Blog Post #2

1.) Mr. Dancealot
   The central message of this video is that learning is an active process. Teaching cannot always be done with lectures and slides, as was the case in this dance class. Students were only told how to do the dance steps and shown how to do them. The students were not allowed to actually do the dance steps in class. The author proves this idea by showing that the students were unable to efficiently complete the final exam, because they were not given the opportunity to be active in the process of learning the dance steps. I agree with the author that being an active participant in what you are learning, along with being told and shown what to do, will make the learning process more successful.

2.) Teaching in the 21st Century
I. Virtually limitless information because students can find:
   a. Anything
   b.Anytime
   c.Anywhere
II. Teach students how to handle resources
   a. Remember, understand, apply
   b. Analyze, evaluate, create
III. Rethink tools used in the classroom
   a. Pencils, paper, textbooks, notecards
   b. Laptops, cellphones, ipods
IV. Any lesson has to be:
   a. Relevant
   b.Challenging
   c.Engaging (engaging is not the same as entertaining)
V.Where does it start?
   a. With you!

   I think Kevin Roberts is correct with his idea that the way of learning in the 21st century is ever-changing as new technologies are continually introduced. As an educator, this means I will be continually changing the methods in my classroom to embrace these changes. Although teachers are "no longer the main source of knowledge" (Roberts), we need to effectively be "the filter" (Roberts) for the information our students are learning.

3.) The Networked Student
   At the beginning of the video, it seemed that Wendy Drexler was promoting a classroom with no teacher involvement. By the end of the video, she makes the point of why a teacher is needed even for the networked student. I think teachers will always have a place in the classroom, no matter how much technology is used. The teacher is responsible to teach the networked student how to build their network. Teachers in any classroom are there to offer guidance in the process of learning. Networked students will also need a teacher to show them how to communicate with others in their network and how to make sure they are acquiring good information useful for their task. Finally, teachers help the networked student in organizing all of the information they have received.

4.) Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
   The thesis of Vicki Davis' video is that every student has the ability to learn, but only certain students will be successful in learning with only the pencil and paper method of teaching. I agree with the fact that all students can learn. I think the opposite could also be said that only certain students will be successful with a strictly technology based method of teaching. All students are different and learn differently. I believe that a well-rounded education has many forms of teaching in the classroom, including pencil and paper, technology, hands-on activities, and even lecturing.

5.)Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?
   It seems clear, according to the video, that elementary students are ahead in the learning race. I have made the comment may times that my own children know more about smart phones and computers than I do. I believe the reason for this is that they are exposed to technology at such an early age. They already have a basic, or for some an in-depth knowledge of technology before they enter kindergarten, whereas older students did not have the benefit of being exposed to all this at their age.

6.)Flipping the Classroom
   Flipping the classroom is a new concept to me. I think it could be useful to me as a teacher when used in moderation, like one subject per night or less. I think if students are required to watch videos in every subject every night, it will become a dreaded experience for them, thus hindering its effectiveness. Also, it seems that the students who do not have a computer at home would be severely disadvantaged in this process. If you have to give them time to watch the videos at school, it would not free up much time during the day, because the class would be waiting for those students to catch up on the assignment each time. As a future educator, I can see myself using flipping in my classroom as a way to give the students variety, but it would not replace the other methods of teaching.