This Is My Sentence Movie

Blog Post #5 Technology And Education In The Future

Part 1 Travis Allen and the iSchool Initiative
If you haven't watched Travis Allen's Youtube clip entitled the ISchool Initiative you should. Travis makes the argument that technology will be the savior of the education system. He believes that use of technology, the iTouch in particular, in the class room will do three main things for education. First the iTouch will make schools greener by reducing, if not eliminating, the use of paper by students. Second the iTouch will save the education system over $600.00 in things like textbooks, writing supplies, etc... while only costing $150.00. Third the iTouch will improve communication and transparency between the teacher and student, as well as the teacher and parents. Parents can check on their child's progress from any computer, iTouch, or iPad.
I think that Travis is on to something with his iSchool Initiative. There is no question that the education system is flawed and in desperate need of overhauling. Technology definitely could be the answer but there would be, and are, a lot of hurdles that would have to be overcome. First high level decision makers would have to be convinced of the iSchool Initiative's feasibility, logistically and monetarily, so they could vote to make the necessary changes. This may have to happen with educated parents electing knowledgeable politicians as the ones we have certainly aren't up to the job. Second teachers have to be educated in the use of any and all technology they may encounter or use in their classrooms. This will probably be the biggest hurdle to be encountered as many teachers are intimidated by technology. Last but not least this is something that will not be done overnight but will require a dedicated effort on the part of all concerned from the politicians down to the average student.

Part 2 Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
I found Eric Whitacre's Choir to be incredible! I first thought that maybe they recorded a song and then put together the graphics using pictures of people on webcams. However if you listen long enough, you realize, that this is not the case. These people are singing this song, all together, and no two are in the same room with each other. The logistics involved in this clip blows my mind! I never thought something like this was possible! Make sure you check this clip out!

Part 3 Teaching In The 21st Century
Kevin Roberts is a very thought provoking individual. In his video Teaching In The 21st Century he puts forth a lot of ideas about what teaching will be like in the future and the role that technology will play in it. I am still processing a lot of what he said but the point he makes about teachers not being the main source of informationv anymore really hit home. I guess I haven't really thought about that much but Roberts is right. My students are much more likely to go to the internet for information than to come ask me. I thought his question about who is teaching them the right way to find information to be profound. We as teachers need to evolve from our rolls as information givers and instead become information filters, directors etc... for our students. We need to teach our students the best ways of finding information and how to get the most out of their technology. I agree with Roberts and also think that the days of information giving by teachers are numbered and will soon be coming to a close.

Part 4 Flipping The Classroom
The concept of flipping the classroom is an awesome concept! The premise is that instead of spending 90% of the class on concept delivery and review and 10% on application to flip this and spend 10% on delivery and 90% on application. In order to do this students are required to preview the concept prior to class via online videos. Students then come to class already knowledgeable about the subject material and require minimal help to take the concept to the application level and beyond. Teachers are then free to spend their time offering differentiated instruction to those that need it.
I wish I had known about flipping the classroom years ago. Up until this last year I have been teaching a 6th grade math class and this approach would have been perfect. Yes we would have had a number of speed bumps to overcome, like students not having computers or internet access, but we could have overcome these and had a really productive class. Starting next August I will be teaching 6th and 7th grade Science and I am already thinking of how I can use this concept in those classrooms. Lots of hurdles to jump over but I know it is possible. I need to share this concept with my fellow teachers and administration and see if we can't make this a school wide endeavor. If this sounds like something you might be interested in I urge you to check out the following links.
Why I Flipped My Classroom
Flipping The Classroom
Flipped Classroom FAQ

Google Presentation

Blog Post #4 Podcasting

Podcasting

Podcasting, the transmission of audio or video media through the internet, has been around for quite some time. Podcasting has a multitude of uses from audio tours of museums,towns and cities to law enforcement updates but it is extremely beneficial in education. Podcasts can be used to simply offer an audio version of a book or text, 30% of students are auditory learners, or they can be the final product of an ongoing class project. Podcasts are great because they are familiar to today's students and their format makes them interesting and engaging. Podcasts are very easy to make and use which allows for a great deal of flexibility when it comes to learning. A podcast can be used in a regular class or, if a students misses a class, they can get the same information the class did from their personal computers while they were elsewhere. Podcasts are also a great way for teachers to interact with their students outside the classroom while still allowing students to be innovative while expressing their own creativity. The ability of podcasts to be shared via the internet means that students have a greater audience than ever before. Before if a student did a project only their classmates, teacher and parents would see it unless it was displayed somewhere in the school but now they have a worldwide audience! I have included some links to some great podcasting sites take a look!
Podcasting Using Garageband, How To Podcast

Comment For Teacher(C4T) Assignment #1

Project #3
C4T Assignment 1
Teacher: Beth Still
Part 1
July 19 Post Summary
For part one of my C4T Assignment 1 I posted a comment to Beth Still at bethstill.edublogs.org. Beth had published a post about her experience with following people on twitter. She has been on twitter for four years and started out by only following a couple of hundred people but then she let it get out of control and started following over a thousand. She believes she has made a mistake doing this and has decided to drop back to the original number she was comfortable with and able to follow easily.
1st Comment Summary
I thanked Beth for her article and told her that as I had not joined twitter yet I appreciated her advice about only following a smaller more select group of people. I agreed with her and wished her all the best as she attempts to go back to a smaller group of people to follow.
Part 2
July 15 Post Summary
For part two of my C4T Assignment 1 I had a problem. I was supposed to comment on the same teacher as in part one but she had not posted anything new. I was instructed to comment on an earlier post so that is what I am doing. Beth Still was an ISTE proposal reviewer last year and she blogged about some of the process involved with submitting a proposal to ISTE to be included in their annual convention. Incidentally if your like me and didn't know what ISTE stands for it is the International Society for Technology in Education. Her blog while being very informative reveals her caring nature as she tries to alleviate some of the hurt individuals might feel who submitted a proposal and had it rejected. Beth even goes so far as to offer some pointers on how to make proposals more likely to be accepted but also puts a bit of realism into her blog by explaining the low acceptance percentage. All in all a very well written blog with a real human touch!
July 15 Comment Summary
In my comment to Beth this week I complimented her on her very informative blog concerning ISTE and it's convenient links to important information. I also thanked her for being human and actually caring enough, for the feelings of those individuals who submitted a proposal, to make an effort to alleviate their sense of hurt by explaining the submission process and low percentage of acceptance.

BLOG POST # 3

Part 1 Peer Editing
Peer editing is a service that needs to be done and done well. When peer editing one needs to make sure that they do three things. First, be encouraging and begin your critique with positive comments. Second make suggestions to your peer on how they might improve their material. Last but not least be specific about what needs to be changed. Above all else though make sure that your critique is done in a manner that is positive and will not be taken personal by your peer.
There are some things you need to watch out for when peer editing that I learned from watching the last peer review clip. First do not be too picky, do a good job editing but don't rub your peer's nose in it. Second make sure you stay on task and focused by being specific in what needs to be corrected. Lastly make sure that all corrections are proposed as suggestions and in a kind, inoffensive manner.
Check out these clips!
What is Peer Editing, Peer Edit To Perfection Tutorial, Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes

Part 2 Technology in the Special Education Classroom
Technology is great in the regular classroom but it is a God send when it comes to the special education classroom. Technology allows kids with special needs to perform at a much higher level than they were previously able too. In some cases technology has completely eliminated a disability that a child had and allowed them to return to the regular classroom. Technology is great because it also allows exceptional kids to do mundane tasks like talk and write that normal kids take for granted much, much faster. What was once a chore now becomes eagerly anticipated if not a pleasure.
Technology has not only had a huge impact in the lives of the individual exceptional student but also in how their classes are taught. Technology is interesting and engaging and removes the struggle that regular classroom teachers, as well as special education teachers, have of maintaining student's attention and motivating them. Technology also allows exceptional students to be more independent both int the classroom and at home!
Check this neat clip out!
Technology In Special Education

Part 3 Apps In The Classroom
I went to Apple Education Apps.com and being a Science teacher whose passion is Life Science I was immediately drawn to the Frog Dissection App. I would use this in my class when we are studying reptiles. This App would make it very easy for my students to see first hand the anatomy of a frog with out sacrificing the lives of any frogs. My squeamish students would thank me but I would be glad that I would not have to worry about my students accidentally,or not, cutting themselves or their classmates with their scalpels. Another plus for this App is that it would go a long way towards making the topic easy and understandable because lets face it letting 11 and 12 year old students use scalpels could be a bit messy. With clear graphics they still have the sense of discovery with out all the mess.

Part 4 Digital Smarts
In Edutopia's video clip Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts we get a good look at what technology can do for the classroom. Here we have a classroom, in about as rural an area as possible, that is totally connected to what is going on out in the rest of the world. Students are totally engaged in the learning process. They are thinking and learning for themselves with out having to be spoon fed by their teacher. I think what Ms. Davis is doing in her classroom is nothing short of amazing! This is an incredible method of teaching that is greatly appreciated by Ms. Davis's students.
Not only is Ms. Davis teaching her students skills that are cutting edge in the technological world she is also giving them connections to the real world by having them do tasks in collaboration with Ms. Lyndsey and her school in Quatar. Between them Ms. Davis and Ms. Lyndsey are doing what should be done with technology and that is to empower their students and also give them an incredible world view!

Wordle Post

Blog Assignment # 2

Part 1 Did You Know? by Dr. John Strange
I really didn't know that I was so far behind the times. I know that China and India are the two fastest growing countries and economies in the world but when you look at education and put it in the perspective that the video "Did You Know" does it really gets one thinking. What are the qualifications of a superpower? Is it economic power? Is it net worth? Is it technology? I tell you if the status of a superpower depended on education the US would not be on the short list I am afraid. I think that if the US would put as much interest on the educational inequalities between these respective countries as they do on economics or weapons I think the US would be in a much better place and probably the world as well.
I definitely was not aware of how fast technology is changing. It is really hard to believe that technology becomes obsolete in 2 years. That is incredible! The rapid growth of technology just during my lifetime has been staggering but trying to imagine what the future holds is downright mind blowing. How do we as teachers prepare our students for the? I think Dr. Strange has the answer and that is to teach them to be self reliant when it comes to learning and to always seek the next level and not be satisfied with the statis quo.
Part 2 Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman
Wow to a lesser degree I really know how Mr. Winkle feels! I have been teaching in a private school overseas for the last 7 years and have been in a kind of time bubble when it comes to technology. We don't have the best internet supporting equipment or the best internet connection so to come back and see what the rest of the world is doing is amazing. I do have a video projector in my classroom and use Power Point and other programs all the time but I realize now that I am way behind and I have a long way to go to catch up.
I can also relate to Mr. Winkle's experience in school because even though I see what is being done at the university level what is being done at the elementary and to a large extent the secondary regarding technology and its use in the school is insufficient. What is being taught in schools and when may have changed but the way it is being taught is very much the same as when I went to school. I have seen progress but we have a long way to go if we are going to prepare our students for the technological future depicted in this video.
Part 3 The Importance Of Creativity by Sir. Ken Robinson
Sir. Ken is a very entertaining speaker who believes that the schools of today are doing our children a disservice. He says that schools today are weeding creativity out of children. A young child is full of creativity which schools often tend to squelch because the area of creativity is such that it is thought not to be conducive to succeeding as the world currently defines success. I like Sir. Ken's analogy of schools tending to teach to the upper part of the body most specifically the brain and one side of that. This sort of teaching limits if not eliminates creativity according to Sir. Ken. We can't all be college professors!
I totally agree with Sir. Ken when it comes to the importance of creativity. So often as teachers we smother creativity in order to get a student to conform to what we think will help him or her succeed in this world and this has to stop. Teachers today are not totally at fault because they are often themselves the products of a faulty system. Teachers are at fault though if they are not willing to wake up,to change, and get with the program of fostering creativity. Creative students are usually productive not only in their areas of creativity but in all other academic areas as well. We as teachers need to be able at an early age to recognize creativity and promote it to the best of our abilities regardless of our personal beliefs or those beliefs that were taught to us!

Part 4: A Day Made Of Glass 2; A Day Made Of Glass 2(Unpacked); Project Glass
I don't know what to say about these videos besides WOW! I have seen technology similar to this in movies but had know idea that much of it was possible. Glass is something we use everyday and most of us take it for granted. Thankfully there are some people out there who do not! It is hard to fathom the possibilities for the application of these technologies in the future and having watched these clips I don't think anyone could. This is a great example of what our students have to look forward too and what we as teachers have to prepare them for. Poor Mr. Winkle would really been blown away if he had woken up in an age where these brief glimpses of the future that I have seen today were reality!
The possibilities for education are endless and unimaginable to say the least. Just the possibilities that were shown blows my mind. I would love to have a classroom that was so user friendly and hands on to teach Science! Think of everything I could do with my class and the places we could go and see all while still remaining in the classroom or better yet at home! Imagine how much a 3D model would spice up any science lesson. The possibilities are endless and I hope I am around to see them implemented in classrooms everywhere!