Tuesday, September 27, 2011

My Comment for Kids Summary. Hurray!!!!

Alexandra is the most recent student I have been able to contact. She has been talking about where she wants to visit in the world. The first place she mentioned was New York, a main attraction being the Statue of Liberty. I have been there and must say that it is quite a spectacular sight.
Adam was another student I had the privledge of communicating with. The last time I checked out his profile he was talking about different sports he enjoys playing. One of the sports he loved to play is soccer, which happens to be my favorite sport.
Dawson has a very bright blog that always brings a smile to my face. She likes to talk about dolphins in the water. She has swam with them several times and really enoys how they can just flow through. I got the chance to swim with dolphins when I took  a trip to the Aruba.
The last kid I was able talk with over blog space was Allie. She is a cute little kid with a crazy attitude. She has an October birthday and loves Halloween. I read her first post and it was "All about Me" She shared with the class that her favorite color was red, which happens to be mine too. We also share the love of Chrismas.

Blog Post #6

1. The Net Worked Student




After viewing this video, I have learned that I am not at all ready to be a teacher of a networked student. However, this is why I am planning to teach younger kids of the elementary level. Hopefully I do not run into too many child prodigies that know more than I do about computers, although this very well may be the case. I plan on teaching my kids everything they need to know in class, with various hands on activties.

In order to achieve the status of being able to teach a networked student I would need a lot of work. I feel that I am very behind in the world of technology, however, I am definatley able to get by and hold my own. I would argue that if I absolutley had to teach a student that is of the network I would be able to do it without problems. I can pick up new stuff very easily and think of myself to be a quality teacher.

I am starting to understand why the web and techonolgy are becoming so important to the students in today's classroom. I like the fact that it opens up a whole world of communication, where you can reach across the globe and chat with someone like they were right there. But like I said before, I am not at all ready at this present time to teach a student of the network.

2.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)

I really liked the layout she had for her PLE. It is very colorful and animated. Unfortunatley for me, I do not yet have a physical PLN, however, I do have one in my mind that is very helpful to me on a day to day bases. My PLN involves early morning wake ups, eating as much food as I can, and filling my day up with way too much stuff to do. I suppose both of our PLN's are scheduled to fit our day to day activity.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Blog Post #5

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?
After reading this poem I learned that Scott McLeod is a very sarcastic man. He is joking at the fact that some people believe it is wrong for parents to educate their kids in the modern inventions and electronic resources we now have present. He ends his section by saying that he is teaching his kids how to use all of these objects, such as phone,  internet, and others. I somewhat agree that kids with this knowledge may be more intellectually ahead of other kids that lack that experience, however, I am also one to argue that it is not as important as he says it is. I protest that spending time on the computer can be harmful, people need to get out and make connections that are real and not just online. I probably will never know nearly enough about this computer in front of me but I truly believe I will be alright without it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68KgAcx_9jU
This video was really well put together. I would also argue that this student really did his research before making this project. It was well thought out and had a lot of solid substance to it. He was arguing in this video that all the work done in school involving: communicating, taking notes, emailing, lectures, etc. can be done using this little mobile Iphone. I would argue strongly with him that this is not true. If you have ever seen I Robot with Will Smith, I am kind of like him. I start out with a not so high opinion of computers and their purposes, however, I have learned that they can be useful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06YOePeUx4o
In this video we have another presentation about how mobile networking is the Way To Go. The argument I have with is this is that I really do not enjoy mobile or online learning. I do not really care for going home and doing all this work online, I believe that schools are put into a affect and specific times during the day so we should keep that schedule and work in person. I am all for this class and hope that it does increase my mobile networking skills.
http://techliterateteacher.blogspot.com/2010/05/eric-whitakers-virtual-choir-lux.html

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

When I viewed this video I was really blown away with all the different people from around the world it involved. With the use of the internet this producer was able to bring together voices that otherwise would have never been heard. He was able to make a virtual harmony that was a  quality sound to listen to. I also enjoyed use of space in the video where the objects were moving about from section to section, fading in and out. The post that goes along with it is very useful and enhances the video in my opinion. 



Blog Post #4


Eagle's Nest Radio was a quality site I chose to visit. It was all about kids and their enthusiasm. They played great oldies throughout the video that really added to the background flow of events. I also enjoyed how each of the kids took this project so professionally, acting as if they were on the Channel 5 news. I saw a lot of computer animated voices or manipulation of the voices in the 2nd video I watched, I thought this was a very cool way to spice up a podcast. I thought it was clever how the represented Columbus days and all the different views different ethical groups had towards them.

Judy Scharf's Podcast Collection was also one that I enjoyed reading. When she says, "the term “podcast” is a cross between “broadcast” and “iPod.” A podcast is a “radio-style” talk show. It may include music as well." I got very excited because I am a huge fan of music. I completely believe that it can enhance and bring together.

The last one I viewed was Langwitches and I would argue that this really showed brilliance from the kids part. They were able to create their own read-along audiobooks and then present them as well. I could tell the kids were really into this because they wanted to make sure that it sounded perfect.
From these three blog spots, I have come to realize I can incorporate a variety of materials into my own podcast. This has also made me quite excited to get started and learn more about the computer I'm typing on now.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

C4T#1

This week I was assigned to read over some blogs that Ms. Beth has worked on throughout her past. I found them to all be very interesting and encouraging. She wrote one on, goals/achievements she wanted to complete in the upcoming years. It was more than a goal sheet though, I saw it as kind of a To Do List. I have made a life To Do List which I probably never finish but will make sure I give it my best shot. I really enjoyed the read.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Blog #3



#2
After reading Kelly Hines It's Not About Technology, I discovered that I underestimated what it really takes to become a teacher in a modern classroom. When she goes through the four majors points she wants to touch on I gathered that the information was very helpful. I would argue that her number one point, Teachers must be learners, is probably the best point out of the whole section. I really think that teachers must be learners in order to progress and help the students progress as well.
I also agree with her when she says technology is useless without good teaching. I believe I am actually less of technology lover than most, so incorporating that into my teaching strategy is going to be difficult. I feel like I am completely turned away from technology in the classroom. I miss the learning that took place in class and homework done at night. I am sad that we have to go home now and get online to learn about our class. However, with the times changing and everything evolving, I know that this objective is necessary in order for students to really have a chance in the real world.
#3
After reading Is It Okay To Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher I became aware that the author was a very grateful yet, confident person who has enjoyed his life in the blog world. When he first asked this question I was quick to say "absolutely not" and after reading it I would argue that it really depends. If you are teaching a computer class, then I would say "yes, the teacher needs to know how to use one. I also believe that teachers can be completely fine with only knowing a few things about technology.
So when this author says in number five, "school inspectors who are technologically illiterate should be encouraged to find alternative employment" I would argue that he is being a little to hasty. On the other hand, in number seven when he says, "we should stop being so nice." I agree that schools can be a little lenient with their students.
#4
Through Garys Social Media Count I learned that there were a lot of changes and advances in the world happening all around. The largest number on the screen is the number of items shared on facebook. I really do not see how these apply to my professional career as a teacher, however, I would argue that it means technology is never going to stop evolving. Which also means we must continue to incorporate it into the classroom.
I would not argue that I am against all the Medea and computer related things in the classroom today, but I simply believe that teachers could complete the class with high standards without that knowledge.
5.
After watching the video A Vision of Student Today, I realized that the video was way too depressing. I think all of the students all have regular every day problems that are faced by everyone. These signs were not very effective to me, I just felt like those are things that either you need to fix yourself or not worry about. Technology is not going to fix any of this in my opinion.
I would argue that technology is a very useful and fun invention, but the key to all worlds problems, it is not. The world survived forever without it, we could do it again. These students should be happy they are in school and healthy. The only sign I agree to be somewhat lame is $ on textbooks. I just think that it should not cost that much extra for a student to learn when they are already paying to learn.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Project 2: wordle

a lil bit about me

Blog Post 2

   Did You Know?
    I watched a video called "Did You Know? 3.0" by Karl Pisch and Scott McLeod. This video really opened my eyes to interesting and random facts about the world around us. Some of these were exciting, while others were kind of downgrading to the united states, and to Americans as individuals. I thought the fact that if "Myspace were a country it would be the 5th largest" was just overwhelming. Or that our English language has become five times larger than the language used during Shakespear's time. Furthermore, the fact that in just a few years we will have a super computer that will out-think the human mind is just a little intimidating.
     After this video I realized that the world is moving way too quick. Why can we not have a simple world like the did in  Shakespear's time when there were only a few words and those words were fun to say. My only real other thought on this is that the world wants too much. We are a greedy nation/world who wants the best. I believe this will be our downfall in the end. I liked how they did leave one thing unknown at the end, asking "what does this mean." I think I'm probably gonna be behind in the world if all this stuff keeps up :).

Mr. Winkle Wakes
     I watched Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman. I really think this was a quality video that spoke a lot more words than were actually spoken. This old man has been in slumber for 100 years and now wakes up to a changed world. I can see how he would not be very comfortable, however, I think I would just be impressed if so much had changed  after one long nap.
     I believe though that schools have changed a great deal and are definately not the same as they were in the past. School has changed just in the past few years in more ways than I can think of. For example, all these classes that are taught half online, and half in school. I honestly believe this is not right. Some classes, like this one, I completely understand. However, with a class like Psychology, I would argue that it is just laziness. We have always been taught in the classroom and then went home to do homework. We shouldn't come to class to be told what to go do online, the teacher should just teach us, that is what they are paid for after all. I am completely against the halfnhalf classes, but this video I am all for.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
     Sir Ken Robinson is a really great talker, I was kind of down when I saw this video was 20 minutes long and I had to watch the whole thing, however, the time flew by when he started talking. He made some really quality points and brought a lot of stuff to perspective with a smile and chuckle. One of his main points was that the world is so creative, no one really knows what the world will look like in five years, however, we are trying to prepare students for stuff we don't know that is coming. The things we are learning in school may not even be needed in the future, we may be even getting less prepared that everyone thinks.
     He also tells a very comical story about his son's play which caused me to have a few giggles. "all children are artist, the key is to stay an artist while we grow up." This was said by Picaso, and I really agree with him. Children's imagine things that we as adults would never understand, and could never comprehend. As we grow up we loose this imagination and replace it with facts about the world, history, math. Things that we may not even need in a few years, however, with the imagination we are leaving behind I am sure we could reach further in life. I also like what he says at the end, "if all insects were gone over the next 50 years, all life would be dead... but if all humans were killed, all life would flourish." We need to do a better job.

Cecelia Gault: Young Studnet in Finland
     After viewing this video and reading the blog, I have come to the conclusion that I should move to Finland to raise a family in a few years. I really would argue that the facts are there stating that we as a nation are falling behind. How can we have a 25 percent fail rate, while another country has one with less than 1. There should not be that big of a difference, and it is not because Finland is some kind of extrodinary place, it is just that the U.S is really slacking.
   
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts
     I viewed a video that spoke to me as a future educator. One of the first things this lady says in the interview is, "I don't think students can just learn with pencil and paper, they need more." In her class she really does not rely on a lecture method, but rather a discussion type of class. She gives her students a chance to shine and stand out. They become more independent using this manner.
     I also would argue that these students will fare better on future tests, and then also later in life. These students are being challenged in ways other classroom teachers do not think to even bring up in class. That is the main problem I would strongly argue in classroom now, it is not the students that are slacking, it is the teachers. They have lost their creative edge and leave it all up to computers and internet. They get too rapped up in the newest way to teach a lesson rather than just teaching.