What I learned in Strange's EDM 310 class this semester.

I learned so much this semester I don't even know where to start. I came into this class with very little computer knowledge. I am leaving this class with a lot of computer knowledge. I really enjoyed working with Google's free services because I am all about free. I also loved creating my own website. I plan to keep working on that even after this semsester. One thing I would have liked to have learned more about was Microsoft Powerpoint. We worked with Google Presentation but not with Powerpoint. I like Powerpoint better because it has more bells and whistles. I would have liked to have learned how to use all those bells and whistles. Dr. Strange also made instructional videos outlining the tasks we had covered in class. I did find the videos on spreadsheets very helpful. Overall my experience in Dr. Strange's class was awesome. He definitely knows a lot about technology.

Wikipedia-Friend of Foe?

In my opinion definitely a foe. I have never used Wikipedia and don't ever plan to. The problem with Wikipedia is that anyone can change anything. There is no way to know if the information you are getting is true unless you cross check and to me that is just a waste of time. I feel you should go to a reliable source the first time around to save yourself the extra work.

I am glad to see that someone has come up with a device that can track who changes what on Wikipedia. Virgil Griffith, a graduate of Cal Tech, has developed a device that tracks the IP addresses of the people making changes to Wikipedia. The results might surprise you. Companies such as Diebold and Walmart have made changes to entries that showed them in a negative light. Many politicians have altered information and so has the CIA.

So how do you avoid getting false information and looking like an idiot when you do a report or presentation with that false info? DON'T USE WIKIPEDIA!!!!!!!! I REPEAT! DON'T USE WIKIPEDIA. Just my opinion, take it or leave it.

"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets

Stanford University has a video podcast available through iTunes University that discusses the benefits of promoting a "Growth" mindset in classrooms. A study was conducted that consisted of an 8 session workshop for a classroom. One half of the class received only study skills lessons while the other half received study skills lessons and a "growth" mindset lesson. The "growth" mindset lesson included teaching the students that their brain is a muscle that can grow and learn new things. Students were taught their intelligence is not something that is "fixed" but something that can develop and grow. The "growth" mindset lesson puts an emphasis on continuing to develop your intelligence throughout one's life. The grades of the students who received only study skills continued to decline, while the grades of the students who received the study skills lessons along with the "growth" mindset lesson showed a significant improvement.

This discussion affects me as a teacher because I need to promote a "growth" mindset in my classroom. Each student needs to know that they can succeed. They need to know that they have the ability within themselves to learn new things and apply those new things to their lives. I believe the "growth" mindset lesson is a good one and plan to look into it further and maybe even use a "growth" mindset lesson for all my classes.