Blog Post #2

After watching the video, "Mr. Dancealot," I realized that teaching requires application! A teacher that engages his/her students and requires them to apply themselves to the material has much better success than a teacher who does not. The central message is that learning requires interaction with the teacher and the material. The author of the video made his point extremely clear at the end; the students did not learn because all they did was listen to him talk about dance, and demonstrate the positions behind a huge podium. I assume that we all agree that he should have at least demonstrated the dance positions where his students could see him. The conclusion of this video with Mr. Dancealot was nothing less than 100 percent valid. Even with their notes, and the couple of students who payed attention in every lecture, they still did not know how to dance. The students needed more in depth demonstration and practice! A dance class cannot be successful when they are learning in a lecture class room with power points; obviously, they should have been learning in the ballroom where their final exam would be held. It is not fair to expect one's students to absorb so much material on a screen and on paper and then be able to "burp it back," as Dr. Strange would say, physically and accurately.

Roberts's video, "Teaching in the 21st Century," caused me to really think about what I will be doing as a teacher in this technologically advanced generation. I believe that Roberts thinks we as teachers must be adaptive and, of course, engaging to be the kind of teacher we aspire to be in the future. He talks about using the skills we've learned about technology to motivate our future students to engage in technology as well. I feel as if this video is beneficial to both future teachers and current students because the questions Roberts asks are serious to our education. The internet has an endless supply of knowledge for people to obtain, but it also provides much distraction. I agree completely with what Roberts has proposed in his video, but on the other hand I do not think that technology will productively serve my students in a P.E. classroom. Applications and answers at your finger tips might work well in a traditional classroom, but I still believe children can be distracted in the blink of an eye. If personal technology becomes popular in the classrooms I would propose heavy monitoring and strict rules to be efficient. Lastly, I am not completely against using technology in a P.E. class because it could be helpful at any time; I personally just see it as a bigger distraction.

"Why does a networked student need a teacher?" is a very engaging question! Networked students have all they need at the touch of a button and a click of the mouse, but the teacher is the one who instructs them properly and guides them to success. A teacher is a mentor and a "filter of knowledge," as stated in Roberts's previous video; they don't just assign homework and grade projects all year long. If students didn't have teachers how would they know which direction to go? How would they know who they could trust? How would they know if they were making progress? These are the questions that come to mind when Drexler asked us her question. My opinion is that teachers are necessary to the quality of learning and the success of the student!

Vicki Davis's video, "Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts," was all about the collaborative work between students through the internet. By blogging and documenting and sharing, these students have interacted with others like them from around the world! As she stated in the video, "only using paper and pencil," will definitely limit the success of your students. Children and adults, too, can learn anytime and anywhere and I think it is a wonderful accomplishment; especially for the type of experience Davis is sharing with her students! Once students gain those skills they are never lost. The best part is, those skills can be passed on from there on out.

After watching Dr. Strange's video on who is ahead in the learning race, I would have to vote for the Elementary students. They are so privileged to be growing up with tools such as the Mac book. Those students are learning new things every day that people my age wouldn't have even dreamed of when we were 1st graders. It is truly amazing how much education can change and who it can affect. It seems to me that the Gulf Shores Elementary school is really making progress on the quality of education these students are receiving, and I am proud to know that now. I have had my doubts on the education system here locally but after a couple weeks in EDM 310 and watching this video by Dr. Strange I now hold this generation to high standards. It also seems to me that every upcoming generation has the ability to "one-up" the generation before them now.

The article, "Bringing the Locker Room into the Classroom," was inspiring to me. The author made some valid points on how teachers also need to be coaches in their classrooms. Teachers should coach their students the basic skills they will need to interpret material and to come up with the best possible answer. When I eventually become a Physical Education teacher, I will have to be both a teacher and a coach. I must teach my students the skills, the rules, and the goals intended but I also will have to coach them into applying their new skills properly. I also agree with the author when he stated that teachers have the ability to learn from coaches, and vise versa. I believe in the statement that has already been made clear in this class that educators are life long learners!