Monday, March 26, 2012

Blog Post 8

diplomaandcomputer

This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2: Richard Miller
Dr. Richard Miller an English professor at Rutgers University paints a compelling change within the way of communication in this 2008 lecture. In his 2 part videos Mr. Miller is talking about how writing has changed. He believes we are in the greatest moment of communication changes, since we have the ability to communicate instantly and globally. He discusses the importance of literacy and how we write, research, and publishes information. Students no longer use encyclopedias as a source for information, or have to go to the library to gather information. Using a pencil and paper are not necessary tools in order to compose information. They are using laptops and word processors. This workspace allows researching information worldwide over the internet. Another important aspect Dr. Miller talks about is the possibility of collaborating using networking technology and how documents are compose with real time materials. Instead of using text only, multimedia tools allow us to compose with real time, up to date materials filled with images, film, sounds. The documents produced are both text and visual enhanced, making it much more interesting and engaging. Richard Miller believes the fundamental change is not technology itself, but what it makes possible; to change the underlying principal of how we work, write, research, and publish. As he states in the video these changes need to be beautiful and compelling so, it inspires curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.
We must be prepared to inspire and guide our students into these emerging technologies some of which have yet to be created.  Students are more likely to learn from an experience in which they are interested and actively engaged. Professor Miller makes it very clear that the restrictions we face are the ones that we place on ourselves. Today's student is not apprehensive of technology. They have already embraced it for years. The teacher and student can now operate as a creative team where each one has something to give and receive.

Carly Pugh Blog Post 12
I think Carly is a true inspiration to others. Her dedication and enthusiasm for education shines throughout the entire post. I loved the way she incorporated links throughout her post and didn't just include one near the end. Her playlist assignment is just what Richard Miller is talking about in his video. It allows students to use multimedia tools like YouTube for more than entertainment, it allows them to use it to learn and become multimedia writers. Miss Pugh has invested a lot of time during her semester researching and creating a playlist on YouTube what she considered to be the most interesting and relevant videos to share with her students and classmates. She used every opportunity she could to lead us to something elsewhere and in doing so, gave us more insight in to what she was writing about.

 The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

The Chipper Series  and EDM310 for Dummies are two movies made for EDM310 that deliver the not so subtle message that diligence, timeliness and hard work are the key to surviving the EDM310 course. I liked how Chipper's "do the bare minimum" characteristics came through in every scenario. This was a great way to show students that quitting and being lazy gets you absolutely nowhere. It doesn't take Chipper long to figure this out! There are plenty of  resources out there to help make EDM310 easier: assistants, classmates, and professionals we have followed on Twitter. So no matter how overloaded I may feel at times I am happy with the fact that I know am not going to have to go it alone.
 EDM310 for Dummies did an excellent job of portraying how I felt coming into Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class. It does feel overwhelming at first and seems like a lot of work, but what you come to realize is, it is actually teaching you to teach yourself, to be self sufficient, and accountable for yourself. It teaches you how to stay focused and how to use your time wisely. It is teaching use how to become lifelong learners so we can become not just teachers, but great teachers.  
 As I was thinking about creating my own video, I started thinking about the Magic School Bus books that I loved so much as a kid. A video where we are transported into the future where classrooms are virtual, and students used game based learning. What is great is that through the information I am learning in EDM310 I know that classrooms like this can be in our very near future. 


Learn to Change, Change to Learn
This video shows that our classrooms are falling behind on producing graduates that are suited for the real world. Today's employee needs to be collaborative, highly communicative, and creative. In the video, there are many individuals discussing the need for change in the classroom. One statement that stood out to me was “The kids are having a much more stimulated and rich environment outside of school than they are inside of schools". I think it is important for teachers to recognize the interest of today’s children, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, video games and learn how to incorporate them throughout the curriculum in order to create a rich learning environment. Every place I can think of right has a sign or sticker somewhere saying "like us on Facebook". So why are children not allowed to use these resources in school? Under a controlled environment, we can teach kids how to use these sites properly. I agree with the speaker who stated that change needed to start with the teachers being given the technology to connect with other teachers worldwide for collaborative purposes. Social networking can be as enriching and creative inside the classroom as outside. According to this video there are many organizations and individuals pushing for change and spearheading technology inclusion into the classroom. Where there is change there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.

 Scavenger Hunt 2.0
   The Discovery Education's WEB 20.12 site has some amazing technology available for students and teachers. There were do many options for different presentation tools, video tools, mobile tools and even a link for community tools.
1.) Locate a tool that is similar to Twitter/Facebook
Edmodo, like Facebook allows you to share and collaborate. This is a great tool to stay connected with both students and parents. I also like the fact that you can sync your Google Docs with the Edmodo Library so you can easily access and share Google Docs with the groups.
 2.) Find a video tool that you have never used
I liked Aminoto, this is a site that allows teachers to enhance their classroom with videos and presentations. They even have different options for images, music and sharing.
 3.) Find a tool to create a poll anywhere and at anytime
I used poll everywhere for my poll.




2 comments:

  1. Hi, Tina my name is Donte' Todd and I am currently enrolled in EDM 310. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Your blog post #8 is one of the greatest blog entries that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. While I was reading I wanted to stop but it kept getting more interesting. I also think that Carly Pugh is exactly what this next genration of children need in the classroom. I also agree with Dr. Miller on his statement about this being "the greatest moment of communication change." We are excelling beyond the point that everyone in the past thought we would. We are still creating numerous ways for us to communicate everyday. Many people thought we would never make it here, but we have. I have no critique Tina. I would actually like to ask if you could look at my blog entries and critique me if you ever get a chance. Great Work!

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  2. "It doesn't take Chipper long to figure this out! " Well it was several jobs later!

    "I started thinking about the Magic School Bus books that I loved so much as a kid. A video where we are transported into the future where classrooms are virtual, and students used game based learning. " Project #16 is just around the corner!

    "So why are children not allowed to use these resources in school?" Because people are afraid.

    Thoughtful. Thorough. Very interesting. keep it up!

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