Blog Post #13

"A Vision of Students Today" was very eye opening! Some of the figures were right on target! I know things do get more expensive each year so I definitely agree with the message of this video. I think there is way too much money spent on nonsense in education. Books are a waste in the 21st century! EVERYTHING is online that you will ever need to read! Online classes are genius! The best way to learn about technology is by using it everyday! Why can't some teachers and parents see that? I wish more teachers would spend time learning about all the different things they could bring into their classrooms instead of pencils and books, especially for the upper grades! I think the lower grades enjoy storybooks but even they are ready to learn on the computer and do things on their own! Time and money should be spent on getting the best technology and on real life experiences that we learn through instead of buying these expensive textbooks, paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, chalkboards, etc. Let the students learn on their own through ability and skills! I agree that is the best way to learn anything is by doing it yourself.

I loved seeing those first graders working on the computers and creating blogs. I think every class should require blogs. You can learn so much about someone by having one! Anyways, education should be more thought out and presidents of universities need to take EDM 310 every year to see all the new technologies that are out there! They would be shocked and would probably want to "upgrade" their classes with the best technologies. Flipping the classrooms would be happening more all around the world! I can't wait to see what the future holds and what technology brings each year. As a teacher and a parent, I am so ready for the learning experiences technology will bring! Our kids, our future leaders of this world, need to be aware of Skype, blogs, wiki, Twitter, Facebook, Google Docs, etc for the GOOD things that can be learned through each one of those. There is always "bad" talk when talking about the internet when really there are so many benefits children can get out of exploring in the "right" programs. We as teachers just have to get the resources out there and motivate everyone to use and explore technology!

Melinda Kraft's video was great! "How Will You Teach Me in the 21st Century?" made me really realize that this is what I will be doing VERY soon if I can get a teaching job. I have to realize how AM I going to teach children now with all the technologies that are available. I am ready to explore the lessons and improve them with technology. I will make sure my students learn how to collaborate, be creative and tell stories and apply new skills and abilities they learn in my classroom. I want my students to be able to know how to create a blog, a Prezi, videos, audio, images with tags, podcasts, use Skype to communicate with other classrooms around the world. I want to be the one to show them that those tools are out there and how to find and use them! They will be able to do everything mentioned above plus MORE! I want them to show me something new that I didn't teach them! The SMARTboard will be so interactive and I am just excited to start using everything and applying all of MY skills to what I will teach them. And then let them do the same in return. I want my students to have the best experience of grade school in my classroom because they will have learned SO much and know all about tons of technologies they've never even heard of. It will be so amazing to see what they can create on their own at the end of the year by what they've learned from me and on their own as well. Melinda's movie approach was very demanding of answers. I think she had a lot of really great points and if I were to make a movie I would definitely go along with hers. I mean, what are principals doing in order to get the best technologies in our classrooms? Do they even research any of it or want to have for the teachers and students? How do we know they will allow us to create blogs and videos of our students? It's a lot to think about and a lot of unanswered questions so we need to work together to get these questions answered. Maybe I will get some of the answers when I start teaching again and have the opportunity to suggest these technology uses!

"Dorothy Burt's blog" is amazing, once again. I love following her blog! The post about the basic technology tool kit of a teacher was quite long and I think it was perfect! Teachers should be required to take a technology class before teaching (EDM 310 to be exact.) I am so proud to say that I've mastered the majority of the list thanks to this class! I feel so wonderful that I will be full of technology knowledge going into teaching. I'm on my way to being "technology literate!" But, I am open to learn more and more as a teacher.

"Miles Webb's Blog" was so inspiring! I loved the video with the blind child and his classmate. It's so heartwarming to see how a teacher has such a passion for digital media and teaching. He absolutely shows how much he cares about his students' needs as well as their learning environment. I hope to be a teacher who is motivated and inspired by other teachers like him. I think he is advocating how anyone can film a movie! There are no excuses. There are always modifications to make if needed. I think he is a strong minded teacher and is willing to do whatever makes his students feel special and needed.

Jenny She's "We Are Using IPads in Room 6 at Pt England School" blog post was so cool! I know they are excited to use them and create so many things on it! I hope I am fortunate to have iPads in my classroom! They are wonderful tools to use especially in the 21st century when technology is changing and improving so much!