Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Final Report on PLN
Having a PLN has helped me so much! I use it as my homepage and when I open my internet everything I need is right there. It includes my blog, classes, schoolwork, banking, e-mail, social networks, seriously everything. It is so nice to not have to open 5 different web-sites to look at everything. All of my most visited sites are there in front of me. Having my PLN helps me keep up with current events more then ever before. It is so easy to just look at the pictures and pick what you want to read about. This is one of my favorite things about symbaloo, because I do not always have time to sit down and read an entire article. Now I can get a summary on just about anything. I'm fortunate to have learned about PLN's because it will help me stay organized in the future, and hopefully I will be able to use them in my classroom to make things so much easier for my students.
Blog Post #14
Pseudoteaching: MIT Physics by Frank Noschese
The post Pseudoteaching: MIT Physics is very interesting. After reading about pseudoteaching, I thought back to some of the lectures I have attended and realized, pseudoteaching is VERY common. John Burk and Frank Noschese define pseudoteaching as "something you realize you’re doing after you have attempted a lesson which from the outset looks like it should result in student learning, but upon further reflection, you realize that the very lesson itself was flawed and involved minimal learning".
To show a prime example of pseudoteaching they used Walter Lewin and his lectures on physics. He ran through his lectures three times each before presenting them to a class. He was very enthusiastic and had many demonstrations to get his points across. They looked effortless and from the outside it seemed like his students were learning a lot. That's just it, it LOOKED like his students were learning a lot. In reality they were just sitting there watching him lecture. The students were not participating in the learning process because their professor was doing all of the talking AND demonstrating. It has been proven that in order to retain maximal information, people must DO. People have to engage and interact in order to learn and not forget. So, when Walter Lewin's class attendance dropped 40% from the beginning of the semester and people were still failing physics, there was clearly something wrong with the teaching style and something needed to be changed.
To solve this problem MIT created TEAL. This stands for technology-enabled active learning. Instead of students relying on memorizing formulas, TEAL helps them adapt general methods of problem solving to problems they have never seen before, and apply abstract concepts to new situations. The mission of TEAL was to create problem solving, self-learners. Students are encouraged to ask a lot of questions and work in groups to solve problems. To get the students to answer questions and work together to find the correct answer, "clicker questions" were implemented. Students can answer a question on the screen using their personal clicker. TEAL also added experiments to the classroom. This way students could actually participate in the classroom and get hands-on experience. All of the students were actively participating in their learning experience. Some professors did not like the idea of TEAL, but over time it has proved itself to be a fantastic way for students to learn.
Encouraging teachers to find other ways of teaching besides lecturing is a wonderful idea. In the posts from above they use the perfect example: "you do not learn to play the piano, ride a bike, or play sports by just watching someone else do it". To learn these things you MUST do them. Teachers need to let their students experience for themselves how and why things work. By doing this their students will not just memorize formulas, definitions, and certain facts about a subject, they will actually learn! The "clicker questions" are a great idea. Throughout the class period, students will be able to see what they are struggling with and they can get help right then and there. If the teacher is not lecturing, and all of the students are actively learning, then students with questions are not interrupting anyone else's learning experience.
Pseudoteaching is definitely an easier route, but after reading this post I do not see why anyone would be okay with spending all that time preparing lectures that really don't teach anything at all. That makes no sense to me, and I believe that the benefits of using a "TEAL approach" to teaching far outweigh the difficulties you might face while using this teaching style.
The post Pseudoteaching: MIT Physics is very interesting. After reading about pseudoteaching, I thought back to some of the lectures I have attended and realized, pseudoteaching is VERY common. John Burk and Frank Noschese define pseudoteaching as "something you realize you’re doing after you have attempted a lesson which from the outset looks like it should result in student learning, but upon further reflection, you realize that the very lesson itself was flawed and involved minimal learning".
To show a prime example of pseudoteaching they used Walter Lewin and his lectures on physics. He ran through his lectures three times each before presenting them to a class. He was very enthusiastic and had many demonstrations to get his points across. They looked effortless and from the outside it seemed like his students were learning a lot. That's just it, it LOOKED like his students were learning a lot. In reality they were just sitting there watching him lecture. The students were not participating in the learning process because their professor was doing all of the talking AND demonstrating. It has been proven that in order to retain maximal information, people must DO. People have to engage and interact in order to learn and not forget. So, when Walter Lewin's class attendance dropped 40% from the beginning of the semester and people were still failing physics, there was clearly something wrong with the teaching style and something needed to be changed.
To solve this problem MIT created TEAL. This stands for technology-enabled active learning. Instead of students relying on memorizing formulas, TEAL helps them adapt general methods of problem solving to problems they have never seen before, and apply abstract concepts to new situations. The mission of TEAL was to create problem solving, self-learners. Students are encouraged to ask a lot of questions and work in groups to solve problems. To get the students to answer questions and work together to find the correct answer, "clicker questions" were implemented. Students can answer a question on the screen using their personal clicker. TEAL also added experiments to the classroom. This way students could actually participate in the classroom and get hands-on experience. All of the students were actively participating in their learning experience. Some professors did not like the idea of TEAL, but over time it has proved itself to be a fantastic way for students to learn.
Encouraging teachers to find other ways of teaching besides lecturing is a wonderful idea. In the posts from above they use the perfect example: "you do not learn to play the piano, ride a bike, or play sports by just watching someone else do it". To learn these things you MUST do them. Teachers need to let their students experience for themselves how and why things work. By doing this their students will not just memorize formulas, definitions, and certain facts about a subject, they will actually learn! The "clicker questions" are a great idea. Throughout the class period, students will be able to see what they are struggling with and they can get help right then and there. If the teacher is not lecturing, and all of the students are actively learning, then students with questions are not interrupting anyone else's learning experience.
Pseudoteaching is definitely an easier route, but after reading this post I do not see why anyone would be okay with spending all that time preparing lectures that really don't teach anything at all. That makes no sense to me, and I believe that the benefits of using a "TEAL approach" to teaching far outweigh the difficulties you might face while using this teaching style.
Comments For Teachers #4
Dianne Krause has put a lot of time into her blog. Essentially, she finds the best resources she can for teachers to use when they start integrating technology into their classrooms, and she posts her findings on her blog. She posts a lot of different links to web-sites that will help teachers figure out how to effectively incorporate technology into their classrooms. You can find posters, blogs, videos, and instructions on how to use some technology throughout her blog.
In the first comment I left her, I told her about my major and how some of her blogs will be useful to me. I really appreciate the time she has taken to share all of these resources she has found with us. If we had more people like Dianne guiding us through the transition to an education system that uses technology, everything would be a lot easier. Teachers would not have to be scared of technology, they could easily learn about technology.
The second comment I left was on her post about educational hash tags for twitter. She posted a link with a list of a lot different professionals on twitter that would be helpful to people in the education field. They are grouped by subject, grade level, schools, and even home schooled children. It is easy to find a person that could be helpful to you personally because everything is so organized. Future teachers can use this to find a professional to talk to, and get some great ideas from them. I was very impressed with Dianne's blog. I can tell that she puts a lot of work and time into it, and she has found some really great resources.
In the first comment I left her, I told her about my major and how some of her blogs will be useful to me. I really appreciate the time she has taken to share all of these resources she has found with us. If we had more people like Dianne guiding us through the transition to an education system that uses technology, everything would be a lot easier. Teachers would not have to be scared of technology, they could easily learn about technology.
The second comment I left was on her post about educational hash tags for twitter. She posted a link with a list of a lot different professionals on twitter that would be helpful to people in the education field. They are grouped by subject, grade level, schools, and even home schooled children. It is easy to find a person that could be helpful to you personally because everything is so organized. Future teachers can use this to find a professional to talk to, and get some great ideas from them. I was very impressed with Dianne's blog. I can tell that she puts a lot of work and time into it, and she has found some really great resources.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Blog Post #13
Top Ten Tips For Using Technology in the Classroom
In Jose Picardo's video he gives his Top Ten Tips For Using Technology in the Classroom. His first tip is to make use of streaming videos. Students watch YouTube videos all the time, and by implementing them into your classroom they instantly become more interested. His second tip is to use music more often. Most likely, your students will already have an iTunes account, and you should get one as well. We should find out what kinds of music they like to listen to and use it to our advantage. Jose's third tip is to use teleconferencing tools. Teachers can take advantage of this by getting their children to communicate with students from other schools and other countries. This is a great opportunity for them. His fourth tip is to create your own interactive exercises. No one knows the students better than the teacher. By creating your own exercises, by using web-sites like Content Generator or Languages Online, you can base your lessons personally around your students strengths and weaknesses. Picardo's tip number five is to use your interactive white board more effectively. A little goes a long way and the students will benefit from, and appreciate it. His tip number six is to create your own podcast. You can make and edit sound recordings that will help engage your students in the classroom activities. His seventh tip is to start a blog or a wiki. These are good tools to use because you can showcase your students work and achievements. If will give the teacher an extra dimension for teaching and it will provide a focus for your students efforts. Jose's eighth tip is to use social networks. As a teacher this can give you so many new ideas for your classroom, and you can also create closed groups for you and your students. His ninth tip is to use internet tools to motivate the students. They are always on the internet anyway, so you could incorporate some lessons into their daily internet use. His last tip is to make the most of your students gadgets. They all have cell phones and most of them have iPods or mp3 players. Instead of taking these away from the students show them the educational activities they can do with these devices. When you show students that you are working to bring things they like into the classroom, this will make them want to learn more and hear what you have to say. I think all of these tips would make a classroom more interactive and creative. Students would not be bored and they would want to learn instead of dreading it.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Progress on Final Project
Josh Milne, Heath Morris, and I are all in a group for the final project. We have been throwing ideas around for what we want to do, but we have not settled on one yet. One of our ideas was to make a video on what EDM310 has done for us! (What we have learned, what we will continue to use, what has been most beneficial to us personally). That is not our concrete decision, but it is a start. We are going to meet and try to get started on it ASAP.
Blog Post #12
1. Watch this video on How Technology Evolves by Kevin Kelly 19:58
2. Write a post in which you discuss Kevin Kelly's views on why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is today. Include comments on why you think watching this would help staff and faculty in schools better understand the need for incorporating technology into the classrooms. Follow the requirements in Writing a Quality Blog Post.
On this web-site I watched a talk by Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves. It was a very interesting video because it gives a very obscure look into why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is. He talks about the evolution of all living species and the 6 kingdoms. His theory is that technology is like a 7th kingdom. It is a way of life, and just like the other 6 kingdoms it focuses on ubiquity, diversity, specialization, complexity, and socialization.
He believes that technology is needed and should be constantly evolving (being invented) so that everyone can embrace it and find their potential for difference. He says that technology gives us the potential for difference and opportunities. There are millions of children in the world whose technology for self-expression has not been invented yet. He thinks that it is our moral obligation to invent these technologies and keep evolving them so that everyone can recognize their own difference. Kelly thinks that technology is an essential part of finding out who we are. He looks at it as "the infinite game" because technology can be delayed but never killed. It will continue to evolve and we must embrace it.
If staff and faculty in schools watched this video I think they would really appreciate it. Kevin Kelly's theory shows that technology expands and grows to adapt to the world around it, just like everything else. The expansion and adaptation of technology is not something we have a choice about... It is going to happen! Staff and faculty could use this theory to get their students excited about finding their difference and expanding their opportunities through the use of technology. It will explain to teachers that it IS their moral obligation to help students learn how to use technology and to use it effectively. They will only stunt their students progression by avoiding it.
This video stood out to me because it gave me a possible reason behind the "technology epidemic." I watch videos all the time that are useful and tell me that technology is important. This is one of a few videos that actually gave me a reasonable theory behind it all. Everyone might not agree with this theory but it is a start and it should give students and teachers a sense of excitement to know that technology will do nothing but grow and give everyone MORE opportunities.
2. Write a post in which you discuss Kevin Kelly's views on why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is today. Include comments on why you think watching this would help staff and faculty in schools better understand the need for incorporating technology into the classrooms. Follow the requirements in Writing a Quality Blog Post.
On this web-site I watched a talk by Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves. It was a very interesting video because it gives a very obscure look into why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is. He talks about the evolution of all living species and the 6 kingdoms. His theory is that technology is like a 7th kingdom. It is a way of life, and just like the other 6 kingdoms it focuses on ubiquity, diversity, specialization, complexity, and socialization.
He believes that technology is needed and should be constantly evolving (being invented) so that everyone can embrace it and find their potential for difference. He says that technology gives us the potential for difference and opportunities. There are millions of children in the world whose technology for self-expression has not been invented yet. He thinks that it is our moral obligation to invent these technologies and keep evolving them so that everyone can recognize their own difference. Kelly thinks that technology is an essential part of finding out who we are. He looks at it as "the infinite game" because technology can be delayed but never killed. It will continue to evolve and we must embrace it.
If staff and faculty in schools watched this video I think they would really appreciate it. Kevin Kelly's theory shows that technology expands and grows to adapt to the world around it, just like everything else. The expansion and adaptation of technology is not something we have a choice about... It is going to happen! Staff and faculty could use this theory to get their students excited about finding their difference and expanding their opportunities through the use of technology. It will explain to teachers that it IS their moral obligation to help students learn how to use technology and to use it effectively. They will only stunt their students progression by avoiding it.
This video stood out to me because it gave me a possible reason behind the "technology epidemic." I watch videos all the time that are useful and tell me that technology is important. This is one of a few videos that actually gave me a reasonable theory behind it all. Everyone might not agree with this theory but it is a start and it should give students and teachers a sense of excitement to know that technology will do nothing but grow and give everyone MORE opportunities.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Special Assignment #2
1. The Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that offers free lectures to anyone with web-access. Lectures can be seen on materials such as K-12 math, biology, chemistry, physics, finances and history. It is an easy and convenient way to get help with, or learn certain subjects. You can watch the videos, practice problems, and the site will even help you keep track of what you have learned and what you need help with. The web-site is organized and easy to navigate. There is a tab (watch) that has all of the videos posted underneath it. This is an easy way to access all of the videos quickly because they are grouped by subject.
2. This web-site can be very helpful to teachers and students. Students can get extra help in their classes by watching the videos ON THEIR OWN TIME. If they miss a class or just need extra tutorials they can access lectures to many different subjects. They can make use of the assessments and practice exercises to get a better understanding of the material they are learning. With students permission, teachers and parents can keep up with what the students are learning and how they are progressing. Teachers can have an at-a-glance look at everything you have been learning, down to the specific problems you have worked on. This would be a good tool to assess your students strengths and weaknesses. Teachers would be able to plan their lessons accordingly and get extra help to students who are struggling in certain areas.
3. On the Khan Academy web-site I watched the video about Unemployment. He talks about the difference between U-3 and U-6 definitions of unemployment. U-3 is defined as the "total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force." Essentially what this means is the amount of people who have been actively looking for a job in the past 4 weeks. This is calculated and makes up the percent of U-3 unemployed people. Then he talks about U-6 which is defined as the "total unemployed, plus marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons." This means that calculated together would be the amount of people who are unemployed that have been looking for a job in the last 4 weeks, plus the people who are unemployed because of some personal reason of their own, and the people who are employed part time in a job that they would not normally accept under other economically sound conditions. The calculations for U-6 are higher and this shows that there is lowered labor utilization. Since there is lower labor utilization there is wage deflation. This makes service based jobs, which are the majority in western civilizations, not able to higher as many people.
4. When teachers begin teaching they can use this web-site to really get to know their students strengths. They could also use this if a student misses class and they need to catch up on a lecture. I think by using this web-site many teachers will be able to focus more on what needs to be covered in class. They will save time and be more efficient in planning their lessons.
5. This web-site surprised me because I had no idea there was anything like this. There are so many lectures on so many topics. I really would have liked to have something like this when I was in high school. It would have made some of my classes a lot easier because he really breaks things down and puts them in perspective. I was surprised at how easy he is to listen to, and I thought it was really cool how he writes on the screen shots and draws diagrams. These things make it easy to follow along and really learn what he is saying.
1. The iTunes U web-site is a simple, easily accessible way for faculty and students to distribute information to each other. The institution that is using it can make it public for everyone to access or they can keep it private, just for their students and faculty. Faculty members can easily post lectures, lab demonstrations, historical footage, and many other educational materials to their site for students to access on their computers and even their phones! Students and faculty can upload brochures, and flyers to help keep everyone involved in campus life. Teachers can also add slide shows, books, films, and audio-books to their site for their students to view. If an institution decides to distribute their content publicly, which most do, then everyone with itunes and the internet can benefit from their knowledge. This site also has an apple store where you can purchase your high-speed technological devices. It also has tabs for each device that help describe what each one does and how it works. For example, if you click on the tab for iPods, it has information about every kind of iPod there is.
2. This web-site could really help teachers keep up with advancing technology. It explains how to use these devices thoroughly and what each one does. This would be an easy way for a teacher to learn how to use a device that might help them in their classroom. Teachers could upload information anytime they want and students could access it anytime, anywhere. Being able to do this could help a teacher engage their students all of the time and not just in the classroom. Making use of iTunes U could also help expand the teachers and students personal learning network. They could get ideas from other institutions who have posted material and made it public.
3. I watched a demo for an iPad's educational app on iTunes U. It was about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. On the demo, you could watch the play in animation, click on a button to get a description of all of the characters, and click on a button to get an overview of the play with certain subtopics like plot summary, themes, and quotes. It was very detailed and easy to understand. It is simple to use and the program really breaks down the story for people who need more of an understanding of the play. Watching this demo was a lot better than reading the play, and would definitely keep students attention a lot easier.
4. Using apps like this with your students could make learning a lot more interesting and exciting. It would be easier for students to grasp usually hard concepts, and in turn would make them more motivated to learn. There were many other apps like this one for different subjects, and incorporating them into your lessons would be very helpful to the technological students of today. They would better understand the material and would be able to relate to the style of learning.
5. I was surprised by this web-site as well. It was so detailed and filled with information on how to use apple devices. The web-site had so many cool apps that you could incorporate into your classroom and make learning a lot more interactive. The web-site mentioned that 800 institutions use this web-site and share it publicly. I had never even heard about it until now, and I think it is astounding how fast things like this are spreading throughout the educational spectrum.
1. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a non-profit organization that brings together the world's best thinkers and doers to give the speech of their lives in 18 minutes or less. These speeches are called TEDTALKS and are on topics such as technology, business, science, global issues, and so much more. It is free to the public and there are over 900 Ted talks on the web-site currently. You can find the different talks by the speakers name, theme of the talk, and you can listen to them with subtitles if they are not in English. The web-site is featured around ideas, questions, and debate. All three are ways for people to interact and learn together.
2. Teachers could take advantage of the materials on this web-site by watching videos and hearing new perspectives on certain topics. They can learn about how other cultures and countries view different topics and they can implement that into their curriculum. This could help them become more open-minded and understand the views of others better.
3. On this web-site I watched a talk by Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves. It was a very interesting video because it gives a very obscure look into why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is. He talks about the evolution of all living species and the 6 kingdoms. His theory is that technology is like a 7th kingdom. It is a way of life, and just like the other 6 kingdoms it focuses on ubiquity, diversity, specialization, complexity, and socialization. He believes that technology is needed and should be constantly evolving (being invented) so that everyone can embrace it and find their potential for difference. He says that technology gives us the potential for difference and opportunities. There are millions of children in the world whose technology for self-expression has not been invented yet. He thinks that it is our moral obligation to invent these technologies and keep evolving them so that everyone can recognize their own difference. He thinks that technology is an essential part of finding out who we are. He looks at it as "the infinite game" because technology can be delayed but never killed. It will continue to evolve and we must embrace it.
4. I think this video could really help explain why technology is important to everyone. It could explain to students why technology is what it is today and encourage them to continue to use and embrace it. It shows them that it is not going away and it is only going to continue to grow. I think people could really see how using technology could evolve them as a person and help them find who they are.
5. I was surprised at how sucked into this web-site I got. I loved how there were so many diverse opinions and ideas. I was also surprised with how many videos there were and on so many different topics. The videos I watched made me think about things that I never would have thought about. I was impressed with how easy it was to watch these videos, and how fast time went by. I think this is a very useful web-site and I really liked it!
2. This web-site can be very helpful to teachers and students. Students can get extra help in their classes by watching the videos ON THEIR OWN TIME. If they miss a class or just need extra tutorials they can access lectures to many different subjects. They can make use of the assessments and practice exercises to get a better understanding of the material they are learning. With students permission, teachers and parents can keep up with what the students are learning and how they are progressing. Teachers can have an at-a-glance look at everything you have been learning, down to the specific problems you have worked on. This would be a good tool to assess your students strengths and weaknesses. Teachers would be able to plan their lessons accordingly and get extra help to students who are struggling in certain areas.
3. On the Khan Academy web-site I watched the video about Unemployment. He talks about the difference between U-3 and U-6 definitions of unemployment. U-3 is defined as the "total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force." Essentially what this means is the amount of people who have been actively looking for a job in the past 4 weeks. This is calculated and makes up the percent of U-3 unemployed people. Then he talks about U-6 which is defined as the "total unemployed, plus marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons." This means that calculated together would be the amount of people who are unemployed that have been looking for a job in the last 4 weeks, plus the people who are unemployed because of some personal reason of their own, and the people who are employed part time in a job that they would not normally accept under other economically sound conditions. The calculations for U-6 are higher and this shows that there is lowered labor utilization. Since there is lower labor utilization there is wage deflation. This makes service based jobs, which are the majority in western civilizations, not able to higher as many people.
4. When teachers begin teaching they can use this web-site to really get to know their students strengths. They could also use this if a student misses class and they need to catch up on a lecture. I think by using this web-site many teachers will be able to focus more on what needs to be covered in class. They will save time and be more efficient in planning their lessons.
5. This web-site surprised me because I had no idea there was anything like this. There are so many lectures on so many topics. I really would have liked to have something like this when I was in high school. It would have made some of my classes a lot easier because he really breaks things down and puts them in perspective. I was surprised at how easy he is to listen to, and I thought it was really cool how he writes on the screen shots and draws diagrams. These things make it easy to follow along and really learn what he is saying.
1. The iTunes U web-site is a simple, easily accessible way for faculty and students to distribute information to each other. The institution that is using it can make it public for everyone to access or they can keep it private, just for their students and faculty. Faculty members can easily post lectures, lab demonstrations, historical footage, and many other educational materials to their site for students to access on their computers and even their phones! Students and faculty can upload brochures, and flyers to help keep everyone involved in campus life. Teachers can also add slide shows, books, films, and audio-books to their site for their students to view. If an institution decides to distribute their content publicly, which most do, then everyone with itunes and the internet can benefit from their knowledge. This site also has an apple store where you can purchase your high-speed technological devices. It also has tabs for each device that help describe what each one does and how it works. For example, if you click on the tab for iPods, it has information about every kind of iPod there is.
2. This web-site could really help teachers keep up with advancing technology. It explains how to use these devices thoroughly and what each one does. This would be an easy way for a teacher to learn how to use a device that might help them in their classroom. Teachers could upload information anytime they want and students could access it anytime, anywhere. Being able to do this could help a teacher engage their students all of the time and not just in the classroom. Making use of iTunes U could also help expand the teachers and students personal learning network. They could get ideas from other institutions who have posted material and made it public.
3. I watched a demo for an iPad's educational app on iTunes U. It was about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. On the demo, you could watch the play in animation, click on a button to get a description of all of the characters, and click on a button to get an overview of the play with certain subtopics like plot summary, themes, and quotes. It was very detailed and easy to understand. It is simple to use and the program really breaks down the story for people who need more of an understanding of the play. Watching this demo was a lot better than reading the play, and would definitely keep students attention a lot easier.
4. Using apps like this with your students could make learning a lot more interesting and exciting. It would be easier for students to grasp usually hard concepts, and in turn would make them more motivated to learn. There were many other apps like this one for different subjects, and incorporating them into your lessons would be very helpful to the technological students of today. They would better understand the material and would be able to relate to the style of learning.
5. I was surprised by this web-site as well. It was so detailed and filled with information on how to use apple devices. The web-site had so many cool apps that you could incorporate into your classroom and make learning a lot more interactive. The web-site mentioned that 800 institutions use this web-site and share it publicly. I had never even heard about it until now, and I think it is astounding how fast things like this are spreading throughout the educational spectrum.
1. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a non-profit organization that brings together the world's best thinkers and doers to give the speech of their lives in 18 minutes or less. These speeches are called TEDTALKS and are on topics such as technology, business, science, global issues, and so much more. It is free to the public and there are over 900 Ted talks on the web-site currently. You can find the different talks by the speakers name, theme of the talk, and you can listen to them with subtitles if they are not in English. The web-site is featured around ideas, questions, and debate. All three are ways for people to interact and learn together.
2. Teachers could take advantage of the materials on this web-site by watching videos and hearing new perspectives on certain topics. They can learn about how other cultures and countries view different topics and they can implement that into their curriculum. This could help them become more open-minded and understand the views of others better.
3. On this web-site I watched a talk by Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves. It was a very interesting video because it gives a very obscure look into why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is. He talks about the evolution of all living species and the 6 kingdoms. His theory is that technology is like a 7th kingdom. It is a way of life, and just like the other 6 kingdoms it focuses on ubiquity, diversity, specialization, complexity, and socialization. He believes that technology is needed and should be constantly evolving (being invented) so that everyone can embrace it and find their potential for difference. He says that technology gives us the potential for difference and opportunities. There are millions of children in the world whose technology for self-expression has not been invented yet. He thinks that it is our moral obligation to invent these technologies and keep evolving them so that everyone can recognize their own difference. He thinks that technology is an essential part of finding out who we are. He looks at it as "the infinite game" because technology can be delayed but never killed. It will continue to evolve and we must embrace it.
4. I think this video could really help explain why technology is important to everyone. It could explain to students why technology is what it is today and encourage them to continue to use and embrace it. It shows them that it is not going away and it is only going to continue to grow. I think people could really see how using technology could evolve them as a person and help them find who they are.
5. I was surprised at how sucked into this web-site I got. I loved how there were so many diverse opinions and ideas. I was also surprised with how many videos there were and on so many different topics. The videos I watched made me think about things that I never would have thought about. I was impressed with how easy it was to watch these videos, and how fast time went by. I think this is a very useful web-site and I really liked it!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Special Assignment #1
2. Did you know about GoogleSquared? No
3. What percentage of China's population is the population of the United States? Approximately 24%
4. What percentage of India's population is the population of the United States? Approximately 25%
5. Now what do you think about the facts reported in Do You Know? The information validates how fast our world is changing. It is astonishing.
6. Do you think that WolframAlpha and GoogleSquared will be useful for you and your students? Why or why not? I think both of these sites could be helpful to everyone. When you use GoogleSquared you can see a lot of information about similar topics right away. Each topic has specific links to find even more information on what you might be looking for. This is really cool and it can save you a lot of time! When you use WolframAlpha there are graphs that explain the text. This could help students who are visual learners put things into perspective. I will definitely make use of both of them.
Blog Post #11
Skype Interview With Ms. Cassidy
It was amazing to see The First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class making use of technology in their classroom. I could not believe these children knew how to effectively use these tools. Ms. Cassidy has done a wonderful job incorporating technology into her classroom. Her students learn through wikis, blogs, videos, and skype sessions with other students and classrooms around the world.
She said that her students get excited about their blogs when people view and comment on them. They know that everyone can read them, not just their teacher. Her students want to write quality posts and they want people to comment on them. The fact that her students are excited is so great! Their parents can also keep up with what they are doing on their own time. This should be very important to parents because they can see first hand how their child is progressing. She also makes sure that her students are making appropriate comments on each others blogs. Ms. Cassidy makes sure that everyone is positive and respectful in their blog posts and comments.
Ms. Cassidy brings up the issue of safety for her students. She makes sure that her students never put their last names on any of their online work, and they do not match their pictures with names. I know a lot of parents, teachers, and students themselves worry about safety online and this is a great way to keep students identity partially confidential. Ms. Cassidy also has class web pages set up so that her students can go to them and click on links that she wants them to visit. These links include games, text, etc... She tells them that they should only click on the links that she provides for them and ignore everything else. By doing this, she prevents them from accidentally going to web-sites that are inappropriate or not related to school activities.
She stressed that her PLN's have helped her immensely build her use of technology in her classroom. She gets new ideas all the time from people she has met through networking. They also help her learn how to do things and answer questions she might have about technology. She believes that all teachers should be technologically literate because the world is changing and everything is based on technology. By using things like twitter and blogs she has been able to become a technologically literate educator.
I think by using Ms. Cassidy's approaches to bring technology into the classroom I could build an effective and positive learning environment for my students. They will learn how to be collaborative learners, how to share, and how to be more creative and excited about learning. Students, parents, and teachers could all reflect on the students work, and we could all learn and grow together.
It was amazing to see The First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class making use of technology in their classroom. I could not believe these children knew how to effectively use these tools. Ms. Cassidy has done a wonderful job incorporating technology into her classroom. Her students learn through wikis, blogs, videos, and skype sessions with other students and classrooms around the world.
She said that her students get excited about their blogs when people view and comment on them. They know that everyone can read them, not just their teacher. Her students want to write quality posts and they want people to comment on them. The fact that her students are excited is so great! Their parents can also keep up with what they are doing on their own time. This should be very important to parents because they can see first hand how their child is progressing. She also makes sure that her students are making appropriate comments on each others blogs. Ms. Cassidy makes sure that everyone is positive and respectful in their blog posts and comments.Ms. Cassidy brings up the issue of safety for her students. She makes sure that her students never put their last names on any of their online work, and they do not match their pictures with names. I know a lot of parents, teachers, and students themselves worry about safety online and this is a great way to keep students identity partially confidential. Ms. Cassidy also has class web pages set up so that her students can go to them and click on links that she wants them to visit. These links include games, text, etc... She tells them that they should only click on the links that she provides for them and ignore everything else. By doing this, she prevents them from accidentally going to web-sites that are inappropriate or not related to school activities.
She stressed that her PLN's have helped her immensely build her use of technology in her classroom. She gets new ideas all the time from people she has met through networking. They also help her learn how to do things and answer questions she might have about technology. She believes that all teachers should be technologically literate because the world is changing and everything is based on technology. By using things like twitter and blogs she has been able to become a technologically literate educator.
I think by using Ms. Cassidy's approaches to bring technology into the classroom I could build an effective and positive learning environment for my students. They will learn how to be collaborative learners, how to share, and how to be more creative and excited about learning. Students, parents, and teachers could all reflect on the students work, and we could all learn and grow together.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Comments For Teachers #3
Exploring Web Tools: Symbaloo
In Tyler's blog post about Exploring Web Tools he talks about Symbaloo. He mentions that it is free, which is always great! He also talks about how he created a "custom dashboard" for his students that has useful sites and tools for his class. I think this is an awesome idea. It will be so easy for the students to use and find information quickly. In my comment to him, I told him about my PLN (which I am using Symbaloo for) and how it is useful to me. I also let him know that I think his use of the "custom dashboard" for his students is a really good idea.
Evidence That PBL Works
In Tyler's blog post Evidence That PBL Works he talks about the research that has proven that project-based learning works. The results from the research found that both students and teachers benefit from PBL, students scored higher on measures of problem-solving skills and their application to real-world economic challenges, students who used PBL outscored their peers on standardized tests, and teachers scored higher levels of satisfaction with their teaching material. In my comment to him I wrote about how important I think all of these things are. The most important of all of them, in my opinion, is that students showed better scores in problem-solving skills. I think that students should start to learn problem-solving skills early in life because it is something they will need to use forever. If PBL's can enhance this skill in students I think it should be incorporated into the curriculum.
In Tyler's blog post about Exploring Web Tools he talks about Symbaloo. He mentions that it is free, which is always great! He also talks about how he created a "custom dashboard" for his students that has useful sites and tools for his class. I think this is an awesome idea. It will be so easy for the students to use and find information quickly. In my comment to him, I told him about my PLN (which I am using Symbaloo for) and how it is useful to me. I also let him know that I think his use of the "custom dashboard" for his students is a really good idea.
Evidence That PBL Works
In Tyler's blog post Evidence That PBL Works he talks about the research that has proven that project-based learning works. The results from the research found that both students and teachers benefit from PBL, students scored higher on measures of problem-solving skills and their application to real-world economic challenges, students who used PBL outscored their peers on standardized tests, and teachers scored higher levels of satisfaction with their teaching material. In my comment to him I wrote about how important I think all of these things are. The most important of all of them, in my opinion, is that students showed better scores in problem-solving skills. I think that students should start to learn problem-solving skills early in life because it is something they will need to use forever. If PBL's can enhance this skill in students I think it should be incorporated into the curriculum.
Blog Post #10
Do You Teach or Do You Educate?
This video compares and contrasts a teacher and an educator. It talks about the teacher first and gives a few simple definitions: to show or explain how to do something, encourage someone to accept as a fact or principle, give information about or instruction in, cause someone to learn or understand something, and to induce by example or punishment to do or not do something. Then it gives a few examples of an educator: enlighten, inspire, empower; one who gives intellectual, moral, and social instruction; an experienced and trusted advisor; and a person who advises and shows the way.
I wanted to become a teacher because I love learning new things, and I love to teach others what I know. I can honestly say, I now know that there is way more to teaching than just throwing information at students. After watching this video I can see that there is a big difference between being a teacher and being an educator. I fully intend on being an educator. I want to enlighten, inspire, and empower my students and I want them to trust me. Trust is big when it comes to your students, especially if you are an educator. I want to be able to educate my students on how to learn independently so that they can continue learning even when I am not around. I want them to be proficient in finding accurate and useful information on their own. My students need to trust me to lead them in the right direction and show them how to do this correctly. To be an educator, I plan on getting to know my students well and doing everything in my power to show them that learning can be fun in the classroom and independently.
Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home
This post was entertaining, yet it is sad to know that this stuff really happens. Gertrude, the "School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist" storms into Tom's classroom ranting about PENCILS. She read in a journal article that it is proven that students who take home pencils do poorer on standardized tests. She tells him that he has to stop letting his kids take pencils home. Instead of giving in to her absurd wishes, Tom lets her know his view of the issue. He believes that students can go home with pencils and whether or not they are "playing hangman" or doing homework, they are still learning. Their brains are still working with some sort of creativity.
His argument is simple. It should not matter how children learn, as long as they are learning. I think it goes back to our everyday discussions about technology. A lot of teachers feel the same way about technology. It is just a tool that distracts students from learning. When in reality it is one of the children's best tools for learning. We should not take something away from our students that is such a big part of their learning environment. We should find a solution to the problem, which is usually being creative and finding a way for your students to learn effectively, while having fun and staying interested. This is essentially what Tom did and there is no need to make an argument against that. I think his argument could work well whether we are talking about a pencil, or an ipad.
This video compares and contrasts a teacher and an educator. It talks about the teacher first and gives a few simple definitions: to show or explain how to do something, encourage someone to accept as a fact or principle, give information about or instruction in, cause someone to learn or understand something, and to induce by example or punishment to do or not do something. Then it gives a few examples of an educator: enlighten, inspire, empower; one who gives intellectual, moral, and social instruction; an experienced and trusted advisor; and a person who advises and shows the way.
I wanted to become a teacher because I love learning new things, and I love to teach others what I know. I can honestly say, I now know that there is way more to teaching than just throwing information at students. After watching this video I can see that there is a big difference between being a teacher and being an educator. I fully intend on being an educator. I want to enlighten, inspire, and empower my students and I want them to trust me. Trust is big when it comes to your students, especially if you are an educator. I want to be able to educate my students on how to learn independently so that they can continue learning even when I am not around. I want them to be proficient in finding accurate and useful information on their own. My students need to trust me to lead them in the right direction and show them how to do this correctly. To be an educator, I plan on getting to know my students well and doing everything in my power to show them that learning can be fun in the classroom and independently.
Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home
This post was entertaining, yet it is sad to know that this stuff really happens. Gertrude, the "School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist" storms into Tom's classroom ranting about PENCILS. She read in a journal article that it is proven that students who take home pencils do poorer on standardized tests. She tells him that he has to stop letting his kids take pencils home. Instead of giving in to her absurd wishes, Tom lets her know his view of the issue. He believes that students can go home with pencils and whether or not they are "playing hangman" or doing homework, they are still learning. Their brains are still working with some sort of creativity. His argument is simple. It should not matter how children learn, as long as they are learning. I think it goes back to our everyday discussions about technology. A lot of teachers feel the same way about technology. It is just a tool that distracts students from learning. When in reality it is one of the children's best tools for learning. We should not take something away from our students that is such a big part of their learning environment. We should find a solution to the problem, which is usually being creative and finding a way for your students to learn effectively, while having fun and staying interested. This is essentially what Tom did and there is no need to make an argument against that. I think his argument could work well whether we are talking about a pencil, or an ipad.
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