Itunes/ Week 12

http://www.learnoutloud.com/content/blog/archives/2007/07/best_of_itunes.html

ITunes University is a new program that itunes has developed. In various Universities throughout the country, students are able to download homework and lectures straight from their own computer. Stanford and Duke are just two of the participating schools. As we know from Blog eleven, Duke has been one of the major schools contributing to the ipod frenzy.
Learning through technology is much more important these days. Schools are progressing with the students now. Hopefully more schools will start catching on to the growing epidemic of ipod learning. Students are responding with enthusiasm and relief.
I believe that by using itunes and ipods for the classroom will help students be more excited about school. They will not only bring their ipod for musical purposes, but they can use it for learning as well. Itunes is learning that so many people get online and download, that they have made lectures from certain schools accessible to students. Hopefully other schools will allow it too.

Ipods/ Week 11

http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2005/12/ipodupdate.html

Duke University expects many of it's students to bring along ipods to the classroom to inhance learning. Lectures and homework assignments are able to be seen on a student's ipod. Duke is participating in an experiement of new technological advances for learning in higher education. The freshman students in 2004, were given ipods for certain classes and since then the ipod usage has been an extreme hit.
I think that using Ipods in the classroom is a good idea. Many students own one anyway, and incorporating learning into them, will help them excel in their studies. I ,for one, would appreciate technological advances in our classrooms. Ipods are a great way to spread information and learning.

Dr. Alice/ Week 10

From Dr. Alice's reviews and experiences, it is easy to see that her educational instruction is extraordinary. She, as an instructor, is confident and well-informed. Many future teachers could learn from her views. She has influenced this site by giving her expertise in web design and her own teaching abilities.
I personally liked the information on the web design section. I believe that with the new and improved technology that web design is very important. Without a computer in the classroom, children will not be able to learn as much as possible. These days, almost every household contains a computer, and I believe that it is crucial to instill computer skills and web design skills in children.

Wiki / Week 9

Wikipedia is a site known to many Internet goers. Most people also know that Wikipedia is not a reliable source for writing papers or factual information. It has a magnificent amount of information, but this site also allows people to tamper with that information. Although much written on Wikipedia may be true, not knowing the source of what's written or where it came from can be unwise.
It is possible to look up who has written on Wikipedia. But even with all of this, it is probably still advisable to check others sources for the information. I am not sure if Wikipedia will ever truly be a reliable source, but it is a way to have access to many facts or opinions throughout the internet.

180 days response/ week8

On the April blog on Fishbowl, it talks about classes in college and whether or not they are used fully. Whether changes should occur in schools by giving a presentation to students and letting them discuss this view, or if the 180 days of class are actually benefiting students. By listening to the presentation, one would infer that some changes might need to be made to certain aspects of the curriculum. One student offered the idea of random "films" in the classroom to give their classmates something different. Lectures and slide shows are not going to always captivate young minds.
I believe that this presentation would be nice to experience. I would truthfully like to change certain things in the curriculum. Do we really need "core" classes when we already took them in high school. Are lectures and non-hands on practices really the way to teach? I would prefer certain projects or student to student teaching and learn from experience. I think that their idea is very important and should be considered.

-catherine

Fischbowl response/ week7

The blog, by Karl Fisch, talks about whether teachers today must be technologically literate. Do they have to know how to use a computer properly? Should all teachers consider learning immediately if they do not have any technological abilities? He says yes. The teachers must be able to do what they teach. Teachers who are not able to understand what they are teaching may not be good role models in technology for the younger generations. Kindergarten children already know how to use computers, the teachers themselves must be able to as well.
I agree with Karl. Teachers must be able to understand the information that they give to their students. I think that some teachers are a little late in learning technological skills and therefore must learn quickly or get run over by their own students. The point of a teacher is to inform children of things they usually don't already know, or prune the things that they do know about. If a teacher knows nothing of technology, how will the students learn at all? Technology is a huge part of school now and teachers must know about it.

International Blogs/week6

Teachers use blogs internationally. The Internet is the easiest place for people to keep in contact and ask for advice quickly. Teachers all around the world have access to the Internet and are able to create blogs for all different purposes.
eTwinning is a teacher and student blog that allows each person to talk internationally. Students and teachers meet foreign people with the same interests and ideas. By using this site, people can communicate about their school or about their own teaching methods. They also can just simply make new friends.
I came across one of the English blog sites also. These blogs, blog.co.uk/, mostly talk about their teaching experience and how they are coping with it. It talks of their classroom differences then we have here in the USA. Many different schools and teachers publish blogs here.
Blogs are amazingly popular throughout the world. People love to vent, talk, and communicate to others through these sites. Aren't blogs wonderful?