Blog #3 EDM 310

Media Literacy is Creating

I love watching Ms. Cassidy's class explore through the use of technology. I thought that it was great to see kids using various forms of technology in the classroom. I also liked how Ms. Cassidy sets the tone early in regards to commenting on blogs. Meaning that if a kid sees something unfamiliar he or she has to stop and think critically about and question it instead of disregarding it. One can also see that Miss Cassidy is teaching her kids how to use computers appropriately and ethically by establishing a solid set of ground rules. An example of this was when her student referred to always being helpful and not saying anything mean when posting a comment so that you wont hurt anyone's feelings. She is obviously giving her students a good set of tools to be able to think critically about what is on the internet and and to use it appropriately.

Through watching this video it made me realize that it's OK to plant "technology seed" early and in small doses. I don't think technology is a good replacement of the human/social interaction that kids will always benefit from, but they do need to be technologically literate in order to be successful and to be able to think critically about the information presented with on a regular basis.


Little Kids, BIG Potential

Seeing what the kids are learning in Ms. Cassidy's class was amazing. However, being able to see how they are learning was even better. I liked this movie because it shows how technology can be used to enhance a lesson and make it exciting. Ms. Cassidy's classroom was literally buzzing with excitement and the kids were having fun and learning at the same time. It was neat to see the unique ways that she was able to use technology to make learning exciting for her students.

This video was also a wake up call for me. These first graders are more technologically literate than I am. If want to be an effective teacher I'm going to have to get on the ball and stay on it! Do they have a series of tutorials available on the net that I can view when I'm having difficulties my EDM 310 class? If put forth enough effort I will hopefully catch up to them though by the end of the semester. To tell you the truth, as embarrassing as it may seem, I had no idea what a wiki was until I watched this video! Now I'm really excited about using this form of technology to my advantage and have realized what a great tool it will be to use in my future classroom! This is proof that you can learn from children and how important it is to never stop learning!!! I also think its neat that these kids have an audience that is supportive of their learning. I think this is an important aspect of the learning process that will increase their self esteem and give them confidence in their new skills.

I-Phone Used by 1 Year Old

I suppose what I saw on this video didn't really surprise me. If any child is exposed to a form of technology they will learn how to use it no matter how young they are. The implications for future teachers regarding this issue are that they must be prepared to teach in a way that includes some forms of technology in order to effectively reach their students. Due to the high amount of exposure to technology and the media from such a young age, it's going to be important to implement technology in the class room in some way, shape, or form.

Podcast Review

I haven't ever listened to a podcast before now. Ive heard about them but haven't ever downloaded any to my i-pod. I'm upset that I didn't do this sooner. When exploring the different forms of podcasts on the i tunes website I was amazed at how many free podcasts are available to students and educators. For example, I'm taking anatomy next semester and I found multiple free lectures that I will be able to download to my i-pod thus making me better prepared for the class, FOR FREE!!! YES!!! The magical word that every college student loves...FREE!!! I proceeded to browse elsewhere and found other podcasts that I will be able to use for future classes and even found some that relate to my hobbies as well. I know I sound a little mellow dramatic about this but I'm actually pretty excited. I want to teach high school and this will be a GREAT tool to use in the classroom. You could most definitely create your own podcast using audacity and post it or you could find an interesting interview or lecture from a different teacher or expert and have your students listen to it and respond to it. This is going to be great, this is one form of technology that I will use in my classroom.

For this assignment I listened to David Warlick's conversation with Chris Lehman (podcast #92), Mac Break Weekly (#168), Kidcast (#1&#4), Smart Board Lessons Podcast (Timmy's tips 1 & 2), and This Week in Photography (#5). Some held my attention and some almost put me to sleep. I loved the fact that I could fast forward and rewind segments that I wanted to listen to more closely or skip. I also found it very interesting that one could record a podcast virtually anywhere ie. at a coffee shop in Canada or at a conference in the Northeast. This fact alone adds a more personal feel to the podcast. I ended up listening to forty five minutes of This Week in Photography and it was great to listen to experts speak on something that I'm interested in, I got a lot of useful info. on low light photography. I can't wait to try out some of the techniques that were discussed. I also visited their blog site which I will be perusing more of in the near future and may be posting some of my photos on it. Overall, I was very impressed with the podcasts that I listened to accept Mac Break Weekly, I was lost and didn't really understand the subject matter of their podcast but, the commentators were very entertaining to say the least.