Blog Assignment #5

The iSchool Initiative

I was very impressed by Travis Allen's video The iSchool Initiative. Allen made several great points in his video and it definitely made me think. Allen believes that the current education system is broken and that his initiative will help move education out of its slump and into a updated, greener future. In this presentation, Allen discusses the ways in which the iTouch interface can be utilized in the classroom. He gives a list of useful apps that include basic things like Email, Recorder, and Scientific Calculator. He also provides more complex apps like Chemical Touch, WorldWiki, Star Walk and more. In his video, Allen describes how these apps could be used in classroom settings. The Email app would provide a paperless way to share assignments between teachers and students and the Recorder would enable students to record lectures for future use.
I totally agreed with the point Allen made about the amount of money that could be saved by schools and students. To think, Allen's initiative could save up to $600 per student. And it would only cost about $150 per student to make it all possible. Plus there is the added bonus of the positive environmental impact of increasing technology and decreasing the amount of paper in and out.

In Travis Allen's video Zeitgeist Young Minds Entry Allen discusses the ways in which his iSchool Initiative is revolutionizing the education world. I think Allen is spot on when he says that we need to "better prepare youth for the digital world they were born into." The fact is, children are surrounded by technology. Technology that they will learn how to use anyway, and that they enjoy using. So why not embrace this technology and put it to good use? Isn't it better for children to be using the amazing technology at their access to broaden and enhance their education, than to just let them waste it on Facebook?


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir was absolutely breathtaking. I'm a huge music fan and I know a lot of musicians so it is just fascinating to me to imagine how much work must have gone into this project. To think, 185 people who have never met each other and never practiced together, brought together through the internet into a gorgeous super-choir. Amazing!


Teaching In The 21st Century

In Teaching In The 21st Century Keving Roberts makes excellent points about teaching in today's world. His first point is one that I hadn't really thought about. Teachers are no longer the source of information, they are the filter. Students can now gain information from anywhere anytime they want. So it is our job as educators to teach students how to interpret and use the limitless knowledge of today responsibly. We should think of the resources the internet provides as a beneficial tool. I liked Robert's example assignment about having the student answer a question using ANY resource they choose, but they must justify and explain their answer and their resource. I think that is great! It gives the student room to think and explore the options for themselves. This way they can search and find out much more than just the answer to their assigned question. Roberts explains that, any lesson you teach must be relevant, challenging and engaging. This is true for any lesson in any subject. If lessons do not meet these three standards than they will not help the student in any way.

Many people think that this kind of learning cannot work in the classroom because children will be too preoccupied by the fun technology and too tempted to use their iPads, laptops etc. for noneducational things. Roberts makes an excellent point when he says that the tools "provide temptation but they are not the source of negative behavior." As long as students are taught to use these tools responsibly there will be no problem. In order to accomplish this, Roberts explains, we should realize that these tools are no longer simply for entertainment, but rather a source of relevant and engaging learning.


Flipping The Classroom

In the videos, Why I Flipped My Classroom, Dr. Lodge McCammon's FIZZ- Flipping the Classroom, and Flipping the Classroom- 4th Grade STEM, three teachers explain how they flipped their classes. In a flipped class, students are required to watch videos made by their teacher at home and do practice assignments and come to class the next day prepared to discuss the practice material and apply the lesson in class. This enables teachers to spend more time helping the students with what they have learned. In this way, the class can be divided into groups based on the level at which they understand and can apply the material.

This technique is wonderful for several reasons. From a teacher's perspective, it would be so much better to be able to work individually, at a comfortable pace, with students who are struggling in a subject. It would also enable teachers to keep those more advanced students challenged. From a student's perspective, I can say that these types of classes are much more engaging. I have taken a few classes now in which I was expected to do a reading/practice assignment, or watch videos or presentations before class and be ready to work on that assigned material in class. I like it that way. Yes it is more responsibility, but I think it so helpful to be able to assess the lesson and figure out what questions I have and then be able to ask those questions and practice the difficult problems in class where the teacher and classmates can help. In high school, I was often in the struggling student group in certain subjects and it was difficult to sit through a lecture and be totally lost until I could get individual help from teachers and tutors. In other subjects I was the one who was bored and needed a challenge. Being able to work ahead would have been great.

I would definitely use this approach in my teaching. Not only would it be much more helpful to the students, but it would also make me feel like a much more effective educator. Not to mention it would be fun!