Blog #3: The process of creating the Free App Trailer

Here is the link to my free app trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JcuSPlma8Q&feature=youtu.be

I had a lot of fun with this assignment. Editing audio and video clips is something I like to do in my free time, although with different subject matter. One of the most stressful parts of the assignment was the selection of the app to use. There are so many useful free apps, but it was difficult for me to find one that fit the theme I already had in my head. I eventually came across the Socratic app, which suited my purpose well. In fact, the Socratic app has become a great help with my own homework.

One I started on the trailer it became clear that my next great struggle would be to balance my perfectionist nature with the time constraint of the assignment. I was spending so much time on one part of the video that I wasn’t focusing on getting in everything that I needed to. After I made myself put aside the cosmetic details and focus on getting all on the components everything started to fall into place. I let myself have a lot of fun with assignment, and I got a little goofy as well. I’m proud of the end result, I might actually make it public on my YouTube profile. Who knows?

Blog #2: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Here is the link to Do schools kill creativity? By Sir Ken Robinson:
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity

The Video Do Schools Kill Creativity? is one of my favorite educational videos that I have watched in all of my courses.  Sir Ken Robinson has a way of speaking that is engaging and creative (gasp!). He says that creativity in school is as important as literacy. As the talk goes on he talks about how schools undervalue the arts in favor of math and literacy. This is a disservice to the students. Sir Robinson describes intelligence as diverse, dynamic, and distinct. Additionally, he describes creativity as “The process of having original ideas that have value.”

One of the stories he tells is about a woman named Gillian Lynne. She is a choreographer who worked on Cats and Phantom of the Opera. When Mrs. Lynne was eight years old her school sent a letter home to her parents telling them that they thought she had a learning disability. Her parents took her to a specialist who showed her mother that the reason she couldn’t sit still was because she was a dancer. It was then that her mother signed her up for dance lessons and she flourished. She found people like her who couldn’t think unless they were moving. In another scenario her teachers, parent, and even doctors might have forced her to sit still and pay attention, stifling her natural talent.

            As teachers we are responsible for the development and encouragement of the students placed in our care. So much of the time we are so concerned with teaching our students what we have decided that they should know, making them mediocre, and we miss out on the higher achievements they could be capable of. If we would put more emphasis on the encouragement of students’ natural talents than there is no limit to what they can achieve.

Blog #1: Reimagining Learning

Here is the link to Reimagining Learning by Richard Culatta:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0uAuonMXrg 

While watching Reimagining Learning I was struck by how underutilized and incorrectly utilized technology is being used in today's classrooms. Mr. Richard Culatta pointed out that many teachers are merely digitizing traditional teaching methods. This is something I have noticed in my college courses and it makes it difficult to become invested in the class. As a future teacher I know how important it is to create lessons that will make students want to be involved. This ties into Mr. Culatta's three challenges in today education that he believes technology can solve.

The first challenge is that all students are taught the same. By doing this we do not acknowledge students’ differences in order to customize their education. He says, “The least equitable thing we can do in their learning is to treat all students the same.” The second challenge was that was mentioned was that teachers teach lessons in a certain amount of time, but students need varying times to grasp it. The schedule has become more important than giving the students time to understand the material. The final challenge was the fact that grades for assignments are given to students when it is too late for them to do anything about it.

Technology allows teachers to address the three challenges addressed in new and innovative ways. It makes it possible for teachers to customize education, spend appropriate time on tasks, and give students relevant and timely feedback. If schools would utilize technology in new and creative ways to address the challenges in front of them they could change the face of education, as we know it.