C4K #1
For my first C4K post assignment, I was able to read the latest post of La'Quaisa, a tenth grade American Literature student at Baldwin County High School. The latest post that La'Quaisa had published about the story of Tom Walker. In this post, she told readers that Tom Walker was a greedy man. He kept everything from his wife and always lied to her. He was soon doomed, however, when the Devil himself took Tom away on the back of a black horse. They ran away to an old fortress and disappeared into the lightning. She also had a picture depicting the scene in which Tom was kidnapped.
I was not completely sure how to comment on a post of a younger student, so I chose my words carefully and without correction. In my comment, I simply told La'Quaisa that she stayed on topic well and gave a clear, direct summary of the story of Tom Walker. I also wrote how I thought the picture of Tom Walker greatly captured the essence of everything she had written in her summary, and I look forward to seeing more of her posts in the future.
C4K #2
The C4K post that I was able to read this week was from James, a fourth-grader at an elementary school in Prichard, Alabama. This specific blog post was about why James should be president of the United States. In his post, he writes about how he would work with Congress to make laws that will ensure our country's safety, make sure all people are treated fairly, and help bring peace throughout the world. He admits that he realizes this career would be tough, but insists that he is ready and begs his readers to please vote for him.
In my comment, I praised James for being a great writer. I told him that he seemed very enthusiastic about being president and making changes in the world around him. I wrote to never give up on his dreams and to always do the best he could, and he could very well be president in the future. I ended my comment by telling James that I looked forward to reading more of his posts.
C4K #3
This week, the student blog that I was assigned to read was that of Melaia. According to her post, Melaia is a five year student in Room 14 at Pt. England School in Auckland, NZ. Her teacher is Miss Ouano, and she says that she really enjoys her class. So far, this is the latest post that Melaia has published.
My comment on Melaia's post was pretty short and simple. I told her my name and that I was a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama in the United States. I let her know that I was happy to meet her, and always looked forward to meeting new people. I also told her that I enjoyed learning about people like her from other parts of the world, and that I hoped to get to read more of her posts in the future.
C4K #4
The C4K post that I was assigned this week was that of a tenth-grade American Literature student at Baldwin County High School named Matthew. In this blog post, which is entitled "Hegemony", Matthew tells the story of how a friend once asked him if he was better than their other friend at basketball. Matthew told him that he wasn't, and his friend got angry at him because, as Matthew says, he was "trying to prove a point".
I commented on Matthew's blog and told him who I was, and that I had enjoyed reading his post. I let him know that his story was a great example of the importance of being honest. Although his friend got mad at his answer, Matthew proved to be a true friend by not lying to him. I told him that all real friends will appreciate honesty in the long run, and that I was looking forward to reading more of his posts.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Project #10 - Finding the Right Tool
Benefits of using Iclicker
After researching different types of technology that I have not yet learned about in this class, my attention was diverted toward a tool called the iclicker. The video was very informative on giving a basic overview of what this tool can do. There were many qualities about this device which stood out to me. The iclicker, which comes in the form of a remote control, seems to be a very user-friendly tool even for those who are not technology experts. In this video, teachers were able to use this in classrooms ranging from elementary age kids to college students. Each student was able to use his/her own iclicker to answer questions, search the web, etc. on a board in the front of the class. It is easy to install, and would cut out the use of paper and writing utensils in the same way that our EDM 310 class is set up. One of the main reasons I'm fond of this idea, however, is because it not only allows students to complete assignments through technology, but also lets them work at their own pace and be better engaged in class discussions. Also, it is set up using poll-based graphs when showing grading results. If a student were to answer a question incorrectly on a quiz or test, it will not publish the student's name for the whole class to see, but will show the range of answers the students gave in graph-like forms. In my opinion, this is helpful in allowing students to see what needs to be corrected without embarrassing them in front of their classmates. I plan on teaching English and language arts to middle or high school students in the future, and it seems to be a fun and simple way to introduce them to technology usage if they are completely unfamiliar with it. It is definitely something I will look into a little more.
After researching different types of technology that I have not yet learned about in this class, my attention was diverted toward a tool called the iclicker. The video was very informative on giving a basic overview of what this tool can do. There were many qualities about this device which stood out to me. The iclicker, which comes in the form of a remote control, seems to be a very user-friendly tool even for those who are not technology experts. In this video, teachers were able to use this in classrooms ranging from elementary age kids to college students. Each student was able to use his/her own iclicker to answer questions, search the web, etc. on a board in the front of the class. It is easy to install, and would cut out the use of paper and writing utensils in the same way that our EDM 310 class is set up. One of the main reasons I'm fond of this idea, however, is because it not only allows students to complete assignments through technology, but also lets them work at their own pace and be better engaged in class discussions. Also, it is set up using poll-based graphs when showing grading results. If a student were to answer a question incorrectly on a quiz or test, it will not publish the student's name for the whole class to see, but will show the range of answers the students gave in graph-like forms. In my opinion, this is helpful in allowing students to see what needs to be corrected without embarrassing them in front of their classmates. I plan on teaching English and language arts to middle or high school students in the future, and it seems to be a fun and simple way to introduce them to technology usage if they are completely unfamiliar with it. It is definitely something I will look into a little more.
Blog Post #6
The Networked Student
The post by Wendy Drexler was quite interesting to learn about. As we've been learning so far, technology is a very evident part of the world around us now, whether we like it or not. At this point, the realization that technology is vital for the future of education is very clear to me. After watching this video, I do feel that the "networked student" could be the ideal role for students in the years to come.
I think it is very important for students to learn how to research information and try things for themselves; basically, they need to be able to teach themselves and retain information on their own. Thanks to technology, this ability is far from impossible. In fact, there are more than enough search engines, devices, and blogging websites available for students with a plethora of questions. The idea of having a Personal Learning Network (PLN)is very helpful, in my opinion. In the past, it is safe to say that individualism has been restricted in students, if not discouraged completely. By using PLN, students will be able to express their personalities, creativity, and help them learn in a way that will help them be able to use the concepts that they have learned. Being able to communicate with others through blogging with students and other professors also helps them stay connected with great sources of information and with others who share similar ideas.
To me, the best aspect of The Networked student is that although students are learning to use technology effectively and become familiar with the web, they are still able to taught from educators. While the purpose of this way of learning is to allow students to learn on their own, they will still be guided from well-fitted teachers who are experts in these fields. This could very well be the next movement that forever changes the education system as we know it. Behind every great movement in history, there was a great leader. The Civil Rights Movement had Martin Luther King, Jr. Those in India suffering under British power had Ghandi, and the Israelites leaving bondage in Egypt had Moses. This may seem like an odd mix of movements, but they all have one thing in common: they probably would not have endured had they not had an exceptional leader guiding their steps. I believe that it is the same way with this type of learning system. No matter how many tools and resources children are exposed to, they will never know how to use it to the best of their abilities if they are not instructed how.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
The video was a great example of a basic PLE. I am very unfamiliar with many new concepts of technology-based learning, so I felt that it was a great instruction video for a first-time PLE user. I can see many similarities between it and my own PLN on my EDM 310 class blog profile. Although my blog page is set up very differently than her PLE, the main idea in both is very much the same. It is my own online space to finish assignments and learn with others. I loved the idea that a game helped her learn a concept in her science class, and that she is able to use Skype and other online materials to communicate with teachers around the world and ask questions if she needs to. Through blogging, I am able to do the same thing if I ever felt the need to. I think that both my PLN and her PLE are enhancing our abilities to use the majority of aspects of technology that is helpful in learning and better preparing us for the technology-driven world around us.
The post by Wendy Drexler was quite interesting to learn about. As we've been learning so far, technology is a very evident part of the world around us now, whether we like it or not. At this point, the realization that technology is vital for the future of education is very clear to me. After watching this video, I do feel that the "networked student" could be the ideal role for students in the years to come.
I think it is very important for students to learn how to research information and try things for themselves; basically, they need to be able to teach themselves and retain information on their own. Thanks to technology, this ability is far from impossible. In fact, there are more than enough search engines, devices, and blogging websites available for students with a plethora of questions. The idea of having a Personal Learning Network (PLN)is very helpful, in my opinion. In the past, it is safe to say that individualism has been restricted in students, if not discouraged completely. By using PLN, students will be able to express their personalities, creativity, and help them learn in a way that will help them be able to use the concepts that they have learned. Being able to communicate with others through blogging with students and other professors also helps them stay connected with great sources of information and with others who share similar ideas.
To me, the best aspect of The Networked student is that although students are learning to use technology effectively and become familiar with the web, they are still able to taught from educators. While the purpose of this way of learning is to allow students to learn on their own, they will still be guided from well-fitted teachers who are experts in these fields. This could very well be the next movement that forever changes the education system as we know it. Behind every great movement in history, there was a great leader. The Civil Rights Movement had Martin Luther King, Jr. Those in India suffering under British power had Ghandi, and the Israelites leaving bondage in Egypt had Moses. This may seem like an odd mix of movements, but they all have one thing in common: they probably would not have endured had they not had an exceptional leader guiding their steps. I believe that it is the same way with this type of learning system. No matter how many tools and resources children are exposed to, they will never know how to use it to the best of their abilities if they are not instructed how.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
The video was a great example of a basic PLE. I am very unfamiliar with many new concepts of technology-based learning, so I felt that it was a great instruction video for a first-time PLE user. I can see many similarities between it and my own PLN on my EDM 310 class blog profile. Although my blog page is set up very differently than her PLE, the main idea in both is very much the same. It is my own online space to finish assignments and learn with others. I loved the idea that a game helped her learn a concept in her science class, and that she is able to use Skype and other online materials to communicate with teachers around the world and ask questions if she needs to. Through blogging, I am able to do the same thing if I ever felt the need to. I think that both my PLN and her PLE are enhancing our abilities to use the majority of aspects of technology that is helpful in learning and better preparing us for the technology-driven world around us.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Blog Post #5
If I Built A School
Krissy Venosdale's post http://venspired.com/?p=3748 which talked about what she would do if she were able to create her own school. Mrs. Venosdale is an educator who has been teaching for ten years and is now working particularly in gifted education. Like Dr. Strange, she seems to promote exploration of technology use and hands-on learning that is project-based and "outside the box". In this blog post, she explains how she, if given the opportunity, would create a school that would be a place of wonder for students of all ages. Colorful walls, a cafeteria with the appearance of a cozy coffee shop, and a treehouse adorned with lights in the library would all be fun aspects to intrigue the minds of the children enrolled there. Field trips would be taken throughout the school year, and kids would work on their school work at home simply because they wanted to. There were no true regulations in this "dream" school, but every student was motivated with a passion for learning.
If I were given the opportunity to design my own school, I have to admit that I would strive to make mine very similar to Mrs. Venosdale's. My goal would be to make learning fun, and to open up every child's mind to the world of wonder and enchantment that a useful education could give them. I definitely would want many colors throughout the school, and every student could help design the classrooms each year in ways that show off their creative abilities that most often remain hidden. One aspect of learning I would modify would be to incorporate games inside the learning process. When children are playing games, they are not only using their minds to the best of their abilities, but having fun and developing strategies to help them achieve goals. I would also allow iPad, desktop, laptop, and various technology usage so that every child could use them efficiently in the real world by the time they had graduated. The more fun and excitement that can encourage learning and grow effective workers in the future, the better the school would turn out to be in the end.
http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/241/227/241227661_640.jpg
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
If one were to think that technology use has no real effect or purpose in this world, he or she has never witnessed anything quite like that of the video on the page http://techliterateteacher.blogspot.com/2010/05/eric-whitakers-virtual-choir-lux.html. While watching this video and listening to the song of the choir, I couldn't help but sit in awe of how an entire chorus had been constructed and even performed by a group of people who had never even met in person. This just shows how relevant technology usage can be to our society. Not only can it be used to unify those who are on opposite ends of the globe from each other, but to work together to accomplish goals to help and bring joy to everyone else in the world, as well. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video, and would love to see technology used more to enhance the fields of music and other areas.
http://paiskidd.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/virtual_choir.png
Teaching in the 21st Century
The video http://www.edm310.com/Teaching21stCenturymed.m4v brings up very alarming facts about student learning to the unknowing educator. I will admit that I had major trouble trying to watch this video on multiple devices. From what I could tell, however, there was one main point to be made here: in this century, teachers are no longer the main sources of information. Before enrolling in this class, I was completely naive to how much technology has truly become vital to our every day lives. Now, I am fully aware of how much access students, no matter how young or old, have to endless sources of knowledge with just the tap of a screen or the click of a button. This can greatly affect my future in education because if I do not keep my mind updated and efficient in current technology usage, how will I ever be able to educate the generation of tomorrow? By being knowledgeable in a wide range of technology, I not only secure my own career, but help others secure the occupations of the future, as well.
http://files.campus.edublogs.org/blogs.burrell.k12.pa.us/dist/c/2/files/2011/11/CouryTuckEverlastingOct2011-yengdb-224x300.jpg
The Flipped Classroom
The "Flipped Classroom", in a sense, is the ideal balance that I believe all great teachers try their hardest to achieve. In http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGuLuipTwg, Katie Gimbar recognized the fact that the majority of her class time was spent presenting material rather than actual student application of principles. The videos in http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB632EC24182B4D40 gives explanations to multiple questions educators could have in the attempt to flip their own classrooms. Dr. Lodge McCammon presents a very similar approach in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PcSafUTNd8. He, like Gimbar, agrees that students who are able to watch video lectures before coming into the classroom will be better able to engage in their assignments and activities while actually meeting. Ms. Munafo also uses Dr. McCammon's concepts in her classes, and describes some of her techniques in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KWqw_7Ib1o. One aspect of teaching that they all seem to agree on is that more class time needs to be spent on letting students ask questions, engage in the lessons, and give their feedback instead of the instructor monotonously lecturing while the students are bored to tears. I could use this approach greatly in my classroom. Although I plan on teaching English in the future and not any form of math (I despise math), lecture videos could most definitely be useful to my class time. If students are able to absorb the lessons and information by watching at home or on school computers or iPads, I will have more time to hear their responses. I believe I will be better able to meet the needs of individual students in this way, and for them to be able to grasp a better understanding of the curriculum at their own paces, without feeling left behind.
http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/flipped-classroom1.jpg
Krissy Venosdale's post http://venspired.com/?p=3748 which talked about what she would do if she were able to create her own school. Mrs. Venosdale is an educator who has been teaching for ten years and is now working particularly in gifted education. Like Dr. Strange, she seems to promote exploration of technology use and hands-on learning that is project-based and "outside the box". In this blog post, she explains how she, if given the opportunity, would create a school that would be a place of wonder for students of all ages. Colorful walls, a cafeteria with the appearance of a cozy coffee shop, and a treehouse adorned with lights in the library would all be fun aspects to intrigue the minds of the children enrolled there. Field trips would be taken throughout the school year, and kids would work on their school work at home simply because they wanted to. There were no true regulations in this "dream" school, but every student was motivated with a passion for learning.
If I were given the opportunity to design my own school, I have to admit that I would strive to make mine very similar to Mrs. Venosdale's. My goal would be to make learning fun, and to open up every child's mind to the world of wonder and enchantment that a useful education could give them. I definitely would want many colors throughout the school, and every student could help design the classrooms each year in ways that show off their creative abilities that most often remain hidden. One aspect of learning I would modify would be to incorporate games inside the learning process. When children are playing games, they are not only using their minds to the best of their abilities, but having fun and developing strategies to help them achieve goals. I would also allow iPad, desktop, laptop, and various technology usage so that every child could use them efficiently in the real world by the time they had graduated. The more fun and excitement that can encourage learning and grow effective workers in the future, the better the school would turn out to be in the end.
http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/241/227/241227661_640.jpg
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
If one were to think that technology use has no real effect or purpose in this world, he or she has never witnessed anything quite like that of the video on the page http://techliterateteacher.blogspot.com/2010/05/eric-whitakers-virtual-choir-lux.html. While watching this video and listening to the song of the choir, I couldn't help but sit in awe of how an entire chorus had been constructed and even performed by a group of people who had never even met in person. This just shows how relevant technology usage can be to our society. Not only can it be used to unify those who are on opposite ends of the globe from each other, but to work together to accomplish goals to help and bring joy to everyone else in the world, as well. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video, and would love to see technology used more to enhance the fields of music and other areas.
http://paiskidd.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/virtual_choir.png
Teaching in the 21st Century
The video http://www.edm310.com/Teaching21stCenturymed.m4v brings up very alarming facts about student learning to the unknowing educator. I will admit that I had major trouble trying to watch this video on multiple devices. From what I could tell, however, there was one main point to be made here: in this century, teachers are no longer the main sources of information. Before enrolling in this class, I was completely naive to how much technology has truly become vital to our every day lives. Now, I am fully aware of how much access students, no matter how young or old, have to endless sources of knowledge with just the tap of a screen or the click of a button. This can greatly affect my future in education because if I do not keep my mind updated and efficient in current technology usage, how will I ever be able to educate the generation of tomorrow? By being knowledgeable in a wide range of technology, I not only secure my own career, but help others secure the occupations of the future, as well.
http://files.campus.edublogs.org/blogs.burrell.k12.pa.us/dist/c/2/files/2011/11/CouryTuckEverlastingOct2011-yengdb-224x300.jpg
The Flipped Classroom
The "Flipped Classroom", in a sense, is the ideal balance that I believe all great teachers try their hardest to achieve. In http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGuLuipTwg, Katie Gimbar recognized the fact that the majority of her class time was spent presenting material rather than actual student application of principles. The videos in http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB632EC24182B4D40 gives explanations to multiple questions educators could have in the attempt to flip their own classrooms. Dr. Lodge McCammon presents a very similar approach in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PcSafUTNd8. He, like Gimbar, agrees that students who are able to watch video lectures before coming into the classroom will be better able to engage in their assignments and activities while actually meeting. Ms. Munafo also uses Dr. McCammon's concepts in her classes, and describes some of her techniques in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KWqw_7Ib1o. One aspect of teaching that they all seem to agree on is that more class time needs to be spent on letting students ask questions, engage in the lessons, and give their feedback instead of the instructor monotonously lecturing while the students are bored to tears. I could use this approach greatly in my classroom. Although I plan on teaching English in the future and not any form of math (I despise math), lecture videos could most definitely be useful to my class time. If students are able to absorb the lessons and information by watching at home or on school computers or iPads, I will have more time to hear their responses. I believe I will be better able to meet the needs of individual students in this way, and for them to be able to grasp a better understanding of the curriculum at their own paces, without feeling left behind.
http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/flipped-classroom1.jpg
Thursday, February 7, 2013
C4T Assignment #1
C4T #1
The blog post that I had the privilege of being able to read was under the "Ideas and Thoughts" blog by Dr. Dean Shareski. In this post, he described how every year he creates a specific theme for himself which "carries him through". He has used elements such as music, photos, and videos to help build upon these themes. This past year, he created a video from pictures that he had taken every day for the entire year. Each city that he had visited was shown in pictures, lasting one minute for each city. In only twelve minutes, he gave his followers a glimpse of the joys that come from traveling abroad, ranging from the snowy cities of Canada to the sunny beaches of Florida and beyond.
My comment on Dr. Shareski's blog post gave him much praise for his video project. I enjoyed seeing a wide of variety of cities, landscapes, and cultures, along with the heartwarming moments he had captured of his own friends and family. In a nutshell, I wrote that it was, in my opinion, an excellent way to show the essence of each place in his travels, and to capture each moment for all of time. There was also a note from Dr. Shareski in the middle of the video that said if someone commented on which picture was his or her favorite using the keyword "coffee", he or she would win a Starbucks gift card. Naturally, I did what any college student who is addicted to caffeine would do and commented back about it. I wrote that the sea view at sunset of Mobile, Alabama was my favorite. I included in the comment that I favored it the most because I was from Mobile, and it reminded me of the beauty, pride, and faith I will always have in my hometown.
C4T #2
This week, I was able to get the chance to read the latest blog from Dean Shareski again. His most recent post actually put the spotlight on another educator, Jared Heidinger. Jared, who is a science teacher in Lethbridge Alberta, shared with Dean what had proven to be a joyful and effective way to get his students excited about learning their vocabulary homework every week. While playfully tossing his model helicopter around his classroom one day, and thanks to inspiration from his young daughter one morning, Heidinger brewed up the idea of creating the "Homework Chopper". Every Friday, a different friend of Heidinger will post a video of themselves, wherever they may be. They introduce themselves, what their job, career, or hobby may be, and will read the students the vocabulary words in the form of a news report. I got the chance to watch seven videos of Heidinger's friends, ranging from Dean Shareski himself, to the creator of the Disney Channel show "Phineas and Ferb", to professional hockey and basketball players.
I commented on Dean Shareski's blog stating that I felt like this was an excellent idea. As a future educator in the English and language arts field, I told him that vocabulary words would more than likely be a crucial component of my curriculum. Shareski also shared in his blog that because high school educators are most often so limited on their teaching methods due to tradition, resources, etc., he saw Heidinger's method as a great way to promote joy from his students. I strongly agree with Shareski about this. I feel that secondary teachers have, to an extent, left all of the creativity to be found in schools up to the elementary teachers. Just because high school students are older and more mature does not mean that they do not deserve fun and creative ways to be infused with their classrooms. I also shared with Shareski that I would like to take this idea, and hopefully be able to incorporate it into my classes one day. Even if it is not a major use of technology in schools, it is still a way to open the students' minds to people, places, and career choices that they may have never known before.
The blog post that I had the privilege of being able to read was under the "Ideas and Thoughts" blog by Dr. Dean Shareski. In this post, he described how every year he creates a specific theme for himself which "carries him through". He has used elements such as music, photos, and videos to help build upon these themes. This past year, he created a video from pictures that he had taken every day for the entire year. Each city that he had visited was shown in pictures, lasting one minute for each city. In only twelve minutes, he gave his followers a glimpse of the joys that come from traveling abroad, ranging from the snowy cities of Canada to the sunny beaches of Florida and beyond.
My comment on Dr. Shareski's blog post gave him much praise for his video project. I enjoyed seeing a wide of variety of cities, landscapes, and cultures, along with the heartwarming moments he had captured of his own friends and family. In a nutshell, I wrote that it was, in my opinion, an excellent way to show the essence of each place in his travels, and to capture each moment for all of time. There was also a note from Dr. Shareski in the middle of the video that said if someone commented on which picture was his or her favorite using the keyword "coffee", he or she would win a Starbucks gift card. Naturally, I did what any college student who is addicted to caffeine would do and commented back about it. I wrote that the sea view at sunset of Mobile, Alabama was my favorite. I included in the comment that I favored it the most because I was from Mobile, and it reminded me of the beauty, pride, and faith I will always have in my hometown.
C4T #2
This week, I was able to get the chance to read the latest blog from Dean Shareski again. His most recent post actually put the spotlight on another educator, Jared Heidinger. Jared, who is a science teacher in Lethbridge Alberta, shared with Dean what had proven to be a joyful and effective way to get his students excited about learning their vocabulary homework every week. While playfully tossing his model helicopter around his classroom one day, and thanks to inspiration from his young daughter one morning, Heidinger brewed up the idea of creating the "Homework Chopper". Every Friday, a different friend of Heidinger will post a video of themselves, wherever they may be. They introduce themselves, what their job, career, or hobby may be, and will read the students the vocabulary words in the form of a news report. I got the chance to watch seven videos of Heidinger's friends, ranging from Dean Shareski himself, to the creator of the Disney Channel show "Phineas and Ferb", to professional hockey and basketball players.
I commented on Dean Shareski's blog stating that I felt like this was an excellent idea. As a future educator in the English and language arts field, I told him that vocabulary words would more than likely be a crucial component of my curriculum. Shareski also shared in his blog that because high school educators are most often so limited on their teaching methods due to tradition, resources, etc., he saw Heidinger's method as a great way to promote joy from his students. I strongly agree with Shareski about this. I feel that secondary teachers have, to an extent, left all of the creativity to be found in schools up to the elementary teachers. Just because high school students are older and more mature does not mean that they do not deserve fun and creative ways to be infused with their classrooms. I also shared with Shareski that I would like to take this idea, and hopefully be able to incorporate it into my classes one day. Even if it is not a major use of technology in schools, it is still a way to open the students' minds to people, places, and career choices that they may have never known before.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Special Blog Post Assignment #1
Compare Populations of India, China, and the United States
When I first watched both versions of the video "Did You Know?" for Blog Assignment #2, I unfortunately misinterpreted the data. I originally thought that it meant that India had more honor students than the United States had students altogether. However, after doing the comparative searches through WolframAlpha, I now have a somewhat different opinion. According to the data in the searches, India is home to 1.21 billion people, China has 1.35 billion, and the United States has a population of 309 million people. One thing that I did find quite interesting is that, when looking at the graph of demographics, India, not China, had the highest population growth rate of 1.44% per year, whereas China, who has the largest population of all three nations, had a growth rate of 0.63% per year, and the United States' rate was 0.969%. The United States surpassed the other two countries in having the highest life expectancy of 78.1 years of age. China's average life expectancy trailed closely behind in second place with 73.5 years, and India was the lowest, with 69.9 years. When looking at the population history of these countries, China has showed the highest increase of population growth; India is second, and the United States was last. Not surprisingly, China has the highest number in recent population history (showing from 1970 to 2010) and India came in second, with both countries reaching nearly 1 billion people in total. The United States fell in last place, having almost 400,000,000 people in total population by 2010. Though many sharp comparisons were made between all three countries in the "Did You Know?" videos, it does not necessarily mean that the United States is in any way inferior to the other countries listed. After looking at the data found through WolframAlpha, I now see that the populations of these countries play a crucial role in the statistics found in the videos I watched last week, and I realize the mistakes in my comparisons from those videos.
Other Comparative Searches
By using WolframAlpha, I was able to conduct two more searches of my own choosing. The first search I chose to do was entitled "Compare number of honor students in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United States. Because these two countries have been fresh on the minds of most Americans in the last few years, I was interested to see where our own students fall in ranking with them. The population comparisons alone were quite surprising to me. The United States had the highest population of these three, with 67.62 million, while Afghanistan had 6.757 million, and Iraq had 6.453 million. Although the United States still surpassed these two by far, their populations were still much higher than what I would have imagined. This comparative search was a little different than the ones comparing the United States with India and China. According to the information in the graph of student history from 1982 to 2004, the United States takes the lead with slightly over 50 million students, with only a small increase in numbers throughout those years. Iraq was very similar, with over 5 million students by 2004. Afghanistan, however, showed the largest increase, ranging from about 0.6 million to nearly 5 million by the end of that time frame. The United States continued to be the leader in these comparisons, being number one in the highest number of students in primary school (24.39 million), secondary school (24.19 million), and college (18.25 million). Afghanistan had the second largest number in primary school (5.279 million) against Iraq (4.864 million); Afghanistan also showed to have more students in secondary school (2.044 million) than Iraq (2.038 million). Iraq, however, had the higher number of students in college compared to Afghanistan, with 424,908 people compared to 95,185 people. Lastly, the United States had the highest number of combined primary and secondary school teachers, with 3.553 million. Iraq came in second with 435,253 people, and Afghanistan finished in last with 143,129 people.
The second search that I made through WolframAlpha was "Compare populations of Egypt, Libya, and the United States". I chose this because after conducting searches on comparing the United States' populations with that of Asian and other Middle Eastern countries, I was curious to see how our country compares to those that we have been and may continue to deal with more in the near future. From what I found, the overall population of the United States was 309 million (which I found odd due to the fact that this number was different when compared with the populations of Iraq and Afghanistan). Like the last search, I was also surprised by the populations of these countries; Egypt had 84.5 million and Libya had 6.55 million. From 1970 to 2010, the United States showed the largest increase in population, reaching a little over 300 million. Egypt showed an increase to almost 100 million, and Libya showed almost no increase at all, reaching barely 1 million by 2010. The information that was shocking, however, was that Libya showed the higher rate of population growth of all three countries, with 2.03% per year. Even more surprising than that was the fact that Egypt, who had a growth rate of 1.83% per year, beat the United States, whose growth rate was only 0.969% per year. The average life expectancy of the United States was the highest with 78.1 years; however, the other two were not far behind. Libya's life expectancy was 77.3 years, and Egypt's was 72.1 years.
Before today, I had never even heard of WolframAlpha. Now, however, I can be sure to use it quite often in the future. After three various searches, it proved to not only give me the comparisons that I needed, but it also went above and beyond giving me extra information that was also useful. This seems to be an excellent search engine and will most definitely help with my classroom in the future. For example, I plan to be an English/language arts teacher within the next few years. If I were to give my class an assignment of comparing authors, poets, writers, or even different works or pieces of writings, I believe that WolframAlpha would be a great tool for them in getting all of the information that they needed. They can also find statistics that could help them obtain extra information they may need for future assignments and other classes, as well. After using WolframAlpha, I will be sure to also use this for future and current assignments throughout my years in college.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
The information gathered from Gary Hayes' "Social Media Count" website, in my opinion, were absolutely mind-blowing. If there are people in this world who still think that technology usage has nothing to do with them, they are sadly and gravely mistaken. By looking at all these statistics as a whole, it can easily be concluded internet usage is not only dominating our extracurricular time, but our career fields, as well. Even activities such as watching television shows and reading books can now be done by using apps on a Smartphone, personal computer, or Apple products. The convenience and quickness of using the web can help people all around the world, and from all walks of life, to communicate, get tasks done, work in their career fields, and experience places and cultures in ways that they never thought possible. One look at all of the statistics found on Gary Hayes' page will turn even the person with complete doubt in and fear of technology usage in everyday life into a believer.
Because I, myself, will one day be an educator, it is my job to ultimately prepare students for the outside world. After seeing the information under the "Social Media Count" website, the idea that the same ideas and principles of technology usage now will be the same by the time I am teaching classrooms is completely invalid. As anyone can see from the timers that continually run on the page, technology usage in a wide variety is growing at a rapid pace each minute; what is contemporary now will be way past its due date by the time I am teaching students. In the next five years, if school systems do not make aspects such as Twitter, Skype, blogging, and iPad usage an everyday part of a child's learning experience, they will be doomed to keep up in businesses, social gatherings, etc. Whether most people like it or not, technology and media affect almost every part of our lives now. The generation that is coming will be so much more advanced and able to take technology to the next level, but only if we educators train them to do so. If technology has been able to allow us to watch videos in the most remote parts of the world, or speak to someone face to face through an app that is found in cell phones, think of the endless possibilities it can bring us in the next few years! The facts do not lie. The world is changing- and quickly. We are already behind the rest of the world in schools as we know it. If I refuse to empower my students to be technologically literate, I am not only holding them back from their full potential; I am dooming the generation who will one day be my caretakers, as well.
When I first watched both versions of the video "Did You Know?" for Blog Assignment #2, I unfortunately misinterpreted the data. I originally thought that it meant that India had more honor students than the United States had students altogether. However, after doing the comparative searches through WolframAlpha, I now have a somewhat different opinion. According to the data in the searches, India is home to 1.21 billion people, China has 1.35 billion, and the United States has a population of 309 million people. One thing that I did find quite interesting is that, when looking at the graph of demographics, India, not China, had the highest population growth rate of 1.44% per year, whereas China, who has the largest population of all three nations, had a growth rate of 0.63% per year, and the United States' rate was 0.969%. The United States surpassed the other two countries in having the highest life expectancy of 78.1 years of age. China's average life expectancy trailed closely behind in second place with 73.5 years, and India was the lowest, with 69.9 years. When looking at the population history of these countries, China has showed the highest increase of population growth; India is second, and the United States was last. Not surprisingly, China has the highest number in recent population history (showing from 1970 to 2010) and India came in second, with both countries reaching nearly 1 billion people in total. The United States fell in last place, having almost 400,000,000 people in total population by 2010. Though many sharp comparisons were made between all three countries in the "Did You Know?" videos, it does not necessarily mean that the United States is in any way inferior to the other countries listed. After looking at the data found through WolframAlpha, I now see that the populations of these countries play a crucial role in the statistics found in the videos I watched last week, and I realize the mistakes in my comparisons from those videos.
Other Comparative Searches
By using WolframAlpha, I was able to conduct two more searches of my own choosing. The first search I chose to do was entitled "Compare number of honor students in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United States. Because these two countries have been fresh on the minds of most Americans in the last few years, I was interested to see where our own students fall in ranking with them. The population comparisons alone were quite surprising to me. The United States had the highest population of these three, with 67.62 million, while Afghanistan had 6.757 million, and Iraq had 6.453 million. Although the United States still surpassed these two by far, their populations were still much higher than what I would have imagined. This comparative search was a little different than the ones comparing the United States with India and China. According to the information in the graph of student history from 1982 to 2004, the United States takes the lead with slightly over 50 million students, with only a small increase in numbers throughout those years. Iraq was very similar, with over 5 million students by 2004. Afghanistan, however, showed the largest increase, ranging from about 0.6 million to nearly 5 million by the end of that time frame. The United States continued to be the leader in these comparisons, being number one in the highest number of students in primary school (24.39 million), secondary school (24.19 million), and college (18.25 million). Afghanistan had the second largest number in primary school (5.279 million) against Iraq (4.864 million); Afghanistan also showed to have more students in secondary school (2.044 million) than Iraq (2.038 million). Iraq, however, had the higher number of students in college compared to Afghanistan, with 424,908 people compared to 95,185 people. Lastly, the United States had the highest number of combined primary and secondary school teachers, with 3.553 million. Iraq came in second with 435,253 people, and Afghanistan finished in last with 143,129 people.
The second search that I made through WolframAlpha was "Compare populations of Egypt, Libya, and the United States". I chose this because after conducting searches on comparing the United States' populations with that of Asian and other Middle Eastern countries, I was curious to see how our country compares to those that we have been and may continue to deal with more in the near future. From what I found, the overall population of the United States was 309 million (which I found odd due to the fact that this number was different when compared with the populations of Iraq and Afghanistan). Like the last search, I was also surprised by the populations of these countries; Egypt had 84.5 million and Libya had 6.55 million. From 1970 to 2010, the United States showed the largest increase in population, reaching a little over 300 million. Egypt showed an increase to almost 100 million, and Libya showed almost no increase at all, reaching barely 1 million by 2010. The information that was shocking, however, was that Libya showed the higher rate of population growth of all three countries, with 2.03% per year. Even more surprising than that was the fact that Egypt, who had a growth rate of 1.83% per year, beat the United States, whose growth rate was only 0.969% per year. The average life expectancy of the United States was the highest with 78.1 years; however, the other two were not far behind. Libya's life expectancy was 77.3 years, and Egypt's was 72.1 years.
Before today, I had never even heard of WolframAlpha. Now, however, I can be sure to use it quite often in the future. After three various searches, it proved to not only give me the comparisons that I needed, but it also went above and beyond giving me extra information that was also useful. This seems to be an excellent search engine and will most definitely help with my classroom in the future. For example, I plan to be an English/language arts teacher within the next few years. If I were to give my class an assignment of comparing authors, poets, writers, or even different works or pieces of writings, I believe that WolframAlpha would be a great tool for them in getting all of the information that they needed. They can also find statistics that could help them obtain extra information they may need for future assignments and other classes, as well. After using WolframAlpha, I will be sure to also use this for future and current assignments throughout my years in college.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
The information gathered from Gary Hayes' "Social Media Count" website, in my opinion, were absolutely mind-blowing. If there are people in this world who still think that technology usage has nothing to do with them, they are sadly and gravely mistaken. By looking at all these statistics as a whole, it can easily be concluded internet usage is not only dominating our extracurricular time, but our career fields, as well. Even activities such as watching television shows and reading books can now be done by using apps on a Smartphone, personal computer, or Apple products. The convenience and quickness of using the web can help people all around the world, and from all walks of life, to communicate, get tasks done, work in their career fields, and experience places and cultures in ways that they never thought possible. One look at all of the statistics found on Gary Hayes' page will turn even the person with complete doubt in and fear of technology usage in everyday life into a believer.
Because I, myself, will one day be an educator, it is my job to ultimately prepare students for the outside world. After seeing the information under the "Social Media Count" website, the idea that the same ideas and principles of technology usage now will be the same by the time I am teaching classrooms is completely invalid. As anyone can see from the timers that continually run on the page, technology usage in a wide variety is growing at a rapid pace each minute; what is contemporary now will be way past its due date by the time I am teaching students. In the next five years, if school systems do not make aspects such as Twitter, Skype, blogging, and iPad usage an everyday part of a child's learning experience, they will be doomed to keep up in businesses, social gatherings, etc. Whether most people like it or not, technology and media affect almost every part of our lives now. The generation that is coming will be so much more advanced and able to take technology to the next level, but only if we educators train them to do so. If technology has been able to allow us to watch videos in the most remote parts of the world, or speak to someone face to face through an app that is found in cell phones, think of the endless possibilities it can bring us in the next few years! The facts do not lie. The world is changing- and quickly. We are already behind the rest of the world in schools as we know it. If I refuse to empower my students to be technologically literate, I am not only holding them back from their full potential; I am dooming the generation who will one day be my caretakers, as well.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Blog Assignment #4
Learning How 2 Learn
There were many articles, slides, etc. that I found quite interesting in this assignment, and one of them happens to be "Learning How 2 Learn" by Silvia Tolisano. This mainly states how it isn't the inability to read that will soon label people as "illiterate" but the inability to think and be learners on their own. The slides demonstrate how people need the willingness to reflect, amplify, and to have a sense of self-motivation. It supports iPad usage and digital reading among children, and refers to the idea that using pen, paper, and hand-writing is on its way to becoming an aspect of the past. Instead of focusing so much on technology, it simply shows how ultimately, we are helping people learn, but in a way that will help them stay updated on the resources used by the world.
Although my opinion of technology was slightly negative when I first entered this class, articles and blogs, such as this one, are helping me slowly open my mind to new concepts of teaching. I support the ideas found here because we do live in a world that is continually evolving and becoming more dependent on technology for the completion of everyday tasks. Technology is not meant to harm or confuse us, but to help us accomplish goals faster and more diligently than ever before. If we do not help students adapt to the usage of new tools such as iPads, ebooks, and things of that nature, then we are not only hindering them from being technologically literate, but from being able to perform actions that are becoming more familiar to our daily lives. Change is something that we cannot stop, but we can embrace it and let it help us stay relevant to people and cultures everywhere.
Podcasting With First Grade
Mrs. Tolisano's post "Podcasting with First Grade" demonstrated how podcasting can be very beneficial in elementary schools with reading, listening, and story-telling. After recording the voices of the students and letting some of them even act as the characters, she was then able to repeat the story to other students, breaking the rules of traditional classroom reading. She also incorporated other fun aspects into the story, such as letting the students interview each other when pretending to be characters. The use of Garageband also contributed to the learning process here by allowing some students to record their voices directly, while other students were able to read or get other work done. Music and sound effects were also able to be added because of this technique.
If I were planning on teaching elementary school one day, podcasting would be a key ingredient in the recipe for a fully functional classroom. Not only does this idea help the students focus and interact more with the story they were reading, but it also sharpens each child's creative side and allows them to share his or her skills with the class. Because we also want students to remain motivated at all times, I found this to be a great way to do so. Because podcasts can be heard across the country or around the world, it is an excellent chance for children to gain audiences that have fallen in love with their skills, and ultimately proving the effectiveness of their skills. Although I will be teaching somewhere between sixth and twelfth grade in the future, the concept of using podcasts to engage students in the activities and help them with interacting and communicating skills will always remain in the back of my mind, ready to be used at any time.
Learning in the Modern Classroom
"Learning in the Modern Classroom" teaches readers a lot about how technology can be used, broken down, and expanded for various uses for individual assignments in schools. Not only that, but one can also see how easy it is to have fun with technology use here! This post demonstrates how taking something as simple as a book of poetry can cause a ripple effect of uses for technology. After many Skype meetings between the writer of the poems, Mike Fisher, and the students who were each assigned one of his poems to work with, audiences can easily see how social networking such as Skype and Twitter can help students evolve in more ways than one. Not only were students able to quickly learn skills such as using Google Doc and Chat and evolving as writers with each tweet they sent, the teacher was also able to monitor basic communication techniques with the help of Skype, such as vocabulary, body language, and their abilities to keep up with a conversation.
If someone were to ask me three weeks ago if I thought Twitter usage in elementary classes was a good idea, there's a chance that I would have had them committed. I never would have even fathomed that something like Twitter would help expand the mind of students and enhance their abilities to learn and succeed in life if it were not for reading articles such as these. I now see that something as mundane as Twitter can be useful in helping children communicate with others far away, expose them to new ideas, and bring out the creative side to each child that, unfortunately, so many teachers have tried to suppress in past years. The twenty-first century is now the modern century; therefore, we must adapt to modern times. If we don't train children to be able to effectively use media and technology to to help them grow academically, we aren't keeping them from being technologically literate, but are keeping them from being the learners and contributors to the world that they were meant to be. The main concept of these posts that I plan to incorporate into my own podcasts is that of interaction. Though it is sometimes misunderstood as something that can hold us back from having good communication skills, I believe technology usage, such as podcasts, are ultimately designed for one purpose: to help us learn and communicate ideas with others in a way that has been virtually enhanced, and to be able to better understand the ideas presented to me than if I were to only read them in a book. My main goal in sending my first podcast (and every podcast, for that matter) is to send out clear, effective messages, and to have great responses. Hopefully, I will learn much more material about podcasting to help me along the way.
There were many articles, slides, etc. that I found quite interesting in this assignment, and one of them happens to be "Learning How 2 Learn" by Silvia Tolisano. This mainly states how it isn't the inability to read that will soon label people as "illiterate" but the inability to think and be learners on their own. The slides demonstrate how people need the willingness to reflect, amplify, and to have a sense of self-motivation. It supports iPad usage and digital reading among children, and refers to the idea that using pen, paper, and hand-writing is on its way to becoming an aspect of the past. Instead of focusing so much on technology, it simply shows how ultimately, we are helping people learn, but in a way that will help them stay updated on the resources used by the world.
Although my opinion of technology was slightly negative when I first entered this class, articles and blogs, such as this one, are helping me slowly open my mind to new concepts of teaching. I support the ideas found here because we do live in a world that is continually evolving and becoming more dependent on technology for the completion of everyday tasks. Technology is not meant to harm or confuse us, but to help us accomplish goals faster and more diligently than ever before. If we do not help students adapt to the usage of new tools such as iPads, ebooks, and things of that nature, then we are not only hindering them from being technologically literate, but from being able to perform actions that are becoming more familiar to our daily lives. Change is something that we cannot stop, but we can embrace it and let it help us stay relevant to people and cultures everywhere.
Podcasting With First Grade
Mrs. Tolisano's post "Podcasting with First Grade" demonstrated how podcasting can be very beneficial in elementary schools with reading, listening, and story-telling. After recording the voices of the students and letting some of them even act as the characters, she was then able to repeat the story to other students, breaking the rules of traditional classroom reading. She also incorporated other fun aspects into the story, such as letting the students interview each other when pretending to be characters. The use of Garageband also contributed to the learning process here by allowing some students to record their voices directly, while other students were able to read or get other work done. Music and sound effects were also able to be added because of this technique.
If I were planning on teaching elementary school one day, podcasting would be a key ingredient in the recipe for a fully functional classroom. Not only does this idea help the students focus and interact more with the story they were reading, but it also sharpens each child's creative side and allows them to share his or her skills with the class. Because we also want students to remain motivated at all times, I found this to be a great way to do so. Because podcasts can be heard across the country or around the world, it is an excellent chance for children to gain audiences that have fallen in love with their skills, and ultimately proving the effectiveness of their skills. Although I will be teaching somewhere between sixth and twelfth grade in the future, the concept of using podcasts to engage students in the activities and help them with interacting and communicating skills will always remain in the back of my mind, ready to be used at any time.
Learning in the Modern Classroom
"Learning in the Modern Classroom" teaches readers a lot about how technology can be used, broken down, and expanded for various uses for individual assignments in schools. Not only that, but one can also see how easy it is to have fun with technology use here! This post demonstrates how taking something as simple as a book of poetry can cause a ripple effect of uses for technology. After many Skype meetings between the writer of the poems, Mike Fisher, and the students who were each assigned one of his poems to work with, audiences can easily see how social networking such as Skype and Twitter can help students evolve in more ways than one. Not only were students able to quickly learn skills such as using Google Doc and Chat and evolving as writers with each tweet they sent, the teacher was also able to monitor basic communication techniques with the help of Skype, such as vocabulary, body language, and their abilities to keep up with a conversation.
If someone were to ask me three weeks ago if I thought Twitter usage in elementary classes was a good idea, there's a chance that I would have had them committed. I never would have even fathomed that something like Twitter would help expand the mind of students and enhance their abilities to learn and succeed in life if it were not for reading articles such as these. I now see that something as mundane as Twitter can be useful in helping children communicate with others far away, expose them to new ideas, and bring out the creative side to each child that, unfortunately, so many teachers have tried to suppress in past years. The twenty-first century is now the modern century; therefore, we must adapt to modern times. If we don't train children to be able to effectively use media and technology to to help them grow academically, we aren't keeping them from being technologically literate, but are keeping them from being the learners and contributors to the world that they were meant to be. The main concept of these posts that I plan to incorporate into my own podcasts is that of interaction. Though it is sometimes misunderstood as something that can hold us back from having good communication skills, I believe technology usage, such as podcasts, are ultimately designed for one purpose: to help us learn and communicate ideas with others in a way that has been virtually enhanced, and to be able to better understand the ideas presented to me than if I were to only read them in a book. My main goal in sending my first podcast (and every podcast, for that matter) is to send out clear, effective messages, and to have great responses. Hopefully, I will learn much more material about podcasting to help me along the way.
Blog Assignment #3
C4C #2
For my second C4C comment, I ended with two comments instead of one. Without following the directions in order, I commented on a classmate's blog post without reading the instructions for this blog post assignment first. Therefore, in my second comment, I reinstated the praise for her blog and the overall summary of what she had written. I also commented that she should watch a little more closely for minor grammatical errors, such as confusing simple words with each other and not using punctuation when needed. I also included in my comment the fact that it was very easy to make simple mistakes such as these, and that I, too, have fallen victim to the trickery of rules in language arts. I ended my comment with telling her that her post as a whole looked great. I chose to critique her post publicly through a comment instead of via email because we are all here to learn and help each other along the way. If someone else who was struggling in writing were to look at my comment, there's a chance that the advice I had given would apply to them, too. If I had only written my response to her through email, no one else would be able to see it and apply those ideas to his/her paper, as well. I did not write anything negative in my comment, and that was one of the most important rules to keep in mind. If I am staying positive in my editing, what is there to remain private, right?
Peer Editing
After watching the videos and slideshows about peer editing, I am much more aware of the fact that there is very much a right and wrong way to edit and critique someone else's writing. Although I try to be a kind-hearted person and hate to "call out" people when they are incorrect, I realize that this can be a weakness for me when I become an educator. It will be my job to show others their mistakes, and give them the constructive criticism they need to grow both academically and as a person. After learning more about correct peer editing, I was most impressed with the three steps that are involved, which are compliments, suggestions, and corrections.
The first step in successful peer editing that involves giving compliments to others is something that I can do with great ease. One of the main focuses of peer editing is to stay positive, and I feel that complimenting on a piece of work is the best way to send an edit off to a great start. I also found the rule of suggestion very helpful for future grading. Of course, no one wants to be told when he or she has done something incorrectly. However, I feel that suggesting how a person could do something differently rather than simply telling him or her that they are wrong about something will help them better open up to criticism. In my opinion, I think they will be more likely to listen and use the advice they have been given this way, also. Correcting people when they have made mistakes is not one of my strong points by any means, but I do realize that it is something that I will have to become better at if I'm going to educate people as my career. Just because I am correcting someone does not mean that I am being negative towards his or her work. On the contrary, I am simply showing them mistakes to guide them in the right direction of what to do differently in the future. The ideas of using compliments, suggestions, and corrections in peer editing makes much more sense to me now, and I will definitely use them efficiently in my future classrooms and when editing works of my classmates.
The Mountbatten
I was amazed after watching this video. Normally, when we think of technology use in the classroom, we mostly think about how smart boards, computers, iPads, etc. are beneficial to students in general education. Not until I saw this did I realize how much of an impact something like the Mountbatten can have on a student who is physically impaired. I was very impressed with it being able to print in braille and audibly repeat the letter that was being typed, along with the fact that it is able to transfer files to and from computers. I will definitely keep this device in mind when I become a teacher. If there are students in my classroom who are visually impaired and would be better able to keep up with the class if they had devices such as these, I will do everything in my power to have them and help each student learn, grow, and interact with the world around them by using these.
Assistive Technologies
After watching the videos about how technology is helping students who are blind and deaf, I am fascinated with everything that has been developed as aids for them. The Mountbatten, as stated earlier, as a remarkable tool for blind students who are learning to type and use computers within their classrooms. I was also fascinated with the electronic grid shown in the video "Teaching Math to the Blind" and how it was able to teach basic math skills. If it were not invented, perhaps no blind students would ever be able to grasp the concept of arranging and solving math problems in columns and rows. One of the most crucial pieces of technology I found throughout all of these videos, however, was the iPad. With it's touch-to-speak abilities, along with the help of Siri, students will be able to not only know which apps they are working with, but every intricate detail of each of them, such as book title, chapter, page number, etc.
These videos alerted some interesting thoughts into my mind. If there are schools for blind and deaf children that do not have enhancement technology such as this, how will the students be able to function normally and keep up with the rest of the world? As I saw in "Mr. Winkle Wakes", technology use is spreading rapidly everywhere except for in the classrooms. If students in general education will be hindered by this, how much more will it harm the future of those who are already physically disabled? When I become a teacher, my job will be to not only help students become knowledgeable in the subject I am teaching, but to also prepare them for life in the outside world. Because technology use is constantly changing and expanding, I believe that we, as educators, need to push that same type of expansion within schools. If I have blind or deaf students, or students with disabilities of any kind, I will strive to help them become well acquainted with technology, and to use those skills they have attained in my classroom to allow them to live successful lives as much as possible.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
As a future educator, I am always inspired by teachers who are empowering their students to learn in ways that they will always be able to relate to and use in the world around them. As I watched the video about Vicki Davis, I realized that she is a perfect example of such an educator. From what I saw, Mrs. Davis throws out traditional rules of teaching and learning, and challenges her students to learn and absorb the information on their own. Even though they are in a rural community in Georgia, she is training her students to be able to communicate, interact, and work successfully with people from all over the world, and to use their skills to enhance their own futures, as well.
Throughout this video, I could not help but be reminded of Dr. Strange here in EDM 310. Like Vicki Davis, Dr. Strange puts us to the ultimate test every week of whether or not we are able to think on our own and be able to adapt to the ever-changing world. It may not be easy, but it is something that I know I, as a student, will be able to appreciate in the long run. This video has also helped me visualize how I would like my own classroom to be. My goal is to help students realize that they are fully capable of thinking, learning, and adding their own input into society. Hopefully, I will one day see some of the same results that instructors like Dr. Strange and Vicki Davis have had the privilege of seeing.
For my second C4C comment, I ended with two comments instead of one. Without following the directions in order, I commented on a classmate's blog post without reading the instructions for this blog post assignment first. Therefore, in my second comment, I reinstated the praise for her blog and the overall summary of what she had written. I also commented that she should watch a little more closely for minor grammatical errors, such as confusing simple words with each other and not using punctuation when needed. I also included in my comment the fact that it was very easy to make simple mistakes such as these, and that I, too, have fallen victim to the trickery of rules in language arts. I ended my comment with telling her that her post as a whole looked great. I chose to critique her post publicly through a comment instead of via email because we are all here to learn and help each other along the way. If someone else who was struggling in writing were to look at my comment, there's a chance that the advice I had given would apply to them, too. If I had only written my response to her through email, no one else would be able to see it and apply those ideas to his/her paper, as well. I did not write anything negative in my comment, and that was one of the most important rules to keep in mind. If I am staying positive in my editing, what is there to remain private, right?
Peer Editing
After watching the videos and slideshows about peer editing, I am much more aware of the fact that there is very much a right and wrong way to edit and critique someone else's writing. Although I try to be a kind-hearted person and hate to "call out" people when they are incorrect, I realize that this can be a weakness for me when I become an educator. It will be my job to show others their mistakes, and give them the constructive criticism they need to grow both academically and as a person. After learning more about correct peer editing, I was most impressed with the three steps that are involved, which are compliments, suggestions, and corrections.
The first step in successful peer editing that involves giving compliments to others is something that I can do with great ease. One of the main focuses of peer editing is to stay positive, and I feel that complimenting on a piece of work is the best way to send an edit off to a great start. I also found the rule of suggestion very helpful for future grading. Of course, no one wants to be told when he or she has done something incorrectly. However, I feel that suggesting how a person could do something differently rather than simply telling him or her that they are wrong about something will help them better open up to criticism. In my opinion, I think they will be more likely to listen and use the advice they have been given this way, also. Correcting people when they have made mistakes is not one of my strong points by any means, but I do realize that it is something that I will have to become better at if I'm going to educate people as my career. Just because I am correcting someone does not mean that I am being negative towards his or her work. On the contrary, I am simply showing them mistakes to guide them in the right direction of what to do differently in the future. The ideas of using compliments, suggestions, and corrections in peer editing makes much more sense to me now, and I will definitely use them efficiently in my future classrooms and when editing works of my classmates.
The Mountbatten
I was amazed after watching this video. Normally, when we think of technology use in the classroom, we mostly think about how smart boards, computers, iPads, etc. are beneficial to students in general education. Not until I saw this did I realize how much of an impact something like the Mountbatten can have on a student who is physically impaired. I was very impressed with it being able to print in braille and audibly repeat the letter that was being typed, along with the fact that it is able to transfer files to and from computers. I will definitely keep this device in mind when I become a teacher. If there are students in my classroom who are visually impaired and would be better able to keep up with the class if they had devices such as these, I will do everything in my power to have them and help each student learn, grow, and interact with the world around them by using these.
Assistive Technologies
After watching the videos about how technology is helping students who are blind and deaf, I am fascinated with everything that has been developed as aids for them. The Mountbatten, as stated earlier, as a remarkable tool for blind students who are learning to type and use computers within their classrooms. I was also fascinated with the electronic grid shown in the video "Teaching Math to the Blind" and how it was able to teach basic math skills. If it were not invented, perhaps no blind students would ever be able to grasp the concept of arranging and solving math problems in columns and rows. One of the most crucial pieces of technology I found throughout all of these videos, however, was the iPad. With it's touch-to-speak abilities, along with the help of Siri, students will be able to not only know which apps they are working with, but every intricate detail of each of them, such as book title, chapter, page number, etc.
These videos alerted some interesting thoughts into my mind. If there are schools for blind and deaf children that do not have enhancement technology such as this, how will the students be able to function normally and keep up with the rest of the world? As I saw in "Mr. Winkle Wakes", technology use is spreading rapidly everywhere except for in the classrooms. If students in general education will be hindered by this, how much more will it harm the future of those who are already physically disabled? When I become a teacher, my job will be to not only help students become knowledgeable in the subject I am teaching, but to also prepare them for life in the outside world. Because technology use is constantly changing and expanding, I believe that we, as educators, need to push that same type of expansion within schools. If I have blind or deaf students, or students with disabilities of any kind, I will strive to help them become well acquainted with technology, and to use those skills they have attained in my classroom to allow them to live successful lives as much as possible.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
As a future educator, I am always inspired by teachers who are empowering their students to learn in ways that they will always be able to relate to and use in the world around them. As I watched the video about Vicki Davis, I realized that she is a perfect example of such an educator. From what I saw, Mrs. Davis throws out traditional rules of teaching and learning, and challenges her students to learn and absorb the information on their own. Even though they are in a rural community in Georgia, she is training her students to be able to communicate, interact, and work successfully with people from all over the world, and to use their skills to enhance their own futures, as well.
Throughout this video, I could not help but be reminded of Dr. Strange here in EDM 310. Like Vicki Davis, Dr. Strange puts us to the ultimate test every week of whether or not we are able to think on our own and be able to adapt to the ever-changing world. It may not be easy, but it is something that I know I, as a student, will be able to appreciate in the long run. This video has also helped me visualize how I would like my own classroom to be. My goal is to help students realize that they are fully capable of thinking, learning, and adding their own input into society. Hopefully, I will one day see some of the same results that instructors like Dr. Strange and Vicki Davis have had the privilege of seeing.
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