Comments for oso polar http://www.coetail.com/monge Sat, 11 May 2013 11:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Course 5 Final Project by neill http://www.coetail.com/monge/2013/05/06/course-5-final-project/#comment-113 neill Sat, 11 May 2013 11:55:56 +0000 http://www.coetail.com/monge/?p=80#comment-113 Nice on Rick. Please do send me a copy/link of your waves note taker work for me to have a look at. On my project you will find a link to our e book. Nice on Rick. Please do send me a copy/link of your waves note taker work for me to have a look at. On my project you will find a link to our e book.

]]> Comment on Ruminations on Course 5 Final Project by Clint Hamada http://www.coetail.com/monge/2013/01/20/ruminations-on-course-5-final-project/#comment-62 Clint Hamada Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:32:13 +0000 http://www.coetail.com/monge/?p=78#comment-62 I find that with IT Departments, if you can articulate your needs and let them (and your principal, if necessary) know how important those needs are for student learning, then things will get done. It sounds like you have some solid ideas for your project. With the flipped classroom framework already in place, it sounds like a great opportunity to allow your students to focus on producing content in response to your lessons in order to create and demonstrate their own understanding. I'm looking forward to it! I find that with IT Departments, if you can articulate your needs and let them (and your principal, if necessary) know how important those needs are for student learning, then things will get done.

It sounds like you have some solid ideas for your project. With the flipped classroom framework already in place, it sounds like a great opportunity to allow your students to focus on producing content in response to your lessons in order to create and demonstrate their own understanding. I’m looking forward to it!

]]> Comment on To Flip or Not to Flip by Joe Winston http://www.coetail.com/monge/2012/03/15/to-flip-or-not/#comment-61 Joe Winston Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:44:09 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/monge/?p=12#comment-61 I'm curious how it went. Seems like the idea of going at it as a group for planning and support was wise. I tend to be the one member of my team wanting to branch out and try new things at times. Over the past couple of years others have been probing into the world of the unknown with me though. We do run into the occasional "Why are you doing this?" from parents and admin. I am planning to introduce some flipped lessons with my class along with one of my teammates. I want to educate the parents first to help gain their support. The fact that they weren't exposed to this type of education when they were in school automatically brings up a red flag to some of them. Accepting change of curriculum and pedagogy from the community is important. I’m curious how it went. Seems like the idea of going at it as a group for planning and support was wise. I tend to be the one member of my team wanting to branch out and try new things at times. Over the past couple of years others have been probing into the world of the unknown with me though. We do run into the occasional “Why are you doing this?” from parents and admin.
I am planning to introduce some flipped lessons with my class along with one of my teammates. I want to educate the parents first to help gain their support. The fact that they weren’t exposed to this type of education when they were in school automatically brings up a red flag to some of them. Accepting change of curriculum and pedagogy from the community is important.

]]> Comment on Whose responsibility is it? by Clint Hamada http://www.coetail.com/monge/2012/12/30/whose-responsibility-is-it/#comment-59 Clint Hamada Sun, 13 Jan 2013 08:51:57 +0000 http://www.coetail.com/monge/?p=71#comment-59 Rick, you bring up some great points, particularly the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" argument. But beyond getting students into universities around the world, I think school curricula should be preparing students to participate effectively and ethically in the world at large. It's a hard job, but I would argue that putting together that coherent program is one of the most important ones facing schools today. Rick, you bring up some great points, particularly the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” argument. But beyond getting students into universities around the world, I think school curricula should be preparing students to participate effectively and ethically in the world at large. It’s a hard job, but I would argue that putting together that coherent program is one of the most important ones facing schools today.

]]> Comment on The Playing Field by Rick Monge http://www.coetail.com/monge/2013/01/04/the-playing-field/#comment-56 Rick Monge Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:10:01 +0000 http://www.coetail.com/monge/?p=75#comment-56 Thanks for your post and for the excellent link. I think that most people agree that increasing access to this kind of technology will be a huge asset to children worldwide. And like you commented, this is only the beginning! I can't even begin to speculate at the kinds of changes that this could bring to the landscape of education in underdeveloped countries and communities. While unfortunate that their primary language is not supported, I'm sure that will come in time. Hopefully, while this kind of tech can improve language learning, it will not have too destructive an effect on languages with fewer speakers. Thanks for your post and for the excellent link. I think that most people agree that increasing access to this kind of technology will be a huge asset to children worldwide. And like you commented, this is only the beginning! I can’t even begin to speculate at the kinds of changes that this could bring to the landscape of education in underdeveloped countries and communities. While unfortunate that their primary language is not supported, I’m sure that will come in time. Hopefully, while this kind of tech can improve language learning, it will not have too destructive an effect on languages with fewer speakers.

]]> Comment on The Playing Field by Sophia Manekuleh http://www.coetail.com/monge/2013/01/04/the-playing-field/#comment-53 Sophia Manekuleh Sat, 05 Jan 2013 19:33:48 +0000 http://www.coetail.com/monge/?p=75#comment-53 Rick, Just before reading your post, I had read an article sent by one of our fellow COETAILers, Jessica Fortin, an article coincidentally connected to what you had written about. Click below for the article. http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/how-tablets-are-doubling-as-teachers-in-ethiopia-1.1090643 The article talks about how tablets are working as teachers in a remote village (Wenchi) in Ethiopia. Since I am an Ethiopian, and I see how many children in my country are unable to have a decent education because of poverty, lack of resources and geographic inaccessibility and etc, the article really struck a chord with me. It was amazing to read how electronic tablets in a remote village without a teacher were able to teach children to start speaking and reading English! Unfortunately, the tablets do not have any applications that teach reading and writing in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia), but I guess this means we have to give technology time to develop. The fact that the tablets are able to teach the teacher-less students just proves that the curiosity and innate ability to learn in children can overcome all obstacles, if only we give them and technology a chance. In the article, an 8 year old boy (from the village of Wenchi) figured out how to activate the camera (which had been disabled, in order to save battery power) on the tablet, without any instruction! I think your vision of a private computer teacher/tutor who not is not a scripted robot but like an actual human teacher (minus the flaws and plus the infinite patience and unlimited resources) sounds incredible, and very likely (in the future). I am sure that the people who first heard the idea for a plane that could fly people across continents were very skeptical at first, and yet, now we have thousands of people who fly all over the world every day. What is to prevent a personal computer teacher in the future, just like the one you described, when we already have one-to-one laptop programs, in cities and out in the countryside? Also, if you watch the Corning Glass video, you will realize that your dream will definitely be a reality one day, because, everything you see in the Corning Glass video has already been created, and the creations on that video are AMAZING! Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying a stand-alone computer teacher is necessarily the best for everything, because there are many things that we need to learn while in contact with a mentor. I was very glad that our COETAIL cohort was able to have Jeff Utetch come and teach us Course 1, because the content and tools were very new (and overwhelming) to me at first. However, technology has infinite advantages, and should definitely be included in our curriculum, or be our mode of delivering the curriculum, especially for those children who face the numerous obstacles you mentioned in your post. Rick,
Just before reading your post, I had read an article sent by one of our fellow COETAILers, Jessica Fortin, an article coincidentally connected to what you had written about. Click below for the article.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/how-tablets-are-doubling-as-teachers-in-ethiopia-1.1090643

The article talks about how tablets are working as teachers in a remote village (Wenchi) in Ethiopia. Since I am an Ethiopian, and I see how many children in my country are unable to have a decent education because of poverty, lack of resources and geographic inaccessibility and etc, the article really struck a chord with me. It was amazing to read how electronic tablets in a remote village without a teacher were able to teach children to start speaking and reading English! Unfortunately, the tablets do not have any applications that teach reading and writing in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia), but I guess this means we have to give technology time to develop. The fact that the tablets are able to teach the teacher-less students just proves that the curiosity and innate ability to learn in children can overcome all obstacles, if only we give them and technology a chance. In the article, an 8 year old boy (from the village of Wenchi) figured out how to activate the camera (which had been disabled, in order to save battery power) on the tablet, without any instruction!

I think your vision of a private computer teacher/tutor who not is not a scripted robot but like an actual human teacher (minus the flaws and plus the infinite patience and unlimited resources) sounds incredible, and very likely (in the future). I am sure that the people who first heard the idea for a plane that could fly people across continents were very skeptical at first, and yet, now we have thousands of people who fly all over the world every day. What is to prevent a personal computer teacher in the future, just like the one you described, when we already have one-to-one laptop programs, in cities and out in the countryside? Also, if you watch the Corning Glass video, you will realize that your dream will definitely be a reality one day, because, everything you see in the Corning Glass video has already been created, and the creations on that video are AMAZING!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying a stand-alone computer teacher is necessarily the best for everything, because there are many things that we need to learn while in contact with a mentor. I was very glad that our COETAIL cohort was able to have Jeff Utetch come and teach us Course 1, because the content and tools were very new (and overwhelming) to me at first. However, technology has infinite advantages, and should definitely be included in our curriculum, or be our mode of delivering the curriculum, especially for those children who face the numerous obstacles you mentioned in your post.

]]> Comment on The Tech Crunch by Jen Gilbert http://www.coetail.com/monge/2013/01/03/the-tech-crunch/#comment-49 Jen Gilbert Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:31:16 +0000 http://www.coetail.com/monge/?p=73#comment-49 I agree with your last statement. It seems to be the somewhat the same at my school. Everyone encourages the use of technology, but when collisions occur, the tech crunch ensues. I agree with your last statement. It seems to be the somewhat the same at my school. Everyone encourages the use of technology, but when collisions occur, the tech crunch ensues.

]]> Comment on The Lost Years by James Couch http://www.coetail.com/monge/2012/05/13/the-lost-years/#comment-44 James Couch Tue, 06 Nov 2012 04:43:49 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/monge/?p=44#comment-44 Great post Rick! Sorry you were unable to find the proof of your glory days that you were looking for ;-) It reminds me of something that happened to me. I took a year off college to live in Scotland. I worked as a bar tender in a pub called "The Balmoral". It was a great time and I have lots of great memories. Unfortunately, it's mostly only memories. British Airways lost my luggage on my return to American and never found it :-( This was back in 1993 and there was no Facebook, heck most people didn't even have email. I lost so many great photos. Great post Rick! Sorry you were unable to find the proof of your glory days that you were looking for ;-) It reminds me of something that happened to me. I took a year off college to live in Scotland. I worked as a bar tender in a pub called “The Balmoral”. It was a great time and I have lots of great memories. Unfortunately, it’s mostly only memories. British Airways lost my luggage on my return to American and never found it :-( This was back in 1993 and there was no Facebook, heck most people didn’t even have email. I lost so many great photos.

]]> Comment on Knowledge-As-Remix by Rick Monge http://www.coetail.com/monge/2012/10/27/knowledge-as-remix/#comment-40 Rick Monge Tue, 30 Oct 2012 01:05:09 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/monge/?p=67#comment-40 Yes! Definitely. This year I mentioned it in most of my classes and in one class we had some good comments about it. Even though the ideas are outside of the curriculum, because this happens very early in the year it's a good starting point for the purpose and goals of science vs. other disciples and even within science at the engineering and design level. I'm not sure all of the students really grasped the meaning, so next year maybe I will bring in more of the piracy and copying angle since I think that's a topic they can relate to a bit better. Yes! Definitely. This year I mentioned it in most of my classes and in one class we had some good comments about it. Even though the ideas are outside of the curriculum, because this happens very early in the year it’s a good starting point for the purpose and goals of science vs. other disciples and even within science at the engineering and design level. I’m not sure all of the students really grasped the meaning, so next year maybe I will bring in more of the piracy and copying angle since I think that’s a topic they can relate to a bit better.

]]> Comment on Zenophobe by Clint Hamada http://www.coetail.com/monge/2012/10/21/61/#comment-39 Clint Hamada Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:33:51 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/monge/?p=61#comment-39 All fixed now. Thanks! All fixed now. Thanks!

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