Fair Use: A Fair(y) Use Tale (video)

This video uses clips of Disney movies to educated about copyrights, laws, and fair use. Copyrights first came about in Britain in the 1500s. This video claims that books, plays, motions, and music can be copyrighted. You cannot copyright ideas and concepts. The Fair Use Act basically says you can use what you want to teach as long as you are not profiting from it. The rule of thumb is if you don't profit from it, aren't preventing the original owner from profiting from it, and you are using it for educational purposes you are good to go!

Learning from Student Projects: Oceans Video

Student projects are great ways to demonstrate events and concepts which they may not have experience with otherwise. Projects get students actively involved with learning, especially if they have to present them or teach them to other. (Remember we learn 90% of what we teacher others.) Students may learn other valuable lessons apart from their original intent as well, for example, they may gain presenting skills or teaching concepts alone with the knowledge they gain creating their student projects. Most of all, projects tend to be fun and require a certain amount of creativity. This can be a great escape from the mundane tasks students may be involve with day-today. 

 

The Great Solar System Rescue Webquest Video

The idea of this video is to show web quests in the classroom. Students worked in different roles to research the solar system. They then answered some questions with the knowledge they gained in their research. Using these questions and the knowledge they gained they explained their answers and reasoning to the classroom. Students worked together and with the web quest software to come to logical solutions to problems presented to them. This software incorporated knowledge of the solar system, teamwork, and reasoning skills in the lessons. I like the idea of a web quest, it allows students to see different points of view on various issues while simulating events which they may not be exposed to otherwise.

A Vision of Students Today and 21st Century Learners

The video 'A Vision of Students Today' was enlightening, it really caught a glimpse of the young college student today. It seems as if students are constantly multitasking, and using their time in ways which usually involve technology and media. According to this video students only work 2 hours in an average day, yet they watch 1 1/2 hours of t.v. and are online for 3 1/2 hours! Many students who sign up for classes don't pay attention or read the material, yet it seems they always make time for technology-related activities. Perhaps, teachers could revise their teaching style to better relate to students lives. By incorporating technology and making assignments relevant to students we can ensure that they are learning in ways which parallel to their lifestyle. Granted, not everything can be done online but technology really can grab the attention of students and help them incorporate learning into their learning styles.

The video '21st Century Learners' focused on younger, elementary/middle school learners. The video stated that these students are "digital learners" and they must be engaged. This video seems like a plea to use technology in the classroom. I agree that technology and digital learning can be beneficial and since it will be such a big part of the students' life it is important they are efficient with it. However, not everything needs to be digital and there is a lot to be learned that doesn't require technology. Teachers can engage students in ways which don't require technology. It's a matter of engaging students and teaching them to use technology which can help them learn and which they will benefit from. There should always be a purpose when using any teaching method and not just using technology for technology sake. Many motor skills are developed in elementary school and hands-on learning is important. We must keep in mind the development of students and what types of activities will best help them grow and develop.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the sharing of information between people, and the collaboration that is possible with numerous authors. Social networking has changed the internet from a place with single, credited authors to a whole network of possibilities which everyone contributes. Being able to manipulate information, content, and form in such a manner is a revolution. HTML is a whole new language created to make this sharing of information possible. Because of the internet, whole methods of teaching and learning have come to be. Communication have revolutionized. People can be more connected than ever creating endless possibilities for education.

In response to Virtual CEO computer software video

The Virtual CEO computer software was a good example of incorporating technology in the classroom. Students basically made their own corporation and monitored supply/demand and their effects on pricing. Students were expected to incorporate various Microsoft Office programs in reporting and graphing their experiences. While dated, this video shows a great example of using technology in the classroom. Students were required to learn and use a variety of skills which would be extremely useful to them throughout this program. It's great to have students use various programs and incorporate them all into one assignment. Integrating multiple programs into one assignment teaches students even more about how technology can benefit them.

The Poor Scholar's Soliloquy by Stephen M. Corey

SOME QUESTIONS TO REFLECT UPON(Courtesy of my college professor)

1. If you were a teacher observing this boy in the situation and had a chance to read his "soliloquy," what would you say is his main problem?
2. Why do you think teacher's don't like this boy? If you were his teacher, would you like him?
3. Does this boy seem to be mentally slow or deficient?
4. Why do you think this boy's uncle likes to have him work with him?
5. This boys family thinks he should quit school when he turns 15. Do you think he should?
6. This piece was written in 1944. Is the situation the boy describes still typical of American education?

1. I would say this boy's main problem is that he just can't relate to the material. He also seems to have a problem with literacy and memorizing facts.

2.  I think this boy is difficult to teach for some teachers. If I were a teacher I believe I would like him. He seems like a good kid who really tries hard. I would try to get him writing on topics which interest him. He seems very smart despite his obvious struggle with writing. By getting this student writing more often on topics which interested him I believe I could help him improve his writing skills as well as see writing as an important aspect of his life.

3. No. This boy seems to be very intelligent. He seems to have very good navigation skills and can do arithmetic perfectly fine when it comes to calculating depreciation and other business-related math. He also does reasonably well with his writing when it comes to writing for the business as well.  It seems as if he is stronger in a hands-on environment which directly relates to his interest in trucks and running a mechanic business.

4. The boy's uncle seems to like working with him because he seems like a genuinely good kid. He seems eager to learn about the business as well as helping out his community. He seems to be very helpful around the shop as well as a pleasure to be around.


5. No, I do not believe this boy should drop out of school. Even in 1944 a high school education is important. I believe this student is smart, however, he still has a lot to learn. There are business-related skills which his teachers can help him master. This boy can gain a lot of knowledge after school hours and on weekends with his uncle as well as full time after he graduates high school.

6. I believe this story is still typical of many students in the American education system today.

"Learning Styles Don't Exist" Video

Today in class we watched "Learning Styles Don't Exist", a video on the theory that learning styles are bogus. Visual, audio and kinesthetic learning styles are ways which people claim to learn better. The prediction of the learning styles theory is that visual learners will always learn better when they see visual depictions. However, the video states their studies prove this theory wrong. Remembering information comes easier to people in these way because they are meaning based, not factually based.The video states learning is contextual. 90% of people believe the theory on learning styles is true, therefore they may make ambiguous assumptions when situations arise that align with the theory. The video says "good teaching is good teaching" and teachers do not need to adjust their methods to accommodate learning styles.


My first reaction is to disagree with this video. It seems to me that teaching to a variety of learning styles is beneficial to students because it allows them to learn in a various number of way, some of which will tend to make learning easier than others. If 90% of people believe the learning styles theory is true there must be some merit in it. As a student I know how I learn best and some modes of learning simply just don't work for me. How could 90% of the learning population be mistaken into thinking they learn better with some learning styles than others? Additionally, the studies talked about in the video did not seem very extensive. I believe more studies have been done with result supporting learning styles than studies with results opposing them.

--Can learning be both meaning-based and learning style based?-- Would it be possible that overall students learn best in a few specific learning styles, however, if a subject matter was particularly meaningful they would learn well no matter which style the information was presented in?

Why are students not actively involved with the technology that is already in schools?

-Depending on the demographics of the community the school is located in schools may not have access to much technology.
-With technology expanding so fast teachers may not be able to keep up and know how to use this technology to its full potential. With new programs coming out every year it is hard to keep up to date with technology.
-There may also be funding cuts on technology related jobs such as those people who repair or fix technology when it goes down. If only half of the laptops in a laptop cart work it may be difficult to have every students benefit from technology if there isn't enough for each student. 
-While technology can be very useful in getting information it is also very distracting. Teachers may be worried about keeping students on-task and actually benefiting from technology.