Final Reflection Blog 15

Project 15 Collaboration

My group consisted of Anna Faggard, Stephanie Tisdale, and myself. We worked great together through this collaboration! We used many of our resources that was suggest such as; Skype, Google Chat, and Google Docs. I found that they were all very helpful for our project. My favorite would have to be Google Docs. This is because our notes and everything was right there, and we didn't have to be where wifi was in order to use it. We could just pick up our phones and write on it. I really enjoyed working with my group to come up with our Science/Anatomy project! It was fun and great to learn new ways to communicate.

Project 16 Part C

Project 15

Final PLN

There has been so much that I wanted to put on Symbaloo. I couldn't think of everything, but I did fill up my spots with what I look up the most. I have Facebook and Twitter on there of course. I added all the wiki's on my Symbaloo, but I even found a KidsWiki, which I believe will help me in the future. I put USA on there because that is my main site that I go to. I already had my sports page up and my shopping, but for quick and easy access I put Walmart, Target, and Best Buy on there. This is so I can see if they have any good deals or have any items I am looking for. I could always look and wish I had the money to buy it. I tend to get lost a lot so I made sure that I had two types of maps on there, so I used Mapquest and the Google Maps. I have been told that MyPlate is a really good resource to get our students to eat healthier, so I added MyPlate. Like I said I added a lot of buttons on there, and they all mean something to me. Every button makes my life easier, and I use it a lot. Symbaloo is now my homepage it just makes life a lot easier!

Brian Cosby

I had no idea what the video TEDxDenverEd by Brian Cosby would be about.

As I watched I was thinking oh goodness it is going to be someone lecturing! I should have known, especially from this class, that even a personal speaker can be interesting, and he was! I laughed and was engaged the entire time. I was watching and taking notes wondering what I could learn from him. I learned a lot more than what I thought I would. Brian Cosby talks and presents some very interesting points. He talks about his classes and how that they are at risk secondary language students. He shows a couple questions that he asks his students and how many got them right. To be honest it was a little upsetting that only 3 of them knew what country they lived in. Mr. Cosby showed that if you do not give up on student. Every single student is bound to surprise you and others.
Many people would have called these students of poverty and would make excuses for them not knowing some information. Mr. Cosby said that every student has the right to receive knowledge! This is what he gave each and every individual learner. As I watched this video I saw all of the ways he taught his students such as; digital cameras, blogs, interactive whiteboards, and laptops etc. He used every tool he had to make them engaged and want to learn.

Using a giant balloon filled with helium and watching it take off with the camera. Being able to blog about it and watching it in real time with Google maps is just amazing! It just proves that technology is just the future of learning.
Younger students want to be heard, recognized, and commented on. By using Skype, blogs, and other useful tools they can. This will make them want to collaborate not only in the classroom, but also outside it as well. This is what any teacher wants to work towards. This helped with Mr. Cosby’s students with writing their “High Notes” and stories about if they were the balloon with language accuracy. To all the teachers who do not want to accept the technology all I have to say is watch the proof. It really does help the students and that’s what we are working for.

A Vision of Students Today

The video A Vision of Students Today really speaks to me. I am the student that is looking at Facebook in class. I am the student that has to pay for books and never open them. We have all of the issues and problems that can be solved by using the technology that is here. By using the tools that have been given.

As a teacher, we can save our students from paying more and being less engaged in our classrooms. We can do this by letting them use the resources that they already have (Google, Facebook, Cell phones, etc.). Teachers have the power to make class interesting, they just don’t. I’m not saying it is their fault. They are told to follow a curriculum and that is what they do. I think that there is ways to make every class interesting. Instead of using books let the students make a wiki or have them make a blog. Keeping our student s separated and keeping them as individuals instead of combining them together.

C4T Final Teacher

First Week

Mrs. Edna Sackson is the publisher of “What Ed Said” website. I have had the great opportunity to comment on her blog the past couple of weeks. The First week that I read her blog she made a survey for all teachers to take. This survey is to figure out how to improve the learning and teaching environment. To take what is working for teachers and keep it and what isn’t and throw it out. I explained to her that I thought this was an amazing idea. We need teachers to come together and talk about what engages the students and what makes them want to learn more. This way that when future teachers come in they are not hit by a lot of road blocks. I explained to her that I know that everything doesn’t always work for every particular teacher, but at least we would have some sort of idea. This idea would help formulate a good teaching style to work with. I told Ms. Sackson about flipping the classroom. I asked her if she had ever heard of it, and I explained what it was. I told her that it would be a great way to get the students to be more interactive.

Second Week

The Second post that I commented on was Mrs. Sackson showing a video asking students what creativity is. She got numerous responses and all of them different. I told her that I really did enjoy her video. I thought the students were very creative in their responses and they sounded very articulate. I discussed that what one student found interesting and creative another might not. This is why creativity is so unique and personal. I think that it is sad how creativity is lost. Once the students get to middle school and high school they have to fall in line with everyone else. This just keeps thing simple for the teachers at hand, but this makes it difficult for our students. I told her that we need to have students learning the material by interacting with other students, and being able to create things.

Final C4K Summaries for November

C4K 7

On November 1st I went to Dr. Vitulli’s blog. There she was discussing how she was in Ireland and how great of a time she was having. She also was discussing some of their great art works. She asked us to interpret a painting that she saw and place it in the beginning, middle, or end of the story. I discussed how I thought the painting was during the middle of the story. I explained that the two people in the story seemed to be upset and that the gentleman was going off to war. The fair lady did not want him to go and was trying to hide her tears, so her face was turned. I got into a little more detail and said that the soldier died in battle, and at the banquet for the soldier’s death she meets another. This is only to find that her beloved wasn’t actually dead at all!

C4K 8

On November the 6th I commented on a wonderful little boy’s blog named Zeth. Zeth created a wonderful blog post that had a dozen of informational facts about Alberta. He had pictures, links, and videos on the page. He discussed about the animals and the plains that are located up there. I told him that I thought he did a great job and that I would love to know how he made it. I told him that I loved wild animals and watching them in their natural habitat. It in a sense is very peaceful and relaxing. I gave him a couple facts that I knew, such as; Alberta makes up the most populous region of Canada.

C4K 9

On November 13th I wrote a comment on Kyle P.’s Blog. On his blog he was discussing what you should do if you find out about a surprise party. You either tell them that you already knew, or you act very surprised. Kyle said do not act surprised if you are not a good actor. This could be very bad if everyone found out you were faking it. I asked him if he wrote this about himself. Maybe he had a surprised birthday party that he found out about and he thought about his choices. I explained that he was right about really only having two choices when finding out about a surprise. You don’t want to disappoint anyone because they went through all of that effort to surprise you. On the other hand if they found out you were faking it they could be very upset.

C4K 10

On November 20th I commented on Hannah’s blog. She discussed about Veteran’s Day and how it is a holiday to celebrate the soldiers protecting and serving our country. She discussed that she was proud to have someone serving in the armed forces. Also, she wants everyone to make sure that they celebrate this holiday because if it weren’t for them we wouldn’t be as free as we are now. I told Hannah that I too was also proud to have many people I know in the armed forces. I agreed with her about being able to walk around freely because so many have sacrificed their lives to make it safe for us. I gave her some factual information about how at first it was not Veteran’s Day. It originally was Armistice Day celebrated after WWI, but when WWII happened the country made it Veteran’s Day.

Final Progress Report

I have a wonderful group, which includes: Jessica Mose, Stephanie Tisdale, Anna Faggard, and myself. We have been able to communicate through text message and on the phone in order to work on our project. We have over half of it done already! We want this project to be very enjoyable to we are trying to make it humorous and serious at the same time. This is because we want our audience to be engage and be able to learn from our message. Like we have witnessed in many of our blogs if a student is not engaged they will not pay attention. We hope that this video will help future EDM 310 students. Our group will be meeting right after Thanksgiving to finish up our project.

Blog Post 12.

During the past few weeks I kept thinking about what I would have wanted Dr. Strange to do in our class. I had no idea what I would have wanted him to do. There is so much that we have learned and accomplished so far in this class. We have learned how to make book trailers, movies, how to use a green screen, blogs etc. I finally decided on what we should do after thinking for weeks. I love how IPhone, IPads, and IPods have really cool apps. Especially ones that are helpful for school! When we were asked to pick which app would be most useful I couldn’t decide. I then thought to myself “why not create my own?” and I did. We talk about how we want our students to follow what their assignments are. What is better then something that always goes with them? For my assignment I created my own App, and this is how I did it.

•I went to mobile.conduit.com

•Click Create App.
•You will be asked if you have a website click no.

•Then get started creating your app. Remember you can change the style and format of the app.
•After you have finished click Save and Continue.
•You will be brought to a new screen. You will be asked to sign in or to create a new account, please do so.
•Your app will be displayed, but not put into the market places.

Unfortunately you will not be able to have your app in the market places unless you pay for it, but it will always be saved for you if you ever do want to use it. It is quite easy and fun to do. Just make sure you have an open mind and be willing to explore! If you would like to see how mine turned out, or to get it on your mobile device you can click here

Ms. Cassidy and Blogging

Ms. Cassidy started off with 5 computers, no programs, and the Internet. She wanted to be able to incorporate the computers into the classroom some how. I mean what is the use in having computers if you don’t utilize them? So she decided to look on the Internet for something useful. Wouldn’t you know she found blogs!

She found that she could coordinate homework assignments, information, and writing assignments on one simple website. She was able to become an Internet guru and found other sites and programs to teach her students. One of these amazing and useful programs being Skype By using this program the students were able to talk to not only other students, but also different types of professionals. She described that she would have been able to do all of this without the support from the technology coordinator.
Ms. Cassidy made it known in her video that she is very pro technology! Which is great we have to move with the times. Paper and pencil is going out of style, so to speak. I had no idea what blogging was until I got into this class. I didn’t realize how much it could do for not only the students, but for the adults as well. As a parent, being able to see my son’s online portfolio would make me feel more at ease with his learning experience. This is because I would be able to see what he is learning and how well he is learning it. Not to mention he would love writing his blog. He is already starting to take my cell phone and he is only one. No, but seriously having an audience is what students strive for. They want that attention and to feel like they are doing a great job!

With positive reinforcement and ways to keep them engaged we will get father with them.
For all of those teachers who think that they can get away with teaching old school, get with the times. Technology isn’t going away EVER! We are going to have to grow with it. This means to put the pencils and paper away, and get out the laptops! If a teacher is to keep teaching their old ways then they a literally handicapping themselves and their students, which isn’t fair. Not to mention if this is going to get your students to do their work and do it without a fight why wouldn’t you take advantage of it? The students wants the whole world to see what they are working on, which means they will be working harder and making it better.
Another great thing that Ms. Cassidy mentioned in her video is that you have to start with what works for you. I love Facebook I am on it probably about 6+ times a day. I know Facebook, and when Dr. Strange mentioned this Twitter thing to me I literally said “OH GOD NO!!”

Now I feel like an idiot because it does help me in some situations. I am still not a pro, but I do see the perks in having one, so thanks Dr. Strange!
Blogs are useful in every classroom and every subject. Blogs can be used for announcements, information, and resources. There are a lot of ways to cheat in a classroom, but because they are on a class blog there is a better change there won’t be any. Blogging is just another way to view information. I think that we are going in the right direction in for learning we have to make sure that we push our students to do the right thing. They need to choose the right links to go to, write nice things to others, to learn, and have fun!

A World Where Grades Don't Exist

In the article A World Where Grades Don't Exist I think that Dr. Thrun brought up some very valiant points. I think that he is not trying to replace in classroom teaching. Instead I think that he is trying to expand the way of learning and the learning environment. Expansion, to me, doesn't mean that we need to get rid of the old material. It just means that we need to bring in some new material. I did really like the idea of not having to pay for classes, or having to pay a small fee. I don't think that anyone would have a problem with free things. As a struggling parent of one this would be a miracle.

I do agree with Dr. Thrun when he states that we should not be the ones to tell the students they whether they are doing well or not. Unfortunately the Board of Education and School Administration requires us to give grades. Now, I love technology as much as the next person, but I am not the kind of person who doesn't want a grading system. I'm not saying that I have to grade every detail, but if a student wants to know why if they turn everything in on time and they do it to the best of their ability and they get a B. What will you tell them? "I'm sorry I didn't find that you did it well enough" that just throws everything out the window. How can we expect our students to not have a grading system, and to tell them to do it to the best of their abilities.Then turn around and say I'm sorry I don't think this is the best you can do. Who are we to judge the best of their abilities?
On the other hand I do not want to be Mrs. Picky and have to have every detail broken down. I do not want to grade a piece of art work and say I'm sorry that line is not straight enough, Sally you will receive an F.

I think grades are important and essential in the classroom, so that the students know whether or not they are on the right track. Because in real life the think that they are doing their job to "the best of their ability" or "until they know how to do it" they will end up losing their job. Like I said I think that he did bring up some very good points. I just don't think that a couple of them would work for me as a student or a teacher.

Summaries for October C4K# 3,4,5,&6

C4K 3

On October 5th I commented on a student’s blog named Courtney. She discussed about how she found 9th grade more difficult than the 8th grade. She felt like she didn’t know anyone and that she was on the bottom of the totum poll again. She was thinking about what changes her quality of life, and thought about her hobbies. I explained to her that highschool is a new experience and that everyone has ups and downs. I explained that as long as she takes things one step at a time and keeps her head up she would be just fine. I explained that a lot of things could change her quality of life such as her friends, new scenery, or new teachers. It is what she does with it that will make her quality of life great.

C4K 4
On October 12th I commented on a group project about globalization. They explained that there are pros and cons to having globalization. They mainly focused on how the workers are treated and how the working conditions were. I told them that there are a lot of pros such as ways to communication, cultural, and food. I explained that working conditions are very bad, but unfortunately the only ways to change that is by consulting with the higher ups. Unfortunately we can’t change the way they are treated only they can.

C4K 5

On October 17th I commented on DJ Carmel’s blog. He was discussing a little about himself. His likes and dislikes. He explained that he liked old school rap and basketball. He didn’t have any other blog posts, so I commented on this one. I told him that I agreed with liking older school rap because it had more meaning. The words are what caught the ear of someone. Not the beat of the music. I explained that I am not good at basketball, but I do love watching it. I asked him his favorite team and told him that mine was the Celtics.

C4K 6

On October 24th I commented on Jackson’s blog. He had a discussion about a book that he had read called the “Outsiders”. He talks about a character named Sodapop and about how he is very close to his brothers and hates it when they argue. Also about his great sense of humor and his determination. When I commented on his blog I explained that I had never read the book, but I was very good at interpreting them. I guessed that he was the middle child and that he is a lover not a fighter. Also that he is great at what he does and he doesn’t let anything get in his way. I asked if Jackson had any siblings or if he was the only child.

C4T Summary Teacher #3

First post

In Ms. Diane’s first post she talked about the art of listening. How it is desperately needed in schools and in other work environments. She listed a couple of strategies that could help with increasing a students listening ability. One of the examples she gave was giving them a personal story of what happened when you didn’t listen and what was the consequence. Another was to get them into groups and have them listen to their partner and repeat their sentence. She explained that not only is it just good manners to listen, but it is also beneficial to. This could help them with their reading and listening for a longer period of time.
I explained to Ms. Diane that I agreed with her statements. I explained that I had to do some of the strategies that she was listing with my younger sister. I told her that when I am subbing there is nothing more aggravating then when a student refused to listen. Either that or bushes you off and does what he/she wants to anyway. Listening will help everyone, adults included. This is why we should start them young while their brains are easier to mold.

Second Post

In Diane’s second post she posted about how optimism is a must in the classroom. She talked about how student’s minds are changeable, so if we enforce optimism they will in turn use optimism. There are a lot of rewards to using optimism such as the student’s creativity and turning in assignments in on time. She discusses that optimism is more about the effort put into the assignment. Where as pessimism is their ability. If the student’s feel that they aren’t going to do a good job then they are not going to give the assignment any effort. This will then make their grades become lower. Diane also discusses some strategies that are helpful such as R.A.D.A.R., Deal with it, TNT, and delete. R.A.D.A.R. stands for recognize, assess, dispute, alternative, and rehearse. Deal with it means for them to take care of the problem right away. TNT stands for The Next Time, which means student’s learn from what they did wrong and fix it. And delete means to get rid of the negativity.

I wrote to Diane that I do agree with her on optimism being a must. I said that many teachers and parents do not always show their optimism, which is why students do not do well. Even if there is one person in their life showing their optimism this will help the student out. Pessimism can have a lot of consequences such as: procrastination, bad grades, and late assignments. The students do not believe that they can do better, so they do not put forth the effort. We need to be able to say to the students that they are doing a good job, and that we are proud of them. If there is no positive reinforcement why would they try to work harder? Even if there is not others in their life that show optimism there should be at least one person. One smile can make a room full of smiles. Smiling is a lot easier than a frown.

Blog Post 10

I’m a Papermate, I’m a Ticonderoga

I find the comic “I’m a Papermate. I’m a Ticonderoga” , by John T. Spencer to be very interesting. This comic literally puts in perspective of higher end technology versus lower end technology. The only thing is that it is stating the pros and cons for each.

The papermate is cheaper, but it breaks all the time. So that would be great for someone who wants to not spend a whole lot at first. The only downside is that they are going to have to keep replacing the Papermate. Now, with the Ticonderoga it states right off the bat that it is the most expensive piece of technology. The positive side is that it will not break easily and it is for “hipsters”. This means that it is the coolest thing around. So in perspective, even if a person pays for the cheaper technology now it will end up being just as expensive, with the repairing and replacing, as the higher end technology with one buy.

Mr. Spencer’s Post

When I was reading Why Were Your Kids Playing Games by Mr. Spencer it reminded me of when I sub. Students walk all over substitutes because that is what they think that can get away with. Substitute is just another word for babysitter to them, but if the teachers start leaving us something fun, such as; the “Fun Factory”, we can integrate learning and fun. This way students will be more willing to learn not only from their teachers, but also from their substitutes.

If we just give them a book and a worksheet and say “Go at it”, most of the students are going to ball it up and the piece of paper will end on the floor. I think that the principal had no right to tell the teacher how to teach his lessons. I say good for that teacher! We need more people like him because he knows what will get the kids engaged. It is almost as if the administrators do not care if the kids are engaged just if they are memorizing information. Hey I got news for you! That doesn’t work! Students do not want to be lectured all day. They get bored and frankly I would to. Give them something fun! Don’t make learning miserable!

After reading the Con Academy I asked the questions why are there teachers? I mean I know there are billions of answers out there, but what is the main answer. Oh yeah! TO TEACH!! Why would we bring in a bunch of worksheets and packets, and lets call it for what it is BUSYWORK, when we are there to teach the students?

Students do not need or want busywork they want to be engaged! They want to have fun while they are learning. In this blog post it almost seems as if the principal doesn’t respect his decisions at all. I mean come on! You have to see that this Con Artist of a man just wants your money. Yea its “free” now, but it won’t be later. Besides later may be to late! Students do not learn from worksheets and packets. They learn from interacting, visual aides, and group projects. Give them a worksheet and it will be crumpled on the floor or in the trash. Forgotten.

What Dr. McLeod thinks

I think that Dr. McLeod has made a very clear point in his post Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff Please . Technology is reaching new heights and there is no way to stop its growth. So instead of waging war against it, we should all just embrace it. Let us use the resources to better ourselves.

No, not everything on the internet is factual and knowledgeable, and yes there are some bad sights. But that is not all that is out there. We can make sure out students are on the computers for learning and resources not some good porno. Teachers can sort out the facts from the fiction. There are ways of preventing bad behavior and actions! If we do not use the internet then we are losing a valuable resource. When Dr. McLeod stated that his students will be the ones with a leg up in a decade he is being honest.

Project 14 Smart Board

Project 11 Under the Sea

Book Trailer Project

Blog Post 9

Mr. McClung’s Blog Post 09-10

Ok Mr. Joe McClung is one funny man. I looked at how long his blog post was and I just wanted to cry! I thought geeze I didn’t realize that a person could learn all of this in one year! As I started to read his Blog Post from 09-10 I got really intrigued, and I just could not stop reading. It’s like my eyes were glued to the screen while I was reading his words.
Mr. McClung is a very interesting teacher and even though he was fairly new at the teaching thing when this blog was posted it seems like he has it put together. He explains that at the beginning of the year he started out with a bunch of challenges. Challenges such as; going from middle school to junior high, from science to social studies, and even different schools. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing and he became very dull.

A teacher I would assume we all would dislike. He woke up one morning and decided that he hated the way he was teaching, and changed what he was doing.
As the school year went on Mr. McClung noticed that his students were not doing what he wanted them to. Not in the sense that they weren’t doing their work, but they were not thinking for themselves. A big NO NO for Mr. McClung! He decided to change up in a way that students would feel that there were no right or wrong answers.
Mr. McClung discusses that the most important thing that a new teach could do is get a school mom.

These are “veterans” of the school. They will assist and stand up for you when you need them.
Passion for your job is very important as Mr. McClung stated. Having the passion for your job no matter what topic or area you are teaching will better your year. Also let the students have responsibilities this will be able to help your alleviate some of your stress and help better your time management.

Time management making sure that you have enough time scheduled to go into depth with your subjects is another biggie that he talked about.
Lastly Mr. McClung talked about making sure your work is focused on your students and not on anything else. When your attention is focused else where your teaching can start to slip. Making not only the other grown-ups suffer, but making your students suffer as well.
Believe it or not this is a summary of Mr. McClung's blog post. It is very long, but very interesting. I learned a lot by just reading this blog post! Mr. McClung made very interesting points! No matter what subject you are teaching you should always make it interesting. How are the students suppose to learn anything or find anything interesting if you don’t find it interesting.
Making them think for themselves! My sister to this day (she is 14) still looks for answer from me.

Even though the majority of the time I have no idea what she is talking about. The students want to make sure that they have the right answer, but it comes down to there is not always a right or wrong answer.
I started subbing this month, and it has been… eh… not the easiest job in the world! Mr. McClung is absolutely correct you must find a school mom. They will be there for you, show you the ropes, and be able to listen when you need them to. I had so many teachers come into my rooms amazed that I was keeping the students quiet and doing their work. They told me if I ever needed anything that they had my back, and that meant a lot to me! I love being able to say I DO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT!

Giving students responsibilities makes them feel important and special. I actually asked a student to pass out papers, or be the line leader. I instantly had a reaction everyone wanted to do it, and they took it pretty seriously.
The students are the most important thing. This is why were are becoming teachers! Not to start up fights or meaningless drama. Our students need our help to learn and stay focused to better their lives. We will always keep progressing we just need to be progressing in the right areas.

Mr. McClung’s Latest Post

In Mr. McClung’s latest post from 11-12 he discusses many things. He explains that this year he started worrying more about his peer’s opinions.

Something that he has never done before. Something that he has never wanted to do. It took him a while to get out of his “funk” and get back to his regular teaching. This is because if you feel like you are doing well you will not do well.
He also talks about challenging yourself as a teacher. If a teacher were to teach the same thing year in and year out they start to become lazy and boring. If a teacher starts to challenge himself/herself they will than become exciting and vibrant. It is like colors there is more then just black and white.
I think he is right. Worrying about others instead of doing what you know has worked isn’t the right way to go. You are not there to teach your peers you are there for the students.

Making challenges will always get someone to better himself/herself no matter what job they are in. I really did enjoy his blogs.

Symbaloo Rocks!

First Summary

I downloaded Symbaloo today. I feel like the world is at my fingertips. No longer do I have to go and find my links. I logged into all of my accounts and I was able to access them by one click. No more of having to worry about my passwords or usernames. This makes life easier. I then added my blogger account and USA's website. What's even better than that is that I still have more buttons to fill in. I can also add in websites from teachers or professors that I have been reading about. Symbaloo is a great way to keep up with information, sports, and events. I just have to think about what more I can add to make my life a little easier. Thank you Symbaloo!

Blog Post 8

Multimedia Savvy? I think so!

I have always loved paperback books. I loved opening a new book and being able to smell the paper! Flipping each page and hear the beautiful crisp sound as it folds over. Richard E. Miller described the he has the same feelings I do about books. In his video This is How We Dream Part 1 and 2 , Mr. Miller describes his affection with books, but he also explains their limitations. As Mr. Miller explained there are millions upon millions of books. And thousands of libraries, but the problem is not every library has the same book. Therefore some student, teacher, child, or adult is missing out on different information.

Mr. Miller brings up the Internet. Describing how there is infinite knowledge and ways to research the riches of the world by using the internet. I have to agree with him. Books are wonderful and very handy, but how useful is a book if you cannot locate it? Not only that, but everything lives forever online. Not like the library where books get worn out, torn, or lost. Therefore losing more information that was needed.
Being able to see pictures is wonderful! You get to visualize and depict the research you are looking up. What is even better than pictures is a video! Being able to watch a favorite war scene or seeing the emotions as a speech is given. A book cannot give a person this luxury! How about being able to hear everything such as; cannons going off, Martin Luther King giving his speech, different types of songs. This is all possible with media learning.
I found out in Part 2 that with ITunes U a person can be able to listen to different lectures! This something completely new to me! I kept thinking, “Man if I would have known about this earlier I would have turned this on for my dad. Instead of reading him his Orthopedic books in the car.” This is very useful especially for people, such as myself, who are always on the go. This is a new exciting way for not only younger students to learn, but older students as well. This is just another way to integrate the internet into our daily lessons. I think that this will be useful for anyone who can work a computer!

Carly Pugh’s Blog Post #12

I think that Carly Pugh went over the top on her assignment. It was an excellent assignment and a great idea! I think that she was where Mr. Miller was on the idea of multimedia due to her wanting to use YouTube and other types of visual aides. As she said in her post she thinks that students and others can learn better by using some type of visual.

This is also a great idea to help answer the question “Why am I becoming a teacher?” This is the most important question for an educator! If an educator doesn’t have a good reason, or doesn’t know why he/she wants to become a teacher he/she is in the wrong career field. I think that this would have been a great assignment to try in anyone’s classroom! I hope I can come up with something that great when I think of what Dr. Strange should have assigned.

My Ideas!

In the first video EDM310 For Dummies I just thought it was the funniest thing! I couldn’t stop laughing and then when I did I watched the video again and started laughing all over. I think that having a book for this class is a great idea! I would like to think of myself as computer savvy, so I do not think that I would need to use it all that often. Others on the other hand can become so frustrated that this would ease their pain.
In the video The Chipper Series it seems like Chipper is not being a good student and following up with her work. She ends up being all the things that a student shouldn’t be. Such as Chipper procrastinating or blaming Dr. Strange for not “teaching” her. Eventually she drops out and thinks of a really bad idea that ends up terribly. Then she ends up becoming an awful teacher!

I think I would like to create something along the lines of two different students living two different lives. One lives his life studying and working hard. While the other one goofs off and enjoys his/her time. Then see where they end up in 20 years! That would be cool.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

I have learned a lot in just this class. There is so much out there that no one realizes is out there! For instance a lot people do not realize that Facebook and Gmail accounts can be academic. This is because no devices are allowed in school. Now do not get me wrong I do not want my child to be on an IPAD when he is only 5 years old! However, I do want my child to be able to type 50-100 words a minute. This is because as implied in the video Learn to Change, Change to Learn technology is becoming a more vast resource. We use computers to give tests, to write paragraphs, to do research, and other things.

When we have our students who go out and use email, Facebook, and twitter to communicate and research how are we to tell them to turn it off? Now, I do want to put it out there that the majority of the students will want to use their devices for other means. This means that they will not being using them for educational purposes. I see the good and the bad of being able to use technology and not using technology.

Scavenger Hunt

I think that in the Scavenger hunt the tool that would be almost like Facebook or Twitter is the community tools. This tool allows teachers to communicate with students or parents any time anywhere. This would allow the students to ask a question after or before school hours. Or allow parents to see what assignments his/her child is suppose to be accomplishing. This will also be able to keep assignments from being turned in late.
The Powerpoint was made by Prezi. This slideshow miracle allows students and teachers to use its’ services for no charge. Of course that is only for the basic. Get this if you want to up to the highest level the price is… drum roll please…. $4.92 a month! That is just amazing to be able to use such a wonderful service for such a low price! I think one of the video tools apps that I like the most is the Animoto. This application can be used with music or your own voice. It can help teach lessons in an interesting way.
To see my comic click here
I created my poll:

Family on PhotoPeach

Mr. Warlick's Post

Week One

When I was reading Mr. Warlick’s blog post he was discussing how he was listening to his regular podcast by Steve Hargadon. Mr. Hargadon was talking about whether or not political parties were discussing education. His response was “NO!” and that got Mr Warlick thinking “Should we really expect them to when they aren’t educators?” He states that education is a sore subject and that politicians do not talk about it if they do not have to. He finds this outrageous because they are “amateurs” what do they know what we need in the classroom?

My response to him was they do not know. They discuss the topics that they know will get out votes. As I said to Mr. Warlick I have a one-year-old son and I do not want him getting his education in the 49th worst educational state. Something needs to be done about our educational system! There is no reason what so ever that China and India should be trampling us with knowledge. It is also because we put so many restrictions on what can and cannot be taught. Some students do not even know what Darwin’s Theory is until high school. This is because it tramples on the first Amendment. Education is important and I know that Mr. Warlick and me are not the only ones that think it.

Week Two

In Dr. Warlick’s second post that he mentions that in the New York Times newspaper there was a quote from Arne Duncan declaring a war on paper textbooks. Dr. Warlick asks the question if we are declaring war on the wrong item. He proclaims that it is not what the children carry in and out of the classroom, but the experiences they get out of it. He wants Mr. Duncan not to declare war on paper, but to declare war on anything that doesn’t help our students learn.

I agreed with him! I posted that even though there is a convenience of the tablets and IPods, textbooks are still very useful. They will never lose your data or stop running if the battery gets to low. On the other hand technology is just plain out handy you can have multiple books on a small, or medium hand sized device. I love being able to just carry my laptop or tablet around and have the world at my fingertips. I explained that it does not matter what we think is better. We are not the ones learning the material. It is up to the students to choose which is better for them.

Blog Post 7

Networked Students

When watching the video “Networked Student” by Wendy Drexler I was amazed at all of the information that was provided. I realize that Google, Yahoo, and Bing can give a vast amount of knowledge for research, but there are other sources than those I have listed. As mentioned in this video there are ways to do research on an IPod, Computer, and ITunes. A student can literally find information about any topic at any time. This just leaves the question “Why would a student need a teacher’?
Well the teacher is there to, as Alex has stated in his video, offer guidance when the student gets in a jam. This is a very important for a student to be able to go to

his/her teacher and ask questions. For instance if a student finds different opinions on a certain topic, which one should he/she go with? Well the teacher can offer his/her assistance to allow the student to get better information on that topic. The teacher can help sort out the false information from the factual information.
Another reason is the teacher shows how to communicate properly and ask respectfully for help from professionals. If the student does not know how to communicate with his/her classmates this could be a big issue. The students won’t be able to compare and contrast notes with others. This would lead to not getting correct information.
The teacher is also able to help the students turn the search into a scavenger hunt. This makes the topic interesting and fun. In a way it is sort of like a game! Who can find out the most accurate information on a certain topic. Even though we have a lot of resources to receive information teachers are needed for many different reasons.

BUTTONS!

In the video Welcome to My PLE I was in shock. The students have so many buttons on their computers. The buttons are all gateways to knowledge! You push one button you escape to a blog. Push another and you land in places you have researched for a topic. Doing school work this way is just wonderful! It is neat, organized, and cool. This gives the students the freedom and responsibility that they crave when they are young. Students feel that since they have the freedom they are willing to do the work

accurately and on time. This is a fun and interesting way to learn. I can see my students getting excited over something like this and I would love to put it in my classroom some day!

Project 8

Blog 6

When I saw that the video The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch was over an hour long I dreaded watching it. After the first time I viewed it I had to watch it again and again. I believe that I watched the video at least 3 times. I thought it was very good, sad, exciting,

funny, and heart throbbing. Randy Pausch made mention to a few things that I would love to put in my classroom. One of topics he mentioned was about fundamentals being a necessity in learning the “big stuff”. I agree with him whole-heartedly on this subject. How are you supposed to understand how to read without learning the alphabet? How are you supposed to know how to figure out an equation without knowing how to add? Fundamentals are the single most important lesson a teacher can teach a student. This is due to fundamentals being the key components that make up the “big stuff”.

Another idea I agree with Dr. Pausch about is his idea of the Brick Wall. I have had a lot of brick walls in my life. A lot of them were really hard to overcome, but I managed to do so. Every student is going to have brick walls in their life. Some of them harder than others, but it is the ones that get over that brick wall that shows you their determination. Finding a way through that Brick wall shows how

badly they want something. I think that if a teacher can find that something that will push the students to get over that brick wall they are doing a great job! Just like John Snoddy said, “If you wait enough time some people will tend to impress you”.

Having fun is one of Dr. Pausch’s main topics he pushed. I have the exact same view as he did. There is no point in learning anything if it isn’t fun to learn. A student won’t retain any information if all he/she receives is a lecture. If a

teacher were to throw something fun at them, such as a game, they will be keener to learn. I was one of those students who couldn’t just sit back and listen to a lecture. So I will not be the kind of teacher to sit back and give a lecture. I will be a Tigger of the group of teachers. A quote from Dr. Pausch stated, “Try to get kids to have fun, while learning something hard” and it is the truest statement I have ever heard.

One last thing that I certainly agree with him on is giving feedback. No one is a mind reader. No one can tell what he/she is doing right or wrong. Giving feedback is one of the most crucial components a teacher has. Giving feedback can also be very tricky, especially when you do not use the right tone. How a teacher

says something can make or break a student. So be nice about the feedback, but make sure the mistakes are corrected. Dr. Pausch was a brilliant man, and I am very glad that I got the opportunity to learn more about him.

TimeToast Timeline

September Summaries

On September 20th I read Nikita’s blog. She wrote about a man that I have never heard of, named Richard Whitehead. He is a double amputee who won the 2012 Olympics for Britain. I was very thankful for Nikita’s blog because I was able to learn about a person’s perseverance and determination. Richard Whitehead won the 200m race in record time this year. He also holds two different records for double amputees. He is a very impressive man and I enjoyed reading and learning about him.


Also at the end of September I posted on Mr. Capps blog. Mr. Capps was discussing how if the students kept going over their material, they would be able to be more fluent in their reading. I told him that I agreed with him. I explained that I use to be dyslexic and was terrible at reading. My dad kept pushing me and pushing me to try my hardest and do better. Eventually, I learned to get past my dyslexia.
Mr. Capps had a great idea that if there was more engaging material the students wouldn’t mind reading it. So Mr. Capps put a funny poem on his blog calld “The Armpit of Doom,” by Ken Nesbitt. This poem was so funny it made my sides hurt from laughing. I explained to Mr. Capps that it was a wonderful idea to have the students read poetry. Not only does it help them with fluency, it also will give them a good laugh!

Blog Post 5

Travis Allen and ISchool

In the video The ISchool Initiative Travis Allen was seventeen years old when he formed an amazing idea. The idea was to create a world where schools don’t have copy machines, pencils, paper, or books. An idea to put more technology in the school and less trees. I think that this is a great idea, but at the same time I have some issues with putting just technology in the class. Putting ISchools in the class can be an amazing alternative to books. It will help them with organization, homework, and communication. When a student is able to see

what items are due on what day and have recordings of their teacher it is an amazing concept. Not to mention that if they do miss a day they can get a Podcast app or talk to one of their friends about what they missed. I do see the upsides in having ISchools in the classroom. I also see the downsides as having them as well. There are just so many unanswered questions. Such as what about the parents that can’t afford the ISchool? An ISchool is $150.00 that is a lot to some parents that are barely scraping by. Especially in this economy when a mother or father can barely find a job or keep one. How about when the ISchool dies in the middle of class? I have had that happened to me and I couldn’t look at my math book when I really needed it! Then a student can fall behind, or not know what is going on. Not to mention we are giving these to teenagers and children. What happens when it breaks? Do we have to pay for another one or does that just go towards our taxes? I honestly do think that this could be a revolutionary idea and the Travis Allen is on the right track in his video ZeitgeistYoungMind's Entry. But we need to fix all the kinks before we transfer to all technology.

Eric Whitacre’s Internet Choir

As I watched Eric Whitacre’s video “Lux Aurumque” harmony just fell over me. The melody was so beautiful and peaceful. When I read Jennifer’s blog that none of the choir members had met each other I was in amazement. I know that the internet can do some pretty

powerful things, but this was just absolutely jaw droppingly good! I guess that if you find a few good people, or I guess in this case 182 good people, anything is possible.

The 21ST Century

Kevin Roberts in his video “Teaching in the 21st Century” sees education changing in general. He states that we as educators are here to help teach the students how to use Google EFFECTIVELY. This is due to them already knowing how to use Google, but we need to teach them the resources to do a good search. Teachers in a way would be insignificant if it weren’t for them being able to teach the students how to utilize the tools they are given. A student can find out anything on a computer, but it is a teacher’s job to “filter” the material.

I feel like it will be my job to help students sort the good information from the bad. That in order for the students to better strive they will need a leader to show them the way. It will make me want to engage them more! Make them want to learn instead of being required to learn. It is a scary thought how a student can go home and learn how to do algebra on the web instead of paying attention to his/her teacher. Like Mr. Roberts stated, “There is a difference in Entertainment and Engagement.” A teacher wants his/her students to be more engaged then entertained because of all the benefits.

Flipping the Classrooms

Dr. Lodge McCammon is a researcher and professor at NC State. He developed a wonderful program called flipping the classroom . He believes there is too much lecture in the classroom and not enough engaging activities. I agree with him there is too much lecture from the teachers and not enough time for the students to actually work out the problem themselves. Once the flipping of the classrooms begins it could put a whole new lease on education and learning.

In the video Flipping the classroom- 4th Grade STEM by Mrs. Munafo of Hilburn Academy, Mrs. Munafo explained that she believes the idea of flipping the classroom is amazing. This is because she will be able to let the students go into group activities with them already knowing subject and topic of the assignment. Instead of lecturing the entire class it gives her time to sit down with the groups and answer questions. I would love to use this in my classroom. It would

be a fun and engaging way to get our students to learn and ask questions. Also it gives them more time to work together to solve their problems instead of going home and not knowing what to do. Furthermore, Mrs. Munafo stated that if certain students didn’t have a computer they could come in the morning and do their assignment. What a great idea!

My Sentence

Blog Post # 4

One of the first links I went to was First Graders Create their own Podcast. I think that it is truly spectacular to just be able to get the younger students more involved in their work! The substitute, I’m assuming, took the initiative to take the students into small groups and have them recorded. This will help them in the future by

teaching them to distinguish pitch and tone of a character. It will also help their imagination expand and to create how they would want the character to sound or to behave. This could possibly help them with memorization, as well. When I was a little girl my family and I would go on road trips. We would be listening to an audiobook, I always learned and remember more from the audiobook then from an actual book.

I was watching The Benefits of Podcasting in the classroom , by Joe Dale, and it confirmed what I was thinking about Podcasts. Podcasting allows for a higher end of learning and it also makes room for creativity and innovation. It helps bring the stories to life and keeps the student’s attention. Podcasts can also help the students get a

better feel for the subject or the topic that they are learning about because they become the teachers. They decide what is important, what should be taught, and to what extent.

I did not even think of podcasts helping with students who are out sick. I mean it happens there is nothing that can really be done about that. But if a teacher were to have a podcast the student wouldn’t have to worry about missing important information, or falling behind on assignments.

After reading Podcasting with First Graders the idea of Podcasting was pretty much confirmed to be a great idea. A teacher can use this tool for any grade or any age. Podcasting is exciting, new, and fun. It makes the students want to get up and actually do this project because every child wants to be listened to. In a way the younger students feel famous because they are on IPods everywhere. I think that this is a great idea to help them read and comprehend. It is easy, affordable, and not only the students like to do it, so do the teachers!

Project #5- Presentation

Dr. Bennett's Blog

First Post

In my first blog encounter with Dr. Bennett he was discussing Google+ Hangouts On-Air. It is a brilliant idea where a person combined Skype and YouTube all in one. A person, or in this case a teacher, can broadcast themselves live and record at the same time for later use. While they are broadcasting they can get asked questions and they can answer them right there. In Dr. Bennett’s blog he discussed how they were going to interview teachers about their “norms” and discuss what they do to get a student to learn.

I said that this was a brilliant idea and that I can’t wait to see it. I replied that everyone that is starting out to be a teacher, especially me, is nervous about if they are going to a good job. Learning about what teachers have been doing for a while and what works for them could inspire us to use or revamp their ideas. Being able to ask questions is one of my big things! I want to know what works, what doesn’t, and whom it works for. This broadcast will be able to help us future teachers out!!

Second Post
In Dr. Bennett's second blog he states he has started to let his students evaluate and grade themselves. He says that there are four rules that should be followed when doing this. One create a simple Google form for the certain topic. Two to do even numbers for how well or how bad they think that they understood the topic. Three make sure you TALK to your students. This helps them stay on track and helps the teacher to stay on top of how they are progressing. Lastly, four have them set plans and improvements for the next topic, or for the same topic.

I explained to Dr. Bennett that I agree with him on everything he discussed. I explained to him that by having an even grading system it helps them actually think how they are doing instead of just putting down an answer. That grading themselves will help them be their own critics and give a little breathing room for improvement and cognitive thinking. If they discuss what they did wrong they are more likely to not make the same mistake next time. Also, that staying on top of the students helps the teacher to evaluate if they are improving and progressing. Ergo, communication is the key for this objective. I thought that this was a really impressive teacher who had many ideas that I agree with. I will be following him extensively on twitter.

Blog Post 3

Peer Editing:
Before I started watching these videos I thought I had a good idea of peer editing. All I had to do was look for grammatical errors, spelling errors, and punctuation errors. I was wrong, in the video What is Peer Editing I realized that you do have to correct the errors, but there are some guidelines. A lot of people do not like to be called out publicly about their mistakes. It could embarrass them and make you look like a bully, even if you are only trying to help. I see benefits for both; saying suggestions through a comment and through an email, but if I had to go with my gut I would put it in an email. Through a comment other students could see the mistakes, and make sure they didn't make any of their own. Towards an individual it could make them feel embarrassed, humiliated, and picked on. This is especially if the corrections are coming from someone your own age. I feel if you write an email it will seem less harsh, and more suggestive and caring.

In the video Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes I learned that not only do students make these mistakes, but so do adults. For instance Picky Patty, no one is going to have a perfect paper! The reason for this is because we are human. Ergo nothing we do is going to be perfect. As peer editors, or even as teachers, we can’t mark off or make a big fuss for small mistakes, such as there being to much space between a word and a comma. All in all there is good and bad ways to do a peer review and being negative and harsh is a bad way to review. Give a lot of compliments and suggestions, if the student decides he/she does not want to change their paper it is up to them. Do not be a Pushy Paula!

Technology for Special Needs
If it wasn’t for my laptop, tablet, and my IPhone I probably wouldn’t be able to function properly. I am on Google every 5 minutes, on Facebook every hour, and on my Gmail every 2-3 hours. So before I watched the video Technology in Special Education, I already thought technology was important.

I know that teachers need technology for every type of class, especially the special education classrooms. Most of the students have a hard time writing, speaking, or hearing. Having technology in the classroom would better help them get

their work done faster and more efficiently by letting them see, type, and hear better. Technology can help make the lesson more interactive and enjoyable. When students can look up the material and see pictures and animations, rather than a PowerPoint it makes them more engaged in the lesson.

Not only does it help the students, but it helps the teachers as well. When a student in special education, or not, has illegible handwriting it is difficult for teachers to be able to read and grade appropriately. It makes it easier for teachers and students to communicate to each other. Altogether technology just makes learning more fun.

How the IPad works with academics for Autism
I found the video How the IPad works with academics for Autism , inspirational and outstandingly brilliant. So when I was looking up an App I was very picky on what I would use. Then I found an app called the “First Word App”.

What it does is it calls out a letter for the child to pick and put in the right spot. The app spells out an animal, vehicle, or any type of word. After the word is put together it will spell the word out one more time and then says it aloud.

I would definitely use this in my classroom because this promotes reading and spelling. This app helps the children learn their ABC’s and helps them learn different objects. Plus I don’t know about anyone else, but when I see new exciting things, get to play on a computer, or work on a tablet I have more fun and am more willing to learn in the process. This is an app that I approve! In my opinion it will help the students have a fun way to learn.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students Digital Smarts:
Vicki Davis, on Harness Your Students Digital Smarts , has it all figured out in my opinion. She believes that we shouldn’t have to always be the teachers. That the students can show us, the teachers, a thing or two if we let them. Ms. Davis believes that using pen and paper is old school, and if those are the only tools we use only a select few students will succeed. She thinks that the students will succeed better if we start introducing technology to our students.

I agree with Ms. Davis I want to be able to teach a little to give the students a little push, and afterwards letting them teach me. I do not want to have

to always tell them what something is. I want them to go and research and look things up, and be able to find ways to search subjects. It is, in my opinion, more affective if we use the Internet. This is due to it being faster and more efficient researching a topic on three different sites within a couple hours. Instead of having to go to the library and look up in encyclopedias, which will take a couple days. I believe that if we give the students the “wheel” so to speak we will be amazed where they can take us.