Futuring

How will my role change as an educator as technology continues to become more prevalent in our schools? First of all, I will need to invest more time in staying on top of emerging new technology and improvements to existing technology. I will need to become more effecient at incorporating technology into my classroom, and I will need to be able to relate to my students by being able to hold an understandable conversation with my students about the technology that interests them no matter what subject matter I am teaching.

I truly believe that connecting with students is one of the most important peices to educating them. If you can't connect and relate, you will have a very difficult time teaching them. Think of your own history in the classroom, if you didn't like the instructor you tuned them out and held your tongue until you were able to escape from thier class. Do you really want to be that instructor?

So, even if it takes up our time, and even if we don't really care about the latest Mac software ;) , if our students are interested in it then we too should take some time and at least read some reviews on it. I digress. But not really, this too is part of technology in the class room.

I look forward to the day when we no longer use pencil and paper. We won't hear those annoying pencil sharpeners and none of our students will be able to complain about no more lead refills. I honestly tell people on a daily basis that "if you tell me, I'll forget; if you have me write it down, I might lose it; BUT! If you email me, what you request will get done." Maybe you think thats sad or a tragedy, I'm just telling you it's true. So, what changes will I make, I will make computers a staple in my classroom before that time hits so that when it does come I and my students will be prepared and ready.

The End.

DREAMTIME!

In my math classroom I would definitely and absolutely NEED an overhead projector. I love them and kids love them and so I feel that I need one. I would definitely need a computer to track grades and look up answers should a question arise. Computers are also great for looking up lesson plans and creating tests and quizzes. Both the computer and the overhead I would use absolutely every day. I also really like the transparent calculator double screens that you can purchase and plug into calculators like TI-83 Plus's so that the students can see exactly what buttons you are pushing. To be honest, I probably wouldn't use that as much. But, as for the overhead, I would put up the problem of the day, I would show students how to do homework questions and I would introduce new material on it. Students too can use the projector to show the class that they can correctly perform the mathematical sequences and have a little lime light as opposed to boring old Mr. V. always hogging their precious time. :)

Yea, kinda lame I know, but it gets the job done.

-R

I love technology... NOT!

Well, actually I do, and I love every aspect of it, I especially love the challenge of learning a new hardware or software, and I also enjoy teaching others how to utilize this almost incomprehendable resource.

If I must say something negative then I will just talk about how sometimes the systems we work with just freeze up, or we lose a little bit of something that we type. I also hate forgetting my passwords and then having all sorts of problems on my hands trying to take care of this or that.

Another thing that bugs me is if people don't reply to their emails in a timely manner, I'm an every day kind of guy when it comes to checking email and if I send you one and you don't respond within about 3 days I begin to believe that there is something terribly wrong.

Anywho, the title is a lie because I love technology but my professor told me to make that the title.

-R

POD 10.24.2010

Here is a list of numbers... Please place them in Descending order.

.987
.090
45,987
.456
1,326,879
10
12
456
.1
678,987
.45
7,987

Please close your computer when you are done.

New Definition of Hip: "Blogging in my Classroom"

The question posed is this: How could one use Blogging effectively in the modern day classroom.

Let's picture the ideal situation, in my classroom there would be a mobile lab two days a week. I could post the "POD" (Problem of the Day) on my Blog and have each student respond with an answer and how they attained their answer, as it would be a math question and for all math questions I like to see how the answer was attained. To hedge off laziness I could even post 5 questions and you know, randomly do people with first names A-F do question 1 and people with first names G-L do question two and so forth and so on.

Also! I could post homework assignments and important notes on there for anyone who either wasn't in class or would like further explanation. This could be a FABULOUS tool for peer-to-peer help if the students logged on and blogged back and forth about how they were getting along, and it could be viewed by all, including me to see the dialog taking place.

Who in their right mind would have thought this could be possible?! I didn't even think it until right now, what a FANTASTIC tool!

I wonder how many adjectives beginning with "F" I can put in all caps and in a single blog? Anyone?

:)

Catch ya on the flip side.

How to be a Hip Educator

Greetings! Welcome to the Hip Educational Blog!!

I have two heros at MVNU that guide me in my Dreams to be a Hip Educator.

First: Raynard who Googled "Hip" and came up with some SWEET (a.k.a. Hip) tunes for us all to create some Fabulous Inspriation Maps to, which by the way, was the perfect transition from our tasty dinner back into work.

Second: Is Master D (Damon Osborne) who perfectly defined Hip as: 1970s.

Yea, if thats not a GREAT start to a professional educational Blog then I don't know what would be... I'm just givin' props where props are due.

Catch you on the flip side.