Mr. McClung

This is what I wrote to Mr. McClung,
Hi Mr. Mcclung, I am in Mr. Tashbin's EDM 310 class and had to read your blog for my class. I found it helpful because as a future teacher I will admit I am nervous on how to make sure I am attentive to my students while accomplishing what is required of me as a teacher (paperwork, lesson planning, etc.) This blog reminded me not to view my career in the classroom as a to-do list but a place for passion, knowledge and creativity. After all, I became a teacher to inspire students to want to learn and be passionate about it, if i view my job as an objective list- i am not contributing to the idea that learning is fun, entertaining and should be full of passion and enthusiasm on both the giving and receiving end.

When -if-ever- can we trust wikipedia?

The answer to this question is simple..as long as wikipedia is open for editing we can never trust it. I understand the premise behind leaving articles open for editing. Ideally, the creators of wikipedia are hoping that someone who knows more about a subject of an article will post what they know. However, until there is a better system of checking the information and the authenticiy of its sources I will never trust wikipedia.

thoughts on Mr. Winkle wakes ( I already did this :( but saved it on my pc and didnt publish it! im a smart one!)

Apparently his point is that schools are behind when it comes to incorporating technology into classroom instruction. My response to that--maybe in some schools. I had a different expeerience. Most of my knowledge of technolgy came from not only from school projects but from tools used in classroom instruction.
One could use the argument that funds for "gadgets" in the classroom are not available and that may be true but it depends on the innovation of the teacher. Much of today's tools can be accessed for free such as google presentations, google docs, and can be presented in a classroom setting with a single computer.
He also mentioned that the teaching methods were the same as they were one-hundred years ago; ateacher standing in front of the class lecturing students. I am afraid that classroom teaching methods do lie in the hands of the instructor, but for the most part i dont agree with MR. Winkle wakes.

Is Google Changing the Way we think?

Personally, I think that our brains can be trained to recognize and pay more attention to certain visually attractive pieces of information more than others.
I believe that is why ADD is a common "disease" amoung children and adolescents these days. Information is presented to us in streams that are constantly redirecting our foucs and attention (I.E. tv, commercials, pop-ups, facebook, movies, myspace, etc. ) How can we focus for a long period of time if all of our forms of entertainment and media are constantly shifting visually?
However, I do not blame google or just the internet for this culural obsession with the visually attractive (for lack of a better word). I think all forms of media have contributed to attention deficit at some point. I do think that we are affected by distractions, but i don not think the specific way we read ( as afunction of the brain) is affected. I read that entire article on the internet the same way i read a book; one sentence at the time. I think reading COMPREHENSION is affected by certain attention span deficints, but just as our brains can be trained by attention grabbing visuals, our brains can be trained to focus without distraction. the beauty of the human brain is that it can be trained.

Randy Pausch Last Interview

Wow, honestly, Wow, this was my favorite video thus far. I feel guilty for this but when i first read the assignment for this week i was not looking forward to it. I thought to myself .."wow how am I going to sit and listen to a lecture about technology for over an hour?" After watching this lecture however, I can honestly say that I am beyond moved. By the end of the lecture I was tearing up.
Not only did I learn a little about virtual reality and the imagination behind it, but I gained valuable insight about life from a man who has based his life around hard work and dedication. As I was watching the video I wrote down the quotes and insights that meant the most to me and were the most inspirational. By the end of the video I had two pages worth of quotes, front and back!
From start to finish this video was full of advice for me. I think everyone can learn something that will benefit them in some way, not only in their career but in life. For instance, at the beginning of video before he began talking about his childhood dreams, he spoke about his cancer in a nonchallant manner that fascinated me, partly because he prefaced it with "whenever there is an elephant in the room, intorduce it." It set the stage for the rest of the presentation. It was his way of giving us permission to still see him as a professor and not just a cancer patient. It was very moving from the start. He also talked about wanting to enable the dreams of others..i personally think our goal as teachers should be to enable dreams and to make sure, as mr. pausch put it, that our students "never lose their sense of wonder" and that we as adults know that we still have "permission to dream."
He also talked about his experiences with coaches and mentors that made him who he is today. I can relate to a specific instance he spoke of. "When you screw up and no one notices or tells you, then you should worry because that means they gave up." I heard that from a coach of mine and from then on i appreciated constructive criticism. I also valued another piece of insight i received from Dr. Pausch, " experience is what you get when you dont get the results you wanted." he didnt mean this in a negative sense but was speakig of the indirect lessons learned from mistakes or achievements (like those seen in sports or orgaized activities) such as teamwork, responsibility, or perserverance that are equally as important as the goal itself.
There are a few insights that will benefit me in my career and personal life as well . For example , he spoke of the obstacles he encountered and said "brick walls are there for a reason, to keep out the people who dont want it bad enough. Brick walls are there to test our dedication and perserverance." Wow. if you arent inspiree by that comment you are just inexcusably lazy. He also spoke of karma and the help he received from others. I personally believe that you cant get anywhere in life without help or motivation from some where. he also spoke of personal attitudes and the privelege of being an educator. We get to inspire people and if we can getsomeone to be self reflective we have given them the best gift an educator can give. My goal as ateacher is one that he put into the perfect words, I want "millions of kids to have fun while learning something hard." I also want to be an earnest person like the ones he spoke so highly of .
Of all the quotes I wrote down the two that meant the most to me were at the end of the presentationk, "Are you a tigger or an Eyore?" it is so easy to get boggeddown with the negatives in life but we really should strive to be encouraging and excited about life which brings me to my next quote, perhaps the most moving of all "Have fun because Im dying and I'm having fun!" that quote really put into perspective how short life really is ..its too short to not be happy or satisfied with your life like Dr. Pausch.

Karl Fisch- is it ok for teachers to be tech illiterate

I have come across those teachers who still give chalkboard notes, who still read straight from the book, and still require outlines of notes for class. Seeing as how we are well into the 21st century, these teachers are not only behind on their methods but behind on their attitudes towards updating their methods. These specific teachers I am referring to simply refused to do things differently ..they prefered traditional methods.
I say ask the students. Students will tell you which classes are interesting, which classes they enjoy, which classes they have learned and retained information from. Yes it depends on the teacher, but as a student I can tell you that i paid the most attention in classrooms that allowed me to use technology or incorporated technolgy into their lessons . It could have been as simple as a video or a slide show. I do no for a fact that I did not pay attention to teachers that stood in front of a chalkboard for an entire hour and a half.

Dr. Strange's Wiki . should all teachers be tech literate?

should all teachers be tech literate?
Yes..teachers have no excuse for not being learners themselves. I understand preferring one method of teaching over another ( only if it works..even if it considered old-fashioned by someone else). However, at least be willing to learn how technology can add to current and past methods of teaching to make it more efficient. What kind of teacher objects to something that might help her students better understand the subject matter?
I understand limited resources are available for teachers. This can have an effect on how much technology teachers use in the classroom. If resources are available however, I feel that state-of-the -art educational technology is well worth the investment if it helps a student grasp a concept that they previously would not have understood or even been interested in. For instance, smart boards were introduced in my senior calculus class..everyone wanted a chance to participate in working out problems just so they could use the smart board. This is a specific example of how technology peeked the interest of bored high school seniors.

Kelly Hines- It is not about technology

I read her post and I completely agree. Technology should be an addition to great teaching not necessarily a tool that provides great teaching. Teachers should never depend on technology to do the work for them in the classroom but should use technology to make their subject matter peek the interest of their students because let's face it every 21st century student is intrigued by technology whether its for entertainment or communication purposes.
I also agree with what she said about technology only being as innovative as the teacher using it. I have seen it happen..technology can be fun and intersting, or it can be bore you to tears. It has been my experience as an observer that if a teacher chooses to include the student when using fun and inoovative technology (i.e. blogging about lessons, smart board example problems, game powerpoints, etc) then the teacher commands the attention of the students through pure interest and involvement and therefore has more sucess on test scores and papers etc.

Micheal Wesch - A Vision of the Student Today

I watched this video and I liked it ; it definitely presented the truth about problems college students face on a daily basis. I can only speak for myself, but I have read three volumes' worth of Norton Anthology novels, poems, and short stories and can probably only tell you the plot of about ten to twenty of them. I know that Ihave gone over two semesters worth of Biology diagrams, models, outlines, and texts and would still have trouble tracing the flow of blood through the body. As students we are presented with so much information on a daily basis and in such a short amount of time that we are forced to memorize it for test taking purposes only.It seems to me that the ability of retaining and instantly recalling huge amounts of information are mostly reserved for those who do not have to work and go to school, who do not have families, and do nothing but study. In other words, not me.
The only problem I had with this video is that it presented so many problems ...but hardly any suggestions for solutions. It simply stated that "some believe" that technology will save us, ok; well elaborate please. I wish they would have done a little more research into how technology can offer help with these problems or how the future promises the development of help for these problems. Call me an optimist but that is the main problem I have with so many blogs is that everyone is quick to complain and give an opinion, but not to offer solutions or suggestions to make it better. Overall, this blog did a great job of opening the eyes of its audience to the problems facing students today.

Three Students in Dr. Strange's Class

Maggie Tarver- Michael Wesch - A Vision of Students Today
Maggie made the comment that she has been going to USA for three years and hasnt encountered many of the things shown...I don't see how. I related to almost every problem shown about the life of a student. Overall though, I think Maggie did a good job explaining her opinion but it wasn't always clear throughout her post what point or argument she was making.

Katherine Duren- The importance of Creativity
SHe mentioned something that Ihad not noticed in the video. Teachers really do stress the importance of being perfect in a classroom..that there is a right and wrong answer even in subjects that are subjective such as English or Reading. This makes kids feel more pressure to be right..than to be sucessful. I agree with Katherine she makes an interesting point. I enjoy her blogs more than any others that ive read simply because they are well written and explained thoroughly.

Megan Stewart- Mr. Winkle
First of all, I know Megan Stewart he used to be my roomate and let me tell you, she gets bored easily so the Mr. Winkle video was sincerely intriguing if she said so. I like her because she is honest in her blogs. No one else has told the truth about putting things off or how legitimately surprised they were that something turned out to be interesting when they thought they would be bored to tears!

Reading/ Writing or Listening/ Watching?

The conclusion I drew from this discussion- despite the point Dr. Strange makes- is that writing and reading skills are imperative because we still need to get students to produce what is listened to and watched. These materials start at the very least as ideas on paper, sales pitches to executives, and professional business letters/emails to companies in order to get funding, supplies, etc.Not only that I believe you have to be a good reader and writer in order to be an effective listener and watcher. Reading and Writing develops analytical and critical thinking skills; skills that allow you to think for yourself and not just be brain washed by whatever it is you are listening to and watching

"Shift Happens"

After listening to this podcast about the growth trend of technology and its impact on everyday life , I have come to this conclusion; the fact is technology can no longer be excluded from classroom learning..the sooner teachers realize that ...the better prepared students will be for the future and the changes that come with it.

Should all teachers be technologically literate?

I think all teachers should be technologically literate. Whether teachers want to admit or not the technology age has dawned and is at high noon and there is no longer a way to escape it unless you want to live with the amazon tribes...and even they are being broadcast on documentaries. A teacher by definition is someone who needs a learner...how can you expect students to learn if you are not willing to learn yourself? Today, in order for a teacher to effectively communicate and connect with a student a teacher needs to at least be familiar with current communication devices and try to incorporate them into the classroom so that instead of competing with them teachers can use them to better their students. How can we better prepare students for the future if we aren't even a part of the present?

What I learned from the podcasting links..

I am not kidding I am learning something new everyday with this class. I had no idea how simple it was to record and publish a podcast. I feel that if i learn how to effectively use pod casting in the classroom I will not only be a part of the present modern technological trend but I will also be introducing my students to the future of lectures. I feel that pod casting will soon be a common trend in schools everywhere once all teachers figure out how easy it is!
I learned the most about podcasting from the www.tinkernut.com's video cast about how to produce a pod cast.They have a step by step directions on how to make a pod cast as opposed to some of the other sites who simply explain what a podcast is and what you can do with them. Let's just say that I have found a cure for boredom. From here on out I am probably going to record random things onto my computer and publish them as pod casts just because i can. I am seriously like a little kid with a new toy now.

Notes on Dr. Strange's podcast "Tech Literate Teacher"

This particular podcast was hard for me to watch and listen to simply because it was a little on the boring side. There wasnt much enthusiasm or expression in anyone's voice to keep me very interested in listening to the entire podcast. Also, visually there was absolutely nothing going on. If I am going to watch something, I would like there to be something to watch other than a group of people sitting stiffly with their hands folded and looking nervous.Granted I understand that they are simply having a discussion and not acting out a movie or anything but here are a few things I would do differently to at least make it a little less stiff and boring.
I think if they looked into the camera when discussing a topic (unless they were talking directly to another person) it would be a direct connection with the audience and the audience would in turn pay attention. I also feel that the camera should be closer in order for the audience to feel like they are actively participating in a live discussion. Lastly, WEAR BRIGHTER COLORS...this is cliche but bright colors attract attention and therefore might keep the audience's gaze a little longer. For me in particular, I listen and pay attention to something that draws my attention visually. Overall, their objective was accomplished- they had an inciteful educational discussion