21st Century Learning

The point of the video, Mr.Dancealot, was to show that certain subjects cannot be taught by lecturing and showing slides alone. In this case, a ballroom dancing class needs to be hands on to gain the experience needed to successfully do what is expected of you in the course. In the video, at the end of the course the students had no clue what to do. They had no practice, therefore that did not know what to do. The author made his point that classes need to be taught by practicing and doing rather than just listening to someone lecture for hours about the subject. This is true. When it comes to actually knowing how to do something, you have to do it yourself and figure it out. The saying is practice makes perfect. You cannot really learn by watching someone who already knows what they are doing.

Teaching in the 21st Century:

Kevin Roberts believes that teaching in the 21st century is completely different than before. Teachers are not the only source for knowledge anymore. Students are able to get information many different ways using technology. The role of teachers in the 21st century is to filter the information and teach students what to do with the information that they find.

I feel like Roberts view of the role of a teacher in the 21st century is accurate. I can see this becoming more of a reality with today's students. They have so many resources right at their finger tips; with their computers, cellphones, iPads, and more. They need teachers that help guide them and challenge them to use the information given to them wisely, professionally, and how to apply it to their lives.

If Roberts is correct, I as a teacher would make sure that I gave my students the tools to use the resources that they have properly. I would need to use more technology in the classroom than my teachers used in elementary school, not only for my benefit, but because this is how students learn now. They are used to having computers, TVs, cellphones, and if that's what keeps their attention then that's what should be used to teach them in the classroom.

The Networked Student:

Why do Networked students even need a teacher? According to the video , the teacher is there to help the student build his network and take advantage of these opportunities, she offers guidance, shows them how to properly ask for advice from experts, how to differentiate from good information and propaganda, and helps organize information. The teacher hopes that her student will maintain his learning network and to use it to navigate his future and solve the world's problems.

This is a great way to help students become successful. They work on their own, using their resources, to find information. Teachers are there to help them along the way. Answering questions, giving advice, offering their support. Just because students can find information on their own doesn't mean they know what to do with it. The teacher still plays a vital role in the life of the student.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts:

Vicki Davis is a teacher who uses technology of all sorts to teach her students. Her goal is to create a different kind of learning environment to empower her students. She is using a technique that allows students to learn from and communicate with other students around the world. This is a wonderful way to teach students. Communicating with other students from around the world is a great way for students to learn about other cultures and see how other people live. This kind of class will also help them with other classes that they take. They will be advanced in using technology and be able to use their knowledge to find information they need to complete a project. As Davis says in the video, students learn in different ways. If she just used paper and pencils, that would not benefit the students who are more hands on or visual learners.

Who is ahead in the learning race? Well, I will have to say elementary students at Baldwin County schools are definitely ahead in 21st century learning. The way I was taught and the way they are being taught are totally different. I was taught by teachers, my main source for information. They are basically teaching themselves using technology, with the guidance of teachers. This is a wonderful thing. Students are able to learn so much more and this will benefit in the long run. I wish Mobile County would convert to this way of teaching. I would love to teach this way. Kids today learn differently and technology should be used more in every school.

Flipping the Classroom:

Flipping the classroom is new to me, but I love the idea. What a great way to keep the students interested in learning and doing their homework. Instead of just sending kids home with a worksheet to bring back to class, they can practice problems and come up with questions to ask the next day. This way of teaching seems like it would be very successful to allow more time for teaching during the day and addressing the problems that students have. I love the fact that the students can watch a video of their teacher giving instruction, so the teacher can spend more time during the day doing activities with the students.

About Me and My Passions

My name is Kristen Hayaski. I'm 21 years old. I just got married June 14, 2014. I have lived in Mobile, Alabama my entire life. I love to travel and plan to travel a lot more in the future. I have been to Matagalpa, Nicaragua (2012 and 2013) and to Lima, Peru (2014) on missions trips. On these trips we visited orphanages and schools and were about to see how different the schools are in these countries.

Before I came to the University of South Alabama I attended Faulkner State community college. During my time at Faulkner State I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. My original plan was to become a dental hygienist and quickly realize that that wasn't for me. I have always wanted to be a teacher, so I decided to go for it. My plan now is to teach for as long as I feel like it and to eventually become a counselor in an elementary school. My husband is actually a teacher. He teaches history and coaches football and baseball at Citronelle high school. He will be starting his classes in January to become an administrator, and we may get to graduate together.

My husband and I both love missions work and education and plan to combine both of them to one day to teach in other parts of the world. We also want to open our own school and orphanage. We have big dreams and I truly believe that we will accomplish them.

I also love art. Painting, drawing, and any crafty project. I enjoy being creative and doing things on my own rather than just buying the cookie cutter version of something from the store. I am excited to do fun activities with my students and show them different ways to do things and be creative. I want to instill in them at a young age that it is good to be different and to think outside of the box. I feel like in today's society children need that. There needs to be more educators that teach life lessons and things that they will use for the rest of their lives instead of just teaching from a book. That's what I plan to do as a teacher; teaching children how to become successful adults who do not rely on others to determine their happiness. I want my students to know that no matter what people say about them, they are good enough and they can accomplish what they set their mind to.

My husband and I are leading a team from our church on a missions trip in July, to the Dominican Republic (One Nation One Day 2015). We are going with an organization called missions.me, along with 2,500 other missionaries from around the world to do street ministry, and projects such as building 100 homes for needy families, digging water wells, providing medical and dental aid to those who never get medical attention, and much more. I could go on and on about this trip. It is such an amazing opportunity. This is only the second time a trip of this size has been attempted. The first trip (One Nation One Day 2013) was in Honduras and they were very successful in reducing crime rates and boosting school attendance. I am very excited for this opportunity.

What About EDM 310?

Some students have told me how they feel about EDM 310. They said that it would be very hard and stressful. They said that Dr. Strange was unfair with his grades and he does not teach and that you have to teach yourself. They said it was horrible and the worst class they ever had to take. However, my husband, who is now a teacher, took this class in 2010 and he told me that it was a very rewarding class. I was confused at his response about the class because of the horror stories I have heard. He said that it is a very helpful course and that I will learn a lot that will help me when I become a teacher. He said although it is a very time-consuming class it is worth it in the end. He said as long as you do your work on time and keep a positive attitude you will do fine in the class.

A fear that I have about EDM 310 is the fact that I am a procrastinator. I feel like I will have trouble keeping up with the assignments, especially because I'm taking this course in the summer and we will have to work at a much faster pace. I also fear that I will let my group members down. I know I am capable of doing the assignments, but working with a group scares me because I know that they are counting on me as a big part of their grade as well. Even though I am nervous about these things, I am looking forward to getting over this feeling and getting rid of the habit of procrastination. I love a good challenge and I know that this class will definitely challenge me to become a better person in the long run.

I feel like EDM 310 will be different than most classes that I have taken in college and high school. This class requires self learning. The classes that I am used to, the teachers teach the material, I memorize what they taught, and take a test and move on. As Dr. Strange said, teachers are used to using the burp back method of teaching. He does not use that method at all and requires you to actually learn the material of his course. I did take an AP English class in high school that changed my way of thinking. It made me want to be a better student, and I feel like I have. It was the hardest class I have ever taken, until now. EDM 310 may be the hardest class I will ever take, but it may also end up being one of the most rewarding. The English class was excruciating while doing the work, but it was also very fun and interesting along the way. That's how I feel EDM 310 will be, we will have to work very hard and do our best, but we will also enjoy ourselves as we learn new ways of using technology.

I feel like it will be difficult for me to teach myself. Also, keeping up with the assignments and doing them on time will be a struggle because it is so fast paced. As I said earlier I am a procrastinator, but I feel like this class will force me to get out of that old habit. The best way to address the difficulty that I may have in this class would be to get used to teaching myself and actually learning the material because I will need this to be a successful teacher. And becoming a successful teacher is my main goal. I also need to remember that Dr. Strange and his lab assistants are available to answer any questions that I have and help me along the way.

I still wonder if I will be able to do what is expected of me in this course. But I plan on doing my best and staying on top of the assignments to make sure that I earn an A in this course.

Second Test

Second Test

My Test Post Title

This is my first post. I clicked the HTML button which I should always do in EDM310. I am now a blogger!