Blog Post #5

Who is Scott McLeod? He is a creator, and is expanding our education of how we teach. Dr. McLeod put issues into a new perspective that creates you to think about what he is really trying to say. He is also an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. Founding Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work. One of his blog post,"Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff" was an extremely sarcastic post about why children shouldn't use technology (computers) in school. Dr. McLeod is very intelligent and continues to further our education about technology and how it's helping our students learn.

• Travis Allen made a video when he was seventeen ISchool Initiative about how technology should belong in school and all of its advantages. He named this project ISchool. His thoughts about ISchool are students will no longer need books, paper, and even pens. Allen explains some of the Apps that the IPad already has for school use. Some include U.S. Constitution, World Wiki, Chemical Touch, USA Presidents, Star Walk and basics such as calendar and calculator. These Apps are very interesting and give students a ton of information that would not fit into books. The Internet has so much information that would not be accessible threw a book. With technology and YouTube we can visualize and understand things better. I agree with the cost of school being outrageous Allen stated that today the cost of one student is $600; the cost of one student in ISchool would be $150. The financial problem that the schools are facing today is very troubling. I have mixed feelings about all future education being taught strictly by technology. What if the service is slow and you cannot connect to the Internet? How would you then teach your class? I do like the use of technology it really enhances the learning but I don’t want to solidly rely on technology.

I watched Lux Aurumqueand what we can do with technology is absolutely astonishing. This video is made up of 185 people who have never met singing Lux Aurumque. The way Eric Whitacres collaborated this video is just amazing. It’s a mixture of art and technology. In today’s world we cannot do anything without the assistance of Internet. Our life literally revolves around technology, without it we feel empty and disconnected. I myself live on my phone it has become my security blanket. This video right away gave me chills, the music the people and the way it all fell perfectly together. It takes art, learning and every subject to a whole new level. I feel overwhelmed by all the new technology and how it all works. Are children in the future going to experience playing outside or will it be taught? I do love the assistance of technology but again I do not think we should solidly rely on it.

• Kevin Roberts Teaching 21st Century Studentsvideo makes you think about the future generation. Technology offers a lot of great tools and sources. We are using a lot more technology in the classroom than ever before. Roberts explains that that teacher’s are no longer the source of information but the filter. This ten minute video has some good points but it seems to last forever. If this video were shown in a classroom students would drift off after five minutes. He is expressing that we will no longer be teachers and educators but helping students find how to learn. I do not like that way of teaching. I know we will forever use technology but we should keep it as a tool not as the teacher. Soon students will stay at home and teach themselves by Google. I want to become a teacher to teach students to see them understand it and help them create new ideas. We can do so much with technology I am afraid that too much might be a bad thing. Whatever we do now to change the way we teach and learn the upcoming generation will not know any difference. Just like the way we were taught using a white board and books, today’s students use SmartBoards and Google. The main goal is for students to excel their learning and keep creating.

• The Reading Rocketwebsite has a lot of great reading resources for students, parents, teachers, and principals. It has lots of great ideas for teachers to use in the classroom. Parents can also visit the site and find activities to do at home with their children. I really liked this website and found so many great ideas that I can use in the classroom. One of the activities I found very useful for a classroom is Shared Reading. First you discuss what you think the book is about and students can write down questions or comments they think it’s about. As you read the book aloud students throughout the book can make predictions about what’s going to happen. When you finish you can have the students individually rewrite the story using their own comments and answers to the question. I really like this idea; students have to use their listing and comprehension skills. If students have questions or didn’t understand a part in the book independent reading would be a great idea.

Another great resource I found Semantic Gradients helps with vocabulary. This deepens students’ understanding of words and enhances their vocabulary. Select a specific vocabulary word for the week. Students can create a list of similar words throughout the week in other subjects. At the end of the week you can arrange the words in a ladder and write beside it what the similar word means. This lets students think about what words really mean. Giving students the opportunity to find new words and for them to discover what they mean helps them understand words better. Kids love feeling smart and how they can teach others.

I strongly recommend this website for all students, teachers, and parents. You can always improve your reading skills. Check it out for great reading activities.