Thursday, September 30, 2010

C4K 1 and 2

In this assignment I read a little information about a young man named Dustin. Dustin is an eighth grade student at Noel Jr. High and he wants to be a fireman when he gets older. After reading some more about Dustin, I realized that he really wants to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and one day take over the business. His grandfather, a tow truck driver, sounds like a very good role model for Dustin and I hope that one day he gets his opportunity to follow his dreams.

Dustin also, in another post, took me through the rock cycle. In just a few sentences, taught me how igneous rock is formed. This post had me looking up what silica is and how it is changed through the rock cycle. Dustin had already told me everything I needed to know and it sounded to me as if he had learned a lot about what happens during the rock cycle.

It was great to be able to read Dustin's blog and I hope he succeeds with everything he is striving for.

Friday, September 24, 2010

blog # 5

The benefits of podcasting in the classroom

I chose to watch this video for a few different reasons. The first of these is the fact that I, as most of the readers of my earlier blogs already know, am not completely sold on the idea of technology being the main teaching tools in our classrooms. After getting some feedback from other educators from around the country, I am starting to see it in a different perspective. I'm still not sold but technology in the classroom, such as using podcasts, is a good thing. The students being out sick is definitely a teachers fear because of what it means for the advancement of their education. By recording a lecture or, in my case, having a computer with a notebook style screen to display on an over-head projector for in class students can also be uploaded on a class website for the students that may have missed it. A podcast also can open the minds of the children and enhance their creativity in school as well as outside the school grounds. I actually enjoyed watching the video and agree with the points that were made.

The Education Podcasting Network

After reading about The Education Podcasting Network (EPN), I think teachers being able to comunicate with one another through podcasting is a good idea. Not one teacher knows everything and sharing what they do know with each other puts the educator in the student seat to gain more knowledge. The Network is a good idea for teachers to further their own education to pass along to their students.

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection

In Judy's collection there are pretty good instructions on how a podcast is constructed. If I would have done my blog post before my group's podcast then maybe my podcast would have been more entertaining. I'm sure as I continue to produce podcasts I will get better at it with the help of this collection.

Podcast for EDM 310 Fall 2010

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Blog #4

1. Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? by Scott McLeod.

In Dr. McLeod's post he tells everyone not to teach thier kids about the technological aspects but says nothing about teaching the subject material that, I feel, a kid should know before learning tech tools. Is Dr. McLeod saying that subject material is not important? Is he saying that technology is the most important thing a kid needs to know to be successful? If he feels technology is more important, than how would he have a so called "leg up" on anyone that may teach primarily subject material in thier classroom?

Dr. McLeod, an Associate Professor in the Educational Administration program at Iowa State University who also is the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), is the co-creotor of the 'Did you know?' video. Dr. McLeod has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work, including recognitions from the cable industry, Phi Delta Kappa, and the National School Boards Association. Dr. McLeod has had me thinking a lot the last couple of days with comments on my blog #2. I don't truly believe that Dr. McLeod is completely a technological teacher[believes technology is the solution to everything] but he believes our students should have the tech tools available for learning, I agree but with restrictions. Technology in school systems for children's uses should be monitered and restricted by the educators to prevent inappropriate use or distraction towards other students.

2. The iSchool Initiative

In this short video Travis, a high school student from Georgia, shows and talks about the pros of the ischool. The ischool is a hand held school system basically that would keep the students from having to write or listen in class durring school hours. This program has many applications that apply to subjects that are taught in schools today. You can access homework and notes from your ischool without any physical interactions with teachers or the other students. Math formulas are available on the ischool but I really did not see where the explanation of the application of these formulas. You can learn on the ischool better then the traditional way, but if you do not have any idea of what you are looking up, what's the point. I agree with the one statement Travis said around 4:15 mark in his video, "The ischool will be lockable for the schools and personalized for the kids. The access will be limited to websites dedicated to education."

3. Watch The Lost Generation

The basic point I took from this video is the fact that if we don't change the way things are trying to unfold in today's world, the next generation will be lost in the same economic problems as our LOST generation. The producer of this video had a good technique of getting to the point and getting the point across. After showing the effects of what will happen in our future without change, she did a simple thing, she reversed the effects by reversing the current flow of things.

4. Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

In this video it is hard to imagine that all of these people from 12 different countries can put something together that sounds as amazing as this video. Even though the members never met in person they sing in perfect harmony with one another with a virtual conductor directing them.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Blog #3

1. Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

This video goes around a college lecture hall with students holding up signs of what their days consist of being students. Some have signs that point out how many hours they spend studying, how many hours they spend on the computer e-mailing, and even how the writen tests in the class will not apply to them. If students don't want to be in class don't waste the money for the class. If the class isn't going to help you with anything in your future don't take that class.

The end of the video says that some people think technology alone will save us, I don't believe that. Technology isn't a miracle solution to everything. A student has to want to learn the material to succeed with or without laptops and iphones.

2. "It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines

Mrs. Hines makes a good point in her post by saying that many people think that the first thing to get our students ready for the 21st century is technology. I agree with Mrs. Hines when she says that this is not the case. I believe students, regardless of the advancement in technology, should learn the basis of education first.

Teachers are not the only educators in todays school system. The children are also educators because they are growing up in the new technological generation. I don't put technology down or ignore the advancements but I think students should learn how to do the things they may need in life before learning the, what I call shortcuts of life, technology.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

In Mr. Fisch's rants I DO NOT agree with what he says about technological illiteracy, I do however agree that just because a student is or isn't technologically literate should not cause a bias judgement of acceptance. A teacher being technologically illiterate should not be thought of as being less qualified as a teacher just because he or she may not be able to teach using today's technology. A good educator is a person who can pass on information of a subject to his or her students.

In education sometimes it is hard to pass on the information to a student due to lack of student interest. In today's society,and probably the future's, the way to gain student's interest is through computers. This is caused by the continuous growing of the digital and technological world that is not only being introduced to kids but in some cases more or less forced on them by society. This in my oppinion may help kids in one sense but hurt them in other ways in education and personal growth.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

The continuous changes in the social media count for the digital world is going to eventually put everyone from the old world out of business. As an educator, students will be able to look things up faster then ever with high speed internet rather then using books for History or English. Looking formulas up for Math or Chemistry is useless unless knowing how to put the formulas to use. There are also ways of looking up tutorials to learn how this proccess is done. So, in a sense, the continuing increase of computer use with today's society is making people lazy. I use a computer for a couple of things that are pretty much forced on me by teachers and employers. I had never blogged before starting EDM310 and after EDM310, at this point I do not intend on blogging ever again. I may change my mind by the end of the semester but only time will tell. Technology may be the future but I don't agree with every part of it.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Blog post #2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

Did You Know?

After watching the Did You Know 3.0 video by Mr. Karl Fisch I learned how much the digital and technological world is growing. The growth was already obvious in today's society but the statistics was not known. Fifteen years ago car phone usage started increasing and now today cellular phones have evolved into hand held computers that can transmit information instantly. After seeing the number of people that use the digital world today and how fast they have grown over the years the world is going to be ran by technology alone within the next five to ten years.

The video gave good information about the growth of the ever changing world of technology. With this information we can use it to determine the future growth of our world in the digital and technological sense. I knew the world was growing but I never had the data that proved it so it made this video enjoyable for me to learn the statistics. I recommend people who are interested in seeing which direction the world is heading, to watch this vieo and others like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm1sCsl2MQY

Mr. Winkle Wakes:

I started watching the video Mr. Winkle wakes on you tube and couldn'treally figure out the direction it was heading. It starts out with Rip Van Winkle waking up after 100 years of sleep with the world changed around him. As soon as Mr. Winkle looked around he grew curious of the changes and went to explore them. He noticed the use of computers in several locations which were strange devices he had never seen.

When Mr. Winkle ventured into a school he noticed that there was a teacher lecturing students while they took notes and listened to what he had to say. At the same time Mr. Winkle also noticed an older computer sitting onthe desk in the back of the class with dust not being used. As he walks off he exclaims that after 100 years some things still remain the same. From this short video the point I took from it was no matter how much the world may get technologically more superior our education and our children's education still remain the importance of today's society.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

In this video SIr Ken Robinson is speaking about the importance of the school systems to nurture the creativity of its students rather then diminish them. I couldn't agree more with his beliefs and his speech. In today's society school teachers have a curriculum they are instructed to follow and most stick directly to the plan, but ever student is different and has their own special skills in the classrooms.

If a teacher has a student that is slower in math or reading the teacher punishes the student by just giving more homework or continuous bad grades. This method isn't causing the student to learn anything new but it could have a negative impact on whether they are afraid to show another side that may be more creative. In my opinion this would diminish the student's will to want to continue being creative which could be avoided by teacher's paying more attention to their students inside and outside the classroom.

http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

This video shows how Vicki Davis has incorporated digital learning into the classroom. In this video she also announces that teachers do not have to know everything when they come up to educate their students. She also admits that her students have taught her a few things in the classroom also. I agree with Mrs. Davis about her views of teachers not knowing everything and not pretending to know everything to educate young minds. She also is using the digital world to link up with other countries which we could learn about their culture as they can learn about ours.

When I was learning words and numbers in elementary school, we had the old apple computers that had Oregon Trail, word muncher, and number muncher on it. This, in my oppinion, was the beginning of the digital learning proccess that has grown over the years and continues to grow in our school system. I very much support Vicki Davis and the other digital world teachers in everything they are doing for our kids to help them learn the subjects that are needed for everyday life while making it fun in the proccess.