Podcast Reflection: Is In-Person Better?

EduNationCast #28: Is In-Person Better?
http://edreach.us/2012/04/29/edunationcast-28-is-in-person-better/

This podcast was not what I expected at first, and to be honest I thought I did something wrong when I clicked on it.  When the podcast started it seemed like a cheaply made, boring conversation that I was eavesdropping on.  Once I realized this was indeed the podcast I intended to listen to I kept listening.  Each person in the podcast shared different videos, websites, links, etc. I thought this was kind of pointless at first but then I started listening and I got really interested in what they were talking about.  Each person contributed something really interesting.  For example someone shared zootool.com and someone else shared nuance.com.  They would talk about each program and why they like it and show actual examples.  It was really interesting and gave me great ideas for my classroom.  The sharing of different websites lasted almost 50 minutes and the round-table discussion was about 20 minutes.  The discussion focused on whether kids are being negatively affected by so much technology.  In other words, is communication etiquette being tarnished because of technology.  It was interesting to listen to because all parties brought up valid points.  I agreed with one of the speakers in that everything needs to be in moderation.  So, if someone is speaking to you then you should make eye-contact and be respectful.  However, if you are on the subway or in the car it is okay to play on your phone, ipad, etc.  There is a time and place to use technology and kids need to be reminded of that.  Another speaker brought up a good point about how communication via technology can be beneficial.  For example, skyping with long distance relatives or friends, or finding people that are interested in the same things you're interested in.  Technology can be a resource or tool, but we cannot forget about the importance of face-to-face communication.

Students Thrive on Cooperation and Problem Solving

The beginning of this article really caught my attention, "learning-- and schooling-- must be totally transformed."  This is a bold statement, yet very true in my opinion.  Education is constantly changing and methods we use to teach students is crucial.  Standing in front of a class for hours on end, lecturing, is ineffective.  Students need to be engaged and learn skills and information that will help them after they graduate from school.  This article does a great job of highlighting an effective teaching method, project based learning.  This method includes learning and thinking skills, information- and communications- technology literacy skills, and life skills.  Obviously teachers still need to teach content and critical information to students, but they way they are doing so can change.  Students can learn how to work together, collaborate, and learn cross-curricular content while applying it to real-life situations.  I love how instructors potentially would start each unit by throwing students into a real world or realistic project that engages interest and generates a list of things they need to know.  When I think about how great incorporating PBL into the classroom would be, I can't help but think about how difficult and time consuming it would be too.  There are so many expectations put on teachers and there never seems like enough time.  In order for PBL to work, the standardized assessments would need to change as well.  If curriculum allowed for PBL, I think it would be extremely beneficial for students.  I really liked how the author talked about assessments and using rubrics in the beginning of the project so students can self-appraise their work in progress and direct their own learning.  The most interesting part of the article was the use of internet.  Projects would be housed online and they would be available from year to year AND can be shared between schools (not to mention a lot less paper!).  The grade books are also online and are live documents so students, parents, and teachers can a have communication line as far as assessments and progress goes.  I think this article really sheds light on PBL and emphasizes its strengths.  The benefits of PBL seem high and effective.

TedxPhilly Video

I really enjoyed this video.  I initially watched it when I was looking at another teachers blog and I was really interested in how she said her students responded to the video.  The video is motivating and really brings to life an interesting point in that we should be letting our students work on/learn things they are interested in and good at.  We should focus on strengthening their strengths and not focus on immediately finding areas they are struggling with and ignoring areas they strive in.  Before watching this video I never really thought about it, but it is true.  We are always trying to find areas students need to improve in and in return let their strengths go unnoticed or get put on the back-burner until they get better at the things they are not good at.  I would be curious to listen to a secondary education's reaction to the film.

Enhance/Support Your Classroom with Podcasts

Podcasts are becoming more and more popular.  Students, no matter what age, enjoy variety in their learning.  Podcasts are a great way to provide that variety while including rich content.  I never really understood the benefit to podcasts until I listened to one.  They are very interesting and easy to listen and follow along.  When I observed a 4th grade social studies class I was amazed at the impact of podcasts in the classroom.  The podcast the students were watching was VA Trekkers (http://www.virginiatrekkers.com/Menu/Podcasts).  The students were so engaged and retained so much of the information.  Students watched different VA trekker podcasts every week and LOVED it.  They knew the theme song and really thought they were being rewarded for getting such a fun experience.  After the podcast the teacher I observed would incorporate table talk and some activity.  I really saw the benefit of using podcasts in the classroom.  I also love the idea of letting students create their own podcast.  It puts such a fun spin on reports they are giving.

The Nuts and Bolts of 21st Teaching Reflection

This blog post was really interesting to read for multiple reasons.  The first being that it elaborated on something teachers experience all the time, which is how to lead a class and give students the information they need without lecturing the entire time.  I really liked how Shelly Wright talked about her experience in a sequential order and included difficulties as well as strengths within the lesson.  I loved how she allowed students to be so independent in the project while also working collaboratively.  The way she incorporated technology into this project seemed really effective.  I love the idea of letting students work together and use things like google docs to build a solid document full of different research.  I had never heard of using delicious to bookmark important sites.  I went through the website and was amazed with how much it had to offer and I immediately thought of how I could use that in my classroom with all different age children.  I like how she was able to teach the difference between primary and secondary resources and then let the students explore the web to really see the difference between the two.  I could relate to Ms. Wright when she talked about figuring out her role when trying to let the students take charge.  It is such a challenge to let students work together to figure out important skills and information, but when they do it can be so successful and meaningful.
What I found equally interesting as the actual blog topic was the amount of responses to her blog.  People left such great feedback and suggestions.  I found it really enjoyable to read through them.  I watched the video someone suggested to share with her class and I found it really interesting.  The video talked about how we should be encourage learning by allowing students to do things they are good as instead of restricting them.  It was a great video that could lead to interesting discussions/debates.

New Learners of the 21st Century Reflection

When I first started watching this video I kept thinking, "how can students learn all they need to learn by creating video games."  The more I watched, the more I became intrigued with what different educators and students were saying.  Technology is becoming a huge part of our society and no doubt about it, kids need to keep up to date with it.  The new innovative ways teachers are bringing technology into the classroom is amazing and seems to be a success.  I just can't help but think how students need to learn the basics first.  Although it may be unrealistic, I feel it is so important for students to learn the traditional basics before they can jump into a constant technological learning environment.  For example, learning how to write (by hand), having legible handwriting, learning cursive, learning how to speak in front of groups, etc.  With that said, I also technology is a very important component to education today.  I think the challenge is finding a balance between "traditional education" and this new idea of technology based education.  Allowing students to explore new technology and communicate with technology allows students to be engaged, but also to be ready for the future.  Allowing students to communicate via chat rooms, blogs, discussion boards, etc. encourages students who may be quieter in class to participate and share their ideas.  Technology in the classroom opens doors and allows for all students with different learning styles to come together and work together.  I really liked the part of the video where teachers spoke out about being replaced by technology.  The teacher responded by saying, yes, technology is advanced and is being brought in the classroom more and more but there still needs to be the teacher to teach and lead the class.  Technology is just another resource we can use in the classroom.
I also couldn't help thinking about the schools that cannot access technology resources for their classrooms.  Are those students going to be left behind?  How can we allow for all students to have access to these new technology resources?  If technology is going to be leading the next generation, it only makes sense that all students have access to it. 

Giving Reluctant Students a Voice Reflection

This article was really interesting to read.  Like the article said, there are always certain students in a classroom that are the quiet ones, or don't feel comfortable participating in class discussions.  Allowing those students to participate in a safe, anonymous, comfortable way, makes great discussion possible within the classroom.  Technology has opened so many new doors in the classroom, one of which brings everyone together.  There is always going to be students that are uncomfortable sharing their ideas but have great ideas to bring to the table.  Through chat rooms, blogs, group chats, and other various forms of communication via new technology, classrooms are becoming more collaborative and inviting to everyone.  I think teachers, especially teaching older grades should incorporate various forms of technology into their classroom so students can be exposed to new technology, but also, so everyone feels comfortable participating.