My initial reaction in viewing this new website was to totally write it off. It seemed too confusing, and I wasn't having any initial ideas as to how it could enhance students' learning. However, after poking around a bit, and hearing how other educators were either using it or planning on using it lessened my initial dislike.
The area that I really seem enormous potential when using voice threads is with feedback. Just think how little verbal feedback is given to students throughout their education. That is because it would take teachers hours to get around to everyone, and we all know there is just not that kind of time in the school day. However, teachers do spend countless hours outside of school correct assignments, papers, and projects. Yet most of the feedback given to students is written. This is were I believe voice thread could give a boost to teachers and their feedback. Teachers could use voice thread from their own home to give students feedback on their graded assignments.
This could almost turn into a form of personal one on one time for each student. I can only imagine what the impact of having your teacher give you actual verbal feedback on multiple assignments, and then having access to those comments forever. Seems to be yet another form of multimedia that will only enhance our education's abilities.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Critical Thinking
What really is the point of our current public education system? Is it to produce young adults, that can solve a complicated problem? Can they expresses their opinions in an educated way both written and verbally? Are they as prepared as they could be to help our world grow?
No.
Why is that? Well I believe that the problem lies with what the real goals are of the public education system. Now that I can look back at my whole experience from my public school system years, I can see the most underlying goal. That goal appears to be turning out high school graduates that regurgitate facts on a short term basis, and pass a standardized test. Now, I'm not saying that being able to pass a standardized test, and having factual knowledge is a bad thing. However, wouldn't we be doing our children a better service if our CLEAR goal of public education was to teach them how to think critically, solve multilevel problems, and communicate their opinions in an educated way?
I think so.
Do I know the answer?
No.
But I'm working on it.
No.
Why is that? Well I believe that the problem lies with what the real goals are of the public education system. Now that I can look back at my whole experience from my public school system years, I can see the most underlying goal. That goal appears to be turning out high school graduates that regurgitate facts on a short term basis, and pass a standardized test. Now, I'm not saying that being able to pass a standardized test, and having factual knowledge is a bad thing. However, wouldn't we be doing our children a better service if our CLEAR goal of public education was to teach them how to think critically, solve multilevel problems, and communicate their opinions in an educated way?
I think so.
Do I know the answer?
No.
But I'm working on it.
Flexibility
This past summer I was a basketball and hockey coach for a traveling Christian sports camp. My main role was being in charge of all the large group activities. Mostly the curriculum that we taught. Not only did that opportunity enhance my presentation skills, but it also taught me how to be flexible and to think on my feet.
It was interesting to learn that I could have the best plan of what I was going to say/do/act/teach/etc. However when you're in front of 80 plus 5-12 year old children plans don't always work out. Seeing as one group of children will be completely different from the next I would constantly have to alter my day to day plans.
Yet to maintain credibility I had to make my alterations seem effortless. I found that I would always have to something up my sleeve that would keep the program going, and allow me time to think at the same time. When it come to being flexibile I firmly believe you have to be committed to change.
It was interesting to learn that I could have the best plan of what I was going to say/do/act/teach/etc. However when you're in front of 80 plus 5-12 year old children plans don't always work out. Seeing as one group of children will be completely different from the next I would constantly have to alter my day to day plans.
Yet to maintain credibility I had to make my alterations seem effortless. I found that I would always have to something up my sleeve that would keep the program going, and allow me time to think at the same time. When it come to being flexibile I firmly believe you have to be committed to change.
Resilience
I and everyone I know shows resilience each and everyday. Yet most of the time people hide how they really are feeling. Take everyone in our education psychology class for example. No matter how well you might know someone, most likely, you are not aware of everything going on in their life. That is because most people show their resilience through their self isolation.
I've found that my self and countless others do not talk about most of the stress that we feel. I believe that our society does not promote an open environment to talk about one's feelings.
I see many students and faculty showing resilience to the ample amounts of stress they cope with each day. However, I wonder how much our community talks to one another about thei stress. I believe true resilience can only be obtained with constant support from those around us.
I've found that my self and countless others do not talk about most of the stress that we feel. I believe that our society does not promote an open environment to talk about one's feelings.
I see many students and faculty showing resilience to the ample amounts of stress they cope with each day. However, I wonder how much our community talks to one another about thei stress. I believe true resilience can only be obtained with constant support from those around us.
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