Okie Dokie, Here's My Voki :)

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=6939648&height=267&width=200

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=6942192&height=267&width=200


Last week, our class was introduced to Vokis.  We had never heard of these Vokis before, but it was a fun little assignment to play around with. I think using Vokis will be a neat way to add a little dimension and creativity to announcements, assignments, and such. Just follow the links to see what I mean, and feel free to let me know what you think or even create your own! 

There are still a few kinks in the ones I've created, such as their mechanical voices.  I wanted to record my own voice, but I had a little difficulty getting it to save.  However, I think you'll still enjoy it.  Those mechanical voices will probably give you a few laughs :)

The Child-Driven Education

As seen in the above video, Sugata Mitra lead a remarkable study concerning children's desire and capacity to learn.  In his experiment, he placed computers in some of the world's poorest slums and made them accessible to the children living in these areas.  The results of his experiment were exceptionally noteworthy, and there is much to be drawn from the video; however, there were two findings that particularly stood out to me.

First, the children were immediately intrigued and began to explore and learn in response to their own natural curiosities.  These children were not forced to learn; they desired to learn.  Yet in American schools today, it is quite the opposite.  Teachers often have a difficult time trying to keep students engaged in their lessons and even have to push them to participate.  It makes one wonder where that natural curiosity has gone.  Richard F. Bowman Jr. addresses this issue in an article he wrote entitled, "How Can Students Be Motivated: A Misplaced Question?" Bowman (2007) states that children are  innately inquisitive, but the dry environment of our classrooms tend to diminish that curiosity.  He suggests that students need more collaborative learning and discovery learning to truly make their education enjoyable and meaningful (Bowman, 2007).  This concept can also be seen in Mitra's video.  The children thrived on searching for answers, solving problems, and sharing information with each other.  It is my belief that this type of environment is what drove them to be self-learners, and I also believe that the use of technology is what really makes this type of environment possible.

Secondly, the children in the video were living in very poor conditions, yet they were still able to learn.  This clearly demonstrates a belief that every good educator should hold: all children are capable of learning.  As addressed in each educational course I've taken, there will be students in the classroom who come from poverty; there will be students with disabilities; there will be students with all sorts of diversity.  Yet no matter what the students in the classroom face, each and every one of them can learn.  They all have remarkable potential.  Many of the students even have potential that far exceeds our expectations, as seen in the video.  If we simply invest in them and give them the right resources, they can grow and flourish.  And again, technology is one of those resources that so evidently enhances children's education and further increases their ability to succeed.

These are just a couple of my thoughts on the video, but there is so much to learn from it.  I hope you all watched and enjoyed it as well, drawing your own ideas and conclusions.  Feel free to comment and let me know what you think about the items I addressed and also share your own thoughts.  As the video shows, collaborative learning is a such a great method of education.  So, please, jump right in! :)


Reference:

Bowman, R. F. (2007). How Can Students Be Motivated: A Misplaced Question?. Clearing House, 81(2), 81-86.

Blog Sweet Blog

Hi Everyone, welcome to my blog!

I have just begun my journey in the Master of Education program at Faulkner University, and I am truly excited about exploring the world of education. As I travel through various areas of my field, I will return to my blog and record my experiences. It will be the home of assignments I'm given, artifacts I find, and knowledge I gain along the way. The door will always be open, so feel free to stop by anytime and browse through the posts I publish.  Though they will be specific to my journey in education, I am confident that in some way, they will be useful to you all in whatever path of life you're on.  So, again, stop by anytime and make yourself at home! There may not be food in the fridge, but there will certainly be knowledge in the blog. And as Plato once said, "Knowledge is food for the soul." ~ Enjoy!