Comments on: Are You Smarter Than a Second Grader?

By: kmulford

kmulford — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:03:39 +0000

Same way I got YOU to comment… I asked my PLN to have a look.

Thanks for being here! I LOVE your blog!!!

By: Paul Bogush

Paul Bogush — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:33:19 +0000

So how did you get Steve Dembo to comment on your very first blog post ever!

By: kmulford

kmulford — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:40:36 +0000

Steve: I shared your comment with him. His reaction? “You mean I could actually get PAID to do travel documentaries when I grow up?” LOL.

H Langlois: Interesting idea, sharing the “process” with the VoiceThread people. Thanks again for stopping by to comment. Of course, my kids think YOU are the coolest mom in the world. We should trade.

By: H Langlois

H Langlois — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:15:31 +0000

I read your blog before watching the travelogue, and while the project is really great in and of itself, think I enjoyed it even more because of the behind-the-scenes, “the making of” info you give in the blog. (It’d be neat if there was some way to add that to the travelogue as an optional link — maybe you can suggest that to the folks at VoiceThread?)

In any case, he DID do a great job, and you’re right — you very effectively proved the point that “my youngest son could do that.” I’m always impressed with the ways you integrate technology into learning (and incidentally, so are my kids — they think you’re the coolest mom in the world). But I especially like the fact that you shared what YOU learned from the experience.

By: teach42

teach42 — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:46:27 +0000

LoL, as public as I think most people are learning to be, there’s still a time and place for privacy. Nothing wrong with that. Great stuff tho. And for the record, let him know that Steve from the Discovery Channel thinks his travelogue is fantastic! And I’ve worked with the Travel Channel several times now, so I should know!

By: kmulford

kmulford — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:08:36 +0000

Luke: Funny, I had the same response to parents when I was a classroom teacher. Occasionally, parents (usually the same ones who wanted more drill sheets assigned) would become indignant if the activity was more engaging or experiential and there was no replacement for being a part of the activity.

Tracy: I have to admit that I was one of those parents that filled out the district permission forms and specified that photos were not to be put on the internet. But after reading some of the info in the Pew internet Report and hearing some of the current ed tech leaders speak, I’ve come around to the point where I no longer want someone else managing my sons’ digital footprint – I want to do that until they’re old enough to make their own decisions about how to manage it to their benefit. So, yes, it’s so VERY eight to not want your classmates to see it. But you should have seen his eyes light up when he got the VoiceThread comment from his school librarian, whom he hasn’t seen since she retired!

By: Tracy Murdach

Tracy Murdach — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:32:49 +0000

K-,
I could relate to all you mentioned in your post. We are living parallel lives it seems. The innocence yet, “maturity” in some sense of the word in my 8 year-old amazes me; like you seem to be experiencing as well.

Working in a K-2 environment, I forget that sometimes these children have had many experiences that were not yet a part of my childhood at that point. Is is to early to expose our children to the global world? Is it not early enough? We want our children to be aware of the world but not to have the innocence taken away.

I loved that your son didn’t want his friends to see his voicethread and that he made you promise to not expose his secret….so 8 year old, isn’t that. Soon enough he will want his digital presence known to his friends…that will open up a whole new set of issues now, won’t it?

-T

By: Luke

Luke — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:52:38 +0000

“Please have him read every day, and have him write a Travel Journal.”
From a strictly technological viewpoint, your solution to the assignment was terrific. Engaging activities that needn’t be intrusive on family time. It may be off-topic, but my issue is with teachers who automatically insist that students work on “school stuff” when they are ill or on a family vacation.
If a child is ill, the last thing they need to worry about is school and the last thing a teacher should be worrying about is having an equal number of assignments from every student. Most homework is review and reinforcement anyway, few, if any new concepts or skills are introduced in home work, so let them rest and recover.
Vacations are family time, not teacher time. Reading and/or journaling may certainly be raised as an option, but in my opinion, family comes first.
During my 33 years in the classroom, I’ve surprised many a parent by telling them there’s no assignment, just tell (insert name here) to feel better/ have a great trip, whichever applied at the time.
And that’s my two cents worth!