Game-Based Learning to Teach and Assess 21st Century Skills

This article is saying how teachers should use video games in and out of the classroom to teach content to students. The author says that students learn more/better through the games because its more authentic to the children. He goes on to say that the students learn to communicate, become team players, and work on problem solving skills. I agree that some video games can teach those skills but that is not how it will be in the real world once they get out of school. The students will have to learn to work with others face-to-face which is much more difficult to do because more problems/arguments come up. In video games the students also get some sort of instant gratification, which is also not what it's like in the real world. If we teach with mostly video games like this guy is suggesting, we could be setting our students up for failure in the real world. Sure they will succeed in school but the gap between school skills and work skills is widening and I think the students could end up with psychological problems. Students would want to quit work because it isn't "fun" and it isn't as gratifying as getting rid of all of the pigs in Angry Birds or killing off the enemy in Halo. I say let them play the games at home as reinforcement but keep it how it already is in school.

Miller, A. (2012). Game-based learning to teach and assess 21st century skills. Edutopia, Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/Miller,%20A.%20(2012).%20Game-based%20learning%20to%20teach%20and%20assess%2021st%20century%20skills.%20Edutopia,%20Retrieved%20from%20http://www.edutopia.org/blog/game-learning-21st-century-skills-andrew-miller?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: EdutopiaNewContent (Edutopia)&utm_content=Google Reader  

Why Security Could be Apple's Greatest Threat

This article was about how Apple used to claim that the Mac was the safest computer but they don't claim that anymore. Macs have been getting hacked now and some people are thinking it's because more people have them now. Macs weren't that big a few years ago so not many hackers gave them the time of day. In the article it says that Microsoft computers are the safest because they have put the time and thought into safety. I personally don't care what type of computer it is, they all can be hacked. I think it is up to the user to be careful with what they are doing and what information they give over the internet. There are better virus scanners and better ways of proctecting your computer than what any of the computer companies give you. You just have to do your homework and watch what sites you go on.

Gonsalves, A. (Producer). (2012). Why security could be apple's greatest threat. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2012/06/why-security-could-be-apples-greatest-threat.php

Couple Living in Storage Unit

There are several families in Texas that cannot afford a home. A few of these families do have jobs but they still can't afford a home and others can't find a home. They are paying between $70 and $90 a month to live in the units. They have electricity but no running water. I think this is crazy but I guess you do what you have to. I would think that it wouldn't be legal to live in a storage unit and that the police would come and remove them. It is sad that some of those people actually have jobs but they still can't afford a home. Everything is too expensive now and the quality is not as good as it used to be. So we are paying more money for something that is not as good. We are so mixed up and we really need to re-think how we are doing things.

CNN. (Producer). (2012). Texas couple lives in storage unit. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: rss/cnn_topstories (RSS: Top Stories)&utm_content=Google Reader  

5 Ways Microsoft's Surface may be Better Than an Ipad

The third article I read is called, "5 Ways Microsoft's Surface may be Better Than an Ipad" by Doug Gross. This article was saying how the Surface will come with an attached keyboard, a kickstand, it's basically the same size, it will have a lot more power, it will have two USB ports, and an XBox SmartGlass. It seems as if Microsoft has been analyzing Apple's weaknesses on the Ipad and they also listened to the customers to see what they were complaining about. Apparently people are using the Ipads for work purposes but they find it difficult to do a lot of typing on a touch screen and they are not able to save their work to a USB device. Microsoft only showed two of their tablets at a meeting and they did not say when the tablets would be released or for how much. I am thinking that these new tablets will be really expensive because of all of the new features. I am wondering how the tablet will actually work. I know I have had some problems with Microsoft limiting what I can do and what I can use with its programs. Microsoft also did not talk about what kind of apps they would be releasing either. I am sure that you will probably only be able to use the apps that Microsoft puts out and none of the other companies apps because they want you to only use Microsoft products and I see that as a major downside.

Gross, D. (2012). 5 ways microsoft's surface may be better than an ipad. Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/Gross,%20D.%20(2012).%205%20ways%20microsoft's%20surface%20may%20be%20better%20than%20an%20ipad.%20Retrieved%20from%20http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/19/tech/microsoft-surface-ipad/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: rss/cnn_topstories (RSS: Top Stories)&utm_content=Google Reader

Why Pintrest Has Not Reimagined Scrapbooking

The second article I read is from ReadWriteWeb and is called, "Why Pintrest Has Not Reimagined Scrapbooking". This article was talking about how a lot of things are done with the computer now. We used to write with pencil and paper and now most of the time we type. We used to have film canasters in our cameras and we would get our film developed and printed off at a store and now we save them to a flash drive or on our hard drive. MacManus was thinking that maybe the same thing will happen to scrapbooking. He thought that eventually maybe it may all be done on the computer and everyone would have virtual scrapbooks mostly because of pintrest. He thought that pintrest would take place of paper scrapbooks because I guess he thought it was the same idea. After speaking with several dedicated "scrapers" he found that they use pintrest but only for ideas. I could see some people doing virtual scrapbooks eventually but as of right now I don't think there is really any programs out there that would make that easy. A scrapbook might be more perfect on the computer but I think it is the human touch that makes it even more special and meaningful. I myself have never used pintrest but from what I have heard, a lot of people are using it but it is just a space to compile ideas not to recapture past events.


MacManus, R. (2012). Why pinterest has not reimagined scrapbooking. ReadWriteWeb, Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/MacManus,%20R.%20(2012).%20Why%20pinterest%20has%20not%20reimagined%20scrapbooking.%20ReadWriteWeb,%20Retrieved%20from%20http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/why-pinterest-has-not-reimagined-scrapbooking.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: readwriteweb (ReadWriteWeb)&utm_content=Google Reader

Teaching Students to Stand Up and Speak Out

I read the article, "Teaching Students to Stand Up and Speak Out" by Rebecca Alber on Edutopia. This article was about how we,  "As teachers, we are given the charge and entrusted with preparing students intellectually, ethically, emotionally, and socially."(Alber, 2012) Rebecca says that if there were a starving and injured child in the classroom, we would not ignore that child, we would feed and nurse the child back to health. However, if there is a homeless person on the street we teach children to ignore them and to continue walking. She says that we need to teach our students to take care of others out in the community like they do in the classroom. In my opinion we teach eithics, social skills and emotional skills even though we don't have to because it's not in the curriculum but we do it anyways. We don't intentionally teach out students to be good citizens, it is just the outcome of how we run our classrooms. I do agree that if a person is suffering that one should lend a hand but Rebecca is saying that children should talk to homeless people and offer them money. I think that goes against the "stranger danger" that we all teach children. I do agree that we should teach children to take care of one another and that it makes life in the classroom easier but I don't think that we should have to do it. That is the responsibility of the parents.

Alber, R. (2012). Teaching students to stand up and speak out. Edutopia, Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-justice-lessons-activities-resources-rebecca-alber?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: EdutopiaNewContent (Edutopia)&utm_content=Google Reader