Talk the talk: Learner-generated podcasts as catalysts for knowledge creation.

I found the theoretical philosophy of the study very valuable to explaining why we should use podcasts, or vodcasts, in the classroom. They explained how podcasts incorporate collaborative and cooperative learning. They describe characteristics of learning that take place such as "active learning, student self-direction, participation in group activities and team skill developing" (p. 508). I believe that these descriptions are a perfect way to reason why we can utilize podcasts as great learning tools!

I also think that it is important to note that the researchers of this study point out that the students need to be working collaboratively with one another. In order to provide the right foundation for learning, the students must have the opportunity to work together, share ideas, and provide feedback to their peers. This process is invaluable for learning.

Lastly, I felt that this study provided a good example of how utilizing technology appropriately in the classroom can allow opportunities for construction of knowledge through interactivity, student engagement, and idea generation. Obviously, there are other ways to help students construct knowledge, but the podcast/vodcast help the students stay engaged and gives them a sense of pride when it comes to school!

Brainstorming Uses for Vodcasts in the Math Classroom

One way I thought might be good for the students to make a vodcast would be to have them use the interactive whiteboard to show the steps they would use to solve a problem. Basically, they could make a tutorial on how to solve the problem. You could do this at the beginning of a unit right after they've learned how to solve it. This would help them learn the strategies and also, if you posted the vodcasts to share with others, it would help parents and students with homework.

Another way to utilize a vodcast in the math classroom could be to have the students create a vodcast after researching jobs that utilize math on a daily basis. The vodcast would be their way of presenting the information they researched. They would follow protocol for typical research projects but the form of presentation would be using a vodcast.

The third idea of utilizing a vodcast in the math classroom could be to assign the students in creating their own real-life application problem. The students would have to be creative and give background on the problem they propose. You could also have them solve the problem during the vodcast. Regardless, they would need to apply the content they are learning to a real-life situation. The questions could then being utilized on the summative assessment if you wanted.

21st Century Skills

East Stroudsburg University's teacher preparation program has done a good job of preparing me for my teaching career by both developing my 21st century skills and supporting my efforts as a future teacher to foster 21st century skills in the classroom. In my education courses, there is a pattern to prepare us as future teachers for a classroom environment that enhances students' problem solving skills, promotes incorporation of technology and empowers the diverse learners.

Not only do we learn how to important it is to teach students these skills, but the professors have also led by example. In a math modeling course, the second half of the semester was dedicated to a service-learning project where the entire class was working toward a common goal of discovering and predicting solutions to the campus' carbon footprint, specifically carbon emissions from transportation associated with the campus. The service learning project was extremely beneficial not only to apply our math skills but to encourage us and provide real-life examples of ways to incorporate technology, environmental issues, and current global trends into the curriculum. The service learning project has been by far one of the most useful courses I've ever had in college.

This example is one way that ESU has provided me as a student in the teacher preparation program with an environment that fosters the development of my 21st century skills and also has given me good ideas to carry to the classroom. The media communications and technology courses are obviously another good example of ESU's dedication to promoting 21st century skills. Every education major is required to take at least one of these core courses and most content areas also have a Teaching of [subject] with Technology. This course was designed to help future teachers build a portfolio of ways to teach the content while focusing on developing the students 21st century skills.

I think that it would be beneficial to all students to have to take a class that requires a service-learning project similar to the math modeling experience I had. It was a good opportunity for the students to utilize our own skills and collaborate with others to reach a common goal. As a graduate student that has had a career before returning, in my opinion this project was the most useful and applicable learning experience I've had. It closely reflected the issues and successes you experience on a daily and long-term basis. I think that the skills developed while working on such a large project is invaluable for any college student! Kudos to the school for allowing professors this opportunity; however, I think that this would be an extremely beneficial requirement to have for every major.

Tanner and Jones' How Interactive Is Your Whiteboard?

This article addressed the need for interactive, whole class teaching and the assumption that interactive whiteboards provide this type of class environment. The article defines a continuum of the Nature of Interaction from the less student active side, lectures, to the very active students doing collective reflection. The authors discuss ways to improve student interaction utilizing an interactive whiteboard and strategies that promote self-reflection.

I agree with the authors on many points, students should have a high degree of control over their learning and that teachers are facilitators of discovering knowledge. I also agree that interactive whiteboards can be used to assist in the learning process and helping students become active in their own learning. However, I don't think that it is the interactive whiteboard or the skills attained to utilize the board that promoting an environment where your students can self-reflect and guide their own understanding, but rather the teacher must possess a certain set of skills and attitude that empowers students to become controllers of their own learning. I believe that a teacher who possesses these skills and promotes this environment can support their students with only a pencil and paper. I feel that the teacher's tool box of strategies and questioning techniques are what promote an environment that harbors self-reflection and deep interactivity. Without these skills, even an interactive whiteboard wouldn't be an effective teaching tool.

I do think that an interactive whiteboard can be utilized to deliver some very interactive and successful lessons but we should not forget about other resources beyond technology. We shouldn't forget to think out of the box just because we've been provided with very advanced supplies. Students need change. We are extremely aware of the multiple learners there are in a classroom and the need to differentiate instruction to meet their needs. I feel that an interactive whiteboard is just another tool for the tool box but is not to replace the rest of the tools we have collected over time.

Interactive whiteboards can be used in a secondary mathematics classroom from simple to complex levels. For example, the interactive whiteboard and its software can save all of the notes you write on the board. As we know, this is especially important in a math classroom where questions may arise and the "small" steps can easily be missed. If a student misses class, the saved notes can be printed and given to these students. Also, if students have a hard time keeping up with your notes, you can provide the student with a copy. Another way to utilize the interactive whiteboard in the math classrooms is so you have more time for visuals to tie in with your notes. If you give the students the typed notes and draw sketches demonstrating the typed notes it will help the visual learners and also give you more time to provide examples (this is great for Geometry)! There are also really useful math tools that come with interactive whiteboards that provide graphs and a software package that allows the teacher to see everyone's calculators. You can synchronize the calculators and have a student demonstrate their processes. There are many good uses for an interactive whiteboard in the secondary mathematics classroom and would make a great tool for a teacher.

Dewey's Democracy in Education: Chapter 1

According to Dewey, humans have a natural tendency to pass along information from the older members of a social group to the younger, less experienced, members of that same group. As society's become more complex, there is a necessity for a society to develop a more complex system of passing along information. As our society became increasing more complex, there were formal education systems set into place. The author suggests that not only is formal education a priority but also the social aspect of communicating culture from older to younger must also coexist for a complex society to thrive. The author fears that the exponential growth of knowledge and technology will present a gap between the information gained in social experiences and the knowledge gained in schools.

Level of Bloom's Taxonomy that I experienced most in my schooling...

During my secondary schooling, I typically experienced either remembering, understanding, and sometimes applying of Bloom's Taxonomy. It was a very rare occasion to see anything other than these categories. I had very traditional teachers and didn't get to experience much other than traditional lecture and assessment styles. I remember one teacher that was new to our high school who utilized classroom debates but she left the following year. Rarely did we get to see much other than the lower-order skills. I did have a Physics teacher who let us experiment and discover a lot of things on our own. This teacher was one of my favorites I ever had. He always encouraged us to be creative and to think of our own ways of implementing our experiments.

I'm not sure why exactly they didn't choose to utilize any other level of Bloom's Taxonomy but I would guess that the administration didn't feel that it was a valuable use of the teacher's time. The high school I attended often times thought that basic skills and transfer of facts was the most beneficial for the students. They put little to no value on students' processes or critical thinking skills but instead on general knowledge.

Why should we, as educators, integrate technology into the curriculum?

Recently, educational studies have focused on the use of technology in the classroom. Some studies focus on the effects of technology integration on students’ achievement and understanding, while others’ primary goal is how a student’s emotions and perceptions change when technology is utilized in the classroom. However, most researchers will typically agree on at least one of the same conclusions, students are excited and engaged when working with technology. This generation is accustomed to media overload – bright graphics, accompanying sounds, and fast and efficient access. Since this overload of media, students have a new expectation of how information should be conveyed to them.

This phenomenon along with the demanding need for technological skills in the work force and the increasing proof that technology improves students’ attitudes and perceptions toward academics has pushed school officials to incorporate technology into the curriculum.

Although resources have helped educators incorporate technology into the curriculum, not all schools are able or capable of implementing this educational trend. There is still a need to train educators on how to utilize technology to increase students’ potential in the classroom and also a responsibility of determining if and when technology is being overused.

Specifically, many classes taught in a secondary mathematics program require abstract thinking that can be enhanced through additional resources via technology in the classroom. Research shows that students are excited and enjoy using technology to complete activities and engage learning when instruction is delivered through technology. Although implementing technology into a math curriculum is ideal, it is still important to be committed to develop an adaptable curriculum that can be changed as the needs of your students change. This may require an intense amount of time and energy for those implementing the technology.

It is crucial that we advocate for all schools to have equal access to updated technology in their classrooms so all students in America can benefit from the appropriate integration of technology in the curriculum. Fortunately, some teachers have been able to incorporate multiple forms of media into their lessons because of more affordable equipment, available grant money, access to resources online, and curriculum packages that include software.

Technology is a must in classrooms today; however, strategically and appropriately utilizing the technology is essential. Technology should be used to enhance the traditional classroom to improve students’ motivation and perception of academics while purposefully balancing all instructional strategies in the mathematics classroom so students stay motivated and focused, practice 21st century skills, and, overall, are given the best classroom experience possible.