Saturday, June 19, 2010

Blog Post 4

100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better

I guess I should learn how to use my iPod. I have had my iPod for about 3 years now and I just use it to listen to music. I read all 100 tips on how the iPod is clearly more than just a music listening device. Their were a few of the applications that I would find very useful for not only me, but useful in the classroom as well.
The first download that stuck out to me was the Spark Notes. I have to admit I used Spark Notes in high school. If would have known that I could have easily downloaded the notes to my iPod, then I could have saved some trees and read and studied on-the-go. The second download was the iLingo. I have always wanted to learn a different language, in fact in one of the surveys I answered for class, their was a question that asked what I would like to accomplish in my lifetime and I answered to learn a foreign language. I want to travel to different countries but I would like to know how to speak the language before traveling. The iLingo could again give me the opportunity to learn on-the-go.
This article was another example of how technology is constantly updating and we all need to catch up.

The Education Podcast Network

I poked around this website and found it to be mind blowing. Any teacher can post a podcast on this website. I looked under the different subjects teachers have posted about. The subject area was anywhere from dance education, to computer skills, to health living. This is a great resource for teachers in the classroom. If you are a teacher and have a break during the day then you could easily pull up this website and gain some easy tips for your next lesson.

Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog
I cannot believe that this is a third grade blog. In third grade, my class went to the computer lab to learn how to type. Typing is an important skill but I think that skill should be learned on your own time. These third graders are learning how to post entries to a blog, create podcasts, and learning the actual school lesson.
I watched the third Eagle Nest Radio show and learned a little about ancient Rome. After listening I went over to the side bar and clicked on the random students names. I clicked on Abby first and she had a video of her talking about the Roman Colosseum. There was voice recordings and moving pictures. I was extremely impressed. On her page she also had written an entry about a picture she had drawn.
Shouldn't all classroom be like this?

Practical Principals

So I looked through this website and then stumbled upon a "practical principals" blog. Her name is Melinda Miller. And to my surprise her most recent post was about google docs. She talked about how most team lesson planning will be produced and shared on google docs. The PTO meetings would also produce the minutes from the meetings on google docs and was to be shared to all the teachers. Mrs.Miller wants to have the lesson plan shared with her on google docs in a certain format. She said she understood that her way is not always the best way. I hope this will work out for her.


These particular websites opened my eyes again on what the Internet has to offer educators and their students. I believe my favorite was the Eagle Nest Radio class blog. It still blows my mind that 8 and 9 year old students are doing this, when I at the age of 21 is just learning to blog.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Erin,
    I agree with you my favorite was the Eagle Nest Radio class blog. I was so impressed by the abilities of these children and then slightly embarrassed that they knew how to do things that I did not. It really was a wake up call for me to get as involved as I can in this class and learn as much as possible.

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  2. Erin! Good point about how all classes should be like the third grade class whose blog you visited. I do think that more elementary classes are starting so early with technology and that THAT is a good thing! I remember not really messing around with technology at all in the third grade. I'm jealous of this class...Great post!

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