Blog Assignment 5

The iSchool Initiative

The idea that Travis Allen expressed in his video The iSchool Initiative was excellent. It goes right along with what I have been saying in my past blog posts. It is definitely time for technology to move in the classrooms. Travis Allen also pointed out that by having technology in the classroom, it will cut the cost of education. With iTouch devices being used, there is no reason for pencils, notebooks, printer/copy machines,etc. Everything can all be done on this one device.
In the video Travis mentioned that the cost of school with iSchool would be around $150 a student compared to school without it would be $600. I liked what Travis said in the video Zeitgeist0YoungMind's video. He said "if we want to thrive in the in the information age we must rebuild our educational institutions to better prepare our youth for the digital world they were born into". I totally agree with this statement. From past videos such as A Day Made of Glass, we definitely see that technology is rapidly growing. If we want our youth to be able to function in a world filled with technology, why not begin to teach them how to use it in the classroom?

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
The video Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir was amazing. It just proves that almost anything can be done in the virtual world. I just think that is so cool that people from all over the world can come together to make a choir, and harmonize so beautifully, while sitting in the comfort of their homes. Amazing!

Teaching in the 21st Century
In the video Teaching in the 21st century, it points out that teachers are no longer the go to for information. The internet is what everyone uses when they need a question answered. Students are able to find out any information they want because technology and/or social networking sites. The video had some great points in saying how as educators we have to be on top of the ways that technology is changing. By staying on top of our game we, as teachers, can better corporate technology in our teaching as well as learn new ways of teaching.

Flipping Your Classroom

In the videos, Why I Flipped My Classroom by Katie Gimbar, Dr. Lodge McCammon's FIZZ- Flipping the Classroom
, and Flipping the Classroom- 4th Grade STEM by Ms. Munafo they explain what flipping the classroom means. Flipping the classroom is basically getting students out of the same routines of listening to the teacher teach, to getting their lessons online at home. I do like the concept of a flipped classroom, but some students to have low income parents and might not have a computer at home. Other then that maybe being an issue, I love the idea. I do agree that I would rather listen to a lecture via the internet opposed to hearing a teacher in a classroom setting.