Project 9b Timetoast Sister Elizabeth Kenny

Blog Assignment 6

1. I think this video is a perfect depiction of what education is becoming in the 21st century. Thanks to technology, students no longer need to learn straight out of a textbook. Instead, they can search countless places on the Internet to find information. Also, they can connect with experts on subject matter and learn directly from them. Students can gather this information and share it and communicate about it with others. It is very appropriate that they are called networked students.

I think that I would be prepared to be the teacher of networked students. If all of my students were out researching information, they would find many different views and opinions. This would help to instigate stimulating discussions and debates in my classroom. Students would expose themselves to multiple viewpoints rather than one side of the story as provided in textbooks. I would love if this kind of learning could take place in my classroom.

As for the question of why the networked student needs a teacher, I think the teacher has one of the most important jobs. Teachers are there to teach the students how to set up this type of learning environment. They help the students communicate effectively with others, including experts, and they teach them how to organize the good and bad information they receive. If it weren’t for the teachers, students may not get involved in this type of networking.

2. This 7th grader’s PLE is extremely detailed and set up very well. It is a lot like my PLN. Her PLE keeps her connected to her schoolwork, teachers, classmates, and various others. She communicates with people from around the world. Her PLE givers her freedom and makes her responsible for her own work that she is assigned. She doesn’t get to choose whether or not she has to do it, but she can choose when and how she does it. Some of the differences between her PLE and my PLN are the fact that she does not use Twitter to stay connected, whereas I do, and she is far more advanced with her PLE than I am with my PLN.

3. The authors of the two articles we were given to read criticized smartboards. They believed that they were wastes of money because you can do the same thing on a smartboard that you can do using other tools. One of these authors suggested that smartboards don’t allow students to cooperate in their learning if all the teacher does is lecture using the board. One blog I found that favored smartboards is the RSA Blog. This blog states that smartboards engage students more than regular chalk boards because teachers can liven up lectures with colors and fonts. It says that the smartboards are tools that are beneficial for both the students and the teachers. One main point that all three of these posts share is that unless teachers are trained to successfully use their smartboards, they are nothing more than expensive and useless equipment.

C4K Summary Post

C4K 1
Vernon is a 4th grade student in Ms. Naugle’s math class. He attends Bissonet Plaza Elementary, which is located in Metairie, Louisiana. The blog he wrote that I commented on was about a project that his class did with apples. He explained that the class was given red, green, and mixed colored apples, and that they cut the apples and counted the seeds inside. They made a chart to keep track of how many seeds were in each colored apple. Afterwards, the class was able to eat the apples. I told Vernon how I did a project like his when I was in elementary school and that I hoped he could do more fun projects in the future.

C4K 2
Two girls, Terina and Tauwhare, shared a report on a book called Caught by the Sea. It was about a woman who went diving with a friend, and then how everything went wrong. She and her friend were separated and the only way she survived was because she was wearing a life jacket. The two girls explained the importance of water safety because if something goes awry, the knowledge can save your life. I told them that I enjoyed listening to their podcast and they did a great job explaining the novel. I also thanked them for sharing the author’s message with us.

C4K 3
Dante is a 9 year-old boy at Pt. England School. His most recent post was about the Christchurch earthquake and the damage it had done. He included a few pictures of the destruction caused by the catastrophe as well as a link to a video showing the damages from a view in a helicopter. I first commented on Dante’s entire blog, which is quite impressive. Then, I told him that it was very kind of him that he wished he could help the people affected by the earthquake.

Project 9a Timetoast Timeline

Project 8 iPads in Education Podcast

Blog Assignment 5

The Eagles’ Nest Radio & Class Blog is a nicely put-together website. The students were very professional in each podcast and it seemed like they had a lot of fun while learning. The instructional podcasts were very informative and detailed. What I learned from these podcasts is all the ways I can present a topic through a podcast. It can be either formal or fun and casual.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale is very helpful when it comes to podcasting. The video was great at explaining the advantages of having students use podcasts. It also described how to go about making your own podcast. Links were provided for step-by-step instructions which are always helpful. It taught me how I can use Audacity to make a podcast instead of using iMovie on a Mac.

Podcast Collection by Judy Scharf is a wonderful site to help people get started with their podcasts. It provides links to videos to show someone how to make a podcast. Also, she breaks the process down into steps and describes what to do, in detail, in every step. Furthermore, this site is a bonus for teachers who want to introduce podcasting to their students. She explains the steps students can take to learn how to use a podcast. She even provides an approximate amount of class periods it will take to completely learn about and create a podcast. Once again, this site taught me how to make a podcast using Audacity.

Blog Assignment 4

Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

Dr. Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor at Iowa State University and the Director of CASTLE, which is a program dealing with technology in education. He has won countless awards for his work with technology leadership, and blogs about it regularly.

In Dr. McLeod’s post, he informed us of the importance of technology in a humorous manner. I have to agree with his message, that we should teach children about technology, rather than keep them away from it. Even though technology can be dangerous when used improperly, we should not eliminate it from our lives entirely. If we embrace technology and use it the right way, we will be better off for it.

iSchool Initiative

This student from Georgia offered a suggestion on how to solve some of the problems in the school system. He proposed the iSchool Initiative, which would cut out about $450 spent per student. Every student would receive an iTouch that would basically be used in every class because of the numerous applications programmed into the device. Also, the iTouches will have approved websites, so the students won’t be able to stray from their work.

I think the iSchool Initiative is a wonderful idea and should start being used in all schools. I like the fact that it will save paper, especially because too many classrooms end up wasting unfathomable amounts of it. Furthermore, I think it’s a great way to get students accustomed to technology, and they will probably enjoy school more if they have modern materials.

The Lost Generation

In the first part of this video, the words being read were depressing. It made me feel like there were no morals or any hope for this generation. But when the words were reversed, it completely changed everything. It was inspiring and hopeful.

I think the technique used in this video was very successful in getting the point across. The reversal of the words made the message entirely different. It shows how a full 180 degrees can change something so dramatically. I also thought it was interesting how the words weren’t even moved around, yet they still made perfect sentences backwards. Overall, I liked this video and the positive way of thinking that was expressed in the end.

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

I thought this piece of work was absolutely beautiful! They all did such an amazing job. I wonder how long it took for them to put this together, since they never met. This presentation was performed perfectly and if all you could do was hear the music, you never would’ve been able to tell that not one of them was in the same room!

I think it’s so amazing what can now be done with technology. This was just done with the Internet, which I think is incredible. I never would have thought that something like this could be put together in this manner. Like I said before, they arranged a remarkable performance!

Teaching in the 21st Century

To begin, they are completely accurate that students can get information on any topic at anytime. Nearly everyone has the ability to find any fact they want anywhere they go. Resources are everywhere we go, mainly because now you can get on the Internet with your cell phone.

I think the video redefined “to teach” in the 21st century very well. They said that it is a teacher’s job to filter, which is appropriate because there is so much information available by other sources. But I think it still keeps its original meaning of actually teaching. Just because students can get the information elsewhere, it doesn’t mean that in reality they will go out to find it on their own.

My Sentence Video

Project 5

C4T

Summary 1

Mr. Burke is a physics teacher and I was assigned to follow his blog called “Quantum Progress.” My first comment was on his post about momentum conservation and long chains of reasoning. He posted a numbered list of an example of a chain of reasoning that his physics class was going to look at. It was about two cars colliding and what would happen in the aftermath with the forces.

In my comment to his post, I first introduced myself and gave him my contact information. I told him that his assignment sounded like a good one for his students and that the second part of it was a great, thought-provoking addition to the problem.

Summary 2

In Mr. Burke’s latest post, he described a project that one of his students became very interested in and took it upon herself to participate in it. The project is to design a weather balloon that can be sent into space. He goes on about the progress his student has made and the plans she has to finish the project and get others involved.

In response to this post, I told him how this coincides with the last EDM310 assignment, where we learned about encouraging creativity in the classrooms. I said that it was a perfect example of using creativity in schools. I wished him and his student luck with the project.

Blog Assignment 3

A Vision of Students Today

I think this video accurately depicts the lives of most college students. Or, at least, it seems about right compared to my college experience. I have to agree with many of what those students had to say. I spend a great deal of time doing things that have nothing to do with school, like watching television, listening to music, checking Facebook, etc. Also, it is true about the textbooks, spending hundreds of dollars for them and then barely opening them. However, it is also true that we are very fortunate for being able to get an education in order to better ourselves and our futures.
As for adding to this video, I cannot really think of anything in particular. I think the video gets the point across very well. I think the information was truthful and put together in a great way. It was a smart idea to have real college students providing the information in a classroom setting.

It’s Not About the Technology

I have to agree with what Mrs. Hines had to say in her blog. I agree that learning effectively does not have to come from technology. Although technology is currently playing a major role in education, it sometimes is not being used properly in order to get the best results. Just because the technology is available does not mean that it is helping students learn.

Mrs. Hines was correct in that teachers need to continue to learn with their students. They need to stay on top of new tools and technology, and they must know about their students and what is going on with them. Teachers need to learn how to successfully use new technology in order to teach their students. They must be open-minded so they can help their students learn the material they need to learn. So, without the proper teaching strategies by teachers, technology will not be useful in the classrooms.

Is It Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I liked what Mr. Fisch had to say in his post and I agree with him completely. Teachers should be technologically literate in this day and age. They must take responsibility for becoming proficient with technology.

It may have been okay in the last century to be technologically illiterate, but it is a necessity these days. With all this great technology coming out constantly, it can make learning so much more fun and interesting for both the students and the teachers. There is no excuse for a teacher to be technologically illiterate. Just because he or she is now a teacher that does not mean that they get to stop learning. They should keep up with the new technology and continue to educate themselves about it.

Social Media Count

It is amazing how much is being done on the computer every second by people all over the world. That just goes to show big of an impact technology has had on every person’s life. Whether the reason is for work, school, or fun, we spend so much time dealing with technology, especially computers.

I believe that, as teachers, we must find ways to incorporate this new technology into our teaching while still keeping it a learning environment. We should find techniques to use the technology to help our students learn as well as keep them interested in the material. With technology being as useful as it is in all other aspects of life, there is no reason that it can’t be just as helpful in education when used properly.