Blog Post #5

Don't teach your kids this stuff, please?
Scott McLeod gives a very intellectual take on teaching kids technology. I would almost call it sarcastic, but would hate for it to sound like an insult. I think his approach on this post is brilliant. The post captures your attention, and also demands you read it again. The post's structure is good, but what about the underlining meaning and who is Scott McLeod? Scott McLeod is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky, but McLeod might be more commonly know for being the founding director of UCEA The Center For The Advanced Study Of Technology Leadership In Education (CASTLE). So why exactly would an advocate for technology tell you not to teach your kids about it, this is where the sarcasm comes in. McLeod is trying to make a crucial point for the sake of kids, parents, educators and society as a whole. If you read anything about McLeod, you know he uses technology with his students, especially from his comment at the end of his post "'cause I'm doing all of it with my kids, can't wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two, can you?". So here is my conclusion on what McLeod is trying to say, Technology has bad parts of it, but so does a lot of things in this world. If we do not advance ourselves as educators in technology and teach our kids technology, THEY WILL GET LEFT BEHIND.
I support McLeod in teaching technology. I believe technology can support creativity, I believe that it is a helpful tool and that it builds life skills. I would hate to say that being technologically illiterate can be hurtful, but I honestly believe it can be. Most jobs now require some kind of experience with computers and or other technical uses. I believe apart of being a teacher is raising up students that become wholesome citizens. I believe teaching technology is a responsibility of a teacher. I hope to have leg up in a decade or two, along with Scott McLeod and Dr. Strange.

ISchool Is The New School

The iSchool initiative (Mobile Learning) is a video by Travis Allen. Travis was a senior in high school when he made this video. The video contains futuristic ideas for education. I was astounded by the video and also how advanced and organized it was. Travis did an excellent job presenting his idea, which has become successful. Schools are slowly switching over to a green classroom. In the glory of this video, I want to believe it would work flawless, however I see a side to it that is doubtful. I do not completely disregard the proposal, but consider the following.

Apple product's seem perfect, I love my Iphone4 and my family contains 5 people with Iphone's with no complaints. My nephew's think I'm cool, because my phone is cool. My point is that no matter how much I love my Iphone, it doesn't change that fact that I demolished the screen in one drop to the ground. I am an adult and have made the mistake. Children at a younger age are more likely to drop an Ipod, whether it was to the ground or in milk. My point being would this be to much of a responsibility to give young children. My other point is that technology can always have flaws, what are children suppose to do on test day when they can't get their I-pod on or they have "forgotten" to charge it. I do think it is a wondrous program if it can be successful with all grade levels. I feel that it defiantly deserves a chance, everything has bugs that need to be worked out. I believe in Travis and know he probably has solutions to these problems I have mention. I wish him and his team the best!

Virtual Bliss

Jennifer Chamber shared a video on her blog called Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'. What makes this video so special is that the 185 singers have never met and the whole performance was put together through the internet. I really enjoyed this video, I closed my eyes and could have thought I was in a large theater production. The performance was beautiful, but knowing that these people had never met and it was put together on the internet is enthusing. This video is a beautiful example of the wonderful things technology can do. I do not believe this takes a way from the beauty of performance in person, but yet amplifies it. This video will reach the homes of so many people and I hope they also find it as beautiful as me.


21st Century Teacher
Teaching In The 21st Century is a video by Kevin Roberts. This video is insightful for me as a future teacher. I want to be a technological literate teacher and this video answered several questions for me. Kevin Roberts believes that our job as teachers' is no longer to teach facts and information, but to filter the information that students are receiving. Since I began this class I have wondered in this world of "Words With Friends" and Facebook, how can you be a productive teacher and have successful students. Technology can be seen two ways, Entertaining and instructional. I really learned that is important to make projects engaging. If you engage students to learn they will respond well and also be productive. Roberts makes the point that when you are engaged by something you are likely to remember it and also to use it. Entertainment is something used to pass time not instruct.

It is also important to teach skills not facts. Technology gives us the ability to teach life skills and also show a variety of content. We have to be equipped to help children use technology to the best of their abilities. I learned from Roberts that it is important to be engaging, challenging and exciting when planning lessons. I learned that it is also important to teach responsibility, reliability and integrity to students. I plan to continue even after EDM310 to pursue ways to teach using technology. In better words, Google Chrome's new slogan is "The web is what you make of it." this is so true, as a teacher, I plan to make the best of it!