Project 9a- TimeToast

Blog Assignment #5

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?

     Dr. Scott McLeod is a technology champion for students K-12, teachers, and administrations. His finger is on the pulse of the struggling school systems and his focus is firmly on creating a more technology sound environment for teachers and students. His is a co-founder of CASTLE, this country's only school dedicated to teaching  technology driven teachers and administrators. It is located in Lexington, KY at the University of Kentucky's College of education.
     He is also the co-creator of the "Did You Know" video series that shows through a whirlwind of fact and figures that technology has arrived and has taken over as top dog of informational exchange. Watch it and try not to be RickRoll'd by the speed of change. Now realize that same change has not kept pace within our factory prototype school systems. Technology has essentially 'left us behind.' The shocker here is that video was made in 2009. In EDM310 we learn that the goal of having technologically savvy schools is still far from being reached. And we are encouraged to seek it out and embrace it with our peers and future students.
     Dr McLeod's poem, "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff" is a dare that we as pre-service teachers should take seriously. Ignorance is not bliss and causes more harm than ever in today's fast paced electronic driven world.


The iSchool Initiative  

     In 2009 Travis Allen, 17, sent out a challenge in the form of a YouTube video to students, school administrators, and business people around the globe. He believed he had found a revolutionary way to revamp our failing school system while saving money and natural resources. Technology has already changed the way we shop, socialize and play. The next natural step according to Mr. Allen is to incorporate it into the school system. The iPhone and iPad platforms and Apps already include the tools needed by the average student and teacher: calculator, calendar, math/science/literature resources, and email to name just a few. Building from those tools should be storage/tracking/monitoring devices and websites dedicated to the course and grade. These few initiatives could revamp the entire school system one day.

     I have a few questions to contend with this design of his. First, is this initiative solely owned by Apple or would it be opened to other companies, product developers, or publishers? Plus, while Mr. Allen finds this way of learn easy and efficient is it adaptable to all learning styles and abilities? I applaud his effort and ingenuity thus far in his short lifetime. He is light years ahead of most people and he seems to be using his "powers" for the good of society. He exemplifies the German word "Zeitgeist" which means in the spirit of the times. His entry into the Zeitgeist Young Minds competition displays his forward thinking, innovative determination.


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

     Contemporary composer Eric Whitacre truly creates a virtual masterpiece with this rendition of his "Lux Aurumque." It is immediately a meditative and hauntingly soothing piece of music which is presented 100% by a virtual chorus from around the world. I am not sure what is more difficult- working personally with this size choir or manipulating their vocals to produce a piece of work such as this. It is quite impressive an undertaking. Virtual is a new form of reality. Seeing the different locales of the singers was interesting. The two dimension aspect of it left me more unsettled than uplifted. As far as concerts go, I prefer my performers be in the same time and space with me.



              Teaching in the 21st Century       

     Kevin Roberts' energetic Prezi outlines the tradition role of the teacher and quickly obliterates this old notion that still haunts our school systems: teachers are no longer the sole keepers of the facts, sources, or information. There are far too many resources which are readily available to the student at almost any moment. With all the answers available somewhere  online the role of the modern teacher becomes that of a "tour" guide through a lesson plan. The teacher is now part instructor, part information filter, part detective, and part collaborator.
     "Burp back education" is a dead end street. Participation in your own education now is encouraged with the 21st century student. Many times the learning curve will be traveled by both student and teacher as a collaborative effort. This means more of a hands on atmosphere in the classroom for me and the students. I will now need to know more about the available technologies than I currently am even aware of, let alone being able to use comfortably and creatively. With the vast amount of resources, electronic and human at my disposal this should not be too difficult. A good teacher is a role model. If I can do it then most certainly my students will also.


Reading Rockets

     Good call Anthony Capps on suggesting this site for EDM310. As an Elementary Ed. major I believe there are a few gems here waiting to be mined. Right off the bat I ran across a themed booklist site and author studies...yes, and more YES! Finding the right book can go a long way with encouraging a young reader to become a lifelong reader. And then through author study students discover a book is more than words and pictures but an extension of an interesting person's imagination or actual life. There is the jumping off spot for the students to begin to pen their own work. Throw in the comprehension app games about synonyms, antonyms, facts/opinion, inferences, and homophones and let the creative writing begin. Several of the apps are free.  

     In the Just for Fun section there are widgets, e-cards, writing contests, and downloads. The quotable site was interesting. I can see a few bulletin boards or reading centers using thise quotes throughout the year. Best of all is a section dedicated to assisting the struggling reader. These guides are not just for the classroom but also geared to parents so that the whole child achieves success in literacy. I have bookmarked this site for future use. It is a goldmine.

C4K Summary for February

                                                  


Lauren in Mr. Amidan's class
February 7, 2012
Lauren, a sixth grader in Mr. Armidan's class, created an amusing and informative video presentation that very creatively demonstrated her understanding of the customary system. Which I found out was our common system of measurement, ie. the mile, yard, ounce. I complimented her understanding of the lesson and her presentation which was both informative and amusingly creative. My favorite section of her video is marker 6:04 where she loses ten pounds in the gym!

Saul in Mr. Chamberlain's class
February 7, 2012
Saul, an eighth grader in Mr. Chamberlain's class, posted a blog of his and three other friend's wish list on December 16th. Saul's wish is for an iPod Touch 4th generation. I wished him a happy new year and asked him about his Winter holiday activities. I inquired if he received an iPod. I told him I didn't have one but my 3 daughters did and they really liked them. I wished him much success in school and that I hope he always tried his very best

Andrew in Mrs. Hubener's class
February 13, 2012
Andrew created an animation interview with the Chinese explorer Zheng He. It covers the explorers birth and death dates, why he is famous in history, and how long his expedition took. I learned that Zheng He was the first Chinaman to circle the earth and it took him about 30 years to do so.
I congratulated Andrew on his animation skill and the work he put into it. I asked for tips and suggestions? I also asked for what he considered the easy and hard portions of creating the animation since I do not have any experience with animation technology.

Emmett in Mr. Avery's class
February 21,2012
Emmett's Awesome Blog is just that....an awesome blog! He is really into making short videos and has a few friends that star in them. Film is his passion and he likes to spend a lot of time watching them and thinking up new ideas. He created a poll to help choose a mascot for his blog. The panda won. I was too late to vote. He has been blogging since last March and has over 500 hits so far.
He has created a Voki that I have to assume is himself in cartoon-like character. His Voki welcomes the visitors and then proceeds to follow the cursor around the blog. That was quite unnerving at first. Now I want one, too! There is also a very sleepy Slunk who cannot be woken up. And a fun little turtle, Nelson. He watches your cursor and follows it jumping from the rock into the water.
Emmett's most recent video involves a girl, Patty Salmon, and her adventure at the Smiles Away Club. One scene has two young female characters blow drying their hair...at the same time. Chaos insues when the power goes out. I was happy to let him know that scene made me laugh out loud. Let's just say that Emmett has an imagination and a bright future ahead of him.

Jleiner in Molly Smith's class
March 4, 2012
This week's student is a tenth grader in the United States. I am guessing somewhere near Pennsylvania because of a field trip to a Quaker community not too long ago that I found in the class blog. I am going to refer to my tenth grade student as "J". J Writes a blog about the Bill of Rights and has come to the conclusion that the Second Amendment, if viewed today by the founding fathers, would not have been included due to the potential for gun abuse: crime and homicide. J states the gun restrictions of the European countries should serve as a model to the US. The percentage of gun crimes vary widely between the US and Europe. There is a reason the cultures are so different. But that is a debate for another time.
J's blog involved a little research on my part. I responded that while I respected the opinion of strict gun controls I believed that stricter enforcement of current laws to be more feasible. When this amendment was written it was necessary to 'bear arms' as a sole means of property protection. America at the time was struggling for self identity apart from Europe. This was a state's right that was eventually rolled into an individual's right.
The saying "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is what I am referring. While guns will never be controlled by a removal or restriction ban the consequences for misuse can be increased, strengthened, and severe. J, even as a tenth grader, sees today's gun culture as a potential for misuse and also the need for stricter governmental control.

Project #6 "This is My Sentence"

Blog Assignment #4

Langwiches Blog

    

      Ms. Tolisano, World Language instructor, collaborated with first graders at her school and created several highly imaginative, detailed podcasts centered around their books. I listened to "Under the Volcano" and "Dinosaurs Before Dark." The sounds of their little voices will melt your heart. The effort and inflection of their voices will impress you. These first graders did not simply read a book aloud. Instead they worked together creating a script as if the characters in the book were being interviewed. Ms. Tolisano explains how many of her students made creative decisions about reading vs. reciting. Several students changed their register, speed, and inflections during the editing process.
  What started out to them as a project for their voices to be heard by the masses ended up being much more complex. They learned and practiced several skill sets such as: storytelling, speaking voice, fluency, listening, plus media and technology. Ms. Tolisano made her student's dreams come alive! Other sections of her blog deal with student blogging and digital media. This blog has many useful ideas and concepts that can be incorporated into a lesson plan.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

     Joe Dale's podcast is presented through a podcast. He begins by stating that today's student, the millennial, is already well adapted to many varied forms of technology. Using the podcast to deliver extra instruction, and communication is a valuable tool for the classroom. Sharing relevant information between school and home, teacher to student, and student to student reinforces higher order and thinking skills beyond the mastery of the technology and is a small window into the life of a student. Outside of the classroom a podcast can be uploaded and used to refresh the day's lesson or as a catch up for an absent student.  The podcast can easily enhance a lesson plan in or out of the classroom. Mr. Dale's blog has links to getting started with podcasting, and using sound for enhancement with Garageband.
     With a little digging into his blog I found a site that explained the importance of social networking, or crowd-sourcing, as it relates to teachers. Twitter can play a huge role in the PLN. Collaboration from around the world with many ideas and perspectives can be shared almost immediately. Technology essentially shrinks the scope of the world down to the click of a mouse. Assistance, fresh ideas, and ongoing communication is at the teacher's fingertips. One just has to look and ask to receive.

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection


     Ms. Sharf has created a "how to" manual as it pertains to podcasting. Her blog explains what it is, and why it is important and it's use within the classroom. She very effectively walks through the steps of making a podcast that the student, parent, and teacher will be proud of and find useful. The further breaking down of time frames, topics, grading rubrics, and posting sites rounds out her instructional blog.
    The audio example podcast : "An African Adventure" demonstrates knowledge of an African safari, features students using accents common to Africa, and appropriate sound effects. Besides learning podcasting technology the students also work on storytelling, comprehension, and speaking skills. Many different skills can be mastered with a podcast. And the use of technology enhances that learning curve.
   

Project #12 Book Trailer

Project #5 Presentation

C4T with Beth Knittle

Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom
        Apple recently unveiled a new interactive program called epub 3 to be used in the schools currently using iPads and iBooks. Beth Knittle summarized this announcement in her blog Beth's Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom. Apple is collaborating with textbook publishers to bring the stale, static textbook to life in 3-D, with user interaction, and available for updates. Another creative resource, iBooksAuthor, is a book related site that allows for free distribution or can be sold through the Apple store.
        This means educators with adequate resources and ability can create books for their students
for free. I feel sure my Biology instructor Ms. Delaney at South Alabama would use this feature when structuring her classes and lab assignments. As it is the manuals for both are rarely used except as a photo album. Those two books were quite expensive photo albums. This could save time and paper once it is up and running. It seems that time invested for development would mean money saved down the road. And the ability to upload updates when necessary is quite the achievement.
         I agree with Beth Knittle when she states,

                     "Things they are a changin'."

The Internet Blackout
     On January 18th Beth Knittle blogged about the world wide internet blackout by many websites protesting the SOPA and PIPA bills up for a vote in the Senate and Congress. By limiting access to their sites these companies were dragging the public into the debate of impending censorship. This strike was the largest collective strike in the world so far.
     Senators and Congressmen were inundated by protesters. These bills were not passed and have been "shelved" indefinitely. What the internet companies really achieved was a more public awareness in depth look into what these bills would really achieve if passed. It was discovered that both were a lot more complex than what was seen at first glance.

                                             

Blog Assignment 3

Technology in Special Education
      Kudos to Ms. Cook and her use of different technologies within her special education classroom. Her use of laptops and iPads with her high school students is geared towards the basic and practical application of communication and participation of the entire group. The student who needed assistance during silent reading time is now listening independently with the use of an iPod Touch and audio books. A physically impaired student is able to communicate faster with a laptop and keyboard than with the paper version of a keyboard. The laptop speaks what is typed into it and the previously silent student is communicating with everyone. Students with limited verbal and physical limitations are participating individually and collectively in Ms. Cook's room. Her students are building relationships within the classroom, learning new skills, and are excited about their progress since becoming involved with their tools.
      Within the special ed. classroom are many levels of ability. Each level needs to be engaged, nurtured, and developed. An interesting sight for writing a personal story or reading short stories is Storybird. This sight allows for creation, creativity, peer feedback, illustration and can also be utilized outside of the classroom. Every child has a story just as they have an opinion. The stories created are also published online. This can be an assignment within the classroom as well as a home assignment. Students with poor handwriting will have the opportunity to express themselves, edit, and publish with a legibly finished product. Technology, similar to RedBull, gives you wings. There is no limit to or stopping an active imagination when supplied with the right tools and an enthusiastic educator.

                                                                 
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
      The phrase "if you build it they will come" aptly applies to Gary Hayes social media counter. Even the smallest category: Linkedln increases at a rate of one per second. While the fastest ticker: Youtube videos watched increased by the tens of thousands a second. It's a small world truly is only a ride at Disney because the numbers do not lie here and they are racking up at an amazing rate. The delay time within the communication gap is closing as more and more information is made available on the web. Not only is this a massive amount of instantly available resources it can also a tool for distraction, misinformation, or ruin.
      Seeing information in print does not make it true. School systems are now teaching social responsibility as it pertains to using internet sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia. False information has the ability to do more harm than ever these days simply due to the speed it can travel. A few views of the evening newscasts will attest to this. Guarding your more personal information, activities, and photos is more important than ever. Once information is "outed" it can not be retracted. This will inevitably be a hard lesson for many youth to learn within the next five to ten years when they enter the job market and their past catches up in the form of a job applicant search. The best advice I can give anyone using the web is to not believe everything you read, and always try to portray yourself in the most positive light possible. Look at the counts on YouTube race higher and higher. You do not want to be an object of ridicule around the world.

A Vision of Students Today
     Michael Wesch's video, A Vision of Students Today, points to several issues faced by college students. In this video some of the student's concerns are: college cost and their rising debt, unused but required supplies, impersonal classes, inability to relate to the course material, and time. The students day is filled with many activities. From the video I noticed that many of these activities were merely distractions. Except for classes, eating, and sleeping the students time was used most frequently not with classwork but with music, texting, and online. Multitasking has been mastered.
     The typical student's attention is not given if they are not first engaged mentally. To find what the student needs on a very basic level the school systems need only to observe and take note of what the youth of today is so busy doing. They are engrossed in using multiple forms of technology. Very often they are manipulating several concepts simultaneously. How can the chalkboard even begin to capture this student's attention? Large classes, small desks, and a dry lecture are causing disengagement and lowered class attendance. The burden is on the educator to recapture today's student. Interaction through creative media presentations, personal computer use, even guided class discussion would be good places to start. Educating, at any level, should not be a one way discussion. The lecture showcases the instructors knowledge base at the expense of the student's attention. Technology offers many creative outlets for instructors and students. It is time for modern technology use to replace the chalkboard. Time invested in learning and using the various forms of technology should benefit everyone.
                                                  
     This Penn State auditorium class of Chris Stubbs uses a live Twitter stream at the front of the class, and Google docs to augment the days lesson. Granted the seating is cramped, and the room temperature is uncomfortable but the student is engaged and cooperating in their education. Technology has a lot to offer to educator and student alike.

Blog Assignment 2

                                       

Did You Know

        In Dr. Strange's video Did You Know the question "Are you ready to be an educator?" was presented. Prior to EDM310 I believed I had a pretty good grasp on what a teacher was expected to do. Little did I know how unprepared I was. That is about to change for me. Figures don't lie. America, from an educational standpoint, has a lot of catching up to do.

India has more K-12 Honors students than the US has K-12 students

        First question that comes to mind is "Why? The second should be "What is being done about this? For starters I will not only complete this educational media course but will have to continue seeking out, engage in and build upon new technology prospects. Today's educators must be technologically literate to engage, inspire, encourage, and yes, entertain their students. The US can not continue to fall behind academically and as educators we are responsible for leading the way.

There are more Chinese speaking English as a second language than the total population of the US.

        That is great news! One common language and it is ours. As long as our educational results rival those of other countries then the playing field is leveled. Unfortunantly this does not seem to be the case as stated above. Technology is advancing at a dizzying pace. We as future educators must embrace it and use it to prepare our students for what is yet to come. Prior to this course I believed I knew the teacher's role. I now know that I was sorely mistaken. I have a lot of ground to catch up on.
        I have three daughters, 20-24 years old, currently sharing a phone plan. Ten days into a new cycle they sent 2200 SMS messages. The youngest, 20 years old, was responsible for 1200 of them. For an average month she will rack up over 7,000. They have iPhones with data plans, and MACs. They were fully functional in less than a few hours. I have an eight year old relative who is just as tech savy as my daughters.
        This generation is already enthusiastic for new innovation. But if the teacher is not developing and encouraging this inquisitive nature then the students in the US will continue to fall behind. Technology in the classroom is not the magic bullet to solve the looming crises in education system. Technology alone can only be as useful as the individual who understands and uses it.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

        The humorous satire in Mr. Winkle Wakes is not difficult to miss. Mr. Winkle wakes from a 100 year nap and is overwhelmed by the changes in the professional world. He eventually finds a school classroom that does not seem to have changed much since his time. True, there is a lot of comfort in the familiar. And there is plenty of discomfort and confusion when facing newness.
        For some people new concepts are at first easily seen as strange and alien and just too difficult to understand. Case in point: EDM310. Faced with this uncertainty what is one to do in this rapidly innovative technological age but to seek out, embrace, and integrate with it. Mr Winkle may prefer to live in a Mobius strip world where nothing changes. This narrow view of the world is stifling, nonproductive and in the end simply quite lonely.. Mr. Winkle was for all practical purposes left behind and was forced to find somewhere where he fit in. The prospects for his ongoing happiness do not look promising in the long run.
        Mr. Winkle can not in reality be expected to mainstream in the business or medical communities advanced technologies without some amount of stress. He had no learning curve. No background to build from for even basic appreciation of the world around him after his 100 year nap. Mr. Winkle is a modern day dinosaur. As educators we must make sure our students minds and abilities are evolving with the times. This means we too must step out of our comfort zones and embrace new ideas and concepts regularly. Case in point: EDM310. Hopefully we will not end up in the hospital or deadend classroom as Mr. Winkle did due to stress avoidance. There is a better solution and the answers are out there if we chose to inquire, practice, and help each other along the way.

The Importance of Creativity

         Sir Ken Robinson's humorous lecture The Importance of Creativity delivers the unfortunant lesson that the educational system is not adequately preparing youth for the real world anymore. He states that the school systems original goal was to meet the needs of a growing industrial economy. This tactic has all but removed the budding creativity of students around the world. Educators are focused on filling the head with knowledge at the detriment of the rest of the body. Math, language, and humanities are just a portion of a complete education. Engaging the individual's unique talents educates the mind and body creating a well rounded individual.
         Sir Robinson states that we are educating our youth to face a world that quite honestly we can not grasp because it is changing so rapidly. The unknown future is not the problem. Not educating the entire person is the issue. He points to the lesser suject taught in schools as being within the arts curriculum: art, music, drama and dance. When coupled equally with the subjects of math, language, and humanities the entire person is now purposefully engaged. A fair amount of creativity is needed in todays technologically advanced world. The industrial revolution has been surpassed by a faster paced technologically advancing world as a whole. ducators must support and ncourage the student's natural creativity and imagination to ensure their success in the ever changing future.

A Vision of 21st Century Learning

        The overall school system in the US has not evolved along with todays advances in technology according to A Vision of 21st Century Learning. Many children are using some form of technology proir to Kindergarten and are eager to expand on their budding knowledge base. This video brings to our attention that students are missing out on stimulating, interactive programs in the classroom. These programs could possibly be capable of enhancing their viability within their future work environments essentially creating a more globaly prepared US workforce.
         I agree that integrating some form of technology into the classrooms would be a positive step forward compared to the ...drill, drill, drill and test... models that have been around since the early 1900s. Dr. Strange refers to this as "burp back" education. Amusing and it gets his point across. I also feel that brand new computers, iPads, iBooks, or white boards for example will not take the place or improve on a nonengaging instructor. There seems to be a lot of room for improvement within our school system. Technology similar to what is more than likely already in the home would be the direction to explore. The initial and continued funding for such programs, upgrades, and repairs concerns me somewhat. Too many programs are being cut in our school systems already due to lack of funding. I do not know what the US can afford to do without. I do know that our students deserve engaged, enthusiastic, empowered, and multi-literate educators. I can't help but wonder if other universities are preparing their preservice teachers to actively bring more user friendly and creative programs into their classrooms.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

        Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts protrays rural Georgia teacher Vicki Davis and her ideas on using technology not just pencil and paper in the classroom. She has developed a plan that focuses on: student self empowerment, success through a multiple media system, and peer collaboration with special attention to building student's strengths and diminishing weaknesses.
        This technology based learning atmosphere benefits the entire student not just educationally but also mentally, socially, and creatively. By empowering the student to find the answer she in effect developing a more self confident, inquisitive, well rounded human being. Vicki Davis has brought her rural school in Georgia well into the 21st century. Students definitely need more educators with her drive and creativity. Having the resources is not enough.