Blog Post #6

“The Networked Student” by Wendy Drexter was very interesting to hear from a perspective as a younger student since these are the same type resources I am learning about in my college EDM 310 class. I have been so consumed with learning them as a teacher’s tool I have not stopped long enough to think about students using them as teachers. The video references websites, wiki, itunes, blogs, skype, and virtual textbooks. These are just the surface of technology resources discussed in the video.

As a future teacher and a current student, I feel that teachers are more important now than ever. Students have so many more resources and options for careers today, that most will never realize. While many can surf the web and find information they still need mentoring and guidance to know where to go with the information they get. Teacher’s face more diversity in classrooms than before. The vast amount of technology resources such as what was discussed in the video will help them adapt to all the needs of there students. Regardless of the amount of information students have access to via technology they still have to be taught verbal and personable communication skills. One of the most disadvantages of learning through technology is that a student is not able to learn through the various forms of art education hands on.


I have taken most of my college classes online. I can certainly relate to the 7th grader who’s you tube video I watched. The student tells that she gets her assignments online and completes them online. She even mentioned of one subject that was paperless. I would venture to say that 95% of my online classes have been paperless as well. The only exception would be for the test we had to go on campus to take.

I understand her freedom of time and accountability to do assignments. I found online classes to be beneficial to me because of my lack to time to attend class. I do think I could have possibly learned more having been in a class with a teacher and other students to discuss or watch them. The 7th grader in the video seemed to have both, freedom and participation advantage.

Blog Post #5

The video "The benefits of podcasting in the classroom” effectively demonstrates the benefits that so many people can get from these types of videos. I had not realized the maximum potential of podcast until now. It makes learning more accessible for everyone including teachers, students, and parents. It is also very resourceful for students whom are audible as well as visual learners. This is a very effective tool with so many regards to keeping everyone update with what is going on the classroom.


The Education Podcast Network was very helpful about all aspects of podcast. It gives detailed information about what a podcast is, how to do it and has numerous other podcast for you to view. It has examples for all grade levels which is very helpful when trying to decide how detailed or simple you should go when making a podcast yourself. I would surely recommend this sight for anyone who is making a podcast or is stumped and needs guidance.

Postcast Video - Group 7

Special thanks to Dr. Baggett for suggesting the website learner.org.

Project #9

Education Timeline

Project #6

Blog Post #4

Scott McLeod wants to live in a perfect innocent world. He tries to encourage people to avoid contact between children and technology. He details many of the bad things that children can possibly be exposed to. I think what he is suggesting on his post is very simple minded and not reality. As teachers and most importantly parents we have to decide what is best for our children, often leaving us to decide between the less of two evils. There is nothing I can think of that does not have some kind of negative potential.I could only encourage parents to explore technology with their children in a supervised setting. Preventing children from exploring and learning will cause more harm than good, they will be isolated from the reality of life as we are becoming.


Well... ischool???? I think the concept is quite impressive and overwhelming. I do not think that the idea of "ischool" which is similar to professional networking in ipod, twitter and other technology is very practical in our economy any time in the near future. Our country is not even able to pay teachers in fact they are cutting teachers, sports and many other programs for children, which is heart breaking.

The idea could be cost effective if our economy was booming and profits were allowing for increases in basic school budgets. I understand how it could possibly save money but the purchase,teaching/learning and up keep would also be expensive.
Majority of families in the US live below poverty and can not afford such technology items to be able to participate in the evolution.

I often look at what we push for our children to achieve. Most often it is professional intelligence, monetary gain and self assurance. What is most important is too often assumed or overlooked. The video "The Lost Generation" is about exactly that. We focus so much on moving forward and personal gain that we do not stop or even slow down to see what principles we should be embracing as individuals not just professionals.
The slide was moving forward with words and with only self gain at all cost in mind. Then the slides slow down and go backwards reflecting on what is the base of all good. Time, natural resources and most importantly family.

The Virtual Choir is chilling to think about in depth. ALL those people in ALL those places at the same time with being united as one musical unity is humbling.
This shows the positive,resourceful and beneficial aspects of technology in the art form of music.

Teaching in the 21st Century will surely be different from what we got from educators in school. It will be a teachers job to teach children technology and skills for life. There seems to be such an urgency to fill classrooms with computers and other electronic devises that most of the skills for basic life is being forgotten. One of the most harmful things that technology does to students and everyone else) is take away the practical day to day functioning lessons. People need to learn how to process the information they obtain from technology resources. They will need to be able to know how to get accurate information and the steps to process it to get the best solution for them possible. This is what teachers role will be in the 21st century in addition to teaching regular required materials.

Blog Post #3

A Vision of Students Today is not the first video I have watched that gives shocking static’s and thoughts of college aged students today. It is still shocking to watch no matter how many times you watch. We can never foresee the future and how things will be, technology is the best example. I attended Bishop Community College and South Alabama in 1994-1996. It is very different from my experience this time in college.
Terms papers were written in the library by researching in books, encyclopedias, and spending hour looking through book pages. NEVER now would catch a student looking in an encyclopedia. Most probably do not know what that is. The search engine on the web has eliminated that way of learning. I would be curious know how many students have actually ever typed on a typewriter.
My experiences in college recently have surely been more accommodating with the use of technology. It is so scary to me how quickly things change such as jobs in demand. What if people become as obsolete as some of the learning tools as just have the rate as technology advances?

Kelly Hines wrote "It's Not About the Technology" and every teacher should read it. She explains the importance of teachers being not just aware of technology but being able to use and teach it effectively in the classroom. I agree with her entire story. Everyone is teachers and learners regardless of their age. Many teachers learn things from their students. It is not just the "teacher" in classroom that teaches or learns. Technology is the fasting changing subject in any classroom anywhere.
Teachers need to be aware of what is available to them to be able to teach to their best ability. Teachers also need to know so that they can tell (teach) their students that information and resources is endless for any topic.
Teacher’s knowledge of as many resources as possible will also make their ability to adapt to different teaching methods.

I enjoyed reading the blog assignment written by Karl Fisch, Is It Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher? I personally do not think so. In our world that changes almost weekly with new gadgets it is essential that as educators that we are aware of what is available. While we all can agree that everything including technology has its positive and negative issues, we can not deny that the more resources we have available the better off we are.
As teachers, we should be able to enlighten to students what is available and the basic functions. Since technology is changing at an unbelievable pace it is understandable that we may not be able to answer all questions about programs, devices, etc. but we should be at least aware and willing to learn. Regardless of what we think individually it is inevitable that we and children are going to be forced to work on/with them. Perhaps it is that some are scared of what they don't know, but in reality it is what we don't know that can hinder us.


The Social Media Count by Gary Hayes is incomprehensible. I think it would be interesting if he could show the categories increases and decreases. The figures posted could in fact actuality could be true but those figures are not the end of the story. I think it would be possible to give an even greater realization to the
epidemic of technology growth by showing the number of accounts closed, video's deleted, etc.
The web has had such a profound impact on all aspects of life. I think the more technology education taught to students the greater impact it can have as more of a professional/educational resource verse being primarily a social network to many. The perception of the web networks, ex. Facebook and Twitter, as being a negative social evolution could be in part what causes parents to be cautious of their children learning in school. If the functions/programs and resources of computers were taught in school as a necessity to be productive such as being able to read and write then parents may be more acceptable to their children learning. Teachers themselves will be more apt to learn and keep up with the new technology. It is inevitable that children in high school now will have to be computer literate when going into the work force.

Project # 5 Google Presentation

CAT #1

Jan. 30, 2011
I have been assigned www.seemaryteach.com. This website has opened my eye to the vast resources of free education available to all people. I am amazed at the broad range of communication and the various ways things are translated. Mary Worrell is a newspaper reporter turned teacher who studies abroad on a limited income and has no end to her free classes/workshops and cyber conferences.

Feb. 03, 2011
Mary Worrell is debating "Does the suit make the teacher?" According to her perhaps it may. She attended a workshop and was amazed at the range of attire that the others attending wore. She has learned that in the US that we do not dress as "professional" as other countries. It was mentioned on her blog that teachers are professionals and should be treated as such. I do not completely agree that a person (teacher) should be treated based on their attire. I think teachers should be approachable for the children. A teachers dress code should depend on the school dress code. I feel that teachers should be in sequence to what the students wear.



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