Sunday, January 31, 2010

Media Literacy in the First Grade
This video was amazing! I couldn’t believe that first graders are blogging. When I think back to when I was in first grade, I don’t think I knew how to operate a computer, much less blog. So much has changed since I was that age, it’s astounding. Truthfully, it’s quite evident that children today know more about technology and are more technological than adults. If this is how much has changed since I was that age, I wonder…what will it be like 10 or 12 years down the road? What will children know how to do then?

Little Kids Big Potential
I loved this video! It was so exciting to see children interacting and using technology as a learning tool. These kids are becoming comfortable with technology that it is becoming second nature to so many of them. How awesome is that? Not only is it a fun, different approach to learning, they are also being prepared for the future, which I’m sure is full of even more technological advances. The potential of what lies ahead for these children is amazing and beyond our imagination.

One-Year-Old Uses iPhone
I was almost 16 years old before I got my own cell phone. I mean, I knew how to operate one; however it certainly wasn’t an iphone. I was so shocked that a one year old, a baby was able to maneuver technology like this. Chances are that this child has watch his parents and other adults use their phones. Look around, we go nowhere without seeing people on their cell phone. But when I stop to think about it, how much do I rely on my cell phone? It’s the one thing I can guarantee that I will always have on me. It’s as if I wouldn’t know how to function without it. Our society is so dependent on these mechanisms that it’s almost hard to believe that it’s real. The young child is living proof that technology is permeating throughout every facet of our society, even the very young.

PODCAST
Before this class I had never heard of a podcast, and if I had, I had never given much if any thought to what it was. I was worried I would have no idea where to start or find ones I would enjoy, but I was wrong. This has the potential to be an excellent learning and teaching tool. The potential of tapping into other learning communities, schools, and even cultures is astounding. Podcast is a tool in which I will utilize.

Smart board is another amazing teaching and learning tool that is being used in many classrooms. I particularly enjoyed this podcast because of how relevant it is to me. My classes here at South have moved to the smart board and it won’t be long before I have a classroom of my own, and I will also be utilizing this tool. It’s very important that I know how to properly use this device and know what its capabilities are. The more I know about these tools, the more my students will benefit.