Personal Learning Network

Relationships in the classroom

click to view 52 teacher, 52 lesson: week 36



For my personal learning network I wanted to gather more information about what is really the most important thing about being a teacher. I wanted to find out what is the true essence of being an educator, and I found the answer to my question in a blog by Lindsey Croston, a middle school math teacher from Florida, that wrote a blog called 52 teachers, 52 lessons: week 36. This blog gave me a lot of insight into teaching and the basic and simple lesson that I must always keep in mind when teaching.
Crosten had a simple answer to my question, what is teaching all about. Her answer was that teaching was all about relationships, and that it all boils down to the importance of students, co-workers, and patent's that you form bonds with. I was particularly intrigued with what she said in one part of her blog that she stated,"As we build positive relationships with those around us – professionally and personally, we start to see change come about. It may be minuscule, but suddenly knowing that the student who’s constantly falling asleep in class is doing so because he was working late to help his mom pay the rent, or the co-worker who’s a bit snappy on Mondays because her weekend really sucked and she’s stressed because her kids just aren’t getting it – for the 3rd or 4th week in a row helps us to respond appropriately – to offer the words of encouragement that help make the world a better place. Then, hopefully because of the relationships we’ve built, when it’s our turn to have a crappy day, someone will notice and lift us up." These few sentences, in my opinion, were so important and so true. As a future teacher I need to remember relationships with those around me will help me to become a better teacher. I need to know my students and co workers background and lives so I can be a teacher that understands and knows how to treat a situation. By building true solid relationships with students, patent's, and co workers I am letting them know that as a teacher and friend I care about their best interests which speaks volumes in my opinion. No matter how busy I become in life I must always keep in mind that people come first, and the relationships I form in and outside of the classroom is what truely matters.
I learned a very vital lesson through Lindsey Crosten's blog, and intend to use these lessons in my own future classroom. I left comments on her blog post, and sent her emails to try and contact her and get some more feedback, but unfortunately did not get a response. Although, I could not contact the author of this blog I was able to gain insight from her post, and enjoyed it very much.

What I learned In EDM 310

I have learned more in this EDM 310 class then any class this year. I went into EDM not knowing very much about technology, and how useful it could be. Now that I am almost finished with the class I consider myself to be far more knowledgeable about technology and the ways it can aid me as a future teacher.
One thing that has really helped me during this class were the weekly blog posts. Although, at times they seemed overwhelming, they taught me alot. Posts like Dear Kaia, Last Lecture, Is it OK to be a technologically illiterate teacher?, KidCast, and next generation learning really helped me to grasp what technology can do for education. Mostly I have learned in this class how important technology is because it provides connections with other people. With the use of technology is our classrooms distance is no longer and obstacle, and people all around the world can learn from one another and stay connected.
Podcasts and vodcasts, in my opinion, are so important. I did not know what either of these were before this class, and now I fully understand what an asset these tools are. For example, iTunesU has allowed anyone in the entire world to access lectures, videos, and a massive amount of educational resources from some of the top universities and educators in the world. Technology is changing the way we view education, and through things like iTunesU, twitter, blogging, personal learning networks,videos, and podcasting we are able to bring education outside of the classrooms, and into our own homes. I know for a fact I will be able to use these new technologies in my future classrooms, and my students will benefit greatly from them.
In conclusion, I have enjoyed this class very much, I will say that I found it interesting and I did enjoy learning about these different types of technology. I consider myself alot more literate in these issues then when I first began this class, and have every intention of maintaining my literacy through practicing and continuing with blogging, podcasting, ect...I have enjoyed this class very much and would not change one thing about my experience.

New Classroom Rules by Education Innovation

NEW CLASS RULES



New Classroom Rules


New Classroom Rules by Education Innovation was a re-make of basic school rules to fit our schools as they begin to use technology more and more. These rules made a very strong point, and opened my eyes to the way technology is broadening and improving our schools. The two most important rules, in my opinion, was rule number three, leave your seat only when necessary, which should be often to go collaborate with others or demonstrate something to the class,and rule number one, Come to school every day, unless you would rather just go on line.
Rule number three stood out to me the most because often times in school there is no actual experience for students. Most of the time a students role is very non active, and their job is to sit in their seat and listen. With technology this can all be changed. Students are encouraged to be engaged in their classes. Technology pushes children to learn by experience, and by working with others. Students can learn from one another through giving demonstrations, or interacting with other students. To me this inspires students because they have more options than sitting in their chairs and listening to the teacher, and they can learn from other sources and people. Rule number one stood out in my mind, and was so important because technology opens up an entire new way to think about education.
Most everyone would think of going to school in a classroom setting with a teacher, books, desks, and a chalkboard. With technology students are no longer restrained in this setting, but can be in the comfort of their own home, or in a coffee shop while in class. Traditional schooling also puts a specific time frame of when you must be present, but with technology is schools time no longer is a barrier. People can go to class whenever and wherever they want. This is so important because it allows schooling to be convenient for everyone, and it also opens up a lot of possibilities for people to even have the opportunity to go to school.
In conclusion, technology is transforming our traditional view of schooling. It is taking education outside of the classroom and placing it in our own rooms. Technology is allowing education to be accessible to anyone, at anytime, and anywhere. I think these new rules are vital to are ever changing culture, and is a great way of adapting to a world ever expanding in technology.

Importance of students posting blogs from the classroom and Michael Wesch

Michael Wesch
PS22PS22




Examples of students sharing their talents over the Internet


Let the Children Play

Landslide

Don't Stop Believing

Coldplay

In PS22 Chorus class in New York a group of elementary students have been able to share their unbelievable talents with the world. In this video the teacher of this elementary class decided to post his students singing Landslide over youtube. The first thing I noticed when I watched this video was the response the children were giving off. Every student in that class was not only singing, but they were whole heartidly enjoying the experience. Every students eyes were focused and paying attention, which in many cases you do not find very often. Students appeared to have a spark about them while singing this song, and each one put in so much emotion with hand movements and their expressions. I believe the reason behind this amazing motivation and heart felt singing had alot to do with being video tapped. I am sure that was a new and exciting thing for children to experience, and you could see it in their preformance that they were all engaged, and having fun. When a teacher posts students work on the internent I think it fires up the students, and gives them a sense of pride knowing other people will be able to see their talents. On the other hand, I believe posting students work on blogs not only benifits the students, but also other people who view the blog. Thousands of people have been able to view video's such as these and it has been an inspirtation. Blogs such as these can motivate other teachers to start incorporting this type of learning into their classrooms. Obviously, it is making some kind of spark in students, and inhancing education. I believe this is a great way to motivate students and other people all around the world.




Michael Wesch

Watch Lecture

Michael gave a lecture on culture today, what it is impacted by, its behaviors, and also effects of youtube. He started off by identigying the strong bond between media and are culture. If something changes in the media, it changes our conversations, and our converstations determine are culture. He gave an exaple of a youtube video posted called " charlie bit my finger". This video recieved millions of hits, and thousands of videos were created by people that related to it. Anywhere you went this video was known. He started to explain some of the characteristics this generation is showing. He showed a picture of his college classroom with hundreds of students appearing disinrested and dis engaged. Next, he showed a casting call for American Idol where people were going crazy with ecitement and were engaged. He asked the quesion what is the difference here. The difference he explained is in the word "Whatever". Whatever over the years has morphed into something that explains our culuture today, which is that today people believe the world is all about them.


As a whole we have are own agenda's and are not worried about anything else. People are forgetting about what real relationships are. He talked in detail about youtube, and using the tool to create and entire new way to connect and form real relationships with others. Although, people may feel context collapse, which is feeling nervouse or self conscious when first being infront of a web cam , Wesch says that people can form relationships with people, and have the entire world watching with out the social anxiety aspect. Through several videos on youtube Wesch was able to show that people all over the world wanted to form real connections with people, and shift the focus off of themselves. For example, one person created a video that asked people to write one world on their hands and put it up on their web cams for the world to see. The response was overwhelming. People responded to the idea of one , and unity. People were seeking those relationships and connections, and therefor finding their true self. Welsch said that we could change the whatever of today into We care and will do whatever it takes...by whatever means neccessary.

Access: Distance Learning

Access

Access:Distance Learning Website


The Access Distance Learning project was started October 1, 2005 by Governor Bob Riley and his work force. We are finding Schools all across America that are not offering the same educational opportunities as others. The goal of Distance learning is to create equal educational opportunities for all students in Alabama's public schools. In many cases we are seeing lower income schools not being able to provide students with AP classes, advanced diploma classes or even basic core classes such as physics, calculus, or trigonometry. Alabama ranks 14 out of 16 Southern states in AP offerings. The goal of Access is to provide all Alabama students with equal educational opportunities, and the access to the highest quality education no matter what public school the student is attending. The Access project aims to eventually provide all Alabama public schools with more advanced diploma, AP, and general core courses. Access is a form of distance learning,which is defined as "learning experiences in which instructors and students are separated by space and/or time". There are three general ways information is transported to students in distance learning including web base, video conferencing, and a blend between the Internet and video conferencing. Through these modes of technology access can provide a student with high quality education, exceptional teachers, and more courses through the use of technology. Through video conferencing schools that might have other wise not been able to provide certain courses now have the opportunity to broaden their course opportunities, and create equal access to students. Distance learning benefits not only students, but teachers also.

Distance Learning


Alabama public schools that are using access gain more teachers, allow students and teachers to interact and learn from others from different schools, and resources are provided for faculty to better their abilities, and enhance the level of education being provided. Access provides online classes for students that will be taken during regular school hours. Teachers will interact with students during the provided class time or after hours. Teachers must learn how to properly use the Access equipment and be willing to work with students individually or give extra instruction and time when involved in distance learning. Students also have to adapt to distance learning in ways such as being more independent, and active in Access courses. Access classrooms can provide everything a traditional classroom has and more. E teachers can offer online study guides, test reviews,quizzes, and exams. Access classrooms can even have online projects and presentations. Distance learning allows students to work at their own pace and even have to opportunity to repeat a lesson they were struggling with. Access provides a different way of education and supports different learning styles that best fit the student. In my opinion, I think distance learning is a very import aspect of education, and I believe it could have a huge impact on education today. As a future teacher I will see myself incorporating distance learning into my classroom. Access is such a useful tool in education because it gives equal course access to students no matter where they come from or what their situation is. I will also use the Access program to further my teaching skills,learn from other teachers experiences, and as a result improve the over all educational experience for my future students. In conclusion, The Access distance learning project provides great opportunity to not only provide a higher level of education, but to further students lives and futures.

ALEX

ALEX


Alabama Learning Exchange Website


ALEX or the Alabama Learning Exchange is a program created by the Alabama Department of Education, in which, educational information and materials are being shared with teachers, parents, and students. ALEX is a quick easy source for teachers to find lesson plans, curriculum's, web links, podcasts, and even ways to keep up to date with the best and newest ways of teaching. Teachers are able to add their own lesson plans, tips, and ideas to this website so ALEX provides a very wide range of educational information coming from some of Alabama's best teachers. One helpful tool that ALEX provides is called course of study which lists according to the subject and grade chosen the skills that should be mastered by students in that course. For example, you could choose 5th grade mathematics and it will list all of the skills that should be covered in that particular grade and course. The next helpful tool ALEX offers is called web links. When clicked on web links will give teachers, administrators, and students helpful websites for more information on their selected topic. The third tool available on ALEX is actually being able to access a wide variety of lesson plans by subject or grade level. Also, teachers are able to submit their own lesson plans that they think may be helpful to others. Podcasts are also available on ALEX. Again, through choosing a topic ALEX provides several educational podcasts including interviews that can enhance children's learning and understanding greatly.

ALEX Lesson Plans


ALEX, in my opinion, is an invaluable learning resource for teachers, students, and parents and can be extremely useful. ALEX provides a way for teachers, students, and parents to learn from the best educators Alabama has to offer. By founding a website that allows other professionals to share their ideas, tips, and educational information through their own experiences can greatly enhance the quality of teaching and learning in our classrooms today. In my future classroom I will use ALEX to find the best lesson plans for a specific topic I am teaching in my classroom. I will also use it to make sure I am covering the correct skills and educational outline for the course I am teaching. ALEXA will also be a great way, for me as a teacher, to introduce technology to my classroom. Through using helpful websites provided through ALEX I can expose my students to online researching, and with available podcasting I can show an entire new way of learning to my classroom. Podcasts on ALEX will be of tremendous use so students can not only listen to a lecture, but they can experience it first hand by watching it for themselves. In conclusion, I think ALEX is an invaluable project that has been created and in the future I will absolutely use its tools and educational information to enhance learning in my future classroom.

Dear Kaia

Dear Kaia

Kaia's Blog

Intrepid Teacher

Mr. C's Class Blog



This was an extradinary blog to learn about. A father in Qatar was reading a book called The Last Child in the Woods. This book was talking about the importance of getting children out into nature to discover beautiful things and to explore the world around them. This inspired the father and decided to take his little girl, Kaia, outside to connect with nature. He took a camera with him to record his little girl's expierience. Where Kaia and her father lived was in the middle of the dessert and most people would find the area to be a wasteland with nothing beautiful about it, but Kaia's father was out to teach a bigger lesson. He encouraged Kaia to just take pictures of what she saw. In his blog, Kaia's father said that he could not believe the excitement and enthusiasam Kaia displayed while being outside expierencing nature in a dessert. The outcome of this expierence was to be just a normal outing with pictures to share with friends and family, but it turned into something so much greater. After Kaia and her dad were finished exploring outside, he asked kaia if she would like to see her pictures on a big computer screen and talk about them. She was very intrested and kaia and her father ended up making a video of all the pictures kaia took and her commenting on each picture in the background of the video, and posted it online. The next day the video got several comments, and kaia's father saw a commment from a 8th grade class all the way in missouri that watched kaia's video.

Through twitter kaia's father was able to contact, Mr. C, the teacher of the class and actually skype in and talk to the class. In return, the 8th grade students created a video and voice thread to Kaia thanking her for all of her great pictures. Through twitter, skype, online videos,voice threads, and other types of technology a group of people were able to connect with eachother from thousands and thousands of miles away. Technology brought together a family living in a dessert in qatar with an 8th grade classroom in Missouri. This opens up a type of learning that has no limits. People are learing from other people all over the world. Distance can no longer stop learning. If this type of learning can really take off all over the world the possibilities are endless. I believe this type of learning with technology could inspire children to learn. I believe students would be intrested in learning a different culture or hearing from someone halfway across the world. I believe this would spark students imagination and thrill for learning. I also believe this would help students and teachers understand other cultures and even gain more respect for other ethnicities.


Singing Hearts


Kaia's father started off having just a regular family experience with his daughter. He was trying to teach her to see the beauty of her surrounding. To stop, slow down, and enjoy what is all around her. Kaia took regular, ordinary, objects and turned them into something beautiful and creative. Through, technology this lesson was not just learned by Kaia and her father, it was learned by thousands of people all around the world. Through technology this simple expierence was turned into something that had the power to touch other people's lives. Kaia's father said that to really use this type of learning you must have an open mind, and really be open to trying new things. Although, Kaia's dad did worry about some factors of using this type of technology like revealing his little girl to the world over the internet, I believe he saw the good things that could be done and those outweighed the risks involved. Through sharing his little girl with the world connections were made with people that will always be in Kaia's history. People could learn from others expierences and make connections to people that would never have exsited without technology.

The New Media Literacies

New Media Skills

Watch this video

Todays world is nothing like what it used to be. The world for the most part is completly dependant on technology. Wheather you are on your cell phone, lab top, or iPod technology is all around us and being used in almost every facet of life. This video The New Media Literacies basically talks about what kind of skills an average person has to have to live in the 21st century. These skills are no longer just for a student studying in school, or a professor teaching a class, these skills are for everyone, and are essiential to being able to function in a world so tech savey. These media skills help a person function in our current media environment, and deal with the fast pace of culture today. We can all agree that the over all pace of life has increased over the years, and it will continue to do so, but these skills help a person keep up with the fast pace of todays society, culture, and movements. It helps people understand things that we use to consider simple like our cell phones or getting on to the internet. These skills help shape creative artists, teaches you how to be a citizen, and even teaches you what kind of tools you will need to be a future worker in the United States.

One intresting thing this video mentioned was that these skills use to not be the same as they are today. It use to be that most average people were just consumers of media. They would watch or learn, but would never have much impact or input, but we are seeing that is changing now. Average people are not only consumors of todays media, but they are becoming producers of todays media also. People are starting to put something out there. It could be as simple as a facebook or myspace page, but the point is that we are now able to control media. Some skills mentioned in the video that people will need are things like judgement, in which we will have to determine if information is reliable or not that we find in the media. Also, negotiation, this is were people will know have to enter into different spaces on the internet, and recognize the social norms of that area. The third skill people will have to posses is called appropration, which means people will have to beable to take massive amount of information found online, sort through it, make sense of it,remix it, and use it in context in a meaningful way. Another skill was called play, which is defined as experimenting with our surroundings as a form of problem solving. Other skills were transmedia navigation, simulation, collective intelligence, performance, distributed congition, visualization, multitaksing.

In my opinion, I think these new media skills make alot of sense. If you think about our world today and the enourmouse dependancy of technology in our media then these skills really are needed and are even vital to function in our culture.If you think about any job in the United States, most all of them will included the use of technology. Wether its computers, the use of the internet, iPhones, or email it would be very hard to find a job free from the use of technology. So in my opinion these skills are a must for anyone who needs a job, which is pretty much every one. In education technology is being used in the classroom more than ever. There are colleges that are all online. A single mother who works two jobs can have the opportunity to take classes online and earn a degree. The possiblitities are endless, but if a person is illiterate and does not posses theses media skills then their opportunities are severly limited.


Media Skills in the workforce


I do posses most of these skills listed in this video like judgement, negotiation, appropration, play, and visualization. The skills I think I am not as litterate on are transmedia navigation, simulation, collective intelligence, and multi tasking, but I think all of those skills can be gained. The main way in my opionion to gain these skills is to practice. To learn by actual experience of different types of media. For example, I am a terrible multitaker. When I am searching the internet I like to focus on one thing at a time, but this does not help becuase in the real world I will have to put together lesson plans and gather inforomation together from several different sources. To help me get better in this skill I would simply practice taking several sources about a topic online and practice pulling them together to form a cohesive piece of information. In conclusion, I think these new media skills are vital to make connections, function in a fast pace world, and be sucessful in whatever area of life you focus on.

The Networked Student: by Wendy Drexler

Technology Connections

The Networked Student


The networked student is all about how students and classrooms will be like in the future. In this video it takes an example of a student that is taking a class with no book and his teacher rarely gives lectures. The reason behind this different way of teaching is called connectivism. This teacher believes that learning can take place through all different kind of social networks, connections, and ties between people. These connections between other people are made possible by technology tools, and by having these different ties with people it is supposed to strengthen the learning process for that student. Before starting a class like this a student must first build his social network by practicing by finding valid webcites and determinding what information is helpful and reliable. Once he masters these steps he takes useful information he finds about his topic and posts it on his social bookmarking site, a place where people can share URL's they have bookmarked on specific topics. This allows everyone to find helpful realiable information on a specific topic.

Next, the student looks at others blogs about his topic to better understand what others opinions are on his topic. He can choose to make comments on others blogs to give his point of view or even subscribe to certain blogs and be informend when the blog has been updated. After he has gained a well rounded knowledge base about his topic through research and reading others blogs he can create his own blog. The student can blog about his own personal thoughts about his topic, and write down all that he has learned about his topic along the way. Another way this student can learn is through his iPod. With the use of iTunesU he can subscribe to thousands of lectures, and more importantly ones that apply to his topic. Through his iPod the student can hear lectures of his topic from the most prestiges colleges in the world. Another important thing the student can do is contact authors or highly qualified professional to set up a video conference through skpe that he can play to the class. This is an amazing opportunity that in many cases in a regualar classrom would not happen. By the end of the class this student has created an online learning network that is useful, efficent, and may even have professional advice. The great thing about this kind of learning is that know students who take this class after can go use previous students reseach to help aid them in their topic research. People from all over the world can see what you have to offer on a specific topic and learn from what you have worked so hard to create.

So the question is asked, why is a teacher even neccessary for this type of class? Although, this type of learning is in somewhat independant a great deal of it depends on the teacher too. The teacher is responsible for teaching students how to build these personal educational learning networks. Students have to have something to start with, and learn how to even begin a process like this. The teacher also teaches their students how to recongnize good vialble resources from unreliable information. They also teach how to narrow down a search, and the best ways in which to search for your topic. Teachers are there for students when they get stuck and need guidence or have questions. They also provide ways to teach students how to organize this massive amount of information they are finding out about their topics.Lastly, and quite possibly one of the most important skills these teachers give is the proper and correct way to communicate, and how to ask ask in respectful ways for help. With opportunities to deal with experts on their topics students must know the correct way to communicate, and how to ask for help with their topic information in an appropraite way.

In conclusion, I think this type of teaching is an amazing opportunity for students to be more independent in ways, but also to be exposed to opportunities they would never have in traditional schooling. Networked schooling teaches the importance of not only technology, but the vitality of connections with people. It shows just how much we can inspire and teach one another, and be pro active with learning. I would absolutly be prepared to be a teacher for a networked student, and would like to incorporate this type of learning into my own classroom one day. I think network learning creates a way for students to be inspired and self motivated, not just going through the motions of learning.I also think networked learning will inspire students to get more involved in the classroom. Overall, I think this is a great way of learning, and should be used alot more.

Richard Miller: This is how we dream part one and two

Multimedia


To watch this video

Part one of the how we dream video by Richard Miller was talking about the incremental changes we are seeing in writting. For the most part, people were raised on relating writting to books. When an author would write a book they would be published as a book we would easily find in a library or book store. I mostly think of writting's as concrete objects like a book, magazine, journal, but in todays world that is quickly changing. I believe the point Mr. Miller was trying to portray in the firt video is that writting in today's world is changing. Books, magazines, and newspaper articles are not just being found in libraries anymore. They are no longer just found in text with pictures, they are expanding online in all different ways like pictures, films, and videos.Writting can be deliverd to your door in a book or magazine or it can be found right on your computer. The places we are writting in todays culture is changing. It use to be that people would write out all of their notes or use a type writter, now people today work on desktops, and the internet. Writting can literally take place anywhere, and you have access to all information through the internet. The second change that is occuring in our writting these days is collaberation. In todays world we can post so much more than simple text on the internet. Visual documents are all over the internet that included pictures, sounds, videos, and interviews. With the help of the internet people can gather sources from all over the world and put everything together to create an amazing piece of work.

The second part of the video was talking more about a larger aspect or dream of having visual literacy. To me I think having visual and online literacy can be such a useful tool not only to education, but to the entire world. Dr. Miller made the point that having all of these online texts could be a way to get ideas out and to share ideas with the entire world. One of the main problems with writing today is that when text is only found in books it usually is missing that wow factor that is gained through pictures, graphics, videos, ect. Multimedia can solve this problem. There are no limits on what can be done for online literacy using the internet, and through using collabrative information found on the web. Online lituature could get that wow factor that will not only draw in listeners, but keep them intrested. Indeed that is one of the main point Mr. Miller mentioned in his second video. Writting's found online should not just be text on the internet, they should be beautiful and inspiring. We have all the tools to make online lituracy a work of creativity, and he is saying that is what we should do. The reason we should make online literacy something creative and inspiring is because it has the possiblilty of reaching an entire world. Most books would take twice the time to publish, print and get out into the public then creating a online piece of liturature. Not only would text take longer to get out to the public, it would take longer for it to circulate through out the public. Technology is so depended on these days that people would discover and pass on online liturature so much quicker than say a book. So you might ask what is the point of all this? Well Mr. Miller makes a great point when he talks about the goal of all of this, and thats to share ideas. He states that ideas should not just be your own they should have the opportunity to be heard and listned to by all. Online literacy has the chance to articulate dreams into realities, and make ideas visable to all people.



Multimedia

I think this new way of writting is a great idea not only for education, but also for people all around the word. In the classroom this in my opinion could really spark the intrests of students. Students could actually be learning how to write like education traditionally teaches, but at the same time add a more intresting factor. I know durring highschool and even college I was not exposed to all of the ways I could make my writting intresting with visual and audio graphics. I think if schools incorporate teaching writting through online literacy it could teach important skills that students would most definitly use in the future. Becuase technology use is growing at exponential rates it makes sense to adapt our education around that. Teaching online literacy and multimedia would only enhance students opportunities is such a technology rich world. As a future teacher I am more than willing to incorporate this type of learning in my classrooms, and I think it could make a monumental difference not only in education but in society itself.

iPods: Duke University

Use of iPods

For more information on Duke University

For more information on Union City, New Jersey

In 2004 Duke University wanted to test if ipods could be used on their campus for educational purposes. In 2004 Duke University handed out 1600 ipods with voice recoreds to first year students to study the impacts and outcomes the ipod had on students and teachers, and if it could be succesfully used as an educational tool. The outcomes of the implementation of the ipod were very intresting. A total of 1228 Duke students, and 48 courses total incorportated ipods into learning. Foreign language and music classes used the ipod the most which was expected, but also some unexpected courses such as enineering, and other social science classes reported they used the ipod for educational purposes. The ipod aided more audio related courses because students could play songs back. At first most believed the audio play back on the ipod would generate the most feedback, but this was not the case.It turned out that recording was the number one tool used on the ipod for educational purposes, and 60% of the first year students used it. By the end of the experiment Duke University came up with several educational uses for the ipod. One was the portability factor of an ipod incorportated with education.

With the ipod students were able to acess lectures, speeches, music,and podcasts through itunes. It was also used in the classroom to record important information like lectures, class discussions, guest speakers, and verbal feedback.Research also showed that the ipod was greatly used outside of the classroom to capture field notes, interviews, ennviromental data, and audio data that could not be found in a classroom or lab, but could only be gained through outside experience. Next, the ipod helped students study. Students would record notes, facts, and information and then re-play it to learn by hearing it. The ipod in the case of Duke University improved not only student intrest and engagement, but also teachers and facultly members were showing intrest witht he experiement. As a whole Duke University was feeling the positives of using ipods for educational purposes.






Union City, New Jersey


Other times ipods were used in the classroom was in Union City, New Jersey were in this urban disctrict made up of a 11,000 students, 94% qualified for free or reduced lunches were struggling to preform academically. A teacher started introducing iPods to students who were struggling to learn english as their second language. The teacher began uploading english songs onto the iPods and let the children listen to them. As a result students actually showed improvements, and by listening to english songs on the Ipod they were learning english. The teacher would collect the ipods at the end of each class to prevent damage or innappropriate use. Although, the teacher did receive some negative feedback about the approach like the price, and how the money could go to more useful areas she has brought up valid evidence that the ipod improved the students learning. In fact, experts claim that the best way to learn a foreign language is to immerse yourself in that language. If improvement was shown by just listening to American music imagine what audios, videos, lectures, newscasts, telivision shows, and media that is available to download onto an ipod could do. Students could immerse themselves with the American language through iPods in the classroom. The downloads would be a safe and efficient way to teach children foreign languaes through the use of iPods. In conclusion I think giving intrsuction and teaching through iPods is a very good idea, and I belive it could be used as a powerful educational tool.

iTunesU

Recently I have discoverd iTunesU, and have been amazed of just how powerful of a tool it is. iTunesU is basically a massive database of free educational videos and audios that can be acessed by anyone anywhere. iTunesU is quickly growing to be one of the largest online educational sources with more than 200,000 lectures, presentations, videos, readings, and podcasts from all over the world. iTunesU is one of the easiest and fastest ways to get education directly into the students hands.

iTunesU

Learn more about iTunesU



iTunesU has proved to be so invauluable to students all over the world for several reasons. As a student, the first reason I think iTunesU is so helpful is because of the information that is being offerd. As a student I often run into the problem about finding reliable,up to date sources. With a growing amount of people posting whatever they want on the internent these days its often times very difficult to find information that is true. With iTunesU all information that is being displayed are from top universities, meusems, pds stations, and other well known cultural instituions. This eliminates fasle unrealiable sources, and only allows information to be display from those who are highly qualified. This is tremedousely helpful to students because it gets rid of the possibility they are citing false information. The second reason iTunesU is so helpful to students is that class lectures, lab demo's and campus tours are available to watch or listen to. Top universities including Cambridge University, Oxford University, Yale University,and Harvard University just to name a few actually post class lectures as podcasts or videocasts. This is extremly benificial for students who want to go back and re-listen to their lecture, write notes over again, or become more clear about a topic. Also, it aids students because education becomes to be on their time. Ofcourse students will have to attend class, but when they are ready they can acess that informtion all over again. Learning does not just stop in the class room, but it can be acessed at any time. Students are known to have very hectic crazy schedules, and with iTunesU students could learn while working around their schedules. Not only can iTunesU be helpful to actual students who go to these top Universities that subscribe, but all students can use these tools. Students all across the world can acess top university lectures given by some of the most highly qualified speakers in the world. The third benifit iTunesU gives to students is the ability to subscribe to the podcasts and vodcasts. Alot of the lectures and labs posted are on going and many teachers post new lectures everyday. iTunesU allows anyone to subcrible to whatever course they want and when new lectures or information is posted on the selected course it will be automatically downloaded to your itunes on your computer. Students can constantly stay updated on the newest information available.


Students can actually follow and entire course and listen or view each lecture that say a Harvard student listens to everyday in the classroom. iTunesU is opening up opportunities for all students and people to have the chance to learn the highest quality of education, not just those who are in the top universities. Another very helpful aspect of iTunesU is its accessability not only of time, but of place. Students can actually download the vodcasts or podcasts of teacher lectures, or other educational videos directly to their computers, ipods, or iphones. This to me is one of the most important benifits. iTunesU has made it possible for students to be anywhere at anytime to learn. Students no longer have to be sitting at a computer desk or in the library to do homework or study. Because this educational information can be acessed through your ipod or iphone a student could pretty much go anywhere to learn. While they are walking down a street or riding a bike they could be listening to a lecture or sitting in a cafe they could be studying. The possiblilites are endless with the use of iTunesU. It has opend up so many opportunities for students to learn that would have never had the chance to if iTunesU did not exist. The last positive outcome of iTunesU on students is that it is free. For most of the general population when you are a student money is alway tight. I feel like I am always budjeting, and crunching pennies. Honestly, I thought iTunesU had to have charged something for the quality information, and endless options it was providing, but to my great suprise iTunesU is completly 100% free, and is acessable by anyone at anytime.In conclusion, I think iTunesU is invaulable to a student,and it opens up an entire new world to learning.

Dr. Christie: Evaluating Web Pages

Dr. Christie's Web Page
.UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops

I found several topics on Dr. Christie's web page that could be very helpful in classrooms today, but one topic stood out to me the most, searching the web. Today technology is used so frequently in the classroom I believe it would be extremly benificial to be more familar on how to recognize webpages that are child friendly and those that should be avoided. Under searching the web, on Dr. Christie's webpage I was connected to several helpful web pages that explaind steps on evaluating webpages. I read an article from Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply&Questions to Ask UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops that to me gave extremly important information and tips of how to evaluate and determine what kind of web pages you are using. The first step mentioned when identifying acceptable web pages is to first look at the URL. Before even looking at the information on the page, gather as much information as you can from the URL. Check things like does the URL have a personal name in it, meaning it is a personal webpage which may not render solid facts or be appriate for children. Also, try to locate what kind of domain the web page comes from. For example, look for .gov in the URL which means it is a government cite or .edu which means it is an educational web page. These are very important when determing if it is appropriate for students. The second tip this article mentions is to scan the basic boundry of the webpage and search for history of the page or things that can verify the validity of the page. For example, look for an authors name, someone who actually takes credit for the work, and look for details that show the author's qualifications to write on the specific topic for exaple, Dr., or PHD. Also, look for a date the web page has been last updated or modified to ensure all facts are up to date. The third tip this article mentioned was to look for indicators of quality information. Some indications that a webpage has quality ginuine information is to see if the web pages information is correctly cited. Also, if the web page provides other links to information on the specific topic it is a good sign the web page is a valuable source.
The Fourth tip given in this article to find good web sources was to determine what other web pages are linked to the one you are investigating. It is recommended that you have atleast two other well known or reputable sources. Also, find out what others are saying about this web page. Search out comments that have been made about the specific web page, and get to know what others thought about the page or the author of the page. Lastly, when evaluating web pages ask your self, " did it all add Up?". First determine the intention of the web page. Did it give facts, statictics, and information, or was it trying to sell something? Did the web page try to convince or presuade a point or just explain? All of these questions play a major role when determing the validity of a web page. In conclusion I believe all of these tips can play a major role helping teachers find the very best web pages for their students. In today's world the internet has become an easy place for anyone to post or creat a web page. Even though this is good is some ways because it shows other peoples opinions, in many ways it can be very detrimental. Often times, people are not qualified to write about topics they choose, and as a result there are thousands of web pages that are unreliable, and based on opinions alone. This could really creat a problem in the class rooms. The tips listed above are so helpful because they can help teachers recognize web pages that may not be the most reliable sources, and also aid teachers in finding the best, most viable web pages that benifit their students the most. I really enjoyed this article and found all of the tips very very helpful, I will be sure to use them in my future classroom.

Wikipedia

Virgil Griffith

.view this video

Wikipedia is is a very well known online source by most most people, but is it accurate? Virgil Griffith, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, has put wikipedia accuracy to the test by creating a scanner that can actually trace the source from where wikipedia edits are being made. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit or make postings. In ways this is a good thing because you get a high range of different oponions, but in alot of cases people are using this tool to misrepresent the truth, or edit any harmful comments made by other people. Although, making edits to this online encyclopedia is not illegal it can really effect the accuracy of the information on wikipedia.People could make edits to certain cites, and choose to stay unannomous, until Virgil Griffith created this scanner. Now when people make changes to cites they can be traced back to the source it was made from. Although, the name of the person's name will not be shown it can show where the edit was comming from for example a computer in a certain company. Some examples are companies like Dow chemical who deleted an entire section labled Enviromental and Human Rights Controversies. Also, Debold an electronic voting system company was traced back to have deleted ten whole paragraphs of critisizim and conterversy of their company. Wal-mart is another example where a statement was edited to make wages of the company sound better than they really are. These are all examples that clearly show that Wikipedia might not be as reliable and accurate as you think. Although, there are some negative aspects of wikipedia I did notice some postive aspects. For example wikipedia has created a hyperlink to some words that you might need further definitions or examples of which I think is very very helpful.
For example you might me reasearching what what is made up of and they will have hyperlinks to hydrogyn and oxogyn and their definitions. Another thing I like about wikipedia is the mass amount of information it retains, and the different perspectives. Wikipedia is one of the largest search engines, and you can find pretty much anything you are looking for in minutes. Through the addition of the scanner, I think it will improve wikipedia's accuracy in a sense because people can no longer hide behind their edits, but I think the problem will always exist. To prevent virgils scanner from determing what company the edits are comming from the company simply just to use a computer that is outside of the company itself. SO if for example exon wants to delete or edit remarks all they would have to do is go to the local coffee shop down the road that has internet access and change the information. So I do believe the wikipedia scanner will scare and intimidate some editors to think twice about what they change. In return wikipedia will be a little more reliable, but there are still many ways to get around this system.I use to consider wikipedia a decent source, but I have now changed my mind. I think wikipedia is good for finding information that is a generally accepted fact or well known around the world. I would not reccommmend wikipedia as a source when looking up information that is more specific and in depth. For example I would not recommend using wikipedia for a research paper ect. In conclusion, I think wikipedia has alot of information to offer, but I would recommed to take a little more time and find a more reliable cite that can be trusted.

Tiny URL

Tiny URL

Randy Pausch

Randy


I really enjoyed Randy Pausch lecture, and it was very inspiring. The topic he spoke about was called the last lecture. Randy explained in his speech if he had only one more lecture to speak before he died what it would be about. The irony of this speech is that Randy was diagnosed with cancer, and in fact this would be his last speech.he shaped his speech about his upcoming death to be something celebrated, not feared, and most importantly positive. Death, all of a sudden became something completely different from what the average person identifies it with, and became something each person could identify and relate to. I was drawn to him from the start because he was a man dying with just months to live, yet he was far from appearing sad or discouraged. He used his up-beat lively personality to automatically catch my attention.

Randy Pausch’s supporting material is what made his speech amazing. Randy spoke on life, and how to achieve your dreams. There have been thousands of speeches about this topic, but what set apart randy’s speech from all the others were his examples about each topic he spoke about. Through his examples and explanations he brought laughter, emotional connection, and simple wholesome truths that every person could relate to. For example, Randy used the quote “experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want” He was explaining that just because you do not reach your goal, like him not becoming a professional football player, does not mean you have not gained anything. He drove it home to always keep dreaming.

Humility was another point he touched on that had a great example behind it. He explained that his father fought in WWII, and one day his mother was going through some old things and found out that when fighting randy’s father had earned the Bronze Star for Valor. In 50 years of marriage “ it had simply never come up” Through a 30 second brief story Randy Pausch was able to define the true definition of humility in a touching and personable way.

Other moving explanations he had included painting his bedroom walls, and pouring the soda onto the seats of his brand new car when he was trying to portray the importance of people over things.Randy did a good job closing the speech by reinforcing that you can reach your dreams by living a good life. If you live a good life, your dreams will come to you. In conclusion, I think all of the main points Randy mentioned in his speech were strong yet simple, and each one of them should be used in classrooms today. I learned very much from this lecture, and really enjoyed it.

Karl Fisch: Is it okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

Most influential blogs

.Is it Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?


I found Karl Fisch's blog Is it Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher very
interesting. One of the first things in this blog that intrested me was when Mr. Fischer said that in almost 80% of parent teacher meetings he had with students struggling in math atleast one parent would say that they were never good at math with a since of pride. His point about mentioning this was that today you would never here someone say they could not read,but when it came to math is was socially acceptable to not be good at math. The same goes for technology, as Mr Fisch points out, it's socially acceptable to "not get computers", or even try to broaden understanings of technology. I agree with Mr. Fisch when he said he does not believe education is hinged on technology, but it is a "indespensible tool" as he calls it. Technology is pretty much connected to everything we do, so why not learn to use it effectively.

"If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write" this one one of the most controversial quotes of the entire blog, but I think Mr. Fisch brings up a very good point. In the 20th century a person was severly limited in opportunities if they could not read. They had less chances to suceed compared to those who could read. The same goes for technology in the dawn of the 21 century. Technology in this day and age is expanding, and will keep growing larger and larger. If people are computer illerterate they are limiting themselves durring this technological day and time. In conclusion, I think Mr Fisch's blog made some very good points, and in my opinion not only are teachers and schools need to be technoligically litterate, but students and parents should be too

A Vision of Students Today

.watch " A Vision of Students Today


Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today was a very intresting video, and it was very similar to my college expierence. This video basically gives a very good definition of what students in college today are like. One of the first things about this video that I can relate to is the large class sizes. It states that students average class size is 115 students, and only 18% of their teachers know their name. I went to a large collge in Mississippi for 3 years and this is mostly what I expierenced, very large classes and a non exsistent relationship with teachers. This video also mentioned paying hundreds of dollars for text books that they never open, which I also have had this happen to me. Alot of times in my college career I have never even opendend my book in the classroom. Next, this video stated that the average student would read 8 books, 2300 web pages, and 1281 facebook pages which in my opinion is very acurate. Alot of times students will do more web surging than homework or reading. This fact really applies to me, the internet is a very big distraction for me. Other distractions mentioned on the video applies to me also like t.v., being online, and talking on my cellphone.

One of the main points of this video that really hit home with me was being a multi-tasker. After working, going to class, studying, and factoring in distractions it adds up to 26 and a half hours a day doing these things. I have thought to myself countless times durring my college career there are just not enough hours in a day. My college expeirence at most moments have been sheer chaos trying to keep up with everything I have to do. Although, technology, has been mentioned to be the key to some of these problems, in my opinion, technolgy sometimes causes problems in the classroom. Students are facebooking durring class, and alot of them bring their labtops just so they can do other things durring class, which I have been guilty of doing on many occasions. The only other thing that I differ from in this video is the average amount of sleep I get per night which is not 7 hrs. Most of the time I average 5 to 6 hours at best. Overall I think this was a very accurate video describing a students college expeirence, and I enjoyed watching it

"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

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."What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung


I really enjoyed Mr. McClung's blog, What I've Learned this Year. Although, he was just a first year teacher he gave so many vital tips and information about being a teacher.The first point Mr. McClung made was that teachers always need to remember where their focus should be in the classroom. The focus should not be on the teacher or even on the delivery of the lesson, but the main focus should always be on the students no matter what. Next, he mentioned that teachers had to be flexible, and not try so hard to give the perfect lesson. He points out that lessons never go as perfect as you plan, but when activites go wrong the best thing to do is make the best of the situation. Mr. Mclung also touched on the importance of communication with your fellow co-workers and students. Communication helps build relationships and work out any problems that might occur.

Another good point Mr. McClung mentioned was that teachers must be reasonable. Many times teachers set to high of standards for their students, and then scold them when they do not meet those standards. The important thing is to never lose sight of who you are dealing with, childen, and every one is different. Another important topic mentioned in this blog is that teachers should not be afraid of technology. Technology is a good thing, and can really make great things happen in the classroom. Mr. McClung also said, which to me was one of the most important tips, that teachers should listen to their students. Know about their personal lives and get involved this shows your students that you care and listening also builds a strong student teacher bond. Lastly, Mr. McClung says that teachers should never stop learning which is very important. Always learn from every circumstance you expierence to grow as a teacher. I enjoyed this blog very much. Although, all of these tips from Mr. McClung were very basic, and I believe that is what made them so helpful. I think so many times we over analyis education, and really teachers should get back to the basic points like the ones above

Langwitches

picture
.Langwitches.org



I went to langwitches.org to get more information about podcasts, and I found this information to be very helpful. I clicked on "producing a podcast" link and found great insight into podcasting. One thing that suprised me very much that I learned on this cite is that podcasting can be incorportated at any age. Three kindergarden teachers incorported podcasting into their classrooms, and it was very sussesful. Important aspects of podcasting I learned was that it is very important to choose a theme or a purpose for your podcast and stick with it. I also learned that it is very important to explain to your students what podcasting is, and prepare them on what to expect.

The next thing that is very important to incorporate when using podcasting in the classrooms is to practice. Practice high and low voices, excited and boring voices. It is important for kids to understand they are speaking directly to a audience and to know how to use their voices in a expressive way. I listend to one of the podcast on this page made by kindergarders, and I was very impressed. These young children knew how to use their voices in a very excited and intesting manner. They spoke clearly and I could feel their emotions just by the sound of their voices. Overall, I realy enjoyed this website and learned alot about podcasting with children

Should All Teachers Be Technologically Literate?

The Technologically Literate Teacher

The videocast made by EDM 310 Students gave me a very good idea of what a videocast needs to be like, and I also found some areas in this videocast that could use some improvement.

The first thing I noticed immediatly about this videocast was that the students were not dressed very professional. I think dressing nice would would greatly improve any videocast, and alow the listener to take the videocast more seriously. The next thing I noticed that could have been improved was the tone of the speaker's voices. For the most part the voices of the students were very monotone, and the pace of the converstation was a bit slow. To improve my videocast I think we should have a variation in our voices, and move are converstation at a quicker pace to keep listerners intrested.

The next improvement I believe that can be added to our class videocast is the postion of the speakers. I think the audience could relate better to the converstation if the students were facing the camera more. The audience could feel more included if they could see the speakers entire face for example. Lastly, I think this videocast could have been a little more positive. The speakers spoke alot about the reasons teachers are not Technology literate, but they briefly touched on positves outcomes. Possibly when our class does a videocast we can give a more balanced conversatoion touching on the positives and negatives.

Podcasting

Podcasting
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I have just been introduced to the world of Podcasting, and there is a great deal of information to be learned. I listend to six different Podcasts this week, and found several things that made them so sussesful and intresting. I also, was able to get a better feel for how they operated.

Listen to Podcasts:
ConnectLearning
SmartBoard Lessons
KidCast
EdTechtalk
MacBreak Weekly
This Week in Photography



The first thing I noticed about these Podcasts were their introductions. Although, each were different, in their own ways, they all shared similar formats. Several of the podcasts would start out with the date, episode number, and who the podcast was brought to you by. Most of the podcasts started with an introduction of the people you were listening too, and guest speakers. Music was used in the introduction frequently, which I found to capture my attention quicker. For example, ConnectLearning Podcast used the same music for each episode which can help listerns identify the podcast immediatly. Most every Podcast I listened to had one thing in common in their introductions, they had small talk. Within the first 3 or 4 minutes, hosts and guests on the cast would keep the conversation light. They would talk about where they are from, the weather, and an overveiw of topics they would discuss. They would not just dive into a heavy conversation from the start. I liked this aspect because it gave me, a first time listener, time to get familar with what was going on and not be overwhelmed with to much information.

The second thing I learned about podcasting is the different conversational styles that can be used. Each podcast was different. Some were more informal. Speakers seemed to be more laidback with their language, and they used more of a conversational style of speaking with their guests. To me the podcasts moved at a quicker pace. They laughed, told jokes, and told stories. Others were more on the formal side and tended to speak at a slower pace; just presenting the facts on the subject they were discussing, and not venturing out to other topics or stories.
For the most part, after the introduction, most of the podcasts followed the same format. They would select certain subjects they were discussing for that day and basically ask questions, make comments, give advice, list examples, and give their opinions. They also had alot of feedback. Guests and speakers would not just voice all of their own ideas and thoughts, but they would get other inputs too, which I enjoyed. For example, the ConnectLearning, episode 90, podcast I listend to actually had 9,000 librarians all over South carolina involved in this one podcast. Actual teachers would comment and give advice on why podcasts in libraries benifited children. This allows listeners to have several different opinions from teachers who are directly expierencing the subject being discussed in their own classrooms.

The example above brings me to my next point I learned about how podcasts opperate. Podcasts differ with how many people can actually be involved, and where they take place. Some of the podcasts took place in quite areas, others in actual classrooms, and one episode I listend to from ConnectLearing took place in a noisy resturant. The ConnectLearning episode had 9,000 teachers involved and connected. Kidcast, on the other hand, had only one speaker who talked about videopod casting the entire time. He only made comments, and had no questions or feedback. This podcast was more about stating information, then having a debate or hearing opinions of others. I noticed there was not an average length to the podcasts I listend too, and each one differd. Some were very short and to the point, like the SmartBoard Lessons Podcast which lasted 14 minutes, and others were an hour long, like the MacBreak Weekly Podcast.
I also noticed that each podcast did not just have experts speaking. There were so many diverse people from every level including students and teachers. For example, on EdTechtalk, the subject being discussed was google docs templates, and the speakers included: teachers that used google docs templates in their classrooms, two students, the product manager of google docs, and two engineers that worked to create the templates. The creators, teachers, and users of google docs template's were able to share their different views, and give advice so all aspects on each leval were coverd.In conclusion, Podcasting is a great way to discover valuable information, hear different views, receive helpful feedback, and most importantly help others connect and learn from diverse people all over the world.

Media Rich Posts

Michael Jackson

(CNN) -- The Los Angeles coroner has concluded preliminarily that singer Michael Jackson died of an overdose of propofol, a powerful sedative he was given to help him sleep, according to court documents released Monday. Los Angeles' coroner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran reached that preliminary conclusion after reviewing toxicology results carried out on Jackson's blood, according to a search warrant and affidavit unsealed in Houston, Texas.
The affidavit outlines probable cause for search warrants of the offices of doctors who are believed to have treated Jackson.
The Associated Press is quoting a single law enforcement official, who says the L.A. County Coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office told CNN they had "no comment" on the report. An LAPD spokesman says the story did not come from their department.
The 32-page warrant said Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told a detective that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks. Murray said each night he gave Jackson 50 mg of propofol, also known as Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine via an intravenous drip.
Worried that Jackson may have been becoming addicted to the drug, the Houston cardiologist said he attempted to wean him from it, putting together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep during the two nights prior to his death.
But on June 25, other drugs failed to do the job, as he recounted to detectives in an hour-by-hour account that was detailed by detective Orlando Martinez of the Los Angeles Police Department:

Next Generation Learning

Next Generation Learning was my favorite video for the week. It encourages schools to have better technologies in the classroom, and at home. This way of teaching inspires children to learn in different ways, and to be familiar with technology in this day and age. For so many years classrooms have been very structured with chalkboards, pens, papers and computer technology never played a very big role in school systems. Next Generation Learning, pushes schools to put technology first.
There are many benefits to this kind of learning. For example, chalkboards can only be used to write on and many times children lose interest. Next Generation Learning uses whiteboards, which students can write on or it can also be used as a computer. Computer technology allowes students to be active, but learn at the same time through games like wee fitness, and brain training. Movement and activity greatly help students focus, and they stay engaged in learning. This new type of learning helps children participate in class, and helps teachers track their students' progress. Digital cameras are being used in the classrooms with projects so children can actually see and understand what they are learning.
Another great aspect of this new generation learning is that students all get the equal opportunity to learn. Students who do not have computers at home can check out lab tops from their schools so they also can have the opportunity to be familiarized with technology. Next generation learning is not just available in school, but also at home. Schools who participate in this program actually have sites where parents and students can log on and get information on what is going on in the classrooms. Students can also download their homework, and when they are finished they can upload it and submit it.
In my opinion, this is a great new way of learning. Technology has become the center of our world, and it will only grow bigger with time. That is why this kind of learning is so vital for children. It teaches students from a young age how to not only be comfortable with technology, but to use it in ways that will greatly benefit them in the future.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Vickie Davis is a full time teacher who has some very good tips when dealing with children learning digital technology. Vickie has a different opinion when teaching children that has been very successful. She believes that she does not have to be at the front of the classroom teaching all of the time, but instead she allows her students to think for themselves and figure out problems. This in return gives the students a since of empowerment. Vickie states that when children have there own empowerment from accomplishing things on their own the entire class runs better.
Vickie Davis also mentioned in this video the importance of the way you teach students. She did not always stick to the traditional way of teaching. When learning only requires a pen and piece of paper certain students will not be inspired to learn. She takes time to evaluate each of her classes, and recognizes their strengths and weaknesses. By doing this she better knows how to accommodate students with different learning abilities. This keeps students interested and engaged, but still getting the required curriculum accomplished.Vickie stated that so many teachers think they have to know all the answers or techniques to be successful, but she disagrees with this. She challenges teachers to learn from their students, and to challenge her students to be "thinkers", and push themselves.
Vickie Davis has done amazing things when it comes to the digital world. She uses things like open sim which helps students teach others. Also, Digi Teen, which teaches students digital citizenship. Students can blog and share ideas with others too. Vickie has also created Flat classroom which lets students experience technology trends by writing reports with others, and getting connected with other students all over the world.
In conclusion, this was a very helpful video, and I believe Vickie Davis is on the right track with reaching children in the best ways.

The Importance of Creativity

I greatly enjoyed this speech given by Sir Ken Robinson, " The Importance of Creativity. " Sir Robinson spoke on the importance and vitality of creativity in our education system. He points out that today in our schooling system creativity is not taken as serious as it should be taken, and it is almost being forced out of children these days. In school, mistakes are looked badly upon and not considered a good thing. Sir Robinson did a great job of explaining that " if you are not prepared to be wrong or make mistakes then you will never come up with anything original and your own. Children today are willing to try new things even if there is a chance of having the wrong answer, and that is apart of being creative and different. Yet, our school system stated by Sir Robinson is educating kids out of their creative capacity" because we teach that mistakes are not worth the risk, and are not to be made.
There is a hierarchy in schools. Math, sciences, English always come first, and are taught much more than music, art, dance, and theatre. Sir Robinson argues that these creative classes should be ranked just as high as any other subject. Classes that were designated to help a student get a job (math, science, English) came first, and many students are driven away from subjects that actually interest them ( art, dance, threatre) because it is assumed students could not get decent jobs studying these subjects. Our educational system is forcing creativity out of children, and putting them in the mind set that they must ignore things they enjoy and are interested in and instead focus on the subjects and schooling that will get them jobs.
A very interesting story I enjoyed was about a little girl who was struggling in school, disruptive in class, and was have behavioral issues. The mother of the little girl took her to a specialist to see what was wrong with her. The mother spoke with the doctor for a while explaing her problems. Next, the doctor and the mother walked out of the room, but before he left he turned on his radio on his desk. They continued to watch the little girl and she immediately got up and started dancing. The doctor told the mother her daughter was not sick, she was a dancer. So her mother took her to a dance studio, and she has become one of the most sucessful dancers in the world. The point of this story is that many times we mistake a child for being bad or mis-behaved when really all they need to do is find there passion, a different way of learning that they excel in.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this speech. It was very helpful, and showed to me the importance of creativity in education.