Sunday, January 27, 2013

Blog Post #2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version

This particular video focused on the importance of technology and education. It honestly scared me a little when it went over statics of the number of Chinese that speak, or are learning to speak, English. Knowledge is power, and this makes me feel that we are behind, because I know it is not common for Americans to speak a second language, especially not at the rate the Chinese are speaking English.
The rest of the video makes perfect sense to me, and I feel very fortunate to be taking EDM 310 because I coach high school basketball and struggle to keep up with my kids when it comes to communication. I can count the number of times they have 'called' me, no more than three. Text messages on the other hand....I probably get 50-100 a day from my 15 kids. I have also found that group messaging is out the window, I have created a twitter (and Facebook) account for our team. I can get information out to them, and even their parents fastest through that avenue. At the high school, all students have MacBooks. They have constant internet access, and learn through their computers. Keeping up with technology is a must if I plan to keep up with them.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

I loved the humor in this video, and it reminded me of my mother finally accepting text messaging last year. Mr. Winkle waking up after a 100 years, seeing all the technology, and feeling overwhelmed is a feeling I can relate to completely. The message that technology is too far behind in schools was made very clear. I must say that with the introduction of the MacBooks in all the schools, they are hitting this problem head on.
When I took my first class at South Alabama this summer (over a decade after I graduated from UAB) I was Mr. Winkle. Sakai, and anything else online was a foreign language to me. Now, I cannot live without them. I see why they make life so much more simple. It really is like having the world at your finger tips.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

WOW!!!! Sir Ken Robinson was brilliant. The way he perceives education, and the world, opened my eyes. I liked his outlook on learning, and how schools can "box" people in, but it is not because they are trying to hold anyone back, instead it is because when structured education began, its goal was to put people in the industrial work force.
I thought his biggest point was that you can make mistakes trying to be creative, and be yourself. To him, these are not mistakes, they are you growing as an individual. That is how intelligence happens, through mistakes and creativity. I was inspired to be myself after watching this video. I do agree with Sir Ken Robinson that the face of education is going to continue to change, and we must be willing to grow and change with it.
I glanced through the website and was amazed to see that TED is a nonprofit group. I love the fact they are founded on passion for education, and their mission is to offer free inspiration and knowledge to others all over the world. I can only imagine that their conferences are extremely powerful.

In light of the Mr. Winkle Wakes movie

I felt like Mr. Winkle this summer when I first started at USA because I could not relate to Sakai. Then, I struggled relating to my high school basketball team because I had never used a MacBook. I have seen a ton of technology improvements in the schools in a very short time. I think they are understanding that is a way of life now, and we will be doing students a huge injustice by not offering them the most up to date way of learning.
It is crazy to witness the constant change in technology, and I am learning that I will always be learning! Technology moves much faster than I do, and in order to offer my students the best, and to function at my peak I must be open to learn every day.


Pinterest: Using Available Resources

Pinterest is new to me, so I am sure it will take me a little while to get warmed up to it. I liked several ideas on the website, and I would use these ideas in the future to break down my History lessons for my classes. I could use a category for Presidents, different time periods, wars, etc. Pinterest seems to be very interactive, and that will keep my ideas fresh and new, so I can stay up to date with the latest teaching methods.
My mind is absolutely blown with all of the information provided on Pinterest. I was amazed at how much is on the website. I am not too sure what I am doing just yet, but I like that I am growing and attempting to learn new ways of teaching. I followed almost all of the Top 20 Pinterest sites, but related mostly to Debbie Fucoloro's site because it was based on Pinterest for beginners. Her Pinterest offered a lot of useful information on Pinterest as well as Twitter, IPhone Apps, and tons of other technology tips.
Pinterest could be useful to me and my students in the future because it offers a unique learning experience. It allows me to find creative ways to teach my students. By following other teachers, or simply exploring the internet, I can pin pictures that catch my eye. This feature allows me to organize my thoughts, and come up with new ways to teach different topics. Pinterest is a much more creative way to teach, as opposed to simply following a standard lesson plan (burp-back education method). I tend to struggle being creative and this is a great way to organize your thoughts, and visualize at the same time. I can have subjects in my Boards, and constantly pin different information to them. Then, when it's time to teach that topic, I have a wealth of different resources available to me. Again, I am new with Pinterest, but I am looking forward to continuing to use it.

2 comments:

  1. Good posts!!!!! You are very honest with yourself and realize that technology is improving. Also, I respect the fact that you are ready and willing to learn how to improve yourself with technology.

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