I thought the guest speakers were a good attrition. It was nice to hear from people who had completed the program and are now working. A good conclusion to the summer classes. They shared some good ways to implement technology in the classroom, and their real world perspective was refreshing.
I think the wallwisher thing could be an interesting way to do things. It is really hard to imagine what tools like this I will want to use because having my own classroom seems so removed and far away.
The discussion about etiquette was interesting. I think that it is quite rude to text during a conversation with another person. I also think that teachers can instill this etiquette into their students.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
July 30 Readings
Interesting article. It is amazing how different a generation can be in today's world. For so much of history a difference in a single generation meant no difference at all. Nothing could be farther than the truth as of late. There are some good things and some bad things about all of the changes that are happening.
I really dislike this propensity towards multitasking. I think that there is something valuable in concentrating all of ones attention onto one thing. Full engagement can be a powerful state. When attention becomes divided negative results follow. I think this also holds true for 'continuous partial attention'. Texting and driving leads to crashes. Doing homework while watching TV reduces the quality of the assignment. Not giving the people in the room complete attention because one is interacting with people outside the room via media fractures the social environment within that room.
I like very much the way Internet allows for creative works. There are many things a person can create online. Many ways of expressing themselves. I think this is a really good thing. The use of blogs as diaries can also be a healthy outlet and form of self-expression.
I wonder about this idea of ownership online. How will copyright stuff play out in this environment? How can you actually own something when it is so easy for someone else to download it? The article posed this question and I don't have an answer. I find in intriguing though...
I really dislike this propensity towards multitasking. I think that there is something valuable in concentrating all of ones attention onto one thing. Full engagement can be a powerful state. When attention becomes divided negative results follow. I think this also holds true for 'continuous partial attention'. Texting and driving leads to crashes. Doing homework while watching TV reduces the quality of the assignment. Not giving the people in the room complete attention because one is interacting with people outside the room via media fractures the social environment within that room.
I like very much the way Internet allows for creative works. There are many things a person can create online. Many ways of expressing themselves. I think this is a really good thing. The use of blogs as diaries can also be a healthy outlet and form of self-expression.
I wonder about this idea of ownership online. How will copyright stuff play out in this environment? How can you actually own something when it is so easy for someone else to download it? The article posed this question and I don't have an answer. I find in intriguing though...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
July 23 Readings
Good Video Games and Good Learning
I liked this article. It connected video games and learning in a very understandable way that I had not thought about. The idea of viewing things traditionally seen as such opposites in a way that brings them together showing similarities appeals to me. These ideas are new, and I will have to think more about them, but I can see more value in video games now. The difficult question is how to apply the learning techniques found in the games to the classroom. I don't have an answer for that one...
James Paul Gee
I enjoyed watching a video as opposed to more reading. This guy had a lot of interesting ideas. I like them. But because I like them, I want them to happen. Because I want them to happen, I wonder how they could happen. Then I get depressed. Because I don't see any of the broad changes he mentioned happening anytime soon. This makes me want to go teach in another country...
I liked this article. It connected video games and learning in a very understandable way that I had not thought about. The idea of viewing things traditionally seen as such opposites in a way that brings them together showing similarities appeals to me. These ideas are new, and I will have to think more about them, but I can see more value in video games now. The difficult question is how to apply the learning techniques found in the games to the classroom. I don't have an answer for that one...
James Paul Gee
I enjoyed watching a video as opposed to more reading. This guy had a lot of interesting ideas. I like them. But because I like them, I want them to happen. Because I want them to happen, I wonder how they could happen. Then I get depressed. Because I don't see any of the broad changes he mentioned happening anytime soon. This makes me want to go teach in another country...
Friday, July 16, 2010
July 16 Class
So I guess I have a Twitter account. That is embarrassing. Didn't think it would ever happen. We shall see how it goes. My mind is not closed to it...but almost. The name itself and the corresponding terminology just rubs me the wrong way. I am not looking forward to learning a new piece of software...especially this one.
I liked the way we did the discussion today. It made things interesting to have different discussion leaders. The thoughts and questions that were presented made me think a bit about the topic, so I see it as a productive activity.
The webinar made me laugh. Funny to see how technology can fail us. Good to keep in mind. It seems strange how google chat or skype have much, much better connections. I think for a webinar to be productive it should be short. I feel like the novelty would quickly wear off...that is, if it is anything like the one we did - lecture sort of style. If someone is going to talk at me I want them in the room, not on a poor quality video feed. I think that a webinar could possibly be interactive which could make things interesting, but this one wasn't. It was silly.
Cloud computing makes a lot of sense for school districts. I like the idea of it. Is it right to trust it? I mean, I have a lot of information on gmail that I want to retain. I trust that it will be there when I need it. Should I?
I liked the way we did the discussion today. It made things interesting to have different discussion leaders. The thoughts and questions that were presented made me think a bit about the topic, so I see it as a productive activity.
The webinar made me laugh. Funny to see how technology can fail us. Good to keep in mind. It seems strange how google chat or skype have much, much better connections. I think for a webinar to be productive it should be short. I feel like the novelty would quickly wear off...that is, if it is anything like the one we did - lecture sort of style. If someone is going to talk at me I want them in the room, not on a poor quality video feed. I think that a webinar could possibly be interactive which could make things interesting, but this one wasn't. It was silly.
Cloud computing makes a lot of sense for school districts. I like the idea of it. Is it right to trust it? I mean, I have a lot of information on gmail that I want to retain. I trust that it will be there when I need it. Should I?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
July 16 Readings
Media 21: Initial Comprehensive Report
For some reason I found this article really annoying. I will do my best to articulate why, but I am not sure if I will succeed. The information was good. The organization was decent. But it didn't flow. I prefer stories, not technical documents. I thought this was an attempt at creating a somewhat technical document that used way too many bullet points, lots of jargon and software I was unfamiliar with, and incredibly dry language. I did like the inclusion of the student and teacher comments. Without that I wouldn't have made it through...
No, Never Alone
Not sure what a 'Ning' is. Never heard of the term before. I can identify with the idea that there are so many tools and possibilities out there now that it makes it difficult to decide which ones to use, and due to that overwhelming feeling, just choose nothing.
Who's Cheating Whom?
I like this article because I find it challenging. I am not sure that I agree with the author in regards to physics. Perhaps that is because the physics classes I have taken pretty much all employed these multiple choice tests. The reason why I disagree is because in order to get a good grade on a well-designed multiple choice test the student does in fact need a good understanding of the particular area of physics being tested. I know this because I went through it. My lower test scores reflected less understanding on my part. Directly. So I believe this is an accurate assessment of understanding. I also enjoyed knowing exactly how I would be graded and what specific material I needed to master. This clear-cut approach helped in motivating me to study, along with the competitive nature of the exams.
Enhance Your Twitter Experience
"You can spend hours or days lurking without tweeting anything." Does anyone else find this creepy? I know my opinion is not terribly valid because I haven't tried Twitter, but I don't like it. At all. Not only does the name sound incredibly lame, but the whole idea just rubs me the wrong way. I can see the point in something like Facebook, but I don't get this. It just seems silly, and I am not persuaded by the article. I am all for brevity and succinctness, but this is a bit much. It feels like death to the English language...
For some reason I found this article really annoying. I will do my best to articulate why, but I am not sure if I will succeed. The information was good. The organization was decent. But it didn't flow. I prefer stories, not technical documents. I thought this was an attempt at creating a somewhat technical document that used way too many bullet points, lots of jargon and software I was unfamiliar with, and incredibly dry language. I did like the inclusion of the student and teacher comments. Without that I wouldn't have made it through...
No, Never Alone
Not sure what a 'Ning' is. Never heard of the term before. I can identify with the idea that there are so many tools and possibilities out there now that it makes it difficult to decide which ones to use, and due to that overwhelming feeling, just choose nothing.
Who's Cheating Whom?
I like this article because I find it challenging. I am not sure that I agree with the author in regards to physics. Perhaps that is because the physics classes I have taken pretty much all employed these multiple choice tests. The reason why I disagree is because in order to get a good grade on a well-designed multiple choice test the student does in fact need a good understanding of the particular area of physics being tested. I know this because I went through it. My lower test scores reflected less understanding on my part. Directly. So I believe this is an accurate assessment of understanding. I also enjoyed knowing exactly how I would be graded and what specific material I needed to master. This clear-cut approach helped in motivating me to study, along with the competitive nature of the exams.
Enhance Your Twitter Experience
"You can spend hours or days lurking without tweeting anything." Does anyone else find this creepy? I know my opinion is not terribly valid because I haven't tried Twitter, but I don't like it. At all. Not only does the name sound incredibly lame, but the whole idea just rubs me the wrong way. I can see the point in something like Facebook, but I don't get this. It just seems silly, and I am not persuaded by the article. I am all for brevity and succinctness, but this is a bit much. It feels like death to the English language...
Friday, July 9, 2010
July 9 Class
Should school have a social function and should technology be 'in the mix'? I think that the focus of school should be academics and learning. I think the social function is simply a byproduct of this process: students learning together. I think it is an essential byproduct, but needs not to be a focus as it will come naturally.
Democracy in the classroom seems strange. I don't get why I have seen the two terms seem to come together so much since starting this program...it feels a little like propaganda. I suppose it makes sense in a civics class, but in Science and Math? It does not seem relevant to certain subjects.
Teaching is about seeking a center of balance that is constantly changing...I like that idea...I think it gets to one of the core reasons why I want to teach. Searching for balance. It is a challenge because it is always changing. I like that.
Do I change my practice to help the students that struggle? I am sure I will try. But I don't think it will be easy. If things don't work; I will not continue to do them.
Democracy in the classroom seems strange. I don't get why I have seen the two terms seem to come together so much since starting this program...it feels a little like propaganda. I suppose it makes sense in a civics class, but in Science and Math? It does not seem relevant to certain subjects.
Teaching is about seeking a center of balance that is constantly changing...I like that idea...I think it gets to one of the core reasons why I want to teach. Searching for balance. It is a challenge because it is always changing. I like that.
Do I change my practice to help the students that struggle? I am sure I will try. But I don't think it will be easy. If things don't work; I will not continue to do them.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
July 9 Readings
Dewey & "Ed Tech"
Good thing we just read the article for 649 because this one was loaded with some of those terms. I still found parts hard to understand though. I find it interesting that what a man wrote so many years ago is applicable to this new issue of implementing technology in the classroom. I like the idea presented in the conclusion of using technology as the "linking science" to form a bridge between theory and practice.
Pedagogic Creed
I believe that there are so many perspectives and views to be balanced. It is a bit difficult to actually sort out what it is that I believe. There were many good ideas and insights. Also a few that I did not agree with. My favorite one was this: "I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living,"
Knapp
I agree with what the article says. Google and Wikipedia are tools. Any tool has faults and can be used improperly. But when used correctly, these tools can be quite powerful. I think it was interesting to learn a little bit more about how these websites function. I like how the authours ended by stating that Google and Wikipedia are not the enemies of teachers, but that they are "introductory gateways to more advanced knowledge."
Good thing we just read the article for 649 because this one was loaded with some of those terms. I still found parts hard to understand though. I find it interesting that what a man wrote so many years ago is applicable to this new issue of implementing technology in the classroom. I like the idea presented in the conclusion of using technology as the "linking science" to form a bridge between theory and practice.
Pedagogic Creed
I believe that there are so many perspectives and views to be balanced. It is a bit difficult to actually sort out what it is that I believe. There were many good ideas and insights. Also a few that I did not agree with. My favorite one was this: "I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living,"
Knapp
I agree with what the article says. Google and Wikipedia are tools. Any tool has faults and can be used improperly. But when used correctly, these tools can be quite powerful. I think it was interesting to learn a little bit more about how these websites function. I like how the authours ended by stating that Google and Wikipedia are not the enemies of teachers, but that they are "introductory gateways to more advanced knowledge."
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