DB Forum 1

Video Resource: A Vision of Student's Today

Michael Wesch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o 

 This video listed above is an old video that I watched several years ago. One of the best parts of the video was the use of slides held by different students combining their present status with the story they were telling about the future of integrated and visual e-learning that had started to come about. Tis was contrasted well with statistics to prove heir point about what interested students most and how technology was taking over the student's learning processes. The message is still on target today and even more so in the future. Integration of technology into the classroom and into individualized study is fast becoming the future of advancing education techniques. From measuring learning digitally, to use of Open Resources, to Blended Learning techniques, and to the teaching of and acceptance of digital literacy a new addition to the 4R's, we see now talk and planning for flipped classrooms, digital badging, completely online no cost education, wearable technology, Adaptive Learning Techniques (ALT), 3-D printing used in Makepiece  creativity, and STEAM and blended learning. NMC Horizon report (2015). The worldwide wearables market in the world will, alone, be responsible for tremendous economic and educational activity. Couple that with BYOC, and we can see incredible changes in technology use in education, industry, and world trade. With the advent of more digital badging and embedded recording of a students accomplishments , we can envision a change from the classroom to individualized and group learning and from instructor led to student led and challenged. The arts integration in STEAM will allow teams of artful, creative students to learn in a much more integrated and creative way.

Connected learners will be even more connected as technology brings this about. Social programs alone allow social activity as well as knowledge explosion. My only concerns are for the future. We could be without technitions to keep training and helping with problems. As this generation retires we have not educated teachers and tech persons to take their place. We need more practical teacher education before entering a classroom. I can't see all tech being learned together as a whole. Specialists will have to develop and be trained. Equipment will have to be maintained. Teachers will have to integrate their teaching more with tech devices that are ready to be used for the good education. Connected learners will need to have these teachers to be available for helping students to grasp the possibilities.
There are many problems associated with technology integration in the classroom. The first is teacher education in programs and their usage. I am taking this course for that very reason, as I did not grow-up with computers in hand and want all my orphan students to be adept in ICT usage. One of the real problems is keyboarding which should be taught to every student stating in third grade. Coding can begin in that grade also.The growing availability of live white boards is also a concern of mine. I would love to effectively learn to teach integrating one in my classroom.

Many teachers think it takes too much time to integrate technology. I, too thought that until two years ago. I find now that once I have learned the program and integration make it easier to present pedagogy and thinking/creative skills with students.

The lack of funds sometimes is a problem I see in many schools, especially smaller ones that combine many teacher's abilities. In order to improve our usage we need to spend the time, funds and energy needed to acquire the skills needed. 

In order to correct many problems, teachers need to actively collaborate, help, and learn from each other. Principals and leaders need to actively help teachers plan curriculum that incorporates ICT into the school system. This starts with school wide communication systems for teachers, administration, and parents.

Programs need to be developed that coordinate services and talents.Comprehensive plans need to be drawn for integrating services, programming, resources, comprehensiveness, policies, procedures, careers, development, and ethics into ICT in the classroom and school districts.

Teacher and resource lack is a major problem as we see many teachers holding on to their lifetime teaching methods. Education itself must continually reteach. I am a good example of a 74 year-old teacher wanting to learn new techniques to better serve my students. Knowledge is vain without the wisdom to use it practically as we strive to become what was ordained for us by from the beginning of the world. As a missionary, I see vast areas of Africa opening up to know Christ as we integrate technology to its fullest in schools and communities. I see the use of small pads and phones as a means of education in every school childs'  hands even in Africa . We are exploding in the use of WEB 2 and 3. Information literacy is now as  important as reading, speaking and writing literacy to the economic success of our students' futures. Thorsen (2009) from Carr (1998) Learning 

Teaching and learning processes are open wide to us as we learn the tools that can be used. Software is a means to bring what I call "realia'' to our students in a way never known before.

References:

Carr, J. (1998). Information literacy and teacher education. ERIC (ED4242331)

NMC Horizen Report. (2015). K-12, Higher education edition. obtained from:

        http://www.nmc.org/publication/nmc-horizon-report-2015-k-12-edition/

         http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-HE-EN.pdf

Thorsen, C. (2009). Tech tactics. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Reply Quote

Research Proposal Blog EDUC 639

EDUC629 Blog 4

God Tube is fine to use as are all Christian created technology programs. I think that Christians should be able to use most securely developed programs and teach with them using a Christian world view doing all things according to the work of the Holt Spirit that works a good work within us. If a program is blatantly sinful and used as spreading sin in the world I think we should avoid that. U-Tube and other programs have been useful to teach us new devices but also has many worldly and sinful uses. I think most programs can be used and will possibly be picked up as a witness to the world. The world is not going out to look for Christian programs. Our first business is to be witnesses and disciples of Christ. We are not judges of other people but we should avoid evil. Without Christian influence in the secular world the whole world would be Lost. Course design should always take into account the christian World view if we are to be those witnesses.Our road map to the future involves many paths but all have to result in purity and righteousness.

References

 Ryrie Study Bible(1978).! Thesselonians 5:22, Ephesians 5:16, Matthew 5:11 Psalms 37:27, 91:10    Chicago:Moody Bible Institute

Soloman, G., Allen, N. & Resta, P. (2009). Toward Didital Equity: Bridging the divide in education. Boston: Allyn      and Bacon.

Report on Wiki Experience

Up to this course I had never worked on a Wiki program. I have to admit I would not appreciate another Wiki experience. Comparing it to Google Docs or other sharing collaboration programs, I would rate it last. I did investigate another program which I believe works much better. Mistakes and formatting are almost impossible on Wiki. Bringing other sources into the program were also difficult. Our team ended up using google docs and other programs in google for our collaboration. I have an opinion that many of these wiki programs are ten years old in technology use.
      Our first use was to get ideas for what we would search and investigate. Nothing seemed to work well. In the middle time, we used more google docs, emails and group talking apps than we did the Wiki.
      In the end we transferred documents to Wiki and had a very difficult time with especially formatting references and getting graphics to stay where we put them. We also were unable to use some film and audio programs in the Wiki. Our document is now there, but I would never use that Wiki again.
I would tend to say Wiki did not improve my education or outlook to good use of technology in the classroom. We had to use many other programs to overcome the lack of ovrlap and integration we thought was available on Wiki. This Wiki would not transfer well to other programs or apps.