YouTube: More Than Views

I use to think that YouTube was only good for a few things:
1.) Posting dumb or funny videos of you and/or your friends.
2.) Learning how to do or make virtually anything.
3.) Trying to get your five minutes of fame and as many views as possible.

It was not until recently, when I had to do a digital story telling project for my Educational Technology & Design class, that I realized the true value YouTube can have in a classroom.  You have to understand that I mean more than just showing your class a five minute excerpt from an hour long episode on the History Channel.  For my project we had to either make a video that we would use as a teacher in the classroom or an example of a project we would want our students to do.  I decided to do an example of a project that I would like my students to do, and was surprised just how educational a short two minute video could be.

From this, I decided to do a little more of my own research to see what else is out there.  I stumbled upon
edutopia.org, where educational consultant, Chris O'Neal, has a great beginners video on how to use YouTube to show clips in your classroom.  I also enjoyed how he informs the viewers about YouTube EDU, which was not something I had known about.  It brings up YouTube clips that have been marked as good resources for the classroom! 

In this day and age with rising of young people who use technology, it almost seems pointless not to change our teaching methods to incorporate these technologies.  Plus, the students have more fun doing it!  Below is a video from YouTube that has students talking about how they use technology....

Whether you use YouTube to share videos and clips, make your own videos or lectures, or have the students make their own videos to teach the class YouTube can be one great resource.  And now I know it's about more than getting to that million+ views!

Back to Basics

I have to admit that when I started my Educational Technology and Design course through UNI, I thought I was going to be way in over my head.  However, I have been pleasantly surprised at all of the information and tools that I have gained.  We recently submitted an assignment using either the Kidspiration or Inspiration programs, and I love these.  But then it got me thinking, with programs such as these, Power Point, Skype, i-pads, smart boards, and even newer technologies coming out all the time for teachers to use, I think we can all get lost in the technological realm that we forget all of the amazing things we can do with the basic connection to the Internet itself!

This is great for schools who cannot afford to get new technologies or who cannot get the grants needed to fund them, and it is a great resource across the board.  Some of my favorite resources as a teacher include:  http://www.theteacherscorner.net/ - which provides great ideas for lesson plans, thematic units, bulletin boards, printable worksheets, and more!  I also like http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/ - which provides tons of FREE printable worksheets, and http://free.ed.gov/ - just to name a few. 

On top of providing great resources for teachers themselves, it also provides a way for teachers to connect to their students with social networking through places like Twitter and Facebook.  Furthermore, this can provide another opportunity for students to keep track of what is going on in the classroom, what is due, and what is to come.  But it can also be a way for parents to keep track as well.

Above all, the internet provides a way for teachers to be able to teach the technology generation in a way that fits them and their learning styles best.  This in return has a better payoff for our children’s future? 

Let's face it, reading, writing, and arithmetic cannot be taught the same way it once was, because our students are not learning the same way they once were.  And as great as all of the new programs and technologies are that are helping shape our future, maybe the first place you should look for help is the good old fashioned Internet itself!

 

Skype - A Whole New World

This year the phenomenon known as Skype, which in their words, "enables the world's conversations;" and provides people the opportunity to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages, and share files with other Skype users will be turning 8 years old.  First used mainly by business men and women to connect their business on a whole new level and then used by families who live miles apart to still be able to see each other, Skype is now gaining popularity within the classroom.

But why would students benefit from using Skype?  With so many options Skype provides endless possibilities for students, teachers, & the classroom.  For example, how amazing would it be for the students to be learning about the history of China or be studying Chinese geography and culture, and then be able to Skype with a classroom in China?!  Both classrooms would be able to ask each other questions and learn more from each other than a text book would ever allow.  Furthermore, it provides an opportunity that many children from both countries may never have the chance to explore.  Even one of my online college professors from the University of Northern Iowa uses Skype as means to communicate with his students.  It provides the "face-to-face" communication that we otherwise would not get from taking an online course.

However, Skype does not stop there!  http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/ is an amazing link that provides '50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom' and shares stories on how other educators are using Skype successfully.  Some of my favorite ideas include using Skype to have students chat with the author of a book they had been reading, using Skype in a language classroom to help students learn the foreign language, and I love that the link mentions using Skype as a way for students to connect to their community as well!

Whether or not you have jumped on the Skype bandwagon is a personal choice, but I believe that Skype will continue to grow and gain popularity as a useful technological tool for classrooms across America, as Skype keeps proving a whole new world to our students.

Want to learn more about Skype or start your own Skype account?  Check it out at http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home

Classrooms + Students + Laptops = Success

It is a growing trend in Iowa schools to try and get grants that allow students to each get a laptop at the beginning of the year to help aid them in their education.  But the question arises, is this really necessary?

Many of those from my generation remember having to go to the computer lab or school library if a teacher wanted to share anything they had found on the internet and that seemed to work just fine for us.  And those older than I remember writing their papers on typewriters, in which many children in the school system today would have no idea what you are talking about.  So why the sudden need to add these technologies such as a laptop per student?

One of those reasons come from the fact that technology is now everywhere you go and is growing so rapidly, that by the time my grandchildren come around they will laugh that I had to drive on the street instead of in a flying car.  The children being born today will not know how to do anything without some form of technology, and so it makes sense to add these technologies to the classrooms and get the students familiar with what will someday be a very large part of their career.  Another factor that plays a role is the new Iowa Core Curriculum, which will be fully implemented in grades 9-12 in 2012 and grades K-8 in the 2014-2015 school year, which - along with your basics such as Math, Science, Social Studies, & Language Arts - will include 21st Century Skills including Technology Literacy.  Yep, that's right; Iowa will soon have benchmarks for each grade level to ensure technology is just as familiar as reading, writing, and arithmetic!

One Iowa school that has been providing laptops for students for a few years now and seems to be a little bit ahead of the bandwagon is United Community School District, which is located on Highway 30 between Boone and Ames, and offers education from Prek-6 grades.  Their mission for technology is clearly stated, "Our mission is to develop an innovative, inclusive plan for the continued use of the latest technology in all learning environments and to incorporate technology into the educational program."  The laptops seem to be working out really well for their students, providing them with a means to research, explore, and test; as well as teaching them how to operate programs such as PowerPoint.  Furthermore, it provides access to the internet to students whose families may not be able to afford it in this economy and opens a whole new world to children everywhere.  I mean, who wouldn't love learning about another country and then being able to Skype with a class that lives there?!

Other schools are quickly joining in the race to keep up with technology, and it doesn't stop at laptops.  Some schools are incorporating cell phones, i-pads, and other electronic devices to enhance our children's education.  And although technology can never be 100% all of the time, it sounds like success for kids who will know nothing more.

You may also be interested in reading about this Eastern Iowa School - http://thegazette.com/2011/01/19/eastern-iowa-schools-embrace-initiatives-to-provide-laptop-for-every-student/