Blog Post #2

"Mr. Dancealot" video

      I believe the central message in the video "Mr. Dancealot" was that you have to do the hands on work and practice to be able to truly learn a new skill or idea. The professor in the video just lectured the entire semester yet expected his students to be able to master these dance styles that they we not familiar with. The author proves this by showing how the students preformed when they are asked to dance for their final exam. Obviously, they have no idea how to do these dances because they were never able practice in class where they could have gotten feed back and instruction from the professor. Two students even say they tried to practice outside of class but were unsuccessful so they stopped. I completely agree with this conclusion. I truly believe that people have to practice and actually do the work themselves to be able to learn a new skill or idea. For example, if these student's final exam was a written exam I'm sure they could have gotten a good grade, but the information would have not gone any deeper than just to be remembered to pass the final.

"Teaching in the 21st century"

Outline:

I. Students have access to more technology

  A. Cell phones, laptops, Twitter, Facebook

  B.It goes beyond just books.

II. Teacher's are filters

  A.With access to more technology students get more information from other sources.

  B.Students can find info whenever they want

  C. Teachers need to show them how to find information correctly.

        In the video Roberts clearly states that teachers are no longer the primary source of information for their students. Students have access to so much technology that they learn more on the internet than they do from books. Instead, teachers are becoming more of filters for their students to show them how to get correct information and how to share that information with others. I feel with the way Roberts sees teaching changing the possibilities in education are endless With the click of a button students have access to the most up to date information on practically any subject. I believe this will affect me as an educator to know that my role as a teacher will be different than my elementary school teachers. When I was in elementary we rarely used computers and relied heavily on books, I know that my future classes will have access to sources that I didn't. I feel like we are a whole new generation of educators and it will be a learning process for us all.

 "The Networked Student"

    As I watched "The networked student" I kept in mind the question asked "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?". It seemed as though the student was doing just fine finding all the information he need on his own and even going above and beyond to find the information. I found as the video ended that I agreed with the reasons given at the end of the video stating the importance of having a teacher.
Even with all the technological advances in education, a teacher is still a vital part of the learning process. A teacher's experience and insight prove to be key to helping the student in the video gain more knowledge.

"Harness Your Students Digital Smarts"

I believe the thesis of Davis'video is that when a teacher uses technology and customizes lessons to students individual interest, they are more likely to succeed. I agree with this argument made in the video. I know from my own experience that when I was required to learn material from a book for a test I could do so and made an A on the test, but soon after I would forget the majority of what I had "learned". Only a certain type of student can truly learn and remember long term information just poured into them. However by letting students take the lead in their own education, with guidance from the teacher, they can and do learn more effectively.

"Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?''

In this video Dr. strange gives many examples of things that first graders are doing with technology in comparison to undergrad and grad students a South. The first graders shown are already using Mac's and using them well, while some of the grad and undergrad students were having a hard time learning how to use one. The first graders were making rubrics, blogs, and imovies; things that some of us are learning how to do for the first time. this would suggest that first graders are actually ahead in the learning race and i would agree. When I was in elementary school we learned from books, worksheets, and lectures that's it. Children these days have access to more technology and teachers are using that to their advantage. Imagine when these kids are in college.

"Flipping the classroom"

      I have heard the term "flipping the classroom", but I have never understood what exactly it meant, so the concept is somewhat new to me. In a few of my high school classes we were asked to read the chapters before class so then we could go more in depth with the teacher in class, but I'm not sure if that would count as flipping the classroom. I feel this approach could really work as long as parents are on board with it (as far as with younger students) but I think it could be a great new way for students to take charge of their personal education. Flipping the classroom would give students the ability to go at their own pace at home and even replay parts of the lecture as needed. After having some practice problems at home they can narrow down what specific questions to ask the teacher the next day in class. Also, by doing more practice in the classroom the teacher can focus more on helping student rather than just doing a lecture. 

"Bringing the Locker Room into the Classroom"

      This article was an insightful read. So often teachers and students are so focused on themselves that they forget they are part of a network of others. I can use the mind set of teamwork in my future classes and schools.  I can collaborate with other teachers for new ideas about what they have had success with, as well as help my students connect with others and promote teamwork. I feel that so many things in life require help or involvement from others yet in school it has been drilled into our heads to "be the best" and it's "every man for themselves" that students often do not know how to work together.