Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
This I Believe
My Comic Strip for This I Believe
Works Cited:
Jenkins, H. (2006) "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century." The MacArthur Foundation. 7 June 2011.
Nye, D. (2006). Technology Matters. "Chapter One: Can we define 'technology'?" Cambridge: MIT Press. 1-15. 7 June 2011.
Prensky, M. (2008) "Turning On the Lights." Educational Leadership. 65 (6) 40-45. 7 June 2011.
Works Cited:
Jenkins, H. (2006) "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century." The MacArthur Foundation. 7 June 2011.
Nye, D. (2006). Technology Matters. "Chapter One: Can we define 'technology'?" Cambridge: MIT Press. 1-15. 7 June 2011.
Prensky, M. (2008) "Turning On the Lights." Educational Leadership. 65 (6) 40-45. 7 June 2011.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Blog #3 - Classroom Web Page, A Definite Must-Have
Through our explorations as a class thus far, I’ve already seen an incredible amount of ways I can integrate class materials and assignments to make it a more beneficial experience for my future students. I’ve gathered several ideas that will enhance class readings, supplement projects, and keep my students alert and aware of what the class expectations are. I want to establish some sort of an online Blackboard. I would post grades, email assignments, and post pertinent readings, outside materials, and links to other information that will be helpful to their understanding of the material. I want this to be public and available to the other teachers in the department, the principal, parents, and students. Grades are obviously private, but the assignments should be posted and external links to materials should be available to the public. I would also include a course calendar. That way, both students and parents alike will be informed of events and assignments that are up and coming. It would create a connect between the parents and their students’ education by allowing parents to monitor their child’s assignments in coordinace with outside activities and can help them with time management. Like Jim Moulton said in his blog, “The Classroom Webpage: A Must-Have in 2008,” it will enhance the amount of material and resources available to students (and parents).
Furthermore, I’d like to include a large project to tie in one of the books in the curriculum that has a good historical context or that can be linked to another subject in order to create a holistic learning experience for the students. I’d like to create a “Facebook” page where each student takes on a character in a particular book. The students will then interact with each other in a modern-style forum in the specific context of that novel. They will be graded on their accuracy of “Liking” a status, posting a status about who they’re with or how they’re feeling, and friend requesting the other characters at appropriate moments in the text. The website will build their knowledge of the text as they read along. It will also help them to truly think like the character they are to emulate. This, like Moulton said, will prove that the teacher is connected. Social networking is what students do. It is how they interact. Why not make interaction from let’s say a Holocaust novel like it would be conveyed today. The students are enduring a war on terror and although it’s not on our soil, they should be aware of how it affects the other parties involved. A novel like “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini would be a great one to use due to its pertinence to today’s cultural issues and affairs, as well as its extensive character list and connectivity to the underlying themes.
I’d also like to utilize programs other than Powerpoint to convey information in projects. (Prezi – more interactive than PP, Pixton – comic book like, Glogster – can incorporate multimedia, and Zooburst – like a pop up picture book.) I also like the idea of creating forums online and having open posting – in my capstone seminar class in undergrad, we did most of our discussions on those Blackboard Discussion Boards because the class only met once a week. It was helpful because some students are very uncomfortable with in-class participation but can post a written comment after they have time to compose it and revise it before they contribute.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Blog #2
David Nye's article "Technology Matters" was, simply put, an eye opener. Technology is not simply limited to the newest developments with computers, iPads, cell phones, etc., but is rather the new ways we use different tools to accomplish daily tasks. Every piece is technology - not just the smartphones and laptops. This is crucial for those of us who will be educators of the future generations. (Video A)
Everyone has a unique perspective on how to use every day items. Students, therefore, should not be limited to use something in one specific way. We must encourage them to find different ways to achieve ultimate goals. Otherwise, they will be horses wearing blinders. In Nye's article, he claims, "The central purpose of technologies has not been to provide necessities, such as food and shelter, for humans had achieved these goals very early in their existence. Rather, technologies have been used for social evolution" (2). It was also interesting to read Nye's article and realize that countries are not necessarily "superior" simple because of the average number of TV's and computers that are used in homes, but it can be measured as the number of different ways people use every day tools. I believe it is crucial to analyze just how unique different cultures are and how we should always be looking for new ways to use what we have and to broaden those horizons. (Video B)
This relates directly to what Roland Barthes claims about narratives. Narratives should not be limited to the ways we already know how to do things - through one specific medium. Just like the hammer analogy we used in class the first night, a tool can be used several different ways and some work better than others. We should always be open to different methods, not stubborn to stick with what we already know.
Even through my development as a student alone, I have seen an incredible amount of technological development. Some of my professors and teachers have attempted to integrate it and to teach the students something new, but many simply refused to even touch it. The one-dimensional method of teaching was pretty much ineffective. My development as a student was very limited in terms of technology. I learned much of it on my own.
Technology truly is an extraordinary tool for learning. In future years, every child will need to be competent with the technologies to be able to contribute in society. Therefore, teachers must be able to educate their students by offering multiple outlets and instructional lessons that will assists them in their explorations. By refusing to use technology in the classroom, it will be detrimental to the students' developments.
Narratives are only enhanced by technologies. And technology allows us as educators to monitor much more than we used to be able to. It also helps to improve the different ways we can teach material to students. By varying our methods, it keeps the students interested and involved. The more unique and varied the narrative, the better off the students in the classroom as a whole. Not every student learns in the same way, therefore a diverse classroom will only help promote a well-educated classroom.
Everyone has a unique perspective on how to use every day items. Students, therefore, should not be limited to use something in one specific way. We must encourage them to find different ways to achieve ultimate goals. Otherwise, they will be horses wearing blinders. In Nye's article, he claims, "The central purpose of technologies has not been to provide necessities, such as food and shelter, for humans had achieved these goals very early in their existence. Rather, technologies have been used for social evolution" (2). It was also interesting to read Nye's article and realize that countries are not necessarily "superior" simple because of the average number of TV's and computers that are used in homes, but it can be measured as the number of different ways people use every day tools. I believe it is crucial to analyze just how unique different cultures are and how we should always be looking for new ways to use what we have and to broaden those horizons. (Video B)
This relates directly to what Roland Barthes claims about narratives. Narratives should not be limited to the ways we already know how to do things - through one specific medium. Just like the hammer analogy we used in class the first night, a tool can be used several different ways and some work better than others. We should always be open to different methods, not stubborn to stick with what we already know.
Even through my development as a student alone, I have seen an incredible amount of technological development. Some of my professors and teachers have attempted to integrate it and to teach the students something new, but many simply refused to even touch it. The one-dimensional method of teaching was pretty much ineffective. My development as a student was very limited in terms of technology. I learned much of it on my own.
Technology truly is an extraordinary tool for learning. In future years, every child will need to be competent with the technologies to be able to contribute in society. Therefore, teachers must be able to educate their students by offering multiple outlets and instructional lessons that will assists them in their explorations. By refusing to use technology in the classroom, it will be detrimental to the students' developments.
Narratives are only enhanced by technologies. And technology allows us as educators to monitor much more than we used to be able to. It also helps to improve the different ways we can teach material to students. By varying our methods, it keeps the students interested and involved. The more unique and varied the narrative, the better off the students in the classroom as a whole. Not every student learns in the same way, therefore a diverse classroom will only help promote a well-educated classroom.
Monday, May 16, 2011
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