Hi Class, here are some of this week's discussion/blogging cues:
1. In your understanding, what does it mean when Dr. Siemens said “The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe…?” (refer to Siemens’ “Connectivism: learning theory…”)
2. What are Siemens’ major arguments in “Connectivism: Learning Theory or Pastime for the Self-Amused?” Can you pick one argument and give your own comments on that?
3. Is network learning? In what sense?
4. What are social software, do you believe they impact learning? In what ways?
5. What is web 2.0 – in YOUR understanding? Give a one-sentence definition – YOUR definition…
6. What is YOUR vision of today’s k-12 students – how much do you believe what was shown in “A Vision of k-12 Students Today? Is teaching in K-12 settings different today?
7. What are some of the ways could YOU use to engage kids in learning?
You can respond to one - or two - or a couple of these topics. Please refer to Blog Discussion/Moderation/Presentation Assignment (http://edu551.wikispaces.com/Blog+Project) when blogging.
15 comments:
Hi Everyone! I guess I am the first to respond, so I hope I do this right.
In response to the fifth discussion question my understanding of Web2.0 is that we are the internet. We are sharing out knowledge of concepts with others, not only through text, but also through music and videos. We also decide what content to share across the internet with the videos we decide to show, the subjects in our blogs, the pictures and information we display on our personal web pages, etc.
While reading the article "Web 2.0" from Wikipedia, I have to admit I was very overwhelmed and confused by its terminology such as "HTML", "AJAX", "XML", etc. (I think that terminology refers to "computer language" I will never understand and will therefor leave it to "computer wizards" to figure out). I did find a video on YouTube about Web 2.0 to be very helpful. Its called "Web 2.0 is here" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoWKkl5nA08&NR=1). The video is a little over two minutes long and really gets the idea of Web 2.0 across. An idea that really said it all for me is 'We are "the new intel inside."' With Web 2.0 we are data in our computer. We are active participants in deciding what information the internet offers to others.
After finally figuring out what Web 2.0 really means (I should've watched the videos first) I am curious to what others think about the criticism given in the article "Web 2.0" from Wikipedia. The way I understood the critism was that Web 2.0 is a bunch of hype that either won't take off or will eventually become super popular and then bust (similiar to the dot-come idea). I am referring to the criticism on page five if you printed the article or number seven on the Table of Contents if you did not. It is my opinion that Web 2.0 is already here and while there may not be many people involved, more people will be once we educate people on Web 2.0 and show them how to blog, or to create their own webpage, or upload movies. To me, Web 2.0 sounds fun and exciting like when you were in grade school and had pen-pals from other countries. Web 2.0 will allow us to have millions of pen-pals from countries all over the world. Imagine what we'll learn from each other. So, to sum up I don't agree that Web 2.0 will bust, I think it will take off once people are educated on Web 2.0 and realize we are in charge of the internet. I mean who doesn't like being in charge or being their own boss?
My vision of K-12 students is one that is exciting but also challenging as a teacher. Technology brings out the fun and excitement of learning new concepts. For example PowerPoint presentations make ordinary lessons colorful, vibrant, and bright. Smart boards in classrooms allow students to learn by doing by simply labeling a map with the touch of a finger instead of pencil to paper. Technology makes learning fun and exciting but it also creates challenges for teachers and students. One challenge teachers face today is the lack of resources and materials available for use. Many schools are struggling financially so the use of new technology innovations in the classroom are out of the question. Lack of resources are frustrating to teachers because they can't teach in a way that benefits their students. Students are suffering because their learning needs are not being met and therefor they are not learning. Students today go home and are bombarded with technology all the time. They are engaged at home but when they come to school they are bored to tears. According to the video: "A Vision of K-12 Students Today" students spend 25 hours a week gaming, watching TV, being on the computer, and listening to their ipods. Teachers have to compete with technology available at home and become creative in finding ways to engage students during lessons without the necessary materials--which is a huge challenge.
Now more than ever classrooms are being filled with students with different learning needs. Textbooks, note-taking, and worksheets are not enough anymore and they no longer meet students' learning needs. So, my question is: as a teacher, how do I engage my students and meet their needs when I am not given the appropriate materials to do so?
What about testing? State assessments are evaluating students through traditional paper and pencil multiple choice, short answer questions. If students are not learning by using this method, is it fair to assess them this way? Why do we teach and assess them if students learn by doing? In my opinion, schools are not pushing to get appropriate materials because assessment (which is a huge deal to school districts) is evaluating students through paper and pencil. Once assessment practices change, schools will finally provide the appropriate materials to teach students according to their needs. Now, how long will it take for states to see that their assessment practices are not working and students are not really learning?
Hi everyone!
Viewing "A Vision of K-12 Students Today" on YouTube was really an eye opener. I fully believe what was shown in the video. The 21st Century is really developing around technology. The students we teach everyday are connected through cell phones, ipods, instant messages, chat rooms, and several other technological advances. However, there are very few classroom teachers that I know of that even use the internet weekly with their students. I could not believe that 76% of teachers have never used new social software such as blogging. Classrooms need to adapt to the changing environment and include the technology that surrounds us everyday. When used correctly technology can open so many doors and show us things that we could never experience before. Teachers should be following these new learning trends and should understand the new ideas and include them in their teachings.
There are several ways that I can include technology to really engage kids in learning. Instead of simply talking about the people of China or Africa we can watch videos of their every day life or we can set up a video conference with children at school.
When we are talking about the weather we can get on and watch the current weather movement through live online video. Digital story writing is a writing tool created to allow students to have fun with story writing. Technology can really engage learners at all different levels.
There is so much you can do with technology that it would be a shame not to incorporate it into the classroom environment, however I do understand that it is sometimes hard financially to incorporate all of these new age learning tools. It would be great if schools would include new technology in their budgets, but a lot of them just don't have the extra money. I think the important thing though is to work with whatever you do have. You can do wonders with even just 1 classroom computer.
In response to the first question my understanding of the quote "The pipe is more important that the content within the pipe..." is as follows. I believe Dr. Siemens means that our ability to learn (aka knowledge of resources and our ability to use them) is more important than the information that we know at any given time. If we have the ability to get information, than we don't need to worry about what information we already have because we know that we have the ability to get the information that we need if we don't have it! I love his other quote that illustrates this point also, it says "our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today". I believe that in today's technology age it is very important to be able to use the internet (pipe) to access information. While books are still useful, for many of today's students much of the information that they will need to know and be able to easily access is on the world wide web! So if they are not familiar with a computer or the latest technology they may be at a slight disadvantage. 8'
?
My response to question 4 is as follows:Social Software is a collection of software that allows users to interact and share data via the computer over the internet. This software has become very popular with social sites such as myspace and face book and also with media sites like Flickr and YouTube. In a way social software is a way of creating online communities where users are able to interact and share data easily. I believe that social software does impact learning in many ways and this has been seen recently as it has been gaining recognition in academic circles. Social Software is making it very easy and fast to share information quickly and this is becoming increasingly important to different fields of education that are evolving more and more each day. For some fields of study this social software is becoming increasingly important to stay informed! As George Siemens has said "learning today is one of forming networks with each other" and sharing knowledge because it is through dialogue that we gain knowledge!
My vision of k-12 students today is much different than it would have been a few years ago when I was a child! I believe that teachers today have a much more challenging job to keep kids engaged. I believe that while they may have more of a challenge to keep kids engaged they also have much more technology at their finger tips to keep kids engaged. I have found that in today's classroom learning new concepts tends to be more exciting to students when they get to use technology to do so. I definitly agree with Lauren when she said that technology makes learning much more fun and exciting, but at the same time it presents teachers with more challenges. Not only do teachers need to stay current with changes in technology but they also need to ensure that their students know how to take advantage of changes in technology. For many this can be a huge challenge because their schools are struggling financially as it is and now we are asking them to come up with large amounts of money to pay for changes in technology. I also agree with Lauren about student engagement at home and at school. Often students go home and technology is readily available for them to use and express themselves. However, when they enter the classroom in many instances their rooms are not equipped with the latest technology. Many classrooms in schools have limited if any access to computers and in this technological era i think that this is a shame. I believe that this is holding our students back from reaching their full potentials.
What is YOUR vision of today’s k-12 students – how much do you believe what was shown in “A Vision of k-12 Students Today? Is teaching in K-12 settings different today?
My vision of today's k-12 student is that where students are being taught through two different style of teachers, the "old school" ways of learning and the modern way of learning. By "old school" I mean the lack of technology being taught as well as ditto after ditto in combination with teachers who are teaching in modern ways that are adapted to the child. The use of technology and learning by doing are two of the main differences that I see.
I think that the video demonstrates the needs of students in todays educational setting. Unfortunately, teachers are themselves not trained in the technological needs of their students. The teahers that are, often do not have the support for ideas and troubleshooting tips and shy away from using the technology.
Technology changes on a daily basis and one program does not last very long. The modifications with technology and the programs that are used, change so rapidly that it is nearly impossible to keep up.
Hello...here's my first attempt blogging...
Question #5
From what I am understanding about Web 2.0, it is just a loose term used to describe how the World Wide Web has changed. I definitely feel that the internet itself has evolved into a place to be creative, artistically and articulately.
From when I first began using the internet back in high school to look up resources for research papers, download music to listen to, and communicate with pals through instant messenging...to now, I can create my own teaching website, myspace website, and facebook account downloading any application I wish to utilize on my page. CRAZY...all in just a few years! I am catching on...slowly but surely...hang in there with me!
Like Lauren, I did not enjoy the wikipedia definition, I found the terms to be very computer literate of which I am not. I love youtube and I love looking EVERYTHING up on that website!!! I learned about Web 2.0 from there!!!
I hope I did this right...it's been a stressful week trying to learn all this new technology...
My vision of today’s k-12 students is one that incorporates a lot of technology. They are very fast paced with wants of instant gratification. They are students who are always one step ahead of us in the world of technology. My vision is one that includes teachers keeping up the pace along with their students. Students will use i-pods at learning centers and there will be smart boards and computers in all classrooms. “A Vision of k-12 Students Today” was quite accurate. The majority of our youth are spending a lot of time watching television, playing video games, etc and this usage is only increasing. Teaching in k-12 students is different today in regards to setting due to students now having their own cell phones, i-pods, etc. If teachers continue to learn advances in technology, though, it may not seem so different and such a culture shock and be able to adjust their teaching according to the every day changing technology.
Engaging students is always hard, particularly at the begining of the school year. Every student is different and classroom dynamics are different year to year, so what works one year may not work the next year, and with the growing trend of education being pushed toward using technology, every month might be a change due to technology program changes.
With that said, I think that the best way to engage a student is find out what interestst them, find out what they like to do, find out how they spend their time, and find out what they aspire to be.
Some classes might have two or three distinct groups and those groups can have different activities to facilitate the purpose of the lesson. For example, general instruction may be given, and the activity and assessment might be different. The assessment will look at the same objectives, but the the process might be different.
Knowing students and who they are and what they like doing are the keys in determining how to engage them.
What is your vision of today’s K-12 students – how much do you believe what was shown in “A vision of K-12 students today? Is teaching in a K-12 setting different today?
I completely agree with the video that was shown on K-12 students today. Unfortunately, I don’t think this problem stops at 12th grade. As I watched the video I was thinking about how much I use technology and what types of technology I use. As teachers, I think we need to take a step back and evaluate our use of technology, and than analyze our technology use in the classroom. Many teachers are stuck in a rut when it comes to revamping their teaching styles, but there are plenty of professional development workshops and trainings to teach how to incorporate technology skills in the classroom. When I was in elementary school we certainly did not use technology like we do today. All the teachers wrote notes on the chalkboard, passed out worksheets, and we learned only through textbooks.
There are so many resources online that we should be sharing with our students. I do understand that not every school district is financially capable of providing each student with a computer. If every classroom had one computer, and a projector it would allow teachers to take technology use in the classroom to a whole new level. These are things that were not available when I was in elementary school or even junior high.
However, technology is creeping into schools today. Attendance is taken on the computer, tests are being given on a computer, and report cards are all being done on the computer. It is a shame that more teaching is not taking place using technology. I have heard many of the older teachers complain about the use of a SMART board, and I just want to say are you crazy. Having a SMART board in your classroom is one of the best things you can ask for. Whether it be a SMART board, projector, Elmo, or even an overhead you are able to teach without turning your back to the students as you would have to by only using a chalkboard or whiteboard. As the video portrayed, technology is not used enough in today’s K-12 classrooms.
What are some ways you could engage kids in learning?
I strongly agree that students want the ability to use computers in school, and be taught using technology. Although I do understand where Lauren is coming from when she says that the way we assess students needs to change and we need to start addressing the students’ needs. With No Child Left Behind, state tests at almost every grade level and publications of the results teachers are resorting to teaching to tests. Students are not really learning, they are not being taught to think critically, creatively, or ask questions. Most students get by on knowing how to take a test. So how can we engage students?
We can engage students by finding out what their interests are, and how they would like to learn in school. Most teachers could tell you what their students like, but can they tell you how their students like to learn? Technology allows you to add another style of teaching to help your students, and allow them to explore various topics in a controlled environment. I do think technology needs to be controlled, and some uses of technology are not appropriate for all ages.
My vision of what students K-12 are today after viewing the video is that they are bored in school. Each one of them had a very important message to educators. I feel that our world is ever changing and it is our job as educators to keep up with it. Classrooms 5 years ago are not the same as classrooms today. I do not recall having computers in our own classroom when I was coming up through school. Now you see 3-4 computers in the classrooms for the students use. Students enjoy being challenged and creative with new interactive technology. We as teachers should let them express themselves in whatever ways possible.
There are many ways to engage students in learning. Most importantly, we have to connect with the student both personally and intellectually. We need to find out who they are, what they like, what they dislike, what their goals are, what they value, etc. Connecting happens when you recognize your students and value what they have to contribute to your class. Asking for feedback from your students on a particular lesson communicates your concern for their learning, and also can provide you with information on what went well, or didn’t go so well. Another way to engage students in learning is by having students work together. This gives them real world experience and forces them to work with each other to reach a decision instead of just looking to the teacher for the answer.
Post a Comment