Mr. McClung is a advocate of technology use in the classroom and his blog reflects just that. He uses it to publish a newsletter for parents. Also, he uses it as a way to keep students informed about future assignments.
2. Comment on what you would say about Mr. McClung as an educator.
I would say he is fabulous! I love his approach to teaching and would love to see him in action. His blog is amazing! The students are very lucky to have him as their instructor. I can see he is very compassionate about education.
3. I asked above that you read Mr. McClung's "rules" and think about them. What do they say about Mr. McClung, his teaching, and his connection with his students? What is your reaction to these rules (and guides) as a student and as an aspiring teacher?
To me his rules are what every teacher expects their students to follow. Nothing new there,but what is very interesting to me is listed under procedures, the procedures are from a type of teaching called, "Power Teaching". I am very interested in this type of teaching. I think it ensures that every child is learning and understanding and knows what is expected of them as students. I have looked into "Power Teaching" long before I started at, The University of South Alabama. It is amazing seeing this type of teaching in action. Youtube has some great videos of this.
4. What was the first thing under Everyone needs? Why do you suppose that is the first requirement?
First on Mr. McClung list of needs was a day planner. I am a firm believer in a using a day planner. It keeps the students on track with their assignments and homework.
5. Note the penalties for being late (under Homework). Compare them with my penalties for being late. Comment.
I think that being late for homework is unacceptable, unless their are extenuating circumstances that would prevent students for competing it on time as assigned. Students need to be independent thinkers and learn that there are consequences for their actions.
I feel that the penalty for late work in Dr. Strage's EDM 310 class is reasonable. After all, we are college students. I think that if someone is consistently late with assignments, their grade should reflect that.
6. Read carefully his paragraph about what he hopes to accomplish with his blog. Comment and apply to your own aspirations as a teacher.
7. I asked you to review at least two Useful Links in depth after reviewing all of them. Which two did you review in depth? Describe each of the two. How might each be used? Why do you think each made Mr. McClung's list.
gmail- is a great resource for students. Through Google Docs, a student can make presentations or type papers. I think it made his list because it is something that can be accessed from any computer.
Guys read- a website to get boys to be life long readers. I think it made the list because; boys need some interesting books to read. The majority of boys do not read for recreational purposes, they read because they have to and this site gives guys some interesting titles of books in hopes that it will encourage boys to read more.
Toon Doo. - This was so much fun! I had not heard of this one. There are a lot of books that have been created by different people. You can create the characters and the end result is a, cartoon looking book that can be read by anyone. I think it was included as a fun activity for the kids. While it can be educational, it is a great way for kids to express their creativity while learning.
8. Under Internet Safety I asked you to read carefully the rules Mr. McClung sets forth for safely using the internet. Comment on these rules. Are there any you would add or subtract.
Here is Mr. McClung's internet safety rules:
Internet Safety
Students,
To ensure that we are practicing totally safe internet practices, I have compiled a list of things to remember when surfing my blog or any other internet website.
* Never use your last name when posting comments or creating a profile.
o Ways that you can create a name that does not involve your last name.
o Either use just your first name. Example, John Smith = John
o Aliases or nick names work as well, John Smith = Johnny S.
o Assumed (made up) names also work and are preferred, John Smith = Rowdy Roddy
* Do not use a personal e-mail address in a location that is public for anyone to see.
o IF A BLOG REQUIRES YOU TO ENTER AN E-MAIL, USE THE E-MAIL I HAVE CREATED FOR YOU:
+ mcclungsblog@gmail.com
+ This e-mail is a generic e-mail account that only I have access to view.
+ Please do not use your personal e-mail account, use this class e-mail.
o If you are unsure whether or not a website is private or public….then don’t use your personal e-mail.
* Never reveal personal information, such as address, phone number, or school name or location. Never agree to meet anyone from a chat room in person.
* Never respond to a threatening email or message.
* Always tell a parent about any communication or conversation that was uncomfortable.
Mr. McClung
My response:
INTERNET SAFETY should be PARAMOUNT when requiring children to use the internet in classrooms. It is my biggest concern, even when my own children are at home. I can speak from personal experience, without going into details, I can tell you that danger lurks everywhere, especially on net-working sites.
Mr. McClung's rules offer a great starting point to ensure the students safety. Not using last names is good, but I think that requiring students to use an alias is the best solution.
Talking openly with parents and students on the issues of internet safety should be a required assembly during the first week of school, that way everyone is aware of how the students can be protected both during school and at home.
9. In the C4K part of this blog I asked that you look carefully at one of the categories under which you assigned post was filed. What did you find? Select one of the posts in the category and review it for me.
My C4K was filed under the "main page" category. I chose to look at a post that caught my eye:
20,000 caught my eye first, my initial thought was, Wow! that is a lot of money! but, as I read through, Mr. McClung was talking about his web page, which had 20,000 hits and the time it took to get them.
10. Mr. McClung uses Edublog as his blog host. In some ways it may seem more "advanced." But Blogger has many abilities that we have not covered in EDM310. This leads to this question: Is there anything (or things) that Mr. McClung can do with his blog that you would like to do in Blogger?
I like the category tabs at the top. I would like to see all of our assignments categorized, for example; all of the C4K, C4t, C4C, blog posts, special assignments, and projects would all have their own destination and tab.
11. In what ways does Mr. McClung make his blog useful to parents, teachers, administrators, students like you, and others?
He puts up news letters for parents and students. Also he has made navigation very easy with categorizing sections. I personally like the search box, it really helps to find specific items on his blog.
12. How does Mr. McClung's 8th grade blog differs from other blogs you have visited including other 8th grade blogs? Why the differences do you think?
I think Mr. McClung's blog goes more in-depth with school work. He keeps everything up to date and draws every person, whether a student or parent, into the daily happenings of his classroom. I think the difference is that Mr. McClung is very passionate about his job and the use of technology. Not to say that other teachers are not passionate about their job, It just seems that Mr. McClung has taken technology use to a higher level and uses every aspect of it for his students.
13. Add any additional comments you think would be useful in analyzing Mr. McClung's World in depth.
I do not have any other comments for Mr. McClung's blog. I think it speaks for itself.
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