When I watched the video "A Peek for a Week in a Kiwi Junior Classroom" I was amazed at how much this teacher has integrated technology into her classroom. For everything they do and every lesson she is teaching she has come up with a tech savvy method of learning. They even use technology to integrate physical activity and body movement into the classroom! I was absolutely floored at how much they do in their classrooms with computers and the white board. I can't imagine how technologically smart these kids will be if they continue this path.
When I was the same age as these children there wasn't even a computer class available to me. Now there are computers in almost every classroom in the school that I attended. I am just now learning to use a white board and these children look as though they have just about mastered it. I am so glad that we have willing teachers that want our children to learn to utilize the tools available to them for learning. I am a very visual, hands on learner and I wish I would have had some of the technology available today for me when I was learning to read, do multiplication, or whatever.
I believe this teacher is a teacher to look up to when it comes to integrating technology. I wonder does she teach a crash course in technology that the students will learn to use for the parents?... :D I am glad that there is so much more technology available for teachers to utilize now. I want to do everything that I can to help children learn. I only hope that when I am a teacher I have the tools that she had for her classroom accessible for mine.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Teens, Technology, and Teaching
I watched the video Digital Youth Portrait: Nafiza. Wow, I must be really behind because I have never heard of "2nd Life" or "Avatar". Besides the movie Avatar of course. It is so crazy how much technology is available to us for the use of learning and education. It amazes me how fast young kids and teens pick up on technologically induced learning. This video was a good example of technology that is used by students that to me seems difficult. They work at understanding how to use 2nd life and Avatars together. They put it all together and made educational videos that were seen by 10s of thousands of people.
I don't relate to the video when it comes to 2nd life, avatars, or video games but I do when it comes to cell phones, ipods, and online social networking. Nafiza mentioned her cell phone being her alarm clock and I do the same thing. I listen to my ipod a lot at home and I also plug it into my car. I am also a Facebook junkie! :D When I was in high school the "it" thing was instant messaging and email. I could be on instant messenger for hours if my parents would have allowed it. I can't imagine being in high school and having an ipod or a facebook page too. I am sure my parents are not too upset that those things weren't around then.
The teacher in the video said that he wants his students to not only use the technology that they know and are familiar with but the technology that they aren't. That is such a good attitude to have. As teacher and future teachers it is important to embrace technology because it is here to stay and improve. He had a great idea to use the technology to make educational videos and to learn to do it as a group. Sometimes trying to figure out techie stuff this day and age is confusing and it helps to have someone to go to like Nafiza was for her fellow classmates.
I don't relate to the video when it comes to 2nd life, avatars, or video games but I do when it comes to cell phones, ipods, and online social networking. Nafiza mentioned her cell phone being her alarm clock and I do the same thing. I listen to my ipod a lot at home and I also plug it into my car. I am also a Facebook junkie! :D When I was in high school the "it" thing was instant messaging and email. I could be on instant messenger for hours if my parents would have allowed it. I can't imagine being in high school and having an ipod or a facebook page too. I am sure my parents are not too upset that those things weren't around then.
The teacher in the video said that he wants his students to not only use the technology that they know and are familiar with but the technology that they aren't. That is such a good attitude to have. As teacher and future teachers it is important to embrace technology because it is here to stay and improve. He had a great idea to use the technology to make educational videos and to learn to do it as a group. Sometimes trying to figure out techie stuff this day and age is confusing and it helps to have someone to go to like Nafiza was for her fellow classmates.
My Blog Feedback
I decided to become a "blogging buddy" to students in Mrs. Yollis' Classroom.
I commented on Kayla's blog titled My Wonderful Teacher! Here is the link for that: http://kayla-kaylavacations.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-wonderful-teacher.html#comments
I also commented on Jonah's Jumbo Blog titled The Time Machine. Here is the link for that: http://jonahsjumbo.blogspot.com/2009/10/story-8.html#comment-form
These student's wrote some really great blogs. I was impressed. You should check them out!
In my T4T class I commented on:
Mike's High Tech Classroom: Norm?
http://mikesweb72.blogspot.com/2010/01/high-tech-classrooms-norm.html
Tiffany-326's Blogging Buddies
http://tiffany-326.blogspot.com/2010/01/blogging-buddies.html
I commented on Kayla's blog titled My Wonderful Teacher! Here is the link for that: http://kayla-kaylavacations.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-wonderful-teacher.html#comments
I also commented on Jonah's Jumbo Blog titled The Time Machine. Here is the link for that: http://jonahsjumbo.blogspot.com/2009/10/story-8.html#comment-form
These student's wrote some really great blogs. I was impressed. You should check them out!
In my T4T class I commented on:
Mike's High Tech Classroom: Norm?
http://mikesweb72.blogspot.com/2010/01/high-tech-classrooms-norm.html
Tiffany-326's Blogging Buddies
http://tiffany-326.blogspot.com/2010/01/blogging-buddies.html
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A New Age Grammar Lesson Called Blogging
My most significant "takeaway" from this video was that these kids are 1st and 2ND graders and they are all ready blogging. Wow! I am impressed. The video "We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors" was a joy to watch. The kids were so excited about blogging. They were using a fun and different way to learn grammar and writing skills. This video just shows how much technology can change our educational system today. I am in my mid 20s and just started blogging last semester. I am thrilled that there are educators out there willing to try new stuff to teach children today.
I remember when I was in the 4Th grade after the bombing of the Murrah Federal building my class received letters from other children around the world. They began to be our pin pals. It was such an exciting experience for all of us. I can't imagine how much more exciting it would have been to blog. It would have enabled us to share our feelings and communicate to other children anywhere at a much faster speed. We would wait weeks for letters to come back. With blogging you have the ability to form a much stronger bond with your "blogging buddy" because you are able to receive and respond so quickly. I have participated in a program where I wrote to a 2ND grader from a low income school for one semester. It was just as exciting for me as it was for him. The teacher of the 2ND grade class would go on about how much her students loved having a college student write to them. That was a great experience for me.
Education has come so far and will continue to grow in a positive direction if we allow our students to learn in new and exciting ways. In this video the teacher provided her students with such a great learning tool and they had fun with it. She gave them the opportunity to learn new skills out side of the usual learning environment. She gave them someone they could look up to that made grammar more exciting. I hope that I can do that for my students in my class someday. I believe it is stuff like this that really sticks with kids. When teachers go above and beyond to make learning fun and a great experience kids grow up to appreciate it. I know I did.
I remember when I was in the 4Th grade after the bombing of the Murrah Federal building my class received letters from other children around the world. They began to be our pin pals. It was such an exciting experience for all of us. I can't imagine how much more exciting it would have been to blog. It would have enabled us to share our feelings and communicate to other children anywhere at a much faster speed. We would wait weeks for letters to come back. With blogging you have the ability to form a much stronger bond with your "blogging buddy" because you are able to receive and respond so quickly. I have participated in a program where I wrote to a 2ND grader from a low income school for one semester. It was just as exciting for me as it was for him. The teacher of the 2ND grade class would go on about how much her students loved having a college student write to them. That was a great experience for me.
Education has come so far and will continue to grow in a positive direction if we allow our students to learn in new and exciting ways. In this video the teacher provided her students with such a great learning tool and they had fun with it. She gave them the opportunity to learn new skills out side of the usual learning environment. She gave them someone they could look up to that made grammar more exciting. I hope that I can do that for my students in my class someday. I believe it is stuff like this that really sticks with kids. When teachers go above and beyond to make learning fun and a great experience kids grow up to appreciate it. I know I did.
An Eye Opening Veiw of How Much Kids Love Technology
This video amazed me when I saw it. The video Digital Generation Project Youth Portrait: Cameron is about a boy who is 11 years old and loves technology. He is constantly using technology to better his understanding of things such as school work and sports. I couldn't believe how much an 11 would know about technology. I think that I am somewhat technology savy but nothing like Cameron. It makes me think that many children like Cameron love technolog and as teachers we need to keep up with it as they do. It is important for teachers to be able to teach their students about technology just as they do math, english, and spelling.
This video makes me think about how much more I use and depend on technology then my parents do. They often ask for help on navigating the internet and using online social networks. I never mind helping. In fact I love that they are interested in using technology. This video showed me that I am like some of Cameron's teachers. He could teach me some new things about the technology that he loves and uses. I don't want to fall behind when it comes to new age products and technology. I love learning and will continue to try and stay ontop of technology used but there will always be more to learn and often children to teach you.
I know how important it is for chidren to have access to computers and the internet. It should now be just another subject provided such as math. To me it is just as important as the other subjects taught in everyday classrooms. I am not sure that computer class or time is provided to every student during the school day in many schools around our area but I know that it should be. You use computers so much in adolescence and adulthood that it would be hard to imagine life without them now. Actually, where I work I utilize a computer and specific programs everyday. Last week some of our programs crashed and we have been stumbling trying to get through without them. You never know how much you rely on technology until it isn't there to use. As much as we use it today, can you imagine how it will be in 10 or 20 more years? I want our future adults to be as prepaired as possible. Education is changing just before our eyes.
This video makes me think about how much more I use and depend on technology then my parents do. They often ask for help on navigating the internet and using online social networks. I never mind helping. In fact I love that they are interested in using technology. This video showed me that I am like some of Cameron's teachers. He could teach me some new things about the technology that he loves and uses. I don't want to fall behind when it comes to new age products and technology. I love learning and will continue to try and stay ontop of technology used but there will always be more to learn and often children to teach you.
I know how important it is for chidren to have access to computers and the internet. It should now be just another subject provided such as math. To me it is just as important as the other subjects taught in everyday classrooms. I am not sure that computer class or time is provided to every student during the school day in many schools around our area but I know that it should be. You use computers so much in adolescence and adulthood that it would be hard to imagine life without them now. Actually, where I work I utilize a computer and specific programs everyday. Last week some of our programs crashed and we have been stumbling trying to get through without them. You never know how much you rely on technology until it isn't there to use. As much as we use it today, can you imagine how it will be in 10 or 20 more years? I want our future adults to be as prepaired as possible. Education is changing just before our eyes.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
About Me
My name is Jennifer and I am a 1st year Grad student at UCO. I have a bachelors in Science and a minor in History. My major is Elementary Education. I am finishing my teacher certification while working on my masters. My ideal grade to teach would be 2ND grade. I love children and hope to make a difference in children's lives like teachers have made in mine. Education is so very important and I want to be apart of it, whether it be teaching or learning.
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