Blog Assignment #5

"Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?"...
I really enjoyed reading "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?", by Scott McLeod. Dr. McLeod is an associate professor and a blogger. On Dr. McLeod's website, dangerouslyirrelevant.org, he provides links to his many other blogging sites. I enjoyed reading "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?" because I liked that Dr. McLeod used reverse psychology. He listed all of the misconceptions that people have about teaching children how to use technology and turned it around in the end by saying the children who have been taught to use technology will have a "leg up" in the future. I know many parents and teachers have reservations about teaching children about technology, but whether they like it or not, the world is heading more and more in that direction.. If we do not teach children how to use technology now, they will be completely lost and unprepared for the real world when they become adults.

The iSchool Initiative..

The iSchool Initiative (Mobile Learning) was a very interesting video. Travis has an interesting idea in theory, however, I do not know how successful this iSchool program would really be. The first aspect I find questionable is the fact that there would be no face to face student-teacher interaction. This could pose a problem for some students who are not "digital learners", especially on the elementary level. Also, meeting in a classroom setting on a regular scheduled time teaches children structure and responsibility. I thinks it is a good idea to incorporate the iSchool into the traditional school setting, but I do not think it is a good idea to use it as the only form of education for students to receive. Although the iSchool would potentially save money, I do not feel students would be thoroughly prepared for the real world. Teachers play a huge part in students' academic career.Eliminating them altogether and replacing them with a machine might seem like a good idea, but it would not give the students the one on one time and the attention that so many of them need while learning new things. 

Virtual Choir

The video, Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir, was fascinating. I can't believe the use of technology in this video. I also can't believe that all of these people sang their parts individually without hearing the other parts. I was in choir all four years of high school and I know how difficult it can be to blend your voice with everyone else's. I think it is amazing how fr technology has come and this video proves it. The song was beautifully put together, I loved it. 

Teaching in the 21st Century..

I think the video, Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts, portrays the message that the teachers of today need to be prepared to teach technology to children. Like the video said, teachers are no longer the main source of information, they are the filter. Students have a endless supply of information and it is the teacher's responsibility to tell them if the information is correct or not. Also, I think Mr. Roberts is saying teachers need to be constantly learning and researching things as well. Teachers can't just teach out of a text book anymore, they need to research the information and find out all they can about it. Teachers of the 21st century have to be constantly learning new things as well as teaching them; new technology comes out practically every day. Teachers need to be prepared to learn all they can about the new forms of technology so they can teach it to the children.

Readingrockets.org..

The website, readingrockets.org, is very insightful. I really enjoyed exploring it because it has so many great resources on it. I like that it has a link called Reading Topics A to Z that has every reading topic you could think of, plus several ideas for teachers to go along with it. I also like that there are games on there and writing prompts. I also like the ABCs of teaching reading section. This is a very useful website and I will be using it in the future once I become a teacher.