Final Post

Final Project with Amelia Platt

We taught Amelia's mother, who is a P.E. Teacher at McDavid Jones Elementary how to create a blog and explained how different features would be a good attribute to her class.

Project 15

This wasn't my original plan for Project 15 but this is how it turned out. I had intended on doing a book trailer and I was using Windows Movie Maker and my train of thought shifted. So, I wound up doing a multimedia project.

PLN

As I mentioned in my previous post about my PLN, before this class I did not know what a PLN was. But now, I have connected with many teachers through our C4T assignments and I still visit many of their blogs regularly. I currently do not spend a lot of time on Twitter but I am following Dr. Strange as well as many of the people he has recommended. I have also used Delicious a couple of times. I am also using Facebook. It has allowed me to share different things I have learned in this class with my friends, family, and co-workers. I have family members who are teachers so Facebook and email have served as ways to communicate with them about things I have learned in this class as well as tips and advice on projects. My PLN is still a work in progress but it is definitely much larger than it was at the beginning of this semester.

C4T for teacher #4

I was assigned to read the blog of Angela Rand. In the first post I read, Angela discussed the difference between expert and novice. She also told her story of how she became an expert in technology tools. She talked a lot about self learning. In my comment to her I told her my own experience with this class. I told her how nervous I was at the beginning of the semester as well as at the beginning of each new project but after every project was I over I came out on top knowing a lot more than I did when I started.

When I re-visited Angela's blog she had not posted anything since the post I had already commented on so I went to her previous post and commented on it. In this post Angela talked about reflective writing and how she thought she understood it before. She said that she needs to write about what she is learning. In my comment to Angela I told her that I am working on my first blog for my EDM310 class and that writing about what I have learned has shown me how much I have truly learned this semester. http://www.mymindgap.com/

C4K November and Dec. 5th

I was assigned to a student in Mr. Chamberlain's eighth grade class. Unfortunately their site was down so I chose a student in Mrs. Cassidy's first grade class. His name was Daulton and he had drawn a picture of his Halloween costume. He was a skeleton and he drew a skeleton with bright green and white bones on a blue background. In my comment to him I told him that I loved the colors and his super scary skeleton.


For C4K #9 I was assigned to a class blog for fourth graders in Texas. In the particular post I was assigned to I the teacher had shown the students a photo of a girl wearing a bathing suit and running on a beach. They were to  1. Observe – Tell what you see , 2. Infer – Tell what you think happened before, and 3. Predict - what do you think will happen next. The students did an excellent job with the project. In my comment to their class I told them that I think this was a neat project and they did a great job. I also encouraged them to keep up the good work.

C4K #10 - I was assigned to Mrs. Conlin's Flat Stanley Project. Their class had read “Flat Stanley” by Jeff Brown and is sending their own Flat Stanleys out into the world, which I think is neat. I was assigned to read the blog post titled Flat Devin. In this post Flat Devin was headed to Vermont. In my comment I said that Vermont is a place that I have always wanted to visit and that I would like to explore activities like skiing being as we don't get much snow where I live. I also said that I would be checking in to see how Flat Stanley's trip to Vermont goes. I enjoyed this blog, it's a great kids blog and I think many of you would enjoy reading it so here is the link http://abbotflatstanley.edublogs.org/2010/11/12/flat-devin-leaves-home/comment-page-1/#comment-531

C4K #11 - I was assigned to Frank's blog in Mrs. Haugen's sixth grade class. He wrote a poem called Cherries Red. The poem was about a man who committed suicide after remembering the people he had killed. It was a dark somewhat violent poem but had a deep meaning. In my comment to Frank I told him he did a fantastic job on the poem and that is was interesting.

Additional Assignment #5

                                                                                        

                                                                                 Tom Johnson's Adventures in Pencil Integration

I must say that I don't believe I have ever seen as many metaphors in one single blog post as I have in the posts I have read by Tom Johnson. I like metaphors, they make us use our imaginations and truly think about what we are reading to understand it. I like that Tom Johnson uses metaphors even in math. Math was always a difficult subject for me but, I think if maybe I had a teacher like Tom I would have understood it better. I love that he takes the time to get to know his students and that he gains their trust by not shaming him. From reading his posts I believe that Tom is an excellent teacher and someone that I look up to and respect.

Blog Assignment 13

 What is ALEX? Well, when I began this blog assignment, I had no idea. ALEX stands for Alabama Learning Exchange. Alabama Learning Exchange is a communal database of lesson plans created and posted by teachers. The database is searchable by traditional subject areas as well as 21st century areas that include technology education, and information literacy.On the ALEX homepage you will find Courses of Study, Web Links, Search,  Lesson Plans, Professional Learning, Podcast Treasury, and ALEXville.

Once you click on one of the topics mentioned in the first paragraph you will find a world of valuable resources for teachers. Courses of Study, is of course, just that. The courses of study found on ALEX are: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Arts Education, Career/Technical Education, Driver and Traffic Safety Education, Health Education, Science, Social Studies, Languages Other Than English (foreign languages), Physical Education, Technology Education, and Other Courses of Study (which contains Character Education, Counseling and Guidance, and Information Literacy).  In the Web Links section you can find Teacher Links, Student Links, Administrator Links and many more. ALEX contains a large database of podcasts submitted by teachers that can be found under the Podcast Treasury section. You can explore ALEX for yourself and see all of the resources available by going to http://alex.state.al.us/index.php.


I think that I will find ALEX useful in my future teaching career. I think it is a great site and and excellent tool for teachers. I'm sure I will use the Lesson Plans section quite a bit, especially in the early years of my career. As I mentioned earlier, before beginning this assignment I didn't know what ALEX was. Now, I am thrilled that I have this resource to help me be a better teacher.

Form results for Project # 6

 

 My Topic: Effects of the BP Oil Spill. I chose this topic because it is something that virtually everyone living in this area knows about and has an opinion on.

My Results: Out of eighteen responses  33%, being the highest, of people thought that the BP Oil Spill had little effect on them personally, that was surprising to me. However, 50% thought that the oil spill effected the Alabama gulf coast quite a bit. 28% of my responders gave BP a 4 out of 10 rating in how well they handled the catastrophe with then being exceptional and 1 being poor. 56% of people thought that the tourism and food industry suffered the most from the oil spill. 61% thought that BP somewhat properly responded to the needs of the workers who lost their jobs. It seems that nearly everyone, 83%, was in agreeance that the workers who lost their jobs should have the first opportunity in being hired to clean up the gulf coast. 67% of people said that oil spill did not affect the amount of trips they normally take to the gulf. That surprised me because it drastically affected the amount of trips I take. 61% of people say that they did not personally observe any oil or tar balls at the gulf. 72% of people think that BP has made sufficient effort in cleaning up the gulf coast. And last but not least, 61% of my responders think that BP could have done better with being compassionate toward the families who lost their loved ones while working on the oil rig.

 What I feel that I learned from this survey is the true opinions of local people on the gulf coast concerning how they felt about the catastrophe in the gulf caused by BP. The oil spill was a huge topic of discussion for many months. It was always on the news and the front page of the paper. Many people sent in letters to the editor with their opinions of everything that was going on. One of the reasons I chose this topic to do my survey on was because I wanted to know how some of the students here at South felt. I was furious when the oil spill happened because I grew up making frequent trips to the beach. The Alabama gulf coast is where some of my fondest memories were made, so naturally I was upset when it appeared that a huge company had irresponsibly polluted my favorite place. I did not feel that BP or the president did everything they could to clean up the gulf or to help the workers who lost their jobs because of BP's irresponsibility. I had very strong opinions about the oil spill and I found it interesting to know the opinions of some of my fellow classmates.

Progress Report on Project 16

I have met with my collaborator Christina Sobolewski and we have discussed ideas and we plan to meet again this week to continue working on this project.

Blog Assignment 12

 

Although we have read blogs where internet safety was mentioned, I don't think we have fully covered it. As future teachers who will be using technology in our classrooms we need to understand how to keep our students safe while benefiting from technology. In the article I have provided a link for below safety measures for students are discussed. In a two paragraph or more response explain how you feel about internet safety for students and if you plan to utilize any of the safety measures mentioned in the article.
http://www.k12science.org/internetsafety.html

Blog Assignment 10

An Open Letter To Educators

 I feel extremely lucky to have had such a great college experience. I have had one class where I had to try to stay awake. The remainder of my classes have been enjoyable and my professors have made their subjects interesting. It is unfortunate that so many students have had experiences like Dan Brown. However, I don't think everything needs to change.


I have a class this semester where my professor doesn't allow cell phones or laptops. I'm sure you probably are thinking that I hate this class, but, it is actually my favorite class, not only this semester but out of all the classes I have taken at the University of South Alabama. Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that he has banned cell phones and laptops, I was just making a point. He uses power point presentations occasionally, but, for the most part he passes out hand-outs for his lesson and lectures. I understand that more thank likely sounds like a drag for most students but he is an excellent teacher and never once have I drifted off or came close to falling asleep. He knows how to get, and keep the attention of his students. 


I am the kind of person who learns best bin a classroom setting. Like I mentioned before, I have been lucky in my college experience. My professors have encouraged class involvement, they welcome questions and discussions. I had one class where my instructor handed out her notes, then stood in front of the classroom and basically read the notes we had in our hands. I hated going to that class because it was so boring. In my opinion, these are the kind of teachers who need to change. 


I have been fortunate to have fairly small classes here at South. Dan Brown speaks of large classes where the professors do not make an effort to even know your name, in those types of situations I feel that change does need to take place. I think that larger classes could definitely benefit from a web enhanced program, like the one we use in this class. Where students meet a few times in the semester but the communication and assignments are given via class blog. I do not, however, think that this is how every class should be. For people like me, and fellow classmates I have spoken about this with, this would be tragic. As I mentioned above, I learn best in a classroom setting. Whereas online classes are great for a lot of people, they do not benefit everyone.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home 

I thought this was an interesting article and I can see why it is a must read for all teachers. I like his argument for taking the "pencils" home as well as his strive to change the way students think about computers. They are not toys, nor are they merely for entertainment, I like that he addressed that with parents and that he is giving his students interesting assignments so that they will use the computers as a learning device and not just for fun.

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

Wow, this video is thought provoking. How great would it be if everyone went to bed at night and ask themselves, was I better today than I was yesterday? Our world would be a much, much better place. Also, I love the idea of having a sentence. It gives us something to live up to, it is definitely a great motivitional tool.

My sentence: I will make the world a little brighter every day by encouraging my students to shine to their fullest potential.

Project 14

Blog Assignment 11

Before taking EDM310 I would have thought that Ms. Cassidy's approach to technology was over the top and way too much for a six year old. But now, half-way through this semester I am understand more and more why technology is so important in the classroom. As Ms. Cassidy said "technology isn't going away", so why not start our students young? One of my concerns about having a class blog was the safety of the students but, Ms. Cassidy proves that having a class blog can be safe. I am an elementary education major and I want to teach between kindergarten and second grade and I have thought that my students probably wouldn't be that interested in a class blog but Ms. Cassidy's class proved me wrong. I am excited about all the things I am learning in this class that I will be able to use to make my classroom more exciting.

Additional Assignment #3

The most important thing that Sir Ken Robinson said in Changing Educational Paradigms was that we shouldn't be putting children to sleep we should be waking up what is inside of them. I guess the reason that really stood out to me is because in my K4 class I have a little boy who was recently put on ritalin. He always seems zoned out and it takes him a very long time to complete his work. The reason it takes him so long has nothing to do with his intelligence, he is very bright, it is because the medication slows his brain down too much. There wasn't anything in this video that I did not agree with. I thought video was neat, the artist did a great job. EDM310 is my first class in my professional studies so I haven't really been tuaght much about ADHD. If I did a video like this I would defnitely want to be the narrator.

Summary for C4K #5, #6, and #7

For my C4K #5 I was assigned to Kayla's blog in Mrs. Byrne's class. The post that I read was titled Miners in Chile. Kayla provided plenty of facts regarding the terrible accident that occured in Chile. She also posted some pictures of the rescue as well as where Chile is located on a map. In my comment to Kayla I told her that she did a great job providing facts and that I also learned a few things about the incident that I didn't previously know. I also told her that she did a good job with the pictures and that pictures always add a little something extra to a post.

For C4K #6 I was assigned to Pipita's blog in GSandler's class. His post was titled The Blog. Pipita talked about how much he enjoyed the class blog and contributing to it. In my comment to Pipita I said that his post encouraged me to have a class blog in my future class and that I am glad he enjoys his blog.

For C4K #7 I was assigned to Quossay's blog in Ms. Naugle's fourth grade math class. Quossay did not have any posts so I chose another student in that class, Kylie. Her post was on her trip to the fair. She described the experience very well. She talked about everything from listening to her friend's ipod on the bus ride to the animals she saw at the petting zoo. In my comment to Kylie I encouraged her to keep blogging and told her she did a great job describing her experience.

Summary for C4T #3

I was assigned to Jen Deyenberg's blog Trails Optional. In the first post I read, she discussed her experience at the Growing Greener Future Conference where she had the opportunity to present how to use GPS and Geocaching in the Classroom. I had no idea what Geocaching was so I did some research and found out that Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers. In my comment to Jen I stated that I didn't know what Geocaching was before reading her post and that after finding out what it is it is interesting and seems like a lot of fun.

In the second post she posted a video showing children using Geocaching in mathematics. The video stated that children performed better on their tests after Geocaching. In my comment to Jen I said that through watching her videos I can see what a great attribute to teaching Geocaching can be.

October in Miss Jessica's Room

I just wanted to share with y'all a few pictures from my K-4 class during the month of October. We had so much fun decorating the classroom and dressing up in our costumes for our Pumpkin Party.

Project 13

Skype Interview Project #12

My Skype interview with Christina Sobolewski.

I uploaded it to YouTube however it still says that it is processing even though I uploaded it over an hour ago. So, I posted the link for it for YouTube as well as the link screentoaster gave me.

Capture your screen in seconds

Short Movie Project 11

Blog Assignment 9

What I've Learned This Year by Mr. McClung

Mr, McClung's post is something all aspiring teachers need to read. I haven't thought much about the things I am going to face when I actually do become a teacher. This post made me think. I think the most important information I took away from this post is to be flexible and to never stop learning. I don't want to get carried away in planning the perfect lesson and neglect the real reason I am teaching that perfect lesson, which is for my students to learn. Mr McClung said that "we have to remember that we are performing in front of a crowd the struggles remembering what they brought for lunch that day," which is so true. If our students are learning and having fun learning then we are teaching a perfect lesson whether it is the one we planned on teaching or not.

I also enjoyed the section titled never stop learning. Why would anyone want to stop learning? If we were to stop learning today then ten years from now we would still be living in two thousand and ten while the rest of the world had moved on. There is so much information out there, so many things that we can learn not only to better ourselves but to pass along to our students and inspire them. If our students see us putting forth effort to learn something, and going after something we want to more about then they will more than likely be motivated to do the same.

Mr. McClung  discussed a number of things he learned in his first year of teaching: How to Read the Crowd, Be Flexible, Communicate, Be Reasonable, Don't Be Afraid of Technology, Listen to Your Students, and Lastly...Never Stop Learning. Each title had a bit of information on what he had learned about that topic during his first year of teaching. As I mentioned before, it's a great post for all aspiring teachers to read, as well as current teachers. I definitely feel more prepared for my first year.

Blog Assignment 8

Before watching the "This Is How We Dream" series I had little education on writing with technology. It was all definitely new to me and I found it interesting. He gave interesting ways to create documents and videos. He also showed how to share those documents and videos. It was interesting to see the different ways technology will be used in the future.
I feel that there a lot of people, including teachers who do not know how to do this. As a future teacher I am interested in learning to write in multimedia because I feel that it is something I will need in my career in the future. I think it would be a good tool to get students involved in classroom activities and projects and it would also give them the chance to learn more about technology and writing in multimedia.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 For Dummies
Both of the videos were very entertaining. I think the creator did an excellent job of getting a point across while keeping the audience entertained. I think it would be great to do a video on the relevance of this class. Sometimes I read my assignments and I think why do I need this? When am I ever going to use it? But, then I watch the videos or read the articles and I see how beneficial what I am learning will be to me in my future career.

Smart boards

I must admit that I wasn't familiar with smartboards before this assignment. I did have to do some research to find out exactly what they are. While they are interesting and a compliment to the classroom I agree with Michael Staton and Bill Ferriter, they are expensive and aren't really changing much in the classroom. Bill said that he could put together the same lessons he put together using the smartboard by using the computer stations he already has as well as free online tools. I also like the quote he added by Sylvia Martinez, “You can’t buy change. It’s a process, not a purchase. The right shopping list won’t change education.”
One of the blogs that I found that is in favor of smart boards can be found here.
The other one here.
Both of these blogs discuss the ways in which smart boards can be used as well as how easy and affective they are as well as strategies that can be used when teaching with a smart board.

Timetoast Project 9b

  The History of Pugfest

My pug Daisy Mae whom I would love to take to Pugfest one day.

Timetoast Project 9a

Blog Assignment 7

Randy Pausch's last lecture was not what I was expecting at all. His lecture was very different than what you would be expecting to hear from a professor. His lecture was on childhood dreams and achieving those dreams. Although not conventional, he taught an important lesson. He started by telling the audience some of his own childhood dreams.
 
Throughout this lecture Randy discusses how he achieved his own childhood dreams. I thought it was phenomenal the way he went after his dreams. He described one by one his childhood dreams and how he managed to achieve them. Playing in the NFL was the one dream that he didn't achieve, but I loved what he said about that, "experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."
Randy wanted his students to be excited about achieving their dreams as well. He wanted them to realize that they could make their dreams come true. He introduced new ways of teaching by using more technology than books as well as having students learn teamwork and work in groups. He is very big on teamwork, which I think is a great thing, no one wants to feel alone. Randy was surprised by the results he got from his students when using these techniques. He even had parents coming to class on the nights the students presented their work, which was a first for Randy.
 I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I will admit that when I saw it was an hour long lecture I wasn't thrilled, but, time flew when I was watching it and I found it very interesting. I guess I should be a bit more open minded. I love Randy's ideas and the fact that he wants to encourage people to go after their dreams. So many of us see our dreams as impossible and I think Randy reminded me that they're not impossible and as he says the brick walls aren't put there to stop us.

PLN

A PLN is a personal learning network. I feel that I have made a lot of progress so far in this class and definitely built my PLN by posting blogs as well as leaving comments on others blogs. I have also learned quite a lot in this class. Coming in to EDM310 I wasn't very computer literate but I feel like I have progressed quite a bit. I learned a lot about google, many features that I never knew existed. For one, Google Squared. I love using Google Squared and it is something that I will continue using.

Additional Assignment #2

1. What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves?
I definitely think that if learners are motivated they can teach themselves. If there is something you really want to learn and have you have motivation to learn that then you're gonna do it.
2. If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves?
Of course, and Sugata Mitra totally proved that in this video.
3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself?
Technology greatly improves children as well as adult's ability to teach themselves, but honestly I believe that where there is a will there is a way. Motivation is truly the only thing needed to learn.

4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
Computers and internet make teaching ourselves easier because there is endless information to be found on the internet. There is google, as well as podcasts and many other wys to find information as well as instructions for almost anything.

5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
Motivation plays the biggest role. If a person is not motivated he or she is not going to learn very much because they have no interest. It is human nature to not put forth much effort in things we are not interested in, we all do it.
6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
Well to learn you must ask questions. So giving a child a question, or multiple questions and having them figure out definitely makes them have to be deep thinkers and find ways to solve the problem, therefore gaining knowledge in the process of looking up information to solve the problems.
7. How do you motivate someone to learn?
Well I am currently a preschool teacher and most four year olds aren't terribly interested in learning. When we first started working on the sounds of the letters, I read a book to them and asked them wouldn't it be cool if you read this book? They all said yes, and we talked about how great it would be to read books and signs and menus and all kind of things. The fact that I was excited and I made what appeared to be boring schoolwork exciting to them, they were motivated to learn.
8. How are you motivated to learn?
Well being a college student I have plenty of motivation to learn. I have to work full time and go to school full time as well, that is my main source of motivation. I am always exhausted and never have time to do anything. I want to learn my material so I can pass my classes and graduate.
9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?
I honestly don't believe that they can. They may pick up a few tidbits here and there but they more than likely will not retain it.
10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
Well I teach myself daily. When I go into work I face twelve four year olds. The situations that arise with those kids are things I haven't faced. I have to teach myself how to keep their attention and how to keep my classroom calm when I have a wild child running around. And then there are times when I've had kids talk about personal situations at home or a couple of times I've had kids get hurt, those were new things to me and I had to teach myself how to handle those situations. I also teach myself a lot in EDM310. Most of the things I do for this class are things I have never done and most of the time never even heard of.
11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
I have this one teacher who always gives us interesting handouts. He teaches a rather boring subject but I haven't gotten anything less than an A in his class because of his handouts. He makes it interesting.
12. What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
Children can teach themselves. That is the main thing I am taking away from this video. They need some sort of instruction and some encouragement but they are much more capable of learning and teaching themselves than most people realize.
13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
As an inspiring teacher I think I will definitely look into doing a lot of group projects. I also think that maybe we should look at maybe stepping away a bit, giving the children some space to learn on their own. Maybe not always giving step by step instructions but having them find things on their own.

Additional Assignment #1

I honestly forgot all about this assignment until I saw AA #2 and I realized that I never did #1. Better late than never (I hope).
Before this assignment I had never heard of Google Squared or WolframAlpha. After searching a few different things I was found that both are great. Google Squared was much better than the regular Google. It gave specific details and information on what I was searching for. I also really liked that I could add columns to find exactly what I needed, which is a fantastic tool for students and professionals. I know I will definitely use it in the future.
I also enjoyed using WolframAlpha. I liked that the information was straight to the point and it cut out a lot of searching time. I was able to type something in and go straight to what I was looking for without having to click a lot of links. WolframAlpha is also an excellent search engine for students as well as professionals.

I reviewed my blog post containing my response to the "Did You Know?" video

Well I still the feel the same, a little freaked that things are moving so fast. But, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised by those statistics because the countries that are world leaders such as China and India have a much greater population than the USA.

Summary of C4K 3 and 4

For C4K number 3 I was assigned to read a student named Pesi's blog. His post was about playing rippa rugby. In the post he talked about what it was like to play another intermediate school's team that he described as pretty good. He also said he would like to play them again. He mentioned that he is in grade six and he got to play with grade seven students that which he didn't think was very cool at first because he was the only grade six student but he said he had fun anyway. He also said he would never forget that day because it was so incredible. I told Pesi that it sounded like he had a fantastic time and wished him good luck in his future games.


My C4K number assignment was to read the blog of an eleven year old student in grade six from Australia. In this post he was describing his trip to Canberra. He gave great detail about the places he visited, as well as their schedule for the trip, he even described the bus drivers. He mentioned the things he and his friends thought about while on the bus, even what they ate on the way home, which happened to be McDonalds. It was impressive for an eleven year old. My comment to this student was that he described this trip so well that I felt like I had been there, I also mentioned that I too love McDOnald's nuggets.

C4T # 2 Assignment

I was assigned to read Ira David Socol's blog called SpEdChange. The first post I read was about the dbate going on about the changes that need to be made in education. He stated that conversation about education has been hijacked by a small group of people whose interests may not coincide with the needs of our students. The group of people was made up of celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. Mr. was asking people to "Blog For Reform". He wanted the people who want real reform to all blog on November 22, 2010 about the changes they think need to be made in education. In the comment I left for Mr. Socol I introduced myself and let him know I was reading and commenting on his blog as as assignment. I also wrote that it is disturbing that celebrities could possibly have a louder voice in the education debate that teachers. I find that upsetting because classroom teachers know first hand what changes need to be made.

The second post I read had an assembly of opinions from Ira. He also included a few videos. The first part of his blog was about Atticus Finch from "To Kill A Mockingbird". He discussed the reasons he feels like Atticus was chosen as the greatest hero in American film history. He said that people like Atticus helped others to look at the world in a different way. In the second part of his post he discussed why he believes that schools should avoid the "hypothesis" idea entirely. He says that hypothesis in schools often means guess or desired outcome. He says that the best thing to teach students is to see differently. He stated invention comes from new ways of seeing. The third part of his blog post was also about new ways of seeing. One thing he mentioned in this part of the post was that teachers should be prohibited from asking questions they already know the answer to. That way the teachers have to perceive learning from the learner's perspective. He also stated that we don't need is structures which end up as prisons for the mind. My comment to Mr. Ira was that I loved his idea of thinking differently and that most adults have become too structured to be creative and we need to bring up a generation that can think outside of the box.

Blog Assignment 6

The Networked Student

The networked student video reminded me of my EDM310 class. What this student is doing is basically what my classmates and I are doing in this class. I think the networked student is more responsible as well as more prepared for the future. Learning responsibility is critical for college students because soon there won't be a teacher guiding us, we will be graduating and interviewing for jobs. Employers want responsible employees.
The networked student does still need a teacher. Yes the assignments are provided and they have internet resources but they still need teachers to guide them and give them the basic information they need as well as to answer questions. Also, as future teachers we need to be prepared to be teachers of networked students. We have to accept that things are changing and the way we were taught in school is not going to be the same way we are teaching. Teachers of networked students need to make sure they make themselves totally available for their students because like I said, students have the internet but we still have questions and need guidance.

I definitely feel like a networked student because of this class, before I couldn't say that. Although I do still prefer going to my classes, I think that the future is moving more towards all students being networked students. It would significantly cut down on paper use which would be great for the environment. I know this class had made me be more responsible because my assignments are provided and it is up to me to get them done. My teacher as well as assistants are available to me if I need them. All in all I think that networked students are the students of the future and that teachers will still be needed, just in new ways.

PLN's

In this video I saw a seventh grader navigate and make use of the internet better than I can. That definitely made me realize that I need to get all that I can out of this class because I'm not as familiar with technology as I need to be. I am going to be teaching students, albeit elementary not middle school like this young lady but I still need to know all that I can in order to prepare my students for the life ahead of them. This girl's PLE is very similar to my PLN in EDM310. The assignments are given to us and it is up to us to be responsible and get them done without our teacher standing in front of us telling us what to do.
 
The Machine is Changing Us

Mr. Wesch elaborated on quite a lot in this video. His main focus though, seemed to to YouTube. I think that YouTube has definitely affected our lives socially. You can find almost anything on YouTube. Some people use it to try to get famous, some to just simply put their opinion out there for others to watch. I think that YouTube has made people more open, people say and do things on their videos that they probably wouldn't normally do because most of the people watching they will never meet. The way that we act and the conversations we have and the things that we do have all definitely been affected by the media, so yes, the machine is changing us.

Summary of C4K 1 and 2

I was assigned to read and comment on Cendy G.'s blog. She is a student at Noel Elementary. I read her "It's All About Me" post and her "My Learning Manifesto" post. I was inspired by her manifesto. In this post a couple of things she promised was to keep a positive attitude in class and to try to succeed in every subject. I left her a comment letting her know that she inspired me to have a better attitude about some of my classes that I'm not totally thrilled with.

In her about me post she did an excellent job of letting her audience know who she is. I definitely felt like I knew her after reading that post. She was very descriptive and gave a lot of important information about her as well as her family. My comment to her was basically that she did excellent and that it is great to see a student who puts her education first. I have actually revisited Cendy's blog to read her recent posts.

Blog Assignment 5

When I first found out that I was going to have to make a podcast for this class I was a little worried because before this week I didn't know what a podcast was. As part of our blog assignment this week I had to listen to and watch some podcasts, which definitely helped me understand more about my project. I listened to Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog which is a blog and podcasts by a third grade class. I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were. Those third graders are doing a great job and I commend their teacher for making the blog and podcasts available to them.
 
I also read Judy Scharf Podcast Collection. She had a lot of great information about creating a podcast. She included a link to a youtube video on making a podcast using audacity which I found extremely helpful. I have audacity downloaded on my laptop but before watching that video I wasn't familiar with using it. She also had a section titled "What Is A Podcast?" which answered my question because I really didn't know.

I watched The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom and learned more about how I can use podcasts as a teacher. One of the best things I found out about using podcasts in the classroom if that i is exrtemely beneficial for students who have to miss class, especially if they will be out for an extended period of time. Also when a tacher uploads lectures to a blog or itunes students can watch the lecture and pause it or rewind it which gives them a chance to write down something they might have missed in class.

Blog Assignment 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? by Scott McLeod

I appreciate Dr. McLeod's sarcasm in presenting his opinion of kids using technology. I think it will definitely get people's attention. I feel that the use of technology in schools as well as at home with kids, can be taken too far, but Dr. McLeod presents the other extreme of no technology. The way our world is advancing today students need to know how to use technology properly. Technology isn't bad, kids just need to be taught how to use it for good. Also, I found that Dr. McLeod is Associate Professor of Educational Administration at Iowa State University and the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He is also co-creator of the Did You Know? (Shift Happens) videos.


The iSchool Initiative


I think the iSchool is interesting, however, I do have some questions. Knowing people who iPhones and iTouches, the monthly costs for operating those are [pretty expensive. How does the school system plan to pay for that? Also, those devices can be broken fairly easy. Just how much money will students and schools actually be saving when those things start having to be replaced?

On the other hand, I do see the plus side of the iSchool. It would be nice to have so much information in the palm of your hand and to also the great convenience of students and teachers and parents being able to communicate. However, something is missing. What about the personal relationships between the students and teachers? When things start to get too technical the teacher becomes less involved. A teacher A teacher isn't just an educator, he or she is someone that their students should view as a confidant.


The Lost Generation


I LOVED the video The Lost Generation. It was inspirational and it shows how looking at something from a different perspective can change everything. I think it is a video that everyone needs to watch. I loved how when the words scrolled backwards it read something totally opposite of what it originally said, that was neat and a creative.





Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

Wow, that was my reaction to the virtual choir. I was in absolute awe at the magnificence of this performance. Technology is an amazing thing and it was awesome to see it used that way.

C4T Summary # 1

I was assigned to read posts by Matthew Needleman. In the first post I read Mr. Needleman had links to videos that students had made, all the way from elementary school. The videos were cute and a great way to get students excited about their work. My comment to Mr. Needleman basically explained that I think the videos are a fantastic idea and a great way to get students engaged in their school work.

The second post I read by Mr. Needleman was about effectively showing videos in classes. He gave detailed instructions on showing videos, including how to keep students from shouting out and what the teacher should be doing during video time. He also explained that students need to learn that video time isn't a treat or is less rigorous than reading a book or doing paper work. In my comment to Mr. Needleman I thanked him for the great information and stated that I found the post helpful and that I will definitely remember this information when showing videos to my future students.

I enjoyed reading Mr. Needleman's posts and I will will continue reading his blog. I recommend everyone to read at least one of his posts. He is informative and shares great ideas and techniques for teachers.

Project #5 Google Presentation

My Google Presentation


I have the slides set to change every fifteen seconds because some slides require some reading, so your computer isn't being slow, that's just how I have it set :) Also, if you click on open in new window you can see the presentation better.

ENJOY :)

Blog Assignment 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
I guess I'm lucky, because so far my college experience has been great. After watching the movie "A Vision of Students Today" I see that not everyone is as lucky as me. I have been blessed with small classes throughout college. One of the things that caught my attention most was he fact that one girl said her average class size is 115, another said that only eighteen percent of her teachers know her name. Now, this semester has just started but so far all of my teachers have known my name. So, this video does represent a college experience different from mine, however there was something that applied to me. One student said he spends hundreds of dollars on textbooks that he never opens. I have been frustrated a few times by teachers calling for a textbook and then not teaching from it.
I think the point of the movie was that we should use technology to improve student's college experiences. I definitely think that offering more online classes could help. However, I would never want all classes to go online. I'm not the type of person who wants to go to school online, I enjoy the classroom experience. Having to go to class provides discipline that I need to keep my grades up. The movie was great though, and if I could ad anything to it I would show how technology can be used more in the classroom, instead of just a plain old chalkboard.

It's Not About The Technology - Kelly Hines
The title of Mrs. Hines blod really caught my attention. As someone who is not toally engulfed in the technology world it sparked my interest. I agree with Mrs. Hines that technology is important in the classroom, but it's not the main focus. As Mrs. Hines stated, there are other things about our teaching systems that need to change in the twenty first century, not just technology. One thing Mrs. Hines pointed out is that teachers should be learners, and I completely agree. What good is a teacher who has quit learning? There is always new information, and not one person can ever know everything. We as future teachers need to realize that if we do not put in time and effort to continue learning we will not be very valuable to our students.
Mrs. Hines included a list of four things that teachers need to recognize to be effective and positive. I personally found her blog to be helpful and inspiring. As a future teacher, and someone who is already working in the filed of education I think Mrs. Hines perspective on teaching is excellent and her blog is definitely one that I will continue to read.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I do not think that it is ok to be a technologically illiterate teacher, however, I do not feel quite as strongly about it as Mr. Fisch. Technology is definitely important in the classroom but saying that a teacher who is technologically illiterate is like a teacher thirty years ago who could not read or write is extreme in my opinion. Which Mr. Fisch did say that it is an extreme statement. I agree with him that teachers do need to be educated in technology and being "technologically illiterate" really isn't acceptable, teachers need to at least know basic computer skills.

Where my opinion differs from Mr. Fisch's is... there are teachers in schools who specifically teach technology, so I don't feel that a teacher in another subject who isn't totally in the know is harming students. Middle school and high school teachers do need to be able to incorporate some technology into their classrooms, but just because they don't keep up with everything going on in the technology world I do not feel they are bad teachers. Elementary teachers need to use technology as well, just on a smaller scale. So yes Mr. Fisch is correct that technology is needed in school, and like I said, a teacher needs to have at least basic computer skills, but I don't feel that a teacher should be condemned for not having more than that.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Wow, so I never realized how fast the online world is moving. Watching the live statistics was an eye-opener for sure. Going into the education field future teachers like us need to keep in mind the rate that technology is advancing. Within the few short years that we graduate and start teaching so much will have changed. We have to remember that and try our hardest to do whatever it takes to reach our students and that is going to mean having an open mind and trying our best to stay in tune with where technology is going.

Blog Assignment 2

Response to Karl Fisch's Video "Did You Know"

After watching the video "Did You Know" by Karl Fisch I honestly felt a bit freaked out. I enjoy my cellphone (not a smart phone by the way) and I have a facebook account and spend a pretty good bit of time on the internet, but I didn't realize how fast technology is moving. It is slightly overwhelming to think that the world is changing so fast. I'm only twenty one but I suppose I must be a bit of an old fashioned young person. I like things the way they are, but if I had a choice I would go back in time before people started meeting their spouses online; when people actually had a cute story of how they met, not oh I met my husband on so and so dot com. Don't get me wrong, I think technology is great, but this movie made it seem to me that it's basically taking over the world. Before technology people were much more friendly, and actually had real relationships with each other. We went to our friends houses and we picked up the phone and had conversations instead of just facebooking them.
The movie definitely opened my eyes up to where our world is going. It makes me feel sad in a way, mostly because I've never been a person who liked change. I know that technology is not a bad thing, and I appreciate it, but, at the same time, too much technology scares me. I guess I have no choice, our world is changing, leaning more and more on technology, and Karl Fisch's video "Did You Know" made me realize that.
Response to "Mr. Winkle Wakes" by Matthew Needleman

This video shows how much things have changed in the past one hundred years, but in a funny way. I think showing Rip Van Winkle waking up after one hundred years to see how much the world has changed was creative and made the video fun and interesting to watch. Although the video was cute, I think Mr. Needleman was definitely trying to make a point. The one thing that Mr. Winkle felt comfortable with in the video was going to school. He found that the teaching style hadn't changed in the hundred years he had missed.
The fact that the way things are taught has not changed in that long of a period of time is not a good thing. The world has advanced, we as humans have advanced, as should the style of teaching. The world is very different than it was a hundred years ago, the things students are learning and the speed at which they have to learn them have definitely changed. So why hasn't the style of teaching changed? I feel that is very good question and something that educational authorities need to really think about and consider. Teaching needs to be more than standing at the front of a room and lecturing while students write their hands off. We need some creativity in our classrooms.


Response to "The Importance of Creativity" by Sir Ken Robinson

I definitely agree with Sir Robinson that creativity is important. Children are so creative, and sometimes we wonder how they come up with these amazing things. As Sir Robinson said, creativity is being educated out of us. So, we as adults have lost a lot of the creativity we started with. We are so afraid of being wrong that we have forgotten how to be creative.
Academics are of course important in schools, but the arts are put at the bottom of the list. Why is that? Children love music and art and dance. But, they are taught that those things aren't important. There are so many children out there that are being put on medication and being told to sit still, when they probably have nothing wrong with them. Children need creative ways of learning, just because a child may be different doesn't mean there is something wrong, they may simply need a different way of learning. I remember being a child and having all these crazy ideas about things, but I grew up and was taught that was "nonsense" as most kids are. Our creativity is something we need to hold on to, it makes the world a happier place. It is not something that our schools need to educate out of us.
Response to "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts" by Vicki Davis
What Vicki Davis is doing in her classroom is outstanding. Coming from a person who is typically traditional, I think her way of teaching things without pencil and paper is great. Technology is huge in our world today and her students are going to be well prepared for the "real world" outside of high school. Having technological knowledge plays a huge role in getting a job in this day and time.
Although it may not be the way things have previously been done, Davis' style of teaching seems to really be getting through to her students. They seem excited about learning, which is important. When students are interested and excited, they learn a lot more and school doesn't seem like such a chore to them. Also, Davis teaches in a rural area of Georgia, which goes to show that you don't have to live in LA or NYC to be able to use technology in the classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed this video.

Wordle

Blog Assignment 1

Hi there! My name is Jessica, I'm 21 years old and I currently attend the University of South Alabama as a full time student. I am majoring in Elementary Education. In my opinion USA has the best program for my major in the Mobile area. I also work full time teaching preschool, K4 to be exact. I absolutely love it. I can't imagine doing anything else with my life besides teaching. Of course it's not always a walk in the park, but I enjoy finding activities and fun little things for the kids to do that help them learn the material. I also love knowing that I'm making a difference. The kids in my class are currently learning to write their names, which we all know is something that they will use for the rest of their lives. They are also learning the sounds of the letters so that they can begin to read; knowing that I played a big part in teaching them the foundations of what they will need in life makes me feel like I am truly doing something productive, not just wasting forty hours of my week.

I currently live in Semmes, Alabama, but that's not where I started off. I took my first breath in Hattiesburg, MS and spent the first six years of my life in McLain, MS. Mclain is a tiny little community in Greene County MS. I believe the population is somewhere around a thousand, if that. At the age of six I moved to Citronelle, AL, due to my parent's divorce. Why Citronelle? Well, that's where my mother's parents were living. I lived in Citronelle until I was fifteen. My next stop was Mobile, until I was nineteen, and then I moved about ten minutes down the road from where I had been living, to Semmes. I really like living in Semmes, it's sort of like the country in the city. I still visit my little hometown of McLain from time to time to see my dad and his side of the family. I have four older sisters, so yes that makes me the baby. I also have five nieces and two nephews. I don't consider my family huge, but it is bigger than most of my friend's families, and I love it. My family means alot to me, as well as my friends, most of whom I consider family.

Besides teaching there are some other things I enjoy, such as: swimming, watching college football (ROLL TIDE), participating in church events, spending time with my family and friends, playing softball, watching movies, going out to eat, muddin', fishing, doing hair, listening to music, baking, shopping, getting pedicures, reading.By the way, for those of you who may not know, muddin' is getting in a big truck or on a four wheeler and finding a big mud hole and basically riding through it and getting covered in mud. It's kind of one of those things you just have to try at least once. I'm a Christian and I believe that being a Christian isn't just a label, it's a lifestyle and I try my best to live that lifestyle. Well, that's basically me in a nutshell, I hope you enjoyed it :)