Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Comments for Kids (C4K) April
Comment #7
Mr. McClung's World
Talent Show
Mr. Neal Video
Mr. McClung posted individual videos of students and teachers who performed at the school Talent Show. I was assigned to watch Mr. Neal's video. He played the guitar and sang an original song he wrote. I commented about how I was so impressed that a teacher actually performed a talent for all the students to see and how I had wished my teachers back in high school would've done something like that. It would've shown how teachers are real people too and not just nerds haha. I said I really like the song he sang and my favorite lyric was, "I wanna love like evergreen." That's really creative. I also watched the hip-hop dancer video because I love everything about hip-hop. I thought it was great to see the students and teachers sharing their gifts they were blessed with.
Comment #8
Wildcat Writers of 804
Nathan
Ms. Connor's 8th grade class
Nathan's post was titled, "A Tribute to Jules Vernes". Jules Verne was a French author who wrote many books including his most popular, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Nathan wrote something similar to what Jules would've written in one of his books. He used a lot of imagery and description to describe the ocean depths and it's beauty. I commented on his post and said I thought it was absolutely fantastic. He did a great job of describing everything to where I had a word picture in my head. I love being on a boat and getting lost in the openness. Nathan was right when he said that when we are on top of the waves we can't imagine the beauty that is below us. It may be scary to some but the vast unknown is a beautiful creation.
Comment #9
Mrs. Yollis's 3rd Grade Class Blog
California
I commented on her family blogging month post and about writing quality comments. I said that I was very impressed by how her 3rd graders could write so well. I also thought that a class blog and student blogs, as well as commenting, helped students become better readers and writers. I think Mrs. Yollis is doing a fantastic job with her class and teaching her students everything about blogs, commenting, and connecting to the world around them.
Comment #10
Miriam
3rd grader from Mrs. Yollis's Class
Miriam's Magical Moments blog
Miriam wrote about her family vacation to Hawaii. She went kayaking with her mom, dad, two younger sisters, and brother to a place called Captain Cook Monument. You can only access this monument by water and it's on the Kealakekua Bay. They also saw spinner dolphins while they were out in the ocean. I told her that her trip to Hawaii looked really fun and I would like to go to Hawaii sometime. I said that I love the ocean and the tropical atmosphere. I've been snorkeling in Australia at the Great Barrier Reef and I've also seen dolphins at the beaches in Florida. It's an amazing experience to see dolphins swim beside your boat. I imagine that she will remember this experience for the rest of her life.
Mr. McClung's World
Talent Show
Mr. Neal Video
Mr. McClung posted individual videos of students and teachers who performed at the school Talent Show. I was assigned to watch Mr. Neal's video. He played the guitar and sang an original song he wrote. I commented about how I was so impressed that a teacher actually performed a talent for all the students to see and how I had wished my teachers back in high school would've done something like that. It would've shown how teachers are real people too and not just nerds haha. I said I really like the song he sang and my favorite lyric was, "I wanna love like evergreen." That's really creative. I also watched the hip-hop dancer video because I love everything about hip-hop. I thought it was great to see the students and teachers sharing their gifts they were blessed with.
Comment #8
Wildcat Writers of 804
Nathan
Ms. Connor's 8th grade class
Nathan's post was titled, "A Tribute to Jules Vernes". Jules Verne was a French author who wrote many books including his most popular, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Comment #9
Mrs. Yollis's 3rd Grade Class Blog
California
I commented on her family blogging month post and about writing quality comments. I said that I was very impressed by how her 3rd graders could write so well. I also thought that a class blog and student blogs, as well as commenting, helped students become better readers and writers. I think Mrs. Yollis is doing a fantastic job with her class and teaching her students everything about blogs, commenting, and connecting to the world around them.
Comment #10
Miriam
3rd grader from Mrs. Yollis's Class
Miriam's Magical Moments blog
Miriam wrote about her family vacation to Hawaii. She went kayaking with her mom, dad, two younger sisters, and brother to a place called Captain Cook Monument. You can only access this monument by water and it's on the Kealakekua Bay. They also saw spinner dolphins while they were out in the ocean. I told her that her trip to Hawaii looked really fun and I would like to go to Hawaii sometime. I said that I love the ocean and the tropical atmosphere. I've been snorkeling in Australia at the Great Barrier Reef and I've also seen dolphins at the beaches in Florida. It's an amazing experience to see dolphins swim beside your boat. I imagine that she will remember this experience for the rest of her life.
Blog Post #13
ALEX: Alabama Learning Exchange
I am actually already familiar with the ALEX website because I just recently used it for my EPY 355 class. I had to look up ideas for a math project and this website was a great resource for just that. I found a math project I could use in a middle or high school classroom.
This website is a place for teachers to be able to post their lesson plans from all different subjects and grade levels on here to be able to assist other teachers teaching the same thing. It's a great collaboration tool on the web for teachers to be able to get ideas of different ways of teaching the same idea or to get project ideas. Everything is free and is shared by anyone who visits the site. Teachers can post any lesson plan they choose corresponding to the subject or grade level they teach.
When you enter the website you are given a number of choices to click on. The first is the COURSE OF STUDY button. You will find all of the subjects you would be interested in from Science to Driver's Education. By clicking on a subject such as Math, you will then be able to click on the grade level or the subject of Math you would like to find a lesson plan for.
There is also a button that says LESSON PLANS. This is another way to find all the lesson plans in the particular subject or grade level you are looking for. This search allows you to choose the subject and grade level at the same time. It is a more refined search. You are also able to upload your own personal lesson plans here.
You are able to create your own account on this website by clicking the PERSONAL WORKSPACE button. There's also a SEARCH button to find things and a WEB RESOURCES button that gives helpful websites that might interest teachers and students.
There is a tab that says PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. When you click on this it will bring you to a page with many more buttons to choose from. There's one that explains the Thinkfinity website and organization sponsored by the Verizon Foundation. It's similar to the ALEX website that's a collaboration resources for teachers but Thinkfinity also puts on technology training sessions for teachers in schools. There's also a tab to look up grant opportunities, as well as professional development opportunities, and different techno-savvy tricks like Google tools, multimedia apps, and Internet/E-mail apps.
The PODCAST TREASURY is a button that has different podcasts uploaded from each subject area. It's similar to an I-tunes for education. I found some that interested me for math...however it would never load.
The last button to click is the ALEXville button. This is set up like a blog with different news related to ALEX. You are also able to log-in and communicate with other educators. It is a community type site where everyone can see what's going on.
I think this website will be a great resource and will be very useful for me as a teacher. It has already helped me out and this is my first semester of taking education classes. I think even if I don't use the lesson plans, the ALEX site will give me some ideas for projects, as well as different ways of using technology in my math classroom. It gives me hope that I can use technology in the math classroom because I'm seeing podcasts on math topics right now. I have to say I'm very impressed with this website and how helpful it seems to be, or is trying to be. The "grant opportunities" page had some out-of-date grants mixed in with the current ones and the "internet/e-mail apps" didn't really have much to look at. The lesson plan idea is a great idea but the other technology tips and other tabs for professional learning would need to be continually updated as new grants are added or deleted because of funding, and because technology is constantly changing. It makes me wonder how often ALEX used across the state of Alabama. But there's no excuse for teachers not to jump on the techno-friendly classroom bandwagon with something that's as helpful as this seems. At least this is a start.
ACCESS: Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators, and Students Statewide
This is a website that can also be found through the ALEX website when you click on the Professional Learning button, and then the Distance Learning button. This website is all about distance learning for students. If a student wants to take a class not offered at their school then the school can offer the class through distance learning. The students would sit in a classroom and learn their subject with a teacher that could be hundreds of miles away on a TV screen. There are 2 types of instruction: video based or web based. There are also different course offerings for the student to choose from. This is a great website and initiative created by the state of Alabama.
I am actually already familiar with the ALEX website because I just recently used it for my EPY 355 class. I had to look up ideas for a math project and this website was a great resource for just that. I found a math project I could use in a middle or high school classroom.
This website is a place for teachers to be able to post their lesson plans from all different subjects and grade levels on here to be able to assist other teachers teaching the same thing. It's a great collaboration tool on the web for teachers to be able to get ideas of different ways of teaching the same idea or to get project ideas. Everything is free and is shared by anyone who visits the site. Teachers can post any lesson plan they choose corresponding to the subject or grade level they teach.
When you enter the website you are given a number of choices to click on. The first is the COURSE OF STUDY button. You will find all of the subjects you would be interested in from Science to Driver's Education. By clicking on a subject such as Math, you will then be able to click on the grade level or the subject of Math you would like to find a lesson plan for.
There is also a button that says LESSON PLANS. This is another way to find all the lesson plans in the particular subject or grade level you are looking for. This search allows you to choose the subject and grade level at the same time. It is a more refined search. You are also able to upload your own personal lesson plans here.
You are able to create your own account on this website by clicking the PERSONAL WORKSPACE button. There's also a SEARCH button to find things and a WEB RESOURCES button that gives helpful websites that might interest teachers and students.
There is a tab that says PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. When you click on this it will bring you to a page with many more buttons to choose from. There's one that explains the Thinkfinity website and organization sponsored by the Verizon Foundation. It's similar to the ALEX website that's a collaboration resources for teachers but Thinkfinity also puts on technology training sessions for teachers in schools. There's also a tab to look up grant opportunities, as well as professional development opportunities, and different techno-savvy tricks like Google tools, multimedia apps, and Internet/E-mail apps.
The PODCAST TREASURY is a button that has different podcasts uploaded from each subject area. It's similar to an I-tunes for education. I found some that interested me for math...however it would never load.
The last button to click is the ALEXville button. This is set up like a blog with different news related to ALEX. You are also able to log-in and communicate with other educators. It is a community type site where everyone can see what's going on.
I think this website will be a great resource and will be very useful for me as a teacher. It has already helped me out and this is my first semester of taking education classes. I think even if I don't use the lesson plans, the ALEX site will give me some ideas for projects, as well as different ways of using technology in my math classroom. It gives me hope that I can use technology in the math classroom because I'm seeing podcasts on math topics right now. I have to say I'm very impressed with this website and how helpful it seems to be, or is trying to be. The "grant opportunities" page had some out-of-date grants mixed in with the current ones and the "internet/e-mail apps" didn't really have much to look at. The lesson plan idea is a great idea but the other technology tips and other tabs for professional learning would need to be continually updated as new grants are added or deleted because of funding, and because technology is constantly changing. It makes me wonder how often ALEX used across the state of Alabama. But there's no excuse for teachers not to jump on the techno-friendly classroom bandwagon with something that's as helpful as this seems. At least this is a start.
ACCESS: Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators, and Students Statewide
This is a website that can also be found through the ALEX website when you click on the Professional Learning button, and then the Distance Learning button. This website is all about distance learning for students. If a student wants to take a class not offered at their school then the school can offer the class through distance learning. The students would sit in a classroom and learn their subject with a teacher that could be hundreds of miles away on a TV screen. There are 2 types of instruction: video based or web based. There are also different course offerings for the student to choose from. This is a great website and initiative created by the state of Alabama.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Blog Post #12
Create my own blog assignment! Sweeeeeet!
Instructions:
Read this post "Who Chooses the Communication Tool?" by Jeff Utecht on his blog The Thinking Stick. Comment on his post.
What are your opinions after reading this? Would you let students contact you in this way? Should students be allowed to do that? Research the school system you want to teach in and find out if those schools have Facebook, cell phone, and blog access restrictions. Find out if the school system has a blog or Facebook page. How would you deal with these restrictions? (If you don't know where you want to teach then research Mobile County Public Schools.)
My example:
I agree with the idea that Facebook and cell phones should be allowed to contact teachers and guidance counselors. I think it would be even better if the Principal of each school had his or her own personal Facebook page. When I say personal, I mean for his professional job...not use his personal Facebook where all his friends can access it. I mean just a separate one for his job that parents and students can access. Just think how the Principal could create open communication, update the community and parents, and actually respond to comments that parents, students, anyone leaves. It's way better than just the school's website.
I would definitely let my students contact me on Facebook and my cell phone. If they have a question, I would know at a moment's notice. I also think that students SHOULD be able to contact teachers in this way. I know that a lot of people wouldn't agree...in fact I'm having a discussion with a friend on Facebook about this topic right now. She thinks that Facebook is totally unprofessional and teachers should not be allowed to use it with their students. She thinks this crosses the line of professional life into personal life. I disagree as long as Facebook is used for communication purposes only. What's the big deal? It's the teacher's responsibility to use discretion, say things appropriately, etc.
I looked up Mobile County Public Schools. I know that students aren't allowed to have cell phones at school per the Student Handbook. However they bring them and have them out all the time. I tutor through Talent Search at USA and go to 3 Mobile County schools. Students have them out in front of teachers all the time. Teachers don't enforce the rule. However, there is a rule stating no cell phones at school.
Mobile County also has restrictions on their server for accessing Facebook and blogs. In fact I found an article about how Mobile County is trying to enforce a new policy about using Facebook to communicate with students. And I TOTALLY disagree with the article, what the superintendent is trying to do, etc. It says teacher's can create a "teacher page" where students and teachers can interact (I do agree with), but the policy is wanting to make teachers only communicate through school e-mail and/or website (which I don't agree with). Why limit the resources a student can communicate with? However, Mobile County Public Schools does have a Facebook page for all the schools systemwide in the county. But isn't it a little hypocritical for the county to have a Facebook page with announcements, etc. if the students can't even access it at school? Hmmm.....
As far as dealing with these restrictions...
I definitely wouldn't like it...but as a teacher I would try and push to the limit as much as I could. I don't want to get fired and I know that all these legislators and board members around here don't understand 21st century technology and how it should be incorporated in the classroom AT ALL, but I would just have to deal. I hope one day all these people will just open their eyes and wake up!
Instructions:
Read this post "Who Chooses the Communication Tool?" by Jeff Utecht on his blog The Thinking Stick. Comment on his post.
What are your opinions after reading this? Would you let students contact you in this way? Should students be allowed to do that? Research the school system you want to teach in and find out if those schools have Facebook, cell phone, and blog access restrictions. Find out if the school system has a blog or Facebook page. How would you deal with these restrictions? (If you don't know where you want to teach then research Mobile County Public Schools.)
My example:
I agree with the idea that Facebook and cell phones should be allowed to contact teachers and guidance counselors. I think it would be even better if the Principal of each school had his or her own personal Facebook page. When I say personal, I mean for his professional job...not use his personal Facebook where all his friends can access it. I mean just a separate one for his job that parents and students can access. Just think how the Principal could create open communication, update the community and parents, and actually respond to comments that parents, students, anyone leaves. It's way better than just the school's website.
I would definitely let my students contact me on Facebook and my cell phone. If they have a question, I would know at a moment's notice. I also think that students SHOULD be able to contact teachers in this way. I know that a lot of people wouldn't agree...in fact I'm having a discussion with a friend on Facebook about this topic right now. She thinks that Facebook is totally unprofessional and teachers should not be allowed to use it with their students. She thinks this crosses the line of professional life into personal life. I disagree as long as Facebook is used for communication purposes only. What's the big deal? It's the teacher's responsibility to use discretion, say things appropriately, etc.
I looked up Mobile County Public Schools. I know that students aren't allowed to have cell phones at school per the Student Handbook. However they bring them and have them out all the time. I tutor through Talent Search at USA and go to 3 Mobile County schools. Students have them out in front of teachers all the time. Teachers don't enforce the rule. However, there is a rule stating no cell phones at school.
Mobile County also has restrictions on their server for accessing Facebook and blogs. In fact I found an article about how Mobile County is trying to enforce a new policy about using Facebook to communicate with students. And I TOTALLY disagree with the article, what the superintendent is trying to do, etc. It says teacher's can create a "teacher page" where students and teachers can interact (I do agree with), but the policy is wanting to make teachers only communicate through school e-mail and/or website (which I don't agree with). Why limit the resources a student can communicate with? However, Mobile County Public Schools does have a Facebook page for all the schools systemwide in the county. But isn't it a little hypocritical for the county to have a Facebook page with announcements, etc. if the students can't even access it at school? Hmmm.....
As far as dealing with these restrictions...
I definitely wouldn't like it...but as a teacher I would try and push to the limit as much as I could. I don't want to get fired and I know that all these legislators and board members around here don't understand 21st century technology and how it should be incorporated in the classroom AT ALL, but I would just have to deal. I hope one day all these people will just open their eyes and wake up!
Progress Report for Final Project
I am working with Raley Zofko on my Final Project and we will be doing our project on geocaching. We are going to teach about all of the fun and adventure of this recreational activity. We need to decide on a location and decide what item we will leave for the next geocacher to find. We are still working out all the kinks but we can't wait to get started on this exciting project!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Blog Post #11
Incorporating Technology in Ms.Cassidy's 1st Grade Classroom
I loved watching the Skype video with Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange, as well as the video of all her kids blogging. I learned so much about where to start when I incorporate technology into my classroom as a teacher. It's easy to get bogged down with everything that we're learning in this class and she really helped me determine where I want to begin. Although I am going to be a math teacher, she said to begin where your interests are. She uses blogging, wikis, video chats, recording video, etc. with her first graders. She also uses Twitter as a handy resource to find more information for herself. She suggested if video is an interest to you then start with that in the classroom. If blogging and webpages is, then start with that. If photos are an interest, then start with Flickr.
As a math teacher, I would love to have a class webpage where all the assignments and homework could be located, as well as videos of different ways of explaining the techniques we'd be learning in class. I think I'd like to incorporate fun pictures and video to make math for interesting for students and applicable to the real world. That's where my fun, crazy, creative side could come in. I honestly don't see any impediments that having a blog and website would cause because I don't think that my students would have computers accessible to them in my math classroom. I would be able to show them everything I wanted to and use the video and photos in the classroom but the using computers probably wouldn't be done.
There are so many benefits to using class blogs and video that Ms. Cassidy is using in her classroom. She addressed how 6 year olds love knowing that someone is wanting to read their posts and look at their blogs from all over the world. They have an audience and that audience can provide feedback. If their writing was just pencil and paper then the audience would just be the teacher and that's not as fun.
I was inspired to know that she started all of this techno-revolution in her classroom on her own. This just shows that she's an independent life-long learner! Everything that we're supposed to be in this class and beyond as a teacher!
I loved watching the Skype video with Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange, as well as the video of all her kids blogging. I learned so much about where to start when I incorporate technology into my classroom as a teacher. It's easy to get bogged down with everything that we're learning in this class and she really helped me determine where I want to begin. Although I am going to be a math teacher, she said to begin where your interests are. She uses blogging, wikis, video chats, recording video, etc. with her first graders. She also uses Twitter as a handy resource to find more information for herself. She suggested if video is an interest to you then start with that in the classroom. If blogging and webpages is, then start with that. If photos are an interest, then start with Flickr.
As a math teacher, I would love to have a class webpage where all the assignments and homework could be located, as well as videos of different ways of explaining the techniques we'd be learning in class. I think I'd like to incorporate fun pictures and video to make math for interesting for students and applicable to the real world. That's where my fun, crazy, creative side could come in. I honestly don't see any impediments that having a blog and website would cause because I don't think that my students would have computers accessible to them in my math classroom. I would be able to show them everything I wanted to and use the video and photos in the classroom but the using computers probably wouldn't be done.
There are so many benefits to using class blogs and video that Ms. Cassidy is using in her classroom. She addressed how 6 year olds love knowing that someone is wanting to read their posts and look at their blogs from all over the world. They have an audience and that audience can provide feedback. If their writing was just pencil and paper then the audience would just be the teacher and that's not as fun.
I was inspired to know that she started all of this techno-revolution in her classroom on her own. This just shows that she's an independent life-long learner! Everything that we're supposed to be in this class and beyond as a teacher!
Blog Post #10
An Open Letter to Educators
I think that Morgan and Dan hit the nail on the head with education needing to step up their game. I already have a degree from Auburn University in Political Science, which is a liberal arts type education. Most of my learning involved lectures, listening to professors yack, reading, writing essay, yada yada. It had nothing to do with technology or collaborating with other students. I also could've learned all of that from the internet and library because all I was learning was facts. It's sad to say but I think that most liberal arts educations, in my opinion, are worthless. I can say this because I have one and have experienced it. All I was taught in my degree is a bunch of facts...as well as research papers, critical thinking, and Bloom's level type stuff. (It wasn't totally pointless! I love Auburn!)
Let's jump to present day at the University of South Alabama. I'm back in school now getting another bachelors in secondary education/math. So far, I haven't had a lecture hall...but I do have professors lecturing. It's mostly the math teachers. However, I think that learning a "skill" or a type of knowledge, in this case math, then I will have to be lectured to a little more. Incorporating collaborative technology education into a math classroom won't happen for another 50 years...if ever, in my opinion. Most math teachers have no personality and are boring. They stand at the chalkboard and "teach" us how to do the concept, or recite formulas, like in my trig class this semester. (Sorry Dr. Aziz but there is a better way to teach.)
My education at USA has been different than at Auburn but I think it has to do with the total switch in majors. I agree with Morgan and Dan that fact based education is not what we need. We are failing our students if that's all we teach them. High schools and colleges are eventually going to be so behind in the times that people are going to catch on and realize they DON'T need higher education. Credentials and certificates and diplomas will be a thing of the past...and I wouldn't be surprised if that happens in my lifetime. I think a lot of people will realize the education is not needed unless you decide to go on to professional school a.k.a doctor, lawyer, or need a certificate and skills taught to you a.k.a teacher, social worker, nurse, engineer. I enjoy my education here at South and I'm glad it's not using a textbook to memorize facts. I'm learning how to work a math problem...or using the technology around me survive in Dr. Strange's class. It's fun!
Tom's post is about how he was confronted by the Academic Specialist at his school and is scolded to not let his students take the pencils home. She says that a study found that students have lower test scores if they do that. Tom doesn't buy the research and persuades her that he created a parent pencil program which teaches the parents the same things the students are learning. The Academic Specialist says that it can be used for entertainment and there's no way to hold them accountable if they "goof" off with the pencils and play hang-man, etc. Tom explains that it doesn't matter...because there probably is some form of learning in that too.
I don't know what to make of this post other than to say that they had a problem and Tom found a creative way to solve it. I know now that the pencils are used as a metaphor and it makes a lot more sense.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Comments for Teachers (C4T) Summary Post #3
Steven Anderson
Blogging about the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom
What's Wrong with Google Telling Me Everything?
Mr. Anderson talks about how students are able to use Google to search for everything now. However, students might not always know how to find valuable and reliable web sites and sources of their information. He says that before we had internet searching we would have to go to the library to look up a simple answer to a question. What took 5 minutes of searching now takes only seconds. Mr. Anderson says teachers need to be concerned with teaching children to think about the quality of the information and/or where that info comes from when answering a fact based question instead of just reaching the answer and moving on. Students need to be able to think critically about the info they receive.
I commented on this post by introducing myself and saying that I don't think it's wrong that Google tells people everything. It makes life easier but deciphering the junk on the internet needs to be the focus of the search and not just fact searching. I think a lot of people find the first answer that Google gives them and just assume that whatever website it came from then it's automatically true. I don't think we should have to check our sources each time we search the internet b/c that's not practical and people will never do that, but to teach kids to check their sources is something very necessary. When I do "real research" it takes a lot longer because I have to find credible sources. I was always taught to steer away from Google when doing school research, yet that's what we always use on a daily basis to find information.
Get Connected Why Don't Ya!
Mr. Anderson talks about going to an educators conference and he was interviewed by one of his friends about why administrators and educators should stay connected online using Social Media. He says that because professionals can't do it alone. Teachers shouldn't think that we're teaching on an island. There are people all over the world that we can use as resources for information, feedback, or just someone to talk to. He asks people to comment and tell why we are connected.
I commented by saying that I am required to stay connected because of being in Dr. Strange's class. We have to create a PLN, use Twitter, comment and follow blogs, etc. I think this will be a lifestyle change and I can only imagine how helpful all these techno resources will be when I become a teacher. I agree with Mr. Anderson that staying connecting is a great way to talk to people and other professionals going through the same things I am. So why not use the on-line world to get feedback, a second opinion, or just a great idea?!
Blogging about the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom
What's Wrong with Google Telling Me Everything?
Mr. Anderson talks about how students are able to use Google to search for everything now. However, students might not always know how to find valuable and reliable web sites and sources of their information. He says that before we had internet searching we would have to go to the library to look up a simple answer to a question. What took 5 minutes of searching now takes only seconds. Mr. Anderson says teachers need to be concerned with teaching children to think about the quality of the information and/or where that info comes from when answering a fact based question instead of just reaching the answer and moving on. Students need to be able to think critically about the info they receive.
I commented on this post by introducing myself and saying that I don't think it's wrong that Google tells people everything. It makes life easier but deciphering the junk on the internet needs to be the focus of the search and not just fact searching. I think a lot of people find the first answer that Google gives them and just assume that whatever website it came from then it's automatically true. I don't think we should have to check our sources each time we search the internet b/c that's not practical and people will never do that, but to teach kids to check their sources is something very necessary. When I do "real research" it takes a lot longer because I have to find credible sources. I was always taught to steer away from Google when doing school research, yet that's what we always use on a daily basis to find information.
Get Connected Why Don't Ya!
Mr. Anderson talks about going to an educators conference and he was interviewed by one of his friends about why administrators and educators should stay connected online using Social Media. He says that because professionals can't do it alone. Teachers shouldn't think that we're teaching on an island. There are people all over the world that we can use as resources for information, feedback, or just someone to talk to. He asks people to comment and tell why we are connected.
I commented by saying that I am required to stay connected because of being in Dr. Strange's class. We have to create a PLN, use Twitter, comment and follow blogs, etc. I think this will be a lifestyle change and I can only imagine how helpful all these techno resources will be when I become a teacher. I agree with Mr. Anderson that staying connecting is a great way to talk to people and other professionals going through the same things I am. So why not use the on-line world to get feedback, a second opinion, or just a great idea?!
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