Blog Post 9 - Gaming

I was extremely impressed by the article about the positive effects that video games can have on children. It discussed five major areas in which children can learn valuable life skills. The first is how; children can learn concepts such as pattern recognition and multi-tasking simply by learning how to play a video game. Secondly, children can learn about rules and what happens when rules are broken. Also, video games teach strategy and skills such as cause and effect and persistence. Moreover, the setting of a video game can teach children about different cultures and environments, as well as give them an understanding of their own environment. Lastly, children can develop their value-based and moral skills through video games.

This is an important concept to grasp when working in the field of education. Children these days spend a large amount of time spending video games; it will be important for me to emphasize to my students that vast amounts of learning can actually take place while playing their games. Moreover, I can also use certain video games to teach concepts within the class. One good example is Tetris, in which children could learn spatial skills.


I chose this video from youtube because it is an entertaining but informational video showing how video games can be both educational and fun. This video is further proof that video games can be used for learning. I found it on youtube by searching for video games and learning.

Blog Post 8: Distance Education

Distance education is a topic that is becoming extremely important and popular in today's technologically advanced society. Distance education is a means of educating people through use of technology such as computers, regular mail, television, and CD-ROMS. More than 96% of colleges offer distance learning class, including the University of Florida. I have personally taken two online classes, statistics and this very class. There are many advantages to taking a distance education class, such as working at your own pace, comfort, the availability of multimedia, and access to more materials. However, there are downsides as well; cost, security, and lack of personal impact are some major concerns for distance education.

Distance education, as the name implies, is most certainly an important topic in the field of education. Distance education can open the doors more many more people to be educated in a wider variety of topics. However, I plan to be an elementary school teacher and hope to teach first or second grade. At these young ages, distance education would not be practical, because children need more social interaction, teacher help, and hands on activities in order to be successful. Overall, distance education is extremely valuable in the field of education, but I would not use it personally.

Distance Education: Pros and Cons
I chose to include a more lengthy and detailed list of pros and cons of using distance education, because I feel it is important for teachers and students to weigh the benefits and negative aspects before choosing distance learning. I found this article by using google to search for "distance education pros and cons."

Blog Post 7: Open Source Software

Open source software has been around for a long time, but it is just starting to gain popularity among the public. Open source software is free software that is accessible by everyone because it is in the public domain. Programs such as Photoshop and Microsoft Office are expensive, and many people cannot afford such programs. However, open source software provides programs similar to these, such as Gimp and Open Office, for people to use instead. Also, open source software is able to be edited, updated, and redistributed by users, so the programs available are constantly being improved.

In the field of education, open source software would be an extremely valuable resource. Since teacher funds are limited, and are usually spent on supplies such as paper and pencils, many teachers do not have the money to fund expensive programs. However, open source software gives free access to similar programs, so teachers are able to use these programs in conjunction with their curriculum. I will without a doubt look into open source software programs when I become a teacher, because there are so many programs available that could benefit my students, and if I can access them for free, they would be a great addition to my classroom at no cost to me.


I included this diagram because it clearly maps out several different open source software programs as well as their purposes. This easily shows programs for all types of work and makes it simple to find a program to fit one's needs. I found this image on google images while searching for "open source software"