Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Blog Post #6
The Network Student
Why does the network student even need a teacher? A teacher is the one who tells him how to build this network and how to take advantage of all the great opportunities it can provide. She can show him how to communicate and how to ask for help respectively when it is needed. She also shows him how to differentiate between good information and bad.
His teacher uses connectivism which is learning that occurs through many diverse networks and ties. The teacher encourages her students to take control of their learning and meet other people who will contribute and strengthen their learning environment. Personal learning networks seem like such an amazing way to research and save information that yourself and others might want to view later. I had never heard of a personal learning network until recently, but I think it sounds amazing. When I first read about them, I thought back to college and high school and all the research papers I wrote and how much I would have benefited from a P.L.E.
Are you prepared to be the teacher of a network student? I love the idea of a personal learning network. I truly believe this is a concept children would not forget, it would be something they used forever. But, I don’t think I am ready to be a teacher of a network student, not yet at least. I know this class has helped me a great deal so far, I can’t even imagine what we will do towards the end of the class. Once I graduate from college I hope to be a teacher who could use personal learning networks to excite and inspire my students, I know they would enjoy the opportunities and they would learn so much from the experience.
7th Grade Personal Learning Environment
Well I have to admit, my 7th grade science class was nothing like the girl’s in this videos, I wish it had been though. She seems like an extremely bright little girl. Her personal learning environment as she called it is an invaluable tool she uses in her science class. She says that it has allowed more freedom for her and her fellow students. They are able to decide how and when to do their work, which allows more creativity and responsibility in my opinion. She also made the comment that having a PLE makes them more responsible because they are allowed to play online but they also really want to get their work done to show everyone else the results they have come up with.
Why does the network student even need a teacher? A teacher is the one who tells him how to build this network and how to take advantage of all the great opportunities it can provide. She can show him how to communicate and how to ask for help respectively when it is needed. She also shows him how to differentiate between good information and bad.
His teacher uses connectivism which is learning that occurs through many diverse networks and ties. The teacher encourages her students to take control of their learning and meet other people who will contribute and strengthen their learning environment. Personal learning networks seem like such an amazing way to research and save information that yourself and others might want to view later. I had never heard of a personal learning network until recently, but I think it sounds amazing. When I first read about them, I thought back to college and high school and all the research papers I wrote and how much I would have benefited from a P.L.E.
Are you prepared to be the teacher of a network student? I love the idea of a personal learning network. I truly believe this is a concept children would not forget, it would be something they used forever. But, I don’t think I am ready to be a teacher of a network student, not yet at least. I know this class has helped me a great deal so far, I can’t even imagine what we will do towards the end of the class. Once I graduate from college I hope to be a teacher who could use personal learning networks to excite and inspire my students, I know they would enjoy the opportunities and they would learn so much from the experience.
7th Grade Personal Learning Environment
Well I have to admit, my 7th grade science class was nothing like the girl’s in this videos, I wish it had been though. She seems like an extremely bright little girl. Her personal learning environment as she called it is an invaluable tool she uses in her science class. She says that it has allowed more freedom for her and her fellow students. They are able to decide how and when to do their work, which allows more creativity and responsibility in my opinion. She also made the comment that having a PLE makes them more responsible because they are allowed to play online but they also really want to get their work done to show everyone else the results they have come up with.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Blog Post #5
My response to Don’t teach your kids this stuff, Please.
Dr. McLeod,
I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your post, I am pretty sarcastic myself. I also agree with who will have the “leg up” later on in life. Technology is increasingly becoming more and more involved in our society. I believe we need to teach our children the latest and up to date information. If we don’t, how will they ever be able to compete with others who have had this knowledge? I know there are dangers, but there are dangers everywhere in life. Just like we protect our children in other situations we can protect them online.
Who is Scott McLeod you may ask? Well, Scott McLeod is widely known as one of the top experts in our country on K-12 technology issues. He has received awards for his continuing leadership in technology work. He is the founding director of the UDEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education or also known as CASTLE. This organization is the only center in the U.S. that is dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators. He is also an adamant blogger on issues involving technology leadership issues.
Ischool Inittiative:
The Itouch school the idea is simple, no books and no paper in the classroom. Students would email assignments to their teachers and be able to pull up their assignments online as well. Universities all over the country already use techniques very similar to what Travis envisions for the youth of our country. I think it would be very possible to make it happen in middle and high schools around the nation.
Travis is an inspiration; he was a 17 year old high school student when he began this journey. I think it is incredible that he has gotten this much exposure and attention for such a great cause. The Ischool would be an extraordinary asset to our students and would actually be a goal that our schools could achieve. Travis even broke down some of the ways our school systems would save money. I think we all need to help encourage the Ischool system!
Virtual Choir
The video was amazing. I didn’t realize until I read Jennifer’s comment that they had never met or practiced together, that is unbelievable. The video was so beautiful and elegant; the director did an excellent job putting it together. Thank you for showing this to us Jennifer!
Teaching in the 21 century
This blog really inspired me, Mr. Roberts wants things to be different. He doesn’t want teachers to think they are the only source of information for students, because they aren’t. Kids are sponges, they soak up all kinds of information. Some of it is useful and from reliable sources, but a lot is just the opposite. They get information from their friends, strangers, and who knows where all they gather knowledge from on the internet. Teachers need to be a filter like Mr. Roberts said. We need to help them weed out relevant and correct knowledge and teach them how to do so once they leave our classrooms. Our challenge is to provide meaningful and powerful engagement for our students. I want my kids to go home and want to do the homework they were assigned in my class; I want them to find it interesting, which will make them want to learn. I want them to be able to research and gather information and be able to separate what is relevant and accurate from what is not. I want to encourage and inspire my students to want to create and explore new things, to make them interested in learning. That’s what I think it means to teach.
Dr. McLeod,
I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your post, I am pretty sarcastic myself. I also agree with who will have the “leg up” later on in life. Technology is increasingly becoming more and more involved in our society. I believe we need to teach our children the latest and up to date information. If we don’t, how will they ever be able to compete with others who have had this knowledge? I know there are dangers, but there are dangers everywhere in life. Just like we protect our children in other situations we can protect them online.
Who is Scott McLeod you may ask? Well, Scott McLeod is widely known as one of the top experts in our country on K-12 technology issues. He has received awards for his continuing leadership in technology work. He is the founding director of the UDEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education or also known as CASTLE. This organization is the only center in the U.S. that is dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators. He is also an adamant blogger on issues involving technology leadership issues.
Ischool Inittiative:
The Itouch school the idea is simple, no books and no paper in the classroom. Students would email assignments to their teachers and be able to pull up their assignments online as well. Universities all over the country already use techniques very similar to what Travis envisions for the youth of our country. I think it would be very possible to make it happen in middle and high schools around the nation.
Travis is an inspiration; he was a 17 year old high school student when he began this journey. I think it is incredible that he has gotten this much exposure and attention for such a great cause. The Ischool would be an extraordinary asset to our students and would actually be a goal that our schools could achieve. Travis even broke down some of the ways our school systems would save money. I think we all need to help encourage the Ischool system!
Virtual Choir
The video was amazing. I didn’t realize until I read Jennifer’s comment that they had never met or practiced together, that is unbelievable. The video was so beautiful and elegant; the director did an excellent job putting it together. Thank you for showing this to us Jennifer!
Teaching in the 21 century
This blog really inspired me, Mr. Roberts wants things to be different. He doesn’t want teachers to think they are the only source of information for students, because they aren’t. Kids are sponges, they soak up all kinds of information. Some of it is useful and from reliable sources, but a lot is just the opposite. They get information from their friends, strangers, and who knows where all they gather knowledge from on the internet. Teachers need to be a filter like Mr. Roberts said. We need to help them weed out relevant and correct knowledge and teach them how to do so once they leave our classrooms. Our challenge is to provide meaningful and powerful engagement for our students. I want my kids to go home and want to do the homework they were assigned in my class; I want them to find it interesting, which will make them want to learn. I want them to be able to research and gather information and be able to separate what is relevant and accurate from what is not. I want to encourage and inspire my students to want to create and explore new things, to make them interested in learning. That’s what I think it means to teach.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Blog post #4
Mr. Dell,
I really enjoyed your podcast. I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. I am an education major focusing in secondary science. I have watched many podcast in my college career, but I have never created one myself. Your video was very informative and interesting. I love the idea of incorporating podcasts into schools, I know I have really benefited from them. They are so nice because you can watch them on your own time, and if you were unable to understand a certain part you can just replay it. I know I will include podcasts into my education system once I become a teacher! Thank you so much for this informative video.
100 ways to use your Ipod to learn and study better
I never knew there were so many different applications or ways to study on an Ipod. I have an Ipod and an Iphone, I am going to start taking advantage of all of these applications. I wish I would have known about these programs throughout college, they would have been so useful. I think these programs are great for students, almost everyone has an Ipod or Iphone now days; they are easy to carry which means studying can be done anywhere.
The Educational Podcast Network
The educational podcast network seems like an outstanding idea. What could be a better way for teachers to share their information and skills than through a podcast? This is an excellent idea, I know I would take advantage of the information available if I was a already a teacher. Being able to share their ideas and information with other teachers who have similar interests seems like a great ideal
I really enjoyed your podcast. I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. I am an education major focusing in secondary science. I have watched many podcast in my college career, but I have never created one myself. Your video was very informative and interesting. I love the idea of incorporating podcasts into schools, I know I have really benefited from them. They are so nice because you can watch them on your own time, and if you were unable to understand a certain part you can just replay it. I know I will include podcasts into my education system once I become a teacher! Thank you so much for this informative video.
100 ways to use your Ipod to learn and study better
I never knew there were so many different applications or ways to study on an Ipod. I have an Ipod and an Iphone, I am going to start taking advantage of all of these applications. I wish I would have known about these programs throughout college, they would have been so useful. I think these programs are great for students, almost everyone has an Ipod or Iphone now days; they are easy to carry which means studying can be done anywhere.
The Educational Podcast Network
The educational podcast network seems like an outstanding idea. What could be a better way for teachers to share their information and skills than through a podcast? This is an excellent idea, I know I would take advantage of the information available if I was a already a teacher. Being able to share their ideas and information with other teachers who have similar interests seems like a great ideal
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
C4T #1&2
RESPONSE TO: college, passion, and the afterlife
I have to admit that I was one of those students entering college who had no clue what they wanted to do. I even went to a liberal arts college because my parents thought that I would receive a “well-rounded” education that would help me decide what I wanted to do. Because I had not declared a major I was undecided, and basically took general-education classes. I agree there were some classes I could have done without but then there were a few I would never have chosen on my own that I ended up loving. I was in a completely different situation than yours but I can definitely see your side. If I had known exactly what I wanted to do, I would not have wanted to waste my time or money on a course that wasn’t relevant to that subject. I loved your post; it’s always interesting to hear a new perspective on an issue.
In Mr. Spencer’s “Why I accept late work”, he discusses the benefits not setting time deadlines for assignments for students. I thought this was a remarkable entry. I don’t believe I would have been able to appreciate this post 5 years ago; I would have loved the idea of it. No deadlines, students can turn in work whenever they want, what high school student wouldn’t want that? But the older I get the more I realize I need to be responsible and get things done on schedule. I think this is an innovative system and agree that it would help students to learn to be more responsible. They know they can do it whenever they want but to receive the feedback they have to actually do it. His statistics say it all, his class work turn in rate has jumped from 60% all the way to 97%. I think this is a great program, I believe students just need to be given a chance to show how responsible they truly are and Mr. Spencer is allowing them the opportunity to do so. I hope I can implement a system that shows as much progress as he has.
I have to admit that I was one of those students entering college who had no clue what they wanted to do. I even went to a liberal arts college because my parents thought that I would receive a “well-rounded” education that would help me decide what I wanted to do. Because I had not declared a major I was undecided, and basically took general-education classes. I agree there were some classes I could have done without but then there were a few I would never have chosen on my own that I ended up loving. I was in a completely different situation than yours but I can definitely see your side. If I had known exactly what I wanted to do, I would not have wanted to waste my time or money on a course that wasn’t relevant to that subject. I loved your post; it’s always interesting to hear a new perspective on an issue.
In Mr. Spencer’s “Why I accept late work”, he discusses the benefits not setting time deadlines for assignments for students. I thought this was a remarkable entry. I don’t believe I would have been able to appreciate this post 5 years ago; I would have loved the idea of it. No deadlines, students can turn in work whenever they want, what high school student wouldn’t want that? But the older I get the more I realize I need to be responsible and get things done on schedule. I think this is an innovative system and agree that it would help students to learn to be more responsible. They know they can do it whenever they want but to receive the feedback they have to actually do it. His statistics say it all, his class work turn in rate has jumped from 60% all the way to 97%. I think this is a great program, I believe students just need to be given a chance to show how responsible they truly are and Mr. Spencer is allowing them the opportunity to do so. I hope I can implement a system that shows as much progress as he has.
Blog Post #3
A vision of students today
This video is completely on point in my opinion. I am a 5th year senior and I am at my third college, and they have all been very different. I was a college athlete my first two years so I understood the need to manage your time effectively. I know we all have busy schedules but i have found the real key is to be organized and get the most important things out of the way and then that leaves time for your extracurricular activities, not to mention how much that will cut down on stress from procrastination.
In the beginning my classes were not exactly “relevant” to my life, but I attribute that to the fact that they were gen-ed courses. The more you get into your major the more relevant your material will seem to your life. I also think it is absolutely ridiculous that a teacher will require you to buy the 10th edition of a book which will cost above $100 when the 8th or 9th edition would be completely equal. I have a real respect for teachers who care about saving their students money. This was a great video, I hope more people appreciate it!
This video is completely on point in my opinion. I am a 5th year senior and I am at my third college, and they have all been very different. I was a college athlete my first two years so I understood the need to manage your time effectively. I know we all have busy schedules but i have found the real key is to be organized and get the most important things out of the way and then that leaves time for your extracurricular activities, not to mention how much that will cut down on stress from procrastination.
In the beginning my classes were not exactly “relevant” to my life, but I attribute that to the fact that they were gen-ed courses. The more you get into your major the more relevant your material will seem to your life. I also think it is absolutely ridiculous that a teacher will require you to buy the 10th edition of a book which will cost above $100 when the 8th or 9th edition would be completely equal. I have a real respect for teachers who care about saving their students money. This was a great video, I hope more people appreciate it!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Blog Post #2
Did You Know?
Watching this video makes me regret complaining about taking this EDM 310 class. The reason I complained is because I am not what you would call a “tech savvy” person; I can only do the bare minimum when it comes to computers and technical gadgets. This video had some pretty shocking points. The fact that half of the knowledge a college student receives in their first year of school will be outdated by the time they are in their third year blew my mind. This is very disturbing considering I am a fifth year senior and have spent a small fortune on my education. Then, the top 25% of India’s population with the highest IQ’s is greater than the whole population of the U.S.; also, China is soon to be the number one English speaking country in the world. This makes me wonder how we are even going to be able to compete. Aren’t we supposed to be the greatest country in the world? The idea that India’s and China's population is so much larger and apparently more educated terrifies me. I want our children to be able to compete with these nations and education is the only way.
The video also stated that the information in one week of the New York Times is more information than most people had in a lifetime in the 1800’s. This really makes me appreciate the resources we have available and makes me want to take advantage knowledge they hold. Technology is growing unbelievably quickly, the top 10 jobs in 2010 didn’t even exist in 2004. This was a pretty shocking fact, it makes me realize how naive I truly am. Of course I knew technology was growing I just had no idea it was growing at a rate this quickly! This video has illustrated how important it is for our generation to keep up with technology and has really inspired me to want to learn more about computers and technology so I will be able to teach our children.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle has been asleep for 100 years. He makes his way to a big new city with tall buildings and many new things. There were new machines he had never seen like computers and x-ray machines that printed pictures and documents. Mr. Winkle then made his way to a school. He liked school, he knew how school worked, the teacher stood at the front of the class and taught reading writing and math just like when he was younger. At the back of the room he saw one of the strange machines called a computer, but it was all dusty from not being used so he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that school was the only thing that hadn’t changed.
I hate to say, but this is sadly not that far off of base, especially in Alabama. I know my high school had computers of course and we had nice computers but, they were not widely available by any means. I think that students should be educated with computers from an early age so they become comfortable with them. I think my lack of computer skills is partly because of the lack of knowledge I received in school. I had computers at home but neither of my parents knew much about computers so it was pretty much the blind leading the blind. I want my children and future students to be comfortable and proficient in computers. Our society is becoming more and more dependent on technology and I want to ensure I am providing my students with the best education available.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson said the process of having original ideas that have value is defined as creativity. He was speaking at a conference in California on this subject and noticed three themes throughout the conference. Number 1 being the extraordinary evidence of human creativity; 2, we have no idea what is going to happened in the future. Lastly, if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original. He believes we have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we are educating our children.
There are so many creative and highly talented people who don’t consider themselves to be because they were “bad” at conventional school. Robinson believes that children are being educated out of their creative capacities and being stigmatized for making mistakes. Kids aren’t afraid to be wrong. Robinson said if you’re not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original. He thinks our education system educated children out of their creative capabilities instead of promoting originality.
I think Sir Robinson has pointed out a huge flaw in our education system, which apparently is common around the world. Creativity plays a role not only in childhood but also shapes the person that students will become. I pride myself on being different from others; I absolutely despise being just one of the crowd. This is a part of my personality now, but I know I was encouraged as a child to be creative and stand out. Children should be encouraged to be different. We shouldn’t scold them for being wrong; instead, reward them for being brave enough to actually answer the question. Educators should support their students to think on their own and out of the box. Not every student will excel in the same area, teachers have to realize this and be able to teach accordingly. I believe it is our responsibility to encourage these impressionable minds to think creatively. We need to show them every person is unique, it’s not just okay to be different, it’s a great thing to be different from one another.
Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
In this interview Robinson Cecelia Gault seems to be a very intelligent little girl, in her interview with Sir Robison she was polite and asked interesting questions. In the interview, Robinson discussed myths about creativity. He believes that everyone is creative and that you can also teach people to be more creative. He thinks that our education system should have a better balance between science and the arts and that we could use technology to our advantage. I agree with Sir Robinsons opinions about the way our school system works. Every student learns in a different manor, I think that our curriculum should be more well rounded instead of focusing almost entirely on the main subjects such as math, science, reading, and literature. Our students would benefit greatly if we incorporated more creativity into their daily lives.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video was so inspiring. I can remember being in middle and high school and wanting to be in that special teacher’s class, the teacher that every student wanted to have. I believe she is that teacher in her school. She is allowing rural students who may not know much about technology and the world outside of their own community to travel around the world and experience things that most of their parents have not even experienced. She said she believes technology in the classroom is essential because when children only have paper and pencil only certain children are able to succeed. This statement really hit home with me, she wants her student to be thinkers and do be able to learn on their own and experience things on their own. Teachers don’t have to know everything to teach it, the kids can be empowered by figuring it out on their own.
Watching this video makes me regret complaining about taking this EDM 310 class. The reason I complained is because I am not what you would call a “tech savvy” person; I can only do the bare minimum when it comes to computers and technical gadgets. This video had some pretty shocking points. The fact that half of the knowledge a college student receives in their first year of school will be outdated by the time they are in their third year blew my mind. This is very disturbing considering I am a fifth year senior and have spent a small fortune on my education. Then, the top 25% of India’s population with the highest IQ’s is greater than the whole population of the U.S.; also, China is soon to be the number one English speaking country in the world. This makes me wonder how we are even going to be able to compete. Aren’t we supposed to be the greatest country in the world? The idea that India’s and China's population is so much larger and apparently more educated terrifies me. I want our children to be able to compete with these nations and education is the only way.
The video also stated that the information in one week of the New York Times is more information than most people had in a lifetime in the 1800’s. This really makes me appreciate the resources we have available and makes me want to take advantage knowledge they hold. Technology is growing unbelievably quickly, the top 10 jobs in 2010 didn’t even exist in 2004. This was a pretty shocking fact, it makes me realize how naive I truly am. Of course I knew technology was growing I just had no idea it was growing at a rate this quickly! This video has illustrated how important it is for our generation to keep up with technology and has really inspired me to want to learn more about computers and technology so I will be able to teach our children.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle has been asleep for 100 years. He makes his way to a big new city with tall buildings and many new things. There were new machines he had never seen like computers and x-ray machines that printed pictures and documents. Mr. Winkle then made his way to a school. He liked school, he knew how school worked, the teacher stood at the front of the class and taught reading writing and math just like when he was younger. At the back of the room he saw one of the strange machines called a computer, but it was all dusty from not being used so he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that school was the only thing that hadn’t changed.
I hate to say, but this is sadly not that far off of base, especially in Alabama. I know my high school had computers of course and we had nice computers but, they were not widely available by any means. I think that students should be educated with computers from an early age so they become comfortable with them. I think my lack of computer skills is partly because of the lack of knowledge I received in school. I had computers at home but neither of my parents knew much about computers so it was pretty much the blind leading the blind. I want my children and future students to be comfortable and proficient in computers. Our society is becoming more and more dependent on technology and I want to ensure I am providing my students with the best education available.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson said the process of having original ideas that have value is defined as creativity. He was speaking at a conference in California on this subject and noticed three themes throughout the conference. Number 1 being the extraordinary evidence of human creativity; 2, we have no idea what is going to happened in the future. Lastly, if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original. He believes we have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we are educating our children.
There are so many creative and highly talented people who don’t consider themselves to be because they were “bad” at conventional school. Robinson believes that children are being educated out of their creative capacities and being stigmatized for making mistakes. Kids aren’t afraid to be wrong. Robinson said if you’re not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original. He thinks our education system educated children out of their creative capabilities instead of promoting originality.
I think Sir Robinson has pointed out a huge flaw in our education system, which apparently is common around the world. Creativity plays a role not only in childhood but also shapes the person that students will become. I pride myself on being different from others; I absolutely despise being just one of the crowd. This is a part of my personality now, but I know I was encouraged as a child to be creative and stand out. Children should be encouraged to be different. We shouldn’t scold them for being wrong; instead, reward them for being brave enough to actually answer the question. Educators should support their students to think on their own and out of the box. Not every student will excel in the same area, teachers have to realize this and be able to teach accordingly. I believe it is our responsibility to encourage these impressionable minds to think creatively. We need to show them every person is unique, it’s not just okay to be different, it’s a great thing to be different from one another.
Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
In this interview Robinson Cecelia Gault seems to be a very intelligent little girl, in her interview with Sir Robison she was polite and asked interesting questions. In the interview, Robinson discussed myths about creativity. He believes that everyone is creative and that you can also teach people to be more creative. He thinks that our education system should have a better balance between science and the arts and that we could use technology to our advantage. I agree with Sir Robinsons opinions about the way our school system works. Every student learns in a different manor, I think that our curriculum should be more well rounded instead of focusing almost entirely on the main subjects such as math, science, reading, and literature. Our students would benefit greatly if we incorporated more creativity into their daily lives.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video was so inspiring. I can remember being in middle and high school and wanting to be in that special teacher’s class, the teacher that every student wanted to have. I believe she is that teacher in her school. She is allowing rural students who may not know much about technology and the world outside of their own community to travel around the world and experience things that most of their parents have not even experienced. She said she believes technology in the classroom is essential because when children only have paper and pencil only certain children are able to succeed. This statement really hit home with me, she wants her student to be thinkers and do be able to learn on their own and experience things on their own. Teachers don’t have to know everything to teach it, the kids can be empowered by figuring it out on their own.
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