After making three digital stories (one with ANIMOTO, one with ScrapBlog, and one with VoiceThread), I made one more that answers the question, "how do you see digital story telling fitting into education?" It offers a brief view of my opinion of where we are, and where digital story telling can take us. Enjoy!
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/Desktop/PhotoStory1.wmv
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Response to Classmates' Views on Digital Story Telling
The following audio clip consists of my thoughts on digital storytelling and its place in the classroom. My ideas are built around that of my classmates, as this is a response to existing blogs. Those original thoughts can be found at http://jimbosblog-jimmy.blogspot.com/ and another at http://jimbosblog-jimmy.blogspot.com/
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/rmoreau2/www/CI%20335.mp3
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/rmoreau2/www/CI%20335.mp3
Monday, November 17, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Animoto Digital Story
The following is a short movie I made using ANIMOTO. This project is designed to offer practice in making movies using this type of software. The film itself is (hopefully) a comedy about Gonzo's secret love for Miss Piggy, and how Kermit is entirely the wrong frog for her. Enjoy!
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Internet...Yay or Neh?
This post is in response to a video (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/) concerning today's children and their lives on the internet. My own ideas revolve around the thoughts of two other bloggers:
Jimmy at http://jimbosblog-jimmy.blogspot.com
and
Bill at http://wcomisk2.blogspot.com
_______________________________________________________________
How does the internet affect our society today? What role does it play with young people? There is a vast range of opinions regarding the internet, but they are all brought back to the same question: Does it positively or negatively influence today's youth?
After watching this weeks video (link above), two of my classmates posted their own opinions found at the links above. Jimmy looks at the internet and sees the positives. To a certain extent, I do agree. I cannot deny that the internet offers unparalleled opportunities to easily and instantly keep in touch with and communicate with friends that may be otherwise difficult to reach. Jimmy goes on to state that the internet can also help a young person that is less social reach out and express themselves in a way that they would be unable to do in a normal setting. Here is where I see differences in our opinions.
I have always been very interested in understanding and observing the dynamics of personal interaction. I have come to believe that technology, while offering many communicative benefits, serves to deteriorate personal interaction or face-to-face skills. If a student who is less social is now ONLY able to express himself/herself online, then I worry that he/she has lost the ability to do so in person. Not only that, but I worry that this expressed identity is somewhat of an invention, or a wishful self image. If so, I am a firm believer that the results can be unhealthy for that child. Yes, much of tomorrow's world is predominantly online, but nothing can replace one's ability to interact with another person face-to-face. We cannot, then, afford to misplace value in social skills.
Bill's opinions conflict sharply with Jimmy's. Bill is no fan of the internet, and considers many of its features to be a negative influence on today's youth. He skims the surface of this idea of projecting a fake identity through the internet, and expresses frustration with how value is placed in feeding this identity and shaping it into something you're not. In addition, it can and almost always does serve as a major distraction during important work time.
I think that Bill bring up some good points, however I still do not think my opinion of the internet is quite as strong. I feel that one must realize that there are both positives and negative about growing up online. You cannot doubt that today's student has an amazing advantage by having almost limitless resources at his fingertips. Simply put, EVERYTHING is a click away. One teacher, after expressing his acceptance of students finding and adapting ideas and summaries online into their assignments, was even asks if he is saying that cheating is OK. He responded with no, but one must evaluate whether or not the internet is depriving students of original thought.
It is extremely difficult to say definitively whether the internet is a positive or negative influence on today's children. We see examples from the video like Autumn Edows, who seemed to find her own self confidence and self image through reinventing herself on the internet. We then see a story like the young anorexic girl who said that her real self is only found online - that who she plays in real life is nothing more than a cover...a false identity. This cannot be healthy. In the end, I think I see the internet as a tool that, in order to have a positive result, need to be used correctly. I do not think that it can replace personal interaction in any form, but I do think that it can serve as an incredible resource. Students must never sacrifice their own original thought, nor their ability to interact with those around them in the real, unplugged world.
Jimmy at http://jimbosblog-jimmy.blogspot.com
and
Bill at http://wcomisk2.blogspot.com
_______________________________________________________________
How does the internet affect our society today? What role does it play with young people? There is a vast range of opinions regarding the internet, but they are all brought back to the same question: Does it positively or negatively influence today's youth?
After watching this weeks video (link above), two of my classmates posted their own opinions found at the links above. Jimmy looks at the internet and sees the positives. To a certain extent, I do agree. I cannot deny that the internet offers unparalleled opportunities to easily and instantly keep in touch with and communicate with friends that may be otherwise difficult to reach. Jimmy goes on to state that the internet can also help a young person that is less social reach out and express themselves in a way that they would be unable to do in a normal setting. Here is where I see differences in our opinions.
I have always been very interested in understanding and observing the dynamics of personal interaction. I have come to believe that technology, while offering many communicative benefits, serves to deteriorate personal interaction or face-to-face skills. If a student who is less social is now ONLY able to express himself/herself online, then I worry that he/she has lost the ability to do so in person. Not only that, but I worry that this expressed identity is somewhat of an invention, or a wishful self image. If so, I am a firm believer that the results can be unhealthy for that child. Yes, much of tomorrow's world is predominantly online, but nothing can replace one's ability to interact with another person face-to-face. We cannot, then, afford to misplace value in social skills.
Bill's opinions conflict sharply with Jimmy's. Bill is no fan of the internet, and considers many of its features to be a negative influence on today's youth. He skims the surface of this idea of projecting a fake identity through the internet, and expresses frustration with how value is placed in feeding this identity and shaping it into something you're not. In addition, it can and almost always does serve as a major distraction during important work time.
I think that Bill bring up some good points, however I still do not think my opinion of the internet is quite as strong. I feel that one must realize that there are both positives and negative about growing up online. You cannot doubt that today's student has an amazing advantage by having almost limitless resources at his fingertips. Simply put, EVERYTHING is a click away. One teacher, after expressing his acceptance of students finding and adapting ideas and summaries online into their assignments, was even asks if he is saying that cheating is OK. He responded with no, but one must evaluate whether or not the internet is depriving students of original thought.
It is extremely difficult to say definitively whether the internet is a positive or negative influence on today's children. We see examples from the video like Autumn Edows, who seemed to find her own self confidence and self image through reinventing herself on the internet. We then see a story like the young anorexic girl who said that her real self is only found online - that who she plays in real life is nothing more than a cover...a false identity. This cannot be healthy. In the end, I think I see the internet as a tool that, in order to have a positive result, need to be used correctly. I do not think that it can replace personal interaction in any form, but I do think that it can serve as an incredible resource. Students must never sacrifice their own original thought, nor their ability to interact with those around them in the real, unplugged world.
Monday, September 22, 2008
$50 for an A?
This post is in response to the article titled, "Earn an A? Here's $50." It appeared in the Chicago Tribune, and can be viewed here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/content/education/chi-money-for-grades-11-sep11,0,4916582,print.story.
The article addresses the idea of paying students for earning good or even average grades. An A will pay $50, a B will pay $35, and a C will pay $20. After reading the details, I was immediately on the fence with this issue. I was juggling between the idea that "learning for the sake of learning" should be enough, and the notion that ANY kind of additional academic motivation cannot be considered a bad thing.
To help shape my opinion, I looked at several news stories and opinion blogs. Many were in favor of this idea, but they seemed to be matched by critics. There were also some new spins on the idea that caught my attention:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-27-grades_N.htm
Several states focused the concept of paying students for good grades on Advanced Placement courses and exams. The schools would pay students $100 for passing grades on AP exams. My concern with this program is that it has the potential to discourage students that are not taking AP exams. There are those that don't take them because they don't want to work that hard, but there are the others that don't take them because they simply cannot handle the work load or the high level material. If a program is put in place to encourage academic performance, should it not be available to ALL students?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/15/paying.grades/index.html
There is another program that takes this approach from a very different angle. Rather than paying students for good grades, they are paying parents for taking a more active role in their child's academics. Homework hours, parent teacher conferences, meeting appearances...there are several ways of meeting these guidelines, all of which I would expect a parent to be doing anyway. However, I do feel like this is a good way to help poor families or families with parents that have lost jobs.
http://education.families.com/blog/4-reasons-why-paying-students-for-good-grades-might-work
Opinion pieces also offered some good points. Here, it was mentioned that offering cash for grades makes the possibility of affording college realistic. There are many students that drop out of school early because they cannot afford college. If they can't afford college, they why continue school at all? In this case, if they are receiving additional cash for good grades, they are encouraged to stay in school and raise their money for college.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/565151-earn-get-50-a.html
On the other side of things, this program in particular is geared toward freshmen only. What about the other students. A concern was brought up here that once students enter their sophomore, junior, and senior years, that cash incentive is gone, and whatever motivation was once created is now gone. If this program is to be a long term effective motivator, I do think it would be beneficial to offer it throughout all four years of high school.
Overall, I have been continuously going back and forth. In the end, I find it hard to disagree with anything that can stir up motivation in our students. This program can help financially struggling families, and it can encourage students to stay in school and to do well while there. As a parent, the school may be offering something I could not afford to: money for grades. As a taxpayer, I don't have to worry about where these funds are coming from, seeing as how they are from private sources. I try to not think of it as a "bribe." It is a functional system that keeps students in school, while still leaving the door open for "real" learning. Just because a student is getting paid for an A does not mean that they did not have to work as hard for it. He/she is still learning in the same way, and a teacher can still be just as effective.
The article addresses the idea of paying students for earning good or even average grades. An A will pay $50, a B will pay $35, and a C will pay $20. After reading the details, I was immediately on the fence with this issue. I was juggling between the idea that "learning for the sake of learning" should be enough, and the notion that ANY kind of additional academic motivation cannot be considered a bad thing.
To help shape my opinion, I looked at several news stories and opinion blogs. Many were in favor of this idea, but they seemed to be matched by critics. There were also some new spins on the idea that caught my attention:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-27-grades_N.htm
Several states focused the concept of paying students for good grades on Advanced Placement courses and exams. The schools would pay students $100 for passing grades on AP exams. My concern with this program is that it has the potential to discourage students that are not taking AP exams. There are those that don't take them because they don't want to work that hard, but there are the others that don't take them because they simply cannot handle the work load or the high level material. If a program is put in place to encourage academic performance, should it not be available to ALL students?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/15/paying.grades/index.html
There is another program that takes this approach from a very different angle. Rather than paying students for good grades, they are paying parents for taking a more active role in their child's academics. Homework hours, parent teacher conferences, meeting appearances...there are several ways of meeting these guidelines, all of which I would expect a parent to be doing anyway. However, I do feel like this is a good way to help poor families or families with parents that have lost jobs.
http://education.families.com/blog/4-reasons-why-paying-students-for-good-grades-might-work
Opinion pieces also offered some good points. Here, it was mentioned that offering cash for grades makes the possibility of affording college realistic. There are many students that drop out of school early because they cannot afford college. If they can't afford college, they why continue school at all? In this case, if they are receiving additional cash for good grades, they are encouraged to stay in school and raise their money for college.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/565151-earn-get-50-a.html
On the other side of things, this program in particular is geared toward freshmen only. What about the other students. A concern was brought up here that once students enter their sophomore, junior, and senior years, that cash incentive is gone, and whatever motivation was once created is now gone. If this program is to be a long term effective motivator, I do think it would be beneficial to offer it throughout all four years of high school.
Overall, I have been continuously going back and forth. In the end, I find it hard to disagree with anything that can stir up motivation in our students. This program can help financially struggling families, and it can encourage students to stay in school and to do well while there. As a parent, the school may be offering something I could not afford to: money for grades. As a taxpayer, I don't have to worry about where these funds are coming from, seeing as how they are from private sources. I try to not think of it as a "bribe." It is a functional system that keeps students in school, while still leaving the door open for "real" learning. Just because a student is getting paid for an A does not mean that they did not have to work as hard for it. He/she is still learning in the same way, and a teacher can still be just as effective.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
An Agent of Change: Technology as a Responsibility
After Rob Johnson and Bryan Musolf watched two videos (links below), they responded with their reactions and ideas (links below). Each answered the question, "How will you be your own agent of change in the classroom to meet student expectations - is it your responsibility?" My own thoughts follow...
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related
Blogs:
robjohnson11.blogspot.com
bryanmusolf.vox.com
Both Rob and Bryan make great points. In particular, I find it interesting that, while their ideas are coming from different places, they seem to cross paths at some point to ultimately arrive at the same place; a teacher's strategy must be as flexible as the world his students live in. Some times that means adjusting a lesson plan from how you learned it to how the scientists of tomorrow prefer to learn it. The point was raised that a strong majority of young people are emailing, texting, instant messaging, blogging, etc. A minority, however, of teachers use similar technologies in the classroom. Now I don't know how texting could improve learning, but I do know that there are certain technologies that, in today's world, must be brought into schools. So how does one actually decide what technologies to bring in, when to bring them in, and how to integrate them into a lesson. Well, as Rob discusses, communication is an essential factor. The art of teaching involves the ability to connect with your students - the ability to turn a one way information track into a multi directional learning highway. By varying learning styles and implementing new teaching strategies in response to student feedback, a teacher can become the agent of change they need to be in a constantly changing world. They need to be; the students need them to be. It is our responsibility to ensure that students are ready for the world they enter...whatever it may look like.
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related
Blogs:
robjohnson11.blogspot.com
bryanmusolf.vox.com
Both Rob and Bryan make great points. In particular, I find it interesting that, while their ideas are coming from different places, they seem to cross paths at some point to ultimately arrive at the same place; a teacher's strategy must be as flexible as the world his students live in. Some times that means adjusting a lesson plan from how you learned it to how the scientists of tomorrow prefer to learn it. The point was raised that a strong majority of young people are emailing, texting, instant messaging, blogging, etc. A minority, however, of teachers use similar technologies in the classroom. Now I don't know how texting could improve learning, but I do know that there are certain technologies that, in today's world, must be brought into schools. So how does one actually decide what technologies to bring in, when to bring them in, and how to integrate them into a lesson. Well, as Rob discusses, communication is an essential factor. The art of teaching involves the ability to connect with your students - the ability to turn a one way information track into a multi directional learning highway. By varying learning styles and implementing new teaching strategies in response to student feedback, a teacher can become the agent of change they need to be in a constantly changing world. They need to be; the students need them to be. It is our responsibility to ensure that students are ready for the world they enter...whatever it may look like.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Creativity in Education
This post is in response to Sir Ken Robinson's talk about creativity and its place in education, found here: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
Sir Ken Robinson defines creativity as the process of having original ideas that have value. He claims that these original ideas stem from the interaction between unique or differing perspectives. I think we can all agree that originality is something that must be cherished - but can we conclude, without doubt, that we share this view point with today's education system? Probably. But is that enough?
Sure...in a perfect world, a school is a place where differing perspectives are nurtured and grow together to maximize learning in a diverse and stimulating setting. What we must decide is whether or not this is in fact reality.
Robinson makes an interesting point when he calls traditional education a means of meeting the needs of industrialism. From one perspective, it is tough to criticize a school for preparing its students for professionalism. The problem, he says, is when a school forges an academic hierarchy that essentially ranks subjects based on their future importance. He explains this by offering a hypothetical scenario where a teacher will tell a student, "Don't place too much weight in dance...you'll never be a dancer," or, "Don't worry about art...you're not going to be an artist." It is this type of system that Robinson criticizes for steering away from creativity and more towards a short-term narrow pathway to University acceptance.
Yes, college attendance is absolutely vital in today's world, but another thing we can certainly agree on is the unpredictability of the future. Without nurturing these creative outlets - without placing weight in artistic or unconventional areas - that unpredictability becomes more of a limited pathway. I'm not saying that all hope is lost...I'm merely suggesting that Ken Robinson seems to be on the right track, and that in looking forward, we continue to do our best to remove any and all creative obstacles.
Sir Ken Robinson defines creativity as the process of having original ideas that have value. He claims that these original ideas stem from the interaction between unique or differing perspectives. I think we can all agree that originality is something that must be cherished - but can we conclude, without doubt, that we share this view point with today's education system? Probably. But is that enough?
Sure...in a perfect world, a school is a place where differing perspectives are nurtured and grow together to maximize learning in a diverse and stimulating setting. What we must decide is whether or not this is in fact reality.
Robinson makes an interesting point when he calls traditional education a means of meeting the needs of industrialism. From one perspective, it is tough to criticize a school for preparing its students for professionalism. The problem, he says, is when a school forges an academic hierarchy that essentially ranks subjects based on their future importance. He explains this by offering a hypothetical scenario where a teacher will tell a student, "Don't place too much weight in dance...you'll never be a dancer," or, "Don't worry about art...you're not going to be an artist." It is this type of system that Robinson criticizes for steering away from creativity and more towards a short-term narrow pathway to University acceptance.
Yes, college attendance is absolutely vital in today's world, but another thing we can certainly agree on is the unpredictability of the future. Without nurturing these creative outlets - without placing weight in artistic or unconventional areas - that unpredictability becomes more of a limited pathway. I'm not saying that all hope is lost...I'm merely suggesting that Ken Robinson seems to be on the right track, and that in looking forward, we continue to do our best to remove any and all creative obstacles.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Technology...a choice?
"Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children's future, is it really ok to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?"
While thinking about how to start this blog, I was evaluating how technology impacts my everyday life. I came to the conclusion that there has never...never been a day at school as a full time student where I have not used my computer at least once. I don't really think of it as a resource, but more of a expectation - a necessity. Just yesterday, my roommates and I needed to unplug our cable connection briefly, which prompted an instantaneous yell from another roommate, "What happened to the internet!?"
The point is that technology in countless forms is a frequent, if not a perpetual element of our lives today. This being the case, many schools have modified lessons and rerouted them toward a more technological approach to education. There are still those, however, that adhere to a traditional approach to standard lesson plans. In today's world, though, can students afford to be limited by a traditional curriculum? The concept of new knowledge is continuously expanding, and it is already hard enough to keep up with. Without the use of technology and technology training in a classroom, it seems impossible for a student to be ready for both the opportunities and the requirements of "the real world." A teacher, then, can no longer choose to ignore modern technology. Instruction must incorporate those opportunities and prepare students for what the informational age calls for. Doesn't it?
While thinking about how to start this blog, I was evaluating how technology impacts my everyday life. I came to the conclusion that there has never...never been a day at school as a full time student where I have not used my computer at least once. I don't really think of it as a resource, but more of a expectation - a necessity. Just yesterday, my roommates and I needed to unplug our cable connection briefly, which prompted an instantaneous yell from another roommate, "What happened to the internet!?"
The point is that technology in countless forms is a frequent, if not a perpetual element of our lives today. This being the case, many schools have modified lessons and rerouted them toward a more technological approach to education. There are still those, however, that adhere to a traditional approach to standard lesson plans. In today's world, though, can students afford to be limited by a traditional curriculum? The concept of new knowledge is continuously expanding, and it is already hard enough to keep up with. Without the use of technology and technology training in a classroom, it seems impossible for a student to be ready for both the opportunities and the requirements of "the real world." A teacher, then, can no longer choose to ignore modern technology. Instruction must incorporate those opportunities and prepare students for what the informational age calls for. Doesn't it?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Welcome
Hey everyone!
This is my "Grand Opening" blog, which basically includes some background information about me. First of all, my name is Ryan Moreau. I was born in California, but I grew up in Lincolnshire, Illinois for almost my entire life. At Stevenson High School (GO PATRIOTS!!!) I played four years of golf, two years of basketball, two years of swimming, one year of water polo, and managed to squeeze some art in there as well.
After deciding not to turn professional in all of my sports...ahem...I became a student at the University of Illinois. I am currently a senior studying Integrative Biology with a minor in Secondary Education. In the future, I look forward to teaching the high school students of tomorrow, and (hopefully) inspiring some kind of pursuit of scientific knowledge...even if it is just little things here or there, like watching science television programs or surfing the web for interesting facts or pictures (note: I may or may not have taped every science program available on the Discovery Chanel from now until the end of time). Although, I think it can be those little things that can trigger a profound desire to learn - if you can only start that first spark. That is what I hope to be a part of...inspiring the desire to pursue what continues to become limitless knowledge!
This is my "Grand Opening" blog, which basically includes some background information about me. First of all, my name is Ryan Moreau. I was born in California, but I grew up in Lincolnshire, Illinois for almost my entire life. At Stevenson High School (GO PATRIOTS!!!) I played four years of golf, two years of basketball, two years of swimming, one year of water polo, and managed to squeeze some art in there as well.
After deciding not to turn professional in all of my sports...ahem...I became a student at the University of Illinois. I am currently a senior studying Integrative Biology with a minor in Secondary Education. In the future, I look forward to teaching the high school students of tomorrow, and (hopefully) inspiring some kind of pursuit of scientific knowledge...even if it is just little things here or there, like watching science television programs or surfing the web for interesting facts or pictures (note: I may or may not have taped every science program available on the Discovery Chanel from now until the end of time). Although, I think it can be those little things that can trigger a profound desire to learn - if you can only start that first spark. That is what I hope to be a part of...inspiring the desire to pursue what continues to become limitless knowledge!
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