don't, are generally willing to learn. The most outlandish statement Mr. Fisch made was when he talked about the similarities of the two illiteracies. I would love to see the facts that tell how exactly people were able to be successful in the middle of the 20th century without being able to read or write. I understand that technological illiteracy could cause some problems in the future, but comparing these two is ludicrous.
The Social Media Count is a very interesting site that shows an estimation of an up to the minute count of many different social networking sites. It shows the number of Tweets, Facebook posts, and many other other networking tools, that have occurred since logging on to the site.
I thought this was a pretty fascinating site that really puts the magnitude of social networking into perspective. The number of posts on all of these sights every second is mind-boggling; however, I don't really see much of a correlation between the numbers on the sight and teaching methods. It is an interesting tool, but most future teachers are already on Facebook and other social networking sites.
A Vision of Students today is a video that was created by a class from Kansas State that discusses many of the same things we talked about in the class survey from the beginning of class. It shows how students in todays classrooms face many challenges that are completely different from even the generation before us.
Our generation is bombarded with a great deal of information and technology that is relatively new, but the profession we have chosen is not that different than it has been in the past. There may be far more technology and methods for delivering information to students, but a good teacher is a good teacher. Caring about young people's education and truly striving to help students learn is far more important than any method of dispensing information.
I thought Ms. Hine's article made some excellent points. I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that technology is not a necessity for good teaching and learning to take place. In an earlier post I made a statement that a lack of funding for technology was the root of the problem; however, I have changed my opinion about that now. I believe now that it is the misuse of technology that causes a waste of the funds that are available.
The Fischbowl has some very strong opinions on the current state of teacher qualifications. Karl Fisch equates technological illiteracy in the 21st century to actual illiteracy in the beginning of the 20th century. He also discusses how many teachers are proud to be technologically illiterate despite a rapidly changing educational landscape.
I had several problems with this article and basically found it to be a little ridiculous. First of all, I do not know a single person who is proud to be truly technologically illiterate. Almost every person who is in school now to become an educator knows the basics of most technology, and those who don't, are generally willing to learn. The most outlandish statement Mr. Fisch made was when he talked about the similarities of the two illiteracies. I would love to see the facts that tell how exactly people were able to be successful in the middle of the 20th century without being able to read or write. I understand that technological illiteracy could cause some problems in the future, but comparing these two is ludicrous.
The Social Media Count is a very interesting site that shows an estimation of an up to the minute count of many different social networking sites. It shows the number of Tweets, Facebook posts, and many other other networking tools, that have occurred since logging on to the site.
I thought this was a pretty fascinating site that really puts the magnitude of social networking into perspective. The number of posts on all of these sights every second is mind-boggling; however, I don't really see much of a correlation between the numbers on the sight and teaching methods. It is an interesting tool, but most future teachers are already on Facebook and other social networking sites.
A Vision of Students today is a video that was created by a class from Kansas State that discusses many of the same things we talked about in the class survey from the beginning of class. It shows how students in todays classrooms face many challenges that are completely different from even the generation before us.
Our generation is bombarded with a great deal of information and technology that is relatively new, but the profession we have chosen is not that different than it has been in the past. There may be far more technology and methods for delivering information to students, but a good teacher is a good teacher. Caring about young people's education and truly striving to help students learn is far more important than any method of dispensing information.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts
On Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts, Vicki Davis tells the ways in which she is attempting to broaden students learning through the use of a great of technology. She explains how much the students learn independently when given these sorts of assignments, and how they sometimes end up teaching her. Because of all this work, her students were even able to attend a technology conference Qatar.
While I agree with some of the points in the video, it seems to me that in using exclusively technology in the classroom Vicky Davis is closing as many doors as she's opening. Some students simply learn better through the use of books and paper. I, for one, have always performed much better in classes that revolve around more traditional methods, and it is not because I am computer illiterate. It may not be the popular opinion today, but I prefer books to Ipads and records to mp3's. I enjoy having a physical copy of whatever I work on and not one that has been typed or manipulated by any technology. There is never anything physical that can be held and admired anymore, and I think that is a travesty.
While I agree with some of the points in the video, it seems to me that in using exclusively technology in the classroom Vicky Davis is closing as many doors as she's opening. Some students simply learn better through the use of books and paper. I, for one, have always performed much better in classes that revolve around more traditional methods, and it is not because I am computer illiterate. It may not be the popular opinion today, but I prefer books to Ipads and records to mp3's. I enjoy having a physical copy of whatever I work on and not one that has been typed or manipulated by any technology. There is never anything physical that can be held and admired anymore, and I think that is a travesty.
Cecilia Gault's Interview
Cecilia Gault's interview with Sir Thomas Robinson covered several interesting topics that all related to creativity and learning. They discussed the three myths of creativity and how they hinder education. The three myths revolved around the thought that it's possible to be completely uncreative. Robinson believes that creativity can be learned and cultured in every single person. He also discussed the true definition of intelligence by saying that there really is not one, and it is a very fluid concept.
I believe the two of them talk about some very interesting things, and the fact that these types of questions come from a young student such as Cecilia is promising. She attends a performing arts school that places a much greater emphasis on creativity than averages schools; this could be a great example that shows how fostering a creative learning environment is conducive to a child's curiosity about the meaning of knowledge and learning.
I believe the two of them talk about some very interesting things, and the fact that these types of questions come from a young student such as Cecilia is promising. She attends a performing arts school that places a much greater emphasis on creativity than averages schools; this could be a great example that shows how fostering a creative learning environment is conducive to a child's curiosity about the meaning of knowledge and learning.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
The Importance of Creativity is a fascinating video about the way the current education system suppresses creativity and discourages any kind of original thought. With the help of some humorous anecdotes and asides, Ken Robinson describes the ways in which creativity of any kind is frowned upon in the school system and explains that schools are teaching only subjects that have traditionally helped young people in their future careers. The problem with this, according to Robinson, is that our rapidly changing world has made college degrees almost standard issue, and without creatively pursuing other avenues of thinking, students will be at a great disadvantage.
This video really made me take a step back and look at what it is we should actually teach young people. I am planning on being an English teacher, so of course part of me feels that grammar and language are pretty rigid subjects that don't allow much room for creativity. The other part of me sort of realizes now just how important it is to foster creative thinking in some ways, whether it is through creative writing or some alternative.
This video really made me take a step back and look at what it is we should actually teach young people. I am planning on being an English teacher, so of course part of me feels that grammar and language are pretty rigid subjects that don't allow much room for creativity. The other part of me sort of realizes now just how important it is to foster creative thinking in some ways, whether it is through creative writing or some alternative.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle Wakes is a short, partially animated video about a man who wakes from a hundred year slumber and finds the world as he knew it has completely changed. First, he visits a business where computers are everywhere, and then he visits a hospital and sees a great deal of new technology in use. To finish his journey, of course, he visits a school where he feels at home because of the lack of technology that is being used.
Honestly, I felt this video is a little ridiculous and helps to further the stigma towards the entire education system of America. Everyone already knows that the education system is behind where it should be in terms of technology and the actual use of it in the classroom. That is the reason colleges of education are implementing courses like EDM 310 into their curriculum. The root of the problem is lack of funding for technology in the classroom because I'm pretty sure even Mr. Winkle would know how to use that dusty old computer that sits alone in nearly every classroom in America.
Honestly, I felt this video is a little ridiculous and helps to further the stigma towards the entire education system of America. Everyone already knows that the education system is behind where it should be in terms of technology and the actual use of it in the classroom. That is the reason colleges of education are implementing courses like EDM 310 into their curriculum. The root of the problem is lack of funding for technology in the classroom because I'm pretty sure even Mr. Winkle would know how to use that dusty old computer that sits alone in nearly every classroom in America.
Did You Know? By: Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod
Did You Know? is a really interesting video that concerns the constantly evolving technological world we live in as well as America's slowly eroding place in the global market. It makes several surprising points, but two of the most shocking are that China will soon be the number one English speaking country in the world, and that the top twenty-five percent of India's population with the highest IQ is greater than the population of the United States. It also describes the recent boom in websites such as Google and the social networking sites, but unfortunately it includes Myspace, which ironically dates a video thats chief concern is showing how rapidly the world is changing. In a way that proves the point the video tries to make.
One of the things I believe a video like this could do, when watched in the context of being a future educator, is to show just how daunting a task it is to even attempt to maintain a culture that is intellectually on par with the rapidly growing countries of Asia. The numbers are definitely stacked against us, but I guess determination and sheer will has kept America in the forefront of the technological world for enough years that hopefully those same characteristics will help us remain there for generations to come.
One of the things I believe a video like this could do, when watched in the context of being a future educator, is to show just how daunting a task it is to even attempt to maintain a culture that is intellectually on par with the rapidly growing countries of Asia. The numbers are definitely stacked against us, but I guess determination and sheer will has kept America in the forefront of the technological world for enough years that hopefully those same characteristics will help us remain there for generations to come.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
About Me
My name is Josh Adkison, and I am from a tiny town called Hurley, MS, which is thirty miles west of Mobile. I am a Secondary Education English major here at South. I chose education because I have always had a passion for English and Literature, and I also would like to coach one day. I came to South Alabama right after high school because it was close enough to home that I didn't have to pay for campus living. When I left high school I had never really had to study before, and I carried those habits to college; this didn't end well. I was then forced to relocate to a glorious institution called Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. After a year there I was ready to embark on a second tour of duty at South Alabama, and it has gone better this time around. When I first came back I was a nursing major, but I quickly discovered that would not be my ideal future. That left me with education, which I then realized is what I had wanted all along. It just took a ridiculously long time to figure that out.
I have several hobbies that fill my days. I play a good bit of basketball, which is also what I would like to coach one day. I also like reading, playing video games, cooking, and watching sports. It is a pretty crazy lifestyle, but I manage.
I have several hobbies that fill my days. I play a good bit of basketball, which is also what I would like to coach one day. I also like reading, playing video games, cooking, and watching sports. It is a pretty crazy lifestyle, but I manage.
Time Management
Randy Pausch's speech on time management actually has some very good pointers and tips. I have always had a serious problem with time management and. Obviously I am a world-class procrastinator because of the fact that this post is running exceedingly close to the deadline; however, I am attempting to improve my time management skills everyday. The one aspect I will try to incorporate from Pausch's speech is the frog analogy. Most of the time when I have a list of tasks to complete I start with the easiest, which causes me to put off the most difficult, and in life generally the most difficult tasks are also the most important.
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