Blog Post #2

Our thoughts on Mr. Dancealot

Authors: Kristie Bell, Kynetta Barren, and Doug Jarvis

In the Professor Dancealot video we see the problem with not engaging our students. He simply spends the entire semester reading power points word for word to his class. Obviously, this is boring and considering his class is a dance class, allowing the students to actually perform the dance and then correct them as they are trying would be a much better method of teaching. The final exam in his class was a videoed activity test in which his students were expected to perform the numerous dances he lectured about during the semester. Of course, having never been allowed to practice these moves, the students were very unsure and did not perform well. We can learn that it is ridiculous to teach by reading to people from this video. Children can read the text without us. What we need to do is expand on the written word with activities that excite our students about the subject matter and allow them to apply the knowledge they obtained through their reading. What is the purpose of a degree if all we are going to do is read to our kids. As educators we are being taught useful techniques to create the total learning experience for our children and we must also continue to find new ways to present material to ensure we are giving the best for our students. video can be seen at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwM4ieFOotA

My thoughts on "The Networked Student."

Dr. Wendy Drexler believes all learners can benefit from having a network of people who can provide assistance in their learning activities. In her video "The Networked Student" she demonstrates this by reviewing an actual project done by one of her students. Most of the time, as students, we do not realize that a strong network can greatly benefit us and also help us long term with our future careers. I have heard so many students say after they graduate, "well maybe I could have gotten that job if only I had the right connections." This is where this video comes into play and it also points out the significance of why an educator is still needed even if we are well networked. First, let me just start by saying that we live in a modern world where technology is advancing and we should certainly learn how to get the most use out of these devices. The educator can show a student many different skills such as how to formally act when using the internet. Just for example, Dr. Strange let us know in advance that our work would be seen all around the world and that we should show professionalism in every single assignment. So in this case, the educator could show his or her students how to be professional in their blog posts or when they interact with other educators. A great motto that we were told in this class was "Always ask, never tell." Educators love to answer our curious questions and help us get on the right track. This is why teachers tell us all the time to have a network and stay involved. This video really explains how networking can benefit us. Podcasts and rss feeds are both great examples of ways to enhance your learning. Instead of listening to a song on your ipod, why not download an educational podcast that is affiliated with your major? This broadens your learning and you can then take the knowledge you obtained and pass it on to others. Mainly, networking is this continuous process of education and how we can always learn something new. Educators are still needed because they help students find solutions/information/answers on their own. My reaction to this video was a positive one and it honestly made me think about what I can do to be more networked involved. Here is the link to the video so you can refer to it as well The Networked Student

Kynetta Barren's thoughts on "Harness Your Student's Digital Smart."

In Vicki Davis,”Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts” she uses all sources of electronic devices to teach the students such as computers, cell phones, videos, podcast, and blog sites. She feels that students need more than just pens, pencil, and paper to learn. She wants students to think on their own. The students learn from different students around the world through a website called Digi Teen. This is a way for students to blog and share ideas with each other. She allows the students to teach each other as groups. I think that idea is great because it prepare the students for the world today. I agree and disagree with this movie. I agree with the idea that the students can learn from the blogs, other students, and the internet. We all need to know what other different resources are out there. Some students learn better using the latest technology. I disagree because we don't want the students to just rely on the internet to understand the concept. Whatever happened to reading books to get information? What would you do if there was a blackout? Where will the backup come from without electricity? Generators simply do not last forever. I think we still need to re-educate our students to all sorts of way to learn without the use of some of the technology. This is where pencils, pens, and papers comes into play. If it was me, I couldn't just rely on the technology that is used today.Here is the video links to Vicki Davis, “Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts” http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jT78kBx6mFw.

Doug Jarvis's thoughts on "Teaching in the 21st Century."

What does it mean to teach in the 21st century? Everyday, technology makes leaps that allow us to access information easily and quickly from smaller and smaller devices. As an educator, we need to learn to incorporate these devices to teach a group of students that are becoming more and more technologically advanced. The internet allows us to get answers instantly on any subject matter imaginable. It is our job to ensure that we guide our students to understand that tools such as the internet , facebook, twitter,and skype can be great sources of information. However?, not all information is reliable and factual. We want to help students to understand what a good source is and how to ask the right questions to evaluate information they look up is a must in an age of instant gratification. We need to encourage our students to question things and to analyze information that they come across. One way to do this is to teach them to always use multiple sources; to compare and contrast different perspectives and then use what they learn to form their own opinions that they can support with facts. There is certainly a risk of privacy and plagiarism because of the temptation to use work done by others easily obtained from numerous sites. We have to do our work in both educating them in the dangers and the immorality of this act, as well as following up their work by checking sources they cite to ensure that their work is truly their own. As we move forward in this world of technology, we must continue to educate ourselves and engage our children in the format they are most comfortable with. We have to challenge them to push the boundaries of learning and to make full use of the age of information. As an educator in America today, I want our children to be the stars of tomorrow. I hope all of us realize that we are behind the powers of the world in education today ( especially math and science) and we must all help to prepare our students to the best of our abilities, so that they can be relevant and competitive in the world market. We must be different as educators, we owe it to our country to never be complacent. We must always remember that the children are the future as educators. We have the sacred duty to mold them so that a bright future is given to them and the great nation we all call home. Video can be found at:www.edm310/teaching21stcenturymed.m4v