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.

Blog Post # 6

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler



This was an impressive video, it had a lot of ideas that were of interest to me. How wonderful it is that we have computers that enable students to communicate with all kinds of intellectual individuals and to actually learn from them and blend that knowledge into their studies, even when they are at home.

Some of the information listed in the video seemed to be very advanced. This type of learning seems like it would work better with older children. I just can't imagine children below the 4th grade level having the capability to "net work" on the internet.

Children younger than 4th grade know how to use a computer, but can they possibly "know" how to really use a computer to foster their learning in such a way that incorporates everyday activities with traditional teaching? I personally do not think so. I could be wrong, and would love to see it in action for myself.

There are many dangers for young children who are on the internet, especially when they are at home. For example; Little Susie, who is in 2nd grade, gets home from school at 3:30 and her parents are at work. So, the older sister is to watch after Susie for a few hours. Teenage sister goes in her room and leaves little Susie to do her homework, alone. Susie Googles some information and misspells a word, then on her screen pops up all kinds of bad words and information. There is no one supervising Susie while she is googling and browsing the internet for her school assignment. So, while Susie is supposed to be doing her school work, she is getting educated on subjects she shouldn't , all in the name of being a "networked" student. This is why I believe that children shouldn't be expected to have full computer access until they are older.

Why does the networked student need a teacher?

Computers are great tools for education but, they cannot be the only source of information and learning. There needs to be a way to combine computers with traditional teaching so that students benefit from both. Technology can't replace teachers. Teachers are crucial in helping students to stay organized and on task. As well as teaching the required materials to students and help with any issues that may arise.

Am I ready for networked students?

Honestly, I would have to say no at this point, but I am hoping with all that I am learning from EDM 310, I will be somewhat prepared for it.

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This 7th graders PLN was great! She had it organized in categories. She keeps her personal sites separate from her school related sites, which helps when she is looking for certain kinds of information. Her PLN is very impressive! My PLN is not as organized nor as big, as I am still building mine. PLNs are a great way for students to stay organized with websites and online learning.

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Why Smart Board Are A Dumb Initiative By: Michael Stanton

Mr. Stanton, has an interesting perspective on the use and usefulness of a smartboard in the classroom. He doesn't seem to like them, other than because he is a gadget kind of guy. He basically says they are a waste of money and valuable resources that can be used in other needed areas of instruction and curriculum. He feels it doesn't change the overall model of teaching, which is what we should be striving for.

While I can appreciate Mr. Stanton's opinion, I don't agree with him on this matter. Yes, Smartboards are expensive, However, they provide valuable resources for the teachers and students. Often times children are made to sit and pay attention to a lesson being presented by a teacher who is a traditionalist in nature, always teaching in one way and never trying anything new. A smartboard can change that stuck-in-a rut education that teachers sometimes find themselves in. It also keeps the children engaged and excited to learn, which, I believe is crucial to a students educational outcome. Smartboards are a great way to present material in a new and exciting way that fosters creativity and learning.





Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards By: Bill Ferriter


This piece was well written while giving a piece of his mind. I get that he doesn't like interactive white boards, and I see what he is trying to say however, it is his opinion. There are not many studies out there that would prove or disprove his stand on IWB so what he has to say bears no effect on how I feel about them. I think they are great tools, and I have seen many teachers put to good use of their IWBs. Children these days are much more into technology and benefit from lessons that are presented in such a way that makes them interact with the IWB, their teacher, and their peers. What may be good for some teachers may not be good for another. What matters is that students are in an atmosphere that is conducive for learning and further educational development.




Here is an article about how Milissa Gavel, starting using Smartboards in the classroom. Mrs. Gavel sees SMARTboard technology as learning for all.



In contrast Lisa Nielsen an educational administrator shares a short version of why she hates SMARTboards.

Project #10: 1st Progress Report on PLN

For my PLN I chose Symbaloo.com.
I first started using Symbaloo last semester after looking at a few of the previous EDM 310 students' blogs. It seemed to me like a great way to incorporate all of my favorite web sites as well as some educational tools in one location. I currently have personal tiles on my front page. They consist of social networking sites as well as blogs that I read everyday, news tiles, and my Gmail accounts. On my other tabs I have designated them for education. My favorite are the tools for writing and my classroom tab. I am still building my PLN and will continue to contribute to it as the semester goes on.

C4T #2

This week I was assigned to Ann Carnevale's blog, you can find it HERE

Comment #1

As her blog name would suggest, Mrs. Carnevale's blog is full of information regarding technology of every kind. The first entry was about shortcuts for the, Apple Mac computer. She listed a lot of short cuts that she uses all the time. As a new user to the Mac computer I was excited to learn these shortcuts and will use them myself. She also posted a video of time saving hand gestures, which I found extremely helpful. I would think that this post would be filed under "house keeping" so I looked to the previous post for a better topic. Don't misunderstand me, I loved learning about the Mac but I don't think it meets the criteria for C4T.

Mrs. Carnevale shares some exciting news and provided and update on some new resources. Her exciting news was; she and some other teachers from her school are hosting a write on project. It's a collaborative project involving several classes across the United States. Through the use of WIKI, the students will learn how to incorporate technology into their classroom while they are writing and illustrating stories.

Mrs. Carnevale also talked about a couple of resources; iTunes pod- casts and Carrot sticks. There is a section in iTunes pod-cast for K-12 but, it is not well organized and had lots to offer in terms of material, you just have to look for it.

Carrot Sticks is an online multi-player math game. She said her students like it but, there were a few issues with the program. She gave a list of pros and cons as stated by her students. Overall, she said, it was a great website for students to brush up on their math skills.

My response to her posts:

How did you do that?

Hi Ms. Carnevale,

My name is Kelly Evans, I am a college student at the University of South Alabama, where I am studying Elementary Education. I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. I was very excited to see this post on short cuts for the Mac. I am a new user to the Mac. world thanks to Dr. Strange and this class. So far I am loving it, but it is a bit different than my previous HP lap top.

Exciting News and New Resources.

Hello again Mrs. Carnevale,

My name is Kelly Evans, I am a student at, The University of South Alabama. I am studying Elementary Education and am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. What an awesome project you have going on. I am sure the students are enjoying getting to know other students from other parts of the United States, while working on their stories. I think it’s a great way for them to think outside the box and incorporate their technological skills while doing something so fun.

As I said on your previous posts regarding short cuts to the Mac, I am a new user to the world of Apple products. However, I have had my apple Ipad from the day they came out. I use it mostly for reading, but will definitely check out the pod casts.

Also, I appreciate your students’ input on the carrot sticks game and am going to give the name of the website to my children’s teachers at their elementary school so that they can use it to brush up on their math skills.

Kelly Evans


Comment #2




Mrs. Carnevale's post on you tube videos for the primary classroom was awesome! The vidoes she shared links with were fabulous and so much fun to watch. I am saving them so my kindergartener can watch them when he gets home. I think these videos would make a great lesson opener kids. The video above is engaging and teaches the fundamentals of 2 vowels side by side. I can't wait to use these in my own classroom one day.

My response:Mrs. Carnevale,

Thank you so much for posting these great videos! I didn’t realize those were out there. I am looking forward to sharing them with my younger kids as well as my future students. I especially loved, ” When two vowels go walking.” The educational benefit to watching videos is that you don’t always have to do the talking and it gives the kids a break from the routine. Seeing these makes me excited about my future as an educator.

I am leaving a summary on my blog about the last few posts you have made, feel free to check it out.

Thanks again,

Kelly Evans


Here is another video from, Between the Lions.

Project #7- C4K #1, #2, #3,

C4K #1

Vera S.

I did some investigation and found that Vera. S attends Crozet Elementary School, and Ms. White is a gifted services educator. Crozet Elementary is in Crozet Va.

Vera wrote about her beta fish Sunset. She describes him in detail using words,but also, her sentences were different colors, giving me a visual as to what he looks like. I told her he sounds beautiful and I liked how she used her sentences as a way to describe what Sunset looked like. I also provided her a link to my blog so she can learn a little more about me too.


C4K #2

Mike's Blog

Mike is in Mr. St. Pierre's Class. He wrote a beautiful poem about the wind. I told him he used great adjectives and the poem had a nice flow to it.


C4K #3

Subika's blog

In Subika's post she wrote about her frustration with shopping. She wants to shop but doesn't have the money to buy everything that she wants, so she pouts.

I told her how I love to shop, mostly buying for my kids. As well as, " By hitting the sale racks, you can save money while buying a little something for yourself."

Project #8 Podcast

EDM310 FOR "NEWBIES"

Project #9a Timetoast Timeline

Here is a time time line of my life from 1972, the year I was born to now. I have provided pictures and some links.

Blog Post #5

Langwithches

Ms.Tolisano had a great idea to enhance a Language Arts teacher's lesson plan using a little creativity and technology. I though it was an excellent way to incorporate technology with a literature lesson. Kudos to Mrs. Kuhr for embracing the idea and implementing new strategies to keep her students engaged and interested! She even provided her own lesson plan, which was well thought out and even provided the pros and cons of pod-casting while in the classroom area.
After one year she has incorporated different mediums (power point, essays, pod-casts) in which the students choose one that is better suited for them. I think giving students the choice of a medium, not only promotes independent thought, but also makes them accountable for their individual work. As this is an on going project, I can't wait to see how Mrs. Kuhr takes technology to the next level.


The Benefits of Pod-Casting in the Classrom By: Joe Dale



Joe Dale

Mr. Dale's video was very interesting, especially because I am new to pod-casting. He provided some very good reasons as to why it should be used in the classroom. I really like the idea of using pod-casting as a way to keep children, who are out of school up to date on the lessons that were missed, which I think is the best reason. There have been multiple occasions when my own kids were sick and missed a few days of school that they have had to stay after school to catch up on missed assignments. It would have been so much easier to have had a pod-cast to listen to, that way they would have been on the same schedule as their classmates when they returned to school.
I am excited to one day be able to do this with my future students. I think it would be a fun exercise to incorporate into my lesson plans. I believe it would be a great way to integrate project based lessons with traditional classroom work. It would seem to me that the students would actually learn material better this way, instead of just memorizing the facts and forgetting them after their tests.

Speaking from a parents point of view, when my kids have homework and do not understand it, they ask me questions, as does every child. And sometimes, I just don't know what it is they are trying to do so, a pod-cast would be very helpful in that respect.

Overall this video was extremely helpful in helping me to understand how pod-casts are a great tool to use in the classroom!



The Education Podcasting Network

The Education Podcasting Network is a fabulous educational source. I believe all teachers could benefit in some way by implementing some of the podcasts into their own lesson plans. Sometimes educators get stagnant in their teaching and this is a great way to refresh their minds and get their creative juices flowing. Educators need new ideas to incorporate traditional classroom experiences with project based learning and EPN is a great place to start. I will be sure to keep this in mind when I have my own classroom of students. There are many advantages to using podcasts in the classroom. It allows students to take their knowledge to a different level, encourages creativity and supplies in-depth learning. With podcasts students actually learn the material instead of memorizing and forgetting, which should be the goal of every teacher.

Black History Month Book Trailer

Who's got game? The Ant or the Grasshopper?

Project #6 This is my Sentence.

Something new to do

I know this is not a requirement for EDM310, but I decided that I wanted to document my field experiences at J.E. Turner Elementary School on my EDM 310 blog. These field experiences are a requirement for my EDF class and since this is a media class I wanted to focus on the types of technology being used in the classrooms that I will visit and also what I am doing with my time while I am at the school.

As a student at, The University of South Alabama, I feel it is my duty to expound on my experiences as a future educator, to learn from my inexperience and make myself accountable for every moment I spend in a classroom helping and observing students. I do not want to be just a "good" teacher, I want to be a "great" teacher! I believe the only way to achieve this goal is by learning more, experiencing more, and not be afraid to jump in and prepare myself to take the reins. I welcome your comments, good or bad, so feel free to comment and offer advice.

Blog Post # 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? can be found
here

Mr. McLeod's post was interesting. At first he wrote about a lot of bad things that can happen as a result of using technology but, if you really read between the lines he also writes about great things a student can learn as a result of having access to computers and such. Having access to technology has pros and cons, I just believe that the pros out-weigh the cons. There is simply no way that students can go through the educational process without ever knowing or being taught how to use a computer or other instruments of technology, especially in this day and age. Learning how to use a computer appropriately and safely should be paramount in teaching students/children how to use technology, so that we protect them from the negative aspects of the computer world. To sum it up, Technology can be great tool for students in education and in life in general.

The iSchool Initiative.



Travis Allen has some great ideas! He speaks of an initiative that will propel classrooms into the age of technology. His idea is to use an ipod-touch sort of device that is geared towards the classroom. He suggested several APS that will enable students to learn lessons, e-mail their teachers,and take notes. Travis also says that by using this system it will save the school systems money. For example, no papers to copy and no calculators or projectors to buy. In essence, he believes this initiative is cheaper than the traditional way of pencils, paper, projectors and such.

While I think that Travis has some great ideas. I don't know if it can be done. It is "cool" to see it on screen, but would it really be able to work? Maybe, if it was done at the high school level. By then students are more responsible and capable of understanding what one should do and what they should not do. We are talking about an expensive piece of equipment. I think that Elementary age students are not capable of handling that kind of responsibility. The initial cost to get started would be huge! I expect that the school system would have to bare that expense and I just don't think that it would be greatly received by the powers that be. So, I think computers will have to do for now, unless the school system can get their hands of some government funding to get the program up and running.

The Lost Generation



At first I was saddened for the younger generation. Imagine not having any hope for your future or that family would not be as important as money. How depressing it would be to get married and already know that you would be divorcing within 20 years.
We do live in a world of uncertainties, the outlook for some is bleak but, it can be turned around. People need to be more aggressive in the hunt for a better future. They need to take a stand for what they believe in, and not get complacent with life.
I like how she did the video. It was an awesome theme, she went forward in her life which was full of negativity. She then hit the rewind button to go back and change the course of her life, so she could make it better. If we could all do that, I am sure there would be a lot of rewind buttons being hit.

Jennifer Chamber's post and Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

It's funny that Jenifer thinks she has become a blogger. I too, feel that way. Before this class I had a blog, but it was for personal use, and I wasn't that committed to it at all, only posting here and there. But, not really using it as a forum to put down my thoughts on various educational articles or videos. I guess that is what this class really does to students. It makes them really think about different issues that we will face as future educators. In essence EDM 310 makes us all bloggers as well as aids us in our journey towards becoming technologically literate.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir was amazing! Who knew you could make music like that and never be in a room with the other musicians? The sound was beautiful. It had great harmony and dynamics. What an awesome way to showcase such great talent over the internet. It is unbelievable that Mr. Whitacre could gather together that many clips from that many different people and fuse them together to produce that kind of sound. What is really cool is that he did it using the internet. The internet has come a long way from just chat rooms and games.


Teaching in the 21st Century.



Computers are terrific learning aids. There is so much information that can be found, all one has to do is search for a keyword in the subject matter you are interested in. It is true that students can be taught information, facts,formulas,etc. but, the question is; Can they put the information to good use? I don't really believe that only providing the previously mentioned items makes us obsolete. However, I do believe that we should be able to teach those things using different kinds of mediums, such as; computers,iPods, and iPads. I don't think that we are the main source for knowledge, there is so much more out there to learn and it is up to us, as educators to provide students with as much information as possible to make learning fun and interesting by engaging the students with new ideas and technology.

To teach in the 21st century, educators need to be technologically literate. We need to be open to new ideas and take the time to learn about new approaches to various subject matter, be it curriculum or life skills. Teaching is not like it used to be. Teaching is so much more than just plain old paper and pencil. Teaching has become a world of Smart Boards,Computers, and Gadgets and learning to use them appropriately is a sure way to keep students engaged so they actually learn the material that is being taught.

Teachers come in all sizes.

I wanted to share with you something that made my heart swell with pride. In this photo is my youngest daughter, Kyli-Addison, she is on the right side with the hounds tooth bow in her hair. She is a reading mentor to a little first grader, who is a little behind. Kyli-Addison reads her the story and then helps her take an AR test on the computer. Kyli-Addison does this every week. It just goes to show you that teachers come in all sizes.