Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Blog Post #6
Wendy Drexler: The Networked Student
I must say that I had no idea what a “networked” student was before watching this. At least that is what I thought because in reality, I am exactly that! Just for review, the clip is about students today and their ability to learn on their own. It describes the types of information that students have access to without even going to class or reading the book. It raises the question of “Why does a networked student even need a classroom teacher?” because it looks as if the student doesn’t need one. There are many arguments to this issue, but I have only one. A student that has a personal learning network AND a teacher are the students that succeed.
First of all, like I said before, I had no idea what a networked student was. I realized that I didn’t know what it was because of the simple fact that I have put no thought into what I have been doing all this time. I have always researched my classes and Googled questions that I have had to stump me. I research everything and when I can’t find the answer, I dig even deeper until I do. I am also guilty of not buying textbooks because I learn more from my computer. Half the time, the books are available for view on the internet anyway. Technology is a way of life for me and I can see where I have taken it for granted because I didn’t realize what I have been doing.
As far as teachers go, they are absolutely needed in the educational setting. When I look things up online, it is because I am then able to go to class and discuss the information in an informative way with my teacher. Teachers help piece the information together in a real way so that it becomes more personal. A networked student only makes one smarter by giving them the chance to really understand the issues that are discussed in class.
A 7th graders PLE
This student is using technology to help her in science class. She is learning how to use her computer to better her education. She uses things like Google Docs to help her organize and to be better prepared in class. I think she is on the right track to becoming a very successful student because she is learning how to use technology to further her education. Her PLE is a lot like my PLN because I also use some of the same programs that she is using to help me. We are both trying to make the best out of our education by using our technology that we have to help us.
Michael Wesch: The Machine is Changing Us
Wesch's closing question hangs in the air: "How can we use this to conquer the narcissistic disengagement that we see today in a culture that is still ruled by trivialities?" I personally do not have an answer for this but I hope to one day have a better idea for an answer. The video is pretty long but I am glad to have watched it. His questions/answers contradict themselves but this is because there is not just one black and white answer. Technology and it power raises a lot of questions in the terms of good or bad but it is something that no one can answer right now.
I must say that I had no idea what a “networked” student was before watching this. At least that is what I thought because in reality, I am exactly that! Just for review, the clip is about students today and their ability to learn on their own. It describes the types of information that students have access to without even going to class or reading the book. It raises the question of “Why does a networked student even need a classroom teacher?” because it looks as if the student doesn’t need one. There are many arguments to this issue, but I have only one. A student that has a personal learning network AND a teacher are the students that succeed.
First of all, like I said before, I had no idea what a networked student was. I realized that I didn’t know what it was because of the simple fact that I have put no thought into what I have been doing all this time. I have always researched my classes and Googled questions that I have had to stump me. I research everything and when I can’t find the answer, I dig even deeper until I do. I am also guilty of not buying textbooks because I learn more from my computer. Half the time, the books are available for view on the internet anyway. Technology is a way of life for me and I can see where I have taken it for granted because I didn’t realize what I have been doing.
As far as teachers go, they are absolutely needed in the educational setting. When I look things up online, it is because I am then able to go to class and discuss the information in an informative way with my teacher. Teachers help piece the information together in a real way so that it becomes more personal. A networked student only makes one smarter by giving them the chance to really understand the issues that are discussed in class.
A 7th graders PLE
This student is using technology to help her in science class. She is learning how to use her computer to better her education. She uses things like Google Docs to help her organize and to be better prepared in class. I think she is on the right track to becoming a very successful student because she is learning how to use technology to further her education. Her PLE is a lot like my PLN because I also use some of the same programs that she is using to help me. We are both trying to make the best out of our education by using our technology that we have to help us.
Michael Wesch: The Machine is Changing Us
Wesch's closing question hangs in the air: "How can we use this to conquer the narcissistic disengagement that we see today in a culture that is still ruled by trivialities?" I personally do not have an answer for this but I hope to one day have a better idea for an answer. The video is pretty long but I am glad to have watched it. His questions/answers contradict themselves but this is because there is not just one black and white answer. Technology and it power raises a lot of questions in the terms of good or bad but it is something that no one can answer right now.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
C4K #1 and #2 (September)
The student that I have been assigned to is named Levi and he is 13 years old. In his “All About Me” post, he explains that his family is the most important thing to him. He has two sisters that enjoys being with. He is learning how to use computers safely in class by doing his blog assignments. He also shared in his blog that he likes Math and Science and he hopes to continue to do well in them.
The students were asked to write another blog called “Manifesto”. This is supposed to be a post explaining the things that the student wants to achieve in the school year. Levy has really good goals that he wants to achieve in this school year. He wants to complete all his homework on time, make A’s on all his work, and be more responsible with his work. The Manifesto assignment is a great idea because it gives the students a chance to put their goals into perspective. I am glad that I have gotten a chance to read about Levy and I wish him much luck in his school career.
The students were asked to write another blog called “Manifesto”. This is supposed to be a post explaining the things that the student wants to achieve in the school year. Levy has really good goals that he wants to achieve in this school year. He wants to complete all his homework on time, make A’s on all his work, and be more responsible with his work. The Manifesto assignment is a great idea because it gives the students a chance to put their goals into perspective. I am glad that I have gotten a chance to read about Levy and I wish him much luck in his school career.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Blog Post #5
I watched the Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog in absolute amazement. This is a class of third graders that post podcast of themselves informing us of what they have learned in school. They take the information that the teacher has taught them and they act it out in their video. I couldn’t believe how well the students retained the information and how good they were in front of the camera. The students in this class have been given a wonderful opportunity to use technology in the classroom to its fullest advantage. I not only learned what to do in a podcast, but I also learned how to have fun doing it.
“The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom” by Joe Dale was very informative and helpful information on podcasting. It gives the benefits to using it in the classroom do that teachers can be more aware of it. The key points that Joe pointed out in his presentation is that podcasting is an effective way of interacting with students outside of the classroom, it is a form of learning that students today are familiar with so it makes it relevant to them, it allows for differentiation and project based learning, students can access the higher order thinking skills in Bloom's taxonomy, it promotes creativity and innovation, it can offer distance learning opportunities for absent students, it makes the process of creating and uploading audio files easy, and parents can see and hear what their children are doing at school. It makes education more available to the students and it helps everyone communicate no matter where there location may be.
“The Pratical Principles”: Scott Elias and Melinda Miller have been recording the Practical Principals podcast since the Fall of 2007. I really enjoyed their take on technology and education. They talk about technology in a user friendly way so that the average teacher can learn to use it without fearing it. The practical principle 25 is their newest addition to their podcast. The podcast cover things like the iPhone and iPad and how they can be used to do many great things. I liked their podcast because they made the material they were talking about interesting and it gave me ideas to use the technology more than I do now.
“The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom” by Joe Dale was very informative and helpful information on podcasting. It gives the benefits to using it in the classroom do that teachers can be more aware of it. The key points that Joe pointed out in his presentation is that podcasting is an effective way of interacting with students outside of the classroom, it is a form of learning that students today are familiar with so it makes it relevant to them, it allows for differentiation and project based learning, students can access the higher order thinking skills in Bloom's taxonomy, it promotes creativity and innovation, it can offer distance learning opportunities for absent students, it makes the process of creating and uploading audio files easy, and parents can see and hear what their children are doing at school. It makes education more available to the students and it helps everyone communicate no matter where there location may be.
“The Pratical Principles”: Scott Elias and Melinda Miller have been recording the Practical Principals podcast since the Fall of 2007. I really enjoyed their take on technology and education. They talk about technology in a user friendly way so that the average teacher can learn to use it without fearing it. The practical principle 25 is their newest addition to their podcast. The podcast cover things like the iPhone and iPad and how they can be used to do many great things. I liked their podcast because they made the material they were talking about interesting and it gave me ideas to use the technology more than I do now.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Comment for Teacher #2
Comment for Teacher #2
Morgan Bayda is a new teacher in Saskatchewan that travels all over to help others out. On her blog, she has pictures of all the places that she has been as well as the people that she has met. She has gotten to do and see things that many people will never experience in their lifetimes. She is a very lucky woman to get the opportunity to see all that she has and the people that she has met are very lucky as well. She has helped out people everywhere she goes and I am sure she is touching the lives of those people with every step of the way. Her pictures are amazing and her blogs capture everything that is being seen in the pictures.
Morgan has a post that concludes her trip to Costa Rica. She believes that she is leaving with more questions than answers but in the end she is happy with it. She has enjoyed the adventures that Costa Rica has given her and she is now ready to move on. I wrote to her and asked her to please keep writing and posting pictures of her trips because I love reading them. She has seen beautiful places and beautiful people and I hope to one day get to travel just like her.
Morgan Bayda is a new teacher in Saskatchewan that travels all over to help others out. On her blog, she has pictures of all the places that she has been as well as the people that she has met. She has gotten to do and see things that many people will never experience in their lifetimes. She is a very lucky woman to get the opportunity to see all that she has and the people that she has met are very lucky as well. She has helped out people everywhere she goes and I am sure she is touching the lives of those people with every step of the way. Her pictures are amazing and her blogs capture everything that is being seen in the pictures.
Morgan has a post that concludes her trip to Costa Rica. She believes that she is leaving with more questions than answers but in the end she is happy with it. She has enjoyed the adventures that Costa Rica has given her and she is now ready to move on. I wrote to her and asked her to please keep writing and posting pictures of her trips because I love reading them. She has seen beautiful places and beautiful people and I hope to one day get to travel just like her.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Blog Post #4
Don’t teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? By Dr. Mcleod
Dr. Mcleod takes a completely different approach to telling people about technology. He is asking teachers to not use it and keep their students in the dark about what is going on in the world. He asks them to not use cell phones and social networks because this will only get them in trouble. He is using as much sarcasm as he possibly can because at the end of the blog, he ask teachers not to use it because he is and he wants to see whose group of students turn out more successful. I loved the argument he made because it shows the ridiculous things people say about technology and he turns it around and puts it back on them.
Technology in the classroom is very important but there are still teachers who won’t use it. This is because they are scared of it and don’t know how to use it themselves. It can also be because the fear of showing the students how to use it can turn the students into cheaters and expose them to cyber-bullying. While this may be true, there are still more benefits to using it than not. Dr. Mcleod had several good reasons to his post and I am glad that I read them.
The iSchool Initiative
This video clip amazed me because not only did it have informative information, but because it was made by a high school student. The school the student was attending had a major budget cut and the result of it was to cut technology out of the classroom. Not only was technology affected, but the budget for books was cut and the teachers were also cut. This put more students in the classrooms with fewer books and very few teachers. The point the high school student is trying to make is if we had more technology like the iSchool, there would be less reason to have books and paper. The cost could go down because of the resources the iSchool could bring.
The iSchool is an iPhone with school apps on it. It can do all the required subjects with fewer items required. By this I mean paper, pen, books, and calculators. The iSchool would have everything the students and the teachers need with fewer resources to work with. The student did a wonderful job explaining this and I admire his gesture for trying to help the school systems.
The Lost Generation
I absolutely loved everything about this clip. The technique that was used to present it was better than the actual point of it. At first, I thought it was depressing and it was starting to lose my attention, but by the middle of it when they flipped the script, it suddenly became better. I am not sure the point of it, but I did like it a lot. It gave a new meaning to what life is supposed to be like versus what people are actually doing with theirs.
Virtual Choir
I must say that this video gave me chill bumps. I have watched it over and over again and I am still amazed by it. This is a group of people singing and while this may not seem like a big deal, the truth is that they have never seen one another. They recorded this through the internet and put it on YouTube. It is amazing to see and I am so glad that I have. I have emailed a link of it to my friends so that they can see it too. It just goes to show people what technology can do for the world.
Dr. Mcleod takes a completely different approach to telling people about technology. He is asking teachers to not use it and keep their students in the dark about what is going on in the world. He asks them to not use cell phones and social networks because this will only get them in trouble. He is using as much sarcasm as he possibly can because at the end of the blog, he ask teachers not to use it because he is and he wants to see whose group of students turn out more successful. I loved the argument he made because it shows the ridiculous things people say about technology and he turns it around and puts it back on them.
Technology in the classroom is very important but there are still teachers who won’t use it. This is because they are scared of it and don’t know how to use it themselves. It can also be because the fear of showing the students how to use it can turn the students into cheaters and expose them to cyber-bullying. While this may be true, there are still more benefits to using it than not. Dr. Mcleod had several good reasons to his post and I am glad that I read them.
The iSchool Initiative
This video clip amazed me because not only did it have informative information, but because it was made by a high school student. The school the student was attending had a major budget cut and the result of it was to cut technology out of the classroom. Not only was technology affected, but the budget for books was cut and the teachers were also cut. This put more students in the classrooms with fewer books and very few teachers. The point the high school student is trying to make is if we had more technology like the iSchool, there would be less reason to have books and paper. The cost could go down because of the resources the iSchool could bring.
The iSchool is an iPhone with school apps on it. It can do all the required subjects with fewer items required. By this I mean paper, pen, books, and calculators. The iSchool would have everything the students and the teachers need with fewer resources to work with. The student did a wonderful job explaining this and I admire his gesture for trying to help the school systems.
The Lost Generation
I absolutely loved everything about this clip. The technique that was used to present it was better than the actual point of it. At first, I thought it was depressing and it was starting to lose my attention, but by the middle of it when they flipped the script, it suddenly became better. I am not sure the point of it, but I did like it a lot. It gave a new meaning to what life is supposed to be like versus what people are actually doing with theirs.
Virtual Choir
I must say that this video gave me chill bumps. I have watched it over and over again and I am still amazed by it. This is a group of people singing and while this may not seem like a big deal, the truth is that they have never seen one another. They recorded this through the internet and put it on YouTube. It is amazing to see and I am so glad that I have. I have emailed a link of it to my friends so that they can see it too. It just goes to show people what technology can do for the world.
Additional Blog Assignment #1
Google Squared is a search tool that helps you quickly build a collection of facts from the web, for any topic you specify. The educational implications of searches done on Google squared provides teachers with helpful data that is easily accessed and compiled into one fact sheet. It makes research easier as well as finding data to use in the classroom much easier and faster. Another search engine is WolframAlfa and it is simply the best tool that I have ever used. It gives facts and data without having to do any searching. As a teacher, the educational implications to using this tool is that finding data out is much more user friendly and it is compiled into one spreadsheet or document which makes giving it to the students a lot less stressful.
I am glad to have had the chance to use these tools because I have never heard of them before this assignment. They will make my life as teacher a lot less stressful and they will also help out my future students. I feel like the information that I have seen from the YouTube video from Dr. Strange and the ‘Did you know’ video go hand in hand with one another. I still cannot believe the amount information that is available to anyone who wants it just by using the internet. I feel like technology has taken over the world and that it is a good thing. Technology can still be a blessing and curse but for the most part, I know that I personally couldn’t make it through the day without it.
I am glad to have had the chance to use these tools because I have never heard of them before this assignment. They will make my life as teacher a lot less stressful and they will also help out my future students. I feel like the information that I have seen from the YouTube video from Dr. Strange and the ‘Did you know’ video go hand in hand with one another. I still cannot believe the amount information that is available to anyone who wants it just by using the internet. I feel like technology has taken over the world and that it is a good thing. Technology can still be a blessing and curse but for the most part, I know that I personally couldn’t make it through the day without it.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Blog Post #3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This clip is taking place in a college classroom where the students are giving facts about their college experience. Each student held a sign stating what they are doing with their college years. Most of them spent it on Facebook or on their cell phones. This didn’t shock me because I too am guilty if this. The point the clip is trying to make is if whether or not technology is good in the classrooms. I can see the issue with it because students are not paying attention when there is a laptop, iPod, or other device in their hands. Technology can be a big distraction, but it can also be a saving grace. I actually loved the way the director put all the facts in the student’s hands for us to view. I think that by doing this, it created an instant connection between college students viewing it and them.
I do have a connection with this clip because every day I see people on Facebook instead of listening to the professor. I see empty seats where students pay for their education but yet do not come. I too pay for textbooks but never use them and I can see where technology has played a role in this. However, I believe that I could not be as successful as I am now without the technology that I use. It keeps me up to date with my studies and it helps me to further my education by allowing me to see things that I would never get the opportunity to see without it.
Kelly Hines: It’s Not about the Technology
The core outcomes that are listed from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills can be learned without technology by a good teacher. The problem here is that if we are teaching kids in the 21st century without technology, aren’t we defeating the purpose? Education is based on technology because the purpose is to educate the students about life/job skills. If we as teachers deprive the students of technology, aren’t we harming more than causing good? Technology is the way of life and it is only getting worse so the main point is that technology has to be taught in order for these students to make it in today’s society.
However; with that being said, I do believe that technology is not a substitute for good teaching but can be wonderful in the hands of a great teacher. The teaching method has to be changed in order to teach students now. There are more and technological advancements happening and teachers have to be able to keep up. With the right teacher, technology can be the key to success in the classroom. It can aide in helping the teacher and the students become better learners.
Karl Fisch: Is it okay to be Technologically Illiterate?
This blog is pretty harsh when it comes to teachers and technology. Some people may even find it defensive, but I liked it. I am glad that someone out there is finally stepping up and saying that if teachers can’t deal with the technology that is available to them then they need to find another job. It isn’t okay to have some teachers very technologically savvy and others who can’t even turn a computer on. Let’s face it, we have all had the wonderful experience of having an old teacher like this and it is nerve racking. Teachers must educate themselves in order to be able to educate the students. The times are changing and technology is a way of life for many of the students today; not to mention the jobs that are being created that solemnly rely on computers.
If more teachers could realize the importance of technology then there wouldn’t even be an issue here. Teachers do not want to change because they fear it. The problem is the fact that they are hindering the students learning abilities by not teaching basic life skills. Technology isn’t something that is a luxury to learn; it is an essential fiber in the thread of education.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
The numbers are outstanding in the terms of how many people are using technology by the second. At first, I was almost certain that this didn’t apply to me because I am a Physical Education major. The more I got to thinking about it though; I realized that this has absolutely everything to do with me. How am I supposed to get kids active when they have their heads in a computer all day? I can’t punish them for it because it is their way of life now. I have to learn to incorporate it into my curriculum so they can learn the healthy benefits from it.
Just as I said before, teachers have to change in the classroom in order to be able to keep up with the students. This is going to be even harder for me because I have to make sure they are active and healthy. I can incorporate the Wii system into my coaching so that I can show them how to use there playing time wisely. I can teach them about the wonderful tools online that are set up to help people keep track of their nutritional goals. I most certainly can use technology to help me with my PE classes and if I can do this, any teacher can do it. It’s all about change and change is good.
This clip is taking place in a college classroom where the students are giving facts about their college experience. Each student held a sign stating what they are doing with their college years. Most of them spent it on Facebook or on their cell phones. This didn’t shock me because I too am guilty if this. The point the clip is trying to make is if whether or not technology is good in the classrooms. I can see the issue with it because students are not paying attention when there is a laptop, iPod, or other device in their hands. Technology can be a big distraction, but it can also be a saving grace. I actually loved the way the director put all the facts in the student’s hands for us to view. I think that by doing this, it created an instant connection between college students viewing it and them.
I do have a connection with this clip because every day I see people on Facebook instead of listening to the professor. I see empty seats where students pay for their education but yet do not come. I too pay for textbooks but never use them and I can see where technology has played a role in this. However, I believe that I could not be as successful as I am now without the technology that I use. It keeps me up to date with my studies and it helps me to further my education by allowing me to see things that I would never get the opportunity to see without it.
Kelly Hines: It’s Not about the Technology
The core outcomes that are listed from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills can be learned without technology by a good teacher. The problem here is that if we are teaching kids in the 21st century without technology, aren’t we defeating the purpose? Education is based on technology because the purpose is to educate the students about life/job skills. If we as teachers deprive the students of technology, aren’t we harming more than causing good? Technology is the way of life and it is only getting worse so the main point is that technology has to be taught in order for these students to make it in today’s society.
However; with that being said, I do believe that technology is not a substitute for good teaching but can be wonderful in the hands of a great teacher. The teaching method has to be changed in order to teach students now. There are more and technological advancements happening and teachers have to be able to keep up. With the right teacher, technology can be the key to success in the classroom. It can aide in helping the teacher and the students become better learners.
Karl Fisch: Is it okay to be Technologically Illiterate?
This blog is pretty harsh when it comes to teachers and technology. Some people may even find it defensive, but I liked it. I am glad that someone out there is finally stepping up and saying that if teachers can’t deal with the technology that is available to them then they need to find another job. It isn’t okay to have some teachers very technologically savvy and others who can’t even turn a computer on. Let’s face it, we have all had the wonderful experience of having an old teacher like this and it is nerve racking. Teachers must educate themselves in order to be able to educate the students. The times are changing and technology is a way of life for many of the students today; not to mention the jobs that are being created that solemnly rely on computers.
If more teachers could realize the importance of technology then there wouldn’t even be an issue here. Teachers do not want to change because they fear it. The problem is the fact that they are hindering the students learning abilities by not teaching basic life skills. Technology isn’t something that is a luxury to learn; it is an essential fiber in the thread of education.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
The numbers are outstanding in the terms of how many people are using technology by the second. At first, I was almost certain that this didn’t apply to me because I am a Physical Education major. The more I got to thinking about it though; I realized that this has absolutely everything to do with me. How am I supposed to get kids active when they have their heads in a computer all day? I can’t punish them for it because it is their way of life now. I have to learn to incorporate it into my curriculum so they can learn the healthy benefits from it.
Just as I said before, teachers have to change in the classroom in order to be able to keep up with the students. This is going to be even harder for me because I have to make sure they are active and healthy. I can incorporate the Wii system into my coaching so that I can show them how to use there playing time wisely. I can teach them about the wonderful tools online that are set up to help people keep track of their nutritional goals. I most certainly can use technology to help me with my PE classes and if I can do this, any teacher can do it. It’s all about change and change is good.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
C4T #1
Student Internet Use in the Holidays
This blog is about a study that the teachers did on their students about internet usage during the holidays. They wanted to get an idea of how many students had access to the internet at home and what they were looking at when they were using it. 29 classes responded and the outcome was that out of the 29 classes, about 25% of them had at home internet usage. The teachers used the information to see how the students used their technology that they had at home before the school issued net books and the internet access on them will be available to the students 24/7. I left a comment stating that it was a good idea to do the survey because I believe that when the students are not pressed for time on the internet, they will do more productive things with it. Right now, most of them have limited access to the internet so they are choosing to do more social networking with it than school work. I believe that will change when the school issues the net books because the students can access the internet whenever they want.
Engaging Parents through Home School Partnerships
This blog is about helping the parents with technology that they are not used to. Schooling is very different now from when the parents went so it is essential to help them out so their children are getting the most out of their education. The school is having evening meetings to teach the parents the basic skills of what it takes to teach now. The purpose of the meetings have been to inform the parents about the Manaiakalani project and how it is progressing in their school, and to give the parents a hands-on opportunity to interact with their own children's shared learning. They even have creative ways of getting the parents to attend by the children making invitations for the parents to come. I commented on the blog by saying that I totally agree with the project because I didn’t have any technology skills given to me or my parents growing up. I went all the way to my senior year of high school without a computer. Looking back, I have no idea how I did it, but it was simply because my parents nor I was taught anything about them. Dorothy left a comment on my page saying that I am very lucky to have a teacher like Dr. Strange and to have the opportunity to learn about technology this way.
This blog is about a study that the teachers did on their students about internet usage during the holidays. They wanted to get an idea of how many students had access to the internet at home and what they were looking at when they were using it. 29 classes responded and the outcome was that out of the 29 classes, about 25% of them had at home internet usage. The teachers used the information to see how the students used their technology that they had at home before the school issued net books and the internet access on them will be available to the students 24/7. I left a comment stating that it was a good idea to do the survey because I believe that when the students are not pressed for time on the internet, they will do more productive things with it. Right now, most of them have limited access to the internet so they are choosing to do more social networking with it than school work. I believe that will change when the school issues the net books because the students can access the internet whenever they want.
Engaging Parents through Home School Partnerships
This blog is about helping the parents with technology that they are not used to. Schooling is very different now from when the parents went so it is essential to help them out so their children are getting the most out of their education. The school is having evening meetings to teach the parents the basic skills of what it takes to teach now. The purpose of the meetings have been to inform the parents about the Manaiakalani project and how it is progressing in their school, and to give the parents a hands-on opportunity to interact with their own children's shared learning. They even have creative ways of getting the parents to attend by the children making invitations for the parents to come. I commented on the blog by saying that I totally agree with the project because I didn’t have any technology skills given to me or my parents growing up. I went all the way to my senior year of high school without a computer. Looking back, I have no idea how I did it, but it was simply because my parents nor I was taught anything about them. Dorothy left a comment on my page saying that I am very lucky to have a teacher like Dr. Strange and to have the opportunity to learn about technology this way.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Blog Assignment #2
Did You Know? 3.0
The clip of “Did You Know?” stated a ton of facts and data that have been changing since technology started. The scary thing is, the numbers that this clip produced about how people are using data and technology today. I wasn’t expecting to be shocked the way I was after watching this. I have always known how wonderful technology is and how important it can be in everyday situations, but I didn’t realize just how much it is being used to save lives. The clip showed how doctors and nurses are using technology to improve their studies and the lives of their patients.
What I also didn’t realize is how the technology that I am using today will be outdated in no time. The rate at which technology is used not only here in America but all over the world is amazing. It is allowing people to connect with one another on a whole different level. Technology is saving people and saving education and this video is exact proof of that. People are able to understand things better with access to the world at their fingertips. Technology is the number one key to success in today’s world because everywhere you go, someone somewhere is using it.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
I must say that this is by far my most favorite clip. Mr. Winkle wakes after a 100 year sleep to find him-self very confused in the world. Everything around him had changed and he did not know what to do. When he went out of his home to adventure into the streets, everything scared him. Hospitals were not the same, jobs were not the same, and the people around him were not the same. It wasn’t until he reached the school grounds that he began to feel comfortable with this new world. He loved the fact that there was not any new technology in the classrooms. He felt like all the other students because they were using just pen and paper like he was accustomed to. Mr. Winkle had finally found his place in life and it was at school.
What is ironic here is the fact that when you first watch the clip, you feel bad for Mr. Winkle because everything has changed. The daily activities that he was used to had been changed dramatically. What I soon came to realize is that technology has changed everywhere but in the classroom. I have always known that the classrooms are outdated and that it needs to be changed, but I didn’t realize just how outdated they were until watching this. I think it hit me when Mr. Winkle loved school and didn’t want to leave. He was finally comfortable and felt at home with the school. I wanted to shake Mr. Winkle just because he should not have felt at home. School is the foundation of our education and we have here a 100 year old man feeling at home in our classroom. This is sad and I hope technology in the classroom picks up tremendously.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I am so glad that someone has touched on this subject because there are so many students in school that are not passing by the standards set by the school system. The problem with this is that the student is smart, but because he/she cannot pass according to the set standards, they are deemed as failing. The four main subjects are Math, Science, History, and English; these are important subjects but what about the students who are excellent in the arts? Why separate them and make them feel not important because they aren’t as good at the standard level? Schools as a whole discriminate against creativity and this segregates the students that are more individualistic than others.
School systems today centralize on standardized testing and making sure that all students are on the same page. This may be good in the sense that making sure all students are productive citizens, but is this good for individualism? I believe that by taking the creativity away from the students turns them all into one type of person. We are all created by God to be individualistic and to not fit into a norm. If schools focused more on the needs of the students rather than just the standardized testing way, there would be more graduates from high school and college.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
This woman is a high school teacher from a rural area in Georgia. She teaches computer efficiency to the students and how to apply it to everyday life. She teaches ways to use the computer to make life easier for the students. It is a hands on class that uses the most high tech technology available and turns it into a user friendly way. I particularly liked the way she used Smart phones in the classroom to show the students all the things they can do to make their life better. She makes the students understand the importance of technology in a fun way. She shows them ways to apply it to job skills and how to use it for college classes.
My favorite thing about this whole clip was the fact that she is teaching this technology to students who may not even have a computer. She helps them to not be afraid of the technology that they are using and how easy it can be to use it. She is connecting them to the whole world in just one class and for some students; this may be the only connection they get with other nationalities. I cannot stress enough how important this class is that she is teaching. I hope more classes’ incorporate her way of teaching so that students today can be job ready as well as college ready.
The clip of “Did You Know?” stated a ton of facts and data that have been changing since technology started. The scary thing is, the numbers that this clip produced about how people are using data and technology today. I wasn’t expecting to be shocked the way I was after watching this. I have always known how wonderful technology is and how important it can be in everyday situations, but I didn’t realize just how much it is being used to save lives. The clip showed how doctors and nurses are using technology to improve their studies and the lives of their patients.
What I also didn’t realize is how the technology that I am using today will be outdated in no time. The rate at which technology is used not only here in America but all over the world is amazing. It is allowing people to connect with one another on a whole different level. Technology is saving people and saving education and this video is exact proof of that. People are able to understand things better with access to the world at their fingertips. Technology is the number one key to success in today’s world because everywhere you go, someone somewhere is using it.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
I must say that this is by far my most favorite clip. Mr. Winkle wakes after a 100 year sleep to find him-self very confused in the world. Everything around him had changed and he did not know what to do. When he went out of his home to adventure into the streets, everything scared him. Hospitals were not the same, jobs were not the same, and the people around him were not the same. It wasn’t until he reached the school grounds that he began to feel comfortable with this new world. He loved the fact that there was not any new technology in the classrooms. He felt like all the other students because they were using just pen and paper like he was accustomed to. Mr. Winkle had finally found his place in life and it was at school.
What is ironic here is the fact that when you first watch the clip, you feel bad for Mr. Winkle because everything has changed. The daily activities that he was used to had been changed dramatically. What I soon came to realize is that technology has changed everywhere but in the classroom. I have always known that the classrooms are outdated and that it needs to be changed, but I didn’t realize just how outdated they were until watching this. I think it hit me when Mr. Winkle loved school and didn’t want to leave. He was finally comfortable and felt at home with the school. I wanted to shake Mr. Winkle just because he should not have felt at home. School is the foundation of our education and we have here a 100 year old man feeling at home in our classroom. This is sad and I hope technology in the classroom picks up tremendously.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I am so glad that someone has touched on this subject because there are so many students in school that are not passing by the standards set by the school system. The problem with this is that the student is smart, but because he/she cannot pass according to the set standards, they are deemed as failing. The four main subjects are Math, Science, History, and English; these are important subjects but what about the students who are excellent in the arts? Why separate them and make them feel not important because they aren’t as good at the standard level? Schools as a whole discriminate against creativity and this segregates the students that are more individualistic than others.
School systems today centralize on standardized testing and making sure that all students are on the same page. This may be good in the sense that making sure all students are productive citizens, but is this good for individualism? I believe that by taking the creativity away from the students turns them all into one type of person. We are all created by God to be individualistic and to not fit into a norm. If schools focused more on the needs of the students rather than just the standardized testing way, there would be more graduates from high school and college.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
This woman is a high school teacher from a rural area in Georgia. She teaches computer efficiency to the students and how to apply it to everyday life. She teaches ways to use the computer to make life easier for the students. It is a hands on class that uses the most high tech technology available and turns it into a user friendly way. I particularly liked the way she used Smart phones in the classroom to show the students all the things they can do to make their life better. She makes the students understand the importance of technology in a fun way. She shows them ways to apply it to job skills and how to use it for college classes.
My favorite thing about this whole clip was the fact that she is teaching this technology to students who may not even have a computer. She helps them to not be afraid of the technology that they are using and how easy it can be to use it. She is connecting them to the whole world in just one class and for some students; this may be the only connection they get with other nationalities. I cannot stress enough how important this class is that she is teaching. I hope more classes’ incorporate her way of teaching so that students today can be job ready as well as college ready.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)