Saturday, May 7, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
C4T
I was assigned Larry Ferlazzo's blog http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/. His first post was about visualizing and how he has his students visualize each day on what their goals for that day. I commented how much I liked this idea and that I actually use visualizing a lot myself.
His second post I commented on was a recommendation of a website on 16 tips for using your iphone. This website told you some little known things that your iphone could do. My response on this post was to thank him for the tips. I told him I love my iphone and those were all great things to know.
His second post I commented on was a recommendation of a website on 16 tips for using your iphone. This website told you some little known things that your iphone could do. My response on this post was to thank him for the tips. I told him I love my iphone and those were all great things to know.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Special Assignment - Metaphors
1. Why did you miss the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post, or, if you "hit the nail on the head", why do you think you understood the metaphor and why do you think that others in the class missed the metaphor?
2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them?
3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors?
4. Why do we use metaphors?
1. I understood that it was a metaphor and I kind of answered with a metaphor. I am just not sure I completely understood it. And I don’t think anyone understood my response.
2. always a bridesmaid, never the bride
bells and whistles
blood is thicker than water
cool as a cucumber
costs an arm and a leg
to drink like a fish
sour grapes
to fight tooth and nail
3. I think Metaphors are as hard to understand. But they are an important part of our language. Students need to be able to recognize metaphors and how they are used in our daily language.
4. I love metaphors. I think they add a color to everything. Metaphors make people think. They add a twist to an ordinary conversation.
2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them?
3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors?
4. Why do we use metaphors?
1. I understood that it was a metaphor and I kind of answered with a metaphor. I am just not sure I completely understood it. And I don’t think anyone understood my response.
2. always a bridesmaid, never the bride
bells and whistles
blood is thicker than water
cool as a cucumber
costs an arm and a leg
to drink like a fish
sour grapes
to fight tooth and nail
3. I think Metaphors are as hard to understand. But they are an important part of our language. Students need to be able to recognize metaphors and how they are used in our daily language.
4. I love metaphors. I think they add a color to everything. Metaphors make people think. They add a twist to an ordinary conversation.
Final Report on PLN
Sunday, April 24, 2011
C4K
The posts for Mrs. Yollis and her student Grace were both about quality commenting. I commented on both posts how useful their information was since I was new to blogging. Both posts mentioned a 3 point comment which I thought was a great idea. I also commented how I really liked blogging in the classroom and was hoping to incorporate it in my classroom in the future.
My other post was from two students and where they went on their Christmas breaks. One kid went skiing in Poland and the other went to India. I commented on how much I liked to ski. I also thought it would be really cool to go to India for Christams and what great memories they would both have.
My other post was from two students and where they went on their Christmas breaks. One kid went skiing in Poland and the other went to India. I commented on how much I liked to ski. I also thought it would be really cool to go to India for Christams and what great memories they would both have.
Blog Post 13
ALEX stands for Alabama Learning Exchange. It is a project from the Alabama Department of Education. It was created to provide many different types of educational tools and information to educators, parents and students such as lesson plans, WEB links and interactive activities. Most of these resources are connected to Alabama Courses of Study by National Board Certified Teachers.
The resources on ALEX are endless. Teachers can find lesson plans, WEB resources and professional studies. There is an area where they can store and submit lesson plans. There are courses of study for every age group on any subject. There are numerous podcasts to watch. ALEX is an ongoing project. It will continue to grow based upon user input.
Websites like ALEX and ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide) are only a benefit to teachers. To be able to obtain ideas and information from some of the best educators in the state is incredible. Both ALEX and ACCESS are easy to navigate and very user friendly. All teachers should have knowledge of these websites so that they can provide the best for their classroom.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Progress Report on Final Project
For the final project, my partner and I have already chosen a topic and have been working on thoughts and ideas for it. It is an idea we both thought would help future students in this class, since both of us had this issue.
Blog Post # 12
One of the things I struggle most with in school is time management. I realize from watching some of the videos we have been assigned in this class, I am not the only one. It seems like the number one complaint from students is there is not enough time in the day. So I found a video on Time Management that gave some great tips on ways college students can manange their time better. After watching this video, are there any tips you would add?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Special Assignment - Mr. McClung's World
1. What do you know (or have you found out) about Mr. McClung that is reflected in the way he has constructed his class blog? The way his blog is constructed gives the impression that Mr. McClung loves information. He likes to find it and organize it.
2. Comment on what you would say about Mr. McClung as an educator. ? As an educator it appears that he is very energetic. He is definitely not a 7 to 3 teacher and very dedicated to his job. You can tell from his blog that he puts in a lot of extra time into his classroom.
3. I asked above that you read Mr. McClung's "rules" and think about them. What do they say about Mr. McClung, his teaching, and his connection with his students? What is your reaction to these rules (and guides) as a student and as an aspiring teacher? I thought his rules were great. He keeps them to a minimum which shows that he knows what his students can handle. I think this a good idea because if you make too many rules they just forget them. By having just five basic rules and some expectations students will know what is expected of them.
4. What was the first thing under Everyone needs? Why do you suppose that is the first requirement? Day planner. This is important so that the students can stay organized and keep up with what is going on in the classroom.
5. Note the penalties for being late (under Homework). Compare them with my penalties for being late. Comment. He doesn’t assign a lot of homework but if you are late the penalties are: 1 day late = loss of a letter grade, 2 days late = loss of a letter grade, 3 days late = loss of a letter grade, 4 days late = failing grade on the assignment.
6. Read carefully his paragraph about what he hopes to accomplish with his blog. Comment and apply to your own aspirations as a teacher. He calls it the “vehicle that drives majority of the technology in our classroom.” He uses the blog as a means of communicating information about his classroom to student, parents, and other teachers. I think this is a great way to keep everybody informed on what is going on in the classroom and hope I can incorporate something very similar.
7. I asked you to review at least two Useful Links in depth after reviewing all of them. Which two did you review in depth? Describe each of the two. How might each be used? Why do you think each made Mr. McClung's list. The first one I reviewed in depth was Convince Me http://www.convinceme.net/. I loved this one and I am going to add it to my Twitter account to follow. I think this one is really cool because I love to argue and usually my opinion is not the popular one. This web site shows students that they are all entitled to their opinion and can stand up for what they believe. It shows them that there is nothing wrong with them not all agreeing on everything. The second one I reviewed was Guys Read http://www.guysread.com/. I thought this was a great link. My son struggled with reading for many years until I started reading Harry Potter to him. Boys don’t like to stop, sit down and read. Sometimes it takes a lot of encouragement to get them to pick up a book. So this is a great web-site where boys can find books that other boys have really enjoyed. It also has lots of links to other stuff that boys would enjoy.
8. Under Internet Safety I asked you to read carefully the rules Mr. McClung sets forth for safely using the internet. Comment on these rules. Are there any you would add or subtract. Keeping children safe on the internet can be tricky. I think Mr. McClung’s rules are pretty good and he covers everything pretty well.
9. In the C4K part of this blog I asked that you look carefully at one of the categories under which you assigned post was filed. What did you find? Select one of the posts in the category and review it for me. I reviewed World Festivals. What a great opportunity this was for students. They got to learn so much about foreign languages in a creative way. It was so much better that sitting in a class and repeating what a teacher said.
10. Mr. McClung uses Edublog as his blog host. In some ways it may seem more "advanced." But Blogger has many abilities that we have not covered in EDM310. This leads to this question: Is there anything (or things) that Mr. McClung can do with his blog that you would like to do in Blogger? I thought his log was great.
11. In what ways does Mr. McClung make his blog useful to parents, teachers, administrators, students like you, and others? He has tons of information. As a parent I would love this because I would always know what was going on in the classroom and what my child was doing. As a student it is a great blog again because of the information and ideas he provides.
12. How does Mr. McClung's 8th grade blog differs from other blogs you have visited including other 8th grade blogs? Why the differences do you think? It is just such a big blog. Some of them I have visited don’t have near the information or resources that Mr. McClung has.
13. Add any additional comments you think would be useful in analyzing Mr. McClung's World in depth. Only thing I would say that would be useful when analyzing his blog is to take your time. Mr. McClung has a lot of good information to observe.
2. Comment on what you would say about Mr. McClung as an educator. ? As an educator it appears that he is very energetic. He is definitely not a 7 to 3 teacher and very dedicated to his job. You can tell from his blog that he puts in a lot of extra time into his classroom.
3. I asked above that you read Mr. McClung's "rules" and think about them. What do they say about Mr. McClung, his teaching, and his connection with his students? What is your reaction to these rules (and guides) as a student and as an aspiring teacher? I thought his rules were great. He keeps them to a minimum which shows that he knows what his students can handle. I think this a good idea because if you make too many rules they just forget them. By having just five basic rules and some expectations students will know what is expected of them.
4. What was the first thing under Everyone needs? Why do you suppose that is the first requirement? Day planner. This is important so that the students can stay organized and keep up with what is going on in the classroom.
5. Note the penalties for being late (under Homework). Compare them with my penalties for being late. Comment. He doesn’t assign a lot of homework but if you are late the penalties are: 1 day late = loss of a letter grade, 2 days late = loss of a letter grade, 3 days late = loss of a letter grade, 4 days late = failing grade on the assignment.
6. Read carefully his paragraph about what he hopes to accomplish with his blog. Comment and apply to your own aspirations as a teacher. He calls it the “vehicle that drives majority of the technology in our classroom.” He uses the blog as a means of communicating information about his classroom to student, parents, and other teachers. I think this is a great way to keep everybody informed on what is going on in the classroom and hope I can incorporate something very similar.
7. I asked you to review at least two Useful Links in depth after reviewing all of them. Which two did you review in depth? Describe each of the two. How might each be used? Why do you think each made Mr. McClung's list. The first one I reviewed in depth was Convince Me http://www.convinceme.net/. I loved this one and I am going to add it to my Twitter account to follow. I think this one is really cool because I love to argue and usually my opinion is not the popular one. This web site shows students that they are all entitled to their opinion and can stand up for what they believe. It shows them that there is nothing wrong with them not all agreeing on everything. The second one I reviewed was Guys Read http://www.guysread.com/. I thought this was a great link. My son struggled with reading for many years until I started reading Harry Potter to him. Boys don’t like to stop, sit down and read. Sometimes it takes a lot of encouragement to get them to pick up a book. So this is a great web-site where boys can find books that other boys have really enjoyed. It also has lots of links to other stuff that boys would enjoy.
8. Under Internet Safety I asked you to read carefully the rules Mr. McClung sets forth for safely using the internet. Comment on these rules. Are there any you would add or subtract. Keeping children safe on the internet can be tricky. I think Mr. McClung’s rules are pretty good and he covers everything pretty well.
9. In the C4K part of this blog I asked that you look carefully at one of the categories under which you assigned post was filed. What did you find? Select one of the posts in the category and review it for me. I reviewed World Festivals. What a great opportunity this was for students. They got to learn so much about foreign languages in a creative way. It was so much better that sitting in a class and repeating what a teacher said.
10. Mr. McClung uses Edublog as his blog host. In some ways it may seem more "advanced." But Blogger has many abilities that we have not covered in EDM310. This leads to this question: Is there anything (or things) that Mr. McClung can do with his blog that you would like to do in Blogger? I thought his log was great.
11. In what ways does Mr. McClung make his blog useful to parents, teachers, administrators, students like you, and others? He has tons of information. As a parent I would love this because I would always know what was going on in the classroom and what my child was doing. As a student it is a great blog again because of the information and ideas he provides.
12. How does Mr. McClung's 8th grade blog differs from other blogs you have visited including other 8th grade blogs? Why the differences do you think? It is just such a big blog. Some of them I have visited don’t have near the information or resources that Mr. McClung has.
13. Add any additional comments you think would be useful in analyzing Mr. McClung's World in depth. Only thing I would say that would be useful when analyzing his blog is to take your time. Mr. McClung has a lot of good information to observe.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Blog Post #11
First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class
Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy
I really liked the interview with Ms. Cassidy and the video of her class. I definitely think I would use a blog in the classroom. I love how the blog keeps parents so informed. So many parents can’t get into the classroom as much as they like but the ability for them to be able to go on the blog and see what their child is doing is great. They can keep up with their progress all year long. It is so important to keep the parents involved as much as possible.
I think the only downfall about using a blog is making sure the parents were comfortable with it. Sometimes people are funny about showing their children’s picture or letting them participate with internet activities. I think I would handle this problem the same way Ms. Cassidy did by instilling precautions when posting children’s pictures and names. I think once you make parents comfortable with this, they will be fine.
I also liked her use of the nintendogs. This is a really good way to teach kids so many things. They learn how to work together, responsibility and also all about dogs. I had previously read about nintendogs on another teacher’s blog that I reviewed. After I saw it on went on the internet and researched it to see what it is all about. It is now nintendogs plus cats. So you can have a dog or cat. I am including the link nintendogs + cats to the website.
Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy
I really liked the interview with Ms. Cassidy and the video of her class. I definitely think I would use a blog in the classroom. I love how the blog keeps parents so informed. So many parents can’t get into the classroom as much as they like but the ability for them to be able to go on the blog and see what their child is doing is great. They can keep up with their progress all year long. It is so important to keep the parents involved as much as possible.
I think the only downfall about using a blog is making sure the parents were comfortable with it. Sometimes people are funny about showing their children’s picture or letting them participate with internet activities. I think I would handle this problem the same way Ms. Cassidy did by instilling precautions when posting children’s pictures and names. I think once you make parents comfortable with this, they will be fine.
I also liked her use of the nintendogs. This is a really good way to teach kids so many things. They learn how to work together, responsibility and also all about dogs. I had previously read about nintendogs on another teacher’s blog that I reviewed. After I saw it on went on the internet and researched it to see what it is all about. It is now nintendogs plus cats. So you can have a dog or cat. I am including the link nintendogs + cats to the website.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Comments 4 Kids
My first post was to a student about a tennis match:
Hi Brooklyn,
I am a student at the University of South Alabama in a class called EDM 310. I am studying to be an elementary school teacher. I think it is really exciting that you are a competitive tennis player at the age of 9. I am happy to see that you won your first match. It is always great to win but what was even more impressive was your great attitude after your second match. Good luck in your future games.
My second post was to a student who wrote a great poem about riding on an airplane:
Hi Micaela,
I am a student at the University of South Alabama in a class called EDM 310. As one of our assignments we get to read students blogs from many different schools. I am so glad that I got to read your poem. It was great. I am never very good at rhyming words and having it make sense at the same time but you did an amazing job with that. Keep up the good work!!
Molly
Hi Brooklyn,
I am a student at the University of South Alabama in a class called EDM 310. I am studying to be an elementary school teacher. I think it is really exciting that you are a competitive tennis player at the age of 9. I am happy to see that you won your first match. It is always great to win but what was even more impressive was your great attitude after your second match. Good luck in your future games.
My second post was to a student who wrote a great poem about riding on an airplane:
Hi Micaela,
I am a student at the University of South Alabama in a class called EDM 310. As one of our assignments we get to read students blogs from many different schools. I am so glad that I got to read your poem. It was great. I am never very good at rhyming words and having it make sense at the same time but you did an amazing job with that. Keep up the good work!!
Molly
Comments 4 Teachers
The last two weeks I followed the blog of Jen Deyenberg. She is a primary teacher that is Canadian but currently residing in Scotland. I loved her blog. She had some incredibly creative ideas. Her first blog was about Geocaching.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. This particular lesson was based on the book The Very Hungry Butterfly. Ms. Deyenberg was able to incorporate so many things into this one lesson, literature, science, art, listening, and working together.
Her second post was equally as inventive. She used something called Nintendogs. This a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo. This project gave her students a chance to learn the real responsibility of taking care of a dog. They worked in groups of three and had to learn to work as a team to take care of their pet. She also had a veterinarian come in and speak to the class about how to take care of their pets.
I definitely recommend checking out her blog at http://www.trailsoptional.com/. She is very creative and has some great ideas.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. This particular lesson was based on the book The Very Hungry Butterfly. Ms. Deyenberg was able to incorporate so many things into this one lesson, literature, science, art, listening, and working together.
Her second post was equally as inventive. She used something called Nintendogs. This a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo. This project gave her students a chance to learn the real responsibility of taking care of a dog. They worked in groups of three and had to learn to work as a team to take care of their pet. She also had a veterinarian come in and speak to the class about how to take care of their pets.
I definitely recommend checking out her blog at http://www.trailsoptional.com/. She is very creative and has some great ideas.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Blog Post 10
I agree that there is nothing worse than sitting hours on end listening to someone lecture about something. It definitely is hard to stay focused. Usually by the next day I am unable to remember 90% of what was even said. I liked the video that Dan Brown made. He made some great arguments for changing the education system. I especially liked the quote about having to pay hundreds of dollars for books that he never opened and that information was now free.
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home
This a great post. That we can let something so small like taking pencils home seem so big. It sends the message that we really need to stay focused on the big picture.
Blog Post 9
What I've Learned This Year
It is always helpful to have someone else's insight. Mr. McClung gave some great advice on how to handle the first year of teaching. He was able to be honest with himself and learn from his experience. I think that one of the most important things he stated was being flexible. You always have to be ready for any curve balls that life throws you and I can only imagine that this is especially important in teaching. Mr. McClung seemed to realize early on that being able to go with the flow was going to make his teaching go much smoother. He also found out that even though his formal education was done, that he still could always learn more. Knowing this will only make him grow each year as a stronger and better teacher. I am definitely going to bookmark this article so that I can go back and be reminded of his ideas when I start my first year of teaching.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Blog Post 8
I liked how Richard Miller incorporated Martin Luther King in his videos “This is How We Dream.” To me this sent the point home that changing from the reading/writing culture to a listening/watching culture is a big dream. That it is not something that can be done overnight but it is something that can be accomplished with a lot of hard work.
Richard Miller touched on some very good points about why this is an important idea. The fact that you can now buy is book for $.59 on Amazon.com was a great message. It shows how quickly technology is changing. That printed books are soon going to be obsolete. We are going to continue to move forward to find new and better ways to get information out there.
Whether I am prepared to write with multimedia, I am not sure. I am not really sure I completely understood the whole concept of it. To me in some ways it looked like a wordle. Whether my students are going to be able to write with multimedia, I think they definitely will. I think if that is how they learn from the beginning that is all they will know.
The Chipper Series
EDM 310 For Dummies
If I were going to create a video for this class, it would be a video on how to filter all the information that is available. As I have said in previous posts, I struggle staying on task with so much material out there. Some of it is necessary but some of it is not. It is almost like when cable TV was first introduced. People became like crack addicts with all the different channels they could access. Gone were the days of 10 basic channels. I think a lot of the programs we can now get are pretty useless as well but it still easy to get sucked in and lose hours at a time.
These videos send me the message that I am basically not alone. In being overwhelmed or understanding the class. If I can learn to manage my time successfully I should be able to master the class. This unfortunately is easier said than done with all that crack, uh I mean information waiting for me.
I think this video made some bold statements. The last statement “the death of education but the dawn of learning” really summed up the video. The only thing that concerns me is that when something dies to make room for something else, SOMETHING is always lost. The death of the small town is a good example. When small towns died, a lot of people felt that the closeness of a community went with them. So what will be lost with the death of education? I think as educators, parents, and students this should be considered before completely killing off the education system as we know it. It may not be visible right now but I guarantee something will be lost.
The Secret Powers of Time
Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
I really liked both of these videos. My way of thinking I think is pretty obvious from some of my previous posts. I am a past thinker. I am pretty sure I am a past positive thinker. I struggle with moving from the good ole days. I think this can definitely effect how I think about things and my drive for success. If I am content with what I already have it is harder for me to move forward and accept change. I feel I am already successful so why change what is working. I need to be willing to look at new ideas and listen to them with an open mind.
I found it amazing that people really are not motivated only by money. In actuality I think it is great that people are motivated by something else. I really don’t find it that hard to believe that people are motivated by other things. I don’t think that being motivated by the feeling that you get when you succeed is a bad thing. To me it also promotes a sense of self-respect.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Project # 10
Blog Post 7
I found Randy Pausch ‘s lecture very inspirational, I also found it very disconcerting. Randy was a great speaker. He had so many great ideas and aspirations that reached so many people. Yet he is all across the board. Until the end of his lecture you cannot appreciate where he was coming from.
Randy coined a great term “head faking.” Nothing is truer, “the best way to teach kids something is to make them think they are learning something else.” Of all the things he spoke about, this was definitely the focus of what Randy believed.
Randy believed in setting goals and following his dreams. He decided early on what he wanted to achieve. This is a very important in life. No matter what lies in front of you, you keep striving for what you want. And as he says when you hit a brick wall, you keep on going. The brick wall only stops those less determined.
Randy spoke of so many ideas going in so many directions. Never lose your child-like wonder, help others, never give up, were just a few. But the real kicker was the whole video was just a “head fake.” It was all the many life lessons he wanted for his children. While I felt he was going in so many directions, it was all just the things we would like our own children to understand. But it all was wrapped up in the most important lesson he could give to educators,” head faking.”
Comment C4T
I have been commenting on the blog of a teacher from Melbourne, Australia named Edna Sackson What Ed Said. In both of her blogs she was discussing change. In her fist post she commented on introducing technology in the classroom and how to get all teachers on board. She listed 10 steps to help achieve this goal. These steps even included ideas on how to persuade the most resistant teachers. I told her how much I liked her post because I am one of those people that struggle with change and I thought she had some excellent suggestions that even I would accept.
Her second post again was about change. This time it was about change in a how a teacher thinks about her classroom. She feels like the lessons should focus more around the students than the teacher. I commented that I thought this was an excellent idea and would definitely keep this in mind for my future classroom.
Monday, February 28, 2011
C4K Comments
The first blog I commented on was a boy named Eli. He had a very short post on the Tron Legacy movie and his excitement to go see it. Apparently it has flying disks of death and deadly motorcycles.
My second blog comment was on a boy's post who told why he liked sports particularly baseball and basketball. He didn't say a whole lot except that he liked both sports.
My last blog comment was a video that a couple of boys at Pt England school made for the ChristChurch earthquake victims. They told the people of ChristChurch that they knew words may not help but they were thinking about them.
Blog Post 6
The Networked Student and a PLE are great ideas. But I really have to wonder how many students can pull this off. Every time I sit down to watch an assignment or read a blog, I am focused on the task in front of me. By the time I am done I am saving endangered animals in Africa. I click link after link after link until my original assignment is long gone. My daughter would thrive with a PLE. She loved her agenda in high school and her iphone now. She loves organization and plans; my son and I not so much. I am lucky if on any given day I can find my phone. My son only held on to his agenda for the first two weeks of school and then it was gone. It doesn’t matter if I am in the computer lab or at my laptop at home, overload is overload. I really struggle seeing all students being successful with so much information at their fingertips. I think we are still focusing on a certain group of kids.
Dr. Strange's question is "are you prepared to be a teacher of a networked student?" Maybe the question should be "are you prepared to network the unnetworked student?" I think technology is great. We need to keep making advances so that our kids have every possible advantage. But I just have a feeling that there is still going to be too many kids that fall through the cracks.
Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative
Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards
After reading both of these articles I called my friend, Brenda, to get her opinion on Smartboards. Brenda has been teaching second grade in the public school system for 27 years. Over the years she has seen a lot of fads come and go. She is also a creature of habit and not very fond of change. So when I called her I was pretty sure I knew what she would tell me. Boy was I wrong.
Brenda loves her Smartboard. Unlike the two authors of the articles, she considers it a great tool. Not only does she feel like it keeps her student engaged in the lesson but it also keeps the whole class working together. With lesson plan after lesson plan at her fingertips, she believes that it has made her a better teacher.
So maybe Michael Staton and Bill Ferriter didn’t really give the Smartboard a fair shake. Maybe they needed to explore more resources on how to utilize it to their advantage. Or maybe they really just don’t like it. I have included a link Teachers Love Smartboards to a blog of other teachers who really love their Smartboard.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Blog Post 5
The Practical Principals
100 Ways to Use your ipod and Study Better
There are so many great benefits to podcasting in the classroom. Not only is it helpful for when a student is absent but it is also a great tool when a student may not understand a lecture or an assignment. They can go back and listen as many times as necessary until they understand. They can go back and get key points to a lecture
It is almost limitless the information that is at students’ fingertips by just having access to an ipod. They can find almost any information anywhere at any given time. They no longer after to wait until the library is open. For some reason, a lot of students do their best work at odd hours of the day. With all the information so readily available to them this is no longer a problem.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Blog Post 4
dont-teach-your-kids-this-stuff-please
I am not sure if I agree or disagree with Dr. McLeod's post. I believe it is HOW you teach your children technology. My comment on his post was that it was like teaching your children to drive. All the same thoughts and fears go through your head but you are not going to give them a horse and buggy for transportation. You are going to teach them to drive and set all of the appropriate boundaries. Then pray....a lot. So I guess I agree with Dr. McLeod in some ways, I just do not think it is a black and white or yes or no question.
Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor in the Educational Administration program at Iowa State University. He also is the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). CASTLE is the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators.
The iSchool initiative
I think iSchool is a tremendous idea. Travis Allen makes some great points. I am sure people who do not agree with the idea will pick it apart. But I think Travis is definitely on the right track.
One of the arguments that I really thought was important was the communication between the parents and the school. This is essential for the success of a student. My children were in school before there was internet as well as after. I can tell you firsthand how much easier it was to know what was going on in their studies after the internet. iSchool will just expand on that and make it even better. Never having to try and track down a book or an assignment after school hours would be great.
Lost Generation
I really liked this video. Earlier videos we have watched spoke about the need for creativity in teaching. This video is definitely creative. I believe that this generation will achieve everything they say they will. Generation after generation just keeps getting smarter and smarter. They take what is left for them and figure out ways to make the world a better place.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
This was a great video. To be able to take all those people from all over the world and create a choir is incredible. The director did a wonderful job making all the voice work together.
Teaching the 21st Century
Change is inevitable and not necessarily a bad thing. But so many people are afraid of change. I do not think it matters if a teacher uses an actual book or an ipad to teach a child to read as long as the child learns to read. It doesn't matter if a student learns to write on paper or something else as long as they learn to write. I think people worry too much about change instead of just going with it.
dont-teach-your-kids-this-stuff-please
I am not sure if I agree or disagree with Dr. McLeod's post. I believe it is HOW you teach your children technology. My comment on his post was that it was like teaching your children to drive. All the same thoughts and fears go through your head but you are not going to give them a horse and buggy for transportation. You are going to teach them to drive and set all of the appropriate boundaries. Then pray....a lot. So I guess I agree with Dr. McLeod in some ways, I just do not think it is a black and white or yes or no question.
Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor in the Educational Administration program at Iowa State University. He also is the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). CASTLE is the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators.
The iSchool initiative
I think iSchool is a tremendous idea. Travis Allen makes some great points. I am sure people who do not agree with the idea will pick it apart. But I think Travis is definitely on the right track.
One of the arguments that I really thought was important was the communication between the parents and the school. This is essential for the success of a student. My children were in school before there was internet as well as after. I can tell you firsthand how much easier it was to know what was going on in their studies after the internet. iSchool will just expand on that and make it even better. Never having to try and track down a book or an assignment after school hours would be great.
Lost Generation
I really liked this video. Earlier videos we have watched spoke about the need for creativity in teaching. This video is definitely creative. I believe that this generation will achieve everything they say they will. Generation after generation just keeps getting smarter and smarter. They take what is left for them and figure out ways to make the world a better place.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
This was a great video. To be able to take all those people from all over the world and create a choir is incredible. The director did a wonderful job making all the voice work together.
Teaching the 21st Century
Change is inevitable and not necessarily a bad thing. But so many people are afraid of change. I do not think it matters if a teacher uses an actual book or an ipad to teach a child to read as long as the child learns to read. It doesn't matter if a student learns to write on paper or something else as long as they learn to write. I think people worry too much about change instead of just going with it.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Comments for Teachers
The teacher I am following is Lisa Thumann at http://thumannresources.com/. Her first post was about a seminar in Philadelphia called Educon. In my comments I told her that at first I was unsure how following a blog would be helpful but after reading hers I realized the importance. Her blog provided a wealth of tools, resources and information.
My second post was a little easier. She was debating on using Facebook and Google to sell her daughters' Girl Scout cookies. I could relate, having sold Girl Scout cookies myself and with my daughter. I told her I thought it was a great way to sell cookies and reach so many customers. The Girl Scouts have to stay up to date with technology as well.
I think Lisa's blog is great and that everybody should check it out.
My second post was a little easier. She was debating on using Facebook and Google to sell her daughters' Girl Scout cookies. I could relate, having sold Girl Scout cookies myself and with my daughter. I told her I thought it was a great way to sell cookies and reach so many customers. The Girl Scouts have to stay up to date with technology as well.
I think Lisa's blog is great and that everybody should check it out.
Blog Post 3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
After watching this video, I once again realize you only get out of anything what you are willing to put in to it. If students spend their time on Facebook instead of listening to the professor, they are not going to succeed. Some never show up for class or open a book. How can they expect to be prosperous?
I think this is very similar to my college experience. Both today and when I attended school in 1984. Students don’t go to class now and they didn’t go then. There are distractions now and there were distractions then. It all depends on what you want. In 1984 going to school wasn’t my top priority. So I got exactly what I put into it…nothing. This time around I want more so I am putting more into it.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Ms. Hines makes four excellent points in her article:
1. Teachers must be learners. Not just teachers everybody should be learners. But teachers really do have to aggressive in learning new techniques and staying up to date. It is so easy to get into your routine and not make changes. Teachers need to stay open to new ideas and always be willing to learn.
2. Learning and Teaching are not the same thing. This is a great statement. Students don’t always learn in the same way so teaching should be different as well. If one thing does not work with one student then another method should be tried.
3. Technology is useless without great teachers. Everybody is so excited about technology today; it is sometimes forgotten that technology is a tool and not the teacher. Unless teachers learn to utilize these tools, the tools are really not that great. It is like having a car with all the bells and whistles but unless the owner knows how to use them they are just a waste of money.
4. Be a 21st Century Teacher without the Technology. Technology is wonderful but it is not everything. Teachers have to be willing to teach with what resources they have available to them. They need to be creative in their methods of teaching.
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Karl Fisch’s quote “If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write ” is a great comparison. Technology is everywhere today. Teachers and parents need to understand technology. There is no way they will be able to understand their students if they don’t. Kids are smart. Teachers need to know how to reach them on their terms. Teachers have to be willing to learn.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
To me it is incredible that somebody can figure this all out. As a teacher I will have to most definitely be ready for rapid changes. I will have to continue to learn on a daily basis. I think if I pause for a second I will be lost. The world is not going backwards and to be an effective teacher, I am going to have to keep up with technology.
After watching this video, I once again realize you only get out of anything what you are willing to put in to it. If students spend their time on Facebook instead of listening to the professor, they are not going to succeed. Some never show up for class or open a book. How can they expect to be prosperous?
I think this is very similar to my college experience. Both today and when I attended school in 1984. Students don’t go to class now and they didn’t go then. There are distractions now and there were distractions then. It all depends on what you want. In 1984 going to school wasn’t my top priority. So I got exactly what I put into it…nothing. This time around I want more so I am putting more into it.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Ms. Hines makes four excellent points in her article:
1. Teachers must be learners. Not just teachers everybody should be learners. But teachers really do have to aggressive in learning new techniques and staying up to date. It is so easy to get into your routine and not make changes. Teachers need to stay open to new ideas and always be willing to learn.
2. Learning and Teaching are not the same thing. This is a great statement. Students don’t always learn in the same way so teaching should be different as well. If one thing does not work with one student then another method should be tried.
3. Technology is useless without great teachers. Everybody is so excited about technology today; it is sometimes forgotten that technology is a tool and not the teacher. Unless teachers learn to utilize these tools, the tools are really not that great. It is like having a car with all the bells and whistles but unless the owner knows how to use them they are just a waste of money.
4. Be a 21st Century Teacher without the Technology. Technology is wonderful but it is not everything. Teachers have to be willing to teach with what resources they have available to them. They need to be creative in their methods of teaching.
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Karl Fisch’s quote “If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write ” is a great comparison. Technology is everywhere today. Teachers and parents need to understand technology. There is no way they will be able to understand their students if they don’t. Kids are smart. Teachers need to know how to reach them on their terms. Teachers have to be willing to learn.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
To me it is incredible that somebody can figure this all out. As a teacher I will have to most definitely be ready for rapid changes. I will have to continue to learn on a daily basis. I think if I pause for a second I will be lost. The world is not going backwards and to be an effective teacher, I am going to have to keep up with technology.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Blog Post 2
Did You Know
Mr Winkle Wakes
Sir Ken Robinson: Schools Kill Creativity
Link to Laura Scott's Blog Post
Scholastic Link
I have watched this video about seven times and I still am not sure what I think. Did I know? No I didn’t know. What does it all mean? I am not too sure about that either. It is quite an overwhelming amount of information and hard to digest. After watching the other four videos, I do understand the importance of technology. But after watching this video, I am not sure all this technology is a good thing.
For example, we are inventing technology to solve problems that don’t even exist yet. Just what we need more problems. My guess is we probably created the problems while we were looking for the solutions. Today’s students will have 10 to 14 jobs by the time they are 38. I was always told switching jobs often did not look good on a resume. We will soon have computers that exceed the human brain, interesting but whose brain.
I do know one thing for sure, without technology I wouldn’t know all this information. And they say knowledge is power.
Mr Winkle Wakes
I have to agree with Mr. Winkle on one thing, change is scary. If Mr. Winkle had been asleep for only 10 years he still would have awoke to significant change in the world. Nothing ever stays the same. However, I think the Mr. Winkle video was trying to make another point. No change at all is even scarier.
When Mr. Winkle went into the school, everything seems the same. It was comfortable to him. But if students of today are going to be successful tomorrow, then schools need to change. They need to be up with the technology that businesses and hospitals are using today. Schools need to start exposing children to the technology of the future. Otherwise, when these students get out of school and see all the unfamiliar technology that is used around them, it will be like they just awoke from a 100 year nap.
Sir Ken Robinson: Schools Kill Creativity
I love this video. It reminds me so much of my own son. I have two children, a daughter who is very book smart and a son who is very street smart. My daughter loved school, did well in it and is now in college. My son, on the other hand, hated school. He struggled from the very beginning. Yet, he is not any less intelligent or successful than my daughter. He just learns differently.
My son is a visual learner. You couldn’t just read to him about history and expect him to remember it. However, if you took him to a museum about history and showed it to him, he would soak up the information like a sponge. If he could see it or touch it, he could understand it. Sir Ken Robinson is right. There are multiple types of intelligence. Schools need to find a way to teach to everybody. I think creativity definitely plays a huge part in achieving this goal.
Link to Laura Scott's Blog Post
Scholastic Link
This was a great video. Sir Ken Robinson again expressed how important creativity is in an education. He also stressed exactly how imperative it is to have technology in the classroom. This point was proven by the interview between himself and student reporter, Cecelia Gault. Cecelia has obviously been exposed to quite a bit of technology. She was able to conduct a great interview and I believe her knowledge of technology had something to do with that.
I think to be able to provide the same kind of education to future Cecelia Gaults, I am going to have to be very creative and open minded. Thinking outside of the box is a necessity. Children today are very smart. They are also very different in the ways that they think and learn. It is impossible to teach to them in all the same way. I believe understanding and being able to utilize different types of technology is an important tool to have when trying to reach all the students.
Vicki Davis
Wow, that was impressive. Vicki Davis does a wonderful job at reaching all of her students. She realizes that for all her students to be successful, she is going to have to use more than pen and paper to reach them. She focuses in on THEIR interests and goes from there. She is definitely very creative in her teaching style.
The part of the video that impacted me the most was when Vicki Davis admitted that she did not know everything. In addition, she did not have to know everything in order to be able to teach it. She was willing to let her students explore and learn on their own. Then she was willing to let them teach her. I think her showing that to her students is very important.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Blog Post 1
Hi, my name is Molly Dekin. I am 47 years old and have recently started my college education. I just received my associate degree from Faulkner State Community College. I am very excited about pursuing my bachelor’s degree at South Alabama. I grew up in Atlanta, GA but have lived in Fairhope, AL for about 12 years. I really love Fairhope and the small town feel of it. It definitely has a different pace from Atlanta.
I have two grown children. My daughter is 22 and a senior at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide). She is majoring in secondary and math education. My son is 20 and he is a gun mechanic on a seismograph ship. He travels all over the world looking for oil. I work three days a week as a nanny for 16 month old twins. I absolutely love my job. They are the cutest things you will ever see and I can’t wait to share pictures of them with you. Oh, wow, I am starting to sound like a grandmother and I am not there yet!
I knew from the start of my college career that I wanted to major in education because I truly love children. However, I did struggle with choosing between elementary and secondary education. From my little twins, to my own children and their friends, to the young adults I have taken classes with, they all honestly amaze me. I learn so much from them every day and thoroughly enjoy being with them. I finally decided on elementary education. I am very nurturing and have lots of energy so it seemed like the best fit for me.
While I am very excited about attending USA, I am also a bit nervous. Things have changed a lot since I was in school, so every time I take a new class I am in complete bewilderment. We used blackboards and film projectors when I was in school. When Dr. Strange mentioned “tweeting” I knew he didn’t mean birds but it did make me sweat a little. In spite of my occasional anxiety, I am really looking forward to this class.
I have two grown children. My daughter is 22 and a senior at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide). She is majoring in secondary and math education. My son is 20 and he is a gun mechanic on a seismograph ship. He travels all over the world looking for oil. I work three days a week as a nanny for 16 month old twins. I absolutely love my job. They are the cutest things you will ever see and I can’t wait to share pictures of them with you. Oh, wow, I am starting to sound like a grandmother and I am not there yet!
I knew from the start of my college career that I wanted to major in education because I truly love children. However, I did struggle with choosing between elementary and secondary education. From my little twins, to my own children and their friends, to the young adults I have taken classes with, they all honestly amaze me. I learn so much from them every day and thoroughly enjoy being with them. I finally decided on elementary education. I am very nurturing and have lots of energy so it seemed like the best fit for me.
While I am very excited about attending USA, I am also a bit nervous. Things have changed a lot since I was in school, so every time I take a new class I am in complete bewilderment. We used blackboards and film projectors when I was in school. When Dr. Strange mentioned “tweeting” I knew he didn’t mean birds but it did make me sweat a little. In spite of my occasional anxiety, I am really looking forward to this class.
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