Blog Post #5

The iSchool Initiative and ZeitgeistYoung Mind's Entry

Travis Allen came up with the iSchool Initiative idea when he was 17 and he made the idea a reality when he was 18. The iSchool Initiative is a revolutionary program that is trying to switch schools from textbooks and paper to iPod and iPad technology. There are so many ways that you can use the iPod touch in your classroom. Using iPod technology will also save classrooms and students money. Allen said that it would cost around $600 for a student to get all of the materials that they need for school, but with iSchool it would only cost $150 a student. The iPod can hold textbooks, notes, calculators, and several apps for History, Math, Science, and English. Students can send and receive emails and keep up with due dates through the iPod.
Many schools are already giving their students and staff Mac computers and iPad's to work with in there classrooms. This idea of moving our schools to a more modern way of learning is growing fast. Travis's program has definitely made an impact on education. He has opened many eyes to using the technology that most of us already have, to improve the quality of learning in schools. Students love using technology at home, so why not bring it into the schools!

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

This is an amazing video of a virtual choir. Each of the choir members are on their own computers in their separate places. They are singing together on what looks like Skype. The conductor is in a separate video also. The sound of the song was so beautiful. It truly sounded as if they were all together in a room instead of on web cameras. It's pretty neat that they were able to put this together.

Teaching In The 21st Century
Basically, this video brings up that students can get whatever information they want without the help of a teacher. The internet has so much information on it and teachers are no longer the main source of education. As teachers, we need to be a "filter". We need to teach our students how to use the internet effectively and efficiently. We need to give them questions that they can answer using whatever resources they feel like. Since the internet is so large, teachers can help to focus their students on things that they really need to see instead of just letting them wander aimlessly around the web. This will change traditional teaching completely. It's expensive to keep books up to date with the changing times. The internet changes without much cost. I'm very excited about moving teachers towards the internet!

Dr. Lodge McCammon's FIZZ - Flipping the Classroom
Flipping the Classroom - 4th Grade STEM
The flipped classroom is a modern idea in education. Instead of the students coming to class and listening to the teacher lecture, the students watch the lecture at home the night before. This way the class time is spent doing activities and asking questions. The students will have more time for one-on-one help in class. I really think this is a neat idea. The only problem that I see happening is the student not watching the lecture before class. The teacher will have to spend time catching up the students who weren't responsible. If the teacher is excited enough about this flip, then the students will be excited. Hopefully this will encourage the students who don't want to work.