Wow! Those kids are amazing. I could never imagine being able to do things like that when I was in first grade. These two videos really show you how far technology has come. I have a twelve year old brother who amazes me every day on the computer. It is not a bad idea for adults theses days to look for information on computers from children.
But how amazing these videos are, they point out once again that there is absolutely no excuse for teachers to be technological illiterate. If first graders can do it then so can adults. We must all come to this conclusion to help make education better.
Here's What's Coming!
And I thought I had seen it all. This baby is amazing. So often do I hear grown-ups talking about how those iphones look so difficult. Well they need to watch this video. If this baby can do this, I'm sure my mom could learn how to respond to my texts. Seriously though, these are the future students of America so we as teachers better be prepared.
Podcasts
This is the first time I had ever listened to any kind of podcasts and I found them very informative. There are tons of them out there and you can find out anything about everything. They seem to be very convenient to use and are a great source for anyone.
I believe podcasts can be great tools for teachers. I mean it is feasible that a teacher who might not be absent for school one day to prepare their lecture in a podcast and let the sub play it for the students. That in itself from a teaching standpoint makes podcasts very valuable. Technological literate teachers will use podcast to not only teach but to help them learn more about certain subjects.
One podcast that stood out the most to me was the Smartboard Lessons podcast. I found this podcast the most informative and interesting. The podcasts help bring technology in classrooms to another level and help instruct teachers on how to do so.
Knowing that I will be part of making a podcast later in the semester, one aspect that really got my attention was the voice inflection of the podcaster's voice. I truly believe that can make or break your podcast. No one is going to listen to a podcast for a certain amount of time if they are turned off by a dry uninteresting voice. Without any visual stimulation, the sound of a podcast is of most importance and this makes voice inflection key in a good podcast.
David, you are one hundred percent correct that someone's voice can make or break them--especially during a podcast! I cannot stand to listen to someone with a monotone voice because they do not "capture" me. I have pondered and pondered on how exactly I can use a podcast in my classroom one day--I am going to be a math teacher. But you have made an excellent suggestion to me--that if I am going to be absent, I can talk to my students through a podcast. This will let them know that I am serious about the work they are to do when I am out. I just wanted to say, "Thank you" for this suggestion!
ReplyDeleteDavid, You made a lot of really good points, including how podcasts could be incorporated into the classroom. And I think we were equally impressed with Ms. Cassidy's first grade class. Great Job, and keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct about there being no excuses for being technologically illiterate as a teacher. This class is trying to help students get over their fears of learning new technologies. If one student gets over their fears and teaches someone else about technology then we are accomplishing our goal.