I completely agree with Friedman's shifr from a 2.0 to 3.0 world. His points are very well written and portrayed and are interesting to boot!
It is very important to be aware when transforming a student from a single dimensional way of learning to a 3-dimensional one. Instead of just conversing with those kids in their own class, by transforming into a 3-dimensional world, we are allowing them to communicate to those in other town, states, and even countries. There are several benefitst to this way of learning, as it will become much easier for students to receive a greater plethora of knowledge.
By blogging, podcasting, creating personal wiki cites, etc...students will be much better off in college and in the post-college life. I know that certainly I will as a result of the many helpful texts that we are reading in this class, along with the importat info that we are all getting from each other and our blogs. There's a little 3-dimensional learning right there!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Are We Getting Our Money's Worth?
This article was really interesting because it truly makes its reader think about the question, are we really getting our money's worth by attending college? I feel that the answer to that question cannont be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." It is true that those who pay more for college are getting a better education than those who pay less? Are Harvard students receiving a better education that those of us who attend SUNY Cortland? These are all questions that are relevant to this article. I feel that the answer to these questions really depends on the person. It is very possible for someone to receive an equal education at an IVY League school as opposed to a SUNY school. It all depends on how much time, work, and effort the students chooses to put in to their studies.
I feel that most people in America who go to college, do it because they don't really know any other way to succeed. You always hear in high school and from your parents that, "you're not going to go anywhere without a college education." But is this really true. I feel that in most cases, this is true. But there are several people who have made a great living and it wasn't because they attended college. Without a doubt, we are forced to pay way too much to go to college. I don't see why it is fair that we must attend college in order to get a good job, yet for 10 years post-graduation, we are stuck in debt, paying back college loans. College is rather hypcritical if you ask me. I truly don't know whether or not I am getting my money's worth by going to college.
Sure, I am learning a great deal of important information in my classes, but in all honesty, I am learning more outside of the classroom. By living alone, cooking your own meals, choosing whether or not to get up for class, etc...we are slowly but surely becoming adults. Going out, socializing, drinking too much, making mistakes...they are all very important aspects of college. I feel that many of life's lessons are taught and learned during the college years. It certainly is a transitional period. Before I came to college, I literally had no idea what the real world was like. Not that I have a huge understanding of it now (since my parents pay for my car, cell phone, tuition, housing, etc) but I have still learned what it is like to live away from the safety-net called home. The mistakes that I make I must suffer the consequences on my own. My parents of course are always there for me, but college has taught me how to deal with difficult issues on my own, without consulting them all the time on whats right and wrong.
My answer to the initial question that the article brings up is that I feel that most of what's learned in college doesn't cost a dime. In college, you find a sense of self, self-worth, and gratification, not only by getting an A on a paper or a 95% on a test, but by making life-long friends, making mistakes, and picking yourself up when you fall. This isn't to say that classes are worthless, because they most definitely are not. I just feel that we have to pay to learn lessons that go beyond the institution of "school." We are paying for our futures in more ways than one.
I feel that most people in America who go to college, do it because they don't really know any other way to succeed. You always hear in high school and from your parents that, "you're not going to go anywhere without a college education." But is this really true. I feel that in most cases, this is true. But there are several people who have made a great living and it wasn't because they attended college. Without a doubt, we are forced to pay way too much to go to college. I don't see why it is fair that we must attend college in order to get a good job, yet for 10 years post-graduation, we are stuck in debt, paying back college loans. College is rather hypcritical if you ask me. I truly don't know whether or not I am getting my money's worth by going to college.
Sure, I am learning a great deal of important information in my classes, but in all honesty, I am learning more outside of the classroom. By living alone, cooking your own meals, choosing whether or not to get up for class, etc...we are slowly but surely becoming adults. Going out, socializing, drinking too much, making mistakes...they are all very important aspects of college. I feel that many of life's lessons are taught and learned during the college years. It certainly is a transitional period. Before I came to college, I literally had no idea what the real world was like. Not that I have a huge understanding of it now (since my parents pay for my car, cell phone, tuition, housing, etc) but I have still learned what it is like to live away from the safety-net called home. The mistakes that I make I must suffer the consequences on my own. My parents of course are always there for me, but college has taught me how to deal with difficult issues on my own, without consulting them all the time on whats right and wrong.
My answer to the initial question that the article brings up is that I feel that most of what's learned in college doesn't cost a dime. In college, you find a sense of self, self-worth, and gratification, not only by getting an A on a paper or a 95% on a test, but by making life-long friends, making mistakes, and picking yourself up when you fall. This isn't to say that classes are worthless, because they most definitely are not. I just feel that we have to pay to learn lessons that go beyond the institution of "school." We are paying for our futures in more ways than one.
RSS Feed
I must admit that when we mentioned an RSS feed in our podcast that I was still a little confused on just what it was. Of course, Will Richardson has cleared this little issue up for me as he ususally does (when reading his book, of course). I was aware that RSS stoof for Real Simple Syndication, but again, I wasn't really sure what that meant. Richardson mentions that if you are an educator, "it's the one technology that you should start using today, right now, this minute" (75). In his book, Richardson lists several ways that an RSS Feed is necessary in the classroom. Three of those reasons are:
1.) Instead of giving students a large number of weblogs to search through in hopes of finding your latest posts, why not put all of this content in one place? By using an aggregator, it becomes quick and easy to post all of your most recent information on to one cite. This would come in handy if I ever were to teach a class like English 307
2.) Not only beneficial to teachers, students will find RSS feeds very helpful as well. RSS feeds allows students to stay organized. They can stay in tune with things that interest them, like books, websites, authors, etc...
3.)Finally, RSS feeds are important because it allows students and teachers to view each other's blogs. Much like our class, it is extremely helpful and beneficial to read my fellow students' blogs for insight and info!
Richardson was very correct by stating that we as teachers need to learn about RSS feeds today. It clearly will help us all in the future!
1.) Instead of giving students a large number of weblogs to search through in hopes of finding your latest posts, why not put all of this content in one place? By using an aggregator, it becomes quick and easy to post all of your most recent information on to one cite. This would come in handy if I ever were to teach a class like English 307
2.) Not only beneficial to teachers, students will find RSS feeds very helpful as well. RSS feeds allows students to stay organized. They can stay in tune with things that interest them, like books, websites, authors, etc...
3.)Finally, RSS feeds are important because it allows students and teachers to view each other's blogs. Much like our class, it is extremely helpful and beneficial to read my fellow students' blogs for insight and info!
Richardson was very correct by stating that we as teachers need to learn about RSS feeds today. It clearly will help us all in the future!
Students Learning Less
So, I just got done reading the article on students learning less that in previous years, and I must say that I am not surprised. As unfortunate as it may be, teachers are cutting their students short in high schools all over America. I can personally relate to this article, as many of the teachers I had in high school were complete pushovers. I took a few AP courses as well, and in all honesty, they were a joke. For those students who were able to get into AP classes, teachers automatically assumed that they were smarter and more knowledgeable than those students who were in regular english, economics, people in government, etc...classes, that they felt that it wasn't necessary to teach all the time. Quite often (believe it or not) we would actually watch movies in class. But these weren't movies that in any way related to our course. They were just popular movies that teachers thought that we would enjoy. It was almost our reward for being "smarter" than the average student. Little did they know that they were harming us. I passed my AP english exam, but didn't receive credit for my AP government class. My government teacher harldy ever taught us anything about the topic of government, nor anything relating to gorvernment for that matter. I feel as though teachers look at AP classes as being freebee classes; rather they view them as classes that students would be better off teaching themselves.
I am also not surprised that students are not performing up to their age level in english either. I was evaluating some papers in one of my classes this morning, actually, and I honestly can say that I was shocked. These papers were so bad another reader would have assumed that they had been written by 5th graders. The sad reality is, is that these were the compositions of junior-senior college students who were ENGLISH MAJORS. I almost got up and walked out of class as the students were reading their papers aloud to the class. I don't mean to sound conceited or over-confident, but these papers were awful with a capital A. I feel that these students could easily have gone to one of the schools who were studied in the article. Just the basic elements of english, like punctuation, grammar, and spelling, were incorrect. I feel that it would be extremely beneficial for my professor to have a few classes where we just deal with the basic fundamentals of the english language. I had to give a grade for each paper that I corrected, and there was only one paper that I gave an A to. The highest grade besides the A was a C- and even that I thought was being generous.
Hall brings up a great point in this article, one that I completely agree upon. He says, "[w]hat it suggests is that we are telling students that they're being successful in these courses when, in fact, we're not teaching them any more than they were learning in the past," she said. "So we are, in effect, lying to these students." He is 100% correct. Teachers are not there to baby students, especially those at the high-school level. It it time to crack down on students and really begin to give them a run for their money before it's too late. I truly feel bad for the students' papers that I read today. They were quite obviously cheated by both their grade-school teachers, as well as their college professors. It is time to step up and help improve our students. They will never succeed any other way.
I am also not surprised that students are not performing up to their age level in english either. I was evaluating some papers in one of my classes this morning, actually, and I honestly can say that I was shocked. These papers were so bad another reader would have assumed that they had been written by 5th graders. The sad reality is, is that these were the compositions of junior-senior college students who were ENGLISH MAJORS. I almost got up and walked out of class as the students were reading their papers aloud to the class. I don't mean to sound conceited or over-confident, but these papers were awful with a capital A. I feel that these students could easily have gone to one of the schools who were studied in the article. Just the basic elements of english, like punctuation, grammar, and spelling, were incorrect. I feel that it would be extremely beneficial for my professor to have a few classes where we just deal with the basic fundamentals of the english language. I had to give a grade for each paper that I corrected, and there was only one paper that I gave an A to. The highest grade besides the A was a C- and even that I thought was being generous.
Hall brings up a great point in this article, one that I completely agree upon. He says, "[w]hat it suggests is that we are telling students that they're being successful in these courses when, in fact, we're not teaching them any more than they were learning in the past," she said. "So we are, in effect, lying to these students." He is 100% correct. Teachers are not there to baby students, especially those at the high-school level. It it time to crack down on students and really begin to give them a run for their money before it's too late. I truly feel bad for the students' papers that I read today. They were quite obviously cheated by both their grade-school teachers, as well as their college professors. It is time to step up and help improve our students. They will never succeed any other way.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Wednesday's Presentations
I just wanted to post and say that I thought everybody did a great job with their projects on Wednesday. I learned so much from each and every one of you, and am definitely feeling a bit more confident when it comes to English 307. I was really impressed with Willis, Theresa's, and Barb's group. They did such a great job with their website. It looked like professionals had created it. Savanna's group also did a great job with social bookmarking, too. I was so excited when they showed us how to do a del.ic.ious page. I had been wanting to know how to do that for a while (and I think Ray was glad that I stopped annoying him with all of my questions!) Megan's group also did a great job with their podcasting project. It was interesting to see the difference in our presentations, as both of us took different approaches to podcasting. I would definitely like to learn how to integrate pictures and music into our group podcast. It would just make it so much more interesting and fun to watch. Lauren's group did a good job too with their presentation on wiki project. It just seems to me that there is so much to forming a wiki site/ wiki post. I definitely would like to learn more about how to do that, just because it is such an important thing to learn (especially for a future teacher).
I am looking forward to seeing Kaitlin's presentation next class. She always does a nice job with her presentations, as I was in her seminar last semester and she did a great job with that. All of this new knowledge that we're learning in this class is definitely going to prove to be very helpful in the future. I am much more comfortable with the Macs, too, which is something that I never thought would happen! Ok, well I just wanted to give kudos to everyone who presented on Wednesday. Thanks for teaching us some new and interesting material!
I am looking forward to seeing Kaitlin's presentation next class. She always does a nice job with her presentations, as I was in her seminar last semester and she did a great job with that. All of this new knowledge that we're learning in this class is definitely going to prove to be very helpful in the future. I am much more comfortable with the Macs, too, which is something that I never thought would happen! Ok, well I just wanted to give kudos to everyone who presented on Wednesday. Thanks for teaching us some new and interesting material!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Hobbs & NCTE Standards
When I first examined the 6 components for media literacy, I must say that I felt it was pretty self-explanatory. Perhaps the most interesting point that I viewed when reading these 6 bullets was # 2, which states that, "Media literacy can and should be integrated across the K-12 curricula at all grade levels and in multiple subject areas" (PLS). When I read this, I literally knocked myself on the head and stated, "Duh!" As intelligent as that may sound, it's true. If you are going to be using the media to teach in the classroom, it is vital for students to start young. Children as young as kindergartners (as mentioned in the PLS article) should be exposed to media literacy. Of course, monitor students, but I totally agree that students need to start at a young age. I wish that I had had all of the many opportunities that today's youth have when it came to all of the new media technology. Imagine how much better off we would be, especially in English 307, if we had been taught how to use computers in the classroom? Obviously, all of the technology that we have now wasn't available to us when we were elementary school age, but there was no reason why in the upper-level grades that we couldn't have learned more about the media through the many tools that were available to us. I went to the largest high school in New York state and graduated with 900 students. I feel as though we were cheated when it comes to technology and media literacy.
When reading Renee Hobbs, I feel as though Hobbs' third project is the most interesting (this woman has accomplished so much in the 20 years that she has been involved in media education). I love how she is going into a Maryland classroom to find out "the impact of media literacy education on students' academic performance, family communication and civic engagement." I think this is an extremely good subject to study, as media literacy is becoming more and more important in the classroom in the past few years. I feel that Hobbs may find that media literacy has some positive and negative effects. One negative effect could be that on academic progress and family communication. While claiming to be doing school-related activities, some students surely will get off track and check their MySpace, Facebook, and Instant Messenger. This in turn will put a damper on family communication, as its sometimes hard to pry children off of the computer. In contrast, media literacy certainly has some posititive attributes as well, don't get me wrong. By connecting with foreign students, other classmates, and family, media literacy could be extremely beneficial. Sharing ideas on the internet can be very informational as well as educational.
By reporting on her findings, Hobbs' research can be used by others all around the United States. Maybe through her findings, other teachers can read up on her progress and enforce some of her ideas in their own classroom. In relation to the PLS article, I feel as though Hobbs would agree with the many intriguing points that they make. Based on her book, she may find that intigrating media literacy at such a young age as those in kindergarten may be a bit too extreme, but I do think that she would agree that children must begin to learn this type of information at a young age. Without a doubt she would agree that, "Media is essential for the development of informed, reflective and active citizens in a democratic society" (PLS). Overall, Hobbs' book so far is very interesting in the sense that it emphasizes many similar points that we discuss in class, as well as topics dicussed in Richardson's book.
When reading Renee Hobbs, I feel as though Hobbs' third project is the most interesting (this woman has accomplished so much in the 20 years that she has been involved in media education). I love how she is going into a Maryland classroom to find out "the impact of media literacy education on students' academic performance, family communication and civic engagement." I think this is an extremely good subject to study, as media literacy is becoming more and more important in the classroom in the past few years. I feel that Hobbs may find that media literacy has some positive and negative effects. One negative effect could be that on academic progress and family communication. While claiming to be doing school-related activities, some students surely will get off track and check their MySpace, Facebook, and Instant Messenger. This in turn will put a damper on family communication, as its sometimes hard to pry children off of the computer. In contrast, media literacy certainly has some posititive attributes as well, don't get me wrong. By connecting with foreign students, other classmates, and family, media literacy could be extremely beneficial. Sharing ideas on the internet can be very informational as well as educational.
By reporting on her findings, Hobbs' research can be used by others all around the United States. Maybe through her findings, other teachers can read up on her progress and enforce some of her ideas in their own classroom. In relation to the PLS article, I feel as though Hobbs would agree with the many intriguing points that they make. Based on her book, she may find that intigrating media literacy at such a young age as those in kindergarten may be a bit too extreme, but I do think that she would agree that children must begin to learn this type of information at a young age. Without a doubt she would agree that, "Media is essential for the development of informed, reflective and active citizens in a democratic society" (PLS). Overall, Hobbs' book so far is very interesting in the sense that it emphasizes many similar points that we discuss in class, as well as topics dicussed in Richardson's book.
Podcast Project Progress!
So, yesterday Nichole, Kristin, Ashley, and myself met in the Mac lab in the library to record our podcast. I must say it was very interesting considering we were all so new to making a podcast! We first had trouble figuring out where to plug in the microphone (great start, huh?) When we finally got past that little problem, we had to click into Garageband and take a look at all of our options. We actually caught on to recording pretty quickly which made us all feel pretty smart! We had some comical moments cause each of us definitely messed up a few times when we were reading what we were going to say on the podcast. We really had a fun time making the podcast. It wasn't as difficult as we thought it was going to be. Finally, after recording our 5 minutes of footage on how to use, create, and facilitate podcasts into the classroom, we had to figure out how to save it. This without a doubt was the hardest task so far, as we were pretty much clueless on how to export our podcast from Garageband and import in on to iTunes. After about an hour of reading through Will's book and looking over out Macintosh books, we finally figured out how to get our podcast onto our flash drive. All in all, it took us a good 2 & 1/2 hours to complete our podcast (with a few minor setbacks) :) but overall, we had a really fun time with our project. Of course we were a bit apprehensive when beginning, but I know all of us are really proud of our final product. Goal accomplished!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Unlearning to Learn
Will's blog post esentially sums up our discussion in class last Wednesday. At the end of class, I felt that we had a very constructive and interesting conversation about the future of teaching English in the classroom. I definitely agree with his point that as teachers, we need to understand that we are not the most knowledgable person in the classroom. We can learn just as much from students as they can from us. The classroom needs to be constructed in a take/take fashion. We need to be able to take information from our students and use it in everyday life, just as they need to do the same.
Perhaps the one point that most intrigued me and hit close to home was this:
"We need to unlearn the strategy that collaborative work inside the classroom is enough and understand that cooperating with students from around the globe can teach relevant and powerful negotiation and team-building skills" (Richardson).
By directing a classroom in a lecture-like manner, we are depriving our children of learning the opinions of other students. Many students during lectures, daydream or fall asleep. By allowing them to collaborate with other students, they will without a doubt learn a great deal that they wouldn't have if they had simply been lectured.
Also, the idea that we need to unlearn how to prevent and block our students from visiting sites on the internet is also extremely important. We need to realize that students can still utilize the internet and world wide web into the classroom, and have it be a postive-learning experience. First, however, we need to convince parents that we will be using the internet in safe and responsible ways. By monitoring our students, and parents monitoring their children, the internet will prove to be the most vital tool available.
Perhaps the one point that most intrigued me and hit close to home was this:
"We need to unlearn the strategy that collaborative work inside the classroom is enough and understand that cooperating with students from around the globe can teach relevant and powerful negotiation and team-building skills" (Richardson).
By directing a classroom in a lecture-like manner, we are depriving our children of learning the opinions of other students. Many students during lectures, daydream or fall asleep. By allowing them to collaborate with other students, they will without a doubt learn a great deal that they wouldn't have if they had simply been lectured.
Also, the idea that we need to unlearn how to prevent and block our students from visiting sites on the internet is also extremely important. We need to realize that students can still utilize the internet and world wide web into the classroom, and have it be a postive-learning experience. First, however, we need to convince parents that we will be using the internet in safe and responsible ways. By monitoring our students, and parents monitoring their children, the internet will prove to be the most vital tool available.
Cell Phone Article
I was watching the CBS nightly news tonight and saw an interesting story that I felt was appropriate for our class. The story was on cell phones and how teens take them and computers to the extreme. Cell phones in America have become an obsession and most parents have no idea just how crazy this new wave of technology is.
In this article titled, "For Teen Daters, Cell Phones Can Be A Leash" from the Christian Science Monitor, experts give several statistics to show how teens are literally obesessed with their cell phones. Those who are in relationships have it the worst, as significant others are constantly texting and calling just to see where their loved one is. This is referred to as being on an "electronic leash," as there is always a way to get in touch with people. In some cases, this obsession can become violent. One girl explains in this article how her boyfriend used instant messenger on the internet to manipulate her into staying in an unhealthy relationship. He would threaten to kill himself if she ever left him, and gave such threats through the computer.
I feel as though many teens find it easier to express their feelings on the internet or through a text message rather then face-to-face. You have the freedom to say what you want to say without hearing or seeing a reaction. Though at times convenient, texting and IMing can be taken too far. I can remember on a few occasions in high school where I was threatened on the internet. Never would the girls say what she had to say to my face, rather she would hide behind the computer screen and verbally abuse me through cyberspace. Teens need to be very careful with what they say on the internet, as those who monitor conversations are becoming less lenient with online threats. If ever one of your students feels abused, whether on the internet or through the cell phone, be sure to inform them that they do have the option to report their harasser.
In addition the information listed above, this article gives helpful information on how parents should deal with issues that should arise as a result of online or cell phone harassment. I feel that as future teachers, this article is very important to read. With all the new technology out there, and with the majority of America's teens using the internet and cell phones, it is our responsibility to make sure that our kids are safe
Here is the article if any of you should want to read more on the subject:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/12/tech/main2464217.shtml
In this article titled, "For Teen Daters, Cell Phones Can Be A Leash" from the Christian Science Monitor, experts give several statistics to show how teens are literally obesessed with their cell phones. Those who are in relationships have it the worst, as significant others are constantly texting and calling just to see where their loved one is. This is referred to as being on an "electronic leash," as there is always a way to get in touch with people. In some cases, this obsession can become violent. One girl explains in this article how her boyfriend used instant messenger on the internet to manipulate her into staying in an unhealthy relationship. He would threaten to kill himself if she ever left him, and gave such threats through the computer.
I feel as though many teens find it easier to express their feelings on the internet or through a text message rather then face-to-face. You have the freedom to say what you want to say without hearing or seeing a reaction. Though at times convenient, texting and IMing can be taken too far. I can remember on a few occasions in high school where I was threatened on the internet. Never would the girls say what she had to say to my face, rather she would hide behind the computer screen and verbally abuse me through cyberspace. Teens need to be very careful with what they say on the internet, as those who monitor conversations are becoming less lenient with online threats. If ever one of your students feels abused, whether on the internet or through the cell phone, be sure to inform them that they do have the option to report their harasser.
In addition the information listed above, this article gives helpful information on how parents should deal with issues that should arise as a result of online or cell phone harassment. I feel that as future teachers, this article is very important to read. With all the new technology out there, and with the majority of America's teens using the internet and cell phones, it is our responsibility to make sure that our kids are safe
Here is the article if any of you should want to read more on the subject:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/12/tech/main2464217.shtml
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Multitasking , genM, and facebook
So I Just read over the article from TIME Magazine and I can't help but write a some points that really interested me. The most intriguing section of this whole article was the section from myspace and facebook. I was shocked to see that children as young as 15 were logged on to facebook. What had originally began as a college site has now taken over the junior high and high school kids. I wasn't surprised however to see that myspace was the number 2 most visited site on the internet. Nearly everyone I know has myspace, myselk not included. I must admit, I could be considered a facebook junkie. In the article, it is stated that on average students spend about 18 minutes/day on facebook. I can definitely say that that 18 minutes sounds about right. I couldn't really even tell you why I enjoy visiting the site so much. Mostly, it causes unnecessary drama and fighting amongst fellow students, but we can't get enough of it! Myspace really scares me though. I feel more secure on a site who's members are younger and mostly in college. Anyone can have myspace and can visit your site, which could lead to some seriously dangerous situations.
I feel that it is necessary for parents to monitor what their children are viewing on the internet. All of those Dateline NBC shows that are televised weekly show the great number of internet predators that are preying on our youth. So how do we stop this? The only answer is to set guidelines and block the sites that younger children may view. Much of the time I place the blame on the parents when children are exposed to vulgar material on the internet. Kids are curious and parents need to be aware of what they are seeing on the screen in front of them.
As far as multitasking, I must say that I am completely guilty. It is very difficult for me to focus strictly on one thing. While writing a paper I take breaks every few minutes to check out other people's away messages. I couldn't care less what they are doing, rather it is simply a distraction that I feel is necessary. Normally when studying, I have the tv or my iPod playing. A bit of noise in the background really makes me feel comfortable. I definitely do my best work when there is some sort of distraction in the background. Neuroscientest Grafman brings up a good point in his segment on multitasking when he says, "You're doing more than one thing, but you're ordering them and deciding which one to do at any one time" (52).
I feel that it is necessary for parents to monitor what their children are viewing on the internet. All of those Dateline NBC shows that are televised weekly show the great number of internet predators that are preying on our youth. So how do we stop this? The only answer is to set guidelines and block the sites that younger children may view. Much of the time I place the blame on the parents when children are exposed to vulgar material on the internet. Kids are curious and parents need to be aware of what they are seeing on the screen in front of them.
As far as multitasking, I must say that I am completely guilty. It is very difficult for me to focus strictly on one thing. While writing a paper I take breaks every few minutes to check out other people's away messages. I couldn't care less what they are doing, rather it is simply a distraction that I feel is necessary. Normally when studying, I have the tv or my iPod playing. A bit of noise in the background really makes me feel comfortable. I definitely do my best work when there is some sort of distraction in the background. Neuroscientest Grafman brings up a good point in his segment on multitasking when he says, "You're doing more than one thing, but you're ordering them and deciding which one to do at any one time" (52).
Interesting article
My biggest fear with facilitating these new technological programs into the classroom, is the pressure from parents to stop it. With all of the many internet predators that prey on children on the internet, it is no wonder why parents are concerned. I feel as though it is important to explain to parents that using the internet can really do more good than harm. I was recently reading an interesting article that really tied in with my idea, and the results are quite interesting. Instead of allowing concerned parents to put an end to internet use, it is the responsibility of the teacher to inform them on all of the many pluses:
1.) Blogging is the first and foremost important tool that a child can use in this day and age. By allowing children to voice their opinions on a blog site, you are allowing for them to receive positive feedback from other students from literally all over the world. Through doing this, children can learn a whole new array of knowledge, anywhere from what another culture is like, to a foreign language.
2.) Podcasting is also a great way to get students interested in new topics. In Will's book, on page 117 in the final paragraph on that page, he states the many benefits of podcasting. Nearly every single class could learn from podcasting, not just English teachers. Richardson gives several ideas on how podcasts can be faciliated into the classroom. I agree that it may be difficult to get this started, but once we put down the paper and pen, we will open up our students to a whole new world.
More information on blogging, as I feel that it is the most popular and well-known new form of technology. Will states that blogs can:
-promote critical and analytical thinking
-be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking
-promote analogical thinking
be a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information
-combine the best of solitary reflection and social interaction (Richarson 20).
As teachers, we need to assure parents that incorporating the internet into the classroom is not a bad thing. The days of using pens/paper/pencils are over, and are quickly being replaced with new technologies. It is up to them as parents to make their children aware of the dangers of the internet, as there are several. Educating them on the dangers will allow them to reap the benefits of the internet.
Here it the website I found. It's helpful and reassuring.
http://www.stsimon.com/news/images/focus2_106_teens.pdf
1.) Blogging is the first and foremost important tool that a child can use in this day and age. By allowing children to voice their opinions on a blog site, you are allowing for them to receive positive feedback from other students from literally all over the world. Through doing this, children can learn a whole new array of knowledge, anywhere from what another culture is like, to a foreign language.
2.) Podcasting is also a great way to get students interested in new topics. In Will's book, on page 117 in the final paragraph on that page, he states the many benefits of podcasting. Nearly every single class could learn from podcasting, not just English teachers. Richardson gives several ideas on how podcasts can be faciliated into the classroom. I agree that it may be difficult to get this started, but once we put down the paper and pen, we will open up our students to a whole new world.
More information on blogging, as I feel that it is the most popular and well-known new form of technology. Will states that blogs can:
-promote critical and analytical thinking
-be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking
-promote analogical thinking
be a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information
-combine the best of solitary reflection and social interaction (Richarson 20).
As teachers, we need to assure parents that incorporating the internet into the classroom is not a bad thing. The days of using pens/paper/pencils are over, and are quickly being replaced with new technologies. It is up to them as parents to make their children aware of the dangers of the internet, as there are several. Educating them on the dangers will allow them to reap the benefits of the internet.
Here it the website I found. It's helpful and reassuring.
http://www.stsimon.com/news/images/focus2_106_teens.pdf
Monday, February 5, 2007
Class Texts
I've been reading a lot of Will Richardson's book, mainly focusing on the podcasting section. I've also been on iTunes and checking out some pretty cool podcasts that are of interest to me. Ashley and I took interest in the Dane Cook blog that was one of the most popular sites on iTunes and as usual, it was hilarious.
When my group met last Thursday in the library, we thought of many different questions that would be important to clue in our own podcast that we are going to be making later this week. We found that the most important question, especially in relation to this class, is the question of how can podcasts be facilitated into the classroom. Since not all students are fortunate enough to have personal computers, requiring them to use this new technology could get very difficult. I feel that podcasting could be extremely beneficial to to any teacher, not just those who chose to teach english. Foreign language teachers, math teachers, social studies, science, etc...there are numerous podcasts on the web that would very helpful for those students who may need extra help. Podcasts are like modern-day tutors that can be accessed at home and for free.
Will Richardson notes this idea in his segment on podcasting, that it is a tool that can be beneficial for nearly everyone. Podcasting is so easy to use. I would definitely recommend for everyone to find out more about it.
When my group met last Thursday in the library, we thought of many different questions that would be important to clue in our own podcast that we are going to be making later this week. We found that the most important question, especially in relation to this class, is the question of how can podcasts be facilitated into the classroom. Since not all students are fortunate enough to have personal computers, requiring them to use this new technology could get very difficult. I feel that podcasting could be extremely beneficial to to any teacher, not just those who chose to teach english. Foreign language teachers, math teachers, social studies, science, etc...there are numerous podcasts on the web that would very helpful for those students who may need extra help. Podcasts are like modern-day tutors that can be accessed at home and for free.
Will Richardson notes this idea in his segment on podcasting, that it is a tool that can be beneficial for nearly everyone. Podcasting is so easy to use. I would definitely recommend for everyone to find out more about it.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Meetings
So, Ashley, Nichole, Kristin, and me just met in the library to further discuss our project. So far so good. We each have designated certain questions to answer in preparation for our presentation on podcasting. All of us are still a little hesitant about podcasting, as none of us have ever done one before. We are, however, learning a great deal of helpful and useful knowledge that will hopefully make our podcast fun and interesting.
In addition to explaining what a podcast is, we are also going to be making a slideshow with actual pictures of people podcasting. Through explanation and visuals, we hope as a group that we will be able to give the class a better understanding as to just what a podcast entails. We meet every Thursday to review progress that each of us has made, and starting next week we will actually begin our podcast. I know that we are all anxiously awaiting this project. Let's hope it turns out well!
In addition to explaining what a podcast is, we are also going to be making a slideshow with actual pictures of people podcasting. Through explanation and visuals, we hope as a group that we will be able to give the class a better understanding as to just what a podcast entails. We meet every Thursday to review progress that each of us has made, and starting next week we will actually begin our podcast. I know that we are all anxiously awaiting this project. Let's hope it turns out well!
Meetings
So, Ashley, Nichole, Kristin, and me just met in the library to further discuss our project. So far so good. We each have designated certain questions to answer in preparation for our presentation on podcasting. All of us are still a little hesitant about podcasting, as none of us have ever done one before. We are, however, learning a great deal of helpful and useful knowledge that will hopefully make our podcast fun and interesting.
In addition to explaining what a podcast is, we are also going to be making a slideshow with actual pictures of people podcasting. Through explanation and visuals, we hope as a group that we will be able to give the class a better understanding as to just what a podcast entails. We meet every Thursday to review progress that each of us has made, and starting next week we will actually begin our podcast. I know that we are all anxiously awaiting this project. Let's hope it turns out well!
In addition to explaining what a podcast is, we are also going to be making a slideshow with actual pictures of people podcasting. Through explanation and visuals, we hope as a group that we will be able to give the class a better understanding as to just what a podcast entails. We meet every Thursday to review progress that each of us has made, and starting next week we will actually begin our podcast. I know that we are all anxiously awaiting this project. Let's hope it turns out well!
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