The first podcast I listened to was "The Edible Schoolyard." It was recorded by some students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkley California. The teachers used a garden to teach the students about science and life skills. The students would work in the garden daily and were eventually able to harvest their crop and cook what they had grown. They learned about photosynthesis, the life cycles of the plants and water cycles.
The second podcast I listened to was "A Night in the Global Village." This was my favorite of the two podcasts. Students and their teachers from the Rocky Mountain School of Expenditionary Learning in Perryville, Arkansas went to the Heifer Ranch. The Global Gateway Program had set up different 'areas' at the ranch resembling different parts of the world - Thailand, Zambia and other countries - affected by poverty and hunger. The teachers and students were assigned and taken to an area and 'left there', overnight, with very little resources or supplies. They got a taste of what it was like to live as the people in those countries for just a few hours.
Both podcasts depicted hands-on learning. In the first podcast, the students got to enjoy the fruits of their labors. In the second podcast, the students - and teachers - had to learn to maximize the use of their limited resources. They also experienced something that will impact them for the rest of their lives.
I'll never forget my second trip to the Bahamas. I'd gone the first time when I was five and all I can remember was swimming and playing with the Bahamian kids. I think my grandfather didn't show me the hidden side of the Bahamas because I was little. I was fifteen when I went back. The beauty of the island and the towering hotels was still just as beautiful as I remembered. But then I was shown what was behind all of that... the slums, people struggling to put food on the tables. It really opened my eyes to the fact that things are not always what they appear to be. I once teased my grandfather about being a missionary to the Bahamas. I never teased him again after that trip. I got a major shock of reality.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Week 14 Blog
I chose to read all of Joyce Fisk's blogs. She and I seem to have the same philosophy in our approach to teaching; and she is a stay-at-home mom, like me.
Technology is growing at such a rapid pace today. I can imagine the frustration that technology coordinators can have with 'those' teachers (as Joyce put it) that do not use technology in their classrooms. Their students suffer for it, in my opinion. Technology is essential and to not use it can make your class boring, very boring indeed. Students learn when their schoolwork and classes are exciting, informative, and interesting. Like Joyce, I am also eager to learn about new technologies and use them in my classroom.
There are many pros about blogs. I agree with Joyce. Having a class blog would hold your students to a whole new level of accountability. However, what about your students that do not have the internet? This is one of the cons. Some people have very limited access to the internet. Some students only have access at school. Another pro is that your students and parents would have easy access to information through your blog. No more asking "Do you have any homework today?" or "What are you doing at school? What are you learning?". You can just log on and go to your child's classroom blog and see for yourself.
Technology is growing at such a rapid pace today. I can imagine the frustration that technology coordinators can have with 'those' teachers (as Joyce put it) that do not use technology in their classrooms. Their students suffer for it, in my opinion. Technology is essential and to not use it can make your class boring, very boring indeed. Students learn when their schoolwork and classes are exciting, informative, and interesting. Like Joyce, I am also eager to learn about new technologies and use them in my classroom.
There are many pros about blogs. I agree with Joyce. Having a class blog would hold your students to a whole new level of accountability. However, what about your students that do not have the internet? This is one of the cons. Some people have very limited access to the internet. Some students only have access at school. Another pro is that your students and parents would have easy access to information through your blog. No more asking "Do you have any homework today?" or "What are you doing at school? What are you learning?". You can just log on and go to your child's classroom blog and see for yourself.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Week 13 Blog
EDM 310 Podcasts
The first podcast I listened to was the one I did with Lynda Rigsby: "What I Learned from the 'The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch'". In this podcast, we discussed Randy's Last Lecture and the impact it had on our lives. We discussed his life's philosophies, his teaching techniques and his life experiences.
I felt that our podcast went pretty well. I do wish that Lynda and I had met and gone over our podcast more outside of class, but that's life. We had both gone over our individual parts over and over, so our podcast went a lot more smoothly and lasted longer than I expected.
The second podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Useful Internet Sites for Elementary Teachers" hosted by Briana Browder, Andrea Richards, and Kristen Younce. They discussed four different websites that they felt were very useful for elementary school teachers. ACCESS, Starfall, Scholastic, and Funbrain.
I really liked this podcast. It was informative and "flowed" well. You could tell they had gone over their podcast together, were prepared and knew their material.
The third podcast I listened to was "Can Facebook Be Used As An Educational Tool?" hosted by Samantha Mason, Kandis Dyess and Jessica Kiser. Their podcast was also good. It did have some pauses and you could tell they were reading. It didn't flow as well as the second podcast I listened to, but they knew their material and the podcast was informative.
The fourth podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Source Materials for High School Teachers on the World Wide Web. " hosted by Anne Gardner and Kimberly Hinojosa. Their podcast wasn't as 'scripty' to me as the others and you could tell they really knew their material.
The first podcast I listened to was the one I did with Lynda Rigsby: "What I Learned from the 'The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch'". In this podcast, we discussed Randy's Last Lecture and the impact it had on our lives. We discussed his life's philosophies, his teaching techniques and his life experiences.
I felt that our podcast went pretty well. I do wish that Lynda and I had met and gone over our podcast more outside of class, but that's life. We had both gone over our individual parts over and over, so our podcast went a lot more smoothly and lasted longer than I expected.
The second podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Useful Internet Sites for Elementary Teachers" hosted by Briana Browder, Andrea Richards, and Kristen Younce. They discussed four different websites that they felt were very useful for elementary school teachers. ACCESS, Starfall, Scholastic, and Funbrain.
I really liked this podcast. It was informative and "flowed" well. You could tell they had gone over their podcast together, were prepared and knew their material.
The third podcast I listened to was "Can Facebook Be Used As An Educational Tool?" hosted by Samantha Mason, Kandis Dyess and Jessica Kiser. Their podcast was also good. It did have some pauses and you could tell they were reading. It didn't flow as well as the second podcast I listened to, but they knew their material and the podcast was informative.
The fourth podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Source Materials for High School Teachers on the World Wide Web. " hosted by Anne Gardner and Kimberly Hinojosa. Their podcast wasn't as 'scripty' to me as the others and you could tell they really knew their material.
Week 12 Blog
The first podcast I listened to was 'Mathematics with Technology' hosted by Judy Chandler of Maine University. According to Judy, some math teachers are reluctant to use technology in their classrooms because it is too time consuming. Others feel that technology isn't necessary; that you are going to have students who 'just don't get it'. Judy stresses that the use of technology is essential in the classroom. She says that it enhances students' learning and engages them.
The second podcast I listened to was 'Thinking Mathematically' also hosted by Judy Chandler. In this podcast she re-emphasizes the importance of technology in the mathematics classroom. Students are engaged instead of memorizing steps from their texts that they will, more than likely, forget after a while. They go beyond their textbook and incorporate skills and techniques that will help them succeed.
I believe that technology is essential in the classroom. If we do not embrace technology today, we will be left in the dust tomorrow! We owe it to our students (or future students) to provide them with the best possible education. I feel that it is impossible to truly provide that without technology.
The second podcast I listened to was 'Thinking Mathematically' also hosted by Judy Chandler. In this podcast she re-emphasizes the importance of technology in the mathematics classroom. Students are engaged instead of memorizing steps from their texts that they will, more than likely, forget after a while. They go beyond their textbook and incorporate skills and techniques that will help them succeed.
I believe that technology is essential in the classroom. If we do not embrace technology today, we will be left in the dust tomorrow! We owe it to our students (or future students) to provide them with the best possible education. I feel that it is impossible to truly provide that without technology.
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