Blog Assignment #6

This video, The Networked Student, is about Connectivism, a theory that presumes learning occurs as a part of a social network of many diverse connections. The student in the example is studying American Psychology, but the methods presented would work for any topic. Primarily, the video is about a student who takes responsibility for his own learning and seeks out information on the internet. The network he builds around his learning consists of websites with good info, connecting with other self-learners, and links to colleges and professors in many different locations. The people in his network post links to sites that they found to be beneficial in their quest for knowledge, and he shares links to things he has found. He uses many different tools to find and share knowledge, including blogs, podcasts, and wikis to name a few, using computers, iPods, and other technological devices.

The teacher's role in the learning process is as a guide and organizer. The teacher gives assistance in learning how to use technology, how to search for information, and how to form his network. She also helps him organize information. This was an interesting video showing how a self-learner, with the use of technology, can gain and share knowledge with others by networking.

This is an interesting video of the future of education. To me, this appears to be what is happening on college campuses all over the world; it may be happening in elementary and secondary schools in some places, but this form of education has not migrated to southern Alabama, at least not in a big way. I think it would be a great way to learn if the student had the motivation and the technology, so hopefully it will find its way into our schools soon.



A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment

This was another interesting video of a student using technology to learn. She operates in an independent learning mode where her class is almost entirely on computer. She has all the files and programs she uses arranged on one page on her computer. She uses technical terminology, some of which I'm familiar with, such as blog and scype, and other terms that I don't know, such as glogster.

This child is far ahead of anything I've seen in a middle school classroom. I think the concept is great, and if all education could be like this, our children would achieve far more than what they are reaching now. I'm sorry, but this scenario is so far removed from what is actually happening in Mobile, AL, I have trouble grasping it all. As for my Personal Learning Network, I am just beginning to learn how to use some of the tools and methods this 12 year old is so comfortable with. I'm trying to get there, and when I do then perhaps I can pass it on to the students in our schools.


Cons & Pros of the Smartboard

The articles by Michael Staton and Bill Ferriter were enjoyable and, I think, very spot on. I,ve seen the Smartboards in the classrooms, but don't really know how to use them. I've seen them used to show videos and to project a page on a laptop onto the board, but I haven't seen or heard of any interactive uses and as Mr Ferriter mentions, that's about all most teachers can or will do with them, and it may not be all the teacher's fault. The teachers will get a few hours of Smartboard training and pumping up, but probably never really see how they can help that much in the classroom. Mr Ferriter, Mr Slaton, and Mr Kevin Mclaughlin all talk about how much money is spent on these devices, and all feel like it is a waste of money. Mr McLaughlin says for the same money as one Smartboard 13 iPod touchscreen devices can be purchased. I feel like Mr Slaton has the best points: 1) Smartboards are an administrative copout. All the education people in the planning and dreaming departments want to spend as much money as they can get so maybe they can get more money next year. The administrators put up the smartboards so that they can say their schools are using technology in the classroom. 2) Smartboards don't change the model of education that is broken. Using the Smartboard as a projector is not exactly using technology in the classroom. The problems in the schools today are more related to boredom and relevancy and lack of parental involvement. I don't know if we can fix the parents, but we should be able to fix the other two.
In a blog called "How Smart is a Smartboard" an elementary school teacher is very high on smartboards. He talks about how he hears everyone bashing Smartboards and says he can't figure out why. He understands they are expensive but doesn't see them being a waste. He goes through the entire school day, logging times and how the Smartboards are being used. He uses the Smartboard for most of the day and feels it lets him be a better teacher and keeps the students more engaged than they were in years without it. Maybe it depends on the software that you have with the Smartboard, I don't know. I do know I have not seen it used in schools in the ways that he describes.
(Link: http://cwojtera.edublogs.org/2011/06/05/how-smart-is-a-smartboard/ )