About Me
- Erwin Coleman
- Hello, My Name is Erwin JaMarkus Coleman. I am from Tuscaloosa, Alabama; attending the University of South Alabama. I inspire to be a Secondary History Teacher. I want to do more than teach, I want to inspire and aid downtrodden humanity to a better path in life. After my undergraduate studies I want to get a Master's in Public Administration to reform education outside the classroom as well.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Blog Post 5
Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. He also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and was a co-creator of the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens).
Dr. McLeod sarcasm had me kind of confused the first time I read his post. We all know the dangers of having the ability to be connected to many people and websites. Pornography and predators are out there in the cyber-world. Students do get distracted with online chatting, twitter, facebook, and viewing blogs that have nothing to do with education. But we cannot let these things stray us away from learning the great benefits that come with being technology literate. For our students to even be considered for a job, let me take that back, for a career you need to be technology literate. We will be doing a disservice if we do not teach our students the basic skills on a computer. With the world rapidly changing as the technology changes, we need to prepare our students to have a fighting chance in a world surrounded with technology. This is not the United States it was 30 years ago. The manufacturing jobs are being outsourced so the top jobs need people who can work with computers and new technology. Technology is not the end all be all but it is so important people are starting to forget the times when we did not have it. Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff
The iSchool Initiative by Travis Allen
Travis Allen argument is schools should do away with the pen and paper way of teaching our students and that we should use modern technology like the iPod touch or iPad. He launched the iSchool Initiative to bring more innovation to school. He also says we can lower cost of providing materials to students because everything you need is in the iPad and iPod Touch from note taking to looking up formulas. He says this will cost an iSchool 150 dollars per student.
Travis Allen makes very good points and if his numbers are correct this will be a way of saving money in a time of recession. I know when I was in school I hated carrying all my textbooks and notebooks in one backpack. Studies have shown that carrying all you school books in one backpack can cause damage to your back, so why not give every student and iPad or iPod Touch. This will bring a new energy to students to learn and stay engaged with access to the internet for clarification on certain topics. Also the kids who do not have the means to buy their own iPod Touch will be motivated to come to school because they get to use modern technology.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Watching this video all I can say is WOW! The internet has become so powerful over the past 30 years. Putting together a choir full of people who do not even know each other is impossible without the internet. Eric Whitacre is a pure genius with this great work of art. You can achieve so much through the world wide web.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Teaching is has changed significantly in the 21st century. Kevin Roberts thinks teaching in the 21st century means to engage your student and not just entertain. One way to keep your students engaged is to keep them active, not just with handouts or writing notes. Active engagement is using new methods your students have not done or enjoy. Encourage students to use the internet to explore the answers the questions or problems they do not understand. While we encourage them to explore, we should also teach them how to explore and find credible sources. The more we keep our students curious the more they will be engaged, that is active learning. This video should motivate educators to strive to do better everyday for our students. This will effect me as an educator because this video reinforces the conversation on innovation in the classroom. The more we innovate and inspire creativity our students will be at an advantage. We should move towards the top of bloom's taxonomy to evaluate, analyze, and apply. Focusing on the top half of bloom's taxonomy will prepare our students for college.
Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. He also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and was a co-creator of the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens).
Dr. McLeod sarcasm had me kind of confused the first time I read his post. We all know the dangers of having the ability to be connected to many people and websites. Pornography and predators are out there in the cyber-world. Students do get distracted with online chatting, twitter, facebook, and viewing blogs that have nothing to do with education. But we cannot let these things stray us away from learning the great benefits that come with being technology literate. For our students to even be considered for a job, let me take that back, for a career you need to be technology literate. We will be doing a disservice if we do not teach our students the basic skills on a computer. With the world rapidly changing as the technology changes, we need to prepare our students to have a fighting chance in a world surrounded with technology. This is not the United States it was 30 years ago. The manufacturing jobs are being outsourced so the top jobs need people who can work with computers and new technology. Technology is not the end all be all but it is so important people are starting to forget the times when we did not have it. Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff
The iSchool Initiative by Travis Allen
Travis Allen argument is schools should do away with the pen and paper way of teaching our students and that we should use modern technology like the iPod touch or iPad. He launched the iSchool Initiative to bring more innovation to school. He also says we can lower cost of providing materials to students because everything you need is in the iPad and iPod Touch from note taking to looking up formulas. He says this will cost an iSchool 150 dollars per student.
Travis Allen makes very good points and if his numbers are correct this will be a way of saving money in a time of recession. I know when I was in school I hated carrying all my textbooks and notebooks in one backpack. Studies have shown that carrying all you school books in one backpack can cause damage to your back, so why not give every student and iPad or iPod Touch. This will bring a new energy to students to learn and stay engaged with access to the internet for clarification on certain topics. Also the kids who do not have the means to buy their own iPod Touch will be motivated to come to school because they get to use modern technology.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Watching this video all I can say is WOW! The internet has become so powerful over the past 30 years. Putting together a choir full of people who do not even know each other is impossible without the internet. Eric Whitacre is a pure genius with this great work of art. You can achieve so much through the world wide web.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Teaching is has changed significantly in the 21st century. Kevin Roberts thinks teaching in the 21st century means to engage your student and not just entertain. One way to keep your students engaged is to keep them active, not just with handouts or writing notes. Active engagement is using new methods your students have not done or enjoy. Encourage students to use the internet to explore the answers the questions or problems they do not understand. While we encourage them to explore, we should also teach them how to explore and find credible sources. The more we keep our students curious the more they will be engaged, that is active learning. This video should motivate educators to strive to do better everyday for our students. This will effect me as an educator because this video reinforces the conversation on innovation in the classroom. The more we innovate and inspire creativity our students will be at an advantage. We should move towards the top of bloom's taxonomy to evaluate, analyze, and apply. Focusing on the top half of bloom's taxonomy will prepare our students for college.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Blog Post 4
I listened and watched Eagle's Nest Radio & Class Blog, The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom, and The Education Podcasting Network. Creating podcast is a revolutionary way of teaching students. Students get bored of the teacher standing up just lecturing for over an hour while the students just sit and listen or do handouts. Podcast can be very refreshing for a student's way of learning. The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale made a good point about what if a child is sick; well they can go to the teacher's podcast to receive the information they missed during the day. One thing to challenge that is, what if a child who comes from a low-income home does not have access to a computer outside of school? How do we educate that child outside the classroom?
Students or classrooms can do their own podcast or vodcast by doing projects on certain topics. Me being a social studies teacher can very effectively use a podcast for projects. Inspiring teachers should at least be trained on using a podcast or vodcast in the classroom so they can an extra resource.
Benefits of Podcasting In The Classroom
The Education Podcast Network
Students or classrooms can do their own podcast or vodcast by doing projects on certain topics. Me being a social studies teacher can very effectively use a podcast for projects. Inspiring teachers should at least be trained on using a podcast or vodcast in the classroom so they can an extra resource.
Benefits of Podcasting In The Classroom
The Education Podcast Network
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Blog Post 3
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
My favorite section of Ms. Hines' post is the “Teachers must be Learners”. A lot of teachers forget they are in the classroom to learn also. Not just the subject but the students in their classroom. When a teacher can learn their students they can be better equipped to teach the students.
Also, I agree with her about technology is useless without good teaching. A teacher can demonstrate all day how to use a certain software but if the student is not engaged in the subject matter then why waste a computer or Smart Board. Kelly Hines: It's Not about the Technology
Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Mr. Karl Fisch makes some very interesting points in this blog post. I agree teachers should be technology literate, especially in the times we are in now. Many countries are developing so they are gaining more access to technology and using this technology to become more innovative. I also believe teachers should not be technology dependent to teach. Technology is not always the most reliable because computers can crashed, be hacked, or something unexpected can happen.
One quote that was very interesting was," 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". This is very true, a few years ago people could get away with no knowing the basic skills of a computer but now to have the job you want more you must know how to use a computer proficiently.
Teachers do not need to be technology dependent. Technology is not the only way to educate students. Making the subject matter enjoyable and more than just a teacher lecturing is the best way to educate a student. Students really want to know, " Why does this matter to me?". Technology is one of the many tools to make teaching and learning interesting. Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
People are becoming more social every second. The internet makes it so easy to connect with people, businesses, and organizations. In the last one minute and twelve seconds over 700 blogs were published, 1.19 million items shared on Facebook, over 190 thousand tweets on Twitter, and over one-thousand people joined Google+.
As a teacher I can use these websites to connect my students. Also, my students will be able to ask me any question regarding school work or any resources they can use. I can use a blog to or podcast/videocast for my students to use as a resource. Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today (4:45)
This is a video made by Michael Wesch and 200 Kansas State University students giving you the outlook of students today on school; "how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime".
This video should open the eyes to school teachers, university presidents and professors. Students are becoming more pessimistic about college because they feel their degree will be useless or the financial burden is not worth it. Colleges should take their students on field trips according to major to certain businesses, schools, organizations, or countries. When students care more about a Facebook profile than a professor lecturing then there is a serious disconnect between professor and student. Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
My favorite section of Ms. Hines' post is the “Teachers must be Learners”. A lot of teachers forget they are in the classroom to learn also. Not just the subject but the students in their classroom. When a teacher can learn their students they can be better equipped to teach the students.
Also, I agree with her about technology is useless without good teaching. A teacher can demonstrate all day how to use a certain software but if the student is not engaged in the subject matter then why waste a computer or Smart Board. Kelly Hines: It's Not about the Technology
Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Mr. Karl Fisch makes some very interesting points in this blog post. I agree teachers should be technology literate, especially in the times we are in now. Many countries are developing so they are gaining more access to technology and using this technology to become more innovative. I also believe teachers should not be technology dependent to teach. Technology is not always the most reliable because computers can crashed, be hacked, or something unexpected can happen.
One quote that was very interesting was," 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". This is very true, a few years ago people could get away with no knowing the basic skills of a computer but now to have the job you want more you must know how to use a computer proficiently.
Teachers do not need to be technology dependent. Technology is not the only way to educate students. Making the subject matter enjoyable and more than just a teacher lecturing is the best way to educate a student. Students really want to know, " Why does this matter to me?". Technology is one of the many tools to make teaching and learning interesting. Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
People are becoming more social every second. The internet makes it so easy to connect with people, businesses, and organizations. In the last one minute and twelve seconds over 700 blogs were published, 1.19 million items shared on Facebook, over 190 thousand tweets on Twitter, and over one-thousand people joined Google+.
As a teacher I can use these websites to connect my students. Also, my students will be able to ask me any question regarding school work or any resources they can use. I can use a blog to or podcast/videocast for my students to use as a resource. Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today (4:45)
This is a video made by Michael Wesch and 200 Kansas State University students giving you the outlook of students today on school; "how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime".
This video should open the eyes to school teachers, university presidents and professors. Students are becoming more pessimistic about college because they feel their degree will be useless or the financial burden is not worth it. Colleges should take their students on field trips according to major to certain businesses, schools, organizations, or countries. When students care more about a Facebook profile than a professor lecturing then there is a serious disconnect between professor and student. Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Blog Post 2
Did You Know? 3.0
This video was very interesting with facts I do not think about on a daily basis. Everyone should watch this video to find out how much times have changed and technology is becoming important in day to day life. One fact that surprised me is when the video said "China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world". One fact that is troubling is twenty-five percent of India's population with the highest IQ is greater than the total population of the United States. That means we are not competing with India when it comes to educating our children.
The video started getting into the importance of technology during the second half of the video. It started off stating the top jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004. With the advancement of technology new jobs had to be created. Technology has also been a place for intimacy to develop with "1 out of 8 couples married in the United States last year met online". From 1984 to 2008 the number of internet devices went from 1,000 to 1,000,000. One last fact that ended the video well was during the duration of the video 694,000 songs were illegally downloaded. As the time goes on technology will increase and be more accessible than it is today. This is a link to the video Did You Know?3.0
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle Wakes is a story of an old man who had waken after a 100 year sleep. He wakes up to an entirely different world than he last knew it. Mr. Winkle goes to a tall building, encounter busy people, hears strange sounds(phones ringing), pictures on paper coming out of machines (printer), and small screens with people talking to each other(computer). With Mr. Winkle becoming overwhelmed, he becomes sick and goes to the hospital. While in the hospital he sees machines helping people breath and pictures with people's bones showing. The only place that is familiar to him is a school with children looking bored and taking notes while the teacher talks all day.
This is a story trying to tell us how our times have changed dramatically since 100 years ago. People back then would not have ever imagined to have the tools or technology we have now. Another idea the video is portraying is that schools have not changed since 100 years ago. Mr. Winkle recognized the schools because even though technology has changed, the way we educate our students have not made that dramatic shift upwards. This video made a great point and should open people's eyes on our education system to reform for the better. This is a link to the video
Mr. Winkle Wakes
The Importance of Creativity
This video stars Sir Ken Robinson who is an author, speaker, and international advisor on education in the arts. He starts off saying "Education is to take us into the future we cannot grasp". He believes the arts can enhance children capabilities to innovate, capabilities they already have innate in them. Another great point he has made is we run our educational system where we stigmatize mistakes and educate creativity out of our students. He talks about the hierarchy in schools concerning subject matter with math and languages at the top, humanities in the middle, and the arts last; and also we focus on the mind and one side of the mind.
Sir Ken Robinson kept me intrigued in his speech on the arts. He used humor to keep the audience paying attention to the message and that message was the arts in very helpful in the development of a child. Dance, music, and visual arts plays a big part in innovation because it enhances creativity within a child. Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
Education in the United States has been a big topic in discussion. We are falling behind many countries and countries behind us are slowly catching up to us. Also, the arts needs to be more in the curriculum to broaden the capabilities in a student. Since I am concentrating in history I will make sure my students are getting a great education by being hands-on and visual, let them have major input in the discussion, and encouraging critical thinking.
Being hands-on and visual will make history enjoyable because the students get to see how certain situations in history was played out. Students love to be contribute to the discussion instead just hearing a teacher talk for over an hour and they can learn from each other this way. Critical thinking is a major part of history; seeing the underlying issues and problems will make them successful. Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis is an IT teacher at Westwood High School, a rural school in South Georgia. She is using technology to better educate her students, she uses wikis, blogs, podcast, and virtual worlds. Vicki Davis does not believe in standing in front of the class talking the entire time. She encourages the students to use the internet to find answers. Also, Ms. Davis focuses on teaching the students how to use new software so they will be comfortable; she says there have been times students taught her the different uses of a software and that is how she knows she is doing a great job at teaching.
Vicki Davis is doing a great job with her students because the students are taking the time to explore and willing to solve problems. If we could get computers in every classroom then more teachers could be like her. I would love to use blogs and video posts to educate my students on history. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video was very interesting with facts I do not think about on a daily basis. Everyone should watch this video to find out how much times have changed and technology is becoming important in day to day life. One fact that surprised me is when the video said "China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world". One fact that is troubling is twenty-five percent of India's population with the highest IQ is greater than the total population of the United States. That means we are not competing with India when it comes to educating our children.
The video started getting into the importance of technology during the second half of the video. It started off stating the top jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004. With the advancement of technology new jobs had to be created. Technology has also been a place for intimacy to develop with "1 out of 8 couples married in the United States last year met online". From 1984 to 2008 the number of internet devices went from 1,000 to 1,000,000. One last fact that ended the video well was during the duration of the video 694,000 songs were illegally downloaded. As the time goes on technology will increase and be more accessible than it is today. This is a link to the video Did You Know?3.0
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle Wakes is a story of an old man who had waken after a 100 year sleep. He wakes up to an entirely different world than he last knew it. Mr. Winkle goes to a tall building, encounter busy people, hears strange sounds(phones ringing), pictures on paper coming out of machines (printer), and small screens with people talking to each other(computer). With Mr. Winkle becoming overwhelmed, he becomes sick and goes to the hospital. While in the hospital he sees machines helping people breath and pictures with people's bones showing. The only place that is familiar to him is a school with children looking bored and taking notes while the teacher talks all day.
This is a story trying to tell us how our times have changed dramatically since 100 years ago. People back then would not have ever imagined to have the tools or technology we have now. Another idea the video is portraying is that schools have not changed since 100 years ago. Mr. Winkle recognized the schools because even though technology has changed, the way we educate our students have not made that dramatic shift upwards. This video made a great point and should open people's eyes on our education system to reform for the better. This is a link to the video
Mr. Winkle Wakes
The Importance of Creativity
This video stars Sir Ken Robinson who is an author, speaker, and international advisor on education in the arts. He starts off saying "Education is to take us into the future we cannot grasp". He believes the arts can enhance children capabilities to innovate, capabilities they already have innate in them. Another great point he has made is we run our educational system where we stigmatize mistakes and educate creativity out of our students. He talks about the hierarchy in schools concerning subject matter with math and languages at the top, humanities in the middle, and the arts last; and also we focus on the mind and one side of the mind.
Sir Ken Robinson kept me intrigued in his speech on the arts. He used humor to keep the audience paying attention to the message and that message was the arts in very helpful in the development of a child. Dance, music, and visual arts plays a big part in innovation because it enhances creativity within a child. Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
Education in the United States has been a big topic in discussion. We are falling behind many countries and countries behind us are slowly catching up to us. Also, the arts needs to be more in the curriculum to broaden the capabilities in a student. Since I am concentrating in history I will make sure my students are getting a great education by being hands-on and visual, let them have major input in the discussion, and encouraging critical thinking.
Being hands-on and visual will make history enjoyable because the students get to see how certain situations in history was played out. Students love to be contribute to the discussion instead just hearing a teacher talk for over an hour and they can learn from each other this way. Critical thinking is a major part of history; seeing the underlying issues and problems will make them successful. Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis is an IT teacher at Westwood High School, a rural school in South Georgia. She is using technology to better educate her students, she uses wikis, blogs, podcast, and virtual worlds. Vicki Davis does not believe in standing in front of the class talking the entire time. She encourages the students to use the internet to find answers. Also, Ms. Davis focuses on teaching the students how to use new software so they will be comfortable; she says there have been times students taught her the different uses of a software and that is how she knows she is doing a great job at teaching.
Vicki Davis is doing a great job with her students because the students are taking the time to explore and willing to solve problems. If we could get computers in every classroom then more teachers could be like her. I would love to use blogs and video posts to educate my students on history. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
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