Project #13

Smart Board Project

What do you Geeks think about using google doc as a method of non face-to-face-communication for our Smart Board project?  Let me know what you think.

Cynthia

POST # 7 The Networked Student

Something that is new!! A student being taught through connectivism (information management), in other words through connections with social networks and ties. The student, possibly as young as middle school, is guided with the aid of a developed Personal Learning Network.
The PC
The student uses his computer to: 1) search websites on the assigned subject; Googles and reads articles that are related 2) searches for blogs and comments; uses a reader tube subscribed to himself so as to keep up with the reply's and comments, 3) Lastly, creates his own blog to share and receive information.
The MP3
The student actively searches 1)podcasts, lectures, and documentaries on the assigned subject 2) makes a personal connection with various authors and subject matter experts in order that they may do a virtual visit with others in the class.
The teacher
The teacher helps the student to 1) build the necessary network 2) provides guidance when the student has a problem 3) teaches the student to communicate properly with the subject matter experts, and 4) differentiate good information from propaganda.

My thoughts
In my opinion, this method of learning is not fitting for every student. What about the kinesthetic learner or the student who learns best with boundaries? This method may work for some but, I believe, the majority of our students need structure, for now anyway.
This could very well be the way of the future but it has to be developed slowly and even take many years before it is a reality.

Why would you need a teacher?
You wouldn't. The duties described in the video are not that of a teacher but that of a facilitator. If a student could actually learn under these conditions, there would be no need for a teacher. In fact, the student is actually teaching himself under tutorship. In that case, the student should be paid a salary for teaching himself... much more than the salary of his tutor.

C4T#1

I found The article by Mr Socol very interesting and reassuring of my own personal observations int he classroom. His philosophy that effective teaching only happens when a student is actively learning. Our children are bored with the traditional methods of teaching,for example,
lectures and power points and are quite unresponsive. The evidence are in the test results as stated. Our society is changing, beginning with our children and the way they are choose to learn.
I personally don't think they are fighting the teachers and don't want to learn,but their brains are operating on different wave lengths. If the teachers can't beat them, they must join them. This is a battle that teachers can't afford to lose. My question is, where is the funding for the training and technology going to come from. All school systems aren't able to make the adjustments.

There Are No Shortcuts/GIT

chapters 3 and 4 review of "There Are No Shortcuts"

Post # 6 Randy Pausch's Last lecture

Randy Pausch

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Randy Pausch delivered this lecture titled"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" on Sept 18, 2007. Randy, a seemingly healthy and vibrant cancer survivor, spoke on an unrelated topic, despite his having only six months left to live due to an untimely recurrence of pancreatic cancer. His topics were about his childhood dreams, how to enable the dreams of others and lastly, lessons learned.

As a child Randy had dreams ranging from being at zero gravity, playing in the NFL to meeting Captain Kirk. He spoke of encouraging others to live out their dreams. One great collaborated idea between himself and a artist named Don Marinelli called " The Dream Fulfillment Factory".
During the lecture he kept his audiences' attention by doing pushups and parading all of the stuffed animals he had won on stage. On April 9, 2008, the ABC network aired an hour long Diane Sawyer lecture on Pausch entitled The Last Lecture: A Love Story For Your Life.

Sadly,this brilliant researcher/teacher is no longer with us. His battle with cancer finally came to a conclusion. Randy left us with the inspiration and motivational lectures which were his ultimate gift on how to achieve ones dreams in life. His brilliance and enthusiasm for life will remain on earth for a long time to come. How ironic, a man who has been given a sentence of death in six months, gave us the gift to living a fulfilled life. Thank-you, Mr Pausch and may God bless your family.