Video in the Classroom Introduction

This was a very creative video and I thought that the style of teaching was very interesting. It also seemed to be very effective.

Learning about Podcasts

Listening to these Podcasts definitely helped me to understand how they were made. I found them interesting and some of them were very entertaining and funny. I watched all the Podcasts listed and decided to share what I was enlightened with on four of them below.

MacBreak Weekly

Watching episode 55 of Macbreak weekly “When Your Ready to Compromise Call Me”, was very informative. This podcast began with a couple of advertisements and then the hosts came in and introduced the show as being about all things Mac. They covered all the things that are new or are coming out soon under Mac.The host for this podcast was Alex Lindsey, and this particular segment was more conversational then anything else. They inform the listeners about different new technologies coming out and share their own stories about what they think after using some of them. This was informational and helpful because the two men hosting talk back and forth and the listeners are able to form an opinion while listening to their conversation. This one also didn’t get boring because they were able to make it funny in the process.

KidCast Podcast

The KidCast podcast was very entertaining to me. I sensed that this one was probably more scripted than the other ones and was very fun. Unlike some of the other ones, this one had a lot of different sounds and music to entertain kids in the classrooms. Keeping kids interested in the material seemed to be the main focus and this was done by having various stories and jokes told. I definitely got a sense of how this podcast was done and that it was specifically designed to keep the interest of kids.

This Week in Photography

While listening to this podcast I really got a sense of how they were produced. While watching episode number 104 in “This Week in Photography”, the host was able to speak to a woman who lived in Utah and a couple people who were in the studio. He was really funny and kept the listener wanting more, he also advertised a couple things such as audiblepodcast.com and some different camera accessories. The lady from Utah was also able to tell listeners what she preferred while using her camera. This talk show is very helpful to people interested in photography and kept listeners interested the whole time. I think it was definitely a fun podcast and I would say it was unscripted.

What I learned about the SmartBoard Lessons Podcast

In episode number 11 of SMART Board Lessons, the host was really upbeat and the vibe of the conversational was very laid back. This podcast was more conversational and was easy listening. Year end school stuff was the topic of this particular podcast, and I think that this one engaged the listeners a little more than the others. He and his co-host were able to entertain listeners with stories about their personal experiences before they started the actual episode. They also were able to talk about links that help people with math. These math movies incorporated helpful modules to helps kids keep their interest in math at young ages. This podcast was very helpful and thorough in getting listeners started and motivated with this idea.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I think Mrs. Davis' teaching methods are exactly what our public school systems need. The fact that most of today's jobs require people to be "technologically literate" is reason to adopt the methods of teaching presented in this video. The student's in Mrs. Davis' class work individually but also they collaborate and help each other inside and outside the classroom. By using language that the students don't already know, she if forcing them to look up the words on Google which is like an updated in-depth dictionary and a very good idea.

This kind of training is necessary because it is inevitable. The old fashion pen and paper way of teaching and learning can be used, but is usually not nearly as helpful or beneficial to anyone, not even the student. I do not agree that making students memorize facts and definitions and repeating them is helpful in any way. I understand that my choice to major in education in today's world will mean that I will have to be a constant learner so that I can keep up!

My Thoughts on Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

This movie was very interesting to me especially because I plan on becoming a teacher. He makes a good point about the unpredictability of our future generation. I agree that creativity is just as important as literacy in the classroom and he makes a good point that in today's society it is being severely limited. I agree, as I am reminded, that kids are not afraid to be wrong and likes when he states that, "If you're not prepared to be wrong then you will never come up with anything original". I agree that by the time kids become adults they are scared to be wrong and this limits their creativity severely.

The blame can easily be put on the educational system as more and more children are being "educated out of creativity". I encourage and believe that we need to incorporate more creativity in the classroom and give more freedom to student so that they may explore their creative potentials. As the rapid development of new technology is emerging it is more important than ever that our youth be able to keep up. That being said, creativity and originality are are key things to remember and focus on in the classroom.

My Reaction to Mr. Winkle Wakes

The video on Mr. Winkle Wakes was funny to me and I think it really stressed the point that children in this day and age need the reality of the outside world incorporated into the classroom. If we are not constant learners, than I predict that most of us will fall behind when it comes to doing things technologically in the future. This can makes our lives and careers more stressful. The idea behind technology to me is to make our lives easier. I think it's a privilege that such technology advances are available to us and that we would be crazy not to utilize these resources.

Keeping up with new technology and being open to learn constantly can really make a difference in a person's future and there really is no telling where such advances could take us! In today's work place technology is everywhere and if someone is in school preparing to fill these future positions than it is obvious that the school systems should soon become more "technologically literate". This can make a huge difference in many lives and many careers. Everyone, in my opinion, should be open to learn about these advances so that they do not fall behind.

My Reaction to Did You Know? 3.0

Watching Did You Know 3.0 was extremely interesting to me. I had no idea that the majority of the facts given were true. Most of the numbers and percentages absolutely shocked me. It is certainly interesting how times have changed. It is also a little frightening because it is hard to imagine what else could possibly be invented in the future. A machine that can compute information faster and more effectively than the human brain by the year 2013 is remarkable!

I find it very interesting and also odd that the number of incoming and outgoing text messages exceeds the population of our planet! Being only 20 is a little frightening because there is absolutely no telling what is to come as far as technology advances are concerned. Even at the end of the video it is interesting that we are able to estimate how many babies were being born in the United States and China in the 5 minutes and 16 seconds that the video was playing.

A Little About Me!

Hello everyone, my name is Jessica Parker and I am a Junior here at South Alabama! I am a transfer student from Faulkner State and this is my first semester here at South. I am here to major in Secondary English Education and plan to become a High School English teacher. My interests include playing tennis, hanging out with my roommates, cooking, going to concerts, and spoiling my dog!

welcome!

welcome to my blog everyone!