Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Blog Assignment #13

     The first video for this blog post that I watched was Back To the Future. Mr. Brian Cosby talks about all the different activities that he does in his 4th grade classroom. His students blog, create videos, use wikis, and a lot of other cool technology tools. My favorite part about this video was that video clip he shares of a student doing a science experiment about air pressure where a soda can crushes itself. This wasn't my favorite part because of the really awesome reaction in the experiment, but because Mr. Cosby had each student film themselves doing the experiment and then embedded the clip into their blogs. The idea of having each kid excited to participate in the activity and then even more excited about sharing what they have learned is amazing.
     My second favorite part of this video is the balloon experiment. Mr. Cosby lets his kids help design and engineer the actual balloon so they are all involved and having fun while learning. After the balloon was lifted off he assigned each student to write a story from the point of view of the balloon. This interested me because he is combing two core subjects, which is something I don't think we do enough. The students expand their creativity immensely with projects like these. It also turns school into an exciting day of learning rather than a boring day of daydreaming.

     A Vision of Students Today was the second video I watched for this blog post assignment. This video was very thought provoking from the point of view of a student. It made me ask myself what I am trying to get out of the college experience. It also made me evaluate what I want for my future as well. As a student, I can relate to feeling like you are wasting your money, that there are not enough hours in the day, and even not being recognized by your professors by name if at all. College isn't meant to be easy, I get that. It's preparing you for the real world. It almost feels like a weeding out process, like every teacher is testing you, not on the course material, but if you are determined enough to finish.

     From the point of view of a president or dean of a college or university this video is probably haunting. To live for money has got to be a miserable life, and sometimes I feel like people in administration are forced into the black hole of dollar signs purely because their jobs call for it. If I were an administrator and I saw this video I would feel sad, simple as that. It would feel awful to see the signs being held up one after the other saying things about how expensive college is, how much debt students will graduate with, or that the material being taught isn't lining up with the students needs. Although the administration is said to hold all the power they don't, the world and society does. We as a society have made money the center of our universe and we're all paying for it. But then again, hopefully a member of an administration team somewhere will see the video, spark some change, and help make the college experience affordable and worth it educationally.

teacher

I would want my students to know...the feeling of accomplishment.
I would want my students to be able to...use self discipline for their schoolwork and home life. I would want my students to have experienced...a classroom environment that pushes them to better themselves.

     After watching the video, How will you teach me in the 21st century, I was impressed by the media and content. Melinda Kraft had a very creative take on the future of our students. She poses many questions concerning the values, skills, and material we will be teaching our classes in the future. Technology has become such a huge part of the every day life of the every day person that it wouldn't make sense not to bring it into the classroom. A classroom with technology brings up questions like Melinda's though. I think our teaching will look different but the motives behind the activities will stay very similar. Our jobs as teachers are to teach and mold our students into being the best they can be, and if the classroom is changing then let us take this opportunity to embrace it. We should show our students that change can be good and that it doesn't need to change who we are, just maybe how we do homework.

     The Exemplar of Students' Work With Video post and video was very refreshing. The two students are not being fancy or using special technology to film this video. They are simply just sharing about their responsibility of managing their school's compost pile. One of the students is legally blind and he still fully participates with the project which is probably the most amazing part of the video. I love the fact that he was able to have just as much fun and be 100% involved as any other student would. Technology can potentially cause an issue with participation from students within special education, and I worry that there will be a student out there somewhere who wasn't as lucky as the little boy in this video.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Project #10

     Below I have shared with you one of my favorite webmixes that I created on Symbaloo over the process of making my PLN or my personal learning network. My PLN is going to help me so much when I get into the classroom and begin teaching. It is so convenient to have everything in one place. With a short glance and a quick click, you can be four sites away discovering new lesson plans or fun activities for students. Although I am not in the classroom yet my PLN guides my internet usage almost daily. It has all of the sites I visit on a regular basis ready to go for me so when I open up my home page all I have to do is choose and click. Over the years I hope to grow my PLN far and wide. I also recommend creating your own PLN regardless of what line of work you are in.

C4T #4

     I was assigned to Ms. Andrea Hernandez for Comments 4 Teachers this round. She is a technology teacher and has lots of helpful hints in her blog. The first post I commented  on is focused on creating a good learning environment for students in the classroom. One thing she pointed out that I found interesting was how much the physical representation within a classroom can affect the learning process for students. I had never put much thought into why some teacher's classrooms or offices are more easy going than others. I describe it as easy going because it seems to be the only thing that fits the calm, attentive, content feeling that you get when you are sitting in a classroom taking notes or working on homework and you aren't wanting to tear your hair out.


why share?




     The second post I commented on Ms. Hernandez's blog was an image that states the old age saying "if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it does it make a sound?" and compares it to "if something is created but not shared, does it make a difference?" I found this post to be my favorite purely because of the fact that it causes you to think for yourself and process what you believe. My response was mixed. Half of me said yes it does make a difference even if it isn't shared because the person that created it had the desire to make that particular thing become a reality for them. Therefore, it made a difference to the creator. However, the other half of me argued against it and replied with no, it makes no difference if it is not shared with anyone because
no one can be affected by the creation unless it is shared with them. Therefore, it does not make a difference.

Project #15

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Blog Assignment #12

     For this post we are supposed to create our own blog assignment, and I have chosen to make mine about an awesome website called Pinterest. Pinterest is a social media site but don't compare it to Twitter or Facebook because they are very different. Basically there are all types of categories to search in when you login. There is arts and crafts of course, creative food recipes, funny video clips and images, workout plans, wedding ideas, photography pointers, cool classroom decorations or fun lesson plans, tips and hints on cars and motorcycles, I could go on forever! The social part about Pinterest comes in when you like or re-pin something because it shows up on the boards of your followers, kind of like sharing.
     The assignment I have come up with could be used in the high school or middle school level in a computer or English class. I believe that it would be beneficial in a computer class because it's fun and keeps the students learning more about how to maneuver around the internet and more complex websites. A English class could also gain something from this blog assignment because each student must write in good grammar, use proper sentence structure, and use their creative writing skills. It would serve as good writing practice as well as typing practice, which could be great for each class.


pinterest




My Pinterest Assignment:

1) Create an account.

2) Pick 5 different categories that interest you, and re-pin 3 objects or ideas in each category.
- For clarification: within each of the 5 categories you choose you should re-pin 3 things, therefore you will end up with 15 pins on your board.

3) Out of the 15 pins choose your favorite 5 and write a blog post explaining why you chose these particular pins.
- Questions to think about: How or will this benefit me? Could I see myself actually doing this project? What about this pin attracts me? Is this pin something I could use later on in life? Does this motivate you to start a new hobby or activity? How or could this affect other people?

4) Use proper grammar, sentence structure, and good transition words. Must be 5 paragraphs including an intro, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This is your chance to write about what you choose, so be bold, creative, and use your voice!

Progress Report

     So far this final project has gone very smoothly. I couldn't have been placed in a better group and am really glad I got to know them over the course of this class. Each of us add a little spice to the melting pot which cooks up a fun time! We are almost done with our iBook. All we have left to do is add in a few more individual details for each member, put together our group video, and combine our paragraphs to complete the group summary. What's cool about this project is that it's so different. It's so interactive and is constantly challenging you to step up your game. Although I have had my rough moments with the iBook editing program, I'm enjoying it very much. We should have it all put together and published by tomorrow, fingers crossed!



Sunday, July 8, 2012

Blog Assignment #11

     Ms. Cassidy's Classroom was an awesome video to watch as a future teacher. It gets me excited to be able to do these cool activities with my own students one day. All the students in the class participated in the making of this video which is very impressive. Throughout the film, you see clips and pictures of students recording each other, and also using other technology devices such as ninetendo DS's, computers, and portable cameras.
     It's tricky enough as it is to have every student involved and have the project turn out successful, so if you have a student with a speech impediment things could potentially be tougher. However, as tough as it may be it is a great lesson for that particular student and the class as a whole. The teacher could use this situation to teach the class about bullying and how every one is unique in their own way. I would hate to see a child upset from insecurities so the teacher could also help the student by building their confidence regardless of their differences from normal kids.
     The thing that I found most interesting about Ms. Cassidy's teaching methods within her classroom was that she let them blog at such a young age. My reaction at first was that they were simply too young, but then I came to realize that if they are old enough to film, edit, and product a video they can  certainly blog efficiently. I give major points to Ms. Cassidy for taking the "learning with technology" phase to the next level. She has found a good balance between the regular pen and paper and the computer literate educational route.


kid with camera

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Blog Assignment #10


     When I went to the blog post written by Mr. Spencer concerning the cartoon above I was hoping to find a more in depth meaning of the cartoon. Although I had no luck finding a better worded reasoning, I did however come up with an idea of what it's about. I think it's comparing the old teaching methods with the new upgraded, technology enhanced methods.


      I read the blog post Remember Pencil Quests? by Mr. Spencer for my choice of readings from his site. He talks about an experience he had when he was a sophomore when his teacher took his class on a pencil quest. I don't know exactly what a pencil quest entails but he compares it to a scavenger hunt like game with a map. Mr. Spencer adds the enthusiasm that his teacher had for this fun filled day in class, which ultimately transferred to the students.


      The point to Mr. Spencer's post isn't just to share about a fun memory from his school days. It's to share a thought he had concerning the students he has now, has had, and will have in the future. He states at the end of his post that he wonders what those students will think when they look back at the good ole days. Instead of pencil and paper scavenger hunts, they'll remember internet searches and iPad games.


      I read the blog post Don't teach your kids this stuff, please? and was taken back by Dr. McLeod's forwardness. But then I thought about it a little more and realized that to be heard you have to be creative and  be able to grab people's attention. You must put yourself out there if you want to make an impact, and that is exactly what he did. He writes a poem-like post about how kids shouldn't be free to roam the internet. Stating all the dangers, cons, and mischief that kids can get into McLeod does make a valid point.


      However, I think the statement he is really trying to make is that it's not the internet itself that is "evil", but the people and sites that abuse it are the actual issue. Kids should use the internet and become familiar with how it works because eventually it will be the number one source for everything and everyone (if it isn't already that is). What does need to be done is guidance from parents and teachers. It is our responsibility to keep children and students safe in the virtual world. That responsibility mainly consists of guidance and protection, without them then the bad realms of the deep dark internet will get them.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Blog Assignment #9

     The first blog post I chose to read was What I've learned this year (2008-2009). Mr. McClung discusses about how much he has learned over his first year of teaching. He states that he did not just grow as a teacher but as a person as well. A few points he talks about that I found interesting were "how to read the crowd" and "listen to your students". These two topics really stood out to me. "How to read the crowd" originally grabbed my attention because it was so honest. He speaks about how at the beginning of the year he was more focused on impressing his co-workers and superiors than his students' learning. People pleasing is a trap that everyone falls in. The awesome thing about McClung though, is that he saw his faults and learned from them. To make the extra effort to change for the better shows character, and he has a lot of it.
     The second topic I liked, "listen to your students", because it touches on something I feel like people tend to forget sometimes. The world can sweep you off your feet, we get busy, we get selfish, we become blind to the people around us that are in need of a boost. In this particular case, McClung shares a response from a student when asked why they knew their teacher cared. The response was, because he "listens to what I say". Think about this for a moment. Imagine yourself as a little kid again, and how it would feel if you felt ignored or looked over time after time. But then there was that one special teacher that took the time to see who you really were and made you believe you were worth listening to. That's what we must do as teachers. We are robbing ourselves and hurting our students if our only goal as teachers are to teach math problems and science experiments.
http://www.emblemworks.com/apple-w-clipboard.html


     The second post I chose was What I've learned this year (2009-2010). I picked out two points that I enjoyed in this blog just as in the first one. "Find your school mom" is the first section that I loved reading. It's not easy to admit you need help sometimes but McClung does a great job of doing so. He says that every time he is at a new school he finds a "school mom", a teacher who has worked at that school for years and knows the ropes. At first I found this funny, I pictured an older woman shaking her finger at a young hot shot teacher trying to straighten him out. But as I read on I realized what a great idea McClung had. All of our lives we have had someone telling us what to do, how to do it, and sometimes even doing it for us. So it's not surprising that we start to sink after jumping into the deep end without our water wings on. Finding a "school mom" to help mentor you and guide you through those first few years is an amazing blessing to have.
     The second topic McClung spoke on that caught my eye was "scope and sequence". This stood out to me right away simply because of its title. I had no clue what scope and sequence was until I read this blog. But it turns out I did know what it was, I just knew it by "assessments and evaluations" instead. McClung talks about how much he realized this past year that his classroom management needed some work. He goes on to say that he caught himself lecturing on what he thought was interesting instead of being focused on what his students needed to know and what was important to them. A big thing he mentions in this section is keeping track of his assessments. Assessments can be monotonous, but if you keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel they will pay off in the end for you and your students.

C4T #3

     I was required to comment on Edna Sackson's Blog. She works in Australia as a teaching and learning coordinator. Edna's first post that I read was about how she believes that teachers should be changing their focus from teaching to learning. Teacher's need to take a step back and realize what is going on around them within today's education system. They need to start embracing the technology that is available to them and their students. Edna believes that if teachers begin to learn how to incorporate new technology into their classrooms then the students will benefit tremendously, not to mention it could make the teachers' life a little easier at times.


http://vimeo.com/5547134


     The second post I read of Edna's blog was based on a documentary about a woman who traveled the world interviewing eleven year old children. She asks the kids all kinds of questions and she receives all sorts of different answers. The point of the film however is to peak inside the minds of a pre-teen, when they're at the tender stage on the edge of the world just waiting to dive in, and see what they want to happen in the world and their opinions about the "big" issues that surround us all on the newsstands. Some kids wanted peace and to be rid of inequalities, which is perhaps why Edna purposed the question, "what would you do if you could change the world?" This blog was really inspiring and got me to think about what I would do if I was ever given an opportunity to impact the world. Then I started thinking even more and it's a shame that I automatically think I can't make a difference. The children in the video gleam of hope and belief, we should learn to think like them and start acting on our desires of change.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Blog Assignment #8

     This is how we dream is a 2 part video discussing the different changes throughout this technology era we are in. Richard Miller explains how the world of writing and literature can be drastically changed for the better. He shows the different advantages technology offers in this subject. Instead of having to read a ton of pages of information and then have to burp it all back up into a written paper, he suggests that we adapt to the technology we are given and start listening to lectures or watch lessons by means of computers.
     Miller's presentation isn't made up of regular power point slides or a video of him lecturing, he has created this video as a kind of simulation of his computer screen that follows along with his narration. It is obvious that he is quite technology savvy and has done a very good job using his talent in this film. He shows the audience how he himself researched for a major speech that he gave at Virginia Tech by never having to step foot into a library.
     The point Mr. Miller makes is that it is very possible to replace paper and pencils with keyboards and computers. He sends the message that it is simple, and I agree with him. I think it would be very easy to exchange written documents with creating a video. However, the issue will not be about the technology itself but the student's well being. The worry of this idea is focused on how the student will grow up and contribute to society after having a schooling system that requires so much time on a computer rather than practicing personal relations to fine tune his salesmanship.

     When I read Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12 I was impressed for many different reasons. First off, I loved her graphics and the way she has her blog set up, especially the picture she has of the guy eating breakfast to the side of her post. I wondered how she placed it on the side and marveled for a quick minute. Then after I started reading along I found it enjoyable. Her writing style is so easy to follow along, you forget that you're doing homework because you're laughing at the dry sarcasm hidden within her words.
     On a teaching note, I couldn't agree more with her about having a philosophy to teach by. I believe that every teacher should create their own to keep themselves checked every day they begin to teach. Having a philosophy is such a good idea because not only does it keep you focused on who you are at the core and what you truly desire to accomplish, but it can help you get through those daily struggles that come with teaching and just life in general. If you have a basic standard that you hold yourself to then you can lean on it when you need a motivational crutch or you can squeeze it tight when you are struggling with what the right thing to do is.
school.discoveryeducation.com


     The video EDM for Dummies is absolutely hilarious! The beginning of the video explains how a lot of students feel during this course. If this was a real book I definitely would buy it and make sure every one I knew taking EDM 310 also had it. This video was a really creative way to express the frustration that tends to come along with the workload of this class. Although, this class does require a lot of your time it helps you ten times more than you could have ever imagined. It truly does prepare students to be a technology enhanced teacher.
     I would love to create a video about using smart-boards in the classrooms. In three of my upper level education classes we use smart-boards daily throughout the course, but we also are assigned to teach different lessons either to the class or in front of the class which is a helpful step on the journey to our own classrooms. But the cool thing that I have learned from my classes that use them and EDM 310 is how they are actually used in the classroom across all grade levels. I had never been around smart-boards until my senior year of high school when our math department installed them as a test drive to see if they were worth the money to give each teacher in the school their own. Turns out they were well worth the money! My point is though, that elementary school teachers use smart-boards too and I would love to create a video or presentation showing the awesome tools of smart-boards and how far they stretch across the education system.

     Learn to Change, Change to Learn was an eye opening video. It suggests the notion that school be focused more in a setting that the students are already embracing which would be computers, phones, and social media. The speakers throughout the film each say how they feel concerning the school systems now and what changes they think should be made. My first reaction is to shut it out, because as pro-technology as I have been I'm starting to worry more about our student's being too absorbed in technology and won't be as well-rounded as students who go through the normal education process now. However this video was very thought provoking and made me do some thinking.
     The first thing that caught my ear was the man who said that we have used the "industrial narrative" and that "schools are like factories". This is a valid point. Schools have become giant factory machines where teachers pull down a lever, out pops the graduate, and down the conveyor belt it goes. But it doesn't have to be that way. There can be a balance between the old fashioned classroom and the high tech virtual school. They can coexist, and in my opinion if they both joined together they would create a great learning environment for students and a great outlook for the future of the students.

    For the scavenger hunt I found the site Edmodo for number one. Edmodo is a social networking website for teachers, parents, and students. This could be beneficial for teachers because they can post assignments, notes, connect with other teachers, connect with parents, and also connect with students when they have questions or need extra help. Parents could gain a lot from a site like this as well because they can keep up with their child's progress and also have fast, quick contact with the teacher. Students would not only enjoy something like this but they could learn at their own pace with unlimited resources at the click of a mouse.

     Animoto is a site where you can create your own unique video presentations to use in the classroom or where ever you would like really. I had never heard of this website until this assignment and was impressed with all the different resources that you can use on Animoto. You can make a presentation out of your own personal photos, videos, and you can even add music to help grab the attention of the audience or your students. The coolest thing about Animoto is the high tech graphics that come with your finished product, and that come without the confusing technology mumbo jumbo.



Project #14