Blog Assignment #5

Don’t teach your kids this stuff
I thought the post, Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please? was very informative about what he wanted to happen with children and the Internet. I agreed with Dr. McLeod about not exposing children to the Internet because of all the unsafe features that are out there. Because technology is moving grow at such a rapid pace, children are being exposed to things like Facebook and Twitter at such a young age. But since technology isn't going away anytime soon, future educators should teach their students what is right and wrong on the Internet and ways to protect themselves. Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky.



iSchool initiative

The iSchool is a really great idea. I like how Travis Allen in iSchool Initiative realized what was going on in his high school at such a young age and decided to create a change. The iSchool seems to be a great way to save money and expose students to new and updated technology every day. The only problem I had with the idea was it being created through the iTouch. I think that is a little too small for students of any age. the smaller it is, the bigger chances it has of breaking or getting lost. I think they should consider building it through the iPad, which will have the apps and also serve as a mini laptop. Other than that, everything idea about this was great and will saves school districts a lot of money.

Virtual Choir

The Virtual Choir was really neat. I cant believe he got 185 people to sing at the same time and through the computer. Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir just shows how great technology is and how it can bring strangers together. These people had probably never seen each other until the video was complete. When they saw the final product, they were probably just as amazed as we were.

Teaching in the 21st Century

This was a long video. Teaching in the 21st Century was full of information and opened my eyes to what I will be faced with when I have my own classroom. I believe Kevin Roberts thinks teaching in the 21st century means guiding students through the technology that is going to surround their everyday lives. Students are being exposed to so much technology at a young age and will be exposed to a lot more when they face the real world. As future educators, we need to introduce our student to this technology as educational, not entertaining. The students need to engage in the technology so the results will last and bring out their creativity. The future learning can still be fun and exciting but we have to remember to have the students engage in their work. This video affected me as an educator because I now have to expose myself to more of the new technology and educate myself so I can educate others.

Reading Rockets

When I first entered the website, It was helpful from the start. Reading Rockets had sections for each type of person that would have an influence on a student’s reading: teachers, parents, prinicipals, and even librarians. They also had a tab for other professionals that may take part like speech pathologist. I liked what was on the home column. They have a section call ABCs of Teaching reading and a section that helps struggling readers.Each section had a lot of information for that certain person to help the child in anyway way they can. This website will help me in the future if I need help teaching my student how to read or if I have students who are struggling with reading. There are also blogs and podcasts on this site that I can refer to and get advise from.