Thursday, September 25, 2014
Podcasts
I listened to two Podcasts from TEDTalks Education. The first one that I listened to was called "Bill Gates: Teachers need real feedback." This video was extremely interesting because Gates explained how teachers in the United States are not receiving the appropriate feedback and in turn cannot improve the way that they should. Currently, the U.S. does not top the list on being the most successful academically in any subject. Gates believes that the reason for this is the lack of teacher feedback. He actually said that most teachers get feedback in one word- "satisfactory." Bill Gates said that receiving one word feedback provides no information to the teachers and also gives no hope for improvement. Overall, I liked what Bill Gates had to say about teacher feedback. He believes that teachers deserve better than to only receive mediocre feedback.
The second video that I watched was titled "Ramsey Musallam: 3 rules to spark learning." This speaker for the video is a chemistry teacher. Listening to a real teacher is so much more interesting and relevant than listening to someone give advice on education when they have never really been in the classroom. He said that student questions are the real seeds of learning. Musallam stated that the first rule is that curiosity comes first. Rule number two is to embrace the mess. Learning can be messy and is not always pretty. Rule number three is to practice reflection so that we can revise our work. According to Musallam questions are so important and growing curiosity is something that should be taken advantage of.
I really liked watching the Podcasts. It was an interesting way of learning really great educational information. In some ways, I found that watching the Podcast was more interesting and valuable than just simply reading an article.
The second video that I watched was titled "Ramsey Musallam: 3 rules to spark learning." This speaker for the video is a chemistry teacher. Listening to a real teacher is so much more interesting and relevant than listening to someone give advice on education when they have never really been in the classroom. He said that student questions are the real seeds of learning. Musallam stated that the first rule is that curiosity comes first. Rule number two is to embrace the mess. Learning can be messy and is not always pretty. Rule number three is to practice reflection so that we can revise our work. According to Musallam questions are so important and growing curiosity is something that should be taken advantage of.
I really liked watching the Podcasts. It was an interesting way of learning really great educational information. In some ways, I found that watching the Podcast was more interesting and valuable than just simply reading an article.
Monday, September 22, 2014
"How Shutterfly and Other Social Sites Leave Your Kids Vulnerable to Hackers" Response
"How Shutterfly and Other Social Sites Leave Your Kids Vulnerable to Hackers," by Dana Liebelson is an article that talks about the dangers of social websites. According to Liebelson, parents and coaches of athletic organizations use Shutterfly and other social sites to post information about their children. This information includes pictures, home addresses, phone numbers, and meeting locations. The majority of the pages on these social sites are not protected by an SSL and therefore are able to be hacked by anyone using the same open wifi. This is concerning because strangers could access a child's whereabouts and meeting times all through the Internet. These social sites can easily be hacked using a specific software program. Hacking into these sites that are not protected by SSL is so easy that even a person who is not technologically savvy could do it. Liebelson warns parents and coaches to be aware of what they are posting on social sites.
This article is a definite wake up call. It is scary to think that a website that you think is safe could easily be hacked and all of your personal information viewed. I think that it is extremely important to be careful when posting about children as well. The safety of our children should be our number one concern. I think that it is best to use a website that is protected with an SSL as a means of communicating with other parents and coaches. After all, the contact should be kept as personable as possible. As a future teacher I will make sure that my online communication with parents and other teachers is kept through a secured website. I also think that it is important to notify parents of these types of issues so that they can be aware and protect their children as well. I thought that some of the links that Mother Jones posted were less relevant than the links posted in the New York Times article. Overall, this article was very informative and has given me a better idea of what to look for when setting up online accounts, websites, and other communicative means.
This article is a definite wake up call. It is scary to think that a website that you think is safe could easily be hacked and all of your personal information viewed. I think that it is extremely important to be careful when posting about children as well. The safety of our children should be our number one concern. I think that it is best to use a website that is protected with an SSL as a means of communicating with other parents and coaches. After all, the contact should be kept as personable as possible. As a future teacher I will make sure that my online communication with parents and other teachers is kept through a secured website. I also think that it is important to notify parents of these types of issues so that they can be aware and protect their children as well. I thought that some of the links that Mother Jones posted were less relevant than the links posted in the New York Times article. Overall, this article was very informative and has given me a better idea of what to look for when setting up online accounts, websites, and other communicative means.
"With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise" Response
"With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise," is an article written by Natasha Singer about the rising privacy issues that students are facing across the country. As we are living in a technology era, many parents and educators are concerned about student data information being protected. California has recently passed a bill that restricts how much student information is exploited. California will be the first state to have a bill that comprehensively restricts information. Parents are concerned that information such as learning disabilities, finances, and family history will affect children's future college and careers, which is why California has chosen to take action. The federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" is the last federal law that was passed to protect student information. However, this law was passed 40 years ago during the "filing cabinet era" and is not up to date with the technology era. The article states that personal data should only be used outside of context only with the permission of that person.
I believe that other states should begin to take initiative in protecting student data when it comes to technology. I personally do not use things such as iCloud as a safety measure in protecting my own personal information that can be found on my phone and computer As a teacher, I think that I will be very cautious of the programs that I use as well as the information that those programs request from students. I will use computers and technology in the classroom but will maybe try to use several flash drives as a means of keeping track of student work that is done using technology. This source did help remind me of the precautions that teachers need to take when assigning any type of online homework or classwork. I really enjoyed reading this article and liked how it was posted from a credible source like The New York Times. I also liked how the article provided links for information referenced within it. I think that future teachers should read this article so that they can see the parental concerns associated with technology and their future classrooms. I am proud of what California has done and hope that many other states follow in creating better safety technology standards for its students.
I believe that other states should begin to take initiative in protecting student data when it comes to technology. I personally do not use things such as iCloud as a safety measure in protecting my own personal information that can be found on my phone and computer As a teacher, I think that I will be very cautious of the programs that I use as well as the information that those programs request from students. I will use computers and technology in the classroom but will maybe try to use several flash drives as a means of keeping track of student work that is done using technology. This source did help remind me of the precautions that teachers need to take when assigning any type of online homework or classwork. I really enjoyed reading this article and liked how it was posted from a credible source like The New York Times. I also liked how the article provided links for information referenced within it. I think that future teachers should read this article so that they can see the parental concerns associated with technology and their future classrooms. I am proud of what California has done and hope that many other states follow in creating better safety technology standards for its students.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Post #3
Post #3- Notes on Horizon Report
On page 6, the report says that teachers will need to learn to be more adept at using technology in the classroom. While I understand that it is important to use technology in the classroom, I do not like the idea of it constantly being a factor. I do not believe that everything has to be learned through technology.
For the Fast Trend note, I do think that it is important for schools to adopt successful computer programs to help students. I believe that technology can be used in a beneficial way in education, however I do not think that education should revolve completely around technology.
The idea of using technology to help produce projects is a great way to get students interested in completing the project, but could also hinder students' writing skills and legibility if they mostly work on the computer.
I do like how there are people who are working to use technology as a means of learning outside of the classroom. I think that it is important for students to continue learning at all times. Learning should not stop outside of the classroom.
THe mid-range trend is a more reasonable idea. I know that for my generation technology has basically been there the whole time for us, but it is not reasonable to expect schools to adopt educational technology the way the report wants it in one to two years. Three to five years is a much better and reasonable time frame.
I still struggle with the idea of using many online learning components simply for the fact that I may have students who do not have home access to the internet or any type of computer technology. While some of those practices may be useful in the classroom, it could be unfair to assign any type of homework with an online component. You cannot expect elementary students to come to school early or stay after for computer access like you can a high schooler.
There should be a good mix between traditional and innovative models.
I do like how innovative learning strategies cause the teachers to have a great grasp of the underlying pedagogies.
I think that the integrated personalized learning could be a great way for students to grasp concepts and work at a pace and in a way that is right for them.
If schools are going to use technology to the extent that this report makes it out to be then I think that student data safety is essential. There should be nothing at risk or alarming whenever a student is using technology in the classroom. With so many people knowing how to breach systems, it is not fair to ask a student to put personal information on the web.
The wicked challenges are very difficult to respond to.
I still think that it is important for students to learn language arts, math, social studies, and science because it is good knowledge that students should know. While I understand that every student is not going to retain everything they learn in those subjects, it is good for students to at least be aware and somewhat knowledgeable on the topics.
It is good to split technology up into groups because when I think of technology, I immediately think of social media when in reality that is only a small category of technology.
It is not reasonable to have each student to bring in their own technology object in a year. Some families may not even be able to make a purchase like that for their child.
I am not sure that I am too fond of the bring your own device policy.
Cloud computing is an iffy subject for me. While the idea of cloud computing is good, I am uncomfortable with the idea that people could just breech the system and get all of my work and information.
The Internet of Things could be a really cool way to connect technology with the physical world.
Wearable technology is a thing however I do not believe it really become a factor for elementary students any time soon.
On page 6, the report says that teachers will need to learn to be more adept at using technology in the classroom. While I understand that it is important to use technology in the classroom, I do not like the idea of it constantly being a factor. I do not believe that everything has to be learned through technology.
For the Fast Trend note, I do think that it is important for schools to adopt successful computer programs to help students. I believe that technology can be used in a beneficial way in education, however I do not think that education should revolve completely around technology.
The idea of using technology to help produce projects is a great way to get students interested in completing the project, but could also hinder students' writing skills and legibility if they mostly work on the computer.
I do like how there are people who are working to use technology as a means of learning outside of the classroom. I think that it is important for students to continue learning at all times. Learning should not stop outside of the classroom.
THe mid-range trend is a more reasonable idea. I know that for my generation technology has basically been there the whole time for us, but it is not reasonable to expect schools to adopt educational technology the way the report wants it in one to two years. Three to five years is a much better and reasonable time frame.
I still struggle with the idea of using many online learning components simply for the fact that I may have students who do not have home access to the internet or any type of computer technology. While some of those practices may be useful in the classroom, it could be unfair to assign any type of homework with an online component. You cannot expect elementary students to come to school early or stay after for computer access like you can a high schooler.
There should be a good mix between traditional and innovative models.
I do like how innovative learning strategies cause the teachers to have a great grasp of the underlying pedagogies.
I think that the integrated personalized learning could be a great way for students to grasp concepts and work at a pace and in a way that is right for them.
If schools are going to use technology to the extent that this report makes it out to be then I think that student data safety is essential. There should be nothing at risk or alarming whenever a student is using technology in the classroom. With so many people knowing how to breach systems, it is not fair to ask a student to put personal information on the web.
The wicked challenges are very difficult to respond to.
I still think that it is important for students to learn language arts, math, social studies, and science because it is good knowledge that students should know. While I understand that every student is not going to retain everything they learn in those subjects, it is good for students to at least be aware and somewhat knowledgeable on the topics.
It is good to split technology up into groups because when I think of technology, I immediately think of social media when in reality that is only a small category of technology.
It is not reasonable to have each student to bring in their own technology object in a year. Some families may not even be able to make a purchase like that for their child.
I am not sure that I am too fond of the bring your own device policy.
Cloud computing is an iffy subject for me. While the idea of cloud computing is good, I am uncomfortable with the idea that people could just breech the system and get all of my work and information.
The Internet of Things could be a really cool way to connect technology with the physical world.
Wearable technology is a thing however I do not believe it really become a factor for elementary students any time soon.
Monday, September 1, 2014
The Learning Myth Response
It is amazing the way that one blog or video can change the way that you view a certain topic. I have always believed that everyone is capable of learning anything that they set their mind to. However I have never thought about the fact that struggles and failures help your brain grow more than immediate success. I must say that I am guilty of never wanting to fail. If I believe that I will fail at something, then I am less likely to try it. Taking on this new idea that the author of "The Learning Myth: Why I'll Never Tell My Son He's Smart" can be hard for a perfectionist like myself. On the contrary, I think that it is extremely important that I learn to implement that idea in my classroom.
As a future teacher, it is my desire to help my students learn and grow in every aspect of life. This article could affect the way that I teach because I will now make it a point to praise those students who are continuing to try even after many "failed" attempts. This article has allowed me to see that only praising students for their accurate work is hindering the way that their minds grow. If I had a couple of teachers who praised me when I struggled instead of praising me for my first-attempt successful work then maybe I would not be as afraid to fail as I am today. I want every student that leaves my class to know that it is okay to fail and that you won't immediately be successful at everything you try. I also want them to know that what counts is their perseverance and the mindset that they can learn and be successful at anything that they want.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)