Final Reflection

Project #13

Collaboration for project 15 and 16

Once again I had the pleasure of working with Laura Ellenburg, Chanel Ellison and Leslie Fail. It has been a wonderful experience to work with a fine group of people. The technology we utilized was mainly Skype (since I was more familiar with it) Google Docs, and using our cell phones (for texting). When we were working on our last project our schedule was getting pretty tight so face to face meetings took some planning. When we meet to start finalizing our project we used tools such as the SMARTboard, YouTube and (NOW) my personal favorite iMovie. We were able to collaborate all our ideas using Google Docs. Skype was used to talk about ideas and how we were going to present those ideas in our final project when we could get our schedules to work. Face to face would of been much more easier for this project but I do understand that Dr. Strange wants us to use all the technology that is available to us to accomplish different tasks that can be done only utilize the programs that are available to be used. This project was a success because I had a GREAT team.

Project #16

Book Trailer



Reading One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish



Dr. Seuss Jeopardy!

C4T #4

Bloom's Taxonomy for iPads

Ms. Silvia Tolisano provided a very useful tool for teachers. She provided links to each app represented on her blog on Bloom's Taxonomy. For example:

Remember: Exhibit memory of previously-learned materials by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts and answers.

• describe
• name
• find
• name
• list
• tell

Suggested apps:

• iBook
• Noteshelf
• Stack the Countries
• Evernote Peek
• Nxt App4Kids
• Ansel’s and Clair’s Adventure in Africa
• Word Seek HD
• eClicker
• Globe

I would recommend this blog post for all upcoming teachers and would more than likely be very helpful in EPY-355.

My comment was that this was useful information that I did not know was available and would be useful to me as a future teacher.

The Evolution of the Classroom Schedule

Ms. Silvia Tolisano states, it will take classroom teachers, who understand that “21st Century Learning” cannot be equaled to “using computers, iPads, web 2.0 tools or other technology gadgets and tools” at a set time during their schedule , to make the shift how we think about learning. We are all learners. We need to be life long, anytime and anywhere learners. Learning in the 21st century is amplified through the uses of available tools and resources and will not be confined to a specific time block during the day out of convenience of sticking to an arbitrary schedule.

My comment to Ms. Tolisano was that I completely agree that as a future teacher we must continue to learn and be able to make adaptations to our school schedule. It was amazing how tools have advanced in the last ten year and I cannot imagine what technology will be available in the next ten years.

Final Report on my PLN

I have actually had a PLN on my computer for quite awhile now, I just didn’t know it. It was my bookmarks on my computer I did try and figure out how to use symbaloo but went back to what was comfortable to me. I have all the sites that I visit the most on bookmarks and it’s just a click away. I am able to save my bookmarks on Safari, Google Chrome and Firefox. As you can see on my photo all my bookmarks are what I use for school.

My PLN helps to keep all these sites easily accessible to me and will be very important to me to continue to use as a student and in the future.

My E-Media Fast

This week’s challenge unfortunately was not completed with success. I am fortunate enough to have access to technology as a part of my educational needs. I was however able to restrict myself on several items because they are not as important to my every day lifestyle. First thing in the morning I used my alarm to wake me up bright and early to try and successful complete this mission. Since I was able to use computer and phone at work that made it a little easier. I finished my job around noon and then the challenge was broken.

I have a couple of classes that require the use of a computer. My pre-calculus class has a lab that requires you to do your homework online. I also had a quiz that I needed to study for in the class and my instructor take examples from the homework assignments so I needed to use my computer to study for my test. I also have my EPY-355 class that I had to input information into foliotek, so I failed the mission due to educational needs. This mission was at an inconvenient time especially toward the end of the semester for students that need their computers and internet access to complete homework assignments and prepare for finals ( or at least I do because the earlier I get started the better I am).

However, the rest of the evening I was technology free. I am a full time student and work part time so for me not having the T.V. on was the easiest thing I could do without. I hardly watch T.V. during the school year. I was able to turn my cell phone on silent thru out the day and did not receive any phone calls through out the day. I did have to have it with me due to the fact that my daughter is disabled and she may have had to contact me but fortunate for me no phone calls.

I find it truly amazing how much technology is needed to be a student and will be needed for students everywhere. Five years ago, I received my first Apple computer and last year I received my iPhone. I am unable to be without them now. How did I survive without them? How am I expecting students to not have the tools to encourage them to learn such as a computer, iPad, iPods, internet access, and an iPhone? I could not, so I do not expect my students to do with out tools needed to advance.

Project # 15 SMARTboard Instruction Part 2

Progress Report on Final Project

My group consist of myself and three other creative and bright young ladies, Chanel Ellison, Leslie Fail and Laure Ellenburg. We call ourselves CLLL, which is the first letter in our name. Our final project is coming along pretty smoothly. We have all collaborated very well together. We have been incorporating several tools in our final project such as Skype, Smartboard, Google Docs and iMovie to name a few. We did toss around several ideas until we all decided on one topic. The four of us are working great together on the project and are equally putting input to our final outcome. We are, to me, ahead of schedule and may be putting the final touches to our project this week so that we can focus on other classes. I am excited to be working with such a corporative group of talented and enthusiastic young ladies and look forward to our final product

C4K April

This month I was able to comment on the same student for three weeks. My students is named Kylie, she lives in Comox Valley on Vancouver Island in BC, Canada. She is 12 years old and in the seventh grade. Her favorite color are lime green and dark purple. She enjoys hanging out with her friends, Savanna and Sam. She has a favorite hockey team, the Vancouver Canucks. She has several ideas on what she wants to be when she grows up such as an actor (she states she is awesome at fake crying), singer and a nurse (because they make a lot of money).

Kylie’s first post was about seven wacky facts about her.
1.I hate sour cream.
2. I’m scared of clowns.
3. I have two dogs and two cats.
4. I watch Big Brother.
5. I hate white chocolate.
6. I’m scared of swimming in oceans.
7. I play COD.
I commented that I could relate to 3 of the seven wacky facts. I hate sour cream and white chocolate as well as swimming in the ocean. My question for her was what the initials COD stand for because I do not know. I also stated I look forward to hearing from her.

Her second post was on her trip to California and where she visited such as Universal Studios in Hollywood and Disneyland and Sea World. She especially enjoyed Universal Studios where she enjoyed the 3D King Kong movie. She was also able to go through where Desperate Housewives is taped. She wanted to know if anyone had been to any of these places and wanted comments if you did.

My comment was that I had indeed gone to Universal Studios a long time ago. I was in the Marine JROTC and we visited Cap Pendleton, in San Diego. I encouraged her to blog because I was interest in hearing about Canada because I have never visited that area.

The last post I commented on was an old one, I was hoping to see a new post but I did not want to discourage her and not continue to post on her blog. This post was on her Christmas and what she received as well as spending time with her family. She wants to spend her next Christmas somewhere warm with her family.

I commented that I went to Texas for Christmas and that I was able to go to the beach the day after because it was so warm. I advised Kylie to continue to blog because it would be a great experience and that she would be able to hear from people all around the world and would love to hear about Canada. I went to her blog for a final time and did see that my comments were posted on her blog but unfortunately Kylie has not posted a new blog or commented on my responses.

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

Remember the renegades. . . and be their friend. Their creativity, their thinking, their pushing the envelope just may change the world. - Paula White

Do Schools kill creativity? YES. Unfortunately for students today creativity is no longer allowed in the schools curriculum. According to a blog post I read a few weeks ago called “When kids write because they want to….” by Ms. Paula White, she emphasized that teachers are so consumed by preparing their students for testing that teachers are overlooking the creative side of students ability to write. I feel that most teachers are forgetting why they chose a career to teach. With school systems even cutting corners and taking time from physical education and music to try and fit in more time for preparing for test. Teachers are unfortunately forced to follow a standard procedure to make sure students learn what is on that standardized test
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Can a curriculum be developed that increases the curiosity of students? YES. I believe if a teacher is allowed to create a curriculum that allows the students to be creative the students creativity will come out. A teacher can incorporate projects in their class that would allow the students to be creative. For example, a student in biology can make a food web using foam letter and photos to create a poster that can be displayed for everyone to learn from.

Can a teacher’s action increase the curiosity of students? Yes. According to a book, called “Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire”, Rafe Esquith encourages his fifth graders to be creative and treats each student with respect. Mr. Esquith does not teach his students to fear him, as some teachers do, but encourages them to find the creative side of each student. Mr. Esquith states in his book, “Failure happens only when students stop trying to solve problems”. He incorporated creativity in most of his classroom curriculum, so it is possible. His school is in poverty stricken neighborhood and most his students do not speak English and are in poverty themselves. So it will depend on the educator to bring out the creative side to their students.

Exchanging ideas with other teachers will enhance my creativity in the classroom. Also keeping up with new developments with technology will ensure that I will be able to use different tools for addressing a given project. Using the output of the students and adapting to their needs will further enhance the overall success of their creativity.

As for me, to be more curious I would have to be interested in the topic. When we had to do project on a book trailer, I thought that was the best thing to get a child’s curiosity to read the book. I am basically the same way I need to be interested in the topic. How is the topic presented? Is there any visual stimulation? Is it something I would be interested in? Will it help me in the future? These are some of the questions that would be asked.

Blog Post #12

1. Watch this video about a teacher who is using ipods in her classroom for children with disabilities at Special School District of St. Louis County in Town & Country, MO. Introducing iPods into Special Education. Discuss this video and your reactions in two paragraphs. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog.

2. Watch this video, Priceless, and write your reactions to the video (Do you agree or disagree with the cost of educating students with special needs). This video will take a minute to load so be patient. Follow the requirements in Writing a Quality Blog.

Introducing iPod into Special Education

This video describes how you can improve the success of learning for students with special needs. A relatively low cost technology such as iPods and a willing teacher to teach her students and parents how to use the technology to help their child. The teacher uses the iPods to record voice memos, and videos for helping her students to understand and use sign language. The videos are also used at home when parents need additional instruction for their child. For example, a video was used to record a teacher using sign language to read a book as well as the material of the book was in the background. The videos were then shared with the parents so that the parents could read along with their child at home.

Another use was that parents were asking how to implement sign language in every day life and the teacher made a video using sign language to also help parents to communicate better with their child. For example, one student was having surgery and needed to know exactly what was going to be done during surgery. The parents of this child did not know the medical terms in sign language and asked for help from the teacher to explain the procedure to her son. This produced great feedback from not only the student but his parents as well.

My reaction to this video is very positive. It shows that a lot is possible when you have a teacher that is willing to take the time and the effort to get familiar with the technology and their advantages and implements it in the classroom.

Priceless

“Seeing a child do what no one thought they would: PRICELESS"

This video was about the cost of all the equipment used in a special needs classroom. The cost for communication devices $53, 570, computer workstations $13,491, peripherals and software $3,893 and iPod technology $2,436 is in this special education class. The final cost included the cost of “one really great teacher who makes it all work” at $66,144.

This was a very beautiful video that made me wish this technology were available when my daughter was in school. My daughter suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was five years old and the use of technology would have helped her tremendously if it were available to her. I totally agree that the cost of educating a child with special need is just as important as teaching a “normal” child. The cost seems like it is a lot of money but these tools can be used over the years to teach other children.

Blog Post #11

Little Kids...Big Potential

Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Her students are very fortunate to be able to use the necessary equipment in order to advance in technology. Her class is able to utilize tools such as smart boards, laptops, and Nintendo DS. Students are using blogs to improve writing skills and wiki to ask questions from other sources about different subjects. The students also use skype in their classroom to be in contact with several different classrooms in other areas as well as professionals that would be able to assist them in a certain subject.
Ms. Cassidy has been implanting technology in her classroom for over ten years. I believe that starting early in the use of technology is a great benefit to her students and their future. I especially liked her use of skype in the classroom because she would be able to contact other people around the world that would be an encouragement to her students. In the video she had a geologist that was speaking to her class, now what if this class was in another country and beginning to learn English, a teacher would be able to contact an English teacher in the United States or anywhere else English is spoken, and the student would be able to hear different pronunciation and accents of words from people who speak English on a regular basis and would be able to talk to the students to encourage learning the language. The only problem with the use of skype is that you would need computers as well as internet access, which would be a problem if this school were poorly funded. I was very impressed that students in the first grade are blogging to improve writing skills, when I just started using when in college.
I am glad she is able to use all her resources to educate her students and use technology in helping them overcome obstacles that might have been an issue if she did not have the technology to move forward. Ms. Cassidy has a support system that she is able to use and continue with educating her student with the use of technology. My concern is does is stop with her class. Can these students continue using technology in their future classes or did it stop with her class?

Blog Post #10

Do you Teach or Do you Educate?

“Education is the kindling of a flame not the filling of a vessel.” Socrates

The goal in becoming a educator instead of a teacher is not to provide students predefined solutions but instead providing them with the necessary tools and methods to develop a individual solution for a given problem by themselves. To implement this strategy in my classroom I will evaluate, not only the efficiency of what I do, but also the effectiveness of my methods. The difference between the two is doing things right and doing the right things.

I believe to be a good educator you have to constantly ask yourself if you are teaching or educating on a continuous basis. Sometimes it will be necessary to do both to accomplish a goal. I think as an educator you have to care about what you do and who is going to be affected.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

Mr. Johnson describes in his blog how he lets his students take home a tool, which in this case is a pencil. Gertrude, the school Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist, argued the case that the students would misuse the pencil if they were allowed to take this tool home. Her conclusion was based on one single study that proved this theory. For a woman with a hammer everything looks like a nail.

Let us imagine we would substitute the pencil for a laptop, the students who would take home their laptops, clearly would not use it for educational purposes only but also for playing games, using facebook, watching movies and so on. These activities might not have a direct, positive influence regarding a certain test but are beneficial to the student in the long run by enhancing the creativity and productivity on how well the student will be able to utilize the tool.

The same principle also applies to the pencil. Instead of restricting the access of a certain tool it would be better to educate the students and teachers about the appropriate use of the tool. This greater freedom, which comes hand in hand with responsibility, will allow all participants to produce greater outcomes in the long run and outcompete colleagues, who were only allowed restricted access to certain tools and were facing limitations on their way. It has been proven, the greater the freedom is, the more prosperous people are, in an economical way as well as in an intellectual way.

C4T #3

Langwitches Blog

Silvia Rosenthal Tolisan, had a guest blogger on her post, her name is Zoe. Zoe is a fourth grade student at Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and is currently blog with four different classrooms. These classes are in the USA, Thailand, Switzerland, and Czech Republic.

Zoe gives advice on blog commenting as a form of communicating and learning. She states that she wants comments to be memorable. She also wants comments to represent you even if she does not know you. She wants the comments to be unique, adding additional information that lets her know you are interested in the topic. She also gives you information on how to post links on you blog.
My comment was that I enjoy and learned from her blog and that in my future blogs I will take her advise and try to make my comments memorable as Zoe suggested.

Wondering About Hyperlinked Writing

Silvia Rosenthal Tolisan described a new way of blogging that is called hyperlinked writing. In this form of writing you incorporate the hyperlinks within the text by marking certain words as hyperlinks to other web sites.

Ms. Tolisan also commented about Wes Fryer’s post The Ethic of the Link, Hyperlinked Writing and Mainstream Media Link Hangups, and believes teacher need to learn how to teach their students how to hyperlink for more efficient writing. She also stated that linked reading and writing are not going away and these skills are needed for students today so we do not need to wait to teach them this valuable information.
My comment to Ms. Tolisan was that this information was help and I let her know that I do use hyperlinking in my blog post and that I am sure it will continue to grow in the educational field.

C4K March

Aycan

Wrote a beautiful poem about what friendship means to her.

If your friendship is a real one that means it will never ever die! I have a friend ship and this is what I will say to her, I will always be beside you, until the very end, wiping all your tears away, being your best friend. I’ll smile when you smile, I will always feel the pain you do! If you cry a single tear I promise I will cry too! That is how strong our friendship is AND IT ALWAYS WILL!

My comment to Aycan: I absolutely love this poem. Did you write this beautiful poem by yourself? I can feel the compassion and the love this poem has for a friend. I know this feeling as well. I have a friend that I have know since 1984, which is twenty-eight years. Her name is Cindy and she lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and is a paramedic. She has even saved my life. Aycan, I look forward to reading more of your poetry. Keep up the great work

100 Word Challenge

A photograph was taken in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburg and you had to write a creative story in a 100 words that you might be linked to the photo.

This photo looks like a planet that collapsed under the force of the gravity of its core. The core itself became unstable and compressed all the mass of the planet into this round shaped ball. The round shape is because it uses the least amount of surface, as water would form a round bubble if you would pour it in outer space. The massive heat that the friction caused when the molecules got compressed causes the white color.

Blog Post #9

First Year

Mr. Joe McClung was an elementary school teacher in Noel, Missouri. This was his first year to teach and he wrote a blog post on what he had learned his first year as a teacher. He mentioned that he was mainly focused on himself as a teacher and he found out that the main concern should be the students. He had to learn to be flexible and realized plans are ALWAYS subject to change.

He also stated that communication is the best approach for all issues and builds a better rapport with fellow teachers and encourages practice to build better relationships with students and parents. To avoid disappointments ensure to set reasonable goals and listen to your students to get positive feedback.

Mr. McClung pointed out just as Dr. Strange continually states don’t be afraid of technology. Technology is learning process that can be continually learned through out your teaching career, because you never want to stop learning.
I was encouraged by Mr. McClung’s blog post because it provided the mindset of a first year teachers experience and gave words of wisdom through out the post. He let you know quickly that the students are our number one priority and that we need to listen, be prepared for the unexpected and to communicate with not only our students but to parents and fellow co-workers. Lastly he states don’t be afraid of technology in the classroom, which is pretty much what I have been experiencing because of learning new tools that I have never used before taking EDM.

Second Year

Mr. Joe McClung is in his second year of teaching and has moved to a different state and is now teaching three different subjects in a junior high school in Arkansas. He has to learn to adapt to not only a different audience but on classes he was unfamiliar with teaching. He is now teaching history and social studies along with science. Teenage students are more independent than the sixth grader he taught in Missouri. He was concerned that he would become a teacher he vowed he would not become teaching history, a ghost of history teachers in the past.

Mr. McClung advises to form alliances with experienced colleges to ease the pain of being in unfamiliar territory, mainly moms. He states that it is good to have someone that knows the ins and outs of the school. His teaching methods had to be altered because his audience had changed from elementary students to high school students. He had to basically be a salesman to sale his students what he was teaching that could normally be boring.

He had a difficult time this particular year but did not allow these problems to make him lose focus from the tasks at hand. Teaching his students. He is able to reflect on his strength and weaknesses and is able to work around them in order to accomplish his mission.
I agree that adapting to learning procedures are necessary in every day life including the classroom. Plans can go wrong and you simply have to move forward and continue to teach the

Project #13

Blog Post #8

Dr. Richard E. Miller

This is how we dream Part 1 and 2

These videos showed the difference between fundamental change and incremental change in the way we accumulate, process and share information. In earlier days to research you had to rely on books in the library and newspaper articles that were both reporting on events in the past. Furthermore, when you get a book from the library, the book is no longer available to other students. You also had to physically visit the library that could be a time consuming process. After all your research you were able to publish your work but at times some data you collected is no longer accurate.
New technologies change the way we research and structure information incrementally by for example increasing the speed we share information. There are no longer weeks or months between events happening around the globe and the time this information is provided to the user but thru websites, blogs, podcasts for example news can be shared instantly. Also research can be done online, accumulating data from current events and being worked by multiple users at the same time – compared to only one person being able to loan out a book at the library. Another big advantage is the physical independence of your location. In my opinion this is a big contributor to “flatten the world” because it doesn’t matter if you’re in Mobile, AL or New York City or in a remote village somewhere in the Middle East – you still have access to the same information and the same speed, this information is shared.
A fundamental change Dr. Richard E. Miller described was the new ways we not only gather the information but also share it. The world wide web allows us to use live data, from events that are currently happening and re-assemble it according to our desires. If you only are interested in certain types of news for example, you can filter this information and share it with others with the same interest. This structural change allows not only information to be shared rapidly but also the type of information that is shared. He described automatic bots, which are searching the internet for updates on certain topics, or certain areas (e.g. blogs) and then compile the output of the desired data. This fundamental change allows us to watch live election results on TV, while the data is coming in. You can comment instantly and share these results, or write an article on it and link to the live data. I agree that we’re on the edge of a new way of how we share and process information as a society and we can’t even imagine, what will be possible in the future.

Carly Pugh Blog Post #12

Carly Pugh Blog was very interesting and seemed slightly confusing to me but after reading it a second time I could begin to see the similarities between what she was doing and Dr. Millers hope for the future. Carly was incorporating several different videos to help students realize that sources can come from several different areas not just from a book. People who do not have the same passion as Carly in reading books can now watch videos with the same information than reading. Some people are more receptive to videos than written words. The video I was touched by was disabilities with possibilities and the video on the Carly’s blog. If a picture can paint a thousand words, how many words can a video say? Great work Carly!!!!!!

EDM 310 is Different

EDM 310 for Dummies

EDM 310 is a useful tool that all students are able to utilize things such as twitter, youtube and blogs. If a student is willing to learn the methods taught in the class a student will be a better teacher because of all the resources taught in the class.

The Chipper Series

The point of the video is that steps and deadline set by Dr. Stange are necessary. This was a something that had to be pointed out to Chipper through out the video but in the end she came to her senses and went back to school to continue her journey in education.
I think since this is a class that meets once a month on average how come that class cannot be completely virtual. Can the class be taught via computer using youtube videos, skype, or even something like a video class? The advantage would be one class that can have several hundred to be given information via the computer. You tube videos can be watch several times if a student doesn’t understand a project and every student can learn at their own pace. For example, a mastery type class, where a student has to master a certain task in order to move forward

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

I agree that the classroom environment has to do a lot of catching up in order to adapt to the latest changes in technology and how the students learn. Students are no longer relying on just the teacher when it comes to studying a specific subject, for example a traditional history teacher will work with students provided in a history book. However, another way of involving in a history subject would be visiting a museum and research information to the specific item of exhibition on their mobile internet device (e.g. cell phone) while passing through the building. This shows the more involved the students are by the way they’re learning and the more freedoms of their tools of choice they have, the more engaged they would become. Technology is advancing every day and our children are already using it, its just a matter of the teacher keeping up with students.

Web 2.0 Scavenger Hunt

My first adventure was to find a tool that is similar to Twitter/Facebook. I found Edmodo. Free membership is offered, which is great for any NEW teacher. The handling seems to be intuitive and easy to maneuver through. There is a lot of functionality integrated, even google docs. As a teacher this could be used in a classroom environment to schedule tests, share certain documents with certain groups of students as well as using it for posting and sharing blogs and articles among students and teachers. You’re able to use it as a mobile app for posting information during a project or scavenger hunt for the students. You can launch surveys to get instant feedbacks for school related topics and this tool will allow you to manage the information flow between the users and manage special projects.

Second I found a new video tool that I have not used before. Its name is Photopeach. You are able to create a video or slideshow using photos that you can either upload or taken a trip in a museum that you would be able to make a presentation to teach students about any topic. You will be able to add text, music and other special effects. This is somewhat similar to a power point presentation but a whole lot simpler. As a teacher this would definitively save time when sharing information with your students and not just simply talking to them about a subject

Lastly I was to make a comic and post so here is my first comic.

Project #11

Project #12

C4K #1

Yesenia

She is an eight-grade student in Noel, Missouri. Yesenia wrote a very creative story about her and a friend named Martha, who found themselves in an unusual position. Nicki Minaj and Bruno Mars who were zombies were following them. The girls were frightened and began running away. The girls then notice the sun was coming up and the zombies were no longer following them. Yesenia and Martha both knew that when the sun went down the zombies would return but this time they would be ready.
My comment to Yesenia was that she had written a very creative story that I enjoyed reading. I asked her if she enjoyed writing scary stories and would enjoy reading more of them.

Samantha J.

She is a high school student who enjoys writing and has an interest in keeping our earth clean as well as the importance of recycling. Samantha’s blog was about the reasons zebras have stripes. She had a couple of theories on why the zebra has stripes. First, she states that zebra’s stripes are used to confuse their predators. It confuses them from pin pointing one single zebra. The second theory was to distract horse flies. She states that researchers in Sweden and Hungary show that the horsefly is less attracted to the zebra’s strips versus a black or brown horse. This study however was not done in Africa so the study was still ongoing.
My comment to Samantha was that she raised a interesting question. I stated that the camouflage and light reflection theory sounded logical and made sense. I also stated it is amazing how animals have adapted to their surroundings. I did receive a thank you response from Samantha.

Tessa

She is a sixth grade student at Denneth Elementary in Massachusetts. She had made video to say thank you to her teacher, Mr. Avery. This was a very creative and thoughtful video.
My comment to Tessa was that Mr. Avery must have loved the video versus a regular thank you card. Tessa has several pictures of turtles on her blog and I asked if she owned any turtles herself. Tessa did respond to my comment and unfortunately does not own any turtles.

C4T #2

Remember the renegades. . . and be their friend. Their creativity, their thinking, their pushing the envelope just may change the world. - Paula White

Reflection of the TZS Teacher

When kids write because they want to…..

Ms. Paula White is a teacher who writes several blogs. In her blog post “When kids write because they want to….” she emphasizes the importance of providing feedback to her students not only regarding the style of their writing but also the content of their texts. She feels teachers are so consumed by preparing their students for testing that teachers are overlooking the creative side of the students’ ability to write. In order to encourage her students she feels that the students have to be confident to write freely so that the students will want to write.
My comment to Ms. White was that I enjoyed her post because she encourages her student to write. I also agreed that when students are solely critiqued on their writing abilities that it can take away from the students’ creative ability and discourages them because they feel that the content of their writing is irrelevant.

When Is Listening Not Enough?

In this post Ms. White describes the importance of students being able act upon their beliefs but are unable to because of their age. She experienced the more actively her students were able to use modern technology to share their opinion and have an audience the more engaged they want to become with a certain subject. Her students are using wiki, blogs and conversation calendars to voice their opinions on such items as saving the rainforest, endangered species and being humane to animals.

Ms. White states, “We’ve simply got to find ways to validate their feelings, empower them to act, and not just listen to what they say”.

Project #10

My Personal Learning Network currently is my bookmark on my computer. However, since watching the video from a 7th grader though I am started to experiment with symbaloo in order to organize my information. I have found several resources to use because of the projects, blogs and activities Dr. Strange has assigned. I have included sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Teachertube. I will continue to work and develop my resources so that I will be able to utilize them through out my career as a student and when I become a teacher.

Blog Post #7

Wendy Drexler: The Networked Student

Wendy Drexler asked in her video, why does the networked student even need a teacher? A teacher is still a valuable asset to a students learning. A teacher is one who has the ability to guide the student through a jungle of information that can be found on the internet. The main challenge is to filter through a variety of different sources available and structure the information accordingly. The teacher has to play an important role in this process. Not only can a teacher help a student to sort through the information but also to communicate properly with others. Somebody else may have already invented the wheel before and it’s just a matter of sharing the information with others.

The advantages of being networked are that you can communicate with a great number of resources than you could in a conventional classroom, as well as the convenient of being independent at what time you receive and share the information. Your location is only an issue when you need to access and upload information from the internet. The downloaded podcasts and RSS newsfeeds can be access offline as well for example. Students expenses are very minimal regarding podcasts, for example you don’t’ have to be a student at the University of Berkley and pay tuition to gain access to certain information that professors publish online.

In my opinion, I agree with most of the information provided on this video. Children today are in a technological advanced world. The success of our students will depend on the ability of the teacher teaching the children the correct guidance of utilizing the information with the tools described in the video. The disadvantage is if a student misuses the tools if not properly educated on how to use them. There is a lot of methods on the internet that is available to students, but it takes a teacher to show students how to find, filter, structure and share the information.


A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)

This student uses symbaloo, which is a web site that can be accessed from any computer. She is able to store and categorize her links according to her needs. She emphasized her independence of the tools she is able to use in her science class. I on the hand continue to use my bookmarks as well as my top site functionality of my browser. I find it more convenient since I have my computer constantly with me. The disadvantage to this for me is if I don’t have my computer or I have to use another computer. I have however experimented with symbaloo and I am still trying to work out the kinks to better utilize the program.

Project 9b

Blog Post #6

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture


“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things”

In this video, Dr. Randy Pausch discussed several methods of teaching. At the beginning, he mentioned getting the fundamentals done first. Students need to understand that learning can be fun even though it is hard work. A student needs to learn his alphabet before he learns how to read or they need to know their numbers before they can do math. Teachers need to provide students with necessary tools to encourage learning and allow students to unleash their learning potential. Dr. Pausch stated on how to accomplish this is by choosing indirect learning or “head fake”. This method can be applied in projects that students can do in small groups. Where the main focus lies not on the project itself but on the teamwork. As a teacher creating a solid foundation is essential for continued success in a students development.
Secondly, Dr. Pausch focused on the importance of feedback. Corrective criticism is necessary to allow students to identify areas of improvement and apply corrective measures. Dr. Pausch stated, “When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody's bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care”. This is an area where as a teacher you are able to provide guidance and encouragement for students to succeed in reaching their goals.
Thirdly, Dr. Pausch encourages us to be patient. As a teacher, a student’s individual needs vary from one student to the next. Allowing students more time to accomplish a certain project may surprise you. Focusing on others, the students, and not yourself will allow the students to achieve more positive results. By setting the standards high for accomplishments makes the students aim for the stars in order to reach the sky.
This video was very encouraging and informative. It contains several good teaching methods as well as quotes. My favorite quote that Dr. Pausch says is, “Brick wall are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things”. I liked this particular quote because I can relate to it, in the sense that I am coming back to school after being out for a extended period of time and it seems that a wall can be an obstacle that I continually have to knock down. It is unfortunate that Dr. Pausch has past away and I am seeing him for the first time. With over 14 million views on you tube I am sure his legacy will continue to influence students in years to come.

Project #8

The Unique 3
Chanel Ellison, Linda Garscha, Savannah Rhodes

Blog Post #5

Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

This blog was address to several people, but I was most impressed that parents were on top of the list. Parents need to play an active role in teaching their children how to use technology safely and responsibly. However, I would not shelter and complete deny access to a child from the internet because it can cause more harm than good. Technology should be seen as a tool to accomplish a certain task. Technology should not be seen as end in itself. If we would never come out of our box and share information and expose ourselves to the world we would still be in caves and hunting the buffalo. The main question still remains, what is the appropriate amount of usage of the tools. There is no general answer or solution that can apply across the board to every body. It always depends on the individual on a certain situation and the purpose of the goal. The responsibility basically lies in the hands of the parents or the teacher to teach the appropriate amount of usage to accomplish a certain task. This can vary from student to student, parent-to-parent, and even among teachers. This freedom and responsibility you have on an individual basis will produce the greatest outcome possible in any given situation. If you see the students as a collective and limit the access to technology for them to communicate with a good intention to protect them, the outcome will be less because of narrow limitation and the less incentive the students has to use technology as a tool to accomplish a given task. If you measure the overall progress of a group of students with very strict limitations that apply to everybody in this group and the progress of a group of students with more individual freedoms and responsibilities the first group of students will be far behind in the long run. Limiting access is limiting learning.
Who is Dr. McLeod? Dr. McLeod is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky. He is the founding director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE).

The iSchool Initiative

This was a video from a former high school student. Travis Allen has a creative way of helping solve the problems with the school system. The problem he wants to address is how we share information and in what form it is presented to us. With interactive applications teachers, student and parent will be able to communicate faster and have current updates of student’s progress. He also makes the argument that compared to general school material such as books, paper and pencils, the initial cost of an electronic device will be far less expensive in saving money for parents and the school system. He believes that an ischool will be necessary for our future and an ipad will soon be in every classroom.

Technology is a very frightening to some especially if students don’t have access to a computer. Technology is needed to continue to educate our children. Now he did point out several advantages that would save our schools save a lot of money. No paper, no ink for copiers, no pencils etc. However, How much would we be saving? What about the students who cannot afford an iPad? Are all applications for free or will there be additional costs to the parents? What about training the teachers to use the iPad who have never used one before? How much will that cost the school system?

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

Wow this video was absolutely amazing! This shows how different people, different cultures and different individuals with the same goal can overcome different distances over time zones and meet in the virtual world. Technology enabled this beautiful masterpiece to come together and flattened all obstacles in the way. Besides the beautiful music this also saved a lot of cost because the singers did not have to meet physically to perform. This would not have been possible twenty years ago. The audience is not limited by the location anyone can view this video anywhere in the world.

Teaching in the 21st Century

Kevin Roberts believes that the old method of teaching where teachers were the main source of information and entertain the whole classroom does no longer apply to our modern world and the method of teaching that will apply in the 21st century. In his opinion, technology enables students at this time to get information and facts anywhere and at any time and it is the job of the teacher to help filter this information and verify its validity, analyze it and structure it and use it. The main focus should not be on entertainment but engagement of the students. When the students are engaged they are active and the outcomes will be long lasting instead of passive entertainment.
In my opinion, books still have relevance because it is verified information, whereas information on wikipedia for example, anyone is able to modify the information so students have to learn how to filter incorrect information thru validation and how to treat different information from different sources. I believe that technology is a tool that can be used to benefit a student and teacher in applying new information, as well as new learning techniques. If you solely rely on online sources and do not apply collaboration also regarding using existing resources like books you will be out sourcing current methods of teaching. The right mixture is the key to success for students.

Reading Rockets

I enjoyed the fact that this web site is not only for educators but also for several different job areas in the education fields, with different viewpoints and different tools and methods on how to teach reading skills to all age groups. I specifically enjoyed information provided for first year teachers. http://www.readingrockets.org/teachers/firstyear/. This site provided information and advice and tips for new teachers and what to expect in your first year of teaching.
I found the homework tips for parent very useful. http://www.readingrockets.org/article/39300/. This section provided several helpful hints on how to help their child in doing their homework and encourage learning with different methods. For example, information was provided on how

Project 9a

Blog Post #4

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale

This video explains that podcasting is an effective way to interact with students outside the classroom. One of the advantages is that a student is able to access the material anytime and anywhere, and is able to view the material, as often the student requires. The material can also be accessed offline when it is downloaded to a device, e.g. cellphone, ipod, or mp3 player. Another advantage is that one teacher is able to reach an unlimited amount of students contrary to a regular classroom setting. This is a benefit that will help in my podcast presentation to reach several people at one time.

Podcasting with First Grade

First grade students were able to complete a variety of task using podcast. Instead of just listen to one person reading the story the whole class was able to participate. Due to the involvement of the entire class the overall progress was much more effective. The students as a whole were demonstrating listening skills; cooperation with fellow classmates and comprehension of the story was better. This technology provided an incentive to the more quite students. Podcasting will benefit those teachers who are afraid of technology to provide better understanding of material to the students.

Judy Scharf’s Podcast Collection

The website was informative, giving basic information for anyone who is new at podcasting. She gave the definition of podcasting as well as benefits and websites you can refer to such as http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=100030 which shows you how to podcast using audiocity. With a basic understanding of what podcasting is and the benefits of why it is beneficial to students will help me understand the importance of why it is a useful tool in the classroom.

My Sentence Video Project #6

C4T #1

What Students Want Us to Know

I commented on Mike Prater’s blog post regarding feedback he received about the needs of his students while he was teaching. According to his experience, more emphasis during the feedback process was directed toward the parents and the school system and not directly to the customers of the education, which are the students. The students were able to provide the most direct and honest feedback but some teachers were not that interested in the results.
Mr. Prater was not surprised by the results of his student’s feedback towards him as a teacher. If you know about self-refection you’re comfortable with your strengths and weaknesses and the feedback results should be not a total surprise to you. The following are some of the common responses that he received in his evaluations. First, students want more individualized attention. They do not learn at the same level and want to be taught at their level not everyone else’s. Secondly, standardized testing did not meet their demands because students felt that their emphasis was on underlining the quality of the school and teachers instead of the students themselves. Furthermore, the students wanted to create a link regarding the knowledge they are learning in school and the relevance in a practical environment. They are also enthusiastic about the technologies they can use as tools to accomplish tasks and results required. Regarding this matter teachers need to be open to new technologies and tools since there is a constant change, which requires adaptation from both students and teachers.

I agreed with Mr. Prater on receiving feedback from students because all students learn at different levels. Students learn valuable information from teachers so teachers should learn from their students. Teachers should lead by example and continue learning something new every day even if it’s from some one younger than you.

Group Students for Effective Learning

Mr. Prater describes in this blog the importance of addressing the students on an individual level rather than using a collectivist philosophy. It has been proven that an individual approach is much more effective and produces higher quality of outcome. Teacher collaborate in professional learning communities (PLC) to evaluate solutions for the following questions:
1. Which are the goals we want students to reach?
2. How can you verify the achievement of these goals?
3. How are we going to monitor progress?
4. What are the consequences if the outcomes differ from desired level?
It is essential to establish PLC groups in your school and share information regarding methods and results with other schools. Mr. Prater suggests developing a rubric and having examples that are clear to the teachers and students on the desired outcome of a certain tasks. When students are placed in flexible learning groups it is important to have regular interventions between the students and the teacher to re-evaluate the progress and the outcome of the tasks.
Mr. Prater,
This was a very informative blog with a good approach how to address common challenges in the school environment. The outlined tools make sense and the verification methods to check results are proven to be successful. I’m excited to implement and adapt these tools as a resource of continuous improvement in my own environment.

Presentation Project #5

Blog Post #3

Peer Editing

In this particular assignment I had to watch Paige Ellis’s Blog Assignment #12, What is Peer Editing, Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes, and Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial. These were all informative on how to correctly peer review a classmate’s blog. There are three steps to editing. First, compliment, and always stay positive. Second, make suggestions, for example advise student on word choice. Are the words being used interesting? Lastly, corrections, is punctuation correct, is grammar correct and is spelling correct. Then I was given a classmates assignment to critique. I had to decide whether to publically or privately critique the student’s paper.
I was assigned Chanel Ellison’s blog post #3 to edit in this assignment. I have chosen not post comments publically on my blog page or hers but will instead send her a private email. I feel that to correct errors that everyone can see is not the best way to handle corrective criticism. I feel that personal one on one is better for the student’s self esteem and confidence not to humiliate or embarrass them in front of their peers. Contrary to compliments, which need an audience, critiquing needs to be done privately involving the only one it is intended for.

Technology in Special Education

This video shows examples of how technology has assisted students with physical disabilities in a classroom. Lacey Cook shows how technology had helped several of her students to blossom because of technology. Chris, a disabled student in her class, who use to point at letters before he got his computer. Chris now can use the computer to communicate more efficiently. Ms. Cook believes that with technology, students are more eager and willing to participate in class.
I actually can relate to Ms. Cook as I have a daughter with both learning and physical disabilities. I can see how technology has helped her blossom as a student and as a person. I would use computers to help students be the best that they can be. To see a child with a disability to achieve something that they normally could not do is remarkable. There are several programs available such as zoom text that was mentioned in Lacey Cook’s video, that could be used to assist students.

How the iPad works with Academics for Autism

This video was about a family who uses an iPad to help their autistic son to be motivated to learn. Brandon is able to count using the iPad. Brandon is in the third grade and is also using the iPad to help with reading. He uses iPad to recognize sight words. The iPad has also helped Brandon with his writing. His father would write a word and Brandon would write the word on his iPad. It is obvious in the video that Brandon is highly motivated to learn using the iPad.
I was unaware that at iPad had so many capabilities to assist students with disabilities. This is a GREAT tool for students. I would highly recommend the use of an iPad for a student. The only problem I would see is the cost for the families. This is an expensive piece of equipment and a lot of families would not be able to afford the iPad. Brandon’s parents were highly motivated to work with Brandon and his autism.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

The social media count is amazing! This is a running count on several areas of technology and how many people use them every day. I had no idea how much people rely on technology on a daily basis.
Technology is continuing to grow and will affect the future as it is already changing mine. I now see how it is being used in classrooms in several different areas. I believe that technology will continue to grow and continue to play an important role in the classroom.
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This video was very informative and very true on a students view. I love the way the video was presented in a classroom setting. This video should be used as a tool to help identify problems that college students face today. Students should be able to share their views with facility as well as the universities presidents. Students, including myself have spent hundred of dollars on books and do not even open them once during the whole semester.
We have technology at our fingertips and could be using it in the classrooms and students are not using their computers for class but for social sites in class. What does that say? Teachers need to participate in using technology as a tool instead of letting students being bored in class. It should be interesting why students pay for a class and do not attend. Is it lack of interest in subject or no motivation to go to class?

Blog Post #2

Did you Know?


Did you know? 3.0 A John Strange version and did you Know 3.0 by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod provided several statistics of how technology will be changing in the future. The rate that technology is reaching everyone is at an alarming rate. For example, according to the video 31 billion searches on google every month and 200 million on my space is just amazing information. Also technology is doubling every two years and for a student entering college the technological information will be outdated by the time the student is in their third year of college.
The video makes you realize how fast the world is changing and how fast we need to change and learn more so that we are able to keep up with the demands of the job market if we are going to be successful in our job search once we graduate college. I am amazed at the technology that we have today compared to when I was in high school. This video is just an eye opener to let me know that I will have to continue to advance in my technological experience and continue to learn.

Mr. Winkle Wakes


Mr. Winkle has been asleep for 100 years and when he finally wakes from his long slumber when he realizes the world had changed. He was amazed at the machinery he saw in a building he entered. He saw machines printing pictures and noticed how people were able to talk to each other from other areas of the world. Now he was getting sick when he witnessed all the new technology and went to the hospital. Mr. Winkle was shocked further when he noticed more technology at the hospital. Mr. Winkle then decided to leave the hospital and found himself at a school. Mr. Winkle notices the same things he remembered a hundred years ago and was comfortable there in the classroom with no technology.
I can relate to Mr. Winkles, unfortunately, because I was taught in class with not so much technology available to students. I find it a necessary part of student’s education today because it is all around us. Today we have cell phones, computers, and so many other things that are accessible for students. Its very funny that when I was in the sixth grade, my class had a field trip to the space center in Huntsville, AL and I saw a telephone that you could see the person you were having a conversation. I remember thinking that was in the future and it would never happen. I was wrong.

Importance of Creativity


Sir Ken Robinson said, “Creativity is as important as literacy”. This video was very enlightening because Sir Ken Robinson believes that all children are born artists and that children should be allowed to show their creativity without restriction from educators. He goes on to explain the hierarchy of our education system with math and language being on the top. Second, humanities and lastly art and music then drama and dance.
I fully agree with what he is saying because I know to many people who were not supported by teachers and parents on the passions of a child. I have seen the beauty in the art that my ex-brother in law painted, the clothes that were being designed by a fellow co-worker, and a man’s art that was drawn on paper napkins at McDonald’s. None of these people had the support of their families in their passion and was told you would not make money from painting, or making clothes. These dreams were killed for some but made others stronger to fight for what they believed to be their destiny. It is our job as teacher to encourage and nurture all students in their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses. Encouraging their creativity is one such task.

A Vision for the 21st Century


The main purpose of this video is to let you know that technology is useful tool in classrooms. Students easily get bored sitting still listening to lectures, memorizing text and just reading a book. Computers are a central role in our daily lives, so why shouldn’t this technology be in a child’s classroom. This is great hands on material for a student to achieve greater learning potential. We provide our children video games at an early age so we should continue to allow them to progress even higher in education with technology.
I truly wished that this technology was available when I was in school because using a computer while learning is easier and much more fun than watching teacher just standing in front of the class lecturing. I am looking forward to learning all I can in EDM 310 to continue my technology education.

Vicky Davis: Harness Your Students Digital Smarts


Vicky Davis is a teacher and IT director in a rural school in south Georgia. She teaches students how to use new software, how to blog effectively and how to be comfortable using technology. She feels that students who only use paper and pencil will not progress in the world with today’s technology. She enjoys giving her students new terminology so they are able to look up the definition. She wants her students to learn from other students all over the world gaining different perspectives from different cultures and sharing ideas.
I feel that technology will definitely need to be based on a grade level to correctly teach students and how to use a computer effectively and to teach students proper etiquette on a computer. Technology for the class room is definitely a must in all grade levels to continue to educate students for the future. I continue to learn how to use the computer in college and I’m sure I will continue to use it in the future.