Reading Response: "Skip the Essay: Have Students Make Prezicasts"

This article, written by Justin P. Jacobson, talks about an idea he came up with to help students learn to present thoughts and ideas without writing an essay. Jacobson argues that most jobs today do not require you to write an essay, but they may require you to come up with new and inventive ways to present your ideas. In his search to find a way to do that he came up with a Prezicast. This concept uses the combination of using a Prezi and screencasting to talk about a topic, hence the word, Prezicast. In order to obtain this the students begin by making a Prezi, a presentation software much like a PowerPoint, that allows a student to be creative with the transitions, pictures, text, etc. After the students make their Prezi they must use screencasting to discuss what their presentation is about. Screencasting allows the students to record their computer screen and their voice at the same time, so they can play it back at a later time or the teacher can grade the assignment outside the classroom. Along with the basic guidelines of how to make a Prezicast, Jacobson gave them a time restriction and informed them they must present it like an essay with an introduction, thesis, and supporting paragraphs.

I think a Prezicast is a great way to get the students involved in their learning. I know many times during my schooling I dreaded writing essays for classes, and never getting anything out of them. hardly ever retained any of the material because I wasn't involved in my own learning just by writing an essay. Although I do agree that students should be able to show that they can present their ideas in written words, with an introduction, thesis, supporting paragraphs, and conclusions, they also need to know there are other ways to present their ideas that may be more beneficial to them.
I also think a Prezicast is a great start to showing our students how to present to a group or one person, and that good public speaking is essential in the real world. Although, with a Prezicast they are recording their voices instead of giving a presentation in class, I believe it is a leverage, or a tool, to teaching students about formal public speaking versus socialization.

This article follows standard 1 of the ISTE Standards for Students. Standard 1, specifically sub-point b and c, which state that students will "create original works as a means of personal or group expression," and they will also "use models and simulations to explore systems and issues" (ISTE Standards 2008). These standards show the way students are able to show their creative expression with their Prezi, as well as allow the students to look at topics in a new way with the use of technology.

Jacobson, J. P. (2012). Skip the essay: Have students make Prezicasts. Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(4), 34-35.

Reading Response: "Are Teachers even Necessary?"

In this article Diana Fingal discusses a recent controversial topic about whether teachers are really needed in the classroom, or whether technology can replace teachers. Fingal discusses the two sides of the story, starting with the perspective on why we still need teachers in our classrooms. This perspectives brings to light the need for human interaction in learning, and that computers and technology can create a gap in our students' learning. The other perspective states that with new technology, students can learn better without being in the classroom with a teacher. In fact, some might feel that the teachers are bringing their learning experiences down, and can sometimes just lead to tedious work that make students dislike learning all together.

As I am in my final semesters of school to become a teacher some of this article frightens me that people believe education can be taught solely with technology. While I agree technology can be a good thing in the classroom, I can't help but be a bit bias on the need for teachers in the classroom. For myself ,I believe that technology can help foster learning, but there are many things that also foster learning that a student can only receive from an actual teacher in the classroom. I believe this truly applies to the younger grades; it seems like it would be a hassle for children to learn solely from computers at a young age, especially when there is no help at home. I think this can correlate to the concept of flipped classroom, or flipped learning; although I think it can be a great concept for the older grades, for younger grades they need a teacher in the classroom who can  provide them the needs necessary for them to succeed. I am not opposed to the use of technology as a learning tool, it can be used to foster education, but I believe only teachers can assess how to fill those gaps in a student's learning, and the different techniques to get a student where they need to be educationally.

This article goes along with standard 5 from the ISTE standards for students. Standard 5 represents "digital citizenship" (ISTE Standards 2008). For digital citizenship it goes with sub-point b, which states that students will "exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity" (ISTE Standards 2008). With this article it shows that students must know when technology  will benefit their learning, and how they can positively do that. It also means that they must realize when the use of technology will jeopardize their learning. I therefore believe this article also pertains to sub-point c, that students will "demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning" (ISTE Standards 2008). It is up to the student to decide which is the best method for them, and which option will foster a positive learning experience for themselves.

Fingal, D. (2012). Are teachers even necessary? Learning & Leading with Technology, 39(6), 5.

Pressing Issues in Education.

What is a pressing issue in education?

I think a pressing issue in education is class sizes. Unfortunately, budget cuts have impacted our children's education, especially with increasing class sizes. Today an average elementary school classroom can have up to almost forty students with one teacher. It makes it increasingly difficult for teachers to manage their classrooms, and to innovate ways to get students the materials they need to learn.