Blog Post #2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version 

Did You Know, is a YouTube video presented by Dr. John Strange. In the video, there are some unbelievable facts about technology and the exponential growth of technology. As an educator, how are we going to include technology into our process of learning? I believe it is expedient that educators incorporate technology into the equation to help prepare students to be able to survive in today’s high tech society.

 Teachers must be knowledgeable about advances in technology. I have been in classes where the teacher will not try new ideas. They want to stick to the traditional ways of teaching and stay in their comfort zone. Society is continually changing and if we do not keep up we will be left behind. It is not always the teacher’s fault, when superiors require them to follow a certain guidelines. The government requires standardized test and a paper trail of information that is totally not an accurate measure of a student’s success. Students are only memorizing not learning new concepts and thinking for themselves. Teachers must find ways to incorporate technology into the lives of children.

 In the video, we learned that Americans do not have the highest IQ’s. India has the highest IQ’s. What is India doing to develop children with such high IQ’s? Upon further research on Google, I learned India’s students excel at math and this is a major importance in the knowledge of computer software. According to 4bearsonline, India might be able to produce some high IQ students, but the down side is student’s opinions and ambitions are completely ignored. If America is going to continue to be a strong country, we need to incorporate technology in our schools. After watching the video and pondering on the ideas, it led me to realize without a strong foundation of the basics we will not be able to keep up with technology. In India, they must have the times tables for math memorized in elementary. We might not know what technology will be in ten years, but we do know without the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic it will be impossible to keep up with the world of technology.

 Mr. Winkle Wakes (2:51) 

Mr.Winkle Wakes, by Matthew Needleman is a satirical video of how society has changed in the last 100 years. The only thing Mr. Winkle noticed had not changed was schools. It was still the traditional lectures and students taking notes. He noticed hospitals had changed with new technology and strange machines. The offices were filled with strange noises and people looking and talking through a computer to someone half way around the world. That would be scary to wake up to. I remember when only rich people had a cell phone in their car. It really is hard to imagine how times have changed, but Mr. Winkle had it right when he talked about schools.

 Schools in America still rely on the same technology we had 100 years ago, a pen and paper. Some changes have been made, but for the most part we rely on the traditional ideas of teaching. Technology is an ever evolving world how do we keep up? I don't have the answers for this. I do know if we don't have the basic skill sets we will never be able to exceed. I know from experience, teachers ask us to memorize facts, but we never learn how to apply them. My GPA is really good, but yet I feel so inadequate to teach. When I graduate, I want to be able to help others develop life long skills, not just a bunch of memorized fact that they have no idea how to apply.

 Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity (19:21)


Sir Ken Robinson shows concerns for schools killing creativity. He discussed the emphasis society places on achieving the American dream. The dream to succeed financially. Since the rise in industrialization, we have programed our children to fit the mold for an ideal job. Parents and teachers push children to fit the mold in order to succeed. It becomes a driving force.

 Children all learn differently. Robinson gave an example of a dancer who was considered to have a learning disability, because she couldn't sit still. After visiting a specialist, the mother realized her daughter didn't have a disability. Her daughter had an ability that was being suppressed by the school system. Not very many parents listen to what their children are trying to tell them. Albert Einstein's teachers thought in elementary school he might be mentally handicapped. We know that is not true, he went on to prove them wrong. His mother was a big help to his success. She shared her love for music and creativity. I hope as a teacher, I can allow students to use their creativity to achieve true happiness. Educators are forced to follow the curriculum of the school, but with some creativity on their part maybe that could change. We have created "cookie cutter" students. Students ignore their real talents to achieve this mold that they have to fit. We need to stop and think what we are creating. What will it be like in America 20 years from now?

 Pinterest: Using Available Resources

Pinterest is an awesome site. I have used Pinterest before and found it an easy way to look for ideas and save them. It is a wonderful resources. It is a quick and easy way to be creative and make projects fun. I liked the Dr. Seuss ideas. You could print out a cartoon character and add your own caption. I found a snack to go along with it. It was green pudding with a vanilla wafer, it is supposed to look like green eggs and ham.

 The twenty best Pinterest boards about teaching and technology had some great ideas. I followed several different boards. The one I followed had some neat Dr. Seuss apps for your phone or iPad. Kids love to play on Ipads so this would be a great way to get them interested in reading. I followed a board on ideas for using a smart board. Personally, I've never seen one work or used one. I think it would be a great tool for the students to have hands on response.

 I would definitely use Pinterest in the classroom. I could use it to decorate my room. organize, and get ideas for games. It also gave numerous ideas to incorporate technology into the

classroom.

Project # 2

Blog Assignment #1

About Me

My name is Kim Templeton. I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. Two years ago, my husband and two children moved to Citronelle, Alabama. We all love the weather and being close to the ocean. It is so nice to live close to the beach. To see the ocean in Ohio, it would be about a ten hour drive.  We have all adjusted to our new life in Alabama, but of course we miss our friends. My son, Benjamin,  is 18 years old and will be graduating from high school this year. He loves to hunt, ride dirt bikes & pester his sister. My Daughter, Brittney, is 15 years old. She now has her driving permit and that is scary. She loves to ride horses, go shopping & hang out with her friends.

This is my second semester at the University of South Alabama. Before starting at the University, I attended Faulkner Community College for 1 year. While in Ohio, I went to Sinclair Community College. This is my junior year of college. In class we are getting ready for  field experience and I am excited. Becoming a teacher has been a long time dream. Shortly after high school, I started college and went 1 quarter. I was unable to return, until 4 years ago. I am now 41 years old and determined to finish. It has been challenging going back to college, at my age, but worth every minute. I am looking forward to graduating and starting a new career.

My  Ideal Elementary Classroom

I can still remember my kindergarden classroom and  my teacher. She made everyone feel so loved and special. I remember her giving me hugs and how wonderful she smelled. She was always smiling and just a pleasant lady. She was well kept in appearance with beautiful black hair. I remember wanting to learn the alphabet, so she would be proud of me. She motivated me to want to learn. Her room was organized and I especially remember the letter family. She was  a perfect role model in my mind. I hope when I have the opportunity I can give back what she gave to me. She gave me a desire to learn in a pleasant enviornment, where I felt loved and cared about. This is how I want my students to feel. I want to create an environment where the students feel connected and have a desire to learn.

In my classroom, I would like to create a learning environment with lots of structure. I know from driving a school bus if you don't have order it is chaos. In order  to focus on learning, I think structure will be very important. If kids know what to do and what is expected, more time can be focused on learning. Keeping the room organized and giving the students jobs to help accomplish this will help.

Next, I would stress the importance of treating  each other with respect. When mutual respect is present in the classroom, students are will to be an active learner in the classroom. Gaining respect from the students can be a valuable tool to a teacher. If students respect a teacher they will bend over backwards to please the teacher. Without mutual respect, there is no real foundation for a student-teacher relationship or foundation for a good learning environment.

Another method of teaching I have experienced is group based learning. Last semester, I took a class and they used group participation. It really got everyone involved. The students worked together as a team and we learned more than any lecture. We weren't just sitting in a room for an hour writing every detail as fast as we could. The team had to come up with ideas and solutions, using all of our resources. It really made you dig for information. It motivated me to work harder, because I didn't want to let the team down. As a teacher, I would like to try some of these methods.

Randy Pausch: Time Management Video

Before watching this video, I had never heard of Randy Pausch. I googled him on the internet and he has an interesting story to tell. It is sad someone with such potential was taken from this world. He is a good orator and easy to listen to. I think what caught my attention was the to do list. He suggested we do the ugliest thing first. I agree with his idea, but that is hard to do. Pausch says to ask yourself WHY are you doing something. This is something I practice. It helps keep life in perspective.

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