Goodbye for now

To all my fellow students and to all the teachers, goodbye for now. I wish everyone the best of luck in the future.

Blog Assignment #16

1.) In this class I have done many things that I have never done before. Being a first time blogger, I can see how blogging in the classroom could be helpful and fun for students. It gives the parents something to look at and see what their child is doing. If a student misses class due to illness, the parents can go on the class blog and see what they are doing that day. Presentations, Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, PLN's, and Twitter can also be very helpful in the classroom. There is so much technology available that we do not use in the classroom.
2.) No
3.) No
4.) I would say that this class did excite me in some ways. Learning new things is always exciting in my book. I have learned so much in this class about technology and using technology in the classroom. I feel that I am on my way to being a technologically literate teacher.
5.) No
6.) No
7.) My only suggestions would be to give more detailed instructions on projects so that you are not wandering whether you are doing it right or not.
8.) I believe I am technologically literate to an extent. I do know that I am better at using some technology than others thanks to this class. Right now I would say that I am Good. It's a work in progress.
9.) Well, to maintain what I have learned this semester, I must keep using the technology. As to when I graduate and actually start teaching, I have to just keep learning and using what I have now as a base and continue to build on it.

Blog Assignment #15

For this weeks blog post we watched two videos. The first one was done by a seventh grader on her PLE. Below is the video.




While comparing her PLE and my PLN there are many differences. Her PLE is more developed than my PLN. It makes me wonder if I have done as much as I can at the moment to have a well developed PLN. I have not done as much as I can. I guess I have finally realized how important my PLN is for me as a student and as a future teacher. Watching this video, I have seen some websites that I never knew about. I find myself wondering how much will I actually be teaching children and how much will they be teaching me. I hope that it will be a give and take relationship between me and my future students. I know that if I do not continue to be an active learner, then my future students will not get the best they can get from me.

The second video we watched was Two questions that can change your life-Daniel Pink. Below is the video.

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

Both of these two questions are interesting to me. "What is your sentence?" and "Was I better today than I was yesterday?" I'm not sure what my sentence would be. This is a question that I will have to think more about in depth. As to the remaining question, I try to be better than I was yesterday. For anyone to be better than they were the day before you have to realize what needs changing and what only needs tweaking in your life. Once you know what that is, you can strive to be better than you were yesterday.

Project 7: VoiceThread by Vocaroo

Below is my comment I left on Kimberly McNorton's page about making Taco Soup.


Just click to listen to my comment.

Project 15: Interview

For Project 15 my group Kimberly McNorton, Cara Nobles, and myself interviewed Brenda Wacker who is a teacher at Murphy High School. Our interview was about teachers using technology in the classroom. Below is our video. Click here to view this video on youtube.

Project 12: Google Earth A Trip to Cozumel, Mexico

Here is the link for my google earth project.

http://sites.google.com/site/mariannelaneedm310webpage/edm-310-files/Mexico.kmz?attredirects=0&d=1

Blog Assignment #14

Blogging
Until this semester, I have never blogged before. I have some mixed feelings about blogging. I'm not sure if I will continue to blog once this semester is over. I understand that there is potential use for blogging in the classroom, but I'm not sure I agree with that. Maybe things will be different once I am in the classroom teaching. Right now I don't see when I will have the time to use blogging in the classroom. In order to blog in the classroom, you would have to have access to computers. With the school system here in Mobile, that's not likely to happen. So while I understand the importance and the usefulness of blogging in the classroom, I don't see it possible right now with our school budgets.

Comments4Kids:

"Kayaking at camp
On the second day of camp, we were the last group to go kayaking. When we got there it was low tide so we had more problems to deal with than other groups. I really enjoyed kayaking even though we had to carry them to the beginning of the water."

I wrote "Hello,
My name is Marianne. I am in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 Class at South Alabama. I just wanted to say good job describing what happened on your second day of camp."

Comments4Teachers:
Hi,
My name is Marianne Lane and I'm in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I will be making a post on my blog with a summary on what I have learned from your blog. Here is my blog link:lanemarianneedm310.blogspot.com. I like the concept of these two videos. I think that if we use this idea and ask students these questions, it can help point out what they need to work on.

Hi,
I found this post to be very helpful on what I can personally do this Earth Day. Some of these ideas you can definitely do by yourself or your class. These are great ideas and thanks for sharing them with everyone!

My Wordle

Project 4: My Updated PLN

I have really enjoyed finding new ways to keep in touch with new friends through twitter, skype, wikispaces, etc. My PLN has grown over the last few weeks. Through twitter I can learn from Kelly Hines, Karl Fisch, Larry Ferlazzo, Dr. Strange, Mr. Sullivan and many more. What I have to do now is to keep learning and updating my PLN.

Project 9 Timetoast Timeline

I did my timetoast timeline on Johnny Depp. He is my all time favorite actor. I have enjoyed watching his movies. Here is a timeline of his film career.

Project 14

My group Kimberly McNorton, Cara Nobles and myself did our group project on How to set up a blog. We taught Kimberly's two older children how to set up their blog. If you would like to check out their blog click here. Below is the video we recorded.

Project 5:My EDM Survey

I have sent out my survey three times and have only received twelve responses. I will update as new responses come. I did my survey about South Alabama. I asked seven different questions. My summary is below.


1. What is your major?

elementary education

Secondary Education/English

English Education

English Education

Secondary Ed/Language Arts

Elementary Education

not sure yet

secondary education

Secondary Education History

Elementary Education

secondary ed

Secondary Special Education

2. In what year will you graduate?

2011

2012 (hopefully)

2012 or 2013

2013

2012

2012

2012

2012

2012

2012

2021

December 2010

3. How many classes are you taking this semester?

1 0 0%

2 0 0%

3 1 8%

4 4 33%

5 4 33%

Other 3 25%

4. Where did you go to High School?

new hope

Geneva County High School in Hartford, Alabama

MGM

Theodore High School

Colony High School (Palmer, Alaska)

Murphy High Schoo Mobile, Al

BTW

chatom

Faith Academy

Satsuma High

N.C

Monroe County High School

5. What type of activities are you involved in here at South?

school thats all

just the Honor's Program

Classes! lol I hope to get involved in the martial arts club.

None as of right now

BCM

This is my first semester here so I'm not really involved in much yet.

Football

nothing

intramural softball

I not involved in any activities (non-traditional student)

leisure

Nothing but classes...

6. Do you live on campus?

no

yes

Not any more!

No

Yes

No

yes

yes

no

No

no

No

7. Do you think there is too much work for this class?

Yes 7 58%

No 2 17%

Maybe 2 17%

Other 1 8%

Project 8

I chose to do my project on "How to use Google Calendar". I hope that by posting this presentation anyone who reads it would be able to use Google Calendar. Click here to view my presentation. I have also published my presentation below.

Comments4Kids

This week I got to watch a video on the Room 12 kids. It was a very interesting way to meet the students in Room 12. I have never seen a video like this before. It was very unique. Thanks for sharing this video with us. Click here to see this video.

Blog Assignment #13

The question of this week’s blog post: Why is it important for students to post their work to blogs (or in other ways)?

I think it is important for students to post their work to a blog because they can share their ideas with people around the world. If we all shared our ideas, then maybe some of the ideas could come to life and become reality. Sharing ideas can help other students and teachers. Maybe a student’s work from Alabama can inspire a student in California or even somewhere in Europe. There is no limit to what we can learn and share with others.

My first example is from my comments4kids. Her name is Hannah and she wrote a poem.
Click here to go to her website.
"The problem poem
If there's something bothering you
And there's nothing you can do
There's always something good and smart
Right inside of you!"

My second example is also from my comments4kids. It shows us Room 8 at Pt England School. Click here to see the video.

My last example is from this weeks blog post. It is another PS22 video. This video was amazing. The kids did a great job singing and showing their emotions! Great job guys!

Comments4Teachers

I enjoyed reading about Ms. Sharon's blog. Her blog on "A passionate cry for educational reform" was very enlightening. She had some very interesting points on spreading the word about educational reform. We keep posing problems without the solutions. This needs to change.

Hello again,
I enjoyed reading what you had to say about Dan Browns video. I agree with your comments. We have to be able to work together to come up with a way to fix our educational system. We keep posing problems without solutions. We all need to work together to come up with solutions for our education system.


Hello Ms. Sharon,
My name is Marianne Lane and I am in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at South Alabama. I have been assigned to follow your blog for the next 2 weeks. I will be posting a summary to my blog on what I have learned. My blog is lanemarianneedm310.blogspot.com. I agree with you on not being able to recognize the internet 10 years from now. It's amazing how everything changes so fast online. I can't even imagine what it will be like in the future. Thanks for sharing!

Blog Assignment #12

Reading these blogs has urged me to go outside and look at my surroundings. For Kaia it seems so simple to go outside and take pictures. I can relate to her dad being worried about Kaia being exposed so early in her life. I have younger cousins who are not as careful as they should be while online. There is so much that we can learn from the internet it seems harsh to me to block children from it in schools and at home. I think that if we monitor what they do online and continue to explore options with them, they will be as safe as we can manage. Using this technology in the classroom seems like the future to me. I know now that schools are actually doing this! I had no clue before I started the class that students were actually using blogs, wikis, skype, etc. This is amazing to me because I wonder what technology I will be teaching in the future to my students. What we can do now is to let the students explore and learn through different channels so to speak.

Skype

During this semester I have used Skype more than I have in the past. I have used Skype to talk to my classmates about projects, podcasts, and other assignments. I have enjoyed using Skype because for me it is easier to communicate with other students about projects with my schedule. Using Skype has opened up other advantages for me. I have been able to talk with family out of town.

Comments4Teachers

My comments4teachers was on Mrs. Cassidy's blog. She had some really great ideas. I would personally like to try some of these in the future once I graduate.

Hi,
My name is Marianne Lane, I am from the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class. I will be following your blog for the time being. I will be posting a summary on what I have learned to my blog. My blog is lanemarianneedm310.blogspot.com. This video was very cool. I have heard of students in elementary schools using these tools, but I didn't really believe it. It is amazing what these kids can do already. Great job!

Hi Mrs. Cassidy,
This was a very interesting post. I agree with you on the students taking turns, cooperation, and compromise being life skills. I think that if the students learn this young enough, it would become natural to share things with others. I never would have thought to use Nintendo DS's in the classroom.

Hello,
I saw your post and I would like to know more about the process. I think that it would be a great experience to go to Cape Town South Africa. Thanks again!

Comments4Kids Wk 12

I watched a video on the Pt England Way. This video shows that the students are learning responsibility and hard work while still having fun. They did a great job for their first video. I look forward to watching more of them in the future.

Comments4Kids

I read a poem by a little girl named Hannah. This is what she wrote: "The problem poem
If there's something bothering you
And there's nothing you can do
There's always something good and smart
Right inside of you!"

This was an excellent poem that is very true in life. She did a great job.

Blog Assignment #10

One of my classes this semester is 1hour 15 minutes long. I go into class, sit there while my professor takes roll. Then he starts his lecture. About 10-15 minutes into the lecture he goes off on some wild tangent that does not even relate to the course. For the next 45 minutes to an hour, I have to sit there and listen to something that I will not be tested on. To this day, I have not had to open my text book that cost $125.00 that was required for this class. I feel very cheated that I am only getting 10-15 minutes on lecture material. Also while in this class no talking, no laptops, cell phones, etc. are allowed. So I end up sitting there thinking about what I have to do for my next class, what homework I have left and when will this be over!!! This has happened to me before in other classes at South. Will this ever change? How do we go about changing classes like these when the University’s say there is nothing wrong?

Blog Assignment #9

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)

This website on ALEX is very helpful for teachers and future teachers. There are many options for you to look at. There are topics on Podcast Treasury, Lesson Plans, Personal Workspace, Web Links, Search options. If you want to look at sample lesson plans, all you have to do is check the box on what subject and what grade. It then pulls up sample lesson plans for you to look at. That is very helpful for future teachers or teachers who are just starting. It gives you an idea so you know if you’re going in the right directions. With the podcast treasury, there are several different options for you to listen too. You can listen to podcasts created by students or other teachers. You can use these podcasts in the classroom to help with your lesson plans.
This website is very helpful to new and future teachers. The experienced teacher can also log in too look at anything they are working on. This website is a very helpful tool that teachers should use in developing their lesson plans and teaching students.

Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide (ACCESS)

This website on ACCESS could be very helpful for teachers and high school students. I personally never knew about this website until now. I think that if I had access to it in high school, I might have done things different. This website is directed towards teachers and high school students. It gives you information on AP Exams, tests prep, high school graduation exams. For the teachers, it gives you several options to look at counseling, administrators, resources, policy manuals and brochures.
I think that using this website in the classroom would help students to prepare for testing. They can do the test prep to see if they are ready for the exams. There is also a section for parents, so they can know when and where tests are. They can make sure their child is ready to take these exams. There is also technical support with support centers, computer access, computer requirements, computer software, plug ins, specialized downloads and troubling shooting tips just to name a few. This website would be very helpful to new teachers entering their career and for students in high school to know what they need to be studying for these exams.

Blog Assignment #8

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture:

The first time that I watched this video was 2 ½ years ago. My best friend’s mother had just been diagnosed with cancer. She asked us to watch this video. As I watch this video again today, I am reminded that she had the same spirit as Randy. She didn’t want to dwell on the fact that she had cancer; she just wanted to live her life to the fullest while she was still here. She died 6 months later.
This lecture is truly inspirational. It makes you think of your own childhood dreams and whether or not you have accomplished them. As I look back on my own childhood dreams, I realize that I have not accomplished all of mine. One of my childhood dreams was to dance the lead in Sleeping Beauty. My mom and dad put me in dance at the age of 3. As I continued my training, I realized that I would have to dedicate myself to accomplish this dream. In high school I realized that this particular childhood dream would not come true. I tore my ACL in my right knee. The doctor told me that I had to quit dance or become crippled.
The techniques that Randy uses in this lecture are excellent tools for teachers. I believe the techniques used in this lecture are to introduce the elephant in the room, define the scope of the lecture, have a strong conclusion, be enthusiastic about what your teaching, and don’t be afraid to get personal. These techniques are very useful for teachers. You have to know how to have fun while teaching your students. Enthusiasm while teaching can help your students get more out of the lesson. If you’re excited about it, then your students can latch on to that excitement and learn more. Introducing the elephant in the room can be anything. Whether it’s the lesson, or anything else, identifying it earlier will help. Having a strong conclusion and recapping what you have taught throughout the lesson can help your students retain more information. Don’t be afraid to get personal with your students.

Comments4Kids

I visited Moturoa's Blog that was on compound sentences. The kids did a really good job. They were very creative.

My Personal Learning Network

My PLN:
Mr. Sullivan on twitter
Kelly Hines on twitter
You tube
Delicious
Facebook
Skype

Blog Assignment #7

This is how we dream:

These videos were amazing! It really shows us how far we have come in technology. I remember when you wanted to find an article or a book you went to the library. Now, all you have to do is get online to find these items and so much more. I can see how this could be a good thing or a bad thing. On the good side, it gives more people the option to be able to read books or articles online. People and students who don’t have access to a library, this is the option for them. On the bad side, if most everyone is going online to get there books and articles, then who is going in the libraries? Will they even exist in the future?
In the present, the articles you can find online are updated constantly. This gives the faculty and students the most update version of what they are looking for. Now you can go on iTunes U and find educational entries. We didn’t have this when I was growing up. The fact that I can download a lecture to my iPod and listen to it any where is a powerful tool for students.
Understanding the new technologies that are around us is a big key to implementing them in schools. If you don’t have the technology, talk to the administrators and explain to them how this would benefit your classroom and the university. To bring us into the future of technology we have to be willing to learn and keep learning as things change. We have to be able to create new ways to inspire the students so that they want to keep learning and ultimately become better people.

The Networked Student:

This was an interesting way to describe a networked student. It gave me more insight to developing my PLN. I never thought to use delicious in my PLN. I can see now why having a PLN is so important. It can keep you up to date on new entries to blogs, twitter, delicious and so many more.
I know that I am not ready to be a teacher of a networked student. But I do know that by the end of this semester I will be well on my way to being a networked student myself. If we continue to becoming networked students, when we graduate and become teachers we should be ready to be a networked teacher and teach our students how to become a networked student.
The question “Why does the networked student even need a teacher?” The student needs a teacher to show him how to become organized. He needs the teacher to show him how to develop his PLN. The teacher teaches the student how to ask questions to his peers. The teacher teaches the student how to know what is propaganda and what information is accurate. There are many more reasons why a networked student needs a teacher.

Michael Wesch:

This video was very interesting. I agree with Mr. Wesch about many things. I personally have not used you tube much, but I can see why people would. To be able to put your own words out there to be heard by millions of people and to get feedback on what you posted about is amazing to me. I think there are many ways to use you tube in the class room. You can have your students do presentations where they integrate the comments from other people. You can post your lectures so students can review them at home or in the library. You can show the parents what their child is doing in the classroom. There are endless opportunities. If we all show the kindness that the guy did with the free hugs, this world could be a better place for our kids to learn from. Maybe there wouldn’t be so much hatred in the world if we listened to each other more.

Comments4kids:

I commented on Kelli C. How to take care of your horse. It was a very detailed essay. I felt as though I could go and take care of a horse now that I know what to do. She did a great job!

Blog Assignment #6

Dr. Christie’s website:

I read about Dr. Christie’s classes, specifically on web design. There is a lot that I as a future teacher could do with a web site. If the school allows me to create a website for my classroom, then there are endless opportunities for the students and the parents. I could do a weekly recap for the parents on what I covered in class. I could have the students do the weekly recap as a group project. I could post the homework so the parents know what their child should be doing. I could post a calendar of what’s to come so if there is a child out sick, the parent can go on the website and see what they are learning in class. I could also post make-up work, class notes, study guides and so on. The possibilities are endless for the teacher.

The student has endless possibilities to a class web site. The teacher could set up a class chat for the students to talk about their assignments, work on group projects. The student could use the website as a tool for the class. They could know the assignments on a week to week basis. They would have the opportunity to communicate with other students if they needed help or to communicate with the teacher.


Itunes U:
After reading about Itunes U, there are many possibilities for teachers and students. The teacher can upload lectures from class for students, upload podcasts, and upload homework assignments, and so on. They can learn new ways to give lectures. Learn new ways to teach an old subject. As I said in Dr. Christie’s post, the teacher could put make up work on their. The teacher could do weekly or monthly wrap ups about the material covered.
As for students, this gives you a way to get information from class on a medium just about everyone knows how to use. The student can check up on assignments, listen to lectures, and check for study guides or handouts. I think it would be helpful because you wouldn’t have to go to more than one website to get all your information for class.
click hereto go to a website I visited on iTunes U.
click hereto go to another website I visited on iTunes U.




iPods:
WOW!!! I never have considered the use of my ipod for school. Reading these articles makes me want to get out my ipod and see what I can do. This kind of technology could be very helpful in classrooms. Imagine the possibilities for students who have learning disabilities. They could record the lecture and then be able to listen to it till they can understand it. To have students record themselves reading and the teacher making a CD so the parents can hear what their child did that day in school is amazing!

The Duke experiment was very interesting. I have learned there are many uses for the iPod by taking this course. I have never used the podcast on my iPod till this semester. To have the ability to listen to podcasts while I have down time with out the computer is great. Using the calendar function on the iPod keeps me connected to the class calendar on the class blog. There are more ways to use the newer iPods that have come out. Being able to record lectures, interviews, capture photos, the uses are endless. I think incorporating the iPod in the class room would be a useful tool. Being able to record what a student can do and put it on CD for the parents is priceless. Using the iPod to have flash cards for students can help improve down time on the ride home, buses, even walking to class. Here are the links to the articles that I read.
click hereto go to an article on Duke University's use on iPods.
click hereto go to an article on iPods in the classroom.

I have embedded my presentation to share with everyone

Blog Assignment #5

This was a very intriguing blog post. I did not know that you could change the post made by someone else. It makes me wonder if any of the posts on Wikipedia are accurate. How do you know what to trust? If everyone has access to go in and correct or take out what they deem inappropriate or malicious against there company, who can you trust to write the truth?

I believe the Wikipedia scanner is a good idea. If you have a system in place that can keep track of the people who are correcting posts or taking out certain sections, then you should have that available to everyone. If we know that this post has been corrected or statements taken out then it is up to the reader to determine whether or not they believe what is written.


Comments4Kids:

This was a very interesting way to learn about history. I liked how the students dressed up to portray their character. The students did a great job!

Comments4Kids

I commented on a poem called "A Cold Winter Day In Iowa". This students poem was very descriptive. It made me feel like I was there. I cannot imagine going through that much cold weather day after day. I know the people in the South don't like cold weather, but I personally like it. Give me a cold day with a good fire, good book on the couch and I am good to go!!

Blog Assignment #4

Podcasting Styles

Listening to these podcasts has given me new insight to podcasting in the class room. Using podcasts for study guides is a very good idea. For those students who miss class for illnesses or family emergencies, this is a way for them to catch up on school work or to even do make up work. Using podcasting in the class room is also a good way for the parents to know what their child has to do for homework.

There are so many possibilities with podcasting and vodcasting. You can use the vodcasting for group projects, lectures, reports. This gives the students the opportunity to learn new techniques they can use in the future. This also gives them the opportunity to work in groups or by themselves. It gives them the responsibility to work on their own and to work with others.

Blog Assignment #3

Smart Board Lesson:

There is so much that teachers can do in the classroom with the Smart boards. I find it amazing that teacher can record their lecture or instructions and the students go back later and view them and refresh themselves with the material. For the students who learn by repetition, this is very helpful for them. There are many more options we have now with the Smart Boards.

Kid Cast:

I agree with Dan Schmit on Pod casting. It’s come along way in the last year. I feel the same way about this as I do about the Smart Boards. Once again you can record your material for your students and then post it for them to review later. You could record your whole lecture that you would cover or you could just cover the main points for them to remember from class. The possibilities are endless with pod casting.

Connect Learning Episode # 91:

This was very interesting. There are so many different ways to use pod casting. I never really thought about using pod casting for the library. This brings many more options for students. When students are looking for a book online, they can see if there is a pod cast for this book or article. You could do a book review, or have a review session with several different students talking about their point of view of the book or article.

EdTechtalk:

In this pod cast, the talk about gaming in schools is different. It does teach someone that if you don’t get it right the first time, you have to keep trying until you can reach that goal or level. With educational games available, I think we should incorporate more in schools. It brings learning to a whole new level. It makes it more fun and interesting. It could grab a student’s attention that normally would be bored and not paying attention in class because they need to do than see.

MacBreak Weekly:

I chose MacBreak Weekly # 177 about the iPad. This was definitely an interesting pod cast. There has been so much hype about the iPad. I think that the iPad has lived up to the hype. It seems to be a lot like the iPhone or the iPhone touch. I think this is the next step into the future for tablets. There is so much that you can do on this. I believe that this tablet is the way of the future.

This Week in Photography:

I chose pod cast # 118. This pod cast is about To Retouch or Not To Retouch. They talked about several different things. I thought the part about the kids putting together the camera themselves was interesting. If the child has to put the camera together themselves, they understand the importance of the camera. They learn the inside and out of the camera instead of just point and click. The images that the kids can take can be rather astounding. They see things differently than adults. In some ways they see the innocence in a picture than an adult would see. Kids see things differently than adults do. The pictures that the kids can create are amazing.

Add a Picture

Here is a picture of Marianne Lane.

A Link to My University

click hereto go to the University of South Alabama web site.

Blog Assignment #2

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

This video was very interesting to me. I agree with most of the information in this video. I’m not entirely sure if all the percentages are correct though. I personally work 8 or more hours a day. I don’t have the time like other students to watch TV. Granted I am not a full time student here at South, but my entire week is spent here in the evenings. I’m not sure I would be able to go full time while working a full time job.

This movie does capture my college experience in some ways. I do wish that class sizes were smaller. I wish that more of my teachers new my name. I wish that some teachers would actually act like they wanted to be there teaching me. I do listen to music a lot, but that’s primarily listening to the radio at work. For me to make this movie more about me, I have to organizing my time. A lot of my time is spent going back and forth between work, class and home. I spend anywhere from 1 to 2 hours traveling every day. When you work full time and go to school in the evening, you have to be prepared to give up certain things. Unless you organize your time efficiently, then you will be wasting what precious time you have.


“It’s Not About the Technology” by Kelly Hines

I believe that Mrs. Hines has some good points. If the teacher is not enthusiastic about learning and teaching his/her students, then how do you expect the student be enthusiastic about learning? I don’t agree completely that it’s not about the technology. I think if you incorporate the technology into the classroom and have teachers who understand the best way to use the technology, and then learning can become fun.

I agree that the teacher must be a learner. If the teacher does not continually stay up to date on the technology available, and the new ways to teach, then the teacher falls behind. I also agree that learning and teaching are not the same. If you constantly say the same thing over and over again, who is learning? I believe that in order to learn, you must practice. Teach it, and then have the students do it. The more you practice, the easier it becomes and it will stay with you longer.

Using technology in the classroom without good teachers is pointless. If the teacher does not understand the technology, then how do you expect the students to learn from the teacher? I understand that teachers learn from there students. But if the teacher is continually learning from them in the areas of technology, something needs to change. When you have teachers who understand the technology and can use it in the classroom to increase learning, think of how the students will grow.



Fisch: Is it okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher?

I agree with Mr. Fisch’s post. I can see both sides that he talked about. I am for the teachers being technologically literate. If we continue to allow our students and future students to be taught by teachers who don’t care if they are literate in technology, the students will be the ones to suffer the most. When Mr. Fisch talks about the parents saying "I was never any good at math either", if we allow our children to use this excuse then we are letting them get away without putting forth the effort. We can tell our children that we were never any good at math and then get them the help they need, and encourage them to do there best.

I also agree that “Head teachers and Principals who have staff who are technologically-illiterate should be held to account”. If you don’t hold Head teachers and Principles accountable, then who do you hold accountable when the students are technologically illiterate? If you hold the teachers accountable for the students, then someone has to be accountable for the teachers who are technologically illiterate.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count:

This site is amazing. I never really knew how many people used the web. To see this change every second and realize that technology is our future is WOW!! What does this mean to future teachers such as me? I think it means that you have to be technologically literate. If you don’t have the basic knowledge, then how can you teach in a world that relies on technology? If you don’t learn the skills and continue to use them and update them, how can you teach students of the future? If you do learn the skills and continue to use them and apply them to teaching, then the students you are teaching will be able to understand this technology and possibly teach you something you didn’t know.

Blog assignment 1

Did You Know? 3.0

This was a very interesting video. It shows how the world and technology are changing so fast. It shows how technology has advanced in the last 10 years or so, and how important it is in the present and how it will be in the future. To me, if you are not technologically sound, then you will be lost in the future.

I find it interesting how “India has more honors kids than America has kids”. This is very important because I would like for our kids in America to be smarter. It seems that we are so far behind that we can’t catch up. Students have to apply themselves in the classroom and outside the classroom. To me, teachers need to be up to date with technology. If there not up date, then the student becomes the teacher and the teacher becomes the student.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

This video also shows us how far we have come in the last 100 years. There is so much technology available in today’s world. We need to update the school systems to the technology in today’s world. If we stay in the past with education, the students would not benefit from knowledge of technology. There is so much more to offer students in the different ways of teaching. If we stay with just paper and pencil, then we are holding back the students from their potential they will discover in school.

In today’s society, technology is the forefront. If you are not technologically literate, then you are behind in the times. You must learn at least the basics to be able to work in the world today. We rely so much on the technology that we have and the technology we will discover in the future.


Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

This video was very intriguing. I agree with Sir Ken Robinson in this video. There are many different types of students in today’s world. Not all students are the typical type. There are students who are better in the arts. There are students who are better in sciences.

If we take away the creativity in schools, then we take away the creativity of the students. When that happens, the creativity that students could have to discover new medicines, technology, and anything else is gone. We can not extinguish the creativity in the school.


Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts

This video showed me that the teacher does not have to know everything all the time. The students can teach the teacher and the teacher teaches the student. If you give the students the opportunity to think for themselves and to search for answers first, then you give the students more empowerment. The students can learn more in the environment of you can ask questions and not be afraid to say I don’t know the answer but I will figure it out.

When the teacher is not afraid to give up some control and let the students take charge in certain areas, it benefits everyone in the classroom. Having students work with other students all around the world is a great way to establish responsibility. It’s a great way for small towns to connect all over the world. It will help the students when it comes time to apply for jobs to have different contacts all over the world. It also lets them learn from other students in different cultures.