Plant Cell Vs. Animal Cell Diagram

Where the hell is Matt? (How to add a video demo)

Future Technologies for Tomorrow's Classrooms

This week in Bob Hale’s technology class, we were to reflect on the Five Best Practices for the Flipped Classroom, the Five Future Technologies That Will Shape Our Classrooms and the Khan Academy video. And wow, there is some pretty scary stuff out there. 

The first thing I think about when hearing about the “latest and greatest technologies” in the school systems, is the gap this will create between socioeconomic classes.  Not everyone has access to these groundbreaking tools.  In my opinion, the flipped classroom philosophy (when implemented correctly) is actually a great idea…. for students that have accessibility to a laptop.  What about everyone else?  Even if only 3/75 students are without one, is it fair to give them the responsibility to learn lectures outside of class?  In order for this to be an effective model, these resources need to be supplied to the students… even down to transportation.  There may be computers available in school or town libraries, but how will they get home if buses only arrive immediately after school?  I think some major planning needs to be put in motion before we get carried away with a seemingly good idea.  Which, I think it is.  In my opinion, the flipped classroom and the Khan Academy method gives teachers much more freedom to be creative during classroom hours.  What high school students need help with is not the understanding of lectured facts, but transfer of skills, meaning making, and problem solving.  With guidance from the teacher and peer support, I think they will get a more out of their resources.  It is clear that there will be more one-on-one interactions, which will foster better student-teacher relationships. 

And as for the multi-touch surfaces and holographic displays, that is just mind-blowing….and frightening at the same time.  At this rate, will we even need teachers at all in the year 2050?  

The Newest Craze: Online Pinboards

Pinterest... a bride-to-be's best friend, and worst enemy.

For All The Kelly Subs Out There

Here's a link on how to use the KASS system for job assignments in the Hartford area.

Screencast-O-FUN!

This is a tutorial on how to put your face into a funny photo, using the latest screencast-o-matic software.

Google Docs Survey

My First Trackstar

My first trackstar, Genetics In Society, will take you on a journey of applications in the field of genetics, including hot topics in biotechnology and bioethics.

Reaction to "Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning" by Alan November

After reading the article by Alan November, a well-known leader in education technology, my first reaction was to the section, "If It's on the Internet, is it true?" This passage talked about the fact that many kids will believe just about anything if it's on the internet, regardless of the integrity of the site.  Even worse, if it's not on the internet, many kids believe the fact, or concept, or whatever they are learning doesn't exist! This concerns me for many reasons.  There is a total lack of responsibility and accountability for what goes on the internet.  Anyone can post anything, a prime example being myself right now.  The problem with the internet is there is no face behind the text, no reason to hold yourself liable for your opinion or viewpoint.  We need to teach students what is an appropriate source of information and what is not, and there is fine line between the two.  Critical thinking is required to understand how to discriminate between true and false information on the web. We are intuitively trained that if we read something it is true. This is not the case.  I agreed with Alan's plan to teach children this by constructing their own websites.  Not only is that a valuable and marketable skill to have this day and age, but it will drive the point home that anyone has the ability to write anything they want with relatively few consequences.

My second reaction to this article was to the section about having live videocameras in every classroom.  While this would definitely facilitate communication between parents and students and build relationships that unify teachers, I also think that this would greatly improve classroom management.  For one thing, if a student knows they are being filmed, the chances that they will behave accordingly are increased.  Inherently, if we know someone is watching us, we are less likely to act out or do something inappropriate.  This system also brings the parents on board and shows them EXACTLY how their child behaves in class.  So next time their son or daughter needs to be disciplined, there is visual evidence of what they have done to deserve a certain punishment or a reward more positively!  I am not a parent myself, but I know many parents that think their children can do no wrong.  They want to think the best and shift the blame.  Unfortunately, that is not always the truth of the matter and this can help them help their kids.