Blog Assignment # 8

Richard Miller's This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2      
        Richard Miller's presentation, This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2 , was given in 2008 to the Modern Language Association. In these two videos Miller talks about how writing has changed in our culture. We no longer have to go to a library to do research on something. We now have our laptops that we take with us; this is our work space now. We are able to research the world without leaving our desk. We are also able to communicate to people from around the world in an instant through our computers. He also pointed out that someone is able to see what presidential candidates stand for by looking online. You can go to a topic that affects you and see where all the candidates stand on that topic.

        Miller told his audience about when he wanted to research the campus murders about Virginia Tech. He incorporated that with researching violence. He learned everything and did all of his research without ever stepping foot in a library. He was able to look at material and use it. He was also able to see how that material was put together and where that information came from and then share it with someone else. He and some other people put together an online document about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He made the document with print, videos, audios, and images all mixed together. People were able to see parts of Dr. King's speeches as well. He then mixed that with information about Black History Month taking place around their campus and how it connects with people today. I thought this was such a great idea. I remember in one of my history classes I was able to listen to President Franklin Roosevelt's speech about Pearl Harbor. I have read this speech over and over, but actually listening to the real thing made me feel like I was living in their time and was experiencing the moment. Although I love reading, technology can do great things to help students learn.
      I liked a the end when Miller talked about how teachers need to be inspiring and willing to look beyond. These new ideas will expand knowledge around the world and be much faster. He can now get his articles published instantly on the web, where as before it would have taken years to be published. I enjoyed his ideas in this lecture. I really started thinking in the very beginning when he talked about how we are living in the time that is the most important for human communication because it is changing history. I think this is true. Print is not our main source of communication now. We are slowly starting to put everything on the internet. I am not quite prepared for this, but I am taking the first step by taking this class and learning how technology is affecting schools and life. This way, I will be able to teach my students so they can be better prepared for their future.
Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12
      Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12, was a great idea. Although I have only half way completed EDM 310, I can also see how important YouTube has been in this class. This is great because watching something and listening to something is much easier for many students to learn. I believe Dr. Miller would appreciate Carly's idea because she wants her students to be creative with technology. With making a YouTube playlist, students will be able to learn instantly and do research on topics. This kind of learning with videos and images is exactly what Miller talked about.
      My favorite part in Carly's assignment was when she talked about creativity. She mentioned how being creative is important to her because it explores more ideas. In one of the videos she posted, it makes people think about how the world could be different. I, also hoping to teach English one day, think this is extremely important. Carly talks about how students could imagine themselves as fictional characters just to think outside the box. I think the best way to understand someone is to try and walk in their shoes. Having students pretend to be a character from literature is a creative way of learning more about that character. Carly's idea of a playlist is a great idea for us and for our future students. After making a playlist we could always add it to our Personal Learning Network; this way we would be reminded how we need to teach and why we want to teach.
EDM 310 is Different
        In The Chipper Series, a student named Chipper talks with Dr. Strange about her experience in EDM 310 and her life. She does poorly in EDM 310 thinking it is okay to not do her work on time because she will do it in the future and she talks about procrastination. She then tells Dr. Strange that she and her parents are angry with him and believe he is not doing his job. She wants to be taught and doesn't want to have to learn on her own. Chipper then decides to create a Timeline school where students can decide when they want to come to class and for how long. The FAA told one student that she needs to fly a real plane and practice before she can become a pilot, but the FAA eventually shuts down the Timeline school. Chipper then decides to become a teacher, but is fired because she comes up with awful excuses and does not do her job. She then becomes a waitress thinking she will make more money, but she is fired there also. Chipper tries to become a nanny thinking that the children can sit in front of the TV while she plays on Facebook, but she is not hired because of her past.  She then becomes a trash collector and has a change of mind there. Chipper decides to get it together and go back to school to get her masters in Education. She will come to class, no longer procrastinate, and do her work. This cute video showed how important it is to be responsible for your life. Doing you work, not procrastinating, and showing up are things that will be important in school and all future jobs. These are lifelong skills.
         The EDM310 for Dummies , is a cute YouTube video created by students. These girls are frustrated and stressed out with EDM 310. They then read EDM310 for Dummies and learn everything they need to know about the class. In the end, they are no longer stressed and enjoy the class. Although this book does not exist, this video shows that once you spend time and learn about every part of EDM 310 you will enjoy the class and learn many thing.
          Both of these videos were very cute and important to watch. They help current students see the importance of this class. It would be fun to create a video about things learned in EDM 310. Having a younger student in high school know more about technology than a teacher would an interesting video to create. The two people could be on a game show type thing and have questions. Obviously the student would know more than the teacher and that would cause the teacher to want to learn more about technology.    
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
        In the YouTube video, Learn to Change, Change to Learn, starts off by talking about how 55 jobs were ranked by their technology use and Education was ranked the lowest, even below coal mining. This whole video has different people from different cultures talking about how education in schools need to change. Students are learning more about technology outside of school than they are actually in school. One man talked about how technology is not a choice; it has emerged and helps learning. We need to accept it and try to use in more in school. One man talked about a living called "nearly now". This is where children are living when they update their Twitter of Facebook and they can research things there; he stated that is a a great place for living.
      Children do not just learn in schools. School is a place to work together and socialize, but student learn in different ways. They learn through libraries, museums, outside the classroom, and online. I thought the most important part of this video was when the woman talked about how to change this. "You start with the teacher." This is so true. Teachers are able to communicate with other teachers and can learn from each other on how to teach their students. If teachers want their students to learn as much as possible, they need to teach by example and do their research as well.