Blog Assignment 15: Final Reflection

Final Report on PLN

Throughout this course, I would say that my PLN has definitely expanded. By reading different educators' blogs and subscribing to them via RSS feed, I'm sure to continue visiting them in the future to see what's going on and leave a comment here and there. I hope to continue posting on my EDM 310 blog about education and technology-related topics. I also hope that the people I've followed on Blogger will continue to post things every once in a while so that I may see the interesting things they've found on the web.

I still visit my Twitter account to see what's been happening with the people, businesses, bands, magazines, museums, and authors I follow. I really like using Screenr as a screen-capturing tool. It's very user-friendly and it gives five minutes of recording time, which is usually just the right amount of time. I developed my Symbaloo page, and I really like it. It has all of my favorite bookmarks and interest areas on it, and I plan on using it in the future. Delicious is still a really good way to bookmark, as well. My Facebook account is very active, as usual, and I'm still in love with my Gmail account! I'm still so happy that we were required to get one for this course because I probably wouldn't have gotten one otherwise, and then I wouldn't have learned about the amazing GoogleDocs and iGoogle!

I've also added a new favorite book to my PLN, and it's The First Days of School by Harry Wong and Rosemary Wong. It was the textbook used in my Classroom Management course this semester, and it really offers amazing advice and knowledge on the importance of being an effective educator. I also plan to explore the TED website further for more talks on education and technology. I find the talks from this site to be really interesting.

Summary Post C4T #4

The Power of Educational Technology: Liz Davis

My first comment on Liz Davis' blog was for a post about how she introduced Twitter to her technology class of high school seniors. In total, the students could see the value of Twitter as a networking tool; however, they didn't think it was appropriate for teens their age. This may have been due to the fact that the majority of Twitter users are either teachers, businesses or celebrities, to name a few. The students remained faithful to Facebook as a social media, as they believed it could do everything that Twitter could and more. The students didn't seem to understand why someone would want to publish what they had for breakfast, as well. Also, Liz Davis teaches in an all-boys school, so one of her questions asked if girls might have responded differently to Twitter.

In my comment, I agreed with the students that Twitter might not offer as many interesting applications as Facebook; however, it doesn't decrease its value as a networking tool for college research or job/internship opportunities. I mentioned that I have a Twitter account where I follow educators, bands, authors, magazines, and museums, but that I didn't follow any of my friends for fear that the status updates would be unending!

The second post I commented on was called "Two for Tuesday". Liz Davis publishes a post like this every Tuesday with two possibly useful websites for her followers. The post I commented on had a Thanksgiving theme. One website was EarthCam.com and the other was FreeRice.com. On the EarthCam website, viewers could watch the Macy's Day Parade in New York via live video stream. And the FreeRice website was really cool! You answer questions about vocabulary, definitions, etc., and for every question you answer correctly, 10 grains of rice are donated through the World Food Programme to fight world hunger.

All in all, I thought both websites were really neat. I also liked Liz Davis' idea of "Two for Tuesday" and I loved that she used her blog to share all of these wonderful tips with her followers.

Summary Post C4K #8-11 and (Blog Assignment 14) Yasmine Special Assignment

First of all, I'd like to say that I have LOVED commenting on kids' blogs. I think it's really awesome that these teachers are pushing these children further in their educational journey and exposing them to all types of learning.

For C4K #8, I commented on the Wellington Primary School's blog. The post was on the Food Chain, and it had photos of the children using art in science to draw and represent food chains. I wrote that the food chain is definitely an important science concept to understand, and that it looked like some great group work was being accomplished.

My C4K #9 was for Miss Byrne's class, and I was assigned to Maggie's blog. She wrote an amazing post about the Chilean miners and their rescue. I was very impressed with her writing skills, and I mentioned that I thought it was equally impressive that she was up-to-date on current events of the world.

For C4K #10, I commented on Ms. Millar's 3rd Grade class blog. I was assigned to Cstre's blog, and their post was about a Kerploof picture they had made for a mnemonic (that they created on their own) about the planets. This student's mnemonic was "My Vicious Emu Made Jeff Suffer Under Nuts" and it had a picture of an emu making Jeff suffer under nuts, and then the emu exclaimed "HA-HA-HA I made you suffer under nuts!!!!!" while Jeff says "Help me!" I thought the picture was very humorous, and the mnemonic a great way to remember the order of the planets.

C4K #11 was for Mrs. Huebner's Class, and I was assigned to Asya's blog. I commented on her post about her birthday plans, which included inviting a couple of her friends over for the weekend where they would go to a water park and then hang out at a family friend's house to play tag with other kids and their dogs. I wished Asya a Happy Birthday, and then I wrote about how I also love going to water parks. I wrote that I hoped she ate as much candy as her heart desired, and that she would keep on blogging.

Instead of writing a Blog Assignment 14, our EDM 310 class commented on Yasmine's blog. Yasmine is a student who has been going above and beyond with her blog, so her teacher requested that we all visit it and leave a comment (to not only encourage Yasmine, but also her classmates). I read her post about how food allergies are so common (Yasmine has them), and that having things such as corn syrup and sugar substitutes in our food is not a good idea. Yasmine believes that more natural sugar should be used in food today, and she plans to write a letter to the First Lady about this. She asked for some advice in her post, and this was my response:


Hi, Yasmine!

My name is Amanda Brewton. I am a student in Dr. Srange’s EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I’m majoring in Elementary Education/Special Education and minoring in Spanish. In our class, we are also required to keep up with a blog. Actually, we turn in ALL of our homework, assignments, and projects by posting them on our blog. Pretty neat, huh? :)

Yasmine, I’m very impressed with how you’ve realized that action needs to be taken in order to change something. I think that this is a great idea! I also stay away from sugar substitutes. I try to stay away from any kind of substitute (for something natural) really. I would much rather have a piece of fruit than something that tastes like fruit. Plus, having natural and organic foods in your diet is another great idea, in my opinion. I agree with Malissa in that I think you should write up a petition that you get a lot of people to sign. You could ask your family members, family friends, and friends to sign it. Make sure to explain what you want them to agree with, though. Plus, you may even educate someone in the process! Maybe some people don’t know how harmful sugar substitutes can be.

Your initiative and passion are very inspiring, Yasmine. Your blog looks awesome, and I really do hope that you are successful with however you decide to contact the First Lady.

Good luck! Keep on blogging!

Amanda Brewton


*I was very impressed with Yasmine's work, and I really do hope that she continues excelling.

Project 16

Additional Assignment 5

Exploring the Adventures of Tom Johnson

After looking at John Spencer's blog a little more, I now see that his writings are a lot like a puzzle. One has to read between the lines quite often. The meanings are often a little tough for me to figure out. I think I might be on to something, and then I think "...but what if it means this instead of that?" All in all, a real brain teaser. I'm glad that Mr. Spencer has such interesting and talented writing skills as to keep our brains "ON" this way.

In The Medium Shapes the Learning, Mr. Spencer writes about how his class visited one of Edison's film studios. The kids were mesmerized by the tour and commented that having such a studio at the school would be fun. Who knew learning could be fun? There are innumerable technological innovations that can satisfy the youth's desire for excitement in their educational journey.

In the blog post He Just Likes Class for the Pencils, Mr. Spencer writes about a specific student in his class. This post really spoke to me. A teacher's students aren't just children with occasional behavior "problems" who are dropped off at your door in the morning. They are looking to you for kindness, compassion, understanding, patience, care, guidance, knowledge, and respect. Who in the world would respect someone who yells at and humiliates them regularly? Who wants that? For the children in our classes, we need to remember that they are counting on us to be the best we can be every day. I hope I can be as understanding, patient, kind, and respectful as Mr. Spencer, when I am an educator.

The post Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils also said a lot to me. I remember being full of sassy attitude and insecure confusion at the same time as a young adolescent. These co-existing, yet opposite, emotions can be quite overwhelming for a young person. At this age, I can understand feeling very gray...not defined. Life from that point on is often a sort of quest for oneself. People begin to hang out with different friends, adopt different hobbies, and change their interests. This is mostly an attempt to see what's out there and have some experiences. Some would say this is the beauty of being young because you haven't seen the world, really, and your eyes are "new" to many things. I'm glad that Mr. Spencer is able to connect with his students, so that he can better understand them (and himself).

In Just Teach Them To Solve for X, Mr. Spencer responds to "Gertrude"'s confusion with a theory I very much agree with. Gertrude wants Mr. Spencer to simply teach the student's to solve for x in their math class. She wonders why Mr. Spencer doesn't do just this, while -instead- he allows them to creatively think of new ways to define and explain x. He wants them to use metaphors. Well, Gertrude thinks that metaphors are messy and dangerous, and she wants the students to have a clear-cut path to knowledge. Mr. Spencer argues that when learning is messy, it can often lead to clarity. The confusion that is caused by different learning techniques or a higher process of understanding is oftentimes the best way to truly learn something. Even though Gertrude is still unsure of all this "metaphor" business, Mr. Spencer leaves her with a final comment: "That's exactly why we need them. Life is dangerous. Learning is dangerous. A bad metaphor can launch a war. I want my students to know this. I want them to see that language shapes our perceptions of reality." This is one of my favorite posts on Mr. Spencer's blog.

Blog Assignment 13

The Alabama Learning Exchange: What is ALEX and how does it work?

The home page for ALEX has a statement that reads "Quality for every facet of learning." There are 8 links: Courses of Study; Web Links; Lesson Plans; Search; Personal Workspace; Personal Learning; Podcast Treasury; and ALEXville. Under "Courses of Study" the site lists English Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Arts Education, Languages Other Than English (Foreign Languages), Career/Technical Education, Physical Education, Driver and Traffic Safety Education, Technology Education, Health Education, and Other Courses of Study (which includes Character Education, Counseling and Guidance, and Information Literacy). This website appears to be designed in order to enhance Alabama's connectivity amongst educators or schools. This can be a way to share interesting or helpful information. Creative or innovative ideas can also be developed and shared via ALEX.

I decided to investigate Health Education, and what I found was really neat. The page for Health Ed. has "Links" and "Lesson Plans" on the right with URL links to other pages. I thought this was a really good resource for educators looking for more information for a lesson or standard. For Web Resources, they list sources (through links) for Teachers, Administrators, and Students. You can also recommend a web resource or search for one. The Lesson Plans page was absolutely amazing. The way the search is set up is very similar to ones I've used for online databases, and these usually work very well. You can search lesson plans by Author, Title, School, or Subject. You can also create your own by accessing your personal workspace. To make a Personal Workspace, you have to make an account with ALEX. The Professional Learning page is also very impressive. Here, you can explore the ALEX/Thinkfinity Training or Grant Opportunities. It also has links from the Alabama Department of Education Program website for professional development opportunities, different tools for teaching and learning, news, and advice. There are also links for tips and tutorials on various technology tools. The Podcast Treasury has a bunch of cool links to different podcasts, like one from Space Camp 2009 and another titled "Jim Crow & Me". ALEXville is really neat, too, as it has its own newspaper! That's right. Click on the globe to see the latest in Alabama Education news, like the announcement for open applications for the GEM-U & McWane Science Center Camp-In Exposition!

I think this is a great website with tons of resources that I would love to use as a future teacher! There are some great ideas for lesson plans and podcasts on this site, as well as news/updates on educational events going on in Alabama. Both could be very useful to me in the future. Also, this site is a great way to connect with other educators! If I was having trouble making connections or networking on my own, this site could give me a great start to finding other teachers in Alabama to communicate, collaborate, and share with!

Project 15: Movie Trailers for Books

Blog Assignment 12

Watch this video about a college class and their experience with technology in the classroom. Think about how you would feel in this classroom. What would your suggestion for the professor be? If you were in this professor's position, what would you do to bring more technology into the classroom (especially considering the fact that this is a class about technology in the classroom)? Think about the importance and benefits of bringing technology into the classroom. Write a post in which you answer all of these questions and share your thoughts on the matter.

First of all, I really liked this class's video. I thought it was humorous, but it also got the point across (especially for college students). I know that we're studying to be elementary and high school teachers, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't evaluate the education that we are currently receiving. I would feel a little confused in this class, especially since the class is about what kind of technology is offered in the classroom, and the professor was only using the whiteboard. I like how the student stepped in to help the professor see what the students wanted out of their education. My suggestion for the professor would be to start a class blog that each student could check and comment on for any homework, extra resources, or class updates. If I were in the professor's position, I would definitely do my homework and see what kind of technology is out there that I can use in the classroom. There are SO many resources available for bringing technology into the classroom that the professor (I) could introduce to the students. Simply put, technology offers so many benefits in terms of research and creative ways to learn, why wouldn't someone bring it into the classroom?

Progress Report on Final Project (Project #16)

For Project 16, I will be working on a team with the current members of my Project 15 group, plus two more members:

Amani Alloul
Amanda Brewton
Sarah Davis
Samantha Deardorff

Plus:
Tara Watson
May Krasovich

While working on Project 15, we have discussed possible ideas for Project 16. It seems as though it is a bunch of ideas floating around that we just need to get a hold of. I think it would be ideal if we could find a way to draw something from all of our ideas to form one BIG idea that is sure to be fun and innovative. Since we are having so much fun creating our movie trailers for books (Project 15), it's been discussed that it may be fun to create another movie or video of some sort for the final project.

Project #6: Form Results, Analysis, and Commentary

For my survey, I asked students various questions to determine their experience(s) with graffiti. I wanted to know the student's gender and age, if they have ever seen graffiti, if they think graffiti is art, why or why not, if they think graffiti has value, why or why not, how graffiti makes them feel, if graffiti is a justifiable crime, and -based on Webster's definition of art- if their thoughts about graffiti have changed.

I received nineteen responses; however, there must be an error in the first question about gender because it says that 11 participants are female while 2 are male. I couldn't figure out what the problem was, but the rest of the questions recorded nineteen responses. Based on the second question, the range for age of participants is 20 to 33. The mode for this range is 20, the median is 21, and the mean is 21.4. Of the 19 participants, all said they had seen graffiti. Sixteen answered that they think graffiti is art, while 3 did not. Some of the responses answering why or why not to the previous stated "Because it is beautiful, just sometimes in inappropriate places," "It is an expression of one's thoughts, that is art in my opinion," and "Because it is something someone took time to work on just like a piece of art. It takes talent, time, and creativity as well...." To the question of if graffiti has value or not, 14 said it does have value, while 6 say it does not. To answer why or why not to the previous question, some wrote "Because it is art," "Not when curse words are used," "I think that it can, but it generally does not in the way that it is used." When asked how graffiti made them feel, the respondents could choose more than one "check box" listing an emotion: Inspired (5), Happy (3), Indignant (0), Creative (9), Thoughtful (3), Sad (0), Impressed (3), Indifferent (4), None of the above (6). Of the 19 respondents, two think graffiti is a justifiable crime, three do not think the crime is justified, while fourteen think that it depends. When presented with the definition of art from Webster's New World Dictionary (2nd College Edition) and the belief held by many people that art is any such thing that produces any sort of emotion in a person, 17 said these two ideas did not change their thoughts about graffiti while 2 say they did.

As I'm interested in graffiti, I just wanted to see some of my peers' thoughts on the matter. This could certainly be a gender or generational study, if the pool of participants was a bit larger. I figured that most people would have seen graffiti, but what really surprised me was how many people think that it's art. I expected most of the participants to say that it isn't art. For the various responses for why or why not to the question of if graffiti is art or not, I was surprised by some of the reasons, as well. Most of the participants said that graffiti gave them positive emotions or those of indifference or none of those listed. I was surprised that no one chose a negative emotion, like sad or indignant. I designed this survey to give qualitative as well as quantitative results. As this is meant to be a study on perceptions (of graffiti), I thought the responses generally matched what I was asking for. From the results, I would say that most of the participants believe graffiti is art, but that it can definitely be hateful in nature. The fact that most respondents said that "It depends" when graffiti is a justifiable crime is very interesting to me. I would say that this connects to the fact that most of the participants believe graffiti is art, but not when it's profane or offensive.

Summary Post C4K Comments 3-7

My Comment-4-Kids #3 was for Pt England School in Auckland, New Zealand. I commented on Rima's picture of a Maori mariner traveling the sea on a waka to discover New Zealand. In my comment, I wrote that I really liked her picture, and that the water was certainly wavy and wonderful.

In C4K #4, I commented on Freya's blog. Freya is in the fifth grade, and her blog post was about going to Noosa with her family. She wrote that they were planning to spend a week in Noosa just having fun. In my comment, I wrote that I liked the design of her blog, and that I also liked another one of her posts about visiting the museum. I also praised her for separating her thoughts into paragraphs in the post about the museum.

For C4K #5, I commented on Ashton's blog post about friendship. In the post, Ashton wrote about how the class watched the movie "Cars" to learn about friendship. It was apparent that Ashton learned that you can always be yourself with your true friends, and that true friends care about and accept each other always. I wrote that I thought watching "Cars" to learn about friendship was a really cool idea. I also mentioned that I think it's important to be true to yourself and others and to care for the ones you love. I also posted a question about identity in reference to "Cars": “Who am I? What do I believe? What do I stand for? Who understands me and accepts me for who I am?”

In C4K #6, I commented on Emily T's blog. Her post was about walking through Chicago. The way she wrote it was very interesting to me. She had line breaks in the middle of her sentences, and I'm still not sure why. I kind of liked it, though, because her story read like a poem because of these line breaks. She recorded her time "people watching" in Chicago as she describes how she saw a baby drop a pacifier, heard it begin to cry loudly, and noticed that the parents didn't know why the baby was crying. For my comment, I wrote that walking around Chicago must have been exciting, and that I also like to "people watch" and see how someone will react to a situation.

For C4K #7, I commented on Suzy's blog. Her post was about Red Ribbon Week, which ended up being appropriate for me because I visited the schools that week with my mom to help with the drug awareness lessons. Suzy wrote that she enjoyed Red Ribbon Week at her school, and that you should say "No" to drugs, like when someone offers you alcohol, because drugs can kill you. I responded by writing that I was happy they celebrated Red Ribbon Week at her school, and I also said it's important to learn about the dangers of drugs at an early age. In addition, I told her about helping my mom with Red Ribbon Week.

Summary Post C4T #3

For my 3rd teacher, I was assigned Mr. Bill Ferriter. His blog is The Tempered Radical, and he appropriately names it his "education blog".

The first post I commented on was called "Teacher Evaluation is Fatally Flawed". In this blog post, Mr. Ferriter used his blog as a -hopefully- effective tool for self-reflection. He mentions having doubts about his effectiveness as an educator, but notes that he has never gotten anything less than exceptional on his evaluations over the years. He goes on to say that if we really want students to succeed, the teacher is where a large part of that will occur. He adds that he can't see the reason behind having one person evaluate a teacher who they maybe see in the classroom setting maybe once or twice a year. He goes on to write that he believes that educators and administrators should be given more time to discuss strengths and weaknesses, and that, finally, the evaluation system for educators in America is quite flawed. In my comment, I congratulated Mr. Ferriter for using his blog as a means of self-reflection. I also stated that while self-evaluation is good, if no one else is giving you any sort of constructive criticism, how are we supposed to learn?

The second post I commented on was titled "What Does Technoratis State of the Blogosphere Report Mean for Education Bloggers?" In this post Mr. Ferriter writes about the TSB Report on bloggers (not necessarily those associated with education). He reports some astonishing numbers for how many people are using social media outlets, how many of them are bloggers, and -also- how much information from the media that these users trust. One report found that almost 50% of those surveyed trust the content in blogs, quite close to the 60% who trust sources such as newspapers, T.V. broadcasts, and radio shows. In my comment, I wrote that the numbers in his post were quite astounding, that I couldn't believe how much time some people spent on blogs (or online), and that I thought it was great that Mr. Ferriter uses his blog to make himself heard, form connections, and share information.

Project 14: Teach Someone Something

Blog Assignment 11

Ms. Kathy Cassidy's Class

I really enjoyed watching this video of Ms. Cassidy's class. I thought Ms. Cassidy's approach to the use of technology in the classroom is great. I saw that they use the Smart board for more than an upgraded projector. They were actually doing problems and conducting Skype interviews, as well. I also thought it was really good that she had laptops in the classroom for the children to access. The fact that the students (in first grade!) have blogs is really amazing. It was nice to hear the children say how the blogs benefit them with their reading, writing, and spelling skills. Internet safety is also a really important issue, and I'm grateful that Ms. Cassidy has discussed this with the students.

There was so much technology in her classroom! I'm honestly amazed at how she has given the students the opportunity to explore the different types of technology they may encounter in the world. I saw that the children get to use Flip cameras, which is also really great. Plus, the communication and sharing that the classroom has with other students is extremely beneficial to their learning, I'm sure. It's very inspiring to see a classroom where this kind of integration is occurring.

I will definitely use the Smart board, if I have one in the classroom. I will also seek out the proper training, so that I can use the board to the class's ultimate advantage. I think it's awesome, once again, that she was able to have a good number of laptops in the classroom. I think having classroom blogs would be a good way to facilitate further learning in the classroom. Internet safety might be a problem in this situation, but it would be something I would discuss with the students to make sure they knew the dangers of the internet. That would be another lesson about how it's beneficial to know the good and bad about something. I thought that bringing the Nintendo DS into class to learn about problem-solving, teamwork, and sharing was another good idea...however, I could see this becoming a possible problem. A system of "taking turns" could be established, though, that may help with this (rules vs. procedures).

Ultimately, I think the benefits of Ms. Cassidy's approach is that she is preparing these children for the world they are about to discover. As they get older, technology will change, and innovations will be made so often to the point where anyone may have trouble keeping up. By teaching children the skills they need to listen, adapt, and learn, they will have a very good chance for success.

Additional Assignment 3

Sir Ken Robinson: RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms



First of all, I really enjoyed this video. I liked how the animation kept time with what Sir Ken Robinson was saying, or vice versa. I have to say, I was a very active listener while watching this video, probably because it was such an active process that I had to keep up by listening and watching.

I think that the most important thing Ken Robinson says in this presentation is that education is changing/needs to change. I totally agree that the "old way" doesn't work for everyone. We need to praise students for their differences in strengths and abilities, not punish or scold them if the way they do something is different from the practiced way. I also liked the part about aesthetic vs. anaesthetic: "We should be waking them up to what is inside of themselves!"

The only thing I would not necessarily disagree with, but question in this presentation is the part about ADHD. I honestly don't know that much about this disorder, but I am aware that it is alarmingly common in schools. Many children are being medicated, and for what? In my mind, the children aren't paying attention because they aren't interested. Now, I don't think that calls for medication, but maybe it does help some students. I believe this is a case-by-case situation; although, in my opinion, I would rather a child not be medicated in order to focus.

In the college of education, I believe that they really encourage divergent thinking. In one of my classes, we are periodically given "What Would You Do?" scenarios, which allow us to think of many different ways that a certain situation may be handled. I suppose the first thing I can do to address the issues Ken Robinson raises is look at my life, my education, and my motivation and see what's going on in those areas. The first thing I could probably do is evaluate myself as a student and try to figure out what kind of education I'm receiving. So far, I feel pretty awesome about the various opportunities I've had in my life. As I said before, I really enjoyed watching this presentation, and I think the idea of the RSA Animation is really creative and different. If I were to do a team project similar to this, I would want to be the artist.

Project 13: Smart Board Lesson

Blog Assignment 10

Morgan Bayda's Blog Post: An Open Letter to Educators

After reading Morgan Bayda's post and watching the video by Dan Brown, I will admit that I have had classes similar to the ones they describe. However, I won't go as far to say that I have encountered this type of classroom in every single one of my classes. At the University of South Alabama, it's true that there are certain classes that seem to draw a big crowd. These are usually the "General Studies" classes. Biology, Chemistry, American History, Pre-calculus, American Literature, and Public Speaking are just a few of these classes. In my freshman year, I took a biology class with about 100 students in it. Given the fact that our professor had at least three sections of classes like mine, I really didn't expect him to remember everyone's name. Learning the names of a classroom containing roughly thirty students can be tough enough...I'm sure the thought of memorizing approximately 300 names is slightly daunting.

As far as who holds "fault" for this recurring theme in higher education...I'm not really sure who that would be. The distant, unavailable, impersonal, and jaded professor is a truth that cannot be ignored; however, is it really their fault? Is there necessarily fault at all? Young, high school graduates come rushing to "university" to partake in the many exciting aspects of college, unaware that their presence is "just a number" (a common phrase among college students these days). Some may have an idea that each and every one of their professors will want to get-to-know them and guide them in their experience as a whole. In reality, this does happen. I have had many teachers who will obviously work hard to learn everyone's names in the class. The largest class I remember this happening in was about 25 people. I trust that these professors did the same thing in their other sections of about the same number. Returning to the idea of fault, I believe that many professors think students come to college in order to simply get a degree. The high number of students in certain General Studies is evidence of this trend. All I'm saying is maybe some professors don't think that students want to experience college for what it's meant to do, which is to make each student a more rounded, educated, and experienced person with a set of necessary skills to succeed in today's world.

In my mind, this is where we are right now. Many students are, in fact, just looking to get a degree and get out as quickly as possible! These are the classes of 150 students where the professor simply finds your name on your test and puts your score next to it in the online grade book. However, there is also another type of student who genuinely wants to learn. This student will seek out further information, form connections with professors, reach out to classmates for collaboration and help, and look inside to figure out what they truly want out of their education. Dan Brown mentioned that our education system was built on an old model. This is definitely true. This model may work for some, and drastically fall short for others. It's no news that each person learns differently and excels in various ways. Information's price is decreasing everyday, but I still think that experience holds value in the long run.

To be honest, I like it when a professor knows my name. The common phrase of teachers is "Remember, there's all of you, and then there's one of me. You only have to remember one name, while I have to remember all of yours!" Basically, I think that there is more pressure on teachers than students may think. While I would also like to see more teachers trying to have better relationships with their students, they may need a little help. Maybe if a professor saw that a student was really interested and wanted to build stronger relationships/connections, achieve higher learning, and create better communication, then we might see a shift in this trend.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

I really enjoyed looking over Mr. Spencer's blog. Mr. Spencer seems to really care about approaching every angle of his students' education to achieve the best possible results in achievement and learning. I looked over some of the comments, and I agree with something that Lisa said on the topic of what children really do when they get home. She asked why should it matter that the children use the pencil to play Hang Man? At least they're not messing with drugs, crime, or violence. Simply put, there are worst things these children could be doing. And I also liked what Tom Johnson said in response to Gertrude's fear that this may indeed be what the pencils were being used for: "There's probably some learning that's taking place that we don't realize." I also looked at the post "the enemy isn't a person", and I thought that it was an interesting look at the bigger picture. We are all human.

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

This video by Daniel Pink certainly gets you to think about what you want to do with your life. I like the question "Was I better today than I was yesterday?" My mom used to say something somewhat similar to me as a child, and it was "Every day, you start with a clean slate. It's almost like a 'do-over'. Take what happened yesterday, and learn from it. If something happened that made you upset, don't dwell on it. Learn from your (and others') mistakes. Every day has the possibility to be wonderful. It's all about attitude." I think that the questions presented in this video are great motivational techniques. Here is my sentence:

She listened and learned, watched and tried, failed and succeeded, laughed and loved, and appreciated each day so that she could help others do the same.

Blog Assignment 9

After reading Mr. McClung's blog post What I've Learned This Year, I really felt a little better about becoming a teacher. I can get a little nervous, when I think about standing in front of a classroom with thirty children, all looking at me as a role model and facilitator of learning. I don't think teachers realize how big of an impact they can have on a student's life.

First of all, I absolutely love tools for self-reflection. In this course, I have seen that blogging is a perfect way to do this. What you may not be able to say out loud, you can communicate via your blog. I thought about this as I read Mr. McClung's opening statement of "Being young and inexperienced, I did not fully know what to expect from being an elementary school teacher. Since last August I have grown and matured as a person and a teacher, and in the process I have learned a TON. So, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to share with you what it is that I have learned in my first year of teaching." I really liked how he saw blogging as an opportunity to share, self-reflect, and encourage others to persevere.

Mr. McClung separated his post into the following components:

HOW TO READ THE CROWD ~ BE FLEXIBLE ~ COMMUNICATE ~ BE REASONABLE ~ DON'T BE AFRAID OF TECHNOLOGY ~ LISTEN TO YOUR STUDENTS ~ NEVER STOP LEARNING


How to Read the Crowd

It's not all about you (the teacher). You're there for the children. This doesn't you're the only one teaching, though. Go for a student-centered lesson. Let them teach you. Let them teach themselves.

Be Flexible

"NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT."

It's okay if your lesson doesn't go step-by-step as you wanted! Life is constantly changing. The world is constantly changing. Let that be an element in your classroom. "Well, I didn't plan to talk about sea turtles today, Benjamin...but, everyone seems to be really interested, so we'll learn about different sea turtles today in science class!" If the students learn that change is something they will encounter for the rest of their lives, they can develop the skills necessary to adapt and keep up with innovations that are occurring (such as technological advances).

Communicate

Communication is one of the best methods of therapy. Talk it out! Although, building communication skills can be very tough, the benefits will astound you. Build those strong relationships with your fellow teachers and your students in order to say "Hey, I'm a person, too."

Be Reasonable

Set high goals for your students. Have high and positive expectations for them. If they don't meet this goal, try to be there for them. Don't show disappointment or become upset because they "let you down". If anything, they will have probably let themselves down more than anything, and them seeing that you are disappointed will only set them back further. Pick them up, encourage them some more, and set them off to try again.

Don't Be Afraid of Technology

His subtitle says it all: "Don't be afraid!" Technology is out there to help us become better educators. It can offer multitudes of innovative ideas for the classroom. Technology can offer a familiar medium for the students, and can then facilitate further learning and exploration.

Listen to Your Students

As educators, we will be one of the most constant adults in the students' lives. Show them that you care about them as people. Listen to them. You may not know it, but you could be someone (the only one, maybe) they trust.

Never Stop Learning

Basically, if we are asking students to learn new things every day and focus Focus FOCUS...it would be a little hypocritical if we didn't do this ourselves, right? Personally, I love learning new things. It will be my constant mission to educate myself daily and continue learning, so that I can share all the wonderful things I find with my students.

Mr. McClung's advice was very helpful to me. I will probably look back on this post in my years as a future teacher. Hopefully, with all of the advice, hints, and personal stories I have read so far in this class, I will be able to be a better teacher, a better listener, and a better person in the classroom.

Project 12: Recorded Skype Interview

For my project, I conducted a short interview with my dad on the topic of graffiti.

Free online screen recorder

Podcast

Finally, our podcast is complete! Thanks to Apple iMovie (much more user-friendly than a PC), to Dr. Strange, Anthony, and The Baker Trio!

Project 11: Short Movie

Project 9b: Instructional Timetoast

European Adventures: Facts and Fun

Blog Assignment 8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2





Overall, I really liked this video. That's one of the things I like about this class: we don't simply read chapters and regurgitate what we read...we can actually watch a Youtube (or some other type) video, and learn part of our lesson from there. I like how it's a different spin on getting the point across. I thought this video was very creative, and I love how Richard Miller combined various elements in his video. I especially liked the green idea for the building! Anything that is environmentally-aware is alright by me!

As for multimedia projects and if I'm ready to do one or not...I think that I would really enjoy doing a project like this one or some other type of multimedia project. The idea of putting audio, video, text, pictures, etc., together to make a completed project sounds like a lot of fun to me! By doing this, you can reach out to visual learners as well as the ones who learn by listening. Plus, it gives a whole dynamic feeling to your project. Literally.

As for my future classroom, I think multimedia projects are a great idea! I think it could be really fun for the students to do a project like this, especially if they're interested in the topic. For instance, I remember in the 4th grade, my class and I were assigned to do a sort of "Me" project. I believe it was called "My Life" or something like that. We were only required to include photos and text, but think of how much more in-depth and creative it could be if audio and/or video could have been included! Who doesn't want to show a clip of a video where they're singing to the camera as a 4-year old? Anyways, I think multimedia projects like this are a lot easier to do now then 10 years ago, and I would love to implement this idea in my future classroom.

The Chipper Series and EDM 310 For Dummies

I really liked The Chipper Series because I think that it spoke to a lot of students in EDM 310. This class isn't the only one that students may procrastinate in, but I'm sure it's in the top 10! What this video says to me is that you have to be serious about your education. College is supposed to be fun, yes. College is a place where you meet some lifelong friends who you want to spend your time with, yes. College is a place to broaden your horizons and become involved with clubs, sports, or whatever your interests may be, yes. But, college is also a place for learning in the academic sense. It isn't good to keep blowing off homework or projects because you're going to concerts or hanging out with friends. We are here to become TEACHERS. Let's act like it.

In EDM 310 for Dummies, we see a typical example of how EDM 310 students may feel at the beginning of the semester. A lot of us were really frustrated and confused. All it takes, though, is using your noggin to figure it out. You can either do this on your own, or ask help from one of the lab associates. Basically, it's a no-brainer! I really liked the humor in this video, as well.

For a possible future video project, I'd like to do a "How To" video for students. I don't know if it would necessarily focus on EDM 310, but I think making a video like this could be really fun and a nice way to be creative.

SmartBoards: Yes? No?

Michael Staton and Bill Ferriter's critiques of Smart boards were both very negative. They can't see the value of the boards, and are very reluctant to put them in the classroom. One of their reasons for disliking Smart boards is that they are too expensive. I agree, the boards aren't for the frugal investor; however, if these boards are put to good use (meaning that the teacher access proper training for the Smart board and then use it effectively in the classroom), I think it could show some very positive results with the children.

I found a blog that's "Pro-SmartBoard", if you will. This educator can definitely see the possible benefits of a SmartBoard. Like me, she agrees that they are on the expensive side. However, she believes that the cost and benefits can equal out if the teacher only utilizes the Board properly and really makes it a part of the lesson.

Summary of C4T #2

For my second Comments-4-Teachers assignment, I was given Mrs. Goerend's Blog: Live the Conversation. I like Mrs. Goerend's style of blogging because she uses italic and bold tools in her writing. When I'm reading, I can tell that wherever it is bold or italicized, this is something she thinks is important, and I should definitely pay attention.

In the first post I commented on, Mrs. Goerend was talking about different levels of abilities in the classroom and how the children are separated according to these levels. Mrs. Goerend expressed sadness at hearing a child say, "The red group is the kids that are bad at math, isn't it?" after discovering that the children were grouped into red, white, and blue (the school's colors). Mrs. Goerend expressed that the red group was not composed of the children with low abilities in math. She believes that children are able to notice who is better at some things and who is not, and this can be a factor in confidence and morale. She expressed that these students just need to be taught differently, and that didn't necessarily make them poor students.

I agreed with Mrs. Goerend in that some students should understand that they just require a different style and/or pace, as well as additional practice. It is so important that students feel confident in themselves as learners. Each child needs to know that they have the potential to be great. This goes back to expressing positive expectations for every student.

For Mrs. Goerend's second post, she wrote about a discussion she had with her class concerning the subject "Why Blog?" The students said that blogging is good for sharing, peer editing, making grading easier for the teacher, and getting feedback, opinions, and ideas from other people. Basically, it's about making connections.

For my comment on this second post, I let Mrs. Goerend know that I think it's great she's encouraging her students to think about the importance and advantages of blogging. I also wrote that I thought peer editing and the feedback from this activity are extremely helpful in improving a student's classwork. Also, I think sharing is a great way to further one's education. If you find out something that's really interesting, why not share it with someone!

Progress Report on Personal Learning Network (PLN)

After looking at some examples of PLN's, I now have a better idea of how to build my own. So far, I have a Facebook account, a Twitter account, a blog on Blogger, a Google account (which I love), an iGoogle homepage, and I also use Delicious as a bookmarking tool whenever I come across an interesting website.

The Facebook account serves as a good socializing tool, while the Twitter account has been described as a "micro-blogging tool". On Twitter, I am following Screenr, Imogen Heap, Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis, Red Cross, Women's Health Magazine, Discovery Health, Neil Gaiman, Sarah Dessen, Room to Read, Penguin Group USA, The Met Museum in New York, and The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The Blogger account has been very beneficial, especially in seeing how much information (and in various forms) can be shared with anyone. The Google account has been one of my favorite tools that I've come across in this course. It has saved me an unbelievable amount of work. I really like how you can create documents, presentations, forms, spreadsheets or even drawings on Google Docs. I also liked creating the iGoogle homepage because you're able to give it that personal touch. Plus, the instructions for how to build your iGoogle homepage were simple and easy to understand.

Finally, like Carl Fisch, I would also like to consider books as part of my PLN. 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching by Phillip Done has been a good read with a lot of laughs and some good advice, I think. Plus, I think it would be really cool if I could use some of the teachings referenced in The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff in my classroom.

Blog Assignment 7

Randy Paush Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams



First of all, this lecture was absolutely amazing. Randy Paush has such a great presence and style of speaking that I actually wanted to hear more. I felt like an active listener, and I think that's important as an educator: enabling your students to feel like they are involved in the lesson, even if it's just by listening. I, like many people in the audience, also laughed at his joke about a 'deathbed conversion': "I just bought a Macintosh." Also, I thought he organized his lecture very well, separating -and simultaneously connecting- his topics into My Childhood Dreams, Enabling Others Dreams, and Lessons Learned.

I really liked one of Randy Paush's quotes, which was "The inspiration and permission to dream is huge." Even just hearing him speak these words inspired something within me. Basically, the only person who can set limits for yourself is you. To quote Randy Paush again, "The brick walls are there for a reason - they let us prove how badly we want things." So, something (that something being people, sometimes) may try to prevent you from reaching your goal, but you can't let them. It's just like Christopher Robin said to Pooh Bear, "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." The trick is believing in yourself and knowing that no matter what obstacles you face, you can ultimately prevail. Randy Paush gave a good example of this to his students when he persevered to ride the "vomit comet" and experience zero gravity.

By playing football from an early age, Randy Paush discovered that "you have to learn the fundamentals before you can do the fancy stuff". This is such a great lesson to teach your students because they must have a basic understanding of whatever they're studying in order to achieve higher learning. And another lesson Randy Paush learned from football is that "experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." Everyday, people are making mistakes (especially in the academic world). These experiences are what help us learn. If you never mess up, then how do you expect to improve? Also, in meeting William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Randy Paush was able to work with his childhood role model. Captain Kirk was Randy Paush's role model for leadership, and it's very clear in this video that Randy Paush most certainly became a role model for many people as well.

Randy Paush learned a lot from his Imagineer experience. Many of these lessons were instilled in his lecture and, I'm sure, in the hearts and minds of many students. He learned that "If you wait long enough, people will surprise and impress you." There's no doubt that Randy Paush experienced the same sentiment while teaching. As he said, it's a great feeling to realize that you've made someone else happy and helped them make their dream a reality. Also, I think Randy Paush taught his students an incredible lesson in the 'Building Virtual Worlds' course. It's clear that Randy Paush expressed high/positive expectations for his students. As his mentor, Andy van Dam, said: "You are only doing your students a disservice by setting the bar somewhere."

Project 9a: Individual Timetoast

Blog Assignment 6

The Networked Student



I liked the presentation of this video. I thought that it was a creative way of getting the message across, instead of simply talking in front of a camera. I also liked the idea of "connectivism" and how it can be taught in the classroom. I believe that the main idea of connectivism can be beneficial for students as they connect with others who are learning the same material in order to "strengthen the learning process." The idea of a personal learning network (PLN) was also really interesting to me. In my experience, I see a lot of my friends and the students in my classes doing this already (e.g. building resources, checking for credibility, and sharing sites found, among other things). Building a PLN and organizing one are two different projects, I suppose.

I liked how the video mentioned that blogs are usually opinion-based, so it's a more appropriate venue for discussion and debates. I haven't learned too much about iTunesU, but I think I'm going to research it after watching this video. I like the idea of having audio and video podcasts, such as lectures or other educational media, on your iPod.

I also agree that it never hurts to ask!

In the end, I also believe that the teacher is still needed for the networked student as a guide and facilitator for learning. If a student has a question, someone should be there with the answer, or at least the knowledge of a path towards the answer.

A Seventh Grader's Personal Learning Environment



First of all, I was very impressed by the work this seventh grader put into making this video. The screen capture and other video capture techniques used were very beneficial to not only telling people about her PLE but showing it to them.

I'm not sure what program her class uses to show the different rounded squares for each topic/area, but I really liked it! I also thought it was creative to surround the Google search box with these icons. I thought that her audio recording was well-rehearsed and very clear. This is important, I think, in making a video because if your listener can't understand (or even hear) what you're saying, the positive results you desire may not come about, whether this is how many people viewed your video or even commented on it.

I really enjoyed being shown her different pages, especially the one about the leopard geckos! Also, the idea of a classroom without paper is probably very appealing to many educators. Plus, in today's time, where recycling and minimizing energy and resource waste is so important, this is another great idea.

The Machine is (Changing)Us: YouTube and the Politics of Authenticity - Michael Wesch



Even though this was the longest video assigned, this is the one I enjoyed the most! I thought that this talk, presented by Michael Wesch, was a great way to explain this feeling, this concept, this way of life that many people are experiencing (right now in fact!).

The idea of a "context collapse" was new to me. Wesch elaborated on this idea with an equation:

anonymity + physical distance + rare & ephemeral dialogue = hatred as public performance


However, the equation transformed into another one:

anonymity + physical distance + rare & ephemeral dialogue = freedom to experience humanity without fear or anxiety


I also really liked a quote from his video that reads "New forms of community create new forms of self-understanding". Also, I agree with Wesch in that what seems to be a private place is acutally one of the most public places in the world (YouTube). This can be both a powerful and a dangerous tool. Furthermore, I really appreciated the work, time, and research Wesch and his team must have put into this presentation. The sociological study of YouTube is certainly something that I think would interest many people. Personally, I have never recorded and published a video on YouTube simply because I never thought I had time, and also because I've had this mentality of "I'd rather go out in the real, non-virtual world and connect with people in-person." When I look at some of these videos, though, and see how people are either recording connections made or actually connecting via YouTube, it really makes me start to think differently about it all.

Summary Post C4K 1 & 2

For my first Comments-4-Kids assignment, I was assigned Kenya's blog. I read her "About Me" post and commented on it with my thoughts. Kenya seems to be someone who places great importance on family. She also wrote about her friends and how she likes to hang out with them (or bother her little brother) when she's bored. Actually, in the first sentence of her post, she writes that she is someone who would like to reach her goals in life. In my comment for Kenya's post, I wrote that it is very refreshing to find a student who has set forth in accomplishing their goals. I also mentioned that I, too, place great importance on family and friends. Like Kenya, I am also enjoying school nowadays. I wrote that when I'm bored, I like to go outside or read a book.

In the second Comments-4-Kids assignment, I commented on Carmen's blog. Carmen wrote her "Learning Manifesto" and posted it on her blog, which I then commented on. Carmen has set some very nice goals for herself. What I gathered from her manifesto is that she values respect. I admired her for aiming to show the same respect towards her teacher that she expects from others. She also strives to turn her work in on time more often and ask for help when she doesn't understand. The latter can be very tough for young people, I think. So, I encouraged her to be the one student in the class to raise her hand and say, "I don't understand" because in that moment, she could become the hero to another student who was too nervous to admit that they weren't following the lesson.

I really enjoyed reading both of these students' blogs! I think it's really neat how we get to communicate with people of different ages, professions, and nationalities in this course. All in all, a new and fun experience.

Blog Assignment 5

Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog

I was really impressed with this third grade's class blog. I think it's great that the students are experiencing how to communicate with technology to the rest of the world. This is also a way to keep the students interested by giving them a type of long-term project to work on that is fun and educational. While visiting the Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog, I learned about Rome in their audio podcast "Roamin' with the Ancient Romans". I learned that Roman aqueducts were an integral part of Roman society. Also, the Colosseum could be filled with water to simulate sea battles. The students in the podcast also mentioned that watching gladiators die was a sort of entertainment for citizens in ancient Rome, like going to the movies is for people today. The gladiators trained in special schools, took a special oath, and fought for glory as well as their lives.

I was very impressed with this blog, and I hope I am able to do a similar project with my class(es) one day! The educational aspect of this podcast was very strong, and I think I'd like to include such a focus in the group podcast.

Langwitches

I really liked the writing style in this blog. I also liked the subtitle of "The Magic of Learning" for its connection to the blog's main title. I explored the most recent post titled "Space Real Estate Agents?". Again, I was extremely impressed with the work these students accomplished. The sound effects, music, quality of dialogue, and the creativity presented in this podcast by a class of fourth graders is truly inspiring. I appreciate how this educator has enabled these children to explore their opportunities for learning by teaching them about podcasting and technology.

I really liked the sound effects and music in this podcast, so I think it would be a good idea to include these in the group podcast.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale

In this podcast (The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom), I really liked the idea of enabling students to review by listening to a recorded lecture. This reaches out to students who learn better through audio examples and repetition. I also agree podcasting can be beneficial as it addresses higher levels of thinking in Bloom's taxonomy. I like how podcasting can enable absent children to learn even thought they can't be at school.

In the end, I liked how the video switched back and forth between audio and video. I think this is a good idea for our group podcast, as well.

Google Presentation

Amanda Brewton's Google Presentation

Blog Assignment 4

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

In Scott McLeod's Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?, he talks about technology in the classroom. His way of getting the message across is quite interesting. After an initial read, I wasn't sure what Dr. McLeod was trying to say. It seemed as though he was discouraging the use of technology in the classroom. However, a few sections of his post made me think during this initial read where it seemed he was advocating technology in the classroom...that he was supporting it. In the end, I realized that this message had to do with understanding and learning about something, even if there are negative aspects to it. Technology presents many ways for students to be creative and to explore, so why not use it?

Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor at Iowa State University. He teaches in the Educational Administration program and is the director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He also co-created the video, "Did You Know? (Shift Happens)".

The iSchool Initiative

In this video The iSchool Initiative (Mobile Learning), a high school senior talks about his iSchool Initiative. This is definitely an innovative and revolutionary idea for how education could be in the future. I think that this type of a school would reach out to many of the modern students of today. However, I'm not sure how I, as a current student, would fare in such an educational environment. Sure, I would probably adapt and become accustomed to this method of learning (just as I have with the current methods), but I don't know if learning would have the same personal feel to it, if we took all methods of "old school" teaching and learning away.

I believe that a good balance of both methods would be most beneficial. I think that turning to a classroom with only an iTouch would be skipping that intermediate step of a good balance between "new school" and "old school". Also, I'll admit that the idea of so much change in a short amount of time is a little scary to me. Furthermore, being someone who is trying to reduce my carbon footprint everyday by recycling and being aware of my energy-use, this iSchool Initiative is certainly appealing in that area.

The Lost Generation



In "The Lost Generation", the speaker talks about the future, and what many believe to be true. In the end, the message literally rewinds to read the total opposite of the first message. I was very impressed with the creativity presented in this video. The ending message was very hopeful and optimistic, and I think that is extremely important. People need to believe they can change something they think is wrong. It is clear that this message says to believe in yourself, believe you are the change, hope for the future, stay true to yourself, keep loved ones close to you, etc. I really appreciate this video because its message could say something different for many people.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

At Jennifer Chamber's EDM 310 Class Blog, she posted a video of a virtual choir who recorded their performance via internet, having never met or practiced together. All I could think was "Wow" while listening to this virtual choir. I even got goosebumps! It was very relaxing, and it really amazes me in what can be accomplished via the worldwide web. It seems so unbelievable that this is possible. Clearly, it's possible. I think I may still be in shock that something so beautiful and amazing could be composed from all of the wonderful voices of these people who had never met or never even practiced together! It really makes me look at communication and connection via internet in a whole new way.

Blog Assignment 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today



I thought that this film was very moving. I liked how it mentioned that a student's day can be pretty long. How a student spends these hours can be varied, however. I also liked how the project involved students filling out surveys for the purpose of providing the information in this film. I gathered that the statistics presented by the individual students was from this survey in the document.

What I saw in this video was a bunch of students questioning the quality of their education. Maybe some of them feel like the methods used by their teachers are a bit outdated and need to be geared towards their interests and learning styles, not the teacher's.

In a way, I don't feel like this video represents my college experience. If the sentiments of the students in the video are what I think they are, I don't think that my professors are too outdated or unwilling to modernize their teaching strategies. Almost all of my classes have a class website, we are suggested links and web pages for our intellectual development, and some of my classes even employ the use of a Smart Board (I really enjoy those lessons). I did like how the video allowed many students to speak out about their feelings concerning higher education.


"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines

Ms. Hines' post was about how the actual technology is not needed in the classroom to teach the students the skills necessary to use said technology. I like her approach to this area of educating students. I think that for many teachers, certain types of technology may not be available to them due to expense, for example.

In It's Not About the Technology, Ms. Hines mentions four things she believes teachers must embrace in order to truly teach their students in this new age of learning. First, she says that teachers must devote themselves to being life-long learners and keeping up with the times, in reference to technology and the tools associated with its research. Second, she uses a physics reference to explain that working harder is not necessarily working smarter. She believes that learning isn't the same for every student or every teacher, but learning is still learning. It has value for us all. Third, she emphasizes the importance of proper training and mindset of the teachers who will be presented with such innovative technological tools for the classroom, such as interactive whiteboards. Fourth, she states that an educator can be a 21st century teacher without technology. This can be done by identifying core outcomes for students which include different themes, skills, creative elements, critical thinking lessons, and media-focused objectives.


Karl Fisch: "Is It Okay To Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?"

In Is It Okay To Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher? Karl Fisch explains his view and opinions about technology and education. I like the passion that Mr. Fisch demonstrates in his post. It's very clear that he feels strongly (in an alternating pattern, he admits) about educators educating themselves about technological innovations. I really understand where he's coming from when he states that it's something that needs to seriously be addressed.

I think that while I was in high school, I wasn't too concerned about being up to date with new technology. Sure, I knew how to work a laptop, use Microsoft Office, download a ring tone to my cell phone, and create a music play list. However, I don't remember really having the desire to explore. Now, being in this class, I realize the importance of learning on my own. I have a responsibility to my future students to be an example. It seems as though that will be pretty difficult, if I don't hone these skills now. Another thing, I know time can be as elusive to teachers as their roll list, but why wouldn't a teacher jump at the chance to learn something new? To have something they can relate to their students with?


Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Wow. This site is really astonishing. The high amount in each category and the rate at which they all increase is amazing. The message I get from this count is that technology plays a very active part in people's lives. It really makes me think about the technological savvy that most, if not all, of my future students may have. I think that this is another sign, of many, that as a future educator, it is my responsibility to realize that technology is becoming a larger part of people's lives everyday. In order to be the best teacher I can be, this means I will also need to make technology and the knowledge of its innovations a dynamic part of my life.

Summary of C4T #1

For my first C4T assignment, I was given the blog of Ms. Diane Krause. Her blog is called Diane's Digital Discoveries. Ms. Krause provides an astonishing amount of information on her site for how to bring technology into the classroom.

The first post that I commented on was a list of various links which I viewed and then I gave my opinion about them. I especially liked the website that featured 100 Ways Google Can Make You a Better Educator and A 21st Century Education Film Series. The film called "Designing Schools for 21st Century Learning" featuring Randall Fielding was very inspiring. He has so much passion for bettering the learning environments for students that it makes me want to do the same.



The second comment I made on Ms. Krause's blog was to another post which consisted of multiple links, as well. I really enjoyed these links provided by Ms. Krause. A couple of my favorites were two international news links The Paperboy and Google Regional Newspapers because they offered newspapers from all over the world, like Bhutan, Germany, Jordan, and Singapore. The National Geographic Kids website was fun because I was able to play games and learn about leather back sea turtles. Also, at the PBS News Hour Extra -- 7-12 Grade Level website, there was an article about how the "Venezuelan Youth Embrace National Orchestra Program". I thought this was a great article that described how much passion these kids have for their music. The other great thing about it is it actually had comments from the kids the article was talking about.

All in all, I thought it was really amazing how Ms. Krause made all of these great sources available for the public. I really appreciate the time she puts into her blog as a resource for students and educators everywhere.

Thank you, Ms. Krause!

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know? 3.0



In its entirety, I believe this video was quite overwhelming. I sat down to watch it, and I was suddenly bombarded with statistics! It's been said that providing statistics is the way to win an argument. Although, I did not check the numbers presented in the video, many of them were certainly believable. What's astonishing is the rapidity with which many of these numbers are occurring. The video said that we are living in "exponential times". Whether this is referring to the informal definition of "very fast" or the more formal math definition "of, containing, or involving one or more numbers or quantities raised to an exponent" (Dictionary.com: Exponential), either of them would convince me.

One of the statistics that really stuck with me was that the "amount of new technical information doubles every 2 years". The meaning this quote has for me is that we need to keep up. We will be educating our students about technology that will change in at least one year. "So What Does It All Mean?" is the ending message of the video. Well, I think it goes back to the idea that we will need to teach our students the skills necessary to learn about new technologies and to find information concerning such innovations.

Mr. Winkle Wakes



At first, I didn't understand what the message of this movie could be. It seemed very vague and subtle in the way it suggested its intent. I initially thought it would be a video about how people are too busy and consumed with technological devices instead of taking a break to go outside and breathe, for example. However, this message wouldn't have really made too much sense, keeping in mind which class gave this assignment. Once Mr. Winkle arrived in the school, it became pretty clear (especially once the movie ended) what was trying to be said.

To be honest, thought, I really didn't enjoy the video. Once the video had ended, I realized that this was a somewhat satirical view of the school system and how the classrooms need more technologically-directed lessons. I thought that the tone was somewhat negative, when a more positive solution or question could have been presented. One of my professors, Dr. Fresne, has said that "When educating children, you shouldn't always give them the answer. Rather, show them a small bit of the solution, and instill in them the motivation to learn on their own and discover the answer for themselves." So, I'm not asking for a solution to this problem of teachers not integrating technology into the classrooms and lessons. I thought that instead of being more proactive, this video was more of a complaint. However, I also realize that this video may have been a way to bring others to action.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity



Overall, I really enjoyed this talk by Ken Robinson. I thought his stories were really funny and good examples of the points he was trying to get across to his audience. I agree with his idea of every child being born creative and this characteristic decreasing as children go through school. For instance, when I was in grade school, I really enjoyed art class, especially. In the eighth grade, I seriously considered being an artist following the presentation of my "Most" award, which was "Most Artistic". Going through high school, though, I realized that being an artist might not be a very practical career. Looking back, my life could have been very different. I like creating art as a hobby, though, and I plan to continue doing so.

This video made me reflect on the school system of today and how the "arts" are integrated into lessons and the atmosphere. I do believe more could be done to reach out to students who aren't as interested in the "main subjects" as other students. Isn't that always the case, though? More can always be done. My hope is that I can notice these interests in children and help them identify with said interests.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts



I thought that this video was very inspirational to educators everywhere. It's great that Ms. Davis was able to take her class abroad to learn about different cultures and educational techniques. In the video, it really seemed like the kids enjoyed learning about using technology in the classroom. It was nice to see other students helping each other with procedures and learning how to work the computers. It seems that she really has a passion for teaching the students and learning from them as well. The students also seemed to be doing a lot of the learning on their own through independent work on the computers, as well as working together.

In conclusion, I think that I can learn many lessons from Ms. Davis. If you show passion for what you are teaching, the students will see that you really care about their education. It's good to learn a lesson or two from the students: teachers are life-long learners. Finally, keeping the classroom up-to-date (especially with concern to technology) is a good way to keep the students' attention.