alex said...
Hello Mr. Thomas,
I must say that i am very impressed with your video. I thought it was short and to the point.
I too enjoyed the many details you added to the characters in the video. being a history major in college, I was impressed with your vast knowledge on some good ole history.
Take care man,
Alex
April 1, 2010 11:20 AM
Hello Mr. Thomas, I must say that i am very impressed with your video. I thought it was short and to the point. I too enjoyed the many details you added to the characters in the video. being a history major in college, I was impressed with your vast knowledge on some good ole history. Take care man, Alex http://pesking.blogspot.com/2010/03/signing-treaty-of-waitangi.html#comment-form
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
3/12/10 Assignment
The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) and the Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educatiors and Students Statewide (ACCESS) are two great resources for educators. At the APEX website, educators can upload or download practice plans for core subjects K-12. ALEX also has a professional learning webpage and a podcast webpage. The professional learning webpage provides access to relevent issues that affect all educators. The podcasts webpage has available video and audio downloads for all the core subjects. Altogether, it is a very informational resource that professional or beginner educators can easily navigate.
ACCESS is an accredited academic institution that offers long-distance classes that qualify as high school credit hours. The professors are certified state educators that use multimedia to facilitate class lectures. Interactive Video-Conferencing and web-based courses deliver the online learning experience to the student. ACCESS is a rapidly growing alternative to the more conventional classroom learning experience.
ACCESS is an accredited academic institution that offers long-distance classes that qualify as high school credit hours. The professors are certified state educators that use multimedia to facilitate class lectures. Interactive Video-Conferencing and web-based courses deliver the online learning experience to the student. ACCESS is a rapidly growing alternative to the more conventional classroom learning experience.
3/7/10 Assignment
I want to start by saying that I thought that was the best video thus far. The video was consistent with calls to action of many of the previous videos, but it was more directed at American culture by implying that MTV, South Park, the hippi movement were some of the causes of the deterioration of the term "whatever".It makes me think that the subliminal message of all the assignments to date is that American media and entertainment has created a very narcissistic, material, and indifferent attitude about individual self identity. As an American, I can relate to the many references throughout this video.
If I am walking to class alongside an imaginary young girl talking on the phone I usually can't bear to listen. The words she uses most are like and whatever. The conversation is about herself. She probably doesn't even know who she is talking to. It 's as if she believes that the dumber she gets, the cooler it will make her. That's the sad part. The scary part is that there are actually people who think that is cool. According to Mr. Wesch, whom I agree with, this concept of coolness started a long time ago and is now becoming so intolerable that people are beginning to unite against it.
Growing up things did not seem this bad. The definition of whatever, as described in the video, was originated when I was growing up. Relatively new, it was a funny thing to say. At least it was then. Now it has become so overused that it is no longer funny. It is actually very scary the insecurities and self-awareness that are now attached to the term.
It is my duty as a future teacher to penetrate the groups and masses of people who think that it is alright to be dumb, indifferent, narcissistic, and insecure. Just like the people on youtube making calls for action, we need more heroes who will open arms in an effort to help others develop a moral ethical core. The moral of the video is that youtube and other innovations of new media literature might be necessary to penetrate these groups.
If I am walking to class alongside an imaginary young girl talking on the phone I usually can't bear to listen. The words she uses most are like and whatever. The conversation is about herself. She probably doesn't even know who she is talking to. It 's as if she believes that the dumber she gets, the cooler it will make her. That's the sad part. The scary part is that there are actually people who think that is cool. According to Mr. Wesch, whom I agree with, this concept of coolness started a long time ago and is now becoming so intolerable that people are beginning to unite against it.
Growing up things did not seem this bad. The definition of whatever, as described in the video, was originated when I was growing up. Relatively new, it was a funny thing to say. At least it was then. Now it has become so overused that it is no longer funny. It is actually very scary the insecurities and self-awareness that are now attached to the term.
It is my duty as a future teacher to penetrate the groups and masses of people who think that it is alright to be dumb, indifferent, narcissistic, and insecure. Just like the people on youtube making calls for action, we need more heroes who will open arms in an effort to help others develop a moral ethical core. The moral of the video is that youtube and other innovations of new media literature might be necessary to penetrate these groups.
Monday, March 22, 2010
2/28/10 Assignment
1. The main point of this video is that we must use technology to have a positive influence on future generations. The technological revolution, ie the improvement of technology that has provided instant access to information, has changed how we write. Miller starts by explaining his understanding of writing, which was in solitude with a peice of paper and paperback books that he would use to brainstorm ideas. Through what he calls incremental changes, we have moved towards a more electronic based understanding of writing.
I think that Miller might be exxagerating the negative influence that this has had on writing. On the other hand, perhaps he is underestimating it. There is a broad consensus among the baby boomers that the quality of writing has declined in our society. Writers like Hemmingway and Fitzgerald are certainly not influential on many people because of the distraction of technology. On the other hand, which I think Richard Miller fails to mention, is that there are still many students of literature. Albeit, in absolute terms of the number of people, we are less skilled at writing, but there are still certain groups of individuals who understand writing the way that he once did. I believe that writing isn't as influenced by incremental changes to the extent suggested by Miller.
Despite my criticisms, I believe this video can be helpful. Miller suggests that educators must use innovative technology to the benefit, not hindrance, of writing. However, this is aleready an obvious fact, we already know that technology is central to our society. We know that it has changed the way we write. I think that the writing atmosphere has definately changed in all the incremental ways suggested by Miller, but I believe the fundamental understanding of writing will continue to be influenced by ways that were influential to previous generations (Hemmingway, Fitzgerald, etc). As a teacher, I have no choice but to teach the electronic understanding of writing as depicted by Miller because it is so central to society, but I will also teach the understanding of writing that baby boomers still prefer.
2. Being a teacher of a networked student is a relatively new thing for teachers. Many teachers, as a result, do not know how to teach a networked student. I think the answer to whether the networked student needs a teacher in many cases is No. I say this because kids nowadays know more about technology than adults. However, it is important for teachers to get up-to-speed quickly so that students aren't be preyed upon by propaganda, are able to use the network with ease and guidance, and maximize the opportunities of the network.
A teacher who is ready for the networked student must stay on top of developments in social networking, and in turn, be educated on the risks and rewards of the connectivisim learning theory. This would involve knowing which sites are safe and which aren't. It would also require knowing what measures to take to protect children from electronic predators.
I think the networked student is a great idea that can promote equality in our society. When you consider the importance of networking, it is more than tantamount
to education in terms of career success. I heard that 75% of jobs are landed by successful networking. Only about 33% are landed by conventionally submitting a resume. So I think this is a great idea because of the importance of networks in our society.
3. I think that these skills are a list of ways to think outside the box. Any good artist, citizen, worker, or intelligent person must possess some of these skills if they want to be good at their profession or an informed person. If I have to choose, I see myself as possessing the play quality and consider it a strength of mine. I have a pretty creative way of looking at the different inputs of a situation or problem and solving for a solution. In terms of the other qualities, I definitely think I do not have bad judgment.
I think that I will improve these qualities in my experiences with people, events, and situations throughout my life. Knowing of and reflecting on these qualities will help me respond better to problems or situations that are a product of our informational culture. Ultimately, I think that many of those qualities are acquired in time, not all at once, because they require a high level of maturity and understanding to develop. Someone who reflects on these qualities before and after a confusing or problematic series of events in their life will, in my opinion, acquire the qualities fastest.
4. According to the New Media Literacy Project, being literate involves reading and writing by using communication tools that are media related. These literacy measures have changed as the media has started communicating through shapes, graphics, sounds, and social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace. These are forms of communication that were either not as pervasive, or were totally absent, in our recent societies history.
Many of the professors in college Universities are still unfamiliar with these new forms of communication. It is kind of funny to think that these scholarly people might be illiterate. In reality they are very literate, but have been slow to adjust to the fast pace of change that has invented new literacy forms. Honestly, I really don't think there is any promise that college professors will spend their time learning these new methods. From my experience, University level faculty are not interested in this subject and prefer their students to communicate in more traditional methods. The teachers that will benefit most by educating themselves on these new literacy measurements are lower and middle school teachers. These are the teachers who can guide their students away from the dangers of the new media literacies.
I think that Miller might be exxagerating the negative influence that this has had on writing. On the other hand, perhaps he is underestimating it. There is a broad consensus among the baby boomers that the quality of writing has declined in our society. Writers like Hemmingway and Fitzgerald are certainly not influential on many people because of the distraction of technology. On the other hand, which I think Richard Miller fails to mention, is that there are still many students of literature. Albeit, in absolute terms of the number of people, we are less skilled at writing, but there are still certain groups of individuals who understand writing the way that he once did. I believe that writing isn't as influenced by incremental changes to the extent suggested by Miller.
Despite my criticisms, I believe this video can be helpful. Miller suggests that educators must use innovative technology to the benefit, not hindrance, of writing. However, this is aleready an obvious fact, we already know that technology is central to our society. We know that it has changed the way we write. I think that the writing atmosphere has definately changed in all the incremental ways suggested by Miller, but I believe the fundamental understanding of writing will continue to be influenced by ways that were influential to previous generations (Hemmingway, Fitzgerald, etc). As a teacher, I have no choice but to teach the electronic understanding of writing as depicted by Miller because it is so central to society, but I will also teach the understanding of writing that baby boomers still prefer.
2. Being a teacher of a networked student is a relatively new thing for teachers. Many teachers, as a result, do not know how to teach a networked student. I think the answer to whether the networked student needs a teacher in many cases is No. I say this because kids nowadays know more about technology than adults. However, it is important for teachers to get up-to-speed quickly so that students aren't be preyed upon by propaganda, are able to use the network with ease and guidance, and maximize the opportunities of the network.
A teacher who is ready for the networked student must stay on top of developments in social networking, and in turn, be educated on the risks and rewards of the connectivisim learning theory. This would involve knowing which sites are safe and which aren't. It would also require knowing what measures to take to protect children from electronic predators.
I think the networked student is a great idea that can promote equality in our society. When you consider the importance of networking, it is more than tantamount
to education in terms of career success. I heard that 75% of jobs are landed by successful networking. Only about 33% are landed by conventionally submitting a resume. So I think this is a great idea because of the importance of networks in our society.
3. I think that these skills are a list of ways to think outside the box. Any good artist, citizen, worker, or intelligent person must possess some of these skills if they want to be good at their profession or an informed person. If I have to choose, I see myself as possessing the play quality and consider it a strength of mine. I have a pretty creative way of looking at the different inputs of a situation or problem and solving for a solution. In terms of the other qualities, I definitely think I do not have bad judgment.
I think that I will improve these qualities in my experiences with people, events, and situations throughout my life. Knowing of and reflecting on these qualities will help me respond better to problems or situations that are a product of our informational culture. Ultimately, I think that many of those qualities are acquired in time, not all at once, because they require a high level of maturity and understanding to develop. Someone who reflects on these qualities before and after a confusing or problematic series of events in their life will, in my opinion, acquire the qualities fastest.
4. According to the New Media Literacy Project, being literate involves reading and writing by using communication tools that are media related. These literacy measures have changed as the media has started communicating through shapes, graphics, sounds, and social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace. These are forms of communication that were either not as pervasive, or were totally absent, in our recent societies history.
Many of the professors in college Universities are still unfamiliar with these new forms of communication. It is kind of funny to think that these scholarly people might be illiterate. In reality they are very literate, but have been slow to adjust to the fast pace of change that has invented new literacy forms. Honestly, I really don't think there is any promise that college professors will spend their time learning these new methods. From my experience, University level faculty are not interested in this subject and prefer their students to communicate in more traditional methods. The teachers that will benefit most by educating themselves on these new literacy measurements are lower and middle school teachers. These are the teachers who can guide their students away from the dangers of the new media literacies.
2/21/10 Assignment
1. A big challenge for any teacher is the ability to provide young students free access to educational resources on the internet. Dr. Christie has a link that is titled Educational Technology on her site. This link provides a range of online educational resources that is available to students absolutely free. This would be a very useful resource for me as a teacher because it enables me to provide free access to educational resources for my students.
The technology section of the site provides access to information that should inspire students. There is a link called Adora Svitak: Flying Fingers. This is an interview with a child prodigy author. Using this link in class is a great way to show what other kids are doing, while at the same time stimulating new creative writing ideas among my students.
2. iTunesU is a great way for students to learn new methods of communication. iTunesU allows two-way communication between the student and teacher. For example, the student can post comments to the group via RSS feed and and the teacher can post lectures and podcasts. Some students may prefer this method of learning than the traditional classroom based method, so I think this is a great resource that can be very useful.
In addition to learning the cutting edge communication methods, educating children on how to use iTunesU could introduce new ideas and interests to the student. The breadth of information on iTunesU is simply incredible! The student has a world of information at the fingertips. Furthermore, it is a very cool website for the student to explore. When I was young the resources we used in school were boring and dull. This website is sharp and stimulates interest.
3. iPods can extend the learning beyond the classroom. It enables students to do a variety of convenient tasks. IPods transmit documents to different computers as well as enable students to record class lectures and download audiobooks. It is a great way for students to learn outside the classroom.
Duke University experimented with ipods and found that many students thought they were very useful for school. Seventy-Five percent of students who were given an ipod by the University reported using it in at least one class. They often used the ipods to record class lectures. One of the drawbacks of the experiment suggested that students were less likely to use the ipod for school purposes if the material was not already loaded onto the ipod. Another drawback was the quality of the recordings, which some students found unclear.
Altogether, I am wary to encourage students to use an ipod in the classroom. I feel that they would be listening to music when they should be working, or watching the newest rap videos. If teachers could provide ipods to students that only allowed download of class material, I could see the benefit of including it in the classroom.
The technology section of the site provides access to information that should inspire students. There is a link called Adora Svitak: Flying Fingers. This is an interview with a child prodigy author. Using this link in class is a great way to show what other kids are doing, while at the same time stimulating new creative writing ideas among my students.
2. iTunesU is a great way for students to learn new methods of communication. iTunesU allows two-way communication between the student and teacher. For example, the student can post comments to the group via RSS feed and and the teacher can post lectures and podcasts. Some students may prefer this method of learning than the traditional classroom based method, so I think this is a great resource that can be very useful.
In addition to learning the cutting edge communication methods, educating children on how to use iTunesU could introduce new ideas and interests to the student. The breadth of information on iTunesU is simply incredible! The student has a world of information at the fingertips. Furthermore, it is a very cool website for the student to explore. When I was young the resources we used in school were boring and dull. This website is sharp and stimulates interest.
3. iPods can extend the learning beyond the classroom. It enables students to do a variety of convenient tasks. IPods transmit documents to different computers as well as enable students to record class lectures and download audiobooks. It is a great way for students to learn outside the classroom.
Duke University experimented with ipods and found that many students thought they were very useful for school. Seventy-Five percent of students who were given an ipod by the University reported using it in at least one class. They often used the ipods to record class lectures. One of the drawbacks of the experiment suggested that students were less likely to use the ipod for school purposes if the material was not already loaded onto the ipod. Another drawback was the quality of the recordings, which some students found unclear.
Altogether, I am wary to encourage students to use an ipod in the classroom. I feel that they would be listening to music when they should be working, or watching the newest rap videos. If teachers could provide ipods to students that only allowed download of class material, I could see the benefit of including it in the classroom.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Podcast NOTES
It should be immediately apparent what what to expect when you hear a particular podcast. That means its important to give a proper introduction to the subject and to accurately convey your approach to discussing it. With a program like iTunes there are infinite ways to be distracted so its also important to pursue a connection with the audience, especially when being informative.
Podcasts usually start with a personal introduction to the podcast author, or podcaster, and also introduces the subjects being discussed. There are two forms of podcasts, audio and video, which can be used to inform the listeners on particular subjects. Audio podcasts take more effort from the author to convey emotions.
The podcast can be either a monologue or dialogue between multiple authors. Multiple authors can help legitimize the point of view explained by the podcast.
Podcasts usually start with a personal introduction to the podcast author, or podcaster, and also introduces the subjects being discussed. There are two forms of podcasts, audio and video, which can be used to inform the listeners on particular subjects. Audio podcasts take more effort from the author to convey emotions.
The podcast can be either a monologue or dialogue between multiple authors. Multiple authors can help legitimize the point of view explained by the podcast.
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