Sunday, April 26, 2009
Thoughts on Twitter
I honestly like Twitter. I like reading other people's post and seeing how their day is going. I like to read up on pro athletes and see what their up to. I followed the first two rounds of the NFL Draft this weekend and I thought that was pretty neat. @sportscenter gave pick by pick analysis of the first two rounds including thoughts of the picks by former NFL player Merrill Hodge. When I do tweet, which is becoming more common by the day, I usually tweet on my thoughts of the "sport's world" or scores of games I am watching. It's easy for me to tweet or read other people's tweets because I use the TwitterFon application on my iPhone. It may not be the best Twitter app for the iPhone but it was FREE. I don't know if I would say I have tried to learn more about Twitter. I mostly get on, read tweets, tweet if I have something to say, and then just mess around with it until I get bored. I do love reading the tweets where you do see conversations develop and continue. For so a huge network that's pretty cool. The negative of Twitter is that you can only tweets up to 140 words, and sometimes I have a lot on my mind. I haven't quite figured out how a teacher would use Twitter, I'm sure there are tons of great ways, but I have yet to think of one. As far as me as a teacher using Twitter, I'm going into Physical Education so my technological options are limited, but overall I think Twitter is great and it will only continue to grow. Thank to Dr. Strange and Christina who have helped me discover and understand Twitter. Thanks everyone for their great tweets and all the insight.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Listening To Podcast
I listened to four podcasts for class, including mine. I don't know if I'm suppose to name the podcasts and who participated in them so I won't. The Podcast I participated, I thought, was very good. It wasn't the best work I've ever done, but I also don't pride myself in being a great public speaker. I thought that I could have spoken more loudly and more clearly. I felt that I rushed my words during certain points of them conversation. We also, as a group, broke Dr. Strange's rule and mentioned a website that wasn't free. it was a well done podcast, possibly could have been longer and better organized.
The other podcast I listened to were very good. One stood out above the rest. I felt that particular group put in the extra effort to personalize their podcast, which gave it a more natural feel. For the most part, everyone in the podcast were very well spoken. Most importantly, the podcast were not boring, and they provided useful information about the subject areas. I also liked that the others, like ours, included proper links to websites.
I'm not a big fan of critiquing people on this sort of thing, simply because I think everyone puts their own flavor or twist on a topic. I liked the podcasts I listened to because they were unique, and every group brought something different to the table. I think it was a great way for us to get our "podcasting feet wet", even though it was broadcast to the entire world. If your new to my blog and just passing through visiting feel free to listen to the podcasts by CLICKING HERE.
The other podcast I listened to were very good. One stood out above the rest. I felt that particular group put in the extra effort to personalize their podcast, which gave it a more natural feel. For the most part, everyone in the podcast were very well spoken. Most importantly, the podcast were not boring, and they provided useful information about the subject areas. I also liked that the others, like ours, included proper links to websites.
I'm not a big fan of critiquing people on this sort of thing, simply because I think everyone puts their own flavor or twist on a topic. I liked the podcasts I listened to because they were unique, and every group brought something different to the table. I think it was a great way for us to get our "podcasting feet wet", even though it was broadcast to the entire world. If your new to my blog and just passing through visiting feel free to listen to the podcasts by CLICKING HERE.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Blogging is the Classroom
After the time I've spent writing, reading, and researching blogs, and after reading another student's blog, I have come to the conclusion that blogging in the classroom is a great idea. Blogging allows for self expression while still learning at the same time. If you have your students watch a movie and then write a blog about that movie, every student will have a different opinion and view point of the movie and no two will be the same. Blogs are not like test questions, where the answer is either wrong or right. Blogging in classrooms is about researching a topic, gathering data and information, and finally expressing that information into your own personalized blog. This allows the student to still learn but to expresses the material in their own way.
Before this class, I never thought of the impact technology will have on future education. The Internet is not a fad. IT IS HERE TO STAY. So we as educators either have the chance to hop on board and continue to find ways to use the Internet to our classroom advantage, or we can become completely lost and 1) have or students hindered because we can't share technology with them, or 2) have our students know more about technology then we do, not saying that some of them won't. To solve this start classroom blogging. Allow them to answer discussion questions, post some of there work, let them (safely) communicate with students and classrooms around the world. The possibilities are endless.
Before this class, I never thought of the impact technology will have on future education. The Internet is not a fad. IT IS HERE TO STAY. So we as educators either have the chance to hop on board and continue to find ways to use the Internet to our classroom advantage, or we can become completely lost and 1) have or students hindered because we can't share technology with them, or 2) have our students know more about technology then we do, not saying that some of them won't. To solve this start classroom blogging. Allow them to answer discussion questions, post some of there work, let them (safely) communicate with students and classrooms around the world. The possibilities are endless.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
"Growth" v.s. "Fixed" Minds
The lady that was being interview in the podcast, Carol Dweck, seemed like a rather interesting individual. Nonetheless, I see where see was going as far as the "Growth" v.s. "Fixed" Mindset. The world and education are always changing. Kids in middle school now do the same math that I am doing in college, but when I was in middle school that high of a math wasn't taught. Technology has increased and further expanded which has made the knowledge of most teachers and students broaden. You will achieve nothing in an evolving world with a "Fixed" mindset.
The best example I can give to this topic is by using the great former college basketball coach Bobby Knight. In the 1970's and 1980's when Coach Knight was at Indiana, there was no Three-point Line, not Shot Clock, no Defensive Three Seconds. With a great basketball I.Q., Coach Knight lead Indiana to three National Championships, including the 1976 undefeated team, which is the last team to finish a season undefeated in college basketball. In the mid 1980's the shot clock was introduce, along with the three-point line. But Coach Knight had and still has what you call a "fixed" mindset. Even thought the game of basketball was evolving right in front of him, he believed he could coach the same way he did in the 1970's. Coach Knight went on to become the winningest coach since then but didn't win a championship since his last in 1987. And it's all because he would change his "fixed" mindset.
If you want to be a teacher now, you have to have a "growth" mindset. You want your students to enjoy learning, you want them to be curious and ask questions, and as a teacher you want to try to make learning fun. I have had teachers that were fixed in their ways and had taught me the exact way that they had taught students twenty years before me, and that experience benefited no one.
The best example I can give to this topic is by using the great former college basketball coach Bobby Knight. In the 1970's and 1980's when Coach Knight was at Indiana, there was no Three-point Line, not Shot Clock, no Defensive Three Seconds. With a great basketball I.Q., Coach Knight lead Indiana to three National Championships, including the 1976 undefeated team, which is the last team to finish a season undefeated in college basketball. In the mid 1980's the shot clock was introduce, along with the three-point line. But Coach Knight had and still has what you call a "fixed" mindset. Even thought the game of basketball was evolving right in front of him, he believed he could coach the same way he did in the 1970's. Coach Knight went on to become the winningest coach since then but didn't win a championship since his last in 1987. And it's all because he would change his "fixed" mindset.
If you want to be a teacher now, you have to have a "growth" mindset. You want your students to enjoy learning, you want them to be curious and ask questions, and as a teacher you want to try to make learning fun. I have had teachers that were fixed in their ways and had taught me the exact way that they had taught students twenty years before me, and that experience benefited no one.
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