Post #13: iPods Do Wonders for Education

The use of iPods in the classroom has come a long way. A few years ago if you asked a teacher to use a technical device, other than a computer while teaching, they would probably tell you you were crazy. This new innovation is changing the way we learn and interact with students and teachers forever. An interesting take on how iPods and other technological advances are being made by educators can be seen on Project LIVE. Project LIVE, or Learning through Instructional Video in Education, is getting everyone in on the act. They are using videos, blogs, iPods, e-mail, and a host of other advancements to instruct, communicate, and learn. What they are doing is making sure everyone,students, parents, and teachers,have access to this project has a way of learning new things through different technological means.
Duke University seems to have been at the forefront of handing over iPods to students for educational purposes.

Post # 12: Presentation in class.

This is a presentation of my family's summer vacation this year. Hope you all enjoy it!

Post #11: Dr. Christie is Serious About Technology in the Classroom

Dr. Alice Christie's website is chalk-full of great ideas and countless ways to get started on your way to becoming an technologically literate teacher! There are links, resources and examples of uses for technology on the website. The sky is the limit, but as an educator and adult in charge of a number of minors at one time, one must use caution when exploring the Internet in and out of the classroom. Dr. Alice Christie's Internet Safety Guide is one aspect I, as a teacher, would use quite often. The Internet offers students of all ages so many opportunities to reach other people all over the world through websites, cell phones, blogs, and messaging. Teachers, as well as students, must be aware of how to maneuver through this ever changing world of technology.
On her website, Dr. Christie examines the positive and negative uses for blogs, UTube, networking, etc. She helps educators find websites and blogs that are appropriate for children in Kindergarten through the 12th grade. She touches on what Cyber crime is and how to report it, and the perils and pitfalls of blogging, and social networking. Overall, I believe that technology and the knowledge and instruction for safety when using this information is vital to our childrens' future. But, we as parents and educators must be aware of the dangers out there, and how to protect our children against them.

Post #10: Why Wikipedia?

Why would anyone use Wikipedia as a reliable source of reference when anyone can alter what it states? I am really surprised to see such big names involved in altering information like Wikipedia. The problem isn't that information is changed from incorrect to correct, it is the information that is changed. I'm glad to see Virgil Griffith's WikiScanner keep up with who makes changes to what information and when. One has to remember that there may be a lot of unreliable sources on the internet and Wikipedia is one of them.

Post #9: Thoughts on Fischbowl's "180 Days?"

The blog entitled 180 Days? is really insightful. The post asks the question: "How many days of school are students actually learning and the teacher actually teaching?" If you think about it, there are a lot of days during the year that are wasted on other things besides learning. How can this problem be eliminated? Can this problem be eliminated? Mr. Fisch presented these questions to teachers at the school where he is an educator, and opened the floor to suggestions and comments. Not everyone was thrilled by Mr. Fisch's suggestions. I agree that something needs to be done about these so called "wasted days," but what? A longer school year, less testing, less extracurricular activities? Not very good answers to an already exhausted staff and student body.
I also watched a powerpoint presentation by Mr. Fisch that really put the wasted days into perspective. It estimated that sixty out of one-hundred, eighty days of school are not used to educate. Some of the days are allocated to testing, and absences, both student and teacher. Other days were the first and last day of classes, others for parties and events. but the question still exists: "What are we to do about it?" No one really has the answer, but the post proves an interesting point.

Post # 8: Thoughts on Technologically Illiterate Teachers

I think Mr. Fisch is definitely on to something. The fact that the post seems rather harsh only drives the issue home with me. Teachers must be aware of new advances in the world of technology. Educators that have been in the field for years have different degrees of technological knowledge and experience. The state does not mind sending teachers to workshops on the latest method of teaching, or a new teaching initiative, so why can't these teachers attend scheduled workshops on computers and the capacity to utilize this technology in a classroom setting?
The idea that computers is not going away is evident in the college classroom where new teachers are learning all they can about this innovative teaching tool. Many educators probably feel overwhelmed by all of this computer mumbo jumbo, but the best way to help these illiterate teachers is to minimize the amount of knowledge thrown at them at a time. If you can break the process of basic skills to advanced skills and programs down into small increments, the information can probably be learned effectively. Overall, the only way for teachers to know what they are teaching is to teach the teachers. It is never too late to learn.

New Articles

Ms. Averitt has located two very interesting articles about RSS Feeds and Podcasting. I have posted them under Syllabus and Handouts, but I am going to also put the links from here.the abc's of RSS Feeds

Post # 7: International Blogs Are Innovative and Exciting

Searching for international classrooms was a little harder than I thought. It doesn't seem to be that many people from other countries using blogs in the classroom. I did find one interesting blog: Ms. Lawson's Classroom Blog She teaches grades 8 through 12 at Seycove Secondary School in Vancouver, British Colombia. Subjects taught by Ms. Lawson include mathematics and woodworking. She says she set the blog up to simply be an "extension of the classroom." Parents, other teachers, and students can keep up with class assignments, homework, and projects, especially in woodworking classes. Ms. Lawson has links for parents that may be useful to them. She also has a "leave a comment" box for anyone and everyone that has suggestions for any aspect of the class or assignments. This is a great way to keep everyone involved in Ms. Lawson's classes!

The second international blog was a little harder to find. It is Sandaig Otters Weblog of Sandaig Primary School in Glasgow, Scotland. This blog is a little different because it is not a class effort, but an entire school effort. It has headings for every class and teacher grades Primary 1 through primary 7. I suppose that is similar to the U.S's K through 6th grades. It has newsletters, pictures, and classroom assignments posted to the blog. In addition, the school also has its own radio station. The name of the station is Radio Sandaig and it features, podcasts, music, and announcements. The main difference between this blog and others I have viewed is that is doesn't have a special place for parents. Overall, it is a very creative blog!!

Blog #6: Cool Classroom Blogs

In my search for classroom blogs, I came across Mr. Mansour's Classroom Blog. Mr. Mansour teaches math and science to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Jesuit Middle School of Omaha. The classes have a website with a link to the class blog. Mr. Mansour, students, and their parents can post messages and keep up with class notes and progress. There is even a survey for parents and links to cool scientific websites where everyone can watch or take part in different experiments. Mr. Mansour has created a fun, informative, innovative way of improving his classroom and communication with parents and the public.

Another great blog is Mrs. Cobb's Leaping Into 5th Grade Blog. Mrs. Cobb teaches 5th grade at Landis Elementary School in Logansport, Indiana. Mrs. Cobb has each student post to the blog on certain days. The information is then available for viewing and commenting by students and parents, as well as anyone else. It is really interesting to see how proficiently a fifth grader can use the computer. There is also a link to the class website, which is unbelievable!! Most class work and all other projects are posted for for everyone to see. Both of these teachers put alot of time and energy into their classes and it shows when you see the blogs and websites.

Post #5: "Did you know?" Thoughts

Mr. Fisch and the people involved in XPLANE seem to be thinking in a direction many people do not consider. The world is changing very much very quickly and as educators, we must keep up or be lost in the shuffle. I like the idea that "Did you know?" doesn't consider the fact that India and China are catching up or passing the United States in most areas of technology and education as a negative thing, but embraces the fact that, like us, most of the world wants to be an intricate part of the changes taking place globally. It seems to me as an educator, but more importantly as a parent, that I must learn as much about the Internet and its intricacies as possible and start using this wonderful tool for more than entertainmnet purposes. Also, I must instill within my son a hunger for knowledge through technology as not only a way to entertain and play games, but as a way of communication and education worldwide.
I believe the United State needs to seriously evaluate the teaching methods and the subject matter taught in order to lead our young people in the direction of the rest of the first world countries. We are on the right track, but keeping up with this ever changing, evolving technology must be taken seriously. Not only do we as parents and educators have to keep up with the technology, learn to use it, and teach it to our kids, but we must also make sure that we teach these children the discipline to make sure that this learning tool is used properly and effectively to keep up with the rest of the world.