Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Digital Stories
Chessosaurus:
I created Chessosaurus with VoiceThread. It was fun to work with but for some reason I couldn't get the recording to work for me. Voicethread is nice though because you can choose to write in comments, or record (if you can figure it out), or even add music to go along with the images.
Sealympics:
I created Sealympics with the Scrapblog. It was really great for a more text based story. I didn't see any options to include sound, but I feel like there should be one. It allowed for more manipulation for the text (fonts, size, color, etc). There were some options to crop pictures too. I thought it was neat that we could pick our own backgrounds or use some samples ones. There were stickers too that we could choose from to help tell our story with images.
Apple Picking:
I created Apple Picking with Animoto. This one was by far the easiest to use, but unfortunately the one that allowed the least creativity. It created the whole video for you - all you had to do was provide the pictures and music. This one did not, however, allow for any text - unless it was in an uploaded image.
Overall, I think if you just wanted to present more of a picture based story, Animoto would be the best choice. If you wanted more of a text based one, I would choose the Scrapblog because the text is the main feature, working with the images to tell the story. In VoiceThread, the text is not emphasized, as they have the comments off to the side of the pictures, allowing the pictures to do most of the story telling like Animoto.
I created Chessosaurus with VoiceThread. It was fun to work with but for some reason I couldn't get the recording to work for me. Voicethread is nice though because you can choose to write in comments, or record (if you can figure it out), or even add music to go along with the images.
Sealympics:
I created Sealympics with the Scrapblog. It was really great for a more text based story. I didn't see any options to include sound, but I feel like there should be one. It allowed for more manipulation for the text (fonts, size, color, etc). There were some options to crop pictures too. I thought it was neat that we could pick our own backgrounds or use some samples ones. There were stickers too that we could choose from to help tell our story with images.
Apple Picking:
I created Apple Picking with Animoto. This one was by far the easiest to use, but unfortunately the one that allowed the least creativity. It created the whole video for you - all you had to do was provide the pictures and music. This one did not, however, allow for any text - unless it was in an uploaded image.
Overall, I think if you just wanted to present more of a picture based story, Animoto would be the best choice. If you wanted more of a text based one, I would choose the Scrapblog because the text is the main feature, working with the images to tell the story. In VoiceThread, the text is not emphasized, as they have the comments off to the side of the pictures, allowing the pictures to do most of the story telling like Animoto.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Growing Up Online
Here is an online video by PBS FRONTLINE about what it's like to grow up online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/.
This video brings up some major issues regarding the Internet's impact on kids. There are kids who are finally able to express themselves and find others like them to talk to online. However, on the other hand, there are more opportunities for kids to bully other kids (outside of school), more opportunities to cheat, and more opportunities for the kids to fall victim to predators. Bottom line is, the Internet has become an intricate part of kids lives these days. The video showed that the moment kids came home from school, they were on their computer. What is scary for parents is that they have no idea what their kids are up to online. They can try to monitor, but they will never 100% be able to know what their kids are up to.
So how do I view the Internet's impact on kids? I think there has been both a positive and negative impact on the kids. However, I think the impact might be more negative than positive. As a concerned mother from the video said, her kids couldn't last more than an hour without being connected to the Internet to see what was going on in the cyber world. This dependence created between the kids and the Internet is bad. Kids need to learn how to communicate and be social in REAL life. It is easier to say things online than it is in person. This can lead to serious problems, such as cyberbullying, which one child from the video was a victim of. This resulted in him committing suicide.
I worry a lot about its impact. The Internet could be used as a great tool for students to learn. But it should not completely take over a person's life so that they can't live without it. I think as a teacher, I will struggle with how to use it in the classroom. As one teacher from the video said, he needs to incorporate technology into the classroom to keep his students interested. A teacher lecturing with a monotone voice and a chalkboard no longer works. However, allowing students to use computers means I also have to deal with the problem of them wandering to other sites to check out their Facebook or MySpace page - or even signing into aim to talk to each other. One teacher addressed how the Internet helps students cheat much easier than before. Teachers need to realize how much the Internet is taking over their students lives and try to figure out to work with it, instead of against it. If the Internet/technology is what students are using, then teachers need to be familiar with it as well in order to reach their students.
This video has really been eye opening. Before this, I hadn't really been completely aware of how much the Internet plays a role in kid's lives these days. So far, it seems like almost everyone has been completely pro-technology in the classroom. And I think for the most part, especially with what types of technology that we would incorporate into the math classroom, it would be beneficial. I think teachers just need to be aware of this impact and take it into consideration with situations that may arise in the classroom and with how they decide to structure their classroom.
This video brings up some major issues regarding the Internet's impact on kids. There are kids who are finally able to express themselves and find others like them to talk to online. However, on the other hand, there are more opportunities for kids to bully other kids (outside of school), more opportunities to cheat, and more opportunities for the kids to fall victim to predators. Bottom line is, the Internet has become an intricate part of kids lives these days. The video showed that the moment kids came home from school, they were on their computer. What is scary for parents is that they have no idea what their kids are up to online. They can try to monitor, but they will never 100% be able to know what their kids are up to.
So how do I view the Internet's impact on kids? I think there has been both a positive and negative impact on the kids. However, I think the impact might be more negative than positive. As a concerned mother from the video said, her kids couldn't last more than an hour without being connected to the Internet to see what was going on in the cyber world. This dependence created between the kids and the Internet is bad. Kids need to learn how to communicate and be social in REAL life. It is easier to say things online than it is in person. This can lead to serious problems, such as cyberbullying, which one child from the video was a victim of. This resulted in him committing suicide.
I worry a lot about its impact. The Internet could be used as a great tool for students to learn. But it should not completely take over a person's life so that they can't live without it. I think as a teacher, I will struggle with how to use it in the classroom. As one teacher from the video said, he needs to incorporate technology into the classroom to keep his students interested. A teacher lecturing with a monotone voice and a chalkboard no longer works. However, allowing students to use computers means I also have to deal with the problem of them wandering to other sites to check out their Facebook or MySpace page - or even signing into aim to talk to each other. One teacher addressed how the Internet helps students cheat much easier than before. Teachers need to realize how much the Internet is taking over their students lives and try to figure out to work with it, instead of against it. If the Internet/technology is what students are using, then teachers need to be familiar with it as well in order to reach their students.
This video has really been eye opening. Before this, I hadn't really been completely aware of how much the Internet plays a role in kid's lives these days. So far, it seems like almost everyone has been completely pro-technology in the classroom. And I think for the most part, especially with what types of technology that we would incorporate into the math classroom, it would be beneficial. I think teachers just need to be aware of this impact and take it into consideration with situations that may arise in the classroom and with how they decide to structure their classroom.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Earn an A? Here's $50!
Initially, I was more inclined to support the idea of paying students for good grades. It's a changing society and we need to reach our students. However, after reading Angela's, John's, and Ryan's Blog I wasn't sure how I felt about paying students for good grades.
Initially, I was more inclined to support the idea. Ryan makes a good argument that paying students for good grades means that this money can go towards furthering their education. I think it is a great idea that society can help hard working students financially. However, as Ryan also mentions, what if a student is working as hard as they can, but they don't make the cut off for getting paid? Is that fair? Seeing as for some students it is very easy to get an A without having to try very hard. So even though it might be a good motivation for students, there is still inequity.
John brings up the problem that once this program ends (it only lasts till the end of the student's Sophomore year) students might not be inclined to work hard anymore, since there is no money reward for their efforts. I would also like to see how the formerly-paid students are now doing in school.
Finally, Angela brings up the big problem that I at first did not really consider: paying students to do well in school is basically sending the message that society values money over learning and knowledge. Students should want to learn for the sake of learning. And it is important to note that schools are NOT like companies. As Angela says in response to a USA Today article, "Principles realize that school is not the same thing as the business world and they are highly educated in educational philosophies, so I believe their opinions are more reliable."
I think in theory, this is possibly a good idea. Teachers need to motivate and encourage their students to learn, and if this is something that will really work, then maybe it should be implemented into the school system. However, as with most things, it's great in theory, but it somehow goes awry in actual practice (which Angela, John and Ryan have addressed).
As far as how this might shape my future classroom, I'm not sure. If this actually becomes part of the school system, then I might have to face some of the problems that Angela, John and Ryan addressed. It would be hard to overcome these in my classroom - since I'm not sure how I would deal with students who are only motivated by the money aspect. I could only keep trying to reach them and try to convey that learning for learning's sake is what is really important and most beneficial to them (but as money is highly valued in society, I'm not sure they will listen). But even if money is what is motivating my students, they still have to learn the material in order to do well and get paid. If payment doesn't become part of the school system, I, as the teacher, need to figure out a way to motivate my students to work hard. Motivation is key in the classroom, and I will have to see what works with well for my students, and adjust accordingly.
Initially, I was more inclined to support the idea. Ryan makes a good argument that paying students for good grades means that this money can go towards furthering their education. I think it is a great idea that society can help hard working students financially. However, as Ryan also mentions, what if a student is working as hard as they can, but they don't make the cut off for getting paid? Is that fair? Seeing as for some students it is very easy to get an A without having to try very hard. So even though it might be a good motivation for students, there is still inequity.
John brings up the problem that once this program ends (it only lasts till the end of the student's Sophomore year) students might not be inclined to work hard anymore, since there is no money reward for their efforts. I would also like to see how the formerly-paid students are now doing in school.
Finally, Angela brings up the big problem that I at first did not really consider: paying students to do well in school is basically sending the message that society values money over learning and knowledge. Students should want to learn for the sake of learning. And it is important to note that schools are NOT like companies. As Angela says in response to a USA Today article, "Principles realize that school is not the same thing as the business world and they are highly educated in educational philosophies, so I believe their opinions are more reliable."
I think in theory, this is possibly a good idea. Teachers need to motivate and encourage their students to learn, and if this is something that will really work, then maybe it should be implemented into the school system. However, as with most things, it's great in theory, but it somehow goes awry in actual practice (which Angela, John and Ryan have addressed).
As far as how this might shape my future classroom, I'm not sure. If this actually becomes part of the school system, then I might have to face some of the problems that Angela, John and Ryan addressed. It would be hard to overcome these in my classroom - since I'm not sure how I would deal with students who are only motivated by the money aspect. I could only keep trying to reach them and try to convey that learning for learning's sake is what is really important and most beneficial to them (but as money is highly valued in society, I'm not sure they will listen). But even if money is what is motivating my students, they still have to learn the material in order to do well and get paid. If payment doesn't become part of the school system, I, as the teacher, need to figure out a way to motivate my students to work hard. Motivation is key in the classroom, and I will have to see what works with well for my students, and adjust accordingly.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
21st Century Student
Check out these videos to see what it's like to be a 21st Century Student:
How will you be your own agent of change in the classroom to meet student expectations - is it your responsibility?
It is certainly my responsibility as a teacher to be my own agent of change in the classroom to meet student expectations. I have to be aware of where my students are coming from and what their lives are like. So when I teach them math, I can relate it to them in a way that is most beneficial for them. The amount of time that students these days are using technology is unbelievable high (as shown in both videos). Teachers need to take this into account and adjust their teaching in the classroom. If so many of their students are using technology in their everyday life, then maybe teachers should be relating their material to technology or using technology in some way in the classroom. One example given in A Vision of K-12 Students Today was that English teachers today aren't even incorporating digital soundtracks into the classroom. One way to reach students is by using media that interests them. As a future math teacher, I would want to incorporate as much technology into the classroom as possible to engage my students (Geometer Sketchpad, calculators, computers, etc). Writing on chalkboards are no longer exciting, but rather smart boards are the next new exciting technology to use in the classroom. Teachers need to figure out how to engage their students; Since technology is so prevalent in their students lives, incorporating technology into the classroom is almost a sure way to get students engaged and hold their interest.
As the video A vision of K-12 Students Today goes on to say, students learn by doing, so what are students going to learn by sitting at their desks and taking notes? I do not want to be the typical math teacher who just stands up and lectures by writing notes on the chalkboard for 50min straight with no interaction. While this might work for some students, the majority need something more engaging to hold their interest. How will I engage my students? By bringing technology into the classroom whenever possible! Many of the students in A Vision of Today also asked the question several times, How does this relate to me? or How is this going to help me get to where I need to be? It is the teachers duty to not only teach their students the material, but also to make sure they really understand its importance. They have to relate the material to their students lives, otherwise the students won't see the importance and quickly lose interest.
How will you be your own agent of change in the classroom to meet student expectations - is it your responsibility?
It is certainly my responsibility as a teacher to be my own agent of change in the classroom to meet student expectations. I have to be aware of where my students are coming from and what their lives are like. So when I teach them math, I can relate it to them in a way that is most beneficial for them. The amount of time that students these days are using technology is unbelievable high (as shown in both videos). Teachers need to take this into account and adjust their teaching in the classroom. If so many of their students are using technology in their everyday life, then maybe teachers should be relating their material to technology or using technology in some way in the classroom. One example given in A Vision of K-12 Students Today was that English teachers today aren't even incorporating digital soundtracks into the classroom. One way to reach students is by using media that interests them. As a future math teacher, I would want to incorporate as much technology into the classroom as possible to engage my students (Geometer Sketchpad, calculators, computers, etc). Writing on chalkboards are no longer exciting, but rather smart boards are the next new exciting technology to use in the classroom. Teachers need to figure out how to engage their students; Since technology is so prevalent in their students lives, incorporating technology into the classroom is almost a sure way to get students engaged and hold their interest.
As the video A vision of K-12 Students Today goes on to say, students learn by doing, so what are students going to learn by sitting at their desks and taking notes? I do not want to be the typical math teacher who just stands up and lectures by writing notes on the chalkboard for 50min straight with no interaction. While this might work for some students, the majority need something more engaging to hold their interest. How will I engage my students? By bringing technology into the classroom whenever possible! Many of the students in A Vision of Today also asked the question several times, How does this relate to me? or How is this going to help me get to where I need to be? It is the teachers duty to not only teach their students the material, but also to make sure they really understand its importance. They have to relate the material to their students lives, otherwise the students won't see the importance and quickly lose interest.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Schools Kill Creativity?
Do they? Ken Robinson and everyone who's posted so far seems to think so. I would have to say that I agree. The following are discussions on the blog postings of 3 of my fellow classmates:
Angela brings up the idea of how schools are structured to make their students believe that math and science are "part of a balanced education, and if [they're] not good at it, then there is something wrong with [them]". After hearing Robinson's talk, Angela wonders why she had to be forced to learn science as opposed to an art class. As she puts it,"Who gets to decide that math and science are better than art? And are they really better?"I agree with Angela in that society tells us that they are better and more valuable. But why force students to learn a subject that they don't like? Why not instead expose students to as much as possible to allow them to find out what they like and are good at? Don't get me wrong, I think that math and science are important and should be a requirement; However, I think that art classes should also be a requirement. (You can check out Angela's blog at the following link: http://angeladodge.blogspot.com/)
Alli also addresses the idea of art never really being stressed as an important core class like Math and English are. At her Junior High, students were only allowed to take one art class each quarter, while other non-art subjects were mandatory. I agree with Alli in that schools are limiting the opportunities for students to explore the arts. As Robinson states, society tells us "don't do art, you're not going to be an artist". So why have students take classes in a subject that isn't going to be important to their future? But that's not true! The arts are just as important as math and science! In fact, they go hand in hand. Without the advances made in math and science, we wouldn't have music. Without music we wouldn't need radios, ipods, etc.(You can check out Alli's blog at the following link: http://noodle55.wordpress.com/)
Finally, Jen comments on how children today are afraid to be wrong. I totally agree with this. I sometimes feel this way! As Robinson says, this is killing creativity since students are scared to think outside of the box to come up with possible solutions. We need to encourage students to think outside the box and experiment. Without creativity, we wouldn't come up with new technologies. (You can check out Jen's blog at the following link: http://acttwointermission.blogspot.com/)
So to sum up, I agree with Robinson, Angela, Alli, and Jen that schools are killing creativity. How will this affect me in my future teachings? I will most certainly try to encourage creativity in the classroom! How? Good question. I definitely want to create a more hands-on type of math classroom. I remember when learning about tessellations, my math teacher had us create one ourselves, thus incorporating art into the math classroom. I think if I can bring in art aspects to help teach math, I most certainly will!
Angela brings up the idea of how schools are structured to make their students believe that math and science are "part of a balanced education, and if [they're] not good at it, then there is something wrong with [them]". After hearing Robinson's talk, Angela wonders why she had to be forced to learn science as opposed to an art class. As she puts it,"Who gets to decide that math and science are better than art? And are they really better?"I agree with Angela in that society tells us that they are better and more valuable. But why force students to learn a subject that they don't like? Why not instead expose students to as much as possible to allow them to find out what they like and are good at? Don't get me wrong, I think that math and science are important and should be a requirement; However, I think that art classes should also be a requirement. (You can check out Angela's blog at the following link: http://angeladodge.blogspot.com/)
Alli also addresses the idea of art never really being stressed as an important core class like Math and English are. At her Junior High, students were only allowed to take one art class each quarter, while other non-art subjects were mandatory. I agree with Alli in that schools are limiting the opportunities for students to explore the arts. As Robinson states, society tells us "don't do art, you're not going to be an artist". So why have students take classes in a subject that isn't going to be important to their future? But that's not true! The arts are just as important as math and science! In fact, they go hand in hand. Without the advances made in math and science, we wouldn't have music. Without music we wouldn't need radios, ipods, etc.(You can check out Alli's blog at the following link: http://noodle55.wordpress.com/)
Finally, Jen comments on how children today are afraid to be wrong. I totally agree with this. I sometimes feel this way! As Robinson says, this is killing creativity since students are scared to think outside of the box to come up with possible solutions. We need to encourage students to think outside the box and experiment. Without creativity, we wouldn't come up with new technologies. (You can check out Jen's blog at the following link: http://acttwointermission.blogspot.com/)
So to sum up, I agree with Robinson, Angela, Alli, and Jen that schools are killing creativity. How will this affect me in my future teachings? I will most certainly try to encourage creativity in the classroom! How? Good question. I definitely want to create a more hands-on type of math classroom. I remember when learning about tessellations, my math teacher had us create one ourselves, thus incorporating art into the math classroom. I think if I can bring in art aspects to help teach math, I most certainly will!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Technology in the Classroom
"Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children's future, is it really ok to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?"
No choice: I believe that teachers should incorporate modern technologies into their instruction, no question about it. However I think that teachers need to be careful on how they use technology in the classroom. As we discussed in class, our world is constantly evolving with technology. To not incorporate it into the classroom would mean that teachers would not be preparing their students for the real world. There are so many beneficial aspects technology brings to learning, especially for math. Technology has made it possible to bring a more visual aspect to math. Geometer Sketchpad is one such technology that can help students visualize how shapes, angles, area, etc are all related when you manipulate variables. It also helps you to visualize patterns and solve problems.
The only reason why I said that teachers need to be careful on how they use technology in the classroom is because sometimes students will become too dependent on it. From my tutoring experiences, I've seen many students use the calculator to add simple things they should be able to do in their head (such as 2+5). It's great that they are able to use technology to solve their problems, but it's not great if they can no longer rely on themselves to solve simple problems. The choice I think teachers should be given is on how they want to implement technology into the classroom - what they believe is the most beneficial way to prepare their students for the future.
My Introduction
Hello! My name is Rachel and I am from Homer Glen Illinois (which is a southwest suburb of Chicago). Why am I here at the U of I to become a math teacher ? Well that is a long story, but I can give you the short version. To tell you that this was always my dream would be a lie. To tell you that I always loved math, would also be a straight up lie. In fact, math used to be my most dreaded subject. Fortunately I had a great math teacher my 7th and 8th grade year, who changed my mind about the subject. I was moved up to the honors track, and soon, math became the only subject that came easiest to me.
Now it's time to answer the part of how did I decided on becoming a math teacher. While I was walking down the Quad one day my sophomore year, I thought to myself, what the heck am I going to do with a math major?! I panicked and called my mom, and of course she told me to calm down - that I had plenty of time to figure things out. So I started to think of possibilities, and that's when I realized that I have always enjoyed helping people. So I took Math 199, which gave me the chance to tutor Urbana High School Students in math. It was a great experience, and made me realize that this could be the path for me.
So here I am now, in the education program offered here at the U of I. I'm excited for the experiences the program will offer me and will hopefully help me on my way to becoming a great math teacher. I want to be the kind of teacher that makes math interesting, fun, and engaging. But more importantly, I want to be able to convey to my future students how math is applicable to their everyday life and IS important.
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