Best and Worst

The facet of the class that I liked the best would have to be the different programs that I was introduced to which could be applied for teaching.  As a history major I did not know about many of these programs or how I would go about instituting them in the classroom.  Thanks to this class I learned that prezzi can be used to make time lines, that videos for teaching lessons can be placed online where my students can access them, and about ways to help my students become better at doing research ion the modern world.  I hope these techniques and tools will help me when I begin teaching.

My least favorite aspect of the class....would have to be the website.  There were many times where I had an assignment done but I was unable to put it on my website because I could not turn the file into a pdf format.  Editing the website also felt like a pain, though I suppose it was much, much easier then coding.  Thankfully I should not need to create another website in the future, though I suppose it is a useful skill.  Overall I enjoyed the class and learned much, which I suppose is what it was all about.

Presentation Tools

Prezi is a swanky new tool, and I believe that in time it could replace Power point in the near future.  Prezi is an active presentation tool which hosts movement to keep the students eye on the screen.  The presentation can be fitted with bells and whistles much as a power point could with music and pictures.  Information can be incorporated inside other designs or along a time line, making the software more flexible then power point.  However, Prezi can also cause seizures in children that suffer from epilepsy, so perhaps Prezi will not replace power point as student safety should be the number one priority.  Either way, it is an exciting technology that further shows how much the web and the world is changing.

Free Write

Hm....an open post on a blog about education.  I am...somewhat at a loss for what to say, the other topics seem to summarize many of the ideas that swim about my head.  Although...I suppose one topic that has not been addressed is that of the poor.  I firmly believe that education is the pathway to bettering oneself, and through education people can become better and more successful.  However, many of the less fortunate people in this country and around the world have difficulty accessing quality education.  Hunger, failing schools, troubles with family life, and other factors can hurt a students ability to succeed in school.  These problems are a plague upon society and there are many suggested ways to counter them, but thus far we have not found a cure all to help these students flourish.  Perhaps technology can help these students to succeed, but that does not replace classic approaches like dedicated teachers, food programs, and counselors.  I believe a synthesis of the old and the new are crucial to helping students succeed, especially students who are struggling.  I will not discount any tool that may aid a struggling student. 

Commenting

When I commented on another person's blog I felt...good.  I consider myself a people person and I enjoy making people happy, so I felt good in that I could be positive and upbeat.  It was also interesting to view another person's perspective on the technology and teaching topics we have discussed in class.  The post I replied to was much more in depth and well formed then most in class arguments, most likely because a poster has more time for reflection and thought when posting.  Being able to respond to other posts is very much a web 2.0 event, the interactivity currently on the web is staggering.  Being able to post comments on youtube videos that can themselves be responses to other videos is amazing. 

Viewing Myself Teach

I love myself, believing that a little narcissism is healthy.  Strangely, I found my voice to be annoying while I listened to the lesson.  I sound much more nasal voiced then I believed that I did, but other then that I felt satisfied with the presentation.  The color scheme and pictures looked nice, the information was presented alongside the pictures, using them to further the explanation I gave.  I also enjoyed the background music which added a period feel to the lecture, aiding with immersion while not proving too distracting.  Overall I was pleased with watching myself teach.  I am concerned with educating all of my students, especially those who have traditionally found history to be boring.  By watching my lessons I can address points that students could find boring and I can adapt my lesson.  Hopefully this will help me to be a better teacher and serve my students better.

Online Lesson

For my video lesson I will have the students read the text book chapter associated with the Crusades.  Then, I will have them watch the video presentation that I have online.  The students will then do a writing prompt on the crusades in line with Ohio standards for their grade level.  Students will be free to email me with any questions that they have and I will respond in a timely manner.  In class the next day we will discuss the writing prompts and the lecture that they watched from home, using that as a bridging point to delve deeper into the crusades and the repercussions of them for the Western and Eastern world.

Portfolio Assessment

I believe that portfolio assessment is valid to some degree, as it shows the individuals beliefs and offers insight into their attitudes, much as a resume does.  However, as with a resume I believe that assessment of an individual should not reside with one form of presentation.  Most jobs require interviews in addition to resumes, and I believe that portfolio based assessment should also include interviews.  To some degree a portfolio is much more sophisticated then a resume because it can include resume information, but also video clips and show the individuals ability to use technology.  Overall I believe that portfolio assessment is as valid, if not more so, then resume based assessment.

21st Century Teacher

As a future teacher I definitely have mixed feelings when asked if I see myself as a 21^st century teacher.  On one hand yes, I believe that I will integrate technology into my classroom, actively engage the students to participate, and focus my curriculum on the students and their needs rather than the material that will be covered.  I plan to use activities such as wiki links where students learn research skills while having fun.  I intend to use music, video clips, pictures, and activities in my classroom instead of reducing history to reading the textbook and taking notes during lecture.  I will focus my curriculum on what my students individual needs are rather than on the information that I would like to cover.  

However, I do not believe that 20^th Century teaching skills should be cast aside merely because they are old.  Some aspects of education such as using maps and learning about important figures and events in world history remain crucial aspects of history that students should learn about.  It is an embarrassment when the country is at war with Iraq and Afghanistan and many students cannot locate either country on a map.  While these facets of history are important and should be included in a curriculum (in my opinion) students should also learn about the modern world in history class.  The conflict against Islamic Extremist Terrorist organizations should be understood, but so too should the events leading up to the modern day conflict, including the culture and history of all major groups involved.  Students need an understanding of past events so they can comprehend what is currently happening in the world and why it is happening.  

This understanding is applicable to the real world as well.  For example, the company McDonald’s should have known that opening a restaurant chain in India would be poor business.  The majority of the people in India, Hindu’s and Muslim’s, do not desire to eat at a McDonald’s restaurant.  Hindu’s do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork and McDonald’s did not make adaptations to their menu until it was too late.   These religious beliefs are present throughout India’s past and crucial to understanding its present culture.  If the corporate head of McDonald’s had paid more attention to world history perhaps they would not have made this corporate blunder. 

On the topic of legal issues in education I find myself worrying about the usual topics such as copyright infringement, appropriate responses to student behavior under the law, and the like.  However, the legal issue that I am most concerned with is the emphasis that the federal and state governments place on testing.  More often I am noticing that schools claim not to be teaching "to the test" and yet they do exactly that.  While I agree that many of the topics on state mandated tests are important, even crucial, they are not everything.  In my opinion a good teacher does not "teach to the test" so that a student can earn a high grade on the OGT or SAT or what have you.  A good teacher goes beyond that.  A good teacher kindles the flames of curiosity in their students, giving them a desire to learn not only the course material, but to actively seek out information and enjoy learning about it.  I do not see that kind of teaching as often as I would like, and I believe that as long as testing remains the end, and not a means to an end, that the education system will remain in its current state.  A state that is not terrible by any means, but could be so much more.

Click here for an interesting article on the potential for Skype as an educational tool, courtesy of the New York Times.

New York Times

Author: Catherine Saint Louis

Date: January 13, 2011

Summary:

By using online programs such as Skype, students are now able to take music lessons from

professors on the other side of the country. Where previously a student would have been unable

to learn how to play a specific instrument they can now find a teacher online who is able to teach

them from the opposite end of the country. This is convenient for both the student and the teacher, as they no longer have to worry about travel times, weather, or distance. It also makes music teachers more available to students and students have a wider selection of teachers to choose from.

Thoughts/Comments:

I believe this is an amazing concept. Music teachers tend to be quite specialized, and by using Skype to take lessons, students from all across the country can share in their specialization. The ability to use programs like Skype for music lessons also opens up the potential to use these programs for other lessons as well. Perhaps in the future instead of snow days schools will host online classes to prevent students from falling behind on their work. With rising gas prices, classes over the internet may sound more tempting to individuals attempting to save money, and through programs like Skype it is possible to have online classes without sacrificing the helpfulness and instruction of a live teacher. The internet is a tremendous tool when used properly, and I believe if educators can understand and effectively use programs like Skype, they cannot help but benefit students with their use.  I do believe this technology is viable as a way to further education.  While some individuals do not have internet access and more people do not have access to a web-camera, those people tend to be in the minority.  Most laptops sold today have built in web-cameras and microphones which allow the computers to access Skype, free of charge.  All that is required is internet access and a web-camera.  With these two tools that many Americans already have, classes can be brought right into the comfort of student’s homes, with a live professor available to offer personal instruction and answer questions.  

I seek to make history interesting for all students, to actively engage them in the class and kindle the flames of curiosity and interest in them in order to help the students learn in a way that is more beneficial to them.

First Post

Caesar crossed the Rubicon, Alexander crossed the Golden Horn, and I have crossed the great technological divide, with the vast unknown of blogging standing before me.  I have no army of Roman Legionaries, no phalanxes, no Companion Cavalry.  Armed with naught save the instruction I am receiving and my rapier sharp wit, I descend into this realm of excitement and madness.  Welcome to the opening of my blog.