Blog Post 15

Final Reflection

At the beginning of the semester I knew very few things about my teaching style. I knew I wanted to teach Kindergarten, and I still do. I knew I wanted my students to learn in an interactive style, and hands on projects. I emphasized my will to teach more than just the classroom syllabus such as; the way students view school, social skills, and teamwork. As far as technology in the classroom went, I was pretty naive. I knew that I would incorporate the SmartBoard in my lessons, but I did not realize that I could use technology in any other way. That is where Dr. Strange stepped in!

In my future classroom I will definitely incorporate technology. At the beginning of school year, I will be the one who mostly uses technologies, such as the SmartBoard, Macs, and a classroom blog. After Christmas is when I will have the technology, such as Ipads, more in the hands of my students. My students can use Ipads because of the many learning applications Apple provides. My reasoning for waiting more towards the middle of the school year is because of the age group I will be teaching. I want to make sure my students understand the importance and how to take care of the different types of technology I will open them up to. My plan as of now, is to send home a survey at the beginning of the school year to see what technologies are available to my students and their parents at home. This will help me better my take home assignments and the way I communicate with the parents. If each student/parent has the resources, I will keep a class blog as my only way to communicate with the parents instead of sending home notes with the child. This will not only make it easier for me and the parent, it also helps conserve my classroom resources. Another technology I know I will use in my classroom is a book trailer. I find this as a great way to get my students excited about reading! As you can see, EDM310 has made a huge impact on my teaching style.

Project # 13 Collaboration

Collaboration for Group July 16th

For projects 15 and 16 my group used Face Time, email, Google Doc, and text messages to communicate. At first I was frustrated with this because I felt like my group needed to be face to face to plan our projects. I learned a lot from this assignment. I finally used Face Time for the first time, even though I have had my Iphone for a year. Our group would text to discuss little details and the times to meet. We used email and Google Docs to send the videos we recorded and larger important documents to each other. Overall our group projects went very smoothly.

Final Report on PLN

Final Report on Personal Learning Network

For my Personal Learning Network I use Symbaloo. From Symbaloo I have access to learning tools such as, EDM class blog, Moodle, Alabama Virtual Library, and many more resources. Over the semester, my PLN has grown more than I could have ever hoped. I am following many teachers and principals blogs and twitter that Dr. Strange has introduced me to. I have played around on many blogs and follow ones that I am found myself. I use Symbaloo for school as well. I keep a page for Paws and Sakai. Symbaloo is the first page I see when I open up my internet. This is perfect because I can get to every page I'll need from here.

Blog Post 14

Teacher Knows if You Have Done the E-Reading

In the article, Teacher Knows if You Have Done the E-Reading, it explains a new technology, CourseSmart. It is being tested now at Texas A&M. It gives teachers the age old dream of knowing whether students are reading their textbooks or not. CourseSmart gives teachers the ability to know when students are skipping pages, failing to highlight significant passages, not bothering to take not, or simply not opening the book at all. This can be a good thing and bad for both teachers and students.

As a teacher, I feel like I could benefit and better my students learning by using this tool. I do not like the idea of using this tool in a college setting because I feel at that stage in students lives they should be independent based learners. Yes, they should still go to leachur to enhance their learning, but having a teacher force their reading sounds much too big brotherish to me. Now as a middle school and high school teacher, I believe this could be a very useful tool. Normal secondary students do not enjoy their take home reading, and many to do read constantly. You could focus your leachurs on materials that has a low engagement index and test on reading assignments you gave. This will help enforce study habits.

As a college student, I would feel pressured to make sure I read everything since I know my teacher can tell. All though, I do not read everything as a current student. I focus more on the vocabulary and what the teacher lectures on. I do not like the idea that I could possible have to change my study habits to accommodate this new technology? I also prefer a hard copy of text because I enjoy highlighting material and underlining. The article mentions that students would try to trick the system into beleive they did the reading when they did not. I could see many of my peers attempting this and in the end that would defeat the purpose of the program. As a younger student though, I could really benefit from the obligation of the constant reading. I could get overwhelmed if multiply teachers were requiring me to read all on the same night. This program could become a bit of a hassle.

Questions to ask the teacher:
1. Will you hold students accountable if they do not constantly read?
2. Do you care how often your students are using the textbook if they are still doing well in your class?
3. Will you only confront the students who are not reading and not doing well overall in the class?

Questions to ask the students:
1. Does this program force you to actually read, or did you read before?
2. If this has forced you to start reading, has your grades improved?
3. Do you prefer to have a hard copy of the textbook or use the digital textbooks?

What Comment Would I Leave on this Article?

As a college student or teacher, I do not think I would like this technology. I do not like the responsibility it takes off higher level students to be independent learners. As a secondary level student or teacher, I feel like my students and myself as a student could really benefit from the CourseSmart. I am very interested to see the results from the test trial. I am hoping they will prove me wrong about college level.

C4T April

The Principal's Principles

Mr. Bernia, a middle school principal who strives to make the world a better place, one day at a time. Prior to serving as the Principal, I was an Assistant Principal, Teacher, and School Custodian. I’m currently in my 9th year as an educator, and think it is the most important job in the world.

April 10, "The Era of One has Begun"

In Linchpin, Seth Godin argues that in today’s economy, there has never been higher demand for artists; people that are creative and make goods that are one of a kind. Godin talks about increased demands for customized items and the need for producers to develop goods and services that are tailored to individuals. Corporate America is calling for indispensable workers (Godin’s term) who will reimagine industry. In a manufacturing economy, bells to announce when to move from one class to another or school policy that demanded conformity was virtuous. Schools mass produced students who, as adults, mass produced items in an economy. Technology has changed all of that. Individualism is the new mass production. Are schools preparing students to meet this challenge? I feel part of an over all educational problem is we reward students for correct answers and punish them for wrong answers. What some educators do not do, is encourage critical thinking at all times, even if the student is wrong. This causes students to be more focused on a reward rather than learning.

April 24, "Whatever it Takes"

Mr. Bernia believes going to extra miles for his students. One of his students was having a crisis and explained to him that she lost her cell phone. She remembered having it before lunch, but not after. When talking with friends, one said that she remembered it being in her hand when she went to throw her trash away after eating. After she said that, she uttered the words, “Mr. Bernia, I think I threw my phone in the trash by accident.” She went on to explain that her parents are out of town and that she was participating in the Washington DC trip that weekend. If ever there was a time not to lose a new cell phone, it was then. They grabbed rubber gloves before heading outside to the school dumpster. Midway through my third bag of garbage, Mr. Bernia stumbled upon a pink and white polka dot phone case, and recovered her lost item. After a careful scrub with several antibacterial wipes, her phone was returned, still in working order. It was one of those whatever it takes moments that is a good reminder of how invested we have to be in our students every day. This shows how much the little things matter. This small gesture meant the world to his student.

Smart Board Project 15

Final Group Project 16

Blog Post 13

Brian Crosby- Back to the Future

Mr. Crosby is an elementary school teacher who teaches to at risk children. Brian fused his students use of technology with field trips, art, hands-on activities and a problem-based approach, to build their schema of the world while at once connecting them to it. In his video, Back to the Future, Mr. Crosby presents a project he did with his fourth grade class at Agnes Risley Elementary School in Sparks, Nevada. His students learned about the science and history of the air balloons through hands on experiments. They then applied what they learned to writing assignments in their blog. Students reading the class's blogs wanted to get in on the action too, so the High Hope project was started. Students all over the world sent their high hopes, and they were all sent off into the atmosphere attached to a hot air balloon.

Mr. Crosby is a teacher who goes the extra mile for his students. He teaches them to think outside of the box. One thing I was fascinated with was Mr. Crosby's student with cancer. Since she could not come to school, he video chatted with her to include her in the classroom. Having his class work through blogs and of course modern technology made it possible for her to have a higher level of learning even with her health setbacks. This also showed Mr. Crosby's determination to provide education for all students.

Paul Anderson- Blended Learning Cycle

In Paul Anderson's video, Blended Learning, he elabrates on how he combindes the Blended Learning and the Learning Cycle into his own system called QUIVERS. This includes six components he uses in all of his lessons. 1. "QU" for questions. 2. "I" which is investigation/inquiry. 3. "V" is video. 4. "E" is elaboration. 5. "R" is review. 6. "S" is summary quiz. The QUIVERS method is very student focused and effective. Mr. Anderson's method keeps his students active in their learning. This style of teaching can be incorporated into any classroom.

Progress report on FInal Project #16

Progress Report

My group, July 16th, final project will be on the 5 easy steps to passing EDM310. We will start by describing what EMD310 is and how it differs from your typical class. For example, EDM310 is far from the "burb-back" method of teaching that most of us are used to. You must be an independent learner and technology efficient. Dr.Strange's class motto says a lot, "I don't know. Let's find out". My group met Thursday to record of problem, but due to a video recording issue, we will be meeting Tuesday to try again. Apparently, my iPhone decided we did not need sound in our video.

April C4K

April 13, Post 1

Tyler's post was all about his home state, Nebraska. I did not know kool-aid was invented there and its their state soft drink. Nebraska's state bird is the Western Meadowlark. Tyler asked his readers what their state bird was and where they were from. Of course, Alabama's state bird is a Yellowhammer. Tyle also blogged that his favorite food to eat is healthy things like fish, chicken, and steak. Tyler's post was full of interesting facts. I love to fish, and so does my fiance, so we eat plenty of eat. April 14, Post 2

Charlotte, a 4th grade student in Victoria, Australia, blogged all about her vegetable garden. She is growing potatoes, zucchini, capsicum, and carrots. She also posted an adorable picture of her and her homemade scarecrow. I have a veggie garden of my own. My carrots are a couple of inches tall now. I love the idea of you making your own scarecrow. It add a cute meaningful look to the garden. Because of her picture, I plan on making a scarecrow with my nephew to add to mine.

Blog Post 12

For this blog assignment, Dr. Strange gave his students the opportunity to write their own blog posts. This assignment is simple and deep. It requires thought! The directions are as follow: Plan a non-traditional project for your future students. Something that is not necessarily a learning unit, but could be beneficially in other ways. Visit websites like Teachers pay teachers for ideas, but be orignal.

Time Capsule

Have each student's family write a letter to them for their graduation day. For younger students, have the family write in cursive so they will not be able read it. Have your student write a letter to themselves for what they would want to tell themselves on their graduation day. Put all the letters in a shoebox and have the students design the outside. Wrap the shoeboxes and send them home for the parents to store till graduation. These letters can be a powerful thing to students one day. Especially, if a family member passes away before the student graduates.

Blog Post 11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class

After watching the video of Ms. Cassidy's first grade class I was in "AHHh". In this video, her students describe how they use blogs and wikis, and learn decision making and sharing skills from playing games. Ms. Cassidy made it known in her video that she is very pro technology! Which is great we have to move with the times. She found that she could coordinate homework assignments, information, and writing assignments on one simple website through blogs. The kids seem to understand what they're learning and how to use the tools they've been given. Ms. Cassidy truly understands how to benefit her students with technology and many teacher could learn from her. I have been saying "I do not know how I will incorporate technology into my classroom since I want to teach Kindergarten". Well Ms. Cassidy just proved me wrong!

On Dr. Strange's Skype Conversation with Ms. Cassidy

First of all, Dr. Strange brought up his class poll to see what percentage of EDM310 students believe that teachers should be technologically literate, in which about 5% say no. Ms. Cassidy discusses how important it is to keep up with technology because the way kids were taught years ago is not the way they should be taught today. They also discuss Twitter, which Ms. Cassidy says students classify as an "old people's Facebook". She suggests education students should follow other prospective teachers for advice rather than experienced teachers, because they would be going through more of the same thing. This is something I had not thought of yet. I follow many experienced teachers on Twitter because I am fascinated by almost everything they say. I try to soak up as much knowledge as I can to help mold me into a better teacher. Following beginning teachers would be beneficially because they still remember what it is like to go through the change of being a student to being the teacher.

C4K March

March 5, Post 1

In Allison's blog she was asked "What do you think you as a student gain from blogging with students and others outside of the school? Is it worth the time? Why/why not?" Her response was, "I think you gain getting to know other people by talking about books and telling a little bit about yourself, it’s not like Facebook or Twitter. I think it’s worth the time, because we are telling other people from around the world about the books we read and other students tell us what they think or we can look at their blogs and get to know them. We also talk to some of the teachers. I think it’s fun too!" I told Allison that in our class we only work through blogs. It is a very unique and beneficially learning experience. I am teachers are using this at a lower level in school. I also told Allison to not be so quick to judge Twitter. It can also benefit learning, because many educators and students use Twitter as a learning tool. It is all about what you make it.

March 24, Post 2

Heidi is in middle school and described her winter break. Her winter break was very fun! She hung out with family and went shopping and out to eat and other things. Winter break is my favorite because of the much needed family time. But Spring break is here! I asked her what all do she plans on doing for Spring break?

March 30 Post 3

In this students blog she wrote that it was currently Easter in New Zealand. Chocolate eggs, bunny rabbits and more are everywhere. Pt England was so lucky to be given boxes of Easter Eggs from some really generous people. Each child in Pt England was able to get 20 chocolate eggs. I was fascinated that their Easter fell a couple of days before ours and NOT on Sunday. Ours is always on a Sunday.

April 7, Post 4

Nicole's post was an introduction of herself. She has lived in Iowa, USA for 13 yrs, all of her life! She enjoys playing sports like basketball, volleyball, and track. Nicole has have have four people in my family. She has one sister. Nicole has two pets, a dog named Ruger and a cat named Taz. She likes to spend my free time with my family and friends.

March C4T

Quantum Progress

John Burk is a Physics and Math teacher at a boarding school in Delaware. His blog, Quantum Progress, tells the store of his on going learning.

March 24; A great visit to Saint Ann’s

On March 19th Mr. Burk traveled up to Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn to see a dear internet friend, Paul Salomon, and meet a few of his amazing colleagues. One of the great things about visiting a school like St. Ann’s is just how different it is from most schools. Saint Ann’s packs an entire 4th-12th program into a 13 story building with two elevators. Assemblies meet in odd classrooms and the lobby, and the entire building feels like a beehive of activity and engagement. One of the very best things was that every teacher in the department teaches in both the middle and upper level of the school. It’s not at all uncommon for a teacher to teach 3rd grade math, 6th grade math, and functions (Algebra II). This seems hard wired in the DNA of the faculty. Saint Ann’s also has no grades, and I can only imagine how empowering this must be for helping students to take risks and to learn from feedback from the teachers and peers without having to worry about the judgment of grades and ranking. As a future teacher I can only imagine what it would be like to teach middle and upper levels of school. Especially, at the same time! Saint Ann’s School sounds absolutely fascinating! The dedication of the teachers is far beyond most.

April 7; A collaboration between Dance and Physics

Avi, the schools dance teacher, approached Mr. Burk with this incredible idea he and his students are developing for arts weekend—a “day in the life of the school,” and in one of the scenes, a student gets really upset upon receiving a 96 on a science test. The student then begins to dance around the room, playing with science, and not focusing on grades, and then the student suddenly sees the real joy in learning. Avi wanted help for some ideas for some visually impressive demos that would help communicate the ideas of playing with science and be visible to an auditorium that seats 400. They bounced around with a few ideas including; making giant soap bubbles, dancing around with a large hydrogen balloon and then blowing it up, and using a vortex cannon to shoot smoke rings out. My favorite is making giant soap bubbles, especially if they could make them go in the audience. Getting the audience involved just makes the learning experience that much more fun!

Blog Post 10

I'm a Papermate. I'm a Ticonderoga.

Looking at this picture, it is clear that it is a comparison of better and worse. I looked up what Ticonderoga was and I found it was a more expensive type of pencil. In the comments from the author he writes about how he is mocking the PC. Obviously, if you spend the money on a Mac you end up with so many better programs. I experience this all the time since I am a PC owner and I always borrow my brother-in-laws Mac.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?

In the blog post Mr. Spencer writes about the conversation he has with the principal. While in the principal's office, the principal tells Mr. Spencer that he can not have the kids play games and he has to teach. Mr. Spencer explains that he was using advanced simulation with his students just like the doctors use in learning how to operate. The principal wants the students to have a "burp back" education, as Dr. Strange puts it, and the teacher is just not going to have it. He believes that students will be able to memorize better by playing games to learn rather than having to memorize text after text. Then, the principal suggested worksheets and algorithms to Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer's solution is "we'll create an algorithm factory and integrate it into our conflict-oriented reading and writing project" (A.K.A The Factory Game).

Another post I read was "Remember Pencil Quests?". I thought this post was different and exciting. The teacher leads the students on a pencil quest. I enjoyed that fact that with a simple pencil he was interacting the students and getting them excited. Students were asking questions about where their going or how many pages they will explore. The teacher was determed to get his students excited about learning. I feel as though he is saying that there should be no limit to learning. Even with a simple pencil, a student can go on a quest to reach their destination. Learning should be fun and should interact the students rather than just writing and memorizing with no purpose at all.

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

For starters, I read Mr. Spencer's about me to learn a little more about him. He was an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. Dr. McLeod also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. Most of all, he is recognized as one of the nation’s leading academic experts on K-12 school technology leadership issues. He is very rooted in technology and all of its benefits.

In Dr. McLeod's post, Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?, his sense of humor really comes out. He makes fun of parents and educators that are technological illiterate. He tells people to not teach their kids this stuff, because he wants his kids to have a leg up. Our world is centered around technology and if you do not integrate it in your classrooms, they will be behind. As teachers, it is our goal to do what in the best interest for our students, weather we like it or not. If integrating technology in your classroom will help them succeed, then its a must do!

Green Screen Project 11

Smart Board Project 14

Post 9

Mr. McClung's Reflections

At the end of each school year, Joe McClung writes a blog post detailing what he learned during the year about himself as a teacher and how he can better his teaching skills. The first post I read was What I Learned This Year-Volume 4. In this post, Mr. McClung summarizes what he has learned after his 4th year of teaching. He gave two main points in his post, "You gotta dance with who you brought to the dance" and, "Challenge yourself." In "You gotta dance with who you brought to the dance", he writes about how he has fallen for the junior high issue of worrying about what his peers think of him. He goes on to say that after some thought, he realized that it does not matter what the other teachers think of him as long as the kids are having fun and learning along the way. In the second half of his post, "Challenge yourself", he talked about how he had become too comfortable with his teaching ways. He had always taught the same subjects each year, and he was using the same lesson plans each year. He found himself not being as effective of a teacher because of this. He has decided not to rely on his old lesson plans, and force himself to keep ideas new and fresh.

I think I will have a similar worry about what my peers think. When I begin teaching, I just hope I do not feel clueless. However, I am gaining more and more confidence in my teaching ability with every class I complete in college, so hopefully this will not be a problem. Like Mr. McClung says, as long as the kids are enjoying the lessons and learning from them, it does not matter what other teachers think. The second point he made is super important. Students can tell if a teacher does not care about what he or she is teaching. If the teacher is not enthusiastic about learning, how can the students be expected to be excited about the class? I believe that changing things up and challenging yourself can keep the teaching profession fresh and exciting. After all, this is our job! There is no need to be lazy.

The next blog post I read by Mr. McClung was, What I've Learned This Year. This post was he's very first reflection after his first year of teaching. First, he talked about reading the crowd, or making sure that students are comprehending a lesson. A teacher can always tell when the students and just sitting like lumps on a log, and not learning. He says he learned that not only is the delivery of a lesson important, but also student comprehension. It is so important for lessons to be student centered. The next thing he learned is to always be flexible with lessons. Any time you plan something for kids, you need to expect for it to not always go as planned, and that is okay. This will be something I will have to over come. I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to a set schedule. The very last point he makes, is to never stop learning. "It's never too late to change your way of thinking, learning, or style. We do everything short of beg students to learn on a daily basis, but sadly some of us refuse to learn and grow as professional educators." Mr. McClung is so very right! We should always be learning. The world is constantly changing, and we should be able to change with it when needed.

Project 12

Blog Post 8

This is How We Dream

While watching This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2 I was fascinated by all the points Dr. Richard Miller made. He discusses the growing world of technology and all of its many incredible uses in education. Writing has changed so much since the beginning. Dr. Miller starts by saying "we're living at the moment of the greatest change in human communicate in human community". Dr. Miller spent his time writing and understanding writing as a solitaire activity. He was raised in a house full with book and feel in love with Literature. Dr. Miller makes a point about how the internet allows us to work at a distance. You don't have to be in the same place with another person to communicate with them.

In part 2, Dr. Miller explains how our methods of research have changed. It can take a long period of time for new information to be put in our libraries, but moments to put resources on websites such as Alabama Virtual Library. Through the videos, Dr. Miller tries to get the point across to educators that they shouldn't be teaching only through reading or writing information, but through videos, and presentations, and audio clips. This also opens up the opportunity to mold your lesson plan to benefit all types of learning styles.

I feel that it is important to incorporate as many different medias while teaching that you can. Doing this can truly enrich your lesson. Dr. Miller made a quote "Limits and restrictions are largely ones we place on ourselves". We should put ourselves to keep a open mind and look beyond the obvious.

Carly Pugh

Carly Pugh writes in her blog about ways to get students more interested in the teachings. Finding something engaging will get a lot of students involve. Carly presents writing with multi-media by being creative and using the resource on the web to teach. Modern technology can assist in the education and growth of our youth, and there is more out there available than videos. Youtube is the perfect example. I have watched many videos that have helped me in my classes. I think that Carly did a great job of writing with media. Her media playlist was intriguing. Many of the videos really got me to think. Carly challenges us to be the best teacher we can be.

EDM 310 HELP!

The videos for this portion of the assignment were great. I watched them when the class first started and they really helped me. Time management is the key to success in EDM 310. It just takes a dedication and you will be fine. The Chipper Series is about a student who dropped out of college because they thought it was too hard and time consuming. The student later became a garbage collector and from watching this video, its shows that things will not come easy. To succeed, you have to want it and, of course, work for it!

Learning to Change, Change to Learn

In Learning to Change, Change to Learn the statement is made that children do not learn solely at school, but in many places. Children's brains are like sponges. They are absorbing everything they see and hear. With technology constantly changing, students need to learn how to work up to it. The point is made that students should be learning, in school, how to retrieve information from the world outside of the classroom, and to be able to use that information in the correct way to solve problems. It is important as teachers, we teach our students how to differ between reliable and unreliable information. I feel it is important as a 21st century educator to show those children how to use computers meaningfully, in a way to further their educations.

Scavenger Hunt

Part 1. For a social network similar to Facebook and Twitter, I chose Edmodo. Edmodo helps connect all learners with the people and resources needed to reach their full potential. You can create groups, and give out a code for the students to enter in the site in order to become a part of the group. It is a great way for students to interact with their teacher if they happen to have any questions after school hours. It is also a way for their parents to interact with them and the teacher.
Part 2. To make my own comic I used Make Belief Comics. I could not figure out how to post my comic so here is the link: My Comic.
Part 3. I have never used Animoto before, and was very interested in it. I was attracted to it because it is made specifically for use in the classroom. It is an easy way for teachers to comprise a video for their lesson without having to put forth a ton of effort. Animoto takes all of your pictures and music and automatically makes it into a video, so all you have to worry with is adding audio, if you want it. I think this is a great tool to use in the classroom that doesn't take a lot of time.
Part 4. Poll Everywhere is where I went to make my very first poll. Here is the link to my poll: My poll.

C4T February

Post 3

The second teacher I was assigned for C4T was Principal Vincentsen. She is an Elementary school principal in Massachusetts. The first blog post I commented on was Capturing Struggling Readers. In this blog, Principal Vincentsen informs her readers about the benefits of audio books. "Audio books allow us to foster a love for literature separately from the mechanics of reading. This is essential in motivating struggling readers. Audio books also allow children to read independently and enjoy the same titles as their peers.", Principal Vincentsen. She also lists many sources for audio books in her blog including the public library, BookShare, Learning Ally, and more. I expressed to her that I had not realized before reading her blog how beneficial audio books could be. Especially for children with disabilities. With her resources I did a little digging and found some free sites that I have added to my "teaching" binder. It is filled with ideas and resources that I had found over the past few semesters that will benefit my future classroom.

Post 4

For my C4T post 4, I commented on another blog post of Principal Vincentsen. This post was an email that she sent out to the parents of her school. In her email "Thank you Dr. King", she writes about how powerful looking back on our past can be. As a country and as people we have come so far in 59 years. "It is astonishing to me that it was only 58 years ago (1954) that the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Bd. of Education that the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place in the sphere of public education.", Principal Vincentsen, January 16, 2012. I have posted a video Principal Vincentsen posted on her blog. It truly gave me chills when I watched it. She is right. I could not be more proud of how far we have come as a nation and I know we are still moving forward! We are extremely fortunate to live in a society that is striving for progression of all things. She ended her email with a powerful quote, "“What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the community want for all its children.” John Dewey".



I have also decided to add another video thanks to the oh so great Carly Pugh. I watched this as part of our Blog Post 7 assignment and thought it would benefit my readers! Enjoy!

Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture is truly inspirational. He speaks about achieving your childhood dreams. I was completely amazed by the enthusiasm Randy exhibited throughout the entire lecture, especially for a man on his death bed. Throughout the lecture Randy speaks about how important fundamentals are for anything you do in life. You can’t play football without first learning the rules and you can not tell your students to chase their dreams without first teaching them how to do so. Therefore, as educators it is important for us to correct our students when their actions are less than satisfactory. Randy says it best when he says “if you’re screwing up and no one is telling you, then they have stopped caring.”

You will hit brick walls. They are there for a reason. The walls let us prove how badly we want to achieve our dreams. They are also there to stop the people that don't want it badly enough. We must teach this to our students. Randy said, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.". We shouldn't shatter the dreams of our impressionable students, but make them dream even bigger. Be persistent, brush yourself off and try again. My classroom will be a gateway for hope and possibility to is unending. Dr. Pausch stressed the importance of inspiring our youth.

Randy also says as educators we should never set the bar too low for our students. We should never underestimate their ability. Being positive and up for any challenge, you can do anything you set your mind to. Its amazing how your mind set can make a huge difference. It is one thing to dream to be a teacher, but it's another thing to become a teacher who reaches students and inspires people the way Dr. Pausch did during and after his life. It is extremely important not to hold children back from learning and creativity. "If your kids wants to paint their bedroom, let them. Don't worry about resale value of the house.", Dr. Pausch.

Dr. Pausch's Last Lecture has set fire to my desire to help students and make a difference in their lives. I will certainly strive to take the characteristics Randy mentions into my classroom. It is now part of my dream to enable others dreams. Although Randy Pausch achieved some amazing dreams, he also had some incredible teaching methods. He gives exceptional points that will allow us as teachers to strive in the classroom. He showed us that no matter what the circumstances may be we must never give up on our dreams.

February C4K

February 8th, Post 1

For this week I was assigned a 9th grade student of Fairhope High school World History. My student Clara, wrote about WWI and the badges the soldiers deserved. She described the men and women deserving badges of honor for surviving the war and risking their lives. Clara's blog was very well written. I told my student that I loved her idea of sending the family of fallen soldiers a badge too. This was very thoughtful of her.

February 15, Post 2

My student Jasmin wrote about homework, and how much she likes it. She only likes it though, because her teacher does not assign that much homework. In her post, she also talked about how she enjoys to read. She enjoys reading out loud because it makes her feel like a teacher and that is what she wants to be when she grows up. I love that she has that passion so young in life! I commented on her blog expressing my passion for reading and teaching as well. Passion is what sparks dreams and fuels goals. I could tell from her post this will be a life goal for her.

February 20, Post 3

This week I was assigned a 6th grade student from Pt England School. Marama's blog post was about her Wednesday, and a very eventful Wednesday it was. She descriptively wrote about her day at the beach. She blogged about her "hot boiling day where she was sweating like a warthog". Her Mum took her to the beach to cool off and there were "heaps of kids bombing of the rocks". I commented on Marama's blog telling her how well descriptive her writing was. I also told her that I live at the beach too and how it is one of my favorite places to go.

February 26, Post 4

My last student I was assigned this month was a 9th grade student at Baldwin County High School. This students post was only a few lines, but it got across what he wanted to say. "i express myself through the clothes i wear. also through i hard i play and work during sports. express myself through they type of haircuts i get. have lots of ways that i express myself." I commented telling him that it is important to be able to express of selves. I also told him a few ways I express my self. And for a good giggle I had to tell him "Go Bears" since he plays sports and he plays against my alumni. #3

Project 9

Personal Learning Network

For my Personal Learning Network I use Symbaloo. From Symbaloo I have access to learning tools such as, EDM class blog, Moodle, Alabama Virtual Library, and many more resources. This is just the start of my PLN. Although, it is not enough to simply create a foundation for this structure of knowledge. It will continue to grow as I continue to learn for the rest of my life. I am slowly expanding my personal learning network on step at a time! I really enjoyed this project and discovering new tools that can help me as a future educator.

Project 8

Project 10

Find the Right Tool

I am majoring in Elementary Education with the hopes of teaching Kindergarten. I researched tools that can be used in a K-2nd grade setting. Symbaloo is a tool I can use for any grade as a class. Symbaloo is a organization tool perfect for anyone! With Symbaloo, my class can have access to student's/teacher's blogs, resources from Scholastic, and many more resources. I think Symbaloo will help me keep all of my education resources organized throughout my career as a teacher. With technology always growing I can just picture having Symbaloo up on my smart board for my students to use different links during down time.

Blog Post 6

The Networked Student

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler is a video about a teaching style truly for the 21st. century. Her video was inspired by the connectivism course called "CCK08". Connectivism is the belief that learning connects within a social network of different diversities. Conectivism connects teachers and students around the world. In this style of teaching, the teacher never lectures the class and there is no text book. In the video the student explored Google Scholar, created his own book marking site, and searched for opinionated blogs. After exploring, he proceeded to create his own blog to experience networking for himself. He also used other resources to learn. For example, he used iTunes to listen to podcast of lectures by professors all over the world. The student was able to learn so much more about his topic by using technology.

The video ask the question, why does a student of connectivism need a teacher? Without a teacher there to guide students, the networked student would not have any guidance. Think of the teacher as a the track that helps the train know where to go. The teacher teaches the students how to build their own network and take advantage of different learning opportunities. When a student gets stuck or comes across an inappropriate website, the teacher is there to help he/she get back on the right track. Teachers are also the role model for students and they show their students how to communicate properly and respectfully.

Connectivism is the perfect learning tool for an independent learner. Teaching your class like this will make them more prepared to face the real world alone. It gives them the tools to be independent, yet efficient in their learning. The society we live in today is web based in every aspect of life. It is important to me for my students to be prepared for the future, and to know how being connected through a network can benefit their academic career. Networking can truly make a difference in your career path. It can lead you to opportunities you never knew existed.

Personal Learning Environment

One of Wendy Drexler's 7th grade students made a video about her personal learning environment. The student was in Wendy's Science class which is paperless and all networked. In the video, the student explained her daily process of networking. Her daily process is a lot like our EDM310 class. Learning this way gives students more freedom to be creative and open minded. It also gives students a sense of responsibility because some days the teacher lets them decide what they need to work on. Students are becoming more and more independent through types of teaching styles like this and it will help them in the long run!

My Sentence

Blog Post 5

Krissy Venosdale

Krissy teaches Gifted Education. With her vivid imagination I can just see how much the children must adore her! She really inspires her students to be the best they can be. She strives to make her classroom a place where kids can imagine, create, dream, and explore. Teaching them how to think and not what to think is a huge focus for her!

If I Built a School is an amazing dream! Krissy paints a picture of the most fun and talented learning environment I could ever dream of teaching in! Her dream is so fascinating where "creativity would ooze from every pore in the building. Colorful walls, comfy seating, nooks, and crannies where kids could collaborate, discuss, dream, and learn.". The common core of her dream school would be character, helping others, and being your best.

Owning my own preschool has always been one of my retirement dreams, so this assignment has the wheels in my mind spinning! Sadly, I never really thought much of what it would look like. When I think of a learning environment, I picture color everywhere! Children's and teacher's art covering the walls. A library the size of Texas, so each student could have the access to any book they wanted. Science labs they required field work so children could actually get out of the building. Hands on projects would be a huge part of the curriculum. When I walk into classrooms I want to hear laughter, because learning is fun! Children should want to go to school!

Virtual Choir

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir video is breath taking! Just the thought of 185 people all harmonizing together over the internet blows my mind! How fascinating is it having people from all over the world participate in such a creative project. Composed and conducted by Eric Whitacre, "Lux Aurumque" merges hundreds of tracks individually recorded and posted to YouTube. The final product incorporates 185 voices from 12 countries to form a "virtual choir" that spanned the globe. His work is truly a piece of art!

Teaching in the 21st Century

Teaching in the 21st Century is a informative video about education that uses technology. This includes pod-casting, blogging, cellphones, etc. Roberts had many lists of the different programs available for students to use such as Facebook, Youtube, Google, Wikipedia, Twitter, and many more. He believes that teachers are the filter of knowledge. Anyone can read information and facts, but it takes teachers to interpret information appropriately in order for students to learn properly. Teaching students to use and love technology will help them not only learn in your classroom, but also help them after school for jobs. Now while technology is a amazing tool in the classroom, it is also important not to forget about the old fashion way. For example, teaching students how to write a research paper where they actually have to use books is important. It will teach them not to be dependent on technology. I hope to have a healthy balance of both in my future classroom.

Flipped Classroom

Flipping the Classroom is a method of teaching that helps the teacher cut down on lecture time while teaching. Dr. Lodge McCammon invented this new style of teaching that involves the teacher making videos for the students to watch at home and for students to do what would have been their homework in class while the teacher is there to help. This gives the students a opportunity to ask questions and get the help they seek while traditional homework leaves them lost and confused. Looking back on my high school years, there were many times I just could not do the application part of my homework and spent many nights staring at a paper because there was not anybody who could answer my questions. Having a video of the teachers lecture would have saved me so much time and would have greatly benefited my learning! If done properly, this new style of teaching can truly make a difference in our educational system. I know as a student, I would love to be taught this way.

Project 5 Presentation

C4T January

Post 1

My teacher's first blog post was Sloving Problems. Joe Bower, the teacher, spent the day with Ross Greene learning about solving problems with children collaboratively. He post talked about emphasis on solving problems rather than on extinguishing or replacing behaviors. There is a big difference between believing that children will do well when they want to versus believing kids do well if they can. When we argue that kids do well when they want to, we make up theories about why they are choosing to do poorly. We all do these four things. We all want to get what we want. We all seek attention. We all have trouble. We all avoid stuff we don't like. The big news isn't that kids do these things -- the big news is that while all successful adults do these things adaptively, children with challenging behaviors do all of these things maladaptively. Some people like to lean on a diagnosis to explain why children are challenging, but this is potentially dangerous. Using a diagnosis to explain a child's challenging behavior is circular thinking. I totally agree with Mr. Bower's post. I feel many people do lean on disorders as an excuse for a child's behavior. Children with challenging behaviors are only challenging when their environment demands their lagging skills which creates unsolved problems. Parents and teachers are too comfortable in saying "Oh, he/she just has a behaviorally problem. They can't help it.". This is NOT okay. Part of being a parent/teacher is figuring out how to over come this objective.

Post 2

Mr. Bower's second post I commented on was Tips for better bloging. This post was absolutely perfect for me to read as a beginner in blogging. He passed on some pointers for a teacher who would like to start blogging. A few tips i found helpful were: 1. You have to make blogging enjoyable or you won't do it for long. 2. Link other people's stuff in your blog and then make them aware that you have linked to them. This is a great way of connecting with others via Twitter or e-mail. 3. Keep advertisements and the desire to profit as far away from your blog as possible. Blogging is about learning and sharing. Try not to get distracted from these objectives with profits and popularity. I am still kinda iffy weather I would want to incorporate blogging in my classroom or not, but reading about other teacher's blogs helps keep me open minded to the idea.

Blog Post 4

Lanwitches

Using a podcast in a classroom has never crossed my mind. Langwitches uses podcast in her first grade classroom. Reading her blog will open your eyes to a whole new world of pod-casting with a learning environment. Practical Principals is a blog that has many links for pod-casting that provides updates whenever there is new content. FeedBurner makes it easy to receive content updates in popular pod-catchers.

There are many benefits of pod-casting in a classroom. Pod-casting is an effective way of interacting with students outside the class room. While reading through one of the blog posts, I came across a comment a teacher left. "I teach Grade One in Doha, Qatar (in the Middle East) and we will be starting to read some Magic Tree House stories soon. I will make sure we read the one on Pompeii, then I can take a little break because when my children listen to your podcast, YOU will be the teachers instead of me … you know much more about Pompeii than I do! I know my children will love hearing your podcast and I know they will want to do one too. Thanks so much for for being so awesome!" Knowing that she is using a podcast as a resource in her classroom to benefit her students is mind blowing. I came from a small town where things like this was just not known in the educational world. The idea I really like about using it in my future classroom is knowing that the parents can actually see and hear what their children are learning in school. I know if I was a parent I would love to be able to do that.

Special Blog Post 1

Misinterpreted Data

Misinterpreting data can be an easy mistake if your brain in not turned on! I did a WolframAlpha search on the population in China, India, and the United States. The results: China-1.35 billion people, India-1.21 billion people, and United States-309 million people. As the results show, the United States is out numbered to both of these countries.

WolfranAlpha Searches

WolfranAlpha is a search engine on knowledge. For fun I searched "What is the french word for love?". I already knew the answer, but I wanted to see how detailed the search engine was. It was a nice delight to see the answer. Love as a feeling translates to "amour" and love as a preference translates to "adorer". I also searched "Leaning Tower of Pisa angle". The answer is "3.99 degrees after restoration preformed between 1990-2001.". WolfranAlpha also gives me the comparisons as plane angels.

WolfranAlpha was created by Stephan Wolfram and his team. WolframAlpha's long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone. This is a very useful search engine, because not only does it answer your questions, but it goes the extra mile. It gives you charts, related information, and anything it feels to be useful. This can be a incredibly useful tool in the classroom for a student and for me as a future teacher. Children are full of question and many are completely random. Imagine being in a classroom and a student ask you a question you are not sure the answer of. You could easily type their question up and display it on the board for the whole class to see and learn.

WolfranAlpha has a neat little button, under where you type your question, "random". When you click this, it pulls up random questions and answers. I played with this button for a while just to see what interesting facts it would find. It also has the ability to share your question and answer to Facebook, Twitter, Blog, ect. This search engine has many possibilities for the education world and is something I personally bookmarked in my computer to use for my advantage.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Gray Hayes Social Media Chart is a on going counter. It shows how many people are using Social, Mobile, Games, and Heritage. The time frames are now, +1 day, +1 week, +1 month, and +1 year. It is mind blowing to see how fast everything is happening in the world. The numbers are constantly growing from the amount of people liking and commenting on Facebook to the amount of people who have purchased a new television.

Coming from a small town, I never realized how much the world depends on technology. This count is a eye opener to me. As a future teacher, I know it is extremely important for me to stay on top of technology and of course the data. Being aware of how much the world does use technology has a resource is just a start, and Gary Hayes social media count is a wonderful resource as a reminder. This is another great website that I know have bookmarked.

Blog Post 3

Peer Editing

In Paige Ellis's blog post she talks about the importance of peer editing. The main idea of her post is how to cirque effectively and constructively. So what is peer editing? Peer editing means working with somebody your own age and helping them improve, revise, and edit their work. There are three main tips in being a good cirque: 1. Compliments 2. Suggestions, 3. Corrections. Being able to cirque work properly can truly help you as a writer and the persons work you are editing.

It is important to remember to not be a Picky Patty. It is always best to start out with what they did right when you are editing somebodies work. This helps them feel more open to your cirque. When pointing out someones mistakes, it is much more helpful to give them examples or pointers of how to fix it. Peer editing can be a very useful tool in a classroom. It gives students a chance to see the steps in correcting their work.

Assistive Technologies

Assistiive Technologies with and Hearing Impaired Children and the Mountbatten is about making people aware of children with disabilities and their learning. Technologies have made learning so much easier for us all, but especially for people with disabilities. The Mountbatten writer was designed to help blind students stay in a regular classroom. This is an amazing invention for learning! It gives the blind student the ability to translate a document into braille. It also allows the teacher to give feedback. Both videos really shed light on how importance learning is for everybody no matter what may try to hold them back.

Apple product is really amazing. Knowing they have made applications and adjustments for the blind is truly mind blowing. This is just another tool that can enhance learning for the blind. Using the iPad, the students can use the same applications at school and home. This is something I will incorporate in my future classroom. Being able to use an iPad blind to surf the web and play games is beneficently for adults too.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Incorporating technology into your classroom is beneficial to you and your students. Not only will this enhance their learning, but it will also help them later in life to be more proficient with technology. In Vicki Davis's classroom she promotes technology and learning. In her classroom students create a virtual world. This must really be a tool the students love. Keeping the students interactive in their learning is a great move on her part. Mrs. Davis also makes a great point; not all students can learn from a paper and pencil. She is absolutely correct and it is very important to be able to carter to each child's learning.

I hope I will have the ability to use technology inside my classroom. I believe it can make a huge difference is our students learning experience. The main purpose of educating our youth is to prepare them for their future. In our world now we truly rely on technology and our students need to be able to use it. The classrooms have changed for the better since I was in elementary school, and I hope they will continue to get better as I teach.

Blog Post 2

Did you know?
The video poses the question, "what is your role in preparing your students to use technology that does not exist yet?". Technology has and will continue to be a part of the world, especially in education. Teachers now have a great privilege to use technology as a major tool in the class room, and if used properly can benefit majorly from it.

As a educator in today's society teaching a child to use technology is an important part of their learning process. We are not only teaching them the typical subjects, but we are also preparing them to succeed as an adult. The society today is dependent on technology in almost ever aspect of the work force. It is almost impossible to get a job with knowing at least the basics to working a computer. Keeping not only yourself, but also your students up to date on the world of technology is important to the aspect of their learning. Companies like Apple are always trying to better themselves and continue to come out with newer products like clock work. It is highly important that we also teach our students to accept change with in technology and prepare them to learn how to use the next big thing!

Mr.Winkle Wakes
In the video "Mr. Winkle Wakes" it jokingly talks about how the school system never changes to better itself and keep up with the world. Mr. Winkle wakes after a 100 year slumber to find that he does not recognize the world around him. The only thing he actually does recognize is a classroom where the students are just taking notes with a pen and paper.

The video makes the same main point as the "Did you know?" video. In order to prepare students for their future, they need to be able to keep up with the outside world. America is known for being behind other countries when it comes to our education. This is mainly due to the refusal to incorporate more technology in our classrooms. Our society as a whole could truly benefit from adding different forms of teaching using technology. Are students would be more prepared for their future jobs if we did this as well.

Sir Ken Robinson
Sir Ken Robinson said "If you are not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.". In this video Sir Ken Robinson talks about creativity and how important it is to keep it in schools. Teacher's are made to enforce the norms in life. It is normal to want your child to pursue a career in the medical field, but most would not encourage their child to pursue a career in music or art. Fitting in with the norms of society is not always best.

In Sir Ken Robinson's speech, he makes a major point on how schools have taken creativity out of schools. Schools have put more focus on subjects such as Math and Literature. Sir Robinson stresses the fact that creativity is as important as all the other subjects. He is absolutely correct! Teaching students to express their inner emotions will help them go farther in life. This is something I will truly take with me as a teacher. I want my students to be able to use their creativity and show me all the wonderful things they can come up with.

Pinterest
Pinterest is an amazing website that helps people share their ideas about crafts and so much more. Using it in the classroom can be extremely useful. Following education boards can help teachers come up with new lesson plans and creative projects. Pinterest is a very organized way to keep up with all the ideas you fall in love with. A idea I've had pinned is a "turn in" system. It is a super system to see who has turned in homework. Students flip their clothespin to the smiley face side when they turn things in. Pinterest is an amazing resource that I will defiantly be using in my future classroom.

Project #2 Wordle

Blog Post 1

About Me
My name is Gwendolyn Mullinax and I am majoring in Early Education. Teaching is my passion and I can not wait to be in the field! I transferred to USA from Faulkner State Community College this Spring. I have always planned to go to USA, but I wanted to save some money, and with Faulkner being closer, I decided to go there first. I hope to one day teach Kindergarten at Robertsdale Elementary, my home town. About a year ago I moved to Magnoila Springs, Al. Other than those to places, I have never lived anywhere else. I am truly a small town girl. I work full time as an Ast. Manager at Eddie Bauer.

I am getting married on October 5, 2013 to my high school sweet heart Jeremy Merchant. We share a beautiful white boxer, with one blue eye and one brown eye named Zeus. Zeus is our only pet so he is a bit spoiled. Family is a big part of my life. Jeremy and I spend almost every Sunday with one of our families. That is something I truly value. Knowing we can all take a day out of our busy schedules to at least have dinner together is one of the best feelings in the world. Between class, work, and my home life I do not have much time for anything else.

My Future Classroom
When I think of a Kindergarten classroom, I think of laughter. A place where children come to learn and also have fun. At such a young age, children are still forming their opinion about school and they do not truly realize they are learning. The experience of school is important to how they view learning for the rest of their lives. Being in a classroom for the first time also effects their social skills and it is important that they enjoy this.

I plan on teaching in a very interactive way. Getting students involved in a hands on projects help to peck their interest. Getting students involved in hands on projects with each other also pulls in their social skills. It helps them learn teamwork, sharing, responsibility and many more traits that will be important to their education. I also know that not every student learns the same. As a teacher, I plan on being able to read my young students and create lesson plans that help fit their needs.

With new technology, students have a chance to experience learning in a whole new way. Smart boards and Apple products give students a way to learn that they actually enjoy. Instead of the boring paper and pencil students will iPad's and other technologies that will not only teach them the importance of technology, but it will give them a new way to fall in love with school. Apple products have many different applications that give teachers a different option of teaching as well. Like, many different learning games that students can play at school and at home.

My future classroom will be filled with color. There is nothing worse than walking in and seeing a boring room filled with nothing. I want my classroom to be fun and children to be excited everyday when they walk in. My teaching style will be filled with surprises that benefit each child's learning. I want to walk into work everyday and see a room filled with children's art work and toys. Nothing more would make my heart warmer.

Time Management
Randy Pausch talks about the importance of time management. I have always had a natural ability to manage my time wisely and many of the things he speaks of are already in my life. He talks about having a plan for each day, week, and semester. Having a goal and setting a plan to get there is very important in everyday life. I always tell my staff if you do not know where you are going, how do you expect to get there. I use a little black planner that I carry everywhere and I even have a backup schedule on my phone. Check list are also helpful to keep people on track. I use them when I have a overwhelming week of school and at work so the staff and I are on the same page and we know what has been done and what needs to be done. Check lists are also nice because I feel accomplished when I am done. Following the steps in Randy's video can truly make a difference in you life.

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