Blog Assignment #8

This is How We Dream

In Richard E. Miller’s This is How We Dream Part 1 and Part 2 Mr. Miller emphasizes how important it is for technology to be incorporated in the classroom. There are many tools available today to use that can enhance the learning experience. I wish he had gone more into depth about it because I am still having a hard time seeing how it will work. I understand using technology is important, and I understand that students need to learn how to use it the right way. However, I do not think everything should be done by technology.

I still think it is very important for a student to be able go pick out a book and use it as a source. You cannot always guarantee that the information you are getting from the web is creditable.

Carly

Since I know Carly Pugh on a personal level, her indecisiveness did not surprise me! She is a very upbeat person, and she always has an idea. She was given the task of creating her own assignment and she went far beyond what Dr. Strange thought she might do. She wanted them to make a YouTube playlist that covered 10 things. I thought it was neat because YouTube videos can be useful when used effectively. You can also learn from them a lot faster if you are anything like me. When I'm reading, I tend to lose my train of thought and forget what I'm reading.

EDM310 is Different

In the Chipper Series, Chipper thinks it is okay to do her work whenever she wants to and at her own pace. So she opens her own school where people can do their work as fast as they want or how slow. Well, the problem with this is that you can’t learn this way. You need structure, due dates, and a set time to complete things. Some people would get it done in just a few weeks like the girl she brought in the talk to Dr. Strange, but most people would never finish.

In EDM310 for Dummies, I cracked up. This video is so funny but true. At the beginning the girls are so frustrated with what to do. Then it shows the book EDM310 for dummies. It has tutorials for the different things we use in EDM310. If there were actually a book like this, I probably would have bought it.

I would like to create a video that actually describes a lot of what we are doing. There was so much to read and go through when we first came into this class that I felt so overwhelmed. I went through the entire instruction manual after the first day of class. I read everything and went to all of the videos suggested (not the ones for assignments.) It took 4 hours just to do that. Then later Dr. Strange was talking about C4C, C4K, and C4T and I was just like “C4WHAT?” So, I think an Introduction to EDM310 video would be awesome! I would define the acronyms Dr. Strange uses, quick tutorials on blogger, Prezi, Timeline, iMovie for sure, and a few others.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

In this video, there are several people talking about how schools should change. They talk about what, in their opinion, is working and what is not. I agree with the fact that schools need to be more up to date, as far as having books for all of their students, and they should at least have a library with computers. There are schools that cannot even afford books for everyone let alone computers. Do I think computers need to be at every student’s desk? No, I do not. However, that is basically what the people in this video want. They want children to not only learn from school but from the Internet and from other places. I completely agree that students should learn from everywhere possible, but I do not believe pushing technology down their throats is going to be good for anyone. There needs to be some fundamental things children need to learn about the Internet and other resources before they are allowed to explore them.

Scavenger Hunt!

Prezi is a fun and useful tool for presentations and more. They have a special deal for students and teachers! Their normal “Enjoy” package is $4.92 a month. That is about $59 a year. For students and teachers it is free! Their normal priced “Pro” package is $13.25. That is about $159 a year. For students and teachers it is only $4.92! By being a teacher or student you can save $100 a year on the “Pro” package for Prezi. Sounds like a good deal to me!

Make believe comics let you make your own comics!

Edmodo is a social networking site for teachers and students. It provides teachers and students a secure place to connect and collaborate, share content and educational applications, and access homework, grades, class discussions and notifications. Students can specify whether they are an auditory, tactile or visual learner, and they can specify their career goal by choosing from a pre-defined list of career areas.

Teachers can create groups that way each class is in a separate group. He or She can post homework, quizzes, grades, and more. They can also add co-teachers, and create “badges” to award students for their great efforts.

Parents can also create accounts. This is a great way to keep parents informed of classroom activities, assignments, grades, and school events. Parents will need their own unique parent code to register in which they can get from their child’s Edmodo account. This is to ensure that parents can view their child’s school activities.