Wow! I have utilized 20 of the 100 tools for learning, which seems very low to me. This list inspires me to try some new tools . I was surprised by how many tools seem so basic to me that I would not have expected them to be on the list. I felt almost as if I had taken these tools for granted or as if I have used them so much that they don't seem like tools anymore, when in fact, that means they are the tools that I use the most! I am happy to say that I have added several new tools to my repertoire from my enrollment in my Technology in Kinesiology class over the last three weeks, and I feel proud of getting out of my "safety" bubble. I have attached the link to the "Top 100 Tools for Learning," below.
Prior to taking my Technology in Kinesiology, I had been contemplating creating a website and also about creating a twitter account, both for professional use. I was hesitant in creating both of these tools simply because the unknown of both. I didn't picture myself as someone who would us the word "tweet", or as someone who was techy enough to have a website. Fast forward three weeks into my technology course, and I have a rough, (but steadily improving), professional website, and I also have atwitter account.
Thus far, I have used my twitter mainly as a forum to communicate with some of my track athletes, and as a way to communicate about a gofundme account that our track team created. I picture utziaing Buzzetto-More, N. A. (2012). Social Networking in Undergraduate Education. Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, 7. Retrieved January 8, 2013, from http://www.ijikm.org/Volume7/IJIKMv7p063-090Buzzetto611.pdf
The article "Social Networking in Undergraduate Education," explored the use of Facebook as an educational tool for Undergraduate classes at an unnamed university. The findings of the study, lead mostly by attitude surveys following the programs, were that students generally agreed that when used for classes, Facebook helped to build a sense of community within a learning environment, enhanced the learning process, made classes more interesting, fostered student engagement, enhanced class discussions, and a majority of students reported that they preferred Facebook discussions over the Blackboard discussions. I have not had any opportunities to use social media in college classes, nor have I had a conversation with someone who has had the opportunity to use social media as a tool in a college-level class. I do, however, have many teaching peers who utilize Facebook and twitter to reach out to their high school classes. They post homework, answer questions, and make general announcements on these pages. Students seem to utilize these communications to connect with teachers and classmates in a positive manor. I had been contemplating creating a twitter account and field hockey Facebook page for some time before this class, and now that I have them, I see how they can really be used as a tool to reach my students and student athletes. My students are frequently on their devices, so I think that there are some strong reasons to consider using social media as a tool in education. *This blog post is based off of an article sited and linked below.
I feel that the findings and opinions from leading experts in the fields of technology and communications expressed in "Generation Always-On," are both promising and a bit scary. It is interesting to me that this new generation is a generation of creators. They can create online worlds, online arts, and online ways to be social with their peers. These young adults are able to quickly seek information, and utilize online tools to solve problems. These qualities seem very promising to a world that seems to be becoming more and more fast-paced, however, what does this mean for face to face communication and the ability to problem solve without the aid of devices? Experts in the article shared a fear of weakness with the interpersonal skills of "generation always-on." There is a shared fear that these young people might not be able to communicate with others without the use of a keyboard. Further, experts fear that the attention spans of this generation might be much shorter, as they are used to having answers at their fingers tips within seconds to every question they may have. How will the algebra skills and the ability to write concentrated essays in an English class be affected by students who are not used to struggling and persevering to find success? Will the skills of revision, studying, and focusing by major weaknesses with these 25 year old and younger? I appreciated how this article highlighted both positive and negative benefits to having a generation that is always hooked up to devices and technology. I think that in education, we will have to provide students with many experiences for them to grow and keep advancing through utilizing technology, however, I think that we will have to work to give these students practical experience with working with peers in a face-to-face manor, as well as experiences to work through the struggle that is acquiring knowledge. I think that if we find ways to balance the use of technology with the acquisition of patience and interpersonal skills, that we can best meet the needs to our "always-on" students. http://www.elon.edu/E-Net/Article/59585 I knew entering high school that I wanted to be a teacher, and more specifically a Kindergarten teacher. By the end of my Freshman year, however, I was set on becoming a Physical Educator. The reason for my path change was my P.E.teacher and coach, Debbie Mache.
I came to high school from a very small K-8 school in which my graduating class was 16 students. Our P.E. program was very "roll-out-the-ball," and I had no idea of what quality P.E. looked like or could be. During my high school experience, I was so impressed with what "real" quality P.E. looked like, and I was hooked! P.E. was my favorite subject, and the curriculum that Mrs. Mache presented to us was rigorous, fun, and educational. Later, Mrs. Mache was my varsity field hockey coach. She inspired me to work my hardest and to be the best version of myself. Because of Mrs. Mache and other coaches, I became inspired to coach, and now coach field hockey and track and field. Mrs. Mache and I are still close. We have dinner every once in a while, and she attended my wedding and baby shower. Ironically enough, Mrs. Mache retired two years ago, and I accepted her position following interviews. I have been so fortunate to have had great educators throughout my education. http://www.gofundme.com/Corningtrack Here is the link to a gofundme account to support a new track at Corning Union High School.
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AuthorNatalie Welsh |