Speaking Test Questions

Audio Post Sample #1

Audio Sample Response #2

Lappenrranta Snow Website for Students

Website for the Lappenrranta Snow - not real - fantasy hockey team

https://sites.google.com/site/lappenrantasnow/home

Lomo Saltado Recipe

What is something you learned in this class that you will be able to incorporate into your teaching?

One of the biggest things I learned over the course of this class was basically how easy it is to incorporate technology into the classroom. In learning new tools, its always intimidating at first, but in working with these new tools its been great to experience with how intuitive these programs can be. With using screencasts, incorporating websites to be student specific and creating avenues for communicating for student-to-student, as well as, student-to-teacher. When I started this class, I thought it was going to be all PPT's and movies, flash and flare, but I have found new ways of incorporating clear and more efficient means of communication with my students, as well as, interactive tools to help them with questions, in and out-side of class. I've been pleased with this course / program so far and hope to continue to work with these skills. I think the biggest take away, has also been the blog. The blog was something I was against at first, but in creating a digital footprint to actually demonstrate first hand that I have these skills in a tangible way that can be taken to the next job. rock - n - roll.

Favorite Tools and Something to Say to the Education World

Over the course of this class, so far my favorite tool was the Screen Cast because it was incredible to see how easy it was to demonstrate in less than a minute how to effectively navigate a site to find what your looking for.  Initially, I have to admit, I didn't see any value in it.  Now, I have to admit the Screen Cast done by Zack Latif would be the desired result.  Concise, informative and right to the heart of showing a first hand account of how to....

Using it class has so many applications, especially since you can show someone where to find your Screen Cast  for when they have time to follow the steps.  I cannot imagine how much frustration this could have saved me when I was at University, since in less than 30 seconds you have 1:1 tutoring on how to get around in any particular site.  What its capable of and how to play with the options, at your pace.  Pause, follow, find, play, pause, follow, find, play, etc...  It's simplicity is genius.

If that leads me to say anything to the world of education today, I feel the same as before;  how more than ever before these digital tools are easy to implement in your class and can make your class so much less frustrating, as well as, engaging with the correct tools.  Not just movies and Funny Cats and Dogs from Youtube. With schedules, both students and teachers alike, becoming busier and busier, its great to have additional tools to offer outside of the classroom and in-class to make the learning process the center and not the other shit that can be frustrating and really turn students away.

- Engage your kids using a medium that is intuitive to them
- Don't pretend you are the only class students have
- Make it easy for them to find the core material in one place
- Cut the crap and get to the meat - quickly..... please

New Website for the Canadian Dungeons and Dragons

https://sites.google.com/site/lappenrantasnow/home

My website is 100% fake for the purpose of demonstrating, its pretty easy to post grades, have an effective calendar and communicate news effectively in one place for both students and parents alike.

This is for my Online Hockey or Canadian Dungeons and Dragons.  Enjoy!

9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn

Post written by Leo Babauta.

@

http://zenhabits.net/kid-skills/

When we think of education, we think of schools somehow giving your kids a brain.  It is simply overlooked that education's function is to help students find their place in the local, state or world economy. Built into today's model of education, is that we can prepare them for tomorrow, by providing them with the skills from yesterday, which is.... entirely false.

When education first began, its primary task was to tackle the literacy problem.  Education today, could also be considered equally important since without a core step of computer skills could almost be considered illiterate by todays standard.  The essential skills of the past, reading, writing, arithmetic and legible hand-writing has most certainly been replaced with critical thinking and problem solving skills.  The ability to be a self-starter with a sense of empowerment is what is lacking in todays system of school, with the skill sets that they teach.  By teaching outdated skills, it's almost like arming our kids with a sense of powerlessness and irrelevance.  

I do agree with Leo Babuata's  Article.  It's alright, but it puts "Adjusting to Change" to low on the list.  Since, the only thing that will ever stay the same, is that things are going to change. 

Should ideas be considered property?

When looking; “Everything is a Remix” PART 4:

http://everythingisaremix.info/watch-the-series/

The evolutionary ideas of copy, inform and combine seem to be a common theme throughout history, as well as, the survival of Human Beings.  In today's word, with enough legislation over everything under the sun, its truly difficult to determine what is owned and by who since it can be argued from so many different angles.  The fencing of ideas is almost an asinine concept.

Do I think Ideas should be owned?  It's simply a matter of perspective.  Since I don't have millions of dollars generated form one incredible idea, I think the free exchange of ideas is what makes us human, since the dominate ideas that have surfaced have made us who we are today.  But, even if I was rich, would the greater good out weight my pocket book, since the copy of ideas usually results in more efficient practices?  Probably not.  I think I would like to make million of dollars at the expense of others.  In business, being first is everything.

The biggest evils result from Opportunist "Trolling" Perspective that sees the law as a means to make money and ownership of even the most vague concepts as a tool to sue yourself into money.

If their is one last common theme throughout human history, its that we have always benefited more through exchange and cooperation than we have through competition.  In labor studies done by Ford Motor Company, they have found that collaboration beats competition 3 to 1 every time and why should someone's Intellectual Property be different, if the benefit is bigger than one persons wallet or their ego, I do think that Idea's should be free, but again; thats from down here at the bottom.

My favorite lesson was model on the Theoretical History of life on Mars and why the planet "died."  The students at this particular level are just below fluency and have the ability to speak at a impressive level.  We call it "Bridge" because its bringing together everything they have learned before taking college entrance exams.

 The objective in class, was understanding and identifying "cause and effect" while annotating correctly in their books; with the added task of understanding the "transitions" that are related with "cause and effect" academic readings.  These transitions - first, when, then, caused, as a result, because, etc - weren't new to the students as vocabulary, but the context in which they were used and the significance attached to them in making their lives easier as students was fully appreciated.

First, what made this lesson so engaging for the students was the amount of additional multi-media that was available on the subject.  Introducing the lesson with digital models from the BBC and from specific movies like Mission to Mars; grabbed their attention from the beginning.  Instantly, disinterested students were raising their hands to talk, the best students weren't the most engaged and the actual details from the reading material, seemed to hit home, because the students could visualize what we were learning about.

Then, as we went into the material, their was more enthusiasm in actually finding the major details throughout the text, because they actually seemed to want to learn about how:

**  the inner molten core of Mars slowed down -> reducing the magnetic field -> solar winds began to enter the atmosphere -> which reduced the amount of atmosphere available -> which limited how much water vapor returned to the planet in terms of rain -> the water vapor disappeared into space ->  which is why the planet dried up.

It was my favorite lesson, because we all felt really really smart.  Everyone was motivated to learn more, because they were engaged from the beginning and felt empowered, because they could do it, they could see it, they could anticipate what was coming next and as a result, when it came time to do their projects at the end of class, they were jumping out of their seat, because they thought they had the best ideas.  It was Great.

Great Multi-media resources literally resulted in engaging the students more effectively.  Even though it wasn't everyones favorite topic and maybe they didn't know the word.  They could visualize it enough to feel confident in even asking questions.  With their ability to see it form the beginning, they felt better throughout the class and to be honest, they really preformed.

When I evaluate my digital footprint and really think of the consequences of the material out their, I don't worry, but I am thinking more towards the future of how to regulate that more effectively.

My last name was changed when we came to the United States in 1654.  So, their are literally only 40 people on the planet with the same last name and they are all immediate family.  So when it comes to tracking me down, its pretty easy, but in reflecting on what material is up, I'm not too concerned about the present situation since their isn't anything too too controversial.

Facebook seems incredible to me, because of how much you can find in one place about someones lifestyle.  It truly is almost scary how much someone can learn about your daily life from one simple page.  When I critically look at my life on Facebook, it needs a little bit more editing to ensure that I'm presenting myself in the proper light.  Their isn't anything crazy crazy, but you never know what is going to limit your options in the future; never really sure of what is going to be offensive to someone in another country given their cultural background; and their always needs to be steps to moderate someones life being published online.

When we think of the future and getting a job on a global frontier, professionalism has expanded to  include the interview, the work place and your internet prescience.  Since this is the age of information, tracking and data collection; professional behavior seems to stem into the digital world now as well.

I think I should start dressing nicer.

October 9th

When I think of how I can become a better presenter, I think of some of the TED talks that I've watched in the past that were simply incredible.  Some of the smartest people in the world, who are brilliant, funny, articulate and educate you as a champion of their field in less than 20 minutes.  I admire their passion.  I think what makes a great presentation is practice, practice, practice, but making it look spontaneous when it's delivered.  I think when giving a presentation there needs to be enthusiasm and life breathed into it, but also hammering key content throughout the presentation with an element of entertainment attached to it.

I can become a better presenter by engaging my students more through a balance of humor and content.  It's pretty easy to keep things dry and hammer content, but getting the ball rolling on core material and maintain an element of fun is something I think all teachers can work on.  When it's in a different language, some jokes just don't translate and I would like to be better at that.

Their are several ways that 'Digitizing' the classroom is going to help make the classroom more engaging.  Creating a more stimulating class with multi-media and animated programs is a critical part of the students in the digital age classroom.  Students are bombarded by media everywhere they turn in order to grab their attention and in the classroom, the projector, computer and assignments need to be equally as stimulating to maintain their attention.  'Digitizing' is also going to help with organization in a number of ways.  Either for the teacher to have all the classroom materials in one place - ie - computer folder, USB or on the desktop - going from one media platform to another can be seamless with the right skills in the classroom.  In addition, using a social platform (facebook, schoology, etc.) for a class can also help with communicating assignments, changes to the class, as well as, having an open platform for questions outside the classroom when students are working independently.  'Digitizing,' the future of the classroom, is now, and used effectively, it can be a tool to streamline the class with multi-media platforms and communicate more effectively with students.

If you asked me which of the NET-S is the most important to address in a classroom setting, I would have to say Step #4 Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making. Einstein  once said that "We will never solve the problems of the future if we think in the same way as when we created them," and when you apply his comment to education, it's never been more true.  Educational Institutions have been following the same model of Rote Style education since the Jesuits began educating people in the 14th Century, modeled and created for a different time.  In today's digital age, how do we filter out the which information is important, if we have never practiced thinking independently?  Education is a journey. It is to be explored and not simply memorized, but experienced.  We can never solve the problems of tomorrow if we continue along the same style of education today.  I think changing gears, to challenge our kids to think in a Divergent Manner and seeing many possible solutions at once, is the answer to how can we make the correct decisions for the future.  I believe a small speech done by Sir Ken Robinson, called Changing the Education Paradigm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

In this way, I think I can become a better teacher by incorporating more digital tools in the classroom. Video, DVD's and Multi-media is of vital importance in the classroom today, to even be able to engage students.  I think improving the fluidity of going from one medium to the next is of the utmost importance with maintaing the attention of students to be able to engage them in the material.

I think this course is going to help me become a better teacher, because it's going to help me practice my critical thinking and decision making skills, while learning a new skill set at the same time.  The old saying, "those that can't do, teach" just might be true, but I have another one;

"Those that can't do well, don't teach well."