The question that I am asking for my energy conservation project is,"How much fuel and money could I save by riding my bike to work instead of driving?" I googled fuel conservation and there were several good sites that relate to the subject. Riding a bike instead of driving was even listed on one of the sites as a suggestion to decrease fuel consumption.
To answer this question I need to know how far it is to work, round trip. I also need to know my trucks gas mileage. I will look up the distance to work on Mapquest.com. To figure out my gas mileage I will divide the number of miles driven by the gas used. I will also document how much and where I drive for a week. This will help me determine if there are any other areas where I can become more efficient.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Anthro-Tech
After assessing the technological culture at Nunaka Valley I have come to the conclusion that there is an amazing amount of untapped potential when it comes to the use of technology in schools. We have technology and computer lab time available to us however it is not always used and there is not a big emphasis on educational technology in our curriculum. The amount of technology that students are exposed to seems to be largely at the discretion of the teacher.
A couple of teachers are working on a TTL grant that will bring digital storytelling to our school. This will be a great project because it will get the whole school involved with the use of technology. Hopefully it will help teachers become more comfortable with the incorporation of technology in the classroom. http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhm7ws2s_0g97td9fb
A couple of teachers are working on a TTL grant that will bring digital storytelling to our school. This will be a great project because it will get the whole school involved with the use of technology. Hopefully it will help teachers become more comfortable with the incorporation of technology in the classroom. http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhm7ws2s_0g97td9fb
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Article Assesment #2
Nick Leiser E-mail: asnal2@uaa.alaska.edu 3-15-08
Article Title: The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web
Author: Will Richardson
Article Overview:
“The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web” talks about the internet not just as a place to gather information, but also as a forum where users can publish, broadcast, and discuss their own ideas. Richardson talks about some of the different ways to use the internet as a tool for thought and discussion. He also discusses the impact of this on teaching and education.
Reference Points:
1. Weblogs or blogs are used to post personal or group web sites. They allow you to update them by posting new information. Visitors can post comments on your blog making it interactive. Teachers can use blogs as tools to promote critical thinking, reading and writing.
2. Wikis are websites that anyone can edit at any time. They can be constantly updated or clarified with new current information. These can be used by students to gain access to current information on a subject. Wikis can also can be set up by students or teachers for class projects.
3. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feeds allow you to subscribe to different blogs or subject specific information. Anytime there is an update an aggregator copies and saves it. You can also use websites like furl.net to access other people’s RSS feeds. RSS feeds allow you to read current information and comments on a specific subject.
4. Podcasts video or audio broadcasts that are posted on the web. They can be viewed at any time rather than just at the time of broadcast. This can be used be educators to view and show educationally enhancing broadcasts.
5. With such an overwhelming amount of information on the web it is really important that we teach students how to sift through and judge information on its credibility rather than just accept it as fact.
6. With so many people publishing blogs and making pod casts, students have access to experts that may have more knowledge in a specific content area than their teacher. The role of teachers may need to shift from content expert to guide.
Reflection:
The internet can be used as a forum where you can discuss and collaborate on new ideas and information. Blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, and pod casts can be used to greatly enhance education. Teachers need to recognize the great potential this technology has as an educational tool. They need to adapt and help guide their students so they can take advantage of the resources available to them.
Article Title: The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web
Author: Will Richardson
Article Overview:
“The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web” talks about the internet not just as a place to gather information, but also as a forum where users can publish, broadcast, and discuss their own ideas. Richardson talks about some of the different ways to use the internet as a tool for thought and discussion. He also discusses the impact of this on teaching and education.
Reference Points:
1. Weblogs or blogs are used to post personal or group web sites. They allow you to update them by posting new information. Visitors can post comments on your blog making it interactive. Teachers can use blogs as tools to promote critical thinking, reading and writing.
2. Wikis are websites that anyone can edit at any time. They can be constantly updated or clarified with new current information. These can be used by students to gain access to current information on a subject. Wikis can also can be set up by students or teachers for class projects.
3. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feeds allow you to subscribe to different blogs or subject specific information. Anytime there is an update an aggregator copies and saves it. You can also use websites like furl.net to access other people’s RSS feeds. RSS feeds allow you to read current information and comments on a specific subject.
4. Podcasts video or audio broadcasts that are posted on the web. They can be viewed at any time rather than just at the time of broadcast. This can be used be educators to view and show educationally enhancing broadcasts.
5. With such an overwhelming amount of information on the web it is really important that we teach students how to sift through and judge information on its credibility rather than just accept it as fact.
6. With so many people publishing blogs and making pod casts, students have access to experts that may have more knowledge in a specific content area than their teacher. The role of teachers may need to shift from content expert to guide.
Reflection:
The internet can be used as a forum where you can discuss and collaborate on new ideas and information. Blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, and pod casts can be used to greatly enhance education. Teachers need to recognize the great potential this technology has as an educational tool. They need to adapt and help guide their students so they can take advantage of the resources available to them.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Article Assesment #1
Nick Leiser E-mail: asnal2@uaa.alaska.edu 2-20-08
Article Title: Listen to the Natives; Author: Marc Prensky
Article Title: Listen to the Natives; Author: Marc Prensky
Article Overview:
“Listen to the Natives” talks about how our educational system is behind the times. New technological capabilities have given us the opportunity to make education a lot more engaging, individualized and effective. The problem is that many teachers do not know how to use these new technologies. An education that does not include technology is failing to prepare our students for the world they are living in.
“Listen to the Natives” talks about how our educational system is behind the times. New technological capabilities have given us the opportunity to make education a lot more engaging, individualized and effective. The problem is that many teachers do not know how to use these new technologies. An education that does not include technology is failing to prepare our students for the world they are living in.
Reference Points:
1. The prerequisites for learning are engagement and motivation. With the “old way” of teaching, charismatic teachers gave compelling lectures that led to engagement. The problem is that charismatic teachers are rare. Prensky suggests that the new way of teaching should be through electronic “gameplay”. Games that have desirable goals, interesting choices, immediate & useful feedback, and opportunities to level-up can create the engagement and motivation necessary for today’s students to learn.
2. Teachers can learn from their students about what technologies should be available at school, and also how these technologies can be used effectively.
3. Computer programs can adapt to a players capabilities & skills providing a more effective individualized education that allows students to reach their full potential.
4. With technology like instant messaging, chat rooms, blogs, pod casts… Students should be able to join groups of peers with similar interests, as well as choose instructors that will meet their needs. Location is no longer an issue. Students could join as many groups as they want to, and nobody would be left out.
5. Cell phones can be very powerful educational tools. We should use them rather than ban them.
6. A highly specialized 21st Century curriculum could be developed by videotaping meaningful Q&A sessions with students and experts in the many different fields.
7. With our current system many students believe that schools only function is to provide the credential that their parents say they need. If we don’t change and adapt, schools will become a holding pen for students while their parents are at work. Many students will not show up physically or mentally.
1. The prerequisites for learning are engagement and motivation. With the “old way” of teaching, charismatic teachers gave compelling lectures that led to engagement. The problem is that charismatic teachers are rare. Prensky suggests that the new way of teaching should be through electronic “gameplay”. Games that have desirable goals, interesting choices, immediate & useful feedback, and opportunities to level-up can create the engagement and motivation necessary for today’s students to learn.
2. Teachers can learn from their students about what technologies should be available at school, and also how these technologies can be used effectively.
3. Computer programs can adapt to a players capabilities & skills providing a more effective individualized education that allows students to reach their full potential.
4. With technology like instant messaging, chat rooms, blogs, pod casts… Students should be able to join groups of peers with similar interests, as well as choose instructors that will meet their needs. Location is no longer an issue. Students could join as many groups as they want to, and nobody would be left out.
5. Cell phones can be very powerful educational tools. We should use them rather than ban them.
6. A highly specialized 21st Century curriculum could be developed by videotaping meaningful Q&A sessions with students and experts in the many different fields.
7. With our current system many students believe that schools only function is to provide the credential that their parents say they need. If we don’t change and adapt, schools will become a holding pen for students while their parents are at work. Many students will not show up physically or mentally.
Reflection:
I think that Marc Prensky definitely has some valuable ideas. I like the idea of creating educational games that foster engagement. There are many ways to teach the same thing. Often the most effective way is not the easiest way. It takes a lot of thought, effort and creativity to make education engaging. Even then a teachers effort only impacts a small number of students. Educational games have the potential to impact unlimited numbers of students. I can imagine a future where games completely replace textbooks. I also really like the idea of giving students the freedom to pick their own classes/groups from a vast network of students and teachers. Learning is a lot more effective if is a choice rather than a requirement. Each student should have an individualized and highly specialized education that caters to their interests and abilities. This would be far superior to the run of the mill education that students receive today. We as a society need to make it happen!
I think that Marc Prensky definitely has some valuable ideas. I like the idea of creating educational games that foster engagement. There are many ways to teach the same thing. Often the most effective way is not the easiest way. It takes a lot of thought, effort and creativity to make education engaging. Even then a teachers effort only impacts a small number of students. Educational games have the potential to impact unlimited numbers of students. I can imagine a future where games completely replace textbooks. I also really like the idea of giving students the freedom to pick their own classes/groups from a vast network of students and teachers. Learning is a lot more effective if is a choice rather than a requirement. Each student should have an individualized and highly specialized education that caters to their interests and abilities. This would be far superior to the run of the mill education that students receive today. We as a society need to make it happen!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Futuring Assignment
School Train/Hannah-Fox Becomes a Better Person
If I was to grade “School Train” and Hannah-Fox Becomes a Better Person, I would look first at the objective of the assignment and whether or not they had been met. Do the students from the 4th grade language arts class understand what a metaphor is? I would say yes because they used several examples. Train-School, Engineer-Principal, Testing-Pull hard, Dining Car-Cafeteria, Students-Passengers, Tickets-Homework. After that I would rate the projects visual and auditory content. Were Hannah’s illustrations clear and understandable, and did they help the overall presentation? I would say yes. Did she speak clearly and confidently? Yes.
A rubric for the assignments might look like this:
Objectives met? Y N (specific objectives could be listed)Visual Presentation: 1 2 3 4 5
Auditory Presentation: 1 2 3 4 5
What impacts could the developments in Epic 2015 have on my classroom?
Maybe I am not being creative enough, but I can’t see how this would change Physical Education that much. I do however see a great potential for it to change the traditional educational process drastically. I am picturing a universal education system for the whole country that is also extremely individualized. Students would be given a test to determine their strengths and weaknesses in each subject area, as well as their interests. From there they would be placed in a pod cast group for each subject with others at the same level. Lessons, assignments… could be universally sent over a pod cast to all the students in a group. Assignments could be turned in via pod cast as well. Students would still attend class to get assistance from teachers on their pod cast assignments and for social reasons. With this type of system each student would have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
