C4K #4,#5,#6

C4K #4


This week I was assigned to, Jessica, a student in Miss. Juanita Garden's class. She is a 6 year student at Pt. England School in , Auckland, New Zealand.

Jessica posted about the devastating earthquake in, Christchuch. Six hundred and thirty people died as a result of this tragedy. A water tank broke and flooded the streets. People were trapped and rescued by their neighbors and friends.

In my response to Jessica, I introduced myself and told her that earthquakes are rare here in Mobile, but we did experience an earthquake in, Baldwin County, several days ago and it paled in comparison to the one in Christchuch. I couldn't imagine how scared she must have felt, seeing all that damage so close to home. I told her we mostly have to worry about hurricanes.

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C4K #5

This week I was assigned to, Kamire, a 7/8 year student at Pt. England School in Auckland, New Zealand.

Kamire's post:

Kia ora tatou

Greetings to us all

Kua hui mai nei ki tenei kura

Who have gathered here to this school

Ki te ako i te reo Maori

To learn the Maori Language

Ka nui te hari mo to koutou maia

Great is the joy for your strength

ki te aromai ki te awhina i te reo Maori

to support the Maori Language

E pa ana ki tenei wananga

concerning this school of learning

My response:

Kelly Evans said...

Tena Koe Kamire, Ko Kelly Evans toku ingoa

Hello, My name is Kelly Evans


I am a student at, The University of South Alabama. I am studying to be an Elementary school teacher. I was assigned to your blog this week by my EDM 310 professor, Dr. Strage.


I think it is great to learn and understand a different language other than your own. I know a little Spanish, but not enough to hold a conversation with anyone. Learning a new language is difficult but, I think its worth it to be able to communicate with people from other places. You can learn many new things about different cultures just by being able to communicate with the locals of that area.

Keep up the good work.

If you want to learn a little more about me you can visit my blog HERE or the EDM 310 class blog HERE

Kelly Evans
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C4K #6

This week I was assigned to Athena's blog. Athena is a student in, Ms. Englehard's classroom.



Athena's post


Rusty’s Restaurant .

March 10, 2011 ~ 1 Comment

Dear Owners, Co-Owners, and Staff of Rusty’s,

To start it off, your name should be Rusty’s Rusty Restaurant. I am writing this letter because I was a little disappointed when I got there. It took a while to get our food. Next to that, they gave us the wrong order. My mom’s order was not what she wanted, and my dad’s sundae wasn’t the best. The food was unexpected; it took a while and it was cold. The service was questionable due to the interruptions of the service at Rusty’s. I hope that you could work on improving your restaurant soon.

Sincerely,

Brittany

(NOT A REAL RESTAURANT)

(a formal letter)




My response:

Kelly Evans
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
March 26, 2011 at 4:17 PM

Athena,

My name is, Kelly Evans. I am a student at, The University of South Alabama. I am a student in, Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class and was assigned to your blog this week as part of my assignment.

For a second there I really thought you were writing to a real restaurant. You definitely had me going for a while.

I like your letter! You used great adjectives and sentence structure to convey your message, which is very important. I really could imagine myself in, Rusty’s Restaurant reliving that experience. I wouldn’t have been able to do that had you not done a great job of expressing your feelings in your letter. Great job!!

If you want to read more about me you can visit my blog HERE or the EDM 310 class blog HERE

Keep up the good work!

SMARTboard Analysis

I chose to "teach" my SMARTboard lesson to an a classroom of second graders so that I could get some "actual" experience under my belt. I must say that I was nervous, but ready to take on this challenge. I have used the SMARTboard prior to this assignment, but not enough to be an expert at it. I scoped out the SMARTboard exchange and began my quest to find a lesson that would help my, field experience second graders, with their knowledge and concepts of Solids, Liquids, and Gases. I found one, but it needed a few more slides to really drive home what I felt they needed to know. So, I ended up adding a few of my own slides. I was very excited that I was able to teach myself how to make them up and do a few transitions to keep the lesson interesting. The SMARTboard was so much fun to use and it seemed to hold the students attention.



Here is the summary analysis from the form that I generated in Google Docs.

Of those that took the quiz:

Everyone knew the definition of Matter, and knew the 3 states of Matter. Only 94% of those who took the survey knew the definition of a solid, but only 88% picked out the correct example. Seventy- five percent of those surveyed know that a gas flows easily, can't be seen and takes the shape of the container it's in. There was a tricky question about liquids that had 2 correct answers, but only 94% of you picked the "best" answer.

For my performance, 100% of those surveyed felt that the students learning goal was made clear and effective planning skills were used in the presentation. Also, 100% of those surveyed thought the lesson was organized and appropriate for the grade level. 100% thought that I communicated well with the students and demonstrated basic knowledge of the SMARTboard.

For my final question on the survey, I asked for them to grade my presentation. I received a grade of "A".

I was excited to learn that the majority of the people surveyed got the correct answers. And all of them gave me a passing grade. Its a good feeling, knowing that I am doing what I know I was called to do. Thank you to all that took part in the survey.

Project 12 : Skype Interview

Blog Post #9

"What I Have Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung.( Click on the box below to find his blog.)

Mr. McClung, entered his first year of teaching with specific ideas in his head about how he wanted things to be done in his classroom. However, he quickly found out that nothing ever goes as "planned". He took those first year of experiences and came up with some great advice for the rest of us "newbies".

I am sure when I graduate, I will be just as anxious has he was on his very first day as a school teacher. I anticipate that I will face many hurdles while trying to settle in, but hopefully, I will be prepared to do my very best when those unexpected moments occur.

Teaching is a lot like acting. We get up there and put on a "show" for students to watch and learn from and expect them to remember everything that went on. I have found that there are teachers who, for the sake of time, just move on and do not check to see if their students really understand the material. I find this to be horrible! It is very sad to watch a student who, just doesn't get it, become frustrated and give up. Only to have their teacher fuss and complain because the student didn't understand the material that was put in front of them. If only the teacher would have checked to be sure that everyone was on the same page, then the student probably would have performed better on his/her test.

Another "tid bit" that I found important is to be flexible. While doing my field experience I have learned that it is always good to have a "plan B" for those moments that don't go according to plan.

Communication is important as well. I have to tell myself often, don't get caught up in all that chatter back and forth with the teachers. Have you ever been in the teacher's work room (They called it the teacher's lounge when I was young, back in the dinosaur ages)? There is often more dirty laundry in there then is at my house where I have 7 kids and husband. So, that is not where I really want to be, especially when the "Man or Lady" ( The Principal) of the building walks in.

Listening to students: I will most certainly listen to my students! It is important to me that every student be heard ( unless they are whining, then I will get some cheese to go with their whine,just kidding). Seriously, all children need to feel like they are being listened too, it makes them feel important.

And lets not forget about technology! Technology is important for our youngsters. They need to be able to use a computer proficiently. About 12 years ago, when my middle school-er was about two years old, I bought my very first computer. I remember thinking to myself, Wow! this is amazing! I loved trying to figure out how it all worked. It was then, that I realized how important computers were. I Then began buying my daughter educational games for the computer. She figured out how the mouse worked and mastered the tasks necessary to navigate herself around with out any help from me. And by the time she was in kindergarten she was prepared for her new world of education and learning. There is no doubt in my mind that technology is a must in every class room.

Never stop learning was, In my opinion the best piece of advice. I think a really good teacher is one who is always learning. Just because I graduate does not mean that I am done learning. I want to keep up with all of the latest teaching techniques , attend workshops and enroll in additional courses that would help me to be a better teacher for my students.

All of these tips from Mr. McClung are awesome! They may seem like common sense, but seeing them in print makes me really think about how I want to be with my students. I am looking forward to using this advice when I graduate.

Project #13 SMARTboard Instruction

For my SMARTboard presentation, I went to, J.E. Turner Elementary School and taught a lesson on Solids, Liquids, and Gases to, Mrs. Wilson's second grade class.

This project is a little different than what was outlined in the Instruction manual for EDM 310. Instead of doing it with a group, Dr. Strange gave his permission for me to do it this project on my own.

I would appreciate if after watching this lesson that you would take the survey, so I can complete this project.

Thank you in advance.



Here is the survey, please fill it out and hit submit.

Blog Post #8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream

Part 1



Part 2



Richard Miller is a Professor in the English department at Rutgers University.
In his first video he talks about, how he loved books as a child and wanted a career in books. When he was older he did indeed write a book, it was a print based document that eventually ran its course. His book is now out of print but, it can be purchased via electronic download on Amazon. This seems to me, to be a precursor to how things are changing so fast! E-books were not readily available several years ago and now, e-readers are popping up everywhere. I am sure that writers and book publishers of long ago, never thought in a million years paper books would become obsolete.

Multimedia is the newest form of communication and education. And learning how to effectively use the technology available to us is the key to educating students into the twenty-first century. I am sure it won't be long before the passing out of books,paper and pencils will be done much less than it is now, especially at the high school level.

If I was asked right now if I am prepared to write with multimedia, I would have to say no, but I am willing and ready to learn how to do it. I am sure that students are already learning how to do this in some capacity and my future students will probably be a whiz at it before I graduate. But, if they are not, then I will be well prepared to teach them. Educators should want to learn new things, as learning is an on-going activity. It is when you stop wanting to learn something new that will make being an educator obsolete.

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The Chipper Series
And
EDM 310 for Dumies


These videos were awesome! I like that they were put together with actual EDM 310 students. I think the overall message in, "The Chipper Series" was all about putting forth the effort in college to achieve your goals, even when life gets in the way.
"EDM 310 for Dummies" was me all over. I "tried" to take EDM 310 this past summer, and on the first day of class, I became overwhelmed and aggravated because I didn't understand or know how to do all of the assignments that were outlined in the instruction manual. Although this was not the main reason for dropping EDM 310 it came in a very close second for my quick departure. However, this semester I decided that I would take it one day at a time and get my work done and I am so glad I did. Every time I complete an assignment I have this sense of accomplishment and makes me so proud of myself that I didn't let fear get the best of me.

As for a video that I would like to see created would be, "What to do to fail EDM 310"

or

"If I can do it you can too" in which I would take a movie camera around with me and record all of the different things that go on in my day, raising 7 kids, going to school full time, taking care of a home and husband, working part time and all of the other various activities that go on in our house.

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The Secret Powers of Time by Philip Zambardo






Mr. Zambardo talks about how people in today's society live in 6 time zones. 2 focus on the past, 2 on the present, and 2 on the future. Those that focus on the past are past positive or past negative. Those that are present oriented are hedonistic. And those that are future oriented are focused on the future and trust in it. He compares Catholics and protestants and explains that his family comes from Italy. They are part of a movement that wants to cut Italy in half, due to the differences between the north and south. When you have a number of people who share a certain "time" perspective it affects them in very profound ways. Time perspective is how people divide their own experience into partitions and how much time expires while you carry out daily activities. People of different cultures and cities can be put into different paces of life, high or low. He states that, "all people are born present hedonist. The purpose of school is to make present oriented kids into more future oriented students." He says that kids these days are more wired for technology and kids are bored with the traditional ways of teaching. People need to understand the power of technology and use it to educate these kids, whose brains are wired more differently than ours.

How does this video affect the growth in people's education and their drive for success?

The drive for success is not about technology and how we teach or do not teach using it. It is about personal conviction, and the desire to achieve your goals. Whether or not using technology is the focus of a classroom, does not affect the way students perceive their future. Students can be taught in a variety of ways, and although the use of technology is a good way to engage students of this era, it certainly is not the only way. I know that technological skill is a great asset in today's world. But, what are we saying to students in today's society? Are we telling them that if they do not become technologically literate they will not succeed in life or just because someone doesn't know how to work a computer their drive for success is somehow compromised? I am all about technology, I think it is useful today and is becoming more integrated into our educational systems, but I do not think that it should be our primary focus in life.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by David Pink.



This video is all about what motivates us as a society. There was a study done in which students were given a few challenges and the incentive was money offered at 3 levels. If they did well they got a small monetary reward, if the did medium well, then their reward was more than the small monetary reward and if they did really well they were offered a large sum. The end result was not what economists expected. The economist expected that the larger the reward the better the students would do. However, that is not what happened. It was found that students did great at basic tasks but when they were given tasks that required rudimentary cognitive skill the worse they did. They repeated the study with a different set of people and got the same results. Money is a motivator in the work place. If people are not paid enough they wont be motivated, but if you pay people enough they forget about the money and are motivated. Three factors that lead to better performance are: autonomy (self direction), mastery and purpose. By encouraging employees to be self directed, they become engaged and have a purpose for doing their work, which make for happier employess and a better work environment.

I applied this to the educational aspect of things and this is what I came up with. Schools now-a-days are offering all kinds of rewards for good grades and good behavior, which can be a great motivator for kids in the classrooms. But, I do not think it works all of the time. What about little Johnny, who does not score well on his tests but has come a long way in the educational process. At the beginning of the year Little Johnny was falling behind but, by the end of the year his scores improved but they were not well enough to be on the honor roll or be given a certificate. I think that just because a student hasn't made all A's or B's that doesn't necessarily mean that he/she is not deserving of some kind of recognition. All students no matter how big or small the achievement should be rewarded in some kind of positive way.

Project # 14: Teach Someone Something

For this assignment I chose to teach Mrs. Wilson's second graders the parts of a plant. I prepared a "lesson plan" and took pictures instead of video-taping.


Pdf file

Blog Post #7

Dr. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture




Before I get to the assignment part of this blog post, I would like say that I put off this assignment because I thought that it was going to be so long, and I just didn't have the time to do it. So today, as I reluctantly sat down in my bedroom to watch the video, I found myself engrossed in this story, I laughed and cried throughout the whole video. It was like reading a book that I couldn't put down, and was saddened when It ended.

Dr. Randy Pausch began his "last Lecture" with a look into his personal struggle with liver cancer. While he seemed the picture of good health on the outside, he explained, that on the inside he was not and only had a short time left to live. He was not saddened by this, but chose to deal with what he was given in a positive way.

Dr. Pausch's life has been filled with both successes and failures. Hitting the proverbial "brick wall" many times. He states," These brick walls are there for a reason; they let us prove how bad we want things". In every brick wall circumstance he learned something from it.

During his life and career, particularly at, Carnegie Mellon he introduced project based learning to the college and came up with a Masters program class where there were no books to read. The class was specifically and absolutely project based. Which led to the development of, "ALICE". A program teaching computer programming. It became a global Phenomenon. Which he says will be his prefessional legacy.

For educating students he uses a more hands on approach, using computers and technology, instead of books and focuses on collaboration and group learning.

Dr. Pausch listed some important lessons, not just educators but, for everyone who wants to achieve their life goals.
1. Help others
2. Do the right thing
3. Get feed back, listen to it and use it.
4. Show gratitude
5. Don't complain, just work harder.
Above all he says,"Have fun while learning something new!"

He also gave some good advice that I will take with me as I move forward in my quest to fulfill my own dream.

1.Be good at something,it makes you valuable.

This holds true, if you think about it, he is absolutely right. Why would anyone hire you for a job if you don't possess the right knowledge to do the job?

2. Find the best in everybody, No matter how long you have to wait for them to show it to you.

When my daughter tried out for cheerleading and made the team I was very proud and excited. However, there was a girl that made it that I felt shouldn't have, because to me, she lacked the skills necessary to be on the team. She really was a train wreck to watch. After several months of practice they went to competition and to my surprise this girl looked phenomenal, her jumps were great, she was sharp and was arguably one of the best on the team. She really did show me her best even though it took her all season. I was so proud if her.

3. Be prepared; luck is where preparation meets opportunity.

I can tie this one with being a teacher. The other day I was "teaching" a lesson to some second graders, and had not prepared as much as I should have. As I was teaching, I could tell that the lesson was not as good as it should have been. After I got home, I took some time to reflect on my performance. I thought to myself, I am so glad that the principal didn't take that moment to come in and watch me, otherwise she might have taken the one time I wasn't prepared and made a decision to not hire me when I graduate.

I learned a great deal from Dr. Pausch's lecture, but one thing he said that I really made sense to me was this:

" When your doing something wrong and no one is saying anything to you it is bad. because, it means that they have given up on you. The people who criticize you, are the ones who care about you the most."

Sadly,Dr. Pausch passed away on, July 25, 2007.