Blog 2

A Vision of Students Today:

As I watched this video it reminded me of the "Did You Know" video from last week. It is sad to see that so many students are having to deal with problems they didn't create. As students we buy our textbooks every semester with the intentions that they will be read and used. It isn't far into the start of a semester that we then find out if that textbook will actually be used in the class or not. It seems to be that, by the video, that half of our purchased textbooks aren't used in the class, or they end up being useless to the individual's needs and interests.
This video also did a good job at informing people about how much we as technology users take technology for granted. I for example, just spent the amount of money it would take to purchase one PC and bought one Mac. My mom told me as we checked out that my purchase cost more than her dryer and washer, combined! The machine I bought is also much more intelligent than I'll ever be in my lifetime! My computer and all the technology I use everyday connects me to worlds I would otherwise probably never meet without its aid, yet at the same time (according to the video) the world still revolves quickly around us, and wars, riots, and falling/rising economies happen before our eyes. So the question here becomes "What can we do?" and I believe the only answer is to work with the technology we have before us to the best of our ability to continue to solve our world's issues. We have to join forces world-wide and use the resources we have to survive. Our classrooms need technology to keep students not only motivated, but also up to date on current events!

It's Not about the Technology:
I found this article to be very enlightening. I had never before thought about changing the way a teacher teaches their students on top of introducing new technology. Technology is not an effective tool if the students don't know how to use it towards or with the subject being taught. It really is and would be a waste of money for teachers to invest in computers and fancy internet-able white boards if the students don't know how to use them. It seems that technology will only be a benefit if students first are motivated to learn about a subject, then to learn about the technology available to further aid them in the subject.
Teachers too, will be learning as they teach about the corresponding technology available for school subjects, and that's GOOD! We as teachers need to learn with our students because it helps them to be motivated. Our students' future rests on how we are able to motivate them to learn not only the subjects but also the technology that makes the subject matter come to life. In the end it is imperative that our students have the knowledge to use the technology before money is spent on the technology!

Is it Okay To be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?:
This blog was very much an enjoyable read! I really liked the examples Karl Fisch used throughout his blog, such as "I can't imagine a parent saying "Oh, yeah, I never learned how to read" and being proud of it." This remark is so true. Technology is something that is knocking at our doorsteps, and it cannot go ignored. If we as humans don't use such an incredible tool that is so readily available to us, it will die out and will be lost and useless! If we ignore something so valuable technology then is a waste of money on a worldwide scale. Teachers should be encouraged that technology can aid in student's motivation to learn the subject matter that they need to succeed.


I think that according to this media clicker, technology is like a ticking-time-bomb! Technology is developing at a lightning fast speed, and again I mention how quickly we as teachers must jump on the technology band-wagon. It is imperative that we as teachers learn as much as we can about integrating technology into our lesson plans so that students can benefit from it as a very powerful learning tool.






C4T comment: Hello, again my name is Anna Dumas. I have been assigned to read for blog for 3 weeks and comment my thought for my EDM310 class with professor Dr. Strange and the University of South Alabama. I Really enjoyed exploring these websites. I actually had looked at the Bloom’s taxonomy website previously this year during an art class I took for elementary teachers! I really enjoyed the Vfolio website, because it was very new to me and we could all use some help when it comes to resumes. Knowing the right way to create a correctly done resume is a skill really known to very few people.
I also wanted to compliment you on how your blog is set up. It is very well organized, but fun and colorful at the same time. It is set up in a way that catches the readers eye and draws them in to explore the whole page. I look forward to reading more of your blogs, and be aware that I will be posting these comments in a post on my blog on June 30. Please feel free to explore my blog and our class’ blog which has a link on my blog page which i listed in the fill-in box. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and thoughts.

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Did You Know:

I was shocked by the information in this video! It is incredible to me how fast our planet's technology is growing. I was born in 1986 and can still remember my father bringing home one of the first Buick models with a key-less entry remote!
It seems to be that according to the video, if people do not jump on the technological "band wagon" then they will be lost, and left behind. I found it interesting that technology is moving forward at a rate that is faster than people can keep up with, and it will continue to move forward even if everyone isn't involved in the movement. I use the word movement because I feel like technology is quickly replacing traditional ways of living.
Mr. Winkle Wakes:

This video seems to be an anti-technology-in-schools clip. At the same time it goes back to what I said about the "Did You Know" video in that Mr. Winkle slept so long, and didn't pay attention to the developing technology around him that the new look of the world didn't sit well with him. In fact, Mr. Winkle was lost and confused when he woke; everything was a bit unsettling to him since technology had soared forward.
Again, I feel like if there is only a small portion of the population that chooses not to accept the developing technology, it will move forward anyway. It was only when Mr. Winkle went into the school without technology that he felt like things around him were normal. However it seems to me that the students in the classroom were bored without the integration of technology in their classroom. It seems like technology today is something that interest students and keeps them motivated.
Ken Robinson: "Creativity is as important as literacy." I agree with Ken's statement strongly, partially because I love art and seeing children create in their own way. I also have learned in some of my education classes so far that many students are more motivated to study a subject when arts and crafts of sorts are involved in the lesson.
Furthermore, I agree with Ken when he mentions that students are being taught away from creativity. In order to continue in art and creativity as a student goes through school one must continue to learn to develop their creative skills. Art skills builds on themselves just like subjects such as math, science, and history. It seems that schools seem to be less and less interested in integrating creativity in the classroom as students progress through the years because teachers feel that art is distracting or an activity done at a younger age. This is really upsetting to me because art is a wonderful way for students to express themselves and a great learning tool for many people who struggle with other means of learning such as through audio skills, or memorization.
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts video: I really enjoyed listening to this teacher, because I got the impression that she is learning right along with her students. She said that she didn't know everything there was to to know about the software she uses or the terms she uses, but she encourages her classes to help each other out. During the class everyone in it is learning. It was nice to her that Mrs. Davis at one point said that her students taught her about terraforming.
It seems to be a trend that when the teacher is learning along side students in early stages of schooling, the students are much more motivated to be engaged in the subject being taught. When you add creativity and projects that use more supplies that just paper sudents tend to be even more excited about the topic of discussion. With so much technology available to our students and schools today it is upsetting to not see more of it used in our classrooms worldwide.