Verbal Response

Digital Storytelling

This first one, the voice thread was perhaps the easiest to tell a story about because I was able to verbally say what I wanted to. I enjoyed showing the pictures and the features that allowed me to interact with the actual picture (the drawing tool). In a classroom, or outside of the classroom, this is helpful so I can illustrate what I'm specifically referring to and it would also allow students to add their own comments and thoughts to what was shown and what I said.



This form of story telling was technically easy because I just had to import pictures and pick some music. I'm not sure if it necessarily gets the story that I want across to others. Like we discussed in class, I think this way is very visually appealing and will be a good way to introduce a new unit, but I would not use this to convey every day material. I would not let my students really use this either because they have no role in its true creation.



I really enjoyed this form of story telling. To me it's like PowerPoint, but there are stickers and perhaps more artistic elements than your basic PowerPoint slide show. Although I did not include descriptions, this form of story telling allows pictures, videos, music and text so one could get various different media incorporated into this project. I did not really get to explore the program too much, but did enjoy working on the few slides that I did.

Growing Up Online

I read several of my classmates blogs including Emmanuel (http://emmanuelsciblog.blogspot.com/), Dustin (http://unoriginaloriginality-uiuc.blogspot.com/), and Kate (http://krutten2.wordpress.com/) and it seems like they have different ideas.

They all believe that technology is important in the classroom, but that it also presents problems. These problems are not limited to the educational environment either. Both Kate and Dustin touch on the issue involving Spark Notes and the laziness of students today, stating that students must do what they are asked to do. They should read the materials rather than rely on information that others provide them. In this way, the students can form their own opinions and the like. I agree with both of them. Spark Notes really does ruin literature. We may not always know what an author means, so for someone to interpret an author's words FOR you, takes some of the joy out of reading. Sure not everything a student reads will be easy to understand, but that does not mean that the teacher will not help the student out. The problem I have with the internet (as Dustin also mentions) is the fact that it allows people to take shortcuts. Not only are we not reading novels for school, but we write differently. We are not using formal language. Schools need to find a way to get students interested in reading, no matter what.

As far as safety on the internet, Kate and Emmanuel had two different ideas. Kate believes that kids, for the most part, know how to keep themselves safe, whereas Emmanuel recognizes the job of society to somehow prevent harm that the internet can cause. In my opinion, many kids do recognize where danger is, but there are still those who see the internet as a way to reinvent themselves and so they may do riskier things. As the age of internet users goes down over the years, we may have newer problems to confront due to the mentality of the younger kids. I do think the internet is dangerous, but it will be impossible to control children and there is really no clear solution to the problem.

Paying Students to Stay in School...

This article may reward students for getting better grades, but it seems more about decreasing the dropout rate more than anything. I think students will work harder to get the money, especially if they do not have money in the first place, but it places a different value on Education. From the various pieces I read (and viewed) on the subject matter, many agree that this is a questionable move. One of the parts of the article from the Tribune that I found offensive was the remark about how students in the city should be exposed to the same incentives that middle-class families have. Personally I was never paid for getting good grades and neither were many of my friends. It seems kind of ridiculous to generalize that statement to include everyone.

Furthermore, I understand that the incentive is appealing to many students who do not have much money, but by giving the students cash (at least half) right away it's not teaching them to save. There are schools that are instituting similar monetary incentives, but the students will only get the money if they enroll in a college/university. I could agree with the program if it encouraged further education, but just making sure that students stick through high school is pointless. Putting money into a college fund is more beneficial because the student will be able to explore other possibilities not offered in high school and will ultimately have a better paying job once having been through college. However, if we give the students half the money upfront...WHAT are they spending that money on?

Regardless, as a future educator, I do not like the idea of paying students for grades. What is frightening is that many schools have implemented variations of the Chicago idea, but no one really knows what the long term effects on students are. Rather than really learning, the students will resort to simple memorization (as that seems that that is all that is required in schools these days thanks to scantron tests) and will therefore not benefit from the program. The schools are not focusing on improving their student's educational environment, but improving the grades of the school in GENERAL. They are working on improving the academic image of the school instead of working on the fundamental problems of these schools. Why don't we focus on getting newer and better materials for these classrooms? Can we reopen failed schools that closed and are now affecting the education of others because classrooms are too crowded?

I have included several articles and a video discussing the topic at hand for further information.

Earn an A? Here's $50.

Des Moines school will pay schools to learn

Debate About Paying Students for Grades Shows Our Desire for Children to Succeed

Classy, Tacky, or Stupid?: Paying students for grades

Is Paying Students for Good Grades a Good Idea?

Capital Gains Program Promises Cash For DC Students

Students and Technology (Response)

After reading several of my classmates responses (Pat, Chris, Dustin, and Dennis) it is clear that although technological use in the classroom is unavoidable, there is more to teaching than technology.

Pat ended his post with the statement, "Learning starts in a classroom on the first day with a blackboard, a teacher, and students...." He and the other bloggers were offended by their supposed inability to be a remarkable teacher without technology. I personally think the internet is an invaluable source as it allows for a greater access in information, but in some ways, it lets the students off easy. Why read a book when I can go to sparknotes.com and read the summary? Dennis was correct in saying that computers don't solve the problems that WE have created for yourselves and perpetuated. Computers make life easier, true, but where is the motivation to learn?

I agree with many of the thoughts of Group B. Technology should not be used to the extreme so that students forget the fundamentals of learning. As Dustin pointed out, we, as teachers, are there to teach content. We must build the foundation of ideas and learning so that students can adapt their understanding with information they discover in the future. If we are merely teaching our students to be the same and have the same skills, not only are we doing a disservice to the students themselves, but also to the community. As a future history teacher, I want the students to know the the importance of their past and why history is something they do NEED to know. Technology can help me show them how we are now able to describe ancient civilizations more readily through various online texts and images, but actual books are important. Technology has its limits and we cannot put all of our eggs into one basket, so to speak.

Killing Creativity?

Mr. Robinson is convinced that education, rather than promote ideas of individuality and interests, is breeding simple minded individuals. Educators are stuck in the rigid educational system that prioritizes subjects regardless of student strength and interests. To remedy this problem, Robinson recommends that educators and schools place less emphasis on what is "right." He correctly pinpoints the fear of students as failing. Students, instead of looking at problems differently, are so focused on getting the right answers that they are too afraid to take a risk. This, of course, does not just apply to classrooms, I think, but many other aspects of the student's life. Perhaps more importantly, is how these ideas translate into the future workplace.

Robinson says that one of the biggest challenges facing educators is teaching students for a future we are unsure of. There is no way to know what technologies are going to be relevant, but we must facilitate curiosity and innovation is students in order to prepare them for the future.

I think that Robinson's message is very important for future educators to take into consideration. We, too, are faced with a rigid curriculum that we must develop in our own ways to mean something to students. Technology helps us and our students access more information, but it also enables us to show students how technology can be used. As future History teachers, we have the ability to delve into students' creativity. History is based on interpretations of evidence, which allows for creativity and various viewpoints. Students must think critically, but history can be showcased in various forms. I know I will keep Robinson's views as I prepare to be a teacher.

Technology in the classroom...

I think given a choice between using technology or not, most teachers would somehow incorporate it into their instruction. Many teachers recognize the wonderful resources available to students as far as historical documents and even through film. I think that teachers should be encouraged to use technology, but there may be some problems the minute educators feel forced to incorporate something into their teaching. Technology is a great instructional aide, which allows teachers to show pictures or paintings from a specific time period as well as artifacts that would help students better understand the material. So, ultimately instructors should be encouraged to use technology, but they should not be punished for not incorporating it into every lesson.

Welcome

Hi everyone! My name is Kathryn and I'm a junior in the Social Studies education program. I'm from Arlington Heights, IL, a northwestern suburb of Chicago. Although there is not much to do, I love all of the opportunities available for me there. I enjoy reading, writing, music, and watching sports (unfortunately I'm not too great actually playing most of them).

I came to the University of Illinois for education because of the beautiful campus and from what previous teachers have told me about the program. I'm here because I had such a great experience tutoring and mentoring peers/kids in high school and I love history. My goal, as a teacher, is to help make history fun for my students and to have them see its importance in their lives. Even though I'm in secondary education, I also hope to keep up with research and possibly even publish a book!

I look forward to all of the education classes and what they offer.

-Kathryn