Blog Post #5

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?
Dont Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?

Scott McLeod is a Associate Professor. CASTLE Director. Blogger. Idea generator. Solution builder. Agitator. Catalyst. He is a person who makes very strong opinions and does not care if people disagree with them. While I was reading the Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please? post, I found it very interesting how he was writing his post in a very sarcastic way. I feel that he did that because so people would understand it more. I had to read it at least two times to fully understand what he was saying. People in today's world are telling students that technology is bad and it will get you in all kinds of trouble. I disagree with that. I believe that there are many things that students can do with technology and it be perfectly appropriate for their age. Smaller children can use the SmartBoard for example to play games on and learn different strategies for learning things. Older children, for example in high school, can use the internet to do research on projects that they may have to do.


The School Initiative
The School Inititative

I feel that the iSchool initiative is a very interesting idea. But I also feel that students need to have the old school type teaching as well. I understand that technology is a very important part of today's classroom. The apps shown in the video that replaces maps, homework, notes, calendars, emails, and other classroom assignments that I find to be very interesting. I see how people are trying to save schools money and the big impact that there would be on the environment. But at the same time, I feel that if technology is all that students have, then there is no point in having a teacher in the classroom since students are doing everything online or with their computers.

ZeitgeistYoungMind's Entry
ZeitgeistYoungMind's Entry

With watching the Zeitgeist Young Mind's Entry, I see how the ischool initiative has taken a role in some classrooms today. Travis Allen and the other 25 members of his time go all around the country trying to get people to convert to the ischool idea. With seeing that, I still stand the same with saying that technology should not be the only thing used in the classroom. With children today, they are born into a very technologically advanced world and it is important for them to understand it but at the same time it is also important that they get the old school type of learning as well while in school.


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Virtual Choir

After watching this video, all I can say it WOW! It is so amazing how one person can gather that many people together, get them to sing the same song and sound so good. They have never met before and they sound as if they have been practicing for months. I do believe that this video is one of the most intriguing things that I have watched that was clearly made with just the internet. I would never have thought a person could sit down and make this possible. I enjoyed this video very much and it makes me appreciate the internet so much more.


Teaching in the 21st Century
Teaching in the 21st Century

After watching the video, I thought about the question what does Roberts think it means to teach in the 21st century. Teachers today have a very different approach than the way teachers did when I was growing up and in school. When I was in school, teachers just told me facts, theories, and laws. As Dr. Strange would say a "burp back" style of teaching. Today, teachers have many resources that can be used in the classrooms that are a form of technology. If Roberts is correct, this will affect my teaching in many ways. I feel that when I graduate, I will be in a classroom that is full of technology and the children will be more involved with it. Also, some children that have disabilities can still be involved in the classroom if they are using computers like the other children.


Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets

I found this website so helpful. There are many different things that I could use in the classroom. One thing that I found that I really enjoyed was the podcasts. I find that podcasts are very easy for children to make and they love them. Also, all of the childrens books and ideas that are listed. I can not wait to have my own classroom so that I can use some of the resources from this website to incorporate in my room. From a teachers standpoint, I think that every type of learning is appropriate for children. If some understand better by listening to a book rather than reading it, then they could use a podcast if there was one available for that book. I just want to see my students succeed and if that means making use of all technology out there, then that is what I will do! (: