Sunday, February 27, 2011
C4K Comments 1,2,3
Comment 1
I first read and commented on Banana’s blog. In her introductory post, titled “my life”, she introduced herself to the reader. She also discusses her family, her favorite sport, and her favorite subject in school.
In my comment, I thanked Banana for sharing a little bit of herself with her readers. She was a very good writer and she mentioned that she liked writing, so I encouraged her to keep writing. She had also mentioned that she had a lot of great stories to tell about her life, so I suggested that she write down some of her stories.
Comment 2
I accidentally read and commented on the wrong podcast, but when I realized it, I went back and comment on the correct one. The podcast I was supposed to comment on first was by Mubasshira and Jarna in Room 17 at Pt. England School. The girls had done a podcast on the book ‘The Princess Test”. It was in the form of an interview and question and pictures of the girls were included to enhance their message.
I commented on their blog how both girls did a good job of both interviewing and answering the questions well. After I watched their podcast, I really understood what the book was about so I let the girls know that as well because I think it means their podcast was a success. At the end, they won’t tell what the outcome of the book is. Instead, they tell the viewer where they can buy the book. I told the girls I thought this was great also because it hopefully gets other interested in the book and reading.
Comment 3
On February 24, Mary, a student in Room 16 at Pt. England school in Auckland, New Zealand posted to her blog about the recent earthquake in Christchurch. She included a photograph of the devastation with her post that helped explain to her readers the magnitude of this natural disaster. She included details that she saw on the television when she came home from school and learned of the earthquake.
I commented on Mary’s blog post how sad I was to hear about this earthquake. I also thought it was important that Mary be commended for sharing her country’s news with the world. This is an important benefit of blogs and I thought it should be brought to her attention.
I first read and commented on Banana’s blog. In her introductory post, titled “my life”, she introduced herself to the reader. She also discusses her family, her favorite sport, and her favorite subject in school.
In my comment, I thanked Banana for sharing a little bit of herself with her readers. She was a very good writer and she mentioned that she liked writing, so I encouraged her to keep writing. She had also mentioned that she had a lot of great stories to tell about her life, so I suggested that she write down some of her stories.
Comment 2
I accidentally read and commented on the wrong podcast, but when I realized it, I went back and comment on the correct one. The podcast I was supposed to comment on first was by Mubasshira and Jarna in Room 17 at Pt. England School. The girls had done a podcast on the book ‘The Princess Test”. It was in the form of an interview and question and pictures of the girls were included to enhance their message.
I commented on their blog how both girls did a good job of both interviewing and answering the questions well. After I watched their podcast, I really understood what the book was about so I let the girls know that as well because I think it means their podcast was a success. At the end, they won’t tell what the outcome of the book is. Instead, they tell the viewer where they can buy the book. I told the girls I thought this was great also because it hopefully gets other interested in the book and reading.
Comment 3
On February 24, Mary, a student in Room 16 at Pt. England school in Auckland, New Zealand posted to her blog about the recent earthquake in Christchurch. She included a photograph of the devastation with her post that helped explain to her readers the magnitude of this natural disaster. She included details that she saw on the television when she came home from school and learned of the earthquake.
I commented on Mary’s blog post how sad I was to hear about this earthquake. I also thought it was important that Mary be commended for sharing her country’s news with the world. This is an important benefit of blogs and I thought it should be brought to her attention.
Blog Assignment 6
The Networked Student
This sounds just like our class :) From a student’s point of view, being a networked student seems like it could be time consuming and risky. Is the information I’m finding useful? Pertinent? What I’m going to be tested on? From an educator’s point of view, educating networked students is definitely important because it teaches higher level thinking and gives our students the tools they will need in the future. We have already seen how much technology is advancing, and it’s important for students to be educated on how to use this technology.
I really like that the video acknowledged the fact that teachers and instructors are still needed to guide networked students. However, it is made very clear that the teachers are guiding and not simply hand-feeding material to the students. Teachers are there to teach students the skills they need to find and organize the information that is available to them. It’s the teacher’s responsibility to familiarize the student with on-line tools, teach them how to communicate effectively, and especially differentiate between reliable and unreliable information.
I think it’s probably challenging to be a teacher of a networked student, but I’m up for the challenge. My concerns come from the strict guidelines for learning objectives that we will all probably be faced with. To me, it seems challenging to ensure that every student is gathering the correct information to meet the learning objective to the state’s satisfaction. Of course, it’s tempting to lecture directly from the standards, but I definitely believe that networked students learn valuable lessons from the higher-level thinking.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
This is a good video of a seventh grader who enjoys the benefits of being a networked student. She describes her PLE from her class, which is very similar to my PLN. The main reason they are similar is because of the fact that we are both relying on being connected to learn. It’s also essentially the same thing because of the sense of responsibility for our own work that is naturally created through the amount of freedom we are given. To learn everything possible about a certain topic, it is necessary to do previous research and collaborate, which is done in both this girl’s PLE and in my PLN. Also, an emphasis is put on blogs for both reflection and presentation.
Michael Staton's Negative Critique of Smartboards
Bill Ferriter's Negative Critique of Smartboards
Positive Critique of Smartboards
These three articles only had a few things in common. Basically, there is a general belief that technology has positive benefits for the educational environment. Also, it cannot be argued that interactive whiteboards have no effect on the ease of lecturing and delivery methods. They obviously greatly affect the lecturing styles and this is where the two opposing sides differ.
Those who oppose Smartboards claim that it’s not benefiting our children because they allow traditional teaching styles, such as the lecturing, to be easier for teachers. This is a drawback to some because simple lecturing is frowned upon. Those who oppose also claim that Smartboards are just PR moves from the schools that are given money to use for technology. They are supposedly an easy way for schools to spend their technology funds and have something concrete and tangible to prove. Also, those who oppose claim that Smartboards don’t allow for adaptive learning environments, differentiated learning, or collaboration.
Those who support Smartboards have much different claims and believe that Smartboards are very beneficial to students. Interactive whiteboards can appeal to different learning styles by providing short bursts of different types of media and allowing students to get involved. Also, it allows for teachers to save and retrieve materials easily and provides valuable hard copies. These hard copies can be especially useful in a collaboration project when it is necessary to see which students contributed
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Blog Assignment 5
The Benefits of Podcasting In The Classroom
This video goes beyond some of the more obvious benefits of podcasts. We all know that podcasts expose our students to valuable technology. They allow for students to work on projects as well as allowing teachers to record lectures. I definitely believe in the benefits of student collaboration and the development of higher-level thinking and creativity.
This video also suggested some situations and benefits that I think are innovative and creative and go beyond the obvious ones. It showed a situation in which students were role playing. I think this is a very effective technique because it allows for a more meaningful learning experience while requiring children to work with the technology around them. It’s a creative way for allowing students to think outside of the box. Also, one student told about how she and her family will listen to podcasts in the car when they are on trips. I think this would be a very effective way to get parents more involved in their child’s learning and education.
100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better
This website has a huge amount of information on podcasts. In the Podcasts and More section, it gives links to various podcasts for all ages. For example, you can get a Sesame Street podcast for young children or flashcards for the medical profession. You can find podcasts for the King James Bible or podcasts to help you learn a different language. The point being that podcasts are available for almost anything you can think of and we can make podcasts for anything that we think will be valuable to others.
In the Tutorial section, I found the article Learning Podcasting by Carolyn Wood to be especially helpful. She begins by explaining what a podcast is and the basics you will need to get started, such as a microphone and software like Audacity. She then goes into step by step instructions and has many helpful tips that we help me create a better podcast. I definitely put this website in my favorites to go back and look at later.
The Judy Scharf Podcast Collection
This is another website that I think will prove to be very valuable both in this class and in the future. It has a long list of possible topics for student project-based podcasts, examples of well done podcasts as well as detailed information for creating your podcasts. Mrs. Scharf suggests getting very familiar with Audacity before beginning to make your podcast. She includes a link to a YouTube video that I found helpful. In addition to this video, Mrs. Scharf’s website includes a document for creating podcasts, using podbean, and submitting a podcast to itunes
Blog Assignment 4
Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Dr. Scott McLeod is a professor and leader in the world of educational technology. In his blog post from August 26, 2009, he poses a satirical situation, in which he is asking parents, teachers, administrators, and board members to basically deprive their children and students of technological skills. He argues that we shouldn’t be teaching them about technology because the world really isn’t changing that much and they won’t really need to know about it in the future anyways. By approaching this topic with a sarcastic and satirical tone, it adds to the absurdity of the belief that we do not need to teach our kids technology. Dr. McLeod ends his post with an interesting statement: “I’m doing it with all of my kids, can’t wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two”. I definitely believe that those children who are being exposed to technology and encouraged to explore its benefits will definitely have a leg up in the future.
The iSchool Initiative
This video, made by a high school student in Georgia, is certainly interesting and very creative. Because of the lack of money available in our schools, he proposes a plan to revolutionize education in America. It’s called the iSchool Initiative and he suggests that in the future, an iTouch can replace schools. It will save massive amounts of money instantly because it will replace the need for students to buy books, agendas, and ink and paper costs will go down. He also believes that it will have a positive impact of the environment. He intends to have all sectors work together to allow teachers to have instant access to their classes, to allow parents to monitor their students, and to give students all of the personalized educational tools they need for success.
This is a great plan and a very impressive presentation put forward, but I am somewhat skeptical of this plan. While I completely believe in the benefits of technology, I also believe in the benefit of face-to-face student interaction with other students and teachers. I’m not sure if the iSchool Initiative would take the place of the physical school classroom, but I think classrooms and teachers are an essential part of the educational process. I’m not just saying that because I hope to have a job in the future either!
The Lost Generation
The technique used in this video is amazing. The first time the script is read in the first half of the video, I had a sense of hopelessness and the anonymity was disheartening. We have all heard reports of how our society is changing and our generation is selfish and uncaring. Hope is restored, however, through the creativity of the author. Once it is “rewound” and a different spin is put on the words, our generation is turned around.
I most definitely feel like we can still “rewind” if we just get creative and take a different look at things. This is what I feel the creators of the video were intending. They want us to see that nothing is permanent and we have the power to change our destiny if we just think outside the box. We can’t just accept the things that society is telling us about our generation. We are ultimately responsible for our actions and we have the power to make the changes. We can’t just sit back and accept the things that are being reported. I think education could be an important part of this. We still can help to instill certain values in our children and teach them about the world around us.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
This is such a great example of how technology is being used and changing our world! We are given this beautiful ensemble that may have not been formed if it had not been for the internet and technological software. It was a powerful choice to have a visual component as well. The images of the individual singers in their own homes show how connected our world can become if we take full advantage of the internet and technology.
As teachers, we should always be ready to take advantage of the internet. It can connect our students to the world around them and show them other cultures outside of their classrooms. Examples like this can show our students that they are not the only ones in the world. It helps to show students as well as ourselves that there is so much out there that can still be discovered and we are only a small part of our world.
Teaching In The 21st Century
I think this video is important because it is recognizing the value of teachers in addition to the need for technology. To teach in the 21st century means to allow our students to use any sources necessary to gather information and then think for themselves and form their own opinions. It will be our job to help students develop skills of higher level thinking. We will show our students how to properly use the internet, how to recognize pirating and reliable sources, and about professionalism. To teach will mean to show students that information cannot simply be blindly accepted.
I think that these positions expressed in this video are extremely important. Our students will definitely be using the internet and we have to teach them how to use it. Even though our students will have information constantly and readily available to them, it is still our job to teach them how to use it and how to form their own opinions and synthesize the facts. I especially related to the part about how to manage internet use in the classroom. The creators of this video said that you manage it the same way as other distractions that are tempting. We as educators can’t just block our the internet in our classrooms because we think our students are going to misuse it and get on social networking sites.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Summary Post C4T#1
I commented on Dr. Strange's Blog
My Favorite Artists-The Top Ten At This Moment
Dr. Strange’s Post: After discussing art, he and Dr. Paige Baggett decided to make a list of their top ten artists and then compare them. He included Picasso for his sheer talent both in quality in quantity. Walker Evans was on the list for his moving photographs, as well as Modigliani for his paintings, sculptures, and nudes. Dr. Strange got to see Van Gogh’s work displayed in places like Amsterdam, Paris and New York so he got to witness firsthand Van Gogh’s talent. Of Coarse he made the list! Others on the list include Klimt and Giacometti. No list of great artists could be complete without Matisse, Monet, and Michelangelo. Dr. Strange added an extra artist to his list so he could include two who were close to his own heart—Ben Shahn and Thomas Hart Benton.
My Response: I let Dr. Strange know how much I admired his passion for art. Since he has traveled around Europe to see the pieces of art he references, I told him how much I want to do the same eventually. Also, I admitted that I was still learning a lot about art. Some of the pieces of art and even an artist (Giacometti) were ones that I didn’t recognize. I was able to agree with him on some of his choices though. For example, I told him that our opinions of Matisse are very similar because his use of color amazes us both.
Serendipity
Dr. Strange’s Post: He titles this post Serendipity because he believes serendipity struck when Anthony Capps pointed out a post on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog. Dr. Strange thought the video that was included in this blog was beneficial and decided to make a special assignment out of it. His reasons for this special assignment #1 were to check to see if we were reading the class blog, to emphasize creativity, to draw attention to the EDM 310 Alumni Blog, and to get us virtually out of Alabama. He includes posts from students that he thought were especially interesting.
My Response: I started out by commenting on his use of the word serendipity. I thought that it was a creative way of reminding us of what the video was about and what it stood for. I then commented on the excerpt from Anthony Capp’s blog that was included. I thought Anthony’s passion was inspiring to all of us. I let Dr. Strange know how important I think it is that teachers are passionate and inspiring to one another. I then commented that his reasons for creating special assignment #1 proved to be successful for me because it made me consider creativity more, it makes me check the class blog more, and it drew my attention to the alumni blog.
My Favorite Artists-The Top Ten At This Moment
Dr. Strange’s Post: After discussing art, he and Dr. Paige Baggett decided to make a list of their top ten artists and then compare them. He included Picasso for his sheer talent both in quality in quantity. Walker Evans was on the list for his moving photographs, as well as Modigliani for his paintings, sculptures, and nudes. Dr. Strange got to see Van Gogh’s work displayed in places like Amsterdam, Paris and New York so he got to witness firsthand Van Gogh’s talent. Of Coarse he made the list! Others on the list include Klimt and Giacometti. No list of great artists could be complete without Matisse, Monet, and Michelangelo. Dr. Strange added an extra artist to his list so he could include two who were close to his own heart—Ben Shahn and Thomas Hart Benton.
My Response: I let Dr. Strange know how much I admired his passion for art. Since he has traveled around Europe to see the pieces of art he references, I told him how much I want to do the same eventually. Also, I admitted that I was still learning a lot about art. Some of the pieces of art and even an artist (Giacometti) were ones that I didn’t recognize. I was able to agree with him on some of his choices though. For example, I told him that our opinions of Matisse are very similar because his use of color amazes us both.
Serendipity
Dr. Strange’s Post: He titles this post Serendipity because he believes serendipity struck when Anthony Capps pointed out a post on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog. Dr. Strange thought the video that was included in this blog was beneficial and decided to make a special assignment out of it. His reasons for this special assignment #1 were to check to see if we were reading the class blog, to emphasize creativity, to draw attention to the EDM 310 Alumni Blog, and to get us virtually out of Alabama. He includes posts from students that he thought were especially interesting.
My Response: I started out by commenting on his use of the word serendipity. I thought that it was a creative way of reminding us of what the video was about and what it stood for. I then commented on the excerpt from Anthony Capp’s blog that was included. I thought Anthony’s passion was inspiring to all of us. I let Dr. Strange know how important I think it is that teachers are passionate and inspiring to one another. I then commented that his reasons for creating special assignment #1 proved to be successful for me because it made me consider creativity more, it makes me check the class blog more, and it drew my attention to the alumni blog.
Blog Assignment 3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Student’s Today
This video is dead on. The facts presented from their surveys may be frustrating, but I definitely believe them to be accurate. One of the issues touched upon that really stuck in my memory was of the girl who sits next to a person who paid for the class, but he or she never shows up. I have definitely had people in my class who pay for the class and even buy the book maybe, but they never come to class or participate in labs if they have a lab component. I don’t even understand this, because it is such a waste of time and money. For the kids who do come to class, I definitely think distractions such as Facebook are extremely tempting. I have even sat through a boring lecture before and been very tempted to get on the internet or pull out my phone to check Facebook.
However, I don’t think ALL of the blame can be put on technology and the professor’s lack of creativity. If students aren’t motivated intrinsically, they will find any sort of way to distract themselves. It won’t matter how innovative a professor is. It may seem unrealistic, but I think elementary educators could have a huge role in improving this problem. If we as teachers encourage our kids to enjoy learning, maybe they will be more likely to take responsibility for their education.
It’s Not About the Technology by Kelly Hines
I’m glad to hear this point being brought up. While I absolutely believe in technology’s positive influence on learning, I agree with Ms. Hines’ opinion that it’s not all about technology. She raises four great points that she believes are the most essential for teaching a new generation of children. Basically, to teach the new generation of kids, teachers must still value the fundamental characteristics of education. I think her assertion that teachers must be learners is one of the most important things to remember. Ultimately, we are role models for our students. If we are trying to teach them things, then we should value education ourselves and continue to try and learn new things. If we are trying to be innovative with technology in our rooms, I think it’s important to remember this assertion that teachers must be learners because I think a great way to learn about technology is to experiment with it teach yourself.
Ms. Hines’ assertion that technology is useless without good teaching is one of the most important things to me. I definitely think it’s too easy to create a cool lesson using all of the technology possible, but to lose the objectives you are trying to teach your students. Also, the fundamental aspects of teaching must still be present in order to teach. Hopefully, talented educators who can help the students learn and can teach the value of good communication skills will never go out of date.
Karl Fisch: Is it Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Mr. Fisch asserts that “If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write.” He then asks a question: is this extreme? At first, I thought it was definitely a little extreme, although I did see the logic behind it. Then I thought about it a little bit more. What would make a teacher who is technologically illiterate (and unwilling to learn more any more) qualified or more knowledgeable than a teacher thirty years ago who couldn’t read or write? The answer is nothing. While the modern day technologically illiterate teacher may have basic reading and writing skills, he or she still sets unacceptable standards for the student. The teacher should set good learning examples for the student and encourage the student to keep up with every learning tool possible.
A good point that Mr. Fisch raises is that technology is often viewed as socially unacceptable. It’s strange that everyone wants the newest cell phone, TV, or computer, but a lot of people wouldn’t consider themselves very interested in technology. We need to make is socially acceptable for people to like technology and work towards becoming more technologically literate. This is where our role as teachers could come in again. We not only need to bring technology into the classroom, but we also need to make it cool and acceptable for students to enjoy and be interested in technology.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
This is absolutely amazing to me! It’s crazy to think that in just a few seconds, so much has changed in the world. This is something we as educators must take into account. Obviously, the popularity of such devices and programs is astounding and the likelihood that our students will be involved is very high. While we as educators may feel like we know a lot about technology know, how will we feel in ten or twenty years? Hopefully, we won’t just be teaching for a few years and then going on to other jobs or retiring early. If we are lucky, we will be teaching for many years and witnessing many new technological advances. It’s important for us to stay as technologically literate as possible throughout our whole career so even our students twenty years from now will have teachers interested in technology and who use the technology they are familiar with.
This video is dead on. The facts presented from their surveys may be frustrating, but I definitely believe them to be accurate. One of the issues touched upon that really stuck in my memory was of the girl who sits next to a person who paid for the class, but he or she never shows up. I have definitely had people in my class who pay for the class and even buy the book maybe, but they never come to class or participate in labs if they have a lab component. I don’t even understand this, because it is such a waste of time and money. For the kids who do come to class, I definitely think distractions such as Facebook are extremely tempting. I have even sat through a boring lecture before and been very tempted to get on the internet or pull out my phone to check Facebook.
However, I don’t think ALL of the blame can be put on technology and the professor’s lack of creativity. If students aren’t motivated intrinsically, they will find any sort of way to distract themselves. It won’t matter how innovative a professor is. It may seem unrealistic, but I think elementary educators could have a huge role in improving this problem. If we as teachers encourage our kids to enjoy learning, maybe they will be more likely to take responsibility for their education.
It’s Not About the Technology by Kelly Hines
I’m glad to hear this point being brought up. While I absolutely believe in technology’s positive influence on learning, I agree with Ms. Hines’ opinion that it’s not all about technology. She raises four great points that she believes are the most essential for teaching a new generation of children. Basically, to teach the new generation of kids, teachers must still value the fundamental characteristics of education. I think her assertion that teachers must be learners is one of the most important things to remember. Ultimately, we are role models for our students. If we are trying to teach them things, then we should value education ourselves and continue to try and learn new things. If we are trying to be innovative with technology in our rooms, I think it’s important to remember this assertion that teachers must be learners because I think a great way to learn about technology is to experiment with it teach yourself.
Ms. Hines’ assertion that technology is useless without good teaching is one of the most important things to me. I definitely think it’s too easy to create a cool lesson using all of the technology possible, but to lose the objectives you are trying to teach your students. Also, the fundamental aspects of teaching must still be present in order to teach. Hopefully, talented educators who can help the students learn and can teach the value of good communication skills will never go out of date.
Karl Fisch: Is it Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Mr. Fisch asserts that “If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write.” He then asks a question: is this extreme? At first, I thought it was definitely a little extreme, although I did see the logic behind it. Then I thought about it a little bit more. What would make a teacher who is technologically illiterate (and unwilling to learn more any more) qualified or more knowledgeable than a teacher thirty years ago who couldn’t read or write? The answer is nothing. While the modern day technologically illiterate teacher may have basic reading and writing skills, he or she still sets unacceptable standards for the student. The teacher should set good learning examples for the student and encourage the student to keep up with every learning tool possible.
A good point that Mr. Fisch raises is that technology is often viewed as socially unacceptable. It’s strange that everyone wants the newest cell phone, TV, or computer, but a lot of people wouldn’t consider themselves very interested in technology. We need to make is socially acceptable for people to like technology and work towards becoming more technologically literate. This is where our role as teachers could come in again. We not only need to bring technology into the classroom, but we also need to make it cool and acceptable for students to enjoy and be interested in technology.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
This is absolutely amazing to me! It’s crazy to think that in just a few seconds, so much has changed in the world. This is something we as educators must take into account. Obviously, the popularity of such devices and programs is astounding and the likelihood that our students will be involved is very high. While we as educators may feel like we know a lot about technology know, how will we feel in ten or twenty years? Hopefully, we won’t just be teaching for a few years and then going on to other jobs or retiring early. If we are lucky, we will be teaching for many years and witnessing many new technological advances. It’s important for us to stay as technologically literate as possible throughout our whole career so even our students twenty years from now will have teachers interested in technology and who use the technology they are familiar with.
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