C4T #4 Summary Post #1 & #2

C4T #4 Post #1

This week we get to choose our own C4T teacher's blog to comment on from the list. I chose Arvind S Grover's 21apples blog.

Arvind S Grover - 21apples

This app, without overstating it, is a game changer to me. It is a game changer because students will inevitably use it. The challenge for teachers becomes that knowing that, how will we assign work accordingly?

The best assignment I could imagine would be for students to design their own app with the same functionality, the ability to solve problems. What would a computer need to be told to do to be an effective problem solver?

I am not sure why, but I am really stunned by the capabilities of this seemingly simple app.

My comment:

Mr. Grover,

My name is Callie Barton and I am also an elementary education student at the University of South Alabama. I found this short video to hold a lot of information. I guess the first thing I would say about this app is where was this when I was in school? This Photomath app is just the beginning of what our future holds as students and teachers. I cannot believe how simple the app is to operate and that it gives a step by step explanation. This app could be helpful and harmful, depending on the student. If the students use this app as a guide when they become stuck on a problem and use it to help them figure out the problem then it could be helpful. On the other hand if they just go through their homework copying the answers then it could be harmful. The teachers could assess this by giving in class tests and not allowing cell phone usage. They could also maybe have the students explain the steps to the problem in words. Like I said before, this is just the beginning of the many issues that we will have to adapt our teaching to.

Callie Barton

C4T #4 Post #2

This week we get to choose our own C4T teacher's blog to comment on from the list. I chose Brendan Jones - Jonseytheteacher: Having a Crack at PE in the 21st Century.

Brendan Jones - Jonseytheteacher: Having a Crack at PE in the 21st Century

Evolution

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Brendan Jones — No Comments ↓

creative commons licensed (BY) flickr photo by kevin dooley: http://flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/1856663523

I was reflecting the other day on why I hadn’t written a post for so long. Partly, I realised, because I haven’t had a lot of time to sit down and construct something. I also acknowledged something that had been a nagging thought in the back of my mind for some time about what I do on this site was and why I do it.

When I first started off, I was just sharing things I had tried in class. And that’s fine – I think that there has to be a space for practitioners to showcase their ideas, their success,their failures and the journeys they take. It was often based on a need to share the excitement of something that worked in my class, or to maybe share an idea that may give someone else a boost in their classroom. Or showing that something was possible and worth persevering with.

That sustained me up to my last post, but the nagging thought broke through recently when I was reflecting on my year. My work as a teacher and leader has evolved to beyond just the sphere of PE teaching – my job has many more facets to it now, and while I love my job as a PE teacher, I’m becoming more a thread woven through the whole school.

My thinking has change a lot. Seeing PEPRN and PEPLC has given me a much greater appreciation of the need for research to underpin my work – I’ve been guilty of sprouting platitudes that only carry aspirational weight, with little else to justify why they should be used than the “it works in my classroom” refrain. If I am to remain critical of others that do that, then I need to change my position to remain  honourable to the partners I have in learning, and to myself.

To be honest, I don’t think I do anything in PE that’s cutting edge – I see myself as adapting and deriving the knowledge and ideas that are already out there to fit my particular locals needs. Many other people like Ash Casey, Andy Vasily and Jarrod Robinson (to name a few) are the real innovators in the PE world and I love to lurk and read their latest exploits with a sense of admiration and a tinge of envy.

I have to also admit that the world of #pegeeks has changed a lot since I first started and this worries me. I see the many genuine contributors to the community being leeched and drowned out by personal brand builders that dilute the richness of what used to be there and this has made me want to withdraw more and more from it. It seems it’s become a one dimensional parody of what it used to be. Maybe I’m getting old and cranky, maybe I’m reading it wrong, but I know that I’m feeling the urge to change and expand my horizons.

So I can feel an evolution coming on

I’ve change the tag line at the top of my blog page to better represent what I think and do now. PE, my first blog love, won’t be my sole focus now – the way we as educators and learners do our job has a definite impact on shaping tomorrow. This doesn’t just happen in my PE classes – it happens in many contexts that I have some influence over. So that’s where I’ll be.

My Comment:

Good afternoon! My name is Callie Barton and I am an elementary education student at the University of South Alabama. I am enrolled in a technology based course this semester and we were required to choose from a list of blogs to comment on. I chose your blog because I feel like every teacher should have this revelation. I hope that when I graduate and become a teacher that I keep this post in mind. I want to be an innovator and not just a teacher who "rides the coat tails" of the innovators. Evolving and adapting is key to being a successful educator. Good luck in your journey and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Callie Barton