Podcasts

This last week in class we had the great opportunity to learn what a podcast is and how to create one. I'm quite shocked at how simple it is. I guess I've over-rated technology. That or else I'm significantly smarter than I thought I was! ;) Podcasts are what you find on youtube, itunes, or anywhere else where you can click in, click to listen.watch, and click out. They are easily accessible and extremely convenient.

So what does this mean to me? Well it definitely means I have other options when presenting class rules, class assignments, class procedures, and anything else for that matter. I can throw a podcast together, add some fun music, and tah-dah! I have a fun way to mix up the routine a little. I can also post this on my website allowing students who have missed class to keep up with new information.


I have come to learn - and am still learning - how convenient technology makes life for students with sicknesses, family issues, or who simply learn differently. It allows them the opportunity to keep up with their peers and/or review information multiple times without delaying those who are ready to move forward. It really is an empowering tool.

I am really coming to love and appreciate this class. It is opening my eyes and helping me to think of fun, out-of-the-ordinary ways of presenting materials and communicating with my students and their families.

A Vision of Students Today

A Vision of Students Today

Click on the link above.

UEN AND BACK AGAIN

I just finished the uen homework assignment and I'm about ready to check out 'til Wednesday. It has been a long day. I can't imagine what past students felt considering this specific assignment used to be three times the size! Oh. My. I honestly don't know where to start. I am overwhelmed by uen. I think it's a great source - no! - an incredible source for teachers, parents, and students. 

I think uen is a great tool for any sort of analyzing, critiquing, and reviewing of material. There are great videos available too - one of which I posted on my website. I loved clicking through the many videos, audio files, journals, lesson plans/rubrics, and the parent/student centers. Wow. There is so much available! However, the part that tires me is how un-user friendly the site is. I know you mentioned that in class. I had no idea how right on you were. At times I found myself confused and lost. How in the world did I get here?? 

One of my favorite sources is the interactive page. It's great! I plan on, depending on the schools budget, having a few computers for my beginning choir/theory classes to use. I hope to post quite a few of those interactive activities on my web page with the requirement the students participate in all activities. It makes learning fun and enjoyable. It also gives the students the opportunity to evaluate themselves and measure their growth.

I struggled with the lesson plans page because there was one lesson plan posted for my subject (music). The lesson plan was for elementary level classes and I am a secondary ed teacher in training. However, I found some of the ideas helpful. I just wish there were more lesson plans posted. I'd love to see what lessons have really worked for music teachers out there. I plan to post some of my successful lesson plans in the future. I think it's a great way to support one another, especially since the arts are some of the most under appreciated, ignored, and dropped classes in "the business". The lesson plan module will also help me mix things up when I (or others) get stuck in a rut. 

The Core Curriculum was impressive as well. I like having the standards posted where they're easily accessible. It's very convenient. I found it quite thorough too. I also appreciated how they had different levels of the core curriculum posted (choir I, choir II, choir III, guitar, band, etc). Very helpful as I may teach more than just choir. 

The Pioneer Library was fabulous. I plan on posting a link on my future class website for research projects. It's so wonderful having safe, updated journals, articles, podcasts, and more right there. It makes the idea of researching feel a little more undaunting. There's a variety of information there and lots of it. It's great. Again, it's quite overwhelming for me as I am quite simple minded.

By far my favorite thing about the uen website was the student center and the parent center. There's so much going on in the world today. So much violence, ugliness, deceit, distrust, and insecurity. Students and parents alike are struggling to stay on top of "life". I love how uen provides advise, tips, games, educational websites, and ideas for those looking for them. I am grateful those who created and currently update the website find it valuable to include those in higher education, rather than sticking to k-12. Many college students, parents of college students, and professors have needs, struggles, homework, and questions needing answers as well. This is a great tool professionally as well as personally.  

Pay Attention

Week 3: Technology in the Classroom

This reminds me of a recent facebook post my cousin shared just last Thursday, September 8th. I have copied and pasted her post for your enjoyment:

 

"So Tray is in 1st grade and his math homework is all done ONLINE and he doesn't even get a math book, it's online too. What the hell? I am not okay with this!"

My cousin is in for a treat, I think. :) 

In class this last week we learned how to set up classroom websites. I'm really excited too! I know I say that every week, but I really am! My husband is a teacher, so I've been showing him what we've been doing. I'm persuading him to set one up for his classes. So far he's impressed and seriously considering it. Yay!

There's so much one can do with a website. It makes class activities, events, expectations, announcements, and homework assignments available at the click of a mouse. The website completely eliminates the excuse of, "I didn't know" or "I didn't hear you say..." because it puts the responsibility of one's education into their own hands. Having a website full of information also allows parents to know what's going on in their child's classroom. There's no need to guess or question or worry. All the information they could ever want/need (possibly more) is at their finger tips. Literally.

I am definitely planning on creating a thorough and detailed class website and blog. I think it will help the students feel more in control (or out of control if they refuse to use it) and help parents feel more apart of their child's education. It will offer the community the chance to support their local school as performances and events are posted. I also plan to utilize one of the other great inventions...the digital camera. I plan to have the classroom secretary take pictures at events and performances to post on the blog and website. I think this will help students feel more apart of a group as they see themselves and their friends online through pictures. 

This will also allow parents and students to stay up with the class if there are family emergencies, family vacations, sicknesses, or other issues that arise during a school year. All they have to do is check the website for topics discussed, homework assigned, etc. They'll be able to download/print assignments and handouts and submit them via email or drop them off each morning. There are so many possibilities! And if the parents are like my cousin, and prefer to meet face-to-face, they can schedule an appointment through the website to do so. This way they get what they feel is important (face-to-face time) and I am able to utilize my knowledge and time as efficiently as possible (rather than emailing or playing phone tag to get an appointment scheduled).

This is really a great tool for everyone involved. Even better, we're saving trees and money by utilizing the blessings of technology. 

With the wonderful conveniences offered through having a class website/blog, using cellphones, iPods, etc. I can't help but think of some of the potential problems which may arise as well. One of my biggest concerns is that we are turning ourselves into breathing computers. I am concerned our society will lose the ability to be social, to have conversations using our mouths not just our fingers because we rely so heavily on text messaging, emailing, skyping, etc. We're slowly losing face-to-face contact. Are video games the future playground for our children?! I hope not.

I am also worried about students being side-tracked with their phones, iPods, computers during class time. I, as a teacher, will not be able to monitor what students are looking at, listening too, and participating in. 

This is why I feel it is important to balance technology with socializing. Group assignments, presentations, and other things allow students to really take advantage of technology without losing the ability to connect as a human, one with another.

I AM WHAT I LEARN- Rene H

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." (Emerson)

More than anything this video clip reconfirmed the importance of moving forward, of taking action, of making the most of yourself.

I feel educators are the bridge that connects people with their dreams. Education doesn't guarantee dreams will come true, but it definitely gets the dreamer closer. Education is the best insurance policy. It is something which can't be taken from you. It is a foundation for those who have been dealt instability, hardship, and lack of opportunity. By making the decision to change their lives, not allowing their situations to determine where they'll go, they have already started walking the path of opportunity. Educators have a great responsibility to support, acknowledge, help, and to a certain degree, inspire. It is one of the greatest, most needed professions in the world. It takes my breath away when I think about the income teachers make.

This last week in class we went over "everything Google". To say I'm overwhelmed and slightly confused is an understatement. I had no idea Google was so...vast. I felt like I was being taken somewhere I didn't know existed.

With that in mind, I learned a lot. More than I anticipated. But I also feel I didn't retain as much as I could have because it was so new to me. I am excited to really get a good feel for Google. I think it will really help with my ideal classroom set-up. For example, the calendar is great! I've already started thinking about different events I could post (choir tour, concerts, sectionals, mandatory performances, due dates, etc). I'm also excited about the forms and spreadsheets. Wow! Where do I start with those?!? I can take role, create financial reports (choir tour, classroom fees, etc), create seating charts, and so much more! This has started my heart pumping because I live off of being organized. I feel like Google is honestly going to help me feel organized, like I can keep track of the classroom without going crazy!

I'm also excited about the power-point set up. I think this will benefit me and my students when I go over theory items. Rather than writing on the board I put a fun presentation together, full of pictures, links to online videos, facts, and helpful hints on how to remember what's being taught. I could also save the power-point and make it accessible for my students to print off or review. I am one who learns through repetition, so reviewing and repeating help me significantly. Not only will information be available for review, the information will be presented in different ways. Those who learn visually will have the lesson presented visually. Those who learn audibly will have the lesson presented audibly, etc.

What Google offers is incredibly innovative and efficient. It's tremendous!! Even though my teaching career is a good year to a year-and-a-half away, I can't help but get excited about it!

Dalton Sherman

Week 1: An Ideal Classroom

I am one of those who does, in fact, have an ideal classroom. It is a classroom of emotional and physical safety. It is a classroom where students aren't afraid to ask questions or give the wrong answers. After all, that's what learning consists of; questions and answers. Most of the time, in the beginning, the answers given will be wrong, as they should be. The new material being presented is building upon material already known. The students must learn the new material before answers will be correct. I want my students to know and feel that it's okay to be right - and it's okay to be wrong. As stated before, this is what learning consists of. With that said, I do hope to have an certain understanding in the classroom - expectations are high and work will be required. This is because of my belief in each student's potential, which will be known as well.


I hope to really get a good foundational understanding of opportunities available through the use of technology. My Core is Music. There are many things I hope to apply. I would love to have a class blog as well as a network (of classroom helpers, parents, and volunteers) where announcements will be made, information posted, and a calendar of events will be available. I also hope to include a page where parents can submit questions and concerns confidentially. I feel people are so busy with life, it's hard to take care of misunderstandings and concerns when they're small. People, and I include myself in this, wait until the misunderstanding/concern become a mountainous problem before addressing the situation...all the while hoping it'll just go away. I feel, through the use of technology, some of these future issues could be resolved with the click of a button.