Phillip's Blog post Number 8 for EDM310

Video one

The Schools of Tomorrow and the technology literate teacher.

This was an amazing video and Dr. Miller is right when he says that our ideas are not just ours alone, but the whole worlds. This is the right way for us to go as a people of this planet. We must learn to embrace this new technology and get our teachers, students, and buildings set up for this wonderful new technology. Dr. Miller stated that we are in the best time of literacy, for we can read information on-line from all parts of the globe. In the past we were tied down to the libraries and books that came with them. Now our paper is the word processing and the keyboard is the new pencil for the people of the Twenty-First Century. This information can be used by billions of people worldwide and not just in on part of the globe.

When we get to our classrooms after graduation we will have the opportunity to use these new technologies for the betterment of our children. The children can show us new ways and ideas about technology while we are giving them the fundamental basics that they need to survive in this new world. Students will learn to combine video, audio, and words to create some beautiful and creative new ways of thinking. When I start teaching I want to immerse myself and my classes in this new way to look up information by giving my children projects were they put together presentations that show how information can be combined and used together.

Dr. Miller states a good point that we have the ability to transmit all ideas to everyone on the planet. This age is all about information and this is the new way of society and our children's education. Right now I am learning this new technology and I will continue to learn it well out of EDM310. This knowledge will not only help me with my teaching ability, but will improve the quality of education that I can offer my students. With the end of each day it is the children with the help of technology that will shape and mold our activities as teachers I believe and not just technology.

Video Number 2

These two student produced videos for EDM310 were done very good. If I was to do a video I would have the students all at one time run up to Dr. Strange and bombard him with questions about what they do not want to do. I would like to create a video that also would focus on the real time emotions of people's reactions and procrastinations of doing work for EDM310. I would have students dressed up in clown suits and playing games on the computers instead of taking their work seriously. I would also like to put students in a space ship flying through space ignoring everything that comes their way. Jamie and the others done a wonderful job on these videos and should be commended for the excellent job they did. The humor in the videos was also very ingenious. I bet Jamie got tired of getting up and down out of that chair while doing that video. :-)

The main points of the videos are to do one's work and do it by the date on the calendar. Also for students to not quit school because it is hard. This is very important to us, for in the real world you cannot miss work because you had to twitter someone or go to Florida to play the lottery. To miss your class and not be there for your children would be catastrophe and could result in you being fired or sued by the children's parents if something happened while you were supposed to be there and you weren't. The video also stated that teachers supposedly do not care for their students, but that is not the case. In my time as a student all my teachers have done a wonderful job of caring and taking time out to help me with my problems. The best thing I liked was the fact that most people have to hit rock bottom before they will pull themselves back up and start over. I know a great many people in my own life that have had to do this and boy it is not very pleasant. As I said earlier the videos were both well done and I loved the sarcastic tone and the, “I will do what I want do” routine that faces most college students today. EDM310 students need not fret about our class for we have Dr. Strange, the EDM310 helpline, and the three students who help us out in the lab of EDM310. We are also learning to use interesting programs like Ever Note, Delicious, Blogger, Google Squared, and You Tube to upload video and music to. In the end this class will empower us in ways we are just now beginning to see and understand.

Video Number 3

The views and opinions are very polarized on the issue of the Smart Boards in the classroom. The two blogs that were given to us really do not see any hard benefits for the Smart Boards besides them being expensive chalkboards and one of those teachers even gave his away. The smart boards need time to be able to influence the classroom, teachers, and students. I do know that from my own observations in Denton Middle School I have noticed that the boards really do not encourage much more talking than what was going on when I was in middle school back in the mid 1990's. The only advantage that I can see is they will let teachers keep massive amounts of information that will have to be erased on a regular chalkboard. Also the students can to an extent use pointers and interact a little more with the Smart Boards than with chalkboards. One of the articles stated that "Smart Boards are a vain way of buying progress." Yes that could be stated, but I look at it as a small step in the right direction. In the years to come information will be going all digital and the Smart Boards is the first step in the race of classroom evolution.

Two articles I found on the internet that talked about the advantages of the Smart Boards are http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/2007/09/smart-board---r.html and http://www.waukeshaschools.com/WIT/smartBoard/benefits.htm. The main points that the articles stress is the better interaction of students compared to a traditional classroom setting and how more than lessons can be used as supplemental learning for our children. Some of these are videos, pictures, and blogs of information from other people. We must remember that this is new to the class and time will begin to let more options and possibilities for our children's education come around. Whether for good or for bad this is the new way and a way that I will fully embrace once I get my own classroom.