Saturday, August 30, 2014

Blog Post Assignment #2

Blog Post Assignment #2

1.)   a. I believe the central message in this video is that an educator needs to use accurate methods of teaching based on their subject. A PowerPoint and a book can only get you so far in a dancing class. In the end, it isn't going to make you a good dancer at all.
       b. The author makes that evident by pointing out that he is using a PowerPoint (wow!) to teach a dance class. The students are obviously confused in class and do not understand the moves at all based on his teaching technique.
       c. I agree with the conclusion 100%. In order to be a good teacher you have to know the best way to present the information to the class. Otherwise, your students will not learn the material affectively and in turn, their grades will suffer.

2.)  Robert believes that to teach is not to simply transfer facts to students. He thinks that teachers must be just as up to date with technology as the students and it is our job to teach them how to apply their skills in real life.

       Outline:
              What Does It Mean To Teach?
                       1. Teachers are now only used to transfer facts
                       2. Children now have instant access to all information
                            a. Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
                       3. Teachers must now teach students how best to use these resources
                            a. How to validate information is the most important skill
                            b. How to apply this in the real world
                       4. Teachers need a new strategy of teaching
                            a. We must now learn to use technology to connect with students

        Personally, I don't like how Robert sees teaching changing. It's a sad realization that life has now become completely reliant on technology. This means for me as an educator, there is a whole lot more for me to learn. I have to learn how to reapply technology and use it to connect with my students by teaching them how technology can further their education.

3.) In The Networked Student, Wendy Drexler addresses how a "networked student" professionally uses technology to further his own education experience by subscribing to blogs and websites, contacting professionals, and connecting all of his medias into one location. The author is saying that student are becoming less and less dependent on teachers for facts and instead need someone to guide them into this technological world.
     It's true, students no longer need teachers for their original purposes. It's important for us as educators to know where these new advances are leading students and it is our jobs to teach them how to best apply these skills in their education. Whether we recognize or not the fact remains that students are being pulled further and further out of the classroom and more and more into their cell phones and laptops. These tools can either have negative or positive affects on a students educative experience.

4.) In Vicki's Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts , she discusses how her students are not just learning but also teaching themselves and each other how to connect with the world by using new software. Vicki doesn't think she should have to be up front all the time and she is more of a guide in the classroom. I think this is an exciting new take to the educator role. It allows for us to also still always be learning and it requires our students to learn things for themselves by working together and asking questions when they get stuck. This is an improvement from the previous methods of feeding them information and then asking them to regurgitate back on tests.

5.) In Dr. Strange's video, he talks about his visit to Gulf Shores Elementary School. He explains how Kindergarten through first grade students had just received mac books and were already using them. In doing this, he compares their progress with undergrad and grad students simultaneously. I believe, that elementary students are indeed ahead in the race. I don't however believe this is our fault. Like every generation before us, we are coming to the end of our education tracks. In turn, new generations are being introduced to the newest technologies. This was true for my own generation at one time. Technology is constantly advancing, for all older generations we only have ourselves to rely on for making sure we keep up with the race.

6.)  In Ms. Munafo's video Flipping the Classroom, she explains the process of "flipping". Flipping a classroom is not a new topic for me. I had a taste of this myself in my high school chemistry courses and of course, most of my college courses so far. I believe this approach will be very useful to me as a teacher. I've seen it work in my own personal experience already and it helped me learn a lot easier than I believed possible. Ms. Munafo was right about all the positive outcomes of flipping a classroom. Students come to class more prepared and it allows us teachers to talk about the next step a lot quicker than if the lesson had taken place in class instead of online the night before.

7.) I absolutely adore this article Bringing the Locker Room into the Classroom. There is nothing I enjoy more than open discussion in a classroom. My favorite classes at South so far are the ones where the students debate, discuss, and collaborate together on an idea that a teacher throws out on the table. I think that's one of the things a teacher should do. We shouldn't be the only ones talking. We should simply guide discussion and answer questions when needed. I believe this is a tactic that I will use frequently as an educator. So, yes, I believe bringing the locker room to the classroom is a fantastic tactic.

Picture of a game plan for a football team
Let's Bring the Game to the Classroom
 


                     

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Blog Post Assignment #1

So, what about EDM310?

1. Before I became advised last semester for my classes, I had never heard of EDM310. My advisor, on the other hand, was very familiar with it, and he informed me that this class was going to be particularly difficult. He advised me to take it by itself over the summer because it was going to take up a lot of my time. This of course worried me instantly. I became very nervous to take the class and I dreaded classes starting.

2. I have many fears concerning this class. I'm terrified that I will forget to do one of the assignments and it will be late (which is extremely frowned upon so I hear). I'm scared that I will not know how to do something and I will have no one to call and no time for the computer lab. The most obvious fear is that I won't be able to learn the material and I will receive a poor grade in the end.

3. EDM310 is unlike any class I have ever taken. Of course, in any class there is certain things done online such as, homework and certain assignments. EDM310 is the only class I've had so far that requires NO paper AT ALL. It's definitely a first for me. Several of my college courses involve a lot of online time but nowhere near this much.

4. I believe the most difficult thing for me to learn will be just learning how to use all this different technology and computer skills. I'll admit that I am not the most tech savvy person around and being 20 years old you would thing that I know everything about it. Quite the contrary though, I love things in print.

5. The best way for me to address this problem is simply by putting it to use. I have to start playing with all this new technological information. If I can't get it then I will be in the computer lab getting help for quite sometime!

6. As far as questions go, I don't really know exactly what is expected of me in the class. I'm sure that will come with more class meetings and assignments. I'm just worried that I won't measure up to the expectations. Although, I will do my best and hope for the best!

Meme picture that says, "Now Panic and Freak Out"
Photo: Found@ http://www.redstar5.com/blog/?p=868 posted by Meegan.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Practice Blog Post

Outline
1. Short summary about myself.
2. Why do I want to be an educator?
3. What I think educator's, of the 21st century, work entails
4. What is my passion? What am I best at? What do I want to be better at?
5. Other interesting things about me?

1. My name is Taylor Gray. I am a Secondary Education/English major here at South. I have attended South for three years and never considered going anywhere else. Go Jags! I was born in Louisiana but have lived in Mobile my whole life. My family includes me, my mom, dad, and two toddler brothers. Yes, it's weird that I am 20 years old and I have siblings that are 2 and 3.
2. I have always wanted to be an educator. My teachers I had when growing up were the biggest influences in my life. They pushed me to my limits and showed me I am capable of anything I set my mind to. I want to be that for someone else. Plus, I love school and have never imagined my life not being in it for some reason or another. Even if I wasn't going to be an educator, I would keep attending college for new degrees.
3. I believe that 21st century teachers should be up to date on all new technologies that their students could possibly have. Teachers should be familiar with different teaching methods that can enhance their classroom and teaching abilities.That is to say, that I do still believe in being a traditional type teacher as well. Because those were the kinds of teachers I had, and they're the reason I want to be an educator, I believe it is still effective in a classroom to be a little less tech dependent at times too.
4. I have a passion for writing/reading. This may be evident from me being an English major, but it has always been a dream of mine to be a published, successful writer. Along with being a teacher, I hope to continue pursuing my true passion, which is to write. Even if it never works out, I will always keep writing for the love of it. I'm best at poetry and I hope to one day become better at more developed writing such as novels and short stories. Below is a sample of my most recent poetry.

Photo: Taken and written by Taylor Gray
5. Some other note worthy things about me include: I own a hedgehog named Kohaku (he is extremely spoiled), I am also a Spanish minor and I hope to one day teach in Spain, I love all things nerdy and weird (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pokemon, etc...), and I hope to one day have taught elementary school all the way through college.

I hope this wasn't too boring for you. I'm really friendly and would love to help anyone in this class anyway I can! Message me, say hello, and let's do this future educators!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

My Test Post Title

This is my FIRST post. I clicked the HTML button like I should always do. I am now a blogger!!