Brian Crosby's video shows that he has gone above and beyond in teaching a group of underpriviledged kids that some teachers may have given up on. On the second day of class, Mr. Crosby took a survey of his nine year olds to see where they stood in the classroom. The results were pretty sad. He found out that only three of his students even knew which country they lived in.
Mr. Crosby's hands on approach mixed with his use of technology in the classroom is incredible. The "high hopes" project was incredible. It was amazing to see how fast news of the project spread and how some many people got involved in different aspects. Another thing I really enjoyed was the way Mr. Crosby tests his student's knowledge. They do not take multiple choice tests. Instead they do blog posts about what they have learned. Another truly inspirational video.
A Vision of Students Today
I think Michael Wesch's video, A Vision of Students Today should be a wake up call for teachers, University presidents and anyone involved in education in any way. What the students are silently screaming is that times have changed! They are begging for someone to teach them something. Not just show them, not present to them, not ask them to read, but truly TEACH them.
All semester we have seen tons of videos, blogs, tweets, and much more proving that educators must change their way of thinking. The proof is there, so what is the problem? We must find ways to relate to our students and really teach them.
How Will You Teach Me in the 21st Century
Melinda Craft's video is a really cute presentation, but it is way more than that. It is a call to action for all educators. This video shows that Melinda wants her students to know how to use technology and be able to communicate effectively, but she also wants them to experience and understand the impact of media on their lives.
One day I hope to teach my students how to use the tools and resources that are offered to them by technology. I hope they will be able to communicate and collaborate with other students anywhere in the world, and I hope then at the end of my class they can say that they have experience real hands on learning.
I think it would be really neat to combine Melinda Craft's approach and Michael Wesch's approach to create a call to action video for teachers.
The Basic Technology Toolkit
Although for some people, Dorothy Burt's list may seem excessive, I wish others would follow her lead. I wish other schools would incorporate more technology into their expectations for teachers. I feel that I would be able to meet all of the expectations set by Ms. Burt, and I completely agree that other teachers should be able to as well.
Exemplar of Students' Work with Video
I really loved Carlton's video that Miles Webb shared. It is simply amazing to see what children can do when we give them the chance. They really have a way of exceeding our expectations. Mr. Webb did not really expect much from this video as there wasn't much time for preparation with this piece. This video is proof that even a young boy that is legally blind can use technology to make learning fun.
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