Blog Assignment #2

Mr. Dancealot

In this dance class, much like many other classes, it's an entirely teacher focused classroom. From the first class to the end, he is the only provider of knowledge of the dances he teaches, while also being the only physical example in the class. Yes, he uses PowerPoint to help teach his dance course, much like most other teachers now a days, but one key element that is sorely lacking in his class is his students' involvement. Throughout each class meeting, not once did his presentation to his students ever venture from that of a lecture, which was evidently non-stimulating. Not once had the students been given the opportunity to practice what they were learning, which is an essential tool in learning to do anything, be it dancing or anything else someone is trying to teach you. The one time a student did get up to try to practice a dance movement, he was reprimanded by Mr. Dancelot saying "I'm trying to teach a dance class". The main message here is that if a teacher does nothing but talk at his or her students, and never gives them the opportunity to practice what they are learning, not only is the teacher not being an effective educator, but the students aren't learning anything that is being taught. The author makes this case by showing how each day the students are in class, it's only lecture taking place. Come the final examination, this will be the first time the students are able to physically attempt the dances they have "learned" throughout the semester and come to find out, it's for their final examination. Classrooms that are 100% focused around lecture time and do not contain a single moment of practice time or do not contain any amount of time for students to practice the skills they are trying to learn, is NOT an effective classroom and fails in teaching, or helping the students to learn, anything within the classroom, and this I can completely agree with. I have had classes in the past in which the only time we were able to practice what was being learned was outside the classroom, and of course without the presence of the instructor to offer any sort of help or feedback to help me improve. This sort of environment is not conducive to a productive and efficient learning environment, and always seem to have caused more harm than good to any student's goal of learning.


Teaching in the 21st Century

I feel Robert's main argument in the video Teaching in the 21st Century is that teachers in this day and age are more focused on teaching how to find and answer questions rather than teaching the answers to the questions themselves. I was reminded of the quote "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime". Teachers that actually teach their students how to seek and find the information they are looking for, basically the skills needed to find said information, are teaching for the long-haul rather than those who simply teach the answer. While these skills are great tools for all students to possess, we cannot forget that teachers are also the main support system for students' desires to learn, and are the facilitators for creativity, imagination, and just plain ole' "thinking outside the box". If classrooms become solely oriented around technology with the teacher being the main decision maker in the sorts of technology that are used, what websites are visited, and so on, I fail to see this as an optimal learning environment. Being well-versed in the day's technology is all fine and dandy on paper, but what really counts is the teacher's ability to engage his or her students and his or her ability to create in those students a desire to learn. I'll never forget my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Burgess, and how her passion for teaching would shine through with each lesson she taught. It was because of her excitement for us to learn, be curious, and wonder about the world around us that sparked such a desire in me to learn all that I could during her class. She made me question things I had never thought to question and ask questions I would have never thought to ask. While she did use the most up-to-date technology of that time during her lessons, it wasn't the technology she used that made the connection with me. Her energy and enthusiasm that practically overflowed from her when she taught is what made the connection with me. That drive within her as a teacher is something that has the power to outlast any sort of technology that can be used within the classroom.

The Networked Student

To put it mildly, The Networked Student was quite an informative video. I now know that what many of my teachers have made me do in the past would be considered "Connectivism", basically connecting with students and professors online and the student basically being self-taught. My real issue with this video, however, is the creator's opinion of a teacher's purpose in the classroom. I strongly feel that a teacher's purpose in the classroom is to NOT build social networks to provide information to the student; but to spark a sense of creativity within the students, an imagination, or a desire to learn. How can such a philosophy not lead to "group-think" and doom the students forever? With a growing bank of knowledge, there is a potential for a lot of convincing false information to hinder a student's learning. For example, while teachers teach kids how to find credible sources on the internet, what happens when the sources continue to get better and better at proving false information? Take Wikipedia for instance. While teachers may not count Wikipedia as a credible source since anyone and everyone can edit a page's informational content, the general populous not in the academic world does consider Wikipedia a credible source. So my question is, what happens when there is another sort of "Wikipedia" site out there that has finally mastered the art of false information? What good will Connectivism do for students then?

Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts

I commend this teacher in the job well done she as achieved in creating a program that compliments her student's strengths and fueling their desire to think and learn. As what ever teacher should strive to do, she is propelling her students in to higher levels of thinking. Through this higher level of thinking, her students are finding their own rewards and motivation to continue on this path by being independent learners. I will be the first to say that each student learns in their own unique and special way, and to see that this teacher is dedicated to her students enough to satisfy all learning styles is a true testament of her desire to help her students learn all they can.

Flipping the Classroom

Never in my life have I ever heard of "flipping a classroom". This is an absolutely genius idea that should be utilized by all teachers! The idea behind this stroke of genius is to have the student watch a video the night before, which allows the teacher to immediately dive in to the lesson the following day. Rather than spend time going over the lesson in its entirety, since the student will already have some idea of what to expect for the next day, the teacher is able to spend more time focusing on teaching the lesson and answering any questions that the students might have. I can definitely see myself utilizing this in my classroom, and consider this to be a wonderful way to easily integrate technology in the classroom. The only downside would be if a student didn't watch the video, or whatever form of material required outside the classroom, then he or she has a possibility of falling behind within the class. Other than the one concern, I feel this would be a great teaching strategy to implement in any classroom, regardless of the topic being taught. From personal experience, I have learned that the more prepared a student is when entering the classroom, the more likely the student will learn and retain the information taught that day.