Assignment 3

Media literacy in the 1st Grade:

These children who are 6 years old and in the 1st grade are more technologically advanced than most people I know in college! That alone says that we as future educators are going to have to be well rounded not only in reading, writing and math but also in the world of technology. I am 26 years old and I am just now learning how to blog, make movies on my computer and well, the list just seems to go on. Not to mention next weeks assignment for my EDM310 class is learning how to make a podcast. The terms alone (blog, Facebook, podcast etc.) can be confusing for someone like me. Yeah sure I hear these terms on a daily basis, but it wasn't until now that I am actually starting to learn and really understand what it's all about.

I was fully aware that choosing education as my major would consist of teaching your normal everyday subject, but now we have added technology to the ever growing curriculum, in order to prepare our students for the future. The teachers of 2010, and on are required to teach much more than just basic academics. If you do decide to become a future educator, you must realize that you are going to take on much more of a challenge than educators in the previous years.

Little Kids... Big Potential

Mrs. Cassidy's little kids from Moose Jaw, Canada most certainly do have big potential! They will be the graduation class of 2025. They are using blogs, wikis, webpages and Skype to further their learning. Not all children learn in the same manor or time span. Now that children have access to such tools they are no longer limited to relying on teachers who are only available monday-Friday. Children can now go home and take it upon themselves to learn material that they might have not understood they way they teacher taught it.

I can clearly remember being in elementary school and coming home with homework or projects that were do over the period of a weekend. The problem was I didn't always fully understand how to go about doing it. Thankfully I was lucky enough to have my father around when I needed help with that sort of stuff, but in this ever so modern world that we live in many parents don't have the time to help their children, or may not understand the subject matter themselves, so with that in mind technology can actually serve as a teacher. There's only one condition, and that is, the students must understand how to navigate a computer. Learning how to work with a computer is just as important as any other subject if not more due to the fact that with out it they may not be able to get help until after their homework is already late.

Iphone used by 1 year old baby

Who ever believes that they are going to be a successful teacher without being technologically advanced is in for a rude awakening. Going through life without learning or wanting to know how to use technology is crazy. Hello, toddlers are more advanced than some people today. Why people are proud of being technologically illiterate is beyond me. There is nothing to be proud about if you are technologically illiterate. Some people might say, "oh an IPhone is easy to use, all you have to do is swipe across the screen." The point is he knew exactly what he was looking for. Can you imagine how advance technology will become within the next 10 years? I believe that it will be out of this world.

Podcasts

I must say i have found my adventure with podcast very confusing! There have been several occasions that I have looked up a podcast that was related to certain radio stations that I listen to religiously. I listen to streaming radio often and saw a tab for there podcast, but i must say I still don't quite understand what the point of a podcast is. Of course it's made for staying posted on certain topics but I have always read or watched the news.

The one podcast that I could relate to was kidcast, because it was set up much like a radio station. It discussed how podcast can be used as and educational tool in the classroom which I most definitely agree with. Im sure as I listen to more and more podcast I will learn to like them more than I do now.

Assignment 2

Micheal Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
I watched this this video for my EDM310 class at the Univ. of South Alabama. This video is what puts my thoughts into words. I have e-mailed this video to both of my parents, because it's almost impossible to explain to people who are not in school what it's like these days to be a student. This is my life summed up in four minutes and forty five seconds. It was absolutely amazing.


"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
First and foremost, I could not agree more with Kelly when she says"Technology is useless without good teaching." I feel that this holds true for any subject whether it be English, Math, or technology.

Many educators do not see themselves as learners. Some teachers feel that are there to teach. They did not go through four years or more of college to be taught or as they might feel "insulted" by their students, but rather to teach their students. However, if these teachers would "really" listen to what some of their students are saying, then that's just more knowledge that they can pass down to their future students, or even friends and family. Lets face it, technology is growing faster than we can learn it.


Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
I must say that Mr. Fisch post was rather extreme but true. Technology is no longer used just for fun, but as a part of everyday life. If you choose to be technologically illiterate you are only crippling yourself. However, if you choose to be technologically illiterate as a teacher you are crippling our future.


I really appreciated the comment Mr. Fisch made on people being proud of their ignorance with technology. On all honesty, what kind of message does that send to people around them? It sends the message that it's acceptable not to care or bother learning today's world. Learning technology today is not any different than learning how to read, write, add and subtract. It's just part of life. How can we expect children to want to learn the world of technology if we as future teachers do not want to learn? Children will mock what they see, and if they see that we don't care then they aren't going to care either.


Gary Hayes Social Media Count
The unimaginable amount of people twitting, blogging, using face book and watching YouTube videos on a daily basis means that as a future teacher i will have to have a web enhanced classroom and stay current by any means possible. I am do to graduate in 2012 with a bachelors in Elementary Education, and at the rate technology is growing I know that I will have to work even harder to stay ahead of the game. I want to be the kind of teacher that is able to send students home to teach their parents. I feel that as a teacher if you are behind, then so is your classroom. That will do nothing more but make life harder for the student and their next teacher. Life isn't about catching up, but rather staying ahead.

assignment 1

Mr. Winkle Wakes

I am watching this video for my EDM310 class at the Univ. of South Alabama. I thought this video was short and to the point. Although technology has come a long way there are still many schools and children that are as just behind as Mr. Winkle was when he woke from his 100 year sleep. Technology is growing faster than we can learn it. However, it seems to portray the need for schools to be just as technologically enhanced as a hospital or business office, which does not seem to be the case.

Did you Know 3.0

This video is another selection that I must watch for my EDM310 class at Univ. of South Alabama. This was a exceptional video to watch for future educators. It conveys a strong message that teachers are going to be expected to not only teach academic skills and lesson but also technology skills. This puts a bigger challenge on future educator than ever before. Not only are you going to be teaching your students, but also their parents. What children learn in school they bring home to teach their parents. Because lets face it, children are much or technologically fluent compared to most adults these days. The statistics were amazing!

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

I watched this clip for my EDM 310 course at the Univ. of South Alabama. I have to say that I agree 100% that school takes away creativity. Creativity is what motivates young children to want to learn. Like Ken Robinson says, “Creativity is as important in education as literacy and we should treat is as the same status".

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts

These are the skills that children of today’s world should be and need to be learning. If more teachers would do what Vicki Davis has done, I think that more students would excel in school and at home. Many teachers take corrective criticism as an insult, when they should be enlighten that their student's are one step ahead of the program.