I decided to use "symbaloo" for the hub for my PLN. To date my PLN mostly consists of links to various blogs and websites that have been recommended to me through twitter. Some of my favorite blogs are: cool cat teacher, dangerously irrelevant, and the science fix. I plan on add more blogs to my symbaloo page by researching the blogs that have been promoted on the blogs I already regularly read. Other than blogs I also have some links to the tools that I often use on there as well. I enjoy learning about new tools and the more tools I have the easier my task will be. I expect this group to grow when I begin seeing the need for different tools. The last group is a personal group. These are the links at I try to check at least a few times week because they are either very informative or encouraging or both.
Here is a picture of my symbaloo page so far. The tools I use are in red, the blogs I check the most often are in purple, and some of the blogs that I check weekly are in green. There are some orange colored tiles at the bottom those are specific blog posts that I have found helpful.
The first year at a new school is difficult for anyone, especially the teacher. Mr. Joe McClung was no exception to this rule. He shared his reflection in his blog "At the Teacher's Desk" This blog is invaluable to anyone who is about to begin their teaching career.
The first year
Mr. McClung learned a lot during his first year. One thing he learned was to be able to "read the crowd". The most beneficial part to this lesson is to see that a teacher cannot be focused on themselves. The student is the most important person in the classroom. Teachers must be able to decipher their students' reactions and act without any regard to the lesson plan. This lesson ties in with the next which is "be flexible". He remarks that trying to maintain total control in the classroom is harmful to the students. He also states that:"No lesson is ever perfect. The lesson you teach and the one you plan are always different." Next was "be reasonable". High expectations from students are a common thread among teachers. From time to time students don't perform as well as expected. The most dangerous thing to do at this point is to get upset. Don't allow emotions to ruin a classroom setting. "Don't be afraid of new technology." Technology is a tool that must be used if students are to be successful. "Listen to your students." This will build respect between student and teacher. The last point is "never stop learning". The best thing educators can do for their students is to never stop learning. This will allow for a much more engaging experience.
The fourth year
In the fourth year of his teaching Mr. McClung claimed that he didn't learn as much as had in previous years. He said that he spent a large portion of the year worrying about how his peers were viewing him as an educator. He decided that this was the wrong thing to do. He had built a strong relationship with his students, so why should he sacrifice everything that he had accomplished by trying to change his ways? Next he began to talk about challenging yourself. This will ensure that lessons stay fresh and creative. If the lesson plan goes stale the students will no longer be as engaged by the subject material and grades will surely suffer.
The take home message
Why is this blog an important one for educators? Mr. McClung prepares teachers for what lies ahead. He tells his audience that it is ok to be yourself. In fact if you stay true to yourself, the amount the students will learn will increase. To bring this full circle it is the utmost importance that the teachers remember that the student is most important person in the classroom. It is not the teacher, other educators, or even the administration staff. If teachers can hold on to this principle then the classroom will surely become a better place for learning. The last important thing to remember is to be flexible. Teachers cannot exercise too much control over any classroom setting and expect children to learn. The lesson plan must allow for changes that will ensure the maximum amount of learning is achieved.
In the video this is how we dream, the imagination is stretched to its limit when one discovers the possibilities of writing with multimedia in the classroom. The video discusses how blogs, youtube, and other websites are changing by making sure the audio experience is as good as the written one. The underlying question is: How are we going to use this technology to better the future for our students? The ultimate advantages are the amount of time it saves the author by being able to be published instantly, and the published work is stored on the internet for as long as hosting site is still operational. The publication can also be read by anyone at anytime.
How can this be used education? How can teachers convince their students and their parents that this is a useful skill? While creativity is very important in any student's academic career, it is not always the most understood. Relevance must seen by all parties for this to succeed. Relevance is not always the same thing to different people. To the parents will have to be shown how writing with multimedia will help their child. The child will have to be shown how it affects them personally. The teacher will need to see the positive effects of this over time.
The solutions to these problems will have to be simple yet complete. The teacher will have the responsibility of making an assignment that allows for two things. The first is the student will have to use a tool to embed a movie, sound clip, or picture into a report. The second is that some of the assignments must be able to do without just copying and pasting already published videos off of youtube, in other words they will have to make a video. An assignment like this will satisfy all three parties involved. The teacher will see higher test scores, the parents will be amazed at the publications and see that their child is learning, and most importantly the student will have fun doing it.
Carly's blog post is a simple post on the surface. It is when one dives into the links that the post becomes alive. The videos contained within speak volumes that the written word could not. Each video shows something either to inspire us, or simply remind us of the "same voice, same song." To someone who has never heard this song they wouldn't understand the significance this reference makes, therefore if the link to the song wouldn't have been created the reader would have lost that nugget of information. Dr. Miller's this is how we dream discusses this writing style in great detail. He explains that future publications must meet additional requirements to be valid in today's world. The main one he stresses is that the article in question must be appealing to not only the eyes but also to the ears. Carly's post does all this plus more.
"Keep me posted." These words were spoken by Dr. Strange multiple times in the Chipper Series. Each time he said these words he was watching a student travel farther down a path that was harder than the one she was avoiding. In the beginning of the video it shows her being late on a blog post. Instead of bucking up and doing the assigned work, she quits school and opens a flight school. Granted that is a little extreme, but the point is normally the easiest way out of an assignment or another commitment is by doing it. If the energy Chipper used was put into her assignments and not towards getting out the assignment, she would have passed EDM 310 with flying colors. Chipper did however learn a very valuable lesson. Responsibility and professionalism will be required no matter what one is doing in their life, and without proper preparation life will be very difficult.
EDM 310 for dummies is basically two messages rolled into one. The first is EDM 310 is hard. The second is that there is help. The beginning of the video show two girls breaking keyboards in frustration. Later they learn of the EDM 310 for dummies book and they ordered it right then, not sure if they got free shipping. The book radically transformed their experience. The class was now easier and they were enjoying it. The end of the video showed the phone number to order one of these magical books. The number is also the number is to the EDM 310 helpline. So ask you help, the resulting experience is worth it.
School as we know it must change. In today's students are beginning to learn more outside of the classroom than they are inside the classroom. How are students doing this? Where is this fountainhead of knowledge? The answer is online. It is through technology that students are being exposed to the information that they want to learn. How can we as educators afford to ban the tools used to provoke this kind of learning?
This has to stop and it has to stop now. The school systems today need a major overhaul in order to keep with tomorrow's demands. Let's use technology in the classroom so that students will learn how to use technology. Let's reinforce the fundamentals through creative outlets such blogs, or a twitter feed, rather than a pencil and a piece of paper. No more blocking social media sites, especially when student can being following tomorrow's historical figures today. Why not follow other important figures as well? Let's follow Einstein in the science classes, Shakespeare in literature, and Euclid in math. In a world so saturated with technology, teachers must begin teaching responsibility in the digital world as well as the real world. The progress of this will directly relate to effectiveness of the internet outlets that the teachers and the students decide to use. It will be the responsibility of everyone to monitor these outlets. The teacher must teach how to validate sources. The students must use their new knowledge to validate these sites. The future is bright. All that is left is for tomorrow society to reach out and take it.
This tool is really easy to use. It allow for pictures to be put into a video setting. This is basically a highly entertaining slideshow. It also has the ability to put your pictures to music which can make the dullest pictures suddenly come alive. This is a fine example of what an individual can do with this program in about ten minutes.
This tool allows for anyone to create poll questions for free. Here is an example.
The discovery channel's education page has many more cool tools for classroom use. Remember a blacksmith reputation is based on the number of tools he has. Teachers, see if any of these new "hammers" fit your teaching style.
The teacher I was assigned to was Mrs. Cofino. She is a teacher in Japan. The work she does with technology in the school system is amazing. In the first post "Orientation 2.0" she explains the process of starting the new school year. She knows that each student will have a laptop to use for the rest of the year. Instead of having the teacher explain the functionally of the computers, she uses student leaders. She continues on to say that the student leaders save an enormous amount of time and ensure that everyone is comfortable with their computer.
I commented that I like the student leader idea. They would also prevent a lot of headaches later in the school year. Think about it. If each student receives individual instruction on specific procedures, then everyone will be prepared when those skills are required.
The second post was an expansion on the first. Mrs. Cofino's tech team has begun making more videos and placing them on their new blog. The blog can be found here. The amount of information in this blog is amazing. The keynote videos are extremely useful. She continues on to say that the team is beginning to take on even more responsibility. They are now making videos for teachers and parents. They are also making more tutorial videos to show during their assemblies.
Mrs. Cofino's tech team deserves a lot of praise. They are going beyond the call of duty to ensure that their fellow students are able understand the technology they need. I told Mrs. Cofino this and I also asked her to thank her tech team for me.
The video The Networked Student Wendy Drexler explains to us the function of a personal learning network or PLN. A PLN is a collection of people, websites, and other sources that give information on a subject. The process in which one builds their PLN is simple. First locate a credible source. Next bookmark it on a bookmarking website. Repeat these two step until a fair number of bookmarks are made. Then share the bookmarks with fellow students and see if they have any to offer. Over time this will create a database. This database is only the first part of a student's PLN.
Once the student has spent some time with their database, they can start branching out by blogging. Creating a blog will allow the student to demonstrate their knowledge. They can also subscribe to their classmates blogs or blogs written by experts on the topic of study. This will ensure that they will have the most up to date information available. The student can also post on other blogs. Presenting their findings to others and asking questions will rapidly increase their social skills and knowledge.
Equally powerful is Itunes U. Itunes U is a free service from Apple that provides classes to students via ebooks and podcasts. These classes are recorded by some of the best professors in the world. Students could listen to these lectures anytime. The next question is: where do teachers fit in with all this independent learning? Teachers will be more like tour guides. They will show students how to find credible sources and how to use them. The teacher will also critique the students work and put them back in the right direction.
The networking of a student has the potential to create a learning environment that will surpass even the best classroom. A system that can teach anyone almost anything with such a degree of efficiency is something that is needed today. Why is this system not already in placed in every school today? The tools required are free as long as each student has computer access. The problem is: What happens to the students that are not highly motivated? Networking appears to take an enormous amount of time to setup and maintain. Take a middle school for example. Students go to five or six classes a day. Does the student have to be "networked" into every subject? If not then will they have enough time to attend the other classes and network? Where Itunes U is involved: Will any of these students even be able to understand a college level lecture? Where is the line drawn between being "networked" and being able to be a kid?
The point is the networked student will have to an older student. High school or college students could easily take advantage of this system and excel. If this is introduced to middle school students it may be more effective to have a networked teacher and a class blog. This way the teacher can observe the students more closely to ensure the fundamentals are being learned. The students could still read the blogs the teacher, and other experts have written. Plus they could leave a reply or retell the information on a simpler personal blog.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment or PLE
The video A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment or PLE shows a how PLE is used daily. The day starts with the student checking their agenda for that day's assignments. Next the student uses various tools such as blogger, google docs, and evernote to begin working. If the students need to work in groups the computers are already connected via google docs. The video also mentions that the students try to have their projects looked over by experts.
The PLE appears to be a sophisticated assignment delivery system. The deliveries go both ways. The teacher sends out assignment via the agenda, and the student sends it back via google docs or a blog post. This is an interesting idea. This form of a PLE is more dilute than the PLN discussed earlier. This means that it will be more effective for younger students. Since the student doesn't have to as much networking; the teacher can begin instructing them on how to begin networking. This will set the stage for more advanced PLEs and PLNs for high school.
There are similarities between this PLE and EDM 310 classes. The checklist used similar to their agenda. Both of these allow the students to decide what they want to do next. The connections to experts both have allow them to learn from the best people possible. Connecting with peers also play an important roles in both classrooms. Even though technology has advanced to point where we can teach ourselves anything, we still need to learn how to play well with others.
How can someone describe the importance of Randy Pausch's work, and give due justice? When a man goes as far as using his last days to continue teaching others about life, justice is not obtainable. All we can do is listen to his lessons and take to heart the message he wanted us to hear. The overwhelming theme of his talk was how to live your life by learning from your dreams,helping others achieve theirs, and most importantly have fun doing it.
How did he help others achieve their dreams? He taught them. He allowed them to be creative. He didn't set a bar. He had fun. He taught them by teaching something else that they thought was fun. Dr. Pausch referred to this as a "head fake." No one wants to be forced to learn, the magic happens when students want to learn. This approach will keep the students engaged, and the quality of work they will do will be much better. The Alice program is a perfect example. By allowing students to "play" with this virtual world they will "learn" how to program.
Creativity was also very important to Dr. Pausch. When used correctly, creativity can inspire students to undertake breathtaking feats. In the building virtual worlds class he told his student to make a world. The specifics was completely up to them. After two weeks the students presented their work. The results were so amazing that he had to call his mentor for advice on how to react to this high level of work. The point here is creativity is a force that will drive students to the edge of their limits and beyond. Once students see that they required another piece of the puzzle to complete their picture, they will learn how to acquire it.
The advice Dr. Pausch received from his mentor was "If you set a bar for them, you will be doing them an injustice." This holds true in so many different ways. Setting a bar will allow students to see a finish line. After seeing the results from the first building virtual worlds project, Dr. Pausch told his students "that was good, but you can do better." The projects grew more complex, more puzzle pieces were needed, and most importantly more puzzle pieces were acquired. If the bar had been set as the first project being perfect, would the students have ventured into new territories? Should teachers ever set bars in the classroom? Bars are ceilings, they tell students, this is the top you don't have to go any farther.
What is the easiest thing someone can do to make someone else interested in what they are doing? Have fun doing it. Did Tom Sawyer convince the other kids to paint the fence by saying how hard it was? No, the kids would have left. The point here is find joy in all that you do. Live your life to the fullest and for every second that it has to offer. If your doing good and having fun doing it then the other people in your life: friends, family, and students will follow your lead.
Thank you Dr. Pausch. The life you have led will echo throughout all time. You are an inspiration to millions, and to me. I understand now what it is that I must do. I have to have more fun. I have to stop letting the fear of standing out getting in the way and just do it. I will become a teacher. I will educate the future generations. I will have fun doing it.
For my first comments for kids I was introduced to Jacob and Olivia. They are in Mr. Capps' third grade class in Baldwin County. Their post was about the letters they wrote to their friend Tate in Africa. Jacob's letter was more about his hobbies. I decided the best way to get him engaged was to ask him questions about his interests. I asked him about his baseball. He also shared that he had been to Canada and that the weather was hot here because he lives in Alabama. So the logical question to ask him was if it was hot in Canada. Olivia was a little more difficult. She asked Tate a lot of questions. I didn't want answer the questions since didn't feel like it was my place. Instead I focused on the fact she liked chapter books. I asked her to recommend some of her favorites to me. I hope that Mr. Capps can use this information to recommend some books to her.
My next post was for Anna. She was sharing her favorite song with the world. Her favorite song was "Strong Enough" by Matthew West. After listening to the song, I was encouraged to do better. If I am going to be a teacher and lead my students I am going to need help. I shared my revelation with Anna. I told her that she was an inspiration. I wanted Anna to see that her words were not falling on deaf ears. I hope this will influence her to continue writing about her passions.
The following video, The iSchool Initiative (5:42), clearly shows the possibilities of a more progressive tomorrow. Using the technology already in existence, the classroom could become a very different place. The main device used in the video is the Itouch. Basically, the Itouch is used to interconnect the classroom through email, blogs, and various forms of social media. The advantages to this would be numerous. Each student would receive a more engaging experience. This can be achieved by utilizing social media and email. The teacher will no longer be limited to boring lectures for the students. Instead, the teacher becomes a person of guidance, leading students along the road to a solid education. Students can also interact with each other. Collaboration with peers is a very important skill to learn. Later in life, students will need skills like this no matter which direction they may go.
There are some aspects of the idea that I find interesting. I like the idea of use of technology in the classroom. I do wonder if the Itouch is the best tool to achieve this. I believe laptops would be a better solution. The main problem I see with the Itouch is its size. It's too small. My question is what happens when a student loses one. Does the student have to start over on all the assignments? Will the data be stored in the cloud? Speaking of assignments, how will students complete assignments? Typing on an Ipad is difficult enough, but a smaller Itouch? If the project is set on Apple products then Ipads with bluetooth keyboards or macintosh laptops would be better.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'
Can this be the future classroom? I honestly do not know. I see this idea working on some levels. It would be interesting to have a class meet face-to-face in this fashion. A professional class would be most likely to see benefits. As for younger students, this would be apocalyptic. Can you see elementary students sitting in front of their computers for hours? Parents would pull their students out of the school system and begin home schooling. I'm sure some applications for this idea exist. The best idea I can think of would be for scholarly competitions, like scholars bowl, or the national spelling bee. I would be interested in hearing more ideas on this subject.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Mr. Roberts shares some thoughts on the evolution of the teaching field, and our role as teachers in his project. In a world where information is just a click away, where do schools and teachers fit in? According to Mr. Roberts we are to become teachers of skills. All the information the internet has to offer is void if our students do not have the required skills to find the information they seek. Finding the information is not enough; we must insure that our students know how to find correct information. It is a sad truth, but not every website is creditable. So what will we be teaching our students? How to use search engines is an obvious starting point. Upper level classes would have to be instructed on piracy and plagiarism. All levels would have to learn how to use social media safely, and how it can be used to build a support network.
Does this mean in the future all teachers will be technology teachers? No, while technology will have a major impact in every subject, I don't see teachers being replaced by technology. Instead I see a union of advancement and engagement. Does the chalkboard replace the teacher? No, so why should a smart board or a podcast? Technology is, and always will be, a tool. The more advanced the tool you are using, the easier your task is going to be. Just ask any carpenter. Technology is not to be feared, however it must be used responsibly.
Flipped Classroom
Flipping a classroom is requiring a student to watch a video podcast at home on the subject material that is to be taught the next day. This idea is not new. Students are already required to do daily reading assignments at home. The advantages of video are the student can see how to do something instead of reading about it, and since the video is produced by the teacher the video can be customized to a greater degree.
Would I use this? Yes, flipping has enormous potential. Both of these example videos: Why I Flipped my Classroom by Katie Gimbar and Flipping the Classroom - 4th grade STEM by Ms. Musafo show the flipping being used for math. I would like to try this with science. I would make a short video on a theory or fact. The next day I would demonstrate with a live experiment. I believe if this is done correctly the students will look forward to the demonstration, therefore making them want to learn just to see what happens next.
For my upcoming podcast in a few weeks, I am doing some research on podcasts and how to do a satisfactory podcast. I was referred to the Langwitches, they are very successful podcasters who work with students. They focus on storytelling, fluency, emotion, and most importantly, comprehension. I was very impressed with the podcast they did about Purim. After they had recorded the story in pieces, they had the students put it back in order. This was a brilliant idea. This introduced the story in a whole new way.
My plan is to incorporate several of their main ideas into my podcast. One key feature that showed up in every blog post was the app garageband. It has the ability to edit recordings, this will be an essential tool later. Next is the focus on emotion. Emotion has the power to bring my podcast to life. This is important because I want my podcast to stand out. Last is a mixture of fluency and comprehension. I want my target audience to be able to understand my message. I also want to make my recording smooth. It is my hope that with practice both of these will be achieved.
For my comments for teacher post, I had the opportunity to read Ms. Kathy Cassidy's blog. Ms. Cassidy teaches grade one in Moose Jaw, Canada. From her blog I can clearly see that she is passionate about using technology in the classroom and that is a wonderful thing. I have commented on two of her posts and these are my findings.
The first post I commented on Ms. Cassidy used the ideas of Gail Boushey and Joan Moser to set up a bulletin board that can organize a classroom to have a reading program setup for each child. The original idea is to use the letters in the word cafe to make different categories. The categories are: "comprehension, accuracy, fluency and expand vocabulary". She was worried about the terminology being to difficult to understand, so she used her own base word, read. Her new categories are: " right words, explain what you read, able to read smoothly, and discover new words."
I commented about how I really liked the way she changed the terminology to suit her students. The effectiveness of a reading program is scaled by how well it is received. I'm sure that first grade students could learn the words used in the original model, but it's more important to be sure that each student already understands. How could we expect students to do anything if they can't understand what is being expected from them?
The second post was an earlier post. Ms. Cassidy shared the letters she wrote to her future students that would be joining her when school was back in session. Inside each envelope were two letters, one to the child and one the parents. The child's letter basically introduced herself, told them some things about the class, and said that she was looking forward to meeting them. The parents letter encouraged parents to stay in contact with her and tell her about the child. One of the questions she asked the parents was "What does your child enjoy learning about?." She says that it is easier to teach students when she has this information.
After thinking about my own grade school experiences, I wish my teachers would have sent me a letter. It made me nervous walking into a class not knowing anything about the up coming year. When I begin teaching, I hope that I will be able to use the same approach at the beginning of the school year.
Peer reviews are a wonderful way to practice giving constructive criticism to others. As teachers we will be required to do this on a daily basis, so it is important that we learn the correct procedure. In the video "What is Peer Editing" (3:11), and the slideshow "Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial", three main steps are discussed. These three steps are the foundation to proper teaching and should be utilized.
The first step is "compliment". Start the review with the good aspects of the paper. Tell him/her about specific things that you liked. Was the paper easy to read? Was it interesting?
Next is "suggestions". Give them specific ideas that will enhance the quality of their work. Was a word used multiple times? Could an idea have expressed more clearly?
Last is "corrections". Show them any spelling or grammar errors that were made. Was everything spelled correctly? Was punctuation used correctly?
The most important point to all three steps is to stay positive. Don't point out flaws that don't exist. Show interest in helping each other. Don't force ideas on each. For more helpful tips see the video "Writing Peer Reviews Top 10 Mistakes". (4:01)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Using Technology with Special Needs Students
In previous posts I have expressed my view of technology in the classroom. To recap, I think that we are behind the times. Now I get to tell you about some of the ways technology is being used to help special needs students. In the video "Technology in Special Education" (6:40) shows several examples of this technology in a classroom full of students. These children have some type of learning disability or psychical disability that hinder there ability to participate in a normal classroom setting. Technology allows these students to become part of the class, to no longer be an outsider. Computers with text to voice software can enable those with speech impediments to speak. The same type of software can read text to the blind. The video also shows iPods assisting students who's reading level is a little low. An audio book paired with a psychical copy of the book can keep the student engaged. They still read silently to themselves while the audio book confirms the words.
How would I use this technology? I believe most learning occurs when the students is engaged with the subject material. How then do make them engaged? The answer is making the lesson interactive. I think a class chat room would be interesting way ask questions. This would support reading, writing, and the subject you are covering at the same time. A class blog or website with interactive features would also accomplish the same goal at home. Students with speech and writing impediments would be able to join the rest of the class allowing them to have a sense of community.
After watching the video"How the iPad Works for Academics for Autism (5:22) I noticed some things that influence how a child with autism learns. It is important to keep their attention on the subject. The applications on the video show two key things. First was the counting program, the child touched an object on the screen and the iPad counted with him. The child was involved, he wanted to learn. The other was the handwriting application. The father wrote a word on the screen and the child copied it underneath. This has another important part, the father. When parents are able to teach their children it emphases the importance of the material.
I found an application that I believe would be effected for special needs students. The iResponse pro classroom responder system can overcome the speech barriers often found in special needs classrooms. The way it works is the students all have an apple device, and the teacher inputs questions that are transmitted to each student. The students answers the questions, and the results are sent back to the teacher's device, which then shows an overall class score. The teacher will get individual results as well. This program will allow everyone to be able to participate,and let the teacher see who needs extra help.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
In the video Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts (4:49), Vicki Davis discusses the importance of using every form of technology to teach students how to learn. She has her students writing blogs and wikis, teleconferencing in India, and using opensim to teach where anything is possible. Ms. Davis goes on to say that she enjoys teaching new technology to students, it helps them with what is trending. This will allow students to be more adaptable to new technology later.
I agree with Ms. Davis. The more ways we can teach our students the more they will learn. The idea of using opensim is genius, with it teacher and students can travel together to anywhere in the world. The true power though is using a blank world and creating the specific aspects of it to suit your needs. In the video they turned a blank world into a livable world using terraforming. Is terraforming technology? No, terraforming is making a habit more like Earth. Can we terraform in a normal classroom? No, the best we can do is talk about it and maybe draw a picture. I look forward to the future, however we must prepare for it.
In the video "Did you know? A John Strange 2012 version (3:41) " Dr. Strange shares several startling statistics about the future of our students and the technological gap we are facing. Given that the overall population of India and China far exceeds the population of the United States, it is obvious that they will produce more students. The large difference will undoubtedly result in more high achieving students in India and China than the United States. This is not saying that we will not have high achieving students, just that they will have more.
This is similar to the small town high school's football team and the big city school's team. The larger school will have a better team. It's not that the smaller won't practice, it is simply that the larger school will have more selection and be able to pick players more suited to the sport. Therefore, the smaller school will produce one or two "stars", while the larger school will have more. Once these "stars" enter college, then the playing field is level, and they will have to prove themselves to be able to play professionally. The underlying problem here is the jump from high school to college. It will be the coach's job to get the best out of each player using all available tools, no matter the starting size of the school. We must get our students to this next level. We are part of a global community, and we must train accordingly.
________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Winkle Wakes by lifelonglearners.
The video Mr. Winkle Wakes (2:51) is about the technology that Mr. Winkle would see if he woke up today. The world is a much different place than it was one hundred years ago. He sees examples global networking and great productivity in a business; and amazing diagnostic and life saving tools in a hospital. Then he goes into a school, and is comforted about the extreme lack of technology. The schools have not changed since he took his nap one hundred years ago.
This is unacceptable. How are we as educators suppose to expect our students to flourish in this modern age if the classroom is not equipped to do so? We must make a change and introduce computers to children, allowing them to experience the world. More importantly teachers need to be able to use not just computers but every technological tool available in our lectures. To surpass the challenges given by today's society, our students must learn more than their previous generation.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson thinks so. In his video The Importance of Creativity (19:21) he talks about how the education system the world over is setup to produce only one kind of student. This "model" student is based on the needs industry, with math and reading taking priority. He goes on to say that the world is changing and we need many different kinds of students if we are to continue to flourish. To prove his point he tells a story about a dancer. This dancer didn't fit the ideal model, she was hyper and didn't do her homework. Her parents took her to a doctor because they feared she had a disorder. After the consultation the doctor asked to speak with her parents alone and on his way out of the room he turned on the radio. Then he asked them to observe their daughter. She was on her feet and dancing to the music. Her parents enrolled her in a London ballet school, and now she is a multimillionaire that has provided entertainment to tens of thousands of people.
Sir Ken Robinson does have a point, students do need to be allowed to express their creativity in the classroom, however I don't think this creativity should be without direction. If we could find a way to allow students to be creative and let that creativity also teach them something, then that would produce a student that will learn the material, not memorize it. Let's say the dancer was put into dance school at the earliest age possible, and all she learned was dance. She still could make millions of dollars, but she wouldn't know that since she can't read her paycheck. She won't be able to read a book, or balance her checkbook, or even check her e-mail. So in short, creativity should not be held in check, but in balance.
________________________________________________________________________________
The future, the solution, and glass.
The future is bright, the solution is solid, and glass is clear. After watching A Day Made of Glass 2 (5:59)hope has been restored. If this technology is implemented in classrooms the students of tomorrow will be the best in what ever they choose. Glass offers so much, the possibilities are endless. With science, a teacher could do amazing demonstrations, or with the help of the activity table, safely allow students to do experiments. History could literally come alive at museums with glass tablets. Epic battles, speeches, and other events could be seen in first person with the augmented reality feature. Using glass will engage students, no longer will they just hear the teacher lecture, they will become part of it.
What do I think about all of this? I think change is needed. I also think that the more you can involve a child in an activity the more they enjoy it. Glass has the potential to include every student nearly one hundred percent of the time. This will at a minimum allow the teacher to see which areas need to be covered more and which students are having the most difficulty instantaneously. Another thing is the room the doctor uses for the conference call. If each school could have a room like that then classes could go on virtual field trips. If your are studying the planets, and want to go to mars, that would now be possible. I hope that one day I will be able to use this new technology, my only fear is the price. If the cost of glass is to high, then the school systems won't be able to purchase it. So Corning, please don't raise our hopes just to have them dashed due to budget restraints.
My name is Daniel Morgan and this post is about me. Currently I live in Calvert, Alabama with my parents and my younger sister. My family is very supportive of me and without them I would not be the person I am today. For fun I enjoy playing the Magic the Gathering card game. Unlike video games, Magic the Gathering allows me to go out and interact with my peers and make new friends.
The reason I decided to major in the education field is because I want to leave my mark on this world. It is my dream that one day I can look back and see that I have changed the world for the better. To ensure this happens, I enrolled at the University of South Alabama. This is the closest university to me that has the required necessities for me to reach my full potential. Another way I am being prepared is through my job. I am the evening manager at a truck stop in Axis, Alabama. This position gives me a healthy dose of responsibility and leadership skills required to educate. Evidence of this can be seen in training new cashiers, while I could just teach them what each button on the register does, however this wouldn't be half of their training. I must also instruct them on why you press each button and the companies' policy on different situations where pressing the button is not allowed. I believe these experiences will be beneficial to me when I begin my teaching career.
Randy Pausch on Time Management
While watching the video, several points Pausch made were things I have not thought about trying before. The first one being "What if I didn't do this?". I always assume that everything in my routine must be done. In fact I do not think that I have ever challenged this. Obviously the important things can not be questioned, but the small things can be. I can focus on the small things to make more time for the important things. The other point Pausch made was "Do the ugliest first.". This is the opposite of what I normally do, so instead of starting at top and going downhill, I have been working uphill the entire time. These techniques should increase the amount of time I have available.
