Week+3

Our reading this week was a blog posting my Will Richardson. First, let me make a brief comment on Blogs. I think they are a great way for people to connect to one another and to speak there minds. My personal use of blogs has been quite limited, but the ones that I have viewed have mostly been of friends who are traveling in different countries, who use it as a means of keeping their friends and family's updated on their whereabouts and on-goings. This is very useful for them, because instead of sending out a bunch of emails or messages the person can just post a summary and their loved ones can subscribe to their postings. Now, Will Richardson. -He brings up a great point about the growing presence of cell phones in our schools and especially in the classroom. He highlights the essential shift in learning that we, along with our students, have to make to keep up with the growing technology. This is something that affects me greatly because it seems that as soon as I get used to something, technology wise, something bigger and better comes out and I have to go through the whole adjusting process again. This can be quite frustrating and exhausting. -However, for teaching, knowing and learning about technology is crucial for teachers because it is the means in which we can reach our students. We won't be able to capture our students attention any longer without technology because this is what they are used to, what they want, and what they are interested in. -I think it is time for our curriculum to embrace technology and have it regularly being used in our classrooms. -I think it is unfair to ask students to hide their technology in their lockers, we (teachers) should find ways to incorporate them in our classes. Whether it be letting them listen to music when reading or doing independent work, or allowing them to use their iphones to do quick, at your fingertips research.
 * 1. Readings, Reflections, and Questions.**
 * Reading** :" [|I Don’t Need Your Network (or Your Computer, or Your Tech Plan, or Your…)] " by Will Richardson

[|Audacity]I had fun using Audacity in class today. I loved the videos you shared with us that your students made using audacity and movie maker. I would love to have my students possibly write a poem and have them say it and make a corresponding video for it. It would be a great way to see the many talents, maybe even hidden talents, of our students. [|Freeplaymusic]This was a useful website which I wasn't aware existed. It is so important to stress to our students that using others words, songs, art, or any media is illegal and with telling our students this we should give them alternatives, like freeplaymusic. windows movie maker-I still haven't figured this out yet, but I intend to explore and hopefully use it.
 * 2. Software and How to Use it. **

**3. Information and What you have learned.** Todays lesson truly saw us all multi tasking and I think it is great to admit that we multi-task, so we should expect and accept this behaviour from our students. It's important to realize that their brains (and I guess my own since I do it all the time) can function well doing multiple things at once, and that we are capable of learning and retaining things while doing this. -I am continuing to figure out Audacity and Windows Movie Maker, but I have intentions of learning because I think it is a great tool tool to bring into the classroom and a great alternative to the boring presentation that all students must do at some point.