Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Blog Assignment # 9
"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung. In Mr. McClung’s blog post “What I’ve Learned This Year” he shares the lessons and philosophy he has acquired from his first year as a teacher. When he first started teaching he said he had a hard time with his lesson plans being effective because he was focusing more on administrations assessment of his lessons rather than his students. He suggests that teachers should let the audience drive the instruction leaving room for adjustments depending on student’s comprehension. This requires flexibility in planning lessons and embracing change in it as it happens. McClung urges the importance of developing communication skills and states that the only way to increase our communication skills is to just practice it. Good communication includes good listening and sometimes as a teacher you may be the only one listening to that child. As a teacher it is important to not have to high expectations of our students or be too hard on them. It is our jobs to pick them up when they fail, dust them off and inspire them to move forward. McClung makes a great point to remember that technology is our friend and must be used and embraced in the classroom. His final point is never stop being a student yourself. As teachers it’s hypocritical to not embrace and pursue new information while asking our students to do it everyday. We have to be open to changing the way we think, the way we learn and our style to be a good teacher.
I thought Mr. McClung’s blog post was inspiring because as a student pursuing a degree in Education I am often told from other first year teachers that I will hate it. It’s refreshing to be exposed to such a positive outlook. This blog I think would be beneficial for all future teachers to read in order to help them be better prepared. I know that we have to go through things ourselves to really learn them but it certainly helps to come into it advised and with a positive perspective. My favorite part in his blog is his statement about technology he stated “...just jump in head first, the water feels fine.” This is a great metaphor for an attitude that needs be applied to all aspects of teaching and life that we are unfamiliar with. We have got to just not be afraid to jump in and do what needs to be done. As teachers our job is way to important to let rigid thinking and fear of something new stop us.We are models for our students and I think it is so important to model openness, flexibility, communication, caring, joy and fearless pursuit towards knowledge.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Blog Assignment # 8
Watch Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
In this video lecture by Richard Miller titled “This Is How We Dream” he discusses the incremental shifts that are building towards a fundamental transformation in the way we communicate and the rate at which we do. The internet has allowed for information to move at exponential rates and the ability to push ideas in our collective culture. In the past in order to possess knowledge one had to have it in physical print form. Today the internet has allowed almost all information to be easily read and disposed of. Information can be updated and spread instantly across the world for anyone to view. New leaps in technology have become available which allow aggregating bots to perform massive searches through information, including blogs that can determine the emotional tone of specific areas. This allows us to reflect and assess the world as it changes instantaneously. Other changes include the integration of video and moving images into text increasing engagement with information. Miller purposes a possible future where print text is no longer used and possibly the loss of written language all together.
The implications that such transformations may have on the education system are tremendous and exciting. With the massive amounts of available resources that students have today many fear the possibility of originality and plagiarism. However changes in information transference and how it is represented has enabled liberation from fears of copyright infringement. Students must learn now advanced ways of weaving together multimedia electronic information. It is exciting to imagine what new methods of teaching that will develop from such dramatic changes.
I hope that methods of teaching can evolve as fast as the world around it. I am excited to be a part of a profession that faces such changes. I think these changes will allow the blending of disciplines and intern allow for their mutual enhancement. Personally though I am collector of books, records and fine arts and see this change from print to digital as increasing the value of my collection. I think the shift into digital makes the fine arts even finer. The further the world delves into the digital the more I love the smell of my old books or the scratches in my vinyl records. I support any change that results in a greener world and appreciates the value of my books, records and art.
EDM 310 is Different
The point of both of the videos is that if you want to do well in life and in EDM 310 than you have to be willing to accept the challenges and put in the time because there is no easy cheater guide or excuse good enough to get you through. I thought both of these videos were entertaining, well made and had a central important message. Both videos portrayed messages in indirect ways. They both approach their topic in a story like format and incorporated entertaining styles of delivery. Both videos had a high quality production value and exhibited proficient knowledge of video editing software.
These videos inspire me to do my video in a similar story like style with a central message. I have noticed in my journey through the EDM 310 class that the self directed/motivated aspect of the class is both inspiring and annoying. I find myself avoiding doing the assignments simply because I do not know where to begin. Instead of just jumping in I find ways to avoid doing what I need to do. The funny problem with this is that while I am doing something to avoid the work I am thinking about it. I sit at my computer, read the assignment, think for a minute and then decide to do yoga. I would find myself in yoga positions, watching movies going to a show and all the while not being able to enjoy it because I was thinking about what I was avoiding. It’s a vicious humorous cycle that I think many others would relate to. I would like to convey this idea somehow in a story.
I also thought of doing my video with thought bubbles popping out of people’s heads in the form of tweets…like our thought become tweet bubbles. I thought it would be cute to show a person constantly seeking or being given predictions or messages throughout a video. These messages would be from fortune cookies, magic eight balls, those finger paper messages, tweets and generally popping up more and more in the person’s life. All of these messages are saying things that relate to doing your EDM 310 HW.
Critiques of Smartboards
In Bill Ferriter Blog "Why I hate Interactive Smartboards" he complains that Smartboards in the classroom are nothing more than PR tool and a vain attempt to buy change. He asks if we really want to spend thousands more to make a stand and deliver instruction easier. In Sam Shah blog “True or False: Smartboards are an Expensive Distraction” he concludes from his experience that having the Smartboard in his classroom made him feel the need to advance on his lesson plans. He wrote that “being forced to break down every idea into it’s most basic components led me to think in depth about each step of what I was showing them. (The flow and thoughtfulness of my lessons has improved, big time.” After reading both of these teachers responses to having Smartboards I think that it shows that if someone embraces technology and the uses of the Smartboard that it can be a tool to be a much better teacher.
In Michael Staton’s blog, “The Innovative Educator” he expresses his dislike for the Smartboards as well. He wrote “Smartboards don’t change the model that’s broken. They just make that model way more expensive. It doesn’t give kids an adaptive learning environment, doesn’t differentiate instruction (though it does make it a little more media savvy), doesn’t enable social feedback, doesn’t reduce teacher workload, doesn’t make lesson planning more efficient.” He also complains like Bill Ferriter that it is just another administrative tool used to make things look like education is improving. I strongly disagree again with Michael’s comments and stress again that clearly some teachers have not been taught to use the Smartboard that will enable its full potential. I would like to suggest they read Angie Bunday’s Blog “Smart Ideas for Smart Board Integration” She includes links and instructional videos on how to use the smart board to its full potential. She provides interactive lesson plans that she believes have been proven to be successful. The Smartboard is tool like anything else and can be used to do amazing things and engage students.