Fischbowl 2007: A Blueprint for Colorado

I read the Fischbowl blog from January by Karl Fische and it was called "A Blueprint for Colorado". This was a long, but interesting blog about a proposal to reform Colorado's Education. The reform is based on a report called "Tough Choices or Tough Times." Education experts and law makers believe that this reform could take up to 15 years and will have to involve many changes.

In this blog Karl Fisch points out many interesting facts about the executive summary from the "Tough Choices or Tough Times" report. I really like what he says in Step One. It talks about what would happen if the plan was a success and the majority of students attend and graduate college. At this time only 25-30% of people that are over 25 have a Bachelor's degree or higher. Where would they put all of these people and where are they all going to be able to find jobs that they are qualified for.

I also like what he talks about in Step Three. He mentions that the people creating this reform would like to recruit the top one-third of students graduating from college to become teachers. He explains the fact that they will have to raise the salary to attract many people and that will affect the retirement benefits. It is also pretty obvious that not everyone would want to be a teacher even if they made more money. We all know that it is hard work and it takes a special type of person that has patience and desire to help others.

Another thing that I thought was interesting is that they want to give to areas that need the help most. As he says, this is a great idea, but it is impossible to keep people from helping their school or community when they are financially able. There are many other important facts that Karl Fische talks about in this blog. I didn't know that they were considering something like this in Colorado and it will be interesting to see what happens. There are many problems with the current plan that will need to be changed and I agree that they need to involve teachers, students, and parents in this process.

EDM 310 Fall 2008 Podcasts

I listened to three podcasts from the EDM 310 Fall Class. It was interesting to hear students that are similar to myself talking about topics in Education. I think that this will be very helpful when it is time to produce our podcasts. I think some of them were interesting, but some of them seemed to be forced and like they should have planned and researched a little more.

The first podcast that I listened to was "Facebook as an Educational Tool?". I thought it would be interesting to listen to this one because I use Facebook personally. I was curious to see what others thought about it and how it could possibly be used as an educational tool. The two students speaking were Theola Hines and Larrica Smith. They didn't seem very prepared for the discussion. They had a few interesting topics, but didn't act like they were very certain about some of their answers. One student had used facebook and the other one had not. I felt like much of the time was used just telling us about what facebook could do and not how it could or could not be used in Education. They were not even sure if they have a minimum age to use Facebook.



The second podcast that I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Useful Internet Sites for Elementary Teachers". The students speaking in this podcast were Brennan Gibson, Hanna Callais, Ashley Wheeler, and Kimberly Dees. They discussed many websites that they recommend for teachers and classrooms and how they would be helpful. I think that they did a great job and it sounded like they were prepared and had done some research on their topic.



Another podcast that I listened to was "You Tube as an Educational Tool?". I thought this would be an interesting podcast because I often watch videos from You Tube. The students in this podcast were Chris Borchardt, Delana Bemis, and Heather Rogers. I think that they did a great job discussing what You Tube is useful for and how they did not think that it would be appropriate to use it in the classroom. I like the way that they spoke honestly about how they felt and had information to back it up.

I think that listening to these podcasts was a great way to prepare me for making my own podcast. I realize now that I need to be very prepared and do lots of research for my topic. I will try to create questions and statements that I will want to make during my podcast. I will also try to pick a topic that I'm interested in and know about before I even begin. I think that this is a great way to communicate how you feel about something that is important to you.

Podcasts

It was interesting to see how people use podcasts to share and collaborate information and ideas. I previously had never heard a podcast, but now understand that this is a very important tool being used by people today. I listened to several podcasts and I was surprised to hear commercials and introductions to music during some of them. I believe that this is a great way for people that have similar interests to discuss topics.

The first podcast that I listened to was the SmartBoard Lessons Podcast "Not 150 Yet". It was a great one to start with because they are reviewing and discussing past podcasts. In this particular podcast the hosts did separate mini-podcasts. It started with Ben Hazzard speaking and he talked about how podcasts a link for people that are like-minded and help them to share and learn together. He told about his favorite podcast and how it was the first time that he realized the power that podcasts have. I liked the way that he described how the podcast feels like a community and many times you can describe them as "edutainment" podcasts. The other host on this podcast was Joan Badger. She talked about her favorite podcast being one that about a running competition between her and Ben. She beat him twice. She also discussed her favorite link that they added and it was "Buzzword". She said that it was put out by Adobe and it allows people to share files and their desktop. I listened to another SmartBoard Lessons Podcast #142. Ben and Joan were talking at the same time and with each other in this podcast. They discussed great links and Cross Classroom Collaboration. They were both podcasting from their homes and discussed the website that Ben had created during the summer for Graduate school. It was a website for teachers to connect to one another and share ideas. The website is teachersconnecting.com. I really like the way that Ben described podcasts as Radio on Demand. I think this is a great to explain them.

Another podcast that I listened to was Kidcast:Leaning and Teaching with Podcasting. The speaker in this podcast is Dan Schmit. He discussed how he had recently searched for student content online in podcasts and the only examples he found were about the act of creating a podcast and not exploring topics. He explained that he thought it was great that they know the technical aspect, but it would be better if they use it to extend academic conversations. He suggested for teachers to help students "brainstorm" and create questions about a topic that create a spark in students. Then, this gives them a reason to create a podcast that they can elaborate and collaborate together about questions they have.

The EdTech Talk Podcast #79 "Lectures and Discussions" was hosted by Curtis Bonk and Steve Kossakowski. They selected guests to speak that had e-mailed them prior to the show. The guests on this podcast were Dave Cormier, Jeff Lebow, and Jennifer Maddrell. I thought it was interesting that they spoke live, but added links and looked at links as they talked. They discussed alternative to traditional textbooks and how online education will affect how people are educated around the world. One of the speaker noted how some people do not want to open the classroom because of new problems that we will face. The personal needs of the teachers, students, and parents will change. There will be a new safety issue and teachers will feel like someone is always looking over their shoulder. They said that their will have to be a huge shift for this to take place and it will be a very big change for education.

The last two podcasts that I listened to were about Photography and Technical issues. This Week in Photography "TWiP" #67 (Showing Off Your Assets) had speakers Alex Lindsay and Scott Bourne. They discussed software development for cameras, political photography, nature photography, and apertures. They talked about how Facebook is the number One way to share photos online. Another thing they mentioned was how "Twitter" is a great way share and find ideas for locations of great places to photograph. They had guest speakers that were photographers that were discussing how they choose to share their own photographs. It was funny to hear them talk about pictures that they were finding and looking at during the show. The MacBreak Weekly podcast #126 "La-la-la-Leo" was five people discussing Technical issues. The speakers were Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, Scott Bourne (Also in the TWip podcast), and Frederick Van Johnson. They discussed items such as cameras, laptops, desktops, software, and more. They talked about which were the most frequently used and gave tips on certain ideas they had.

Overall, this was very interesting. It was amazing for me to see how many different people podcast and what they share with others. I definitely have a better understanding of how podcasts are created and how people can use this wonderful technology.

Fischbowl: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I thought the "Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?" blog was great! I think that it was interesting to see how other people have some of the same feelings as I do about computers in the classroom. It is shocking to me that any teacher, principal, school inspector can make it today's world without being held responsible for knowing how to operate computers effectively. It is frustrating when you see and know things should not be operating the way they are, but their is nothing in writing to enforce certain expectations.

I love the list that was posted by Terry Freedman. I think it would be great if we could have technological standards for our teachers, principals, and others involved with schools. I think that in today's society it should not be acceptable to be in a classroom and not use the computer effectively. I like the point that he made when he said that computers are a part of life and not something extra. Also, I think we need to always remember the important point about how we can't just sit and watch as some of our children's futures are being jeopardized. I also hope that one day educators will be held accountable for this part of their responsibility.

I know it does sound harsh, but I think I agree with the statement on the blog: "If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write" and will more as time goes on. There are very few jobs already that do not require certain computer skills and I firmly believe as time goes on there will be less and less. I think that he has a great point that our times are changing quickly and there will be little chance for success for the technologically illiterate.

I have also experienced this a great deal away from the classroom. My parents are a great example. My dad was forced to learn to use computers through work and has a basic understanding of them. He can use them to search the web and do certain things online. He has trouble with some things, but can figure out and use what he finds necessary. My mom, on the other hand, has trouble using a mouse. She has not ever felt the need to learn to use a computer and gets easily frustrated when we try to show her how to do things on it. She is interested, but does not take the time to learn. She just gets her children or husband to pull things up and then show her. I think it most interesting when her two grandchildren that are 5 can use them much better than she can. She openly says "I just can't use the computer".

I hope that as time goes on everyone will realize that computers have become a part of our everyday life. You will need them to be successful in the near future and we need to prepare our students for this. I think that this blog definitely deserved any awards that it received and enjoyed reading it.

K-12 Teachers Using Blogs in Other Countries

I found a blog that is made up of pictures and notes about what is going on in Mrs. Toa's First Grade Classroom in Shanghai, China. It is a great way to see what students are experiencing and studying in other countries. The cultures are different and that does seem to affect the curriculum some, but overall they have the same subject areas as the United States. Mrs. Toa's blog not only shares pictures and ideas, but also has links to many other blogs and websites that are interesting and helpful. I loved looking at all of the pictures and reading about what students are learning in other places. Also, she picks student authors for the week and they get to add to the blog. I think that this is great to include technology in learning and I'm sure the students and parents love seeing their pictures and work on the blog. Mrs. Toa also uses this blog as a way to communicate with the parents. Another thing that I enjoyed was the Flag Counter that shows how many times people visit her site and from what country they are in. This makes you aware of how many people are interested in what she is doing. I really enjoyed this blog and will probably continue to revisit the site for updates.













I found another great example of a teacher using blogs in his classroom. Gary Coyle's Grade 8 Humanities Class provides a great blog being used in New Delhi, India. He uses the blog to keep students informed about lessons currently being discussed in the classroom and special projects with their due dates. He gives reviews of the lessons that he has already taught and links to more information about each topic. He also provides a link to student blogs. Each student has their own blog and I was impressed by the ones that I looked at. They give their views on the topics and also insert pictures. I think that blogs are a great teaching tool and this example shows how useful they can be.

K-12 Teachers Using Blogs in the US

I found some great blogs and websites created by teachers in the U.S. They were prepared for the students in the class to keep up with their classwork/homework and some allowed the students to actually post their ideas and comments. One nicely laid out site was Mr. Langhorst's 8th Grade American History Class. This is a class at South Valley Junior High in Liberty, Missouri. This site was informational and easy to use. It had great pictures of the students using laptops and other electronic equipment to learn about American History. It also had a link to the teacher's blogs and podcasts. He used this as a way to share his lessons and ideas for other teachers. He shows pictures of his classroom and suggests things for other teachers to try.










Another example of blogs being used in the classroom was a Fourth Grade class at O'Neal Elementary School in Missouri. Mrs. Lowe's Fourth Grade Class is a great example of how blogs and websites can be used in an Elementary classroom. Mrs. Lowe provides activities for all subject areas that can be used by the students or other teachers. It lets the students and parents know what is covered in the units or on certain topics. There is also a Students link that allows you to see student blogs. The students read books and then the teacher and students post blogs about the books that they read. I think that this is a great way to get students talking about what they are reading and include technology. Although I am sure that this takes extra time and work, I think that this is a great thing for teachers to have. It can be very helpful to students and parents and is a great way to communicate what they are learning in the classroom.

Did You Know?

It is very interesting to see how our world is rapidly changing in the Did You Know?" video on the Fischbowl blog. It was a short movie that was created for a group of teachers in Colorado for the staff of about 150, but it has reached so many more. It is amazing and mind-boggling to see how fast the population, power, economics, technology, and other things in our world have changed and will change over the years. This video makes it very clear that we need to prepare ourselves and our students for a world that will be quickly changing. It shows that computers and technology will be a very big part of this.

I think that this video was a great way to clearly show that our world is changing and progressing with or without us. There are countries (including the U.S.) that have realized what they need to do in order to have success and are preparing their students for what is to come. We as teachers and parents need to make sure that our children and students are taught what is necessary for a successful future in our quickly changing world. I really enjoyed this video and think that all parents and teachers should watch it to remind them of what is to come. There is so much information in this short movie that really makes you think about our future.