Did You Know? (4.0)

This video was very informative, yet a little disturbing at the same time. I think that the amount of text messages sent everyday is a little out of control. According to this video the average teenager sends over two thousand text messages a month! That has to mean they are spending half of their lives text messaging. That is a little much if you ask me. These days you do not have to talk to anyone at all anymore. I think the need for more public speaking classes is going to be a must.

I have to admit that I do text more than I talk on the phone. But, I know the importance of face to face communication too. I remember when I was just becoming a teenager I was allowed maybe an hour each night to talk on the phone. Now days every teenager has their own personal phone and can talk/text as much as they please. I think that with this new technology craze, teachers and parents need to stress the importance of face to face communication.

iPods and Schools

When I think of iPods the only thought that comes to my mind is music. Come to find out iPods are way more advanced than that. Maybe it is because I have owned an ipod for a little over 4 years now and the only thing I have ever used it for was music. I am a huge fan of music and own probably around 500 CDs if not more. Owning an iPod is one of the best things that has ever happened to me! Maybe I should learn to truly take advantage of this fascinating technological device.

Research has been conducted using iPods as educational aids. You can now purchase iPods with recorders. These are great because you can rewind and fast forward easily through lectures. "Middle school students can write a radio drama based on a
historical event or period and then record the radio shows using an iPod and voice recorder and then podcast the radio shows to others over the internet. High school students can conduct oral histories with a family member using iPod and voice recorder. Special education students can use video iPods when taking tests"
http://www.principalspartnership.com/iPods.pdf.

Duke University conducted an experiment by providing their first year college students with iPods. The academic uses of iPod devises by faculty at Duke fell into five major categories:
1. Course content dissemination tool
2. Classroom recording tool
3. Field recording tool
4. Study support tool
5. File storage and transfer
http://cit.duke.edu/pdf/reports/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf


I think that iPods can be very useful aids, and there is obviously research proving that. However, I do not think that they should be required or even advertised for that purpose until there is more resources for educational purposes through iPods available.

iTunes University

iTunes U is a free online source of educational information from top Universities around the world, among other places. It offers a wide variety of information available to absolutely anyone; not just students. This site can be used in so many different ways. One of its biggest benefits is that it is college information that anyone can access for free. This is huge! "That means those whose budget won't stretch to a two-year MBA can simulate the experience at home, at work, in the gym or anywhere else they choose. And even better for money-conscious learners, the iTunes U content can all be downloaded free of charge" (http://edition.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/10/16/online.university/?imw=Y).

iTunes U is helpful for students in college and teachers at any level too. "Today’s students expect constant access to information in the classroom and beyond. Which is why more and more faculty are using iTunes U to distribute digital lessons to their students" (http://www.apple.com/education/mobile-learning/). It is nice as a college student to gain information from places other than the classroom and to receive the information you are learning in more than one way. The fact that it is free is even more beneficial to students who are already in college. Also, teachers can use this site to find multiple ways to teach the subject matter and better relate to many different students. I think that this is an amazing thing that Apple created!

Dr. Christie's GPS and Geocaching for Educators

I think that GPS and Geocaching can be useful for teachers in many different ways. First, the GPS can be used in multiple subjects. This makes it easy for pretty much all teachers in almost every subject to use this fast growing technological device. Dr. Christie provides information regarding which GPS schools should purchase. If the school system knows how to purchase the products more teachers and more students will get to use this exceptional technological tool. GPS systems can be used in math in lessons regarding money, and budgets. In science to engage in the scientific process involved in working with the GPS. Students and teachers will develop more effective skills in problem solving and collaborating with others to explore and explain the world around them.

Also, using the Geocaching game is a fun, new, and exciting way for students to learn. Instead of simply reading books and listening to the teacher explain the subject matter, using the game gets students out of the classroom and out into the world without ever leaving campus. The Geocaching game helps students develop the practical and critical thinking skills required to better understand the world around them. All teachers can use this technological game to engage their students and help take them to new levels of learning.

Mr. McClung's Blog

I think that Mr. McClung's blog was extremely helpful. Some of my teachers have already told me a lot of the things he mentioned he learned in his first year; like reading the crowd, and adjusting lesson plans for each new class. Mr. McClung also says that many teachers are so focused on delivery of the content that they forget to check for student comprehension. I think that this is a very common error. It seems that the more we question why kids are failing in schools; the answer is because the information is not being presented to them in the most comprehensible way. I also agree with Mr. McClung when he says that teachers should be flexible. Kids are very unpredictable and teachers may have to adjust their lesson plans often. They should be able to do this without any problems. I think that the most effective teachers get to know their students on personal levels and teach according to their specific class. I am glad that I already have an understanding of this and that Mr. McClung reinforced the importance of it in the blog he wrote. Mr. McClung's blog was very informative and I plan to revisit it in the future.

Wikipedia... friend of foe?

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that can be edited by absolutely anyone. It also happens to usually be the first source that comes up with an answer for your online searches, especially when using Google. This says nothing negative about Google; I am a HUGE fan of Google and I Google something everyday! But the fact that anyone can go on to Wikipedia and write anything they chose under a certain topic makes me feel that it can not be a trusted source at all. On the other hand there are usually links going back to the original source where the information came from to back up the facts. If you can follow the links that are usually provided and prove the information on the site is in fact true, than I think Wikipedia is a great source. But I personally think that takes a lot of extra time.

Things are improving for Wikipedia though! There is now a program called WIRE/ Wikipedia scanner that locates anonymous internet IP addresses so that the source of the person who edited the post can be known. I do think that with careful surveillance of the Wikipedia website and scanning of the entries Wikipedia is can be an excellent source.

WRDL