I have seen the future!!!

I have seen the future of the classroom....smartboards!!! They are amazing. I have only taught for 2 years and that was 10 years ago and my most advanced technology I had was being able to plug my computer into the tv in my classroom so the kids could see things on there. After hearing my son talk about them and then wathing this video on YouTube I was simply amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U05WeXPGlk

It almost looks like something from a sci-fi movie. The possibilitied are only limited by your imagination.
It could make teaching & learning a lot more fun.
One example I can think of for a history class would be a series of "what ifs". What if Columbus sailed a little further north or south? What is the the german army was in different positions during D-Day? think about how much better students could grasp a subject simply by playing the "what ifs".

Mike

Lessons via podcast

I have been hearing on some radio stations (mainly MPR) that offers some of the reports are available for download by podcast. Why not take this idea into the classroom. My son's brand new high school has a set up with the teachers where they have a microphone to broadcast their lessons. It would be very simple to hook up the microphone to a recording device to make the lesson available for download by podcast. Imagine the possibilities....If the lesson becomes available for download, a student that missed the day for any number of reasons (illness, vacation, class trip) can access the lesson and keep up with the class. Also a student can review it later to re-enforce a lesson that can especially help before a test. Another possiblity would be in a situation where a teacher may be out for the day but can present the lesson in a way that a substitute cant. I could see this being a major development for teachers and students.  Imagine the possibilities!!!

Here are a couple of links you can use to learn more that I found very helpful....

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/podcasts/

http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/ict/podcasting.htm

Hope these help

My First Blog

Well, here it is...my first official blog into the Internet universe.
I've tried to link up with some of the sights mentions in the module but had difficulty in getting any help in them. The video link was removed so I couldn't even watch that. Since I don't have the text books for the class I will make an observation about something that I could use as educational technology. Keep in mind that I would be using this in a Social Studies or History class. This may sound so simple but it's amazing how it could be used in the classroom-You Tube. The sight itself is very common and I don't know anyone who is computer savy that doesn't know of it. But is also has many things on it that would be useful in the classroom. There are documentaries on there, historical events, and just as important, current events. I will address the usefulness of each of these.
In a history class, other media could be very useful is demonstrating a point and documentaries are an important piece to this. Without having to set up a TV or DVD I can access different portions of documentaries in a shorter amount of time than before and be able to show them with possibly differing options about a topic. Since you can set up an account on YouTube, you can also set certain video clips into a favorites category making them easier to locate and play. Also, since they are available on the Internet, students can access the same videos at a later date as a study aid.
There are also historical events on YouTube. If I wanted to show clips from the Kennedy Assassination or the first moon landing I can can access the original footage used when these events took place. An additional benefit of this is being able to bring the raw emotion of the event as it happened without it being filtered through a documentary. Watching the raw footage of, for example, the attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11 would have much more of an impact than watching it through a director's eye in a film.
With that in mind, using YouTube to discuss current events would also be extremely useful. It is not uncommon for big events to be online within minutes of it happening. Being able to access thing information and being able to discuss the various points of view on a topic could help create open discussion in the classroom and an excellent learning opportunity.
I hope you have enjoyed this trip into YouTube and look forward to hearing your views.

Michael O'Brien