I was assigned to follow Carl Fisch's class blog http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/
My first comment:
I am following this blog as an assignment for my EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I just wanted to say that I think it is amazing how much the teacher did with these two books. It is definitely important to understand what was going on in history during the time a book is written. It helps the reader better understands the circumstances in which a work was written. I also love the fact that the students had a chance to interact with the author. That is awesome!
My second comment:
I have not personally used Google Apps for Education, but in my EDM310 class use gmail and google documents. I find it to be very useful. Dr. Strange can share things with us all the time, and the students can also share things easily . I enjoy using my blog spot, and I am thinking of starting my own personal blog, and not just the one I use for my class. As far as your comment about K-12 work for the most part not being worth keeping, I disagree. Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstien when she was 19. Imagine what she was doing before then.
My third comment:
"what can we do that we haven't already done?" Something tells me that people fifty years ago thought the same thing. When we went to the moon it was mind blowing for the people of that time. When we launched the first satellite, that was mind blowing. When dial up internet was accessible at the home, when the computer was available for the home the list goes on and on. I think to say we are at our limit as far as progress goes is a cop out. A way to say "oh well, good enough."
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Comments for kids
Comments for kids: post one week 4
I was assigned to look at a class blog called meresideblog's Blog. It was very interesting. I had to play a game, and it was very difficult to beat it.
Post 2: week 5
I was assigned to look at a student's blog. Her name was Kameron V. I could tell she was young because of her grammar. It was fun to look at.
Post 3: Week 6
I was assigned to look at a student's blog named Tyreese. Unfortunately it would not work properly.
Post 4 week 7
I was assigned to look at a second grade blog from Tanzania. One of the teachers was able to skype into class, while she was on maternity leave. Yay technology!
Post 5 Week 8
I was assigned to look at Arturo's first blog. He said that he thinks that technology effects families. He thinks that people can get addicted to electronics and neglect their family.
Post 6 Week 9
I was assigned to Anita's sixth blog. She was the director of a one minute film about a girl losing her pencil case. It was cute.
Post 7 Week 10
I watched a video about pop idol on jessica's blog. It was very creative, and the music was great!
Post 8 Week 12
I had to look at Isaac's picture of him waiting in line at the play ground. It was epic.
Post 9 Week 13
I read Evan's blog about flying a kit. He wasw very descriptive.
Post 10 Week 14
I watched Maru's video on how to play sensible games to keep everyone safe. I liked it. It rocked. YAY.
I was assigned to look at a class blog called meresideblog's Blog. It was very interesting. I had to play a game, and it was very difficult to beat it.
Post 2: week 5
I was assigned to look at a student's blog. Her name was Kameron V. I could tell she was young because of her grammar. It was fun to look at.
Post 3: Week 6
I was assigned to look at a student's blog named Tyreese. Unfortunately it would not work properly.
Post 4 week 7
I was assigned to look at a second grade blog from Tanzania. One of the teachers was able to skype into class, while she was on maternity leave. Yay technology!
Post 5 Week 8
I was assigned to look at Arturo's first blog. He said that he thinks that technology effects families. He thinks that people can get addicted to electronics and neglect their family.
Post 6 Week 9
I was assigned to Anita's sixth blog. She was the director of a one minute film about a girl losing her pencil case. It was cute.
Post 7 Week 10
I watched a video about pop idol on jessica's blog. It was very creative, and the music was great!
Post 8 Week 12
I had to look at Isaac's picture of him waiting in line at the play ground. It was epic.
Post 9 Week 13
I read Evan's blog about flying a kit. He wasw very descriptive.
Post 10 Week 14
I watched Maru's video on how to play sensible games to keep everyone safe. I liked it. It rocked. YAY.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Week 6 blogs
Dr. Alice Christie
I really liked the section of Dr. Alice's site on GPS and Geocaching. I know a lot of people who own a gps, and use it all the time. I just recently discovered what Geocaching was, but I would definitely like to try it our soon. It sounds absolutely amazing. So the question is how can these things be used for education? I mean a gps is to get you places, and geocaching is just for fun right? Wrong!
I feel like the trick to being a good teacher, is finding ways to entertain your students and teach them at the same time. Geocaching would be a great way to do that, and integrate technology into the mix as well. Which apparently is the problem presented with today's teachers(integrating technology into their lesson plans). A teacher could set up a Geocaching trip to practice problem solving skills. They must find this "prize", which could be extra points or a study guide, and do so by using what they've given! Yay technology.
iTunes University
iTunes University is an extremely useful tool to both students and to teachers. It is amazing how much information you can get from iTunes U. I am going to go out on limb, and say it is probably one of the best invention on the Internet ever! It is like google, but for college students. Kind of like facebook was just for college students, before everyone else got invited! You can instructional video's and lectures on almost anything you could image. It is almost like going to college for free, except you do not get credit. Because we all know you must spend thousands of dollars a semester to be considered smart by the United States Government, but that is for a whole different blog.
iTunes U could be just as a helpful tool to teachers as it is to students. If a teacher is having trouble on how to teach something, they could look it up on iTunes U and take notes from other teacher! We all know that teachers are really life long learners! Not only could it help teachers learn, the teachers could use iTunes U as an assignment. Teachers could assign students to listen to podcasts or lectures or instructional videos!
I really liked the section of Dr. Alice's site on GPS and Geocaching. I know a lot of people who own a gps, and use it all the time. I just recently discovered what Geocaching was, but I would definitely like to try it our soon. It sounds absolutely amazing. So the question is how can these things be used for education? I mean a gps is to get you places, and geocaching is just for fun right? Wrong!
I feel like the trick to being a good teacher, is finding ways to entertain your students and teach them at the same time. Geocaching would be a great way to do that, and integrate technology into the mix as well. Which apparently is the problem presented with today's teachers(integrating technology into their lesson plans). A teacher could set up a Geocaching trip to practice problem solving skills. They must find this "prize", which could be extra points or a study guide, and do so by using what they've given! Yay technology.
iTunes University
iTunes University is an extremely useful tool to both students and to teachers. It is amazing how much information you can get from iTunes U. I am going to go out on limb, and say it is probably one of the best invention on the Internet ever! It is like google, but for college students. Kind of like facebook was just for college students, before everyone else got invited! You can instructional video's and lectures on almost anything you could image. It is almost like going to college for free, except you do not get credit. Because we all know you must spend thousands of dollars a semester to be considered smart by the United States Government, but that is for a whole different blog.
iTunes U could be just as a helpful tool to teachers as it is to students. If a teacher is having trouble on how to teach something, they could look it up on iTunes U and take notes from other teacher! We all know that teachers are really life long learners! Not only could it help teachers learn, the teachers could use iTunes U as an assignment. Teachers could assign students to listen to podcasts or lectures or instructional videos!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Week 5 blogs
Wikipedia or wackapedia?
Wikipedia. It is topic that has been debated since it was invinted. We all know that anyone can change wikipedia, even people who did not do so well on their IQ test. We also know that "people", whoever they are, keep a close eye on Wikipedia, and try their best to monitor what is posted to the site. All students have been told not to use it as a source in their English papers. So, the question arises, is Wikipedia a reliable source. I think not. I beleive it is a great jumping off point in your research. Wikipedia is best at giving one an overview of a topic; therefore, it would be a good place to get farmiliar with the subject one is researching.
So now Virgil Griffith has invented this Wikipedia scanner to allow everyone to see who has made what changes to Wikipedia. I think that it was a clever idea. It shows people that you cannot believe everything you read or see. Everything that is printed or posted is done with some type of bias. However, I do not think that we should look down on these companies for trying to preserve their image over Wikipedia. It is their right to do so. If they were trying to change something more concrete, it would be different. Wikipedia is almost like another form of press. It would be like looking down on them for changing their own website or facebook.
Mr. McClung
I loved this blog. It seems that Mr.Mclung understands the true meaning of what a teacher should be. A teacher is someone who cares about his or her students future, and tries to supply them with the tools to be successful in that future, whatever it may be. For some kids, that teacher may be the only person in his or her life that does care about their future. Not only do you have to car, you also have to understand that things are not going to always be perfect. As a teacher, you must take that in stride.
Mr. McClung admitted that he was not the teacher he needed to be at the begining. He says that he was too controlling, and tried to do things that were centered areound him, not his students. It would be easy to make that mistake. After all, it is your career, not the students. But the truth is, it is your career to be all about the student. Thanks Me.McClung for pointing out all these important points.
Wikipedia. It is topic that has been debated since it was invinted. We all know that anyone can change wikipedia, even people who did not do so well on their IQ test. We also know that "people", whoever they are, keep a close eye on Wikipedia, and try their best to monitor what is posted to the site. All students have been told not to use it as a source in their English papers. So, the question arises, is Wikipedia a reliable source. I think not. I beleive it is a great jumping off point in your research. Wikipedia is best at giving one an overview of a topic; therefore, it would be a good place to get farmiliar with the subject one is researching.
So now Virgil Griffith has invented this Wikipedia scanner to allow everyone to see who has made what changes to Wikipedia. I think that it was a clever idea. It shows people that you cannot believe everything you read or see. Everything that is printed or posted is done with some type of bias. However, I do not think that we should look down on these companies for trying to preserve their image over Wikipedia. It is their right to do so. If they were trying to change something more concrete, it would be different. Wikipedia is almost like another form of press. It would be like looking down on them for changing their own website or facebook.
Mr. McClung
I loved this blog. It seems that Mr.Mclung understands the true meaning of what a teacher should be. A teacher is someone who cares about his or her students future, and tries to supply them with the tools to be successful in that future, whatever it may be. For some kids, that teacher may be the only person in his or her life that does care about their future. Not only do you have to car, you also have to understand that things are not going to always be perfect. As a teacher, you must take that in stride.
Mr. McClung admitted that he was not the teacher he needed to be at the begining. He says that he was too controlling, and tried to do things that were centered areound him, not his students. It would be easy to make that mistake. After all, it is your career, not the students. But the truth is, it is your career to be all about the student. Thanks Me.McClung for pointing out all these important points.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Week 4
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
Before this class, I had never really dealt with podcasts. The only time I had ever come into contact with them is when I was playing in itunes or heard it on my favorite television show One Tree Hill(my favorite character had a podcast). I knew that it was basically just someones voice recorded so people could listen to it. I did not know what the purpose of a podcast was, or that it was even used educationally.
This video, The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom, really cleared my confusion on the subject. It answered many questions I had, such as does a podcast have video. The answer is yes; it is refereed to as a vodcast. The video also showed the different ways a podcast can be used. I love the way the teacher used it by reading aloud the students reading, and having different voices for each character. That would have totally caught my attention in school rather than reading it straight from the text. He also pointed out that student, if they were to miss class, would have access to all the material taught in class.
Learning How To Podcast.
I have read over many of the how to's on podcasting, but I think it is going to take me actually doing it to understand it in its entirety. So that means I am in the right class, right? I am excited that this course is going to make it easier to these things. I understand, and have downloaded the things I needed for the audio files. I have even began to play around with the microphone, but I am still a little worried about doing an actual podcast. I want to be able to make my podcast stimulating, and innovative.
I also did not know that there were awards for things like podcasting. The tutorial even indicated that one could make a career with podcasting. I find that interesting. While technology may be shutting out jobs, and replacing people with robots, is is still creating new ones. Ahh the circle of life.... or technology.
EPN Education Podcast Network
I really enjoyed this website. Whoever designed this website is awesome because it is so easy to use! I went directly to the Secondary Education link, and tested out a few of them. It is easier to listen to things being taught by people my own age. Maybe it is because I can relate to them, and it does not sound like I am being taught. It is just easier to listen to people my age, if that makes any sense at all. I am sure this works the same for people in every age group. Generally, people like to talk with people their own age. So perhaps that translates into teacher/student situations as well. 10 minute blitz is my favorite podcast on this website.
Before this class, I had never really dealt with podcasts. The only time I had ever come into contact with them is when I was playing in itunes or heard it on my favorite television show One Tree Hill(my favorite character had a podcast). I knew that it was basically just someones voice recorded so people could listen to it. I did not know what the purpose of a podcast was, or that it was even used educationally.
This video, The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom, really cleared my confusion on the subject. It answered many questions I had, such as does a podcast have video. The answer is yes; it is refereed to as a vodcast. The video also showed the different ways a podcast can be used. I love the way the teacher used it by reading aloud the students reading, and having different voices for each character. That would have totally caught my attention in school rather than reading it straight from the text. He also pointed out that student, if they were to miss class, would have access to all the material taught in class.
Learning How To Podcast.
I have read over many of the how to's on podcasting, but I think it is going to take me actually doing it to understand it in its entirety. So that means I am in the right class, right? I am excited that this course is going to make it easier to these things. I understand, and have downloaded the things I needed for the audio files. I have even began to play around with the microphone, but I am still a little worried about doing an actual podcast. I want to be able to make my podcast stimulating, and innovative.
I also did not know that there were awards for things like podcasting. The tutorial even indicated that one could make a career with podcasting. I find that interesting. While technology may be shutting out jobs, and replacing people with robots, is is still creating new ones. Ahh the circle of life.... or technology.
EPN Education Podcast Network
I really enjoyed this website. Whoever designed this website is awesome because it is so easy to use! I went directly to the Secondary Education link, and tested out a few of them. It is easier to listen to things being taught by people my own age. Maybe it is because I can relate to them, and it does not sound like I am being taught. It is just easier to listen to people my age, if that makes any sense at all. I am sure this works the same for people in every age group. Generally, people like to talk with people their own age. So perhaps that translates into teacher/student situations as well. 10 minute blitz is my favorite podcast on this website.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Week 3 blog
Media Literacy ; Ms. Cassidy
This video impressed me. What impressed me was not the age of the students, it was the fact that a school is actually giving students the tools to use technology. Lets face it. Technology is in place to make things easier. The internet allows us to literally have the "world" at our fingertips. Technology is not easy to use, once you learn it. As you can see in this video first graders are doing it with ease. This video is impressive because the school is teaching the children how to use technology. Maybe the schools are finally changing!
Little Kids; Big potential
I certainly hope that my EDM 310 class teaches me enough to keep up with these kids. I am thankfully a secondary education major, so hopefully I will have a bit more time to master technology. I think it is great that the kids get to use thier Nintendo DS. It captures thier attention, and they are having fun, and learning! Who knew all of those things were possible at once! I am totally jealous kids.
Here's whats coming! ( one year old uses iphone)
Again, I feel like the child's age is not what is impressive. Most of us grew up without computers in our home, and that is why it is difficult for grown ups to adapt to this new way of life. If the technology was available, we would have known how to use it. By the time this child is 20, there will be some other kind of technology, and that iphone he knows so well will be obsolete. Perhaps the fact that he has a technological background will help him adapt easily to newer technology. We as a society however, did not grow up playing with cell phones. My parents did not even own cell phones until I got one. My childhood was spent on a sit-n-spin, not playing with an iphone. I think that is why people find it difficult to accept technology as a way of life, because that is what it is. We just aren't used to it, but I have a feeling poeple are warming up. I mean do you know anyone who can function without their cell phone?
This video impressed me. What impressed me was not the age of the students, it was the fact that a school is actually giving students the tools to use technology. Lets face it. Technology is in place to make things easier. The internet allows us to literally have the "world" at our fingertips. Technology is not easy to use, once you learn it. As you can see in this video first graders are doing it with ease. This video is impressive because the school is teaching the children how to use technology. Maybe the schools are finally changing!
Little Kids; Big potential
I certainly hope that my EDM 310 class teaches me enough to keep up with these kids. I am thankfully a secondary education major, so hopefully I will have a bit more time to master technology. I think it is great that the kids get to use thier Nintendo DS. It captures thier attention, and they are having fun, and learning! Who knew all of those things were possible at once! I am totally jealous kids.
Here's whats coming! ( one year old uses iphone)
Again, I feel like the child's age is not what is impressive. Most of us grew up without computers in our home, and that is why it is difficult for grown ups to adapt to this new way of life. If the technology was available, we would have known how to use it. By the time this child is 20, there will be some other kind of technology, and that iphone he knows so well will be obsolete. Perhaps the fact that he has a technological background will help him adapt easily to newer technology. We as a society however, did not grow up playing with cell phones. My parents did not even own cell phones until I got one. My childhood was spent on a sit-n-spin, not playing with an iphone. I think that is why people find it difficult to accept technology as a way of life, because that is what it is. We just aren't used to it, but I have a feeling poeple are warming up. I mean do you know anyone who can function without their cell phone?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Week 2
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This video hits the nail on the head when it comes to the college experience. Everything that each of those signs read pin points exactly how I feel. The world tricks you. They tell you what a wonderful experience college is, and how you will have the time of your life. If these are the best years of my life, then kill me now. I go to school for fifteen hours so I can keep financial aid, and scholarships. I have to have a full time job to pay for the books, and living expenses.The only sign I did not relate to is the seven hours of sleep. HAHAH. I cannot tell you the last time I got seven hours of sleep. Most of my nights are spent in the glow of my laptop with blood shot eyes praying that I can b.s. my way to an A because I did not have time to read the material due to work. Why do we kill ourselves this way? I never have to time to read half the things that I am assigned.
The concept of this video is great. I like how they did it in a classroom, and it is coming from the students themselves. It is easy to relate to the students, because they are in my position. If it were men in suits holding up signs, it would not be as effective.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
I agree with Kelly Hines. As I have expressed earlier, I think that technology is helpful, but it can also be an enabler and a distraction. Also, I have expressed my concern with the way the education system is today. it is outdated and ineffective. Many people do say that technology is the way to update and better the education system. I agree with that answer to an extent.
I believe that technology will improve the class-room environment, but I agree with Kelly Hines as well. The teachers are one of the largest factors on a child's experience in the classroom. A teacher can make or break a class for a student. The teacher who is helpful, and goes the extra mile to try and make education fun and easier, is the teacher who will get a better response from his or her students. As a student, I find myself wanting to work harder for those types of teachers. They seem invested in you; therefore, you do not want to let them down.
Karl Fish: Is it Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher
Mr. Fisch is extremely passionate about this particular topic. You can see that technologically illiterate teachers truly upset him, and that his is concerned with the well-being of students. He not only wants his student's to prosper, but he also wants the teachers to do so as well. The first part of this post is a response to A Vision of Students. This video shows how technology illiterate teachers effects the students, Mr. Fisch however addresses the teachers view.
I think that a teacher should be technologically literate, but they do not have to be a computer genius. I agree with Fisch in that being technologically illiterate will be t
he equivalent to illiterate in the future. All all of my classes are hybrid (online and in class), and two of my teachers still aren't sure how to use it. However, I do not think that being technologically literate is just a problem with teachers. I think it is a problem throughout the entire population. So your job as a sanitation worker may not require you to know a computer, but what about when your children need help with homework? Or paying bills online? Or ordering tickets for a concert?
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
This media count puts things into perspective. It shows how much people really use the Internet. The Google search count is outstanding. I am guessing that Myspace is considered obsolete in the Internet world since he does not count how many people use Myspace. The Internet has become a part of daily life. I can remember being a kid using AOL 3.0 on dial up, and hearing you've got mail only once a week. Now I use high speed Internet every day.
This is very relevant to my future job as an educator.
As a teacher you have to understand your students, so you will know the best way to teach them. If most of your students are affiliated with face book, it would probably be beneficial for you to have one so it is easy for them to contact you when they need help. If their lives are highly intertwined with the Internet, then you should probably give them assignments that coincide with that. This way they are doing work, and doing with something they enjoy!
This video hits the nail on the head when it comes to the college experience. Everything that each of those signs read pin points exactly how I feel. The world tricks you. They tell you what a wonderful experience college is, and how you will have the time of your life. If these are the best years of my life, then kill me now. I go to school for fifteen hours so I can keep financial aid, and scholarships. I have to have a full time job to pay for the books, and living expenses.The only sign I did not relate to is the seven hours of sleep. HAHAH. I cannot tell you the last time I got seven hours of sleep. Most of my nights are spent in the glow of my laptop with blood shot eyes praying that I can b.s. my way to an A because I did not have time to read the material due to work. Why do we kill ourselves this way? I never have to time to read half the things that I am assigned.
The concept of this video is great. I like how they did it in a classroom, and it is coming from the students themselves. It is easy to relate to the students, because they are in my position. If it were men in suits holding up signs, it would not be as effective.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
I agree with Kelly Hines. As I have expressed earlier, I think that technology is helpful, but it can also be an enabler and a distraction. Also, I have expressed my concern with the way the education system is today. it is outdated and ineffective. Many people do say that technology is the way to update and better the education system. I agree with that answer to an extent.
I believe that technology will improve the class-room environment, but I agree with Kelly Hines as well. The teachers are one of the largest factors on a child's experience in the classroom. A teacher can make or break a class for a student. The teacher who is helpful, and goes the extra mile to try and make education fun and easier, is the teacher who will get a better response from his or her students. As a student, I find myself wanting to work harder for those types of teachers. They seem invested in you; therefore, you do not want to let them down.
Karl Fish: Is it Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher
Mr. Fisch is extremely passionate about this particular topic. You can see that technologically illiterate teachers truly upset him, and that his is concerned with the well-being of students. He not only wants his student's to prosper, but he also wants the teachers to do so as well. The first part of this post is a response to A Vision of Students. This video shows how technology illiterate teachers effects the students, Mr. Fisch however addresses the teachers view.
I think that a teacher should be technologically literate, but they do not have to be a computer genius. I agree with Fisch in that being technologically illiterate will be t
he equivalent to illiterate in the future. All all of my classes are hybrid (online and in class), and two of my teachers still aren't sure how to use it. However, I do not think that being technologically literate is just a problem with teachers. I think it is a problem throughout the entire population. So your job as a sanitation worker may not require you to know a computer, but what about when your children need help with homework? Or paying bills online? Or ordering tickets for a concert?
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
This media count puts things into perspective. It shows how much people really use the Internet. The Google search count is outstanding. I am guessing that Myspace is considered obsolete in the Internet world since he does not count how many people use Myspace. The Internet has become a part of daily life. I can remember being a kid using AOL 3.0 on dial up, and hearing you've got mail only once a week. Now I use high speed Internet every day.
This is very relevant to my future job as an educator.
As a teacher you have to understand your students, so you will know the best way to teach them. If most of your students are affiliated with face book, it would probably be beneficial for you to have one so it is easy for them to contact you when they need help. If their lives are highly intertwined with the Internet, then you should probably give them assignments that coincide with that. This way they are doing work, and doing with something they enjoy!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Week 1
Did You Know 3.0 by Karl Fisch:
This video scares me. I feel like technology is helping, and making everyday tasks much easier. I also think that it is enabling people. If we cannot recall simple things, like who played Thelma in Thelma and Louis, we simple google it instead of thinking about it. I also have think that computers and social networking are consuming people's lives. Most people I know are constantly on face book and my space instead of communicating with the actual people around them. This video only confirms that eventually computers will take over the world in theory by 2049.
I did not understand how all of the statistics tied into how computers are going to be so advanced. I do not see why the fact that China is going to be the largest English speaking country had anything to do with technology. I also did not understand why it mattered that x amount of babies were being born in the duration of that video.
Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman
This video shows how not be technologically advanced can hurt you. The above paragraph is my negative view on technology, but I also can see where the rapid advancing of technology is good. School has been left out of the "technology" world for the most part. Do not get me wrong, a good book is amazing, but computer skills are a necessity for later in life. Most schools do not concentrate on computer skills. Schools have been the same for years. The material is not stimulating in any sense.
Children need more than just pen and paper to keep their attention. Working with things like the Promethean boards is an example of using technology to help stimulate a child's mind. Allowing students to be "hands on" is also a way to get them to pay attention. Schools need to be updated.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I like this video. Robinson keeps it going with his jokes, but he also gets his point across. He is very easy to listen to. It does not even seem as if he is giving a speech. It is almost like you are in a conversation with him. I like this video. He also has a great point.
Schools do push out creativity. They concentrate on things like math and English. The arts are the first thing in a schools budget to get cut. This is not fair. What if a child loves acting, and wants to be on broadway. Most of the time their dreams are shot down. Children are told to get their head out of the clouds when they say things like I want to be a singer, or dancer, or actor. Who is to decide the purpose of education. I understand that it may not be the schools job to foster creativity, but it is the schools job to stifle it as well? I believe education is somewhere in between. I think it is the school's job to assist children in determining what they would like to pursue in their adult career. It is also their job to equip the children with the tools to achieve what they decide upon doing. Many schools are not assisting children with those tools if they are interested in the arts as a career choice.
I have always thought the education system was complete crap. It is bias toward the left brain. What about the right brain kids? I do believe the movie Accepted pretty much summarizes my view on the education and what it should be. Everyone should watch it, and reflect.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I loved this video. I think that Vicki is doing something amazing with her classroom. I wish I could have played with Avatars in my high school, or travel to the Middle East. She is allowing the students to go outside of the regular text book. She is opening their eyes and showing her students that there is a world outside of their small town in Virginia.
I think that that in itself is amazing. So many people are blind to the fact that there are so many people in the world, and they are all different. People have different beliefs, and customs. The one thing we all have in common in the internet. So why not learn about other people through it! You rock Vicki Davis.
This video scares me. I feel like technology is helping, and making everyday tasks much easier. I also think that it is enabling people. If we cannot recall simple things, like who played Thelma in Thelma and Louis, we simple google it instead of thinking about it. I also have think that computers and social networking are consuming people's lives. Most people I know are constantly on face book and my space instead of communicating with the actual people around them. This video only confirms that eventually computers will take over the world in theory by 2049.
I did not understand how all of the statistics tied into how computers are going to be so advanced. I do not see why the fact that China is going to be the largest English speaking country had anything to do with technology. I also did not understand why it mattered that x amount of babies were being born in the duration of that video.
Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman
This video shows how not be technologically advanced can hurt you. The above paragraph is my negative view on technology, but I also can see where the rapid advancing of technology is good. School has been left out of the "technology" world for the most part. Do not get me wrong, a good book is amazing, but computer skills are a necessity for later in life. Most schools do not concentrate on computer skills. Schools have been the same for years. The material is not stimulating in any sense.
Children need more than just pen and paper to keep their attention. Working with things like the Promethean boards is an example of using technology to help stimulate a child's mind. Allowing students to be "hands on" is also a way to get them to pay attention. Schools need to be updated.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I like this video. Robinson keeps it going with his jokes, but he also gets his point across. He is very easy to listen to. It does not even seem as if he is giving a speech. It is almost like you are in a conversation with him. I like this video. He also has a great point.
Schools do push out creativity. They concentrate on things like math and English. The arts are the first thing in a schools budget to get cut. This is not fair. What if a child loves acting, and wants to be on broadway. Most of the time their dreams are shot down. Children are told to get their head out of the clouds when they say things like I want to be a singer, or dancer, or actor. Who is to decide the purpose of education. I understand that it may not be the schools job to foster creativity, but it is the schools job to stifle it as well? I believe education is somewhere in between. I think it is the school's job to assist children in determining what they would like to pursue in their adult career. It is also their job to equip the children with the tools to achieve what they decide upon doing. Many schools are not assisting children with those tools if they are interested in the arts as a career choice.
I have always thought the education system was complete crap. It is bias toward the left brain. What about the right brain kids? I do believe the movie Accepted pretty much summarizes my view on the education and what it should be. Everyone should watch it, and reflect.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I loved this video. I think that Vicki is doing something amazing with her classroom. I wish I could have played with Avatars in my high school, or travel to the Middle East. She is allowing the students to go outside of the regular text book. She is opening their eyes and showing her students that there is a world outside of their small town in Virginia.
I think that that in itself is amazing. So many people are blind to the fact that there are so many people in the world, and they are all different. People have different beliefs, and customs. The one thing we all have in common in the internet. So why not learn about other people through it! You rock Vicki Davis.
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