Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?  3.0
    "Did You Know" was a fascinating video containing statistics and facts related to technology and our future.  It also pointed out to me that if the United States does not change, we will fall further behind other countries in our technological advances.  It was interesting to me that 25% of India's population with the highest IQ is greater than the total population of the United States, and that India has more honors students than America has children.
    The video emphasized how technology is growing and how it continues to expand.  Some facts that I found interesting include:  (1) there are 200 million registered users of My Space and, if it were a country, it would be the fifth largest in the world; (2) there were 2.7 billion Google searches every month in 2006, and that number has exploded to 31 billion monthly searches; (3) the amount of technical information is doubling every two years; and (4) the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not even exist in 2004.
    I first saw this video this summer during a Professional Development class.  The class was held for middle school mathematics and science teachers in the Mobile County Public School System.  School administrators realize the need for students to stay abreast of technological advances.  It is clear that, in order to keep up and compete with other nations, we must prepare our students for jobs that will be created in the future.  Knowing this, the school system is incorporating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) lessons into the middle school math and science pacing guide.  These lessons incorporate engineering skills and technology into the classroom.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
     In "Mr. Winkle Wakes," Mr. Winkle arises from a 100-year sleep to discover many changes in the world.  There are many busy people working on machines that we refer to today as computers.  These machines make Mr. Winkle very uncomfortable.  He does not understand the strange sounds emanating from these machines, how they print documents and even pictures, and how they allow people to speak with and see other people across the world.  Mr. Winkle went to a hospital in the hopes of finding some sort of familiarity.  Unfortunately, he is disappointed in what he found.  The hospital was also filled with large and strange-looking machines, some of which actually kept people alive.  He also saw x-rays and even lasers used in the middle of a surgery.  Mr. Winkle, again, does not feel comfortable in this situation, so he leaves hoping to find comfort somewhere else.  Eventually, Mr. Winkle happened upon a school.  Inside the school, Mr. Winkle saw rows of desks, and a teacher standing in front of a class lecturing while the students took notes.  Mr. Winkle did not see any intrusions from the outside world.  In fact, he even saw the same kind of machine called a "computer" sitting undisturbed in the back of the classroom.  Finally, Mr. Winkle found a place where he felt comfortable.  He liked the school because it was just as he remembered before his 100-year sleep.
    In my opinion, the author of this video is sending a warning message.  We are being told that we cannot restrict our students by not exposing them to technology.  Society has changed, and the technological tools available to its members have grown exponentially.  It is the responsibility of all educators to expose students to the advances we have made in technology, which will give them another tool to use in becoming productive members of society.  I agree that schools need to provide increased educational opportunities in technological advances to our students.  Ultimately we do not want our society to become stagnant, unable to grow and stay competitive with other nations.

Sir Ken Robinson:  The Importance of Creativity
    I enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson's lecture on the "Importance of Creativity."  He incorporated humor into his presentation and gave some real-life examples of the importance of allowing kids to express themselves in creative ways.
    Sir Ken Robinson noted that education is vital and that everyone has an interest in it because it is the most important method by which our future will be molded.  Education is unpredictable because nobody truly knows what the world will look like in the near or long-term future.
    Sir Ken Robinson believes that children have tremendous capacities for innovation.  He points out that children are unafraid to take a chance.  As such, they are very much unlike adults who are afraid to make mistakes.  He stressed that adults in society now were not educated to be creative individuals.  He believes that every educational system on Earth does not encourage the arts or creative innovations because people do not think they can find a career doing something they enjoy.  As a result, he believes that many talented people do not believe they are talented because their individual creativity was never valued.
    Sir Ken Robinson believes that intelligence is diverse, dynamic and distinctive.  He suggests that we rethink the fundamental principles on educating children.  We need to put to use the gift of human imagination and inspire creativity in our students because they represent our leaders of the future.
    I agree that allowing students freedom to be creative thinkers makes them more productive students.  However, in school systems today, I think teachers are hampered by state and federal mandates, accountability testing, funding and class size, all of which limit the content that teachers can provide instruction on and which does not allow them to unleash a student's full creativity.

Cecelia Gault (Young Student in Finland) Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
    Cecelia Gault conducted an interview with Sir Ken Robinson, in which she asked him about his thoughts on different issues in the education field.  He told her that he believed schools needed to strike a better balance between the arts and sciences.  He felt that computers and technology should be the center of education, especially since young people understand so much about computers.  He also favors a stronger connection between the school and the community in which it resides.
    Sir Ken Robinson spoke with Ms. Gault about creativity.  He told her about several myths the people have about creativity, such as:  (1) the belief that only certain people are creative; (2) the thought that creativity is only about certain things; and (3) the stance that you are either born as a creative individual or you are not.  Sir Ken Robinson believes that everyone is creative and believes that you can teach people to be creative.  He told her that nobody knows exactly what intelligence is.  He said that intelligence is a diverse process of making sense of the world around us, solving problems and understanding situations.
    I thought that Ms. Gault did a very good job in her interview.  One of the points that she addressed that I feel needs improvement is that we need a stronger link between schools and communities.  I think it would be a great experience to have a "Day of Talents" in my classroom.  This would involve members of the community to come into the classroom and express their creative skills.  For example, a doctor could share some songs that he plays on his guitar.  I think this would be a great message to students from someone that is both creative and works with the latest technological tools of his profession.  I feel that blending the arts and technology in my classroom would ensure my students the same kind of education Ms. Gault is receiving.

Vicki Davis:  Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
    Vicki Davis' video was an informative piece on how technology can work in the classroom.  Ms. Davis is a teacher who firmly believes in using technology to learn.  She believes that every student can learn.  Ms. Davis expressed her belief that, when teachers only use pen and paper, only certain children will be successful.  Instead, she customizes her lessons to meet the needs of her students.  She does not see the need to stand in front of a classroom and lecture throughout the day.  She is of the opinion that students work collaboratively; they must be thinkers and become comfortable with technology.  Sometimes, the students become the teachers.  Ms. Davis developed several projects including Cool Cat Teacher Blog, Digi Teen and the Flat Classroom Project, which allow both students and teachers to stay current with the latest trends in technology and share ideas.
     I was amazed at how proficiently Ms. Davis' students seemed to navigate the technological field.  I believe that there are so many applications and programs available that school can become a place where students can look forward to going.  I think that work can still be done on the total incorporation of all areas of a student's curriculum.  For example, Ms. Davis incorporated a literacy lesson by requiring her students to Google unknown words instead of merely telling them the definition.  By doing this, I believe that students will mature into better-rounded individuals.

Project #2

Blog Post 1

ALL ABOUT ME
    My name is Angela Pitts.  I grew up in the Mobile area.  After graduating from high school, I moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to attend the University of Southern Mississippi.  I earned a degree in Elementary Education and returned home to Mobile.  I had always wanted to be a teacher.  I wanted to be able to touch someone's life - to make a difference.  I wanted to inspire children to be the best student, the best person, they could become.  I wanted to make learning a fun experience, and something the students could use to mold themselves into professional human beings.
    I began my teaching career at Indian Springs Elementary school as a fifth grade Language Arts teacher.  After my first year, I moved to a self-contained fourth grade classroom.  I really enjoyed teaching fourth grade as it provided me the opportunity to expand student knowledge in critical courses including reading, mathematics and science.  In fact, my grade level teachers and I worked diligently to develop a reading program based on novel studies.  All of the skills taught to the students were done so through novels.  The students enjoyed that teaching model, and the teachers and school administrators believed the program was successful.  I was employed at Indian Springs for a total of six years before resigning to become a stay-at-home mother.
    My husband and I have been married for 16 years, and we have three beautiful daughters.  Emma is 12, and our twin daughters, Hannah and Isabelle, are 9.  All of our daughters attend Corpus Christi Catholic School.  Our daughters are involved scholastically through their involvement with groups such as Corpus Christi News, and Emma is a proud member of the National Junior Honor Society.  We have encouraged our children to be involved in extracurricular activities, and they are active participants in the Girl Scouts, CYO Sports and Corpus Christi Band.
    I resumed my career in the education field in 2006, when I was appointed as an inclusion paraprofessional at Cranford Burns Middle School.  My duties in this capacity include assisting all students in the classroom while providing particular attention to students with Individualized Education Plans.  I tutor students, help with homework assignments, reteach skills and administer tests.
    The majority of my free time is spent with my family.  Our daughters are very involved in school and extracurricular activities, and this requires a large time commitment on our part to shuttle them to and from practice, band, meetings and other activities.  It is a small price to pay, though, since we want our children to be well-rounded students who have been exposed to various elements both in and outside the classroom.  Any remaining time is spent with our family in Mobile.  Although our immediate family in Mobile is relatively small, our extended family is very large.  We take regular trips to Mississippi and Texas to visit family and friends.  My hobbies include cooking, gardening, taking walks with our  two dogs and, when I can, watching Home and Garden television.
    I am attending the University of South Alabama to fulfill the requirements to get my teaching certificate reinstated.  My certificate lapsed during the period I stayed home to care for our young children.  To reclaim my certificate, I must complete two 300-400 level college courses and complete 50 hours of professional development.  I plan to complete the requirements for recertification by the close of the 2011-2012 school year, and hope to secure a teaching position for the next academic year.

Randy Pausch on Time Management
    I greatly enjoyed watching Mr. Pausch's presentation on time management.  Mr. Pausch was able to at least outwardly downplay his terminal diagnosis and use it as a teaching instrument to reflect that he, of all people, was adept at managing the time afforded to him after learning of his pancreatic cancer.  Mr. Pausch combined humor with his lecture in an effort to lighten the seriousness of his predicament, which improved the quality of his presentation because the audience was not led to believe he was having a "woe is me" speech.  On the contrary, Mr. Pausch spoke about dealing with time management in a common-sense type of manner through his straightforward, no nonsense personality.  Like Mr. Pausch, I am a firm believer in lists, and planning not only for the coming week, but for the upcoming months.  As Mr. Pausch pointed out though, our life situation changes, and we have to edit our plans and change our lists to hit the curve balls that life throws at us.  I read Mr. Pausch's book, and was touched by his good nature and how he did not allow a medical diagnosis change him to a bitter and downcast individual.  As Mr. Pausch noted, you can learn a lot when things do not go well.  This translates not only to our life as a whole, but the classroom as well because children, administrators, policies, politics and a host of other factors can create obstacles to your success as a teacher, but if you focus on doing things right, as Mr. Pausch said, you hold the upper hand in making the outcome as favorable as possible.