TED Talks: Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity

Schools Kill Creativity

     I just watched a fascinating video delivered by a guy named Ken Robinson.  He used humor as a way to communicate his speech about how schools kill creativity.  The speech was very funny and at the same time very inspiring.  Accord to Ken Robinson, kids are not afraid to do things and to get things wrong in life.  It's the wrong things that kids do in life that inspires creativity and originality.  As kids grow up into adults, they lose that fear and become afraid to make mistakes and therefore lose the inspiration to be creative. 
     Adults often tell their children to not do anything with music, arts, and dancing because their is little or future in these fields.  Art programs and music programs are the first to be cut in public schools which result in children having less creative ways to express their thinking.  Ken also states that educators must start to educate the whole child with all subjects and just the ones that count on standardized tests.  As an educator, this video made me realize that the future of the world lies in the creativity of our youth and that schools need to get back to teaching creative ways in order to inspire children to be creative in their own ways.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Advantages and Disadvantages of Moodle Instruction

Advantages and Disadvantages of Moodle Instruction

     When it comes to using the Moodle program, I can see many advantages and many disadvantages to it.  This semester, I am doing many things for the first time in the Moodle program and I'm enjoying what the Moodle can provide for teachers and students.
     First, let me explain the many advantages of the Moodle program.  The first advantage that I see, is that the Moodle program will connect teachers and students to many different forms of technology.  What I mean by that is simple, the Moodle program will allow you to place just about any piece technology in your unit (word documents, blogs, forums, animation, links, online quizzes, etc). The more technology you put in your Moodle the better the Moodle becomes for teachers to teach the material and for students to learn the material.  Another advantage to the Moodle program is that you can access it anywhere in the world.  A student doesn't have to perform the tradition up out of their house and going to an actual school building.  A student can simply get up, go to their computer at home, and log into the Moodle site.  Its very convenient!
    Now for the disadvantages for the Moodle program.  The first disadvantage that I will talk about is how at times technology doesn't always work correctly.  For example, if the power goes out as it did in the last snow storm, then a student can't log into the Moodle or even turn the computer on.  So, sometimes technology can be a pain in the butt!  Another disadvantage is that the teacher is not in front of you to help you or answer your questions.  If my fourth graders need help in a lesson or have questions that they want to ask, then they simply put their hand up and I will call on them.  With the Moodle that's not that simple.  Questions have to be posted to the Moodle for your teacher to read and then respond back to you.  Simply put, with the Moodle there is no face-to-face interaction between the student and teacher.
     So there you have it, the positives and negatives of the Moodle program.  I guess the only way a person can make their mind about how they feel about the Moodle program is to enroll themselves in it, so get to class!!!!

Worries of Educatioal Technology

Worries of Educational Technology

    Anyone who knows me really well knows that I always fear the unknown, and with technology there can be a lot of unknowns.  At this moment, there are two things that I fear with educational technology; Adobe Flash, and creating my own Moodle.
    This is just part of my personality. Whenever I try something new I get nervous that I wont be able to do it or do it well. I guess that's just apart of life.  If everyone was good at everything they did then there would be no need for teachers in the world.  When it comes to flash, I tend to get confused about the different functions of the program (the buttons in the different panels), and when it comes to making things move in the time line.  However, there is hope.  I do feel a little more comfortable since started taking the flash course and I can only hope that the more I work on flash projects the better I become at the program.  Like the old saying goes, practice makes prefect.
   When it comes to the Moodle, I have learned a great deal about getting assignments off the Moodle, navigating the Moodle, and posting assignments to the Moodle.  Creating my own Moodle is something that worries me cause I have never done that before.  I have always done my teaching face to face and never done distance learning that requires a Moodle.  However, over the past couple weeks I have learned more about the features of the Moodle, and that if you're prepared, the Moodle is an easy thing to put together.  Again, the more involvement you have with technology, the better you become at it.  Working outside ones comfort zone can be a nerve racking thing.  The important thing to remember is to do your best and not fear the unknown.

Instructional Websites

Instructional Websites

    One thing that I have learned since I started teaching is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you want to teach something. The internet is a great source of information that can be used at any point in the day. A teacher has the ability to surf the web and find virtually any piece of information that they are looking for on any topic. One website that I use quite frequently in my teaching is You-Tube.
   Yesterday, I had to teach a lesson on whales simply because that is what the students are reading about for the week (the difference between baleen and toothed whales). I went on You Tube and discovered that they had an excellent five minute video about the differences between baleen and toothed whales. Since this was a video, the students were completely engaged in it, and learned a lot from the video. I then showed a video about the gray whales of La Laguna San Ignacio. By having the students see videos on the topic of whales, they were able to develop a deeper understanding of the content and I believe they developed a love for these animals. I have also used the You Tube website for supplemental instruction in my science classes.  The students are currently learning about space and its characteristics.  I went on You Tube to show the students the video of the meteorite that just landed in Russia. The students thought it was the coolest thing ever and they were then ready to start our science lesson on space. You Tube is great website to use for instructional purposes and i highly recommend it to anyone in the education field.
    Another website that I use frequently is math drills.com.  This website provides teachers with numerous math activities and worksheets on all topics of math.  I use this website to download worksheets that I give the students for homework as well as tests/quizzes. This websites provides me with more time during the day simply because I don't have to take time out of my day to develop my own math worksheets, and as most elementary teachers will say, extra time is hard to come by.
   Both of these websites are great for instruction at any grade level.  They provide teachers with excellent teaching materials as well as excellent supplemental lessons on many different topics.  The internet helps teachers to not have to reinvent everything they teach, and I'm grateful for that cause now I have more time to spend with my students.

    Best Experience with Educational Technology


     My best experience in educational technology came a few months ago in my EDT 501 class when I took an out dated textbook and modernized it using a Mac computer and software.  What transpired is this; I ended up taking the social studies textbook that my fourth graders use in class.  The book is extremely out dated with its content and graphics, and the copy right date is from 1989.  Using a Mac computer and a program called ibook author, I was able to add updated content and modern/real life graphics.  I was also able to add videos in the ibook which took the ibook to a whole new level. The videos were able to give my students a deeper understanding of the content and it provided as great a visual aid to explain the content in the ibook. The ibook was then transferred to my Ipad for students to use. 
     After the project was completed, I was able to use the ibook with a small group of my students in my class to test it.  As it turned out, the students loved using the Ipad, and even retained more information from it.  The next day I showed my project to my principal. He was so impressed with it that he arranged for the superintendent to come into my classroom an also view the ibook.  The superintendent was equally impressed and is now recommending for the board of education to start purchasing Mac computers for the districts computer labs. It was at this point that I realized the importance that technology plays in education, and how technology can improve the learning of all students.

Educational Resources

    Educational Resources

     I would have to say that my three best instructional resources are my student's textbooks, my smart board, and the three Ipads that my forth grade team shares.  First, let me talk about my student's textbooks.  Every subject that I teach has a textbook to go along with it.  For students in fourth grade, textbooks are a vital source of information and a great teaching tool.  Students can use a textbook in class or at home, independently or with a partner, and they can can be used for in class assignments or for homework.  Although old fashioned, textbooks still play an important part in education.
    Next,  I will discuss the important role my smart board plays in delivering my instruction.  The smart board is an educational tool that my students love to use because it not only brings the lesson to life, but it also adds interactivity to my lessons.  The interactivity of the smart board also helps my students to focus on the lesson at hand and gives my students a deep understanding of the material being taught to them.  I recently did a math lesson in multiplication where the students had to group objects together to demonstrate repeated addition then turn that algorithm into a multiplication sentence.  The smart board proved to be an excellent visual aid in this lesson and after the lesson, I gave the students a chance to go up to the smart board to perform their own multiplication sentences to share with the rest of the class. 
    The last resource that I use in my class are the three Ipads that the entire fourth grade team has to share.  Even though I can only use them for a short period of time, I use the Ipads as an instructional tool for both regular education students and for students that receive special education.  Ipads are perfect to use in a small group setting and they also provide interactivity that make the lessons fun for the students to learn and help keep their attention to the lesson.  Another aspect that I like about the Ipads is that I can download educational applications that help my students learn new concepts and ideas.  With this said, the future of teaching lies in the hands of technology.  The more technology teachers integrate into their lessons the better the students will understand the world around them and make meaningful connections. 

     Biggest Problem with Educational Technology

     Being a teacher in a public school system has given me new insight about the lack of funding for new educational technology in my school.  After the school day ends, my fourth grade students return home to a world in which they are surrounded by technology (Ipads, Ipods, laptops, video game systems, tablets, etc).  Yet, when they return to school the next day, my students are surrounded by a brick building with virtually no technological advance at all.
     I have been teaching for seven years and I hear the same story over an over again when it comes to educational technology....."there are no funds to buy anything".  This is evident because at the end of every school year at least two teachers end up losing their jobs because of budget cuts.  However, one has to wonder if budget cuts can be made in other places so that teachers can keep their jobs, and a way in which educational technology resources can be purchased.  Technology is too important in a school system, it gets students to open their minds to new concepts and it leads to creative/higher order thinking.  The world is moving at such a rapid pace because of technology and we cannot afford to fail our students by leaving them behind with just a piece of paper and a pencil to use.