Blog Assignment #7

         Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten was broken down into two parts. First, a media specialists talked about how astonished she was to find kindergartens using such advanced technology. She states that IMovie is what college students are using. I liked her comment about once you show a child how to use technology, children tend to take it and run with it. Editing becomes a huge role in making book trailers with iMovies, most students do not want to present their work if it's not perfect. And with new technology, editing becomes fun. In Ms. Davis's segment, I learned that Alabama Virtual Library is free to anyone in the state of Alabama. Alabama Virtual Library is used for research. This becomes a great way to teach proper researching at such a young age. I feel that you don't have to be in high school to either do research or learn how to do it properly.
         When watching We All Become Learners, Ms. Bennett stresses how much of a learner, teachers can actually be. Students are not the only learners. She tells a story about how a student taught her how to use pad-let in front of his peers. With everyone having appropriate materials and an open mind, teachers and students are able to be apart of each others personal learning network. Learning changes drastically when roles are flipped-students able to teach and teachers able to learn. The only way to progress is to learn. You never stop learning.
          From watching iPads In The Classroom, I took away a lot. I have watched many videos about integrating technology into the classroom. But this video really explained how the iPad is the bridge between the classroom and the 21st century. Content is very important, but so is engagement. In the beginning of the video, the reporter asks if there are any benefits to incorporating iPads into schools? Absolutely Yes. Just the fact of being able to use them so diversely is enough for me. Second graders used them for math, special needs students were able to blend iPads into their daily routines, and then all the way through high school- iPads are benificial in all levels of the school system.
         In the video Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education there were plenty of valuable pros for having technology-based curriculum. One of the examples that I found the most interesting and helpful was that it would help shape the future for students. Since technology is such a growing industry, having students who are tech-savvy will help prepare them for the future of the real world. Another reason that stuck out to me was the ease of instruction for the teacher coupled with the fact that students actually love to learn using technology. It is more fun for the students to learn with an iPad versus reading a passage with no interactivity.