Saturday, February 23, 2013
Project #10 Finding the Right Tool
The grade I plan on teaching is kindergarten. Considering the age of my future students, I honestly didn't think I would find anything technological to do with them besides ABC, 123, and shape games that would be used on a smart board. However, after about ten minutes of searching, I found myself on mackiev.com. I looked through all the tabs and finally settled on the Kid Pix 3D portion of the site. I was very intrigued by this video tool. The Kid Pix 3D tool allows children as young as kindergarden to create and share stories they've written in class. They can create a video to illustrate their story and can also record their voice to narrate. And did I mention the videos are in 3D? I found this to be a great idea and decided to watch some of the stories provided. The first came from a 5 year old and her fluency astounded me. Kid Pix is beneficial to kids in so many ways. It allows for kids to use their imagination to write and create stories, but also through the narration they are strengthening their reading abilities. I explored some more and found a short story done by a 3 year old! I feel young students would love something like this because they are always eager to create their own things. I can't wait to see what stories my students will create! Knowing me I probably won't be able to wait and will try this website out on my Sunday School class or kindergarteners at my church!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Blog Post #6
The Networked Student
My initial thought while viewing The Networked Student was, "This is a really cool way to construct a presentation." I really liked the layout of the video. The hand-drawn pictures that were used to help tell the story really kept me focused on the video. It was a good break from watching power point presentations, and I salute Wendy Dexler's creativity.
Although I found the design very interesting, I'll admit I had to watch the video a couple times to understand what was being presented to me. However, after watching the video again, I realized how the topic of the video (connectivism) is how this EDM 310 course is mainly set up. Connectivism allows students to become self-motivated learners while the teacher aids in helping the students to take the information they've found and decipher the reliability of it. This way of learning encourages students to explore networking sites such as twitter, blogs, ect. to learn things from people outside of the classroom. In turn, if students can also share their knowledge of things with others as well. Another positive effect from connectivism is that it allows students access to some of the most educated professors and speakers of all types of subjects through podcasts. With this style of teaching, students are able to take learning into their own hands and find what was best suit them, yet the instructor is still their to guide them in this process and clear up confusion.
I think connectivism is really beneficial for older students. I actually wish I had been exposed to it prior to college. While I was in high school, I wasn't made to learn things on my own. I was completely dependent on the teacher when it came to my education. I had a really hard time when I started college because I realized that I didn't know how to teach myself material, and I definitely was not aware that I could simply download a podcast from another professor if I did not understand my professor's style of teaching. It is a lesson I wish I had not had to learn the hard way. After being exposed to the blogs and videos assigned in this course, I've learned that the resources to anything I wish to learn about are limitless. I believe teachers should help their students to become self-motivated learners and guide them in how to take steps to learn things for themselves. Why? Because a student isn't going to always have his/her teacher there to hold his and tell him how to do things, and they need to learn that their knowledge of material is their responsibility to obtain.
Welcome To My PLE
I really enjoyed the tour of this 7th grader's PLE in Welcome To My PLE. I learned that a PLN is all about communication with other people throughout the world and using those resources to further one's knowledge about things they do not know that much about. It was very fascinating that by this student's professor giving her the responsibility to find her own resources, she was able to talk with experts of the topics she was researching about. I feel like I would have loved projects in school way more if I had been able to talk with someone who specialized in what I was researching rather than just gathering my information from a textbook.
With that being said, I personally don't feel I have a PLN. I've been trained to rely on textbooks for all my research needs. Up until this class, I had never read others' blogs or watched lectures to get a more diverse view on material. I've found that when I read some blogs, the authors make points I had never even considered prior to reading the blog or watching the video. What I found to like most about PLNs is the community that comes with them. Not only am I exposed to new information, but I'm also able to help others with material that I'm more knowledgeable with.
I also would like to comment on the way this 7th grader organizes her information. I must say I was a little intimidated! I now know that I'm not as organized as I thought!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Blog Post #5
If I Built A School
Krissy Venosdale is truly sensational! She's the perfect example of how a teacher should be, and the ideal role model for future teachers. Just from skimming through her Venspired blog, I could tell how much she loves her job and takes her work with her students seriously. I read a few of her post, and before I knew it, I was looking under every single tab of her site. Two posts really stood out to me. The first was "It Might Be Today". In this post, she talks about all the things of life that flood our lives and can sometimes make us feel overwhelmed. Then, she enters her classroom filled with children and all those things disappear for the time being. This really hit home with me because while I was reading her post, I thought "this is exactly how I feel". It amazed me that someone I had never even heard of before this assignment was able to put what I was also feeling into words (something I have never been good at). After reading that, I wanted to continue reading. The next item I came across was a picture she uploaded under Teacher Confession Tuesday. It states how she called her students "her kids" because they leave such a huge impression on her heart that they aren't just her students. In a way they are her children. I'm really involved in the children's ministry at my church, and I refer to every one of those children as one of my own kids. I'm happy to know I'm not the only person who does that!
Ms. Venosdale's post If I Built A School is the most far fetched dream of a school that I have ever heard of; however, it's the ideal school. A treehouse in the library? That's one of the most creative decor ideas I've ever heard. But she doesn't stop there. She goes on to tell how she would have the cafeteria a cozy area, a science lab for all sorts of experiments, and a bus on call for year round field trips. And then there's my personal favorite- a child's grade level would depend on their readiness and ability, not their age. This school doesn't seem like a dream come true for only students but teachers too. To have resources to use with your students and a more relaxed and fun work environment is any teachers dream. All I can say is that when Krissy Venosdale builds her school, I will be applying for a job there!
After reading about her dream school, I thought of what my dream school might be like. I would try to have something for every student to succeed in depending on his or her natural abilities. The arts would be something that would be very encouraged. There would be an art and music studio (separate from each other) where students can dive into their artistic and musical abilities whenever they wish. There would be a science lab with an unending cabinet of supplies for any type of experiment you can think of. The cafeteria would be more like a food court than a line that serves one thing. Students could have a variety of meals to choose from and then could choose to sit at a booth instead of a hard table with hard chairs that's the farthest thing from comfortable. There would be no desks. Students would sit at a table and learn how to work together on things. There would also be no tests (whoop whoop!). Instead, students would be graded on if they can apply the material and prove they truly know what they learned instead of just marking a simple a,b,c, or d on a piece of paper. Students could move up to the next grade level depending on their knowledge of what is being learned. No one would be held back simply because their birthday says they are to be in that particular grade. Recess and PE would be a must. Too many schools try to keep children in a classroom all day, and that simply does not work. After all, they are children; they need to have time to play. Classrooms would be colorful and vibrant instead of white cement walls that feel like a prison. Teachers would get paid the amount of money they deserve! After all, they are the ones investing their days taking care of and educating our children; therefore, they should reap more benefits than how they do now. This may just be a dream, but I'm a full believer that dreams come true. Every successful thing started out as a dream- who says I can't make mine a reality too?
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
After watching Mr. Whitacre's virtual choir I was completely amazed! It's astounding how someone can take videos of people all around the world singing and put it together to make one huge virtual symphony. When I first read Jennifer Chamber's post, I'll admit I was a little skeptical. However, after watching the performance, I wish I could have been apart of it! It's truly amazing what technology can do. Before this video, I would have never thought someone could put together something like that. The assignments in this class are really good at proving me wrong!
Teaching In the 21st Century
In John Strange's version of Kevin Roberts' video Teaching in the 21st Century, Roberts stresses the point that teachers need to be teaching skills instead of just facts and contents. In today's world, students have all the information they could ever dream of gathering at their fingertips. Teachers are to be the filters. They are suppose to teach their pupils how to apply this information and use it in the real world.
I completely agree with Mr. Roberts. Teachers aren't the only source of information, and it would be ignorant of people to think children learn everything they know at school. Students can discover whatever information they want on google, but google isn't teaching them how to analyze the information for accuracy and showing them how to apply it to the real world. That's where teachers come in. We need to be teaching our children skills and ways to use information they find on the internet, or they will simply be beings with a bunch of information they don't know what to do with. I know many teachers view technology as the enemy, but realistically speaking, there is nothing they can do to stop it. So instead of blocking it out of the classroom, why not use it to your advantage and have kids learn from it. I'm speaking from experience that when working with younger children, you HAVE to make everything into a game. Why not download a game to the smart board that's relative to the material being learned in class and have a day that students can play that game and reinforce the material being learned? I know teachers would be surprised at how much faster the children catch on to the material.
I do believe we need to change the way students view technology. Yes, it is very entertaining, but that's not all it is. I really enjoyed the segment of the video that contrasted entertainment and engagement. Kids already love technology and want to play with it, so why not use it as a way to engage your students in material that's being taught in the classroom. Students would more than likely be more open to participating if they know they are going to be doing something on the computer, smart board, ect.
Flipped Classroom
I think flipped classrooms are an awesome idea! A few weeks ago, I shadowed a teacher in my hometown. She asked me to help her out a little and grade some assignments for her, and I was completely blown back by how low some of the grades were. In a way it made me really mad that the majority of the students did so poorly. I went on to ask her what the problem is. Why are these students not comprehending the information? Her response- there is not enough time. She has one hour and fifteen minutes with each class to teach two subjects. That's not enough time to properly cover the material the students need to learn. Flipping classrooms is a great way to solve this problem. Because time is limited, if students watch the lectures online before class and become familiar with the material, when they get in class the teacher will have more time to answer questions. The time she/he would spend lecturing and answering questions, could simply be just question time. It would also give students more time in class to practice that material being learned.
Yes, you run into the problem with students not watching the videos at home. But I agree with Ms. Gimbar that once those students see the rest of the class engaging in group activities, they are going to want to be apart of that and not at the computer watching the videos. It might take some time, but I think eventually the change of atmosphere in the class will motivate all the students to watch the videos beforehand.
I personally see this method of teaching as an answered prayer. I feel that if students are behind and not grasping the material, the teacher should take whatever means necessary to change that. It's their job to do that, and I will be recommending this method of teaching to that teacher I previously spoke of.
Krissy Venosdale is truly sensational! She's the perfect example of how a teacher should be, and the ideal role model for future teachers. Just from skimming through her Venspired blog, I could tell how much she loves her job and takes her work with her students seriously. I read a few of her post, and before I knew it, I was looking under every single tab of her site. Two posts really stood out to me. The first was "It Might Be Today". In this post, she talks about all the things of life that flood our lives and can sometimes make us feel overwhelmed. Then, she enters her classroom filled with children and all those things disappear for the time being. This really hit home with me because while I was reading her post, I thought "this is exactly how I feel". It amazed me that someone I had never even heard of before this assignment was able to put what I was also feeling into words (something I have never been good at). After reading that, I wanted to continue reading. The next item I came across was a picture she uploaded under Teacher Confession Tuesday. It states how she called her students "her kids" because they leave such a huge impression on her heart that they aren't just her students. In a way they are her children. I'm really involved in the children's ministry at my church, and I refer to every one of those children as one of my own kids. I'm happy to know I'm not the only person who does that!
Ms. Venosdale's post If I Built A School is the most far fetched dream of a school that I have ever heard of; however, it's the ideal school. A treehouse in the library? That's one of the most creative decor ideas I've ever heard. But she doesn't stop there. She goes on to tell how she would have the cafeteria a cozy area, a science lab for all sorts of experiments, and a bus on call for year round field trips. And then there's my personal favorite- a child's grade level would depend on their readiness and ability, not their age. This school doesn't seem like a dream come true for only students but teachers too. To have resources to use with your students and a more relaxed and fun work environment is any teachers dream. All I can say is that when Krissy Venosdale builds her school, I will be applying for a job there!
After reading about her dream school, I thought of what my dream school might be like. I would try to have something for every student to succeed in depending on his or her natural abilities. The arts would be something that would be very encouraged. There would be an art and music studio (separate from each other) where students can dive into their artistic and musical abilities whenever they wish. There would be a science lab with an unending cabinet of supplies for any type of experiment you can think of. The cafeteria would be more like a food court than a line that serves one thing. Students could have a variety of meals to choose from and then could choose to sit at a booth instead of a hard table with hard chairs that's the farthest thing from comfortable. There would be no desks. Students would sit at a table and learn how to work together on things. There would also be no tests (whoop whoop!). Instead, students would be graded on if they can apply the material and prove they truly know what they learned instead of just marking a simple a,b,c, or d on a piece of paper. Students could move up to the next grade level depending on their knowledge of what is being learned. No one would be held back simply because their birthday says they are to be in that particular grade. Recess and PE would be a must. Too many schools try to keep children in a classroom all day, and that simply does not work. After all, they are children; they need to have time to play. Classrooms would be colorful and vibrant instead of white cement walls that feel like a prison. Teachers would get paid the amount of money they deserve! After all, they are the ones investing their days taking care of and educating our children; therefore, they should reap more benefits than how they do now. This may just be a dream, but I'm a full believer that dreams come true. Every successful thing started out as a dream- who says I can't make mine a reality too?
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
After watching Mr. Whitacre's virtual choir I was completely amazed! It's astounding how someone can take videos of people all around the world singing and put it together to make one huge virtual symphony. When I first read Jennifer Chamber's post, I'll admit I was a little skeptical. However, after watching the performance, I wish I could have been apart of it! It's truly amazing what technology can do. Before this video, I would have never thought someone could put together something like that. The assignments in this class are really good at proving me wrong!
Teaching In the 21st Century
In John Strange's version of Kevin Roberts' video Teaching in the 21st Century, Roberts stresses the point that teachers need to be teaching skills instead of just facts and contents. In today's world, students have all the information they could ever dream of gathering at their fingertips. Teachers are to be the filters. They are suppose to teach their pupils how to apply this information and use it in the real world.
I completely agree with Mr. Roberts. Teachers aren't the only source of information, and it would be ignorant of people to think children learn everything they know at school. Students can discover whatever information they want on google, but google isn't teaching them how to analyze the information for accuracy and showing them how to apply it to the real world. That's where teachers come in. We need to be teaching our children skills and ways to use information they find on the internet, or they will simply be beings with a bunch of information they don't know what to do with. I know many teachers view technology as the enemy, but realistically speaking, there is nothing they can do to stop it. So instead of blocking it out of the classroom, why not use it to your advantage and have kids learn from it. I'm speaking from experience that when working with younger children, you HAVE to make everything into a game. Why not download a game to the smart board that's relative to the material being learned in class and have a day that students can play that game and reinforce the material being learned? I know teachers would be surprised at how much faster the children catch on to the material.
I do believe we need to change the way students view technology. Yes, it is very entertaining, but that's not all it is. I really enjoyed the segment of the video that contrasted entertainment and engagement. Kids already love technology and want to play with it, so why not use it as a way to engage your students in material that's being taught in the classroom. Students would more than likely be more open to participating if they know they are going to be doing something on the computer, smart board, ect.
Flipped Classroom
I think flipped classrooms are an awesome idea! A few weeks ago, I shadowed a teacher in my hometown. She asked me to help her out a little and grade some assignments for her, and I was completely blown back by how low some of the grades were. In a way it made me really mad that the majority of the students did so poorly. I went on to ask her what the problem is. Why are these students not comprehending the information? Her response- there is not enough time. She has one hour and fifteen minutes with each class to teach two subjects. That's not enough time to properly cover the material the students need to learn. Flipping classrooms is a great way to solve this problem. Because time is limited, if students watch the lectures online before class and become familiar with the material, when they get in class the teacher will have more time to answer questions. The time she/he would spend lecturing and answering questions, could simply be just question time. It would also give students more time in class to practice that material being learned.
Yes, you run into the problem with students not watching the videos at home. But I agree with Ms. Gimbar that once those students see the rest of the class engaging in group activities, they are going to want to be apart of that and not at the computer watching the videos. It might take some time, but I think eventually the change of atmosphere in the class will motivate all the students to watch the videos beforehand.
I personally see this method of teaching as an answered prayer. I feel that if students are behind and not grasping the material, the teacher should take whatever means necessary to change that. It's their job to do that, and I will be recommending this method of teaching to that teacher I previously spoke of.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Blog Post C4T Comments for Teachers
C4T Post 1
For my first C4T assignment, I commented on Dr. John Strange's post entitled Facts. In this blogpost, Dr. Strange brings to light that facts are irrelevant. He begins his argument with an encounter he had with a member of the New Jersey State Board of Education who informed him the Board was insisting students learn important historical facts and dates. Dr. Strange then goes on to ask him questions about dates in our history that anyone could make his or her own argument about when they occurred. He then states his opinion about why facts such as these are unimportant, and why we should be skeptical of these so called facts and focus more on why these things in history happened. Dr. Strange really understands that many facts are not reliable and that educators should teach their students how to research for evidence regarding such questions.
In my reply to his post, I told Dr. Strange how I experienced learning different "facts" regarding some subjects throughout middle and high school. With each history class I took, I was told a different "fact" and that the "fact" the previous teacher taught me was completely wrong. Eventually, I just learned what the instructor wanted me to learn just to get a good grade on the test. I also commented that I don't remember the majority of the dates I had to learn while in those classes. Overall, I really enjoyed Dr. Strange's blogpost regarding facts, and it refreshing to know that an educator recognized the unreliability and irrelevance of some of the things students are being made learn.
C4T Post 2
For my second C4T assignment, I commented on Dr. John Strage's Competence and Accreditation blogpost. In this post, Dr. Strange talks about his recent experience with the SACS regarding his qualification of teaching EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. He had to gather his own materials that he viewed would meet the SACS standards to show he is qualified to teach. He attempted to submit all his documents electronically but was told he had to print them. Two days after approval, he was told he had to submit everything electronically. He goes on to state why this burden should not have been placed on him, and why his teaching qualifications should have been handled differently.
In my response to this post, I agreed with Dr. Strange with his complaints. The University should have been responsible for providing qualification documents since they are the ones who hired him. Also, it was pretty absurd to me that an individual needed to provide proof he's qualified to teach a course he invented. There is no one more qualified to teach the course than the inventor!
For my first C4T assignment, I commented on Dr. John Strange's post entitled Facts. In this blogpost, Dr. Strange brings to light that facts are irrelevant. He begins his argument with an encounter he had with a member of the New Jersey State Board of Education who informed him the Board was insisting students learn important historical facts and dates. Dr. Strange then goes on to ask him questions about dates in our history that anyone could make his or her own argument about when they occurred. He then states his opinion about why facts such as these are unimportant, and why we should be skeptical of these so called facts and focus more on why these things in history happened. Dr. Strange really understands that many facts are not reliable and that educators should teach their students how to research for evidence regarding such questions.
In my reply to his post, I told Dr. Strange how I experienced learning different "facts" regarding some subjects throughout middle and high school. With each history class I took, I was told a different "fact" and that the "fact" the previous teacher taught me was completely wrong. Eventually, I just learned what the instructor wanted me to learn just to get a good grade on the test. I also commented that I don't remember the majority of the dates I had to learn while in those classes. Overall, I really enjoyed Dr. Strange's blogpost regarding facts, and it refreshing to know that an educator recognized the unreliability and irrelevance of some of the things students are being made learn.
C4T Post 2
For my second C4T assignment, I commented on Dr. John Strage's Competence and Accreditation blogpost. In this post, Dr. Strange talks about his recent experience with the SACS regarding his qualification of teaching EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. He had to gather his own materials that he viewed would meet the SACS standards to show he is qualified to teach. He attempted to submit all his documents electronically but was told he had to print them. Two days after approval, he was told he had to submit everything electronically. He goes on to state why this burden should not have been placed on him, and why his teaching qualifications should have been handled differently.
In my response to this post, I agreed with Dr. Strange with his complaints. The University should have been responsible for providing qualification documents since they are the ones who hired him. Also, it was pretty absurd to me that an individual needed to provide proof he's qualified to teach a course he invented. There is no one more qualified to teach the course than the inventor!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Blog Post #4
Podcasting
I found all the podcast posts on the Langwitches blog very interesting. I had never put much thought into podcasting before- especially not in the classroom. However, after viewing the blogs and seeing how much a podcasting project benefitted the children, my mind has been changed.
While going through the links provided, there were several things that caught my attention. The Flat Stanley project was the first. I LOVED how the instructor had the students go to the library and check out books about a location of their choosing (call me old timey, but I don't believe that just because we have the world at our fingertips via the internet, we should forget resources that can be found in a library). Once a book was obtained, the child was to go home, write down specific information about the city/country with the help of the parents, and write a script of what it was would like to visit that country. When the students returned to class, they recorded their scripts for their Flat Stanley podcast. I found this to be a great way to teach social studies. Since social studies is one of those subjects that you really have no choice but to teach from a book (unless a teacher has the courage and money to pack up the class and take them to the country being studied), I considered this podcast approach a great way to give the kids a break from the books, a hands on learning experience, and a way to show the parents and get them involved in what is going on in the classroom.
The second point that stuck out to me was in Podcasting with First Grade. The comment was "believe it or not, but having an audience matters... even to 6 year olds." I couldn't agree more with this statement because so many of the kindergarten and first grade students I know are always so eager to show you a project they did or recite something they have learned. This was really the statement that opened my mind to the idea of podcasting with elementary students. Knowing they are working toward something that someone on the other side of the world will see is exciting to a child that age. And when the author stated that the project helped to get the shy and quiet kids out of their shell, I was hooked on the idea. After reading all of the positive feedback provided about how cooperative and engaged the class was, I came to the conclusion podcasting is a great way to help teach all the aspects of learning and social interaction that a teacher hopes accomplish.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom provided me with more benefits of letting my students participate in podcasting. I believe creativity is one of the most important things that needs to be encouraged in young children, and it's something I plan on trying to promote. If podcasting projects will help promote my students' creativity, I will try it no questions asked. Another benefit pointed out was it allows for differentiation and project based learning. Having a different way of learning is very important to students of all ages. If a teacher comes in class everyday and simply reads from the book and lectures, students are going to get bored with learning. Podcasting is a great way to avoid students getting that false mindset of learning. Podcasting seems to be like a good resource to help emphasize learning is fun, and I plan to have podcasting projects an often occurrence in my future classrooms. Maybe one day EDM 310 students will be listening to my first graders' podcasts!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Special Blog Post #1
Video from Blog Post #2
While watching the video Did You Know?, I would say I halfway misinterpreted the data. The US is behind in the international academic scores; therefore, when the video stated "India has more K-12 honors students than all the K-12 students in the US", I was deceived. I did not consider the population of the country. I just considered how America ranked in certain subject test scores compared to India. My family is close to several families that are from over seas, and all of them talk about how important succeeding in academics is in their country. Students come home and study for hours, and many of them are expected to make nothing lower than a perfect score on tests. With that being said, when I read the statistics given in the video, I came to the wrong conclusion. However, when the statement "if the learners do learn English there will be more people in China speaking English than the entire population of the United States" came on the screen, I did not misinterpret that. Every United States native knows English. I mean there is nothing else they would know unless they are home schooled in a Spanish speaking household. I thought it was common sense that China can't outrank us in our own language. I just assumed since the population of China is so much greater than America's, of course there would be more people speaking English in that country if they all learned our language.
According to WolframAlpha, the population of India is 1.21 billion, the population of China is 1.35 billion, and the population of the US is 309 million. If all the Chinese learning English do in fact learn the language, 23.56% of China's population would know English. Not even half of China's population is learning English. The number of English speakers in China is higher than America's simply because China's population is roughly 4 times greater than the US.
I conducted two other WolframAlpha searches. The first was the life expectancies of countries in the world. The top three countries with the highest life expectancies are Macau (84.4 yr), Andorra (82.5 yr), and Japan (82.1 yr). My assumptions of this data were pretty accurate and I had expected Japan to be ranked in the top five. My second search was the percentage of Christianity in the world. The result was that only 32% of the world's population consider themselves a Christian. The US was the leader in the Christian faith with 12% of the worldwide fraction and one of the lowest was Jamaica with 0.1% of the worldwide fraction. These numbers didn't upset me as bad when it clicked with me the statistics were based on a worldwide scale and not an individual country scale!
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
I was very intrigued by the media chart created by Gary Hayes. In a way I was a little blown away. I know the internet is used by people all over the world, but to see the numbers of things happening in one minute really brought it into perspective of how many people are doing the same thing in the same time frame. What really amazed me was that in 36 seconds, 124,999 photos were uploaded to FaceBook. That's a lot of photos!
With technology being used and changing at such a rapid rate, it will be my duty as a teacher to keep up. I will need to stay up to date with what is going on in the technological world so I can help my students learn what they need to learn. While I don't believe the use of technology is as important in elementary schools as it is in high school, I do believe kids should be exposed to the world around them instead of being trapped in a bubble.
While watching the video Did You Know?, I would say I halfway misinterpreted the data. The US is behind in the international academic scores; therefore, when the video stated "India has more K-12 honors students than all the K-12 students in the US", I was deceived. I did not consider the population of the country. I just considered how America ranked in certain subject test scores compared to India. My family is close to several families that are from over seas, and all of them talk about how important succeeding in academics is in their country. Students come home and study for hours, and many of them are expected to make nothing lower than a perfect score on tests. With that being said, when I read the statistics given in the video, I came to the wrong conclusion. However, when the statement "if the learners do learn English there will be more people in China speaking English than the entire population of the United States" came on the screen, I did not misinterpret that. Every United States native knows English. I mean there is nothing else they would know unless they are home schooled in a Spanish speaking household. I thought it was common sense that China can't outrank us in our own language. I just assumed since the population of China is so much greater than America's, of course there would be more people speaking English in that country if they all learned our language.
According to WolframAlpha, the population of India is 1.21 billion, the population of China is 1.35 billion, and the population of the US is 309 million. If all the Chinese learning English do in fact learn the language, 23.56% of China's population would know English. Not even half of China's population is learning English. The number of English speakers in China is higher than America's simply because China's population is roughly 4 times greater than the US.
I conducted two other WolframAlpha searches. The first was the life expectancies of countries in the world. The top three countries with the highest life expectancies are Macau (84.4 yr), Andorra (82.5 yr), and Japan (82.1 yr). My assumptions of this data were pretty accurate and I had expected Japan to be ranked in the top five. My second search was the percentage of Christianity in the world. The result was that only 32% of the world's population consider themselves a Christian. The US was the leader in the Christian faith with 12% of the worldwide fraction and one of the lowest was Jamaica with 0.1% of the worldwide fraction. These numbers didn't upset me as bad when it clicked with me the statistics were based on a worldwide scale and not an individual country scale!
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
I was very intrigued by the media chart created by Gary Hayes. In a way I was a little blown away. I know the internet is used by people all over the world, but to see the numbers of things happening in one minute really brought it into perspective of how many people are doing the same thing in the same time frame. What really amazed me was that in 36 seconds, 124,999 photos were uploaded to FaceBook. That's a lot of photos!
With technology being used and changing at such a rapid rate, it will be my duty as a teacher to keep up. I will need to stay up to date with what is going on in the technological world so I can help my students learn what they need to learn. While I don't believe the use of technology is as important in elementary schools as it is in high school, I do believe kids should be exposed to the world around them instead of being trapped in a bubble.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Blog Post #3
Peer Editing
After viewing the blog post provided by Paige Ellis, Peer Edit With Perfection, and What Is Peer Editing?, the point I most appreciated that was made was to stay positive and give compliments. Too many peers just jump into the editing process and spend all their time correcting errors that they don't take time to compliment the author's work. I know when I was in school compliments were rarely given. Students have this false mindset that editing is solely a correcting process; therefore, they just find all the mistakes they can then give the paper back to the owner. While it is very important to address the mistakes of the paper, it's also very important to encourage one another. Everyone has something he or she excels in. English and writing does not come easy to all students. If a student, who is already unconfident in correct grammar usage, gets a paper back from a peer that's just filled with red marks, it is just going to bring that student's confidence down even more. For this reason, it is also important in being nice when editing. Treating someone like he or she is stupid is not the way to go. For the most part, being wrong is embarrassing. Staying positive is the best way to critique someone's writing, and a fellow student will more than likely listen and seek your advice if it is given in a positive and kind way.
I loved the Top Ten Mistakes video! I know this video was probably made for younger students, but older students could definitely get something out of it. I would probably consider myself a "Picky Patty", however, not as picky as the one in the video! When I was middle school aged, I always tried my best to correct every mistake that was made. I will be the first to admit that I am not the Grammar Queen, but if I corrected every mistake I see on facebook, it would probably come across as that. I'm not super picky about mistakes while writing because I make them myself everyday, but there are just some words that a high school graduate should know how to spell. The same thing for comma placements. It's not that hard. I guess I have a little bit of "Mean Margaret" in me as well! With that being said, it made me very happy that I didn't notice any errors in my assigned C4C blog. However, if I would have found errors, it would depend on the types that were present that would have persuaded me to correct them publicly or privately. I'm not for public correction, but if it was simple mistakes the author probably didn't even realize he or she made, I wouldn't mind posting it on his or her blog. If the mistakes were huge and indicated he or she needed to go back to middle school English class, then I would more than likely sent that person an email.
Assistive Technologies
Until this blog post, I hadn't really ever put much thought into if a student of mine has a handicap like being deaf and/or blind. I always figured they would be put in a special needs class and never really spend much time in a normal classroom. I think the technology that is being developed to help children with the disabilities is really fascinating. The Mountbatten is probably the best device for a classroom that I've seen. With this machine, blind students can be more involved in normal classroom activities despite their disability. The machine is also very useful because a teacher who does not know braille can effectively communicate with the student. This would be very beneficial in a classroom because I know I will more than likely never learn how to use braille so it will give me the chance to communicate with a blind student, which I probably would not do very much if this technology had not been invented. I also believe that it's very important for children with disabilities to feel some sort of normalcy. The Mountbatten would allow them to interact with their peers and do assignments on their own and in turn boost their self worth and give them a sense of being a normal child.
After viewing these videos I will definitely use technology in my classroom to aid the visually and hearing impaired. The one thing I want to accomplish as a teacher is to make all my students feel like they belong there and are equal. One of my favorites uses in technology was demonstrated in iPad Usage For the Blind. I remember when I was in elementary school I always had reading assignments every night. With the iPad, blind students can now complete their reading assignments and not have to depend on a guardian to either read it to them or find the book in braille. This program will also allow the student to find the book, chapter, ect. on their own which will give them some independence.
I have never put much thought into how a blind individual learns math. I guess because I have my eyesight I never thought learning a simple math problem would be difficult. It's silly, but I also never considered the fact that the blind have to use braille for everything including learning math. Teaching Math To The Blind pointed out that because braille is linear, it's very difficult to learn math using this system of communication. The two dimensional model that Karshmer has developed looks so high tech and difficult to me; however, to a blind student, it is probably heaven sent. Karshmer states that this system of teaching math will give blind students a visual understanding of the problem and can help the students learn the basics of math. "Now they have a foundation for additional studies. Without that foundation the probability of getting into scientific careers is close to zero." With this device, so many more opportunities are opened up for visually impaired students, and I think it's wonderful that they now can have dreams and ambitions just like any other child that has his or her sight.
I was really intrigued by all this information so I decided to go to the app store on my iPhone and just snoop around at the apps they have for the blind and deaf population. A ton of apps came up but this particular app caught my eye. It is a bible for the deaf. It has the text for a deaf individual to read, but it also provides a person to sign the text to them instead of reading everything. It also has many other features of God's Word translated in American Sign Language. I have a bible on my phone, and I know I get tired of focusing on the screen at the words so I can't imagine what it would be like for that to be my only option. But with this app it would be just like watching a tv and is probably fast than reading. It makes me happy to know that technology is not advancing at a rapid rate and leaving the visually and hearing disabled individuals behind!
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
While watching this video, it was very apparent that Vicki Davis has a passion for introducing her students to the technological aspect of our world. I admire when she stated that she learns with her students and that sometimes her students teach her things. I think it's refreshing to hear a teacher admit that she does not know everything about the subject she is teaching.
I explored the Edutopia website and found some interesting things. They have a section that focuses on keeping your students engaged and tips to help students stay focused on the work at hand. These engagement tips come in many different forms from technological engagement to social learning and project engagement. There is also a lot of information on how to introduce your students to technology and how they can use social media.
After viewing the blog post provided by Paige Ellis, Peer Edit With Perfection, and What Is Peer Editing?, the point I most appreciated that was made was to stay positive and give compliments. Too many peers just jump into the editing process and spend all their time correcting errors that they don't take time to compliment the author's work. I know when I was in school compliments were rarely given. Students have this false mindset that editing is solely a correcting process; therefore, they just find all the mistakes they can then give the paper back to the owner. While it is very important to address the mistakes of the paper, it's also very important to encourage one another. Everyone has something he or she excels in. English and writing does not come easy to all students. If a student, who is already unconfident in correct grammar usage, gets a paper back from a peer that's just filled with red marks, it is just going to bring that student's confidence down even more. For this reason, it is also important in being nice when editing. Treating someone like he or she is stupid is not the way to go. For the most part, being wrong is embarrassing. Staying positive is the best way to critique someone's writing, and a fellow student will more than likely listen and seek your advice if it is given in a positive and kind way.
I loved the Top Ten Mistakes video! I know this video was probably made for younger students, but older students could definitely get something out of it. I would probably consider myself a "Picky Patty", however, not as picky as the one in the video! When I was middle school aged, I always tried my best to correct every mistake that was made. I will be the first to admit that I am not the Grammar Queen, but if I corrected every mistake I see on facebook, it would probably come across as that. I'm not super picky about mistakes while writing because I make them myself everyday, but there are just some words that a high school graduate should know how to spell. The same thing for comma placements. It's not that hard. I guess I have a little bit of "Mean Margaret" in me as well! With that being said, it made me very happy that I didn't notice any errors in my assigned C4C blog. However, if I would have found errors, it would depend on the types that were present that would have persuaded me to correct them publicly or privately. I'm not for public correction, but if it was simple mistakes the author probably didn't even realize he or she made, I wouldn't mind posting it on his or her blog. If the mistakes were huge and indicated he or she needed to go back to middle school English class, then I would more than likely sent that person an email.
Assistive Technologies
Until this blog post, I hadn't really ever put much thought into if a student of mine has a handicap like being deaf and/or blind. I always figured they would be put in a special needs class and never really spend much time in a normal classroom. I think the technology that is being developed to help children with the disabilities is really fascinating. The Mountbatten is probably the best device for a classroom that I've seen. With this machine, blind students can be more involved in normal classroom activities despite their disability. The machine is also very useful because a teacher who does not know braille can effectively communicate with the student. This would be very beneficial in a classroom because I know I will more than likely never learn how to use braille so it will give me the chance to communicate with a blind student, which I probably would not do very much if this technology had not been invented. I also believe that it's very important for children with disabilities to feel some sort of normalcy. The Mountbatten would allow them to interact with their peers and do assignments on their own and in turn boost their self worth and give them a sense of being a normal child.
After viewing these videos I will definitely use technology in my classroom to aid the visually and hearing impaired. The one thing I want to accomplish as a teacher is to make all my students feel like they belong there and are equal. One of my favorites uses in technology was demonstrated in iPad Usage For the Blind. I remember when I was in elementary school I always had reading assignments every night. With the iPad, blind students can now complete their reading assignments and not have to depend on a guardian to either read it to them or find the book in braille. This program will also allow the student to find the book, chapter, ect. on their own which will give them some independence.
I have never put much thought into how a blind individual learns math. I guess because I have my eyesight I never thought learning a simple math problem would be difficult. It's silly, but I also never considered the fact that the blind have to use braille for everything including learning math. Teaching Math To The Blind pointed out that because braille is linear, it's very difficult to learn math using this system of communication. The two dimensional model that Karshmer has developed looks so high tech and difficult to me; however, to a blind student, it is probably heaven sent. Karshmer states that this system of teaching math will give blind students a visual understanding of the problem and can help the students learn the basics of math. "Now they have a foundation for additional studies. Without that foundation the probability of getting into scientific careers is close to zero." With this device, so many more opportunities are opened up for visually impaired students, and I think it's wonderful that they now can have dreams and ambitions just like any other child that has his or her sight.
I was really intrigued by all this information so I decided to go to the app store on my iPhone and just snoop around at the apps they have for the blind and deaf population. A ton of apps came up but this particular app caught my eye. It is a bible for the deaf. It has the text for a deaf individual to read, but it also provides a person to sign the text to them instead of reading everything. It also has many other features of God's Word translated in American Sign Language. I have a bible on my phone, and I know I get tired of focusing on the screen at the words so I can't imagine what it would be like for that to be my only option. But with this app it would be just like watching a tv and is probably fast than reading. It makes me happy to know that technology is not advancing at a rapid rate and leaving the visually and hearing disabled individuals behind!
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
While watching this video, it was very apparent that Vicki Davis has a passion for introducing her students to the technological aspect of our world. I admire when she stated that she learns with her students and that sometimes her students teach her things. I think it's refreshing to hear a teacher admit that she does not know everything about the subject she is teaching.
I explored the Edutopia website and found some interesting things. They have a section that focuses on keeping your students engaged and tips to help students stay focused on the work at hand. These engagement tips come in many different forms from technological engagement to social learning and project engagement. There is also a lot of information on how to introduce your students to technology and how they can use social media.
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