Scott McLeod: Don't teach your kids this stuff, Please?
Link
This is a blog post by Dr. Scott McLeod, an active and passionate supporter of technology in education. An Educational Administrator at Iowa State University and the director for the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), his opinions carry a lot weight in the education world.
In his post Dr. McLeod poetically outlines the many places where technologically conservative school boards, teachers, and parents restrict children's access to the technology that is shaping our future. It's very true that if children are not allowed to social network, blog, tweet or access the growing cloud of data that is the internet, they will be left behind, and completely lost in the world of tomorrow. Frankly, I don't see where anyone can hope to be successful in the world today without a basic understanding of these things. More, and more businesses are googling you before you even step foot into their office for an interview. What does that say for kids raised in conservative school systems who are not even allowed to freely surf the internet and are not taught what an RSS is?
"The iSchool initiative" by Travis Allan
Link
In this video Travis proposes a radical solution to one of the biggest problems affecting school systems nationwide, the budget. He explains how buying iPod Touchs for every student and teacher would actually save money and improve learning. By using specially designed apps for the iPod Touch, Travis says book, calculator, map, and printing expenses could be avoided and schools could save thousands of dollars.
Travis's idea is exciting and revolutionary, but it has many flaws. Travis claims that his idea could save school systems over $600 a student while only spending $150 a student. The problem is that most of the items he lists as savings are items that only have to be replaced once every six years or more, while every generation of students would have to have a new iPod. Maps, calculators, books, and projectors last years before becoming outdated or warn out, and when damaged (excluding projectors which are used solely by teachers anyway) are relatively inexpensive, but children are know to break cellphones, gameboys and any small electronics they're given, which means even more $150 iPods. Finally, ignoring all the cost problems, every advantage he gave for the iPod Touch could probably be done better by providing students with netbook computers.
AARP's "Lost Generation"
This was actually a really cool video, but the idea of the whole world going down a destructive spiral into a wasteland self-centered society unless we change it has been around for a long time though. Aldous Huxley was scared of it in 1932, and we're still scared of it in 2010. It's laughable to think about the world of Huxley's day and the world of today as the same, but it's remarkable how the problems are still the same. We all have to do our part to save the world, but we can't live in fear of where we're headed, because we've made it 78 years without crashing. The biggest question I actually get out of this is "What was AARP's agenda here?". This video was obviously not for retired persons, so I have to assume they are trying to ask the youth to preserve the ideals that they themselves lived by.
Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
Link
This video is interesting, but the idea is not actually all that new to me. With the easy of video sharing on YouTube it's no surprise that hundreds of people could gather and submit their small part of a global symphony. I would actually like to share a video I find far more impressive. "'The Internet Symphony' Global Mash Up" is a video where a group of artists, without knowing, contributed to a piece simply by posting their solo performance on YouTube. Then another artist gathered these assorted video's and created his\her own full orchestra symphony. It's amazing what volumes of works are submitted to YouTube everyday and how someone anywhere in the world can find your performance and take out of it something completely different than anything you had intended.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Additional Assignment #1
After being introduced to Google Squared and Wolfram Alpha it is clear that they could helpfully fill a whole within the learning process. Both tools provide information that has been available over the internet before, through one means or another, but both display a collection of information gathered in a uniquely simple way. Both tools give statistics with very little context, but both provide a bunch of data that can be used to get a lot of information.
Google Squared's charts allow for quick comparisons between as many related objects as desired. It provides students and teachers with fast references for building research papers or for gathering contrasts between subjects on-the-fly. I know I could certainly use this in some of my classes! Instead of it combing article after article about each individual topic for the info, it is provided altogether.
Wolfram Alpha goes a different direction with it's resources. It uses the collection of information on the internet to gather charts, maps, graphs and other statistics about a subject. This information would normally be provided throughout the encyclopedia articles in a way that would be incredibly slow if you were looking for "Just the facts, ma'am" in the style of Wolfram.
I had never heard of either of these tools before EDM 310, and overall I was impressed with each of them. This exercise has definitely shown me that I must do more than take statistics at face value. Statistics can be used to prove anything if you poll the right people under the right circumstances. It's easy to leave out information that would counter your argument, in order to build a better case and that is pretty darn useful!
Blog Post 3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
Link
After watching this video on you tube I have to say that I am amazed. Amazed at all the complaining! If that is a true vision of students today then I am an over achiever. The comment that was written "18% of my teachers know my name" is just sad to me. I strongly believe that education is what you put into it. If she went to class every day and was active in class discussions and talked with her teacher then I am positive that they would all know her name. I would also like to take this time to rant about education. Did you know that right now what we as college students are paying to learn in a classroom we could easily learn ourselves online? It is the degree we are after, not the knowledge. If you wanted to know how to do something or learn a new language you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars and take a class. You could simply go online and there is all the information you need.
We pay hundreds of dollars for a degree. Some of the most intelligent people in the world could work at McDonald's (no offense to anyone who does) because if they searched for the knowledge on the web they could find it. So many people go to college and get in thousands of dollars in debt to get a piece of paper that says they are qualified to do the job. I believe college is a way to make money and that is all. The way jobs should be done is YOU teach yourself and then take a test to see if you pass. Not do you have a piece of paper that "says" you know everything you should. The students in that video are not interested in learning. They are interested in getting a piece of paper so they can get a job!
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Link
I read this post by Kelly Hines and I think she has some very valid points. Her first point was that teachers must be learners. I have written about this in earlier blog posts and I still hold true to this belief. Teacher are always learners. In order to teach something you must first know it. Her second point is that learning and teaching are not the same thing. I at first thought this was an obvious statement but after reading her reasoning I saw why she included this. Not everyone learns in the same way and if no one learns than no one taught. I love and totally agree with her on her saying that learning is not the same to everyone, but it must be the goal.
Her third point was that technology is useless without good teaching. I believe you could also flip that and say that without technology good teaching is useless. Technology is important in our society and without teaching it you are failing your students. I believe the point she is trying to make is that good teaching and technology need to work together in order to have the best benefits possible.Her last point is that you should be a 21st century teacher with out the technology. This means in my opinion that you must first be a teacher and then add the technology with time.
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Link
"We should stop being so nice. After all, we've got our qualifications and jobs, and we don't have the moral right to sit placidly on the sidelines whilst some educators are potentially jeopardising the chances of our youngsters" said Karl Fisch on his blog post. I believe this pretty much says it all. Teacher should be tech savvy because if they are not it is hurting the students. As educators it is our JOBS and highest priority to teach students all they need to know to survive in the world. If we our not teaching them the technology that they need to know about we are failing and there for should not be teachers. Those who are standing by letting the teacher get away with this are just as guilty of depriving the children. You would not stand by and watch a child deprived of food so why are we letting our children technologically starve? I realize that technology can not all be learned in a day and that incorporating it all will take time but we need to get a move on! The children are the ones who will suffer because of our incompetence. I know this is harsh but we do need to quit being so nice! We have been nice long enough and it is only holding us back from what the education system could and should be.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Link
After watching the various parts of this media count I am a little taken back. The speed in which our world is changing is beyond me. In mere seconds text messages sent had reached thousands. For someone who does not even text on a daily basis this is shocking. The only thing I can describe is the way I feel and I feel frightened. I know that most people believe technology is a great thing and in some ways I agree. I love how advanced modern medicine is today and we our saving more people than ever before. In some ways, however, I think it could quickly turn into a bad thing. If the wrong people use technology for the wrong reasons it could be devastating for our world. I don't really have anything left to say so I will simply leave you with the thoughts of good v.s. evil in technology. There will always be people who use it for good and those who use it for bad purposes.
Link
After watching this video on you tube I have to say that I am amazed. Amazed at all the complaining! If that is a true vision of students today then I am an over achiever. The comment that was written "18% of my teachers know my name" is just sad to me. I strongly believe that education is what you put into it. If she went to class every day and was active in class discussions and talked with her teacher then I am positive that they would all know her name. I would also like to take this time to rant about education. Did you know that right now what we as college students are paying to learn in a classroom we could easily learn ourselves online? It is the degree we are after, not the knowledge. If you wanted to know how to do something or learn a new language you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars and take a class. You could simply go online and there is all the information you need.
We pay hundreds of dollars for a degree. Some of the most intelligent people in the world could work at McDonald's (no offense to anyone who does) because if they searched for the knowledge on the web they could find it. So many people go to college and get in thousands of dollars in debt to get a piece of paper that says they are qualified to do the job. I believe college is a way to make money and that is all. The way jobs should be done is YOU teach yourself and then take a test to see if you pass. Not do you have a piece of paper that "says" you know everything you should. The students in that video are not interested in learning. They are interested in getting a piece of paper so they can get a job!
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Link
I read this post by Kelly Hines and I think she has some very valid points. Her first point was that teachers must be learners. I have written about this in earlier blog posts and I still hold true to this belief. Teacher are always learners. In order to teach something you must first know it. Her second point is that learning and teaching are not the same thing. I at first thought this was an obvious statement but after reading her reasoning I saw why she included this. Not everyone learns in the same way and if no one learns than no one taught. I love and totally agree with her on her saying that learning is not the same to everyone, but it must be the goal.
Her third point was that technology is useless without good teaching. I believe you could also flip that and say that without technology good teaching is useless. Technology is important in our society and without teaching it you are failing your students. I believe the point she is trying to make is that good teaching and technology need to work together in order to have the best benefits possible.Her last point is that you should be a 21st century teacher with out the technology. This means in my opinion that you must first be a teacher and then add the technology with time.
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Link
"We should stop being so nice. After all, we've got our qualifications and jobs, and we don't have the moral right to sit placidly on the sidelines whilst some educators are potentially jeopardising the chances of our youngsters" said Karl Fisch on his blog post. I believe this pretty much says it all. Teacher should be tech savvy because if they are not it is hurting the students. As educators it is our JOBS and highest priority to teach students all they need to know to survive in the world. If we our not teaching them the technology that they need to know about we are failing and there for should not be teachers. Those who are standing by letting the teacher get away with this are just as guilty of depriving the children. You would not stand by and watch a child deprived of food so why are we letting our children technologically starve? I realize that technology can not all be learned in a day and that incorporating it all will take time but we need to get a move on! The children are the ones who will suffer because of our incompetence. I know this is harsh but we do need to quit being so nice! We have been nice long enough and it is only holding us back from what the education system could and should be.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Link
After watching the various parts of this media count I am a little taken back. The speed in which our world is changing is beyond me. In mere seconds text messages sent had reached thousands. For someone who does not even text on a daily basis this is shocking. The only thing I can describe is the way I feel and I feel frightened. I know that most people believe technology is a great thing and in some ways I agree. I love how advanced modern medicine is today and we our saving more people than ever before. In some ways, however, I think it could quickly turn into a bad thing. If the wrong people use technology for the wrong reasons it could be devastating for our world. I don't really have anything left to say so I will simply leave you with the thoughts of good v.s. evil in technology. There will always be people who use it for good and those who use it for bad purposes.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Blog Post 2 Assignments
DID YOU KNOW? 3.0 by Karl Fisch
It can be found by clicking this link
This video is mind blowing. Honestly. Technology is moving so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up. Earlier this year I was asked if teachers being technologically literate was important. After watching this video my answer is yes. When you take on a job like teaching you have to realize that in order to teach you must first learn. Learning is the never ending job of the teacher. Our world is moving at such a fast pace, even the brightest of people could easily get lost in this techno logic translation.
At the end of this video the question it leaves you with to ponder is "What does all this mean"? I believe this means that technology is not going to stop it is only going to keep increasing and at a faster pace. In fact even this video is now extremely out of date. To me personally it is a little bit frighting but I have no choice but to move forward. I also disliked the prediction of humans creating a machine that is more intelligent than all of the human race. I believe it will be possible but I hope we do not ever create something like that. Have you ever seen the horror movies? Humans should never create something that they do not have the ability to control. Over all this video was amazing and a little breath taking. I think everyone should watch this!
Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman
It can be found at this link
I only feel sorrow after watching this video. The fact that all of our hospitals and businesses have advanced so drastically is great, but our schools are still using the same methods as one hundred years ago? What does that say about the education departments and systems? We really need to try to update our schools. This lack of technology in the schools is only hurting our children. We as educators are supposed to be preparing our students in every way possible to be ready to face the world and future jobs. If we our not "teaching" technology which is now a part of life then we are not doing our jobs.
I believe that Mr. Winkle Wakes really is a wake up call! To us! School systems need to be updated. I am not saying that we should never have lectures or personal connections with children in the classroom. I am just saying that teaching them the fundamentals of survival through jobs is our primary job and if that calls for them to learn technology (which it does in today's world) than we should. Education has been changing so slowly which was shown in Mr. Winkles trip to the classroom when he did at least "see" a lap top there. We need to move towards using the technology that we have to teach our children with. I think we are getting there but we need to catch up!
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
It can be found at this link
I believe anyone who has any relationship with children should see this video. This video shows just how important it is to realize that some children are born to be different. No one in the whole world is the exact same. We all learn, feel, and experience things differently every day. So why is it that so many children in the education system are held to the exact same curriculum and standards? Not every child was meant to be a doctor or a dancer. Creativity is important because for some children that is where they thrive and shine.
By limiting children to only academic ideas and standards we are killing their potential. The story that he told about the little girl who was meant to dance was truly touching. So many parents in today's society would have put her on medication and thrown here back into a classroom where her creativity and need to dance would eventually die. Then she would be forced to struggle to keep up with children who were meant to be in academics while she was not. I believe finding what your child is good at is so very important. Not only for their happiness and potential but for their self esteem. When a child is really great at something and they know it that is when I believe they can reach their true potential.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This link should take you to it: link
After watching this video it only intensifies my want to be the best teacher that I possibly can be. In one part of the video Vicki says "children should be thinkers" and I could not agree more. Children need to learn how to do things for themselves. They are not always going to have a parent or teacher there to do everything for them. They need these skills to have a job and live a full life and when teachers do not teach but do all of the work for them they are only hurting the child. It is always okay to help but you should never "do" anything for a child.
I also love it when Vicki says "I do not need to know everything". I think this is a common misconception that teachers should know everything before teaching. Teachers are also learners. In the education field you are constantly learning and re-learning materials. It is okay when a teacher simply says "I do not know but we can find out". I think this video was wonderful and really shows what teacher dedication is all about. Go Vicki!
It can be found by clicking this link
This video is mind blowing. Honestly. Technology is moving so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up. Earlier this year I was asked if teachers being technologically literate was important. After watching this video my answer is yes. When you take on a job like teaching you have to realize that in order to teach you must first learn. Learning is the never ending job of the teacher. Our world is moving at such a fast pace, even the brightest of people could easily get lost in this techno logic translation.
At the end of this video the question it leaves you with to ponder is "What does all this mean"? I believe this means that technology is not going to stop it is only going to keep increasing and at a faster pace. In fact even this video is now extremely out of date. To me personally it is a little bit frighting but I have no choice but to move forward. I also disliked the prediction of humans creating a machine that is more intelligent than all of the human race. I believe it will be possible but I hope we do not ever create something like that. Have you ever seen the horror movies? Humans should never create something that they do not have the ability to control. Over all this video was amazing and a little breath taking. I think everyone should watch this!
Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman
It can be found at this link
I only feel sorrow after watching this video. The fact that all of our hospitals and businesses have advanced so drastically is great, but our schools are still using the same methods as one hundred years ago? What does that say about the education departments and systems? We really need to try to update our schools. This lack of technology in the schools is only hurting our children. We as educators are supposed to be preparing our students in every way possible to be ready to face the world and future jobs. If we our not "teaching" technology which is now a part of life then we are not doing our jobs.
I believe that Mr. Winkle Wakes really is a wake up call! To us! School systems need to be updated. I am not saying that we should never have lectures or personal connections with children in the classroom. I am just saying that teaching them the fundamentals of survival through jobs is our primary job and if that calls for them to learn technology (which it does in today's world) than we should. Education has been changing so slowly which was shown in Mr. Winkles trip to the classroom when he did at least "see" a lap top there. We need to move towards using the technology that we have to teach our children with. I think we are getting there but we need to catch up!
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
It can be found at this link
I believe anyone who has any relationship with children should see this video. This video shows just how important it is to realize that some children are born to be different. No one in the whole world is the exact same. We all learn, feel, and experience things differently every day. So why is it that so many children in the education system are held to the exact same curriculum and standards? Not every child was meant to be a doctor or a dancer. Creativity is important because for some children that is where they thrive and shine.
By limiting children to only academic ideas and standards we are killing their potential. The story that he told about the little girl who was meant to dance was truly touching. So many parents in today's society would have put her on medication and thrown here back into a classroom where her creativity and need to dance would eventually die. Then she would be forced to struggle to keep up with children who were meant to be in academics while she was not. I believe finding what your child is good at is so very important. Not only for their happiness and potential but for their self esteem. When a child is really great at something and they know it that is when I believe they can reach their true potential.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This link should take you to it: link
After watching this video it only intensifies my want to be the best teacher that I possibly can be. In one part of the video Vicki says "children should be thinkers" and I could not agree more. Children need to learn how to do things for themselves. They are not always going to have a parent or teacher there to do everything for them. They need these skills to have a job and live a full life and when teachers do not teach but do all of the work for them they are only hurting the child. It is always okay to help but you should never "do" anything for a child.
I also love it when Vicki says "I do not need to know everything". I think this is a common misconception that teachers should know everything before teaching. Teachers are also learners. In the education field you are constantly learning and re-learning materials. It is okay when a teacher simply says "I do not know but we can find out". I think this video was wonderful and really shows what teacher dedication is all about. Go Vicki!
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