EDM 310 Blog 6

We recently watched a video that featured 200 students from Kansas State University. The purpose of the video is to highlight problems with our antiquated education system. The video shows students listing issues they have with higher education. These issues include: overcrowded classrooms, uninvolved educators, time-consuming workloads, rising tuition, expensive textbooks, and a curriculum out of touch with our technology-based world. The video deals primarily with issues in higher education, but the message is applicable for all educators. Failure to evolve our education system is a failure for our students. It is imperative that we modernize the current education model.

As a future educator, I believe it is important to keep an open mind and be willing to try new education methods in the classroom. We also must be ready and willing to utilize the current technology that has the potential to transform education.  I’m not calling for an education revolution; there is a reason the current education model has been used for so long. But in order to provide the best education we can, we must be willing to modernize. The Kansas State University video is a powerful message about the sad state of higher education, but it is also optimistic that together we can fix these issues.        

Blog 5

Today our class was treated to a presentation from David Walker, an instructional videography specialist from the Innovation in Learning Center at USA. Walker gave helpful tips to improve the quality of video projects using the iPhone. He gave us basic advice, like filming with the phone oriented horizontally or allotting more time to a project than you initially expect. He also recommended several tools, such as mics, lenses, tripods, and lighting. Walker explained key concepts in video, such as rule-of-thirds and nose room. He also stressed the impact of audio in our projects and recommended Audacity, a free audio editing program. This presentation was extremely helpful and will certainly improve the quality of our video projects.

                It is important as a future educator to improve my ability to produce quality video projects. Video is a useful tool enabling educators to reach students in ways that traditional lectures can’t. The role technology plays in the classroom will continue to increase in importance. The advantages of incorporating technology seem too obvious to ignore. As future educators, we must be prepared to utilize this technology influx to benefit our students. 

Blog Post 4

        I recently watched a TED talk featuring Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy. The Khan Academy provides thousands of educational videos on a wide range of subjects, completely free of charge. These videos have been designed to provide a full educational experience for a student. The video-based educational program allows students to individualize their learning experiences. The program allows a student to progress at their own pace while collecting data about grading and subject mastery for the educator. Khan thinks that the use of video has the potential to revolutionize education by removing the one-size-fits-all model of education we currently use.

         I personally see immense benefit in using educational videos as a tool in the classroom. The benefits of a program that allows for individualization and compiles useful data are clear. Doing away with generic lectures will allow teachers more one-on-one time with students. We know that every student learns differently. So why do we try to teach them all the same? 

          Incorporating video and other media into the educational curriculum seems inevitable, and I for one welcome it. I see immense benefits in a blended-instruction classroom, splitting the class time between traditional lectures and individualized educational video program. Educational video is a tool that has been proven to benefit a student’s education. Students are raised with technology, it makes sense that using this same technology in their education will benefit the student. 

EDM 310 Blog Post 3

Hi everyone! Recently, in my EDM 310: Micro-computing Systems in Education class, I completed a project that involved producing a trailer for a free educational app. First, I found an app that fit two primary conditions. The app had to be both educational and fun. The app I chose is intended to increase student literacy by providing access to a wide range of e-books. The production of the trailer required me to gather pertinent information, video clips, audio clips, and photographs. Finally, I synthesized everything into a three-minute movie demonstrating the potential educational benefits of the app. Epic! provides access to a digital library of thousands of books on a wide range of subjects. I highly recommend all educators make use of this resource, in order to increase the literacy of their students.

At first this project sounded easy. I honestly thought I could throw everything together in a relatively short amount of time. I was wrong. I learned why most animators and graphic designers use Macs instead of PCs. Compared to previous experiences with Apple’s iMovie, Microsoft’s Movie Maker seemed awkward and purposely difficult to use. This project has made me aware that I need to better familiarize myself with video editing software. Eventually after hours of work and much frustration, I was able to assemble a three-minute trailer. It’s probably not the prettiest or most polished trailer, but I hope I managed to convey how extremely useful Epic! could be for educators and students. 

2nd Blog - Do Schools Kill Creativity?

I recently watched a TED talk featuring Ken Robinson where he asks, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” Ken Robinson is a former professor of Arts Education and advisor on art’s role in education. Robinson believes that the important role creativity plays in student learning has been largely ignored by traditional educational systems. Creativity and the Arts are given less attention than other subjects. Robinson states that, “every traditional educational system has the same hierarchy of subjects.”  Mathematics and sciences are valued more highly than the Arts. According to Robinson, this hierarchy exists because of the modern university system, a system designed to produce students with skills valuable for an increasingly industrialized society. Robinson claims that an educational system that values subjects like math or science over the Arts causes a loss of creativity in students. Ken Robinson believes that, “creativity…is as important in education as literacy.” I agree that educators should place a higher value on creativity and attempt to foster creativity in students. I think that any education would be incomplete without some instruction in the Arts. As a future educator, I will take Robinson’s message to heart and strive to encourage and foster creativity in the classroom.

However, I don’t fully agree with Robinson on the extent of which we should focus on creativity and the Arts. Are they important? Of course. But how important? How much of the limited time that children are in school should be devoted to creative arts? What subjects would be diminished by more time spent on instruction in creative arts? The Arts are an essential part of a complete education, but are they more valuable than basic scientific or mathematical knowledge?  Isn’t it more important to provide a foundation of general knowledge to students that allows for later specialization? Does public education even have the ability, time, or resources to develop individual talent, like dance, considering the small percentage of the student body these students represent? I was actually involved in the Arts throughout my school career. I did theater and dance for years. Regardless of how much I enjoyed dance, I would never have wanted my public education to revolve around it. Dance was an extracurricular activity completely separate from my public education. Robinson would have schools focus on providing opportunities for students interested in such creative arts to an extent that I find unrealistic.  I agree that creativity should be fostered in the classroom, because we recognize the important role it plays in both society and the individual. But I think this can be achieved without completely rethinking our current educational system.