What state is your state in?

I saw this article/info on the last page of my Nov 23, 2009 Newsweek (pg. 64) and after reading The World Is Flat, I am constantly comparing any US statistics to foreign numbers. Here are some interesting facts worth considering in light of our 21st technology skills and learning.

The number of physicians per 10,000 people: Kuwait is roughly that of Idaho: 18

The infant mortality rate (11/1,000 live births): Sri Lanka is roughly that of Washington D.C.: 11.26

The unemployment rate: Croatia is roughly that of Michigan: 14.7%

The GDP: Nepal is roughly that of South Dakota: $31.2 Billion

The number of students per teacher: South Korea is roughly that or Oregon: 21:3

Although one may not immediately equate these statistics with 21st technology, skills, and learning, it remains as a conclusion to be drawn from the numbers from those members of our class (ECI 509), and is why this page in Newsweek stood out to me so much.

Posted at 11:10PM Nov 23, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[0]

Google Earth

For those of you have not used Google Earth or downloaded the newest version I would recommend checking it out! You now can explore underwater, the moon, the sky, and mars. For educators, Google Earth is a great tool to implement into lessons. There are so many assignments you can create with the program it is staggering. I would also recommend Google for Educators for ideas on implementing Google Earth into the classroom.

Google Earth is not just a map! It is a way to explore the whole world: cutlures of the world, architecture, climate change, tidal forces, and so much more. I have spent or wasted many hours playing around with this program and keep finding new things everyday.

Posted at 02:58PM Nov 15, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[2]

NCSU in the 21st Century

Saw this info on the NCSU homepage and thought it tied into our 21st technology discussion(s):

"Over time, our electronic devices have gotten flatter, faster, and more technologically advanced, allowing us to work, watch or Facebook in ways we never have before. But many of the machines that they've replaced - like clunky, antiquated CRT monitors, stacks of CDs and Inkjet printers - get shoved into supply closets, storage cabinets, and even landfills, creating significant occupational and environmental issues that must be addressed."

What first captured my attention was the metnion of flatter. Although the author of the webpage probably did not exactly mean figuratively flatter like Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, technology is getting physically flatter.

A by-product of the rapidly evolving technology is all the old machines etc. creating large amounts of waste. With being "green" as a main concern in the 21st century, it is interesting to think about all the delterious affects (outdated) technologies can have. I would hope that when materials/technologies are replaced or upgraded that the old devices can be recycled--either by the manufacturer, or sent to schools, libraries, or business that can use the technologies.

Posted at 02:58PM Nov 15, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[0]

Will I get a job offer? (Part 2)

After attending a meeting for student teachers today, I feel a little bit better about my chances of landing an English job (close to home) next fall. Despite the poor economy, I feel that my graduate education at NC State will be one thing that sets me apart. I learned that NC State produces teachers who have more experience (college credits/education) in their content areas than other regional schools. Additionally, what I think will be important to mention when someone asks me "Why should I hire you and not someone else?" that my course of study included education specifically on 21st century technology and skills. Although this class is an elective, I think every graduate student in education should have to take it. I also am making connections between this class and others that I am taking; 21st century "anything" is becoming a hot topic across the curriculum.

I am not sure that teachers even 5 years ago had classes in 21st century technology and skills. Perhaps I've got a slight edge on some older teacher canidates? I'd like to think so, and feel a little better about finding a job next year...

Posted at 02:58PM Nov 09, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[1]

Google Earth

For those of you have not used Google Earth or downloaded the newest version I would recommend checking it out! You now can explore underwater, the moon, the sky, and mars. For educators, Google Earth is a great tool to implement into lessons. There are so many assignments you can create with the program it is staggering. I would also recommend Google for Educators for ideas on implementing Google Earth into the classroom.

Google Earth is not just a map! It is a way to explore the whole world: cutlures of the world, architecture, climate change, tidal forces, and so much more. I have spent or wasted many hours playing around with this program and keep finding new things everyday.

Posted at 01:43PM Nov 02, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[4]

Will I get a job offer?

So I am studying to be a high school English teacher. That is what I want to do, I believe that is where my heart is. However, now that I am learning so much about the (young) 21st Century, I fear that not only may this position be in low demand, it may slowly become obsolete. Maybe not entirely, but how many Indians looking for technology jobs at home and abroad take literature classes? Sure there are grammar, composition, and reading/writing classes, Language Arts classes that will always be around or at least offered. It's just eye-opening and perhaps scary to read about and BELIEVE the wave of the future as presented by The World Is Flat.

Posted at 11:51PM Oct 22, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[2]

On-line Personal Security

I was listening to NPR this morning and a show called "On the Media." There were some topics that I felt related to The World is Flat, and other things we have discussed in class. First there was a discussion of on-line personal security. Specifically, people were talking about how pop-up ads are tailored to the user. That information can be found on a person's Facebook page that can give valuable information to advertisers and other solicitors. What the guest pointed out was that your local grocery store probably has more information about you, by tracking everything you buy, (at Harris Teeter for example), yet 2/3 people are more concerned about their on-line personal security. There also was a discussion on security as a commodity. I don't remember what was said, but I think you can go on NPRs website and listen to past shows; I would recommend Saturday October 17ths "On the Media" show.

Posted at 04:12PM Oct 17, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[1]

Ahhh...Fall Break!

I'm enjoying fall break!

After thinking about this 21C gaming idea all week, I was thinking of ways to integrate some of these (ideas) into my English curriculum. I have a good friend who is an ESL teacher at Riverside HS in Durham who is know throughout the school for his fun and challenging Jeopardy games. I love trivia, and I love Jeopardy. Although he said he had to pay out of his pocket for the software I think I am going to look into this...

Posted at 10:41AM Oct 09, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[0]

On-line vs. On-campus classes

Thought I posted this last week but just realized my blog was a week's entry short....

I think the learning is different in an on-one course. I have taken about ten on-line classes and feel my experience will warrant some valid responses. Students need to be more intrinsically motivated to learn and teach themselves without any direct instruction from teachers. Because of the asynchronous nature of on-line classes some students may feel alienated--from teachers and other classmates. Not that any college professor would hold hands, so to speak, but a barrier does exist between students and teachers in on-line classes--whether perceived or real. The perceived barrier is that students will have difficulty communicating with instructors in on-line classes. In my experience instructors who agree to teach on-line classes check their email diligently, encourage students to call them on the phone during approved hours, or even have an on-line meeting live via Skype or ElluminateLive. I also believe that students need very good time management skills. In my experience lessons are taught on a weekly basis with a checklist of assignments, readings, and activities. Students need to evaluate how much time each lesson will take to complete and be sure to allocate enough time each day and each week to complete assignments. Strong organization skills are also requisite for success in on-line classes. Teachers usually make "hand-outs" available on-line and it is up to the student to print them and obtain a hard copy.

Posted at 07:25PM Oct 04, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[1]

21C Gaming

So when prompted to discuss some educational games I immediately thought of Where in the World is Carmen Santiago! I used to love playing that game. A few others that I thought of were Lemmings: this game really employed the laws of motion and physics and taught users how to transport 100 mindless free-walking dummies to a safe location. Tetris, all though rudimentary and rather basic (until it gets really fast) is a great spacial reasoning game. I also thought of Monopoly. The version that I had was a little different than the traditional board game version. There was the added aspect of being able to build different business base on supply and demand and really combined many aspects of SimCity (and some of the other Sim-games).

Posted at 07:19PM Oct 04, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[1]

I now see the value in Wikipedia

After years of hating Wikipedia, I now see the utility it offers. Rather than seeing it as an unreliable reference work, I see it as a continuous scholarly effort to provide as much information (as it becomes available) on a topic.

One thing that is valuable about Wikis is that they can provide up the hour information. With the ability to edit pages/content, information can be updated as things change. In the case of Wikipedia, it is an up-to-date refererence work. If you were to look at a printed encyclopedia from even 5 years ago I bet that many entries would be more relevant or valid on Wikipedia.

Posted at 02:15PM Sep 25, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[2]

My first blog!

So hopefully this worked.

As the semester rolls on, I will be discussing the essential skills needed for 21st century teaching, learning, and living.

Posted at 12:40PM Sep 19, 2009 by Scott Jewitt in General | Comments[2]

21st Century Skills