Blog Assignment 15

Blog Assignment 14

1. I missed the metaphor of the pencils and computers in John Spencer’s blog post, but once Dr. Strange told us to switch pencils with computers, it made more sense. I did know that there was another meaning to the post, but I don’t know why I didn’t catch the metaphor.

2. I hear a bunch of metaphors in my everyday life. Songs and movies are great ways to hear metaphors, especially for me because there is always something on in the background at my dorm. In the song “Wildflower” by the JaneDear Girls, they sing, “I’m a wildflower growing in the sunshine, soaking up the way of life I was raised in.” Also, in the movie You’ve Got Mail, Joe Fox gives Kathleen Kelly the advice to “go to the mattress.” That meant that she was supposed to fight to keep her business alive. Also, on Easter Sunday, I went to church and the pastor proclaimed that we are all Humpty Dumpty, and delivered a lovely Easter sermon focusing on that metaphor.

3. Some things that we can do as educators to help our students understand and use metaphors are to use them more ourselves, and give assignments like this one where we tell the students to document the metaphors they hear used in their everyday lives.

4. I think people use metaphors to make life and language more interesting, colorful, and thought-provoking.

Final Project #16

Overall, I think technology is very important in education and needs to be incorporated in it more than it already is. The teachers I’ve learned about this semester, especially the elementary teachers, who are using technology in their classrooms, are doing an incredible job preparing their students for the future. The sooner students are introduced to it, the better off they’ll be. Thank you to everyone who helped put this project together!

PLN Final Report

My PLN is very similar to what is has been through most of this semester. I have added a few more links to my Symbaloo page, and I continue to use the ones that were already there. I have learned more about other websites because of this class, and I will use them even after I finish this class. I visit my Twitter page quite often, but even though I don’t do a lot of tweeting, I do like to read what others have to say and find out about things that are going on everywhere. Also, Google has been a constant tool that has kept me connected to my group members by emailing and document sharing.

C4T #4 Summary

I was assigned to comment on Joe Bower’s blog, “For the Love of Learning.” For his post, he uploaded two videos from YouTube. The first one was a film taken from a cable car moving down a street in San Francisco before the earthquake in 1906. The streets were crowded with people, cars, and horse-drawn carriages, with chaos everywhere because there were no traffic laws. Also, there were tall buildings surrounding the street with a clock tower at the far end. The second one was a film taken from a cable car moving down the same street after the earthquake in 1906, and the images were completely different. There was rubble all over the street and there were hardly any people around. However, the clock tower was still standing at the end of the street.

I commented that the damage the earthquake did was awful, and it must have been devastating, just like the recent natural disasters around the world were catastrophic. It’s a good thing that there are now laws telling us how to drive so everyone is safer and won’t have to worry about accidents, or at least as many accidents. Also, a historian was able to pinpoint the exact date that these films were made based on various characteristics of the images, and I thought that was truly amazing!

In the next post, Mr. Bower wrote about The Save Our Schools March & National Call to Action. The purpose of this establishment is to take back the school system and make it more about substantial learning rather than just passing tests. There is going to be a march held in Washington, D.C. in July so people can make their voices heard. In my comment to him I said that the rally was a great idea and I hoped many people showed up to help make a difference for our schools.

Summary Post C4K April

C4K #7
In the talent show, Josh showed off the tricks he can do with a yo-yo. It was a great performance and Josh is very talented. He didn’t mess up even once in the whole video. I ended up watching the rest of the videos from the talent show because I was so impressed with Josh’s. I congratulated him and told him he did a great job.

C4K #8
I was assigned to comment on Amelia’s blog. Amelia wrote about how she and her family had just moved from one house to a bigger house in another part of town. Her new house has a tennis court, a spiral staircase, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms. She said that it took them a while to get everything moved over to the new house because her parents had lived in the other one for 18 years. In my comment, I told her about when I moved for the first time. I told her how awesome it is that she has her own tennis court, and how I’m taking a tennis class this semester. Lastly, I told her that I was happy to hear that she likes her new house.

C4K #9
I really enjoyed looking over Mrs. Yollis’ class blog. It was very informational and a wonderful example of how technology can benefit elementary students. It proves that technology is a necessity in our schools, not an option. I liked how Mrs. Yollis posted information on HTML code and how to use a camera properly. I appreciate how she promotes reading so much because it seems to me that children don’t read as often as they should anymore. Also, I love the idea of Family Blogging Month and how it allows students’ family and friends to comment on their work and show support.

C4K #10
Adia is one of the students in Mrs. Yollis’ class. Her blog post was about what she learned at her Girl Scouts meeting. A friend’s grandmother visited and taught them about her Japanese culture. They learned about the hair clips women wear in Japan, various articles of clothing, and how to make sushi. In my comment to her, I thanked her for the comment she left on the class blog, and I told her how well her post was written. I thanked her for teaching me something new about Japanese culture that I didn’t know before. I also told her that I was never in the Girl Scouts, but I thought it sounded fun to be a member.

Blog Assignment 13

The Alabama Learning Exchange, also known simply as ALEX, is a development of the Department of Education. It is a website that shares many kinds of educational tools for both students and teachers. It doesn’t only provide resources for the core classes in schools such as English, social studies, math, and science, but also has information on the arts, health, technology, physical education, foreign languages, and driver’s education. The website lists the courses of study with the grades they are usually taught in, and then it provides links to other websites and lesson plans to further education on those topics. There are also places for podcasting, creating lesson plans, finding lesson plans that other educators created, and communicating with other teachers. It is a way to exchange knowledge and information.

When I become a teacher, I think it will be very useful to use ALEX as a teaching tool. I can have my students use it to help clarify what I teach, especially if they’re having a hard time understanding the material. Also, I can use it to get ideas for my lessons and help my planning of the lessons. Since I will be able to talk with other teachers, I can get opinions and advice on how best to present topics that will be more interesting to my students.

Now, ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide) I am more familiar with because in my senior year of high school I took Latin I and Latin II using it. It was set up similarly to the USA Online website with the dropbox and other various tabs. Students are able to take classes through ACCESS that normally wouldn’t be available to them in their own schools. Their teachers may be teachers at a nearby school, and the students can be from any other public school in Alabama. Since it is completely online, you are given assignments at the beginning of the day with all the instructions of what to do and when to turn it in. If you need help, there is a moderator that supervises and is specially trained to answer questions and help out when necessary. In my case, it was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is unsure of whether or not to participate in ACCESS.

Project 15

Final Project Progress Report

For my final project, so far I have set up a group and we have decided on our topic. We chose to do a film interviewing students on their thoughts of technology in the classroom and its presence elsewhere. My group and I are going to meet up throughout the week to discuss the project more in depth and start the filming process.

Blog Assignment 12

For my blog assignment, I decided to find a new blog about technology and education that wasn’t on the Comments for Teachers document list and comment on it. I found the blog “Beth’s Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom” by Beth Knittle. She is a K-12 Technology Integration Specialist and former middle school teacher in Massachusetts. She has great posts pertaining to technology and education. I highly recommend it!

Project 14

Teach Someone Something

I decided that I would teach someone how to plant a tree. I've gotten very good at growing things over the years since my family and I have planted vegetable gardens, flower gardens, and countless fruit trees and bushes in our yard in Athens, Alabama. We have enjoyed many different kinds of delicious foods as a result.

How to Plant a Tree

Special Assignment

Mr. McClung seems like an energetic and positive person, so he likes to reflect that in his teaching and his blog. He is a very dedicated teacher and puts a lot of work into his blog. He is also straightforward about his expectations for his students.

I really liked the rules that Mr. McClung uses for his classroom. As a future teacher, I think it would be great for people to come into class with a positive attitude, because it’s not easy to be excited about learning when you can tell that others don’t want to be there. Also, I like the rules as a student because I learn a lot by other students’ questions. If someone asks a question, I may have been wondering the same thing, so my questions get answered as well. That also goes with the listening part.

Under “Everyone Needs,” the first requirement is a day planner. I suppose the reason for this is so students can learn to be more organized and to try and plan things ahead of time and not procrastinate or forget about things.

I think Mr. McClung’s penalties for being late are very reasonable. Since the homework assignments are to be completed in class, the students shouldn’t have a problem with turning them in. If they don’t, that means they weren’t using class time effectively, so they deserve a drop in the grade. Dr. Strange’s penalties are a little more severe, but to consistently be late with projects, posts, and other assignments is unacceptable.

Mr. McClung’s blog is to keep the information about his classes up-to-date. Also, it is to post about other things that he thinks are interesting. I think it would be nice to have a blog when I am teacher because then my students would always be able to be kept informed and would be able to see any information I post that I may consider to be important for them, or just fun.

One of the links I reviewed was the World War II Propaganda link. It explained what propaganda is and how the Nazi’s used it during World War II. The link contained many other links that went into more detail about Hitler’s propaganda and the war in general. I think this made Mr. McClung’s list because he is a social studies teacher, and this website explained a lot about World War II and went into detail, and it even had a timeline for the whole war and events that happened during it. It is a great website for learning. I also looked at the Plagiarism Checker. This is a really awesome link because it checks your work to see if it is copied from somewhere else. This would be very helpful for students because sometimes they don’t realize that they are plagiarizing, and the penalties are very harsh. It is a great way to prevent students from getting into trouble.

I think Mr. McClung did a good job explaining the Internet safety rules. It’s great that he allows his students to make up names so they are still able to participate in online activities. It is smart to create one e-mail account that only he has access to, so the students so they can use the public websites. He has taken all the necessary precautions and I don’t know of anything that I would want to add or subtract.

I was assigned to post on a video from a talent show. The student’s act was amazing! Then I checked out the rest of the performances, and all of the videos of the others acts were incredible! Every student was very talented. I particularly liked the ones with the students playing the piano because the music was beautiful and flawless. I really enjoyed the one where the student played the Journey song. I love that song and I was singing along with everyone else when I watched it!

Mr. McClung’s blog certainly does seem more advanced. However, he has had years to get it going and add to it whereas this EDM 310 class has only had one semester. If I kept going with my blog, I would like to make it more fun and personal and add more links. It would also be helpful to have a search tool to make it easier to find everything. I would not have found Mr. McClung’s Internet safety rules if I hadn’t typed it into his search bar.

Mr. McClung’s blog is useful to others because it keeps them informed about current events that are going on in the classes, and it has all the information that people need about assignments and when they are due. You can basically find everything you need to know about his classes right on his blog.

I think Mr. McClung’s blog is different because it isn’t just about the students’ posts. It is also about him and staying informed on what’s going on in his classes. There are links to help both students and parents, and it’s a great way for everyone to keep up with Mr. McClung. I think Mr. McClung made it this way so that everyone could easily get to know him his expectations, and so his students could navigate through it to answer any kinds of questions and still find it everything interesting and exciting.

Blog Assignment 11

I think Ms. Cassidy’s approach to the use of technology in the classroom is great for the first graders. If I were an elementary teacher, I would like to use technology the same way she is using it. I think it’s wonderful that she is having her students post blogs in order to improve their writing and spelling skills. Also, it allows parents to watch their child’s progress throughout the year rather than just checking in with the teacher at scheduled times during the school year.

An impediment that I might get concerned with is the safety of the children. However, it seems like Ms. Cassidy has it all under control with the safety measures she has taken. It is smart to leave out last names and to not match up pictures with names. Ms. Cassidy has a foolproof system.

There are many benefits that come with Ms. Cassidy’s approach to the use of technology in the classroom. One benefit comes from the games the children play. When the students can play games, they are having fun and learning at the same time, so the students actually want to learn and aren’t bored by it. A benefit to the blogging is that the students can get comments and encouragement from people from around the world, rather than just the teacher. I think Ms. Cassidy’s students are very fortunate to have been placed in her classroom.

Blog Assignment 10

I agree with what Morgan Bayda said about not wanting to drop out of school. Dan Brown’s decision does make a point, but it’s still the case in today’s world that you need the piece of paper saying you have a degree in order to get basically any kind of job. Even if you learn more while out of school, dropping out only hurts your future. However, I enjoyed watching Mr. Brown’s video. He is a great speaker and very energetic, which made it easier to follow what he was saying. He was very persuasive on the topic of changing education.

Also, I know exactly what Ms. Bayda is talking about when she says it’s hard to stay awake sometimes during class. When all you do is sit there and try to copy all the notes the teacher is writing on the board, it gets difficult to keep yourself from dozing off. But classes like EDM 310 are thankfully never boring, and everything is always relevant to me. It’s great to be exposed to all this technology that I wouldn’t have learned about otherwise.

In response to “Don’t Let Them Take Pencils Home,” I agree that multiple choice tests can’t completely evaluate authentic learning. With that kind of test, students can just make guesses, and even though it may not always work, they can make the right guesses. They don’t show the students’ thought processes or how they came to their conclusions. Also, I think it would be nice if all teachers went above and beyond what they are required to do, instead of saying, “It is what it is.” It’s great when teachers try to come up with new ways to learn and keep the students interested, and also when they try to solve problems instead of leaving things the way they are.

C4T Summary Post

I was assigned to comment on “The Scholastic Scribe” by Melissa B. The first post I commented on was a poem. The rule for the poem was to write one with each line starting with a letter of the alphabet in A to Z order. It was written very well and was extremely creative. I said that if I was given an assignment to come up with a poem like that, I would be so stressed out.

The second post I commented on was about Melissa B.’s “blogoversary.” It was a full three years since she started writing her blog. I congratulated her on her accomplishment and I told her how much I liked the metaphor she wrote at the beginning of her post. It was a beautiful metaphor about the start of spring.

Project 12

Blog Assignment 9

Mr. McClung spoke about a few of the things he learned while teaching his first year at an elementary school. He said that teachers need to check for student comprehension rather than evaluate how they are delivering a lesson. He also said that it is important for teachers to be flexible with their lessons and need to communicate with both students and fellow teachers in order to resolve issues. Teachers shouldn’t have unreasonable expectations for their students, they should embrace technology and not be afraid of it, and teachers should listen to their students and never stop learning themselves. These are all things that Mr. McClung identified as being important for teachers to learn.

I love what Mr. McClung said about lessons not going as planned and that teachers should understand that they won’t always work out as they hoped. I wish more teachers would get this because it’s really not fair to the students when teachers rush through material just to meet a certain timeframe, and leave students struggling as a result. I liked the proposal of being flexible with the lessons. I think some of the best lessons in school are the ones that generate class discussions, even if they don’t exactly stay on the original topic. Also, when it comes to the teachers continuing to learn, I think it should be required. Students relate what they learn with current events and trends, so if someone has a question requiring that kind of information, a teacher should know what that student is talking about. When they say “I don’t know,” and leave it at that, it’s a little disappointing. That’s why I like Dr. Strange’s slogan of “I don’t know. Let’s find out.” If the teacher comes back later with a response to the student’s question, I think it shows how much that teacher both listens to and cares about the students. Overall, I think these issues that Mr. McClung discussed are great things for current and future teachers to learn sooner rather than later.

C4K Summary Post 2

C4K 4
Mary is a student at Pt. England School. She wrote in her blog post about her past year and the all the things she did. She talked about what she learned about technology and also about her trip to camp. She said she was excited to go to another camp with her Netball team this coming year. I told her that it’s a good thing she keeps up with her work and doesn’t get behind. I also wished her and her team good luck at camp and with the rest of her schoolwork.

C4K 5
Tuitalau is also a student at Pt. England School. In his post, he made a graph of the hair color of all the students in his class. Out of the 14 classmates, seven have black hair, three have brown, two have blond, one has purple, and one has another color. I asked Tuitalau what color the last column represented, and told him that in my classes, hair color is split pretty evenly.

C4K 6
I watched two videos made by students at Melville Intermediate School. The videos were made by groups five and six. Each video was slideshow of pictures taken of the group members throughout the day. They all looked like they were having a lot of fun with everything that they were doing. I told them that their videos are creative and they chose great music for them.

Blog Assignment 8

1. These videos were really great. Dr. Miller has a wonderful idea for using technology in the classrooms. Writing with multimedia would be very useful for teaching because it is more creative and appealing than regular text. Students can be more involved in their work and would be motivated to participate. This kind of technology in the classrooms would be so much better for the students because it would grab their attention and it would be easier to follow and focus.
I really liked what Dr. Miller had to say about writing with multimedia and I agree with him. Technology is a wonderful thing and allows people to do so much more. We can find out information on any topic instantly and it is all up-to-date. Also, the web lets you add all kinds of effects such as pictures, videos, and sound, which enhances the information and makes it better than text. Using technology, you can share ideas with everyone from anywhere in the world. I think the world would be better off if people shared their ideas and dreams with others instead of keeping it to themselves.
I don’t think that I’m prepared to write with multimedia completely just yet because I still have a lot to learn. However, I think that I am prepared to start incorporating some of it into my schoolwork. I think it will take a little while to get adjusted to it. I think that my students will be prepared to write with multimedia because for their generation, technology is becoming more and more important and widely used. People are being introduced to technology at younger ages these days, so I think writing with technology would be simple for my students and would come naturally.

2. I think these two videos were made very well. The main message of these videos is just that you need to learn how to do your own work and you can’t rely on others to hold your hand and walk you through everything. In the first video, Chipper quit school because she didn’t want to teach herself how to do the proper work for the class. The second video shows that once you stop complaining about the work and actually take the time to learn and understand what you have to do, you may end up enjoying the class. If I had to create a video for any reason, I think I would make one that is sort of like “The Chipper Series” because it has a plot and there is no talking directly into the camera. I think it’s easier to follow something that has a storyline because it will make you want to find out what happens next.

3. In the video “Learn to Change, Change to Learn,” the people express their belief that education needs to adjust to the times. They say that schools need to start including technology instead of keeping education as it has been over the years. We need to embrace the technology instead of banning from the classrooms and preventing the students from using it. I think the people in this video are absolutely correct that we need to use technology even more in schools, and we can’t stick to the same way of teaching that has been used forever. However, I don’t completely agree with them when they say that students are using their social networking sites to learn and research. More times than not, they are using those sites for entertainment. They may occasionally learn something from this kind of social networking, but not like they are implying in this video.

4. In the video “The Secret Powers of Time,” Mr. Zambardo talked about what kind of time people focus on. There are some people who focus on the past, some on the present, and some on the future. There are multiple factors that determine which you will focus on. Two factors are your religion and what region you live in. He also talked about how the times are changing and that kids are different now than kids from previous generations. Now, kids’ brains are being digitally rewired and they aren’t succeeding in school because school is passive and they can’t control anything about it. I think that with more technology, we can give students a better chance to succeed because technology is what they are used to and only teaching by lectures will bore the students. If we can change the way the students feel about school, then maybe the enormous numbers of kids who drop out of school will decline.
In the video “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” Mr. Pink explains the results of a study about what happens when money is offered as a reward for complicated cognitive tasks. The results prove over and over that people are not motivated by money when it comes to assignments that require critical thinking. When it comes to these types of things, people seem to be more self-motivated. They would rather do something to get better at it or because it is fun or satisfying. I really liked the one example Mr. Pink used about the company in Australia that allows their employees to meet once a quarter to work on anything they want. The employees are able to gather, collaborate on new products and designs, and have fun at the same time. I would much rather participate in this kind of work environment rather than one where I have to come up with something by myself for a cash prize. I think this was a great video that describes how people can be motivated, and shows that humans are not just persuaded by monetary rewards.

Project 13

Results Form

Project 11

PLN Progress Report

My PLN is coming along very well. I set it up on Symbaloo and I love it! Before I created it, I always went to the EDM 310 page through Google, and then clicked on all the assignment pages. Now, I just click on my icon I set up on Symbaloo and I get to cut out so many steps! My PLN on Symbaloo consists of all the websites I need to visit for my EDM 310 class work. These include the projects list, the blog assignments, my blog account, Google, Gmail and twitter. Also, I do have some other links to personal pages such as my facebook and email accounts. With my PLN, I am able to log in to my accounts by clicking on the logo I created, instead of opening multiple pages separately. My PLN connects me to my work very quickly.

Blog Assignment 7

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. In his last lecture, he spoke about achieving your childhood dreams. He talked about his career as a professor and some of the techniques he used in his classroom. At Carnegie Mellon, he taught a class called Building Virtual Worlds. Since it was the first class of its kind, the school gave him the power to do whatever he wanted. He didn’t have to report to any Deans or follow a certain curriculum. So, he didn’t use textbooks and instead had the students break into groups and create virtual worlds.

Furthermore, Dr. Pausch talked about head fakes. A head fake is when we learn something indirectly while doing something else. He used this method of teaching in his classes. He said his students thought they were just creating virtual worlds and having fun, but in reality, they were learning how to program. He also used an example of football and other sports. You’re not just learning how to play the sport, but you’re learning teamwork, sportsmanship, and perseverance.

Another thing Dr. Pausch did in his classes was he kept raising the bar for his students. When they surprised him with what they could do with the virtual world projects, instead of congratulating them, he told them that he knew they could do better. He said that was the best response he could give them because when you set a bar when you don’t know where it should be, you do the students a disservice. By pushing them to do better, they will impress you with how far they can go.

I really enjoyed listening to Randy Pausch’s lecture. I liked his expression that brick walls are only there to prove to us how badly we want something. I never thought of it that way, but it is true. He had plenty of good advice such as work hard, help others, tell the truth, and apologize when you screw up. This speech makes me feel like anything is possible. It was so inspiring and definitely worth the time to watch it.

C4T#2

I commented on a blog called “Tom Johnson’s Adventures in Pencil Integration.” The first post I commented on was a satirical post about social networking. An HR representative spoke at a teacher staff meeting and warned them not to get involved in social networking sites that would allow interaction with students. There were no exceptions. After some questioning, it eventually came down to the fact that the teachers were not allowed to even acknowledge students outside of school. In my comment on this post, I first said how much I liked reading it. I said that I think social networking sites are beneficial for both students and teachers. It’s a convenient way to get in touch with each other if necessary. It’s not realistic to keep teachers from acknowledging their students while they are not at school.

In the latest blog on “Tom Johnson’s Adventures in Pencil Integration,” John Spencer explained why he left a pencil conference a day early. He said that the presenters were all about trying to tell you how to fix your way of teaching. They all spoke as if they were experts and had nothing else to learn, and that their teaching methods were the best. I told him that he had exceptional reasons for leaving the conference early. It wouldn’t be interesting to just sit and listen to someone talk about how they think they know everything as well as the best way to teach.

Project 9b Timetoast Sister Elizabeth Kenny

Blog Assignment 6

1. I think this video is a perfect depiction of what education is becoming in the 21st century. Thanks to technology, students no longer need to learn straight out of a textbook. Instead, they can search countless places on the Internet to find information. Also, they can connect with experts on subject matter and learn directly from them. Students can gather this information and share it and communicate about it with others. It is very appropriate that they are called networked students.

I think that I would be prepared to be the teacher of networked students. If all of my students were out researching information, they would find many different views and opinions. This would help to instigate stimulating discussions and debates in my classroom. Students would expose themselves to multiple viewpoints rather than one side of the story as provided in textbooks. I would love if this kind of learning could take place in my classroom.

As for the question of why the networked student needs a teacher, I think the teacher has one of the most important jobs. Teachers are there to teach the students how to set up this type of learning environment. They help the students communicate effectively with others, including experts, and they teach them how to organize the good and bad information they receive. If it weren’t for the teachers, students may not get involved in this type of networking.

2. This 7th grader’s PLE is extremely detailed and set up very well. It is a lot like my PLN. Her PLE keeps her connected to her schoolwork, teachers, classmates, and various others. She communicates with people from around the world. Her PLE givers her freedom and makes her responsible for her own work that she is assigned. She doesn’t get to choose whether or not she has to do it, but she can choose when and how she does it. Some of the differences between her PLE and my PLN are the fact that she does not use Twitter to stay connected, whereas I do, and she is far more advanced with her PLE than I am with my PLN.

3. The authors of the two articles we were given to read criticized smartboards. They believed that they were wastes of money because you can do the same thing on a smartboard that you can do using other tools. One of these authors suggested that smartboards don’t allow students to cooperate in their learning if all the teacher does is lecture using the board. One blog I found that favored smartboards is the RSA Blog. This blog states that smartboards engage students more than regular chalk boards because teachers can liven up lectures with colors and fonts. It says that the smartboards are tools that are beneficial for both the students and the teachers. One main point that all three of these posts share is that unless teachers are trained to successfully use their smartboards, they are nothing more than expensive and useless equipment.

C4K Summary Post

C4K 1
Vernon is a 4th grade student in Ms. Naugle’s math class. He attends Bissonet Plaza Elementary, which is located in Metairie, Louisiana. The blog he wrote that I commented on was about a project that his class did with apples. He explained that the class was given red, green, and mixed colored apples, and that they cut the apples and counted the seeds inside. They made a chart to keep track of how many seeds were in each colored apple. Afterwards, the class was able to eat the apples. I told Vernon how I did a project like his when I was in elementary school and that I hoped he could do more fun projects in the future.

C4K 2
Two girls, Terina and Tauwhare, shared a report on a book called Caught by the Sea. It was about a woman who went diving with a friend, and then how everything went wrong. She and her friend were separated and the only way she survived was because she was wearing a life jacket. The two girls explained the importance of water safety because if something goes awry, the knowledge can save your life. I told them that I enjoyed listening to their podcast and they did a great job explaining the novel. I also thanked them for sharing the author’s message with us.

C4K 3
Dante is a 9 year-old boy at Pt. England School. His most recent post was about the Christchurch earthquake and the damage it had done. He included a few pictures of the destruction caused by the catastrophe as well as a link to a video showing the damages from a view in a helicopter. I first commented on Dante’s entire blog, which is quite impressive. Then, I told him that it was very kind of him that he wished he could help the people affected by the earthquake.

Project 9a Timetoast Timeline

Project 8 iPads in Education Podcast

Blog Assignment 5

The Eagles’ Nest Radio & Class Blog is a nicely put-together website. The students were very professional in each podcast and it seemed like they had a lot of fun while learning. The instructional podcasts were very informative and detailed. What I learned from these podcasts is all the ways I can present a topic through a podcast. It can be either formal or fun and casual.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale is very helpful when it comes to podcasting. The video was great at explaining the advantages of having students use podcasts. It also described how to go about making your own podcast. Links were provided for step-by-step instructions which are always helpful. It taught me how I can use Audacity to make a podcast instead of using iMovie on a Mac.

Podcast Collection by Judy Scharf is a wonderful site to help people get started with their podcasts. It provides links to videos to show someone how to make a podcast. Also, she breaks the process down into steps and describes what to do, in detail, in every step. Furthermore, this site is a bonus for teachers who want to introduce podcasting to their students. She explains the steps students can take to learn how to use a podcast. She even provides an approximate amount of class periods it will take to completely learn about and create a podcast. Once again, this site taught me how to make a podcast using Audacity.

Blog Assignment 4

Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

Dr. Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor at Iowa State University and the Director of CASTLE, which is a program dealing with technology in education. He has won countless awards for his work with technology leadership, and blogs about it regularly.

In Dr. McLeod’s post, he informed us of the importance of technology in a humorous manner. I have to agree with his message, that we should teach children about technology, rather than keep them away from it. Even though technology can be dangerous when used improperly, we should not eliminate it from our lives entirely. If we embrace technology and use it the right way, we will be better off for it.

iSchool Initiative

This student from Georgia offered a suggestion on how to solve some of the problems in the school system. He proposed the iSchool Initiative, which would cut out about $450 spent per student. Every student would receive an iTouch that would basically be used in every class because of the numerous applications programmed into the device. Also, the iTouches will have approved websites, so the students won’t be able to stray from their work.

I think the iSchool Initiative is a wonderful idea and should start being used in all schools. I like the fact that it will save paper, especially because too many classrooms end up wasting unfathomable amounts of it. Furthermore, I think it’s a great way to get students accustomed to technology, and they will probably enjoy school more if they have modern materials.

The Lost Generation

In the first part of this video, the words being read were depressing. It made me feel like there were no morals or any hope for this generation. But when the words were reversed, it completely changed everything. It was inspiring and hopeful.

I think the technique used in this video was very successful in getting the point across. The reversal of the words made the message entirely different. It shows how a full 180 degrees can change something so dramatically. I also thought it was interesting how the words weren’t even moved around, yet they still made perfect sentences backwards. Overall, I liked this video and the positive way of thinking that was expressed in the end.

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

I thought this piece of work was absolutely beautiful! They all did such an amazing job. I wonder how long it took for them to put this together, since they never met. This presentation was performed perfectly and if all you could do was hear the music, you never would’ve been able to tell that not one of them was in the same room!

I think it’s so amazing what can now be done with technology. This was just done with the Internet, which I think is incredible. I never would have thought that something like this could be put together in this manner. Like I said before, they arranged a remarkable performance!

Teaching in the 21st Century

To begin, they are completely accurate that students can get information on any topic at anytime. Nearly everyone has the ability to find any fact they want anywhere they go. Resources are everywhere we go, mainly because now you can get on the Internet with your cell phone.

I think the video redefined “to teach” in the 21st century very well. They said that it is a teacher’s job to filter, which is appropriate because there is so much information available by other sources. But I think it still keeps its original meaning of actually teaching. Just because students can get the information elsewhere, it doesn’t mean that in reality they will go out to find it on their own.

My Sentence Video

Project 5

C4T

Summary 1

Mr. Burke is a physics teacher and I was assigned to follow his blog called “Quantum Progress.” My first comment was on his post about momentum conservation and long chains of reasoning. He posted a numbered list of an example of a chain of reasoning that his physics class was going to look at. It was about two cars colliding and what would happen in the aftermath with the forces.

In my comment to his post, I first introduced myself and gave him my contact information. I told him that his assignment sounded like a good one for his students and that the second part of it was a great, thought-provoking addition to the problem.

Summary 2

In Mr. Burke’s latest post, he described a project that one of his students became very interested in and took it upon herself to participate in it. The project is to design a weather balloon that can be sent into space. He goes on about the progress his student has made and the plans she has to finish the project and get others involved.

In response to this post, I told him how this coincides with the last EDM310 assignment, where we learned about encouraging creativity in the classrooms. I said that it was a perfect example of using creativity in schools. I wished him and his student luck with the project.

Blog Assignment 3

A Vision of Students Today

I think this video accurately depicts the lives of most college students. Or, at least, it seems about right compared to my college experience. I have to agree with many of what those students had to say. I spend a great deal of time doing things that have nothing to do with school, like watching television, listening to music, checking Facebook, etc. Also, it is true about the textbooks, spending hundreds of dollars for them and then barely opening them. However, it is also true that we are very fortunate for being able to get an education in order to better ourselves and our futures.
As for adding to this video, I cannot really think of anything in particular. I think the video gets the point across very well. I think the information was truthful and put together in a great way. It was a smart idea to have real college students providing the information in a classroom setting.

It’s Not About the Technology

I have to agree with what Mrs. Hines had to say in her blog. I agree that learning effectively does not have to come from technology. Although technology is currently playing a major role in education, it sometimes is not being used properly in order to get the best results. Just because the technology is available does not mean that it is helping students learn.

Mrs. Hines was correct in that teachers need to continue to learn with their students. They need to stay on top of new tools and technology, and they must know about their students and what is going on with them. Teachers need to learn how to successfully use new technology in order to teach their students. They must be open-minded so they can help their students learn the material they need to learn. So, without the proper teaching strategies by teachers, technology will not be useful in the classrooms.

Is It Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I liked what Mr. Fisch had to say in his post and I agree with him completely. Teachers should be technologically literate in this day and age. They must take responsibility for becoming proficient with technology.

It may have been okay in the last century to be technologically illiterate, but it is a necessity these days. With all this great technology coming out constantly, it can make learning so much more fun and interesting for both the students and the teachers. There is no excuse for a teacher to be technologically illiterate. Just because he or she is now a teacher that does not mean that they get to stop learning. They should keep up with the new technology and continue to educate themselves about it.

Social Media Count

It is amazing how much is being done on the computer every second by people all over the world. That just goes to show big of an impact technology has had on every person’s life. Whether the reason is for work, school, or fun, we spend so much time dealing with technology, especially computers.

I believe that, as teachers, we must find ways to incorporate this new technology into our teaching while still keeping it a learning environment. We should find techniques to use the technology to help our students learn as well as keep them interested in the material. With technology being as useful as it is in all other aspects of life, there is no reason that it can’t be just as helpful in education when used properly.

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know
This video was shocking to me. Every piece of information that came up on the screen simply left me in awe. To start, it is sad that children in the United States are so far behind children in other countries academically. That just goes to show that America needs to put more of an emphasis on quality education. America should place a bigger importance on education, especially in the fields of math and science, which is what the other countries are excelling in.

Furthermore, the growth of technology is just phenomenal. Technology has been able to reach so many people in many different forms, bringing tons of new information across the globe. Society has come a long way since previous centuries. It is amazing how fast new technology is popping up and how we keep finding new uses for it in everything that we do.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
I have to agree and disagree with this video. I agree with the part that things have changed significantly in the last hundred years, which is quite obvious. It can be a little overwhelming to see how technology has affected every aspect of our lives today. I think it would interesting to see what would happen if we could not use the technology for one day. It would probably be pretty chaotic.

The major point that I have to disagree with is the fact that education hasn’t changed. I believe it has changed greatly. I do not believe that computers are rarely used in education and are gathering dust in the back of the classroom. I think that computers are being incorporated more and more in most of the classrooms. Even when they are not in the classrooms, computer labs exist in the schools where teachers are able to bring their students. Especially in college, it is nearly impossible to attend school and do all the work without the use of a computer.

Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
I think what this teacher is doing with her students is a wonderful idea. It seems like such a great program to participate in, especially when you are still in high school. It helps the students learn about all types of digital systems and programs so they will be more proficient when they go out in the world.

The other thing I found interesting about this class was that it connected students from around the world. So, not only did the class introduce the concepts of all types of technology, but it also taught about other cultures and gave the students an opportunity to explore the other cultures by traveling for conferences. This class was a marvelous addition to the Georgia school, and should be implemented in many more of the schools across the country.

Cecilia Gault Interview
In response to this article and video, I would have to agree with Sir Robinson. I think it would be beneficial to encourage more creativity in schools. If creativity was emphasized in schoolwork more often, then perhaps students would be more intrigued and interested in learning. This could then influence them to stay in school rather than drop out.

In my classroom, what I can do is try to find different ways to teach math that are more creative. I can find ways to encourage my students to be creative. Even with math, teachers can be creative with assignments and teaching methods to make sure the students succeed. I can make the subject fun so that my students don’t get bored or sick of doing math.

The Importance of Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson gave a wonderful lecture on the importance of creativity. He made a very convincing argument, in my opinion. Not only did he deliver his speech to make his point, he also made the speech enjoyable and entertaining. However, I do not completely agree with all that he had to say.

I do agree with him that creativity is important, and that some people are just born to do something in the arts. I also agree that it should be an important aspect in school curriculum. However, I disagree with the idea that it should be just as important as other subjects. I think that, because students in foreign countries are already surpassing us academically, subjects such as math and science should be stressed more than the arts.

Wordle Post

Blog Post 1

My name is Alexandra Maniaci, but everyone calls me Alex. I am twenty years old and was born in Cortland, New York. I lived there for fourteen years until my family and I moved to Titusville, Florida. I lived in Titusville for about two and a half years until we moved to Athens, Alabama. I chose to attend USA because I was offered a scholarship. I am majoring in Secondary Mathematics Education, but being a teacher is just a backup plan.

I have two older sisters, a twin sister, a step-sister, and a step-brother. My twin sister also attends USA and is majoring in Computer Science. Some of my interests include watching television and movies, reading, spending time with family and friends, eating, shopping, and wasting time on the computer.