Martha Stewart, the purveyor of all "good things," recently had a show featuring bloggers and how they engage in their writing process. On her own blog, Martha posted a how-to about starting your own blog, which I found really interesting both as a researcher and teacher. With mainstream celebrities like Martha Stewart now endorsing and even encouraging the creation of blogs, do you think they will be looked at as a legitimate and meaningful print source? As you engage in this blog, do you think you would ever create posts of your own or even create your own personal blog space? What blogs, aside from this one, do you read if you read any at all?
Ray Rohmer is the chair of Strong American Schools as well as the director for ED in 08. He keeps a blog and recently posted a YouTube video from a roundtable in Colorado, asking where the national will is in terms of education. He takes the position that, without focus in this area, we are at risk of becoming a second-class nation. Take a look at the video - warning: it's decently shaky, but definitely not Cloverfield shaky - and express your thoughts. Do you feel as though candidates have made their education agendas clear or have they been glossed over in favor of other platforms, such as the "polar bear syndrome?"
Indiana University is sponsoring a video contest through the Celebrate IU Website. Use your creativity to create a 60-second or less video and upload it to the YouTube Celebrate IU group. There are cash prizes and cash is always good.
Last, but definitely not least, I noticed this piece of clip art on the Indiana Department of Education's website:
Such an interesting image. As we prep to begin talking about visual literacy, what does this image convey to you about the ISTEP test?
As always, comment with questions.
6 comments:
As a student, I feel that blogging is an excellent way to communicate with teachers as well as my classmates. It's interesting and convenient to have a constant update about upcoming events, thoughts, and ideas. As a future educator, I plan on creating a blog to communicate with students.
I just watched the video that you posted. I found it really interesting. It is scary to think about that fact that if education doesn't become a national priority that we risk becoming a second class nation.
I think this image shows students that their is a reason to be nervous about testing. The pencil to bitten and makes children get stressed out about testing. There should be a more positive poster that doesn't stress out or make children nervous about testing. By making children nervous their test scores will show that they are. A more positive poster will help children's test scores and allow then to do better on the standardized tests.
I am really surprised that Indiana Department of Education posted that picture on its website (the picture of the chewed up pencil). I think that this picture portrays the negative aspects of testing. It is almost stressful just looking at the picture of the chewed up pencil. It is ironic how the department can support testing, but still post this picture. Wouldn't they want to portray testing in a positive light?
Lauren Henderson
I haven't heard people really talk about blogs and using them for a couple of years now and it seems to just pop up again popular as ever. Using blogs in the classroom was definitely something new to me and I find myself liking it more and more. It is a great way to keep the parents updated on what their child is doing in the classroom. It is also a great way for the students to show off their work to others after working so hard on them.
The picture of the pencil reminds me of myself taking standardized testing because I was so nervous taking the test.I think the school district should not have posted this picture because students are nervous as it is about standardized testing then do not see a chewed pencil. We should promote standardized testing more positively.
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