Blog Post #5

The iSchool Initiative

Travis Allen made some great points about The iSchool initiative and how schools should use the iPod touch to assist in teaching. One was all of the educational apps that teachers can use. I never realized how many educational apps there were until this video. Travis Allen also talks about all the money and trees that students can save with this program by going green.  He says that students could save up to $450, because on average, parents spend around $600 and with this program they would spend around $150.

I think this initiative is a great idea for teachers and students. The seventeen year old has made a difference by traveling the country and embracing mobile learning. With this program, I think students would look forward to getting on their iPod touch for school. It was a great point he made when he said the internet would block non-educational sites so students would not be able to browse all over the web. This video was a really good way of describing the pros of using the iSchool format when teaching.

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

This video is absolutely amazing. These people are from all over the world and have never met before, but they have made a wonderful work of art. Eric Whitacre is a genius. I cannot even imagine how long this took him to put together. This video gives you a look at what else you can do with technology. Who would have thought you could have so many people on one video from all over the world?

Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts

This video is very educational and something I believe all educators should watch. The video says that teachers are not the source of knowledge anymore, the internet is. It says that the teachers are the filter. I agree that teachers should show students ways to use the internet as a reliable source for information.  It also wants the educators to inform the students about the non-reliable websites. This was a great video.

Flipping the Classroom

I think flipping your classroom is a good idea for all teachers. I agree with Dr. McCammon in the video Dr. Lodge McCammon's FIZZ -Flipping the Classroom that there is too much lecture in the classroom and students are not engaging. The teachers post there videos on-line for students to watch before class to have some knowledge about what the will go over in class. Students can work ahead or review material they do not understand. This is a brilliant idea for teachers and students.