rgonzalez: General

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Blog #5

Practicing the Habits of Literacy
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

It seems to me that the important action today is for teachers to include in their professional practice the elements of contemporary literacy habit. They should not avoid, but rely far less on textbooks, online databases, and other packaged information sources, and far more on the real-world information landscape so that they can walk into their classrooms and say,

“Here’s how I found this information and this is why I think it is relevant and important. I mixed it with this information because when considered together, they indicate this. And I cooked it with this editing software to express it in this way and enhance its value.”

My Response:
David,
I agree with you, I believe that one of the most important aspects of teaching is to teach the students to be critical thinkers. If we only allow them to look for information in certain places then it is almost as if we are spoon-feeding it to them. But if we allow students to do their research where they please and be able to justify their actions then we are teaching them not to believe everything they read on the Internet. We look for all types of information on the Internet and if we do not teach them how to evaluate web sites. In today’s world where information can change everyday, wouldn’t it be better if the students could use the new information rather than something that was written one, five, or ten years ago.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Blog #4

http://wedderburn-college.blogspot.com/
Voki -creating a new you
The kids love it and I do too. One of the things that I do like about it is something really simple that looks a lot of fun. It also allows for students to create something that can go online without readily identifying them. But there is also the flexibility of the avatars to present the ideas of the students. One of the activities that I have asked the kids to do is to create a voki that talks about their passion. An activity that they already regularly do in class but here is a more powerful and exciting way to present it to others in their class and their parents.

My Response:
I think that creating a Voki is great. It allows the student to be creative in ways not usually possible in the classroom. I think that most students would be more open about themselves in creating a virtual person than having to talk about this in front of a classroom full of their peers. Especially at that age when many of the students are trying to fit in with the crowd. I know that if this had been around when I was at that grade level I would have been a lot more open and truthful in creating my Voki than if I had to talk about myself in front of the class. It allows the students to be creative and actually think about themselves without fear of what others might think.

Response is pending approval.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Blog #3

THIRD WORLD AMERICA

“But what was hovering just beyond these these conversations was the fact that a large percentage of the population that these educators serve are without Internet and a larger percentage who do have it, are still dialing in. Part of the problem is that the area is fairly economically depressed. Few natural resources, little industry, and it is simply on the way to the places that tourists and weekend sportsters go. The main income seems to come from serving travelers on Friday and Sunday.”

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

In reading your blog I cannot help but think of how many people do not even realize that this is going on. In this day and age where everything is possible and people from the United States are communicating with others in Europe or Asia it is hard to believe that everyone in the United States does not have that option. In this country that is supposed to be filled with opportunities people do not realize that these opportunities are so hard to obtain and almost never reach what many would consider to be the countryside. I live close to Chicago where almost everywhere you turn there is a free wi-fi connection. It seems like the area of Wisconsin that is mentioned in this blog has been forgotten. For the rest of the country that do not see it, then it does not exist. People forget about those who live in poverty in this country. That are trying to make a better life for themselves but because of the area they live in, poverty is the only thing they see. I think that people need to open their eyes and look further than the big cities and the tourist attractions to see what is really going on in this country. If this continues then those students living in those areas will continue to be at a disadvantage when the rest of the country is moving along with all the new technology

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Blog #2

Learning to be Myself

http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/

In other words, I don’t believe teachers should engage in self-censorship. If we do, then our students end up interacting with an automaton, an actor performing a role. Our schools, administrators, and classrooms cannot demand that the richness that makes us human be stripped down because the students are only fourteen, for example, and should not read about human rights abuses, or because time in class should be used only to study the curriculum.

My Response:
I completely agree, if the student can interact with the teacher as an individual and not only a person of authority it may open their minds more and allow them to have a better relationship with the student. Seeing the teacher as an actual person might make them more comfortable to ask questions and try new things. This not only lets you express yourself, but it also allows you to interact with the students in a way not possible in the classroom. While in class there is very little time for discussion of topics not related to class. By reading what you post it could open their eyes to current events they may not hear about otherwise.
I also think that by actually using it as your own blog and not just for the classroom shows the students that it is not just for homework but that they can use it to express themselves. If they can see it used for other reasons then they may continue to use it throughout their lives. I believe that blogging is a good way for students to be creative and to open their eyes to this new global world of technology.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Can Everything Really be Miscellaneous?

http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2007/08/can-everything-.html

While it may be true that some of what students learn in the class room may be miscellaneous, I do not think that one fact is more important than the other. The way I see it, it is kind of like one man's garbage is another man's treasure. It just depends what knowledge they need and what they will need to recall for their jobs later on in life. I do think that having at least a basic knowledge of history is very important but if you will never do anything with an electromagnetic spectrum then any knowledge of that will become miscellaneous trivia and will most likely be forgotten.

The fact that all of this information can easily be found in the internet I think is wonderful to have all that information at your fingertips. With all this information the students are no longer limited to the curriculum that has been chosen for them. Since the student is now the one looking for the information rather than just being told in a classroom what they need to know for a test gives the student a chance to learn more about something that interests them. The purpose of school and teachers is to show the students how to find the information they are looking for and to teach them how to decipher the information that they find. This way they can get both sides of every story and are able to make up their own minds of what they believe instead of just being told what to believe. With the internet at their fingertips hopefully students will not grow up thinking that Columbus discovered America and that they lived peacefully with the Native Americans.