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.

Skype Interview Project 12

C4K 4-6

C4K-4
My C4K 4 assignment was Pt England school in New Zealand. I was assigned Ray from room 18. Ray's posted that he was in room 18. I commented back and asked what sort of things does he like about being in room 18 and what was he learning currently. I also included a link where Ray could find information about me and leave a comment or question if he needed.

C4K 5
My 5th assignment was Amos from Room 22 at Pt England school. Amos collected birthdates from his classmates and plotted his results on a graph. Amos found that the most common birthdays are in June. Amos did a great job of plotting and displaying the information he collected.

C4K-6
This assignment was from Melville Room 8 in New Zealand. I had the Y8 room which were students 12-13 years old and their teacher is Mr.Webb. Their class blog is filled with videos and pictures about different things going on in their classroom as well as New Zealand. I was assigned to Alana's slideshow on the differences between Denmark and New Zealand. She did a great job of including national animals, sports, and what each country is known for. I commented and told her that her slide show was excellent and included a link to my blog where she could find my summary of her post.

Blog Post 9

Mr. McClung
Mr. McClung opens his essay stating that teachers have lost the drive to make their lessons student-centered and have become more focused on making them teacher centered. He then goes on to explain that it's okay if something isn't exactly on time; you have to learn how to be flexible in certain areas. Mr. McClung also hits a very good point in stating to remember to be reasonable. I agree, because sometimes teachers do have unrealistic expectations and demands. He also writes that we shouldn't be scared of technology, and to listen to our students. Lastly he writes to never stop learning. My first reaction after reading his essay is that Mr. McClung writes from a real place and has an understanding on how to write for the way life really is. He also gives excellent advice. Too often, teachers do forget that the students are the center and not the test and not their co-workers.

SMARTBoard Form

SMARTBoard Presentation

Blog Post 8

How We Dream
Dr. Miller did a great job by displaying the possibilities of technology now. In part one, he spoke about how technology now makes it possible to share and learn information internationally. He showed how it's not just about the text anymore, but more visually dynamic. He showed an example of how he not only uses hard copies for his students but also a visual copy. He then included a video of Dr. Martin Luther King to show how easily a video could be added. In part two, Dr. Miller stated that instead of just reading and taking in information, we should also be producing our own. He stated that we should put together alternative stories and share those stories. He also made a great statement, "large restrictions are the ones we place on ourselves." I agree with Dr. Miller, I think that people are capable of anything they set their minds to, but it's up to the individual to accomplish what they set out to do. He also spoke about how technology now allows us to accomplish our dreams and share them. I thought it was neat because no one can see your dreams but you, and now with technology you can produce your dream and share it with other people.

"Chipper Series" and "Edm for Dummies"
These student produced videos were great, I thought Edm for Dummies was hysterical. It captured what life is like in the first week of EDM310. I would be interested in creating a video to help future students in EDM310. I also think a neat idea would be to go around campus and ask people technology related questions to see how many students at South Alabama are considered "technology illiterate."

"Learn to Change, Change to Learn"
I was shocked to learn that education was ranked 55th, dead last industry sectors by the U.S. Department of Commerce. I agree that children to learn more outside of school than what they are getting inside of school. I totally agree that the student should be at the center of learning and just having the school as a resource, I loved they stated the community and home are just as important for learning as the school. This video also proposed an interesting idea, to allow children to leave the school and get out into the world and collect data and learn in other places than just inside of the classroom. I also agree that standardized testing serves no purpose. I don't think that you can measure a child's intelligence and what they know from multiple choice. I think that it's about critical thinking, and this video did a great job on hitting that students need to think critically as well as using their artistic skills to figure out the answers. They also stated that if schools were more like this, then schools would create geniuses; I tend to agree.
Secret Powers and Drive
The secret powers video was so unique and creative. It took concepts such as time zones and applied them to how people live their lives socially. It also went on to use Italy as an example in the belief that people who live in the North are more future oriented than people who live in the South. The video also showed that people in different cultures live a different pace of life. I found it interesting how it was measured by timing people who walk into different places 100m. It also went on to show that when there is a high pace of life, men tend to have more coronary problems. He made a great point stating that kids now play video games and can't fit into a normal classroom because it's boring compared to the video games and the virtual worlds they can create. I found it shocking that if there was an extra day added people would chose to use it for themselves.
The Drive video showed that using cognitive skills challenges had poorer performances using larger rewards as found by a study at M.I.T. After the study, they decided to move the study to India and found once again higher incentives give poorer performance. He stated that if bosses would pay their workers enough money so they don't have to worry about it, they have more time to concentrate on their work. He also showed that an Australian company showed that one day or workers doing what ever they want, they had more ideas and projects created than any other day. He also found that when the profit motive is unattached from the purpose motive, bad services and products are created.
I feel these videos were perfect at describing how life truly is. For example, schools are placing children into a classroom to sit all day while a teacher stands at the front of the classroom and lectures without pictures, videos, or anything stimulating. These students are not wired to learn that way. The time video proved that kids need something virtual and exciting to get them to learn and be involved. The drive video also showed that money doesn't make people think harder or come up with better ideas. In a lot of ways, that's exactly what schools do but instead of money they use grades.

Short Movie Project 11

First Progress Report on my PLN

I used Symbaloo to keep track and easy access to all of my bookmarks in my PLN. I started off with the necessities of EDM310 such as Twitter and the Blogger website. I organized my bookmarks into categories that are most used, with Facebook being at the top. My PLN helps me stay organized and up to date. For example, I have a link straight to CNN to catch up on news, and I can access my gmail and google docs just by clicking on a bookmark.

C4T-2

"The Fischbowl Post 1"
I was assigned to Karl Fisch's post called the Fischbowl. The first post I commented on was about how there is no one right way to include technology into the classrooms. He stated that with budget cuts, not every school can afford to add a new teacher who only teaches technology. He also implied that by adding a technology aspect in every class and not just one would be more resourceful. He was also very optimistic in saying we've come far, but we still have 89 more years left in this century. I also stated back that I agree, budget cuts are continuously going on because of the economy, and maybe students will learn better by having technology in all classes instead of just one dedicated to technology any way.
Post 2
The next post I commented on was about thinking something is impossible. Mr. Fisch stated that too often teachers hear students say that they cannot do something because it's too hard or it's impossible. He then included a video of two people fitting themselves into a tiny box, which most people would say is impossible. His post was very inspiring and motivational. I replied back that I agree 100% because too many people think things are impossible and give up before they even try. The video you see is the same video that was on his post.

Blog Assignment 7

Randy Pausch talked about many different things, in the beginning he talked about how his dreams of being in the NFL when he was a kid shaped him into the person he is today. He said that he is most comfortable on the football field. He also talked about how when he went to Disney World as a kid, it motivated him to create rides and become an engineer. He worked on virtual reality and got an in to work for Disney with an Aladin "magic carpet" ride. He also stated that "brick walls are there for a reason to let us know how badly we want something."
The next section he talks about how to enable the childhood dreams of others. He went to Carnegie Mellon University and created a course called BVW with 50 students and get projects in teams.He spread his course to five different departments. He stated that the students did an amazing job, and displayed some of there work. He also told his favorite moment was his "roller-skating ninjas" who's project didn't work so they had to go to videotape.
He stepped down and said that the way to leave something great is to leave it to someone greater. Randy and his partner Don then created the Dream Fulfillment Factory. It was a two year masters degree program about technologists working in teams to create new things. All of their time was spent making projects in teams. He said the key to their success was making people work in groups using feedback from the students in the course.
Finally, he talked about Alice...his way to teach computer programming. Randy also said that teaching kids something hard while they are having fun is the best way possible. He also said the best "head fake" comes from learning from your students. He also states that you can't get far without the help of someone. Randy tells the audience to focus on other people instead of focusing on yourself. He then rolls out a birthday cake and calls his wife on stage to wish her a happy birthday. He concludes with telling everyone to find the best in people, and to keep waiting to find the good side in people. In the end he said the ultimate head fake isn't about achieving your dreams, it's about living your life.