Blog Post # 5

Who is Scott Mcleod?
Dr. Mcleod is an associate professor of educational leadership at the University of Kentucky. He has his own description of himself to help us understand him more clearly.

 "Associate Professor. CASTLE Director. Blogger. Idea generator. Solution builder. Agitator. Catalyst. “If the leaders don’t get it, it’s not going to happen.”

 

My thoughts on Dr. Scott Mcloeod's blog post: Don't Teach Your Kids this stuff. Please?
I had to read Dr. Scott Mcleod's Post more than once to be sure that I understood the point that he was trying to get across to his readers. I believe Dr. Mcleod is saying, if we allow fear and lack of understanding to get in the way of teaching children how to use technology properly, the children will definitely be behind others that are allowed to use technology. Many of us are uneducated about technology and the internet. Sometimes, the fear of the things that we do not know can be greater than the fear of the things that we do know. I like the way Dr. Mcleod used a sense of sarcasm to get his point across to the reader. It certainly got my attention. I agree that we should allow our children to use and become comfortable with technology. We would be doing them an injustice if we did not teach them these necessary skills. I know that there is some bad stuff on the internet, but it is our responsibility to guide our children in the proper direction. If we educate our children to use technology respectively and responsibly, that is most likely what they will do with this opportunity. I appreciate the post made by Dr. Mcleod because it made me think about technology a little deeper. I am a parent, and I understand how important it is to protect our children. I have become more active in guiding my daughter in respect to technology.

The iSchool Initiative
According to Travis Allen, his iSchool Initiative Plan could greatly benefit education. Travis attributes the downturn in the economy and the technology based information age as reasons for an education revolution. He believes that public education is broken, and it is in great need of repair. He describes many positive aspects of the iSchool initiative. First of all, it will costs much less than paper, books, pencils, and copiers. His plan will benefit the environment by leaving a smaller carbon footprint. Travis's plan to use the iTouch platform is catching on, and his non-profit organization is gaining members,as well as, recognition.

I believe that Travis has many great ideas. I love that his approach is more environmentally friendly. I am always a little stressed by the amount of paper and resources that I have to use for my own school assignments. I do agree, that his plan will save educational dollars. The iTouch platform covered just about everything that a student would need for an education in the technology age. I liked how he presented his ideas thoroughly, and he leaves it up to each individual to decide how they feel about his plan. Travis acknowledged in his interview with Huff Post Tech, that his plan will not cure all of educations problems. I like that he is realistic with his goals. At the same time, he has enough of the student perspective and persistence to push a little more. In his interview in the Huff Post Tech, Travis explained how his age is beneficial to his motivation.

Age is my advantage. I am my own target audience and I understand what my generation wants and needs better than the older generations. I am in the perfect position, using my lack of wisdom to my advantage. The older you get, the more impossible you think something may be and the more society tells you that you can't achieve it. I am under the impression that anything is possible and if I put my mind to it I can make it happen.

This is a very ambitious statement.Although Travis has a workable plan, I feel like new approaches to education are generally resisted as a whole. It's awesome that he is so passionate about education, and that he is trying to make a positive change. 


Jennifer Chambers Post and Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
 I am glad that Jennifer Chambers saw Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir and shared the video. This virtual choir is really neat. It is amazing that it sounded so great, yet they had never met or sang together. This is just another example of how technology can bring people closer together.



                                                    Teaching in the 21st Century
After watching the video Teaching in the 21st Century, I needed a few minutes to process what Kevin Roberts was trying to say. In the beginning of the video, I thought Kevin was implying that teachers were not needed in 21st century education. I soon realized, that he was actually saying that we need to change the way we are teaching. Basically, he is saying that classrooms should be student centered rather than teacher centered. He is also telling us that it is necessary to teach and use technology in the classroom. I have always leaned more towards a student centered classroom instruction. I believe that a student centered classroom requires students to be engaged and participate, rather than sitting passively. Until my participation in EDM310, I was not aware of the importance that technology is to students. I have learned several things from this video. One of the things that I learned, is the difference between engaging and entertaining students. I think that many people have the misconception that we are using more technology to entertain our children and students. I have family members who argue with me over this point. Their argument is that they did not need all of this technology to learn when they were in school. I was overwhelmed while I was watching this video because I was not sure how I can effectively implement the necessary technology instruction into the classroom. It is my desire to be the best teacher that I can. Then, at the end of the video, Kevin gave instructions how to start small, collaborate with others, and ask for help. That I can do. I appreciate that Teri Hampton suggested this assignment.


Reading Rockets
I am so glad that Anthony Capps suggested the Reading Rockets web site for an assignment. This website is full of so much information for teachers, parents, and educators. I will have to take much more time looking over this web site. There is just so much information, and it will require revisiting this web site over time. This web site is certainly valuable to any educator, parent or teacher.

There are several things that I was excited to read about on the Reading Rockets web site. The first, is the how to list under the section for teachers. I am an elementary major, and I have been wondering how to set up a classroom library. I love reading, and I have actually already bought many children's books to start my own classroom library. In the mean time, my daughter and I read them to each other at night. Under this section, it also tells you how to pick the proper books for the age of the children, how to effectively read aloud, and how to find free or low cost books. I like the section that lets you know the celebrated reading theme for a particular month. For example, Black History Month in February, Read Across America in March, and Hispanic Heritage Month in September. There are links to assist parents and teachers with children who have learning disabilities. These links provide assistance in literacy for disorders such as, blindness or dyslexia. You can download widgets such as, daily news headlines, teaching resources, and reading blogs. This website has a section called the ABCs of teaching reading. It explains the important details of how to teach children to read. The list of resources that this web site has to offer goes on and on. I could spend days looking over this information. Thanks EDM310, this is a valuable resource.