Greetings Professor & Classmates

I must say that I actually enjoyed the challenge of interviewing students and creating a PodCast, which was new to me.  My students are two young men from Brooklyn NY (I was unable to use the first interview of my actual students due to legal issues).  Overall I learned that ALL students would rather have Technology in the classroom than not.  My two young men from Brooklyn are currently attending a school that utilizes technology daily, and they are still yearning for more.  One young man actually uses technology at home (AFTER school) to assist him with lessons that he did not quite understand in class.  He stated that  he is able to use YOUTUBE to learn any lesson from a teacher who is actually better than the teacher in his school, in his opinion.   It was refreshing to hear that some students actually do use technology for something other than play.  This student also stated that in his school all of the teachers have cell phones, so as to contact one another regarding academia.  Both students are inundated with technology daily, which means that we as educators had better pick up the pace, get on board, and on the same page as our clients (students).  We MUST be able to teach them more than what they already know.  At the very least, we should be able to teach them how to effectively utilize the technology that they are playing with.

 Below is the actual audio, and please be warned--- it is 13 minutes long.  So grab a cup of cinnamon coco and enjoy.

https://soundcloud.com/vernell-wilks/technology-interview

Week 4 –EVALUATING 21^ST CENTURY SKILLS

                                                                         

REACTION TO THE SITE:

I am extremely impressed and very excited about this Partnership For 21^st Century Skills website, because of its wealth of information, knowledge, and Resources for teachers to become better equipped to instruct and successfully prepare their students with 21^st century skills. It is exciting to know that behind the scenes, folks that none of us ever think about are plotting and planning for a better tomorrow for teachers and their students.  Businesses such as APPLE INC, CABLE IN THE CLASSROOM, DESTINATION IMAGINATION, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, GODDARD SCHOOL, LEGO, EDUCATION  have formed a partnership in an effort to help make instruction more exciting for both the teacher and the student.  (http://www.p21.org/members-states/member-organizations

PLEASANTLY SURPRISED: 

I was pleasantly surprised to see free resources such as virtual tours, videos, and books, and free online courses, and the New Teacher Center.  I especially like the video clip about teacher mentoring.  In the video it was stated that the start of a teaching career should not be left to chance.” (http://communities.newteachercenter.org/).  I absolutely agree with this statement, because so many new teachers are drained within the first six months from the fear of failing, being blamed for not being able to manage to teach and discipline at the same time.  Now with the new trend in preparing teachers to prepare students effectively, there is more of a team effort happening, and that is great to see.

Although I cannot honestly find anything in this site to disagree with, I will admit that my previous assumption that there is very little help out there for us struggling teachers, was shattered after viewing this site.  I now realize that there is a wealth of resources readily available to teachers, and that very important and caring people have collaborated to make such a site visible and readily available to teachers. (http://www.p21.org/members-states/member-organizations).  Just this site alone is so rich with vital information and resources that once the information is shared with others, there is only room for more growth for all teachers. 

IMPLICATIONS:

The implication of gradual change and eventual success with a site like this one is extremely welcomed. I am most grateful that these businesses came together to create a mission statement that is strong and defiant against failing school systems that are outdated and sets both the teacher and the students up for failure.  I am in favor of the Partnerships for 21^st Century Skills Website 100 percent, because the collaborative efforts in education, business communities, and government leaders will absolutely paid off. They have done a fabulous job here, and I cannot wait to share with others.

 

How I Would Use Blogs In My Classroom

I am the JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) Specialist at my school, and it is my job to prepare my students for the world after High School.  I have previously identified the career goals of each student and I am currently working on having each student research their selected career.

Since taking this course, and since reading the book, Richardson’s (2010) book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I now understand the importance of introducing my students to Blogging.  Although I have focused on teaching my students office skills such as typing, excel, and PowerPoint I now know that it is extremely important to prepare my students for jobs that have not yet been created.

My idea for using Blogs in my classroom is to have each student create a blog of her own to use in order to reach out to professionals in the field that interests them.  On each blog the student would be required to include her expectations of this career, her goals, reasons for choosing the chosen field, and a few questions for the professionals in that career.  Once the blog is complete, each student will be required to write a list of questions to people who actually work in that field.  I would, of course, get permission from my supervisor before executing this plan, but I believe that the students would get some very insightful feedback from others in their chosen careers whether positive or negative.   I believe that these students will be able to see into the real world of employment by using blogs and by opening those blogs to the public, and seeing the various responses. 

As stated in the readings, this assignment could be used to ask to reflect and build on previous ideas about their career choices, incorporate feedback from readers regarding their experiences in that field, synthesize readings from a number of different sources, and advance new ideas or interpretations of each career and from each person.

 

Some of the Blog sites that I found most interesting are Edmodo, and http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration, LifeAfterCollege, and  MakeItHappen.  These educational blogs would be perfect for what I need to expose my students to. 

References

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

I am Vernell Wilks, and it has taken me FOREVER to get this blog started.  You see, I am NOT tech savvy just yet, but soon I will be.  It is great to be amongst other folks who understand the importance of becoming more tech literate in the classroom. 

I currently work for a Group Home where I teach a multitude of subjects.  I know all too well, the importance of keeping the students interested and engaged as well as meeting them where they are. 
Dr.Thornburg's comments in Technology and Education (The reading for week 1) are absolutely true.
Our grandparents should not be able to sit down in today's classrooms and feel right at home.  In fact,
anyone who comes to a 20th century classroom should feel excited, overwhelmed (in a good way), and eager to come back. 

I whole-heartedly believe that educators must take charge and start deliberately searching for technology to be used along with current lesson plans wherever possible. 

I look forward to learning more about this subject, and actually sharing with other teachers. 

Welcome to my blog.