Final Reflection of Edm310
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Blog Post 7
Randy Pausch: Last Lecture
In his second childhood dream of being an NFL player, he talks about his childhood coach. Pausch says something that his asst. coach informed him of that really stuck with him through the years and that is that when the coach is constantly getting on to you or correcting you that is a good thing because he still believes in you. When the coach stops getting on to you that is when you need to worry because he/she has gave up on you. I can relate to this because I played basketball for 8 years and my coach stayed onto me and always pushed me to do better and give it my all. He never gave up on me. That made me strive to be a better player and a better teammate. This can also be applied to teacher student relationships. Although, I would hope no teacher gave up on any of their student, but it does happen.
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." "Brick Walls are there for a reason:They let us prove how badly we want something."I loved these quotes because they are so true. You learn through trial and error and after so many of those you learn what you can and cannot do. Through this process you will get experience. I like the brick walls quote because it gives people encouragement. Only the people who want something so badly will do everything in their power to get it and that is the people that you want for the job.
The technique he used that I agree with the most is the one if you make something that is complicated to do fun you will get a lot more accomplished. Nobody want to do something boring and hard. Another one that I like is that you do not show exactly how surprised you are with students work. For example, he was blown away with his students 1st project, but he told them that it was good but they can do better. Do not limit your students because it cripples them and makes them think that thats all they have to do and they don't have to reach further.
This was an extremely hard video for me to watch. Especially at the end. It makes you wonder why things happen to such good people. I know that God has a reason for everything and I pray for Dr. Pausch's family during their hard times.
In his second childhood dream of being an NFL player, he talks about his childhood coach. Pausch says something that his asst. coach informed him of that really stuck with him through the years and that is that when the coach is constantly getting on to you or correcting you that is a good thing because he still believes in you. When the coach stops getting on to you that is when you need to worry because he/she has gave up on you. I can relate to this because I played basketball for 8 years and my coach stayed onto me and always pushed me to do better and give it my all. He never gave up on me. That made me strive to be a better player and a better teammate. This can also be applied to teacher student relationships. Although, I would hope no teacher gave up on any of their student, but it does happen.
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." "Brick Walls are there for a reason:They let us prove how badly we want something."I loved these quotes because they are so true. You learn through trial and error and after so many of those you learn what you can and cannot do. Through this process you will get experience. I like the brick walls quote because it gives people encouragement. Only the people who want something so badly will do everything in their power to get it and that is the people that you want for the job.
The technique he used that I agree with the most is the one if you make something that is complicated to do fun you will get a lot more accomplished. Nobody want to do something boring and hard. Another one that I like is that you do not show exactly how surprised you are with students work. For example, he was blown away with his students 1st project, but he told them that it was good but they can do better. Do not limit your students because it cripples them and makes them think that thats all they have to do and they don't have to reach further.
This was an extremely hard video for me to watch. Especially at the end. It makes you wonder why things happen to such good people. I know that God has a reason for everything and I pray for Dr. Pausch's family during their hard times.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Final Report on my PLN
Sunday, November 28, 2010
C4T # 4
I was assigned Ms. Jenna Bentleys' blog for this C4T. This particular post was titled My Nellie Bly Learning Centre. This has been a project that she has been working on for the past month or so for the Night of the Notables. I had to look at some of her previous post to understand what exactly was going on. She picked Nellie Bly, who is a feminist, stunt journalist, and a writer, because she sees her as being eminent. The project included a game. This particular game was a spin the wheel and you would land on one of four points in Ms. Bly's life. You would then be asked a question and would have to put yourself in her shoes to give the best answer. The game was put in place to start conversations about Nellie Bly.
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My second visit to her blog she posted "To Fight for Something as Opposed to Fighting Over Something." She claimed that the minority are more likely to fight for something than to fight over something. Also, the claims that the minority of the minority are the ones that actually make a statement. She give the example of the Founding Fathers. I agree with her on that and I also believe that anyone can put their mind to something that they are passionate about whether or not they are the minority. I was interested by this post also because I just got through studying the relationship between Britain and the American Colonies. I found this neat because I knew exactly what she was talking about.
My second visit to her blog she posted "To Fight for Something as Opposed to Fighting Over Something." She claimed that the minority are more likely to fight for something than to fight over something. Also, the claims that the minority of the minority are the ones that actually make a statement. She give the example of the Founding Fathers. I agree with her on that and I also believe that anyone can put their mind to something that they are passionate about whether or not they are the minority. I was interested by this post also because I just got through studying the relationship between Britain and the American Colonies. I found this neat because I knew exactly what she was talking about.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
C4K #'s 8-11
C4K #8/ I was assigned Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog as this weeks comment for kids. Her post was informing people of their Family Blogging Month. This for for the family members and friends of the students to comment on their classes blog. Included in this blog was two video's one was how to leave a comment and the other was what to include in your comment to make it a good comment. I thought the second video was very helpful due to the fact I have problems trying to figure out what to comment about. I have included it in the C4K Summary because I think everyone should watch it.
C4K #9/ This post was a video made by Room 13. It was their Photo Challenge. They took a snake stuffed animal and was assigned to take as many pictures of it everywhere on campus. They were pretty creative doing this project. Some examples and my favorite was when they put the snake on the garden hose roll-up holder and on the water fountain. I think this is a great way to get students out of the classroom and yet still doing something educational.
C4K #10/ This post was quite interesting and unlike any other post I have read so far. It was by Sam. In this post, he wrote a story about how he had spaced out and was all the sudden Ramses II. He went from one scene to another through a time warp. In the comment I left him, I asked him what sparked this idea. I was very curious because I have never really heard of a story like this before. Although, it was quite interesting and well wrote.
C4K #11/ I was assigned Ms. Naugle's 5th Period class. Her students did a Pumpkin Project on whether or not pumpkins float in water. They brought pumpkins of all sizes. The student I was assigned was Dairon. His post was well wrote. He was excited about his pumpkin floating and he even estimated that their was at least 100 seeds in it.
C4K #9/ This post was a video made by Room 13. It was their Photo Challenge. They took a snake stuffed animal and was assigned to take as many pictures of it everywhere on campus. They were pretty creative doing this project. Some examples and my favorite was when they put the snake on the garden hose roll-up holder and on the water fountain. I think this is a great way to get students out of the classroom and yet still doing something educational.
C4K #10/ This post was quite interesting and unlike any other post I have read so far. It was by Sam. In this post, he wrote a story about how he had spaced out and was all the sudden Ramses II. He went from one scene to another through a time warp. In the comment I left him, I asked him what sparked this idea. I was very curious because I have never really heard of a story like this before. Although, it was quite interesting and well wrote.
C4K #11/ I was assigned Ms. Naugle's 5th Period class. Her students did a Pumpkin Project on whether or not pumpkins float in water. They brought pumpkins of all sizes. The student I was assigned was Dairon. His post was well wrote. He was excited about his pumpkin floating and he even estimated that their was at least 100 seeds in it.
Additional Assignment #3
Sir Ken Robinson's: Changing Education Paradigms
This video was amazing. Not only the message, but the art as well. I like some of what he says about ADHD. I do believe children are getting so distracted about all the other fun stuff that they do lose track of what they are suppose to doing which is schoolwork, because sometimes it does get boring. I do believe that students may sometimes need help with focusing, but not to the point that they are not all there. Meaning, not to the point that they are so drugged up they can not think straight. It does happen, because I have seen it. He states that the system of education is modeled after Industrialization, age group, bells, etc. I have never thought of that, but he's right. I can see how schools are like industrialized factories.
Another thing that caught my attention in this video was Divergent Thinking. They completed a longitudinal test on a group of children starting at the age of a kindergarten student which scored at 98% then tested that same group every three to five years until the age of 15 and their divergent thinking deteriorated.
He makes a point that I agree with and that is "Collaboration is the stuff of growth." Sir Ken says that, "Great learning happens in groups." I believe this is true because when you put a group of minds together not only do you have an array of ideas, each person has their own talents. For example, one person could be the artist, one the narrator, idea generator, designer, author, and sound effects. All these positions are just as important as the other. Thats why I believe in collaborative projects because their are to many positions for just one person to fill. If I were to choose a position, I would like to be the narrator.
This video was amazing. Not only the message, but the art as well. I like some of what he says about ADHD. I do believe children are getting so distracted about all the other fun stuff that they do lose track of what they are suppose to doing which is schoolwork, because sometimes it does get boring. I do believe that students may sometimes need help with focusing, but not to the point that they are not all there. Meaning, not to the point that they are so drugged up they can not think straight. It does happen, because I have seen it. He states that the system of education is modeled after Industrialization, age group, bells, etc. I have never thought of that, but he's right. I can see how schools are like industrialized factories.
Another thing that caught my attention in this video was Divergent Thinking. They completed a longitudinal test on a group of children starting at the age of a kindergarten student which scored at 98% then tested that same group every three to five years until the age of 15 and their divergent thinking deteriorated.
He makes a point that I agree with and that is "Collaboration is the stuff of growth." Sir Ken says that, "Great learning happens in groups." I believe this is true because when you put a group of minds together not only do you have an array of ideas, each person has their own talents. For example, one person could be the artist, one the narrator, idea generator, designer, author, and sound effects. All these positions are just as important as the other. Thats why I believe in collaborative projects because their are to many positions for just one person to fill. If I were to choose a position, I would like to be the narrator.
Blog Post 13
ALEX stands for Alabama Learning Exchange. This is an extremely useful site for teacher as well as parents. There are so many features that this website has. I will explain a few of them. When you go to the home website there are many choices you can choose from. There are Courses of Study, Web Links, Lesson Plans, Professional Learning, Podcast Treasury, ALEXville, and a Search. I will go into detail of a few of them.
I will begin with Courses of Study. Once you click on it, you will see another set of options to choose from. They are all subjects such as the basic ones along with technology, health, languages, etc. You will need to choose one of the subjects and the grade level or type you are interested in and you will find all the topics that go along with that grade or level of math.
Secondly, I will Lesson Plans. ALEX gives you options on how you want to find lesson plans or you can log in and create your own lesson plans. You can search by subject, grade, school,etc. Once you have made a choice go to display results. Under the results, it gives you the entire lesson laid out for you. How much time, objectives, activities you could do are all included along with so much more.
This website is packed full of ideas and helpful things you could do that I can not begin to explain all of the. The most I can do is point you in the right direction in hopes you will check it out.
I am so glad that I was made aware of this sight before I started teaching. There are so many helpful ideas that are encompassed in this site. I will definitely utilize this site when I become a teacher.
Additional Assignment #5
Tom Johnson's Adventures in Pencil Integration:
Just Teach Them To Solve For X
In this post, he is explaining to a fellow teacher why metaphor's are important to learning and life. Using metaphors are confusing, dangerous, and often times messy but he relates these facts to reality. He talks about how life is not easy and sometimes very hard, so he wants to teach his students to use metaphors to help show them that.
Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils
In this post, Mr. Spencer is referring to how the attitudes of students coincide with their confusion of how things are changing in society. He compares a fourteen year old to a toddler to prove the point. The point being that the fourteen year olds want to be treated like both an adult and a kid.
He Just Likes the Class For The Pencils
This is my favorite post of the four that was assigned. Mainly because of his way with children and how he treats them. He takes into account that he is not always right and does make mistakes, but he also apologizes which is essential in gaining a trustworthy relationship with students. I know I always had respect for teachers who acknowledges when they were wrong.
Another thing I like about this post is that he does not "shame and blame" the student. That is no way to gain respect or help the student in any way. Teachers need to try and find out what exactly that particular student is having trouble with and why in order to help them. I think Mr. Spencer is a great teacher that works hard to help his students.
The Medium Shapes the Learning
Mr. Spencer is trying to show that teaching with different mediums will give you a different learning outcomes. I completely agree with this post. I immediately compared this post to an Art class that I have recently taken. We learned many art mediums different artist of different time periods used. Each medium produced a unique outcome. Depending on which medium you teach will give you a unique outcome.
Just Teach Them To Solve For X
In this post, he is explaining to a fellow teacher why metaphor's are important to learning and life. Using metaphors are confusing, dangerous, and often times messy but he relates these facts to reality. He talks about how life is not easy and sometimes very hard, so he wants to teach his students to use metaphors to help show them that. Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils
In this post, Mr. Spencer is referring to how the attitudes of students coincide with their confusion of how things are changing in society. He compares a fourteen year old to a toddler to prove the point. The point being that the fourteen year olds want to be treated like both an adult and a kid.
He Just Likes the Class For The Pencils
This is my favorite post of the four that was assigned. Mainly because of his way with children and how he treats them. He takes into account that he is not always right and does make mistakes, but he also apologizes which is essential in gaining a trustworthy relationship with students. I know I always had respect for teachers who acknowledges when they were wrong.
Another thing I like about this post is that he does not "shame and blame" the student. That is no way to gain respect or help the student in any way. Teachers need to try and find out what exactly that particular student is having trouble with and why in order to help them. I think Mr. Spencer is a great teacher that works hard to help his students.
The Medium Shapes the Learning
Mr. Spencer is trying to show that teaching with different mediums will give you a different learning outcomes. I completely agree with this post. I immediately compared this post to an Art class that I have recently taken. We learned many art mediums different artist of different time periods used. Each medium produced a unique outcome. Depending on which medium you teach will give you a unique outcome.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Blog Post 12
Read Who says elementary students can't blog?. Write a short paragraph telling me about your thoughts on this post.
Who says elementary students can't blog?
I definitely believe that students can blog. I would have never even thought of it before this class. Edm310 has opened my eyes to so much that I did not even know was out there. I think it is great that students are involved in such things. In this post it shows. It helps them realize that their words do mean something and can be heard. Teaching this to students at such a young age will, I think, be beneficial to them as they grow and learn new and exciting things. Hopefully, upcoming teachers realize that and strive to help their students be aware of the fact that their voices can be heard.
Who says elementary students can't blog?
I definitely believe that students can blog. I would have never even thought of it before this class. Edm310 has opened my eyes to so much that I did not even know was out there. I think it is great that students are involved in such things. In this post it shows. It helps them realize that their words do mean something and can be heard. Teaching this to students at such a young age will, I think, be beneficial to them as they grow and learn new and exciting things. Hopefully, upcoming teachers realize that and strive to help their students be aware of the fact that their voices can be heard.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Project #6
How is Edm310 Going for You?
I thought I would do a survey on something that coincided with this class, so what better thing to do than to ask how the class was going. For the most part, my group was doing well. I have included a link to my Summary Results Form to show in detail all the statistics. Overall, my survey turned out to be pretty good. I only had four people that have yet to answer it.
Summary Responses
I thought I would do a survey on something that coincided with this class, so what better thing to do than to ask how the class was going. For the most part, my group was doing well. I have included a link to my Summary Results Form to show in detail all the statistics. Overall, my survey turned out to be pretty good. I only had four people that have yet to answer it.
Summary Responses
Project #16 Progress Report
I am working on the Final Project with Hailey Rascoe, Leigh Setser, and Christie Odom. We met tonight, November 8th, to discuss what we were going to do. We are not quite sure yet, but we plan to meet next week to discuss topics and how we are going to go about completing it.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Blog Post 11
Little Kids... Big Potential
I think this is an amazing video. I wish every school was able or propelled to have classrooms, such as this one, at least one in every grade level. I thought it was such a blessing for this class to have access to all the computers and technology and be able to use them. Not many schools can afford this.
For these students to just be first graders they are already technological advanced. When I was in first grade, my family did not even own one. I remember playing stick and a blocks game on a family members, but that was the extent of my knowledge of computers. I think that schools should do everything they can do get students computer savvy, because it will be a huge part of their future.
Ms. Kathy Cassidy Skype Conversation 2/17/10
This was a video of a Skype conversation between Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange. Dr. Strange started the conversation by asking her how she got started in technology and how long she had been doing it. Ms. Cassidy replied by saying ten years and that she had been given five computers, but she could not put any programs on them. This in turn sent her on a technological journey to learn about webpages, blogs, etc. She claims she has a lot of support from parents, administrators, and that divisions technology coordinator. He of which has helped her a lot and encouraged her blog and what she is doing with these students.
She has several comments on what she thinks about some of Dr. Strange's students views on technology in the classroom. She believes and clearly states that they are wrong. Technology is not going away and that they would be handicapping their students as well as themselves.
Dr. Strange refers back to his two questions. The first one is , "Do you believe all teachers should be technological literate?" I love her answer to this question which was if you can only do spreadsheets and word processing that is not technology today, that was twenty year ago. Teachers should continue to learn because technology is constantly changing. The questions the students asked her were pretty good questions. The one that was asked about the students safety and privacy on the internet would have been one I would have asked.
This was a great Skype interview. I think it would have been more beneficial for students to have been assigned this to watch before we were assigned our Skype interview.
I think this is an amazing video. I wish every school was able or propelled to have classrooms, such as this one, at least one in every grade level. I thought it was such a blessing for this class to have access to all the computers and technology and be able to use them. Not many schools can afford this.
For these students to just be first graders they are already technological advanced. When I was in first grade, my family did not even own one. I remember playing stick and a blocks game on a family members, but that was the extent of my knowledge of computers. I think that schools should do everything they can do get students computer savvy, because it will be a huge part of their future.
Ms. Kathy Cassidy Skype Conversation 2/17/10
This was a video of a Skype conversation between Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange. Dr. Strange started the conversation by asking her how she got started in technology and how long she had been doing it. Ms. Cassidy replied by saying ten years and that she had been given five computers, but she could not put any programs on them. This in turn sent her on a technological journey to learn about webpages, blogs, etc. She claims she has a lot of support from parents, administrators, and that divisions technology coordinator. He of which has helped her a lot and encouraged her blog and what she is doing with these students.
She has several comments on what she thinks about some of Dr. Strange's students views on technology in the classroom. She believes and clearly states that they are wrong. Technology is not going away and that they would be handicapping their students as well as themselves.
Dr. Strange refers back to his two questions. The first one is , "Do you believe all teachers should be technological literate?" I love her answer to this question which was if you can only do spreadsheets and word processing that is not technology today, that was twenty year ago. Teachers should continue to learn because technology is constantly changing. The questions the students asked her were pretty good questions. The one that was asked about the students safety and privacy on the internet would have been one I would have asked.
This was a great Skype interview. I think it would have been more beneficial for students to have been assigned this to watch before we were assigned our Skype interview.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Blog Post 10
An Open Letter to Educators By: Morgan Bayda
This blog post was an eye opener for me. Sadly, it was the truth. I am currently taking five classes and two out of those classes are hour long lectures with no discussion. It is very hard to stay awake in those classes. I think that every class should be discussion because you learn so much more that way. You are hearing it, thinking about it, and having a discussion about it. After doing all that you pretty much know it thoroughly. Discussing something helps me remember better because I have to think about first. I do not know if I would go quite as far as Dan went, but something needs to be done about todays education. There students should be taught more than just facts, there should be more applications involved to better understand.
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home By: Tom Johnson
This post was a story of two teachers. One teacher was upset because another teacher was sending pencils home and apparently doing so causes low test scores. It amazes me how teachers worry so much about test scores and not so much about the students. To me, no two students are the same. Each students learns better in different ways. For example, students can be visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners, and finally read and write learners. Some students are very smart, but when it come to test they may not do as well. That why I believe that grades are not as important as how well the student participates in class.
My Sentence
Try to be a better person today than I was yesterday and encourage everyone to do the best they can and never give up.
This blog post was an eye opener for me. Sadly, it was the truth. I am currently taking five classes and two out of those classes are hour long lectures with no discussion. It is very hard to stay awake in those classes. I think that every class should be discussion because you learn so much more that way. You are hearing it, thinking about it, and having a discussion about it. After doing all that you pretty much know it thoroughly. Discussing something helps me remember better because I have to think about first. I do not know if I would go quite as far as Dan went, but something needs to be done about todays education. There students should be taught more than just facts, there should be more applications involved to better understand.
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home By: Tom Johnson
This post was a story of two teachers. One teacher was upset because another teacher was sending pencils home and apparently doing so causes low test scores. It amazes me how teachers worry so much about test scores and not so much about the students. To me, no two students are the same. Each students learns better in different ways. For example, students can be visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners, and finally read and write learners. Some students are very smart, but when it come to test they may not do as well. That why I believe that grades are not as important as how well the student participates in class.
My Sentence
Try to be a better person today than I was yesterday and encourage everyone to do the best they can and never give up.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
C4T # 3
I was assigned Live the Conversation which is a blog by Becky Goerend. She is a 6th grade teacher in Iowa. The first post I read was about her being a little frustrated and in a slump. She was informing us on a few things that is helping her deal with it. One was making a playlist with the students favorite school appropriate music to help calm them during study hall. This gives her a little quiet time. The other idea was instead of writing what their independent reading was about they were giving options on how they could do it. She gave them the option of video, letter, or a post on the classroom blog. I left her a comment agreeing with her that options and choices have everything to do with how the students function. I said that there has to be some variations in the classroom to keep the students attention.
My second visit to her blog she had posted that if you give students a meaningful project, they will take off and amaze you. Her students had been given four student AVerPens, one teacher AVerPens, and a document camera. The only instructions that was included was to the document camera. The students divided up into groups that were grouped by their strengths and weaknesses not by groups of friends. They have already made a lot of progress. They have learned how to charge the pens and how to hook the document camera up. Children are amazing and are very smart. Teachers need to know that and guide them more than anything . Students will not learn if everything is done for them.
My second visit to her blog she had posted that if you give students a meaningful project, they will take off and amaze you. Her students had been given four student AVerPens, one teacher AVerPens, and a document camera. The only instructions that was included was to the document camera. The students divided up into groups that were grouped by their strengths and weaknesses not by groups of friends. They have already made a lot of progress. They have learned how to charge the pens and how to hook the document camera up. Children are amazing and are very smart. Teachers need to know that and guide them more than anything . Students will not learn if everything is done for them.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
C4K Summary #'s 3-7
C4K #3 I was assigned to read/watch the ninth post on the archive list. It was movie called Terrible Pirates and was based on a lesson they were doing in school, Mighty Mariners. It was made a old time silent movie. The children did a great job acting. There were different scenes, but I must say that the damsel in distress was my favorite. Technology is awesome and I think it is great for the kids, because they can have fun.
C4K #4 My assigned students has not kept up with his blog, so I viewed a daughter of an EDM310 Alumni's blog. Her name is Kyla Carpenter. She is a extremely intelligent second grader. Kyla has already completed several videos, voice threads, as well as a Google presentation. Her most recent post is a video called the Secret Act. It was a video in a short story form of a trick that her dog can do. She put all the toys in the dog kennel and locked the door. Then, she walked out of the scene and her dog came in opened the door and pulled her toys out. It was so cute.
C4K #5 I was asked to view two students blogs for this assignment. One being a high school student and the other being a 7th grader from Australia. First, I read the high school students blog. I wish that I had thought the way she did when I was in high school. She views education the way it should be viewed, a opportunity that should be taken advantage. She gives a perfect example of the women in Saudi Arabia. They are not allowed to do anything without a mans permission. How will they ever know that that is not the way it should be if they do not have the opportunities to learn. Here I am a women and I am in college and I take it for granted. She has greatly changed my views of school.
She also says that if students do not learn for themselves then they will believe everything that they are told and not have their own opinion about things. That is very important. I am a prime example. I have always been told who I should vote for, what political party, etc., but how can I argue why I do those things if I cannot support my views. Having your own opinion is vital in society. She is a very bright girl and I look forward to hearing more from her.
The second blog I was assigned was Lauren. Her most recent post was dealing with anger. They were studying anger issues in Skills For Life. I gave her some pointers on helping her deal with her anger issues.
C4K #6 This C4K, I was assigned a student named Quinn. She has not had anything in particular posted on her blog. She does, however, have one poem on there that I commented on. It was about her playing volleyball. I left her a comment telling her that I liked her poem and that I knew what she was talking about because I played volleyball and basketball in high school.
C4K #7 I was assigned the October 7th post on Mr. McClung's Blog to look at. It was titled Global Pool of Money. This post was about the past weeks topic in class which was the recent recession that America was in and how it came about. He went through the chain of events in laymen terms for the 8th graders so they would understand. Mr. McClung started at people going to the bank for loans, which they they knew they were not good for, to that loan being sold over and over again and finally landing in the hands of big time investors. The problem they ran in to is the people who asked for the loan never paid up.
This happens all the time. People get way in over there head in debt that cannot be paid and others end up having to pay for it. The best thing people can do is buy under there means so that when hard times come you can still pay for what you owe.
C4K #4 My assigned students has not kept up with his blog, so I viewed a daughter of an EDM310 Alumni's blog. Her name is Kyla Carpenter. She is a extremely intelligent second grader. Kyla has already completed several videos, voice threads, as well as a Google presentation. Her most recent post is a video called the Secret Act. It was a video in a short story form of a trick that her dog can do. She put all the toys in the dog kennel and locked the door. Then, she walked out of the scene and her dog came in opened the door and pulled her toys out. It was so cute.
C4K #5 I was asked to view two students blogs for this assignment. One being a high school student and the other being a 7th grader from Australia. First, I read the high school students blog. I wish that I had thought the way she did when I was in high school. She views education the way it should be viewed, a opportunity that should be taken advantage. She gives a perfect example of the women in Saudi Arabia. They are not allowed to do anything without a mans permission. How will they ever know that that is not the way it should be if they do not have the opportunities to learn. Here I am a women and I am in college and I take it for granted. She has greatly changed my views of school.
She also says that if students do not learn for themselves then they will believe everything that they are told and not have their own opinion about things. That is very important. I am a prime example. I have always been told who I should vote for, what political party, etc., but how can I argue why I do those things if I cannot support my views. Having your own opinion is vital in society. She is a very bright girl and I look forward to hearing more from her.
The second blog I was assigned was Lauren. Her most recent post was dealing with anger. They were studying anger issues in Skills For Life. I gave her some pointers on helping her deal with her anger issues.
C4K #6 This C4K, I was assigned a student named Quinn. She has not had anything in particular posted on her blog. She does, however, have one poem on there that I commented on. It was about her playing volleyball. I left her a comment telling her that I liked her poem and that I knew what she was talking about because I played volleyball and basketball in high school.
C4K #7 I was assigned the October 7th post on Mr. McClung's Blog to look at. It was titled Global Pool of Money. This post was about the past weeks topic in class which was the recent recession that America was in and how it came about. He went through the chain of events in laymen terms for the 8th graders so they would understand. Mr. McClung started at people going to the bank for loans, which they they knew they were not good for, to that loan being sold over and over again and finally landing in the hands of big time investors. The problem they ran in to is the people who asked for the loan never paid up.
This happens all the time. People get way in over there head in debt that cannot be paid and others end up having to pay for it. The best thing people can do is buy under there means so that when hard times come you can still pay for what you owe.
Skype Interview Project # 12
Leslie and Hailey's Skype Conversation
How is this semester going? Featuring Brianna :)
How is this semester going? Featuring Brianna :)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Blog Post 9
"What I've Learned This Year" By Mr. McClung
I very much liked this post. I love that teachers care that much of their students and show it by trying to find ways to improve different areas. He gives seven different thoughts of what he learned his first year of teaching. These different things are advice about student teacher relationships, co-worker relationships, just some tips to follow. I'm just going to touch base of a few from the group.
Be flexible with your students. No matter how much you practice a lesson it cannot be perfect because it all depends on the students. Listening to your students is one of the most important ones. You must be able to listen to your students concerns in order for them to learn. Your students will respect you for it in the end and know that you care about them. That means a lot to students. Don't be afraid of technology because it is not going to go away. Technology will continue to grow and it is best to accept that fact and use what is given. Be reasonable is also a big one. Do not set your goals too high for your students and you won't be disappointed in the long run when they do not reach them. You are just setting yourself up for failure and heartache because you believe that you did not do your best, when you did.
These are just a few that I thought were important. The most important I believe to never stop learning yourself. As a teacher, your job is to teach and be there for these children. If you stop learning about knew things it will be the students teaching you more than you teaching them. Mr. McClung gives you some hints to being a great teacher and educator and I recommend you keep them handy and remind yourself of them. Thats what I'm going to do.
I very much liked this post. I love that teachers care that much of their students and show it by trying to find ways to improve different areas. He gives seven different thoughts of what he learned his first year of teaching. These different things are advice about student teacher relationships, co-worker relationships, just some tips to follow. I'm just going to touch base of a few from the group.
Be flexible with your students. No matter how much you practice a lesson it cannot be perfect because it all depends on the students. Listening to your students is one of the most important ones. You must be able to listen to your students concerns in order for them to learn. Your students will respect you for it in the end and know that you care about them. That means a lot to students. Don't be afraid of technology because it is not going to go away. Technology will continue to grow and it is best to accept that fact and use what is given. Be reasonable is also a big one. Do not set your goals too high for your students and you won't be disappointed in the long run when they do not reach them. You are just setting yourself up for failure and heartache because you believe that you did not do your best, when you did.
These are just a few that I thought were important. The most important I believe to never stop learning yourself. As a teacher, your job is to teach and be there for these children. If you stop learning about knew things it will be the students teaching you more than you teaching them. Mr. McClung gives you some hints to being a great teacher and educator and I recommend you keep them handy and remind yourself of them. Thats what I'm going to do.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Blog Post 8
1. Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 & 2
Mr. Miller was talking about change in how literature has changed and how it is continuing to change. He introduces knew ways that he is learning to write articles and books using the internet and only that. There is so much information there that is accessible and he believes that is should be taken advantage of and I completely agree. He also makes the point that books are going slowly drifting out of the circle. Multimedia writing also gives the options of video, photos, etc. Having those options give more room for explanation of the topic.
I wish that I could say that I am ready for multimedia writing, but unfortunately I am not yet. There are a lot of things I have to learn before I can put together something like he was showing. I have no doubt that multimedia writing is in our future. I also have no doubt that my students will be capable of multimedia writing.
2. The Chipper Series, EDM 310 For Dummies
The first one I watched was The Chipper Series. It was a great video and very creative. I liked everything except for its repetitive script. It shows that you should always take your work seriously, because if you do not you could end up with a job that you don't like. You should work as hard as you can and do the best you can the first around, so you do not have to start at square one again. The second video assigned was Edm for dummies which was very entertaining. We are encouraged to think outside the box and use our imaginations and this video is the prime example of how you do that.
People can take several ideas from these videos to help them with their movies and podcasts. I personally would not have thought of either of these. It shows students examples of creativity along with showing them that you don't have to go by the book.
3. Compare and Contrasts of Critiques of Smartboards
These two Critiques of Smartboards blogpost are completely against smartboards in classrooms. The first one was Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative. He argues that smartboards are not replacing something that is broken, it is just making it more expensive. Also, he argues that Administrators need to be able to show in numbers objects that they have bought. Although he makes a good argument that you should not replace something that is not broken, Smartboards are an efficient way to do lectures. You can go ahead and have you lectures notes already completed before class and saved which makes class go by more smooth and quicker than having to write and erase the entire class period. It is more efficient, I think.
The second one is Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards. This post was more along the lines of a tangent. He clearly states his opposition to Interactive Whiteboards. He believes that they serve absolutely no purpose in the classroom other than being an expensive object that can be shown off by Administrators at meetings. He argues that the Administrators put them in their classes and does not even evaluate the progress of them and how that are helping classes.Here is a blog I found that is Pro- Interactive Whiteboards, Teachers Love Smartboards. The title tells it all.
Mr. Miller was talking about change in how literature has changed and how it is continuing to change. He introduces knew ways that he is learning to write articles and books using the internet and only that. There is so much information there that is accessible and he believes that is should be taken advantage of and I completely agree. He also makes the point that books are going slowly drifting out of the circle. Multimedia writing also gives the options of video, photos, etc. Having those options give more room for explanation of the topic.
I wish that I could say that I am ready for multimedia writing, but unfortunately I am not yet. There are a lot of things I have to learn before I can put together something like he was showing. I have no doubt that multimedia writing is in our future. I also have no doubt that my students will be capable of multimedia writing.
2. The Chipper Series, EDM 310 For Dummies
The first one I watched was The Chipper Series. It was a great video and very creative. I liked everything except for its repetitive script. It shows that you should always take your work seriously, because if you do not you could end up with a job that you don't like. You should work as hard as you can and do the best you can the first around, so you do not have to start at square one again. The second video assigned was Edm for dummies which was very entertaining. We are encouraged to think outside the box and use our imaginations and this video is the prime example of how you do that.
People can take several ideas from these videos to help them with their movies and podcasts. I personally would not have thought of either of these. It shows students examples of creativity along with showing them that you don't have to go by the book.
3. Compare and Contrasts of Critiques of Smartboards
These two Critiques of Smartboards blogpost are completely against smartboards in classrooms. The first one was Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative. He argues that smartboards are not replacing something that is broken, it is just making it more expensive. Also, he argues that Administrators need to be able to show in numbers objects that they have bought. Although he makes a good argument that you should not replace something that is not broken, Smartboards are an efficient way to do lectures. You can go ahead and have you lectures notes already completed before class and saved which makes class go by more smooth and quicker than having to write and erase the entire class period. It is more efficient, I think.
The second one is Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards. This post was more along the lines of a tangent. He clearly states his opposition to Interactive Whiteboards. He believes that they serve absolutely no purpose in the classroom other than being an expensive object that can be shown off by Administrators at meetings. He argues that the Administrators put them in their classes and does not even evaluate the progress of them and how that are helping classes.Here is a blog I found that is Pro- Interactive Whiteboards, Teachers Love Smartboards. The title tells it all.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Additional Assignment #2
How Kids Teach Themselves By: Sugata Mitra
Children are amazing and are sometimes not given credit for how smart they truly are. What Sugata does is prove just that. He sets children up with computers with high-speed internet to show how they can learn without instructions and teach others how to do something. Without ever seeing or using a computer before and not knowing what the internet was, they figured out how to browse, record themselves and play it back, play instructional games. He gives perfect examples on how motivated learners can teach themselves regardless if they are adults or children. I believe that children are more apt to learning and teaching themselves than most adults. Adults are most of the time already set in there ways and hard to change their ideas. Children are creative and are into everything. In order for students to teach themselves, there has to be nobody there to instruct them on how to do something. They have to be in an environment where it is either they learn for themselves or not at all and most people will learn and teach themselves. Internet plays a big part in learning. It is how you connect with people and things all over the world. Without it there would be no contact.
Children are amazing and are sometimes not given credit for how smart they truly are. What Sugata does is prove just that. He sets children up with computers with high-speed internet to show how they can learn without instructions and teach others how to do something. Without ever seeing or using a computer before and not knowing what the internet was, they figured out how to browse, record themselves and play it back, play instructional games. He gives perfect examples on how motivated learners can teach themselves regardless if they are adults or children. I believe that children are more apt to learning and teaching themselves than most adults. Adults are most of the time already set in there ways and hard to change their ideas. Children are creative and are into everything. In order for students to teach themselves, there has to be nobody there to instruct them on how to do something. They have to be in an environment where it is either they learn for themselves or not at all and most people will learn and teach themselves. Internet plays a big part in learning. It is how you connect with people and things all over the world. Without it there would be no contact.
I believe that anyone who is motivated to learn will learn. They will go to all ends trying to figure it all out and will not stop until they do. I would motivate someone to learn by giving them something that interest them. If it is interesting they will want to learn more about it, but if it is not then they more than likely will not care. I am motivated to learn because I love children and want them to have the best opportunities in life that they can get and it start with grade school. I have to be a great teacher in order for them to have a good education. I have to have a good education in order to be a great teacher and that starts with being a motivated learner.
Teachers play a major role in their students life. They are with them all day long. It is important to have a good teacher/student relationship because if you do not it affects the students by not wanting to listen or not going to the teacher when they need help.
The most important point that I took out of this video is not limiting a student. Expect more from them because they are smart and their brains are like sponges.
Friday, October 8, 2010
PLN 1st Progress Report
I am developing my PLN through Symbaloo. It is very neat and has an appealing look about it. People should have a PLN because it is a way to keep everything you like organized and in one place.
As you can see it is a working progress. I have a little bit of everything on it right now and I am working on narrowing my focus. I have included things such as blogs that I am following, news websites, educational websites such as Active Maths and the Discovery Channel. I also keep most of the downloads we had to do from the beginning of the semester on there too. My PLN will continue to grow more and more as the semester continues.
As you can see it is a working progress. I have a little bit of everything on it right now and I am working on narrowing my focus. I have included things such as blogs that I am following, news websites, educational websites such as Active Maths and the Discovery Channel. I also keep most of the downloads we had to do from the beginning of the semester on there too. My PLN will continue to grow more and more as the semester continues.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
C4T #2
For my second teacher blog, I was assigned Ms. Jenny. The first post of her's that I read about was how teachers learn from students just as much as students learn from teachers. Students are very smart and creative. She admits that when she first started teaching she got a MAC and did not know how to use the mouse. It did not have a left and right click like the ones she used to use. She also admits that her students taught her how to use it. There was also a video of a very intelligent young girl giving a speech to adults. The girl is speaking about how kids can teach adults. She makes several points in which I agree to all. I Left Ms. Jenny a comment saying that I agreed with her because teachers can learn from students and that they are very smart. I really enjoyed this post. Her second post was about a Cultural Festival that her and another lady Ms. Helen Squires came up with. It got the students involved in activities such as umbrella dance, Kung Fu, and a Dragon Dance. The children looked like they had a blast. I left a comment expressing the importance of faculty getting involved with the students in ways such as festivals. It gives students something to look forward to at school, as well as helping them see their teacher out of the classroom and having fun with their students. Ms. Jenny seems as though she is a great teacher that loves her students and helps them enjoy school.
Blog Post 6
The Network Student by: Wendy Drexler
A network students needs a teacher for several different reasons. They are there to guide and instruct students on how to build their own network and to take the initiative to learn about different educational opportunities. Teachers are also there to help students when they are stuck on a task and to show them how to communicate like a soon to be professional. They try to teach the students not to believe everything they hear the first time they hear it. Research and find out if it is true or not. Instructors want to show the students how they can continue this information they learned in their own working environment.
After listening to what the video was about, I thought about how similar her class and Dr. Strange's class are. Dr. Strange has designed his class so that if anyone needed help all they had to do was call one person and you would get at least five responses, or you could email him. I don't know about you, but every time I needed help I got a response in less than five minutes. That really makes the students know that the instructor is trying to help them, even though he does not tell you exactly how to do it. It is simply a way to get students to start learning on their own with the technology that is available to them.
Another way I can relate this to EDM310 is the video, Did You Know. It had all kinds of startling statistics, but then Dr. Strange showed us that they were comparing something that wasn't even comparable. If that makes sense. He wants us to research material before believing all that was seen. I believe it would be very interesting to teach a network student. It would be a task, but would be worth it.
A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment
I thought her PLE was awesome. She is a very bright 7th grader. She has tons of information on her PLE. I liked her Glogster on the Box Jellyfish. Her PLE is like mine because we both use Symbaloo. I mainly like it because it looks neat. The only difference as of right now is she has more information than I.
The Machine Is Changing Us
It was actually kind of scary for me to think back to as far as I remember to see if I could relate or justify his claims and I could. The "meh" version of whatever, I know I used. Plus, I even remember using the 2001 version of "whatever, I'll do what I want." I never thought that what I said 10-12 years ago would be looked back on as a trend and not a good one. Narcissists surround us and most everyone is included. I do not think that anyone could say with all honesty that they are not a narcissist. He was right, when he quoted Marshall McLuhan "We shape Our Tool and thereafter our tool shape us." People invented the television and from then on people went from being carefree to being self-involved by watching and listening to the t.v. The people who decide what is being played has a huge impact on society. Social Media is changing what it means to be ourselves. It is changing how we talk to others, who we talk to, and what you are talking through networking. He and his team of undergraduates are in the process of doing a study on YouTube. They did a series of videos to start out. They came to realize that they were nervous, and somewhat embarrassed talking to themselves and not to someone else. This I can relate to because in EDM310 will have to create podcasts and such. For Project 8, my group did an audio and I was nervous just doing that. I was even more embarrassed because I had to sit and listen to it. I don't know about ya'll, but I was squirmed in my chair the entire time just having to listen to myself. The good thing about videos is that it helps people who are quiet or self-conscious to show their true selves to where in person they cannot.
There are negative and positive things about networking, but if used right it is very useful. Social media is a great way to distant people, but also has a way of bringing people together for encouragement and for anyone who just needs someone there to talk to. This was a great video
A network students needs a teacher for several different reasons. They are there to guide and instruct students on how to build their own network and to take the initiative to learn about different educational opportunities. Teachers are also there to help students when they are stuck on a task and to show them how to communicate like a soon to be professional. They try to teach the students not to believe everything they hear the first time they hear it. Research and find out if it is true or not. Instructors want to show the students how they can continue this information they learned in their own working environment.
After listening to what the video was about, I thought about how similar her class and Dr. Strange's class are. Dr. Strange has designed his class so that if anyone needed help all they had to do was call one person and you would get at least five responses, or you could email him. I don't know about you, but every time I needed help I got a response in less than five minutes. That really makes the students know that the instructor is trying to help them, even though he does not tell you exactly how to do it. It is simply a way to get students to start learning on their own with the technology that is available to them.
Another way I can relate this to EDM310 is the video, Did You Know. It had all kinds of startling statistics, but then Dr. Strange showed us that they were comparing something that wasn't even comparable. If that makes sense. He wants us to research material before believing all that was seen. I believe it would be very interesting to teach a network student. It would be a task, but would be worth it.
A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment
I thought her PLE was awesome. She is a very bright 7th grader. She has tons of information on her PLE. I liked her Glogster on the Box Jellyfish. Her PLE is like mine because we both use Symbaloo. I mainly like it because it looks neat. The only difference as of right now is she has more information than I.
The Machine Is Changing Us
It was actually kind of scary for me to think back to as far as I remember to see if I could relate or justify his claims and I could. The "meh" version of whatever, I know I used. Plus, I even remember using the 2001 version of "whatever, I'll do what I want." I never thought that what I said 10-12 years ago would be looked back on as a trend and not a good one. Narcissists surround us and most everyone is included. I do not think that anyone could say with all honesty that they are not a narcissist. He was right, when he quoted Marshall McLuhan "We shape Our Tool and thereafter our tool shape us." People invented the television and from then on people went from being carefree to being self-involved by watching and listening to the t.v. The people who decide what is being played has a huge impact on society. Social Media is changing what it means to be ourselves. It is changing how we talk to others, who we talk to, and what you are talking through networking. He and his team of undergraduates are in the process of doing a study on YouTube. They did a series of videos to start out. They came to realize that they were nervous, and somewhat embarrassed talking to themselves and not to someone else. This I can relate to because in EDM310 will have to create podcasts and such. For Project 8, my group did an audio and I was nervous just doing that. I was even more embarrassed because I had to sit and listen to it. I don't know about ya'll, but I was squirmed in my chair the entire time just having to listen to myself. The good thing about videos is that it helps people who are quiet or self-conscious to show their true selves to where in person they cannot.
There are negative and positive things about networking, but if used right it is very useful. Social media is a great way to distant people, but also has a way of bringing people together for encouragement and for anyone who just needs someone there to talk to. This was a great video
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Blog Post 5
Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog
I think this website is really helpful for young students as well as the parents. It's great for students because it goes over objectives that they did in class. If they did not understand it completely the first time they can watch it and hopefully master it. It is also helpful for the parents because not only do the students learn the material, but they do as well. If the parents watch the video, maybe they can grasp the concept of it and help teach the children too.I absolutely love the class blogs. I randomly went through and chose a few to watch. They were very cute and creative. I love the newscasts that they did. It gives the children a chance to learn about technology and have fun while doing it.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
I found this podcast very useful. It was a well put together, informative podcast. There were many things that I like about this video. He included the views of students, parents, teachers, as well as a principal on how podcasting is beneficial. Podcasting is a good way to do a project-based learning approach with your students. It is also beneficial to the students when it comes to reviews for certain material that was not entirely understood or just a simple refresher to the material that was just went over in class. Podcasting is a great tool for teachers to have when their students have missed class. It can keep students from getting behind in class which in turn makes it easier on the teachers because they do not have to worry to much about catching the student up.
A teacher from Wilder Middle School decided that he would utilize this tool in his classroom. He picked a few teacher and put together a reading lesson where the teacher acted in character. The students loved the sound effects. They like that they can download it on their iPod and listen to it where ever they are. Also, parents like the fact that their children are listening to educational material versus non-educational material.
The Education Podcasting Network
The EPN is a website that people can go to to explore different educational podcasts. It explains to you what a podcast is and how you can find or subscribe a podcast on EPN. This website is great for teachers and students. They are organized in how they have separated the different types of podcast, for example all the music is together and all the math is together, etc. This is a great place to go to if you were doing an educational podcast.
I think this website is really helpful for young students as well as the parents. It's great for students because it goes over objectives that they did in class. If they did not understand it completely the first time they can watch it and hopefully master it. It is also helpful for the parents because not only do the students learn the material, but they do as well. If the parents watch the video, maybe they can grasp the concept of it and help teach the children too.I absolutely love the class blogs. I randomly went through and chose a few to watch. They were very cute and creative. I love the newscasts that they did. It gives the children a chance to learn about technology and have fun while doing it.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
I found this podcast very useful. It was a well put together, informative podcast. There were many things that I like about this video. He included the views of students, parents, teachers, as well as a principal on how podcasting is beneficial. Podcasting is a good way to do a project-based learning approach with your students. It is also beneficial to the students when it comes to reviews for certain material that was not entirely understood or just a simple refresher to the material that was just went over in class. Podcasting is a great tool for teachers to have when their students have missed class. It can keep students from getting behind in class which in turn makes it easier on the teachers because they do not have to worry to much about catching the student up.
A teacher from Wilder Middle School decided that he would utilize this tool in his classroom. He picked a few teacher and put together a reading lesson where the teacher acted in character. The students loved the sound effects. They like that they can download it on their iPod and listen to it where ever they are. Also, parents like the fact that their children are listening to educational material versus non-educational material.
The Education Podcasting Network
The EPN is a website that people can go to to explore different educational podcasts. It explains to you what a podcast is and how you can find or subscribe a podcast on EPN. This website is great for teachers and students. They are organized in how they have separated the different types of podcast, for example all the music is together and all the math is together, etc. This is a great place to go to if you were doing an educational podcast.
Friday, September 24, 2010
C4K Summary #'s 1 and 2
My first C4K was Caleb Gartman. He is a smart young kid. He was not assigned a blog by a teacher, but wanted one just because. His dad was in Dr. Strange's Edm310 class. He has already done a vocaroo. I left him a comment saying that I was in a computer class and was learning new things as well. I told him to keep up the good work. I think it is great that he is willing to learn new things when he did not have too. It just goes to show that kids are smart and are willing to learn. They are interested in technology and should not be deprived of it.
After leaving a comment on his vocaroo, he has not put up a new post. I checked my email and found an email from him. He had sent me an email with a vocaroo attached to it. He said how he followed the link to my blog and watched my Google Presentation. He liked the picture of the moose that was in the presentation. He commented on my blog and told me that he was working hard on his blog and that he would keep it up. He is a bright young kid and I look forward to seeing more of his post in the future.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Blog Post 4
Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
I agree with Mr. McLeod on this post. He is very truthful and makes his point in a sarcastic manner to get it across to people. I do believe there are sites on the web that are not appropriate for kids and can be blocked. As far as being self-absorbed in social networking, I believe that it is okay to a certain extent. I would be worried if that was all day everyday, but not just a few hours. I think it is a good thing to know whats going on around you and for you to be aware of it.
Comments on post from EDM Students
There were a few students who was not completely aware of the sarcasm in this post. My advice to them is to read over it and be absolutely sure you know what the post is about before you comment on it.
Who is Dr. McLeod?
Dr. McLeod is an Assoc. Pro. at the Iowa State University in the College of Education. He is all for technology in school. He believes that technology is advancing too quickly and schools are not progressing fast enough.
The iSchool Initiative
He is a pretty inventive student to think of this and to do all of his research. The student shows the apps that are currently available on the iTouch and shows all that the iSchool could have available in the future. He basically shows us that a lot of the supplies and other stuff needed for school can already be done on the iTouch such as Starwalk, iHomework, and Formulae.
He also shows us how you can save a lot more money by using the iSchool which is around $150 versus buying supplies, textbooks which would save schools and students around $600. Along with saving money, people also saves natural resources such as trees.
The Lost Generation
At first, I was kind of disappointed because I am a family oriented person and when it said that work would be more important then family I completely disagreed. Then it started to be read backwards and I was quite impressed with it's layout. It was completely contradicting the first reading.
Eric Whitaker's Virtual Choir
At first I was not quite sure what is was and when I found out that it was a choir that was made up of webcams it was amazing. I have been in a choir and know how difficult it is and to think of how precise the timing must be for them all to be on key and synchronized just amazes me.
I agree with Mr. McLeod on this post. He is very truthful and makes his point in a sarcastic manner to get it across to people. I do believe there are sites on the web that are not appropriate for kids and can be blocked. As far as being self-absorbed in social networking, I believe that it is okay to a certain extent. I would be worried if that was all day everyday, but not just a few hours. I think it is a good thing to know whats going on around you and for you to be aware of it.
Comments on post from EDM Students
There were a few students who was not completely aware of the sarcasm in this post. My advice to them is to read over it and be absolutely sure you know what the post is about before you comment on it.
Who is Dr. McLeod?
Dr. McLeod is an Assoc. Pro. at the Iowa State University in the College of Education. He is all for technology in school. He believes that technology is advancing too quickly and schools are not progressing fast enough.
The iSchool Initiative
He is a pretty inventive student to think of this and to do all of his research. The student shows the apps that are currently available on the iTouch and shows all that the iSchool could have available in the future. He basically shows us that a lot of the supplies and other stuff needed for school can already be done on the iTouch such as Starwalk, iHomework, and Formulae.
He also shows us how you can save a lot more money by using the iSchool which is around $150 versus buying supplies, textbooks which would save schools and students around $600. Along with saving money, people also saves natural resources such as trees.
The Lost Generation
At first, I was kind of disappointed because I am a family oriented person and when it said that work would be more important then family I completely disagreed. Then it started to be read backwards and I was quite impressed with it's layout. It was completely contradicting the first reading.
Eric Whitaker's Virtual Choir
At first I was not quite sure what is was and when I found out that it was a choir that was made up of webcams it was amazing. I have been in a choir and know how difficult it is and to think of how precise the timing must be for them all to be on key and synchronized just amazes me.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Additional Assignment #1
a.)I like this search engine, but it is not my favorite.
b.) I personally favor this one more. I mainly like the way it is set up after you search something. I have just randomly searched items and compared them and I like the information it gives. I believe this search engine would be better than Google Squared for Educational purposes.
c.) I have never heard of Google Squared before.
d.) I have never heard of Wolframalpha either.
e.) It still amazes me about how technology along with everything has evolved because it has just in my lifetime. As far as the statistics, I do need to be careful about how I perceive them and to not believe everything I see. I know that statistics do tend to be dramatized and how they like to show the biggest difference as possible.
f.) What I learned from this assignment was to not believe everything you hear or see right off the bat. The best way to confirm what you have heard or seen is to research it. Do searches on different search engines to compare the information that was given to you to see if it is close or completely different.
Here is a picture of the Pitcairn Islands that I took from Wolframalpha.com
b.) I personally favor this one more. I mainly like the way it is set up after you search something. I have just randomly searched items and compared them and I like the information it gives. I believe this search engine would be better than Google Squared for Educational purposes.
c.) I have never heard of Google Squared before.
d.) I have never heard of Wolframalpha either.
e.) It still amazes me about how technology along with everything has evolved because it has just in my lifetime. As far as the statistics, I do need to be careful about how I perceive them and to not believe everything I see. I know that statistics do tend to be dramatized and how they like to show the biggest difference as possible.
f.) What I learned from this assignment was to not believe everything you hear or see right off the bat. The best way to confirm what you have heard or seen is to research it. Do searches on different search engines to compare the information that was given to you to see if it is close or completely different.
Here is a picture of the Pitcairn Islands that I took from Wolframalpha.com
Thursday, September 9, 2010
C4T #1
My comment to this was I agreed with him on how different grading styles played a major role in the oral evaluations. It made it hard for the students to know what the teachers were looking for. He gave an example of two children that were evaluated. One hardly talked and was accurate and the other student rambled on but was not accurate at all. I agreed that he was right in giving them the same grade. I believe you talk as much a you want, but if it does not make sense not accurate you might as well not have spoke at all.
The second post I commented on was Teaching According to Ability. It was about a language program that ranged from level 1 to a level 9. Students could not move up a level until they had achieved the requirements and passed the test to move up.
I do like the way that the program is structured. Teachers know for certain that their students are comfortable and fully understand all the material of that particular level. As a teacher, I'm sure that would give them assurance that they did everything they could to teach the students and the confidence that the students will do good in the next level.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Blog Post 3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
As a college student, I take about 13 hrs. a semester, so 13 hours of school a week. I work 30 hours a week at a daycare to pay my half of the utilities that my friend and I share. By the time that I get home, it is already 6:45 and haven't even started my homework yet and when I get through with that it is already 10:30-11:00 and I have to get up at 5:45. So this video depicts my schedule very well. I know that it has to be done and know there is nothing that I can do about it. You just have to suck it up and deal with it. Especially during the hard times. I am NOT the type to give up either.
There's nothing that really needs to be added. It already gives a very good description of college life. If I would add something it would be something about students that are parents as well as students and full-time employees.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
A teacher is someone who strives to do everything possible to help the students understand everything they need to know to accomplish what they have to. That includes making sure they understand the material. I have sat in on classes and observed them. I would grade the students tests and would give them to the teachers. They would be so frustrated because the students were not successful. They never failed to say that "I have taught this material over and over and yet they are still getting it wrong." Teachers have to be able to learn different ways to approach different students and to do that they have to be learner. I agree with her on that subject.
What I can not fathom is why deprive students of the ability to learn new and creative things by not supporting the use of technology. School is not school today without technology. Students have to be equipped with the knowledge of technology before college or they will be in serious trouble. Granted there has to be teachers that have a passion for teaching and learning, but their has to be technology in place.
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technology Illiterate Teacher?
I could not have said it better myself. I may not be the brightest when it comes to technology...yet... but I am getting there. I have a goal to learn as much as I can in EDM 310 and take it with me along with adding on to that knowledge. I used to be curious as to why teachers have to take so much of their specific field of study, and I now know that the educators have to be a step ahead of the students to be able to teach them. That now makes me wonder how can you be ahead of your students when you are decades behind with technology? It makes no sense. Technology is not going to go away. It is just going to evolve and grow. There's no reason to keep depriving yourself and your students the knowledge of it.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
That was unbelievable. At the rate the count is going now, I cannot imagine what it will be like 2 years from now when I'm a teacher. There will more than likely be something else that is knew. There is no way of knowing what it will be like, it is unpredictable. What I do know is technology will be the center of it all.
As a college student, I take about 13 hrs. a semester, so 13 hours of school a week. I work 30 hours a week at a daycare to pay my half of the utilities that my friend and I share. By the time that I get home, it is already 6:45 and haven't even started my homework yet and when I get through with that it is already 10:30-11:00 and I have to get up at 5:45. So this video depicts my schedule very well. I know that it has to be done and know there is nothing that I can do about it. You just have to suck it up and deal with it. Especially during the hard times. I am NOT the type to give up either.
There's nothing that really needs to be added. It already gives a very good description of college life. If I would add something it would be something about students that are parents as well as students and full-time employees.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
A teacher is someone who strives to do everything possible to help the students understand everything they need to know to accomplish what they have to. That includes making sure they understand the material. I have sat in on classes and observed them. I would grade the students tests and would give them to the teachers. They would be so frustrated because the students were not successful. They never failed to say that "I have taught this material over and over and yet they are still getting it wrong." Teachers have to be able to learn different ways to approach different students and to do that they have to be learner. I agree with her on that subject.
What I can not fathom is why deprive students of the ability to learn new and creative things by not supporting the use of technology. School is not school today without technology. Students have to be equipped with the knowledge of technology before college or they will be in serious trouble. Granted there has to be teachers that have a passion for teaching and learning, but their has to be technology in place.
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technology Illiterate Teacher?
I could not have said it better myself. I may not be the brightest when it comes to technology...yet... but I am getting there. I have a goal to learn as much as I can in EDM 310 and take it with me along with adding on to that knowledge. I used to be curious as to why teachers have to take so much of their specific field of study, and I now know that the educators have to be a step ahead of the students to be able to teach them. That now makes me wonder how can you be ahead of your students when you are decades behind with technology? It makes no sense. Technology is not going to go away. It is just going to evolve and grow. There's no reason to keep depriving yourself and your students the knowledge of it.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
That was unbelievable. At the rate the count is going now, I cannot imagine what it will be like 2 years from now when I'm a teacher. There will more than likely be something else that is knew. There is no way of knowing what it will be like, it is unpredictable. What I do know is technology will be the center of it all.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Blog Post 2
1. Did You Know? 3.0
I have never actually sat down and thought about exactly how everything has changed so rapidly. It is amazing to do so though. I tried to remember back to when I was little and think of where technology was at that time. My parents did have a cell phone. I remember my grandmother having a car phone that stayed plugged into the cigarette lighter and had a cord. We did not even have a computer.
To think about how I grew up and then how we operate today is crazy. Just about every kid has a cell phone and a computer at home. You can now do just about everything on your phone that you can on a computer. There's Xbox and other game systems that will allow you to talk to people through the internet. There is also Skype that will allow you to converse and see people that are all over the world. Technology has came so far from what it used to be and needs to be taught in school. It keeps changing and evolving everyday and students need to be aware of that.
2. Mr. Winkle Wakes
After watching Mr. Winkle Wakes, I was pretty disturbed, but also embarrassed for the Education Field. People do not want to believe that the school systems are that behind in technology but it is the truth and it is pitiful. It makes you think about why the schools stay so far behind in technology.
Is it the cost of keeping the technology in classrooms up to date, issues with the state, or is it that the schools are using the money in other projects such as athletics.
To me, I believe that more money should be used to keep technology up to date in schools. People have to start thinking of those students that were deprived of learning the latests technology. When they get in the real world, they will have to know how to do certain objective that could have been taught to them while they were in school instead of them having to learn on their own. Mr. Winkle Wakes is a great film that shows people just how important it is to keep up with technology.
3. Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I thoroughly enjoyed this video because of the point he makes. Children should not only be taught the basics of Mathematics, Literature, and Sciences. The students creative sides should be supported and be able use them freely. For example, The girl that could not be still. If someone would have suppressed her creative side then who knows what or who she would be this day in time.
As future educators, we should never suppress a child's freedom of expression. We should also never deprive them of the choice of creativity. We should be supportive and encouraging to every child or students ideas or creative side.
4. Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
What Mrs. Davis did with that program is amazing. I like how she structured her class. She did so in a way that she encourages the students to learn on their own and teach it to the others including her. It helps them to build a sense of accomplishment and give them confidence that they can do anything if they put their minds to it.
EDM310 is structured basically the same as Mrs. Davis's class is. We are left to figure out the technology ourselves and if we need help or get in a predicament all we have to do is ask. I believe that is a good learning technique. Students who are just told what to do how to do and are basically handed the answers do not learn. They are doing just enough to pass and graduate, but in the long run it hurts them tremendously because now they are out of school on their own and do not know how to teach themselves anything.
I have never actually sat down and thought about exactly how everything has changed so rapidly. It is amazing to do so though. I tried to remember back to when I was little and think of where technology was at that time. My parents did have a cell phone. I remember my grandmother having a car phone that stayed plugged into the cigarette lighter and had a cord. We did not even have a computer.
To think about how I grew up and then how we operate today is crazy. Just about every kid has a cell phone and a computer at home. You can now do just about everything on your phone that you can on a computer. There's Xbox and other game systems that will allow you to talk to people through the internet. There is also Skype that will allow you to converse and see people that are all over the world. Technology has came so far from what it used to be and needs to be taught in school. It keeps changing and evolving everyday and students need to be aware of that.
2. Mr. Winkle Wakes
After watching Mr. Winkle Wakes, I was pretty disturbed, but also embarrassed for the Education Field. People do not want to believe that the school systems are that behind in technology but it is the truth and it is pitiful. It makes you think about why the schools stay so far behind in technology.
Is it the cost of keeping the technology in classrooms up to date, issues with the state, or is it that the schools are using the money in other projects such as athletics.
To me, I believe that more money should be used to keep technology up to date in schools. People have to start thinking of those students that were deprived of learning the latests technology. When they get in the real world, they will have to know how to do certain objective that could have been taught to them while they were in school instead of them having to learn on their own. Mr. Winkle Wakes is a great film that shows people just how important it is to keep up with technology.
3. Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I thoroughly enjoyed this video because of the point he makes. Children should not only be taught the basics of Mathematics, Literature, and Sciences. The students creative sides should be supported and be able use them freely. For example, The girl that could not be still. If someone would have suppressed her creative side then who knows what or who she would be this day in time.
As future educators, we should never suppress a child's freedom of expression. We should also never deprive them of the choice of creativity. We should be supportive and encouraging to every child or students ideas or creative side.
4. Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
What Mrs. Davis did with that program is amazing. I like how she structured her class. She did so in a way that she encourages the students to learn on their own and teach it to the others including her. It helps them to build a sense of accomplishment and give them confidence that they can do anything if they put their minds to it.
EDM310 is structured basically the same as Mrs. Davis's class is. We are left to figure out the technology ourselves and if we need help or get in a predicament all we have to do is ask. I believe that is a good learning technique. Students who are just told what to do how to do and are basically handed the answers do not learn. They are doing just enough to pass and graduate, but in the long run it hurts them tremendously because now they are out of school on their own and do not know how to teach themselves anything.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Blog Post 1
My name is Leslie Ketchum and I am from Creola, Alabama. I have two sibling's Kevin Ketchum(16) and Laura Ketchum(22). My parents were divorced when I was ten and my mom got remarried to Chip Logan. He is basically my dad because he treats me like I am his real daughter. Family means a great deal to me. They are always there when you need them and will always stand behind you. I look forward to having my own family down the road.
When I was younger, I used to play school with my little brother. I was always the teacher. I always knew I was meant to be in education, but was not quite sure which part I wanted to be involved in. It was Secondary Math, but it is now is Elementary Education. I decided that upper-level math just was not for me, at least not right now.
I enjoy spending time with friends, family, and my boyfriend. I love to sing and have been since I can remember. I also love the outdoors. It is so peaceful and relaxing and since I am in college, I need as much of the outdoors I can get.
When I was younger, I used to play school with my little brother. I was always the teacher. I always knew I was meant to be in education, but was not quite sure which part I wanted to be involved in. It was Secondary Math, but it is now is Elementary Education. I decided that upper-level math just was not for me, at least not right now.
I enjoy spending time with friends, family, and my boyfriend. I love to sing and have been since I can remember. I also love the outdoors. It is so peaceful and relaxing and since I am in college, I need as much of the outdoors I can get.
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