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This is a test to see if anyone wants to know if my blog is working correctly!

Post # 3

Response to:

Scott McLeod: Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

I like this post! It is so true that parents, teachers, and faculty believe that only bad things will come from letting students use the internet. The author makes a good point at the end when he uses his children as an example that kids who are allowed to use multimedia tools will surpass kids who don’t.

Some information on Scott McLeod: He is an Associate Professor of Educational Administration at Iowa State University and the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He is also the co-creator of the Did You Know? (Shift Happens) videos. He has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work, including recognitions from the cable industry, Phi Delta Kappa, and the National School Boards Association. Information gathered from the Web Site Dangerously Irrelevant.

The iSchool Initiative

After seeing this PowerPoint presentation, I was very excited about the future of school and teaching. To be able to reduce the cost of education to a school while saving the environment and allowing more accountability on the students, teachers, and parents is exciting. I believe that this form of education would greatly improve student’s success rates not only in high school, but in college and the job market as well.

I think that everyone is scared of change. Yes, it will have flaws but all of them are correctable. The one comment that stuck out to me was “what if the teacher’s ischool crashes”? The beauty of this application is that she would only have to get a new Ischool because all the information will be devoted to a server, not limited to her phone. In the end, I believe this program could help education greatly.

The Lost Generation

First, I would like to say that this presentation is spectacular. The way the author gets her point across is amazing. This is a true masterpiece. That being said, the point the author is trying to make is that our generations values and ethics are on the downslide. When we care more about money and work than our own family we as a society are in trouble

It is up to the next generation of workers to establish that money is not everything and that true happiness can come from having a family and values that are appropriate to that person’s life. I personally will not let money run my life. It is important that my family lives without want but I will not sacrifice my values and beliefs to make this happen.

Eric Whitaker’s Virtual Choir

After viewing this work of art, I cannot express how amazing technology is. To see Mr. Whitaker take several web-recordings and mesh them together to form one beautiful piece of work is astonishing. It is amazing how technology can bring people from all over the world together. Imagine if this was employed in every classroom throughout the world.

Students would be connected and education would soar. Imagine if teachers could communicate 24/7 with other teachers from around the world. I could not imagine how would change if this was implemented. Imagine a united network serving one goal, to educate the next generation. That would be the best gift any child could ever receive and would create endless possibilities

Post # 2

Response to:

Michael Weshch: A Vision of Students Today

After watching this video my reaction to it was not happy. I agree totally to what this film was saying. We pay a ton of money to sit in a classroom where a teacher tries to write information on a chalkboard and we try to comprehend what he is saying. This type of teaching is an outdated form of education that does not suffice in today’s world. We must learn to adapt and move towards the future instead of away.

This movie captures some of my college experiences. Most of these experiences occurred when I attended USM. Only a few have occurred here at South so far. I think we can always add things to this movie because technology is ever changing and already the movie is behind. However, I think this film does a great job of getting the point across and does not need to be changed just yet.

Mrs. Hines’: It’s Not About the Technology

After reading this article, I found myself intrigued on the idea that “it’s not about the technology”. Mrs. Hines has made a great point in that she focuses on the fact that technology is not the problem, users are. Without proper education, one cannot perform efficiently in today’s world. How can someone teach about technology if they cannot work it themselves?

The author makes a valid point in that technology should not run the classroom. The teachers should run the classroom by bringing creativity and ingenuity into it. Without a teacher who is willing to learn and then pass down that information, our future students look grim. So, let’s educate teachers on how to teach and the rest will follow.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher

After reading this blog post, I have to agree with what Karl said in his blog that he decided to post pone posting. I however do not think it would have been counterproductive to post this earlier. It is ridiculous to hear someone ask how to pull up word or connect to the internet with their laptop. People, especially in education (I.e. Teachers), need to have a background in technology or at least taken classes.

Teachers who take a proactive approach when seeking out education on technology will always stay ahead of their colleges who are not. I would be embarrassed if I was working with someone who did not know the simple steps running a laptop or connecting to the internet. In the end, everyone is responsible for his or her own technological defaults and their lack of schooling. Seek out higher education dealing with technology and learn how to compete in this ever-changing world.

Garys Social Media Count

I really enjoyed this page because; it was a complete revelation to me on how technology is growing and being used. I was fascinated by the application Gary created. It shows me that as a teacher I will have to constantly evolve and adapt to new technology and ways of doing things. Simple things such as passing out homework can now be sent over the internet to students, completed, and returned fully graded without ever setting foot into a classroom. This is only one of many things technology has done to education and my goal is to stay in touch with the pulse of education technology.

Post #1

Response to: Did you Know?

My response to this video is….WOW! I do not believe that this video was created to show us how far the United States is behind other countries when it comes to technology and development. However, that is exactly what I have taken from this video. I am shocked that China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world or the fact India has more honor students in their country than America has kids. At the end of the video the director ask, “What does it all mean”.

In my opinion, the United States has fallen behind in schooling because of out-dated teaching practices that do not address the issues and technological struggles students will face when they enter the job market. As the director pointed out “….half of what students learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study”. This is an unacceptable fact that we must correct, starting with how we perceive schooling in general.

Once teachers understand that they must begin to teach using the technology around them, students will begin to succeed at an astonishing rate in the job market. The days of teachers, standing at the chalkboard drilling information into students is at an end. Students must begin to learn how to access and process information using technology in order to succeed in today’s world. That is the only way the US will be able to compete against other countries when it comes to education.

Response to: Mr. Winkle Wakes

This video paints a Very gloomy image on what learning has become today. Everything in the world today is digital and students should be taught how to succeed using the tools we have in the real world. Students should learn how to use computers in educational settings. All subjects are capable of being taught using computer applications so there is no reason we cannot integrate them all together. I believe that students are better prepared for the world that awaits them if this happens.

Response to: Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

After watching this video my idea of how education is evolving has changed. I thought that we were moving in a positive direction whenever you hear about people needing PHDs instead of MA or BA. Sir Ken Robinson made a great point that the education system has come to measure intelligence the wrong way. I to believe that intelligence is dynamic and can be expressed in a variety of ways.

Because someone expresses their intelligence through art or music does not mean that they are any less intelligent than someone who is gifted in Math or Science. I do not know how we can start to change the system but I do understand that we should be more open-minded with our children’s creativity and natural intelligence.

Response to: Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts

Watching this video makes me happy to know that some teachers are changing the way the approach teaching. Mrs. Davis has learned to let students find their own way while providing them with the tools necessary to complete any task set in front them. This skill will be put to good use once they enter the working force.

To many people lack, the skill set to take on projects that require them to learn on their own and adapt to their surroundings. I am excited to hear that this type of teaching is taking place and I look forward to having my chance to educate students and watch them gain new and useful skills.

First Time

This is my first time Blogging. I am excited and nervous about this class, but will see how it goes!