Blog Assignment #5

The Dream of Innovation

    Krissy Venosdale is an inspiring teacher who strives to impact her students through creating an environment that allows students to find their own creativity and innovation while giving them the tools to become active learners. In Krissy's blog post she reveals her dreams of a new kind of school. A school where the students are encouraged to explore their own interest. This school would work up a desire in its students to always want to come and join in and to always be learning. This school is wonderful; however, I do not believe it is a practical, realistic idea that can be implemented into schools and learning. In a perfect world this would be a perfect school. Realistically students would take advantage of the schools lack of structure instead of its openness for creativity.

Structured Innovation

    If I was able to create my own school it would be a lot like Krissy's except it would be more structured, organized, and practical. Like Krissy's school: it would be comfortable and it would be set up in such a way that made it easy and comfortable for students to collaborate and work together. It would be colorful and include things to help spark the imagination of the students It would have classrooms filled with tools to help students learn that subject. Professionals would come to teach students about all different careers and opportunities. The school will be a center of encouragement of the child's growth, knowledge, achievements and learning. All forms of technology will be used daily, these are tools for their learning not distractions.
    Somethings I would do differently than her are grades and grade levels will still be in place and structured these will allow the students to feel and see their accomplishments. Although grades have such a negative mark currently this school's grades will not. this is because students will not constantly feel as if they are failing because grade will work up from zero instead of fall from 100. Also, passionate teachers will be around at all times to help tutor and give advise to students at all times either at school or online. Curriculum would be set this, however, would be to help the students know what they will know after coming out of the class not to confine what they can learn. Field experiences (not field trips) will be encouraged. These experiences will be used to inform and encourage students in that field; not entertain or give them an off day. Students will not be able to attend random classes; however, students will have the opportunity to choose elective courses that they are interested in and that prepare them for the career in which they are pursuing. Students will have the constant opportunity to just ask questions to school advisors about the future such as what college should I go to? How do I get a loan for a car? What career options are their for people interested in art? This school would be set up for students to meet their needs not just standards set by board members who have never even interacted with the students.

Different Voices Come Together

    In Eric Whittacre's virtual choir he composes and virtually conducts for 185 different voice from across the world by using using the internet to gather individual voice and placing them together to create one incredible choir. This means that his choir made up by people across the world may also be viewed by people across the world. This all comes about through and by the power of the internet and the new abilities it has given us.

Teaching Children Today

     Kevin Roberts presents some compelling information about the role of a teacher in the 21st century. He explains that as technology evolves the more opportunities students have to obtain information on their own. This means that teachers are no longer the only means of information. It is now important for a teacher to teach student how to sort all the information they come across daily. It is the responsibility of today's teachers to help student learn how to effectively analyze information to determine it's truth, obtain the knowledge, apply the concept, and to create new ideas and creations.

Flipping Your Class

     Flipping your class is a new idea on how class should be conducted. In class before now lessons were set up to so that Information and concepts are presented in class while the applications of these concepts are to be done at home as homework. A new style of teaching has risen now. In these flipped classrooms information is presented to students via tools such as vodcast which the students are to watch and understand at their own pace as homework in preparation for the next days class. Class time then is spent on the application of the concepts learned.
     This method is very important to me as a future history teacher. This is because the knowledge of the date Hilter rose to power is pointless triva unless you understand how and why. Yet, even the knowledge of how and why this event happened isn't that important unless you can look at it and learn from it and understand how as a citizen you can prevent such events from occurring and then understand the concept on a smaller scale such as how to handle a boss who is discriminating people based on things such as the color of their skin or religious beliefs. It will be my job to prepare my students for their future by looking into the pass.