Final Reflection for EDM 310

Final Report for Project 13

Our forms of communication were email and text message. We had Math class together but we tried out hardest not to talk about the project. We were very good about getting stuff done and sending out idea back and forth though email. We both have very busy schedules so it was actually good that we didn’t have to meet.Over all I think we both did a very good job working together.

Project 16

Final PLN Report

For my Personal Learning Network I used Symbaloo. I have been using it as much as I can. Its a very good way to stay organized with all of my websites. Using a Symbaloo it makes it very easy to access everything and keep it in one place.

Blog Post 13

This week we were challenged not to use technology for 24 hours. This is not possible for me to do. I tried to do it and then I would need to call my mom or check an email. Living away from home, my cell phone is the only way my family can get a hold of me if they need me. I have my phone on me at all times. I am also an officer in a sorority on campus which requires me to check my email everyday because that is how we get information out to each other. I also have a campus job which requires me to check emails. I never realized how depending I was on technology until recently. I really don’t know how to live my life without it. I guess it’s just the generation that I grew up in. I was never taught how to live without it.
Something else that was a big problem to me was not being able to listen to music on my radio or iPod. I always am listening to music whatever I am doing. I can’t ride in the car without music playing. I go crazy without it. I am very thankful for technology. If I would have kept going with the fast without giving up I would have never know about the shooting on campus and that we had a lockdown. Because when it happened I was off campus and I was about to head back when I got the email. Emails are the new way of communication. I have realized that it is impossible for me to live 24 hours with out these tools because that’s all I know

C4T #4

C4T #1
Slippery Slopes
This post talks about how websites are about to start charging to watch videos. Instead of you being able to just watch any video on line people would have to start paying for it. This would hurt sites like YouTube. I said I think this is a very interesting topic. Videos are an importing tool in learning. I think it would harm more than it would help if they started looking at it as copyright infringement.
C4T#2
The importance of teaching brainstorming
This post talks about how we should give a topic to a child enables that child to let their mind run free on ideas that would help them explain it. In timed settings primarily for the older students, it allows them to be pushed to a certain degree and helps prepare them for what they might see in higher education classes. Brainstorming helps these kids provide more in depth papers or deeper understanding of what their topic is, because of the many discoveries they would have. I commented and said.

Project # 15 SMARTboard Instruction Part 2

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts - Special Post #12A.

Schools destroy the development of curiosity. Students are taught for the state test and they have to do things in a cookie cutter way. Students do not get to think outside of the box. Some students even get picked on for trying to go outside that box. Curriculum need to be more open ended. It needs to let the students learn while doing something instead of sitting in the classroom all day. Make the Curriculum fun for the students. A student is more likely to want to know more about a topic if it’s presented in a fun way. Sometimes the student might not even know they are learning. It’s all about the way things are presented. Being curious and creative can go together. If a student is curious about a topic than they can find a creative way to find out about it.
The teachers has a big part of the attitudes of the student if a student walk in to a classroom and the teacher looks sad then that will make the students sad. If the teacher is excited to teach the subject than they students will be more excited to learn about it. If the teacher wants the student to be creative they must be as well. They cannot just expect the student to sit and listen all the time.

C4K April Summary

Josh 1st Challenge Post
His post was facts about him. The facts he listed are below:
I like to waste time at school
I like plaid shirts
My age is (20 ÷ 4) + 5 + 3 – 1 + 8 + 3 – 13 +2 – 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 – 4 + 7 + 1 – 6 – 2 = ?
My favorite number is 12
My favorite video game is Modern Warfare 2 and 3
My Gamertag on xbox 360 is Beecut swag
My best friend is Dakota Sathertooth

My comment was, I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am in a class called Edm 310. I will be commenting on your blog for the next 3 weeks and I can’t wait to see what you post. I loved the list of random facts. If I did my math right you are 12. What kinds of things do you do to waste time at school? I enjoyed learning a little bit about you.
ORJU 2nd Challenge Post
This post talks about how she loves soccer. She talks about how her dad has been her coach for a while now but she us started in the school league so he can’t. She has been playing soccer since kindergarden. She is now playing indoor soccer.
I commented my name is Ashley. I attend the University of South Alabama. I am in a class called Edm 310. I think is awesome that you love soccer. I have played just for fun,but I am not that good. How is indoor soccer different then outdoor? I look forward to reading more of your blog post.
Ashley

3rd Challenge Post
This post talks about the troops. How all around the world people are crying because of people dying. Troops right now are trying to help Iraq get a democracy.
I commented I enjoyed reading your blog post. This is a very deep topic.

David
He put a a video talking about how he attended Polyfest.
I commented and said I am so glad you had fun at Polyfest

Blog Post 12

Watch the video on the Girl effect .Explain why education is so important when girls are younger? Should we place a more important emphasis on education in the US?



Education is very important especially in this situation. A lot of people take education for granted and do not realize how important it truly is. I think all young girls deserve to go to school and have a good life that they control. I think there needs to be more emphasis on education in the United States. Some people don’t even know things like this are happening in our world. If we could change the world one girl at a time the world would be a better place. Teachers need to be appreciated more. This would make students respect them more as well. As you can see in this video you need education for everything but teachers are not given credit

Progress Report for Project 16

Rosemary and I are still looking at three ideas for our final project.

1. We will teach a kid how to use a SMARTboard or another piece of technology. Then we will either record us teaching them how to use it, or we will record them using it on their own.

2. We will survey one child from each grade K-6 about how much technology they use outside of class and how much technology they use inside of class.

3. We will interview teachers and see if they think technology is necessary in the classroom.

We are communicating mostly though text message and email.

Blog Post 11

Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy.
Technology was introduced in a classroom filled with first graders and they were all very excited because it was a new, different, and exciting kind of experience for them. They were able to interact and learn in different ways, making it more fun for them. When Cassidy began, she received mixed feelings from the other teachers about using the internet in the classroom and letting their students learn from the internet. She said that those who used the internet supported it completely, but those who hadn't used the internet didn't think that it was the greatest idea. In the classroom you could make the children excited about it so they could get their parents to. If a child is excited its easier for the parents to be to.
Parents loved being able to check up on their students' progress and see what they are learning, and the students of course loved it. Her message was to basically let people know that technology in the classroom in this generation are more able and willing to learn because it works for them, than if they were to use the more traditional ideals, like using pencil and paper.
Teacher need to keep learning all the time and not be stuck in their ways. One thing she said that stuck out to me is” Technology is not going away its going to stay”. People try to avoid it but there is no way to stay out of technologies way.

Progress Report for Project 13

Rosemary Catlin and I have been trying to communicate without meeting. This has been difficult because we have a Math class together. We have been texting, emailing and using Facetime to talk about project 15. We have not decided fully on what it will be about. Here is a picture of us using Facetime.

Blog Post 10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?


This video was very interesting. It talks about the difference teaching and educating. The video states that teaching is to explain how something is done or to show someone concepts. An educator is someone who is a mentor. Someone who can be there for their students, and can also be there to encourage them. Someone who can be an advisor to them and be someone they can look up to.

I want to be an educator. I want to be there for my students and to be the person they can trust with anything. I want to help them not just learn the material but to find joy in learning it. I will make learning fun for my class. I always enjoyed subjects better when the teacher was engaged and made it exciting. This is something that is very important to me and I will make sure it’s used in my classroom. I want to be someone that they feel like cares about them and want the best for them. Not just someone who wants to teach to get paid but feels like I am there for them.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

In this post he is using pencils as a metaphor for technology. He is talking about how people are trying to keep technology out of the classroom and how it is a bad idea. Students need to have technology in the classroom. They need to know how to use it because when they grow up they will be using it in the real world. Teaching them to use it now can help them in their future job.

Having technology in the classroom also makes the student more excited about learning it. It can make it more fun for students. He says that they won’t remember stuff if it’s just to pass a test and then it’s over. If you make it fun and make them want to learn it they will remember it for longer. He talks about how important technology in the classroom truly is .

Blog Post 9

What I Have learned This Year 2009.
Mr. McClung was a fresh new teacher. He arrived in Noel , Missouri. He learned a lot the first year of teaching. He learned to read the crowd and find out what your students understand, make sure your being clear to your students. You also have to be flexible. Don’t be to controlling over everything. If something goes wrong just go with it. Make sure you have good communication. Be a reasonable teacher. Remember that not all students are perfect and you have to stay encouraging. Use technology in the classroom. This could be very helpful for visuals for a class. Be there for your student and care about them. In some cases you might be the only person that will listen to them. It’s never too late to change how you do something. You can always change something to adjust it to a class. These things that he learned are important for all teachers. You have to learn to evaluate yourself to make your class the best it can be for your students.

What I Have Learned This Year for the Year 2010.
Mr McClung did a post on what he had learned. He used to teach science but he moved to a new school where he had to teach social studies and step out of his comfort zone. He decided to make social studies more relevant like he did in his science classes before. He leaned to be more relaxed with his planning. He taught his students to think on their own and to have their own decision. He learned a few tricks for being at a new school. One of them is to find a mom. Find a mom that knows how things run. They can tell you the normal ways to do things. You don’t want to mess up the normal routines. He also says that you have to leave you ego. You have to act excited about a topic and sometimes even act silly to show the student that you are passionate about the topic. I remember when I was in high school when the teacher was excited about it you got excited about it too. You also can’t be a control freak. Let the student help out in the class room. Give them easy jobs .No matter how bad things get you have to remember what is best for the students. They are the most important thing and the reason you are a teacher. I think these tips are very useful for any class room. He learned some very important things that I will for sure be using in my classroom.

Project 14

C4T # 3

1. My post I was assigned to comment on was called paper reinforcers. This post is pretty much about how she organizes herself. She talks about her upcoming class. How she is ready to walk in to the class room and find out what they student wants from her. She wants her students to know who she is. She wants them to trust her. She wants to create a good learning experience. I commented and said it’s important to build a community and experiences where trust and relationships can be formed throughout the classroom with the students. I enjoyed reading your post.

2. My post I was assigned to was called Your PLN gives you more people to disappoint. She talks about her nervousness about going into a new class. Not only is she just going to a new class room but a new environment completely. She will have new students in a new country at a new school. She just talks about how she doesn’t want to make herself look bad. She will be teaching Language A&B English and Technology. I commented I am sure you are going to be a great teacher and inspire them. Just keep your head up and you will do amazing.

C4K March Summary

The post I commented on was called Poem for Barbara by Klaudia. It was a rather short poem that talked about Barbara and how amazing her class was. I also said how loving and amazing she was.I commented I love your poem. I am glad you like Barbara.

Blog Post 8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
He talks about how we write differently. We can now look up things on line that are available to a lot of people. You can now find stuff that is not just at your library. Once you take it off the site its still there for others to read unlike it used to be where there was one copy. It’s now possible to collaborate with film or text. Documents could have sound and image about for example Doctor King. You can now see stuff instantly. You can see stuff that is happening now as well as stuff in the past.

Student will be using digital composing material in the future. He talks about how he put a video about his argument up on YouTube and nine thousands of people saw it. If he would have just written it down then it would have taken years for that many people to see it. YouTube is a way that people can get their opinions out there and heard.

Jonathan Harris uses the world to tell you where the happiest place is at a given time. He released bots in the web. They search blogs and news sites. He says we need to combine science and humanities.

Blog Post 12 by Carly Pugh
I loved Carlys post. Her idea was very good. I think students will learn better if they have a visual or something to keep them motivated. The internet should be used for a classroom because there is so much that can be used. I love the idea of having a playlist. One of my favorite videos from her playlist was disability means possibilities. I think that would show a class how everyone is the same we just all act differently but we are all important. That one really impacted me. I would hate for someone in my class to be treated wrong because of a disability.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies.
These videos are very cute. The first one is about a girl who always gets the easy way out of everything The second video is about how frustrating but rewarding Edm 310 is. I think a good video would be how future students use what they learned in their classroom. Show students in the edm class, then show them in the future as a teacher. You could also show a teacher that didn’t have Edm 310 how her class is not as good.


Learn to Change, Change to Learn
Education needs to change. Schools need to embrace the internet and social networks. Teachers need to stop being scared of technology. We need to be a community not a classroom. Students need to make global connections and get out of their own classroom. They will be challenged in different ways that they will use in the future. I think this video is awesome because all other field are with the times. Why is education so far behind and not as important to some people. You need an education for everything so why is it being put on the back burner.I think they are 100 percent right.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0

1. I used Emodo which is pretty much facebook for teachers. A teacher could use this to keep in touch with student. Student can take polls and quizzes on this site. Teachers can also post upcoming assignments and grades. This is a good way for students and teachers to keep in touch. Student could post general questions on the site and other students could view them. They can also easily take polls. This will definitely be a site that I use in the future.

2. I found Animoto This looks like an awesome site for presentations. They have a deal where teachers can apply to use it for free. There rates are actually not too bad there is one deal that’s $5 a month which is not that bad at all. I will be using this in the future.

3. I found poll everywhere. I think it’s amazing that you can text your answers to the website. I think this would get student more excited to take it because student already love phones. I love this site. This is a great idea and I can’t wait to use it.

Get a free sms student response system at Poll Everywhere

Porject 11

Project 12

Project 9b

The States of the United States

C4T #2

Post 1 What School is REALLY Like for Students
My blog was by Beth Still. Her post was entitled “What School is REALLY Like for Students.” She is a teacher at a alternative school called Vaults. She talked about she talked about the education system in America. She talked about her class discussed what schools are doing right and what they are doing wrong. She had students share their view and most of them were negative. One of the complaints was the there are too many rules. She then goes to explain how she does it her class room to avoid this complaint. She does this for every complaint that the students had. I found this post very interesting some of the thing that she does in the class room to make the students comfortable. These are great ideas that I will be using in my class room.
I commented and said I completely agree with you that students need to be treated with respect. When I was in school it really did feel like prison. Students are more willing to learn that way. I really like how your post was set up by telling the problem and what works for you. I think this is a great post that all teachers need to read. I really enjoyed reading your post.

Post 2 Following a Different Path

This blog post was sad to me. She talks about how her school might be a risk of closing soon. These students who used to hate school now have a way to learn and enjoy it. If the school closes, this will be taken away from the students. These students can make something out of themselves because of this school. As soon as some of the student found out they made a facebook group trying to save the school. They posted how the school has helped them. If a school that’s cares so much about their students closed they will lose all faith in the school system. They already left the mainstream school because they didn’t like it.
I commented and said I am very sorry to hear about you school. I really hope they keep it open. These students need people to be there for them. If this is taken away from them that would just be horrible.

Blog Post 7

Wendy Drexler: The Networked Student

In the video it talks about the networked student. It’s all about how a student use a network in the 21 century. The video talked about connectivism, which means the student builds a network to find out their own information. This makes a student have to teach themselves. Because of connectivism the student now has a Personal Learning Network. Now- a -days a student can use so many outlets to find out information. You can Google professors that have done lectures on the topic that you are looking up.
The video brings up the question will teachers still be needed? Of course the teacher will be needed. The teacher shows the student how to professionally search for information. They will show the student how to tell what is reliable and what is not. They are there to help with any problems that the student might have. They will be there to train the student to be a student in the 21 century and to succeed in it. The teacher will be there to motivate the student and be there mentor.

A Seventh Grade Personal Learning Environment

The seventh grader in this video is super organized. She tells us how she has her social in one place and here school in the other. She is explaining to us how she used her Personal Learning Network Hopefully I will be as organized as her when I get all of my sites together. She is very knowable about her information for a seventh grader. I am looking forward to explain my Personal Learning Network and learning how to use it effectively.

Project 10. My PLN

My PLN Progress Report
For my Personal Learning Network I used Symbaloo. I have never realized how important it was to have a PLN. Hopefully I can expand my networks so by the time I am teaching I will have great resources. Right now I just have social networking sites. I found some interesting education webs site while I was making this and I am very excited to explore them. Hopefully by being in the class my PLN will grow.

Blog Post 6

Randy Pausch did his last lecture on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon University. He was a Computer science professor. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He doesn’t want to be pitied; he says that “you can’t change the cards your dealt but how you play them.” I think that is a very good quote to live by. If more people lived by that people would be a lot happier. Randy did his speech telling people how to achieve their child hood dreams. His list included: playing in the NFL, being in zero gravity, and being a Disney imaginer just to name a few. Some were easier to achieve than others.

He discussed Jimmy Graham as his football coach as a youth and how one day Jimmy kept picking on him and telling him all the things he did wrong. It wasn’t until after practice that he was told that he was only doing that because he cared and he wanted to help. It’ important for kids who grown up playing sports to know that even if the coach is hard on them they always care about them. If their coach did not care about them they would never push them to their limit. As a teacher this can be used in the class room as well. The student should know that you care about them and you are only pushing them because you know they can do it and you care about their success. Students need to know that you are there for them and know that you care.

One thing to remember if you set a bar high enough students are willing to try to succeed and go above and beyond. Students will compete against each other to try to reach the goal and reach their full potential. Also a good way to teach something is to make it fun. Students can do things that will teach them a skill without even knowing they are learning. The best way for a student to learn is when they don’t think they are. You can make it into a game, learning should be fun. I remember when I was in 3rd grade we used to sing songs to learn out multiplication table. I hated math, but I loved those songs because I loved music. I was leaning my multiplication tables without even knowing.

I really enjoyed watching his speech. Watching this video without any history of his condition you would have never known that he is going to die within the next few months. He is such an inspiration and his advice is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. One thing that really stuck out to me is when he said when people are chewing you out listen and agree. Instead of getting all defensive, listen and take feedback. This can also be used in a class room if a student or parent is complaining about how you do something in your classroom. See if it needs improvement or adjustment. Don’t have my way or the high way rule with students, teachers, and parents. Take their advice and grow to be a better teacher.

Febuary C4K Summary

C4K #1
My students name was Gabriel he is in Mr. C’s class in the 7th hour. His blog post was short and sweet he said “I write because it helps me improve my writing and I write to entertain other people.” This was his Haiku for why he writes.
I commented I think it’s great that you love to write because it helps improve your writing skills. The more you do something the better you will become at it. I am so glad you enjoy writing to entertain people. I look forward to reading more of your writing.

C4K #2
My blog is entitled An Update from Tobago this blog was done by Mr. Sloan. He used this blog to keep up with his staff and students while in Tobago. They had such a good time. They went to a school and hung out with the students. He said they were very laid back and they did a lot outdoors. They were also invited to a party with the minister of education. During their stay they also took a trip to the rainforest. They saw all kinds of interesting things. At the end of his blog he said that the following day they were going back to the school.
I commented and said this sounds like an awesome and beautiful trip. From the pictures you have posted it looks like a beautiful place. The video is very amazing to me. The sound of the rain is so peaceful and relaxing. I hope the rest of your trip goes well. I enjoyed reading your blog.

C4K #3
My Blog was on Bryan’s awesome blog. Bryan’s blog had a video of all the things he saw while he was at the Boston museum of science. Some of the things he saw were dead animals and a cool electric show.
I commented I enjoyed watching you video it looked like you had so much fun. I love going to science museums. Science is my favorite subject to learn about. He also replied to my comment on his blog. He said liked my blog and hoped I liked his.

C4K #4
My blog is Sharon’s Stupendous Blog. The post is called the world in a Nutshell, it’s a poem. The poem talks about how she sees the horrible things that are going on in the world, but most of all, when she sees planet earth; she sees everything that people have accomplished. How the everyone in the world is moving forward instead of backwards to help improve our societal community.
I commented and said I agree with you. The world is going through a lot right now but we have to not give up. We have to see the good out of all the bad. There is always hope. I enjoyed reading your post.

Podcast

Project 9a

Blog Post 5

1. Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? by Scott McLeod
In this post he is addressing parents administrators, teachers, and board members. He is listing things that they should not let their children do that have to do with using technology. He is making technology sound like an evil thing but he is very sarcastic with his tone. I completely agree with him, people are way too judgmental when it comes to technology. If technology is used the right way there are many benefits that it has. The world is moving in that direction and there is no way to stop it but you can learn how to use it properly and teach your children those ways.

2. The iSchool Initiative by Travis Allen
Travis Allen made a youtube video when he was a high school student. This video contained information about ischool a new revolution of learning for schools. Instead of having textbooks and globes you could view it all on an ipod touch. This would save a lot of money for not only the school but the student. They would no longer have to spend money on paper or calculator it would all be in one.
I think this is a great idea. The world is already moving to a technological world. Everything is going to digital why not education. Students not only will have more resoures to learn but would be able to learn how to use technology effective. Students could also have more interactive learning. For example they can find a country on a map on then see the real pictures or videos from the place right then.

3. Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
This video is amazing to me. It’s incredible that all these people from all over could come together to sound like that. This video is especially appealing to me because I am a singer and it’s not easy to get people to sound that good without a lot of practice. The internet is an amazing thing, I am blown away.

4. Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Robert
In this video he makes a very good point that teachers are not the only way anymore that student can learn things. Google, Facebook, and other networks are available to students. Any question a student has can be found within seconds. This will effect and does today effect how teachers teach.
Teachers need to stay current with information so they can answers any question that a student may have. They also can teach them how to properly find correct information. Students need to understand that just because it’s online doesn’t mean its accurate. Student also need to learn how to pick things of a website online. Teachers can still be just as good as they were before they now just have to approach teaching in a different way . I think education is stuck in this mindset that everything has to stay the same. Education of all things needs to stay with the times. We are teaching our children to prepare them for the future so we need to make sure it’s the right future.

5.Reading Rockets
I think this a great resource for teachers and parents. Student weather they struggle in reading or not should enjoy reading. When I was little I hated to read and I still do to this day because in my elementary school we were forced to read. We did Accelerated Reader. I struggled with reading and I used to be punished for it. This site has a lot of things that can help teachers to make it easier for the students.
Sometimes you can even help the student with their reading struggles without them knowing. You could make them read a book with difficult words in it but a interesting book for the student. This way they will want to keep reading to find out the end and help there stills at the same time. The best way to teach a student is to do it when they don’t think they are learning. This website can also give parents ideas of what they can do at home to help the student the more a student is exposed the better.

Blog Post 4

1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audiobook
A first grade teacher took some student out of the class room to record themselves reading the book. She also made a manuscript so the students could easily follow along. Having the audio played for the students as they read made them excited to read. The students recording the stories also had fun because they learned how to make their voices sound to make the story come to life. This can also help the student’s ability to read faster because if they were reading on their own they would have to sound the words. This way they can hear them and learn new words. I would love to do something like this in my class room to get the students more excited about reading. As a child I did not enjoy reading because it was not made fun for me. This is a way to get them excited and involved.

Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting
The second grade class was able to listen to themselves and create a “script” of the Hebrew language. They recorded it in garage band. By using technology in a classroom advances the child’s learning process, because it helps them listen to themselves and gives more visual guidance on whatever the topic is. It’s very neat how you can hear how fluent the 2nd graders sound when they speak Hebrew, when they use the Smart Board to figure out the order, the clarity, and how well everything flowed together. This is a great way to get students learning another language that they can enjoy learning.

Podcasting with First Grade
The first grades at her school got to hear the second grades podcast and wanted to make their own. The class made it interview style and made up questions to ask. Each first grader had a script and the characters they used were Jack (for the boys) and Annie (for the girls). All of her students wanted to take part in it even the shy ones. They were very excited and wanted to make sure they sounded just right. Knowing that people all over the world were commenting kept them motivated.