Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Top 5 Technologies for Enhancing Teacher Productivity
Top five technologies for enhancing teacher productivity:
1. Teacher created websites, that will be used to teach from
2. Smart Boards
3. Computers, more specifically Mac’s
4. The internet
5. Sound field Headset systems
This list of five technologies is the top five technologies for enhancing teacher productivity and thus will result in higher grades and more importantly greater students engagement.
Teacher Created websites:
A teacher created website is a website that is created by a teacher for that teacher or other teachers to use in their classes. Many teachers have already created their own websites and have already seen the benefits it provides along with the support it has gained from the parents of the students in those classes. Advantages of a teacher created website would be: Information is available anywhere that Internet is available and even where it is not with the ability for the website to be burnt to a disk. Another advantage is the ability for students to review course assignments and information before or after it is delivered in class. The ability for distance education is created when students anywhere in the world are able to access the sites no matter their location. Parents are able to check home work dates as well as other key dates for the course from anywhere they have access to the internet. Some limitations may include access to computers, Internet problems, and computer problems. The implications for Students and teachers would be a wide array from a better more engaged class to a more fulfilling career to a teacher because of the enthusiasm of the students and the recognition of a contribution to education.
Smart boards:
A Smart board is a relatively new technology that has exploded in recent years and is proving to be a new wave in education. The technology consists of a projector and a large Tablet that is on either the whiteboard or a wall in a class. The Smart board is usually connected to the Internet and provides interactive engaging features such as a touch screen. You could describe a Smart board as a big tablet for a computer; the limitations of the technology are often based on the knowledge and motivation of the teachers using them. Other limitations are that they are costly to incorporate in every classroom. Advantages of the technology is that it allows you the opportunity to captures lectures and lessons and create videos and sound files that can be put on the internet and given to students that either miss class or are taking the class via distance education. Other advantages are that a teacher can use a mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth and would be much easier for students to read and write, also all notes could be put up so there is no need for a teacher to re-write their notes over and over. Implications for students and Teachers would most likely include a better engagement and greater participation on behalf of bother teacher and students. Teachers may realize that it can easily simplify their teaching and students can more easily gain access to classes if they are captured and saved.
Computers and specifically Mac’s
Computers have emerged as one of the greatest technologies of the past 50 years. It is practically mandatory for every students to have a computer or at very least have access to a computer. Computers allow access to any information imaginable. Mac Computers are quickly proving to be the best choice for computers within our educational system. The Saskatoon Catholic school board is committed to replacing the previous PC labs with Mac labs when they come up for renewal. Mac computers are known to be better at more creative applications and with the incorporation of Microsoft products such as Microsoft Office for Mac would prove that Mac’s now have the same calculative, and word processing capabilities as the best PC’s. Relative advantages of Mac Computers in Education would be giving the students the industry standards in the creative field as well as preparing them for future careers. Computers provide an ease of access to information and better programs that are designed to help students with all and any types of disabilities. Possible limitations of this technology are Cost, the initial cost of computers is expensive and the maintenance of each computer is also costly. It is said that the moment you purchase a computer it is already our of date because of the constant innovations in the field. Additional staff would have to be hired to maintain and problem solve for the school boards. Implications for both students and teacher would be again a better engaged class and better quality of product produced because of the tools used by the students. For teachers the implications would be a more organized less paper filled life.
The Internet:
The Internet is a the largest resource in the world. It contains more information that all the libraries in the world combined. The Internet is a place where you can buy or learn about anything in the world no matter your location. In regards to education the Internet is a great too when used properly and under supervision. Advantages are that it makes the world a much smaller place and allows students to visit anything or anyplace while still being at the school. With programs like Skype students can talk for free to experts anywhere in the world and that would benefit students without costing schools anything. Disadvantages are that the Internet is also a scary place that is home to predators and deviants. Teachers must not allow students to wonder the Internet aimlessly and must provide specific instructions when using the Internet. Implications for teachers and students include: Students will have a wider more dynamic education and view of the world because of its ease of access. The teachers will be able to give their students the opportunities that may not have been available had the Internet not been available.
Sound field Headset systems:
Sound field headset systems are basically an amplification system that provides the opportunity for every student to hear the teacher no matter where they are situated in a class. The system consists of one or more speaker systems, a receiver and a headset. Benefits for the teacher include: longer ability to speak and less strain on the body, greater control over the class because they can hear what they are supposed to do. Benefits for students: students will be able to hear no matter where the teacher is and or where they are facing. The students will have no excuse no to be working. Implications for the class would be a more cooperative and engaging learning environment. Teachers wont have vocal injuries and students will be able to hear no matter the location of strength of a teacher’s voice.
Ranking:
1. A teacher Made Website as a resource. I believe that this is the greatest tool for a teacher in a technology or other area can have, the information is transferable no matter where the teacher is and once you have the info up on the site it is there for life. It is the single best resource a teacher can have in any area of specialty.
2. Smart boards have been embraced by many school systems and have proven already to be an important teaching tool. It provides a means to which teachers can all teach from their own personal websites as well and making their lessons more dynamic and engaging.
3. Computers and Mac’s provide a means in which we can better train our students to industry standards. If you do not know how to use a computer effectively you will not be able to function in this technological infused world.
4. The Internet is the single greatest resource for teachers and students alike but is not as important as anything above it on the list.
5. The sound field Headset system allows for a great teacher student experience and is important for teachers health and classroom management, but is the least significant of these top five technologies.
Comparing and Contrasting.
With the Exception of the Sound Field all of these technologies are co-dependent. Each can function on its own but it’s the incorporation of each that will make the most dynamic classroom situation. The list I have created is based on my own enthusiasm in regards to incorporating technologies in the class. My Ideal situation would be a school where every students has a laptop and all classes would be taught from teachers websites, this could also be a model for a distance education system as well as a real world school. It only takes one teacher to make a difference in a student’s life and the same goes for a school and technology. It takes one teacher to prove the importance of each of these technologies in order for them to implement within a school. Each of the top 5 would not exists without the invention of Plastic, which is the greatest invention of all time.
Live Life, Love, Laugh, and Design Unlikely Futures
Cheers
Marc
1. Teacher created websites, that will be used to teach from
2. Smart Boards
3. Computers, more specifically Mac’s
4. The internet
5. Sound field Headset systems
This list of five technologies is the top five technologies for enhancing teacher productivity and thus will result in higher grades and more importantly greater students engagement.
Teacher Created websites:
A teacher created website is a website that is created by a teacher for that teacher or other teachers to use in their classes. Many teachers have already created their own websites and have already seen the benefits it provides along with the support it has gained from the parents of the students in those classes. Advantages of a teacher created website would be: Information is available anywhere that Internet is available and even where it is not with the ability for the website to be burnt to a disk. Another advantage is the ability for students to review course assignments and information before or after it is delivered in class. The ability for distance education is created when students anywhere in the world are able to access the sites no matter their location. Parents are able to check home work dates as well as other key dates for the course from anywhere they have access to the internet. Some limitations may include access to computers, Internet problems, and computer problems. The implications for Students and teachers would be a wide array from a better more engaged class to a more fulfilling career to a teacher because of the enthusiasm of the students and the recognition of a contribution to education.
Smart boards:
A Smart board is a relatively new technology that has exploded in recent years and is proving to be a new wave in education. The technology consists of a projector and a large Tablet that is on either the whiteboard or a wall in a class. The Smart board is usually connected to the Internet and provides interactive engaging features such as a touch screen. You could describe a Smart board as a big tablet for a computer; the limitations of the technology are often based on the knowledge and motivation of the teachers using them. Other limitations are that they are costly to incorporate in every classroom. Advantages of the technology is that it allows you the opportunity to captures lectures and lessons and create videos and sound files that can be put on the internet and given to students that either miss class or are taking the class via distance education. Other advantages are that a teacher can use a mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth and would be much easier for students to read and write, also all notes could be put up so there is no need for a teacher to re-write their notes over and over. Implications for students and Teachers would most likely include a better engagement and greater participation on behalf of bother teacher and students. Teachers may realize that it can easily simplify their teaching and students can more easily gain access to classes if they are captured and saved.
Computers and specifically Mac’s
Computers have emerged as one of the greatest technologies of the past 50 years. It is practically mandatory for every students to have a computer or at very least have access to a computer. Computers allow access to any information imaginable. Mac Computers are quickly proving to be the best choice for computers within our educational system. The Saskatoon Catholic school board is committed to replacing the previous PC labs with Mac labs when they come up for renewal. Mac computers are known to be better at more creative applications and with the incorporation of Microsoft products such as Microsoft Office for Mac would prove that Mac’s now have the same calculative, and word processing capabilities as the best PC’s. Relative advantages of Mac Computers in Education would be giving the students the industry standards in the creative field as well as preparing them for future careers. Computers provide an ease of access to information and better programs that are designed to help students with all and any types of disabilities. Possible limitations of this technology are Cost, the initial cost of computers is expensive and the maintenance of each computer is also costly. It is said that the moment you purchase a computer it is already our of date because of the constant innovations in the field. Additional staff would have to be hired to maintain and problem solve for the school boards. Implications for both students and teacher would be again a better engaged class and better quality of product produced because of the tools used by the students. For teachers the implications would be a more organized less paper filled life.
The Internet:
The Internet is a the largest resource in the world. It contains more information that all the libraries in the world combined. The Internet is a place where you can buy or learn about anything in the world no matter your location. In regards to education the Internet is a great too when used properly and under supervision. Advantages are that it makes the world a much smaller place and allows students to visit anything or anyplace while still being at the school. With programs like Skype students can talk for free to experts anywhere in the world and that would benefit students without costing schools anything. Disadvantages are that the Internet is also a scary place that is home to predators and deviants. Teachers must not allow students to wonder the Internet aimlessly and must provide specific instructions when using the Internet. Implications for teachers and students include: Students will have a wider more dynamic education and view of the world because of its ease of access. The teachers will be able to give their students the opportunities that may not have been available had the Internet not been available.
Sound field Headset systems:
Sound field headset systems are basically an amplification system that provides the opportunity for every student to hear the teacher no matter where they are situated in a class. The system consists of one or more speaker systems, a receiver and a headset. Benefits for the teacher include: longer ability to speak and less strain on the body, greater control over the class because they can hear what they are supposed to do. Benefits for students: students will be able to hear no matter where the teacher is and or where they are facing. The students will have no excuse no to be working. Implications for the class would be a more cooperative and engaging learning environment. Teachers wont have vocal injuries and students will be able to hear no matter the location of strength of a teacher’s voice.
Ranking:
1. A teacher Made Website as a resource. I believe that this is the greatest tool for a teacher in a technology or other area can have, the information is transferable no matter where the teacher is and once you have the info up on the site it is there for life. It is the single best resource a teacher can have in any area of specialty.
2. Smart boards have been embraced by many school systems and have proven already to be an important teaching tool. It provides a means to which teachers can all teach from their own personal websites as well and making their lessons more dynamic and engaging.
3. Computers and Mac’s provide a means in which we can better train our students to industry standards. If you do not know how to use a computer effectively you will not be able to function in this technological infused world.
4. The Internet is the single greatest resource for teachers and students alike but is not as important as anything above it on the list.
5. The sound field Headset system allows for a great teacher student experience and is important for teachers health and classroom management, but is the least significant of these top five technologies.
Comparing and Contrasting.
With the Exception of the Sound Field all of these technologies are co-dependent. Each can function on its own but it’s the incorporation of each that will make the most dynamic classroom situation. The list I have created is based on my own enthusiasm in regards to incorporating technologies in the class. My Ideal situation would be a school where every students has a laptop and all classes would be taught from teachers websites, this could also be a model for a distance education system as well as a real world school. It only takes one teacher to make a difference in a student’s life and the same goes for a school and technology. It takes one teacher to prove the importance of each of these technologies in order for them to implement within a school. Each of the top 5 would not exists without the invention of Plastic, which is the greatest invention of all time.
Live Life, Love, Laugh, and Design Unlikely Futures
Cheers
Marc
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Why we are not Politically active.
The University (the man) wont let us......
that pretty much sums it up. I was asked by a Prof Why I think we are not political anymore. Being a product of the 50's and 60's the Prof had been privy to a few rallies in his day.
I think the reason why we are not allowed or able to assemble is due to the fact that the administration has been working along time to make sure we are complacent and basically numb and therefor easier to control.
If you think about it the 60's and 70's led some pretty amazing movements ie. womens rights, students movement, several anti war movements as well. So i would deffinetly say that the students of that time were doing a few things right.
The man got together and they thought up ways to stick it to the students and make sure there was strict complacency. One of the best ways of making sure people cant raise hell is to take away their free time.
WE all know that people with nothing to do are up to something. thus if we force people to be busy they cant act up or speak out.
How we are being screwed by our universities: TUITION: this is the biggest most important factor that wont alow us to assemble and be political.
Tuition is expensive!, on average with books it would costs 6000 for 10 months of school, The average debt of a university student with one degree is on the low side 20 G's and on the High side is 40 G's.
This is a win win for the universities because they are now able to funnel our money into useless projects like making sure lower place is pretty and making sure that the university has their Synchrotron. And forcing us to pay a ridiculous amount of money for tuition forces us to work. I dont know anyone that is able to just focus on their school and therefor politics.
This prof i had talked to about this told me that when he was done his degree and masters he had ZERO debt, he was able to "stir the pot" and get political
So this is why were arent political
Live life, Love, Laugh, Design Unlikely Futures
that pretty much sums it up. I was asked by a Prof Why I think we are not political anymore. Being a product of the 50's and 60's the Prof had been privy to a few rallies in his day.
I think the reason why we are not allowed or able to assemble is due to the fact that the administration has been working along time to make sure we are complacent and basically numb and therefor easier to control.
If you think about it the 60's and 70's led some pretty amazing movements ie. womens rights, students movement, several anti war movements as well. So i would deffinetly say that the students of that time were doing a few things right.
The man got together and they thought up ways to stick it to the students and make sure there was strict complacency. One of the best ways of making sure people cant raise hell is to take away their free time.
WE all know that people with nothing to do are up to something. thus if we force people to be busy they cant act up or speak out.
How we are being screwed by our universities: TUITION: this is the biggest most important factor that wont alow us to assemble and be political.
Tuition is expensive!, on average with books it would costs 6000 for 10 months of school, The average debt of a university student with one degree is on the low side 20 G's and on the High side is 40 G's.
This is a win win for the universities because they are now able to funnel our money into useless projects like making sure lower place is pretty and making sure that the university has their Synchrotron. And forcing us to pay a ridiculous amount of money for tuition forces us to work. I dont know anyone that is able to just focus on their school and therefor politics.
This prof i had talked to about this told me that when he was done his degree and masters he had ZERO debt, he was able to "stir the pot" and get political
So this is why were arent political
Live life, Love, Laugh, Design Unlikely Futures
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
WHO NEEDS ACADEMIC FREEDOM?....... like really?
I just got back from listening to DR. Howard Woodhouse give a speach titled "Who Needs Academic Freedom?" and was pleasently surprised and much to my peers dismay I was totally engauged without the use of my Laptop. The speach centered on post secondary academic freedom from a philosophy standpoint and was geared very much toward informing the public on just exactly our university is doing in regards to our education with their own coporate agenda.
One key point of the speech and question period that fallowed centered on the Canadian Light source Synchrotron and how is has cost us 450 million not including operating budgets. The one fact that was brought up that struck close to home for me was that the companies using our technology to create thing for the corporate agenda actually end up costing us twice as much, for example the drug companies, use the facility that we payed for to make medicine and drugs for us, we then pay for those drugs? please stop me for thinking in Communist ideologies but does this not seem wrong? should we not either benefit from those drugs derived from our facility or at very least allow that drug company to pay their taxes and allow us to benefit in some other way?
Another reason this idea struck me close to home is that the university operates in very much the same manner, we pay incredible amounts to get an education which is funding by the public purse due to major cuts by government during the educational student movements in the 70's. We pay taxes that used to pay for our education and then pay again when we graduated to fund private corporate agenda ventures like the light source synchrotron? Woodhouse mentioned that upon graduation of his Doctorate he had a debt of 0$ thats right ZERO, lets just think about that? on average we could say one degree and bachelor's mind you, would cost on average roughly 50 grand, and not only are we thrown into debt and forced to feed the corporate agenda machine but the fact that this makes us work through school hurts our quality of education and also allows no time for political movements on the part of students. It has been said that the cuts to education was a direct result of the uprising to the students movements in the 70's and i would say that the plan worked.
If we look at some western European countries like Scandinavia, we would see all post secondary schooling paid for and we would also see a much higher standard of education and living among others. I realize they pay higher taxes but is that not a good trade off? lets allow our students to go to school for free and when their out we will have a much larger smarter tax base, and i think not making people pay over and over for the same result may be a smarter model.
It seems to me that the highest for of accountability we have in university is the personal integrity of our staff, go figure?
well here is to changing the system one blog at a time
live life, love, laugh and design unlikely futures.
One key point of the speech and question period that fallowed centered on the Canadian Light source Synchrotron and how is has cost us 450 million not including operating budgets. The one fact that was brought up that struck close to home for me was that the companies using our technology to create thing for the corporate agenda actually end up costing us twice as much, for example the drug companies, use the facility that we payed for to make medicine and drugs for us, we then pay for those drugs? please stop me for thinking in Communist ideologies but does this not seem wrong? should we not either benefit from those drugs derived from our facility or at very least allow that drug company to pay their taxes and allow us to benefit in some other way?
Another reason this idea struck me close to home is that the university operates in very much the same manner, we pay incredible amounts to get an education which is funding by the public purse due to major cuts by government during the educational student movements in the 70's. We pay taxes that used to pay for our education and then pay again when we graduated to fund private corporate agenda ventures like the light source synchrotron? Woodhouse mentioned that upon graduation of his Doctorate he had a debt of 0$ thats right ZERO, lets just think about that? on average we could say one degree and bachelor's mind you, would cost on average roughly 50 grand, and not only are we thrown into debt and forced to feed the corporate agenda machine but the fact that this makes us work through school hurts our quality of education and also allows no time for political movements on the part of students. It has been said that the cuts to education was a direct result of the uprising to the students movements in the 70's and i would say that the plan worked.
If we look at some western European countries like Scandinavia, we would see all post secondary schooling paid for and we would also see a much higher standard of education and living among others. I realize they pay higher taxes but is that not a good trade off? lets allow our students to go to school for free and when their out we will have a much larger smarter tax base, and i think not making people pay over and over for the same result may be a smarter model.
It seems to me that the highest for of accountability we have in university is the personal integrity of our staff, go figure?
well here is to changing the system one blog at a time
live life, love, laugh and design unlikely futures.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Ways to integrate a blog into your classroom teaching (using your area of specialization)
NOTE THIS IS AN ASSIGNMENT,
"ways to integrate a blog into your classroom teaching (using your area of specialization)"
First off my Areas technically are Practical and Applied Arts Industrial, Minor in Drama, area of expertise within PAA is PhotoGraphic, CPT (Communication Production Technologies) and Graphic Arts.
I am working on my Website as we speak, or blog. I have the domain name of Marcgobeil.com and will upload my site asap. This site will be used to integrate my classes and be a hub for my teaching. From this site the students will be able to look at all the tutorials and videos for the class along with looking at what is expected of them during the course of the work. I will be incorporating a blog into this website by using word press. This is a great way for parents to be connected to their students work the fact that it is a website and accessible to anyone allows parents to find out what their kids are doing in class and find out if their kids are doing the work they are supposed to. Also a blog on a website is a good way for students and parents to ask questions after hours as long as the teacher checks their blog.
"ways to integrate a blog into your classroom teaching (using your area of specialization)"
First off my Areas technically are Practical and Applied Arts Industrial, Minor in Drama, area of expertise within PAA is PhotoGraphic, CPT (Communication Production Technologies) and Graphic Arts.
I am working on my Website as we speak, or blog. I have the domain name of Marcgobeil.com and will upload my site asap. This site will be used to integrate my classes and be a hub for my teaching. From this site the students will be able to look at all the tutorials and videos for the class along with looking at what is expected of them during the course of the work. I will be incorporating a blog into this website by using word press. This is a great way for parents to be connected to their students work the fact that it is a website and accessible to anyone allows parents to find out what their kids are doing in class and find out if their kids are doing the work they are supposed to. Also a blog on a website is a good way for students and parents to ask questions after hours as long as the teacher checks their blog.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Second Life:...... a real can of Creepy
My intentions are to illustrate the horrible truths that have become Second Life in hopes that teachers and parents around the world will see it for what it is: a sick twisted world rampant with deviants and sexual predators that have inhabited this failed academic experiment who extort and prey upon the innocent as long as it remains legal to do so.
With the popularity of MMO’s and other MMORPG’s we are starting to see the immergence of many new social disorders linked to a world created that has evolved to foster illicit and illegal behavior. Second Life is one such MMO world that clearly has become a haven for the new age predator. Although its intent was not to be a world that fosters these actions it has been inhabited and overtaken. Why can’t we just appreciate it for what it was and destroy it before we allow it to go any farther.
Did you know that Second Life has a Sex Island, Red Light district and “Rape Rooms”?(Grant). Real world companies have even set up virtual whorehouses, brothels and strip clubs monitored by virtual pimps. The sex industry within Second Life is one of the biggest and most profitable within this creepy microcosm of an online world. The very real and very disturbing aspect of this online sex world is that is evolving into including phone and video sex within its companies set up to profit from this disturbing trend. This isn’t your 90’s chat rooms anymore where there are four teenagers pretending to be a girl and laugh when a dirty word comes up, these companies have policies and hiring practices when selecting these “avatars” to work for them in their virtual cesspools. (Boutin)
There are only two possible argument in defense of this online world and other MMO’s, the first is to allow those who have failed to succeed in the real world to develop social skills to the point where they may go on to succeed in reality. For those who believe this is a valid argument I would rebut with demanding clarification on the existence of “rape rooms”, Sex Island, virtual prostitution and the prevalent Red Light districts and their impact on ones development of social skills One other possible argument that could be made in defense of second life is the account settings where teens are supposed to register for a teen account and adults are supposed to register for an adult account. First off I would imagine there is likely more predators that register as teens than teens themselves, also this system only works if individuals respects EULA’s and do not abuse the system.
Google had come out with a similar MMO world called Lively, which has since being disabled most likely because it was PG rated and Censored by Google. “Anecdotally, many of Second Life's users are there for virtual sex. (The company has banned gambling, so there's little other reason to go there.) The PG-rated Lively, censored by Google, did not even have that; its only draw was innocuous chat, with the occasional subversive attempt by users at raciness” (Thomas)
As an education that utilizes technology in every class I would say that this concept has great concepts but this is definitely not a place for our students. We must acknowledge that Second Life is one of the first MMO worlds that was created and is now a basis or a framework of which we could build something much better and more importantly safer for students.
You would have to be naïve to think that the internet was not created for or benefited from the sex industry, e.g. online chat, video conferencing, online banking, money exchange like Paypal and just the growth of the internet can be attributed to the sex industry. Ask any student about pornography and they will tell you that it is easier to find on the internet than any other place in the world. Being that it is so easy to find pornography on the Internet more often than not there is some sort of safeguard, I know they are ineffective and pointless to say the least but even this small token of sensitivity is not evident in Second Life.
Do educators know the ins and outs of this Creepy Tree house? If not, it is my intention to inform the masses. Second Life is NOT a place for students. Nor is it a place that should exists on the Internet. It perpetuates illicit and illegal behavior and by not shutting it down we are condoning these actions. Second Life needs to be discussed in our universities an our classrooms but only that it is to be avoided at all costs, despite any potential benefits people believe it held in the past.
Sources
Boutin, Paul. Virtual hookers to help us get laid off. 8:00 PM on Tue Oct 21 2008,
http://valleywag.gawker.com/5066792/virtual-hookers-to-help-us-get-laid-off
Grant, Melissa Gira, Congressman gets in on Second Life's "rape rooms" 8:00 PM on Tue May 6 2008, http://valleywag.gawker.com/387829/congressman-gets-in-on-second-lifes-rape-rooms
Thomas, Owen, Second Life's death knell, 1:40 PM on Thu Nov 20 2008, http://valleywag.gawker.com/5094671/second-lifes-death-knell
Thomas, Owen. The End of Second Life. 12:00 PM on Sun Feb 22 2009, http://valleywag.gawker.com/5158190/the-end-of-second-life
Definitions:
MMO: Massively Multiplayer Online
MMORPG Massively multiplayer online role playing game
EULA: End License user agreement
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