Blog Post #2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version Revised Sept 2012 (3:41)

Technology has and will always contribute to the changing of the world. Educators will never be able to predict how the world will be once a student has graduated and is prepared to enter the job force. I graduated high school in 2000. It is fair to say that most of the teachers I had would never have guessed that online courses could exist.

The video poses the question, “What is your role … [i]n preparing your students to use technologies that do not yet exist?” While I believe the theory is complex, the answer is simple. Technology is always changing; however, the basics reading, writing, and arithmetic are still a crucial part of everyday life. Educators need to realize that technology has impacted the “basics.” Today a calculator is comparable with a pencil and paper in the world of math. Technology wise, a modern math tool is a spreadsheet formula. Mail was replaced by email, and now we have programs like Google Docs. The basics today are not the same as they were just a few years ago.

Educators are not merely just teaching a subject, but also teaching a student to be successful in the world. Today, a lack of technological experience is detrimental in the job search phase. There is no possible way to anticipate where the world will be in 2022, but educators should stay up to date on the common technological trends and incorporate them in the classroom. Educators should allow their students the opportunity to explore technology so that the student can continue to develop.



Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman (2:51)

This intriguing video points out, somewhat comically, that technology has advanced in every aspect of life while schools are falling behind. Perhaps the reason is for finical reasons. With our nation's debt steadily increasing, there is little room for states to receive more funding for educational purposes. This results in the inability to fund technology inside the classroom. However, most students have access to tablets, computers, and other devices that allow for internet service, in which an unlimited amount of technologically aided activities can be reached. I recently took a class on teaching writing. In the class, we briefly discussed technology and writing. The class pointed out that one of the key factors in our schools falling behind in technology is that educators are not up to date on technology. Regardless of the technology a student has access to, if the teacher is not willing to utilize technological means because he or she is not comfortable with his or her own technological knowledge, then the technology schools have funded will continue to sit and collect dust as the video suggests.



Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity (19:21)

In the video, Robinsion states that “creativity now is as important in education as literacy.” I completely agree, and it seems to me that inside the English classroom the two complement one another.

The English classroom provides students with an opportunity to utilize their creative side. Projects can range from writing stories, poems, and speeches to drawing illustrations, acting, and even interpretive dance. One issue with creativity inside the classroom is the difficulty a teacher faces when grading a student’s creativity. Should the teacher set a rubric or simply go by a pass or fail guideline? Asking a ninth grader to write creatively and returning the project covered in red ink sends the wrong message to the student.

I feel that placing a large emphasis on linguistic rules can take away from creativity. I often times find myself rewording sentences or leaving out an interjection because I am concerned that my professor may not appreciate the style, even though it is grammatically correct. From my own experience, I can admit that I have changed my writing style to meet the standards of a “dry cut” professor. Funny thing is, the professor encouraged me to think outside of the box. It seems to be an epidemic inside the classroom. On day one, the instructor encourages students to join in discussion, think creatively, and assert themselves. On day two, students' opinions are shot down. Later in the week, assignment one is returned with suggestions of how to meet the professor’s standards. Often times, this means the student needs to readjust his or her writing style.

One of my favorite assignments during my college experience so far was writing about the rhetoric of my home. This assignment was for a 400 level English course; therefore, adhering to linguistic rules was not an option but a necessity. Although the assignment called for meeting specific rhetorical analysis standards, I was allowed to play around with style. My paper was quite personal and full of emotion. I enjoyed combining both playfulness and melancholy. As I wrote, I could hear the lines being read in a tone that exhibited emotion, and this inspired me. This was my second course with the same instructor, and I earned “A’s” on all of his assignments. But on this paper, he wrote, “Perhaps your best yet.” Exhilarating.

I want to offer my students the same opportunity. Inside my classroom, I hope to promote a balance which both encourages creativity and supports linguistic rules, while allowing my students to explore their style. I want to guide them in developing it and not allow it to be diminished by rules. The professor I referred to above once told me, “Once you know the rules, you can break them.”

One way of achieving my goal is by utilizing technology and having my students create a blog online. A blog allows students to express themselves and receive feedback worldwide. A blog activity would allow my students to discover their style while also discovering how the world as we know it is continuously changing.



Pinterest for Educators:

Pinterest is a helpful tool both inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to cleaning, organizing, workout, and recipe tips, Pinterest offers useful educational material for teachers, students, and parents. As a parent, I have searched Pinterest for activities and ideas to help my boys with math and reading. For a high school setting, one of Pinterest’s most useful resources is the vast amount of technology related pins. For Pinterest to be beneficial, the key is to be selective when choosing boards to follow or pins to repin. When visiting the link to a pin, check the source for credibility. Also one should keep in mind that boards and pins can become overwhelming, and “okay” ideas may end up spamming out “great” ideas. I chose to follow Shelly Terrell’s Digital Storytelling board. The board contains pins including story prompts, journal activities, and other idea generating activities. Though a lot of the pins are aimed at lower grades, I believe I can adapt them and use them in a high school setting. I am also following the Edudemic’s board titled The Teacher Spot. The Teacher Spot board offers a variety of classroom related pins. There are several pins pertaining to the use of social media and tablets inside the classroom. The board also offers a few teacher and technology related eCards for a quick stress reliever while searching for the perfect resources to enhance the classroom.

One way to use Pinterest in the classroom is to have students select a pinned activity to present to the class. In my English classroom, I could provide students with a guideline of finding a pin that has directions to complete an activity. The students could then write an evaluation of their project and the directions that were provided. In this case, I would provide my students with the opportunity to utilize technology and give them the freedom to choose a creative activity while enhancing their writing and evaluation skills.