iSchool Innovative
Wow!!! Travis is a smart cookie. The simple fact that he even thinks on that level shows his maturity. I think he really did his homework and that he's got an amazing idea with iSchool Initiative. Budget cuts in schools eventually takes a toil on students' education because teachers get worn down when they have 6 class periods of 30+ students. It's an unfortunate reality but, I've witnessed first hand the pessimistic attitude of stressed teachers.
While I share a lot of the same views as Travis, I also have my reservations. I am in school to become a teacher, this idea makes me see teachers as becoming disconnected in many ways. I know that when I become a teacher, I will be hands on. I am a huge fan of technology but, I still can't get over teaching children to become so robotic. I understand that the point of iSchool is to cut costs so the school systems do not suffer so of course, I am 100% on board for this type of technology becoming the norm. I actually LOVED the statement he made at the end of the 2nd video "help us better prepare our youth for the digital world they were born into." Well if that doesn't hit the nail on the head nothing will.
Virtual Choir
I am not too proud to say that this video brought tears to my eyes. The simplistic beauty of the entire thing put me in an awe. It just goes to show you that technology can be used any time, any where.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Kevin Robert's Teaching in the 21st Century was awesome. I think he is absolutely correct with everything he discusses. I mean isn't that what we're learning about in EDM? Media advances are in everything we do. I've never been one to deny that I don't love the idea of a classroom being complete technology to the point that you're never interacting with your students but, just denying it outright is pointless. Do I think this way of teaching will affect me as a teacher in the classroom? Yes and no. While I do not agree that teachers should 100% fall back on twitter, facebook, blogs and another other technological resource, I do think that involving them within the classroom is a very smart idea. Some people (especially children in today's world) would rather be taught this way as opposed to a chalk board and a teacher. I wouldn't want to be the juggling clown trying to impress or entertain a classroom full of children. I just want to be able to affectively engage young minds on learning. Having useful computer labs, Smart Boards, webcams to maybe connect with students in another country...how cool is that? That is where I see my classroom.
Flipping the classroom
There are pros and cons to this one. It's possible that "flipping the classroom" can be useful but, is it 100% always? I can use myself as a prime example for a pro. I took a math class Spring '12 and it almost killed me! I am not good at math at all, then on top of that you throw a teacher who just assumes everyone gets it because she does. Through word of mouth I was introduced to the website Khan Academy. It is what you would expect a flipped classroom to be. Dr. Sal is literally teaching you 1:1 and it helped me in sooooooooo many ways.
Moving on to the cons. Can you trust that every child will use the videos to their advantage? Will you slack on your teaching because you know the children have the video to fall back on? Not every child can learn from a video. I mean when you think about it, it's still lecturing you, you're just not live.
Hello Mary Anderson, You mentioned that the iSchool Initiative showed how mature Travis Allen is and I completely agree. I was amazed that a person that age would be interested in organizing something like this. I was not to impressed with the Virtual Choir. I think they sounded great, but singing is something that I would rather see in person rather than sit at a computer and hear different people singing in harmony. I think they did a great job, but it is something I would have preferred to see live. As far as "Fliping the Classroom". I feel that even when using this method, teachers will still have slackers who will be behind the rest of the class. I also agree with you that some teachers will use the videos to fall back on instead of teaching the classes.
ReplyDeleteHello Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou ask some great questions here at the end. I think that educators need to be aware of the two-edged nature of using technology, specifically videos in lieu of lectures. However, I also feel like students--once they reach high school--should be proactive in their own education. Just like with any thing we become dependent on, technology requires us to remain vigilant and not become too lax in our use of it. Great post as always.
You know, I think that MAYBE I'm more biased to the old fashioned way of teaching because I'm on that elementary level.....I just had that epiphany reading your post. When I read or watch any lecture or power point for our assignments I'm 99% of the time never thinking about uppper levels of school. Wow, that's my fault. Thinks for bringing this to my attention as I would like to go into the next blog with a broader tone.
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