https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3rksT1q4eg
Teachers have been sharing ideas, materials, lessons, songs, etc. for many years. However, it has not been until very recently that teachers have been usuing the internet to spread their good ideas. TeachersPayTeachers is a great example of this type of system. Once you create an account, you can search lessons and activities that other teachers have posted online. The people who post original ideas benefit from getting paid to make and post lessons, and teachers benefit by gaining access to a plethora of teaching materials.
The video describes an organization called Creative Commons that allows people to put a license on something they have created so it can be shared online without credit being stolen. Such as with people who post things on TeachersPayTeachers, people want their work credited to them. As a future educator, I have already benefitted greatly from this and other similiar sharing websites.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Mr. Winkle Wakes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm1sCsl2MQY
However, I do disagree with the insinuation that students don't use computers like they should. In every classroom I was ever in (not including pre-k and kinder) I had access to computers. Often we would take AR tests, play educational games, and many other things. In fact, the very place I learned how to use a computer was in elementary school. I don't believe computers are the answer to everything, either. Teachers have just recently begun changing the way they teach. Now, it is very common to see small group and individual work in additional to whole-class lectures. Of course, technology is an excellent resource and we should take advantage of it when possible, but changing how one teaches so that all children have opportunity to learn is what seperates us from the past one-hundred years.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
"Our Brains Extended"
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar13/vol70/num06/Our-Brains-Extended.aspx
Mark Prensky says that, "Technology.. is an extension of our brains; it's a new way of thinking." Also, he says that we've always had external ways to enhance our own thinking such as writing tools, counting tools, etc. Prensky goes on to say that with our newfound dependence on technology, curriculum in the classroom must change in order to keep up. The "new" Common Core Standards simply do not relate to what children need to know in the world currently. We depend so much on technology, yet we teach children to do math problems without calculators and teach reading by writing on a board and using paperback, uninteractive books. Prensky also points out that we shouldn't look at technology as "the new way to do things." However, we should see it as a way to make us more efficient and capable. He says that the entire curriculum is outdated and should be focused into three main groups: Effective Thinking, Effective Action, and Effective Accomplishment. Many of the old, standard subjects like Social Studies, some components of Math, and other basic topics would be omitted completely.
Before reading Prensky's article I had never seen technology in this light. To me, technology is a necessary evil and humans are becoming way too attached. Just in my lifetime, society has gone from going to the library to do research on a topic, to having access to an unmeasurable amount of information- all at the touch of a fingerprint. It is mindblowing to think how fast technology has progressed over the last twenty years; however, I disagree that we should stop teaching kids the" pencil and paper" way of computing math problems, writing, etc. Yes, technology is a great thing, but it should not replace learning, and doing away with subjects that have been taught for hundreds of years is not the right answer. I understand that some ways in which teachers instruct their students are outdated; however, preparing children for the real-world is not solely what school is about. Helping children learn ethics, how to work as a team, and other various things are great, but none of these should replace whole subjects that we currently teach.
Mark Prensky says that, "Technology.. is an extension of our brains; it's a new way of thinking." Also, he says that we've always had external ways to enhance our own thinking such as writing tools, counting tools, etc. Prensky goes on to say that with our newfound dependence on technology, curriculum in the classroom must change in order to keep up. The "new" Common Core Standards simply do not relate to what children need to know in the world currently. We depend so much on technology, yet we teach children to do math problems without calculators and teach reading by writing on a board and using paperback, uninteractive books. Prensky also points out that we shouldn't look at technology as "the new way to do things." However, we should see it as a way to make us more efficient and capable. He says that the entire curriculum is outdated and should be focused into three main groups: Effective Thinking, Effective Action, and Effective Accomplishment. Many of the old, standard subjects like Social Studies, some components of Math, and other basic topics would be omitted completely.
Before reading Prensky's article I had never seen technology in this light. To me, technology is a necessary evil and humans are becoming way too attached. Just in my lifetime, society has gone from going to the library to do research on a topic, to having access to an unmeasurable amount of information- all at the touch of a fingerprint. It is mindblowing to think how fast technology has progressed over the last twenty years; however, I disagree that we should stop teaching kids the" pencil and paper" way of computing math problems, writing, etc. Yes, technology is a great thing, but it should not replace learning, and doing away with subjects that have been taught for hundreds of years is not the right answer. I understand that some ways in which teachers instruct their students are outdated; however, preparing children for the real-world is not solely what school is about. Helping children learn ethics, how to work as a team, and other various things are great, but none of these should replace whole subjects that we currently teach.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Vocab Tech For Toddlers Encourages 'Anytime, Anywhere Learning'
http://www.npr.org/2014/12/31/374033373/vocab-intensive-tech-for-toddlers-encourages-anytime-anywhere-learning
The Sesame Workshop app called Big Bird's Words helps children not only learn new vocabulary, but also understand the interconnectedness between words. This app was developed through the Sesame Workshop; which is an organization over the production of several young children's TV shows including the ever popular Sesame Street. Big Bird's Words is not meant to replace interactions between parents and their children about vocabulary in their everyday lives. In fact, many parents have tendancies to use these sorts of apps as babysitters; however, Ian Rowe, CEO of the New York City charter school Public Prep, says getting parents involved in their kids' education is crucial.
The Sesame Workshop app called Big Bird's Words helps children not only learn new vocabulary, but also understand the interconnectedness between words. This app was developed through the Sesame Workshop; which is an organization over the production of several young children's TV shows including the ever popular Sesame Street. Big Bird's Words is not meant to replace interactions between parents and their children about vocabulary in their everyday lives. In fact, many parents have tendancies to use these sorts of apps as babysitters; however, Ian Rowe, CEO of the New York City charter school Public Prep, says getting parents involved in their kids' education is crucial.
The app looks like an incredible tool to grow children's vocabulary and relating what they know to "the real world." I like how the app can interact with the environment and allows kids to explore their surroundings for new vocabulary words. So many young children are lacking in their vocabulary simply because their partents do not make enough time to talk to their children and expose them to new words. Although Big Bird's Word is accessible and a great resource for parents, I agree that it should not be used as a baby sitter. It should be complimeted with adult interaction and conversations which will greatly expand their knowledge on the language and provide a good foundation for all future learning.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Txting is Killing Language. JK!!!
Txting is Killing Language. JK!!!
https://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhorter_txtng_is_killing_language_jk/transcript?language=en
During this TED talk, John McWhorter discusses how the use of texting is not and will not be the downfall of serious writing and literature within upcoming generations of people. As a texter myself, I found this rather comforting, because during the past ten years or so I have been hearing from teachers, relatives, friends, etc. that texting is killing language skills in my generation. McWhorter explains that when talking about the existence of all language in the human race, writings have not come about until very recently on our timeline. So to say that texting, being only one form of casual writing, could possibly destroy all other forms of serious writing is simply false. He states that "We naturally tend to think, because we see language written so often, that that's what language is, but actually what language is, is speech. They are two things."
Therefore, texting is a form of writing that represets the way we normally talk, aka casual speech. Speeches, novels, poetry, etc. are all forms of serious writings, and they do not depict how we actually speak. However, when reciting speeches or poetry we are then speaking how we write, so would it not make sense that we could also write how we speak? That's what texting is. It does not exist because we are slowly becoming lazy in our efforts to write our thoughts. In fact, there is evidence that writings from the past, even as far back as 63A.D, show concern for the lack of structure and education in the way people wrote.
So, it's not just a 21st century problem. It is something we have been dealing with for centuries, and texting is just a new form of casual writing that will not destroy our ability to communicate on a serious, intellectual level. I agree with McWhorter's stance; however, I would have liked for him to touch on the differnt texting styles that exist. The examples he gave of current texters do not show how the entire population who has a cell phone would text. Some people use correct grammar and punctuation, and some don't.
https://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhorter_txtng_is_killing_language_jk/transcript?language=en
During this TED talk, John McWhorter discusses how the use of texting is not and will not be the downfall of serious writing and literature within upcoming generations of people. As a texter myself, I found this rather comforting, because during the past ten years or so I have been hearing from teachers, relatives, friends, etc. that texting is killing language skills in my generation. McWhorter explains that when talking about the existence of all language in the human race, writings have not come about until very recently on our timeline. So to say that texting, being only one form of casual writing, could possibly destroy all other forms of serious writing is simply false. He states that "We naturally tend to think, because we see language written so often, that that's what language is, but actually what language is, is speech. They are two things."
Therefore, texting is a form of writing that represets the way we normally talk, aka casual speech. Speeches, novels, poetry, etc. are all forms of serious writings, and they do not depict how we actually speak. However, when reciting speeches or poetry we are then speaking how we write, so would it not make sense that we could also write how we speak? That's what texting is. It does not exist because we are slowly becoming lazy in our efforts to write our thoughts. In fact, there is evidence that writings from the past, even as far back as 63A.D, show concern for the lack of structure and education in the way people wrote.
So, it's not just a 21st century problem. It is something we have been dealing with for centuries, and texting is just a new form of casual writing that will not destroy our ability to communicate on a serious, intellectual level. I agree with McWhorter's stance; however, I would have liked for him to touch on the differnt texting styles that exist. The examples he gave of current texters do not show how the entire population who has a cell phone would text. Some people use correct grammar and punctuation, and some don't.
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