One year old using an iPhone...are you serious?!?!
Most people would probably watch this video and think how awesome it is that a one year old can use an iPhone. This is pretty cool if you sit back and think about how smart and how fast children are learning technology these days. For educators of future educators, this video is scary. That video is of a one year old really using an iPhone and understanding what he is doing. That child still has years before he enters the school system, what will he know by then? It makes me nervous to think that he and many like him will be in my classroom. Will I be prepared?
After watching the video I really sat back and thought about the children I will be teaching. They are going to be smart, fast, energetic, and wonderful children. I need to prepare myself to give them the best opportunity possible. Instead of being afraid, I need to practice, practice, practice all the technological gadgets I can get my hands on. This will be a continual process for the rest of my life. New things are invented everyday and I want to learn so that my students can learn.
Media Literacy
The first thing that caught my attention in the media literacy videos was how excited these students are. They did not just put together this video because it was a project they had do, they helped put it together because this is something they enjoy. In the video they loved showing off how they use blogs, make comments, use wikis, and so much more. They are excited to share what they are learning with the world. This is how the classroom should look! Regardless of the amount of technology, students should have an excitement and a joy in learning. I think that Ms. Cassidy has done a wonderful job.
The second thing that is just crazy about this video is that the students are in the first grade. Wow! We will be teaching these students and they will only get smarter and quicker and better at the use of technology. I love that they are so young and have found an excitement in using these tools. When I get into the classroom I hope to inspire my children to find a love for technology like Ms. Cassidy has. I would love to keep them interested in things that we are learning through the use of fun tools like blogs, Skye, and wikis. I am excited for my students to learn and for them to teach me as well.
Podcasts
Listening to the different podcasts was enjoyable. There were some really good ideas on many of them and then just some interesting thoughts on others. Through the SmartBoard Lessons podcast I found a neat website called wallwisher.com. This website is just another neat tool that can get kids interacting with each other and with the teacher.
The wallwisher.com website allows you put little post-its on a wall. It is a cute and creative way to have your children comment on an article or something of that sorts. You can also add music, video, etc to the wall.
I really enjoyed the SmartBoard Lessons podcasts. The broadcasters were just full of personality and it made it more interesting. I like the little bits of music that are in all the podcasts.
I like EdTalk has guest on their show so that other people have opinions and it is just a fun and informational conversation. I loved KidCast. It was just so informative. Tons of stuff to improve our teaching and keep the children involved.
I really enjoyed the podcasts and would like to use them in my classroom as another way to encourage my kids through the use of technology. I would even like for us to create our own podcast, make movies, and use digital photography.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Technology, Technology, Technology!!!
A Vision of Students Today
I watched this video twice because I thought it was really awesome and so relevant. I love that the students at KSU came up with this and participated in making such an honest and neat video. The video encompasses an average college students life very well. From my own personal experience I can completely relate to the students at KSU. We sit in classes among tons of other students, the professors don't know our names, we are assigned countless pages to read that sometimes pertain to what we are learning, we obtain thousands of dollars in debt, and for the most part we aren't even heard. I am not blaming the professors because they are just teaching like they were taught but there comes time when as a professional I would think that they would want to step outside the box and try new ways to keep their students interested. I imagine that they truly want us to learn and become excellent in the subjects that they are instructing so why don't they try and incorporate these subjects to our lives? Maybe it is because they are afraid of failing themselves, maybe they are scared of the unknown, or maybe they are just oblivious to the opportunities out there.
Students today spend hours upon hours on the computer, on cell phones, using ipods, and many other technical devices. We are working, going to school, doing service projects, connecting with world, and trying to cram tons of school work into the mix. It amazes me that professors expect students to sit in their seats and learn from a chalkboard or from a standard lecture. Personally, I would be so more apt to do my readings or homework if it were somehow incorporated into my use of everyday technology. Living as a student in the US we have the opportunity to have laptops and smart boards and other fun things at our fingertips, so I think that we and the professors should use them as much as possible. I enjoy EDM 310 because I get to be creative, I get to explore new technologies that I didn't know about prior, I get to see how teachers are using technology in their classrooms, I get to connect with other students, and I am being prepared for tomorrow and I am learning how to prepare my future students for tomorrow as well.
A Vision of Students Today
"It's Not about the Technology"
Mrs. Hines has truly put much thought into this article and I am thankful that she has shared it with the public. I hope that MANY educators will read this article and take it into deep consideration. We hear so much about technology and how we need to innovate it into our classes and into our students lives but Mrs. Hines makes a wonderful argument. Why yes, technology is a wonderful tool, it is not technology that teaches the children. If we really care about our students and really want them to succeed then we need to have a completely new mindset. We also need to be willing to work hard and do awesome things for our students. Mrs. Hines makes some key points on how teaching is not about the technology.
I completely agree with Mrs. Hines and honestly her article makes me even more excited and encouraged to become a teacher. As future educators we much be learners and we must be completely invested in our professions. How can we expect to teach children if we aren't sold out on what we will be teaching them. Also, once we become teachers we always have someone down our backs telling us what to do and how to teach our children. We must be self-motivated and we must be willing to find new ways to teach these future students. We need to get creative and excited and they will want to do the same. To prepare these children for the future we must be prepared ourselves and not just through technology. We must be thinking about our individual class needs and we must strive to meet them. If we combine our passion for teaching and our desire to see our students learn and then add technology, the possibilities are endless. The tools of technology can take up beyond what we can imagine if we give it all a shot. :)
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
This is not the first time I have been exposed to Mr. Fisch's posts. I enjoy reading his thoughts and opinions and for the most part agree with his positions on topics. I am encouraged that he takes the time to write these type of posts or messages to his employees and that he doesn't just allow them to remain stagnant. Sometimes all it takes is a push in the right direction and people can achieve some awesome things. The fact that Mr. Fisch pushes his employees to become technologically literate is so encouraging. He wants them to succeed so they can help students succeed. This should every educator and future educators mission. We should want to improve our literacy in every aspect so that we can help our children to the best of our ability. Mr. Fisch is exactly right when he states that being technologically illiterate today is like not knowing how to read and write 30 years ago.
I think that every teacher should not only know the basics to technology but that they should be proficient in it. They should want this for their prospective students and also, for themselves. In a world where things are changing daily and the main form of communication is through technology, it is crazy to not be literate in it. Times are changing and it is time for teachers to change to. They need to be transformed from the inside to the outside. They need to have a mindset of excitement and curiosity about what these new tools entail and then they need to let these new discoveries play out in their classes to help their students learn. I'm thankful that Mr. Fisch is open and honest about his feelings toward this subject and I hope that his employees and the many people that have read this will take it to heart and find a new joy in learning to be technologically literate.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Wow...the numbers on the social media count blow my mind. It is amazing to me that that many people use the Internet in their daily lives to do so many different things. To me, that makes me realize how vital it is that I keep up to date in all the new tools offered on the Internet. As far as my professional career as a teacher I should be completely capable and literate in using these tools. Apparently these tools are widely used by people all around us. If I am literate in my use of these tools then I can use them to teach my kids, to communicate with parents, to contact teachers elsewhere, and for my personal enjoyment as well.
These quickly changing numbers also mean that new things are coming and VERY quickly. This means that as a professional I will have to be on my toes at all times and continually learning. Also, I will be teaching my children for things that aren't even available to them yet. I will be preparing them for the unknown. Exponential times is exactly what we are living in and I need to be willing and excited to embrace these times. I am excited to see what is in store for my students by the time I am in the classroom and teaching them.
I watched this video twice because I thought it was really awesome and so relevant. I love that the students at KSU came up with this and participated in making such an honest and neat video. The video encompasses an average college students life very well. From my own personal experience I can completely relate to the students at KSU. We sit in classes among tons of other students, the professors don't know our names, we are assigned countless pages to read that sometimes pertain to what we are learning, we obtain thousands of dollars in debt, and for the most part we aren't even heard. I am not blaming the professors because they are just teaching like they were taught but there comes time when as a professional I would think that they would want to step outside the box and try new ways to keep their students interested. I imagine that they truly want us to learn and become excellent in the subjects that they are instructing so why don't they try and incorporate these subjects to our lives? Maybe it is because they are afraid of failing themselves, maybe they are scared of the unknown, or maybe they are just oblivious to the opportunities out there.
Students today spend hours upon hours on the computer, on cell phones, using ipods, and many other technical devices. We are working, going to school, doing service projects, connecting with world, and trying to cram tons of school work into the mix. It amazes me that professors expect students to sit in their seats and learn from a chalkboard or from a standard lecture. Personally, I would be so more apt to do my readings or homework if it were somehow incorporated into my use of everyday technology. Living as a student in the US we have the opportunity to have laptops and smart boards and other fun things at our fingertips, so I think that we and the professors should use them as much as possible. I enjoy EDM 310 because I get to be creative, I get to explore new technologies that I didn't know about prior, I get to see how teachers are using technology in their classrooms, I get to connect with other students, and I am being prepared for tomorrow and I am learning how to prepare my future students for tomorrow as well.
A Vision of Students Today
"It's Not about the Technology"
Mrs. Hines has truly put much thought into this article and I am thankful that she has shared it with the public. I hope that MANY educators will read this article and take it into deep consideration. We hear so much about technology and how we need to innovate it into our classes and into our students lives but Mrs. Hines makes a wonderful argument. Why yes, technology is a wonderful tool, it is not technology that teaches the children. If we really care about our students and really want them to succeed then we need to have a completely new mindset. We also need to be willing to work hard and do awesome things for our students. Mrs. Hines makes some key points on how teaching is not about the technology.
I completely agree with Mrs. Hines and honestly her article makes me even more excited and encouraged to become a teacher. As future educators we much be learners and we must be completely invested in our professions. How can we expect to teach children if we aren't sold out on what we will be teaching them. Also, once we become teachers we always have someone down our backs telling us what to do and how to teach our children. We must be self-motivated and we must be willing to find new ways to teach these future students. We need to get creative and excited and they will want to do the same. To prepare these children for the future we must be prepared ourselves and not just through technology. We must be thinking about our individual class needs and we must strive to meet them. If we combine our passion for teaching and our desire to see our students learn and then add technology, the possibilities are endless. The tools of technology can take up beyond what we can imagine if we give it all a shot. :)
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
This is not the first time I have been exposed to Mr. Fisch's posts. I enjoy reading his thoughts and opinions and for the most part agree with his positions on topics. I am encouraged that he takes the time to write these type of posts or messages to his employees and that he doesn't just allow them to remain stagnant. Sometimes all it takes is a push in the right direction and people can achieve some awesome things. The fact that Mr. Fisch pushes his employees to become technologically literate is so encouraging. He wants them to succeed so they can help students succeed. This should every educator and future educators mission. We should want to improve our literacy in every aspect so that we can help our children to the best of our ability. Mr. Fisch is exactly right when he states that being technologically illiterate today is like not knowing how to read and write 30 years ago.
I think that every teacher should not only know the basics to technology but that they should be proficient in it. They should want this for their prospective students and also, for themselves. In a world where things are changing daily and the main form of communication is through technology, it is crazy to not be literate in it. Times are changing and it is time for teachers to change to. They need to be transformed from the inside to the outside. They need to have a mindset of excitement and curiosity about what these new tools entail and then they need to let these new discoveries play out in their classes to help their students learn. I'm thankful that Mr. Fisch is open and honest about his feelings toward this subject and I hope that his employees and the many people that have read this will take it to heart and find a new joy in learning to be technologically literate.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Wow...the numbers on the social media count blow my mind. It is amazing to me that that many people use the Internet in their daily lives to do so many different things. To me, that makes me realize how vital it is that I keep up to date in all the new tools offered on the Internet. As far as my professional career as a teacher I should be completely capable and literate in using these tools. Apparently these tools are widely used by people all around us. If I am literate in my use of these tools then I can use them to teach my kids, to communicate with parents, to contact teachers elsewhere, and for my personal enjoyment as well.
These quickly changing numbers also mean that new things are coming and VERY quickly. This means that as a professional I will have to be on my toes at all times and continually learning. Also, I will be teaching my children for things that aren't even available to them yet. I will be preparing them for the unknown. Exponential times is exactly what we are living in and I need to be willing and excited to embrace these times. I am excited to see what is in store for my students by the time I am in the classroom and teaching them.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Love
Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained. -C.S. Lewis
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
~Exponential Times~
Did You Know? 3.0 and Mr. Winkle Wakes
These two videos really challenged me to sit back and think about today's technology and how fast things are changing. In the 'Did you Know? 3.0' video I was blown away by some of the statistics and also disheartened by how far behind America is. The amount of new jobs, new words, and new opportunities that technology is providing to people everyday is incredible. I wonder though, are we taking advantage of everything we have in front of us? Are we using technological advances to the best of our capabilities? How amazing is it to think that 50 million people were reached via Facebook in 2 years. The amount of people we have access to is incredible. We could use these resources in our classrooms to help our children connect with other parts of the world. As future educators, we should be taking advantage of all these fun new technologies. They should be the way we are teaching the students of today.
Based on the "Did You Know?" video alone, it makes me anxious to even see what the classrooms will look like in 2 years when I graduate. My hope is that educators would get excited and want to embrace all the technology and fun new ways to get our students involved. I would love to see classrooms connecting with other classroom across the globe. Also, it would be neat to see teachers connecting with other teachers through these technological advances. The fact that we are preparing children for jobs that do not even exist yet is mind boggling to me. That just shows me that we really have to make use of every new technology. We need to challenge students to try new things and not be afraid. The students need to be taught to experiment and try out new ideas and not be afraid to mess up. They are the biggest part of this unknown future! click here to view this video
The 'Mr. Winkle Wakes' video really made me question whether we are using all the advances that are at our fingertips or are we wasting them? Mr. Winkle was asleep for 100 years and when he wakes and goes out into the world he discovers all the new technologies. He sees them in the business world and in our health centers but when he enters the school system he finds comfort. He finds a place that is boring and calm, with no sign of exciting, new technology. It makes me sad because this is so true of many of our school systems today. We find it imperative that the latest up-to-date technology is used in our health facilities, at work, and even in our extracurricular activities but we don't demand it in our schools. That just doesn't make sense at all.
If we expect children to thrive with the exponential times then we as future educators need to be educating ourselves on all the upcoming technological advances. We need to encourage the use of new things and try them out ourselves. How can we expect children to just sit and learn the "old fashioned way" when all around them things are constantly changing and advancing. We need to be providing ways for them to experience these new resources. The truth is, we shouldn't be incorporating technology into our lessons, we should be incorporating our lessons and education into our use of technology. Why would a child want to sit in a classroom and stare at a white board when they could be taking a virtual field trip or could be interacting with a classroom in Australia. It just makes sense that we would exhaust these resources for the futures of our students. watch it here!
The Importance of Creativity
What a wonderful speech that Ken Robinson gave on the topic of creativity. I loved how I was really challenged to step out of the "teaching thinking" and really embrace the thought of creativity being vital in education. Mr. Robinson makes so many great points in his video that are so true of how teachers can so easily just push creativity aside. He says in the video that children are "educated out of creativity". This is such a sad thought but so true in our school systems. Instead of focusing on areas that children thrive, such as art, theater, painting, drawing, singing, dancing, writing poetry, etc. teachers put all their focus on the subjects that are tested on. This is killing the students creativity and probably making them dislike school. To a child that has so much creativity and just wants to let it out, it must be so hard to sit in a class where they cannot shine in what they are gifted in.
Mr. Robinson makes the point that it is our (educators) job to help them make something of this future. The future is unknown and we are preparing them for the unknown. We need to allow them to be themselves and embrace who they are in every aspect. Doing this, will allow them to flourish in the upcoming future. If we value each child and their own special uniqueness and creativity, then they will be more likely to succeed in the future. Even as teachers we can use so much creativity in our lessons. We have so many resources at our fingertips to make learning fun and exciting and out of the ordinary. I am thankful that Mr. Robinson spoke out about this and I hope that this video and speech really encouraged educators to stop killing creativity and invite it into their classrooms.
Please check out this video and website! It has some really neat stuff and really great teaching materials!
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I wish that every teacher/educator had the motivation that Ms. Vicki Davis has to empower her students through technology. She has taken students in a rural, Georgia community and opened them up to a new world. She has taught them how to explore the digital world and make use of it for educational purposes. She allows them to teach each other, to teach her, and most importantly how to teach themselves. They are learning and ENJOYING it. Ms. Davis makes a great point in the video. She says that with only paper and only pencil that only certain children will succeed. I love that she has made that observation and that she is taking steps to make sure that every child has the opportunity to succeed in her classroom.
Through the digital world, she has connected her classes with the entire world. She has them involved in Digi Teen with digital citizenship and Flat Classroom. These are just a few resources that students have the opportunity to get involved in and have fun learning. Ms. Davis does not try to make the students conform into what she thinks the class should be but instead she customizes each class based on the students. This should be the mindset of all teachers. We should get to know our students and see what all we can do to help them succeed. If that means that we do things that are uncomfortable and new to us then we need to step out and do that. Every step that we can take to help them learn and have fun and feel empowered, we need to take! This website has really fun stuff on it for students and for educators. Check it out! Very useful website!
These two videos really challenged me to sit back and think about today's technology and how fast things are changing. In the 'Did you Know? 3.0' video I was blown away by some of the statistics and also disheartened by how far behind America is. The amount of new jobs, new words, and new opportunities that technology is providing to people everyday is incredible. I wonder though, are we taking advantage of everything we have in front of us? Are we using technological advances to the best of our capabilities? How amazing is it to think that 50 million people were reached via Facebook in 2 years. The amount of people we have access to is incredible. We could use these resources in our classrooms to help our children connect with other parts of the world. As future educators, we should be taking advantage of all these fun new technologies. They should be the way we are teaching the students of today.
Based on the "Did You Know?" video alone, it makes me anxious to even see what the classrooms will look like in 2 years when I graduate. My hope is that educators would get excited and want to embrace all the technology and fun new ways to get our students involved. I would love to see classrooms connecting with other classroom across the globe. Also, it would be neat to see teachers connecting with other teachers through these technological advances. The fact that we are preparing children for jobs that do not even exist yet is mind boggling to me. That just shows me that we really have to make use of every new technology. We need to challenge students to try new things and not be afraid. The students need to be taught to experiment and try out new ideas and not be afraid to mess up. They are the biggest part of this unknown future! click here to view this video
The 'Mr. Winkle Wakes' video really made me question whether we are using all the advances that are at our fingertips or are we wasting them? Mr. Winkle was asleep for 100 years and when he wakes and goes out into the world he discovers all the new technologies. He sees them in the business world and in our health centers but when he enters the school system he finds comfort. He finds a place that is boring and calm, with no sign of exciting, new technology. It makes me sad because this is so true of many of our school systems today. We find it imperative that the latest up-to-date technology is used in our health facilities, at work, and even in our extracurricular activities but we don't demand it in our schools. That just doesn't make sense at all.
If we expect children to thrive with the exponential times then we as future educators need to be educating ourselves on all the upcoming technological advances. We need to encourage the use of new things and try them out ourselves. How can we expect children to just sit and learn the "old fashioned way" when all around them things are constantly changing and advancing. We need to be providing ways for them to experience these new resources. The truth is, we shouldn't be incorporating technology into our lessons, we should be incorporating our lessons and education into our use of technology. Why would a child want to sit in a classroom and stare at a white board when they could be taking a virtual field trip or could be interacting with a classroom in Australia. It just makes sense that we would exhaust these resources for the futures of our students. watch it here!
The Importance of Creativity
What a wonderful speech that Ken Robinson gave on the topic of creativity. I loved how I was really challenged to step out of the "teaching thinking" and really embrace the thought of creativity being vital in education. Mr. Robinson makes so many great points in his video that are so true of how teachers can so easily just push creativity aside. He says in the video that children are "educated out of creativity". This is such a sad thought but so true in our school systems. Instead of focusing on areas that children thrive, such as art, theater, painting, drawing, singing, dancing, writing poetry, etc. teachers put all their focus on the subjects that are tested on. This is killing the students creativity and probably making them dislike school. To a child that has so much creativity and just wants to let it out, it must be so hard to sit in a class where they cannot shine in what they are gifted in.
Mr. Robinson makes the point that it is our (educators) job to help them make something of this future. The future is unknown and we are preparing them for the unknown. We need to allow them to be themselves and embrace who they are in every aspect. Doing this, will allow them to flourish in the upcoming future. If we value each child and their own special uniqueness and creativity, then they will be more likely to succeed in the future. Even as teachers we can use so much creativity in our lessons. We have so many resources at our fingertips to make learning fun and exciting and out of the ordinary. I am thankful that Mr. Robinson spoke out about this and I hope that this video and speech really encouraged educators to stop killing creativity and invite it into their classrooms.
Please check out this video and website! It has some really neat stuff and really great teaching materials!
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I wish that every teacher/educator had the motivation that Ms. Vicki Davis has to empower her students through technology. She has taken students in a rural, Georgia community and opened them up to a new world. She has taught them how to explore the digital world and make use of it for educational purposes. She allows them to teach each other, to teach her, and most importantly how to teach themselves. They are learning and ENJOYING it. Ms. Davis makes a great point in the video. She says that with only paper and only pencil that only certain children will succeed. I love that she has made that observation and that she is taking steps to make sure that every child has the opportunity to succeed in her classroom.
Through the digital world, she has connected her classes with the entire world. She has them involved in Digi Teen with digital citizenship and Flat Classroom. These are just a few resources that students have the opportunity to get involved in and have fun learning. Ms. Davis does not try to make the students conform into what she thinks the class should be but instead she customizes each class based on the students. This should be the mindset of all teachers. We should get to know our students and see what all we can do to help them succeed. If that means that we do things that are uncomfortable and new to us then we need to step out and do that. Every step that we can take to help them learn and have fun and feel empowered, we need to take! This website has really fun stuff on it for students and for educators. Check it out! Very useful website!
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