Blog Post 5

Dr.Mcleod

I found out that Scott McLeod is a very important person when it comes to education. When I was reading his "About Me" section on his blog, I found him to be a very interesting person. It said that "he was the founding director of CASTLE," which is "the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators." A lot of information can be found at his blog. His post, "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?" was interesting. It really pointed out that yes, there are bad things that can be found on the internet and that technology is not always used for good, but it is very beneficial! I found myself enjoying it, and was very glad we had to read it and comment on it.

Travis Allen Videos

I thought Travis Allen made excellent points in his videos. He started out so young making an impact on the education system. His iSchool is a wonderful idea. To be able to have everything that goes into school at your fingertips is a fantastic thing. He showed a power point presentation about what the benefits are for using the iSchool. The main thing was money. If people invested into the iSchool, it would cost around 150$. It would save students at least 600$. This is incredible!

Using the iSchool would also save the school money. This is very important, especially in today's economic situation. We need to learn ways to save money and still teach effectively. Using technology is a great way to gain the interest of students as well. Our generation needs some form of entertainment to keep us interested. We do not do well when we just have to sit and listen. When we get to use technology, our attention is so much better. I believe usin technology in the classroom is essential for kids today. This was an awesome video and really opened my eyes to the possibilities.


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

I actually have seen this video before. I remember it blowing my mind. It still amazes me that the people never met, and yet they are all singing together. This just shows how powerful the internet can be. If you would like to see the video you can click on the title to get there.

Teaching in the 21st Century

Watching 21st Century Students was really a video that made me think of hohw important it is that I start mastering the skills of the technology that is out NOW! If I get even more behind than what I already am, I will not be able to teach to the best of my abilities. As a young person going into the field of education, I have to realize things are different than from how I learned growing up.

I think it is essential now-a-days that people are knowledgeable about the different kinds of technology out there. I think this is especially important for teachers. If teachers are using technology in the classroom, this means the students are getting to learn about it. I think the video is a good thing for future teachers to watch and think about. I think that our generation of teachers will use technology in the classroom more than any other generation before, and technology will keep increasing in the classroom.

Reading Rockets

While exploring Reading Rocket's Website I clicked on Reading Guides under comprehension. The reason I chose to look at this one a little more closely, was because I feel as if I struggled in reading comprehension throughout school. It was never my strong subject. Because of this, I have never enjoyed reading that much. While looking at the suggestions for reading guides, I found them to be helpful. If a child is struggling, I can use the suggestions that the website offered.

The next thing I looked at was First Year Teacher information. I clicked on that because hopefully in a couple years, I will be a first year teacher. It gave very good information for people who have never taught before. This website is very useful. It has so much information and can be very helpful for teachers. If I was struggling to come up with something to help a student, this website would be a perfect place to go to help me become a better teacher.