C4T #2

I was assigned to Mr. Sowash's blog "The Electric Educator" for blog post three and four. The first post that I was assigned too was the #FETC 2015 Recap. I really enjoyed reading this post. FETC stands for  the Future of Educational Technology Conference. In this post Mr. Sowash discussed his trip to the FETC, and gave detailed information about his top take-aways from the 2015 conference.

List of Mr. Sowash's top take-aways:

1. The maker movement is growing (3D Printings, Makerspaces) 
2. The future of technology links the digitally and physical
3. Cool product of the show- Swivl 
4. Educators can influence companies
5. Gaming in the classroom

Below is my comment on Mr. Sowash's Blog:

My name is Kaley McManus, and I am majoring in Elementary education at the University of South Alabama. I am currently in an educational media class called EDM 310. We have been discussing and blogging on topics covering the importance of technology in the classroom and the many benefits of classroom collaboration. I enjoyed reading your post, and I am very impressed with your list of top take-aways from the FETC. As a future educator, the Swivl really got my attention. I could see myself using the Swivl for the "flipping the classroom" method of teaching, or even using it as a resource for my student's parents to inform them on what is being instructed in class. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to future posts. 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcmanus_kaley
Gmail: kaleymcmanus2016@gmail.com
URL for class blog: http://edm310.blogspot.com

URL for class: http://mcmanuskaleyedm310.blogspot.com

Below is a video describing the Swivl Robot. This is an amazing product!! I suggest that all future educators take a look at this video.

The second post I was assigned was Mr. Sowash's "Big Screens vs. Small Screens" post. In this post Mr. Sowash posted his conversation with a EdTech company called InFocus. This company was asking for Mr. Sowash's educational advice about their product the JTouch. Mr. Sowash questioned the company's usage for their big screen device. He then compared big screen devices to small screen devices in terms of usage.

Below is my comment on Mr. Sowash's Post:

Really inspiring that you decided not to take any insertions from these companies in order to keep your independence. I really enjoyed reading your post, and I liked the fact that you threw back a question to InFocus to stir up conversation on why their product was so vital to the classroom. I agree that small screen devices are so much more interactive and useful then big screen devices. Also, any small screen device can be streamed to a larger device with the right apps and programs. Maybe Infocus's product could be used in replacement of the Smart Board? Either way, the Jtouch is a neat display device that can be used in any whole group discussion or setting.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcmanus_kaley
Gmail: kaleymcmanus2016@gmail.com
URL for class blog: http://edm310.blogspot.com

URL for class: http://mcmanuskaleyedm310.blogspot.com

Below is a video describing the JTouch: