Blog Post #13

Back to the Future

This video was a seminar by Brian Crosby about how he incorporated technology into his classroom. First of all, the majority of Mr. Crosby's classroom was made up of students whose second language was English. That in itself is a challenge. Also, a vast majority of his classroom were completely inept to their surroundings. He brings in the subject that these students are so unaware because they have been taught on a narrowed curriculum which only hinders the students. A narrowed curriculum only brings the student down and brings down their level of creativity. In Mr. Crosby's class each student is required to have a blog. They record everything they do. Then the students embed their videos onto their blogs. Mr. Crosby also required his students to set goals. The goals they set were not just for themselves, but for their community, their school, and their country. He asked them what their "High Hopes" were. He then conducted a hot air balloon experiment with his students. The kids then recorded and posted all of their progress with this experiment. Their progress brought in attention from all around the globe. Many people from other countries wrote to students what their own "High Hopes" were. Then the students and Mr. Crosby constructed their own hot air balloon and flew it into the atmosphere until it exploded from the atmospheric pressure. Inside the balloon, the places all the recorded hopes they had encountered. An experiment like that empowered the students to learn on their own. It also helped break the language barrier because so many students had to learn how to interpret written and spoken word English. Mr. Crosby even had a student brought into his class via Skype because she had leukemia and she was treated as if she were a normal day-to-day student.

Mr. Crosby's classroom was very inspirational to me. His balloon experiment created a higher sense of confidence in the children and an overall sense of importance. It showed what kind of an impact an ordinary sixth grade classroom can make. With each assignment we are given in this class I more clearly see the importance of blogs in the classroom. With a classroom dynamic like Mr. Crosby's the possibilities are endless.

A Vision of Students

This video very clearly illustrated every thought of every college student ever. It covered topics ranging from professors never learning your name to spending thousands of dollars on textbooks deemed important but are never used.

The assignment very clearly stated not to view this video from a students prospective, but to view it from the prospective of teachers or University presidents. In that case, I'd feel very poorly about my performance as an educator and a leader. It's one thing for a student to pay for a class and never show up, that's their decision. But assigning material that is irrelevant to their field of study or not adapting to today's lifestyle is a problem for the administration. In continuance of the example of the student choosing not to come to class, let's ask the question, why? Why is this student ignoring a class that he or she paid a lot of money to be enrolled into? Is it because they are lazy? Most, I'm sure would assume so. Maybe it's because the instructor never covers any relevant material. Maybe they never teach. It is possible that the instructor is not giving quality information. As said in the video, college students are multitaskers because they have to be. They have to make sure the time they spend is productive. As an educator you cannot waste a student's time, just as much as they are expected not to waste yours. Instructors and educational leaders need to be thinking of the needs of the student. Sadly, this is almost never the case when dealing with a University. It's always about money. That's why textbooks are so expensive. That's why you cannot graduate from a college or university without taking at least 36 hours first. It's all about money.

This video just very clearly shows the expectations a college student has, but are never achieved. It also clearly shows the things expected from a college student that are not realistic. There are only 24 hours in a day. One person can only do so much.