The iSchool Initiative
Travis Allen was a 17 year old when he posted a video on youtube talking about revolutionizing the American school system. He talks about using the iTouch in the classroom to basically eliminate the need for any paper product ranging from books to sheets of paper. He goes into how using the iTouch allows students, parents and teachers to all be involved and able to reach each other at any time. He also goes a little bit into reducing school's carbon footprint as well as mentioning the savings per student if schools choose to switch the the iTouch method of teaching.
I found Travis' video to be very interesting. I agree with what he is saying. As our world moves faster and faster with technology, the school system is left behind. I have never known life without technology and I still find myself hesitant to use certain machines or programs. I think that Travis does an excellent job making his point by giving examples of apps that could be used in the classroom. I also think it is a good point to make about the carbon footprint as well as the money per student that would be saved.
Eric Whitacer's Virtual Choir
This video brings up two responses from me. In this video we see 185 people all coming together through the internet. They all have never met or rehearsed the song "Lux Aurumuque" together. My initial response is that this is an amazing thing. Here bridges are being crossed without people ever having to leave their home. They can become part of a choir with other people from around the world.
However, what about human contact? I think that this is an amazing thing, that we can have contact with people around the world and never have to leave our home. I also think this is a worrisome thing. Sometimes I worry that we are becoming less interactive with people in a face to face manner and more through virtual interface. So although I am initially impressed with an idea such as this choir, I also wonder what we are losing in the process.
Flipping the Classroom
I really like the ideas proposed in the videos by Dr. Lodge and Katie Gimbar. Being able to reach children outside of class, so that time spent in class can be used more effectively is a great idea. This is a great way to get all students engaged in classroom learning and, as stated in the video, it allows those who need help to come prepared with questions and those who are ready to continue on can do so as well. I would love to use this in my future classroom. I think this allows teachers to be better educators for the class as a whole as opposed to reaching just a few students.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
C4T Assignment #1
The Principal's Principles
Link to Mr. Bernia's Blog:
The Principal's Principles
In Mr. Bernia's post from August 30th, he talks about beginning the school year with these three words: hope, opportunity, and courage. He goes on to say how it is the job of educators to bring these three things to students. I particularly liked the paragraph about opportunity. He writes about a child who had made it to 8th grade without ever going to a movie theater. I think it is so important to find opportunities to get students out of the classroom in order to experience new things. Overall, it was an excellent post about how educators affect students' lives.
For my comment to Mr. Bernia, I wrote that this was a wonderful post to start the year off. I told him about studying to be an Elementary school teacher. I also went on to say that we should incorporate his three words of focus (hope, opportunity, and courage) into our daily lives as well as our classrooms. The ending really tied it together for me, when he says "if not us, who?" it made me think. I wrote,"I think as educators it is easy to forget how much influence one has on students. It really is amazing, if we take the time to do so, how much we can affect a child’s life."
The second post I chose to comment on was from August 17th. I was once again moved by Mr. Bernia's post. The title of this post was "Begin with the end in mind". In this post Mr. Bernia talks about how, after spending the day learning about and planning for the Common Core standards, he walks away with Stephen Covey's famous habit in mind. He then proceeds to discuss the use of assessment in order to have successful implementation. He says that by focusing on what we want students to achieve, we can focus on the instruction needed to gain mastery. He then lists several items from Smarter Balanced assessments. He concludes by saying that student achievement is one of his top two priorities (safety being the other).
My comment to Mr. Bernia was filled with praise. I also believe that focusing on the end from the beginning is a good habit to use in life as well as in education. I praised this post, just as I did the first one. He is a well spoken/written blogger. I also wrote how, of the items he listed from Smarter Balanced assessments, the one that stuck out to me most was allowing more time to focus on the task. I wrote to Mr. Bernia that too often in the classroom we are rushing to the finish line. I believe if we slowed down a little we would allow students a greater opportunity for understanding as well as retention.
Link to Mr. Bernia's Blog:
The Principal's Principles
In Mr. Bernia's post from August 30th, he talks about beginning the school year with these three words: hope, opportunity, and courage. He goes on to say how it is the job of educators to bring these three things to students. I particularly liked the paragraph about opportunity. He writes about a child who had made it to 8th grade without ever going to a movie theater. I think it is so important to find opportunities to get students out of the classroom in order to experience new things. Overall, it was an excellent post about how educators affect students' lives.
For my comment to Mr. Bernia, I wrote that this was a wonderful post to start the year off. I told him about studying to be an Elementary school teacher. I also went on to say that we should incorporate his three words of focus (hope, opportunity, and courage) into our daily lives as well as our classrooms. The ending really tied it together for me, when he says "if not us, who?" it made me think. I wrote,"I think as educators it is easy to forget how much influence one has on students. It really is amazing, if we take the time to do so, how much we can affect a child’s life."
The second post I chose to comment on was from August 17th. I was once again moved by Mr. Bernia's post. The title of this post was "Begin with the end in mind". In this post Mr. Bernia talks about how, after spending the day learning about and planning for the Common Core standards, he walks away with Stephen Covey's famous habit in mind. He then proceeds to discuss the use of assessment in order to have successful implementation. He says that by focusing on what we want students to achieve, we can focus on the instruction needed to gain mastery. He then lists several items from Smarter Balanced assessments. He concludes by saying that student achievement is one of his top two priorities (safety being the other).
My comment to Mr. Bernia was filled with praise. I also believe that focusing on the end from the beginning is a good habit to use in life as well as in education. I praised this post, just as I did the first one. He is a well spoken/written blogger. I also wrote how, of the items he listed from Smarter Balanced assessments, the one that stuck out to me most was allowing more time to focus on the task. I wrote to Mr. Bernia that too often in the classroom we are rushing to the finish line. I believe if we slowed down a little we would allow students a greater opportunity for understanding as well as retention.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Blog Post #4
Langwitches
The first blog post I read was 1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audiobook. I thought it was very interesting. The post talked about a class that was given the opportunity to work with Garageband to record the story Dinosaurs Before Dark.
I thought it was very interesting to learn that the students showed a lot of interest in Garageband, even changing the inflection of their voice and adding emotion to their recording. This was a great way to get students engaged in learning. Not only are they using technology to record their voices (and there fore learning about different kinds of technology) but they also received a print out booklet that they could read and follow as the recording was played back to them.
For the second video I chose The Flat Stanley Podcast. This podcast is based on the book "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown. In this book a child, Stanley, is playing when a bulletin board falls on him and makes him flat. Then he is able to do all kinds of things that I normal kid can't do including the ability to be mailed places. The story for this class is that the smart board fell on them and made them all flat. Now they too can be mailed anywhere in the world, just like flat Stanley.
I thought this was such a cute idea. I loved listening to the podcast with the various students traveling around then world to London England, Space, Israel, Hollywood, even right here to Alabama! This was such a great way to have children take a story that they enjoyed and enhance it. Not only do they get to learn about technology (recording their stories) but they get to know about different cities around the world. This is yet another great example of integrating technology to allow students greater comprehension as well as retention.
The third video I chose to watch was The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom. In this video Joe Dale shows many different ways in which podcasting can benefit students. It's a great way to do project based learning and to allow students to use their higher based learning abilities.
I found this video very interesting. I was surprised by the many different ways teachers, and students, can use podcasts. I had never thought about using them to record a lecture and then uploading it for students. It was a new idea to use the podcast for kids who are home sick. What a great way to use them! I also liked how they said this is a good way for parents to see what is going on in class, I couldn't agree more.
The first blog post I read was 1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audiobook. I thought it was very interesting. The post talked about a class that was given the opportunity to work with Garageband to record the story Dinosaurs Before Dark.
For the second video I chose The Flat Stanley Podcast. This podcast is based on the book "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown. In this book a child, Stanley, is playing when a bulletin board falls on him and makes him flat. Then he is able to do all kinds of things that I normal kid can't do including the ability to be mailed places. The story for this class is that the smart board fell on them and made them all flat. Now they too can be mailed anywhere in the world, just like flat Stanley.
The third video I chose to watch was The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom. In this video Joe Dale shows many different ways in which podcasting can benefit students. It's a great way to do project based learning and to allow students to use their higher based learning abilities.
I found this video very interesting. I was surprised by the many different ways teachers, and students, can use podcasts. I had never thought about using them to record a lecture and then uploading it for students. It was a new idea to use the podcast for kids who are home sick. What a great way to use them! I also liked how they said this is a good way for parents to see what is going on in class, I couldn't agree more.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Blog Post #3
C4C Assignment
For my C4C assignment I chose to comment publicly because my classmate had a wonderfully written blog with very few errors. Had she made a number of mistakes in her blog I would have sent her a private email outlining the errors. I believe that criticism should always be constructive and pointing out someone's mistakes publicly can be humiliating and unnecessary. A private email would alert one to the mistakes without making one feel embarrassed or even bullied.
Peer Editing
I learned a few things from the video Writing Peer Reviews Top 10 Mistakes. I am sometimes guilty of "racing towards the finish line" or being a "Jean the generalizer". However, I always try to be positive (compliments) as well as give critiques (suggestions and corrections). As I stated above I think that a peer edit is a great opportunity to help someone, not humiliate.
In the slideshow Peer Edit with Perfection I also learned different parts of a post to look at, and make suggestions about, when editing. I had never considered suggesting a peer use a different or stronger word in their post. Also, suggesting the use of more detail. Most of the time you can get a feel for what message someone is trying to send, but suggesting more detail in order to gain greater clarity is something I hadn't considered before.
Technology in Special Education
I really enjoyed this video. It was extremely interesting to see how technology is benefiting these students. In this video we see a few students who use their computers to communicate. They do not speak and so they type what they want to say. At first they give one young man a sheet of paper and it is too hard for him to communicate. They aren't clear why it is more difficult but one could assume that it is because the words are spelled out without being displayed and perhaps the message is lost some where along the way. Another student says that he used to take a long time to complete homework but now he is twice as fast! That is impressive!
I think that using computers for communication and homework for any type of student is a great tool. When you use it to better a student's life, that is amazing. I would use technology for my own special needs children to grab their attention and have them be interactive. I would also use it for communication for students who are unable to speak.
iPad in the Classroom
I liked the app called iWrite words. This app teaches children how to write and spell words while playing a fun game. The letters appear and a child can trace the letters and form the word. It also teaches children about numbers (writing them). I would use this app to help children with their writing skills and spelling skills. It would be a great tool for those who need to improve their handwriting as well as learn new words.
Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts
This video can be viewed here: Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts. In this video Vicki Davis shows us how she is using technology in her classroom. She believes that when you only have paper and pencil then only certain kinds of students will succeed. Her focus is teaching the students new software, learning how to learn, and use various online tools such as wiki and blogging. Two portals they work through are Digiteen (an online wiki) and the Flat Classroom Project (a source that connects students all over the world).
What Vicki Davis is doing is a new way of teaching. She is taking the classroom and "turning it upside down". By introducing this technology to her students she is preparing them for the future.
I think what Vicki Davis is doing is great. She is empowering her students in various ways. I agree with her that knowing everything before you teach it is not they way to think. Students feel a great sense of empowerment when they have to dig a little deeper and solve the problem on their own. Sometimes the idea of using so much technology in the classroom can be overwhelming and scary. However, taking a different look at it and thinking "I can teach this and learn new processes as well" is not only essential, but makes the realization easier to grasp.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Blog Post #2
"Did you Know?"
In this blog post I will be discussing "Did You Know? 3.0- A John Strange Version" and also the original "Did You Know?" by Karl Fisch and Scott McCleod. These presentations are about how quickly technology is changing, not only in our society, but around the world. Most of the facts given are directly related to the use of technology in American education.
Most of the facts given in these presentations are, to put it simply, scary. We rely so heavily on technology that one could easily see how movies like iRobot could become reality. There are computers in nearly every home in the United States; over 85% of high school students have a cell phone and I am sure they have their phone attached to them 99% of the time (the 1% being when they are in some body of water or their shower). At the end of "Did You Know?" by Karl and Scott, they stated that by 2013 there will be a computer built that will exceed the computational capabilities of the human brain. That is next year. I believe that this extremely fast pace at which technology advances puts a huge amount of responsibility on our shoulders as educators. Not only are we responsible for teaching children who will have jobs one day using a technology that hasn't been invented yet, but we must also keep up with what is current; and that could change in the course of a month.
"Mr. Winkle Wakes"
Here I will talk about the video "Mr. Winkle Wakes". I really enjoyed this video. The basic story line is a man (Mr. Winkle) awakes after sleeping for 100 years to find that everything around him has changed. Technology has advanced so far that he can not comprehend what he is seeing. So he wanders around the city, first to an office building which he finds to be filled with "strange machines and noises". Then to a hospital where "lasers perform surgeries". Feeling overwhelmed he wanders into a school. Here, he finds that everything is exactly as it was 100 years ago. Students at desks, using paper and pencils to take notes and a teacher lecturing to them.
I think this is a very clever way to point out the lack of advancement in our school systems. Although I am not sure how accurate it is. When I was in high school there were many courses offered that were related to technology. In fact, as a freshman I was in a course that was all about web design. Our main project was working on the school website. We created links, images, etc. I do agree that teachers need to include more technology in their lessons. If we as educators do not keep our lessons current with the technology that is available we do our students a great disservice. I think that is what this video is saying: we could even set them back 100 years.
"Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity"
I really enjoyed this video. In this video Sir Ken Robinson talks about how we (as students) are educated out of creativity. If you travel around the world, the hierarchy for educational subjects is the same no matter where you go. It has math and languages at the top and arts at the bottom. Sir Robinson talks about how this hierarchy was developed to meet the needs of industrialism and how this is now completely outdated and wrong. He goes on to talk about how the world is "engulfed in a revolution" based on creativity.
As I said, I really enjoyed this video. I agree with Sir Robinson about many things. I think that we as students are educated out of creativity. I have seen several friends through out the years who are great artists or dancers but they squash their talents to focus on something "practical" that will get them a job. I thought it was very interesting how he stated that a college degree means nothing now. Although I am currently seeking my degree, I do agree with this statement as well. When my grandfather or even my mother graduated from college, having a degree meant you got a job; that is not the case anymore. The highest number of people unemployed are those just out of college (with a bachelor's degree). As a parent, and a future teacher, I hope to always encourage creativity. I think it is a skill that is vital in our ever changing world.
"A Day Made of Glass"
This is an amazing video that shows several possible technologies that may be used in the future. It basically shows how technology will be improved in every setting by using glass "screens"; everywhere from the home, to the classroom, to a hospital.
I thought this was a very interesting video. Its intention is to show how technology is advancing. The products that they have shown in this video are interesting. I own a tablet and it seems to me that most of the products in this video are just large, clear versions of the current tablets on the market. I enjoyed watching the video "A Day Made of Glass 2: Unpacked...". It was interesting to see what we are close to having and what is still years away. I hope in my lifetime I can see the interactive boards in classrooms. We are already close with the smart boards currently available. I would really like to see the activity boards shown in the video. Those seem like a great way to get kids involved and I agree with the speaker, if they would've had those in classrooms when I was a kid I would've been excited to go to class!
In this blog post I will be discussing "Did You Know? 3.0- A John Strange Version" and also the original "Did You Know?" by Karl Fisch and Scott McCleod. These presentations are about how quickly technology is changing, not only in our society, but around the world. Most of the facts given are directly related to the use of technology in American education.
Most of the facts given in these presentations are, to put it simply, scary. We rely so heavily on technology that one could easily see how movies like iRobot could become reality. There are computers in nearly every home in the United States; over 85% of high school students have a cell phone and I am sure they have their phone attached to them 99% of the time (the 1% being when they are in some body of water or their shower). At the end of "Did You Know?" by Karl and Scott, they stated that by 2013 there will be a computer built that will exceed the computational capabilities of the human brain. That is next year. I believe that this extremely fast pace at which technology advances puts a huge amount of responsibility on our shoulders as educators. Not only are we responsible for teaching children who will have jobs one day using a technology that hasn't been invented yet, but we must also keep up with what is current; and that could change in the course of a month.
"Mr. Winkle Wakes"
Here I will talk about the video "Mr. Winkle Wakes". I really enjoyed this video. The basic story line is a man (Mr. Winkle) awakes after sleeping for 100 years to find that everything around him has changed. Technology has advanced so far that he can not comprehend what he is seeing. So he wanders around the city, first to an office building which he finds to be filled with "strange machines and noises". Then to a hospital where "lasers perform surgeries". Feeling overwhelmed he wanders into a school. Here, he finds that everything is exactly as it was 100 years ago. Students at desks, using paper and pencils to take notes and a teacher lecturing to them.
I think this is a very clever way to point out the lack of advancement in our school systems. Although I am not sure how accurate it is. When I was in high school there were many courses offered that were related to technology. In fact, as a freshman I was in a course that was all about web design. Our main project was working on the school website. We created links, images, etc. I do agree that teachers need to include more technology in their lessons. If we as educators do not keep our lessons current with the technology that is available we do our students a great disservice. I think that is what this video is saying: we could even set them back 100 years.
"Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity"
I really enjoyed this video. In this video Sir Ken Robinson talks about how we (as students) are educated out of creativity. If you travel around the world, the hierarchy for educational subjects is the same no matter where you go. It has math and languages at the top and arts at the bottom. Sir Robinson talks about how this hierarchy was developed to meet the needs of industrialism and how this is now completely outdated and wrong. He goes on to talk about how the world is "engulfed in a revolution" based on creativity.
As I said, I really enjoyed this video. I agree with Sir Robinson about many things. I think that we as students are educated out of creativity. I have seen several friends through out the years who are great artists or dancers but they squash their talents to focus on something "practical" that will get them a job. I thought it was very interesting how he stated that a college degree means nothing now. Although I am currently seeking my degree, I do agree with this statement as well. When my grandfather or even my mother graduated from college, having a degree meant you got a job; that is not the case anymore. The highest number of people unemployed are those just out of college (with a bachelor's degree). As a parent, and a future teacher, I hope to always encourage creativity. I think it is a skill that is vital in our ever changing world.
"A Day Made of Glass"
This is an amazing video that shows several possible technologies that may be used in the future. It basically shows how technology will be improved in every setting by using glass "screens"; everywhere from the home, to the classroom, to a hospital.
I thought this was a very interesting video. Its intention is to show how technology is advancing. The products that they have shown in this video are interesting. I own a tablet and it seems to me that most of the products in this video are just large, clear versions of the current tablets on the market. I enjoyed watching the video "A Day Made of Glass 2: Unpacked...". It was interesting to see what we are close to having and what is still years away. I hope in my lifetime I can see the interactive boards in classrooms. We are already close with the smart boards currently available. I would really like to see the activity boards shown in the video. Those seem like a great way to get kids involved and I agree with the speaker, if they would've had those in classrooms when I was a kid I would've been excited to go to class!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Blog Assignment 1
About Me
I am originally from Fairhope Alabama but I have lived in many different places over the last few years. I am not involved in the military, I just enjoy moving to new places. After graduating from high school I moved to Madrid Spain for a few months and worked as a nanny. Then I moved to Santa Barbara California and attended community college for two years. I also met my fiance in Santa Barbara. When we were both done with school we decided to try a new city and decided on Austin Texas. We loved Austin, but after finding out we were pregnant with our first child we decided to move closer to my mom; that is how we ended up back in this area and also how I ended up attending South. While living in Austin I worked at a pre-school and I loved it. I kept thinking "this is something I would love to do everyday". After having my son (who will be one in September) I decided that I wanted to go back to school and get my degree in Elementary Education with the hope of teaching kindergarten or first grade. I have worked with kids all my life and I love being around them. It really is one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs I have ever had.
My passions include travel, baking, gardening and spending time with my son. Anytime I can do any of those things I am a happy person! A few years ago I actually took some college baking courses and I loved it, but decided I'd rather invest money in a bachelor's degree than a certificate. My son is definitely the center of my world. He was a surprise, but one I wouldn't change for anything.
Some other things that are interesting about me: I lived in Spain for a few months and when I came back state side I was almost fluent in Spanish (this is also after having four years of Spanish in high school). However, due to lack of practice, I can hardly speak it. But I do understand a lot of what other people say, which can be fun.
Randy Pausch on Time Management
I learned, from watching this video, that time management is equatable to money management. Dr. Pausch says that time and money should be valued the same, and I agree. I like how he talked about making a plan for each day, month, semester and then if something changes to make the change to your plan. I am a list maker. I get this trait from my mom. She always made lists; a to-do daily list, a to-do month list, a grocery list, etc. and I am the same. I find that this is a great way to manage time. I also learned that you should do the "ugliest" thing first. This is not usually what I do and if I was honest I would say that "thing" might pass from one list to another for a week before I finally break down and do it.
I know Dr. Pausch from "The Last Lecture" that was so popular a few years ago. I have watched his last lecture many times. It is a moving, intelligent lecture that holds meaning for everyone. I also read his book.
I am originally from Fairhope Alabama but I have lived in many different places over the last few years. I am not involved in the military, I just enjoy moving to new places. After graduating from high school I moved to Madrid Spain for a few months and worked as a nanny. Then I moved to Santa Barbara California and attended community college for two years. I also met my fiance in Santa Barbara. When we were both done with school we decided to try a new city and decided on Austin Texas. We loved Austin, but after finding out we were pregnant with our first child we decided to move closer to my mom; that is how we ended up back in this area and also how I ended up attending South. While living in Austin I worked at a pre-school and I loved it. I kept thinking "this is something I would love to do everyday". After having my son (who will be one in September) I decided that I wanted to go back to school and get my degree in Elementary Education with the hope of teaching kindergarten or first grade. I have worked with kids all my life and I love being around them. It really is one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs I have ever had.
My passions include travel, baking, gardening and spending time with my son. Anytime I can do any of those things I am a happy person! A few years ago I actually took some college baking courses and I loved it, but decided I'd rather invest money in a bachelor's degree than a certificate. My son is definitely the center of my world. He was a surprise, but one I wouldn't change for anything.
Some other things that are interesting about me: I lived in Spain for a few months and when I came back state side I was almost fluent in Spanish (this is also after having four years of Spanish in high school). However, due to lack of practice, I can hardly speak it. But I do understand a lot of what other people say, which can be fun.
Randy Pausch on Time Management
I learned, from watching this video, that time management is equatable to money management. Dr. Pausch says that time and money should be valued the same, and I agree. I like how he talked about making a plan for each day, month, semester and then if something changes to make the change to your plan. I am a list maker. I get this trait from my mom. She always made lists; a to-do daily list, a to-do month list, a grocery list, etc. and I am the same. I find that this is a great way to manage time. I also learned that you should do the "ugliest" thing first. This is not usually what I do and if I was honest I would say that "thing" might pass from one list to another for a week before I finally break down and do it.
I know Dr. Pausch from "The Last Lecture" that was so popular a few years ago. I have watched his last lecture many times. It is a moving, intelligent lecture that holds meaning for everyone. I also read his book.
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