My Timeline Project 9

My Sentence Video

Blog Post 4

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

I enjoyed this post very much. I think that the more advocators of podcasting in the classroom there are, the better. The video starts out by stating the fact that we will be teaching a generation that has never known a life without personal computers and other technologies. Later in the video, Kourtney Bostain states that podcasts allow students to demonstrate higher order thinking skills. I think that the most interesting part of this video was when the student had to miss class because she was running a fever, but her teacher uploaded all of his material for students to download. That is so awesome! I only wish that I had that kind of resource in high school, or even some classes in college.

1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audio Book

I really enjoyed reading this post because it reminds me a lot of my little brother. He's the youngest in our family of seven kids, but he's been reprogramming all of our remotes since he was 6 years old. It's interesting to see; my dad has been a computer technician for almost thirty years, but Isaac, my brother, is the only one who knows how to work the remote! That's what this post reminds me of, not necessarily that the generation that precedes us is at all technologically inhibited, but that the next generation of students seem exponentially more inclined. A small fact got lost on me as I was reading this post and thinking, "Well, I could do that" : these students are in the FIRST GRADE! It's absolutely incredible.

Listening Comprehension

I think that this is a very important post. Silvia Tolisano repeatedly makes great points about reading comprehension and the teachability of young students. Ms. Silvia starts out her posts by quoting a somewhat surprising statistic: "In order to internalize a new vocabulary word, you have to hear it at least 70+ times... not only the sounds of the letters that make up the word, but also the context the word is embedded in." I believe her! At first I thought maybe that number was a little bit inflated, but when I really thought about it I realized that we hear new words all the time through various forms. I've never really kept track of how many times I hear a new word and it's contextual meaning, but I do want to try now. What I find even more interesting though is that the Ms. Tolisano had her students record parts of a story they had learned on Garageband and placed the parts out of order. Then, the students were to go to the Smartboard and rearrange the parts of the story so that they were in order. Simple enough, but did I mention that they told the story IN HEBREW? That's right. These students worked with the Jewish Studies teacher to learn and record their parts before having to rearrange them from start to finish. Mind blowing. I tweeted this story.

C4T 1

The teacher blog I was assigned to was maintained by Justin Tarte . The first comment I left on Mr. Tarte's blog was about how helpful I found the resources that he listed. I told him that I particularly liked the "Don't be afraid to act" blog because I thought that was a very important lesson for any prospective teacher. I liked Mr. Tarte's blog very much and was very excited to read it again.
In his first post, Mr. Tarte listed 12 motivational websites that might be useful for teachers. I thought that each of the websites had something important to offer, but a specific one stood out. I really enjoyed the "Don't Be Afraid to Act" blog.

The second comment I left on his blog was about Boy Meets World. Really, it was. I talked about how the lesson in Boy Meets World could help to understand that the idea of testing over and over is not necessarily a good thing. I stated that just studying the bottom line and "need to know" things can inhibit interest and limit research that students do on their own. On Mr. Tarte's second post that I commented on, he used a video clip from Boy Meets World to illustrate his point that testing can kill creativity and passion. He asked the questions, "Why do we insist upon having students take tests to show their mastery of the content?" "Why do we knowingly and willingly kill the love of learning that students possess?" "Why do we continue to use outdated strategies that diminish motivation rather than increase?" and, "Why have we spent the last 18 years not changing what we knew was wrong in 1994?" I thought the questions were very pointed and I really enjoyed this quality blog post.

Project 5

Blog Post 3

Technology in Special Education

This video stood out to me simply because I have never realized how much technology can help out with Special Education. It makes sense though; I believe it is important to utilize technology in such a way that it benefits those who need it the most. As with most students, special education students are able to learn better and faster with the aid of technology in the classroom.

I think that the use of technology can sometimes be thought of as a welcomed commodity, but not something that everyone could use. In our society today though, while most of the newest phones and laptops can be outrageously priced, helpful softwares that are used in the classroom should be readily accessible. I think that with how far we've progressed, using technology for special education should be something we're excited about, but not content with. I believe that, while we've already made progress, progress can still be made.

My App For the Classroom

I chose an app called "Shakespeare in Bits: Romeo and Juliet" as an App that I would use in the classroom. I decided on this app because I plan on being a high school English teacher and know that sometimes, even though he was one of the greatest authors ever, Shakespeare can be confusing. This app adds a visual element to a difficult to grasp period in literature. It would be perfect for a middle school or ninth grade class.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

After visiting this website, I was reminded of the video that we watched at the beginning of this course. Though I am from this generation and deeply imbedded in many types of social media, I can't even come close to understanding how much information goes out per second, even though I was looking right at the numbers.

As a teacher, it was interesting to note because it definitely highlighted the fact that our society is becoming more and more technologically inclined. I still believe in the power of books and that sometimes it's just better when reading a hard-cover book as opposed to an e-book, but I do recognize the obvious rise of technological techniques in teaching. It interested me that Facebook was still at the top of the list, though I sort of expected it, I like the simple side of Twitter better.


A Vision of Students Today

This video was one of the most interesting videos I've seen in a while. I think that painting a picture of the "current student" is an ever-changing project and an almost impossible endeavor, given the complex and diverse nature of our society. With that being said, I think that Wesch did a great job.

I think it was a great contrast, using the chalkboard as a symbol of the "old way" of teaching against the computers and the new way. Students are going to be on the internet, on computers, playing games, texting, and tweeting, it is up to us to use the avenues that the students most easily use. We need to adapt to the direction that the learning environment is headed.

Project 2: Wordle

Blog Post 2

Did You Know? 3.0


I thought that this video was a great watch for this class. The introductory parts about China and India in relation to the United States were, at first, surprising. I think the fact about China and their English speakers was more surprising because the video stated that 300 million people in China were learners of English. That's amazing! I don't know how many people in the United States are learning Chinese, but I'm sure the percentage is far less than people in China learning English.
The next few slides in the video were about technology. Specifically the internet, including Google and YouTube, and cell phones. Even though the statistics were from two years ago, they stood out to me. If you really think about how much information is put out through social media sites, sent across SMS messages, or looked up through Google or other search engines, I think it makes an impact.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

I really enjoyed watching this video. The video starts with Mr. Winkle waking up after being asleep for a hundred years, an allusion to Rip Van Winkle. Anyway, Mr. Winkle wakes up to find that most things in the world have changed, with one glaring omission: the classroom. Mr. Winkle discovers that though technology has enhanced, the classroom has remained stagnant.
This video makes a good point because though media, and social networks have flourished, adapted, and increased exponentially in number and type, our classrooms have remained the same style throughout this century. I think that our classrooms could see drastic improvements in the near future. Already teachers have adapted and used creative ideas like the worldwide classroom. I believe that the classroom can be made better with the use of helpful technologies and open-minded teachers and administrations.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

In this video, Sir Robinson speaks about the importance of creativity and nationwide schools' failure to recognize it. Sir Robinson states that because schools are so caught up in core subjects like Math, English, and Science, they forget the importance and impact that art can have in a student's life. The Arts, Sir Robinson says, are as important as the core subjects.
I tend to agree with Sir Robinson. The reason that the core subjects are so emphasized, I believe, has a lot to do with standardized tests and the average scores of the students taking them. I realize that being a good test taker is a great skill to have, and that it is important for students to have a firm grasp of the aforementioned core subjects, but I do also think that the arts help foster creativity, and creativity is important in problem solving. Knowing what reverse osmosis means or what the square root of Pi is is not really going to help anybody in the future; at least not in terms of most workplaces or determining creative solutions.

A Vision for 21st Century Learning

One of the arguments this video makes is against standardized education and how it is structured today. The speaker in the video recites that students are in a learning environment that was created as a response to the industrial revolution at the turn of the 20th century. He states that students are memorizing facts, getting filled with information, and listening to lecture after lecture from one grade to the next. Even though students are getting exposed to technology during or before kindergarten, technology is not used for learning as much as it could be. The speaker further states the importance of technology in our global society as it pertains to everyday life and global connectivity.
He then offers a solution: video games. Not in the traditional sense, but studying different cultures and civilizations through game based learning. I think the speaker is right on the money in this video. I, personally, have learned more about things like football, basketball, and baseball from video games than from written text from any books or even websites that I've read. It makes sense, we learn by doing, seeing, and hearing. Though reading comprehension is another factor involved, sometimes it is simply best to see or hear it done and learn through interaction.


Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts


I thought Vicki Davis' video was very well put together, as well as educational and valuable for prospective teachers. Davis shows how useful technology can be in the classroom by coupling computer technology with literacy and life skills. One of the best things Davis does is let her students communicate with other students internationally and worldwide. She implements new social networks and utilizes technological communications very effectively.
I think that Vicki Davis is a great example of the way that the classroom is heading. I believe that by using these new networks, technologies, and ideas, she is creating a better and faster learning environment. I think that this video is incredibly valuable for teachers who either have trouble implementing technology or are just starting out. We could all learn a lot from Vicki Davis.