I am curious after watching Mr. Sugata Mitra's presentation and talk about education, on how exactly it would work with eliminated education as we know it. He spoke about giving the main question and letting students use a computer to figure it out and could they figure it out if allowed to on their own. According to his presentation, YES! Mitra's presentation was called "Build a School in the Cloud" I have linked his New Castle University profile to his name for some background on Mr. Mitra and also the TED talk to the title.
The idea of students using the interent and computers as tools to learn on their own seems outlandish, but yet we as people not necessarily in school do it everyday. Learning how to do home projects on Youtube, or asking other questions on Facebook. Granted it may or may not be educational at all times but for the most part we are searching for an answer. Is this different then being asked a question by a teacher and then searching for an answer? Sounds the same to me, different levels of purpose and importance maybe but same idea. I see Mr. Mitra's ideas and a breakthrough to explain and prove that education today is outdated. I agree with some aspects but for the most part could't agree more. See actual evidence that shows children with no food let alone training on a computer can learn how to use it and what is actually on the screen. I as a student and now as an educator have heard and used these words. "It's not so bad if you just sit down and do it." My mother and father both used to say this to me about homework daily. I now say it to my students. This is what I hear when watching Sugata Mitra's video. I understand that technology has it dangers and can be scary at times, but lets be real for a second. Everyone freaked out about the Wright brothers flying. How many people have died or used aircraft to kill? More than you can count I know. So lets take scary and make it into useful and helpful. I urge you, like Sugata Mitra has, try it and see that it can be done and needs to be for us and our students to continue being successful.
A quote I use all the time and I have to thank NIKE for it. "Think Nike"......"Just Do It!"
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Week 3 How Computers Work!
I would like to give a very basic over view of how computers work. Listing some basic parts and their functions and also putting into easier terms for better understanding. First a little history to give a foundation.
Computers are still relatively young. According to "How PCs Work" by Jeff Tyson and Stephanie Crawford, PCs were first made PCs in the 1970s by a man named Ed Roberts. Ed Roberts created the Altair 8800 which started not only the trend of having a PC at home but an economic competition that is still raging on today. (On a side not PC stand for Personal Computer.) From the 1970s to now in present day the computer has come light years. With companies like Microsoft, Apple, Acer, Toshiba, HP (Hewlett-Packard), and oh so many more companies creating computers.
Hardware
Hardware is the actual physical parts of a computer or better yet the tools. The best way I find to compare and keep separated software and hardware is to think of the hardware store. Like tools Hardware allows you to work and use software. The most important parts to a computer are the processor and the mother board. The Processor processes the information running in the computer but also allows the other hard ware to work. The processor is actually connected to the mother board which all hardware one way or another are connected to the motherboard. Think of it this way, mother board is like our heart. Everything is run off our hearts and is some how connected to it. The processor is our brain. Sending messages to everything connected to it how and to actually function. The case is our skeleton which protects everything and acts as a shell around all the hardware. Then there is the power supply, which allows controlled electricity to power all of the hardware. I have not yet found a witty human anatomy comparison for the power supply and I apologize.
Software
Software is easy to understand and simple. The programs your computer runs that is it. Witty human anatomy comparison you ask for? Sure, knowledge. There is all different kinds of knowledge that we learn and there are so many different kinds of software that can be used and it is purely off of preference .
Computers are still relatively young. According to "How PCs Work" by Jeff Tyson and Stephanie Crawford, PCs were first made PCs in the 1970s by a man named Ed Roberts. Ed Roberts created the Altair 8800 which started not only the trend of having a PC at home but an economic competition that is still raging on today. (On a side not PC stand for Personal Computer.) From the 1970s to now in present day the computer has come light years. With companies like Microsoft, Apple, Acer, Toshiba, HP (Hewlett-Packard), and oh so many more companies creating computers.
Hardware
Hardware is the actual physical parts of a computer or better yet the tools. The best way I find to compare and keep separated software and hardware is to think of the hardware store. Like tools Hardware allows you to work and use software. The most important parts to a computer are the processor and the mother board. The Processor processes the information running in the computer but also allows the other hard ware to work. The processor is actually connected to the mother board which all hardware one way or another are connected to the motherboard. Think of it this way, mother board is like our heart. Everything is run off our hearts and is some how connected to it. The processor is our brain. Sending messages to everything connected to it how and to actually function. The case is our skeleton which protects everything and acts as a shell around all the hardware. Then there is the power supply, which allows controlled electricity to power all of the hardware. I have not yet found a witty human anatomy comparison for the power supply and I apologize.
Software
Software is easy to understand and simple. The programs your computer runs that is it. Witty human anatomy comparison you ask for? Sure, knowledge. There is all different kinds of knowledge that we learn and there are so many different kinds of software that can be used and it is purely off of preference .
Monday, March 17, 2014
Week 4 Copy Rights and Flipped Classroom
Copyright
laws are confusing to say the least.
There are ins and outs to all of them and exceptions to many as
well. Trying to understand all of them
is a task and one I am personally attempting to tackle. According to Doug Johnson’s wiki post called “Beating
the
No
U‐Turn
Syndrome:
modifying
our
approach
to
copyright
instruction
and
Enforcement,”
he chats and list several different copy right rules and guidelines that to me
is a foreign language. Although he just
give several tips to educators to explore the limits and to help students also
explore those same limits. This is a
copy pasted part of his wiki and don’t want to change it into my own words and
change the point that he makes.
“A
Singapore
educator
once
shared
with
me
that
Singaporeans
tend
to
suffer
from
NUTs
‐
the
No
U‐Turn
Syndrome
and
Americans
do
not.
When
no
signs
are
posted
at
an
intersection,
Singapore
drivers
assume
U‐turns
are
illegal;
US
drivers
assume
they
are.
He
felt
this
“assume
it
is OK”
attitude
gave
our
country
a
competitive
edge.
It
really
is
better
to
ask
forgiveness
than
permission. Shouldn't
an
educator’s automatic assumption be,that
unless
it
is
specifically
forbidden
and
legally
established
in
case
law, that
the
use
of
copyrighted
materials
should
be
allowed?
I believe it should.”
I showed
this part in particular because it explains how our system works according to other
countries and comparatively to other countries and their educators. I happen to agree with him as well. Many of the laws allow educators to use
material if cited properly and if used for a educational non-profit cause. This again I agree with. Fair use is a fine line but again if you
follow the guidelines and use the material for a non-profit or educational
reason all is fair hence the name “Fair Use.”
Although, one issue with Fair Use is software, and the being able to buy
one copy and distributing throughout the school. There is more on multimedia and it’s
copyrights here http://www.adec.edu/admin/papers/fair10-17.html.
Flipped
Classroom is my new favorite way to teach.
Though reading is important and I do not believe in getting rid of
reading, online or via a book. I see
using screen cast or just video lessons and doing homework in class while with
instructors as a great idea. After
watching the videos like this one, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mTL4h3eI7Q,
which is a lesson on verbs by Hyde Daley I see that this tool could be used in
so many different ways. His lesson was
simple and easy to understand. Students
and can rewind and review as many times as needed. Yeah I said it and all without interrupting
others because you sneezed and miss something the teacher said. All around great and I see myself using it in
my classroom (or not in my classroom) someday!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Week 3
Week 3: Computers and Their Parts!
Computers are a part of everyday life in this day and age. The first computer would take up most of the average bedroom in a home if not the whole room. From computers that fill rooms to today's laptops and tablets. Parts and accessories have gotten smaller and more powerful.
Computer parts are fairly simple once you look them up and look at them. The processor being the main component allows your computer to compute. It is the brain and heart of the computer. Processors work at amazing speeds that the human brain could never keep up with. Relaying data and receiving actions from key boards, the mouse, video or graphics cards, internet data, and now touch screens. PC stand for Personal Computer.
Personal Computers were made big in the 1970s by man named Ed Roberts. He called his first computer kit the Altair 8800. (How PCs Work; Jeff Tyson and Stephanie Crawford) This new personal computer sparked a new milestone in computers and has forever made computers a part of everyday life. Granted it wasn't instant that everyone bought one but pretty close. Apple, Texas instruments, and IBM are other companies that jump on board making personal computers. PCs are more of an Intel and Microsoft trade mark. Apple calls their computers Apple's or Macs. In the computer world these are major preference differences and often cause great debates and sparked a great competition.
Mother boards are the skeletal structure (in my own words). Everything connects to the mother board one way or another. Like a skeleton in the human body, it can be broken and can be very fragile at times. Every computer has a mother board and needs one to function. Like our skeletons the structure may very along with size. ATX or micro ATX are just two that I'm familiar working with. Being sure that all components are compatible with the mother board is essential to have a properly functioning computer. The processor, ram (which backs up the processor for faster speeds or processing), Graphics card and power supply are the main essentials.
There a lot of different ways to explain how computers work and each component works together. This is that main reason why we have different companies competing to be the best.
Computers are a part of everyday life in this day and age. The first computer would take up most of the average bedroom in a home if not the whole room. From computers that fill rooms to today's laptops and tablets. Parts and accessories have gotten smaller and more powerful.
Computer parts are fairly simple once you look them up and look at them. The processor being the main component allows your computer to compute. It is the brain and heart of the computer. Processors work at amazing speeds that the human brain could never keep up with. Relaying data and receiving actions from key boards, the mouse, video or graphics cards, internet data, and now touch screens. PC stand for Personal Computer.
Personal Computers were made big in the 1970s by man named Ed Roberts. He called his first computer kit the Altair 8800. (How PCs Work; Jeff Tyson and Stephanie Crawford) This new personal computer sparked a new milestone in computers and has forever made computers a part of everyday life. Granted it wasn't instant that everyone bought one but pretty close. Apple, Texas instruments, and IBM are other companies that jump on board making personal computers. PCs are more of an Intel and Microsoft trade mark. Apple calls their computers Apple's or Macs. In the computer world these are major preference differences and often cause great debates and sparked a great competition.
Mother boards are the skeletal structure (in my own words). Everything connects to the mother board one way or another. Like a skeleton in the human body, it can be broken and can be very fragile at times. Every computer has a mother board and needs one to function. Like our skeletons the structure may very along with size. ATX or micro ATX are just two that I'm familiar working with. Being sure that all components are compatible with the mother board is essential to have a properly functioning computer. The processor, ram (which backs up the processor for faster speeds or processing), Graphics card and power supply are the main essentials.
There a lot of different ways to explain how computers work and each component works together. This is that main reason why we have different companies competing to be the best.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Week 2 Blog
Hello I want to talk about the Apps for autism, Proloquo2go (which is the app), and then briefly on Bloom Taxonomy. The app is extremely interesting considering I have a deaf cousin and my girlfriend has an autistic cousin as well.
Having watched Apps for Autism sparked my interest in what else this app could be used for. Like every other form of medicine or therapy it may not be for everyone. Every person young or old with autism is different. Some cases are acute others are so extreme that the ability to speak is an huge goal instead part of everyday life. Proloquo2go is the name of the app that was talked about in this video and it also gave a brief explanation of how it works also with showing how it works.
We can because We Think We can! What a great way to start a blog or a video showing your triumph over an obstacle that is thought to be not overcomable (made this word up!) I laugh when I see this video not because I think that it is funny necessarily but it was more instead of crying. I love to see people fight to reach their potential. This young lady in this video has not given up but adapted and persevered. Graphic design by foot! I cannot personally graphic design with my hands and she does it with her foot. Truly amazing. Not only does this show a great and inspiring story but it shows how technology being used positively not only can help educate but it can change lives. If you haven't watched this do so!
Blooms Taxonomy
This book or the first eight pages of this book shows a theory on the beginning to late stages of learning are. According to Bloom the stages of learning went in this order.
Having watched Apps for Autism sparked my interest in what else this app could be used for. Like every other form of medicine or therapy it may not be for everyone. Every person young or old with autism is different. Some cases are acute others are so extreme that the ability to speak is an huge goal instead part of everyday life. Proloquo2go is the name of the app that was talked about in this video and it also gave a brief explanation of how it works also with showing how it works.
We can because We Think We can! What a great way to start a blog or a video showing your triumph over an obstacle that is thought to be not overcomable (made this word up!) I laugh when I see this video not because I think that it is funny necessarily but it was more instead of crying. I love to see people fight to reach their potential. This young lady in this video has not given up but adapted and persevered. Graphic design by foot! I cannot personally graphic design with my hands and she does it with her foot. Truly amazing. Not only does this show a great and inspiring story but it shows how technology being used positively not only can help educate but it can change lives. If you haven't watched this do so!
Blooms Taxonomy
This book or the first eight pages of this book shows a theory on the beginning to late stages of learning are. According to Bloom the stages of learning went in this order.
- Knowledge
- Comprehension
- Application
- Analysis
- Synthesis
- Evaluation
"Simply; You can not understand a concept if you do not first remember it, similarly you
can not apply knowledge and concepts if you do not understand them. It is a continuum
from Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) to Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)." (Bloom's Digital Taxonomy; Pg. 4)
One of Bloom's Students later change the model a bit to:
- Remembering
- Understanding
- Applying
- Analysis
- Evaluating
- Creating
This is another way to word it According to the readings:
Before we can understand a concept we have to remember it
Before we can apply the concept we must understand it
Before we analyse it we must be able to apply it
Before we can evaluate its impact we must have analysed it
Before we can create we must have remembered, understood, applied,
analysed, and evaluated. (Bloom's Digital Taxonomy; Pg. 6)
I couldn't be more interested in this App for Autism. I would like to be able to see it in action and how it is used on a day to day basis. The short clips were educating and inspiring. Bloom's way of thinking is how I think. Start from the bottom and build on it.
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