The first point that really resonated with me was when Dr. Wesch said how the digital footprint of 1.4 billion people was in the room with his class watching his lecture. Just at a rough estimate, I believe that the population of the world is somewhere around 6 1/2 billion so, if my math is correct, at any one time there could very well be the equivalent of 1/7th of the world's population in digital footprints in a particular place. That is huge in my mind! I never realized just how many people are making connections every day, every second on the Internet and other digital sources. Now, the question I'm asking myself is how do I, as a teacher, make sure that my students are provided with the chance to learn to navigate this network in a way that helps develop their techo-skills but also create meaningful connections in the process?
First, I believe that learning environments have to change. What Dr. Wesch said about 'procedural' learners and how they learn and complete assignments solely based on what the teacher/professor says or whats in order to pass the class really struck a chord with me since that is one of my main 'survival' skills that I have been using since I have come to university and even a bit in high school as well. There were a few teachers in high school and four in university thus far that really presented the subject matter in a unique way and allowed the students to go forth and discover it instead of resiting it back to them from the textbook word for word. And, believe it or not, those are the classes that I remember the most information from and have applied the most information from in my teaching experiences because, above all else, those professors and teachers found a way to make the learning connect with me on a personal level.
So, having this prior experience of learning and researching just for the stake of meeting the passing standard, I will be conscious of the environment in my future classroom in regards to not only incorporating personal learning networks in general but also to make sure I provide or point the students in the direction of making connections to what they are learning in whatever way works best for them.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tech Task #1
Well, as it so nicely states above, my name is Callista Szachury and this is my blog. I a m originally from a small town here in Saskatchewan called Esterhazy. I grew up on a farm on my grandparents' homestead just outside of the town. Esterhazy is best known for being the Potash Capital of the World since it is located very near two mines: K1 and K2. My father, now retired, worked at K2 in the mill for 25 years and my mother retired from teaching when she had me to be a stay at home mom and being an only child, I didn't mind in the slightest.
Growing up, I was very interested in anything to do with music. I starting playing piano when I was 8 years old and have loved it ever since. In Grade 6, I discovered (to my amazement) that I apparently had a "knack" according to the band director for playing the euphonium. Now, just in case some do not know what a euphonium is...believe, not many people do, it's not the most common of instruments. It looks like a smaller tuba but is in the same tonal range as a trombone however it has a mellower sound like a French horn. Anyways, music and (as a progressed to the high grades at school) drama are two things that I enrich my life daily and I am very thankful that I was provided with the opportunities that I had. One other interest worth mentioning is that I was, and still am fiercely passionate about bowling. When my parents lived in B.C. for about 15 years, my Dad got a part-time job as a pin boy and was hooked on the sport ever since and because of this, passed his love for it onto me. At my best (so to speak), I was 3rd in the province individually and was on a team that also ranked 3rd the following year.
In regards to my experiences at school, I have two favorite grades: Kindergarten and Grade 12. All of the rest really do not make any sort of highlight reel in my books which I guess is one of the main reasons that I wanted to become a teacher. In short, I did not have a good day to day experience at school. The classes were fine, some were excellent however, when it came to the socialization part of education, I had the most "interesting" experiences practically every day. One of my main passions about teaching is that I will work my hardest so that no students have to dread coming to school because of the student environment.
As a child, my experience with technology was pretty slim. My parents were older than the parents who had children around my age. Nothing was or is wrong with this, I love my parents and think they are the best, but it did put me in an interesting learning environment since my parents were quite techno-phobic when it came to computers. There was no computer in the house until I was 10 and I learned most of my computer skills at school, thank goodness that opportunity existed! Eventually, I (along with my Mom) became quite comfortable using the computer however, my Dad will not go near a computer to this day. The computer skills that I acquired at school aided me in landing a job with the Government of Saskatchewan as an Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Resources for two summers which was a fabulous experience. So, all in all, I am very grateful for the computer courses in high school!
I believe that technology by introducing technology to students in the classroom at an earlier age they are more likely to pick up the necessary skills that ones needs to use the computer on a basic level. In our current society, having even the basic knowledge about computers will benefit the students since the technological world will always be a very prevalent part of their lives. As a teacher, I know that some schools are more 'blessed' than others in terms of what technology is available as a resource however, even with this limitation I feel that teachers should try to do as much as they can with the students. Going back to my parents and their techno-phobia, I must admit that I am not as confident in my skills as I want to be and this low confidence has on more than a couple of occasions kept me from using technology in the classroom. The lack of knowledge or experience is, in my opinion, another reason why maybe some teachers tend to avoid technology for fear of it 'not working'.
I feel strongly for the use of technology within the classroom in terms of researching purposes as well as presentational purposes to name a few situations. However, with allowing the students to use particular mediums such as a blog, MySpace or YouTube, one must be ever conscious that these resources do not turn into a network of cyber bullying within a particular class or travel throughout the whole school. This situation can hopefully be avoided by the teacher monitoring classroom posts and thus, the students get the opportunity to blog in a safe environment.
In my opinion, a cell phone is a great thing to have if you a driving a long distance in the winter or if someone needs to get a hold of you. However, things can be taken too far. Cell phones can add to cyber bullying by helping rumors as well as pictures (the current trend of "sexting") to be quicking and quietly spread away from the teachers' eye. Because of this current trend AND also because it is quite rude to be texting while others are trying to talk to you AND what is it doing to the grammar of today's youth, I agree with the current rules and regulations pertaining to the use of cell phones in schools.
Growing up, I was very interested in anything to do with music. I starting playing piano when I was 8 years old and have loved it ever since. In Grade 6, I discovered (to my amazement) that I apparently had a "knack" according to the band director for playing the euphonium. Now, just in case some do not know what a euphonium is...believe, not many people do, it's not the most common of instruments. It looks like a smaller tuba but is in the same tonal range as a trombone however it has a mellower sound like a French horn. Anyways, music and (as a progressed to the high grades at school) drama are two things that I enrich my life daily and I am very thankful that I was provided with the opportunities that I had. One other interest worth mentioning is that I was, and still am fiercely passionate about bowling. When my parents lived in B.C. for about 15 years, my Dad got a part-time job as a pin boy and was hooked on the sport ever since and because of this, passed his love for it onto me. At my best (so to speak), I was 3rd in the province individually and was on a team that also ranked 3rd the following year.
In regards to my experiences at school, I have two favorite grades: Kindergarten and Grade 12. All of the rest really do not make any sort of highlight reel in my books which I guess is one of the main reasons that I wanted to become a teacher. In short, I did not have a good day to day experience at school. The classes were fine, some were excellent however, when it came to the socialization part of education, I had the most "interesting" experiences practically every day. One of my main passions about teaching is that I will work my hardest so that no students have to dread coming to school because of the student environment.
As a child, my experience with technology was pretty slim. My parents were older than the parents who had children around my age. Nothing was or is wrong with this, I love my parents and think they are the best, but it did put me in an interesting learning environment since my parents were quite techno-phobic when it came to computers. There was no computer in the house until I was 10 and I learned most of my computer skills at school, thank goodness that opportunity existed! Eventually, I (along with my Mom) became quite comfortable using the computer however, my Dad will not go near a computer to this day. The computer skills that I acquired at school aided me in landing a job with the Government of Saskatchewan as an Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Resources for two summers which was a fabulous experience. So, all in all, I am very grateful for the computer courses in high school!
I believe that technology by introducing technology to students in the classroom at an earlier age they are more likely to pick up the necessary skills that ones needs to use the computer on a basic level. In our current society, having even the basic knowledge about computers will benefit the students since the technological world will always be a very prevalent part of their lives. As a teacher, I know that some schools are more 'blessed' than others in terms of what technology is available as a resource however, even with this limitation I feel that teachers should try to do as much as they can with the students. Going back to my parents and their techno-phobia, I must admit that I am not as confident in my skills as I want to be and this low confidence has on more than a couple of occasions kept me from using technology in the classroom. The lack of knowledge or experience is, in my opinion, another reason why maybe some teachers tend to avoid technology for fear of it 'not working'.
I feel strongly for the use of technology within the classroom in terms of researching purposes as well as presentational purposes to name a few situations. However, with allowing the students to use particular mediums such as a blog, MySpace or YouTube, one must be ever conscious that these resources do not turn into a network of cyber bullying within a particular class or travel throughout the whole school. This situation can hopefully be avoided by the teacher monitoring classroom posts and thus, the students get the opportunity to blog in a safe environment.
In my opinion, a cell phone is a great thing to have if you a driving a long distance in the winter or if someone needs to get a hold of you. However, things can be taken too far. Cell phones can add to cyber bullying by helping rumors as well as pictures (the current trend of "sexting") to be quicking and quietly spread away from the teachers' eye. Because of this current trend AND also because it is quite rude to be texting while others are trying to talk to you AND what is it doing to the grammar of today's youth, I agree with the current rules and regulations pertaining to the use of cell phones in schools.
Throughout the course of this semester, I hope to ultimately become more comfortable and confident in my computer skills. I expect or would like the class to be laid out in a way that it is easy for my to understand what topics are being discussed as well as assignment details and rubrics prior to the due date. In closing, I am really excited to learn any new skills that can enhance my teaching with technology!
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