I chose to read Keller Leathers' EDM 310 blog. I had quite a few classes with Keller this semester and have gotten to know her pretty well. We always get on facebook and help each other with tough homework assignments. I have come to find that Keller and I have much more in common than I would have ever imagined. One characteristic that Keller and I share is that before this course, we had never even heard of blogging. I unknowing kept up a blog in high school on the website Xanga. I did not see the purpose for writing about myself, so I soon deleted the account.
I believe that blogging can be a valuable teaching tool in the classroom. Not only do blogs allow students to become more familiar with new technology, but blogging also help students develop their writing skills. Blogging gives students to opportunity to express their ideas in writing to their classmates as well as other classrooms around the world. With a little networking on the teacher's end, pen pals could be arranged and lifelong friendships could possibly be developed.
On the other hand, blogging may not be the best technological resource for teachers. Blogging requires the availability of a computer with internet access and it is very likely that not every student will have this available. Time in the school computer lab could be scheduled, but the administration may not approve of academic learning time being "wasted" on internet blogging. Also, the issue of internet safety is a factor. School networks have safeguards to protect the students, but if a student does blogging outside of the classroom, there is no guarantee that the same safeguards will be available. For some classrooms, blogging is simply not an option.
Personally, I think that blogging can be a fun and educational experience for students. I feel that teachers can find many creative ways to positively incorporate blogging into the curriculum. However, I think that blogging is not the best option for younger children. Since I will be teaching students in grades K-6, I don't see myself using blogs at this time. I will not completely rule out the possibility, but it would take much more research to ensure that this form of technology is the best thing for my future students. Overall, I think blogging is fun and can open many doors for students of a more mature age group.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Duke University -- Center for Documentary Studies
"Broken" **Viewer Discretion Advised**
The short film "Broken" is a HIV educational film from South Africa. The film tells the story of a girl who is raped by her father. When she confronts her mother about her attack, she is labeled a liar and is forced to suffer through her torment alone. The intention of the film is to inform the public on the horrors and abuse that many children in Africa suffer. What is even more tragic is that these incidences play a role in the AIDS epidemic. The video is very hard to watch, but the message is one that must be spread to the world. By showing videos like this one, the government and other world leaders will be pressured to do more to stop this type of behavior from happening to other children.
"The South in Black & White"
This podcast discussed how the history of racism in incorporated into literature and other arts. Duke University offers a course called "The South in Black & White" which explores the issue or race in the South and its influence on the literary world. The goal of the class is to encourage discussions on race in the present day and how it affects the nation as a whole. The class will also have plays and musical presentations that represent the southern culture. The Duke Lacrosse incident was mentioned many times and was viewed as an opportunity to to start discussions about race and educate people from every demographic.
Duke University Center for Documentary Studies (iTunes) -- Click Here
The short film "Broken" is a HIV educational film from South Africa. The film tells the story of a girl who is raped by her father. When she confronts her mother about her attack, she is labeled a liar and is forced to suffer through her torment alone. The intention of the film is to inform the public on the horrors and abuse that many children in Africa suffer. What is even more tragic is that these incidences play a role in the AIDS epidemic. The video is very hard to watch, but the message is one that must be spread to the world. By showing videos like this one, the government and other world leaders will be pressured to do more to stop this type of behavior from happening to other children.
"The South in Black & White"
This podcast discussed how the history of racism in incorporated into literature and other arts. Duke University offers a course called "The South in Black & White" which explores the issue or race in the South and its influence on the literary world. The goal of the class is to encourage discussions on race in the present day and how it affects the nation as a whole. The class will also have plays and musical presentations that represent the southern culture. The Duke Lacrosse incident was mentioned many times and was viewed as an opportunity to to start discussions about race and educate people from every demographic.
Duke University Center for Documentary Studies (iTunes) -- Click Here
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
EDM310 Podcasts
The first podcast I listened to was Susan Smith, Bridget Thompson-Hall, and Angela Minish. They discussed the ACCESS program and it's benefits to high school students. Bridget was the first speaker and did very well. She seemed to stumble over some of her words, but her voice was clear and it was easy for me to understand her. Angela spoke next and also spoke very clearly. However, I felt that she covered her information too quickly, which made it difficult for me to keep up and fully comprehend what she was saying. Susan was the final speaker and I found it somewhat hard to hear her. There wasn't much inflection in her voice and I feel her performance would have been enhanced by putting more personality into her speech. All three did a good job of feeding off of each other and asking questions and adding comments.
The second podcast I listened to was by Rachael Beaty, Keller Leathers, and Joye Wiggins. Joye spoke first and she was somewhat hard to hear. She has a very soft voice, and I feel that she should have been closer to the microphone. Keller was very talkative and used a more conversational style in her speaking. Rachael had a very clear voice, but she used the word "um" multiple times during her presentation. Overall, all three speakers did a good job and made the discussion seem more like a conversation.
The third podcast I listened to was by Ashley Corley, Brooke Busby, and Kimberly Pierce. Kimberly was easy to hear and understand, but it seemed that she was mostly reading her speech. I found it somewhat hard to hear Ashley. I think this has more to do with her natural voice tone more than nervousness. Brooke made her speech seem more conversational, but sometimes stumbled over words. She did a good job of incorporating her experience as a parent into the conversation.
The podcast I personally participated in was not uploaded to iTunes at the time I made this post. However, I do know that I personally needed to speak louder and calm my voice. It was very easy to hear my nervousness. I also needed to add more detail to my main points. Since I was not able to hear the podcast, I'm unable to give an accurate observation on Kelsey's performance.
The second podcast I listened to was by Rachael Beaty, Keller Leathers, and Joye Wiggins. Joye spoke first and she was somewhat hard to hear. She has a very soft voice, and I feel that she should have been closer to the microphone. Keller was very talkative and used a more conversational style in her speaking. Rachael had a very clear voice, but she used the word "um" multiple times during her presentation. Overall, all three speakers did a good job and made the discussion seem more like a conversation.
The third podcast I listened to was by Ashley Corley, Brooke Busby, and Kimberly Pierce. Kimberly was easy to hear and understand, but it seemed that she was mostly reading her speech. I found it somewhat hard to hear Ashley. I think this has more to do with her natural voice tone more than nervousness. Brooke made her speech seem more conversational, but sometimes stumbled over words. She did a good job of incorporating her experience as a parent into the conversation.
The podcast I personally participated in was not uploaded to iTunes at the time I made this post. However, I do know that I personally needed to speak louder and calm my voice. It was very easy to hear my nervousness. I also needed to add more detail to my main points. Since I was not able to hear the podcast, I'm unable to give an accurate observation on Kelsey's performance.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Mathematics with Technology
These podcasts were produced by Judy Chandler who is a mathematics teacher and technology integration specialist for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative. In the first podcast, Mrs. Chandler discusses the some of the reasons teachers resist incorporating technology into their classrooms. Many teachers feel that they have no time to learn new technology or develop ways to include it in their lesson plans. They feel that their students are for the most part successful and that they are ok, so no changes are needed. However, many students fall behind and could benefit from having technology-based lessons. Technology can help enhance a student's learning and provide a teacher with alternative ways to demonstrate learning.
In the podcast "Thinking Mathematically," Mrs. Chandler discusses the importance of encouraging students to think in mathematical terms. Traditionally, students learn math lesson by lesson with the assistance of a textbook. Some students are unable to connect and fall behind, while others succeed by memorizing the procedures and then forgetting them. Mrs. Chandler stresses that students need to be engaged by being encouraged to think mathematically. It is important that teachers ask questions that engage this type of thinking. This can be achieved by incorporating visual models and real-world experiences. This allows students to explore, connect ideas, argue, prove, model and reflect. Teachers should ask questions such as "Why?" and "How do we know this?". This brings up questions and ideas that the students may have overlooked.
These podcasts can be very useful to me as a future teacher. I feel that when it comes to mathematics, many teachers feel that they only effective way to teach concepts is to go through the textbook. There are many computer programs and other technology that can assist teachers in creating lessons that engage students and help make the material interesting and easier to visualize. Mathematics is a very important subject and it is unfortunate that so many students simply memorize the algorithms for a test and then forget it. The concepts found in math can be applied to many real world experiences and it is important for students to fully understand and appreciate these ideas.
In the podcast "Thinking Mathematically," Mrs. Chandler discusses the importance of encouraging students to think in mathematical terms. Traditionally, students learn math lesson by lesson with the assistance of a textbook. Some students are unable to connect and fall behind, while others succeed by memorizing the procedures and then forgetting them. Mrs. Chandler stresses that students need to be engaged by being encouraged to think mathematically. It is important that teachers ask questions that engage this type of thinking. This can be achieved by incorporating visual models and real-world experiences. This allows students to explore, connect ideas, argue, prove, model and reflect. Teachers should ask questions such as "Why?" and "How do we know this?". This brings up questions and ideas that the students may have overlooked.
These podcasts can be very useful to me as a future teacher. I feel that when it comes to mathematics, many teachers feel that they only effective way to teach concepts is to go through the textbook. There are many computer programs and other technology that can assist teachers in creating lessons that engage students and help make the material interesting and easier to visualize. Mathematics is a very important subject and it is unfortunate that so many students simply memorize the algorithms for a test and then forget it. The concepts found in math can be applied to many real world experiences and it is important for students to fully understand and appreciate these ideas.
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