Blog Post 8

This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
Dr. Miller brought up some very interesting points in these videos and one can definitely tell that he is adamant about gearing our education system towards a technology front. This is important, because if we don’t do this, then what is the point of this class? It’s kind of amazing to sit back and watch how we are all so incredibly connected. Someone in California can listen to a lecture done by a professor in New York, so long as they have an internet connection. However, Dr. Miller does know that this will take time, because all students do not have access to internet or event their own computer.
I agree with what Dr. Miller said, because learning like this should take place. We should want this for our children and students, so they will know the highest potential they can achieve. Why would we teach our kids to only reach for second best, when we can teach them to reach for the world? Even if some publications only make it to being $0.59, at least they can reach one person. They can make a difference to one person or student.
Lastly, I believe that once I am finished with my class at South, I will be ready to teach in this new and developing education system. Sure it will be hard, but there is nothing easy about education and you do not go into it believing it will be. You go in knowing it will be hard, but my future students will be able to do this. They will be able to learn like this and will have every available piece of technology that I can give them or give them access to.

Carly Pugh’s Blog Post 12
I think this is a terrific idea, not just from the perspective of an English teacher either. History teachers could have so much fun with something like this. It would be one way to really make the lesson come alive and just like Carly wants her students to love Mr. Darcy and Tom Sawyer as much as she does, I would want mine to appreciate the things old Presidents and even everyday people have done for our country. This really would be a fantastic idea and I am inspired to make my own playlist following her guidelines. I believe that Carly came very close to what Dr. Miller laid out. She clearly understands how to take technology and use it to her full advantage. Also, this is something that would be widely available for other teachers and even students to use.

Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies
With the Chipper Series, it was very creative and I had to laugh at ‘Chipper’ and her ideas, especially the one about redefining procrastination. She goes through all of these crazy ideas and finally comes to the realization that school is for learning, not receiving an easy education and sent out into the world. Clearly we are being told we shouldn’t procrastinate, because being late with assignments is being late, end of discussion. We can procrastinate all we want, but in the end we need to on time with everything. We are not in this class to be taught, because it is up to us to learn. We are being pointed in the right direction and we go from there.
I really loved the EDM310 for Dummies video. As my roommate can tell you, sometimes I feel just like those students in the video. This class can drive you mad, but in the end all of the hard work you put into it, the countless hours fighting with things, and going through links because you forgot what C4K blogs you commented on are all worth it in the end. I would personally love to show people that the work pays off. That you come out on the other side with a grade and tons of knowledge to show what you have done and achieved is all worth it.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
“Education was ranked number fifty-five, below coal mining.” Okay, if those opening lines didn’t get to anyone, then clearly you are in the wrong field, because that is scary. These are obviously very bright educators, because all of them are saying that classrooms today need to change. I especially liked the comment by one of the ladies who said “If I could redesign a classroom of today, it would not be just brick and mortar.” I think that is amazing, because you have people who want to see that change and want it to happened, well it needs to happen. One of the gentlemen said it perfectly “They have a vast amount of knowledge, but do they know how to use it?” Or something along those lines, the point is still made. Students nowadays are growing up in a technology-geared world and we need to use that to our advantage.