Blog Assignment #2

Mr. Dancealot

This video is a great, albeit pretty corny, way to illustrate the importance of teaching rather than speaking. As teachers we must find a way to ensure our students learn the content, not just hear the words we speak. The author makes a clear case for this when he shows the students lost during instruction and the one student standing up to see his footwork. At the final exam it was obvious the students hadn't learned how to dance even though most of them had good notes. I very much agree with the concept of the video. Every point we, as teachers, try to get across to our students needs to done in all three mediums, auditory, visual, and kinetic. Every student will process information differently and we must ensure we give them the best chance to learn.

Teaching in the 21st Century

Dr. Kevin Roberts makes some excellent points about teaching in the 21st century. The big focus is on the amount of information available to students today. I remember having to have the librarian help me with the card catalog to find 3 books on the Alamo for my freshman research paper in high school. Today, I can pull out my smart phone and have thousands of sources at my disposal in the 2 seconds it takes Google to load them. Teachers used to have to be the source of information and the guide to the research. Today, as Dr. Roberts points out, teachers must filter what is good and bad information. I agree with Dr. Roberts' premise. The student today doesn't need a teacher for the same reasons I needed a teacher. As educators, we must adapt to the new process in which our students learn. Technology has given us amazing tools, now we must take advantage of them. We can bring our students together through social media and group chat/video tools that have never been available before. I think Dr. Roberts has the right line of thinking for our future educators.

The Networked Student

I think a student needs a teacher for the reason anyone in the workforce needs a boss: supervision and expertise. In many courses taken by the 21st century student, including this one, one's teacher is there to instruct unknown skills and supervise while the student explores the new content area about which he or she is learning. In certain matters, or subjects, the personalized attention of a subject-matter expert, or a professor, can be invaluable to the learning process. In others, guided learning a supervision is all that is required, providing the student does the appropriate leg work. If willing, today's students can teach themselves without the need for constant lecture and examination from a teacher.


Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Ms. Davis believes that you must empower your students to learn, not just teach them. She is very in favor of an interactive learning environment. I like the fact that she requires her students to be active participants in their own learning. She made the point that the students need to take the initiative to educate themselves on things that will be beneficial to the classroom process. I have always found classes to be much less formidable when I take the time and initiative to provide myself with extra knowledge to help with the material being taught.

Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?

The obvious, and correct answer, is the elementary students. They are learning the current technology with uncorrupted minds. There are no bad habits to unlearn, there are no old ways to forget, and there are only fun new toys to play with. The graduate and under-graduate students, like myself, have been doing things one way for a decade or more and are now inundated with a technological world that progresses at a speed in which the latest technology is old in six months time. I don't think technology will ever slow down, we will just need to learn how to keep up.






Flipping the Classroom

I've never heard the term "flipping the classroom," but I like the concept. I don't think the idea is very new, but like the new technological advancement added to it. I was many times told to "read ahead for tomorrow's lesson" or some variant. However, I do see that having a video of the actual lecture and the other online resources can be far more beneficial than simply reading ahead. I think this would be a great tool to utilize in my future classrooms.