"Let it Rock!"

"Let it Rock!"

Friday, June 18, 2010

Emerging Technology 2: Surveying!!!

I love surveys! There fun to take, fun to give, and enlighten you on statistics that will blow you away! Let me tell you about this new survey program I found that is simply easy and fun.

A survey is a way of giving and receiving information and using the results to find great conclusions. Surveying enables you to research and collect data in a very easy and positive format. The art of surveying is such an easy tool that anyone who follows these easy steps can get started and going! It's so much fun asking questions and reading peoples responses that sometimes you really get thrown off gaurd by some of the responses you'll read.

I've given and recieved surveys since I was in grade school doing science fair competitions. Some of the most interesting surveys I've given include surveys on music, love, and friends. Where it can seem juvenile, I guarantee you will fall head over heals for this quick and easy step by step process of getting together.

Click the following link to take my survey and check out Polldaddy.com!
Emerging Technology Survey

5 Tips for a successful surveying.

1) Use your critical thinking skills when coming up with questions!

2) Write a new survey every two weeks!

3) Make sure your are being ethical to your audience when asking questions.

4) I believe you will see from my survey page how easy it is to make one!

5) Learn the benefits of using this emerging technology by researching and applying what you learn!

Go to Polldaddy.com and sign up using your email address and follow the easy 1-2-3 step process of signing in and getting your surveys established!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Module 4: Internet Resources

Did you ever think you would find education so complex and interesting at the same time???

Check out my new url at http://delicious.com/mjlmyers/

On this site you can find tags to many online resources that will assist you a great deal in education.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Critical Thinking! Module 3

“A hand picked faculty, an enthusiastic leader, and a teacher evaluation system that made technology use a priority are three factors that are difficult to find in most schools.” It is a changing world, is it not? We constantly look to improve quality in education. As technology emerges so do we assume the product does without flaw…

How do we as a nation get on a better track as a whole? How, individually do we surpass the norm and bring out our absolute best in the school infrastructure? Even more, where’s the instruction manual on, “teaching the perfect class, by Michael Myers.” Now pay attention as we focus our organized thinking, making it logical, and incorporating it amongst our ideas. I believe the key to moving forward in education starts at the ground level, moving up.

Royal Van Horn’s article made complete sense! There seems to be this overall idea of pushing technology off on others and, “oh, they’ll figure it out.” This is not the case that is all too well, often practiced. The three models Van Horn mentions are still, push me offs as he even describes. Even the third model, “HCA” is excellent for inner cities, but not so much the more well to do suburbs. Technology is almost starting to seem cancer in ways.

In my personal life, when I was in school, I learned the most when I was in a private school with teachers in the computer lab hired for the sole purpose to teach technology to us, the students. Not that it’s all great in the private sector but in my experience in public as well, it was more push me off with less held standards when we did use the computer lab. Yes technology is constantly advancing, but how well are we striving to implement a more well rounded structured progam to understand and incorporate this technology at the ground level. The earlier we start in school systems, primarily elementary, the earlier we develop the sound techniques and second nature tools to achieving success in technology.

This reading connects in the, critical thinking aspect to a very high degree where I am currently taking a speech class that involves the same high effort! It’s easy to hear something even when we read it, but listening to what we read means we are actually understanding what we are incorporating into our lives. It seems an overall concept or main theme amongst our reading is to start with less so that we can give back more in such articles like, “Teachers & Teaching” English with an Edge”, and “Accountability, Yes Teaching to the Test, No.” These articles make technology and other important factors Van Horn describes in this one wih the importance of the leader role, and a more well chosen one at that, a neccisity to a more rounded picture.

Van Horn, and his study in Education at the University of North Florida, has shown in this article a great deal he has learned and the level of true excellence we can strive for. I know I will always remember this article specifically, because some day I want to become a principal and I want to be the best principal I can be. I now know three important factors in being the best I can be to make sure I have all three of those boxes checked off. We’re all in control of the classroom more than what we may believe. One day it will be ours, will we be ready?

References

Van Horn, R. (2006). Toward a New Model of High-Tech Schoolrooms.
Technology, 487, 551.

Deiter, Ron (Nov/Dec 1998), Why Use Humor in the Classroom? Iowa State University Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Journal, v11(n2), downloaded 29 May. 2010.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Emerging Technology Post 1: Podcasting!

Have you ever wanted to explore technology and were afraid? For several years I have had the pleasure of working with and on an easy to manage technology that allows you to record your voice for audio messaging. The technology I am exploring is Podcasting!

Podcasting is a tool to record your voice to transmit messages. It allows you to communicate a wide variety of formats whether being a sports show, news show, or etc. It's useful in the sense in enables you to communicate with people more personally than just black and white font, or pictures. It gives you the ability to listen and visualize.

Several years ago I started a sports podcast. My podcast was called Inside Indiana Sports and still runs today. I thought it would be cool to have a sports show and have listeners. I felt like I had enough credibility and background to deliver this show. Unfortunately it only lasted a short while to due time constraints, which you will understand after listening to it the effort and preparation was needed to make the show. I believe you will find my opening tag lines very amusing with my different voice impersonations I changed for every show. I used podomatic.com to make and upload my podcast. Super Easy! Your normal sign up email page and a few step in filling out information and Wolla, you're done!

Here is the website where you can view my shows.
http://www.insideindianasports.podomatic.com

5 Tips for a successful Podcast.

1) Be Creative

2) Be consistent with your uploads

3) Podcast are safe and easy

4) I believe you will see from my podcast a little, how far you can take one.

5) Learn the benefits of using this emerging technology by researching and applying what you learn!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Welcome to my first blog!

My name is Michael. I prefer Michael over Mike. I am currently a student at I.U.P.U.I., majoring in Elementary Education. I love education and if money was no factor, I would go to school the rest of my life! So I thought, what's the next best thing I can do? I knew my purpose was to become a teacher which is what I am working towards becoming. Along with being a full time student, I work as an inclusion facilitator at a before and after school program for Elementary students. An inclusion facilitator is someone who works one on one with a special needs student. The student I facilitate is a ten year old boy who has cerebral palsy. He is a major motivator in my life.

I never knew how cool blogging could be! I was a little skeptical at first but once I started it was like clock work. I went to blogger.com and first took a tour. The tour was one of the easiest step by step and informative instructions I have ever followed. I learned a lot about blogger and blogging in the tour. Having a journal to reflect and speak your voice is essential and phenomenal! I know I will be blogging for a long time now.

My advice to you is to take your time and make the most of this experience. Be consistent with your posting, several post a week. Take this journal to heart. When choosing your setting and layouts don't just pick anything but try different options over and over, don't settle! View your blog up, down, and sideways to get layout and setting You want and are looking for. I look forward to you following my blog!

What is my job?

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