today Liz called us "savvy". i don't believe she was including me in that category - or Laura S. either. and yes, i can appropriately say that because Laura is a self-proclaimed non-techie also. i get all the websites and online resources confused and don't know what to do with the information overload! this class is pretty sweet, but it is too fast-paced for me to really absorb anything. maybe when everything calms down a little in the fall (i think that statement was a blatantly unrealistic dream) i will be able to appreciate these resources a lot more. also, we'll be putting these tools to practice, which is a pretty exciting forethought.
i don't want to too much reveal the fact that i am distracted in class (although this new posting added during class time kind of gives me away...), but i'd just like to comment on the sweetness of this podcast activity that we're going with a cellphone. chris and i made a silly cast, but i found it quite entertaining! perhaps this is a good learning lesson when thinking about application of these tools in my own classroom. i can, like liz, go through the steps with my students on how to create a podcast. then i'll allow them to create their own like we did. i will stipulate that the content must appropriate and unoffensive. i think this activity would be fun and engaging for the kids. this is one activity that i will definitely try in my classroom.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Unrelated Sidenote...
i saw The Dark Knight movie last night. sooo good. very bitter-sweet though because of Heath Ledger's passing. i highly recommend it for sure.
Stifling Social Interation
when i first came to college, i did not know a single soul and felt very intimidated by this large campus. however, i am a pretty personable, definitely loud individual!, so i had faith in my ability to make friends. i noticed right away, though, that this was not going to be an easy enterprise. i couldn't socialize during class, and the moment the period ended, everyone plugged headphones into their ears or began talking or texting on their cellphones. i was disgusted by this lack of communication between my peers.
Educ 504 is a bit of a challenge for me not because i am extra behind in the technological world, although i'm surely not up to par, but because i don't know where i stand on bringing certain technologies into the classroom. the more i read about this subject, the more i realize that as teachers we must present knowledge and information in an engaging and creative way. in today's society, this means incorporating resources such as blogs, text messages, powerpoints presentations, etc. into a curriculum. i understand that many students do not have access to these technologies at home so school is an important place to keep them up to date on the constantly changing electronic world. however, i am worried that we have all begun living in a world of fantasy. kids spend so much time staring at psp's, frantically pressing buttons that have no effect on their physical movements, and talking to pixels that don't talk back. i think many of the new gadgets that so many people are taken with are superfluous and detrimental to the formation of social skills and personal interaction.
I am in no way saying i'm opposed to technology - i am very grateful for it when doing school work and keeping in touch with friends and family. i am also not saying that these electronic resources shouldn't be available and used in the classroom. all i know right now is that i think it will be a sad day when we can no longer find comfort and contentment with each other.
Educ 504 is a bit of a challenge for me not because i am extra behind in the technological world, although i'm surely not up to par, but because i don't know where i stand on bringing certain technologies into the classroom. the more i read about this subject, the more i realize that as teachers we must present knowledge and information in an engaging and creative way. in today's society, this means incorporating resources such as blogs, text messages, powerpoints presentations, etc. into a curriculum. i understand that many students do not have access to these technologies at home so school is an important place to keep them up to date on the constantly changing electronic world. however, i am worried that we have all begun living in a world of fantasy. kids spend so much time staring at psp's, frantically pressing buttons that have no effect on their physical movements, and talking to pixels that don't talk back. i think many of the new gadgets that so many people are taken with are superfluous and detrimental to the formation of social skills and personal interaction.
I am in no way saying i'm opposed to technology - i am very grateful for it when doing school work and keeping in touch with friends and family. i am also not saying that these electronic resources shouldn't be available and used in the classroom. all i know right now is that i think it will be a sad day when we can no longer find comfort and contentment with each other.
Monday, July 14, 2008
School is taking over my life!
Not that I'm complaining, but school is taking over my life. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to attend the University of Michigan and benefit from its plethora of resources. I enjoy my program and my peers, but I really need to work on my time management when outside of the classroom! I graduated in April and had about four days of summer vacation, so I am luckily still in the groove of- wake up, school it, homework, then fun. But with people all over campus riding their bikes and reading in the grass, I am tempted to forgo the homework, and I get jealous of others' extra time spent outside. However, I am very excited to start student teaching, and I think this year is going to be very enlightening and worthwhile.
Friday, July 11, 2008
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