Blog Assignment #8

This is how we dream:
In part one of this 2 part video series, Dr. Richard E. Miller discusses the changes that have been made in academic writing. He talks about how research has switched from reading print based materials in libraries to reading academic writings via the internet. He also details how the writing process has changed with the internet and use of the personal computer. He explains that he believes it is an incremental change and he shows examples of this with some of his personal work while talking about networking and using multimedia materials to enhance work.

In part 2, Dr. Miller talks about the accessibility of new materials and technologies that can are being used to create academic productions. He also talks about how we can get behind these technologies as he shares his hope of how use them to change the educational system. He believes this is the way to push ideas into culture and the only limitations are those that we place on ourselves.

This series was very interesting. I really liked the idea of getting behind the technology and using the internet and its widely various applications to create educational projects. As a hands on learner this appealed to me, especially because writing traditional papers gets boring and monotonous sometimes. I also really enjoyed the idea of the green classroom that attempts to unite humanities and the sciences. As art is one of my hobbies and health science my major, this idea really appeals to me. I can see the practical use of these technologies forming a positive crossover in both fields and look forward to a future where hopefully it will be a standard of the health science learning curriculum.

Blog Post #12 by Carly Pugh:
Carly's blog post was excellent! It is a great idea to make a playlist on youtube of videos for your students to watch and also a great idea to have students make their own playlists. I believe she demonstrated Dr. Miller's hopes for multi-media writing very well. The post was very well written, easy to follow, and the links provided make it interesting and entertaining. This post is also an excellent representation of how PLN's and social media can help enhance education and the learning experience for both teachers and students.

The Chipper Series:
In this video a student named Chipper gets frustrated with Dr. Strange's class. She doesn't like the amount of work that she has to put into it and she procrastinates and tries to find loopholes so she can do the bare minimum of work and still get by. After a while she decides the path she is on just doesn't satisfy her so she goes on a series of "adventures" doing odd jobs and trying to figure out her life. She fails miserably each time, but is ever optimistic moving on to the point in her life. Eventually she comes to realize that There are no shortcuts in life which is the main point of the video. Thankfully she has a mental cleansing and decides to go back to school and put forth the effort necessary to accomplish her goals.

Edm310 for Dummies:
In this video, the group is frustrated with the work that they have to do and all of the technologies they have to work with. They are relieved however when they discover the book, Edm for dummies, which helps them overcome their technological illiteracy's to become successful in the class. I think the primary message of this video is that this class can be conquered by anyone if they put the time and work into following the syllabus and getting help from the staff as needed.

I'm still not entirely sure what kind of video I'd like to create after watching these. I imagine doing something related to health either with drugs or exercise, but the flash of creativity and inspiration hasn't really hit me yet. Maybe I'll do something related to a student using their PLN to help a peer that has had some sort of accident, but as with most of my work I'm never really quite sure what I'll do until I actually start doing it.

Learn to change, change to learn:
In this video, various educators talk about what needs to be changed in education in the classroom. They discuss technology and how it can and should be used to enhance rather than hinder learning. They speak about how children are different today than they were when they were younger and how the current traditional educational structure doesn't make a good fit for them. They talk about social networking and all of the way kids learn today that don't happen within the walls of the school and they discuss why these things need to be changed.

This video, to me, served as a clean and concise representation of what many of our projects in edm310 have focused on trying to get us to realize. It reiterates what I believe are the main themes of the class that Dr. Strange is trying to teach us in that, 1. We need to use technology in our classrooms and in our curriculums to the best of our advantage and to get the most out of our students while promoting creativity. 2. While many people in the field of education realize this now, it is up to us as the future of education to really make a push concrete change and a universally accepted technologically based system. And 3. We need to be malleable, always accepting of change and the positive prospects it can bring.