Project #15

Blog #13

By: Brian Crosby
Video:Back To The Future

Brian explains that his fourth grade class is dealing with poverty. These students were asked simple questions like: what country do you live in? What is your home phone number? What is your home address? Many of the kids could not answer these simple questions, that by now they should know with no sweat. All of his students have their own blogs and he explains that it lets them think out of the box. They "High Hopes"project they did was very interesting. They sent a balloon  up into space with a camera attached. It was part of the state standards which is supposed to show the layers of the atmosphere. The examples he shows in the classroom are very interesting, it keeps the students wanting to know more. He also incorporated language arts into this science lesson about altitude. He made the students act as if they were the balloon, and write a paper about their journey. I think that this was very impressive, because not only does he just teach the standards but he lets the students interact with these projects and papers. They used Wikkis and Flicker to upload there space pictures. The kids also get to see that people are really readying their papers. After this project they had to write a "High Hope" for their community or neighborhoods. Their class then opened up the "High Hope" to the world, and they got so many people from Australia, Canada, China, they also got to send their High Hopes up with the class. This was just amazing that this is offered in a public school class, I want to be a teacher like this that gets the students on fire. He definitely has high hopes for his classroom and you can tell by watching this video, this was very inspiring.

Video:A Vision of Students Today

So when I saw this video I completely related to each and every single one of the students holding up the cue cards. Especially the cue card that stated, "I will be $20,000 in debt after I graduate", because this will probably be true for me as well. It makes me sick how our education system has turned from learning basic knowledge, to a endless money pit. Just like the above picture says "I buy hundred dollar textbooks that I never open, that is so true. Why are college classes making students buy $300 textbooks? In high school the books were issued to you for free, colleges have 10 times more money then any local high school near you. Everything is about money, and 1/2 of whats left is about knowledge. What this video is trying to say is that, if we can look beyond the money and textbooks we have it all wrong. One of the students held out a computer that said "This computer cost more than some people make in a year." While watching this video as a student it made me mad to be honest and even as a future educator I see that it will only get worse. The world is headed down a road of poverty, with college costing so much money a lot of students will give up. And the ones that get government funding and aren't paying for it out of their own bank accounts like the video showed do not show up for class. School needs to be reevaluated and not be centered around being a money pit.

Blog Post #12

Blog Post #12 Due 11/11

Watch the Video 21st Century Learners.Think about what you have heard and seen. Don't just watch the video as a student, think about how you will use these tools as a future educator. After watching please summarize this video in two paragraphs, pointing out the tools you would most likely use in your own clssroom.


The assignment: Blog Post #12
While watching this video it makes it clear that students are starving to use technology. The kids were saying how can I be seen? How can I be heard? Using the Blogger system is the best way for kids to be heard and seen. Especially the way South has set up their blog posts. If my classroom had blogs and the University of South students commented on them, I am sure that it was encourage them to write more and proudly.  Because having a blog can bring you some what of pride in your work. You know that wherever you are, someone is out their watching your videos or reading your opinions in your blog.
Kids also do not relate to textbooks anymore. While researching I came across this table that shows that E books are easier for kids to download and own. Also its easier to keep up with just one tablet like a nook or Ipad, rather than carry 10 books around in a book bag. Now days we do not need rolling book bags, we do not need huge binders, we have laptops. The paper school days are just about over and this video pretty much somes up that kids in the 21st century cannot wait.

Blog Post #11

 

Ms.Cassidy's Video: Little Kids..Big Potential




Imagine a world were parents can monitor their child's educational progress anywhere. This is the kind of learning environment offered by Ms. Cassidy. She stands to reason that you are almost never too young to begin using technology. Ms. Cassidy has successfully proven that first grade is not too early to introduce children to technology. Now what do we mean by technology?  Today's technology is not the same as yesterdays technology. Yesterdays technology meant that if a first grader could successfully use a four function calculator, they would almost be considered gifted. In today's world being able to use a computer has almost become the standard. Ms. Cassidy believes that in this ever expanding technological world, the students need to be introduced early on if they are going to be able to keep up in this ever growing data age.



 Although these learning programs are designed primarily for the students, they also benefit the parents in that they can monitor their child's progress from anywhere. How do the parents really feel about having the child's work broad casted on the world wide web? Until the schools implement a real online curricula or until privacy guidelines are in place, I am hesitant on using these practices in my own classroom. This does not mean that I disagree with them. Nine out of ten parents can say yes,but it is that one that disapproves that must be accounted for.The only major flaw or impediment I see in using the online wikis or blogs in the classroom, is privacy and legality. If 100% parent approval is not possible, I believe that maybe an in class only blog could be used instead.This would still offer the experience and feed back as the traditional blog would. I like these methods, but as a starting out teacher it will be overwhelming enough without having to try and over come school bureaucracy. Introducing technology into the classroom is not without its benefits. One major benefit for the younger students is that the parents can monitor their children's progress online via the web. This can also benefit older students because we instructors can post assignments online that can be viewed anywhere without having to send individual emails to students. I am all for technology in the classroom and personally believe that global interface is the new generation of learning.

Ms. Cassidy's Skype Interview:Part 1,Part 2,Part 3
 



Blog Post #10

 

Cartoon By: John T. Spencer

Adventures in Pencil Integration:

      The cartoon is Spencer's imitation of a Mac and PC ad. This is an attempt to represent the proverbial saying, "you get what you pay for", with technology being the subject at hand. PCs are most likely represented by the paper mate and Macs by the latter. It has been argued that Macs give you better quality than a PC. This may be true if you pit a $1500 Mac against a $300 Toshiba, but not when you compare a Mac to a PC of equal price.

      Most people are either a Mac or a PC kind of person. The Mac offers more straight out of the box experience, compared to the PC. The Mac has a built in anti virus system that cannot be beat, while the PC comes with completely no virus protection at all. Most people have to buy anti virus software for their PCs and if not the computer will most likely not last as much longer than a month. The PC is also dumbed down as much as possible so that it's user friendly. While the Mac is simple but different than the PC making it confusing for the Microsoft users.

     The point being within this blog post is that the Mac computer is more efficient. While the PC will not be as adequate or dependable as the Mac. John T. Spencer made a very good cartoon portraying this. The best way to find out for yourself, is to own a PC and then a Mac. You will see the difference within 3 months                  

Why were your kids playing games?
By: John T. Spencer

         The principal asked, "Why were your kids playing games?" This article is definitely how most normal people view the education system of today. Instead of letting the students understand what they are being taught, the principal would rather them memorize certain things, even if it means sacrificing the knowledge of our future students. A lot of teachers in today's society practice the teaching technique called burp-back knowledge. Burp-back knowledge is when students simply state what their teachers have made them memorize. Most students memorize these facts and then months later, they can barley tell you the name of the teacher who made them memorize them in the first place.
          This is why Mr. Spencer is trying to change the classroom up with games. We need our students to learn not memorize. When students play games or have hands on learning experiences they are not only memorizing the concepts, but they are understanding them. For example, if you were to learn how to assemble an airplane, then later on if you ever came across a question about building airplanes you would find it easier to remember. Compared to a student who memorized the parts of an airplane out of a text book, but they have no idea how to even work a wrench.
      
Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
By: Scott McLeod

Scott McLeod writes about technology as if he was not impressed by it. He is telling the parents not to let them use the computers or cellphones, stating that we cant trust young people. He is in a way making fun of the overall aspect of technology and children. And that is that they are going to look at porn or be lured away by a predator they met online. When actually they can learn more by using technology, but the system doesn't want them too. Mr. Scott McLeod is a teacher who lets his students use the internet and learn. This is actually a very simple blog post but it hits you in a way that has a big meaning. Please, don't teach your kids this stuff.

Special Blog Post

Special Blog Post:

“A world where grades will be left behind”, sounds too good to be true right? This is not the case, according to Sebastian Thrun, the German research professor at Stanford and Google VP. Thrun’s fascination with robotics and computer science has led to the founding of Udacity, which is an institution that offers free classes for its enrollees. Thrun has developed an approach to teaching that he hopes will be more appealing than primitive chalk board methods. Thrun hopes to stimulate learning by incorporating special effects into the curricula. All of this sounds too good to be true, like a sophisticated leap frog game.  This is no kid’s game; however, these computer classes are targeted at those wishing to excel in advanced fields such as robotics and computer programming. Thrun is striving to create a learning environment where the students can connect with the material and move at a pace that allows them to fully master a certain skill or concept.

Thrun is trying to revolutionize teaching. In other words, he wants to change it, and make it better.  It appears to me he wants to use technology in two major ways.  The first way is to garner student’s interest and keep them interested and challenged. The other way is to reach the masses, via the internet.  He wants everyone to be able to experience Udacity.

I agree that the education system could use a good overhauling in some aspects. Thrun has some good ideas, but I do not think that a work at your own pace program would work for everyone. This is due to the fact that some people, including myself, may lack the self-motivation and self-discipline required for this type of learning. I personally believe Thrun’s approaches to teaching are still mostly on the theoretical end and need more solid evidence of success before I decide to jump on the Udacity bandwagon.

 

Project #15 Green Screen