Monday, June 25, 2012

Blog Post #8

A child day dreaming

This Is How We Dream
Dr. Richard Miller has presented a presentation titled This Is How We Dream and it is a concept as a future educator I must grasp completely. Years ago, students were learners that gained information through textbooks, literature, books, and other forms of text. Now, the 21st century student is learning in new ways. These students grasp concepts through videos, social networking, eBooks, Internet, and so much more. Students now learn at a faster pace by doing not listening. We need to open our eyes to the newest technologies out there that are provided for our students.

We no longer use book reports for the students to type a long paper after gathering resources through the books. In books, once that information is printed it is already out of date. Think about it life and history is forever changing. Why not give student up-to-date information through the web? They are instantly connected with valuable information that is always up-to-date. No more teaching in the past it is time to look to the future. Through the web students are allowed to share ideas freely and can view others ideas instantly. Also, by browsing the web, finding valuable information, videos, and pictures on their own gives them the freedom to be independent learners and providing hands on learning for all students.

None of this will ever be reached without inspiring teachers eager to learn new technology and tools. These teachers must strive to always stay abreast with technology advancements. If technology is evermore transforming then educators will always be a student. Meaning that teachers will continually learn throughout their lives. We must use the web in our classroom. By creating a class blog students can voice their opinions allowing them to practice the debating skills, spelling, and grammar. If students are allowed to create podcast videos or movies the students are now able to use creativity once taken away from them. The possibilities are endless and using the advancements around us provides students with opportunities more than ever before. Not all students will the engineers or doctors. Some students may develop a new program through the web or maybe even new teaching tools. By allowing them to get practice early on in life this may just spark interest in those students.

An Inspiring Writer
Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12 demonstrates all aspects of Dr. Miller's presentation. She is a wonderful writer and inspires all readers to think outside the box. She provides examples through her post how she plans to implement technology in her English classes to make the stories come to life. Her English class will not in any way be classified as boring, dull, or tedious. By using technology she will encourage her students to use their creativity by rewriting stories to create their own unique stories. Carly Pugh will be a top-notch English teacher one day and will continue to influence others.

Creating Funny Videos And Still Teaching The Lesson
Throughout the videos The Chipper Series and EDM 310 For Dummies viewers can quickly find entertainment. Jamie Lynn Miller does a fantastic job by creating a fun and amusing video and she also provides life lessons into her videos. During The Chipper Series, Chipper is struggling to find anything stable in her life. She is a procrastinator and has tendencies to think immaturely. She thinks that she should not be told what to do, where to be, or what time she should be at work. After dropping out of college and several jobs Chipper quickly realizes it's time to grow up! She gets her act together and now sees the importance of not procrastinating and listening to leaders in her life. Obviously, the book EDM 310 For Dummies. I definitely feel the girls in the videos pain. There are times that I wish there was this magical book that provided all the answers. But if I want my future students to be independent learners then I must first be one as well. To pass EDM 310 I must strive for excellence in every assignment and produce beneficial work.
I have a few ideas that I would like to use to create to use in my future. During morning announcements, it can sometimes be repetitive or boring so I want to bring it to life. For example, let's say that Field Day is just around the corner. It would be pretty entertaining to watch a continuous series of videos each morning leading up to the event made by the teachers. The school staff could battle it out in short videos get the students excited about Field Day. Another idea is making a suspenseful podcast on a history lesson. Each day of that week watch a short podcast and the ending would always say, "To Be continued". By using emotional music and quick action shots I can make the pilgrims struggling journey to America come to life. By using these skills I can show the emotions and struggles the Pilgrims had moving to America.

Learn To Change, Change To Learn
Why do we take cell phones out of schools? What about taking MP3 Players? I agree that these devices can sometimes be distracting to students, but what if we started implementing them into teaching? I know it is a wacky idea, but when you picture a child or teenager what do they have in their hand? A cell phone of course! Kids are fascinated with technology and similar devices and it is time we start using products they love! By using these devices students are automatically interested in the assigned project. If we can shift our thinking the possibilities are endless through our students, but it must first begin with teachers. Children will be able to be artist, learn to work in teams, find information, communicate information, problem solve information, and encourage them to be brave. By learning these skills we are preparing them to be creative, and the courage to pursue their goals.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0
I love a good scavenger hunt, and this idea is really cool! Incorporating a fun way to explore the Internet for information is a great way to add a variety in the classroom. I love an adventure so I decided to find all five items. The first item "Locate a tool similar to Facebook/Twitter for teachers, parents, students". I chose to use EDmodo.com, which is a social platform for teachers and students to be connected. I will use this website when I become a teacher to give homework assignments, projects, and communicate with students and parents. I believe communication is one of the most important factors in trust with parents and students. Secondly, the tool used to create the video we were assigned to watch was through a website called Animoto.com/Education. It gives teachers a free Plus account, but teachers must first apply for a code first. This account allows teachers to make full-length videos for free. Next, I found makebeliefscomix.com where anyone can create his or her own comics. Below is a picture of a comic I quickly made for this blog post. Animoto.com provides an easy way to share videos using Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Phototbucket, flickr, MySpace, Picasa, and YouTube. There are several video styles, music, and HD availability for users and now this website is available through the app store. Finally, I took time to create my own poll using the website polleverywhere.com. Check out my poll below and please take time to answer the simple question. I would love to see it work to its fullness.
Comic stript created by me. title=


Take a minuet to answer my poll question!

3 comments:

  1. "By using these devices students are automatically interested in the assigned project. If we can shift our thinking the possibilities are endless through our students, but it must first begin with teachers. Children will be able to be artist, learn to work in teams, find information, communicate information, problem solve information, and encourage them to be brave. By learning these skills we are preparing them to be creative, and the courage to pursue their goals."

    I couldn't agree with you more. We talked about us preparing our students for the future, maybe not being able to see their future jobs right now, but they eventually will. What better way to do it? Give them the skills now to use in this ever-changing technological world!

    I also loved Scavenger Hunt activity! I loved your poll.

    Watch your spelling and comma usage.

    Have a great week!

    L.A.

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  2. Hello Mackenzie,

    Great post. You thoroughly explored each prompt. I noticed a lot of spelling and grammar errors (but I always notice those things) so you may want to give your future posts a good grooming before hitting Publish. Reading them aloud often helps. I like your idea to use videos in the mornings to get students interested in what's happening with the school body and to introduce new topics in the classroom. Great work! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  3. Hi Mackenzie, I think you did a great job summing up Dr. Richard Miller's This is How we Dream video. It is very important for future educators to incorporate technology into their curriculum by using the power of technology to make the students better learners. I agree with your thoughts on the EDM 310 for dummies video, I also think that they did a great job capturing the overwhelming feeling from the first day of the class. Keep up the good work on your blog!

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