Blog Assignment 10

An Open Letter to Educators
Dan Brown’s video is so great! After progressing this far in EDM310 I can say I do not find this video shocking at all, instead I wish more people would realize how true it is. I too sit in class listing to lecture and lecture about facts that I have to remember for only for an exam and then most of the information is forgotten. I don’t know if I would go as far as dropping out of school, but I do agree that some of the classes I have paid for in college are ridiculous and I hate the fact that I am basically paying for useless information only to gain a credit.

Hopefully in the future more and more people will realize that the school systems need to change their ways of teaching. I know enhancing technology in classrooms is in progress, but in my opinion the process isn’t moving fast enough. The most important thing that we should all take from college is the knowledge we gain from the class room, not a piece of paper that just states you have a degree. Yes, having a degree may show that you worked hard for something in your life and you may end up getting a good job with it, but I’d rather leave college knowing I have fulfilled my expectations and have gotten what I paid for.

It all comes down to people realizing that there needs to be a change and people have to step up and do something about it. Taking EDM310 class has changed the way I think about learning using technology. I think this class should not only be required for an education major, but for every college student so they can realize how important it is that reaching a higher education is the important goal here not just getting by in classes “memorizing facts!”

Two questions that can change your life- Daniel Pink
What is my sentence? Well this was actually pretty hard for me to come up with, which is silly considering it’s just one sentence. Lately a lot of things have been changing in my life, and I’m not talking about little everyday changes I’m talking about dramatic changes. With everything going on around me I have realized one important thing. You must love yourself in order to obtain full happiness. So that is my sentence and I will be working on loving myself and realizing what I deserve.

Was I better today than yesterday? This was a great question, simple but still great. It is something that everyone should ask themselves and realize in order to better your life don’t dwell on the past. I like to live by the saying “if you make a mistake fix it and learn from the experience.” I am trying to better myself and I will live my life day by day and make the best out of it.

Skype Interveiw

Blog Assignment 9

"What I’ve Learned This Year,” is a very inspiring blog post by Mr. McClung. In his post he explains his experiences from his first year of teaching, and also gives some great advise on how to handle certain situations as a new teacher. Mr. McClung points out seven great facts that all teachers should be aware of.

He starts out with “How to Read the Crowd” and explains that a teacher’s main focus shouldn’t be on how they are giving a lesson, they should be more concerned about how the students are reacting and receiving the lesson being taught. “Be Flexible” this was my favorite considering Mr. McClung says there is no perfect lesson, so don’t beat yourself up over it if something goes wrong. I also like how he says to do everything with a smile on your face, this is important because if kids see that your frustrated about something they most likely are going to take advantage of that. “Communicate,” communicating with people is something that is very important not only in the classroom, but also outside the classroom as well. McClung explains in this tip that communication is key to getting along with your fellow teachers. “Be Responsible,” this is pretty much a quality everyone should have in the working field, especially being a teacher. He says in this tip that teachers sometimes expect too much out of their students and don’t get discouraged when they don’t reach your goals. I like how he states that the students are not perfect and neither are we, that is something all teachers should take into consideration. “Don’t Be Afraid of Technology,” I’d say this is the most important tip of them all! McClung states that technology is our friend, and is essential in today’s society, which is very true. “Listen to Your Students,” Mr. McClung was inspired by a student simply stating “I know my teacher cares about me as a person when he listens to what I say.” He believes that we should build a good teacher student bond, and I agree that’s important in the classroom. The students are more likely to respect that teacher if they show that they actually care. Last but not least, “Never Stop Learning” he explains that it is important to continue learning not only for the students but for yourself!

After reading this post it helped me realize how challenging teaching can be first starting out. I can only hope that when I become a teacher I can absorb all of the things Mr. McClung did within his first year. This is a great post that I think all teachers should read, especially the ones new to the field.

Project #11 Short Video

Blog Assignment 8

This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
After watching part one and two of Richard Miller’s “This is How We Dream” presentation it brings to my attention how much an effect technology will, and not to mention should, have on the future of school systems. These videos are more based on the improvement that technology can bring for writing, but the use of technology can bring an improvement on any subjects with the right guidance. Richard points out the benefit’s the web can bring to learning, and he states that the only restrictions on learning are the ones we put on ourselves, which is very true. We need educators who are willing to learn how to teach using tools from the internet and put them to use in the classroom.
In part one of Richard’s presentations he introduces the idea of multimedia and explains the pros of posting ideas and lessons on the web vs. writing them in text, which can take maybe two years to be published and released. He also explains that another advantage of using information from the internet is that it only takes seconds to find and you have endless amounts of information being shared, instead of going to a library and looking at book after book for what you are searching for. I agree that using multimedia can improve a students work in the classroom, and even though I am not yet prepared to use it I am willing to learn how.
In part two of the presentations Richard starts off by giving examples of material that is posted on the web and changes before our eyes. It still amazes me how rapid technology changes every minute in our lives. Richards main goal is to get students to compose not only using Word Processor, but to compose by using multimedia and digital composing. In the near future I’m sure there will be such a program that compares to Richard’s ideas, and hopefully my future students will get the privilege of using it in the classroom.

The Chipper Series/EDM310 for Dummies
These videos were very well put together. My favorite was the “EDM310 for Dummies,” mostly because I liked how dramatic it was in the beginning. I think I can speak for several people in the class when I say that’s exactly how EDM310 class makes you feel at first until you can get the hang of things. The thing that stuck out the most to me in “The Chipper Series” was procrastination! I am the queen of procrastinating, but this class has helped me manage my time dedicated to class work quite well. I mean I may turn in some work at the very last minute, but I’m trying my best to as least get it in on time. I think the moral of both these videos is to show that you can succeed in this class as long as you stick with it and do your work. For my own video I would like to do something along the lines of time management for the class.

Critiques of Smartboards
I can’t say I agree with these two articles, although in Bill Ferriter’s article he made a good point by stating that without time and training, smartboards quickly become nothing more than really expensive overhead projectors, which I do agree with. In my opinion smart boards in the classroom can be very beneficial if the teacher has proper training with the smartboard and knows how to use it. The smartboard acts as a large projector screen of a computer and we all know by now the internet had numerous tools that can improve learning in the classroom. I found this article http://tiger.towson.edu/users/sunger2/smart_boards_in_the_classroom.htm, and it not only explains the importance of a students education, but also explains how smartboards can positively influence the learning experience in the classroom.

Project #9b Timetoast- Ten Most Recent Presidents of The United States

Additonal Assignment #2

1. What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves? Yes, I think anyone that is willing to learn has the ability to do so. The video pretty much proves this fact as well.
2. If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves? I think kids can teach themselves up to a certain extent. In the end of the video scientist Sugata Mitra went to a school in Turin Italy and visited a classroom full of kids who couldn’t speak English. Surprisingly the students answered all of Sugata’s questions, but if he wasn’t in front of the classroom addressing these questions most likely the students would have never planned to research such things. What I’m getting at is yes, students can teach themselves, but in my opinion they still need guidance.
3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself? Well for starters kids definitely need the right tools to teach themselves, such as the computers Sugata placed in the walls. I think a computer is a very important tool for the future education of children.
4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process? Computers with internet access play a huge role in education. Computers can give the children endless amounts of knowledge they are willing to learn.
5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn? Motivation also plays a big role in learning. Without someone to motivate the children there may be no desire to learn at all. As for older people trying to teach themselves something they must motivate themselves to learn, which may be more difficult.
6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process? Well without questions there are no answers. As I said before, if it wasn’t for Sugata writing questions on the board for the students to research then they would have probably never been interested to look up the subject themselves.
7. How do you motivate someone to learn? Encourage the students to find the right answer and reward them with positive gratitude.
8. How are you motivated to learn? I am motivated to learn so I can get my degree and start my life with a good career.
9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn? I think they can learn, but it will be a difficult process for them and whoever is trying to teach them.
10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why? I do teach myself, especially in this class! I have gained a lot from this class thus far, so maybe teaching yourself isn’t so bad, but I still have Dr. Strange guiding me through most things.
11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning? As a child in elementary school the roles of my teachers were to teach me the important basics and fundamentals of life. Then vs. now is a whole different story, there is no one holding my hang along the way saying okay if you do good in class you get to pick out of the treasure chest at the end of the week. Now as a college student I must motivate myself to do my work and continue to go to school, my teachers could careless if I didn’t show up for a test. I’d say my teachers in college are here to guide me to freedom(my diploma). They give me the information I need to learn and if I choose to learn it or not that is up to me.
12. What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video? It was nice to see how the children responded to Sugata Mitra videos. I think the most important fact to take from this is that any child has the ability to learn if they are given the right tools to work with. Even these children from poor countries, that the teachers are not willing to go, were excited about learning!
13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers? I think something amazing that was brought up in the video was “SOLE” which is self organized learning environments. It showed a room with a large screen and a computer, the room was big enough for a group of people. These classrooms could come in very great use around the world for countries that are less fortunate to have great teachers. With SOLE they could have class with teachers around the world and it would be if the teacher was actually there with the children.