C4T#4

Post 1

My assignment was to comment on Mr. Wees' blog. His post was about "Edcamp Vancouver- The best Professional Development." He stated that this professional development session turned out to be successful for a couple of reasons.
1. People weren't required to come, it was optional.
2. They kept the actual lecture to around 15-20 minutes, the rest of the time was spent talking and gaining the opinion of other colleagues.
I commented that this sounded like an amazing session because the actual lecture wasn't so long, it left time to still be excited to talk to other professionals.
Post 2
The second post was about how people in the U.S. aren't as educated in math and science as other countries. Mr. Wees stated something that stuck out to me, he said that we are being taught but we aren't learning the material. For example, he states that most students in the U.S. can tell you "the slope equals rise over run, and can name parts of a cell, but cannot apply any of these to real life."

Mr. Wees is so correct, if I were handed an organism to view under a microscope I would have no idea if I where looking at mitochondria or the golgi apparatus. Mr. Wees made me more open-minded to the idea that our education system is truly failing. I commented on his post and left a link to my blog and thanked him for sharing his insight on the situation.

Final Project- Symbaloo

At the beginning of the semester, I wasn't sure what all to add to my symbaloo in order to help me in EDM310. Michael Armstrong and I created a Symbaloo webmix that serves as a starting point for future students of EDM310. This webmix features every possible link and tool that a student will need to use or could use to enhance their experience in EDM310.

Step 1: Go to symabloo
Step 2: Create a user name and a password
Step 3: Select Start your webmix
Step 4: Next, click Add a Webmix at the top right
Step 5: Search EDM310 (the description will say "this webmix will help get you started on symbaloo"
Final Step: click add this page!!!!!!!

To View Our Webmix: EDM310

PLN Final Report

My PLN
Looking back at the first post on my PLN, my PLN has grown overwhelmingly. I didn't understand at the start of the semester of how helpful symbaloo can be. However, I use symbaloo for everyday purposes, not just for EDM310; of course I have EDM310 tiles added to my symbaloo to make my projects easier, but I also have tiles for my own personal reasons. My PLN keeps me organized without having to open a million windows and going through google. Before EDM, I had never heard about a PLN or symbaloo, now I can't imagine not using it. Thanks Dr. Strange!

Special Assignment- Metaphors

Metaphors

I embarrassingly missed the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post. After re-reading his post, the metaphor was painfully obvious. I think that I missed the metaphor because I was taking his post too seriously and was partially confused. I was so concerned about making sure all of my work was done and turned in on time that I completely missed the metaphor. After Dr. Strange's post, I literally began to see metaphors everywhere. I started with the night news when the meteorologist said the "week calls for clear skies;" I flipped to the sports channel and they stated that the player "was like hitting a brick wall." I also spotted many metaphors on my iPod as well. I think as future educators, we can better explain metaphors and assign metaphor activities to make sure that students don't miss metaphors and can understand metaphors. I think we should use metaphors for many different reasons. Metaphors offer a more creative way to write, speak, do artistic activities, and for everyday life. Metaphors allow people to tell a story saying the facts, but using creative ways to tell the story.

Blog Post 13

ALEX

ALEX is the Alabama Learning Exchange and is apart of the Alabama Department of Education. ALEX is a way to share different types of learning materials and also serves as a resource for teachers, parents, and students. It includes lesson plans, links, and educational activities. ALEX is also undergoing change according to feedback.
Under the course of study tab, it lists every course category taught in the state of Alabama public schools, and is adjustable to grade level. The categories also give a link to specific classes that shows the standards that are taught in the class and gives lesson plans to those standards as well. ALEX also provides a workspace that has a user name and password so teachers can create and save lesson plans. The most important link to me is the professional learning link. This link allows for grants to be applied for as well as other links to special education resources, school improvement, leadership, and English learners.
As a future teacher, I think that this website is extremely important to teachers. It provides a resource database as well as tools to help with classroom management. I think the links to special education and English learners is very important; because often teachers who aren't special education teachers will have special education children in their classroom. I think this is a wonderful project and I look forward to using ALEX when I begin teaching.
ACCESS

ACCESS is a program that uses technology in video-conferencing and web based materials. It provides students access to advanced diplomas, dual enrollment, and other great opportunities. Feedback from students are already stating that using ACCESS is better than regular education classrooms, and faculty agrees. This is a great tool to get students into technology and offer them a better education as well. The ACCESS website provides links to sign up for ACCESS, as well as a list of courses, and a link for professionals who would like to become apart of the ACCESS staff. The website also includes a link for students and parents to learn more about ACCESS as well as understand the policies and goals of ACCESS.

C4K-7

C4K-8

My C4K assignment 8 was Jassy, a student from Ms. Thompson's class all the way from Australia. In her post, she discussed the devastation Japan has faced from the tsunami and earthquakes. She also included two beautiful poems; a haiku and an artistic poem. I told her I was very impressed with her poems and I hoped she continues to write in the future even if she doesn't plan on becoming a writer. I also left a link to my blog where she could see what I would be posting about her blog.
C4K-9

Ms. Yollis
Ms. Yollis' classroom blog is very organized. Her video on how to comment is very helpful. She explains how to comment and throughout her blog she stresses the importance of leaving quality comments on her blog; such as correct grammar. She also includes a hmtl code link that has been very helpful throughout the semester for me. Ms. Yollis also involves the parents of her students. She has family blogging month and the family members comment on their student's work. I think involving parents is a very important aspect in keeping a student motivated. Aside from including parents, she also involves other students from different parts of the world. This gives her students a chance to learn and meet people from different cultures.
C4K-10

Hannah's Blog
I was assigned to Hannah's blog. She had a wonderful post about her and her sister donating hair to Locks of Love. Hannah does a wonderful job of leaving pictures of the actual donation as well as links to donate money or hair to the Locks of Love organization. She also leaves instructions on how to donate hair if you would like to become a donor. I commented on her post and thought she was doing a wonderful thing by donating her hair to children who are in need of Locks of Love wigs.

Final Project Progress Report

Today was the first day I started on my final project :) I had to get a new camera because my old camera broke :/ Hope to do well and good luck to all!

Project 15- Book Trailer

Blog Post 12

Why Teachers Should Blog
Visit "teachpaperless" and write a summary of the reaction you had to reading this post. Do you agree or disagree? Explain why or why not.

In this blog, a teacher writes that other teachers should keep blogs not just for keeping up with technology but also as a way of teaching themselves how they feel. The writer explains that writing what you actually feel teaches you as well as allows other teachers or professors to comment and give you an insight into how others think. The writer also states that teachers are the mediums for information and by keeping a blog it makes the teacher more well rounded. I completely agree, even if the blog isn't about learning more about technology, it could be about expressing your thoughts and getting feedback from other teachers.

Teach Someone Something Project

Blog Post 11

"Little Kids...Big Potential"
Not only was this video cute it was impressive. These first graders are posting on their blogs, which I didn't start until my third year of college. They commented that every time they comment or create a new post their writing improves. They also use wikis to learn about certain topics in their class. For example, they were assigned to learn about different traditions and they used wikis to achieve this assignment. They also commented about other people from Alabama who worked with them. They then discuss on how they use and make videos in their classroom. I was so surprised that they plan on what their video will be about and then record and post their videos on their blog. They also use skype to talk to other students in different parts of the world. These students also get to use their Nintendos in the classroom; what first grader wouldn't love that? Overall, I couldn't believe how advanced these first graders were in their use of technology. They seemed to enjoy what they were doing as well as learning at the same time. Although every teacher would love to use these tools in the classroom it seems to be expensive. I would love to use those materials in my classroom; however, I'm not sure that this will be a possibility because of finances.

Ms. Cassidy's Skype
The most important obstacle I think Ms. Cassidy overcame was the financial aspect. For example, I would love to have my students use technology (computers, iPods, skype, video recorders. However, these materials are expensive. She stated she got money from the federal government which answered one of my biggest questions. This is a great idea for teachers who would like to use these tools in their classroom. She also stated that she has a technology assistant available which would also be very resourceful for any teacher who would like to use blogs, skype, or other related sites. As seen in her video, she uses many different technology approaches to get her students involved (wikis, blogs, videos, Nintendos, Skype). I would love to be able to use any one of her approaches in my classroom, but mainly blogs and Skype. I feel that it is very important to get students involved in the classroom and interested in what they are learning about. She does an excellent job of getting them excited to learn, display their work, and view the work of others. The benefits from using any of her approaches are endless. For example, motivating students to get involved in what they are learning or viewing other student's work in other parts of the world is incredible. She inspires her students and opens up opportunities for them that they may not have received in any other classes.

Special Assignment

Mr. McClung
Mr. McClung has constructed his class blog in a way that is useful for his students and visitors to gain quick information about him and his class. He has tabs that deliver the person straight to the point. He also is very organized, you don't have to search around his blog to find things. Mr. McClung seems to be an excellent educator who cares about his students and wants them to be involved with his class as well as technology. For example, there are many student-made videos about the topics they are discussing in Mr. McClung's class room. After reading his class rules, I realized Mr. McClung seems to be a fairly simple teacher. He doesn't ask the impossible just five basic rules that should come naturally after the first day of K5. He seems to have a great connection to his students because he doesn't demean them. I love his rules because they are simple and straight to the point. You don't have to have 100 rules to get respect from your students; it's simple, you respect them and they will respect you. I realized by looking at Mr. McClung's blog that it is very important and resourceful to have a class blog for your students to display their work as well as obtain information quickly about an assignment or their class. Mr. McClung also provides his students with a set of internet safety rules. I think for any teacher requiring their students use blogs or the internet should imply internet safety rules. They are simple in stating never use a personal email and never use your last name. My assigned C4K post was on investigative reporting in which students posted the video of a CNN interview with James O'Keefe who is an investigative reporter. I like the tabs at on Mr. McClungs blog at the top. It makes his blog more organized and makes papers or class-related material easy to find. This also makes his blog useful to students, parents, and visitors. Information about his class is very easy to locate and parents can view their students' work. Overall, Mr. McClung is a great example for other teachers or future teachers to view how helpful and necessary creating a class blog is.

Blog Post 10

Ms. Bayda's Blog

Like Ms. Bayda, many of my college classroom experiences were the same as the situations Dan was speaking about in his video. I find myself in a classroom with 75-150 students and the professor doesn't bother to make eye contact, but stares at the screen where a 50 minute long power-point presentation takes place. She also makes a great point in her post when she writes about not being encouraged to speak out loud and engage in the topic when you are lucky enough to be in a smaller classroom. Every college student can appreciate Ms. Bayda's post; I'm sure everyone has had similar experiences of professors not bothering to learn your name in their class. I too agreed with many of the topics Dan was discussing during his video on Ms. Bayda's post. For example, he said that he spent hundreds of dollars on textbooks for courses that he never once opened because more valuable free information was available. He also stated that if education didn't upgrade and get with technology that it would and should die. Even if some of Dan's comments were a little extreme, he made numerous valid points.

Mr. Johnson's Blog
Mr. Johnson posted a wonderful story about a very neat program. It seems silly with all of the technology that is available to students today, but if you take all of that away for just a moment and give them a piece of paper and a pencil, many things can happen from their own minds and creativity. I also agree even if all they do is play Hangman they are still using cognitive skills. For example, they still have to use vocabulary and spelling as well as use their critical thinking skills. I think many wonderful things could come out of encouraging students to use their pencil and paper. This simple project could produce artists, writers, inventors...the list is endless. Although I think technology is great when used for education and many different approaches for using technology in education are successful, sometimes going back to simplicity for a moment can produce great things.

C4T-3

C4T#3 Post 1

I was assigned to Ms. Jenny She's blog, Jenny's Learning Journey She had a wonderful video about a little boy saving a starfish even though there were hundreds and he couldn't save them all, he could at least save one. I commented that people get so caught up and busy with other things they forget how simple it is to just help one person. The little boy in the video didn't care if he couldn't help all of the starfish, he stated "it mattered to one." As a future teacher, I think everyone needs to watch this video because the message is inspirational. You may not be able to help every single person, but it does matter to one.
C4T#3 Post 2

In Ms. She's second post, she had a funny video about the iPad 2. In this video, an apple representative uses "auto-tune" to enhance his voice as well as displaying all of the amazing features of the iPad 2. I commented that Apple has come a long way since the first iPod, and I do own an iPhone; however, I think the iPad is a bit pricey.