Blog Post # 5

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

This was very interesting blog by Scott McLeod. In this post, he makes points on how technology can be dangerous in the classroom for children. He mentions such dangers like child predators, porn, and chat rooms. While I can agree that these are major risks when dealing with technology and students, I can honestly say that technology is still a very useful tool. If we as teachers can monitor the use of technology closely and teach them correct ways to use it then we can avoid the dangers that technology can hold. Also, another point he made about teaching kids to write online instead of a pen and paper, challenged my thinking a bit. I can strongly agree with the fact that online writing is staking the place of manually writing. I mean, if students continue to use the computer to write papers and communicate with teachers then students will never need to learn how to use a pen, in the future. For that matter we wouldn't even have to teach them how to spell because the computer would just do all of the work for them.

I did a little research on Dr.McLeod and found out some background on him. He's an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky. He also a founding director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. It is the nation's only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of administrators. McLeod has received many awards for his efforts and dedication to his work in technology leadership.


The iSchool Initiative

Travis Allen made great points with this video. He really caught my interest with his power point. The iSchool Initiative is basically a new way that technology can save money and help the environment in our schools by having everything accessible through the iPhone.Things such as assignments, agendas, lunch menus, and books could be accessed through the iphone. Allen proposed that by doing this students could be saved hundreds of dollars and have access to everything they need at anytime through phone or computer. This plan also provides a way for teachers and parents to always stay connected with the students progress in school. I would have to say that I am totally on board with the iSchool Initiative.

Mobile learning is an awesome idea. Everyday the world is becoming more and more reliant on technology and its benefits. Schools are also incorporating technology into its curriculum more now these days. The organization that Travis Allen has formed is revolutionary. Getting on board with the idea of mobile learning can only benefit everyone. The idea of having anytime access to grades, lesson plans, assignments, and anything associated with school, can save so much time and money for parents especially. There would be no more need for buying everything separately. If would all be in one place. I am sure that people would agree with me when I say that students would much rather spend one lump some of money for everything, than spend multiple large sums of money on books, supplies. and more.


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

This video blew me away! I wasn't expecting to see something this cool. The fact that something can be put together so beautifully from a group of strangers, who have never met is just awesome. Technology is a beautiful thing. It sounds as if these people have practiced together,rehearsed the song, and performed it together. This video absolutely amazed me and I loved it!

Teaching in the 21st Century

This was another challenging video for me. I think that what Roberts thinks it means to teach, is for teachers to actually implement a lesson for students instead of relying solely on technology to do so. As students we can find anything on the internet if we look hard enough. We could teach ourselves school related lessons without the use of the teacher, if we wanted to. By saying this, I'm saying that technology is a teacher in its self. Now, this video makes me think because everything that I know from school was taught to me through my teachers. But now that I'm in college, times have changed and technology has become a crutch. We use Twitter, Facebook, blog sites, emails, and YouTube for everything. After watching this video, I feel that it is going to be my job to make sure that when I become a teacher I don't solely rely on technology. I want my students to be able to say that I taught them lessons based on my knowledge and my words. The Internet is very helpful but if we only have that as our resource for learning, then what's the use of teaching?


Reading Rockets

I browsed through different links on this website and found that the many different resources for new teacher peaked my interest. I like that the website offers all of these tutorials, guides, and self exams for first-year teachers. It's almost like a confirmation for new teachers to help them be more reassured that they are ready in all areas of teaching. The website offers newsletters and articles on things you can expect your first year of teaching and things you can implement in your classes.

As I searched some more on this website, I found a very interesting and fun activity for teachers called, "Put Downs and Comebacks." I played this for a minute and it taught me how to respond to a child who is putting themselves down academically and the reasons why this could be happening. Thus activity covered situations in which maybe the child is feeling negative about their self and about different academics such as reading. I found this very helpful because it demonstrates ways that you can encourage a child, when they are feeling discouraged and down.