Podcasts

I listened to the various podcasts today from an elementary level to a higher education/college level. They were all vastly different with numerous topics and presenters. The podcasts I listened to were: SmartBoard Lessons Podcasts, KidCast, ConnectLearning, EdTechtalk, and This Week in Photography. They were all interesting in their own way, but of course, I preferred some over others.

I really enjoyed the format of the ConnectLeraning podcast, Episode 91: Conversation about Podcasting with Media Coordinators. I liked it because of the question and answer format. The librarians asked questions I could relate to and were relevant to me. One question addressed legality of names and pictures on pod/vod casts. Also, participants would ask questions and not only would the presenter answer but also the other audience members. Another podcast I enjoyed was the Teachers Teaching Teachers #181 from EdTechtalk. The presenters seemed to enjoy their subject, which was about using gaming in schools. This made the podcast flow and seem more interesting than one with just one or two speakers.

I thought the KidCast podcasts were great. They would be excellent for a younger audience and would give them examples of how to present ideas and how to do so in an appropriate setting. I would definitely use this if I were teaching to a younger group. The podcast from This Week in Photography was okay but not something I would go back to. This may be because of the subjects they were discussing or all the ads at the beginning.

I am getting an idea of how to present a podcast and look forward to trying. I think that music would be good if it isn't played over presenters. I believe getting right to the point would help keep listeners attention. By listening to more podcasts and viewing some digital casts I would have an even better idea of how to approach doing one of my own.

iPhone Baby

That is cool that the baby can maneuver around the iPhone that way. I don't get around my phone quite as well. His vocabulary will improve each time he uses it and the parents interact with him. He should be way ahead in technology than the kid whose parents won't let him touch their phone. This was a cute and interesting way of showing that anyone can learn no matter the age or experience.

Media Literacy

In Media Literacy, the three areas touched on were evaluating, creating, and responding. I think all three are valuable areas of education. The students explained everything clearly and seemed very comfortable with their presentations. I enjoyed the explanations and think I could follow that lesson and be successful.

The possibilities of what can be created in the classroom with technology are wide open. I have been thinking about how I can set up and use blogging with my students. As long as I can keep close tabs on them, I believe it would be a very successful project. They would love the opportunity to create something and be able to show it to others.

Little Kids...Big Potential

This video was great because it shows just how much younger students can do. If they can learn this much technology then I should not be afraid to do it or set any limits to what I can learn. The video was inspiring to me because I know that once I learn the technology I know I will pass it on. So many different aspects of technology can be utilized that I never even knew existed, much less thought of as an education tool.

I liked that the one student mentioned safety. He said that he could only use his first name. I believe safety is one of the most important aspects of putting students and computers together. They have to know what is safe and what is not. My students have severe behavior problems. We are very cautious in our school because of the emotional problems they have and the sites that can adversely affect them. The games are strictly educational and are monitored closely.
I agree with the problem solving part of using the Nitendo DS. They had to figure out how to share and take care of a virtual pet. Overall, I think it was a very educational video.

Gary Hayes' Social Media Count

WOW! The Social Media Count shows me that technology is not just changing over the years but changing as the seconds pass. And keeping up with technology is getting harder every day. If teachers don't move forward with the new advances of technology then you may as well find a new occupation. We know we are an ever changing society and that the history facts you teach today may be the same you were taught ten years ago, you also have to know new ways to catch and keep students attention. When they would rather play a game and fight a war than read or hear about one, you have to go with it to some degree. Find ways to adapt to your students and not the other way around.

We can change and grow just like the numbers on the Social Media Count, but only if willing. Teachers, myself included, will have to get out of their comfort zones and actively get the training needed. It may be in the form of college, professional development, or conferences. If teachers truly want to teach, they will first have to become learners.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I agree with Mr. Fisch about the need for teachers to be technologically proficient. It is necessary into today's society to be able to not only master the technology but to also teach our students to master it as well. I do not have one student that does not like to search the Internet for whatever personal reason they may have. Unfortunately, my students aren't allowed to do so because of their particular behavior issues. I would need one on one supervision to do this. And if that happened I could then see them not want to search any longer. So all activities are teacher planned, as they should be, and closely monitored.

I also agree with the comments by Terry Freedman that principals and headmasters should make sure that there staff has the appropriate training in technology. I know funding is always a major issue in getting this funding so our districts and states should possibly be held more accountable for training. Our school is purchasing new school attendance/documentation software. The training will be done by webex. Personally, I know that a 2 hour webex will not teach me the program. I will only learn by using it. I believe we need much more hands on training once you leave college and begin teaching. Mobile County had just begun using computers for classroom attendance and writing student IEP's(individualized education plan). I quit teaching for a while at that time, so when I came back it was totally foreign to me. I was sent to a 3 hour class for training. By the time I figured out the terminology, the class was over. I feel that more basic instruction was needed. You can't just assume your students know what you do.

It's Not About Technology by Kelly Hines

I am one of the teachers that has not had the opportunity through professional development to learn new technologies. I have never "had" to have the latest gadgets so I haven't actively pursued new technology on my own. I totally agree with Mrs. Hines that "the lack of comprehensive and curriculum-related professional development for teachers is why schools have thousands of computers that are being used as game systems and word processors". I agree that the "old" approach of lecturing students and then testing them on material is not the way to reach all students. That the use of up to date technology will only enhance learning and build creativity in students. From personal experience in the school systems and especially in my current state funded job, there are minimal amounts of the latest technology available. This is an area that needs improvement.

I see that I must be a learner as well as a teacher. I have had to ask my students for assistance with my cell phone and with uploading pictures. They are quite capable of learning the new technologies and teaching me a thing or two. I hope to pursue more training and development in all technology areas. Even initiate some collaboration with some of the local public schools to see what they are doing in technology and how I can improve my classroom.

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

I am an avid reader. Give me a mystery, a romance, a sports story, or an adventure novel and I will read until my eyes are gritty. I read at red lights. I can read while the world is churning around me. But hand me a textbook and I will do chores around the house to get out of reading it. The students in this video state that they completed 49% of their assigned readings, and only 26% were relevant to their lives. Yet they pay $100 for this unopened text. In my first go around of college, I was too afraid to NOT purchase the texts, though the odds were that I would not open them. I was a P.E. major at first and the books that contained the sports and the activities I still have because I teach and can at times find something new for my students to do. These texts are from around 1994. The other texts were sold back as soon as possible. So I have experienced some of the examples that were shown in the video.

I would add to the video a comparison of statistics of younger, more traditional students to those of students who are older, returning students. I can guarantee that if I buy a textbook now, I will read it. If I pay for a class now, I will attend it. I believe the stats would differ in those areas and probably in the areas of where hours are spent. I thought the statistics were interesting as they were given and really did not surprise me at all.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I believe that the video shows the ways that technology can be utilized in a specified computer class. The comment that the student was proud of her project where she collaborated with students from other countries was great. To give the students a chance to teach each other and even their teacher, would build confidence that may not have been there before. Having the students have to search for definitions and not just spoon feeding them all of the terminology is a great way to empower them also.

When I see videos are read about classes like the one in the video, I wonder if I will ever actually have access to one. I know when I taught in the public school setting you may have ten to fifteen computers available and on any given day half of them would be broken. The connections were often unreliable or just not available. At my present setting we have five computers and again, half are usually down. It gets very frustrating in that I may plan for an Internet activity and when we get ready to start, the connections are unavailable. I have brought my old laptop in for a backup with the knowledge that if they break it, oh well. Hopefully I will be able to use our resources and create a creative outlet for my students with what we have and prepare them for their next setting.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

I was blown away by the thoughts that Sir Ken Robinson provoked. His entertaining and humorous look at the world kept me focused on what he was saying. Sir Ken mentions that "education is meant to take us into this future we can't grasp" and I totally agree. I don't know what the future holds but I would like to prepare my students to be successful there. There are so many academic areas that my students need to be taught and only two teachers to cover it all. My students are in grades 6 through 11. We teach all subject areas and the arts are just not addressed. I see that we are doing these students a great disservice by not going that extra step to get to their creativity in more areas than writing.

Sir Ken Robinson stated that being "not prepared to be wrong you won't come up with something original". With the younger students I see that they are less afraid of being wrong in front of their peers. Once they are middle to high school the fear takes over and they would rather keep quiet than be mocked. I try to address this by either mocking myself when I don't know something or allowing them to pick on me a bit when they catch me in a mistake. Even to the point of purposely messing up so they can catch it. I want my students to be OK with making a mistake and not letting it stop them from trying.

Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman

I really enjoyed Mr. Winkle Wakes in that it reminds me of how I felt walking into the first night of EDM310. I picked a computer that first night and watched other students coming in and tried to pick up on what I could be doing to get started. I wasn't sure if Mrs. Averitt was who she was so I sat back and listened to the others. It almost felt like I was hearing a foreign language. I considered myself fairly competent on the regular computer things, such as, word, creating lessons on various sites and doing searches for whatever information I needed. I felt just like Mr. Winkle when Dr. Strange began talking to those of us who arrived to class for the first time. I was a little scared and ready to run to something more familar! I believe that a good mixture of the "old" and the "new" would benefit all students because of the varying learning styles I have encountered. I may be frightened of the newer technology that surrounds us but I am willing to use whatever will benefit my students. And my students would love to utilize the latest technologies to keep from hearing me talk. I recall the bored looks from the video and have seen that vacant stare a few times.

Did You Know? 3.0

The first thing I noticed about the video was the music. It was energetic and lively and drew me into the given information. Once I was hooked, the statistics themselves kept my attention. The statement “The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38” hit me close to home. I have had over 15 jobs in my 43 years. Personally, I enjoy the changes of employment locations and new coworkers. I wonder if for others, it may be that the jobs have become too challenging with the ever changing world of technology. Or could it be that the recent generations of gamers have become bored with the employment opportunities available to them? I can also relate to the statement “1 in 2 has been there less than 5 years”, referring to how long a person has been employed at their current position. I have been at my current teaching position for three years and with my previous employer for just two. At my previous position I was employed as an ancillary installment instructor at a local software company. I trained for three months and never grasped the daily technical side of the job. I was ill prepared for the technology and could not get past that aspect of the position. Given the information in the video, I plan not to become one of the statistics.