Podcast of grades 6-8/Booming Sands

The sounds of wind are made from sand dunes is the focus of this podcast. A research team from California Institute of Technology(CIT), Melany Hunt and Christopher Brennon at the Dummont Dunes of Death Valley California are trying to find out why the sand dunes make a humming noise.

The CIT team says its one of thirty places around the world studying this unique sound mass. This team has been studying for about 2yrs to see why the dunes produce this acoustic sound. The sand seems to have has 2-3 layers. The water and energy mixed together makes the sound when disturbed. they set out to assimilate that sound by going on a hike at a few miles up the dune and disturb its structure to create a sound and by the looks of the podcast it worked.

For grades 6-8 it would be a nice field trip to visit a sand dune just to feel the texture of a real sand dune and hear its sound mass.

Podcast Grades K-5, Are there13+ Planets?

I have viewed a podcast concerning planets. One of the speakers was Director, Neil deGrasse Tyson Director, Hayden Planetarium. He discussed that until August 2006 the International Astronomical Union(IAU), thought they made had made a discovery that there may be 10 or 13 planets instead of 9.

In 1801 a new planet was discovered orbiting between Mars and Jupiter and they called it Ceres. They found more and more planets orbiting the solar system to a number of 13. They decided to stopped counting them and finding names because it was much like finding new real estate outer space called an Asteroid Build. Ceres was then named an asteroid instead of a planet. It was defined by IAU that a planet is a body that orbits the star, a round shape and enough mass to hold its own gravity and orbit. Like Pluto isn't really a planet it's a dwarf planet.

I think it would be cool to have a class activity to illustrate what the Solar System looks like and create new names for the planets and asteroids.

The Edible Schoolyard & A Night in the Global Village

It was interesting to see and listen to Berkeley’s curriculum-based Edible Schoolyard gardening program, located in Berkeley, California connects students with the Earth. The hands on experience and interaction made with the students and teachers was great. They had to think mathematically for the ingredients to be mixed. The children learned the scientific procedure for growing the food. One child may not do well in Math but excel in science and vice-versa, but they could get the challenge and experience to help them want to learn more. The "why and how" of the subjects are good for children. The preparation of the organic garden to the cooking of the food can be a wonderful thing to implement for teachers who have access to a gardening program.

A Night in the Global Village is about an exchange of culture located in Perryville, Arkansas. The Colorado Middle School students gained an experience of how other countries survive in their living conditions.

It seemed at first that the students and parents had to make a plan on whose roles were what and how to really survive. Limited supplies, roles of people and housing was given for this experience. It seemed like the students enjoyed the idea of the experience until some sort of reality set in. The teams pulled together and helped each other, even though things were limited for most. It all goes to show us that we all may need a helping hand at some point in life from each other and how communication is so important.

These two pod casts can be a teaching tool and can be manipulated to a degree to help our students see the magnitude of the blessings they have in and out of school.

ITunes University

The iTunes University website wasn't accessible but I did find out that the iTunes University offered different educational subjects sections. through various web searches one could learn how to access the wide variety of classes, lessons, and informative podcasts offered by academic institutions, art museums, and educational television stations, through iTunes. All that is needed to enter these areas are a computer, ipod, itunes software, web browser and what all teachers should possess which is a desire to learn.

Universities such as Stanford, Indiana and Duke has provided access to a wide range of related digital audio content via the iTunes Store, Apple’s popular online music, video, and podcast service. Downloadable faculty lectures, student and faculty projects and campus events.


Personally and currently as a student and beginning teacher I could use iTunes University's information for some of my own college classes and at work. Presently we are in the stages of making podcasts, and the information out there could guide a student in the right direction. In the future when I have completed college I could use this in my own classroom. There would be so much my students would be able to learn

My information was gathered from: http://www.sunywcc.edu/itunesu/ and itunes.stanford.edu

Ipod in classrooms/Duke University

I have read about the use of Ipods in Grand Prairie school's classrooms. At 5:11 PM CST on Monday, November 5, 2007, STELLA M. CHÁVEZ / The Dallas Morning News
schavez@dallasnews.com reported that she is one of 18 employees at Grand Prairie's Ervin C. Whitt Elementary School using iPods to teach kids. According to Ms. Chavez, a lot of teaches are agreeing that when they think of instructing students, they have to think of different ways of teaching, so they have to keep up with the changes in technology.

This school district purchased a total of 321 video iPods at a cost of $73,114, paying for them through its state technology allotment and a Title I federal grant. I am guessing they really feel the need to start using these ipods. I didn't see any literature concerning who's responsible if something happens to the gadget.

Duke University
Ipods in the classroom became trendy several years ago when Duke University began giving them to incoming freshmen. According to Duke, the devices have also been popular on college campuses where professors record lectures on iTunes. The number of Duke University students using iPods in the classroom has quadrupled. According to the university’s Center for Instructional Technology (CIT), 1,200 students are expected to use iPods to enhance classroom materials. Duke distributed free iPods to all first-year students in 2004; for the current academic year, it modified to program to provide free iPods only to undergraduates who enrolled in a course that required the device.


http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2005/12/ipodupdate.html

Dr. Alice Christie's Useful sites/Constructivism

I chose to speak about my readings on Dr. Alice Christie's Constructivist Learning Resource dealing with Constructivism, which is a learning theory that supports several principles:

Learning that involves: risk-taking, creative thinking, and critical thinking. The creation of environments that: facilitate learning and provide opportunities for self-reflection and self-evaluation, learning that is socially geared and is fostered by collaboration and specific context, learning that is reflective and incorporates feedback from teachers and peers and students and teachers can learn through their mistakes. Technology is a tool to facilitate learning and is not the focus of learning but a collaboration of many things.

I enjoyed reading into these principles because we fit or will fit into each of these roles in our careers. Knowing that we can help encourage children/students to think past what they know and are doing and broaden their minds is a reward to a teacher in itself. Each person we teach has their on level of learning so fostering an environment and being part of a team that heightens the learning process is great. There is so many technological advances out there today to help us, help the students, so we have a jump on the learning process.

Wikipedia, yes or no?

I have heard from people in my educational experiences that using Wikipedia can be a usable source and some say it's not. Personally, I have clicked on it a few times just to see what information it has to offer for what I am researching. No matter what source we use in our studies, no-one really knows what can and can't be a trusted one, but Wikipedia one is one the weaker sources.
I am surprised to read that anyone can alter things this site. I was glad to read that there is some sort of tracking on IP addresses on those who choose to alter the information. There should be something done by Wikipedia itself if they choose to do so. If not, they we all need to find other sources for information sought. We as educators can find other sources and keep the use of Wikipedia minimal.