The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
I liked this video about how podcasting can be beneficial. Though I do own an iPod and an iTouch I have never listened to podcasts. I do like the idea of podcasting for students who miss class due to illness or fieldtrips. It would be a great way to do reviews also. With the testing used in the curriculums today there is very little time left for review. The reviews could be done via podcasts for the students who needed it. I know at times when I was in school reviews seemed very boring if I already knew the information. I also like the fact that podcasts can be used as a way to inform parents of what is going on. Parent-Teacher conferences and Open House Nights seem to be fading out as everyone has very hectic schedules and cannot always meet at one time.
Judy Schwarf’s Podcast Collection
Wow! This is amazing how organized all of her information is. The step by step instructions, the topics and the questions make podcasting seem very easy to do in a classroom. Although outside of a technology based class, I don’t know how realistic it would be to spend 17 class periods on podcasting. The student’s podcasts that she has available are very creative and well-done, proof that her instructions are complete and easy, even for students.
Langwitch’s Blog
This is a very creative way to use podcasts. I think that it builds confidence in the young children who participate in the podcasts and gives them a better understanding of what they are learning. When I was going through school I know that if I could tell someone else about something or explain it, I was the one that benefitted from it. I think this is true for these students also-that by creating the podcasts and taking on the roles of different characters they are benefitting themselves and those who listen to the podcast.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Blog Post #4
Don’t Teach Your Children This Stuff. Please?
I really like the way this post was presented, as sarcastic yet fully seriously. Dr. McLeod makes positive and negative points about technology which really makes people think but in the end he shows that he believes that technology is good for the classroom. Dr. McLeod is very experienced with children as teaching. In his about me part of his blog we find that he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. He also mentions many different levels of education he has worked with as well as being a camp counselor and having children of his own.
While I think technology is a wonderful thing I have a fear that if every child has access to it 24/7 that it would be used In ways not suitable for learning. There are many things on the internet other that educational resources and I fear that without the proper restrictions in place this could be distracting and even dangerous for children.
The iSchool Initiative
This video shows the impact that anyone can have through the internet. A video done by a high school student about his views of how to fix educational problems has been viewed by many people spreading his views to people he may never meet. The thought and time put into this video makes it very evident that he is confident in his idea and has done the research to make it work.
I think his idea could be great for the schools if the apps are created and used correctly. As a substitute teacher in Mobile County I have encountered many problems with cell phones. While it is in the rules that cell phones cannot be on campus every student still has them and they are being used. Most children think the teacher does not see but it is obvious that this is a huge distraction. I fear that if a system such as iSchool is used that children would use the connections for personal reasons more than educational.
The Lost Generation
I had to watch this video a few times before I completely understood it. The first time I looked away from the screen as it was starting to reverse and when I looked back I realized it was scrolling the other direction but didn’t catch that it was the whole point. When I watched it again I paid attention to what was being said and in my mind I was thinking “this is horrible, why are we watching something so depressing?” When I started listening to the reversal everything started falling in place of how I would want me life to be and suddenly I felt optimistic rather than depressed.
This video truly shows the importance of perspective. Life if what we want it to be and we cannot expect someone else to change the world for us. If we want a positive life then we need to work for it and look at life in a positive way. If we do not work for what we want we will simply become another statistic. I do not want to be a statistic and I refuse to believe that I can’t achieve what I want to do.
Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
I thought this video was really interesting. It’s amazing how people who have never met and never practiced together can create music that seems so perfect. I have used voice systems such as Ventrilo for gaming purposes but I can’t imagine the time that was put into making this choir so perfect.
I really like the way this post was presented, as sarcastic yet fully seriously. Dr. McLeod makes positive and negative points about technology which really makes people think but in the end he shows that he believes that technology is good for the classroom. Dr. McLeod is very experienced with children as teaching. In his about me part of his blog we find that he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. He also mentions many different levels of education he has worked with as well as being a camp counselor and having children of his own.
While I think technology is a wonderful thing I have a fear that if every child has access to it 24/7 that it would be used In ways not suitable for learning. There are many things on the internet other that educational resources and I fear that without the proper restrictions in place this could be distracting and even dangerous for children.
The iSchool Initiative
This video shows the impact that anyone can have through the internet. A video done by a high school student about his views of how to fix educational problems has been viewed by many people spreading his views to people he may never meet. The thought and time put into this video makes it very evident that he is confident in his idea and has done the research to make it work.
I think his idea could be great for the schools if the apps are created and used correctly. As a substitute teacher in Mobile County I have encountered many problems with cell phones. While it is in the rules that cell phones cannot be on campus every student still has them and they are being used. Most children think the teacher does not see but it is obvious that this is a huge distraction. I fear that if a system such as iSchool is used that children would use the connections for personal reasons more than educational.
The Lost Generation
I had to watch this video a few times before I completely understood it. The first time I looked away from the screen as it was starting to reverse and when I looked back I realized it was scrolling the other direction but didn’t catch that it was the whole point. When I watched it again I paid attention to what was being said and in my mind I was thinking “this is horrible, why are we watching something so depressing?” When I started listening to the reversal everything started falling in place of how I would want me life to be and suddenly I felt optimistic rather than depressed.
This video truly shows the importance of perspective. Life if what we want it to be and we cannot expect someone else to change the world for us. If we want a positive life then we need to work for it and look at life in a positive way. If we do not work for what we want we will simply become another statistic. I do not want to be a statistic and I refuse to believe that I can’t achieve what I want to do.
Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
I thought this video was really interesting. It’s amazing how people who have never met and never practiced together can create music that seems so perfect. I have used voice systems such as Ventrilo for gaming purposes but I can’t imagine the time that was put into making this choir so perfect.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Additional Assignment #1
Google Squared allows the individual to edit the findings to specifically what they need. This type of spread sheet could help express general ideas while giving specific examples and comparisons.
Wolfram Alpha is very interesting in how quickly it can compute complicated equations. This could be used when trying to find historical dates and information, such as population changes. Wolfram Alpha could also be a great help in math as a way to check answers.
Before having this assignment I had not heard about Wolfram Alpha at all and though I had heard of Google Squared I did not know what it was nor had I used it.
The Did You Know comments did not change my perspective.
I feel that statistics simply take what most people already know and put it onto the screen (or paper).
Wolfram Alpha is very interesting in how quickly it can compute complicated equations. This could be used when trying to find historical dates and information, such as population changes. Wolfram Alpha could also be a great help in math as a way to check answers.
Before having this assignment I had not heard about Wolfram Alpha at all and though I had heard of Google Squared I did not know what it was nor had I used it.
The Did You Know comments did not change my perspective.
I feel that statistics simply take what most people already know and put it onto the screen (or paper).
Sunday, September 12, 2010
C4T Summary
In the blog posts that I read over the last couple weeks my teacher spoke about the importance of English- the way it is taught and tested, and the way that students are grouped into classes. The first post I read spoke about the ways of communication, of how one word could have a completely different meaning based on the way it is used. The example she gave was “nothing”. We are guilty of this all the time, saying we are doing “nothing” when in reality we may be watching tv, cooking, or hanging out with our friends. She also spoke about the oral testing that is done for the language/vocab proficiency. The testing is done in a non-biased way by teachers outside of the classroom so that the amount that has been learned is properly scored.
The second post I read (which was a previous post) was about students being placed into language classes based on age, not ability. Teaching a second language is hard enough as is learning it, but to be placed into a class based on age was a problem for her. She felt, and I agreed, that just because a person may be older does not mean that the person knows enough to be placed into a higher level class. She pushed for a new system which is now used that classifies the students based on their ability to learn. Students are tested before moving on and if the instructors feel that the student is not proficient enough they repeat the level. For clarification just because the student repeats the course it does not mean that they have failed, it simply means that they needed more practice before moving on.
I agree completely with the new system that age should not determine a person’s ability to speak a new language. And on the other post I agreed with the way the testing was being done by a teacher outside of the classroom so that they can truly gage the students ability in general, not just based on what has been taught in that classroom.
Blog Assignment #3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
I like the way this video was done, it’s very simplistic but full of facts and student participation. This classroom looks very familiar to some I have been in throughout college. I think the points that are made in this video are pretty accurate for most colleges of reasonable size. In my experiences very few teachers know my name but I knew before I ever went into the class it would be that way. The smaller classes where teachers know names are great but even in a large classroom setting I have had no problem getting help, even if the teacher didn’t know who I was.
I really like the emphasis that is put on what students spend their time doing and saying that we are multi-taskers. If it wasn’t for multi-tasking students would never “have a life” outside of school and maybe work. I personally work two jobs and go to school, but I still listen to a lot of music and keep up with TV shows occasionally. This all being said, I spend a lot of time online, which is where much of information comes from on a daily basis.
It’s Not About the Technology
In this post many good points are made. No matter what we do we cannot force the learning process. Special attention is sometimes needed and that’s fine. My favorite point made in this post is that the teacher has to be willing to learn how to use the technology themselves or the money is being wasted. I feel that this is very important. Many people agree that technology is necessary in the classroom and I don’t completely disagree with this, but the teachers must be trained or the money that is being spent on it is useless.
Many teachers who have a set way do not want to change to a more technological classroom and if they aren’t willing to change their methods the money should not be wasted. Students can still learn from a traditional classroom. While technology is very important some subjects can be taught very accurately without technological help- it requires more effort from the teacher and more attention from the students but I believe that it is still possible, at least for now.
Is It OK To Be Technologically Illiterate?
Some very good points are brought up in this post- the jobs that we are training our kids for may not exist yet. The normal life for them growing up will not be the same as what ours were. When our parents were children television was a new thing, kids went outside and played, and to get in contact with someone you went to their house. We are living in a world where every child has their own television with hundreds of channels, we sit in our rooms and play video games more than riding bikes and the best friend is only a text away. Classrooms are moving forward too- we have gone from chalkboards and overhead projectors to white boards and PowerPoint to smartboards..
Whether we agree or disagree with the way technology is changing, it is still taking over. Textbooks will soon be replaced by books on CDs. The way we teach must move forward to catch up and keep moving forward to get ahead. Teachers don’t need to be afraid to start learning with technology; it seems that many people are afraid to press a button because they are unsure. If we are afraid to try we are going to fail ourselves and our children.
Social Media Count
I enjoy seeing counts like this because they put into perspectives things we already know but don’t grasp. I think they are very interesting as well as astounding. I particularly like to look at the world clock and the birth and death rates. Our world is changing and it’s changing FAST.
As far as what this means for me as a teacher I feel that it means that I will be working at my computer desk much of the time. Facebook has become a way of communication for me and some of my teachers I have now. It’s amazing how well it works. In the years I will be teaching there will be much less paper and red ink and more technologically based testing and communication.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Blog Assignment #2
Did You Know? 3.0
I love this video. It is very simple and proves the point that the world is constantly changing around us. Not only is technology changing but the world is growing and using the technology in ways that were unheard of when our parents were children. This video is also inspiring, it shows that the best (or so we hope) is yet to come.
I enjoy having technology at my fingertips, I’m not the most technical person in the world but for the most part if I need something I can find it. I can’t even imagine the things that are to come within my lifetime and the lifetime of my children. It brings a lot of wonder to my thoughts: What will textbooks be like in the future? How much will my personal computer be able to do? Will online classes become the norm? How will my lifetime be expressed in history?
Mr. Winkle Wakes
This video did not appeal to me in the way that it was portrayed but I like the point of the message. I think that many people just think about computers when technology is mentioned, but not many think of all the little things that fall under technology. I also think that many people my age take for granted the fact that technology is “well-developed” today compared to generations in the past. I can’t imagine a world where only the rich have cell phones and very little medical advances.
The classroom part of this video however saddens me. I picture a classroom have power point projections and at least a computer or two. I remember the times when I was in school and everything was written on the board, but at that time it was normal. To walk in a classroom today and have no electronic help would make me feel out of place. I would feel that the students rely more on me and what I have to say and think because they don’t have the other points of view that the media used in a classroom provides. While that is all a part of being a teacher, to actually effect a child’s learning, I would be slightly afraid for them to rely completely on me.
The Importance of Creativity
When I looked at this video the first thing I noticed was how long it was, but it is very informative, thought provoking and even comical. I love the part about the little girl drawing God. That little girl is exactly right what we don’t know we will soon. While the drawing was simply her interpretation she believed that she was right, and no one can prove that she is wrong. The school systems do tend to tell children that they are wrong way too much. Who are we to judge a child on something that is left to interpretation? If you give a child a blank sheet of paper and ask them to color it green and they give it back to you with lime green, grass green, and dark green lines are they wrong? Some people would tend to think so but to me the child followed the instructions and colored it green, just many different shades of green.
The part about the dancer was inspiring to me also, as a child I danced (outside of school) and it was something that I enjoyed more than going to class. I could understand that some children would benefit from more extracurricular activities such as a dance class. Curriculum could be added to these classes to teach much more than dance if the need for it was there. I have learned that what is going on around me when I do different activities is how I remember them. If a child dances and is taught something they may remember those things by doing the dance in their head. For me this is done through music, when I study I listen to music or have the television on in the background. I’ve been asked many times how I can pay attention but whenever it comes time to recall the information I think about what I was listening to or watching and it is there. Also if the song later comes on the radio or I see the same show again I can connect it to what I have learned.
A child’s creativity is a wonderful thing. Children are not afraid to make mistakes as Ken Robinson says they don’t see it as a mistake. I think that creativity should be focused on in a classroom and each child should be helped or taught according to their interests (within reason). I would never want someone to tell me how to do something or that what I’m doing is wrong simply because they have a different interpretation.
Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
I wish my high school had a class that wasn’t just books and lectures, sure we had computer classes but they were simple typing classes or how to take a computer apart. These classes were helpful if you didn’t know how to type or wanted to work on computers but for a normal student these weren’t skills that were helpful. I like how technology has been brought to the classroom in this video, especially since it is a rural school. The ability to connect to people worldwide can be a scary thought but many good things can come out of these connection if done properly. For a rural community this can change everything in the years to come.
Children learn through doing things better than they will learn from simply being lectured. I figured this concept out in middle school- if I could teach something I knew to someone else in my class I walked away with an even better understanding of the topic. This is very true in this classroom and is evident in the video. These children teach each other, work collaboratively and even teach their teacher. The world of technology is constantly changing and if you are afraid to press a button and try something new it will leave you behind.
I love this video. It is very simple and proves the point that the world is constantly changing around us. Not only is technology changing but the world is growing and using the technology in ways that were unheard of when our parents were children. This video is also inspiring, it shows that the best (or so we hope) is yet to come.
I enjoy having technology at my fingertips, I’m not the most technical person in the world but for the most part if I need something I can find it. I can’t even imagine the things that are to come within my lifetime and the lifetime of my children. It brings a lot of wonder to my thoughts: What will textbooks be like in the future? How much will my personal computer be able to do? Will online classes become the norm? How will my lifetime be expressed in history?
Mr. Winkle Wakes
This video did not appeal to me in the way that it was portrayed but I like the point of the message. I think that many people just think about computers when technology is mentioned, but not many think of all the little things that fall under technology. I also think that many people my age take for granted the fact that technology is “well-developed” today compared to generations in the past. I can’t imagine a world where only the rich have cell phones and very little medical advances.
The classroom part of this video however saddens me. I picture a classroom have power point projections and at least a computer or two. I remember the times when I was in school and everything was written on the board, but at that time it was normal. To walk in a classroom today and have no electronic help would make me feel out of place. I would feel that the students rely more on me and what I have to say and think because they don’t have the other points of view that the media used in a classroom provides. While that is all a part of being a teacher, to actually effect a child’s learning, I would be slightly afraid for them to rely completely on me.
The Importance of Creativity
When I looked at this video the first thing I noticed was how long it was, but it is very informative, thought provoking and even comical. I love the part about the little girl drawing God. That little girl is exactly right what we don’t know we will soon. While the drawing was simply her interpretation she believed that she was right, and no one can prove that she is wrong. The school systems do tend to tell children that they are wrong way too much. Who are we to judge a child on something that is left to interpretation? If you give a child a blank sheet of paper and ask them to color it green and they give it back to you with lime green, grass green, and dark green lines are they wrong? Some people would tend to think so but to me the child followed the instructions and colored it green, just many different shades of green.
The part about the dancer was inspiring to me also, as a child I danced (outside of school) and it was something that I enjoyed more than going to class. I could understand that some children would benefit from more extracurricular activities such as a dance class. Curriculum could be added to these classes to teach much more than dance if the need for it was there. I have learned that what is going on around me when I do different activities is how I remember them. If a child dances and is taught something they may remember those things by doing the dance in their head. For me this is done through music, when I study I listen to music or have the television on in the background. I’ve been asked many times how I can pay attention but whenever it comes time to recall the information I think about what I was listening to or watching and it is there. Also if the song later comes on the radio or I see the same show again I can connect it to what I have learned.
A child’s creativity is a wonderful thing. Children are not afraid to make mistakes as Ken Robinson says they don’t see it as a mistake. I think that creativity should be focused on in a classroom and each child should be helped or taught according to their interests (within reason). I would never want someone to tell me how to do something or that what I’m doing is wrong simply because they have a different interpretation.
Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
I wish my high school had a class that wasn’t just books and lectures, sure we had computer classes but they were simple typing classes or how to take a computer apart. These classes were helpful if you didn’t know how to type or wanted to work on computers but for a normal student these weren’t skills that were helpful. I like how technology has been brought to the classroom in this video, especially since it is a rural school. The ability to connect to people worldwide can be a scary thought but many good things can come out of these connection if done properly. For a rural community this can change everything in the years to come.
Children learn through doing things better than they will learn from simply being lectured. I figured this concept out in middle school- if I could teach something I knew to someone else in my class I walked away with an even better understanding of the topic. This is very true in this classroom and is evident in the video. These children teach each other, work collaboratively and even teach their teacher. The world of technology is constantly changing and if you are afraid to press a button and try something new it will leave you behind.
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