Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The history of the universe in 18 minutes!
This video is an unbelievable compilation of everything from the Big Bang theory to what technologies us as humans have developed in our present day, all summarized and spoken in 18 minutes by Mr. David Christian. I believe this video can bring perspective on to anyone on to how big, or small, of an impact humanity is on the universe. 18 minutes to learn the stepping stones of modern physics and the historical context of how the universe came to be to me was breathtaking. To have all of this information summarized so quickly I mean, that's not even half of a class period!
I am truly inspired by watching this video to be as informative and interesting as Mr. Christian.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Digital Domain - Out of Teachers Reach?
We've all had our eyes opened at least a little bit in the last few weeks of this course with Mr. Smith. We all see the raw potential of a computer...of the internet and what it has to offer. Social media, open source items, unbelievable amounts of data, sharing of ideas and concepts. The simple yet unbelievable power of an e-mail - just think about what an e-mail would have done to the world 300 years ago. The long journey across the Atlantic Ocean conquered within SECONDS! Truly people take what we have today for granted - whether through great understanding or little.
What does this mean to a teacher? What does this mean to you? Can you grasp the amount of power at your fingertips - at mine as I type this sentence? I do not think I can, personally - not at least fully. Uncle Ben got it right when he told Peter Parker with great power comes great responsibility - because in your classroom you hold a great responsibility with what is at your disposal; to use technology efficiently and with compassion. If you can not truly appreciate the power that you hold with these tools one must ask themselves, how can students?
Power is poisoning, and can create laziness and desensitize from creativity. Social media tools can be used with slanderous agendas, taking the school drama to the child's home. Internet bullying is real and hurts just as much as in the hallways. You as a teacher controls your domain in the classroom and if you see a problem in the hall you can step in, of course! But...you can not police children on the internet. This problem has only increased with increased social media, but of course Facebooks main design idea was not to create a drama zone for teenagers - but that is just the nature of the beast; the internet. Look up the slew of reports you can find on Googles doorstep - young adults have died because of the onslaught brought upon them 24/7.
Bullying is not new - to any of us. Whether we were the victim, the cause, the voice, or the silent neutral party, we all know what bullying is. I offer no solutions to this problem on an internet scale. Prevention and talking to students is what works but we as educators never see the full picture usually until the damage has been done. I offer no solutions nor real suggestions because it honestly baffles me on how to do whats best for the students when I myself am still learning how to present technology in an efficient manner.
I will ask you this: If we are unsure and uneducated about the internet and computer applications what ability do we have to keep students aware of its possible danger? We can always learn more about a computer and about a student - but what can we do to prevent a misuse of power between their fellow peers? And this is just the beginning of this age of technology, what sort of Facebook will be out in twenty years? Harmony can exist between education and technology, but there will always be those who will abuse its gifts - this is the nature of humanity at any level whether in High School or not.
What does this mean to a teacher? What does this mean to you? Can you grasp the amount of power at your fingertips - at mine as I type this sentence? I do not think I can, personally - not at least fully. Uncle Ben got it right when he told Peter Parker with great power comes great responsibility - because in your classroom you hold a great responsibility with what is at your disposal; to use technology efficiently and with compassion. If you can not truly appreciate the power that you hold with these tools one must ask themselves, how can students?
Power is poisoning, and can create laziness and desensitize from creativity. Social media tools can be used with slanderous agendas, taking the school drama to the child's home. Internet bullying is real and hurts just as much as in the hallways. You as a teacher controls your domain in the classroom and if you see a problem in the hall you can step in, of course! But...you can not police children on the internet. This problem has only increased with increased social media, but of course Facebooks main design idea was not to create a drama zone for teenagers - but that is just the nature of the beast; the internet. Look up the slew of reports you can find on Googles doorstep - young adults have died because of the onslaught brought upon them 24/7.
Bullying is not new - to any of us. Whether we were the victim, the cause, the voice, or the silent neutral party, we all know what bullying is. I offer no solutions to this problem on an internet scale. Prevention and talking to students is what works but we as educators never see the full picture usually until the damage has been done. I offer no solutions nor real suggestions because it honestly baffles me on how to do whats best for the students when I myself am still learning how to present technology in an efficient manner.
I will ask you this: If we are unsure and uneducated about the internet and computer applications what ability do we have to keep students aware of its possible danger? We can always learn more about a computer and about a student - but what can we do to prevent a misuse of power between their fellow peers? And this is just the beginning of this age of technology, what sort of Facebook will be out in twenty years? Harmony can exist between education and technology, but there will always be those who will abuse its gifts - this is the nature of humanity at any level whether in High School or not.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Blogging? Hmm...
So in my technology for teaching class we had to create this blog to share our ideas with each other and I must say I am impressed with what has come from it. We all had to look over 10 other blog posts by our classmates and then comment on their blog and post. I believe it was a great exercise to show the class the power and creativity outlet of blogging.
I can see a use in certain types of classrooms, but possibly not all classrooms. Blogging and commenting on certain assignments can be useful - of course. Unfortunately students who comment on other students work or read students ideas on their blog can become subject to plagiarism - in the sense of building their project or assignment off of another students blog. I believe if the blog was used as only a tool to communicate with one another or simply an outlet for students daily lives that it would be beneficial for said student and those who are inspired by them.
There is much to be learned from this exercise, I take it in to deep consideration. Do you believe blogging can make the sun shine in your classroom or add a few to many storm clouds? Feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments fellow educators!
I can see a use in certain types of classrooms, but possibly not all classrooms. Blogging and commenting on certain assignments can be useful - of course. Unfortunately students who comment on other students work or read students ideas on their blog can become subject to plagiarism - in the sense of building their project or assignment off of another students blog. I believe if the blog was used as only a tool to communicate with one another or simply an outlet for students daily lives that it would be beneficial for said student and those who are inspired by them.
There is much to be learned from this exercise, I take it in to deep consideration. Do you believe blogging can make the sun shine in your classroom or add a few to many storm clouds? Feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments fellow educators!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Post #1! Who is Mr. Cummings?
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! Oh man I've needed to start one of these for a long time, but I am a huge procrastinator (something I'm working on!) Fortunately my professor, Mr. Smith, made it a homework assignment so I was forced to make one or get a big fat F...so thank you Mr. Smith!
Who am I? I am an anspiring student currently attending Edinboro University in my Sophmore year studying secondary education. I graduated from Pittsburgh Technical Institute (PTI) in 2010 with an associates in multimedia technologies (I can make websites and stuff.) What brought me from that to this? Well, I was living the ramen noodle life in Pittsburgh for six months when one of my professors noticed that I had straight A's in all of my classes since day one he offered me a job to tutor at PTI and at that time I was like ugh...I don't want to deal with teaching kids how to write code and design websites...but I really need the cash so I gladly accepted. Two years later I graduated from PTI and proudly accepted my assosciates degree from them holding my head high as I walked to my parents with paper in hand. My parents said to me "Alex, whats next?" I looked at both of them and replied "I'm gonna go back to school and teach!" It was a stunning experience to go from one passion to another, but this is one I plan to stick with.
Mr. Smith wants to know what my aspirations are in education. Aspirations definition is: A hope or ambition of achieving something; what do I hope to achieve in education? I want to have a classroom of teenagers that want to learn history with a dash of technology training. Technology training? What do you mean Alex? Well, I want to teach not only historical events and the importance of history, but also how to present these historical interests using a multitude of different computer programs and applications. I will create a website for my kids to submit their homework assignments online to save paper and of course make editing and keeping track of said assignments easier for me (of course!) Teenagers will learn that the internet is not just for wikipedia and for youtube - but huge untapped pool of information resides on the internet as well - and at the same time how the internet and its sources can be a history projects downfall due to misinformation. My aspirations in education are to inspire students to enjoy history, and enjoy my technological method of teaching.
This blog will serve a purpose someday, I promise Mr. Smith. For now this is just to submit this blogging assignment and to possibly use for other assignments in the future? Only you would know! Maybe not this blog, probably a different one with a name that coincides with where I teach and what I teach - who knows? The future is unwritten for this young upcoming teacher. I will say that I will have an education blog at some point - but for today it is simply to please your grading scale Mr Smith.
This is Mr. Smiths blog I suggest those who read this take a look at his - I mean he is teaching me how to blog after all so he probably has a pretty nice one (he does)
http://balddaddieteach.edublogs.org/
This is Mr. Cummings, signing off for now!
Who am I? I am an anspiring student currently attending Edinboro University in my Sophmore year studying secondary education. I graduated from Pittsburgh Technical Institute (PTI) in 2010 with an associates in multimedia technologies (I can make websites and stuff.) What brought me from that to this? Well, I was living the ramen noodle life in Pittsburgh for six months when one of my professors noticed that I had straight A's in all of my classes since day one he offered me a job to tutor at PTI and at that time I was like ugh...I don't want to deal with teaching kids how to write code and design websites...but I really need the cash so I gladly accepted. Two years later I graduated from PTI and proudly accepted my assosciates degree from them holding my head high as I walked to my parents with paper in hand. My parents said to me "Alex, whats next?" I looked at both of them and replied "I'm gonna go back to school and teach!" It was a stunning experience to go from one passion to another, but this is one I plan to stick with.
Mr. Smith wants to know what my aspirations are in education. Aspirations definition is: A hope or ambition of achieving something; what do I hope to achieve in education? I want to have a classroom of teenagers that want to learn history with a dash of technology training. Technology training? What do you mean Alex? Well, I want to teach not only historical events and the importance of history, but also how to present these historical interests using a multitude of different computer programs and applications. I will create a website for my kids to submit their homework assignments online to save paper and of course make editing and keeping track of said assignments easier for me (of course!) Teenagers will learn that the internet is not just for wikipedia and for youtube - but huge untapped pool of information resides on the internet as well - and at the same time how the internet and its sources can be a history projects downfall due to misinformation. My aspirations in education are to inspire students to enjoy history, and enjoy my technological method of teaching.
This blog will serve a purpose someday, I promise Mr. Smith. For now this is just to submit this blogging assignment and to possibly use for other assignments in the future? Only you would know! Maybe not this blog, probably a different one with a name that coincides with where I teach and what I teach - who knows? The future is unwritten for this young upcoming teacher. I will say that I will have an education blog at some point - but for today it is simply to please your grading scale Mr Smith.
This is Mr. Smiths blog I suggest those who read this take a look at his - I mean he is teaching me how to blog after all so he probably has a pretty nice one (he does)
http://balddaddieteach.edublogs.org/
This is Mr. Cummings, signing off for now!
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