Well things have been quite hectic on my side latley. Never did I imagine I was possible of juggleing so many things at once, but with time I find I have become more than capable of certain self acheivements. Plans for my wedding are just begining to fall into a place of releif and school is ever coming with speed. I have decided that at this point in my life there are particular things that I will cherish such as good company from family, and friends and enjoying the small things that I may have once overlooked. I live each day to the fullest and try new things constantly but only now do I understand how lucky I am. I have a wonderful large family that is only getting bigger and stronger- friends who are worth my time and dedication and of course God has brought me a special reward for cherishing his trust- the man of my dreams who I will marry only in a few weeks.
I feel a lot is approaching for change and with this some would question whether all these permanent changes are they ready for...
You must believe that with every heart you may find hope and when two hearts destined to be finally do reach one another-- your soul becomes lifted as if you float through time.
I am finding with my growing age and knowlegde that the world is full of suprises and our lord honestly does work in mysterious ways.
Thoughts are not best left unsaid, but worthwhile when recorded.
We should take risk and enjoy each day to the fullest for the instances we are living now are nothing more than the truths of who we are.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Final Summary of PLN
In using Symbaloo, I have found many ways to navigate the internet and my favorite sites with ease. No longer do I have to open up google search to find what im looking for, only sometimes when some one like a friend introduces me to a new site do I open google to check it out. Even then symbaloo has a record of this and will track if I visit that site multiple times they will prompt me to add that site into my collection. I feel that in using Symbaloo my internet experiences have become more personalized. Before using this program, I would get on the internet and find that I lost track of where I was planning on going because there is entirely too much on the internet making it hard in some cases to find just what you are looking for. Symbaloo does not get mixed in with spam sites suggesting you unappropriated sites either. It is just enough organization to keep me happy without over consuming me. I suggest symbaloo to people who have not heard of it and they too are skeptical at first, but once they organize just 3 or 4 things the instincts take over. This is a great program and I am happily introduced and involved with it!
Metaphors Blog Post 14
1. Why did you miss the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post, or, if you "hit the nail on the head", why do you think you understood the metaphor and why do you think that others in the class missed the metaphor?
-I feel I missed this metaphor usage because I was dwelling on being a perfectionist! I will say though that I went back into the article and plugged in the word computer for pencil and I found that the article was much easier to grasp the underlying meaning.
2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them? A common few I usually use are “ Its raining cats and dogs, for a job well done I cheer myself by using, ace in the hole-when playing with my nephew, who is 3 he has no sense of patience so I joke with him by saying he has ants in his pants, when talking about myself not being patient in terms of waiting for something in the mail, ill say “the delivery is as slow as molasses, my mother will ask me how school is going all too often and I will say usually “ I have too many irons in the fire for my own good. So obviously metaphors are a huge part of my common language and I actually use these subconsciously.
3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors?
I remember as a child when my teachers or parents would use metaphors it was fun! They can be comical or exciting to the common language which can be boring at times. To help students understand these it can only occur with the use of them and practice relating to their actual meaning. I feel in giving the students both sides they can better grasp the absolute meaning and avoid being confused on actuality.
4. Why do we use metaphors?
- I feel metaphors are used to help emphasize meaning and they sound good to the ear. The use of metaphors can better complex our language. Metaphors are used frequently in literature especially for little children, similar to the use of Homophones. I think these are great characteristics of our language, for metaphors are present in the bible and have been a part of our communication for quite some time now.
Progress Report Final Project!
For this project, I have joined up with Kim Holland. She is very creative and we have been working on school projects together for a little over two years now. For this project we really wanted it to be something that could include almost everything Dr. Strange has taught us this semester--so this brought us to the idea what better than a Glogger. Now Kim, is a very avid Mardi gras fan and so she suggested we do a glogger on the History of Mardi Gras in Mobile. I was absolutely tickled! In doing this project we have visited the archives of south to find ancient pictures of when Mardi Gras was at its beginning peak, with some connection with Kim's family we have gotten access to many cool things that make up Mardi Gras as we all know it today! Secondly, Kim and I went and produced a video clip from the Mobile Carnival Museum, which is the Mardi Gras museum downtown mobile, we really got into this video learning a lot and had so much fun doing it! The Glogger has been giving a little bit of trouble through our editing process, for we had most of it finished then lost it all--seems to be typical of any new technology, but no sadness here we are back up and running waiting on the finished product! In addition to the things listed above Kim called me a couple of days ago and suggested we get our faithful lab technicians Anthony and Stephen to Podcast a section on the historical figures of our presentation! This should be a great project when all said and done! It has been wonderful and we have sure learned a lot!! Hope you enjoy the finished product!!
Monday, April 11, 2011
C4T #4
In viewing David Wees's blog post which was titled Open Educational Resources, he talks of how teachers are not here for the pay but are here to make a difference. He feels that in order to make the best of a difference within the teachers universe we must share our gained knowledge and success in the classroom. He also talks of how he is a big fan of use of technology in the classroom. Teachers must be attractive to their students in terms of the students learning otherwise the students can bore too easily and your success is then gapped with under achievement by the students who need more of a relevant challenge. Here in this specific post, he talks of why our shared thoughts are so important. They are open for others to use and teachers alone do not have time to be stingy with their ideas or positive instruction strategies, for the more that is shared the more knowledge we teachers gain. In sharing our knowledge teachers are better prepared for their students and can have many ideas that will work with student achievements. David has a great idea that sharing our knowledge through technology is becoming the most efficient way to share ideas. No time do teachers have to publish books, with the best ideas of teaching these ideas need to spread so that more teachers can reach a point of success in their classrooms as well. This will ensure that our students are getting the most up to date instruction in a form that is relevant to their likes. I very much enjoyed reading this post and I look forward to checking back to see what other great ideas he has established on his blog!
Blog View #2
For the second view of David Wees blog, I decided to take a look around what his blog was all about. I read his information section to begin with learning, he David is a very interesting man. He is a traveler and has been all over from New York, London, Thailand, and Canada which is where he resides currently. He is a married man with a small song and has worked with technology a lot in his career and schooling. He would work nights being the sole proprietor programing web designs just to make ends meet, his life seemed hectic and full of new responsibility. This led him to decide to plan roots in Canada where he now has landed the job as the technology assistant for teachers in the school, he seems to enjoy his job having a lighter work load. This inspired his blog to be a living portfolio of his work, and he is recently working on publishing a book, and writes articles for three different publishers. David Wees is a very busy man, but has a great way express his living passion for technology. I feel he has been a great reference for me to study and learn his point of view, which is one that can be respected. I have enjoyed learning about David Wees.
Blog View #2
For the second view of David Wees blog, I decided to take a look around what his blog was all about. I read his information section to begin with learning, he David is a very interesting man. He is a traveler and has been all over from New York, London, Thailand, and Canada which is where he resides currently. He is a married man with a small song and has worked with technology a lot in his career and schooling. He would work nights being the sole proprietor programing web designs just to make ends meet, his life seemed hectic and full of new responsibility. This led him to decide to plan roots in Canada where he now has landed the job as the technology assistant for teachers in the school, he seems to enjoy his job having a lighter work load. This inspired his blog to be a living portfolio of his work, and he is recently working on publishing a book, and writes articles for three different publishers. David Wees is a very busy man, but has a great way express his living passion for technology. I feel he has been a great reference for me to study and learn his point of view, which is one that can be respected. I have enjoyed learning about David Wees.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Special Assignment McClungs Blog in Depth Review
1. Mr McClung uses his blog to incorporate who he is to his students and also is encouraging his students to use the internet and blog site for success in the class. Joe is an example of what good teachers do that is not required of them, he has a grasp on good teaching which in turn is causing his students to be motivated and successful.
2. As an Educator, McClung is full of bright new ideas and avid about continuing his education. He brings life into his teaching practices and involves himself with his students outside of school by coaching track, which in itself is a big job.
3. Mr. McClungs classroom rules are unique to him and this is the first time I have seen such simplicity in a rule for a classroom set. He wants his students to be active members of the class and by this he requires hand gestures and positive attitudes, which is a wonderful approach to setting your students up for a high school environment which will call for group discussion and not just getting the right multiple choice answer for the test. He has a goal in mind with his teaching and that is to bring his students as far as he can with their knowledge and getting them into their instruction. He is a great teacher and I would call him a warm demander which is a characteristic each of us strive to reach.
4. A day planner, being one of the most important tools to stay on top of task. I would say at the age group he is teaching, informing the students of just how important it is to keep track of homework, and upcoming events etc. This is a good practice for time management.
5. Putting an emphasis on late work, shows the student that the time frame for turning in work is something that must be focused on and taken seriously. This is a good practice to start the students on for when the students enter high school their work load will increase triple from what they are used to, so McClung just wants his students to be readily prepared.
6. He states that he hopes his blog will encourage use of technology and that he loves using technology for many of his hobbies and even has a blip for a music page. Incorporating classroom task on the blog requires that his students at least view this once a week, and by playing around they most likely will find things to entertain themselves outside of what is required by schooling thus familiarizing the students with internet safety.
7. I was looking through the links and I found toondoo.com and I cliked on it for it sounded interesting. Once I got to the page, I saw you can draw out story tales or activities or anything incorporating cartoons and I thought “ My wouldn’t this be so useful for working with children” so I book marked it and have been playing with it learning how to navigate the site. The other neat link I found was Hunkins Experiments which is also cartoon incorporated. On this site you have a list of experiments you can choose from covering a variety of topics. Once again I thought this would be a useful tool for doing activities of instruction in the classroom that I just wanted to jazz up a bit and this site could be plugged in to my smart board and the class could interact in groups on this site as well. I feel these two sites showed up on McClungs blog links, for he was possibly using material from these sites or using the sites themselves in his own class . These sites must have given him positive results for he felt the need to share them with his blog readers.
8. I looked and looked for the internet safety but I could not come across it. I feel that he would have included very specific directions for student use of internet for these children need to understand that the internet can cause a lot of trouble for young viewers if not approached in the correct manner.
9. I viewed the Lesson learned 9:23 and I found that the students were guided by Mr. McClung not only in the classroom but if they were on the track team as well. As reading this post I also learned that his track team was very successful and has a lot of good athletes. He apparently finds joy in teaching so much that he spread his wings to more areas of child guidance by being a coach, and I once being a student who had coaches for teachers everyone loves them and they provide so much to the classroom and students.
10. I like the fact that McClungs Blog has a counter, and multiple pages. I feel that with playing with my blogger more and watching tutorials I too can have a busy blog! I love that he has so much ability with his blog and all the applications. It makes for a good place to visit, for his blog will not be your only stop!
11. His blog allows anyone to view it feel like they know him personally. He opens the viewers eyes to things that are occurring in the classroom, and around the world. He shares his findings of neat sites and useful ways of communicating information over the internet. He should be in the running for best blog!
12. His students seem to enjoy the blog and he includes things going on in the classroom onto his blog, the students major projects are published to the blog for others to see and provide comments on. I have seen similar blogs to this but none have been this elaborative or tweaked, McClung is on his blog constantly feeding with this update a new item of display and the list goes on. His blog is the most involved I have studied and I feel that everyone gets a benefit from viewing his blog.
2. As an Educator, McClung is full of bright new ideas and avid about continuing his education. He brings life into his teaching practices and involves himself with his students outside of school by coaching track, which in itself is a big job.
3. Mr. McClungs classroom rules are unique to him and this is the first time I have seen such simplicity in a rule for a classroom set. He wants his students to be active members of the class and by this he requires hand gestures and positive attitudes, which is a wonderful approach to setting your students up for a high school environment which will call for group discussion and not just getting the right multiple choice answer for the test. He has a goal in mind with his teaching and that is to bring his students as far as he can with their knowledge and getting them into their instruction. He is a great teacher and I would call him a warm demander which is a characteristic each of us strive to reach.
4. A day planner, being one of the most important tools to stay on top of task. I would say at the age group he is teaching, informing the students of just how important it is to keep track of homework, and upcoming events etc. This is a good practice for time management.
5. Putting an emphasis on late work, shows the student that the time frame for turning in work is something that must be focused on and taken seriously. This is a good practice to start the students on for when the students enter high school their work load will increase triple from what they are used to, so McClung just wants his students to be readily prepared.
6. He states that he hopes his blog will encourage use of technology and that he loves using technology for many of his hobbies and even has a blip for a music page. Incorporating classroom task on the blog requires that his students at least view this once a week, and by playing around they most likely will find things to entertain themselves outside of what is required by schooling thus familiarizing the students with internet safety.
7. I was looking through the links and I found toondoo.com and I cliked on it for it sounded interesting. Once I got to the page, I saw you can draw out story tales or activities or anything incorporating cartoons and I thought “ My wouldn’t this be so useful for working with children” so I book marked it and have been playing with it learning how to navigate the site. The other neat link I found was Hunkins Experiments which is also cartoon incorporated. On this site you have a list of experiments you can choose from covering a variety of topics. Once again I thought this would be a useful tool for doing activities of instruction in the classroom that I just wanted to jazz up a bit and this site could be plugged in to my smart board and the class could interact in groups on this site as well. I feel these two sites showed up on McClungs blog links, for he was possibly using material from these sites or using the sites themselves in his own class . These sites must have given him positive results for he felt the need to share them with his blog readers.
8. I looked and looked for the internet safety but I could not come across it. I feel that he would have included very specific directions for student use of internet for these children need to understand that the internet can cause a lot of trouble for young viewers if not approached in the correct manner.
9. I viewed the Lesson learned 9:23 and I found that the students were guided by Mr. McClung not only in the classroom but if they were on the track team as well. As reading this post I also learned that his track team was very successful and has a lot of good athletes. He apparently finds joy in teaching so much that he spread his wings to more areas of child guidance by being a coach, and I once being a student who had coaches for teachers everyone loves them and they provide so much to the classroom and students.
10. I like the fact that McClungs Blog has a counter, and multiple pages. I feel that with playing with my blogger more and watching tutorials I too can have a busy blog! I love that he has so much ability with his blog and all the applications. It makes for a good place to visit, for his blog will not be your only stop!
11. His blog allows anyone to view it feel like they know him personally. He opens the viewers eyes to things that are occurring in the classroom, and around the world. He shares his findings of neat sites and useful ways of communicating information over the internet. He should be in the running for best blog!
12. His students seem to enjoy the blog and he includes things going on in the classroom onto his blog, the students major projects are published to the blog for others to see and provide comments on. I have seen similar blogs to this but none have been this elaborative or tweaked, McClung is on his blog constantly feeding with this update a new item of display and the list goes on. His blog is the most involved I have studied and I feel that everyone gets a benefit from viewing his blog.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Blog Post 13
Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is a holistic database full of educational materials that can be beneficial to self progress, interacting with students, parents involving themselves with better their childrens education experiences at home. This website strives to be up to date on the latest changes in the education domain of the state of Alabama, and is a work in progress for changes are constantly made to better suit to the researchers needs. Things that are avaiable to website users are things such as lesson plans, professional learning experiences, a search engine to better find things one is looking for pertaining to education, web resources that could aid in a teachers preperations for receiving a degree or simply to help a teacher with good tactics in his or her own classroom. All resources that (ALEX) provides are in accordance with the Alabama State Education Requirements.
How this would be useful to my practices as an educator:
-Lesson Plans, by googleing lesson plans you can get bulk mass of unrelevant and unsuccessful lesson plans that anyone can post. Here you can get lesson plans that are made to work in the classroom and could better your chances for seeing your children make progress.
-Web resources, can always be beneficial to an educator for if there is an incident where I need to find reliable information pertaining to a certain topic and district, here I can do these things. A defined search is always a beneficial practice, and knowing that the information you get is legtimate is a sigh of releif!
-Professional Learning, could be beneficial to one who may be in a state of continuation of education say their masters degree, here you can go through a vast collection of courses to take, online demo's and the list goes on.
-Podcast Treasury, here I saved the best for last, because once looking through the collection of podcasts this site had that was a part of our local history and many other popular school topics, I know I can always refer to this site when looking to incorporate these into my own classroom or just for some good ideas on how to present materials to interest my students.
*** Overall, I was very impressed with this site and will be visting it again. It has everything an educator of alabama could ever need and if it does not have it direct, it will provide better guidance of where to find what you need! Great, great site!!
Blog Post 12 * Personally Created Assignment
*** After watching the video published above, In one to two paragraphs; Please describe how use of technology with your students can better prepare them to be continued learners likes ourselves. Next, Provide 2 examples of traditonal class activities that when created through use of technology are more appealing to the eye.
-All students are attracted to the new age of technology for it is something they were born into. With using technology in our own classrooms, we are teaching are students to use an open mind style of thinking and collaboration of shared knowlegde.In using technology, students are being taught how to find the needed information from many sources, instead of having to just read through a lengthy text or article. This use can also be beneficial to our students for it is a more personalized experience, for example students who are more visual learners can watch youtube videos that demonstrate hands on learning. Once a student is taught to do this for the use of schooling, they then can turn around and build a palace online for things they enjoy viewing outside of school and thus create more of a learning experience for constant learning.
- 2 Examples of activites:
1. Speech- using a webcam or skype can teach the student how to public speek, but can teach the student how to use technology for future use in such situations of business conferences over webcame ect.
2. Science Fair enhanced by technology could open opportunities for the student to really catch ones attention with the beauty and realistic aspects of using digital presentation.
Blog Post 11
In viewing the video created by Ms. Cassidy and her 1st graders and following up with her skype interview used for EDM 310, I found that she is very knowledgeable with using technology in her classroom to widen her students minds through the use of technology. She has been experiencing technology use for the past 10 years, to be successful she keeps things simple and uses the same approach. Blogging is very important to use in her classroom and she recieves much support from her technology aid. She says that the parents of her students are not opposed to this use, for it makes it easier for the parents to stay up to date on things that their students are learning. She uses the students blogs as portfoloio to reflect the progress of her students learning. The kids enjoy this use for they stay attained to the material she says " kids and technology go hand in hand", the world is changing so the education program must too!
What differences does blogging make in life Cassidy replies " the children enjoy using blogs for they recieve an audience for work they complete and can also recieve comments for what they do!" Skype helps build realationships for her students with other students and even students at a college level. Teachers must keep learning, and learning and test running with technology we can be more capable to teach our future students with their needs in mind.
Where do you start with use of technology? -- You can push the use of tech nology through picking out what interests you and work off of your interests.
Cheating is not an issue with use of blogging for the use of blogging becomes a use of technology with a touch of your own personality. You can present the same information of someone else and critique to collaborate!
Technology provides many tools for use in education and Ms. Cassidy really takes the reigns in using this to better prepare her students for a future that is evolved around the modern world of technology use!!![education-entertainment]( "googleimages border=")
What differences does blogging make in life Cassidy replies " the children enjoy using blogs for they recieve an audience for work they complete and can also recieve comments for what they do!" Skype helps build realationships for her students with other students and even students at a college level. Teachers must keep learning, and learning and test running with technology we can be more capable to teach our future students with their needs in mind.
Where do you start with use of technology? -- You can push the use of tech nology through picking out what interests you and work off of your interests.
Cheating is not an issue with use of blogging for the use of blogging becomes a use of technology with a touch of your own personality. You can present the same information of someone else and critique to collaborate!
Technology provides many tools for use in education and Ms. Cassidy really takes the reigns in using this to better prepare her students for a future that is evolved around the modern world of technology use!!
Blog Post 10
In reading Morgan Bayda's blog post, I felt a sense of not being the only one so frustrated with the lack of attention on the needs of education! Followed by a more relieving video by Dan Brown, I saw that these two students just as I have come to a realiziation that we need change. Traditons are a wonderful base to build off, but we must continue to build up to the everchanging trends in the modern world. Students attention is becoming harder to attain for a human is in no way comparable to the vast ways technology can teach. It is independent, so therefore more popular because we indidivuals enjoy teaching and learning ourselves. Sometimes teachers will get bored with the subjects they teach and loose a passion they once may have had!
We have a great opportunity at hand, if we would only reach out and grasp it. Technology and communication networks such as TWITTER, BLOGGING, and DELICIOUS provide ways to share our gained knowlegde and not just store it in our minds to spit back out on a test. The capabilites we can have with use of outside materials could make the classroom as intising as a trip to Disney world!
But to quit yacking, I'll end with this, today I went and voted to reinstate an education tax system that could and possibily will jepordize my getting a job after graduation-- WE NEED A CHANGE!!!
Tom Johnson's "Don't Let them take the pencils home"
Mr. Johnson's peice was great for reading and I enjoyed it highly! The reference to the pencils and authorities was so relevant to the practices that are being avoided and replaced today. I saw in reading this that our children are being given the short stick! There is no education in limiting what tools for learning students may encompass! We must embrace the modern world for what it is worth and use the tools provided at much ease and accomodation!
We have a great opportunity at hand, if we would only reach out and grasp it. Technology and communication networks such as TWITTER, BLOGGING, and DELICIOUS provide ways to share our gained knowlegde and not just store it in our minds to spit back out on a test. The capabilites we can have with use of outside materials could make the classroom as intising as a trip to Disney world!
But to quit yacking, I'll end with this, today I went and voted to reinstate an education tax system that could and possibily will jepordize my getting a job after graduation-- WE NEED A CHANGE!!!
Tom Johnson's "Don't Let them take the pencils home"
Mr. Johnson's peice was great for reading and I enjoyed it highly! The reference to the pencils and authorities was so relevant to the practices that are being avoided and replaced today. I saw in reading this that our children are being given the short stick! There is no education in limiting what tools for learning students may encompass! We must embrace the modern world for what it is worth and use the tools provided at much ease and accomodation!
C4K 7-10
Kid #7: For my seventh assignment in comments for kids, I have very much so enjoyed this project for the class. I love children so being assigned to research what other children around the world are doing in their classrooms is so beneficial to my forming educational practices.
For this go around, I read Christani B who is in Mrs. Phares 4th period class. She wrote and published a blog on the ever changing subject of bullies. She explained how she herself was a bully and lost all of her friends so she had a come to her senses experience and changed her ways. Many people talked bad about Christani and her friends behind their backs and no one respected the, by saying this she opened up her personal life for viewers such as I to read and better understand where she is coming from. She has obviously learned a lot from her experience and I hope to see more posts such as this one, so i can continue to learn about her and her life.
Kid #8 For this assignment, I was lead to a blog from the 6/7th grade class in Adelaide, Australia. There I commented on a girl named Erin's blog. Her most recent post was a persuasive writing assignment where she chose to write about not encouraging animals live in small cages in zoo's. I being a huge animal lover read enthusiastically through her post. She has a very strong voice when it comes to the encasement of the animals and wants to encourage people to be mindful that they were here first. That their natural instincts do matter and that with our behaviors they are loosing what was once their home and being put in observational environments. Erin feels that most zoo's do not provide a home realistic enough to that of their own. This was a very warming post and she did a great job writing it.
Kid #9- For this assignment, Dr. Strange has asked us to view in depth Mrs. Yollis 3rd Grade class blog. I found this blog to be a very neatly organized and managed blog. The students have full interaction with the blog as well as their parents, which I found to be a nice personal touch. I enjoyed how Mrs. Yollis told of herself and her travels, she even posted a picture of her in 3rd grade I thought to be just darling! I also enjoyed getting taught personally by Mrs. Yollis on the standards of posting comments, which brings me to mention the comment clarification quality process she practices on her blog. This ensures to Mrs. Yollis that anyone leaving a comment on her CLASS blog is a good representation of grammar and language use as well as spelling and punctuation--she could not afford to have her students reading comments from college level students that were not up to par on the standards she preaches to them! I enjoyed and will visit back to the html code link, there she posts various codes you can use to add links, change text etc. She obviously learned a lot during her Masters degree in integration of technology in the classroom! I was overall very impressed with this blog, with Mrs. Yollis and how she does use technology in the classroom, which draws me to the conclusion as to why her class blog was voted best EDU blog of 2010! When first being brought to her blog, I read into the post from Nonna, she posted many neat pictures of her home in Italy and all the vast activities there are to do there, it is a small secluded place in a valley of mountains. It looked like a little piece of heaven right there at their back door. I enjoyed this aspect of her blog lastly, because she is tying in to her students minds what is going on around the world--which I have learned and feel is one of the best capabilities of having a class blog *Shared Knowledge is the future* Great assignment enjoyed it very much so!!
Adia's Babble Blog: Persian New Year Celebration: "On Thursday, my brilliant third grade class went to my former teacher's wonderful second grade class to celebrate Persian New Year also know..."
- Today, I viewed Adia's blog about the traditons of her Persian New Year. I was amazed at what I learned and felt inspired to have the rest of the class have a ease of access to this blog. Adia has a great way of explaining things to a person who has no idea prior to reading her posts. This is a remarkable blogger, and I have found her blogs to be very interesting to readers in such a professional way. Mrs. Yollis really has taught these students how to blog efficiently and I am impressed! Adia, is a wonderful example of how student blogs can be a useful tool to teachers with instruction! DO read this blog, it is all worth the time to have such a creative mind share her thoughts and life so openly to the web, I feel honored to have been invited to see this blog post!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Project #3 C4T #3
For my 3rd teacher I was assigned Mrs. Lisa Thurmann. I read her most recent blog post about the purpose of education and her thoughts became music to my ears. She i would consider to be a warm demander (teaching for the students success and doing everything to see that happen but still demanding they do their best). Which I feel the education dept. is lacking these days so to see that Mrs. Thurmann does this with her students was joy! I enjoyed her view on the aspects of education and actualizing that there is a purpose for us educators and that is to better suit our children for the future to find success! She is a remarkable teacher and has a great way of saying how she feels, and I couldnt help but notice her blog has much attention constantly!! 
C4K 4-6
#4 In my fourth comment for kids, I was assigned to Shoal of the PT England school in Auckland, New Zealand. Shoal is the second student I have had from this school, she unlike Lukis, Shoal is in the year 6 and she seems to be just right at her prime. She had very wonderful stories of her family and what hobbies she enjoyed outside of school on her blog. As well Shoal had a very girlie layout and seemed to spent a bit more time on her blog than Lukis does. Her age surprised me for all that she had done through creativity on her blog as a 9 year old. While looking on to the followers of Shoals blog, I bumped into a group of 4 girls who had made a music video. I thought the video was interesting and it had seemed to me that these girls worked hard on getting their dance together and creating the video. The teacher had made this a class assignment and its results seemed positive. The girls seemed like they enjoyed the project. Mrs Garden has by doing this incorporated the fun into education. While the students were learning how to create videos and work together as a group which are good things for students of this age range to be positively accomplishing--the teacher was winning all in the same for she was presenting instruction through this project. This is another positive example of use of technology in the classroom. I enjoyed Mrs Gardens class and will continue to follow her class.
-- To be honest here, which Dr. Strange has encouraged us to do... I usually stay pretty organized with my student comments, but for the life of me I can not remember what student I had for C4K#5 so i will continue to back track and hopefully edit this section soon!
#6- For my sixth assigned child, his name is Brennan and he is currently in grade 8 at the PT school in Auckland
, New Zealand. He is 12 years old, so he about to enter the big high-school level of schooling where the demands will be held at higher stakes. He stated that his favorite food are apples and he enjoys spending time with his friends, who happen to be in the same class as he. The photo pictured with Brennan was his cool new hair cut!! I enjoyed reading about Brennan he seems like a nice boy!!
-- To be honest here, which Dr. Strange has encouraged us to do... I usually stay pretty organized with my student comments, but for the life of me I can not remember what student I had for C4K#5 so i will continue to back track and hopefully edit this section soon!
#6- For my sixth assigned child, his name is Brennan and he is currently in grade 8 at the PT school in Auckland
, New Zealand. He is 12 years old, so he about to enter the big high-school level of schooling where the demands will be held at higher stakes. He stated that his favorite food are apples and he enjoys spending time with his friends, who happen to be in the same class as he. The photo pictured with Brennan was his cool new hair cut!! I enjoyed reading about Brennan he seems like a nice boy!!
Blog 9
In reading Mr. Mc Clung's blog post, I felt relief.
Here he stated real aspects of your first year of teaching and really put an emphasis that is will not be sunshine and rainbows when you first enter your classroom. He left experiences to be read by the public in hopes that he could encourage better teaching practices. He spoke of great things that teachers should keep in mind once entering in the classroom such as Listening to your students needs, taking advice, not dumping an idea because it did not work out like you had planned, keep trying and most importantly to not be afraid of failed attempts. He also spoke of use of technology being very beneficial to his classroom and encouraged any readers to learn technology instead of turning away from it. I thought this assignment to his blog was a wonderful learning read-- sadly enough I could not leave my thoughts to his blog but in spirit he will know that I cherished the thoughts he put on the post. I had my assumptions of what it would be like the very first year and these assumptions were that I would regret my chosen career and id be stuck in the mud until I got a good grasp on what works and what doesn't work. By reading Mc clung I feel that I have a better understanding of what to expect and that I will work hard to build relationships with my colleagues to better be equitable
for teaching with success!!
Here he stated real aspects of your first year of teaching and really put an emphasis that is will not be sunshine and rainbows when you first enter your classroom. He left experiences to be read by the public in hopes that he could encourage better teaching practices. He spoke of great things that teachers should keep in mind once entering in the classroom such as Listening to your students needs, taking advice, not dumping an idea because it did not work out like you had planned, keep trying and most importantly to not be afraid of failed attempts. He also spoke of use of technology being very beneficial to his classroom and encouraged any readers to learn technology instead of turning away from it. I thought this assignment to his blog was a wonderful learning read-- sadly enough I could not leave my thoughts to his blog but in spirit he will know that I cherished the thoughts he put on the post. I had my assumptions of what it would be like the very first year and these assumptions were that I would regret my chosen career and id be stuck in the mud until I got a good grasp on what works and what doesn't work. By reading Mc clung I feel that I have a better understanding of what to expect and that I will work hard to build relationships with my colleagues to better be equitable
for teaching with success!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Blog 8
Richard Millers " This is How we Dream"
In watching this movie, I found myself bored at first, thinking no not another long movie of listening to someone else try and push their idea for the new future, but continuing to listen my self proclaimed negativeness begun to change. Richard started to talk about Writing as a soliditary activity, something we do in a place with workmates. What if this writing became more of a personal process and we did all the writing ourselves without searching out resources from say the libary. He spoke of incremental changes such as the desktop becoming our workplace. I feel this is awesome! I have enjoyed my schooling much more since we have been doing independent work without the hassel of going to class! Projects are now made easier and have much more of a creative personal touch when done on a computer system tying in digtal enhancements such as audio and video tagged right on your document there to view without having to download. Through this process we are able to share information internationally. We can also be live on everything, for example he showed in his video a clip of the voting roster from the Obama election, being live every vote that was entered was shown right there, no wait.
Part 2: Richard talks of our digtial enviornment consisting of representations programs such as the ITUNE U.
Something that he said really caught my attention " Ideas belong to our culture-Educators must be invovled and share knowlegde" Well of course we do, it all made sense why everything we complied as research was being placed on the web to be searchable by anyone at any given time. By this i questioned my privacy saying, These are my ideas and my work, why should it be offered up to the public, well its because I am sharing my knowlegde! How cool!
With this digital world students can create their thoughts digitally too.
This is a way for our ideas to spread into our cultures and then our cultures passed internationally to whomever may be interested and possibly can reflect a good imagery to those who are not informed of what differences our cultures have.
Finally, As an Educator, I will push for my students to be fully interactive on the web. I was weary of the safeness of the publicity but now I can see the light. Technology has an answer for every childs questions, they can be themselves and not have a teacher saying you have to do it my way or it is not right at all. Education will once again rise over schooling, children will grow in learning who they are and who the world is around them. As researched many children loose hope in school for their ideas are second to anothers, on the web through the use of technology you dont have to a particular way--you must just creativley be yourself and in seeing this student I feel, will become more attatched to the idea of education and learning for they have no one to compare to. Its them against the world and thats the way it should be. But students can not do this free handed, so once again there is a need for teaching-- We educators must learn to navigate our technology and teach our students how to drive it! Once the task of learning is mastered the road can go on forever, who knows were technology can take you its all at the hands of that indivdual.
In watching these two videos, I found out just how creative some can be. Not only were these videos creative, but they were informing on a good life lesson. We are at a point in school where things are taking a turn and the student no longer relies on the teacher to input information so we can turn around and spit it out on a test, it has come to where school requires your full effort with a hint of your personality. We are graded in many ways such as our promptness, our effort, our knowlegde and of course our dedication to the cause. Many students do start college thinking this will easy and that much dedication is not required and one can pass with the bare minimum. This is a falsification, for as shown in the chipper series if you think you can do this your wrong. The ones who carry this on their shoulder never make it, some rare cases where they make it out of the school enviornment they find once in the professional feild that to be professional you must act professional. I thought of ways that I could be creative in my work and with this I have found that my options are unlimited. I can create a good lecture full of instruction with fun incorportated to result in student participation and success and as well me enjoying what I do. For if you care about something enough you want it to be your best, so when I teach I want everything that my students hear to be at its highest quality.
Learn to change and Change to Learn:
YES YES YES! Of course this is a real arguement for it is occuring all around us, and we learning to be Educators must take this as a fact. If we do not broaden our abilties to reflect useful knowlegde to our students to better prepare them for life, then our job has failed. Incorporating technology into our students practices will better them for what future jobs will be there and what requirements these jobs will have. Technology struck years ago but the curve of its importance is just now visible, we need to take the global tools that technology provides and teach our students what they NEED to know, not how to write on a peice of paper that can be burned and not recorded, we must teach them to use the mechanics of technology so they too can ellaborate their ideas to the rest of the world and take in what others thoughts are around the world. Technology is not the only thing changing, for as they said in the movie our traditons of what is good and acceptable are too.
From watching the last two videos, I feel that our culture is in a huge wave of change. We are no longer living the traditonal American dream, we are living a digitally enhanced dream. Students are no longer motivated on traditonal simple things, these bore students, technology is intising to students and tracks everything that they do. Like I have stated before many of these changes are not limited but unlimited. The possibilities are forever being created and it is our job to follow the wave, for this is the american method. What is good beautiful and true is becoming quite apparent that it must consist of something to do with technology. Our next generation children do not go play outside to entertain themselves for that is boring,these children must entertain from technology and that is when they are not bored, but once technology is boring what is the next step? From all the progression we have made towards excepting technology into our lives, I just can not fathom what could and possibly will exceed these oppertunity. I enjoy the new trends of technology and so do our children but this is just a pure example of continuation of knowledgde and self education. It is what is the future and will be the only thing to motivate our next generation guppies! Our drives for success are for money to survive and the media enhances this beleif that success is only able for one if technology is learned and mastered.
In watching this movie, I found myself bored at first, thinking no not another long movie of listening to someone else try and push their idea for the new future, but continuing to listen my self proclaimed negativeness begun to change. Richard started to talk about Writing as a soliditary activity, something we do in a place with workmates. What if this writing became more of a personal process and we did all the writing ourselves without searching out resources from say the libary. He spoke of incremental changes such as the desktop becoming our workplace. I feel this is awesome! I have enjoyed my schooling much more since we have been doing independent work without the hassel of going to class! Projects are now made easier and have much more of a creative personal touch when done on a computer system tying in digtal enhancements such as audio and video tagged right on your document there to view without having to download. Through this process we are able to share information internationally. We can also be live on everything, for example he showed in his video a clip of the voting roster from the Obama election, being live every vote that was entered was shown right there, no wait.
Part 2: Richard talks of our digtial enviornment consisting of representations programs such as the ITUNE U.
Something that he said really caught my attention " Ideas belong to our culture-Educators must be invovled and share knowlegde" Well of course we do, it all made sense why everything we complied as research was being placed on the web to be searchable by anyone at any given time. By this i questioned my privacy saying, These are my ideas and my work, why should it be offered up to the public, well its because I am sharing my knowlegde! How cool!
With this digital world students can create their thoughts digitally too.
This is a way for our ideas to spread into our cultures and then our cultures passed internationally to whomever may be interested and possibly can reflect a good imagery to those who are not informed of what differences our cultures have.
Finally, As an Educator, I will push for my students to be fully interactive on the web. I was weary of the safeness of the publicity but now I can see the light. Technology has an answer for every childs questions, they can be themselves and not have a teacher saying you have to do it my way or it is not right at all. Education will once again rise over schooling, children will grow in learning who they are and who the world is around them. As researched many children loose hope in school for their ideas are second to anothers, on the web through the use of technology you dont have to a particular way--you must just creativley be yourself and in seeing this student I feel, will become more attatched to the idea of education and learning for they have no one to compare to. Its them against the world and thats the way it should be. But students can not do this free handed, so once again there is a need for teaching-- We educators must learn to navigate our technology and teach our students how to drive it! Once the task of learning is mastered the road can go on forever, who knows were technology can take you its all at the hands of that indivdual.
In watching these two videos, I found out just how creative some can be. Not only were these videos creative, but they were informing on a good life lesson. We are at a point in school where things are taking a turn and the student no longer relies on the teacher to input information so we can turn around and spit it out on a test, it has come to where school requires your full effort with a hint of your personality. We are graded in many ways such as our promptness, our effort, our knowlegde and of course our dedication to the cause. Many students do start college thinking this will easy and that much dedication is not required and one can pass with the bare minimum. This is a falsification, for as shown in the chipper series if you think you can do this your wrong. The ones who carry this on their shoulder never make it, some rare cases where they make it out of the school enviornment they find once in the professional feild that to be professional you must act professional. I thought of ways that I could be creative in my work and with this I have found that my options are unlimited. I can create a good lecture full of instruction with fun incorportated to result in student participation and success and as well me enjoying what I do. For if you care about something enough you want it to be your best, so when I teach I want everything that my students hear to be at its highest quality.
Learn to change and Change to Learn:
YES YES YES! Of course this is a real arguement for it is occuring all around us, and we learning to be Educators must take this as a fact. If we do not broaden our abilties to reflect useful knowlegde to our students to better prepare them for life, then our job has failed. Incorporating technology into our students practices will better them for what future jobs will be there and what requirements these jobs will have. Technology struck years ago but the curve of its importance is just now visible, we need to take the global tools that technology provides and teach our students what they NEED to know, not how to write on a peice of paper that can be burned and not recorded, we must teach them to use the mechanics of technology so they too can ellaborate their ideas to the rest of the world and take in what others thoughts are around the world. Technology is not the only thing changing, for as they said in the movie our traditons of what is good and acceptable are too.
From watching the last two videos, I feel that our culture is in a huge wave of change. We are no longer living the traditonal American dream, we are living a digitally enhanced dream. Students are no longer motivated on traditonal simple things, these bore students, technology is intising to students and tracks everything that they do. Like I have stated before many of these changes are not limited but unlimited. The possibilities are forever being created and it is our job to follow the wave, for this is the american method. What is good beautiful and true is becoming quite apparent that it must consist of something to do with technology. Our next generation children do not go play outside to entertain themselves for that is boring,these children must entertain from technology and that is when they are not bored, but once technology is boring what is the next step? From all the progression we have made towards excepting technology into our lives, I just can not fathom what could and possibly will exceed these oppertunity. I enjoy the new trends of technology and so do our children but this is just a pure example of continuation of knowledgde and self education. It is what is the future and will be the only thing to motivate our next generation guppies! Our drives for success are for money to survive and the media enhances this beleif that success is only able for one if technology is learned and mastered.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Blog 7
Randy Pausch Acheiveing your Childhood Dreams:
This by far describes an incredible man with a great perspective. I enjoyed how Randy firstly states he is not her to discuss sympathies then falls onto the floor to show just how strong he is! I being around a cousin of mine, while she was young and diagnosed with cancer, I could relate to what turmoil he must have experienced. While such a hard burden to deal with had been placed over his head, he turned the other cheek and let Gods hand guide him. Being future educators I feel this is a video each and every one going into the field should view.
He talks of self perceptions and that nothing could slow him down. Each one of us can relate to a sense of self and we each have goals we attend to achieve and in his case some sooner than later. Some would say that our goals which I refer to are nothing more than dreams..but from my perspective a dream is something that usually stays out of reach. My dream as a child was to be a teacher, and im in the works for it but just haven't reached success. Randy discusses his dreams and talks about his childhood experiences and in this you can't help to not force your full attention to the thoughts this man shares. Never meeting this man, after just hearing of some of his personal attainments to his dreams and achievements I feel as if I do know him.
I heard intelligence when Randy discussed how he used groups of men and women to critique some of the approaches he had. This is very beneficial to Educators for we constantly are referencing to how positive our actions are. And to stand in for personal opinions, one can now use the internet (technology) to opinionize just how successful we are. People will always have different stances on certain things and to organize ourselves for success we must constantly revamp ourselves to suit others needs, especially our students. Thus we will reach a point of intelligence, just as Randy has where our opinions begin to matter to the public eye and can be used as references for future generations to educate on!
I waited for the word technology to come up in his discussion. I had made it this far, I wanted to hear something sweet to the ear! Randy talked of times where he incorporated technology into the classroom for his students and the outcomes were always of students working together in groups to interact and learn from his guidance. From this guidance he provided, his students could now learn how to teach each other for just as a stated above each one of us is different and just like traditional schooling some children will be better at one use of technology than the other and that is why I feel that teaching our children to teach is a positive method of instruction all around! I being a student in grade school used to get annoyed with assigned group work, but now doing the things that I am as a college student, group work can't be any better. For working alone I feel does concrete information that you understand, but what about the partial understandings that our human minds usually overlook and by the end of the week forget? Well being in group work and incorporating learning as a group effort the chances of having a partial understanding are less likely because something you may not interest in or understand, there is a classmate who probably reflects opposite opinion and can reason to you why, thus opening a new window of understanding for yourself.
I highly enjoyed listening to Randy and found that his discussion of life and learning was all too informative! His fate was sealed, but his thoughts and practices can and I feel will carry on to others. What a valuable man he was, and the limitless things he had done in just one lifetime---imagine if he was given three or more? I recommended this video be shared for future classes for each person will grasp it in a different way, but the same intelligence
will be passed on!
This by far describes an incredible man with a great perspective. I enjoyed how Randy firstly states he is not her to discuss sympathies then falls onto the floor to show just how strong he is! I being around a cousin of mine, while she was young and diagnosed with cancer, I could relate to what turmoil he must have experienced. While such a hard burden to deal with had been placed over his head, he turned the other cheek and let Gods hand guide him. Being future educators I feel this is a video each and every one going into the field should view.
He talks of self perceptions and that nothing could slow him down. Each one of us can relate to a sense of self and we each have goals we attend to achieve and in his case some sooner than later. Some would say that our goals which I refer to are nothing more than dreams..but from my perspective a dream is something that usually stays out of reach. My dream as a child was to be a teacher, and im in the works for it but just haven't reached success. Randy discusses his dreams and talks about his childhood experiences and in this you can't help to not force your full attention to the thoughts this man shares. Never meeting this man, after just hearing of some of his personal attainments to his dreams and achievements I feel as if I do know him.
I heard intelligence when Randy discussed how he used groups of men and women to critique some of the approaches he had. This is very beneficial to Educators for we constantly are referencing to how positive our actions are. And to stand in for personal opinions, one can now use the internet (technology) to opinionize just how successful we are. People will always have different stances on certain things and to organize ourselves for success we must constantly revamp ourselves to suit others needs, especially our students. Thus we will reach a point of intelligence, just as Randy has where our opinions begin to matter to the public eye and can be used as references for future generations to educate on!
I waited for the word technology to come up in his discussion. I had made it this far, I wanted to hear something sweet to the ear! Randy talked of times where he incorporated technology into the classroom for his students and the outcomes were always of students working together in groups to interact and learn from his guidance. From this guidance he provided, his students could now learn how to teach each other for just as a stated above each one of us is different and just like traditional schooling some children will be better at one use of technology than the other and that is why I feel that teaching our children to teach is a positive method of instruction all around! I being a student in grade school used to get annoyed with assigned group work, but now doing the things that I am as a college student, group work can't be any better. For working alone I feel does concrete information that you understand, but what about the partial understandings that our human minds usually overlook and by the end of the week forget? Well being in group work and incorporating learning as a group effort the chances of having a partial understanding are less likely because something you may not interest in or understand, there is a classmate who probably reflects opposite opinion and can reason to you why, thus opening a new window of understanding for yourself.
I highly enjoyed listening to Randy and found that his discussion of life and learning was all too informative! His fate was sealed, but his thoughts and practices can and I feel will carry on to others. What a valuable man he was, and the limitless things he had done in just one lifetime---imagine if he was given three or more? I recommended this video be shared for future classes for each person will grasp it in a different way, but the same intelligence
will be passed on!
Monday, February 28, 2011
PLN Summary Post
As i have begun using my PLN, I have learned a lot. In using this program I have been able to organize all of my favorite sites in one location. I am saving myself from carpel tunnel for I do not have to do so much Google search for I have collaborated my wedding planning sites, my Facebook, my pictures, my twitter is always on hand, and quick ease of not having to log on to my g mail every time I need to just check in. I also can keep a good eye on the weather which is always dependent on what my weekend plans will be, thus I can move from the weather to my personal checklist of spare time (which became a counter idea for me after using the Google checklist for this class) I feel this approach is more beneficial than having to keep track of events on a paper calendar. Not to mention I have added many useful education sites for constant tracking of up to date events and newbies on the what is current and useful in the classroom. I being a TV nerd have also added a short cut to top rated shows on youtbe and a movie review site. I feel that having everything right here where you need it is a good thing, but in telling my father about this new site he was suspicious because he felt all this is just a free data mining for some unknown person to be able to collect information every time I click my mouse..hmm ANY comments??
Monday, February 21, 2011
Blog Post 6
The Networked Student: Wendy Drexler
In watching this very creative video, I found the information we have been tinkering with through EDM is purposeful. We are the Educators who must navigate our students minds through the use of technology, thus our students can exceed our learned knowledge for their own success. As this video stated there are various ways that technology is being used in this day and age and not knowing what it entails is the important thing, what is important is DO WE KNOW HOW TO USE IT? CAN WE TEACH IT TO OTHERS? IS TECHNOLOGY BENEFICIAL TO OUR LIVES AS EDUCATORS? Yes to above!
With technology we can organize our tiny little lives on a mass data base that will spread globally to the rest of educators and to future learners. We will build our techniques to better fit what the human mind is capable of and with our students as our vessels will continue the age of growth to create even better ways to beat out the old traditions of paper and pencil. By people learning how to interpret the technology whether it be through the endless opportunities of Google or by communicating a sure genius idea over their wiki page, things will change. Some people find themselves opposed to the idea that technology is the new leader, but I feel this is only because they are uninformed of the vast possibilities available.
Do the social networked students still require a instructor- Why of course they do. Children do not motivate themselves to learn usually this occurs in the right environment with the correct amount of motivation the children receive. The ambitious are few and the smart are close, but without the right person in front of them showing them that Education is not solely based off books and pencils and a stinky classroom, the more willing they are to allow education in. I feel in order to be a success with our students we have represent an imagery that can reflect to our students of why progression is so important and that progression is relying more so on technology usage.
A 7th Graders PLE:
Wow, well this is a new proposed idea for me. I have not heard of these PLNS you speak of before watching this video. They do look very elaborate so that frightens me a small bit. I though overall what this student had going on what very savvy to the technology age and I want to be there as well, because like they said in their presentation, You sometimes can get a sense of being overwhelmed on the internet because of the unlimited access you have to anything at any time!
Smart Boards are they beneficial or a money sucking disaster?
I personally feel that after reading up on the smart board that they are a useful tool for the classroom if and only you know how to use them correctly, otherwise they can become a pain in the behind! They offer many great uses and yes one said that they can do the same thing just as a screen shot etc, but a screen shot is a single action movement where as a smart board can do multiple things at once! I guess it all comes down to who you ask and what day you ask them! Given the price of these smart boards is considered outside of the budget most schools have, the only question I leave with you is aren't these smart boards all in a matter of how you navigate through one? Technology in general can be a hassle if the user is not correctly informed on how to use it....
Here is a link that I think will be interesting to those wanting to see some positive attributes of the smart board at its best
Click here
As well as a video for ease of use!
In watching this very creative video, I found the information we have been tinkering with through EDM is purposeful. We are the Educators who must navigate our students minds through the use of technology, thus our students can exceed our learned knowledge for their own success. As this video stated there are various ways that technology is being used in this day and age and not knowing what it entails is the important thing, what is important is DO WE KNOW HOW TO USE IT? CAN WE TEACH IT TO OTHERS? IS TECHNOLOGY BENEFICIAL TO OUR LIVES AS EDUCATORS? Yes to above!
With technology we can organize our tiny little lives on a mass data base that will spread globally to the rest of educators and to future learners. We will build our techniques to better fit what the human mind is capable of and with our students as our vessels will continue the age of growth to create even better ways to beat out the old traditions of paper and pencil. By people learning how to interpret the technology whether it be through the endless opportunities of Google or by communicating a sure genius idea over their wiki page, things will change. Some people find themselves opposed to the idea that technology is the new leader, but I feel this is only because they are uninformed of the vast possibilities available.
Do the social networked students still require a instructor- Why of course they do. Children do not motivate themselves to learn usually this occurs in the right environment with the correct amount of motivation the children receive. The ambitious are few and the smart are close, but without the right person in front of them showing them that Education is not solely based off books and pencils and a stinky classroom, the more willing they are to allow education in. I feel in order to be a success with our students we have represent an imagery that can reflect to our students of why progression is so important and that progression is relying more so on technology usage.
A 7th Graders PLE:
Wow, well this is a new proposed idea for me. I have not heard of these PLNS you speak of before watching this video. They do look very elaborate so that frightens me a small bit. I though overall what this student had going on what very savvy to the technology age and I want to be there as well, because like they said in their presentation, You sometimes can get a sense of being overwhelmed on the internet because of the unlimited access you have to anything at any time!
Smart Boards are they beneficial or a money sucking disaster?
I personally feel that after reading up on the smart board that they are a useful tool for the classroom if and only you know how to use them correctly, otherwise they can become a pain in the behind! They offer many great uses and yes one said that they can do the same thing just as a screen shot etc, but a screen shot is a single action movement where as a smart board can do multiple things at once! I guess it all comes down to who you ask and what day you ask them! Given the price of these smart boards is considered outside of the budget most schools have, the only question I leave with you is aren't these smart boards all in a matter of how you navigate through one? Technology in general can be a hassle if the user is not correctly informed on how to use it....
Here is a link that I think will be interesting to those wanting to see some positive attributes of the smart board at its best
Click here
As well as a video for ease of use!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Project Podcast
This is a podcast from Group 3 of the EDM 310 class of Spring 2011. View the Podcast here
C4K 1-3
In doing my comments for kids, #1 I was assigned to Mrs Crozets 4th grade class, and more specifically assigned to Jessica W's blog. I read through a couple of them and found that Jessica really enjoys animals and that I found a similarity between the two of us as different as we are, there still was one thing we found in common. I have not yet had a response to my comments or a visit from her onto my class blog--still waiting. For when I do I will have the proper information to re-inform you of this student.
#2: For my second comment for kids I was assigned to a far from here place NEW YORK STATE, more specifically to Terryville Elementary to the 5th grade class of Mr. St Pierre. There I found many creative things that the class had done and it was quite obvious that this teacher had a growing interest with technology and using this beneficially in his class. His students are up to date on their blogging skills and Briana, has a creative niche for poetry if I do say so myself. I was entertained by her unique poetry and the formality they had. I have not yet heard back from her yet, but am still waiting.
#3 For my third comment for kids, I was assigned to Lukis of the PT England School in Auckland New Zealand. Lukis is in room 15 and Mr. Marks is his teacher. The most recent blog post he published was about his trip to the fun festival where it was obvious he had a wonderful time riding all the rides and eating up all the food, the only negative thing he had to say about his experience were the ridiculous lines! After reading some of the schools page I learned that the PT England school is working on a new program "Pt England Primary School in Auckland, New Zealand, has an enthusiastic group of students producing a weekly podcast they call KPE - Korero Pt England.
The producers of this podcast are aged from 9 -11 years. They are working with their teachers on a project promoting reading in their classrooms. They are reading lots of books written by New Zealand authors. Their podcasts are an opportunity to let people know about these books and about life in New Zealand." This sounds like some of things we have read up on what teachers within the elementary level are doing with their students as well, obviously it is a growing trend. I am very excited to read up with this class and cant wait for a response from Lukis!
Project 3 C4T #2
COMMENT FOR TEACHER #2
The second blog I visited for my C4T was Mr.Robinson who is a Physical Education Teacher. In his most recent post I watched a video on how to video tag. Very neat demostration. I felt that using this method with a PE class would be very beneficial in ways that students and visually understand methods of exersise,streching, weight lifting, running techniques etc. that can sometimes be hard to explain to your students through verbalization. I also commented to him that in using this method it would be fun for the kids to be able to record themselves and go back and look at how they can do better! I enjoyed this blog very much so! He seems to have a good grasp on innovations of technology into the classroom!
Blog post #5
Podcasting for assignments with students obviously shows positive learning experiences as well as cool way to present the students learned success in the classrooms. Teachers are becoming more interactive with their students by captureing the attention of them through technology..who would have thought! I feel that viewing the different blogs listed in our instruction manual to learn of how podcasting is useful in the classroom, was a learning experience. For in our class we have learned how to podcast, but seeing it used for educational matter sets a realistic example for us to refer to. This will help as a references for once we do enter our own classroom to better our brainstorming with how to keep our students interested. I am learning that podcasts, blogs, and video presentations are the way to go, its new innovative and the students seem to respond with passion and a deeper understanding of what subject material is being presented, thus no longer will it be suitable in a classroom enviornment for the teacher to propose knowlegde input output methods--can it be true EDUCATION vs SCHOOLING-- education is finding its way back into our teachers methods!!
Here is a cute video presentation on Edgar Allen Poe's The Tale Tell Heart--This I found on Langwitches Blog!
Here is a cute video presentation on Edgar Allen Poe's The Tale Tell Heart--This I found on Langwitches Blog!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Blog Post #4
Scott Mcleod: He is a an associate Professor with his PHD in the Educational Administration Program at the University of Iowa State University, as well as the Director of UCEA Center for Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education, the Co-director of the video DID YOU KNOW and has received multiple awards for his accomplishments. I feel that in Scott's video he made very good points, but one thing that stood out to me as to why this would be a hard task to accomplish with students, is that we are in the technology age! How do you stop the inevitable? I want to protect my children one day, but learning in school that I must consider the use of technology in my classroom with my students so would I not give my children at home the same benefit? Overall great blog post!
ISCHOOL:
In watching this video I became very interested in this kids idea of the intergration onto the ischool system. It would be very useful for the funding of schools seeing as how it is already lacking. The teachers I think would also find that their capabilities through the ischool system would be very helpful in their organization, resources, class materials as well as a communication base for teacher to parent conversation and teacher to student communication and portrayal of information and needed documents. If we want to integrate technology into the school system I feel this is the way to do it. It would be sucessful, parents would be happy, teachers would loose the weight caused by paperwork off of their shoulders and all at the same time children would be learning how to use technology for the good.
The usefulness of the ischool system is flawless. I feel that with all of the provisons we have been working towards moving green...this is the solution "or at least a start" if the ischool can really become apparent in schools then it must be compatiable with other businesses and much much more! This was a wonderful presentation of information and what a brillant proposal it was!
LOST GENERATION:
This video was a very creative, informative peice. The creator really put effort into making this video, with the reveresal was a new meaning of the entire peice. Genius!! I thought that what she was portraying in this video is that things are stated to be destined for our generations to encounter, but with the right guidance and motivations things are only as we see them to be. She talks of family, divorce rates, poor employer to employee relationship and work ethics. Things that are big parts of each humans life. Each one holds a different postion of how strongly we feel of this and thats.
We all want to be different, but in trying to be different we find that most of us are actually all the same. We are taught virute and morale according to what those before us feel important, and only sparingly do we as individuals get the oppertunities to make a change and it be apparent. I feel what she had to say in this video some of us at one point of another have thought ourselves. What can change and what will change end up on different spectrums of our time constraints. I myself felt this video spoke to me! Great choice!
VIRTUAL CHOIR:
This was breath taking! I enjoy singing in my car, in the shower, in my head, recording myself etc.! If only I could have been invovled in such a beautiful composition! There were so many people from all over the world doing what they love under the control of Eric Whitacre all on video chat! Now this is good use of technology! The skies are the limit!! THUMBS UP and once again thanks Jennifer for finding this!!
Teaching in the 21st Century:
well.. it seems to me that we have a world of reform heading towards the old school systems. All the talk of how to engage your students interests into their school work, well this is a big start. Any child who can learn something such as the use of technology for school work I feel would find it fasinating. The use of technology has no limits and it is definatley a continuation of learning both for the student and the teacher. My research and analysis has already begun, for when I started into this class, I was far behind in current findings of technology. I think this video as well as the other video's we have watched reccently will show us the way to sucessful EDUCATION vs. SCHOOLING. This is a major topic we have been discussing in my EDF 315 class and schooling is what bores a child to sleep and unmotivational thinking. If we can stay up to date on what is current and incorporate that into our EDUCATING I think we will find that it is something that will spark students attentions and efforts! Very good video!!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Blog Post 3
A vision of student's today: Michael Wesch
In viewing this video I felt as if I were there too. These students did a great demonstration of the problems that we student's face. There are a lot of problems in my schooling which make me feel like I am on the 7 year plan. Three times since I have started at South my course requirement catalog has changed. Classes that I had already PAID and PASSED are no longer accepted for my degree. And never once when these changes were made did I get a choice to modify or even be informed of these changes. Its disheartening to put so much effort into graduating only to have it postponed or delayed because some one of the university feels that this class would be better suited to me if I re-took it. Money has been sunk into my college degree mainly from PACT which allows a student to be able to graduate without student loans knocking our their doors, now having 5 semesters until I graduate PACT will only pay for one more.... My parents are tired, my brain is tired and I am ready to graduate. I wonder how and if a projected graduation date is even to consider? For when I enrolled into the Education programs I had dreams of success and the ability to do so. Now I dread a graduation knowing that I will at least have three semesters of student loans to pay off. I understand that all of these changes are good changes and probably were overdue, but the people who make and establish these changes I feel do not take into consideration a good student such as me.
ALSO...with the new changes to the program of education, I was advised to quit my job, thats fine so I quit. I now find myself dwelling as broke college student on how much money I will have to subtract out of my not so high yearly pay, to pay back for my education to be able to educate. Michael Wesch I feel took these good student's into account and published this video for hopefully these course requirement modifiers to see and understand where we student's are coming from. He did a great presentation on many current issues that are being overlooked and if not overlooked than out right ignorned. I give this video a thumbs up and I hope that by it being incorporated into our universities viewers that some one out there listens to their students!!!
It's not about technology By:Kelly Hines
In reading Mrs.Hines blog post, I became reassured about the integration of technology in the classroom. She was very informed of how to actively use technology for good. She voiced an opinion that I could not help but agree with when she said that as educators we should not just use technology to make our jobs easier to but widen the limitations we have had in resources. I explained to her that I am myself still conformiing to all the aspects of using technology to benefit me as a teacher. She discussed that teachers are not teaching if they themselves are not perpetual learners. Which i agree with because teaching requires your passion and full efforts to be sucessful. She talks of how our jobs are changing from traditon to technology but thus this change can only be beneficial to future educators if we use technology for good. Hines recommends preparing our students for the future by teaching them the usefulness of technology, therefore we as the teachers must understand it's usage as well. I thought this was great post for us to read on and I feel I have taken in a lot from her.
Karl Fisch: Is it okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher?
This blog post was very interesting in more ways than one. Firstly, I was impressed of the manor in which he decided to write about his sucess. Not boastful, more concerned on how and why he would have been chosen for a best blogger award. I too was a little confused until I went on to read a few other posts he had made and then it became apparent. I enjoyed this post because I at first glance thought I myself could be a technologically illiterate teacher....wrong!!! But like the life long moto says "never judge a book by it's cover" Technology is like a book I had previously glanced into but never taken the time to read into. Once I read into it I became attached in wanting to know how it ended. But what is even better about technology in comparison to a book is that it has no end, it is a continuation of learning and discovering how to use it to aid to your wants and needs. Karl's blog will be one to continue to visit for he has such a crafty way of stateing his opinons!! I give this a thumbs up!!
Gary Hayes' Social Media Counts:
This was very informative. Seeing how much of an impact that technology has made and continues to make in just the few minutes I was viewing the counter. Social networks are in works of becoming a professional aspect,when they were first beginning it was only considered appropriate to be used a fun communication method. Now schools are including many of these technologies to make the classroom communication more wide-spanned. I am enjoying the new innovations of technology being used in the classroom and getting to view other teachers and students around the world~!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Blog Post 2
Did you know?
- In this movie, I learned a lot! Let's just say after watching this video I feel I have not even had a partial understanding of what technology has done to this day and age. And what become's even scarier is that this technology age is continually booming. To think that by 2049 there will be a computer that has knowledge capabilites exceeding the human brain is scarey. Before hand I had seen movies and blurps about how the computer age will take over the power of human kind, this had always been entertaining to me " A computer made by humans being smarter than humans..its just science fiction" Or is it? I would say my opinion of this has changed.
Dr. Strange and I were talking in class the other day and he was informing me of how students in the first grade were blogging, this was a suprise! As far as I knew students that age were doing what I was doing when I was in there age category, scarey to think that what they are doing now could and most likley will result in the next generation relying soley on technology. It had not occured to me what all differences this technological age had done to our society, but I do say its impressing. The new technology has also removed a distance factor for underlying countries to the USA. Never would I have thought even 5 years ago that it would be possible to interact with a classroom in Australlia... but it is possible and it is cool! I enjoyed this video and feel it was very informing to the uninformed!
Mr. Winkle Wakes:
- This video firstly was a cute well thought out presentation of information. But man do I feel like Mr. Winkle sometimes. Looking around me I see all this change and upon entering into EDM 310 all the presented concepts were new and especially foreign to my understanding. I can recall back to when IM came out I was a pure genius! I was the come to person for all my friends with the new tricks to help better your experience with the program. Now I am looking forward to time spent in the lab with my new found friends-the lab technicans to help me understand all the new tricks and gadgets.
This video does a good job at including that the technolgy Mr. Winkle saw was very useful, until that is he walked into a local school. WHY? I thougt to myself, a dusty computer in the back of the class and students vigrously writing in old fashion styles. The only thing I can give credit to the schools for why the have not adopted these new styles, is our funding! In recent classes I have learned that school funding is not where it should be for our future generation to be well prepared for what lies in reality. Our world as we know it is changing and holding onto traditonal methods will only produce graduates of Mr. Winkles! Schools should open mindedly accept technology to make everyone's life easier!
Ken Robinsons Schools Kill Creativity:
Ken talks about coming from England over to Los Angeles as a college professor. He discusses two themes in his talk Human creavity and our no knowelegde as to what will happen next. He feels that Education and Creativity go hand and hand. He refers to an example of a student in a drawing assignment, her teacher had complained of her low participation level..the girl decided to draw God and the her teacher replied as "No one knows what God looks like". She was practicing her imagination and this childs teacher was depleteing her inhabiton to use it. Ken goes on to talk about how subjects in school are soley based around math science reading and writing, he wonders why Arts and Musics are not majoritized into the Education.
I agree with this video for creativity is specifically wired into each of us just as our DNA is. But the more we go along the less focus we put on the practice of arts music and dance. I had also felt that to be a good teacher one needs to have a creative mind, which I always sought to be like my teachers for they all had such good ideas. Their creative minds aided to my learning and made my learning experience much easier. If we let creativty disapear from our schools there alone our schools are lacking. Ken Robinson has a great out look on what modifications the schools can use.
In response to the Celica Gault Interview I found that the questions she asked were questions we as pre-educators should be constantly asking ourselves. What reaches each childs mind to correctly indentify their needs and wants out of an education. Mr.Robinson responded great to Celias questions and his definiton of intellegence is something I would say we could all relate to. Not one child could be majoritized into one category for we all are different. Celia's blog post took me by surprise after reading it I was sure she was a college student or at the youngest a highschool student, then to see she was merely to her teens, this young girl has it going on. She wrote in such a mature manor as well as her interviewing skills it was incredible. I also found her interests in the subject of Education inspiring for it is not only the Educators themselves who want sucess and modification, but it is our students as well. It is now quite obvious we have underlying issues that now are being publicated and they need attention of we educators to make the changes that are extremely overdue.
Vicki Davis Class Video:
Mrs. Davis is a inspiring teacher. I wanted to see more so I researched her blog and it is amazing! I reccomend it to all students! She has a complete understanding of her students needs and establishes it by teaching herself and also rebutting this to watching her students learn so they in turn can teach her what she does not know. A young mind has so much room to learn. Watching her students learning how to use technology which they seemed to know more about the new blogging and capabilites than I do. I would feel honored to be able to sit through one of her travel talks she had talked about doing.
I feel in tracking Mrs.Davis's blog I will be able to see some things I have not yet considered and learn a lot. What methods she is using in her class are ones that the child can get a full force learning experience on and use this knowlegde to better approach the new technology age we are now becoming closely interfaced with!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Project #3 C4T #1
Summary: In the teacher comment to a blog, I learned a lot about how she is working with her students on technology. She at a time had a student who was diagnosed with Leukemia and had to leave in class participation. As a whole the class integrated the student back into the class through skype. She was included in the classroom as if she was physically still there. I was touched in hearing this story for it had referred my thoughts back to when I had a cousin diagnosed with brain cancer. This teacher I would say was a prime example as to what we student educators strive to be once in the classroom. I look forward to following her blog.
Here is a picture of her class on their first skype session!
Teacher Blog #2
Mrs. Crosby teaches a 4th grade class. She has established in her classroom with podcasts, twitter, and many other aspects of integrating her class with the knowledge required for future use of technology. As stated above she informed on her blog of a session with a child with leukemia, so she still felt included with what the class was doing. Learning is messy is about how back in 2009, when the h1n1 virus was spreading around she was apprehensive of time lost in the classroom. So she decided to establish google docs with her students so they could keep busy and stay out of trouble. I really did enjoy reading on her blog and will continue to follow it, for ideas and strategies that can be useful to me once I enter the field myself.
Here is a picture of her class on their first skype session!
Teacher Blog #2
Mrs. Crosby teaches a 4th grade class. She has established in her classroom with podcasts, twitter, and many other aspects of integrating her class with the knowledge required for future use of technology. As stated above she informed on her blog of a session with a child with leukemia, so she still felt included with what the class was doing. Learning is messy is about how back in 2009, when the h1n1 virus was spreading around she was apprehensive of time lost in the classroom. So she decided to establish google docs with her students so they could keep busy and stay out of trouble. I really did enjoy reading on her blog and will continue to follow it, for ideas and strategies that can be useful to me once I enter the field myself.
Blog Post 2
- In this movie, I learned a lot! Let's just say after watching this video I feel I have not even had a partial understanding of what technology has done to this day and age. And what become's even scarier is that this technology age is continually booming. To think that by 2049 there will be a computer that has knowledge capabilites exceeding the human brain is scarey. Before hand I had seen movies and blurps about how the computer age will take over the power of human kind, this had always been entertaining to me " A computer made by humans being smarter than humans..its just science fiction" Or is it? I would say my opinion of this has changed.
Dr. Strange and I were talking in class the other day and he was informing me of how students in the first grade were blogging, this was a suprise! As far as I knew students that age were doing what I was doing when I was in there age category, scarey to think that what they are doing now could and most likley will result in the next generation relying soley on technology. It had not occured to me what all differences this technological age had done to our society, but I do say its impressing. The new technology has also removed a distance factor for underlying countries to the USA. Never would I have thought even 5 years ago that it would be possible to interact with a classroom in Australlia... but it is possible and it is cool! I enjoyed this video and feel it was very informing to the uninformed!
Mr. Winkle Wakes:
- This video firstly was a cute well thought out presentation of information. But man do I feel like Mr. Winkle sometimes. Looking around me I see all this change and upon entering into EDM 310 all the presented concepts were new and especially foreign to my understanding. I can recall back to when IM came out I was a pure genius! I was the come to person for all my friends with the new tricks to help better your experience with the program. Now I am looking forward to time spent in the lab with my new found friends-the lab technicans to help me understand all the new tricks and gadgets.
This video does a good job at including that the technolgy Mr. Winkle saw was very useful, until that is he walked into a local school. WHY? I thougt to myself, a dusty computer in the back of the class and students vigrously writing in old fashion styles. The only thing I can give credit to the schools for why the have not adopted these new styles, is our funding! In recent classes I have learned that school funding is not where it should be for our future generation to be well prepared for what lies in reality. Our world as we know it is changing and holding onto traditonal methods will only produce graduates of Mr. Winkles! Schools should open mindedly accept technology to make everyone's life easier!
Ken Robinsons Schools Kill Creativity:
Ken talks about coming from England over to Los Angeles as a college professor. He discusses two themes in his talk Human creavity and our no knowelegde as to what will happen next. He feels that Education and Creativity go hand and hand. He refers to an example of a student in a drawing assignment, her teacher had complained of her low participation level..the girl decided to draw God and the her teacher replied as "No one knows what God looks like". She was practicing her imagination and this childs teacher was depleteing her inhabiton to use it. Ken goes on to talk about how subjects in school are soley based around math science reading and writing, he wonders why Arts and Musics are not majoritized into the Education.
I agree with this video for creativity is specifically wired into each of us just as our DNA is. But the more we go along the less focus we put on the practice of arts music and dance. I had also felt that to be a good teacher one needs to have a creative mind, which I always sought to be like my teachers for they all had such good ideas. Their creative minds aided to my learning and made my learning experience much easier. If we let creativty disapear from our schools there alone our schools are lacking. Ken Robinson has a great out look on what modifications the schools can use.
In response to the Celica Gault Interview I found that the questions she asked were questions we as pre-educators should be constantly asking ourselves. What reaches each childs mind to correctly indentify their needs and wants out of an education. Mr.Robinson responded great to Celias questions and his definiton of intellegence is something I would say we could all relate to. Not one child could be majoritized into one category for we all are different. Celia's blog post took me by surprise after reading it I was sure she was a college student or at the youngest a highschool student, then to see she was merely to her teens, this young girl has it going on. She wrote in such a mature manor as well as her interviewing skills it was incredible. I also found her interests in the subject of Education inspiring for it is not only the Educators themselves who want sucess and modification, but it is our students as well. It is now quite obvious we have underlying issues that now are being publicated and they need attention of we educators to make the changes that are extremely overdue.
Vicki Davis Class Video:
Mrs. Davis is a inspiring teacher. I wanted to see more so I researched her blog and it is amazing! I reccomend it to all students! She has a complete understanding of her students needs and establishes it by teaching herself and also rebutting this to watching her students learn so they in turn can teach her what she does not know. A young mind has so much room to learn. Watching her students learning how to use technology which they seemed to know more about the new blogging and capabilites than I do. I would feel honored to be able to sit through one of her travel talks she had talked about doing.
I feel in tracking Mrs.Davis's blog I will be able to see some things I have not yet considered and learn a lot. What methods she is using in her class are ones that the child can get a full force learning experience on and use this knowlegde to better approach the new technology age we are now becoming closely interfaced with!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Blog Post 1
Hello! My name is Whitney Greer, I was born in Scottsboro, Alabama in the year 1989. I have two siblings one who is older and one who is younger, they are both boys. When I was a young child right at the ripe age of 3, my brothers and I were placed into foster homes for our birth parents were not in a state of responsibility to raise three children. By the age of 4, we had been introduced to Tom and Ellen, who we spent a little bit of extra time with, they were interested in being our new parents, which was very exciting to our young minds. After some scheduled meetings with Tom and Ellen and our social worker Ms. Melba, we were off to Mobile to start a new chapter in our lives!
I am now much older, spending any spare time around campus doing tedious work in the field of Elementary Education. I plan to graduate in the Fall of 2012. I chose to attend the University of South Alabama due to being apprehensive to leave home. I plan to be an educator for the majority of people in my family are educators and I felt inspired to do the same! When I am not bombarded with school I enjoy to be outdoors and spending time with my family. Another unknown passion I have is singing, I have enjoyed doing it since I was a child and this continues the older I get.
I hope that this will help you get to know a little about me and past this if you would like to know more feel free to ask me at any given time!
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