Final Post- Peace EDM310 :)

Project #16 With Laura Scott

C4K #8 - #11 Summaries

C4K #8- Zaphanata's Fantastic Animation of his Pirate Ship

This post consisted of an animation of a pirate ship by a student named Zaphanta. He added sound and movement. I commented that his animation was really good. Also, I told him that when I was in school we weren't able to do fun things like this. I said that I hope he continues to do well in his class.

C4K #9 - Welcome to A4 Avish

This post was an introduction of a new student to the A4 class. It said that he likes to play outside on the slide. He also has a brother in year 4 named Ayush. I commented that I hope he is excited about his new class. I told him that I hope he finds some awesome friends in his new class. I wished him luck and told him to have fun.

C4K #10 - Flat Adam Leaves Home


This post was part of Mrs. Conlin's Flat Stanley Project. This class has been sending pieces of paper cut into the shape of a person and colored by the students. In this post, the student begins the adventure for his Flat Adam. Flat Adam is leaving Westford, MA, and is on his way to Nashua, NH. He even hopes to to visit Santa's Village on his trip. I said that I thought that his trip sounded really exciting. I told him how I had always wanted to go to Santa's Village, and I hope that he has a fun trip.

C4K #11 - Yasmine's Favorite Deserts and Clare's "Alice in Wonderland"


Yasmine's post was a list of her top five favorite deserts. Her favorite deserts are hot fudge brownies, any kind of ice cream except pecan, cheesecake, chocolate pudding, and cupcakes. I commented that they sounded like some really delicious desserts. I told her that my favorite desert is cookies and cream ice cream. I said that her blog looked really good and I'm glad that I got to read it.

Clare's post was a description of the story "Alice in Wonderland". She told about talking animals, rabbits in waistcoats, and people who have nearly lost their minds. She explains that Alice is certain that she is in a dream, but she can't seem to wake up. I told her that she gave a great description of this story. I also told her that this was one of my favorite movies when I was younger. I said that my favorite character was the Mad-hatter, because he was so crazy and so funny. I told her that she had an awesome blog and to keep up the good work.

C4T Teacher #4 Summary Post

Beth Still

Nebraska Change Agent- Beth Still


I read Beth Still's blog for this assignment. The first post I read and commented on was about Skype. She wanted to get ten people, the most Skype allows, on a Skype video conference all at once. I told her that I thought it was a great idea. Also, I told her that I really liked how she was trying to take full advantage of the technology of our time. When it was over, she let me know how everything went. She said, "We had up to 7 cameras live at one time which was really cool. Four time zones were represented! However, there were major issues with the call kicking people out. The amazing part of all of this is knowing that through Twitter  I will always have people to turn to when I need help."

The second post of Beth Still's that I read was about how adjustments lead to major improvements. She explained how out of her thirty-eight students last semester twelve of them did not get credit for her course. The main reason for this was the quarterly project they had to complete. If they did one step wrong, every other part was affected. She decided to change it for the next semester. They started the project the first week of the semester, so they wouldn't have to do it all at once. The students aren't allowed to go to the next step without completing the one they are one. This allows them to work at their own pace. She also explained how she is trying to do more to build good relationships with her students. She seems to genuinely care about the success of her students. I commented that I thought it was very encouraging to hear stories like this one. I told her that I thought it was a great message being sent. I also said that I could tell that she is a very dedicated teacher. In her post, she posed the question, "Do I care too much?" She said that she didn't think so, and I told her that I don't think educators can care too much about their students' education. It's only when they don't care enough that it becomes a problem.
the lengths she would go to help her students.

Project #15 By Abby Smith & Laura Scott

Blog Post #13

The Alabama Learning Exchange is designed to compile educational materials and information into a time-saving one-stop resource for teachers and administrators in Alabama. Its goal is for Alabama students to reap the benefits of Alabama educators sharing their wealth of expertise and knowledge with colleagues. Since January 2007, on a monthly basis, over one million teachers, students, school leaders, and parents from Alabama and around the world access ALEX's fun, engaging interactivities-doubling previous usage rates. It is funded in part by USDOE Enhancing Education Through Technology, Title II, Part D grant as part of the five percent administration funds for the Alabama Department of Education.

The ALEX homepage has seven links to navigate the website. They are Courses of Study, Web Resources, Lesson Plans, Search, Professional Workspace, Podcast Treasury, and ALEXville. There are links people can go to where they can learn more about ALEX and Thinkfinity training opportunities, view past presentations, or search for grants, They can also visit Alabama Department of Education Program Websites to find professional development opportunities, teaching, and learning tools, the latest news, best practices and more. There are also pages to find tips, tricks, and tutorials on a variety of technology tools.

This is such a great tool for educators. I plan to use this tool when I become a teacher. I think that there is so much that we can learn by listening to other educators. We get to see the different ways teachers choose to teach. By keeping our minds open to the different ways educators teach, we are able to learn new and different ways to teach our students that we might have never thought of.

Additional Assignment #5

He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils

The main idea in this post is that ultimately, it's about trust and purpose. If we want our students to trust us, we have to be able to take the time to listen to them, so we can really get to know them. If we treat our students with respect, more than likely that is what we will get in return. The students aren't going to like us just because of some technology we use in our classroom that their other teachers do not use. They will like or not like us based how we treat them. If we don't care about what they have to say, more than likely, they will not care about what we have to say to them.



The Medium Shapes of Learning

In this post, the main idea is that we can't just pick a certain kind of technology we want to use to teach a lesson. We have to realize that the medium we use to get the information to our students can change the message if we choose the wrong one. Just because a certain medium may be more fun than another one, doesn't mean that it is the better choice.

Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils

I think that the main idea in this post was about realizing that the students are at different ages, and they are experiencing different things in life. A fourteen year-old, for example, yearns for freedom and yet still clings to the safety of childhood. A first grader gives unexpected hugs, ignoring the rules of space and they interrupt you when they are excited. They aren't doing this to be rude. It's simply because of their age. They haven't reached an age where they learn these types of things yet. We have to understand that they are still children, and they are growing up and learning all the things we have already learned or been through. We should be more understanding.

Just Teach Them to Solve for X

In this post, I think the concept he is trying to get across is that sometimes we have to change the way we look at something, so we can better understand what we are looking for. Instead of using "x" as the variable in the math problem, he has his students create metaphors for the concept of "x". He wants them to understand how variables work, because if they don't understand how "x" is used, they won't understand how it is used in life. There are many different ways to go about teaching something. Teaching isn't always conventional. Sometimes we have to change the way the problem is seen, so the students have a better chance of understanding. It's amazing how we can not understand something looking at it as "x", but when we change the "x" into something that's real and not some "magical number", we can understand it a lot easier.

Project # 6 Form Summary and Analysis

  "You Can Have This Super Power...But" Google Form


I created the form titled "You Can Have This Super Power...But". In this form, people had the option of having a super power, but the power came with a consequence. Everyone had to answer ten of these questions. The questions are as followed: 1. You can have invisibility, but when you are not invisible, you are blind. 2. You can have angel wings, but when the wings come in or out, you will feel the worst pain you have ever felt. 3. You can fly, but you can't walk. 4. You can travel through time, but you can't pick the time period to which you travel. 5. You are telepathic, but you are also a mute. 6. You are a shape-shifter, but not even you know what your original form looks like. 7. You can heal instantly, but when you heal, the pain is twice as bad as the injury. 8. You are pyrokinetic, but you will never be able to quench your thirst. 9. You have super speed, but you are very clumsy. 10. You can heal others, but you take on their affliction for thirty minutes for it to dissolve away. Everyone had to answer each question with a yes or no answer. The answers to the questions are as follows: 1. No- 15 Yes-4 2. No-18 Yes-1 3. No-12 Yes-7 4. No-9 Yes-10 5. No-14 Yes-5 6. No-13 Yes-6 7. No-9 Yes-10 8. No-18 Yes-1 9. No-11 Yes-8 10. No-6 Yes-13

 For this project, I wanted to do something different. My questions didn't require any previous knowledge of anything. They are simply questions of whether or not someone is willing to sacrifice something to have an awesome super power. Even though these questions seem to simply be yes or no questions, I think the answers say a lot about the people who answered them.

 The majority of the people chose "no" for most of the questions. For seven out of the ten questions, the majority of the answers given was "no". I think this says a lot about people. Most people want to be extraordinary in some way, but they aren't willing to have the troubles that go along with the 'powers'. Nothing is given to us without its troubles. It is up to us to determine if we are willing to go through the troubles to have the power that we want. I think it's really interesting to hear people's different answers. Some people were much more willing to accept the consequence that came with the powers than others were. People only answered yes to a few of the questions. I'm really glad that we got to come up with our own questions for this project. I was really able to think outside of the box, and I really enjoyed coming up with these questions and seeing people's answers.

Project #16 Progress Report

I am working with my friend and classmate, Laura Scott, for project # 15. We are also working on the final project together. We are currently focused on project #15, but we are brainstorming ideas for the final project as well. We are looking forward to what we come up with. Thanks!

Blog Post #12

My Assignment: Watch these two videos about introducing ipods into special education. We have watched videos and read posts about how technology has helped the regular education classroom setting. Now we see how the same technology (the ipod) also helps the special education classroom setting. Write your reaction to the videos in a post on your blog.

Introducing iPods into Special Education

Priceless

Technology for Special Education Video 
We have watched many videos and read many posts about technology and why it should be incorporated into the classroom setting. We haven't really talked about how technology works wonders in the special education classroom setting. In the first video about introducing iPods into special education, Vicki Nelson tells us about how she started using the iPod in her special education class. Most of Ms. Nelson's students suffer from a hearing loss, or they are non-verbal. She used the iPods as a communication device training for the students to use at home. She said that many of the students came back to school knowing things that she hadn't taught them yet. This just shows that the students really want to learn. They just need it given to them in a way that interests them. She then started video taping the interpreter signing the vocabulary words from each subject. This way the students can take the videos home, so their parents can learn how to sign and understand what their kids are bringing home and signing. Then, the interpreter started signing the stories in the books they were reading. The video of this helps the students with comprehension. Another great way Ms. Nelson used the iPod in this video was as a video portfolio. These are used as communication logs between staff and the student's parents and as a record of communication between staff and the student's parents. The parents could listen to the voice memo left by Ms. Nelson. Then, they could record a response and send it to school with their children. I loved the story she told about a voice memo she got from one of her student's sister after watching a video of her brother. The memo said, "Wow! He's really smart!" I think it's cool that the special education students are able to show their families how hard they are working and how much they are improving. I think that it is amazing how we can use technology that was initially only thought of as a device to listen to music and turn it into a tool used to help special education students. It's all about the different ways we look at things.

In the second video, priceless, it is a remake of the MasterCard commercials. Out of all of those commercials and remakes of those commercials, this is my favorite one. It shows different costs of technological devices used in special education and the cost of a great teacher. Then it shows a special education student on one of the devices and says, "Seeing a child do what no one thought they would: priceless." I think this is so true. Even though you can technically put a price on the devices this child is using, it doesn't matter what the price is, because this student is accomplishing something that no one thought he would be able to do. It's great to see technology helping in regular education, but to see a special education child accomplish something that others said one wouldn't be able to do is so heart warming. I thoroughly enjoyed watching these two videos, and I hope more people get a chance to see them.

Summary Post C4T Teacher #3

Michael Kaechele

I read Michael Kaechele's blog from Michigan. The first post I read was "Ode to Concrete". In this post, he described the beauty of concrete that is overlooked on a daily basis. He tells about the different ways to use concrete. He says that concrete is chemistry and science at its finest. He also says that concrete is technology. I had never thought of concrete as technology before now. He says that concrete is hard, and it is sidewalk that scratches knees. I loved this reference to scratching knees. That's the only thing I thought it was good for as a child. I commented that I had never thought about the many different ways of looking at concrete, and I was definitely one of those people who have taken it for granted. I also told him how his post allowed me to see the beauty in concrete that I had never seen before.

The second post of Michael's that I read was "The Alchemist and Louis L'Amour". In this post, he described the book The Alchemist. He asked, "Do we allow space in schools for pursuing dreams?" I agree with him that teachers are too busy covering curriculum and meeting standards, and that standardization drowns out passion and crowds out dreams. He talks about how in the book, Santiago uses many different channels of learning. He learns by living life and observing life and nature everywhere, much like Mr. Kaechele's favorite author as a child, Louis L'Amour. I commented that I agreed with him about standardization. I think that it's very important to encourage imagination and creativity in our students. All of the wonderful advancements our society has had over the years weren't accomplished due to people thinking like everyone else, standard way of thinking, rather, it was due to people thinking like nobody else, creative and imaginative way of thinking.

C4K #3-7 Summaries

C4K #3


This student talked about Captain James Cook. He was the first person to sail from Europe to New Zealand. He was also the first to land on New Zealand's coastline. I commented that I didn't know that Captain Cook was the first person to do this. I also said that it was a great post and to keep up the great work.

 C4K#4

This student was asked to describe the area in which she lived. She described Melbourne, Australia. She described it as a place full of lushes green growth, natural scenery everywhere you look, with birds, insects, and kangaroos. She told us about the many famous places and people Melbourne has given the world. I told her that she used very descriptive words in describing the look of Melbourne. I told her that I wish I could wake up to the same picture she has drawn, and I hope she keeps up the good work.

C4K #5

Akhil talked about his blog in this post. He said that he liked to watch movies, read, play basketball, and ride his bike. His favorite football team is the Steelers, because they win a lot. I told him that it is great that he tries to his best. I also told him that I also love watching movies and reading, and I think riding his bike is a great way to exercise and have fun at the same time. I said that I don't watch the NFL, but I hope that the Steelers keep on winning. I also commented that he had an awesome blog and to keep up the good work.

C4K #6

This post was a riddle that Daniel S. wrote. The riddle was: I like bananas, I swing in trees, and I pick bugs off babies. Who am I? I commented that he had given some very good clues. Then I gave my answer to his riddle, a monkey. I told him that he had a great blog and to keep up the good work.

C4K #7

In this post, Kylie B. talked about a math project that she was supposed to bring an apple to class for. She didn't have one, but her mom said she would get one. Unfortunately, she didn't get one. Her teacher put the kids in to groups of kids with red apples, kids with green apples, and kids with mixed colored apples. She put the kids who didn't have apples in to the groups of kids with apples. She cut the apples, and they counted the seeds. She said it was then time to go, but she had a lot of fun. I commented that I was sorry that she didn't get to bring an apple like she wanted, but I was glad she had fun. I told her that I've always thought it was cool that when an apple is cut in half, it looks like a star. I said that I like the pink font she used. I told her that her blog looks really good and to keep up the good work.

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's Approach to Using Technology in the Classroom

     Ms. Cassidy, person on the left in above picture, is a great example of how teachers can use technology in the classroom. Her students write blogs, make wikis, make videos, use Skype, and use the Nintendo DS. Her students get excited that the blogs they write will be read around the world. They are excited that somebody wants to see what they write. I think this is a great way to get students excited about writing, no matter what they are writing about. They get to see on a cluster map where it is that people are viewing their blog from. They also get to see the number of times their blogs are read. I really liked the part in the video that showed them playing on the Nintendo DS. They played Nintendog, a game where they had a pet dog they had to take care of. They said that it helped them to be better problem solvers. They also said that it taught them how to share, which isn't something many people would think they could learn from a game on a hand-held gaming device.

     As a high school English teacher, I would like to incorporate the use of blogging in my classroom. I think it would be a great way for them to share writing assignments with the rest of the world. I think that some students might be more willing to hear what other people have to say about what they write, not only what I have to say as their teacher. I also think that they would work harder on what they write, instead of only doing what is necessary to get it done, because it will be accessible by the whole world. I think a problem I might encounter is that students get on websites that they are not supposed to be on while they are working. A way I could address this problem is to try to keep a closer eye on them. Also, the school places restrictions on certain websites in which they can access. There might be problems in using technology that we can't anticipate, but if we don't try just because there might be problems, we aren't doing anybody any good. As Ms. Cassidy put it, "You are handicapping your students and yourself by not taking advantage of the tools available."

Additional Assignment #3

Sir Ken Robinson: Educational Change in Paradigms

• I think the most important thing he talked about is that we are getting our children through education by anesthetizing them. More and more children who go to the doctor and say they have a hard time paying attention and can't sit still are given a prescription for Ritalin when ADHD probably isn't the problem causing the symptoms.
• I don't think there was anything that I disagreed with Sir Robinson on. I went back through the notes I took and referred back to the video, and I couldn't find anything he said that I disagreed with.
• The agreement and disagreement is that great learning happens in groups. Robinson says that collaboration is the stuff of growth, which I believe to be true ass well. I think that this is the only class out of four education classes I've taken where I have completed an assignment as a part of a group. 
• I think the best thing to do is get the word out there about these problems. These aren't things that should only be taught to future teachers. If more people were educated on these issues and spoke up about them, I think that more people holding elected positions might try harder to help with the government element of these problems, such as standardized testing.
• I really enjoyed the presentation. I thought that it was a very creative way to talk about the issues. 
• I would most like to play the part of the author. I like writing, and I believe that I do it well.

Blog Post #9 (Out of Order)

Mr. McClung :"What I've Learned This Year"

I really enjoyed reading this post, and I agree with everything Mr. McClung wrote about. The first two things he talked about were about having a plan that is centered around the student and being able to be flexible with some things. These are two things that I have had to learn how to do for campers, which take the place of the students in my scenario. The past two summers I have volunteered as a camp counselor at Camp M.A.S.H., which is a camp for children with juvenile arthritis. The director of the camp would always tell us that we needed to "check ourselves at the door" and be flexible. That week wasn't about us and how tired we got, instead it was about the children and what we could do to make that week the best week they could have. We also had to be flexible, because not everything goes as planned during a week-long summer camp, especially when you add in the fact that every camper has a medical condition. I think this also applies to what he mentioned about having lesson plans that are student centered and driven by the audience.

My favorite thing about his post was when he said, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." I think this is so true. We aren't only teaching the students about the different subjects. We are also teaching them about life and how to be future members of our society, and, like it or not, failing is a part of life. He also says that we shouldn't be afraid of technology. I think that people who are "scared" of technology are more scared of change or the unknown. The people who are scared because of the change really need to understand that things are going to change with or without them, and the best way to deal with it is to change as well, if it is for the better. For the people who are scared of the unknown, it is a lot less scary if you just go ahead and learn what the technology is and how to use it. Once they do, they will realize that there was nothing to be scared about.

I think teachers should take his advice to listen to and take interest in the student. This is so important, because I believe that if we are genuinely interested in listening to what our students have to say, then they will be more willing to listen to what we have to say. Honestly, doesn't seem like this is something that is very hard at all. A lot of what students have to say is very interesting. You may hear opinions or ways of seeing things that you might never have if it wasn't for the students who weren't afraid of having and voicing their opinions and views, because they knew that you were genuinely interested in what they had to say. The last thing Mr. McClung talks about is that teachers should never stop learning. I fully believe this statement. I think that once teachers stop being willing to accept new ideas and learn about ways to improve the way they teach, they stop being the best teacher they can be. Through this blog, Mr. McClung has not only shared what he has learned, he has also shown us that a good teacher doesn't stop learning. He learned that there were better ways of doing things than the way he was doing them, and he wasn't afraid to change. After reading his post, I believe that Mr. McClung is a good teacher. He has lived as a teacher for the past year, learned about how to be a good teacher over the past year, and is now passing on the knowledge to all of us, so we can be good teachers in the future.

Blog Post #10

An Open Letter To Educators

Over the past three years I have spent at the University of South Alabama, I have experienced both types of classroom settings shown in the pictures I have provided.  I think that most of the classes I've taken where I was bored, the professor never really learned my name, or I felt like I was having facts "thrown" at me where my pre-requisite courses. The only stadium seating class I have taken was Geography 101 and 102. I was always bored. I wasn't interested in the material that was given to me on the printed out power point, which was the same power point the professor put on the screen and pretty much read word for word with the occasional addition to what was already given. Once I got in to my education and English courses, I was much more interested. The classroom settings have been small to regular size with professors, for the most part, who were interested in our input on what we were learning. Sometimes, my professor's views have changed after listening to how we interpreted the literature that we were learning. I think that it's true that information has become less and less valuable since it's free online. The only thing about the information given to us at universities that makes it more valuable than what we can read online is the medium it is given through. At universities, we are given this information from professors who have gone to school for many years and who have been teaching a lot of people about the same information. There is something about a good professor that a person can not get from reading information online. They have more insight on the subject being taught. Something that was said that kind of bothered me was about the student in this equation. Dan Brown was talking about how students just memorize that facts thrown at them to be able to pass the test. Well, that isn't the university's fault. We students have to be able to take the facts given to us and learn how they apply to what we are learning. We have to be able to show how something given to us as a definition applies to the material. Memorizing facts given is something students tend to do in a "crash study session" normally the night before the test. If we actually learn what the definitions are and how they apply to the material, it is a lot easier to pass the test. I don't think that universities are losing their value. For me, it is much easier to learn something in a classroom setting than an online setting.
My sentence: I am trying to learn how to inspire and encourage children to want to learn and to do their best in accomplishing their goals and dreams.

Project #11 Short Movie (A Discussion of My Favorite Teacher, Mrs. Vanrossum)

Project #9b Instructional Timetoast

Blog Post #8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream

This video was very nice. Richard Miller explained how media is changing and how we need to take advantage of it. I thought it was funny that he mentioned a book that he had written came to have the same fate as other educational books. It is available on Amazon's website for fifty-nine cents. A lot of people don't go to libraries anymore to find a book that they want to read. They simply go online to find the full text or to buy it. Also, I loved what he said about ideas. He said that ideas don't belong to us individually, rather they belong to us as a culture. We must be in the business of sharing ideas freely.

I liked how he pointed out the collaborative benefits the web gives us. It allows for us to have different people who specialize in different areas collaborating together to create a production. We don't have to be in the same building, or even country, to create a piece of work together. We also have new ways of viewing things, such as newspapers. We can view the media through print based or moving image based material. I think the moving image based material is fascinating. It's like watching an event live. We are able to keep up with something instantaneously instead of having to wait for the results on the news.

He also talked about how in the world we live in today, our limits are mostly ones that we place on ourselves. I think this is so true. I have never heard of composing using the web itself. Even though I had never heard of it, there is someone out there who is doing it. His composition searches blogs all over the world and determines an emotional profile of the world moment by moment. I think Richard Miller is right in saying that we need inspiring teachers of new media for students.

I don't know how hard it is to learn how to use these new media tools, but I think it's something worth learning. We will want our students to learn how to use these tools. If they do, then they will be better prepared for what comes next. I think that if we want our students to thrive, we need to arm them with all the tools we can to help them. After all, that is what we are trying to do. We are trying to prepare them for their futures. If we don't help them understand these new tools and how to use them, we aren't preparing them with what they need to know.


The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies



Though I can't think of any videos that I would like to produce or participate in, I do think these videos had good messages. In The Chipper Series video, the message that I got was that we have to work for the things we want. If we want to become teachers, we have to put in our time and effort. Not only do we need to do this, we also need to do this in the appropriate time given to us by our instructors. I think it did a good job  in showing us that the procrastinating and not showing up that a lot of us do in school is not accepted by our future bosses. We need to practice doing well in school, so we can do well in our future jobs. Just showing up doesn't mean that we deserve anything, such as a ribbon in Chipper's case. The message I got from the video EDM 310 for Dummies was that being prepared makes what we are trying to do much easier. We can't just expect to know how to use all the tools that we have to use for this class. If we did, there would be no reason to take the class. As the video showed, once we read the tutorials and understand how to use these tools it will be much easier and less stressful to do the work assigned in this class.



Critiques of Smartboards

In "The Innovative Instructor" the focus was mainly on the teachers and the administrators. In "Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards" the focus was mainly on the teachers. In the first critique, Michael Stanton argues that the teachers are still doing the same thing as they have been. They are standing at the front controlling the content and managing a bunch of students. He also says that the smartboards are a way for administrators to say that they are spending money on thing that they can point to and count. He argues that they aren't using the money to experiment with ways to improve learning outcomes, because they wouldn't be able to get the money for something that's not concrete. In Bill Ferriter's "Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards", the argument is made that the smartboards do little to promote independent discovery and collaborative work. He also says that the smartboards are poorly aligned with the vision of instruction that most people claim to believe in.

On the other hand, Silvia Tolisano's blog "Interactive Whiteboards-Which? How? What?" showed another side of the smartboards. In her blog, she was trying to get as much information on smartbaords as she could, because her school was contemplating acquiring smartboards for the classrooms. She explained how she went to a school that had smartboards to see it being used in the classroom setting. She watched a 5th grade class and saw that all the students had their eyes on the smartboardsmartboard. The student then showed her and the others students how to complete the task that was asked.

I think the main difference in these critiques has to do with the teacher. The technology itself will not change anything. It has to be used by a teacher who is willing to change what he or she is used to doing things. If the teacher keeps doing what has always been done, there is no need for the smartboard. However, if he or she is willing to learn how to incorporate the smartboard and research new ways of using it, then there is a lot that can be gained from it.

Project #9a Timetoast

C4T Teacher #2 Summary

 
C4T #1
I first read Steven Anderson's post that talked about new teachers deciding the best applications and programs they should use. He tells about how the first year can be very overwhelming, and new teachers should focus on how to use one or two new tools until they get used to them and master them before adding on more. I commented on his post agreeing that I think it can be easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything your first year. I explained how I believed that it doesn't help the students if we know a little bit about a variety of tools and programs. We wouldn't be able to teach them how to fully understand the tools if we didn't fully understand them first.

C4T #2
The second post of Steven Anderson's that I commented on was about a site called Dimensions. This site takes important events in history and current events and shows how big they are over a given area on a Google Map. The picture above is an example he posted on his blog of how Dimensions works. I commented on this post about how I thought it was a great way to show students a different perspective on just how big or small an event can be. It's good for the students to see how many people can be affected by different events.

Blog Post # 7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

I absolutely loved watching this video! Dr. Pausch made some excellent points on how to achieve your dreams while also entertaining his audience. His lecture was not all about how to achieve your dreams. Through his stories he was able to show us not only how to achieve our dreams, but he also showed us some very good teaching techniques. Furthermore, his lecture was about his legacy and how to live your life.

I definitely agree with him about playing sports at a young age. It helps in teaching children great life lessons. It teaches discipline, hard work, and fundamentals. I think one thing it teaches children that he did not mention is social skills. When the children are playing sports, they do not realize these lessons they are learning, because they are having fun at the same time. They are learning these important lessons of hard work and dedication, but they are just thinking of how much fun they are having, how much they love the sport they are playing, or how much they want to win a trophy or medal. This is a great example of the "head fake" that Dr. Pausch talks about.

Dr. Pausch's "head fake" is roughly defined as a way of learning indirectly. He said that most of what we learn, we learn indirectly. I agree that this is a great way to teach. If you try to tell a child how to do something that is hard and/or is something the child doesn't care about, it is very hard. On the other hand, if you play a game with a child that accomplishes the same goal, it's more than likely that the child will learn what you want him or her to learn. Another thing that he mentioned that I really liked was more about inspiring the students. We should show them what it feels like to make other people get excited and happy. We don't want to just "throw" facts and formulas at children. We want them to be inspired and want to learn more about what we are teaching.

I think a lot of what he talked about had to do with attitude. He mentioned that there is a good and a bad way of saying, "I don't know". He explained this through a story about how he wanted to take a sabbatical and work with Disney's Imagineers. He went to his boss to talk about it, and his boss said, "I don't know!" in a kind of rude manner. He then went to the Dean of Sponsored Research. The Dean said, "I don' know. I don't have any information. All I know is one of my star faculty members is here and he's all excited. I want to know more." They said the same thing, but the latter said it in a way that showed he was interested and not like it was a bother to him.

I think my favorite part of this video was when he was talking about the new course he designed. He said that the students first project just blew him away. He was so blown away that he didn't know where to go from there. So, he called his mentor for help. He told Dr. Pausch that he obviously didn't know where the bar should be for his class, but he would only be doing them a disservice by putting it anywhere. I think this is a very valid point. We have no idea what our students can truly accomplish. If we set the bar somewhere, we are indirectly telling them that this is as high as they can go, and once the students reach "the bar" they may be satisfied with staying there when they could sore way past it.

Blog Post #6

The Machine is Changing Us

I thought this was a great video on how media affects people in our society. I liked how he pointed out that, in general, we think that a person has to be on television to have a voice or be significant. So many people take advice from people on t.v. just because they are on t.v. People listen to people like Oprah about who they should vote to elect as President of the United States just because she is a t.v. icon. Another good point I think he made was how we know ourselves through our relations with others. When new media creates new ways of relating to others, it also creates new ways of knowing ourselves. What I loved the most was his evolution of how we use the word 'whatever'. I hope he is right about the future use of 'whatever'.

7th Grader's PLE

I thought this student had a great PLE. It was very organized and well put together. She mentioned how it helps her keep track of where she got her info. After looking through a lot of sites to find information, it can all kind of run together after a while, and it can be hard to remember where everything came from. I also liked how she pointed out that it allows her to choose not whether or not she will do the work, rather it lets her decide how when when to do the work. This video was helpful in planning my personal learning network.

/>

The Networked Student

This video was a good way of showing how a networked student learns using technology. It was a creative way of showing us how important technology is in today's society. This isn't just a good idea that might help students in the future. This video shows that this is no longer an idea for the future, rather it is happening in classrooms now and will only happen more and more. It's very important that we understand how to use this technology and, more importantly, how to teach this technology to our future students. Whether we like it or not, technology will only keep advancing, and we need to be able to keep up.

I think it's incredible that technology in the classroom has come this far since I graduated high school three years ago. The only class I had that needed a computer to complete my assignments was journalism, which was only offered to those of us on the newspaper staff. also, all of our classes met the usual five days a week. Now, not only does this student require a computer, he also meets with his class as a whole three times a week and twice online. He does not use a textbook, and the teacher almost never lectures. I think it's great that students such as this one is not only learning from what the teacher lectures, but he is also learning from the many diverse connections and ties through the social network. I liked how the video didn't focus mainly on the technology behind it all, instead it pointed out that the tools are not as important as the connections made possible by them. The student can take control of their learning and make new connections with others who will strengthen the learning process. It also gives them access, through iTunes U, to thousands of courses recorded by college professors. When he is done researching a topic, he posts it online to share his organization of this knowledge with the rest of the world.

I think this is a great advancement, but I still do not believe that this could take the place of a teacher. The student will not come to school already knowing how to do all of this. A teacher is still needed to teach the students how to build their social networks, communicate properly and respectfully, and differentiate between good information and propaganda. The students also need a teacher for guidance, support, and encouragement. Also, they need help in organizing the mounds of information they acquire. I can't wait to help guide students such as this one. With the help of EDM 310 and other education classes I will take, I will be prepared to be a teacher of a networked student. I think that if somehow I am not prepared, I probably won't find a very good teaching position. I don't know if classes such as this one will be the norm when I will be getting a teaching position, but I'm almost positive that it won't take too much longer until it is the norm.

C4K #1 and #2 Summary

I commented on Courtney D.'s "About Me" and "My Learning Manifesto". It was great for me to learn that children her age are aware of the fact that she needs exercise. She said she likes walking her horses around, because it gives her more exercise than if she were to ride them. She also talked about her family and two dogs and how important she thinks family and friends are. I commented on her post telling her that I also have two dogs, and I thought it was so great that she knows how important family is.
Her second post that I commented on was her learning manifesto. She talked about how she needs to get all of her school work organized and that if there was something she didn't understand, she would make sure to ask and find out. I commented on how I thought it was great that she wanted to get organized, because it really helps. I told her that it's really important to ask questions when she doesn't understand something. I also told her to never be afraid of asking questions.

Blog Post #5

Eagles' Nest Radio Episode #3: Roamin with the Ancients Romans

I really enjoyed this podcast. The students in the picture looked so excited to be dressed up like the Romans. Their podcast helped my group in deciding how to do our podcast. We also had a picture displayed while we talked about our topic. It really makes me happy to see children get so excited about learning like these children. I know I always loved learning when we got to interact and especially when we got to get dressed up like the people we were talking about.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by: Joe Dale

I really liked how this video pointed out that children born after 1980 were called the millenials and this is the form of learning these students are familiar with and therefore makes it relevant to them. These children don't remember the time when they didn't use computers or cell phones at the age of eight. I liked how students got to have an input on what they think about the podcasts in the classroom. It's also reassuring to see the principal so excited about the podcast in the classroom. Another great thing is that parents can see and hear what their children are doing in school. I know when i was in elementary school it was up to us to tell our parents what was going  on, and by the time I got home and my parents got home I didn't want to talk about it unless it was something so exciting that I wanted to tell them right when they got home. Parents aren't only interested in the things the children are super excited about. They are interested in all of it, and with the podcast they can.

Education Podcast Network

I think this is a great website for teachers to on and share their ideas and stories. It's great for teachers to be able to get on this site and find stories of other teachers that might inspire them to do something that they might have never thought of without this website. They don't have to rummage through a bunch  of links to find what is relevant to their class. They can go to the subject specific podcasts and find what they need with ease.

Project #8

Additional Assignment #1

A. What are the educational implications of searches such as Google Squared provides?

Google Squared allows you to search a topic and see our results in tables that you can adjust as needed. It allows you to add or remove columns and rows as you see fit. It's very concise and to the point. I searched top grossing movies and got a list of movies with descriptions, gross revenue, release date, and more information on each movie.

B. What are the educational implications of searches such as WolframAlpha provides?

WolframAlpha allows you to search a topic and gives you all you need to know about it without having to search through a bunch of links. I searched the University of South Alabama. It gave me everything about South, from I was born. It told me the time difference from today in years, months, weeks, and days. It also told me what time the Sun rode and set on that day and the events that occurred on that day.

C. Did you know about Google Squared before this assignment?

No, I did not.

D. Did you know about WolframAlpha before this assignment?

No, I did not.

E. Have my comments altered your thinking about anything you saw, heard, read, or reported for the Did You Know assignment?

Yes, I have realized that when reading or hearing statistics I need to be aware of other factors. The statistics about China and India compared to the United States are overwhelming before you take into consideration the population differences in China and India compared to United States. All you have to do is figure out what percentage of their country equals the amount of people in the U.S.. People try to manipulate statistics in their favor all the time, and we need to be aware of exactly what the statistics say.

F. What did you learn from this exercise about how you react and deal with "statistics"?

I've learned that I should take statistics with a grain of salt. Numbers alone do not tell the whole story. People manipulate statistics in their favor all the time. I think the best thing I can do is when I learn of certain statistics I should do more research to figure out the whole truth.

Food For Thought
I thought it was amazing how an illiterate stable boy with no previous knowledge of an ipad could pick it up and know how to play on it.

Blog Post #4

Dr. McLeod: Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
I absolutely loved this! I think that some people need that kick of sarcasm to actually listen. I think children should be exposed to the technology we have today. They are at a point in their lives where they can absorb so much information. There are risks, but in this world there are risks in things we do everyday. Just because there are risks doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything. I think that if children are properly monitored while they are using the Internet they should be fine. They need to know what kind of world they are coming into. If we shelter them from the world, we aren't helping them. We are crippling them. Ignorance is not bliss.

iSchool Initiative
I think that Travis has made some very good points for the iSchool Initiative. I think it's a great idea in theory. I have had an iTouch  for almost a year. I got it mostly to listen to music. However, it really has come in handy when I need to get on the Internet and don't have a computer. I also love all the applications at my fingertips. I think it has the capability of doing everything Travis has said and more. I love the aspect of his plan of reducing our carbon footprint. I think that with all the paper we use in schools it would greatly reduce our carbon footprint. There are some applications that he mentioned that I didn't even know about, which would be very beneficial in the classroom. Like I said, I think this is a great idea in theory, but I do have a few concerns.
I know that it would cut back on a few expenses, but would the students have to pay for their own iTouch? If so, what if their parents can't afford to buy one. With the improvements he mentioned I don't think the device would still be the same price. If a student can't afford to buy one, does that mean that they don't get to be a part of the class? Also, would they be required to have the latest version? If so, when a new version came out, they would have to buy a new one. If not, when a new version came out, will the students who can afford to buy the new version have an advantage over the ones who can't afford the new one? I think these problems have solutions, and I hope they can figure out a way to use. I really think this would be a great advancement of technology for the school system.

Lost Generation
WOW! I loved this video! It's all about our perspective and how we choose to live the way we want to live. I loved how when it was reversed, instead of saying that my children will know they aren't the most important thing in my life, it says that my employer will know they aren't the most important thing in my life. I think this part was very important, because I think there are so many people who give their jobs more time than their children. In return, it leaves their children thinking that they aren't the most important thing in their parent's life. When, for the most part, their parents are just trying to make enough money to give their children the thing that they never dreamed of having. I really do think that it's all about how we want to see and do things. If we believe we aren't going to amount to anything, more than likely, we won't. I've had a hard time believing in myself over the years, and I have been in some dark places because of it. I know now that I can accomplish what I want and set my mind to do. I think it was a great way of showing that when we look at something one way, it can look horrible and bleak. However, if we choose to look at it differently, maybe even backwards, it can look wonderful and appealing.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
I thought that it sounded astonishing! I would have never thought about putting a choir together of people from around the world through technology. I have thought about how we can communicate to work on projects with people from around the world, such as Vicki Davis' students did. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to that performance. It's fun to think about the different ways people use the technology we have. It would have been very hard and expensive to get that choir together if it weren't for technology. We think about how technology helps us with work and education, but I'm so glad that someone thought of using this technology to put entertainment and joy in life.

Blog Post #3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
I think this video is a good way of showing what students go through. One of my literature professors told us that a university is a place to go to for higher learning. She said that we should be going to college to continue our education to become educated members of society. I think that many of us don't come to college because we want higher education. We came to college, because we want to get good jobs. We know that without a college degree there is hardly any chance to get a job that will allow us to be thriving members of our society. We made that choice, and we knew that it would be hard.
I thought the quote about how technology will save us was interesting. Some of the signs talked about how much people get on facebook or talk on their cellphones a day. The more technology we get, the more distractions come with them. It is our responsibility to not get distracted. We knew what we signed up for when we applied to college. It is hard, but how many great things in life aren't hard to get or achieve? I think it is worth the trouble we have to go through.
Kelly Hines: It's Not About the Technology
I completely agree with this article. As teachers, we need to be perpetual learners. I thought it was interesting how she pointed out that all the teachers in our building all learned in different time periods. Even though their time has technically passed as students, they should still be, in some ways, students. They should be learning as they go about new technologies and new ways of teaching. Also, I love how she pointed out that there is a difference in teaching and learning. If students aren't understanding what we are teaching, it's not completely their fault. Not everyone learns the same way. It would be easier if we did, but that isn't the case.
I firmly agree with what she said about technology being useless without good teachers. If technology alone could teach students, there would be no need for teachers. However, no matter how much technology you have, it would be useless without a good teacher. We can't rely on technology alone. We have to be those teachers who are dedicated to the education of our students. If we aren't those teachers, it's not we who suffer. It will be those students who suffer.
Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
I think there is a good point made here. I think that it is getting harder and harder to go through life being technologically illiterate. I agree with the statement that being technologically illiterate today is the equivalent of being a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read or write. Our world is advancing, and we need to be advancing along with it. I don't think it should be something people are proud admit if they are technologically illiterate. Some people don't care, and they won't try to learn more about technology unless they are forced to learn it. I think that, as educators, we should want to learn more about how to use technology if it will help our students. After all, isn't that the reason we are pursuing a career in education? We want to help children learn, and if technology can help us help them, I think it is our obligation to learn how.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
I thought it was amazing how quickly the numbers kept rising. We don't realize these numbers until they are put in front of our face. After only being up for about five minutes, there were billions of emails sent globally. These numbers are only increasing. They won't be decreasing. There are only going to be more and more people learning about technology and how it works. We can't let ourselves be passed by, because we don't want to have to learn more about technology. If we don't learn how to use these amazing tools, somebody else will be more than willing to do it. We are lucky, because we actually have the opportunity to learn more about technology. We might not want to do it all the time, but it will be worth the trouble if our knowledge of technology can help others learn. 

Response to Films

Karl Fisch: Did You Know? 3.0

I thought this video was very interesting. The fact that the top ten in-demand jobs for 2010 did not even exist only six years ago is fascinating. To think that half of what technology students learn in their first year will be outdated by their third year of school is actually quite funny to me. We depend so highly on technology now days. A person can get a college degree without ever having to set foot inside a classroom. Some people depend on it to find the person they will spend the rest of their life with. One of eight couples who got married last year met online. A few years ago I don't think many people would have admitted to finding their husband or wife on the internet. Now, it is widely accepted.

I think it is amazing how much information we have at our fingertips. To be able to read one newspaper for only a week and know more information than a person is likely to find out in their entire life in the 18th century blows my mind. They couldn't get a message from one town to the next without physically going to the town. Now, we can send a text message to anyone around the world without having to get up. I can't wait to see what a person's mind will come up with in the future.

Mathew Needleman: Mr. Winkle Wakes

This video portrayed how much technology how much technology has advanced over the years, but it has not been used in schools. I don't fully agree with this video. I think that there have been some technological advances for schools. We can now take a whole course online. Some, though not all, schools have computers in the classrooms.

Thought there has been some technological advances for schools, I don't think there has have been as many as there have been n other areas. I think there should be more advances, but I don't think that any technology can take the place of a good teacher. Also, even though there are some schools with computers in the classroom, there should be many more schools with them.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity:

This video as very interesting. I completely agree with what he was saying. I think that he was right in saying that creativity is just as important in education as literacy. Also, kids aren't afraid of being wrong. As we grow up we get more frightened of being wrong. If we are scared of being wrong I think that we don't  go as far into our creativity as we could. Maybe we don't think others will understand or approve of what we have come up with.

I think he was right in saying that children are steered away from doing something they like, because people told them they could never get a job doing that. There are tons of people who want to be dancers or singers, but they will never make it in the world doing that. If we are too afraid to do what we really want to do and do something else, we could be crippling ourselves for life. We will end up doing something that we don't love and be miserable. Nobody wants a job for the rest of their life that dread going to everyday

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I thought this was a great video. I liked the part where she talked about  having the students come up and teach the class how to do something new. I think she was right in disagreeing with teachers who say that  you have to know everything about something to be able to teach it. I think there is always something we can learn about any subject. The children of today have grown up with all this technology that we have.

I think it is a great thing to have classes such as this one in schools. These students aren't only learning more about technology. They are able to communicate and work on projects with students all over the world. Many years ago a person would be laughed at for suggesting the students do a project with students half way around the world

Project #5 Google Presentation

C4T#1 Summary

I read Steven Alexander's blog about #EdChat and Sweet Search. #EdChat is a site where teachers can come together and talk about their problems or ideas. It is divided into a number of different groups. There is a group for new teachers, administrators, special education teachers, and many more. I commented on this post letting him know how much I liked this idea, especially for new teachers. I think it is a great way for teachers to get help and support. His second post I read was about Sweet Search. This is a tool for students to search topics for school without having to go through all the links Google provides to find credible sources. It shows the top twenty sites that are most relevant to the search topic. Results from trusted sources like the Library of Congress, universities, and PBS are at the top of the list. I commented post telling him how awesome I thought this site was. I know how frustrated I get trying to find a site I can trust when searching something for school.

Project #2 Wordle

Assignment #1

Hi, my name is Abby Smith. I am twenty-one years-old. I was born and raised in Mobile, AL. I am the youngest of three children. I have a twenty-four year-old sister, Kaylee. I also have a twenty-two year-old brother, Austin. I have played softball since I was six. I played volleyball in middle school and part of high school. I also ran cross country the last two years of high school. I came to the University of South Alabama while I was still a senior in high school. I was accepted in the ACEP program, which enabled me to take a college course before graduation. I had originally wanted to attend the University of Alabama, but I was awarded the Presidential Scholarship at South. Also, my mother is the Construction Coordinator at South, so I get half of my tuition back each semester. Needless to say, it was much more affordable for me to come to South Alabama rather than Alabama.

I am double majoring in Secondary Education and English. I want to teach high school, because I love hearing what stories children at that age can come up with. I went to Davidson High School this past semester for my observation. I observed a tenth grade honors English class. It was so much fun. Those students were so witty. I loved hearing the things they had to say.