Blog Post 2

Mr.Dancealot

During this video, Mr. Dancealot is attempting to teach his students the basic steps of different dances. The goal is that by the end the students are able to perform the dances that were taught in class. Mr. Dancealot, however, does not do a good job of demonstrating what is necessary. Throughout the lectures, Mr. Dancealot spends majority of his time reading directly from his power points. When he is not reading, he is showing the footwork behind a desk so no one is able to see his movements. At the conclusion of the lectures, he requires the students to partner up and perform each dance that was taught. I dislike how Mr. Dancealot handled his class. Because he is teaching dance, each lecture should have included class participation. The students should have attempted the footwork while Mr. Dancealot was demonstrating them. Then at the end, they would have known each dance and performed well on the final.

Teaching in the 21st Century

Roberts believes that teaching in the 21st century will require more than simply explaining what is in the textbooks. He believes educators must step outside their comfort zone in order to fulfill every aspect of the students' needs. Roberts proved this by showing how popular technology is becoming. He explained that teachers are no longer the original source of information; students can now go on the internet and find anything they want. Roberts went on to explain how educators can incorporate the advancement of technology in their lectures and assignments. This way students can become more engaged in their learning. I feel that Roberts' views are correct. Technology is changing every day and with that change is growth. The children today are learning how to work devices at such an early age that I believe incorporating media would help increase both their desire to learn and how much they are learning. If his views are correct, this will affect my teaching slightly. It will force me to become a more well rounded educator, in the terms of pencil and paper versus technology. I also believe it will help provide more hands on activities for my students. I think I can help my students be more individualized with the help of technology. People have more confidence on the internet and I think this will enable my students to reach their highest potential slightly quicker than with pencil and paper.

The Networked Student

This video demonstrated the responsibilities of a student in the 21st century. The video showed that connectivism is the new way to learn. The student in the video was able to truly understand his subject and network with people all over the world. His teacher was no longer used as the primary source of information but as a resource to his education. When I was watching this video I immediately thought about EDM 310. I believe that is the objective of this class. By the end of the semester, we will have learned so much about technology and have introduced ourselves to many new people across the world. This is the beginning of learning in the 21st century.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

This video discusses changing the perspective of learning. It justifies how learning does not have to be the teacher explaining and the student using pencil and paper. It shows that technology can be involved and the students, in fact, can be the ones teaching. I think this mindset is very similar to Roberts' in the sense that technology is the way to engage students rather than entertain them. I somewhat agree with Davis' perspective. Learning no longer has to be black and white, but it is the teachers responsibility to add color to the lesson. I think students will enjoy the more hands on experiences and be grateful for the networks in their future. However, I am still a strong believer in face to face interactions and the students having the ability to ask questions when necessary. I believe if we take the benefits of technology to far, we will in fact hinder our students from learning. I believe technology was meant to be an additive not a replacement.

Flipping the Classroom

The concept of flipping a classroom is somewhat new to me. I have not heard of this type of teaching for students at the younger age levels. I think we have adjusted the idea with some hybrid classes in college. However, I very much dislike and completely disagree with this style of teaching. Who is to say the students will actually watch the videos? Who will help them if they do not understand the concepts? I believe we are beginning to take advantage of technology to the point of trying to cease the need of teachers all together. Teachers are essential to students especially at the elementary level, and I do not think putting a lesson in a video would benefit them in any way. I understand the need to engage the students rather than entertain them but the teachers need to be the ones engaging, not the internet. The internet should only be used as a resource to help the students learn but it should in no way be used as a tool to replace instruction that the teacher can offer.