Blog Post #1

PART I:

There is such a wealth of blogs in the internet that I had difficulty in choosing one that I particularly liked or felt was useful. I finally found a blog that related to the field of education I am interested in, namely, Secondary English Education. Here is the link for the following blog web site: http://eeprof.com/blog/

The blog was created by Todd Finley, an English Education professor (mainly EDTECH), who wanted to provide a resource center for fellow English Education professors and Secondary Education Teachers. The blog has many useful features and topics of interest such as tips on assessment, learning styles, class management, and teaching students critical thinking and comprehension, as well as teaching how to use educational technology in classrooms. I feel that this blog will be a useful resource for beginning teachers, particularly those new to educational technology. This blog might also be great for seasoned teachers by providing them a unique insight into teaching methods and up-to-date innovations in educational technology.


PART II:

In this digital age where teenagers are immersed in technology almost from the time they are learning to walk and talk, it is imperative that we, as teachers, learn to teach our students through a medium (i.e., internet, ipod casts, smartboards, etc.) to which they are accustomed to. The old ways of using chalkboards and projectors are increasingly not sufficient enough to capture the attention of adolescents who are used to the instant gratification of gathering knowledge and facts in seconds rather than minutes. Dr. Peter's demonstration of using YouTube videos to teach students life lessons (i.e., watching President Obama's inauguration speech, or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech) was very practical, in my opinion. The majority of today's students are visual learners and computer users and I believe that using compelling and dramatic visual aids will be a necessity in the teaching field. Students in this day and age are used to going online and "instant messaging" their friends through social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. They are used to leaving comments and providing notes on personal or non-personal issues. I believe that we, as teachers, should capitalize on this trend by incorporating discussion forums and blog sites into our curriculum so that we can more effectively reach out to and motivate students to want to learn. It is very evident that teenagers like to be visually stimulated and I think that blogging and the use of YouTube in classroom lessons will be beneficial not only for the student, but for the teacher as well. Teachers can use technology to enhance classroom discussions and, most of all, use technology to build a stonger rapport and connection to the adolescents of today.