Blog Post 5

Travis Allen and ISchool

In the video The ISchool Initiative Travis Allen was seventeen years old when he formed an amazing idea. The idea was to create a world where schools don’t have copy machines, pencils, paper, or books. An idea to put more technology in the school and less trees. I think that this is a great idea, but at the same time I have some issues with putting just technology in the class. Putting ISchools in the class can be an amazing alternative to books. It will help them with organization, homework, and communication. When a student is able to see

what items are due on what day and have recordings of their teacher it is an amazing concept. Not to mention that if they do miss a day they can get a Podcast app or talk to one of their friends about what they missed. I do see the upsides in having ISchools in the classroom. I also see the downsides as having them as well. There are just so many unanswered questions. Such as what about the parents that can’t afford the ISchool? An ISchool is $150.00 that is a lot to some parents that are barely scraping by. Especially in this economy when a mother or father can barely find a job or keep one. How about when the ISchool dies in the middle of class? I have had that happened to me and I couldn’t look at my math book when I really needed it! Then a student can fall behind, or not know what is going on. Not to mention we are giving these to teenagers and children. What happens when it breaks? Do we have to pay for another one or does that just go towards our taxes? I honestly do think that this could be a revolutionary idea and the Travis Allen is on the right track in his video ZeitgeistYoungMind's Entry. But we need to fix all the kinks before we transfer to all technology.

Eric Whitacre’s Internet Choir

As I watched Eric Whitacre’s video “Lux Aurumque” harmony just fell over me. The melody was so beautiful and peaceful. When I read Jennifer’s blog that none of the choir members had met each other I was in amazement. I know that the internet can do some pretty

powerful things, but this was just absolutely jaw droppingly good! I guess that if you find a few good people, or I guess in this case 182 good people, anything is possible.

The 21ST Century

Kevin Roberts in his video “Teaching in the 21st Century” sees education changing in general. He states that we as educators are here to help teach the students how to use Google EFFECTIVELY. This is due to them already knowing how to use Google, but we need to teach them the resources to do a good search. Teachers in a way would be insignificant if it weren’t for them being able to teach the students how to utilize the tools they are given. A student can find out anything on a computer, but it is a teacher’s job to “filter” the material.

I feel like it will be my job to help students sort the good information from the bad. That in order for the students to better strive they will need a leader to show them the way. It will make me want to engage them more! Make them want to learn instead of being required to learn. It is a scary thought how a student can go home and learn how to do algebra on the web instead of paying attention to his/her teacher. Like Mr. Roberts stated, “There is a difference in Entertainment and Engagement.” A teacher wants his/her students to be more engaged then entertained because of all the benefits.

Flipping the Classrooms

Dr. Lodge McCammon is a researcher and professor at NC State. He developed a wonderful program called flipping the classroom . He believes there is too much lecture in the classroom and not enough engaging activities. I agree with him there is too much lecture from the teachers and not enough time for the students to actually work out the problem themselves. Once the flipping of the classrooms begins it could put a whole new lease on education and learning.

In the video Flipping the classroom- 4th Grade STEM by Mrs. Munafo of Hilburn Academy, Mrs. Munafo explained that she believes the idea of flipping the classroom is amazing. This is because she will be able to let the students go into group activities with them already knowing subject and topic of the assignment. Instead of lecturing the entire class it gives her time to sit down with the groups and answer questions. I would love to use this in my classroom. It would

be a fun and engaging way to get our students to learn and ask questions. Also it gives them more time to work together to solve their problems instead of going home and not knowing what to do. Furthermore, Mrs. Munafo stated that if certain students didn’t have a computer they could come in the morning and do their assignment. What a great idea!

My Sentence

Blog Post # 4

One of the first links I went to was First Graders Create their own Podcast. I think that it is truly spectacular to just be able to get the younger students more involved in their work! The substitute, I’m assuming, took the initiative to take the students into small groups and have them recorded. This will help them in the future by

teaching them to distinguish pitch and tone of a character. It will also help their imagination expand and to create how they would want the character to sound or to behave. This could possibly help them with memorization, as well. When I was a little girl my family and I would go on road trips. We would be listening to an audiobook, I always learned and remember more from the audiobook then from an actual book.

I was watching The Benefits of Podcasting in the classroom , by Joe Dale, and it confirmed what I was thinking about Podcasts. Podcasting allows for a higher end of learning and it also makes room for creativity and innovation. It helps bring the stories to life and keeps the student’s attention. Podcasts can also help the students get a

better feel for the subject or the topic that they are learning about because they become the teachers. They decide what is important, what should be taught, and to what extent.

I did not even think of podcasts helping with students who are out sick. I mean it happens there is nothing that can really be done about that. But if a teacher were to have a podcast the student wouldn’t have to worry about missing important information, or falling behind on assignments.

After reading Podcasting with First Graders the idea of Podcasting was pretty much confirmed to be a great idea. A teacher can use this tool for any grade or any age. Podcasting is exciting, new, and fun. It makes the students want to get up and actually do this project because every child wants to be listened to. In a way the younger students feel famous because they are on IPods everywhere. I think that this is a great idea to help them read and comprehend. It is easy, affordable, and not only the students like to do it, so do the teachers!

Project #5- Presentation

Dr. Bennett's Blog

First Post

In my first blog encounter with Dr. Bennett he was discussing Google+ Hangouts On-Air. It is a brilliant idea where a person combined Skype and YouTube all in one. A person, or in this case a teacher, can broadcast themselves live and record at the same time for later use. While they are broadcasting they can get asked questions and they can answer them right there. In Dr. Bennett’s blog he discussed how they were going to interview teachers about their “norms” and discuss what they do to get a student to learn.

I said that this was a brilliant idea and that I can’t wait to see it. I replied that everyone that is starting out to be a teacher, especially me, is nervous about if they are going to a good job. Learning about what teachers have been doing for a while and what works for them could inspire us to use or revamp their ideas. Being able to ask questions is one of my big things! I want to know what works, what doesn’t, and whom it works for. This broadcast will be able to help us future teachers out!!

Second Post
In Dr. Bennett's second blog he states he has started to let his students evaluate and grade themselves. He says that there are four rules that should be followed when doing this. One create a simple Google form for the certain topic. Two to do even numbers for how well or how bad they think that they understood the topic. Three make sure you TALK to your students. This helps them stay on track and helps the teacher to stay on top of how they are progressing. Lastly, four have them set plans and improvements for the next topic, or for the same topic.

I explained to Dr. Bennett that I agree with him on everything he discussed. I explained to him that by having an even grading system it helps them actually think how they are doing instead of just putting down an answer. That grading themselves will help them be their own critics and give a little breathing room for improvement and cognitive thinking. If they discuss what they did wrong they are more likely to not make the same mistake next time. Also, that staying on top of the students helps the teacher to evaluate if they are improving and progressing. Ergo, communication is the key for this objective. I thought that this was a really impressive teacher who had many ideas that I agree with. I will be following him extensively on twitter.

Blog Post 3

Peer Editing:
Before I started watching these videos I thought I had a good idea of peer editing. All I had to do was look for grammatical errors, spelling errors, and punctuation errors. I was wrong, in the video What is Peer Editing I realized that you do have to correct the errors, but there are some guidelines. A lot of people do not like to be called out publicly about their mistakes. It could embarrass them and make you look like a bully, even if you are only trying to help. I see benefits for both; saying suggestions through a comment and through an email, but if I had to go with my gut I would put it in an email. Through a comment other students could see the mistakes, and make sure they didn't make any of their own. Towards an individual it could make them feel embarrassed, humiliated, and picked on. This is especially if the corrections are coming from someone your own age. I feel if you write an email it will seem less harsh, and more suggestive and caring.

In the video Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes I learned that not only do students make these mistakes, but so do adults. For instance Picky Patty, no one is going to have a perfect paper! The reason for this is because we are human. Ergo nothing we do is going to be perfect. As peer editors, or even as teachers, we can’t mark off or make a big fuss for small mistakes, such as there being to much space between a word and a comma. All in all there is good and bad ways to do a peer review and being negative and harsh is a bad way to review. Give a lot of compliments and suggestions, if the student decides he/she does not want to change their paper it is up to them. Do not be a Pushy Paula!

Technology for Special Needs
If it wasn’t for my laptop, tablet, and my IPhone I probably wouldn’t be able to function properly. I am on Google every 5 minutes, on Facebook every hour, and on my Gmail every 2-3 hours. So before I watched the video Technology in Special Education, I already thought technology was important.

I know that teachers need technology for every type of class, especially the special education classrooms. Most of the students have a hard time writing, speaking, or hearing. Having technology in the classroom would better help them get

their work done faster and more efficiently by letting them see, type, and hear better. Technology can help make the lesson more interactive and enjoyable. When students can look up the material and see pictures and animations, rather than a PowerPoint it makes them more engaged in the lesson.

Not only does it help the students, but it helps the teachers as well. When a student in special education, or not, has illegible handwriting it is difficult for teachers to be able to read and grade appropriately. It makes it easier for teachers and students to communicate to each other. Altogether technology just makes learning more fun.

How the IPad works with academics for Autism
I found the video How the IPad works with academics for Autism , inspirational and outstandingly brilliant. So when I was looking up an App I was very picky on what I would use. Then I found an app called the “First Word App”.

What it does is it calls out a letter for the child to pick and put in the right spot. The app spells out an animal, vehicle, or any type of word. After the word is put together it will spell the word out one more time and then says it aloud.

I would definitely use this in my classroom because this promotes reading and spelling. This app helps the children learn their ABC’s and helps them learn different objects. Plus I don’t know about anyone else, but when I see new exciting things, get to play on a computer, or work on a tablet I have more fun and am more willing to learn in the process. This is an app that I approve! In my opinion it will help the students have a fun way to learn.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students Digital Smarts:
Vicki Davis, on Harness Your Students Digital Smarts , has it all figured out in my opinion. She believes that we shouldn’t have to always be the teachers. That the students can show us, the teachers, a thing or two if we let them. Ms. Davis believes that using pen and paper is old school, and if those are the only tools we use only a select few students will succeed. She thinks that the students will succeed better if we start introducing technology to our students.

I agree with Ms. Davis I want to be able to teach a little to give the students a little push, and afterwards letting them teach me. I do not want to have

to always tell them what something is. I want them to go and research and look things up, and be able to find ways to search subjects. It is, in my opinion, more affective if we use the Internet. This is due to it being faster and more efficient researching a topic on three different sites within a couple hours. Instead of having to go to the library and look up in encyclopedias, which will take a couple days. I believe that if we give the students the “wheel” so to speak we will be amazed where they can take us.

Wordle Project URL

This is a link to my Wordle project that I just recently created. It gives a brief overview of my blog post one. It is actually pretty cool! I did two and couldn't decide which one I liked more

Wordle Project

By Mathew Needleman

Did You Know?
When I first watched the Did You Know? 3.0- A John Strange Version 2012 I didn’t know what to expect. Then all these facts were bouncing out at me, such as 25% of India with the highest IQ’s outnumbers the U.S. and that the lessons a student majoring in technology learned his/her first year would be out of date by his/her third year. That there is going to be more Chinese speaking English than the entire population of the U.S. That on average some people will have 10-14 jobs and the top 10 jobs won’t exist anymore. This video gets a girl to thinking that there is so much out there not just technology wise, but as resources and we need to utilize our resources in order to strive. We don’t want people to have more than a few jobs, but having 10-14 is absolutely outrageous. I guess you would be lucky to be able to hold down one job, and live comfortably, in this economy. Not only that, but the top 10 jobs will not exist in a 2022. This means that we have a lot of jobs that haven’t even be created yet.

Mr. Winkle Wakes:

I started to watch Mr. Winkles Wakes by Mathew Needleman and there was a familiar feeling between Mr. Winkle and me. We wake up one morning after a long slumber, and we notice everything is different. Everything is new and altered. Our hair doesn’t look the same, our face doesn’t look the same, and outside doesn’t look the same. We have two completely different reasons though mine is because I had a baby, and his is because he fell asleep for 100 years.

Mr. Winkle fell asleep and awoke 100 years later to find computers, skype, lasers, tall buildings, and more. He didn’t understand what was going on because everything was new, but the one thing that stayed the same was school. Even though the lessons were taught differently, the teachers were still teaching and students were still learning. Even though our world is advancing so dramatically with technology the one thing that will stay the same is school. Our students are what make’s our world spin round and help it make more advances to make it cleaner and more efficient.

Ken Robinson
In the Video Ken Robinson says Schools Kill Creativity . A lot of things were running through my mind like this guy is British, he’s funny, and I can’t wait for red lobster. Mr. Robinson went through so many points in 20 minutes it was very impressive, and frankly I agree with him on every single point. One of the points that I agree with him on is that creativity is as important as literacy. He is very correct in this as I have been watching the younger people around me grow. Whether it is my younger sister, my neighbor, or my own son, the one thing that is the same in every one of them is that they use their talents and creativity to better learn. No one is the same person so why should we expect them to learn the same way? Creativity brings out the best in everyone including their learning skills, and that is very important.
Another is children are not afraid of being wrong. This is true! Why should children be afraid? What is there to be afraid of? Because they are not afraid of being wrong they are more likely to be more original than any two adults put together. This is because they are not afraid to take risks and to be different. As Mr. Robinson said adults somewhere along the lines of growing up lost their creativity and maybe it’s because they are afraid of being wrong.
The last point I agree with that I will talk about is creativity gets booted out of us. Most Mothers and Fathers do not want their child to chase after a dream that they don’t think would land them a great job or earn some type of income. That’s not bad on them they are just looking out for their children, but this is one of the ways that we lose our creativity because we stand by and learn our math and sciences and forget all about dance and theatre because that’s not going to get a good job. Who are we as parent’s to tell our children what isn’t worth chasing after?

A Day Made of Glass 2
A day Made of Glass 2: Same Day. Expanded. showed that some time in the future everything is going to be able to be controlled by one or two fingers. That isn’t just for schools or for students, but also for park recreations and doctors. Our technology is becoming so far advanced that we will be able to digitize and make anything with a touch of a button. Thinking about all these videos combined it’s like a puzzle. In order to advance we need teachers and schools so that is something that will never change (referring to Mr. Winkle Wakes). In order for our technology and world to advance we need to have creativity referring to Ken Robinson), so that a child can think of making more advance technology, such as the technology in A day Made of Glass 2. In order to do all of this we need to change our statistics around and make our resources and country open for new experiences so we don’t fall behind (referring to Dr. John Strange- Did you know?).