Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know? 3.0

I found this video incredibly entertaining! I also found it a bit humorous, whether or not that was intended by its creator. I had no idea about most of the facts and figures presented in this presentation. The United States seems so big to many of us living here, but really it is just a small part of the world. I found it interesting that many of the top paying jobs today didn’t even exist a relatively short time ago. It just goes to show that technology plays a huge role in the way people live their daily lives.

It is amazing to see how quickly technology is progressing. I know that here in the United States it seems like there is some new technological gadget out every other week. I can’t even imagine what technology is available in places like Japan!

Mr. Winkle Wakes

This video definitely had a sarcastic tone. It did not come right out and tell you its point, but I found it pretty obvious. The creator of this video is saying that schools are not keeping up with other institutions that use technology on a daily basis. I would have to say I agree with this video’s message.

A lot of schools are not integrating technology into the classroom in the United States. I know that when I was growing up, my schools gave us specific computer time to play educational games or type papers, but no one ever taught us to use a computer beyond that. I learned more about using technology from my older brother and my parents than I did at school. With the way technology is progressing and opening up new industries and jobs, it is important for children to learn about technology and how to use it. I know I wish my schools had taught me!

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

Sir Ken Robinson was a very charismatic and funny speaker. He really made his talk interesting and entertaining to listen to while making great points. He makes a great point about how we are supposed to be educating children for a future that we have no idea what it is going to be like, therefore we must have creativity. “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” Sometimes children can be afraid to answer a question in class or to give a presentation of their work because they are afraid they will be wrong and they don’t want to be embarrassed. It is okay to be wrong from time to time. No one is always right and children need to learn this rather than be made to feel ashamed. Like the speaker said, so many people who are very intelligent are made to think that they aren’t because their strength in school was not a subject that was valued academically.

As a dancer since age 2 and a current dance teacher, I definitely agree with teaching dance in schools everyday! Children love to dance. It is a very creative way for anyone to express his or her self and every child should have a creative outlet. I think that schools should not just encourage but aid in providing this outlet. I really enjoyed the moving story about the choreographer who had trouble in school, then discovered her talent for dancing. Thank goodness for the doctor who turned on the radio!

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts

It is great to see this learning going on at a rural school! I agree with Vicki Davis that different children learn differently. It is a good idea to have different methods of learning in the classroom. I like that she does not define every new term she gives to her students. She wants them to look them up as part of their learning process. She also said that a teacher does not have to know everything about a subject in order to teach it. When I was younger I always thought my teachers knew everything about their discipline, but as I got older I realized that’s just not possible. Technology has made it so much easier in recent years to find new information in just a few seconds! That is why information technology is such an important education tool.

Vicki Davis said that she wants her students to be comfortable with pretty much any technology. I wish I had a teacher like this growing up. I feel like some of the middle school and high school students today know more about some technology than I do!

C4T#1

On August 29, I commented on a first grade teacher named Kathy Cassidy's blog titled Primary Preoccupation. The first post I commented on was about the designs she had come up with for her classroom this year. She has made it a rather comfortable space for her students to learn. I told her that I was impressed with her concern for the comfort of her students. I think that giving students a couch, coffee table, and area rug to spread out on is a good idea. I do not think they should use these areas all day every day, but I do think they need a space to feel comfortable in. I think it will allow them to be more creative and to really enjoy learning, which is important in a first grade class in my opinion.

On September 10, I commented on Kathy's post about making videos with her students. I learned from her post that learning is 83% sight! I thought this was a good enough reason by itself to use videos in the classroom. I told Kathy that I enjoyed watching the video of her class she posted and that I agreed using videos in class is a good learning tool and how I think her students probably love to see themselves on video!

Blog Assignment 1

I was born and raised in Mobile, AL and I currently live in Daphne with my husband, who is a police officer, and our one year old daughter. I am 23 years old and I have already graduated from the University of South Alabama once in 2009 with a BA in History; so I am now working on my second degree in Secondary Education Social Science.

Besides my family, my main passion in life is dance, as I have been dancing since I was two years old. I have been so privileged throughout my life to be able to travel for dance competitions and conventions and to take classes from some of the greatest choreographers of today. I was a member of South Alabama's Prowlers Dance Team while I was working on my first degree. We placed 3rd at the UDA College Dance Team National Championship in 2007 and were featured on ESPN, which many people may not know. I teach dance at two local dance studios and I absolutely love it. I would say that dance is one of the things I do best and something I like to do more than anything else.

Another passion of mine is History. It was always my favorite subject in school and I still love it. I am also currently a substitute teacher in the Mobile Catholic School System. I really enjoy teaching and working with children of all ages. I want to enter the field of education as a Social Science/History Teacher. I figure I can combine two things I really enjoy, like teaching children and history, and have a pretty successful and rewarding career. It is important to me that people spend their lives doing something they truly have a passion for; and that is what I plan to do.