Blog #2

Chapter 3 talked about different applications and their various uses. Most of them I was familiar with, but there were a few that were new to me. When I was looking at buying a laptop for college I considered getting a tablet PC, which this chapter talks about, but decided against it. I do think it would be a pretty powerful tool for its classroom uses though.
I learned a little bit more about word this time around and had my first experience with columns. Other than that, it’s mainly just continued to be a refresher course. Nothing too hard and not really much that I haven’t seen yet… hopefully that will change before too much longer…
It almost seems kind of backwards to me that I’m an English Ed major, but my most interesting class is Middle Eastern History… Maybe it’s just because the teacher’s awesome and passionate about what he does. This is my first experience with anything to do with the middle east (short of my dad spending 2 and a half years in Iraq), so it’s pretty awesome having a chance to actually learn about it’s history, especially given the present situation over there. I guess more than anything it just goes to show that a good, motivated, and passionate teacher can make just about anything interesting… I hope I’ve got that in me…

Blog #1

Chapter 1 talked about the evolution of technology and how much things have changed since our parent’s generation. The chapter then talked about something that I think most of us can relate to – the difference between learning to pass a test and learning because we want to learn. I think most of us spend the majority of our time cramming for tests at the last minute so that we’ll make a grade good enough to keep that scholarship or to keep our parents happy, but for the most part, how many of us learn because we want to learn? I guess there’s a big difference between being in college and in high school as far as that question is concerned, but the principle remains the same. And that’s why the ARCS model was created, to try to help motivate kids to want to learn. I don’t know – I though it was an interesting concept that I know I can relate to. It’s just hard not to pass some classes off as a joke…
Since my last posting I’ve learned a few new handy keyboard shortcuts and a few of the long ways to do certain things. Nothing particularly cool or exciting yet, but everything’s been a good refresher thus far.
Three weeks into the year so far as an English Education major and I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome it is not being a music major any more. I actually have free time and friends and I don’t have to spend 5 hours a day playing boring classical music on my guitar anymore. I love it!!!