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

Podcast Project #8

Get Your Own Free Hypster.com Playlist.

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.

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.

Project 5 Google Presentation

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.  

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

C4T #1

I was giving a teachers blog to comment on. His name is Mr. Andy. In the first post, he was explaining the difficulties in oral evaluations of  students. The evaluations for the the students varied greatly. It was difficult for many reasons including different grading styles, determining the grade for the level of communication and accuracy, and  finally the lack of communication experience such as not knowing what to talk about. 
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. 

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.

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.