Blog Assignment 3

For the classmates blog that I had, I gave advice publicly on her blog. The blog post was very enjoyable to read. I agreed with my classmate on most everything that she had to say and she was very clear in everything that she had to say. I noticed very few grammatical and spelling errors. I chose to give advice publicly because I feel that there is no shame in making mistakes. We are all learners and we will continue to be learners throughout the rest of our lives.

It's Not about the Technology by: Kelly Hines

I am going to start off by saying that I completely agree with what Kelly Hines has to say. It most certainly is not all about the technology. Technology can be very helpful when it comes to teaching and learning however, technology is not going to solve every one's problems. I love when she says that "teachers today must be perpetual learners who are invested in their professions". This statement is very true. Technology is changing every day and so are current trends. As teachers we must stay up to date with technology and trends so that we can teach our students successfully. Kelly Hines says that technology is useless without good teaching. I agree with that statement. Schools spend thousands of dollars on new "teaching tools" because they think it will help the teachers teach however, if the teacher is unsure of how to use the tool and has not been taught properly then the tool is useless. As teachers we must accept the new technology and be eager to learn about how to use new things.
Technology can be great until it is misused. Some teachers may think that they can not teach and that students cannot learn with out all of the new technology. They are wrong. As long as we (teachers) encourage students to be creative and we teach them problem solving skills and critical thinking skills with little to no technology, students will be prepared for the future.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I agree and disagree with what Karl Fisch has to say in this blog post. I agree and think that teachers should be technologically literate. Every class room in the school that I graduated from had a computer in it. If teachers do not know anything about technology, they would be lost. Technology has come a long way in the education system and it has many benefits. Technology can help students learn but, really it just makes it easier for teachers to lecture and teach. I agree with him when he says that we as teachers need to explore with our students and that we need to experience the tools that they'll be using in the 21st century. I think as  teachers we need to know what our students are doing so that we can better understand them.
Karl Fish states "If a teacher today is not technologically literate- and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more- it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write." I think that that is a bit extreme. I do not think that being technologically illiterate will hurt a teacher. Technology doesn't determine whether or not a teacher can teach. I think that technology can only benefit a teacher and their methods of teaching.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

After watching the Social Media Count I was in shock. It is mind blowing how much the numbers change. I feel that in my future, as a teacher, I will be using the Internet a lot. I think that standards are changing that blogging will become more common and that social networking will be used in education. I'm still not on board with the blogging and the social networking being used in the classroom but I suppose I will have to come around eventually. These numbers are changing so rapidly and these days people younger and younger are using technology.
I would not be surprised if in the near future every student had a lap top or sat a computer in all of their classrooms. Each day more and more people are starting "journeys" on the Internet with Facebook, twitter, Google +, and many others. I feel that one day these things will become standards for every student to have
and to use on a daily basis.

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

This video was a very interesting video and I very much enjoyed watching it. This video has opened my eyes and made me think about how much things have changed over the years.
One thing that stood out to me was when one of the students held up a piece of paper saying that her neighbor paid for the class but never comes to class. I have seen this in all of classes at The University of South Alabama. I think that teachers should reward those that come class. Obviously we are adults and must make the decision to come to class on our own. If students are rewarded with bonus points they then have an initiative to come to class and may be more motivated to come. I also think that when students bring laptops to class it can be a distraction. One student said that she brings her laptop to class but does not do school work. This too is a problem that occurs in the classrooms at South. Yes, laptops can benefit those who bring them to class and actually do school work but, when they are not used to do school work it is a huge distraction. Technology and the way students are being taught has changed a lot over the years and is going to keep changing in the future.