Monday, February 23, 2009
CHECK YOUR POSTS!!!
For anyone trying to view my blog! Just this morning I realized my posts had not posted to my blog for the past 2 weeks. If any of you write your blogs in Word make sure that you check that they posted correctly. My apology to anyone who tried to view my blog and got a blank page.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
My first thought of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture was "Wow, this man is dying and he is being so positive about his life." I have a lot of respect for him getting on stage and giving a lecture about his childhood dreams because I know if i was dying and having to talk about all the things I wanted I know I would be crying and be sad. He seemed like he had come to terms with the fact he was dying and he wanted to make the best of the time he had left.
This lecture was most definitely the best last lecture. The fact that we all have childhood dreams is important because its something that we all have. We all have dreams of what we want to do with our lives. We may not have as many as Randy Pausch but we all have some sort of dream. I enjoyed the way he set up his presentation by informing us of all his dreams and then explaining each one and how he has accomplished them.
Randy talks about Motivation. He says that motivation is important to following your dreams because you can not let anything drag you down. He says to not give up and not to get discouraged. I like what he said about "brick walls". He says that Brick walls are important because they come in the way to make sure that if you really want something you will work hard for it. He says that they keep out the "other people". The "other people" referring to people who don't want to work extremely hard for what they want, or people who do not really want something.
One of Randy's dreams was to be in the NFL. He loved football and he says that football is not just a game but it teaches life lessons. It teaches people teamwork and perseverance. I also enjoyed listening about his dreams of becoming an imagineer for Disney and they offered him a job, and all the things he has done for Virtual Reality is amazing. Randy Pausch has accomplished so much in his life and he has had a great influence on his students and colleagues as well. He is a positive role model for many people in many different ways. I have learned a lot listening to him and hope that I can have a positive effect on my students lives.
This lecture was most definitely the best last lecture. The fact that we all have childhood dreams is important because its something that we all have. We all have dreams of what we want to do with our lives. We may not have as many as Randy Pausch but we all have some sort of dream. I enjoyed the way he set up his presentation by informing us of all his dreams and then explaining each one and how he has accomplished them.
Randy talks about Motivation. He says that motivation is important to following your dreams because you can not let anything drag you down. He says to not give up and not to get discouraged. I like what he said about "brick walls". He says that Brick walls are important because they come in the way to make sure that if you really want something you will work hard for it. He says that they keep out the "other people". The "other people" referring to people who don't want to work extremely hard for what they want, or people who do not really want something.
One of Randy's dreams was to be in the NFL. He loved football and he says that football is not just a game but it teaches life lessons. It teaches people teamwork and perseverance. I also enjoyed listening about his dreams of becoming an imagineer for Disney and they offered him a job, and all the things he has done for Virtual Reality is amazing. Randy Pausch has accomplished so much in his life and he has had a great influence on his students and colleagues as well. He is a positive role model for many people in many different ways. I have learned a lot listening to him and hope that I can have a positive effect on my students lives.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Karl Fisch "The Best of 2007" blog review
May 2007
Karl Fisch's post is about customer service. He posts a video where you here this guy making a call to HP customer service and he ends up getting hung up on. I have worked in customer service as does Karl Fisch. I can relate to the way Karl feels. I would never hang up on anyone but I understand how you want to get your job done and you would rather "half ass" it than not get it done at all. Karl talks about being a tech and helping people with their tech problems but not having the time to teach them how to fix it themselves. I can relate to that. But I think that when it comes to customer service we should not assume that the representative is going to be rude but assume they are going to be nice and helpful. In my experience with customer service I would have to say that m phone company has never let me down. They are always polite, professional and very helpful.
I think that it takes a strong person to admit fault. Face it! No one likes to be "wrong"! Karl admits to needing change when it comes to his "customer service". He also explains that he needs to do this because of his firm belief in having all teachers and students technologically literate. Before I finished reading the blog the first thing I thought was that Karl Fisch is a hypocrite saying that teachers need to learn stuff but hes not willing to help them. But he has admitted fault for that.
Karl Fisch's post is about customer service. He posts a video where you here this guy making a call to HP customer service and he ends up getting hung up on. I have worked in customer service as does Karl Fisch. I can relate to the way Karl feels. I would never hang up on anyone but I understand how you want to get your job done and you would rather "half ass" it than not get it done at all. Karl talks about being a tech and helping people with their tech problems but not having the time to teach them how to fix it themselves. I can relate to that. But I think that when it comes to customer service we should not assume that the representative is going to be rude but assume they are going to be nice and helpful. In my experience with customer service I would have to say that m phone company has never let me down. They are always polite, professional and very helpful.
I think that it takes a strong person to admit fault. Face it! No one likes to be "wrong"! Karl admits to needing change when it comes to his "customer service". He also explains that he needs to do this because of his firm belief in having all teachers and students technologically literate. Before I finished reading the blog the first thing I thought was that Karl Fisch is a hypocrite saying that teachers need to learn stuff but hes not willing to help them. But he has admitted fault for that.
Last Semester's Podcasts Reviewed
The first Podcast I listened to was the 24th Podcast. Carrie, Autumn, and John interviewed Professor Dr. John Strange about his blog. "A Cultural Revolution". I thought that the students had well formatted questions, however, practice would have helped them significantly. I do not know whether they had a script, but if not they should have. They all repeatedly said, "um" and stumbled over their words.
I liked that they had some humor in their podcast. I enjoy listening to podcasts that are informative but also have a bit of humor. The students asked Dr. Strange what a "pippin" was. He had to look back at the article because the article was written back in 1995. This was humorous to me. Overall, I learned that a script and practice is helpful for podcasts.
The second podcast i listened to was the 20th Podcast. Brandy,Amanda,and Daniel talked about Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. I think they did a good job informing the audience about Randy Pausch, however, I think the group should have talked about the facts before doing the podcast. There was one part of the podcast where one of the hosts did not know the facts. I think that has taught me the importance of not mentioning something unless I am completely sure of the facts.
Their overall presence was very nice a few parts of the podcast was not very professional. For example, their was slang used and it had an effect on the tone of the blog. I think that for this group they should have had a script. I know that my partner and i will have notes that we can go by to stay on topic.
I liked that they had some humor in their podcast. I enjoy listening to podcasts that are informative but also have a bit of humor. The students asked Dr. Strange what a "pippin" was. He had to look back at the article because the article was written back in 1995. This was humorous to me. Overall, I learned that a script and practice is helpful for podcasts.
The second podcast i listened to was the 20th Podcast. Brandy,Amanda,and Daniel talked about Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. I think they did a good job informing the audience about Randy Pausch, however, I think the group should have talked about the facts before doing the podcast. There was one part of the podcast where one of the hosts did not know the facts. I think that has taught me the importance of not mentioning something unless I am completely sure of the facts.
Their overall presence was very nice a few parts of the podcast was not very professional. For example, their was slang used and it had an effect on the tone of the blog. I think that for this group they should have had a script. I know that my partner and i will have notes that we can go by to stay on topic.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Karl Fisch's Blog- my response
I have to say that I agree with Karl Fisch. He made, in my opinion, very good points about why it is not good to be technologically illiterate. In today's society, technology is thriving. The students that we have today have been accustomed to being around technology and because of that, so should the teachers. How does it make the teacher look if a student knows more technology than the teacher?
I like the comparison Fisch made about teachers admitting they were technologically illiterate would be like a teacher saying they could not read or write. Yes, it is extreme but our world IS changing whether people like it or not. Computers are in every school and students as young as elementary grades are being taught how to use them. Parents are teaching their children how to use computers at a very early age. I believe that it is extremely important for ALL teachers to become familiar with computers and technology today.
When Fisch talks about how other staff members ask him questions, he says that he "becomes depressed". In my opinion, I find this to be very negative. I can understand that it may agitate him that other staff members may not have the education in technology, however, atleast they are trying to learn. By asking questions that means they want to gain knowledge about technology. If I were in Fisch's position I would definitely have a much more positive outlook on the situation at hand.
Reading through the last few paragraphs of the blog, Fisch makes a good point about how illitearate people back in the day could get good jobs. Today, is very different. Businesses will not hire people unless they have atleast a high school diploma and in order to get a great paying job you must have atleast a B.A. In the future one can assume that technology is going to be prevalant in all jobs. When Fisch explained this, I completely understood why he is so passionate about technology. Our world is changing and Technology IS the future.
I like the comparison Fisch made about teachers admitting they were technologically illiterate would be like a teacher saying they could not read or write. Yes, it is extreme but our world IS changing whether people like it or not. Computers are in every school and students as young as elementary grades are being taught how to use them. Parents are teaching their children how to use computers at a very early age. I believe that it is extremely important for ALL teachers to become familiar with computers and technology today.
When Fisch talks about how other staff members ask him questions, he says that he "becomes depressed". In my opinion, I find this to be very negative. I can understand that it may agitate him that other staff members may not have the education in technology, however, atleast they are trying to learn. By asking questions that means they want to gain knowledge about technology. If I were in Fisch's position I would definitely have a much more positive outlook on the situation at hand.
Reading through the last few paragraphs of the blog, Fisch makes a good point about how illitearate people back in the day could get good jobs. Today, is very different. Businesses will not hire people unless they have atleast a high school diploma and in order to get a great paying job you must have atleast a B.A. In the future one can assume that technology is going to be prevalant in all jobs. When Fisch explained this, I completely understood why he is so passionate about technology. Our world is changing and Technology IS the future.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Podcasts
The first Podcast I listened to was a SMARTBoard Lesson. The hosts of the show are, Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger. Their podcast is from Canada. The episode that I listened to was Episode 128: "Learning from Other Professions". They were recording the show at the "Fork" in Winnipeg. The "Fork" is where the Assiniboine River and the Red River join. The reason that they decided to record at this location is because the rivers are joining and the purpose of the episode was to determine how principles of business and other non education information can be used in a classroom setting. I tried listening to atleast 5 different episodes of the SMARTBoard Podcats and I honestly did not retain any information. These podcatsts reminded me of goofy radio show hosts talking about their personal lives on air.
The second podcast I listened to was Dan Schmidt from KidCast.The podcast was just Dan speaking and delivering information. The episode was about Podcasting & Fieldtrips and how we can reinvent the field trip with todays technology. After listening to the first podcast I was very disappointed but after carefully listening to Dan Schmidt I retained much information from his podcast. He started the podcast talking about fieldtrips and the excitement of going on a fieldtrip. This brought back memories of the fieldtrips I had went on when I was in school. Dan was making a point that it is important that the students know this isnt just a time where they get out of the classroom but that it is significant. The purpose of field trips is to learn by experience and sight. It is important to gain information from actually being there in the museum or wherever you are. Dan said that it is important that the students have questions written prior to actually going on the field trip. He said that reflection can help the students to retain the information. Recording can be helpful as well. This podcast was extremely insightful.
The episode of EdTech that I listened to was about Mass Notifications in schools. The host talked about the different types of ways of mass notification. The host then introduced people to go into detail about the technology that goes into the different types of mass notification. This podcast was more serious than the other podcats I listened to.
MacBreak Weekly was more like a radio show like SMARTBoard was. There was the humor and different people speaking about tecnology. The episode I listened to was about the iphone and its potential. They relayed a lot of information while laughing and incooperating laughs for the audience. The last podcast I listened to was This Week in Photography. Similar to the last podcast I listened to this one was a group of men talking about photography and the way they photograph. They compared stories. They even talked about the different lenses they used. Even though this podcast was not my favorite it reminded me of my late father. He really enjoyed photography and would have loved this podcast and the technology of photography today.
The second podcast I listened to was Dan Schmidt from KidCast.The podcast was just Dan speaking and delivering information. The episode was about Podcasting & Fieldtrips and how we can reinvent the field trip with todays technology. After listening to the first podcast I was very disappointed but after carefully listening to Dan Schmidt I retained much information from his podcast. He started the podcast talking about fieldtrips and the excitement of going on a fieldtrip. This brought back memories of the fieldtrips I had went on when I was in school. Dan was making a point that it is important that the students know this isnt just a time where they get out of the classroom but that it is significant. The purpose of field trips is to learn by experience and sight. It is important to gain information from actually being there in the museum or wherever you are. Dan said that it is important that the students have questions written prior to actually going on the field trip. He said that reflection can help the students to retain the information. Recording can be helpful as well. This podcast was extremely insightful.
The episode of EdTech that I listened to was about Mass Notifications in schools. The host talked about the different types of ways of mass notification. The host then introduced people to go into detail about the technology that goes into the different types of mass notification. This podcast was more serious than the other podcats I listened to.
MacBreak Weekly was more like a radio show like SMARTBoard was. There was the humor and different people speaking about tecnology. The episode I listened to was about the iphone and its potential. They relayed a lot of information while laughing and incooperating laughs for the audience. The last podcast I listened to was This Week in Photography. Similar to the last podcast I listened to this one was a group of men talking about photography and the way they photograph. They compared stories. They even talked about the different lenses they used. Even though this podcast was not my favorite it reminded me of my late father. He really enjoyed photography and would have loved this podcast and the technology of photography today.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
International K-12 Schools that Blog
In Dunedin, New Zealand there is a school right by the beach. This school is called Tomahawk. The students there are young children. They are only 24 children in the school. By looking at their blog I learned that at the school they truly care about the environment. All their posts had to do with recycling as well as eating healthy. The first post I read explained how they enjoyed making monsters out of "rubbish" from the classroom.The picture at the top of the page is a picture of the children making their monsters. They also had a post about how they made an edible garden. They mixed compost and soil in pots and then potted the plants. They planted rainbow silver beets, pansies, thyme, rosemary, and lettuce. They also made a worm farm and planned to use the fertilizer from their worm farm on the plants. This seemed very interesting that they care so much about the environment. I personally think that its great that the teachers are doing this blog to inform the public about all the good they are doing with these children.The second school blog that I came across is another school in New Zealand. Its called the Bucklands Beach Intermediate School. The blog that I found is done by 10 and 11 year olds. Their blog is about The Diary of Anne Frank. Two girls in the class wrote letters to Anne Frank about what their life is like today. While reading these letters it was amazing to me that childhood innocence is very prevalent in the world. These girls are so sweet. One of the girls who wrote a letter in response to Anne Frank's diary said that her three cats wold keep her (Anne) company.I thought it was very kind of that child to write that. On their blog you can also hear their podcast of the two girls who wrote letters.
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