Dr. Alice Christie is like Dr. Strange only more hardcore towards technology (Who thought that was possible?). She is an educational technology professor who has a very extensive website. One of the most useful features she offers is her Educational Technology guide, which can be viewed here. It contains extensive links, resources, and tutorials on how teachers can incorporate technology into their K-12 classrooms.
One section of Dr. Christie's guide that was particularly compelling was the area dealing with podcasts. We are going to do our EDM 310 podcasts next week, and Dr. Christie's page has a wealth of information. She provides resources to teach about podcasts, basic answers about what they are, and examples of effective podcasts both by her own students as well as K-12 students around the country. Any curious teacher who would like to implement such a project could make her site a one-stop source for information. I can definitely see how Dr. Christie's site could be very useful to me as a teacher.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Can Wikipedia ever be trusted?
When researching for a term paper, it is very easy to just plug your topic into Wikipedia and get all the information you need. But where is that information coming from? Wikipedia allows anybody to edit their content so there is no way to know if the information is trustworthy. When I use Wikipedia, I use it a little differently and a lot more cautiously. Wikipedia allows users to provide other webpages as citations for the information provided. If the information has a reliable citation, I will use it as a source. But I would never even remotely consider using Wikipedia itself as a source.
It is a bit scary, however, that large companies and political organizations are altering Wikipedia to make themselves look better. It does not surprise me that Wal-Mart is one of the main offenders. People with limited technological knowledge may just accept what they read as fact. Virgil Griffith's Wikipedia Scanner is a great tool to see just who has been altering information for their personal gain. However, all it does is simply add a step to somebody who wishes to be truly anonymous. Anybody could go to their local library or internet cafe and edit the information there without it being able to be traced back to them. I do not believe that Wikipedia will ever be a reliable educational source and it should be taken with a grain of salt.
It is a bit scary, however, that large companies and political organizations are altering Wikipedia to make themselves look better. It does not surprise me that Wal-Mart is one of the main offenders. People with limited technological knowledge may just accept what they read as fact. Virgil Griffith's Wikipedia Scanner is a great tool to see just who has been altering information for their personal gain. However, all it does is simply add a step to somebody who wishes to be truly anonymous. Anybody could go to their local library or internet cafe and edit the information there without it being able to be traced back to them. I do not believe that Wikipedia will ever be a reliable educational source and it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
I was cynical about this assignment at first because of the length of the lecture. But after watching it, I totally agree that it was more than worth the time. The first thing I noticed about Randy Pausch is that he was in remarkable spirits for somebody who was dying. The entire lecture he was making jokes and wisecracking, even challenging those who may pity him to match him in a push-up contest. He was so full of vitality and life I am sure it was an honor for any student to have had him as a professor. I know that if I were in his shoes that I would not even be able to take it an iota as well as he did.
One of his mantras that I really identified with was his obsession with having fun. He says that he doesn't know how to NOT have fun, even though he is dying he is still having fun. I have always tried to live my life in the same way, but sometimes it is much too easy to get bogged down in a multitude of responsibilities and frustrations. One of the main things I want to achieve as a teacher is to have a fun classroom and create a memorable experience for my students.
It is truly amazing how he was able to achieve all of his childhood dreams. I can't even remember any of my childhood dreams! I read a bit more about him after the assignment, and I found out that he was able to practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers, achieving the one goal on his list that had eluded him. One of my main goals has always been to backpack through Europe, and I hope I get that opportunity in a few years when I graduate from college.
Dr. Pausch also made it a point to mention "brick walls", barriers that keep you from your goals if you don't want them enough. I have gone through a lot in my life, but I have never let it keep me from my goal of going to school and becoming a teacher. I have had to delay my dreams and alter my plans accordingly, but here I am. I am sure there will be many more obstacles in my future, but I am willing to do what it takes to get what I want. Pauch's last lecture was extremely true and insightful and it is a tragedy that it did truly live up to it's name.
One of his mantras that I really identified with was his obsession with having fun. He says that he doesn't know how to NOT have fun, even though he is dying he is still having fun. I have always tried to live my life in the same way, but sometimes it is much too easy to get bogged down in a multitude of responsibilities and frustrations. One of the main things I want to achieve as a teacher is to have a fun classroom and create a memorable experience for my students.
It is truly amazing how he was able to achieve all of his childhood dreams. I can't even remember any of my childhood dreams! I read a bit more about him after the assignment, and I found out that he was able to practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers, achieving the one goal on his list that had eluded him. One of my main goals has always been to backpack through Europe, and I hope I get that opportunity in a few years when I graduate from college.
Dr. Pausch also made it a point to mention "brick walls", barriers that keep you from your goals if you don't want them enough. I have gone through a lot in my life, but I have never let it keep me from my goal of going to school and becoming a teacher. I have had to delay my dreams and alter my plans accordingly, but here I am. I am sure there will be many more obstacles in my future, but I am willing to do what it takes to get what I want. Pauch's last lecture was extremely true and insightful and it is a tragedy that it did truly live up to it's name.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Last semester's blogs...
The first blog that I listened to was "Watchers and Listeners - How Do We Respond?" by John Hardman, Keri Ashworth, and Autumn Jordan, with a special guest appearance from Dr. Strange. The first podcast on the page... While everyone seemed a bit nervous at first, I found this podcast very well done. The Strange participation helped quite a bit to calm everyone down and keep them on topic. There were many aspects of this podcast that I really enjoyed. I liked the extensive introductions because they really give the listener a feel for the speakers. I also enjoyed the anecdotes and the humor employed. While the blog sounded a bit unprepared at first, it became evident that the speakers were using extensive notes and outlines to keep themselves on topic. I believe, for my podcast to sound professional, it must utilize the same concepts of preparation.
The next blog I listened to was Mrs. Averitt's "My classes at South: How is technology used in them?" by Matthew Cline and Jill Ravette. This podcast was much shorter, actually less than half as long as the previous. I felt very sympathetic towards the speakers because they sounded exceptionally nervous. Ms. Ravette's voice was shaking nearly the entire podcast. One of the things that they incorporated that I really enjoyed was an in-depth explanation of the technology used. Somebody who isn't a student of South could better understand from a layman's viewpoint. But unfortunately I found more negative than positive in this podcast. From the intro to the ending, the speakers sounded unprepared. In a podcast about utilization of technology at South, I expected Powerpoint slides to be addressed extensively, but they were talked about for merely less than a minute at the very end. This presentation confirmed my belief that an extensive outline and notes are not only beneficial but absolutely necessary. A podcast also sounds much better with a charismatic emcee keeping the conversation in line.
The next blog I listened to was Mrs. Averitt's "My classes at South: How is technology used in them?" by Matthew Cline and Jill Ravette. This podcast was much shorter, actually less than half as long as the previous. I felt very sympathetic towards the speakers because they sounded exceptionally nervous. Ms. Ravette's voice was shaking nearly the entire podcast. One of the things that they incorporated that I really enjoyed was an in-depth explanation of the technology used. Somebody who isn't a student of South could better understand from a layman's viewpoint. But unfortunately I found more negative than positive in this podcast. From the intro to the ending, the speakers sounded unprepared. In a podcast about utilization of technology at South, I expected Powerpoint slides to be addressed extensively, but they were talked about for merely less than a minute at the very end. This presentation confirmed my belief that an extensive outline and notes are not only beneficial but absolutely necessary. A podcast also sounds much better with a charismatic emcee keeping the conversation in line.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Best of Fischbowl Continued - Customer Service
Upon browsing the best of Fischbowl for 2007, the blog post for May, entitled "Customer Service" jumped out at me. I have been working in a customer service capacity in one way or another for the past 8 years and currently pay for my education by waiting tables. Though I am not crazy about my job, I do work very hard and put a lot of effort into the way I treat my customers. The Youtube video of the HP Technical Support call was actually far too familiar. Many people in this and similar industries are too apathetic to really care about the needs of their patrons. I actually used to work in a call center, and I know from firsthand experience that they are not concerned with call quality, but rather call quantity.
So how can this lesson be focused on my future profession as a teacher? Fisch believes that a teacher should see his students as "customers" and be focused on giving them superior service. I believe the most important thing that this entails is having a remarkable amount of patience and understanding towards your students. Just as a waiter may patiently explain the notion of side items to someone who obviously doesn't eat out much, a teacher should make total sure that their students fully understand the concept instead of merely memorizing answers. Hopefully, when I am a teacher, the reward for my patience and caring will be far more than in a totally under-appreciated customer service role.
So how can this lesson be focused on my future profession as a teacher? Fisch believes that a teacher should see his students as "customers" and be focused on giving them superior service. I believe the most important thing that this entails is having a remarkable amount of patience and understanding towards your students. Just as a waiter may patiently explain the notion of side items to someone who obviously doesn't eat out much, a teacher should make total sure that their students fully understand the concept instead of merely memorizing answers. Hopefully, when I am a teacher, the reward for my patience and caring will be far more than in a totally under-appreciated customer service role.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
What we can learn from popular podcasts
SmartBoard Lessons Podcast was probably my favorite out of the six podcasts I listened to. It was hosted by a couple of strange, quirky Canadian folks who had great chemistry with eachother, making the show flow effortlessly. It almost sounded similar to a morning radio show. They also mixed in humor which kept the content from getting too dry. The information presented was very helpful to future teachers as well, even giving websites where teachers can meet up and collaborate online projects. An interview at a teacher's conference in Britain gave this podcast a truly international feel.
Kidcast is a very instructional blog which helps use podcasts as an instructional source. The fact that there was only one host and no back-and-forth really hurt this podcast in my opinion. However, the speaker was very passionate about his subject and that in itself made him interesting. He really gets on the soapbox while talking about such things as students making podcasts solely for the sake of making podcasts.
EdTechTalk was neat for the fact that they broadcast live. Unfortunately, the hosts are very dry and seem to have no chemistry together at all. The production felt quite a bit disjointed to me. A good feature, though, were the interviews with parents regarding what they feel their role should be in their child's education. Another thing I noticed is that most of the contributors to this podcast were also Canadian. Are they really that much ahead of the technological game than us?
MacBreak Weekly really made a positive impression on me when I heard a familiar voice in Leo Laporte. I used to watch his show on the short-lived TechTV, "Call For Help", which guided new users in some of the basics of their "personal confuser". Mr. Laporte's charisma as an emcee really gives this program a smooth flow as well as a professional feel. The humor and small talk created a comfortable environment. I also like how it began with its own theme music. While I am not a user of any Mac products, I can see why this blog would be useful.
This Week in Photography stood out to me because it was the only blog I listened to with corporate sponsors. One feature I really liked about this blog was that it introduced the topics that would be discussed immediately, letting the listener know exactly what to expect. Another neat feature was highlighting pertinent topics in the news. The hosts of this podcast also made small talk and tried to convey a feeling of familiarity. My main complaint about this podcast is that is was over an hour and a half long. It is very hard to navigate through such a bulky program and I wonder why podcasts do not include bookmarks, perhaps similar to the scene selection from a DVD.
Unfortunately I was unable to find the Connect Learning podcast, so instead I substituted The Teacher's Podcast (Techpod), which can be found here. This program had a lot of helpful information for future teachers, I even learned things I didn't know about the progressive education system in Kazakhstan, a country I would have never expected to be on the cutting edge. While the chemistry between the hosts is not as good as some of the podcasts I listened to, they genuinely try to build up a good repertoire with eachother. Another good idea they had was specific theme episodes, such as one dealing with educational suggestions on how to handle President Obama's inauguration.
Kidcast is a very instructional blog which helps use podcasts as an instructional source. The fact that there was only one host and no back-and-forth really hurt this podcast in my opinion. However, the speaker was very passionate about his subject and that in itself made him interesting. He really gets on the soapbox while talking about such things as students making podcasts solely for the sake of making podcasts.
EdTechTalk was neat for the fact that they broadcast live. Unfortunately, the hosts are very dry and seem to have no chemistry together at all. The production felt quite a bit disjointed to me. A good feature, though, were the interviews with parents regarding what they feel their role should be in their child's education. Another thing I noticed is that most of the contributors to this podcast were also Canadian. Are they really that much ahead of the technological game than us?
MacBreak Weekly really made a positive impression on me when I heard a familiar voice in Leo Laporte. I used to watch his show on the short-lived TechTV, "Call For Help", which guided new users in some of the basics of their "personal confuser". Mr. Laporte's charisma as an emcee really gives this program a smooth flow as well as a professional feel. The humor and small talk created a comfortable environment. I also like how it began with its own theme music. While I am not a user of any Mac products, I can see why this blog would be useful.
This Week in Photography stood out to me because it was the only blog I listened to with corporate sponsors. One feature I really liked about this blog was that it introduced the topics that would be discussed immediately, letting the listener know exactly what to expect. Another neat feature was highlighting pertinent topics in the news. The hosts of this podcast also made small talk and tried to convey a feeling of familiarity. My main complaint about this podcast is that is was over an hour and a half long. It is very hard to navigate through such a bulky program and I wonder why podcasts do not include bookmarks, perhaps similar to the scene selection from a DVD.
Unfortunately I was unable to find the Connect Learning podcast, so instead I substituted The Teacher's Podcast (Techpod), which can be found here. This program had a lot of helpful information for future teachers, I even learned things I didn't know about the progressive education system in Kazakhstan, a country I would have never expected to be on the cutting edge. While the chemistry between the hosts is not as good as some of the podcasts I listened to, they genuinely try to build up a good repertoire with eachother. Another good idea they had was specific theme episodes, such as one dealing with educational suggestions on how to handle President Obama's inauguration.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Karl Fisch's post on his blog, the Fischbowl, raises an interesting question. Technology continues to become more and more important to our everyday lives. If teachers are "technologically illiterate", are they really teaching their students the necessary skills they will need in this world? Fisch does not believe so and even goes as far as to compare it to teachers 30 years ago not knowing how to read or write.
While I am a huge supporter of technological innovations in classrooms, I feel Fisch takes it a bit too far. There are many subjects, such as history or math, that can be taught sufficiently using an old school approach. While I plan to utilize technology when I become a teacher, I can understand some of the older teachers who are not as familiar with it. Future teachers benefit from college courses such as EDM 310 which can serve to shock them into a state of technological literacy if it wasn't there before. The younger generation of teachers have also had the luxury of growing up around computers. I think the infusion of more technologically minded teachers into schools will be an extremely positive thing, and will progressively increase the number of these teachers until they are the vast majority. But I still do not feel this should immediately alienate teachers who are still a bit uncomfortable with technology. Though I feel they should be flexible and willing to attempt to learn, but it is still far too early into the technological age to make it a mandatory skill.
While I am a huge supporter of technological innovations in classrooms, I feel Fisch takes it a bit too far. There are many subjects, such as history or math, that can be taught sufficiently using an old school approach. While I plan to utilize technology when I become a teacher, I can understand some of the older teachers who are not as familiar with it. Future teachers benefit from college courses such as EDM 310 which can serve to shock them into a state of technological literacy if it wasn't there before. The younger generation of teachers have also had the luxury of growing up around computers. I think the infusion of more technologically minded teachers into schools will be an extremely positive thing, and will progressively increase the number of these teachers until they are the vast majority. But I still do not feel this should immediately alienate teachers who are still a bit uncomfortable with technology. Though I feel they should be flexible and willing to attempt to learn, but it is still far too early into the technological age to make it a mandatory skill.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Literature is a popular subject to blog about even overseas. Bucklands Beach Intermediate School in Auckland, New Zealand hosts a blog analyzing "Goodnight Mr. Tom" by Michelle Magorian. The students who contribute to this blog are in Year 7, that is 11-12 year olds or general American middle school age. The students are encouraged to post their interpretations of the book in several personas, including actor, characterizer, poet, word wizard, and discussion director. The blog incorporates a lot of creative work by the students, such as drawings and poetry. Goodnight Mr. Tom can be viewed here.
New Zealand seems to be on the cutting edge of educational blogs. Tomahawk is a very small elementary school "right near the beach, by a soccer field in Dunedin, New Zealand". The school only has 24 students. While the school may be tiny, they have developed a blog called Tomahawk Tales to document the children's science experiments. The child in the picture was part of a project to make monsters out of recycled trash. Tomahawk Tales can be viewed here.
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