Seventh Post

How we Dream Part 1 and 2:
Technology has come a long way and students have been able to keep up! As a student we no longer have to go down to the library when we have a research paper due to track down several books on a certain subject, and sit for hours thumbing through thousands of pages. Now at our convenience anyone can search the web to find tons of information on the subject needed in less time than the traditional way.
Not only is finding information on the internet faster and more convenient, but it's easier to access. Using the internet can contain more information because it includes other peoples ideas and facts of information, unlike a book has only one person's outlook. Plus the internet has present day information along with historical information about certain topics.
There are also other features to the internet that could be useful that the traditional library does not have. With the internet you can use features such as blogging networks, YouTube, itunes, and other visual representation that now play major roles in education. It was said that, "Ideas don't belong to us individually, but belong to us as a culture, and that we as educators must be in the business of sharing ideas freely."
The Networked Student: Wendy Drexler
Drexler's high school students did a YouTube video titled "Networked Student. This video is about students in the 21st century. In their presentation they talk about how the need of the students Personal Learning Network's are important, not on text book and memorized knowledge. Students have so many ways of researching information and finding answers what is the need to memorize facts. The traditional ways of searching libraries for books has almost came to an end. If they were no Alabama Virtual Library online then i would see the need to start memorizing everything i read.
Another question asked is, "Why does a networked student even need a teacher?" Students now can find out anything they want on their own by using the internet or their PLN's. The teacher is no longer the source for information. Teachers now are their for guidance only, but i am a firm believer in guidance if it was not for that most students would not achieve most of their goals. The teachers lead them along and encourage them to find answers they don't know instead of simply being satisfied with not knowing.
I think we will always need some form of a teacher, so i believe we will not have to worry about jobs. One could have all the knowledge at their fingertips, but if they don't know how to obtain that information or use it to their advantage then they are no better off than someone who doesn't have the information to begin with. Like i said before all students need guidance without most students would not be where they are in life now.
Comment for Kids & Teachers
For my comments for kids i had to visit Melville Intermediate School class blog. I commented on their worm project where they had to start their own worm bed. The main purpose was to help the environment. It was really interesting to watch all those kids so excited and participating, but i also have to add i am not a worm person.
On my assignment for comments for teacher i had to look at the Intrepid Teacher's blog page which is very interesting because he talks about the University of South Alabama and Dr. Strange, so it made it more interesting for me because i was like i know that place and people!
My PLN
Well first on my PLN is Dr. John Strange i follow him on twitter. I also follow Belinda Fluker blogs because she has taken this course before and she seems to be extremely bright so i believe i can learn from her! On twitter i am following Stephen Sullivan, iGradebook, and Scott McLeod. I chose to follow Scott McLeod because i enjoyed his post on "Don't teach your kids this stuff. Please?". I found iGradebook to be interesting for teachers and i would like to know more about it so i chose to follow it, and Stephen Sullivan is also apart of Edm310.