Blog Post # 6

Wendy Drexler: The Networked Student

Connectivism is "the theory that presumes that learning occurs as part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties made possible through various tools of technology". The video demonstrated how important that theory is to 21st century learners. Ms. Drexler gives details on how a student is able to take control of their learning and make connections that will help them as their learning progresses. 

The question proposed is "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?". This question is pretty much answered in the video. While a networked student is an independent learner he or she still needs guidance from their teacher. The teacher helps the student build this network and take advantage of learning opportunities presented to them. A teacher is also there to help his or her student get excited and motivated about new information that they find. This process allows students to be in control of their own learning and effectively communicate with others.

Am I ready to be a networked teacher?, the answer to this question is currently no, although I plan to become a networked teacher in the future. I hope to teach kindergarten of first grade and definently believe in my students being hands on learners. Hands on learning enables students to think about what they are learning and apply what they have learned. My students may not understand connectivism, but they should be introduced to this type of learning and what it means to be a networked student. 

Blog Post # 4

Joe Dale -  Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

The video on Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom helped me to understand the importance of podcasting in the classroom. Podcasting opens a student's imagination and increases their thinking skills. Podcasting is a great form of technology to use when a student is ill and miss days of school. It creates a way for these students to gain access to information and lessons they missed by being absent. Parents also have access to this information and this allows parents and their children a chance to explore together, what the student has learned in class. 

Flat Stanley

I thought this podcast was a wonderful way this teacher let her students explore their imaginations and express their creativity. I loved the vivid detail and enthusiasm each student had as they read about their journeys. The students were allowed to choose any location they would like, then find information about that particular location and write their very own script. This project allowed students to go on a journey around the world right from their classroom. 

Special Blog Assignment # 1

WolframAlpha Search 

When I searched compare the populations of India, China and the United States, I found that the United States is ranked 3rd in the world with a population of 309 million people, India is ranked 2nd with a population of 1.21 billion people, and China is ranked 1st with a total population of 1.35 billion people. The search also provided the number of people per square mile for each country. The demographics from 2010 showed that India has 1058 people per square mile, China has 376 people per square mile, and the United States has 87.3 people per square mile. 

I then searched, compare the number of students in India, China, and the United States. From this search I discovered that India and China each have more primary students alone than the total number of primary and secondary students in the United States. India has the highest number of primary and secondary students with 143.3 million primary students and 107.7 million secondary students. China comes in second with 101 million primary students and 99.2 million secondary students. The United States comes in third with a 24.39 million primary students and 24.19 million students. 

Lastly I searched most spoken languages. I found that Mandarin ranks number 1 with 1.1 billion people speaking Mandarin. Mandarin originated and is most spoken in China, and 875 million people are native speakers. There are two countries that use Mandarin as an official language, China and Taiwan. The second most spoken language is English with 760 million people speaking English. English originated in the United Kingdom, but is most spoken in the United States. There are more than ten countries that use English as an official language. 

I believe that WolframAlpha could be a very useful tool in the classroom. I found the site to be very interesting and fascinating. The site takes no time to provide data. I think the site can be explored by the teacher and her students as a group. WolframAlpha can also be used as part of a learning center in a classroom. Students can work individually or with a partner to explore the site and write about what they found. 


Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Gary Hayes' Social Media Count tracks real-time stats of social networking sites. There are twenty different combinations that one can choose from will visiting the site. The Social Media Count consists of four categories: social, mobile, games and heritage, you may choose one of these along with a time frame, ranging from the present moment to over a year ago. The Social Media Count goes beyond social networking sites such as facebook, twitter, and youtube. By clicking on the Heritage tab, you will be able to view how much money is being made at the present time or how much money has been made in the past at the United States post office and from music track downloads and you are also able to view how many people have read a newspaper or been to an orchestra. 

I found it fascinating to watch the numbers increase at such a rapid rate. I could have never imagined those numbers being so high and the unbelievable rate at which they increased. I believe that as an educator, I should be up to date on technology and it's ever changing ways. However I also think that technology in the classrooms should be limited. While social media such as facebook and blogs can be useful tools for a teacher and his or her students when used in the proper way, they do not need to be consumed by it.  

Project # 2 Wordle