February 21 Blog

When visiting Dr. Alice Christie's site, I was interested in her digital media and photography resources. It is all about incorporating digital photography/media into the classroom. Dr. Christie's goes into great detail on how to do these things. She gives general digital camera links about how to use photography as an educational source, digital features, and even a power-point photography review. I was most interested in this because I love pictures, and seeing beauty in nature. By using things like photography in the classroom you as a teacher can use innovative lessons and allow students to be creative. Students today are so bogged down with homework and test, they cannot use their creative side and express themselves. Yes, we need astronauts and scientist, but we also need the Picasso's of the world. She also talks about digital camera tips and the do's and dont's of photography. She lists tips for buying cameras and how to use them after you have bought them. Dr. Chrisite's website was very interesting and unique. I as a new teacher will apply photography to my lessons.

itunes University is a place that students or teachers can go to hear podcast, share educational information, and gain academic knowledge. I visited the University of Alabama's site, and found movies and podcast on the ABC's of education. The movie's are free and some of the site included topics on the no child left behind policy, social groups, and even cyberspace. I visited Auburn Universities site. I entered the special education site where you can subscribe to movies and podcast. Each episode focuses on certain issues dealing with special education and disabilities. iTunes University is a pretty solid idea, it consist of a variety of topics and is available to the general public. Almost every top institution and University was listed. All the way from Brown University to Columbia University. The fact that things like this even exist, allows students or just about anyone to find topics of interest.

I found a site called The Principal's Partnership, that uses iPod's for instruction. This site ask the question, can iPod's be used in a high school classroom? It goes on to talk about how the iPod is one of the most recognizable icons of the twenty-first century. The iPod is being used in everyday classrooms to help students become not only technologically advanced but to actually help them with classwork and homework. Where as you can store crazy amounts of music and photos, students can also use the iPod as a tool for school. The site also says that the iPod is becoming a source for study aids, making it convenient and fast to get classwork done. iTunes U was created because of the technological advances of the ipod. The Principal's Partnership also gives great resources on the iPod.
The Principals' Partnership

A Program of Union Pacific Foundation>
Duke University is one of the college's involved in this program. By using the iPod Duke had seen a dramatic growth in the classroom. Duke even distributed free iPod's in 2004 because the demand was so high. Not only has Duke began using iPod's for instruction they have also widened there range to other things in technology. The use of the iPod has expanded Duke's students learning experiences and classroom experiences.
news.duke.edu/2005/12/ipodupdate.html>