Blog Post # 8

This is How We Dream Part 1 and 2

“Man is a genius when he is dreaming.”
― Akira Kurosawa

Dr. Richard E Miller, a professor at Rutgers University, emphasizes the changes that have been taking place in education, and that there are more changes to come. In his 2008 lecture he basically introduced the idea that society is at a turning point where libraries will possibly become obsolete, and the web is quickly replacing printed books and newspapers. According to Dr. Miller, these events are happening incrementally and fundamentally.

According to Dr. Miller, an incremental aspect of the web replacing print is just as simple as people carrying around their lap tops instead of printed books. I know that is what I do for the most part. I do have a love for books, but when I need information for a research report or just to know, I go straight to the web. He noted the fact that the web is full of invaluable resources, thoughts,reflections,ideas, information, and so much more. It is basically a living, changing, and collaborative book. Dr. miller described an aspect of the web that has been a part of the incremental move from print to the web. The web is easier to use for collaboration than the library. It has sound and visual, as well as, text. People can bring together a collection of experiences for web viewers. Basically, the web has much to offer that print does not offer.

Dr. miller also indicated that there have been fundamental changes for the web, as well. The fact that information changes before our eyes, the success of academic lectures, and collaborative abilities have all been a part of the fundamental change. Dr. Miller also noted that ideas are not ours to keep as individuals, moreover; they belong to everyone and our culture. I agree with Dr. Miller. Ideas should be shared. I have never been exposed to so much freely shared information until I was in EDM310. I have been surprised and appreciative, at the same time, for all of the freely shared resources and information that I have been exposed to on the web.

Dr. Miller believes that we have not yet begun to deal with this kind of pedagogy that he talks about in his lecture. I agree with him. I think many teachers have not realized how much education is changing or how quickly it is changing. Dr Miller also believes that we are only limited or restricted by our own selves. I too put limits on myself. I think that the web causes us to routinely do self reflection. I know that I have grown through the self reflection that I have been doing during the course of the past few months. Dr. Miller's lecture has definitely given us something to think about.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post Assignment # 12
Carly Pugh's blog post assignment was to create an assignment that she felt was important or good enough that Dr. Strange should have assigned it to the class. Carly Pugh's blog post well surpassed my expectations for her assignment. Wow!. Miss Pugh is an excellent writer. I love how she combined creativity with real educational issues. The video playlist was so neat. This was a great idea. She certainly spent much time and thought putting her assignment together.

Miss Pugh's blog post is much like Dr. Miller's How To Dream Part 1 and 2 video on writing multimedia. She basically did just as he implied. She gathered sources with visual and auditory to go along with her text. She composed a collection of experiences and ideas from the web. Her post was definitely inspiring.

The Chipper Series EDM310 for Dummies and EDM310 is Different
The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies, are videos that help new EDM310 students understand what is required of them, and it shows some mistakes that they should avoid. These two videos are great. I like how EDM310 for Dummies starts out with the students being so frustrated because they have little to no idea what the technology terms are or how to complete the assignments. I felt exactly this way. I was apprehensive because I had never been in a class with this type of structure and learning. Later in the video, they are excited about what they have learned and accomplished. I can relate to this, as well. My apprehension quickly turned into joy and excitement once I realized how much I was learning. The Chipper Series is about procrastination, attending class, and getting as much as you can from EDM310. It outlines many mistakes that should and can be avoided.

I think a good video for new students in EDM310 would be a video that shows lab assistants helping students with assignments. This could help new students feel like they will not be alone when they enter this new world of learning. After all, it is so different from what we have been exposed to most of our lives.

Learn To Change, Change To Learn
Learn To Change,Change to Learn is a 2008 video by Pearson Foundation that discusses the need for a major change in our current education system. According to the video, their is not near enough stimuli in today's classrooms.Students are exposed to so much rich stimuli outside of the school, but very little inside of the school. Cell phones, computers, and other technology is almost non existent inside of the schools, but in the real world they are everywhere around us. How can we educate our children for the world today if don't allow them to be learn with and through technology?

We need a major shift in our education system. Basically, standardized testing has taken over the way we educate children today. I put my daughter in a private school partly because I feel so strongly against standardized testing. I don't believe children are able to learn the skills that they need for the real world if we mostly just teach to the test. Standardized testing doesn't allow students to be creative, think divergently, or collaborate with other students. It doesn't actually allow them to test out what they have learned.

I do believe that we still need the brick and mortar school. I think that children should have a safe environment to all come together and learn. I agree with many aspects in this video. Teachers do need to be given the tools and the ability to integrate as much technology as possible int the classrooms. Technology is not really a choice anymore. It is a major part of students lives at home, and it should be in school, as well.  It is time for a shift in the academic experience.

The Scavenger Hunt Begins...

First stop on the scavenger Hunt
The first part of our assignment was to locate a tool on Web 2.0 Tools that is similar to Twitter/ Facebook that could be used as a social platform for teachers, parents, and students.There were a few to choose from, but I chose Edmodo. I set up an account for  a teacher, per assignment. It is so great. I had no idea that there are tools like this out there for teachers, parents, and students to be able to use. By the way, this tool is free!

There are so ways that this tool can be used in education. It is a collaborative tool. The teacher can add his or her own content. It can have groups, so that it can be shared with the class and parents. The teacher can post assignments and due dates. Students can take their quizzes with this tool. Videos can be uploaded. Teachers can connect with other teachers. You can send alerts for upcoming assignment due dates. Student's work can be graded and viewed by the student online. There are so many ways this tool can be used.

As a teacher, I would love this tool because it is collaborative. I would add my own content. I love that it has a calendar for students to be able to see their upcoming assignments. I think the part where you can ask a question and each student can answer is useful. Students can see all of their classmates answers, therefore; it can facilitate a better understanding of the topic through their peers answers. I like positive reinforcement, so being able to send a badge is great. I would use this tool to communicate with parents because I believe that parent teacher communication is important. This tool can be used in so many ways to incorporate technology into the classroom.

Second Stop on thew scavenger hunt
I think the web 2.0 was created by using the tool Prezi. Prezi can be found in presentation tools. It is a great tool for students. You can create a presentation that is collaborative. It seems to be easy to use. Prezi is free for students, but they have a pricing scale for privacy features if you need them.

Third stop on scavenger hunt
Make a comix strip.
Making a comic strip was so much fun. My daughter helped me with mine. Then, she made some of her own!

Fourth stop on scavenger hunt
 We were supposed to find a video tool that we have never used. I chose Animoto. It has many features.  With Animoto, you can create videos from your photos, video clips, and music.The videos are easy to share. You can share them on social networking sites such as You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, and Picasa.You can create your own unique styles by choosing different backgrounds, effects, and themes. Animoto has a library of music, and you can also upload your own MP3. Animoto is high definition, and it has  an APP for i Phone users.

Fifth stop on scavenger hunt
Create A Poll Everywhere Which is found under mobile tools.
Create interactive meetings at Poll Everywhere






This scavenger hunt that was suggested by Justin Cometti was fun. It is a great idea for teachers to use in their classrooms.