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.