Blog Post #5

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale
By watching this link I learned a lot about how a podcast can make a lesson interesting for students. Podcast allow the students to use higher levels of bloom taxonomy when creating their own podcast.The students have a more in depth learning experience because, they are acting as a teacher. The students also get to be creative in how they will produce their podcast. On the other hand, podcast are great because you can upload them on the internet and they can be accessed by anyone at anytime. I learned that in your podcast you can pretend to be a tour guide, an explorer and much more to make it interesting not just something that spill out facts about a certain topic.


Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog
This third grade class did a great job in this podcast. I got the facts about Ancient Rome as well as a storyline while they each took turns in different scenarios explaining things about Ancient Rome. They were creative and also use some humor along the way. The podcast was very organized and the students expressed what they had learned while putting together the podcast. I learned that podcast can be more interesting if you incorporate a storyline into the podcast.


The Education Podcasting Network
This website was very informal.According to the website, The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century. I learned that a podcast is the merger between a blogger and a radio. The website was organized but many of the links had an error and would not allow access. There were subject specific podcasts as well as student and class podcast.

Additional assignment #1

Google squared was my favorite of the two although, I will begin to use both when researching anything. The educational implications of searching on Google squared is that everything is categorized for you in one big chart. You can also easily add things that you would like to see that did not appear at first. The educational implications of WolframAlpha was the different charts and pictures it provided. It is good for comparing things as well as having a visual of the statics given. I did not know about either Google nor Wolframalpha before this assignment.My comment about Did You Know ? did not change much because in my opinion we should still be more technological updated as a country. Although, it now make me look at the statics more in depth. From this exercise it made me learn that I should not just here the numbers given in the statics, but think more into it. I will now ask myself why and research the static myself before I react to it.

Food For Thoughts: That is magical! That little boy is so intelligent to pick up that ipad and explore on it, learning as he went along.

Blog Post # 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? by Scott McLeod
I love the format of the post. The topic is so interesting. I have to agree that children need to experience things for themselves and make their own mistakes on the internet. Although, the parent should limit what sites their children should go on to limit the danger they may be putting themselves in.Technology is such a big deal these days students should have the right to explore with it. According to his website, Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor of Educational Administration at Iowa State University. He is also the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE).He is the co-creator of the Did You Know? videos, which I watched for the last post.According to his twitter account he is also a blogger,an idea generator, a solution builder, and an agitator.
The iSchool Initiative
Travis had some great ideas about making the classroom green. I loved the idea of having the textbooks online. I also liked the organization of the assignments and homework. It is a good way to allow parental involvement as well. Ischool is creative and very convenient.
Although Travis had some good points to why his idea would save money I still have some other concerns with ischool. My first concern is would the phones have some type of insurance on them. Those phones can be easily broken if you don't handle them with care. The screen can crack if dropped or water damage can occur. Will the students be allowed to keep the phone after they have completed a certain grade level or will they have to return it? What about the students who come to school to get the phone then later drop out of school that would be another phone to be replaced? My other concern is the teacher. It would be a lot of work trying to answer every student's questions, because all students have different leaning styles one of which the application on the phone may not address. The idea of ischool is great but I think it would be a great challenge trying to produce the idea.
Watch The Lost Generation
I like the way the information was presented. The message in the beginning was very distributing and depressing. I love the way everything can and should be easily reversed. The message sent give motivation for our generation to prove those experts wrong and change the world. The format of the presentation made the message have a bigger impact on my life as I watched.
Jennifer Chamber’s post and Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
The song itself was very relaxing.It is amazing that 185 people any different places cam come together through the use of the internet and create such an amazing choir. The internet open the doors to all possibilities. The internet can allow you to do just about anything you put your mind to.

C4T#1 Post 1

The first post titled "My Litmus Test" is about Mr.Spencer's frustration about the current state Superintendent of Public Instruction. Who is a former lawyer turned board member turned superintendent of the wealthiest school district who is now running for State Attorney General. Mr. Spencer, feels that this is a political stepping stone. So he came up with a list of questions he feel needed to be answered by the candidate before he could listen to their speeches or ideas. I commented that I agree that all the points he made are reasonable and is a good checklist for considering the position that candidate is running for. The person for the job do need to live a reasonable lifestyle as most normal caring public school administers do.

The second post titled "Is this Science?" it's about a experiment Mr. Spencer's students are doing over there extension time. The experiment is to provide his students with the challenge of creating a non-electric, solar-powered coffee maker.The students broke into groups and came up with many different ideas on how to make the coffee maker, what materials they would use, and they needed to find scientific answers to their question such as "what heat faster hot water or cold?". Mr.Spencer was concerned that it did not met the science standard. I commented that I think it is engineering, science, and much more. The students are using social skills debating over ideas also. They are using language art skills in witting their experiments/ideas down. The students have a chance to think critically. The project is a great idea because there is no wrong way of succeeding as long as coffee is being produced. The experiment is creative and seems exciting to do and figure out.

Blog Post #3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today (4:45)

This video is right on the point in many cases. I mean yes technology in the classroom is every important but it is very distracting at times. Some professors simply read notes off there power point word for word and in the end i have wasted timed and learned nothing.If I wanted to just read slides I could do that at home. I am currently in the college of education hoping to become an elementary school teacher yet the school system is steadily letting go of teachers.

The cost of school is so high right now I will be in so much debt when I graduate and still have no job. I spend so much money on books I never open either. Most professors use notes or slides three is no need to actual read your book. There is all kinds of online activities one must do to go along with a class that one may not need a book. I have even sold books back to the bookstore after the semester with the plastic still on them. The only big positive thing to technology in the classroom now would be the SMART board.


"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines

I must agree with Ms.Hines, today teachers need to be more creativity and skillful in there teaching and stop depending on technology to full that gap. Technology is so important in the classroom but it should be used properly to get the appreciation for it. We should not allow technology to take over the classroom as well. I also agree that teachers don't always now everything, they are also learning as they grow in their professions.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I agree with some of what Karl Fisch said. I do believe that technology is so important these days. In being a teacher one shouldn't be proud of being technology illiterate. As a teacher one need to keep up with all new material being provide to enhance their teaching. I feel that those students whose teacher is technology illiterate are messing out on some great things they could be learning.

I do feel kind of sorry for those busy teachers who want to learn but don't have the time to. But those teachers who don't even care to make a change in that area should be ashamed of themselves. If those teacher only took the time out to learn about technology themselves they may see how technology can not only improve their teaching but save them valuable time in doing other clerical work for their classroom such as, entering grade and organizing their classroom.Teacher benefit greatly through technology.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

I feel so behind already while I'm sleeping things in technology are steadily involving. It so weird. Just when I think I am kind of getting ahead I realize I am so far behind. By the time I enter into my teaching profession I will be so behind. Students who graduate after me are more advanced in technology than I would be. This motive me try to stay caught up in technology as best as I could on my on.

Amberli's Life

My reaction to videos

Did you know 3.0


This video was very enlightening. I had know clue that technology is so important worldwide. We use technology for everything. It seems like every day there is something new in technology. I also didn't know that the United States was so behind in technology.


It don't make since that we are a free country, yet we are so behind. It makes me want to get more involved updating my cellphone, computer, and all. It's kind of scary too. I mean technology is growing so fast I hope by the time I graduate a computer or robots haven't taken over all the jobs.


Mr. Winkle Wakes


We really depend a lot on technology in everything we do. We get the most updated machines and computers for everyday life activity. Yet, our schools are one hundred years behind in technology. How can we expect the best of our children when there is no technology in the classroom. If we don't teach the children with updated materials , then they will never get ahead in life.


We need more funds for our schooling and teacher need to teach with technology in every lesson possible. As teachers they should also updated themselves with new technology. Without technology we are only setting the children up for failure.


Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity


I love the video it was funny, interesting, and taught me some things about creativity. Sometimes I feel my creative ideas are wrong because there different or not what someone else expected. I also feel that it is very important to encourage all levels of creativity in education. One reason is because very one is not the same and maybe that one person is not meant to be an A plus math student rather the top dancer in the school play. Education is important but it should not control your success in the life.


The school system is so stuck on academics they look over or cut-out things like art and dance. In my elementary school days we only had a music teacher once a week and that was it as far as creativity. That was some years ago, now students may not even have that small opportunity due to the economic crisis in the school systems.


Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts


That was such a refreshing video. I mean that teacher was great and she wasn't even doing much teaching. She allowed the students to teach themselves she was just there for guidance. The opportunity those students had was great.


The only down side would be is finding the funds to provide the students with the required materials necessary for them to explore with. Giving the students the responsibility to teach themselves is such a great idea. They have so much fun using technology they don't even realize they are learning in the process.

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