Choice Blog #5 Podcasting Takes Lessons Beyond the Classroom

         "Listening to Themselves" is an article that educates us on the power of pod casting. As we all know technology is finally making its way into the classroom and now it may be following us out. This is a good thing. Pod casts allow the student to download files onto their iPod and listen in on informative lessons, lectures, and even peer discussions. These are real world tools and the students are gaining vital skills due to this method of educating.

          Brent Coley uses Apple iTunes to engage his students. In knowing that their work will be distributed the students are prone to put their best foot forward. They are allowed the chance to show their work in a more public setting. This eliminates the small world feel of the classroom which I believe prohibits students from getting out into the world. By distributing the work publicly at a young age the students have gotten over that hump of breaking off from a private student teacher relationship and are more eager to publish publicly. 

           Coley also uses this tool for group projects. I love using assessable tools like google docs because they allow me time to think, reflect and share information with my piers. Often when I am in a group there is someone that is taking charge and others do not really get a chance to give their part. Giving k-12 students the opportunity to use these tools out side the classroom and organize their thought like I can do in the college setting is an amazing feat. I am eager to use this tool in my classroom to educate students on artists and artwork in a way they will be excited about.

          

Choice Blog #4 Social Media in the Classroom

Author Greg Toppo is right in saying, "the Internet as we know it is the 21st century". The teachers at New Milford High school are open to a new way of thinking about education. They understand that in the world today it is vital to be literate in the digital world. We need to embrace this type of practice. Milford schools announced that the use of FB is creating a collaborative effort among students which is a step in the right direction. I believe more and more people are understanding the importance of collaboration. I also believe the Internet is to thank for society embracing and practicing this old idea, taking it to new heights. We have the opportunity for our students and teachers to be more knowledgeable than ever. Why would we hinder that?

Choice Blog #1 Grade Appropriate Skill Set

Technology skills vary from person to person and district to district. The age of technology is here but that does not mean everyone has been properly exposed by this point. The author of the article Great Tech Expectations mentions that her students come from low income families where there is little to no access to new technologies outside the school walls. How can you compare that to the district where most or the parents are engineers or computer programmers. I believe we need to evaluate where our students stand before we make any general rules of where our students need to be by certain points. I like how the teaching in the article used a grading system of Introductory, Developing, or Applied skill to evaluate her students. I think after we evaluate the level of knowledge our students are at then we should teach them as much as possible. There are many technologies out there that they will eventually come across, even if not now. Why not make them prepared to utilize it? Setting standards on grade levels concerning the use of technology can hurt some while helping others. The students who already know the skills being taught are losing vital time experiencing what they already know, while some students that may not even have an email address are completely lost on how to make a blog. Basically we can't have a standard yet, because the age of technology is too new.

Blog #3 My Digital Autobiography

              There has been a great deal of technologies that have influenced my life. Although, I do believe I am behind in many areas of the latest technology compared to most of my peers, I still believe that my world almost revolves around technology. I use it to organize, prioritize, for school, work, social networking, musical and artistic creation, as well as entertainment. Every area of my life is influenced or rather, affected by technology.
             Organizing my important files and photos are no longer kept in a filing cabinet, but they are now neatly compact into a folder on my desktop. I use an application on my Mac called Stickies where I can just jot down my what to do list. School is greatly affected by technology as well. I used the Internet to find my school and I now use programs like Black Board and WESS to keep up with everything from classroom assignments and materials to the payment of tuition.
              Social networking a big one. This has changed my life in so many ways. Social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace have allowed me to connect with a wide variety of people who I would probably not be able to connect with otherwise. If I did not have a Facebook account I would have missed out on several job opportunities and musical showcases. Sites like vimeo are highly inspirational as well. There is a creative network of people that want to share their skills and skills of others. I have also been able to show my artwork and get into gallery shows by having a blog about my artwork called BlackAcrylicArt.com.
               Other than the Internet I use programs like Adobe photoshop, word and PowerPoint. Most recently I have been using a program called Garage band as well as I movie. Garage Band allows me to record songs or ideas for songs that I need to remember. I can actually convert the file and send it to my band mate over the Internet and have her make music with that. It is a hug time saver. Since I am in one of my last semesters in school, taking 7 classes we do not have time to meet up and show each other ideas.  Being able to send her that file and have her understand the piece on her own time has made this process of creation possible. Without all these technologies, I believe my life would be moving at a far slower pace. I would have not been able to do everything I want to do without the use of these various forms of technology. Thanks Internet!

          
            

Blog #2 National Ed Tech Plan Puts Technology at the Heart of Education Reform

This article explains Obama's National Education Technology Plan in which they make Technology an integral part of teaching. The use of technology is growing so rapidly that it is becoming a neccecsity to at least have an iphone. The world of technology has seeped into the lives of the masses and now it is becoming obvious that the older methods of teaching are not as effective as they could be. Our education system needs an update to feel more relative to our daily lives. The internet is full of information that is easily accessable. Many students may use the internet for social networking and other "leisurely" activities, but we as teachers need to be aware of the more educational sources out there and guide our students to them. The article explains that the current means of assessment are failing. The thing is, yes, we are intergrating technology into our classrooms, but our teachers do not know how to utilize these methods properly. Standardized testing is not efficiant because we do not see the details of why the students are not understanding the material. Interactive tools that allow the students to measure progress are called response devices or rather, classroom clickers. These devices, as a form of assessment makes sense. The students can let the professor know what they dont get, without inturruptinf the class. Intergrating technology is something that I feel is beneficial in many ways. We just need to be aware that social skills also need to be implemented or at least, not forgotten.