C4K Comments

The first blog I commented on was a boy named Eli. He had a very short post on the Tron Legacy movie and his excitement to go see it. Apparently it has flying disks of death and deadly motorcycles.

My second blog comment was on a boy's post who told why he liked sports particularly baseball and basketball. He didn't say a whole lot except that he liked both sports.

My last blog comment was a video that a couple of boys at Pt England school made for the ChristChurch earthquake victims. They told the people of ChristChurch that they knew words may not help but they were thinking about them.

Blog Post 6

I admit I am late with this post. And on my last post the comment I received was “I can't tell if you really looked at the links. You did summarize your opinion, but we can't see if you actually did the assignment.” I have got to be honest; yes I did actually look at the links. I know 9 hours a week are required to succeed in this class. I spend at least double that each week. So why am I late with my post and receiving negative comments? After watching these last two videos I can tell you why in one word - overwhelmed. Not overwhelmed understanding how to do the technology. I have got a semi-handle on that. Overwhelmed with all the information you can get from technology.

The Networked Student and a PLE are great ideas. But I really have to wonder how many students can pull this off. Every time I sit down to watch an assignment or read a blog, I am focused on the task in front of me. By the time I am done I am saving endangered animals in Africa. I click link after link after link until my original assignment is long gone. My daughter would thrive with a PLE. She loved her agenda in high school and her iphone now. She loves organization and plans; my son and I not so much. I am lucky if on any given day I can find my phone. My son only held on to his agenda for the first two weeks of school and then it was gone. It doesn’t matter if I am in the computer lab or at my laptop at home, overload is overload. I really struggle seeing all students being successful with so much information at their fingertips. I think we are still focusing on a certain group of kids.

Dr. Strange's question is "are you prepared to be a teacher of a networked student?" Maybe the question should be "are you prepared to network the unnetworked student?" I think technology is great. We need to keep making advances so that our kids have every possible advantage. But I just have a feeling that there is still going to be too many kids that fall through the cracks.

Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative
Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards
After reading both of these articles I called my friend, Brenda, to get her opinion on Smartboards. Brenda has been teaching second grade in the public school system for 27 years. Over the years she has seen a lot of fads come and go. She is also a creature of habit and not very fond of change. So when I called her I was pretty sure I knew what she would tell me. Boy was I wrong.

Brenda loves her Smartboard. Unlike the two authors of the articles, she considers it a great tool. Not only does she feel like it keeps her student engaged in the lesson but it also keeps the whole class working together. With lesson plan after lesson plan at her fingertips, she believes that it has made her a better teacher.

So maybe Michael Staton and Bill Ferriter didn’t really give the Smartboard a fair shake. Maybe they needed to explore more resources on how to utilize it to their advantage. Or maybe they really just don’t like it. I have included a link Teachers Love Smartboards to a blog of other teachers who really love their Smartboard.

History of the MoonPie

Blog Post 5

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
The Practical Principals
100 Ways to Use your ipod and Study Better

There are so many great benefits to podcasting in the classroom. Not only is it helpful for when a student is absent but it is also a great tool when a student may not understand a lecture or an assignment. They can go back and listen as many times as necessary until they understand. They can go back and get key points to a lecture

It is almost limitless the information that is at students’ fingertips by just having access to an ipod. They can find almost any information anywhere at any given time. They no longer after to wait until the library is open. For some reason, a lot of students do their best work at odd hours of the day. With all the information so readily available to them this is no longer a problem.

Kylie's Wedding Timeline

My Sentence Video

My Sentence

Blog Post 4
dont-teach-your-kids-this-stuff-please

I am not sure if I agree or disagree with Dr. McLeod's post. I believe it is HOW you teach your children technology. My comment on his post was that it was like teaching your children to drive. All the same thoughts and fears go through your head but you are not going to give them a horse and buggy for transportation. You are going to teach them to drive and set all of the appropriate boundaries. Then pray....a lot. So I guess I agree with Dr. McLeod in some ways, I just do not think it is a black and white or yes or no question.

Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor in the Educational Administration program at Iowa State University. He also is the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). CASTLE is the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators.

The iSchool initiative

I think iSchool is a tremendous idea. Travis Allen makes some great points. I am sure people who do not agree with the idea will pick it apart. But I think Travis is definitely on the right track.

One of the arguments that I really thought was important was the communication between the parents and the school. This is essential for the success of a student. My children were in school before there was internet as well as after. I can tell you firsthand how much easier it was to know what was going on in their studies after the internet. iSchool will just expand on that and make it even better. Never having to try and track down a book or an assignment after school hours would be great.

Lost Generation

I really liked this video. Earlier videos we have watched spoke about the need for creativity in teaching. This video is definitely creative. I believe that this generation will achieve everything they say they will. Generation after generation just keeps getting smarter and smarter. They take what is left for them and figure out ways to make the world a better place.


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

This was a great video. To be able to take all those people from all over the world and create a choir is incredible. The director did a wonderful job making all the voice work together.


Teaching the 21st Century

Change is inevitable and not necessarily a bad thing. But so many people are afraid of change. I do not think it matters if a teacher uses an actual book or an ipad to teach a child to read as long as the child learns to read. It doesn't matter if a student learns to write on paper or something else as long as they learn to write. I think people worry too much about change instead of just going with it.

Comments for Teachers

The teacher I am following is Lisa Thumann at http://thumannresources.com/. Her first post was about a seminar in Philadelphia called Educon. In my comments I told her that at first I was unsure how following a blog would be helpful but after reading hers I realized the importance. Her blog provided a wealth of tools, resources and information.

My second post was a little easier. She was debating on using Facebook and Google to sell her daughters' Girl Scout cookies. I could relate, having sold Girl Scout cookies myself and with my daughter. I told her I thought it was a great way to sell cookies and reach so many customers. The Girl Scouts have to stay up to date with technology as well.

I think Lisa's blog is great and that everybody should check it out.

Blog Post 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
After watching this video, I once again realize you only get out of anything what you are willing to put in to it. If students spend their time on Facebook instead of listening to the professor, they are not going to succeed. Some never show up for class or open a book. How can they expect to be prosperous?

I think this is very similar to my college experience. Both today and when I attended school in 1984. Students don’t go to class now and they didn’t go then. There are distractions now and there were distractions then. It all depends on what you want. In 1984 going to school wasn’t my top priority. So I got exactly what I put into it…nothing. This time around I want more so I am putting more into it.

"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Ms. Hines makes four excellent points in her article:

1. Teachers must be learners. Not just teachers everybody should be learners. But teachers really do have to aggressive in learning new techniques and staying up to date. It is so easy to get into your routine and not make changes. Teachers need to stay open to new ideas and always be willing to learn.

2. Learning and Teaching are not the same thing. This is a great statement. Students don’t always learn in the same way so teaching should be different as well. If one thing does not work with one student then another method should be tried.

3. Technology is useless without great teachers. Everybody is so excited about technology today; it is sometimes forgotten that technology is a tool and not the teacher. Unless teachers learn to utilize these tools, the tools are really not that great. It is like having a car with all the bells and whistles but unless the owner knows how to use them they are just a waste of money.

4. Be a 21st Century Teacher without the Technology. Technology is wonderful but it is not everything. Teachers have to be willing to teach with what resources they have available to them. They need to be creative in their methods of teaching.


Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Karl Fisch’s quote “If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write ” is a great comparison. Technology is everywhere today. Teachers and parents need to understand technology. There is no way they will be able to understand their students if they don’t. Kids are smart. Teachers need to know how to reach them on their terms. Teachers have to be willing to learn.



Gary Hayes Social Media Count
To me it is incredible that somebody can figure this all out. As a teacher I will have to most definitely be ready for rapid changes. I will have to continue to learn on a daily basis. I think if I pause for a second I will be lost. The world is not going backwards and to be an effective teacher, I am going to have to keep up with technology.

Project # 5 - Google Presentation