Mr. Winkle Awakes (Updated)

The process of embedding and of utilizing iTunes should not have been difficult.  I will say though that both too longer than they should have.  Even after watching the short video on embedding, I still was unable to do it the way the video showed.  I went a different direction and solved the problem.

The iTunes U download was a whole different story.  On my computer at school, there is no issue.  Everything worked fine.  At home though, the link we used to take us directly to the iTunes U download didn't work.  Everytime I clicked on it, it took me to the Apple Store website page.  I rebooted multiple times, I contacted the instructor, and I tried on my own to figure out the problem and was unable to do so. Eventually, Mr. Wallace sent me the 4 minute clip I needed to see.

PowerPoint use is interesting to me on many levels.  While, it doesn't change the material we cover, it does allow us to present the material we cover more interestingly.  The use of visuals, audio files, and video does take the student on a more enriched journey through a lesson.  This is a positive.  I have found also that allow my students to create their own PP presentations, allows them freedoms to express themselves within a medium.  PP's ubiquitous nature and relative ease of use gives today's student a medium that they can create with that doesn't push away the teacher, but rather allows a interaction that maybe wasn't there before.  By using shared mediums, students and teachers don't have to feel they are two positively charged protons bashing into and off each other all the time.

I am also trying to allow more and more "freedom" to the student in which they can show mastery of content in which they learned.  This has proven difficult and challenging for me, because I don't see these wonderful kids from all the videos we see, where students take that opportunity and create something wonderful, imaginative, and focused.  Instead, I see students complain that allowing this freedom is "too hard" and would rather go on Facebook, Youtube, Hulu, etc.

Embedding video is terrific.  I visit many sites that when they embed a video, I usually watch it.  This allows me, the teacher to dictate exactly what it is that is being viewed within my boundaries (whether blog, forum, etc).  Youtube is too big for its own good and frankly, it creates an unheealthy dose of ADD for me when I got there.  "Oh, that looks interesting".   "That has to be funny".  "Ooooh, that looks cool".  are all thoughts that run my mind while on the site.  It is easy to "lose" hours on that site.  So, having an embedded video can help "focus" the student on the material needing to be covered.