Now What?

EDU 331 aka my Technology in the Classroom course has come to an end. Even though it was only a six week course which flew by, I learned so much in that course. For example, I had no idea that someone could do so much with Google!  I’m so glad that I was introduced to Google Docs and lots of useful Google Apps. Another neat thing (I can say ‘neat’ now) was blogging. To be honest, I was little anxious about starting a blog, but it’s a great way to reflect, organize and share my ideas, and connect with others (parents, peers, educators, and students). There were lots of incredible things that we were shown in class such as Common Craft, Smartboards, and online surveys which were neat to check out.
So the course is done...now what? Well, I’m still in my third year at school and I’m glad that I can take what I’ve learned in this course and apply it to my other classes, future placements, and career.  In this course I learned about tools, resources, and programs which I will personally use and use as an educator in my classroom. Some of the most important things that I took away from this course include:
a) There are SO many technological resources available for educators!
b) Don’t feel hopeless if you feel that you don’t have the best technological skills. Be open to learning. There are always new things to learn even for the most technologically advanced.
c) When using technology, use it wisely. For example, do NOT just use it to pass away the time!

I’m excited to continue learning and implement what I’ve been taught into my future placements and career. It’s been a great six weeks and thank you to those who have read my posts! I hope to blog again J

How Do You Measure Intelligence?

You don’t and you can’t according to Ken Robinson.  In February 2006, Ken Robinson led a TED Talk on how education systems stifle kids’ creativity.  Ken Robinson argues that intelligence is diverse, it’s dynamic, and distinct. It’s actually really incredible how diverse intelligence is—people think visually, in sound, in movement, in abstract forms, etc. Intelligence is not just demonstrated in mathematics or languages, but it is present in the arts, humanities, and other areas of study which tend to be lower on the totem pole of intelligence.  We shouldn’t just focus on students’ heads, but focus on educating their whole being.
Ken Robinson argues that the education system that has largely affected our lives, was the system of the nineteenth century which sought to meet the needs of industrialism. The education system since then has continued to place importance on the academic subjects such as math and languages since they are the subjects which can ‘get’ people jobs. Many adults and young people today have been influenced by this—that they need to take certain academic courses to get a job or that they need to do well in a certain course to be deemed intelligent, which is definitely not the case. Robinson states that all kids have tremendous talent and that the education system should nurture creativity. As teachers, we need to take a look what this means and re-think our view of intelligence for our students. Kids have so many diverse talents and it’s important to encourage those gifts; to discover with students the possibilities open to them.
In tying this into technology, technology can definitely be used to enhance children’s creativity.  Technology creates so many options! However, it’s important that teachers do not solely rely upon technology because then we’re falling into the trap of Harry Chopin’s song, ‘Flowers are Red’ by limiting ourselves to one way of thinking and working; just like limiting one way we think or draw flowers.  Creativity is important and there are so ways that it can be expressed. Technology provides great means of expressing creativity, but there are many other ways for teachers and students to demonstrate creativity.
It’s something to think about for sure. I think part of the reason why I really want to advocate the importance of creativity is because I'm a music student who does not have a strong skill set in mathematics or languages. Throughout elementary school and high school, I based my and others' intelligence upon one's strength in the 'most important' subjects of the heirarchy. I felt pressured to do well in those certain academic subjects, even though music and other art courses were of much more interest to me. I have a feeling that other students feel this way and I think it's important that they are aware of the importance of their own gifts and own intelligence which is incredibly valuable.
 I don’t know if we can come up with specific answers right away on this topic, but it’s something to think about and be aware of. Just like Ken Robinson encourages his Ted Talk audience, I think it is important for teachers to re-think our way about intelligence because it encompasses so much.
TED Talk: Ken Robinson
Flowers are Red by Harrry Chapin

Something to Get You Thinking

After watching a TED talk video led by Sugata Mitra about child driven education, the video really got me thinking about children’s eagerness and ability to learn and the role of educators.  In this video, Mitra talks about his “Hole in the Wall” experiments which he began in New Delhi in 1999, where he carved a hole in a wall and placed a computer there, which was accessible for those in the slum. Mitra has conducted this experiment in other parts of the world such as South Africa and Italy, and believes that children can teach themselves and others if they are motivated by curiosity and peer interest.  Sugata Mitra has furthered his findings by conducting other experiments such as the Gateshead experiments in 2009. In these types of experiments, Mitra asked students to arrange themselves into groups of four students and among each group, the students would have access to one (just one!) computer that they were to use for answering questions. The students worked together, discussed their ideas, and were always able to find the answers to the questions. In other experiments conducted like this, children who spoke languages that were different from the language of the question were still able to answer the questions. So incredible! These experiments really amazed me in what children are able to do on their own and how they can teach themselves. I know that I’ve been guilty of this, but sometimes I forget how eager children are to learn; that they like to learn.  I’m really glad that Mitra’s discussion brought this up because I think it’s something that educators overlook at times. Mitra created an environment and motivation in which the childrren wanted to teach themselves- he had the students learn about something that they were unaware of while using technology and he had them work with their peers. This environment proved to be very successful for the children. Are we motivating our students in these ways? How can we?  Are we providing them with an environment where their desire for learning is able to grow?
It’s really incredible how children want to learn and it’s important that educators encourage that eagerness! Mitra used technology as a tool for the students and I think there are many ways in which technology could encourage students with their learning.  Technology not only allowed the children to learn, teach themselves, and find the right answers, but it also allowed for discussion among the classmates, allowing them to work as a team.
Lots of great things to think about in this video. I only mentioned a few, so feel free to check out the video here and feel free to share your ideas!