Sunday, August 31, 2014

Teaching in the 21st Century Videos

http://www.wright-house.com/dance/ballroom-dance-lessons-tuesday-night-classes.html
I just watched the video Mr. Dancealot.  It was a silly video in which Professor Dancealot taught his students how to dance by lecture.  The students were confined to their seats and they were not allowed to talk to each other, standard in a lecture format.  The students had confused looks on their faces from the very beginning, how are they suppose to learn how to dance sitting down?! The author very quickly put a sticker on the video that read "Exciting pedagogy! He is reading the objectives of the course from a PowerPoint slide! Wow!!"  Obviously sarcastic, the author continues to show his distaste for the professor through the facial expressions of the students.  None of the students look to be enjoying themselves nor seem to be learning how to dance from printed instructions.  At one point, a student stands up and tries to copy the footsteps of Professor Dancealot and is immediately scolded.  The author does really well showing that lecture is not always the best way to teach.  And, in some cases, it is probably the worst way to teach.  Seriously, how is someone suppose to learn to dance sitting in a lecture hall? At the end of the video, Professor Dancealot put the students in a ballroom, set up a video camera, and expects them to know how to dance.  The students use their notes but of course none of them have learned how to dance from Professor Dancealot.  There is a Chinese proverb that says, "[t]ell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand."  If one does not put to practice what he is learning, chances are he is not really learning anything at all.

Another video I have watched recently is Teaching in the Twenty-First Century.  This was created by Kevin Roberts.  The video is more just a series of questions rather than an 'entertainment' video as the first. Entertaining as it is, it seriously questions the role of a teacher in today's society.  Roberts says that if all a teacher is good for is to tell the students facts, dates, formulas, and the like, then there is no real role of a teacher in the twenty-first century.  All of the facts and figures that students need to know are online.  They can find content and stories on Google, Twitter, blogs, Yahoo, the list goes on and on (and Roberts does go on and on).  If that is all a student needs to know, Roberts argues, then there is no need for a teacher in the twenty-first century.  Roberts, however, does not believe there is no need for teachers in the twenty-first century.  Teachers show the students how to find information, what to do with that information, and what information is worth paying attention to.  I remember being taught how to write research papers in high school and which resources were credible and which were not.  I also remember telling one of my teachers forcing me to do research on my own.  I actually told her she was not doing her job because she was not 'teaching' us and forcing us to do her work for us.  Boy, was I wrong.  Today, I am kicking myself because I feel guilty for being so mean to her when she taught me such an incredible skill of learning how to learn.  She actually reminds me a lot of Dr. Strange.  The role of a teacher goes far beyond that of shoving facts into children's heads.  It goes beyond memorization and getting past tests.  Roberts lays this all out there; it is not enough to just know facts and dates anymore, one must know what to do with all the information he is taking in.  And that is why teaching will continue to be important in the twenty-first century.

After watching The Networked Student, I am conflicted.  The beginning of the video almost makes me cringe.  At one point the video tells the audience that the student is getting his information from the web.  Blogs, more specifically.  Then it says that the student realizes that the blogs are not cold hard facts, but more opinions of others.  Good realization.  It is scary to think that students are learning to research from blogs and other sources that are not cold hard facts.  It never hurts to get someone's opinion about something, but that does seem a little farfetched for me.  Students are not learning cold hard facts?  They are learning by reading other peoples opinions?  Well, what the video finishes up with is why this hip, new, blog reading student needs is a teacher!  The networked student needs a teacher so that he knows when a source is opinion and when it is facts.  The student needs a teacher for leadership, to answer questions, to guide him in the right direction.  The thought of someone going on the internet and learning all there is to know just makes me so nervous!  Everything on the internet is not true and that is exactly why the networked student needs a teacher. 

The videos Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts by Vicki Davis and Who's Ahead of the Learning Race by Dr. Strange go hand in hand really.  The point of the first video is that all students are able to learn using technology whereas only certain students are able to learn using a paper and pencil method.  Using devices in the classroom will help students that cannot concentrate in a lecture setting, it also helps children learn to learn.  Another upside to technology in the classroom is that it connects the students with other kids all over the world.  Not only other kids, but teachers and other professionals and this helps the children be connected with all kinds of information.  This video and Dr. Strange's video go together because Dr. Strange compares how tech savvy the first graders in Baldwin County are to his undergraduate and graduate classes at South Alabama.  The children in the classrooms of Baldwin County are doing the same sort of media projects that Dr. Strange's students are working on as college students.  That is so wild.  The children probably even use the technology better than some of us in this EDM class.  It is exciting to see how the changing of teaching styles in the classroom will effect the education level of the United States as a whole.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

EDM 310 - Mixed Emotions

I just recently began my education courses at South Alabama.  Before this semester the only teaching class I had taken was Math for Elementary School Teachers, now I am enrolled in four education classes.  It has been an overwhelming first week, to say the least.  I have been chatting with other students in my classes to see what they think about the classes I am taking, as well as the classes they are taking.  The more I talk to other teaching students, the better I feel about my courses.  "Just be organized" - that's what they keep telling me.  I have one planner and just ordered another; I have a huge problem with procrastinating and doing all my work at the last minute.  I definitely plan on breaking that terrible habit this semester.  Another thing that students have been telling me, is how much this class will help me in the classroom when I get there.  It's so wild to think about how much technology will be in my future classroom, I am so thankful for this course even though it makes me a little nervous.  I am really excited to learn how to learn with Dr. Strange, but I do have a number of fears.  I think I am most nervous about the amount of time that I will have to dedicate to EDM 310.  I know how obvious it is for, not just Dr. Strange, but the whole world to see how much effort I am putting into this course.  My favorite tip from everything I have read about the class is "Stay Positive".  I have been trying to do this more and more lately.  It is too easy to feel overwhelmed and fall behind, but if I can just stay positive and push through the rough patches I'm sure I will begin forming good habits that will help in this class and just life in general. This class is just so different from every other class I have taken at USA.  Although, I did have a class in high school that was similar.  We had to keep a blog and everything we learned we had to research ourselves.  I remember really enjoying setting up blog posts and finding cute pictures and adding my own flare to the topics.  I actually didn't capitalize any of my words in this blog (but I did follow all of the other grammar rules) and my teacher told me that I needed to in order to not get points taken off.  But I sacrificed the points in order to "be me." I don't plan on being that stubborn in this class.  However, I do plan on asking questions, reading the manuals, being attentive, and learn to learn!
http://swytla.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/family-emergency/

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Practice Post

OUTLINE
A. Who am I?
     1. name - Ellen Dunn
     2. Places I've Lived - Athens, AL, Kingston, TN, Oak Ridge, TN, Knoxville, TN, Madison, AL, Huntsville, AL, and Mobile, AL.
     3. Family and School
B. Why do I want to be an educator?
     1. I have had many amazing educators in my family/life in general.
C. What does an educator do in his or her practice?
     1. Inspire
     2. Inform
     3. Instill a love of learning.
D. What are my Passions?
     1. Football - NFL and UT
     2. Nannying / Nephew time



Who am I?
     Hello! My name is Ellen Dunn and this is my EDM 310 Blog! I was born in Florence, Alabama, and grew up on the outskirts of Athens, a small city in north Alabama.  After sixth grade, my mom and I moved to Tennessee.  I had the opportunity to live in three beautiful cities in East Tennessee: Kingston, Oak Ridge, and Knoxville (Go Vols!).  After graduating eighth grade, I moved to Madison then to Huntsville, both in north Alabama.  I finally graduated high school and made the journey south to Mobile where I live in an apartment with my friend Kylie.
     I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to live in so many wonderful places, but it would not mean anything if I were not surrounded by such amazing people.  I come from a large family.  My dad has eight brothers and sisters and my mom is one of four, they themselves had five children together, of which, I am the youngest. And the only girl.  My family is incredibly supportive and when we all get together there is never a dull moment.  In addition to my awesome family, the schools I have attended made getting use to new cities less scary and more exciting.  Every school I left only made it that much more exciting to start at a new one.  They were all special to me and each one had at least one teacher that greatly impacted my life. Which brings me to....

Why do I want to be an educator?
     I have been to five schools since starting kindergarten in 1999.  My kindergarten teacher was wonderful! Is wonderful! Mrs. Hall has made such an impact on my life.  Her classroom was always so much fun! We read stories and sang songs to remember how to spell colors.  To this day I cannot spell purple without singing the little diddy (seriously, just did it). Mrs. Hall made me love being in the classroom.  Then, in first grade, my teacher - Mrs. Bridges, another amazing educator - let me be teacher for the day and ever since then I have wanted to be a teacher. I want to instill a love for learning in children and show them every day can be an adventure.

What does an educator do in his or her practice?
     An educator does much more than simply teach.  An educator learns.  He or she learns about the children. Learns what works and what doesn't and the strengths and weaknesses individually.  But an educator does not stop there.  An educator takes all they have learned about the children and they plan activities and exercises that will improve the children’s strength and weaknesses.  The educator plays a large role in children’s lives, especially in the twenty-first century.  Children spend eight hours a day in a classroom, they are learning to read, write, add, subtract, and all that, but the children are absorbing so much more than facts.  They are taking in everything, and most are crazy new experiences and educators get kids excited about learning as much as possible about these crazy new experiences. An educator inspires children. He or she keeps that twinkle in a kid’s eyes.

What are my passions?
     Well, as I briefly mentioned above, I am a Tennessee fan!  I love watching football, most of my mom’s family has been tailgating in Knoxville for as long as I can remember.  Every year I get more and more excited for football season to begin.  My love for football doesn’t stop with Volunteer football, I also watch NFL games.  I try to watch as many games as I can, but I root for the Broncos.  My television stays on ESPN during football season.
family does.
     In addition to football, other things I get excited about are traveling, walks, and animals.  As for travel, I have not been to a lot of places, mostly just in the South East, United States. However, I would really enjoy going to Europe, Australia, Canada to see the Northern Lights.  I also enjoy going for walks.  It is something I have always liked because I was able to walk to many places growing up.  I never pass up a chance to get out and go for a nice walk.  Soaking in the sunshine and fresh air is a hard feeling to beat.  I am also trying to get into running!  Lastly, I am an animal lover.  I love meeting new animals, pretty much any animal.  I would really like to get a very large breed dog when I do not live in an apartment and maybe a snake too!