Blog Post #5

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?

     This post was by Scott McLeod.  Scott McLeod is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky.  He is widely known as one of the nation's leading experts for K-12 on school technology leadership issues.  He also is a co-creator of the YouTube video series of "Did You Know".
     I found this post somewhat sarcastic.  However, when I finished reading it, I was brought to reality about some of the things that he stated.  I agree with some of the things he was saying, and I also disagree with some of the things.  I don't believe that we should shield our children from the things of life.  Especially, if the things of life that will basically create and make up their whole life in the future.  As technology evolves, children will evolve.  So with that being said, I believe once they are introduced to it as a child, they will know how to handle it whenever it is brought to them.  However, I agree with McLeod when he says to protect your children from things such as social networks and cell phones.  The only reason I would agree is, it is so hard to manage what a child views on the internet or on a cell phone.  It does get scary sometimes when you think about it.  This is because there are many people who abuse cell phones and the internet.  As a upcoming teacher, these things that Scott McLeod are major decisions that I will have to make for my classroom.

The iSchool Initiative

     I loved this video.  This video is of a short powerpoint presentation by Travis Allen, 17yrs old when aired.  He is proposing that schools adopt the iSchool Initiative.  The iSchool Initiative is trying to get schools to adopt having and doing school through an iTouch handheld device.  He believes that with the right plan the school system can be changed.  He also states that, no doubt, money will be saved because for everything that is done in the classroom, Apple Store has a third party app for all assignments.
     This is a great initiative for all schools to adopt.  For one it would save a great amount of money for each student.  With the economy steadily decreasing daily, this would be great for all administrators to consider. Not only would it save money for the students, but it would also save money for the country.  This is because books and other sources that are usually provided via school will not have to be bought.  Also, our environment will be saved.  Less trees will be cut.  By the time I am a teacher, I hope for the iSchool Initiative to be put in effect because it will not only save money, but it will also prepare our children for the real world the way technology is increasing, and also keep parents involved.

Eric Whiteacre's Virtual Choir
When I watched this video, at the beginning, I was somewhat bored.  However, when I stopped to think about it, it then became interesting to me.  This video was alot of people singing as a chorus to the same song.  These people had never met to even practice the song.  Thinking about that, it shows you how powerful technology and the internet is.  After watching this, it made me realize how technology is becoming more efficient and powerful.

Teaching in the 21st Century
By watching this video, my perceptions of Kevin Roberts about teaching is he basically doesn't believe in "burp-back education".  He believes students should be taught skills and not facts and information.  He believes that if the student is taught skills, they will be able to perform basically any task.  He states that as teachers, we shouldn't be entertainment, but we should be there to engage with the students.  Meaning, interact with the students, have them teach you also, so everyone will be learning.
No doubt, I agree with Roberts.  Teaching children to memorize information and then testing them on it is basically pointless.  This is because, once the child takes the test, all of the information is forgotten.  However, if the student are taught skills on how to USE the information,then it will be more effective.  This is because once they get in the working field, they will have to use the information they learned which is basically teaching them skills.  As a teacher, this would help me take a different approach to my classroom.  I will not only teach the facts and information, but also incorporate using the skills that are associated with the information.

Timetoast Timeline (About Me) Project #9a

Blog Post #4

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

This video gives information about podcasting.  It gives benefits on how podcasts are in the classroom.  Podcasting allows for differentiation throughout the classroom.  Lectures can be recorded, or students can record for assignments.  Podcasts allow students to use and show their higher level thinking skills.  Podcasts also provides students with relevant information on the go.  Not only do they help the students and the teachers, but they also inform the parents on what their child is accomplishing and learning in class.

I enjoyed watching this video, because it made me realize podcasting is a very essential tool that can be used in every classroom.  Podcasting allows students to actually enjoy and participate in class.  It also allows the student to involve themselves in classes that they are not mentally strong in or they they just do not like.  It also removes the barrier for creativity.  In the future, I would make podcasting a part of my classroom, because not only it involves my students, but also involves the parents as well.

Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog

I listened to the 3rd graders as they presented facts about sharks.  This was very interesting.  I actually enjoyed listening to them.  The way they incorporated the music was a great way to make it more creative.  Although this was a podcast created by third graders, it taught me and gave me good ideas to incorporate in my podcast.  One thing that they did was pronounced their words well and pronounced them with great emphasis.  I could also hear more emotion in their voice.  Meaning, it didn't sound like they were just reading from note cards.  It was as if they actually knew this information and was trying to inform many others on shark facts.  When that was done, it made the podcast more effective.  It made me actually want to watch it.  By the time it was over, I enjoyed it and I learned a great amount about sharks as well.

100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better

As I read the 100 ways to use your iPod to learn and study  better, I was so amazed.  This is because, I have an iPhone 4 which can do all of these things.  Although many people think iPod's are only for music, it can be very essential for learning and studying for challenging classes.  Podcasts would be a number one help.  They help explain different concepts in ways that professors do not or can not.  Considering I may struggle in a few classes throughout my college years, some of those podcasts and apps would help me tremendously to improve my grades.

This Is My Sentence..

Blog Post #3

"It's Not About Technology" 
In this post, Kelly Hines points out some very important issues about technology being involved in schools.  Hines believes that throwing technology in schools is not the first step into making a school system better.  She states that in order for a school to become better there a few things that should be recognized in order to impact upcoming students.  These things are that teachers must be learners, learning and teaching are not the same thing, technology is useless without good teaching, and be a 21st century teacher without the technology.

I enjoyed reading this post.  When you actually think about it, the things that Kelly Hines stated in order to impact upcoming students in the classroom are basically common sense statements that all teachers should realize.  Technology can not be put into a room if a teacher is not willing to learn everyday about the evolving technology.  Teachers must also realize that, yes, they are the teacher, but teachers also learn from their students.  Not only from their students, but also from other sources.  Lastly, another point that I like that Kelly Hines pointed out was that technology in the classroom is not a "must have".  Class can be taught using very little technology, just be creative.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?  
In this post, Karl Fisch voices his opinion of whether it is okay for teacher to technologically illiterate.  He says that almost everything we do has to be done by using at least some form of technology.  In his opinion, it is unacceptable to say "I don't really get computers" and be comfortable with it.  He also states that technology is a major form of how most people communicate in the 21st century, and communication is a main principle that is taught in the classrooms.  Karl states that being technologically illiterate is basically the same as being illiterate to reading and writing as well.

This post made much sense to me.  Although as time goes by, teachers have to accept the fact that their teaching methods must also change with time.  A teacher who has been teaching for a number of years realizes that the methods they used when they first started teaching, of course, are not the same as today.  I believe that in order to be a teacher, you must also have to learn daily.  You have to learn the new material that is being processed in the modern day to be able to teach your students how to use and access these materials.  As Karl Fisch says, "How can we teach this to kids, how can we model it, if we aren't literate ourselves?"  He also states that we have to be willing to learn along with our students.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

As soon as I clicked this website, I immediately saw large numbers streaming and increasing by the second all the way up to annually.  This website calculates the statistics of technology, what is being viewed, sent, and even watched on the internet.  A few websites include Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Skype.  Some of the numbers I saw where shocking, because I use a great deal of these sites that are being calculated.  However, when I do use them, I wouldn't expect that many items to be viewed, sent, and watched.

Watching those numbers, I realized that technology increases by the second.  By the time I am a teacher, those numbers will be even higher than they are today.  So as I continued to watch the numbers increase, I noticed that as technology increases, I will have to increase.  I will have to keep up to date with technology and learn daily the new additions to be able to teach my students and have an efficient classroom setting.


A Vision of Students Today
This video points out facts about students.  It shows many facts about teenagers and their daily lives.  While viewing this, I noticed that I do the same things and feel the same was a majority of most of those teenagers.  However, some of those facts can be eliminated.  Technology being used in the classroom can help and it can also hinder the educational learning environment.

I believe laptops should be able to be brought to class.  However, if the teacher is doing his job as a professor/teacher by lecturing and teaching the materials, the student should be able to have enough self discipline to use the technology in the correct way, such as not being on social websites that capture their attention away from the class activity.  Also, just because a student is in a large numbered classroom does not give them the right to just be a number.  They should do whatever it takes to be an active student in the classroom such as pay attention and even ask questions to make the learning environment more exciting.

Behind the Scenes!!...

C4T #1

Not better, but different
In the blog that was read, Not better, but different, Dean Shareski talks about how technology is perceived by different individuals as not being better, but different than the past.  He argues that technology is far more better and different, and that reading doesn't give you the ability to gain as much intellect as accessing the internet.  He believes that reading books are destroying our community.
I commented on his post and stated that this post was very interesting to me.  This is because so many people in modern day believe that reading a book will give you far more intellect than technology.  I think this is because all technology is being stereotyped as a brain washer.  However, not all technology is used for the same thing.  Personally, I think a person is more intellectual if they are technologically literate and can access great information from the internet than the person who can only access information from reading.  That is because information in books and magazines are less up to date than the internet which publishes information every second.


Why Joy Matters
In the blog that was read, Why Joy Matters, Dean Shareski expounds on how teachers should focus a little more of their students emotions.  He believes that the pressure of getting the work done and making the grade is squeezing the joy out of students.  He also states that creating a joyful learning environment is very important, and if we start counting the smiles of our students there may be a difference in the classroom.
I commented and stated that I loved this post.  Many teachers today are more focused on the student coming to school getting the grade and doing the work.  However, they should be worrying about how the student feels while he/she is at school.  I believe if you could get through to the child emotionally, the classroom will be more efficient in all ways. 

Blog Post #2

Did You Know
While watching this video, I was somewhat in shock.  This video gave multiple facts that pertained to modern day and the effect that technology is having on the world. Facts about how the population of the world is increasing, the difference in America's education to other countries around the world, and how technology is increasing daily by the minute.
This video gained my attention instantly, because it made me realize how rapidly technology is increasing.  Not only did it make me realize the significance of technology, but it also made me come to reality about how my children will, no doubt, have to be technologically literate to survive in the near future.

Mr. Wrinkle Wakes
In the video, Mr. Wrinkle wakes up from a deep sleep and finds that he is lost in time.  He realizes, once he browses the city and different places inside the city such as the hospital and others, that he is technologically behind.  Once he gets to the hospital, he notices doctors reading and viewing x-rays and patients hooked up to machines and practically having them breathe and live without effort.  He also went to the school.  However, he stated that he felt at home when he arrived at the school because he noticed that they were not using computers and other technology but they were using textbooks, paper, and pencils.
This video was quite interesting to me.  It was interesting is because my father used to be alot like Mr. Wrinkle.  My father is the type that he feels using your brain and reading is the best way to gain intellect. However, now that he see's how the times are changing and technology is increasing, his thoughts and perceptions have changed a little more from what they were. When viewing this video, I was struck because it reminded me that there are quite a few people in modern day that actually are just like Mr. Wrinkle.  The way that technology is increasing, I feel that technology should be apart of everyone's life no matter the age.  Personally, I believe technology should be taught from kindergarten all the way up through the high school years.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
In this speech Sir Ken Robinson expounds on the topic of how schools are killing student's creativity.  They are forcing students to learn facts and how to do things by strictly following directions.  Teachers actually should give students, in all activities, a variety of ways to approach an assignment.  The reason I stated that the variety of approaches should be established is because all students do not learn the same way.  Some students are visual, audio, and both visual and audio. I was a visual learner.  I had to actually see the problem or situation being worked out before I could actually understand it.  Just because students have to see or do the problem does not make them an outlaw from the other students.  It also does not mean that they student has a mental disorder.  Creativity is very important when it come to teaching students and students learning.  Concluding, the thing that Sir Ken Robinson said to me that stuck with me was "If your not prepared to be wrong, then your not prepared to be creative".

Cecelia Gault (Young Student in Finland) Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
In this video, Sir Ken Robinson gave some very important information.  He stated that the schools can be better if the curriculum is changed.  He stated that science, math, and the use of technology should be the concentrated areas.  He also talked about the three myths of creativity which basically states that only certain people are creative.  However, he disagreed with those myths.  I disagree also that only certain people are creative.  The reason I disagree is because the school system in modern day are so strict about how they present their work to the students and how they want the work submitted by their students.  I believe if the teachers would open their ways of presenting the work, and allow their students to take other approaches than the directions that are given, then this would allow the children to express their ways of creativity.  That's one reason I would make sure the Cecelia Gault's in my classroom get an education as well as the Cecelia Gault in the video.


Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
"Students shouldn't be limited to just paper and pencil" is the quote by Vicki Davis that captured me.  In the video, Vicki Davis explains the significance of moving paper and pencil out of the way and using all forms of technology.  She also states that as being a teacher, you do not have to know every thing.  Vicki Davis gave her students the opportunity to teach her different things about technology.  I love this video because I believe with the way society is going, technology is basically going to be our only way of teaching our students.  As rapidly as technology is evolving, paper and pencils will be extinct and out of the question eventually.  When I obtain my degree, I wish to be a "teacher-preneur" as Vicki Davis calls herself.