Sunday, December 12, 2010

Final Post

PLN Final Post


So since my last post I have added to my PLN.  I added my banking address, Alabama football, screenjelly, and southhalabama's homepage.  I am a big Alabama fan and it makes it easier to keep up with them.  I also love to use screenjelly to capture pictures.  It has made my life so much easier.  Symbaloo is very practical and I am sure I will continue to use it in the future.

Project # 15

For my project I created a webpage that can help future students with EDM310.

Here is the link: https://sites.google.com/site/edm310hell/

Friday, December 10, 2010

Additional Assignment # 3

sir king

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms:

This is a pretty intense but well thought out video in my opinion.  Once I started watching it, I could not stop.  All the drawings and the way he was saying things really got me thinking.  His video had a big impact on the way I view some things.  He talks about why would schoosl lower education and that we need to do the opposite and raise education.  In the culture of the Enlighenment or the Industrial Revolution, he said that public education was a revolutanary idea and people objected it.  He also talked about how there was a modern epidemic, the plague of ADHD.  He says that there is no thing as ADHD.  I have to disagree.  I know some students can perfom well in their studies and some simply can not.  I know it is possible for those students who perform poorly to perform just as well with much more work then some other students.  Medicince has been proven to help students that struggle to pay attention, calm them down, and concentrate more on their work.  He says that when children are distracted from "boring stuff" they are given a drug to control ADHD symptoms.  He laughs at this and says it is a fititus epedemic.  I do agree that an aesenthetic does shut off your senses.  But I also feel that some people do need these drugs in order to follow the class on the same level.  Very interesting video.  I am still a little confused so any advice on this video would be greatly appriacated.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Summary Post C4K November and December 5th

C4K#8     The first student I was assigned to comment on their blog was Jackie.  Jackie is a first grade student and she in Mrs. Cassidy's class in Moose Jaw, Canada.  She recorded herself reading the book "Under the Ground" on vocaroo.  I think the book might be by Pascale De Bourgoing but I am not positive.  She did a wonderful job at reading this book.  She spoke clearly and slowly  it was easy to understand what she was saying.  I think it is great that students are using websites like vocaroo.  It is a great start at showing them to the world of technology.  It is going to be amazing to see how advanced they are with technology when they become my age.

schoolC4K#9     Basam is a 6th grade student of Mrs. Gaudet's at Lawfield Elementary School in Hamilton, ON.  Basam writes in the his blog about being scared when he first came to Canada because he did not know English.  He said he was also scared to go to a new school because he wasn't sure if he would make friends.  Well he said after three days he made friends and they helped him out with math!  I am so glad to hear that students are willing to help other students with their schoolwork.  It is important for us to encourage students to make friendships with people they do not really know in their grade.  It is also good to encourage them to help others with their school work if they are able to.  I am so glad they made him feel welcomed and they started a new friendship!

roman roadsC4K#10     Simon is a student of Miss Byrnes.  In his blog he talked about how he read about Rome's transportation, travel, and trade.  He said they have networks of roads and they suppressed the pirates.  He said that this was like a game he plays called Rome:Total War.  I told him that my brother plays that game and I would have to give it a try next time he is on it.  He asked the question "when where the roads built and how did people know how far away they are from their destination.  I think it is great the students are not just learning what is given to them.  He is taking in his own hands and wants to further his education.  I would have found the answers to these questions but another person had already answered it for him.  I want to encourage students to think out of the box and ask more questions about what they are learning.
    
sportsC4K#11     For the last students blog I commented on Trace's blog.  Trace is in the 2nd grade in Mrs. Huebners class.  He had a short blog post and it said, "What is your favorite basketball team?  His favorite basketball team is the Nuggets.  I told him that I do not really watch basketball but I am a big Alabama football fan!  I am glad that students are interested in sports.  It is good for them to get out and exercise.  There are too many children staying inside playing video games.  Hopefully more children will become more involved in sports then video games.

Blog Post #14 (Commenting on Yasmine's Blog)

yasmine

For the replacement assignment I was assigned to comment on Yasmine's blog.  She wrote a post encouraging people to comment on her blog posts.  I know it can be upsetting to put a bunch of hard work into something and you feel like no one even sees it.  I told her that I sometimes feel the same way but then I remember that there are lots of blogs and it is hard to comment on every single persons blog you read.  I also told her that a  good idea is maybe to start commenting on your favorite blogs on a regular basis and they may notice and do the same back to you.  I hope she will be able to make connections with others and make friendships and be able to communicate with others from all around the World.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

C4T Summary Post: Teacher #4

hadleyI was assigned to read and comment on a blog by JF Hadley.  Her blog is titled Middle School Matrix: Exploring the changing world of Middle School teaching and technology.  Her first teaching job was in Los Angeles teaching a 5th grade class.  After her children reached high school she started teaching again.  She taught english and history at an all girls school.  I commented on her blog post titled, "Why we go to conferences."  Hadley went to a conference in Toronto called ECOO (Educational Computing Organization of Ontario).  A good point she made was that while online tools are great for connecting, there is nothing about face-to-face time. I agree with this because you can not really understand a person fully by just reading their words.  It is always better to be face on with a person because you can see their emotion through the sound of their voice and facial expressions.  She talked about how she followed a man on twitter and was a big fan of his posts.  When she was at this conference that same man was also there.  He was chatting in a group with her and some others that were also attending the conference.  After they sat back down there was a twitter update from the man she followed on twitter that included some of the peoples names in the group.  She then realized that just because you know who someone is, it does not mean they know who you are.  Conferences are a good way to potentially meet some of those people you follow on twitter or other sites.  They also give you the opportunity to build friendships with new teachers who you can possibly follow one day to better yourself as a teacher.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Additional Assignment #5

Tom Johnson's adventures in Pencil Integration:

pencilI am one of those students who did miss the point.  The main thing I am understanding is that metaphors is what makes his posts so interesting. Things like this I never understand because it is hard to just memorize facts and not understand what the concept is. Computers are there to help you but you need to think out side of the box.  I really enjoyed his teaching style and the way he gets his points across.  The way he uses his words is very impressive and challenges me to try some of the way he writes in my writings.  It is interesting to read his blogs when you understand the style of his writing.

Blog Post #13

alex

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)

This is a wonderful website for teachers!  The website is located at www.alex.state.al.us/index.php.  On the homepage there are eight boxes with links to other pages.  The first link is "course of study", here you are able to sort lesson plans by subject and class level.   Once you click on the appropriate topic you are allowed to view different lesson plan topics and also it will include a link to that lesson plan.    The second link is "web resources".  On this page you are able to view administrative, teacher, and student resources.  If you already have something in mind all you have to do is search for a web resource by filling in all the required fields and clicking on display results.  The third link is "lesson plans".  Here you are able to create a lesson plan or search for one.  The fourth link is "search".  This is a cool and helpful link because you can search the ALEX website or you can pick another choice like, Alabama Course of Study Content Standards.  The last four links on the website are "personal workshops"(where you can create your own account), "professional learning", "podcast treasury", and "alexville".  Alexville is a place where you can communicate with others and keep up on the latest information from ALEX.

ACCESS:
Access is a program that is available to all Alabama public high school students.  The website is http://accessdl.state.al.us/.  This site wants to improve student learning beyond the classroom.  This site is a wonderful site to help provide equal learning opportunities for all students. 

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Blog Post # 12

Watch the following short video and respond to why you think it is or is not important for schools to switch from chalk boards to SMARTboards.  Do you think it is fair that some students get to learn with it while other do not?  Do you think the children are going to be as technologically advanced as they need to be? 




smartboardThis is a very cute a funny video about chalkboards versus SMARTboards.  I am all for the SMARTboards and think they are awesome!  I have used a SMARTboard several times.  Once was to practice teaching a lesson in my Aunt's classroom and I also used it in my EDM310 and Art class.  The SMARTboard allows teachers to upload endless amounts of important information for their students.  They do not have to waste their time and class time by writing all these facts out on the board.  The SMARTboard allows the teacher to upload photos and formulas for their students to see.  Do you remember being in class and your teacher  trying to show you something by drawing it on the board but it does not do the picture justice?  I do not think SMARTboards are hurting us in anyway.  I think what is hurting us is that not all students can learn from a SMARTboard.  I do think that students who learn from a chalkboard are not as technologically advanced as students who learned from the SMARTboard.  I do not think it is fair and hopefully their will be funds to provide them in all classrooms one day.

Progress Report on Final Project

My final project is a webpage I created that can help future students in EDM310.  It can also help people set up blogging accounts and will provide links to helpful sites.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Form Results for Project # 6

What is the most common pet in Alabama?
CatdogNo ideaDogdogdogdogdogDogsdogDogDogdogsdog
Do you know the Alabama Laws on owning a pet?
yes214%
no1286%
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
Does your animal have to be spayed or neutered?
yes321%
no1179%
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
Is is best to spay or neuter you pet because?
Makes them more healthy00%
Keeps the population of animals being born to a minimun1393%
Make them happy00%
Option 417%
How many animals can one household own?
5536%
1017%
15214%
unlimited643%
Are rabies considered a license?
yes429%
no1071%
Do animals have to be vaccinated against rabies?
Only dogs over 3 months17%
Only cats over 3 months00%
No17%
Two of the above1286%
Do dogs have to wearr leashes in Alabama?
yes1179%
no321%
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
For eacch dog contained outside, an owner should?
Protect animals from cold, warm, rainy, sunlight, and etc..17%
Leave out food and water17%
Nothing00%
Two of the above1286%
Do you need to have proof of rabies shots?
yes1393%
noe17%
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
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Number of daily responses
Analysis:

I learned that only two people that took this survey said they knew the Alabama Laws on owning a pet.  All but three people said your animal has to be spayed or neutered.  All but one of those people said they knew why their pet needed to be spayed or neutered.  The reason they need to be spayed or neutered is because if they weren't they could become over populated.  Only three people did not know that animals needed to be kept on a leash.  More then half knew that rabies is not considered a license.  Two were wrong about if your pet has to be vaccinated against rabies.  I think it is important for everyone, not just pet owners,  to know the laws on owning a pet.  It will only help keep yourself, your community, and your animals safe.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Blog Post # 11

Skype Discussion with EDM310 and Ms. Cassidy:



Ms.  Cassidy seems like she is a wonderful teacher who is inspiring students to learn with technology.  She started a web page 10 years ago and then she starting blogging.  She was funded through the Federal Government and was allowed time to work on technology related things.  She says that technology is not going away.  It is here and will be here for many years to come.  Teachers need to embrace her ideas about teaching with technology.  Students are able to be more creative with their work and they are usually more proud of their work.  Her students get really excited when they get views or comments on a blog.  This is a great way for children to get positive feedback from other students and teachers.  I liked how she viewed Twitter.  I was mainly thinking of it as being a status update on what you are doing.  But like she said once you spend some time on it you can find out a lot of important and valuable information.  Students can tweet about certain topics in class and give each other links to different websites that may help them.  My favorite question from all the students was the one asked about how she protects her students on the internet.  She gave a great answer.  She said you are not just protecting them you are also protecting what they see.  It is important for teachers to guide their students so they can be safe while using the internet.  She tells them to not use their last name and to not post pictures of them.  Children are naive and they need to be taught the proper way to use the internet to better their education.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Summary Post C4K Comments 3-7

computer
C4K#3 I had Beth.  Beth had orientation at her school.  She was worried about not getting the teacher she wanted and about how hard the work was going to be,  I told her I remember having the same feelings.  I thought there was going to be a bunch more work but it really wasn't.  I told her it just takes a little time to get use it!

C4K #4 I had Sarah and the name of her post was "Bye Bye Figi."  Sarah went to Figi and the whole time they were there they were all sick with fevers.  She said she still had fun and enjoyed being at the pool.  She also said she misses one of her friends but now she has a blog so they can keep in touch.  Her next stop is Australia and she is very excited!

leapfishC4K #5 I had Caydan.  Cayden was learning how to post links to his blog.  The first time he tried he did not do it correctly but his teacher left him a comment explaining him how to do it.  Then he posted the links correctly.  He posted links he thought would be good for searching for information.  The three he listed were: http://www.wikipedia.org/, http://www.leapfish.com/, and http://www.wiki.answers.com/.  I think it is great his teacher is teaching them this.  Now they can post links for other classmates to see.


C4K #6 I had Jackson K.  Jackson asks in his blog if anyone else likes science fiction because that is his favorite book genre.   I told him I have not really read many science fiction books. I told him that I am more into bibliographies.  I think it is important for children to read and I am glad to hear that he has a favorite genre. 

C4K #7 I had Alina.  Alina is in grade 2 and she wrote about Grade 2 Activity Night.  Alina's post was very cute.  She had each sentence in a different color.  She showed that she was very creative.  She really enjoyed Activity Night.  They had pizza, magic tricks, danced, and watched a movie.  It was fun reading her blog about how much fun she had!

Summary Post C4T Teacher # 3

     I was assigned Dianne Krauss and her posts are on Daily Discoveries.  The first post I commented on was 10 Things to Do When You Only Have 5 Minutes Left in ClassTheApple.com.  There were many ideas that you can use to keep your student's busy but still keep them learning.  There was a fun game to do with your kids called, The toilet paper game.  The teacher tells the students to pick 1-5 pieces of toilet paper.  Then however many they picked is the number of facts the students tell on what they learned that day.  As you play you can throw the rules off a little bit to throw them off so they are not always picking 1 piece of toilet paper.
     Dianne also posted about a website called DigitialWish.  This website helps teachers to be able to get technology they need for their classroom.  Teacher's can make a wish list and post their stories.  People are allowed to donate them money so they are about to get what they need.  Also on this website you can find tons of different lesson plans.  I am going to be a Special Education teacher so I decided to view some of the special needs lessons to get an idea of what I may be teaching one day.  Great website and opportunities for teachers to get the technology they may have never got.

Blog Post # 10

An Open Letter To Educators By: Dan Brown

     After watching this video a girl named Morgan Bayda wrote about how she feels her University is cheating her out of her education.  She talks about how it is hard to stay awake during lectures and how she can barely focus.  She mentions how in class students only direct questions to the teacher and how we do not interact with other classmates.  Her computer class is the only class she is able to interact through various sites and other students.  Her class sounds similar to my EDM310 class.  I agree that learning needs to be expanded and changed to be more in tune with today's technology.
     In Dan Brown's video he is talking about how facts are free and we can find those facts on the internet.  We do not need to be in class listening to a teacher tell us facts to remember.  He asks the question, "What has education done to reinvent itself?" and his answer was "nothing."  How are we going to be ready for the future when we are not being prepared for it?  Dan dropped out of school because he said, "schooling was interfering with my education."  Although I would not drop out of school, I think what he is doing is a positive example of what people can do to help change our future and the way we learn.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take The Pencils Home:

pencilHis post showed how he does not just focus on a problem, he solves it.  So many people are just caught up in the problem and they never think to come up with a solution to the problem.  Things are not going to change unless we do something about it.  As a teacher it is our role to make sure students are learning.  If some are not understanding the material, instead of just giving them a bad grade we need to find a way for them to understand the material.  We are not really doing our job if we do not do this.  How can we call ourselves teachers if we are not really teaching?



"Two Question's That Can Change Your Life" By: Daniel Pink

This video was very inspirational and really made me think.  The music and the way it was delivered sent a very strong message.  I started to think about how I live my own life and what I need to do to make myself a better person.  He asked the question, "Was I better today then yesterday."  This is a great question and I think we need to ask this question to our self everyday.  It can only make us a stronger and better person.  So what is my sentence?  My sentence is, "I will always be compassionate and caring about my students and how they learn."

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Short Movie Project#11

Skype Interview Recorded Project #12 with Ellie

SMARTboard Instructional Project #13

Blog Post #8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2





     Mr. Miller's presentation has many valid points and I really enjoyed how it was put together.  He is talking about how we can communicate instantly globally and this is so true.  I can get on my computer at home and talk with my sister in Texas.  All I have to do is click on Skype and then click on my sisters name.  Once she answers the call I am instantly connected with her and I can see and hear her.
     I liked how he said it is possible to collect from different experiences and collaborate them together.  His example of this was a video of a whale hunt.  He said this video shows a visual representation of what actually goes into a whale hunt.  He also showed a presentation on MLK.  In this presentation it showed a visual, sound, and print document.  All of these things were collaborated together and they all contained important information about MLK.
     He expresses that our future is our own ideas that belong to no one.  I like this because it is a great way for us to get our own ideas out into our culture.  He says it is a way to make sense of the world we live in.  Mr. Miller has taught me a lot of things from watching this video.  I hope and I am almost sure I will continue his ideas through college and even into my classroom.

The Chipper Series

     I really enjoyed watching this video.  It was funny, entertaining, and delivered a strong message.  They start the video with Chipper talking to Dr. Strange about how she feels procrastination has a different meaning.  That is doesn't mean getting your work done at the last minute.  It means getting the work done when you can even if its after the deadline.  This is not true.  Teachers set deadlines for reasons.  I know I am a little behind and it is extremely hard to catch up but I am definitely trying.  She also talks about how she wants to be taught by the teacher because teachers are supposed to teach students.  He is teaching us but just in a different way.  He gives us the instructions and then it is our job to learn from his resources and get our work done.  Graduating college does not come from not doing any work.  The only way to be successful is it do the assigned work that is needed for your major.  If you don't you may be coming back to school just like Chipper.

EDM 310 for Dummies

     This video really made me laugh!  Both of the girls were so funny.  The message I think they were trying to give to us is that even if we feel down about EDM and think it is to hard, we need to remember that all the material we need is in our lab manual.  There are many tutorials on how to create different accounts and we have teachers and lab assistants that will help us.  EDM is a class that will prepare us for the rest of our technological journey.  It is not here to hurt us.  It is here to prepare us for the field of work we are in.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Instructional Timeline Project #9b

Blog Post #9

learning

I read "What I've learned this year" by: Mr. McClung. He wrote about what he learned after his first year of teaching.

He learned:
1. How to read a crowd
2. Be flexible
3. Communicate
4. Be Reasonable
5. Don't be afraid of technology
6. Listen
7. Never stop learning

His post was very interesting and it helped me see another persons perspective on teaching.  I do not know what to expect when I start teaching and I am sure many others feel the same way.  I liked that he said "be flexible."  We do not have to plan a perfect lesson.  What is most important about the lesson is that the students understand it.  I would say a lesson is not perfect unless the student all understand the material.  He also said "communicate."  I have issues with communication because I am shy.  I am trying to overcome that and be more out going and to communicate with others more.  If we can't communicate with our students and faculty then we aren't really doing our job correctly.  It is important that we know what is going on and that everyone is on the same level.  Lastly,  he said to "never stop learning."  This is so important to remember.  We have so much to offer as teachers so why not continue to learn?  We can learn from the people around us and even from our students.  His post was very informing and it helped me better understand what I may learn my first year of teaching.

Friday, October 22, 2010

1st progress report on PLN Project #10

I decided to use Symbaloo for my PLN.  I have not heard of a PLN until now.  Symbaloo is a very useful and beneficial program to have.  It helps you keep organized and allows you to have everything you need in one spot.  You do not have to type in every website you need.  All you have to do is open your Symbaloo and click on the website you want.  It lets you move the icons around so you can place them where it is more convenient for you.  I have been playing around with mine trying to figure it out and move around some of the icons.  I am very excited about this program and I know I will continue to use it after EDM310 is over.


Timetoast Project # 9a

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Summary Post C4T Teacher # 2

   I was assigned Ira David Sokol at speedchange.blogspot.com.  He posted a youtube video about a guy name Joel Burns.  He was speaking out to everyone and was telling gay children that "It gets better".  The video was very sad to watch but very informing.  He told several stories about children being bullied and how they took their own life because of the pain the endured.  That just breaks my heart that someone can make someone else feel so bad that feel like they have no choice but to take their life.
    This needs to stop.  It is up to us to help do so.  Teachers and students can play an important role in helping to stop bullying.  If a teacher sees a child being bullied they need to stop it.  If other children see others being bullied they need to tell their teacher or someone of higher authority.  Burns wanted these children that are being bullied to know that "It does get better".  He wants them to know how important they are in the world and that they can do anything.  This was a very inspiring video to watch.  It really made me think of how just one person can possibly save a child's life.


Monday, October 4, 2010

Summary Post C4K comments 1 and 2

     I commented on Elio Reyes blog.  He is from Noel Elementary Class of 2011.  He also goes by the nickname "Elmo".  He is from Noel, Missouri and has lived there for almost ten years.  He said it is lame (lol).

     The blog I posted on was very unique and creative.  He made up a story to learn about the rock cycle. I myself when learning like to come up with little creative ways to remember things just like he did with the rock cycle. He wrote a really awesome story and here it is:

I was on top of a mountain minding my own business. Than out of nowhere I heard an unfamiliar noise and it started raining hard and I rolled down the hill really fast not being able to stop. Than suddenly I fell into a lake. As time went by I found myself being pressed up together with some other rocks and it made us into a metamorphic rock. I was frightened when I found myself deep under ground, it was dark and cold. The heat and pressure melted us into magma than we hardened an intrusive ingenuous rock inside a big hard volcano. Than a while later we turned into an extrusive igneous rock. I learned that we can transform to any rock by the rock cycle.  
 

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Blog Post # 6


Networked Student by: Wendy Drexler

     How are we going to get the best professors if we stop using them and turn strictly to technology? I do think all these new technologies are amazing but should be kept to a minimum. They need to be kept to a minimum so we will still have teachers in our schools to be there for guidance and answers. This video was a good example of how we can use technology with our students and people around the world. I do not believe teachers will just stop teaching completely. I think the way they will be teaching will change. This was a very cute video with the cartoon and cut out animations. I enjoyed it!

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)


     She is way more advanced in her PLE then I am in my PLN.  She is very knowledgeable and organized with the technology she is using.  She is able to find websites on what she is learning and will blog about it.  That is exactly what I am doing and I have learned a lot of information.  She can take parts of information from several websites and save them for later use.  This is good because she does not have to save the whole article.  What else is great is that it saves the website of where the information came from.  She created a Glogster and emailed several scientists.  This allows her to connect to people around the World and get information from them.  She likes having the freedom and she believes it gives her the chance to be responsible.  I agree.  If it is being used correctly the student is being responsible and that should make them feel proud.

The Machine is Changing US by: Michael Welsh

     This was quite a long video but he did bring up several important points.  He used the quote "I find it hard, It's hard to find, oh well, whatever, nevermind."  He says this is one of the main things faculty complains about.  I have to admitt at times I have and do feel this way.  Maybe it is to hard and more easy to quit.  That is not a positive way to look at something.  I also agree with him that we are a generation raised by the self generation.  We learn from those before us and that is completely true in my opinion.  The last point I am going to bring up is about face to face conversation.  He says you become a different verison of yourself.  I know that is true because it happens to me everytime I am put in a new situation.  It is important for me to learn to not be ashamed or nervous of myself.  It will be extremely important I do no do this when I start my teaching career.  I need to be confindent and comfortable when teaching my students.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Blog Post # 5

podcast

101 Ways to Use Your Ipod to Learn and Study Better

It was amazing to see all the features that an iPod  has on it for learning.  There were so many things I have never even heard of.  The Teaching Co. seems to be a very effective tool for students.  I also found that the ipod in the Classroom to be another effective tool.  It will make it more easy for teachers to make there lesson plans.  Just reading the different things an iPad can do will be very beneficial when making my podcast.

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection:

I knew what a podcast was and have viewed several different ones.  It was good to actually hear the "definition" of a podcast.  Her links at the bottom of her page will be very helpful when making my podcast.  She was very informing and helpful in her post.

Education Podcasting Network:

I like that most the of the producers of the programs are teachers.  Just like teachers are doing now I am also exploring the issues of the 21st Century.  I am excited we can share our ideas with other teacher and keep the learning going. 

Monday, September 20, 2010

Blog Post #4

no sign





"Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? By: Scott McLeod

     I do agree with some of the things he posted in his blog.  Mostly about the cyber bullying, porn, and predators.  As a responsible adult I believe that those types of websites should be blocked and there should be limitation on what sites children can access.
     I do not believe children should be stopped from technology.  It is a wonderful teaching method that teaches beyond the human mind.  But on if it is used correctly.  I believe limitations should be set on children computers at home and in the classroom.  People have so many different points of views on this situation and this is just a little bit of mine.

Who is Scott McLeod?
According to http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/bio.  

Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Educational Administration program at Iowa State University. He also is the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the nation's only center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and was a co-creator of the wildly popular video, Did You Know? (Shift Happens). He has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work, including recognitions from the cable industry, Phi Delta Kappa, and the National School Boards Association. Dr. McLeod blogs regularly about technology leadership issues at dangerouslyirrelevant.org.


"The iSchool Initiative" By: Travis Allen



     I think Travis has such a creative and intelligent mind.  I loved all his ideas and think they will be perfect for the school systems.  We are always talking about going green and this is a perfect way to do so.  He believes the education system is broke and I agree with him.  I think it is because we are transitioning into the new world of technology.  
     Being able to have everything you need for school in one place is amazing.  Homework, test dates, and so much more.  It is also important that he talked about the limited access students will have to the Internet.  This way students will be learning and not playing games, checking their facebooks, etc.  I think his ideas are brilliant and I am all for iSchool!

The Lost Generation



     This video was amazing! Especially how it told a story in two ways.  It turned a negative poem into a positive poem.  Some people forget what is most important in life.  They start thinking work is everything and means the most.  Some do believe that money will make us happy.  That is true in a way but that should to be the most and only thing that makes us happy.
     I agree that family is most important.  We should also believe what she said "We can change the World" and "To refuse we are part of a lost generation".  I love her outlook on life and I hope her outlook will change others like the way it changed mine.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir- 'Lux Aurumque'

     Wow! This is very neat to be able to see people from all around the world singing in a choir from their computers.  It is amazing that this can and has been done.  I am sure that most of these people have never met but now have because of our advanced technologies.  
     The choir is being conducted by one man.  This means that he is teaching 185 people through the Internet.  I am sure they are using skype or some new system that is similar.  I have never seen anything like this.  It is truly amazing! 

Friday, September 17, 2010

Blog Post # 3

student




A Vision Of Students Today By: Michael Wesch

When watching this video most of the students wrote things that I see as being true.  Really everything seemed true to me.  College is a new world when you are first starting off.  Teacher's do not usually know your name and there are hundreds of more students in your classes.  
     I agree with the student that said he buys books but never opens them.  I started not buying my books until I went to class and found out if the teacher would be using the book or not.  They usually said we would mostly only use it for picture references.  Most of us going through college are all going through some of the same obstacles.  It seems hard and overwhelming at times but they day I graduate all of this will be worth it!


"It's Not About the Technology" by: Kelly Hines
    
     I agree that teachers should have the mind set that they are also learners.  Some teachers are just set in their ways and will go with what they think is correct over someone else's opinion.  If teachers do not start acting like they are life long learners are education system could be corrupted in some way. 
     There is so much new technology that could be purchased to help students learn and interact while they are learning.  Teacher's do not need to just stick to the old fashioned ways of teaching.  I hope they start to think outside of the box and make new changes to better further our children's education.  



"Is It Okay to Be Technologically illiterate Teachers? by: Karl Fisch

     I strongly agree that teachers need to be technologically literate.  I do not think they have to be so advanced but they should know a good bit of information about it so there are no problems when they are using certain technologies.  I know there are many teachers out there that have been teaching since before technology came out.  It is going to be more hard for them to learn all these new technologies then it will be for a newer teacher.
     I do believe every teacher should be able to use a computer and basic systems like that.  I also believe that there should be session for teachers who have not yet experienced certain technologies that are useful to have in a classroom.  It will help them learn and to catch up with other technologically advanced teachers so they can better educate our students.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count:
 


     I love this chart! I think is is amazing to watch all of the numbers grow bigger and bigger.  It is crazy to think of how many people are around the world doing the exact same thing.  This is really neat to watch and I suggest you do.  It is crazy to think what the numbers will be like in the future!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Summary Post C4T Teacher #1

teacher cartoon
I had the privilege to read Ms. Dianne Krauss blogs.  In all her blogs she is very informing about giving new ideas to help students learn.  She seems to be very passionate about her work and is a great inspiration to others.

The first blog I read was Daily Digital Discoveries
She talked a bunch about Wiki.  I have heard of Wiki but I did not know much about it.  Wiki is good for teachers to know and understand because technology is rapidly changing.  It is important to know which programs are best for your lessons.  Different programs have many different features that are not right for every one's lesson.  There are many programs that people are unaware of and this table is a good source to compare what would be best to use when teaching a lesson.

     The second blog I read of hers was GLOGSTER EDU.  This program wants to and does make school more exciting and useful.  She uses this technology to engage her students in expressing their creative knowledge while in the classroom.  I even made my own account to get a little more information on it.  I believe it will be a great program for teachers to have in their classrooms.