Blog Assignment #3

#1 Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

A Vision of Students Today was a very good video. I like the beginning with the sentences written on different things in the class room to make you notice them. The survey’s that the students had done in this video had results that were very true. Most students have to deal with all the stuff that was presented in this video. For example, where it said they would pay so much money for books and never open them. That’s true for some, and it has happened to me as well.

The one thing that didn’t apply to me was the average of students in a class being 115. I’ve only had one class so far that was over 100 people, but besides that most of it applied. I wouldn’t really change anything about this video except maybe holding the camera on the student’s papers a little longer. That kind of went with the feel of the video though so maybe not. I do have to say I do like chalkboards though when you have an interesting teacher to bring what they write to life.

#2 "It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines

“It’s Not about the Technology” by Kelly Hines was a great blog! I am still processing everything and that’s good. I loved that she thinks 21st century teaching is not about the technology. I completely agree with her on that if teachers are creative and willing to learn as well they are doing justice for their students. A lot of teachers do misuse technology; they sit back and let technology teach things for them. Students still need that human connection to make things click. Maybe not all students but a lot of them do.

This was, again, a wonderful blog. I agree teachers should be willing to learn just as they are willing to teach. Hines did a great job with this topic. I hope that a lot of people read it , and get a little insight on how 21st century teachers should teach (in Kelly Hines opinion). She did have a list of core outcomes for students from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills which has published framework for learning for the 21st century, and if you have not read this you should!

#3 Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Karl Fisch’s blogs and videos always amaze me. He’s so one of a kind. I enjoyed this blog. He is right to ask the question is it okay to be a technology illiterate teacher. Even though he had a bad day when he first wrote part of this, he is still right. Teachers should at least have a basic knowledge of technology. If they don’t they are holding their students back from something that will be very valuable to them in the future. Considering the future is scary, but we have to put our fears aside of staying in the past/present and look toward the future.

I loved his quote “If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write”. This is daring but a great thing to think about. It certainly left me thinking, and I will probably carry this thought with me. I want to one day be a great teacher ,and for my students I hope to be able to teach them what they need to know to help them be successful in the years to come. If that means learning more about technology them I’m on it!

#4 Gary Hayes Social Media Count

The numbers on the media count were crazy! I was going to put one of the numbers and seconds on here that amazed me but the numbers changed so fast I couldn’t keep up! It’s crazy to think of the world and think that I’m sitting here doing this blog while there are all kinds of stuff happening. Like things being bought, sold, made, sent, or etc.

The world is a crazy place, and I know I keep referring to it all as crazy but it stuns me. With everything always changing and adding up I can’t imagine what the future holds. It will probably look like a lot more numbers than on the social media count right now! For me as a teacher , I’m not quite sure what this all will mean for me in the future. I know it means technology will be used a lot! This social media count really opened my eyes to what is going on, even right this very second!