Did You Know? 4.0

My Google Docs Presentation

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

"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." Karl Fisch

That's a bold statement, but I understand and agree with 100%. If you don't know how to read and write how can you effectively teach someone else to read and write? The same goes with being technologically illiterate. How can you provide astoundingly useful resources and show students how to use them and prepare them for the future that relies heavily on being technologically literate if you are unable and unwilling to become technologically literate yourself? If you ask me (and even you don't I'm going to tell you my thoughts on this anyway) if you are unwilling to become technologically literate for whatever reason (You don't have enough time, there's too much on your plate, you don't really understand it, etc)then you're being very selfish and are taking away not just from your students, but from yourself. You're depriving yourself of that education that you need to better yourself in your career field.

Before I started taking this class I rolled my eyes at everyone who asked me to join face book and twitter. I didn't want to write a blog. These were just more things to add to my already full to do list and I didn't think they were that important. Now that I am in this class I have learned many useful ways to utilize blogs and pod casts (which I'd never heard of, or at least didn't recognize them as being pod casts before taking this class)and video pod casts and several other resources to become technologically literate (and I wasn't exactly Illiterate before taking this class) for my own benefit so that my future students might be able to benefit from my learning.

"Its Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines

I agree with Kelly Hines that you have to be willing to learn in order to teach. The only thing you can do with a computer or a white board if you don't know how to use it is look at it or put in a corner to gather dust. As a teacher you have to be able to understand and EXPLORE the technology that is available to you in order to educate your students with it.

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

This movie does capture my college experience for the most part. I'll choose not to read some of the things I'm supposed to, and I might even miss a blog or two. I'll spend time studying, and I'll barely open some of my books. I'll go to class (as long as I'm not ill)and be $20k in debt when I get out, but I'll still probably take it for granted. At least when I get out I'll be able to make more than $1 a day. I spend most of my time on my computer (in fact thats one of my annoying traits), but atleast I get the chance to own one.

Can technology save us? If technology can keep us from being lazy and slacking off.
If the technology can keep us interested in what we're learning. If it can prevent student burnout and keep us motivated.

EDM 310 Podcasts

I watched this video podcast twice before making any decisions about what improvements could be made. I noticed that not everyone seemed to be alert or as active as others. Its very important that everyone be into the conversation and to support ideas of their peers or to be active in producing ideas, thoughts, and opinions of their own. When making a video podcast your body language needs to show that you are alert and participating in the discussion. This means that there shouldn't be any slouching. It gives off an 'Are we done yet?' attitude.

Some of my peers feel that there were too many opinions expressed and not enough facts. Well, the definition (according to dictionary.com) of an opinion is 'a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.' The question that was proposed in the beginning was 'What is a tech literate teacher'? I feel that this type of question requires opinions as opposed to facts. However, if I misunderstood and what my fellow classmates were saying is that they should have done was back up their opinions with examples then for the most part I agree. If I were to give the opinion of someone who was tech literate and simple say that it is a person who utilizes technology. Then I could say, as an example, that I'm technologically literate because I use Excel to keep track of my finances, use the ERIC database to help with my research papers, and use a search engine to find out what a wisdom tooth is and what procedure is used to remove it so that when I go to the oral surgeon I am more familiar with what to expect and I am prepared to ask questions.