Today's classrooms are not like the classrooms of twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Technology is moving a speed that we have never seen before. New devices, applications, programs, and tools are being invented by the minute. Classrooms today have the chance to take advantage of these innovations, to increase student learning and engagement. The world is literally at the fingertips of every student with access to the internet. The classroom has become a globalized place of learning where barriers have been torn down and replaced with opportunities.
One of the most simple, cost effective, and easy ways to introduce technology into the classroom is through the various Google applications. Applications such as Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Spreadsheets, are all simple, free tools that can be accessed by any device that has internet capabilities. Through these applications, the classroom can instantly become a place of collaboration and creativity. Another free and easy to use web 2.0 tool we learned about in this class is Blogger. I really enjoyed becoming familiar with the program and learned how to create my own personalized blog page. The simplicity and functionality of the site make it a great tool that can be used within any classroom. I enjoyed creating a digital story using animoto, and believe that this could be a great resource for students who are visual or musical learners. Another tool that I got a real laugh out of was lunapic, because I was able to "Obamarize" myself!
Today's teachers are tasked with the responsibility of keeping up with the ever-changing technology. Although we continue to get older, our students always stay the same age. These students will certainly be up to date with the latest and greatest technology, so it is important that we are as well. In order to do so, teachers should stay connected and involved in their professional learning communities. These are great places to stay up to date with the technological advances in the classroom. Teachers must continue to be great learners in order to be great educators.
The Butterfly Circus is a short film about a man born with no arms and no legs as he joins a circus and discovers his own inner-beauty. At the beginning of the film, the man with no arms no legs, is ashamed of himself and who he is. He allows people to laugh at and make fun of him in a carnival booth. He believes them when they tell him he is "the man god turned his back upon." After joining the Butterfly Circus, the man develops a close friendship with the ringmaster and the other members of the circus. The man discovers that the other members of the circus also have overcome difficult pasts. Even after learning this, the man still feels that his disability is just too severe and that he could never be a valued member of the circus like everyone else. The ringmaster tells him that he has an advantage over the other circus members because, "the greater the struggle, the greater the triumph." The man seems puzzled by this and does not know what to think.
One day, when the circus members are swimming in a river, the man gets left on his own. He is forced to try to cross a log over the river when he falls down. After a struggle, the man is able to pick himself up and begins walking across the log. After falling off the log, the man discovers that he can swim, despite not having arms or legs. Once the other members of the circus discover him, everyone is happy that the man finally found one of his talents. After this, the man begins to believe in himself. He appears happy and joyful about his new independence.
In the final scene of the film, the man becomes the main attraction as he had been at the carnival in the beginning of the film. Unlike the beginning of the film, the man has a new confidence in himself and is no longer ashamed. He ends up completing a high dive into a tiny pool of water, that no average sized person could ever complete. The man is applauded for his talent and children and adults look up to him for his courage and bravery. By believing in himself and having others believe in him, the man was able to go from being a freak show attraction, to the main event in a famous circus.
Today's classrooms are not like the classrooms of twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Technology is moving a speed that we have never seen before. New devices, applications, programs, and tools are being invented by the minute. Classrooms today have the chance to take advantage of these innovations, to increase student learning and engagement. The world is literally at the fingertips of every student with access to the internet. The classroom has become a globalized place of learning where barriers have been torn down and replaced with opportunities. .jpg)
