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A Little Bit of Me

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Technology and Me

I used to think I was technology savoy but know I don't know now. At home I use my computer to check emails, complete homework and play around on AutoCAD and Photoshop. I feel I can get around my computer pretty easily and can work any Adobe program with ease but when it comes to browsing the web and keeping up with blogs I am completely lost.

For me it is hard to read articles on the computer, I have to print out my homework readings and news articles, making it more beneficial for me to have a newspaper subscription and books. I can't even get on board with a Kindle, there is just something about having a book in my hands that is comforting. It took me getting an email from the university to realize how much technology has changed in schools. I found out the university doesn't send out mail anymore and everything is online, big shocker when your tuition is overdue. I just discovered Dropbox through work, something that I think is amazing for file storage but had never heard of a Wiki before this technology class.

The few times I have subbed the students have all wanted me to use the Smartboard, something that scared me the first few times. The more I used it, the more I loved it. It is a great tool to help kids interact with lessons. I loved that I could pull up websites and videos all at once, and students don't have to crowd around one computer, like we used to.They were able to put problems on the board without struggling to write on a whiteboard. All around, the Smartboard is amazing.

I am still hesitant on technology at times, mainly because I believe technology is replacing important social interactions. I find myself emailing, facebooking or texting people when I should be calling or meeting them. These social interaction are important in life and I feel students will be lacking these skills because there isn't that social interaction. Because children are playing video games or surfing the web they are not playing outside, which I feel can hurt motor skill development. I believe that technology in the classroom can be a great tool but should not replace hands on interaction. It is great to use technology in a way that helps children understand concepts further by allowing them to interact with each other, either on class Wikis or blogs; but as a teacher I understand that not all students have the access to computers and need to technology just an addition to my curriculum. I can see my students having to help me when it comes to computers, which is something that could help their esteem. I believe that technology is important in a K-12 classroom but only as a tool, not as a substitute for traditional learning.

Did You Know?

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This video blew me away. Not only was the video visually outstanding, the reality shocking facts made me rethink the technology in my life. I use my computer and phone for basic functions. I don't surf the web for fun, have never logged on to Twitter or read a blog and am still learning how to use my phone, after 2 years. I was shocked at the researched statistics that illustrated how print and mainstream news networks are becoming obsolete. The amount of texts an individual sends a month blew me away, though I'm sure I send close to that. I couldn't believe how much of an impact Twitter had on the Iranian presidential election! I loved the use of visuals throughout the video, the simple text made the message easy to understand and the music was not overwhelming, but kept me engaged. I found the video to be very creative and impactful. I don't know if I'm ready for the future and the advancement of technology, I'm still trying to catch up.

TED TALKS

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

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I found this TED talk to very interesting because of the way the topic was presented. Sir Ken Robinson presented a very serious subject in a humorous way that held my attention throughout. I believe that creativity is something that is being lost in education today, so I found this video to be right on point. Sir Robinson made several very valid points when it comes to the education today. He mentioned that everyone has an interest in education and usually feels very strongly about it, especial when talking about their own, which was one of the reasons that I decided to become a teacher. When we think about it, the education I am preparing to give my students will greatly affect the future of this world. It is hard to grasp that I will be teaching students the skills they need 30 years down the road but at the same time have no idea what the world will be like in 5 years. Because of the impact I have on my students, I agree with Sir Robinson in the fact that, creativity is just as important as literacy and mathematics. Unfortunately creativity is not being promoted in the classroom and art classes are being removed from schools and the focus is teaching to the test. The realization that young kids allow themselves to take a chance because they are not afraid of the consequences, something that being creative teaches, made me realize why sometimes people are scared to take chances. As a teacher, I must promote children to be creative and take chances, hoping they will use that same creativity later in life to make life choices. I loved his definition of creativity: original ideas that have value, something that I feel very strongly about, just never knew how to put it in words. We all have the gift of human imagination; as a teacher I must promote this imagination in my students because it affects much more than just art work, but how decisions are made later in life. I believe as a elementary classroom teacher it is very important for me to integrate the arts into my lessons, using it as a non judgmental assessment that promotes creativity while demonstrating the skills and concepts being taught.

Johnny Lee: Wii Remote Hacks

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I didn't know what to expect to be watching on this TED talk but this amazing technology was a pleasant surprise. I chose it because the Wii is something that I like to play with and feel that it's a game system that could be used as a tool in the classroom. However, the topic of just using the remote to make and interactive whiteboard with just a computer, Wii remote and an infrared pen was shocking. This technology can be very useful in schools where there are no Smartboards and funds are low. I would have liked to have seen a lesson taught with this technology so that I might see how to implement it in the classroom. I see potential with this technology and was very impressed by the simplicity of it.

Education Paradigms

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I chose this TED talk because I loved Sir Robinson's other talks and the idea of it being presented as an animation caught my attention. I liked his comment about education being out dated. The fact that the education system that is being used today was developed during the industrial revolution is not the system that we need to use. The analogy that education is like a factory, really struck home. I had never though about it that way before but it makes complete sense. It is sad that the most important aspect of our students is their "born on date", when it should be their ability I also agree with Sir Robinson about ADHD. The students with ADHD, all in elementary school, that I have interacted with just seem to be kids. I feel that students are over diagnosed and over medicated when they should be allowed to be creative and be kids at that age. Sir Robinson's comments about divergent thinking were very accurate. Divergent thinking is when one can see many possible answers for one question, something that I want to instill in my students. I have seen divergent thinking decrease over the years and kids and it is depressing. Sir Robinson is always a joy to watch and I love his views on education. This video was very creative and kept my attention throughout the eleven minutes and the drawings were amazing.

Just for Fun Sarah Jones

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The name of this TED talk intrigued me; I didn't know what I was going to watch but the fact there were going to be eight characters sounded fun. And it was! I liked that Sarah Jones was able to use humor and her own characters from her one woman show to illustrate some major ideas that affect education. The talk was all about invention, specifically invention of ones self. There are always the questions: At what point do we self invent? How do you self identify? that i don't believe have clear answers. What I liked about the different characters was that it showed we can all have different identities and play with those identities all while expanding our mind. It is important to understand we are "all architects building a brighter future." At the end of her TED talk I loved her comment: "we are never as different as our physical appearance suggest," meaning, we are all similar and need to recognze our differences and similarities.

Digital Access Voice Thread

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Digital Storytelling

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