http://youtu.be/WTFnmsCnr6g
I think the obvious lesson to take away from today's class is to expect the unexpected. The inability for the Tyrell Museum to connect with us in the classroom definitely threw off the class plan and dynamics. However, the thing to take away from it is that you have to be able to adapt to new circumstances at every opportunity.
New media does have some interesting developments for the future. I think that a 3D printer is both frightening and awesome. It's only frightening because it is something that is complete out of my comprehension right now. Almost eerily a Star Trek episode... I guess as a teacher I had better prepare myself for new waves of the future, and try my best to stay ahead. It would be pretty difficult to stay ahead, but definitely worth it to keep up with the students in your room. It was obvious in class today how easy it was for students to get involved and excited around New Media items. I think as long as you have good supervision and rules in the classroom for the behaviour, activities should run smoothly. It's a huge opportunity to get students motivated and into their learning. I remember using lots of spreadsheets when I was in elementary school, but it's an art that sort of died out as I went through school. Coming into University, I never used spreadsheets at all.
It's weird how useful a tool it us, but that it isn't really used at all. It could be because I was more of a social studies major, but it seemed that spreadsheets disappeared as a useful tool regardless. Using them in class today brought back a lot of those memories. It used to be a bit more difficult to make a graph when I was a kid! What a useful tool for a classroom, although it would still take some coaching for younger students. This would be a great way of visually representing some data and having students understand graphs. Something I'll have to keep in mind! The internet as we know is sort of like the Wild West. It has changing rules and frontiers all the time, and just when you think you start getting used it, something changes.
As adults, we are all used to these shifting boundaries, and know a little bit about protecting ourselves. I think the realization this class was that student's simply wont be as prepared for this new society as adults would be. It's strange to think, because kids often times seem to adapt easier to the technological world and teach us adults things we didn't know. For example, running the smart board eraser around the whole board, then tapping the middle with it erases everything. You don't need to simply run the "brush" up and down. And I learned that from a student! Despite this edge in technological know-how, students are still somewhat naive in how they approach the internet. This class revealed a lot about how students need to be informed about things such as marketing and advertising, safety, authenticity and copyright rules. I guess as teachers we had better slap on a sheriffs badge and get to patrolling and laying down the law, because that seems to be the best way to help kids get used to this new frontier. Sometimes I think that we try to implement technology in a classroom when it isn't needed. Of course, this is a technology course that I am in, so it should be expected. But I also think that sometimes we use technology for the sake of using technology. \
A common argument for integrating technology within a classroom is because it can "engage the students". This bothers me. Students shouldn't need a screen or smart board to become engaged in a lesson. As teachers, we shouldn't have to rely upon technology to get our students involved. Using online Mind Maps is a good example. In class we were given the opportunity to use the program Bubbl.us. This was a great website for creating online brainstorming maps. We also got the opportunity to use Inspiration, some software used for brainstorming (you actually have to pay for this one). I was captivated by the idea that students could use this technology in class and have a great way to map out their thoughts. But... wait... can't we just get out a pencil and paper and write it all down? Maybe it's just because that's what I grew up using, but it seemed so simple at the time. Why should we complicate a simple concept that drawing out your own mind map? I suppose you can argue the pros and cons of each. They are the same, but different. What do you think? Is it worth giving students a computer to create a mind map, or should they just use paper? Throughout my University career, it was hammered into me that using a search engine to find research was not the best idea. In fact, professors could and would fail you for citing a non-educational source.
It almost seemed foreign to be allowed to use a multitude of search engines to find activities for students to learn from. But when you get going, Oh the sources you can find! Of course, each page needs to be gone through to check for virus's or bad software, but overall there were some extremely good websites available through a simple internet search. It's also good to know that their are a variety of search engines that are educationally related. Having websites like Onekey and Kids Click makes for a safer classroom environment. I think it would be interesting to find a good search engine that you can keep tabs on as a teacher. Working on a smart board is sort of like working on something from out of space. I had hoped that the setup for smart board learning would resemble a powerpoint or word presentation. It should have an easy layout that helps with learning.
Instead, I found the smartboard set up confusing and difficult. I kept wishing that my presentation could have been completed on a paint, word or powerpoint document and they transpose it on the smart board program. That being said, I can recognize how a smart board can be conductive to classroom learning. The ability to have students interact in a fun and interesting way and help with gaining some knowledge. I think it's a great way of assessing student knowledge as well, and getting them involved in the lesson. I think the only thin that stops me from fully enjoying the smart board is the lack of a basic tutorial, and perhaps the chance to play around with the program and the actual board. Hopefully I can get the chance further into my educational career. This week in our technology class we looked at the use of 21st century learning within the classroom. 21st century learning involves integrating new skills in technology and learning into our core subjects.
Learning about the use of technology in the classroom was more of a reflection for me. I was thinking about how technology has changed, not only from when I was a student, but even in the last few years. I get excited thinking about how many doors have opened for kids that did not exist before. Interacting with smart boards, ipads, web blogs, video conferencing, student forums... students have so many ways to access information and to share it in interesting ways. It also makes me aware of how students need to be taught how important it is for for them to break down the information that is being passed along to them. The internet can be full of different viewpoints and perspectives that may not be completely accurate. I think that if there was one important skill to pull from 21st century learning, it would be to teach students how to research and to keep themselves protected. What do you think? How can you effectively teach children about the darker side of 21st century learning? A blog (or weblog) is considered to be a personal online journal of one's opinions, thoughts and rants, published for all the internet world to see. In this particular case, this blog will be focused on the Faculty of Education and the various thoughts and ideas that come out of there.
There are several different ways that blogs can become effective tools within the classroom. It becomes a place for the individual student to take pride in their work, and showcase their own thoughts and opinions. Blogging allows for a world wide opinion. Students from Japan can coordinate and work with students in England. I think that this would stimulate any student's mind and have them become more engaged in what they are doing, especially if they take ownership of their own corner of the internet. Allowing them to blog gives them a sense of ownership and empowerment that drives them to learn. I believe that it also forces them to push their own boundaries as they continue to try to make their own personal space. Stephen Downes mentions in his own article, Educational Blogging that blogging is not only with the student, but with the parents as well. A section on the web allowed for assignments to be posted, student reflection, and for teacher feedback. As mentioned in the article, the blog has become "a virtual extension of the classroom" and I think has allowed a greater connection between the classroom and all those that are involved with it. As I've learned so far in this faculty (one solid week) is that when you teach others, you retain that information much more effectively than if it was to be taught to you. Blogging not only allows the teacher to share assignments, but for students to work with each other and effectively become teachers and leaders as well. This blog post only quickly touches on some of the benefits of blogging within the classroom, but there are many more to be considered. What do you think about blogging within a classroom? | JeffStudent within the Faculty of Education Archives |
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