Podcast

When I first read the instructions for this post I was terrified I had never heard of a podcast before. After researching podcast I learned it was nothing to be afraid of, a podcast is merely a digital media file. Once the fear was gone I plunged into the assignment head first and listened to the six podcast listed below:
SmartBoard Lessons Podcast
KidCast
ConnectLearning
EdTechtalk
MacBreak Weekly
This Week in Photography


The podcast were very informative, I learned more than just the information being discussed. By listening to each podcast I received a deeper understanding of what a podcast is, how it is made, and how to locate them. Each podcast was different in its own way yet they all fell into a general mold. The podcasts were set up like radio talk shows minus the commercials. Every podcast had attention grabbing introduction, a discussion and a question and answer segment. Audile podcast allows the listener to be in control unlike radio talk show. The listener can listen to any episode at any time any were and since there are no commercials the listener has more time to listen and learn about what is being discussed in the pod cast. That makes podcasts a wonderful advancement for the fast pace world we live in today.

One of my favorite podcasts was the SmartBoard Lesson Podcast because it delivered great information in an easy to follow format. I liked the way they discussed relating math in movies to math in the class room. Movies often times have mathematical references that the subconscious picks up. If a student does not understand something the teacher can connect it to a movie the student is already familiar with and help form a deeper understanding. This information stuck out to me because it was easy to follow and relate to. The talk show hosts made smooth transactions between topics and did not draw on one topic to long which I believe keep the information flowing and fresh.

My least favorite podcast was MacBreak Weekly I found it to be boring. This podcast gave a lot of in depth information that I found hard to stay focused on. It was probably hard for me to focus because they did not discuss anything that interested me. This podcast would be very informative for a person that already has a strong understanding of computers and computer programs. Personally it is like listening to a foreign language because I am computer illiterate. This podcast was at a level higher then my understanding and I believe I would profit more from one at an intermediate level.

In conclusion I found podcasts to be a remarkable way to keep up with our rapidly changing life styles. A podcast is an easy and effective way to learn numerous things. I believe all podcast follow a certain format but some are easier to follow. If a podcast flows smoothly to subject without over evaluating a subject the listener is more likely to stay focused as I was. I also believe podcasts deliver information at different levels like math, you cannot master calculus before you can solve long division, and you have to build a foundation of information in which you can build from.

Media Rich Post

Michael Jackson


Michael Jackson (CNN) -- The Los Angeles coroner has concluded preliminarily that singer Michael Jackson died of an overdose of propofol, a powerful sedative he was given to help him sleep, according to court documents released Monday. Los Angeles' coroner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran reached that preliminary conclusion after reviewing toxicology results carried out on Jackson's blood, according to a search warrant and affidavit unsealed in Houston, Texas.
The affidavit outlines probable cause for search warrants of the offices of doctors who are believed to have treated Jackson.
The Associated Press is quoting a single law enforcement official, who says the L.A. County Coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office told CNN they had "no comment" on the report. An LAPD spokesman says the story did not come from their department.
The 32-page warrant said Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told a detective that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks. Murray said each night he gave Jackson 50 mg of propofol, also known as Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine via an intravenous drip.
Worried that Jackson may have been becoming addicted to the drug, the Houston cardiologist said he attempted to wean him from it, putting together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep during the two nights prior to his death.
But on June 25, other drugs failed to do the job, as he recounted to detectives in an hour-by-hour account that was detailed by detective Orlando Martinez of the Los Angeles Police Department:

Next Generation Learning

In the "Next Generation of Learning" video, Henry discusses how his school uses technology through a program called ICT. The program inserts technology into the classroom in more than just the form of computers. Students do hands-on activities to keep their minds alert and active in what they are learning. Technology is not the only in the classroom but as home as well. The ICT program gives students the advantages to learn at home.

At school students have several interactive educational activites to explore. Every classroom has an interactive white board that doubles as a computer. Students can use this to do a presentation and group research. The school also has Wii brain training activities to keep the students on their toes. Henry's school even takes tests different; they use voting systems that allow testing together. All of these advancements allow the student to stay active rather than just sitting in a desk all day. It also helps shy children interact and become social in a safe environment. This new way of teaching and learning motiviates children to be creative and different.

ICT does not end when the bell rings everyday. The school allows students that do not have home computers to check out a labtop to take home. This is wonderful because every family can't afford a computer but it does not mean a child should have to suffer academically. The school also has a website in which all homework can be done and parents can check on their child's progress and more. The school on line is a very convenient way for parents to stay connected with their children about their studies.

The ICT is a wonderful program for the child, parent, and teacher. This program allows students to be free active thinkers. The student that go through this program will have an advantage over other students because they will have a much greater understanding of technology and will know how to be creative thinkers. All schools should adopt this program or atleast give all children the opportunity to join.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

In this video, teacher Vicki Davis talks about teaching through technology. She exposes her students to every kind of technology to teach them to be self thinkers. It is very important to embody the classroom with technology. Davis strives to introduce them her students to many different kinds of software programs. This is an extrodinary way of teaching because it not only familiarizes students with different technology but also gives an alternate way of learning for students that are visual learners.

Davis is teaching students more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. She is giving them skills to expand their knowledge. This program inspires children to think critically for themselves. A student is allowed to tinker with new programs and teach themselves new concepts that they can teach to others. This gives students an extreme boost of confidence and self esteem which encourages them to continue learning. This hands-on-process of learning keeps students focused opposed to just listening to a lecture.

In Davis' class, students are exposed to different software, networking sites, and much more. In today's world almost everything is electronically done and to succesfully funtion in a society, a person must be technologically inclined. Even though software programs are constantly changing, this teaching method does not just teach students about technology but also teaches them how to learn about technology. Along with teaching themselves, the students interact with other students from around the world to collaborate on classroom assignments to learn about new programs and software. Davis' teaching method is allowing her students to interact with other students around the world, learn about the latest software, and inspire them to continue learning.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

Sir Ken Robinson speaks out about the way he feels public education is affecting the children. He believes the public classroom is stripping children from their creativity in order to fit them in a mold that was created during the industrial boom. Educational systems were created to give students the skills they would need to acquire a job which meant language and mathematics was the most important subjects. Sir Robinson also believes the job market has changed due to technology that was created by the people that thought outside the box. Robinson questions if the job market changes, should the educational system should change as well to better prepare the children for the jobs of the future.

In his speech, Robinson stresses the fact that all children are creative and they grow out of it as they become adults. Children are pressured to follow the academic plan set for them rather than encouraged to explore their creativity. If a child seems to stray from this academic plan, they are labeled with having a learning disability. All children learn by different methods and the school systems are set up only to cover one method they deemed right. A child can only reach their full potential if they are allowed to explore every inch of their creativity. Therefore the school systems are not allowing children to reach their full potential that will allow them to suceed in life.

Robinson also talked about the change in the career market. Several jobs used to be located in factories but technology has changed that. People now have the time to explore arts and athletics as serious careers. In the past, it was nearly impossible to be a successful musician, it was consided a suicide career. In the world today musicians, dancers, actors, and athletes have the best paying jobs. The job market is craving for more creative minds to create and entertain.

The world around us is changing due to technological advances and the school systems should change as well to better prepare the children for their futures. Majority of jobs are no longer located in factories and college proffesors are not the only people that succed in life. Children should feel free to express themselves through different outlets without the fear of being different. If children do not embrace their gifts and abilities, they will lose them. Great inventions were created beacause someone strayed from the path and blazed their own. Education systems should embrace creativity beacuse without it, society will never make any progress.

Did You Know? 3.0

The video “Did you know? 3.0“ is an eye opener for its viewer’s eyes to the reality of the future being the present. The video discusses several controversial topics that challenge the viewer to think critically about the impact of technology on the world. Technology is rapidly increasing and changing to better fit the needs of the future and this has positive and negative effects.

The rapid increase of technology is a positive advancement for several reasons. Technology is creating new jobs for billions of people. Jobs are created to research, build, and maintain technological advances. These new advancements also allow people to connect with other people around the world by a simple press of a button. People can now learn about the diverse communities around the world on a day to day basis due to this instant connect system. New technology gives people better access to all the information they need to succeed in life. People may search for an answer through billions of resources in a couple of seconds. The new advancements in technology are positively altering the way people live.

These advances may seem to be all positive but the fact of life is every positive has a negative. Technology may be creating new jobs but it is also increasing populations. Although there may be billions of new jobs, there still will not be enough jobs for everyone. The new advancements that allow people from all over the world to connect can also be a negative. Social networking sites open the doors for several crimes such as: cyber bullying, money scamming, and online sexual predators. Information is becoming easier to access but due to the way technology is so rapidly increasing it is hard to stay up to date on all the new information. New facts are being discovered and distributed faster than people ever thought possible and it is estimated that it will continue to increase.

The world is rapidly changing through technology and with that comes positive and negative effects. People should broaden their perspective about technology and view both sides equally. Every advancement should be thoroughly analyzed to weigh the positive and negative effects it will have on the world. When this is done then people can use technology to find new ways to help decrease the negative effects. People will never be able to work out all the kinks in technology but with proper analysis they can smooth out the rough edges to better enrich the future for people.

First Post

Hello, my name is Sarah Elizabeth Denahm and I am truely excited to be studing elementary education at the University of South Alabama. I grew up in a family of four in Robertsdale and graduated from Robertsdale high school in 2007, a couple of months after my seventeenth birthday. After I graduated I decided to go straight to college. My family was extremely proud of my decision to further my education. I just recently graduated from Faulkner State and can not wait to get in the class room. I am a young women trying to survive on my own and put my self through college. At times it may become tough to bare but press forward and strive for the best.
This pass summer i worked at a summer camp in Loxely where i realized my true pasion for teaching children. Seeing the sparkle in their eye's when they unlock one of life's mysteries made going to work a blessing. Every child is different and learns in their own way at their own pace and it is amazing what you can learn from them.