Blog Post #14 Final Reflection

Project #16

Copy of Will You be Technologically ilLITERATE? on Prezi

Project #13 Report on Collaboration

Over the course of assignments done by my group and I, we have used Facebook as a way to communicate with one another outside of the lab. We initially tried Google Docs for the first use and it was unsuccessful. Once we saw that Facebook work quite well, we stuck with it! A group member was also absent due to military duties and this collaboration technique helped him stay in contact with us. Each of the collaboration tools would've work and each of them are reliable as long as the correct sources permit the use of them. I think that this is a good way to help students remain on schedule even when faced with some sort of issue/problem that conflicts with meeting face to face.

Project #15 SmartBoard Instruction Part 2

C4T #4

For my final C4T I was assigned Jackson Bryan. He is a University of Arkansas graduate, exploring gifted and techno-learning students. The first post I comment on was In Depth Blogging, or Learning in Public. The post was a idea that came from Mr. Bryan, in which he had previous conducted a little Learning in Public himself back in September. He wanted to set a definitive goal for himself and model the documentation for his student. In my comment I stated that I liked how learning is not just being subdued to being just in the classroom. In classes dealing music (vocal, instrumental, etc.) there should be room/time for the students to practice in different environments that help map their journey of learning.

The second post I commented on was called Powell River Vocal Summit, in which a video was made to showcase the traveling of vocal jazz and choir singers and some of their performance as well. The video was edited very good, probably because a MacBook was the source used for editing. In my comment I first expressed my love for the video. I then explained how edm310 has taught me that technology exists in our careers and daily lives whether we choose it to be or not. I posted the link to Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir to give some insight of future ideas. I enjoyed this semesters C4Ts, each of them were quite different from one another, but they all focused on educating students through this technological world.

Final Report on PLN

Throughout my journey in edm310 I have established a legitimate PLN. It definitely has room for expansion, in which I plan to continue to build on the network I now have. Blogger seems to be the most sufficient and beneficial network of all the others I included in my previous PLN report. It not only links one to a vast amount of people, but it also provides a categorized list of different blogs that one may be looking to follow. Although I haven't been using Twitter as I should be, it still remains a great PLN source to have; it too links us to variety people all over the world. I am striving to become an innovative teacher, with the primary focus being an educator and making sure that my students are not just learners, but consumers of their surroundings inside/outside the classroom.

Blog Post #13

I never expected an activity such as this one to be a part of Edm310. I always thought about going a day or two without technology or TV, but I never actually went through with it. I originally chose April 11, 2012 as the day I would make my first attempt, but I had to attend a required class for Edm310. I then chose the following Sunday, April 15, 2012 to attempt this project and was successful at doing so. Yes, I was able to do this experiment on the first try.

For the fast I included family and friends in this process by letting them know that I wouldn’t be available on this day, although some forgot and still contacted me. I created a Facebook post as a public service announcement of me not being available, so that if there was anything important to tell me they should do so either before or wait until after the project was over. I reminded my mom everyday up until the day I began my project so she would know why I haven’t called her. When approaching things that I thought would stray me off my plan I would dismiss myself. For example, while hanging out with friends I made sure they didn’t include me in anything powered by electricity; instead of sitting in the areas of the dining hall where the TVs were we sat in the booths that did not include Television.

After the experiment was over I realized how much I really needed the use of these things. I made sure to check the weather ahead of time, because I would usually do it before I left my room. About 8 hours of my day were spent sleeping, and the rest hanging out with friends. If I wasn’t sure of the time I would ask my friends, so that helped me remain on schedule. I had a test the week of the 15th in which I made sure I printed out my slides the Friday before conducting the fast. This was the last thing I did until the day change to the next.

It was difficult for me to watch my friends using there devices and not being able to engage fully in what they were doing at times. Watching television or being able to use my computer was not very hard to live without, but my mobile device was a different story. I had to leave it behind when I left my room because it was quite tempting to just power it on, but my friends made sure I went a full day without it! Once I made it a day without my mobile device I powered it on and messages quickly rolled in. I took a snapshot on my mobile device of two photos, one containing my messages and another of the amount of emails that I now had to check.

This assignment helped me to realize how much I need the use of technology and as well as other devices. Each device that I own is now a necessity to the human life. Although some may not hold a great deal of purpose it is still needed to a certain extent. I only just got a laptop computer and I was fine without it before, but it has been beneficial to me while being a college student. When my future students rush into my class I would hope they are not e-media fasters! It is fine to experiment to see if one can be without such devices, but to not have any source of using such devices or some others that were listed would be like going back to kindergarten all over again. As students’ progress in school the progress in technology as well. Therefore, I will never recommend not using battery powered devices mainly because life is just no fun!

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts-Special Post #12A

As we progress in age I believe curiosity still lives in us, it just has to be awaken by something stimulating. By this I mean it will take a little bit more than to animations and colors to keep the attention of young adults. Nowadays we have iPods, PC's, Macs, and a host of other electronics that gain the attention young adults as well as other ages. I do/don't feel that schools in U.S. systematically destroy the development of curiosity and/or creativity in students. A certain subject is expected to be taught by the teacher and that subject will be the primary focus of the course. Creativity remains in classrooms, but it is not as extreme as it may need to be. As a child passes through grade levels their curiosity drops each year. Why? Standardized test require a great deal of knowledge to pass huge reason why curiosity/creativity levels have fallen as students progress in school. In order to keep curiosity and creativity alive we must incorporate it in the course more.

A curriculum that can be developed to increase students curiosity and creativity levels is basically independence. When assigning things to students, let them make the work assigned become their own. Pave the way for them a bit by using wikis or any known source that they may use to help. Edm310 is a great example of an increasing of curiosity and creativity, by giving the class the freedom to do their own personal work, while using a set of guidelines makes each of us more prepared for what lies ahead.

Teachers actions can most definitely increase students curiosity and creativity levels by being a student also. We truly learn something new almost everyday, therefore a teacher who feels they know it all will get nowhere in a career of teaching. As a teacher we should want to keep learning to build our abilities to teach. When we become curious and express this to our class it makes them curious as well to a certain extinct. Most things are believable when there is an example for it. Let's be the example for our students!

I love being able to create things on my own. While in high school projects were my favorite, because as soon as the teacher gave a due date I was anxiously ready to begin. I am very artsy so ideas came very quickly to me. It really doesn't take much to push my creative side and I have been curious for as long as I know. If anything could give a boost on being more curious or creative it would an example of a previous person's work and the teachers enthusiasm for the assigned work. Today so many things boost my creativity level and I feel that there isn't anyone who can say that they aren't creative. We all just have a certain levels of creativity that we reach. Some enjoy being curious/creative and some do not.

Elli(Elspeth Bishop) is a writer for In Good Measure who was born and raised in Colorado. She enjoys outdoors activities such as hiking, skiing, and playing tennis. She can be contacted by joining her Google+ circle of friends. I don't believe I would contact her unless instructed to or if someone asks me about being curious/creative.

Blog Post#12

When we think of school from the time it began we think the three main courses: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (Mathematics). As time progress the listed subjects have remained along with a few others. Of all the subjects, I believe many have looked at Mathematics to be the most difficult of the subjects and many resources have been created to help ease the learning of it. This assignment is to show you that there are numerous means of help that can be found around you as well as through technology.

In this assignment you will be given 5 problems to complete according to its subject. You are to find the answer for each given problem. If you need help completing any of the problems refer to Math Websites Hotlist where you will see many sites pertaining to these following subjects listed. Once you have found the answers explain in complete sentences of how you came to that conclusion, and give the site name in which you used to complete the problem, if you used one. On the right of the problem is listed the Mathematics Course and type of problem.

1. Algebra Simple Equations: 2y + 4y= 18, Find y=?

2. Geometry Pythagorean Theorem: Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the missing side.

3. Algebra 2 Factorization: 〖8x〗^2-10x+3, Factor the equation to its furthest point.

4. Calculus Chain Rule: h(x)=√(x^3+1), Apply the Chain Rule to the following.

5. Calculus Trigonometry: π/2, Convert the radian measure to degrees.

Even if you do not choose any of the sites, I recommend that you do look through a few of them if not all; it could be beneficial to your future Mathematics abilities.

Blog Post Assignment 1:

1. 2y + 4y= 18, Answer: y=3. First add the like terms together 2y +4y= 6y. We now have 6y=18. Next, divide 6 by both sides which will give you y=3. Hippocampus.org

2. Answer: C= 5 By using the Pythagorean Theorem we know that A^2 + B^2= C^2. First we plug in the given values equal to the corresponding letters 4^2 + 9^2. We now have the following: 25=C^2. By taking the square root of both sides we find that C=5 Hippocampus.org

3. 〖8x〗^2-10x+3, Answer: (4x – 1)(2x – 3) We know that the values that give us eight are 1,8, 2 and 4. Of these we have choose the correct two to find the answer. I chose 2 and 4 because I need to try and get the value -10x as my Bx in the problem. I then choose 1 and 3 as the other two values to finish my problem, thus giving me my answer (4x - 1)(2x - 3).

4. h(x)=√(x^3+1), Answer: h'(x)=1/2(〖x^3+1)〗^((-1)/2) × 〖3x〗^2 The Chain Rule says to multiply the the outer derivative evaluated at the inner function by the inner derivative. With that being said I separate the values as follows: g(x)= x^3+1 with its derivative being 3x^2; f(u)= √u with its derivative being 1/2u^(-1/2). Now that these values I can use them to find my answer according to the Chain Rule definition we find that h'(x)=
1/2(〖x^3+1)〗^((-1)/2) × 〖3x〗^2

5. π/2, Answer: 90° First set the equation π/2 equal to (180°)/π. By doing so you should retrieve (180°)/2 which equals 90° Khan Academy

Progress Report-Final Project

Over the course of the past two weeks or so my group, GIT-Cynthia Arrington, Jeni Stovall, Donte Todd and I have been conversing with one another over Facebook concerning our upcoming projects. We chose Facebook because it was easier for us all to keep in contact with one another, because one member will only be present for the filming of Project 15. The remaining members and myself have chosen to come up with the subject for that particular project. Since we all will be able to contribute to Project 16 we have decided to wait for our last member to return which will be April 28th. We are now brainstorming on some ideas for Project 16 as we begin working on Project 15.

C4K April

For this month of C4Ks I was assigned Hunter and Faauiga. Hunter was the student in the World Blog Challenge. I commented on three of his post although he didn’t blog as regularly as I thought he would’ve. Faauiga is a young girl who is a student of Room 6 @Pt England School of New Zealand and most of her posts were videos where she explained her topics.

The first post I commented on by Hunter was a summary about a book series called Redwall. In my comment to Hunter, I explained how I also loved books about heroes, and movies too. I stated that my liking of books wasn’t just for school purposes, but for entertainment as well. I told him that my favorite movie involving a warrior was Troy and ended the comment by asking if he had a favorite book or movie.

The second comment I left was on a post that Hunter titled “Where I live”. In the post he gave a description of what the weather changes were like in Vermont according to the seasons. In my comment for this post I compared our surroundings by saying that it also gets very hot in the summertime in Alabama, just as he describes Vermont in the summertime. I differed with him by saying that we do have cold winters, but probably not as cold as Vermont. I ended this comment by asking what kind of animals would be seen in Vermont.

The third comment I left on Hunter’s blog was on a post titled “Making Connections”. This post was about a book that involved hunting and Hunter included that he has also hunted before. He later explained the book a little more by stating that it was about the reasons why Native Americans hunted. His conclusion of the book was that Native Americans hunted for specific reasons such as food and not for fun which is a reason why some people do it today. I agreed with Hunter and I am glad that he could understand the livelihood of the Native Americans of this time that he read about.

My last C4K was Faauiga and her video post was titled “Faauiga Went to her Cousin’s Birthday Party!” In the video she explained how much she loved her weekend. The event was her cousin’s party and the anticipation was for the cake and pie that was made by her aunt. In my comment to Faauiga I stated that I could tell she enjoyed the party a lot and how I love parties as well. I also included that the cake is always the best part of an event. I really enjoyed getting to know all the students I was assigned for C4K although I didn't receive many responses, each of them have taught me that there’s no need to be afraid to LEARN!

Blog Post #11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class
I enjoyed this video a lot! It reminded me of our previous podcast assignment, where my group and I chose to use only audio for the video. This shows that learning through technology isn’t just expanding in use, but it is progressing quickly in children at young ages as well. I believe Ms. Cassidy’s approach to the use of technology in the classroom was to show that technology will not just change learning for our generation, but the ones to come also. The students said they were able to blog, use wikis, Skype, and use their Nintendo DS game systems effectively to help them with classwork. The students begin to understand the uses of technology and are able to apply the skills at home or anywhere the devices are available.

All of Ms. Cassidy’s techniques seem effective and if I had to choose one it would be the wikis. Wikis, as the kids described were used to find answers to questions they did not know the answer to. The wikis allowed the students to receive multiple comments from people all over on what they felt traditions and rituals were. In my Math class I could use a wiki to explain different math terms or even help with conversions of weight, length, or volume. Wikis can be used for just about anything and I am glad I discovered this because on a previous post of mine. In the post I stated that I would NOT use technology in my classroom, but just as Dr. Strange said it will probably be very difficult to be a teacher and not be technologically literate. I now see that technology could be beneficiary to every subject. One issue that may come across from using the wikis might be the access to them once school is out. The percentages of having computers at home have gone up, but not every household is as motivated to purchase these useful items as others are. Therefore, the wikis will only be used as an alternative, in the case of students needing extra help learning the material.

This approach by Ms. Cassidy benefits me a great deal by choosing to teach Math. We never actually stop learning; with that being said I could use wikis for my students and myself as well! I didn’t know exactly what a wiki was, but once I searched it I realized how beneficial it could be to my future classroom or anyone’s. If I were teaching English, I could use a wiki to help students understand the basis of punctuation and it could be helpful with correct spelling. With Mathematics there are never ending formulas that can be hard to understand at first look and wikis dealing with math can offer a review lesson to show what came before the new formula. I enjoyed Ms. Cassidy’s video of her first graders, and I hope that one day my class will be as excited about the new ways of learning as hers was.

Blog Post #10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?
Teaching is something I have always enjoyed doing as far as I can think back. Being able to help someone master a skill gives one a feeling of achievement; not only for whoever is learning, but for oneself as well. The words teaching and educating at times are viewed to have the same meaning, but are quite different. My major is Secondary Education-Mathematics which requires me to teach the necessary skills that are needed for the next level of Math beyond what I am teaching. There are some teachers who do just this and continually move forward each year with the same plan of attack. I have had my opportunity of being taught by such teachers who teach, but DO NOT educate.

When a student is educated the material stays and never leaves. I feel that education is the lesson behind the skills being learned by the student, and I also think Edm310 is a helpful way to educate an educator on the proper ways of educating. Wikipedia defines the word as the formal process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another. This screams out to me that educating isn’t just teaching, but it’s instilling ones data/information on things that correlate to the subject being taught, as well as helping the students master the skills. Teaching isn't the hard part, it takes a lot to be able to educate and it starts with the TEACHER.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!
“It is what it is.” This statement is thought and used by many before they even know the background information of a situation. We sometimes jump to conclusions because we are too afraid to face the outcome of things that frighten us. To me this post stands as a metaphor for situations that are not evaluated fully before jumping to conclusions. I first thought that Gertrude was acting like a narrow minded person by saying that lower-income children would use the pencils to play hangman, or for some other uneducated purpose. Just as Lisa stated in her comment the children may not be doing anything productive with the pencils but at least it is not something negative.

The basis of keeping a child entertained and making them feel learning is worth while is to show the quality and ability of whatever it is they are using/learning. I loved that Mr. Johnson evaluated the situation by meeting with the students and parents to explain the different uses pencils. Once the lessons have been taught it is now up to the student to apply the skills. I was a little confused at first by this post, but after looking over the related post by Larry Ferlazzo I then realized that people will take anything and run with it. Mr. Ferlazzo's post made better since, in a sense of computers affecting students test scores, because it is easier to find substantial information on that. This makes Mr. Jonhnson's post all the more better because although it seems rather simple when finding a solution it is not. We should always find background information and use it when giving our own opinions on such situations.

Blog Post #9

What I've Learned This Year (2008-09)
I really enjoyed reading about Mr. McClung’s first few years of teaching. Before I read this post I noticed the picture he included in the post that read, "An important decision I made this year is to remain positive. It is very important to have a positive outlook on things although we may not like the situations that involve us. Mr. McClung began his evaluation with how to read the crowd, in which he explained how he learned to let the audience drive his instructions. I feel that we can never be fully prepared to teach students just as he also explained a while later in a portion he called be flexible.

Flexibility is major when it comes to being an educator, students are going to be the top priorities and sometimes we may have to work with some a little more than others. In a portion called be reasonable he expressed how teachers sometimes have high expectations for students, making it hard for the student to achieve whatever the goal may be. When children fail to grasp the concept of things, Mr. McClung believes we the teachers should dust the children off and encourage them to try again. There are too many so-called educators who don't care enough to make sure students understand what it is that they are learning. I especially enjoyed the section don't be afraid of Technology. I feel that I can be afraid of technology, but I am learning just as he said that technology is my friend and Edm310 is also helping me let my guard down when it comes to accepting that technology WILL BE apart of our education system until the end of time.

What I Learned This Year (2010-11)
I would describe this year description as short and sweet, which shows that Mr. McClung was getting the hang of things. The first thing listed was know your boss. We all have been victims of people pleasing even if we are the ones being pleased. It's okay to want to be accepted, but never forget your why we are in this area of work. Once again the students are the importance so all the energy of pleasing should be the same effort put into educating.

One thing he talked about that I definitely am not afraid to be is an outsider. Mr. McClung's tells us how he prefers to be more engage with his students than the faculty and I will probably act in this way as an educator myself. He is happy about the teacher he has become and as long as the students are learning, and he is proud of himself and his work ethic then no one else really matters. He ended this post with don't get comfortable, which is good for any occupation. As a teacher things are liable to change multiple of times throughout a year. Mr. McCklung says it well that routines are good in the sense that they allow a person to be more effective, but can also be bad because they can foster apathy. I enjoyed this post and I have enjoyed this blog as well. I am glad Mr. McClung decided to do this it is not only helpful to him in which he can recall or refer to but it is also helpful for me.

Project #14 SmartBoard Instructional Part 1

C4K March

I was assigned the child Idrees for C4K this month. His blog post contained a daily event in which he played outside, and snuck off to the shop without his mother noticing. He mentioned his brother who wasn’t allowed to play outside and also visiting a friend. Idrees description of that day as a sunny one, but as time passed he noticed a change in the weather when he heard the sound of thunder. In my comment to Idrees, I commended him for the clear description of his story. I connected myself to his story by telling him how the weather change he saw coming, was very similar to the weather we have here in Mobile. I also included that as a child I too would sneak off from home to visit neighborhood friends.

C4T #3

For this C4T I was assigned the teachers who share the blog At the Teacher’s Desk and I commented on two post by William Chamberlain. The first comment I left on the blog was for the post titled, "How about Unconferences for Students?” This post seemed very interesting because it involved students meeting on a Saturday to present ideas about technology. I also wanted to know more about what exactly an “unconference” is. It is basically a meeting/conference in which one shares his/hers ideas for a given subject. I loved that the students would get to expressed themselves for the things that they loved. This idea that Mr. Chamberlain came up with has not been put in action just yet because of timing, but I’m going to definitely be checking in on the process.

Another post I commented on was called, “Can you present at a Tech Conference without the Tech Being Your Main Focus.” In the post Mr. Chamberlain described a presentation given by himself in which he didn’t use tech tools as a focal point. He feels that student learning is the main focus and used them to generalize the point of his presentation. I agreed with him including that using students in the presentation shows the abilities of the tools while showing the benefits as well.

Project #12

Project # 11

Blog Post #8

This Is How We Dream: Dr. Richard Miller
This video/movie was beyond enlightening. The virtual world, unlike the one we live in, contains a subject base that will never cease. Dr. Miller explained this to us in his presentation,“This is how we Dream”. At this day and time, I am not as educated as I need to be on the ideas and concepts of this non-stop virtual world, but I am learning from instructors such as Dr. Miller who openly and willingly share their knowledge.

“These ideas belong to us as a culture, not individually.” What would the world be like if we were denied the access to these ideas? What if instructors were all simple minded and continued to go about teaching in the repetitive ways, that some just can’t seem to shake? The world will then become repetitive, which would result in a critical change of a world that is built off just that, “change”. I think Dr. Miller has introduced this idea to challenge future teachers to work together in making this dream, a reality.

In Edm310 we are taught multiple things that assist us in learning to build our skills to becoming great educators. Mastering these skills and those of others through the virtual world will make each of us well equipped with multi-media writing. Just as the ideas are shared with us, we should reflect the ideas and knowledge upon our students, encouraging them to expand the ideas by making them their own and passing the knowledge on to others.


Carly Pugh
The creativity of the assignment was great to begin with for this post. I love that Carly applied what she had previously learned in Edm310 by using links in her post as an example to guide students through the assignment. Just as Dr. Miller painted a picture while explaining the virtual world to us, Carly did as well in her example of the assignment. What I appreciate about Carly’s post is that it justifies to there being an endless amount answers to questions one may have.


The Chipper Series and Edm310 for Dummies
Both of these videos were great for explaining what we all thought from day one entering Edm310. In The Chipper Series I wasn’t surprised by the way the student was acting. Chipper reminds me of the saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” When we are faced with decisions or certain tasks and let distractions keep us from accomplishing them, we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. There were times where I thought to myself, “Why am I in this class, I’m going to be a Math teacher.” Over a course of the class, I began to see the bigger picture behind Edm310. My learning skills needed a boost and time management and I did not get along well.Edm310 for Dummies seems like the perfect book to assist a student taking the course. I would like to see more videos of students discussing and visually showing their personal gain of new skills learned in Edm310.

Learn to change, change to learn
I enjoyed this video mainly because as it spoke about different cultures, it expressed them as well. When I see teachers who are passionate about what they do and want to work together in making sure 21st century students are prepared learners for the types of jobs ahead in the future, inspires me even more in joining the field of education. As I think about the standardized test that I was pushed so hard to pass in high school, I begin to agree with the instructor, who says, “The work students will be doing in the future will be called on their artistic abilities, abilities of synthesis, abilities understanding the context, abilities of working in teams, abilities to be multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural.” Another source I found interesting in this video is that it also contained information on PLNs although it didn’t specifically address them.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0
1. Blogger is an awesome site that can be used by teachers, parents, and students. It allows you to get know other bloggers from all over the world, for educational purposes and for personal ones as well. Students gain confidence in having something to establish as their own, making every aspect about them, but also apply new learning skills to the blogs so that it’s not just a simple page about them. Parents may want to collaborate with other parents on how technology is becoming a primary source of learning and teachers use blogger as a way to push their knowledge to the next level by putting it out there for everyone to see.

3.

4.Windows Live Movie Maker
Windows Live Movie Maker is a great feature. It is no iMovie, but for a PC it is awesome! It combines with the built in webcam of your computer or laptop to create movies or videos that you can keep for fun or post for projects and assignments. Some of it's features are similar to those of Microsoft PowerPoint where you can add visual affects and animations to the movie. You can also add pictures to the video/movie to add to finish touches.If you own a PC, I would definitely recommend that you download this feature.

Project #10 PLN-1

I am learning so much in edm310 and I’m also finding out that there are people who wish to see future teachers succeed. All the links to different class blogs and teachers all over the world, makes me content when it comes to expanding my learning abilities. I once thought about studying abroad, and I still would like to someday, but at the moment I am realizing that a simple click and a well thought question is all I need to learn just about anything from anywhere. PLN’s are what will help continue to instruct me in multiple directions, all leading up to one incredible purpose, which is continuous learning.

So far I have learned a lot from the teacher and student blogs that have been assigned to me. I had an idea of what blogging was and the idea definitely doesn’t fit with what I’ve been exposed to. I enjoy watching the different videos of others explaining how they have expanded their PLN’s through traveling and meeting other teacher, and also through the virtual world. Blogger, YouTube, Twitter are three of the main things I am using at the moment to help construct my PLN. I hope to learn new and better ways as I go further in this course.

Blog Post #7

1. The Networked Student

This video was hands on, which is what I liked most about it. The creativity of the video helps ease the idea of a high use of technology in our future classrooms. In a way, it also explains how it may take more than just the traditional instructor to be able to educate networked based students. A question was asked, “Why would we need teachers?” In a networked based course, majority of the classwork can be easily found through technology, which makes the question a good one.

The video states that teachers will be needed to help build the network. This statement simply means, I, as a future teacher should already be an informed networked student in order to teach others how to be one. The teacher basically reflects his/ her knowledge and passes it on to the students, showing them the respectable ways to ask questions or for help if needed.

When it comes to technology I question whether or not I’ll use it in my classroom and the answer is no. I do feel having networked based skills are beneficial, but not in a Math class. In the future, the pressure is not to be focused primarily on technology, but to make sure that our students are up to par when it comes down to the advancement of technology. I think that it a takes one person to start something prosperous; if in a case like mine I would make sure that network based teaching is being taught in my school, although I will not particularly teach it in my classroom.

2. A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Enviroment(or PLN)

Edm310 is a great example of a PLN. It links us to multiple blogs and sites that pertain not only to being a great instructor, but the best for our 21st century students. I enjoyed watching the 7th grader’s video of her PLE. I can tell that she is very serious as far as learning and also in a paperless way. The different tools she uses to help manage her PLE are some of the same tools I plan to use to help construct my PLN. Some things shown in her PLE that I also use are Google, Blogger, YouTube, and Social Networks. I love that she is very organized because it seems to be a key aspect in managing a PLE or PLN.

Project #9b

C4T #2

The teacher I was assigned this week was Lee Kolbert. The first blog post I commented on was called "How to finally get it right on Valentine’s Day". The post was specifically speaking to a male audience in the do’s and don’ts of getting the perfect gift. She explained how sometimes certain gifts are perfect in theory, but can cause some confusion. For instance, if a man was to by a clothing item as a gift for Valentines’ Day, he would have to get the exact size of the woman. If the item is too big then the woman may think that the guy sees her as being larger, and if he gets something too small then it may make the woman feel out of shape. There were plenty scenarios similar to this in the post and all very helpful.

The second post I comment on by Miss Kolbert was titled “Top 10 Reasons Why I’m Not Following You on Twitter and 10 Reasons Why I Am”. I felt that this post would be helpful to the people who are first time Twitter users. Knowing who to follow or not follow can be valuable to one’s own personal Twitter profile. Here are a few of my favorite reasons from the list of why you should or shouldn’t follow someone on Twitter.

Top 10 Reasons Why I'm Probably NOT Following You on Twitter:

1. You're an egg or default avatar with no profile. Add a photo and a bio. Tell me something meaningful about yourself.

6. You are argumentative for the sake of being argumentative.

8. You meanly mock others. (Not to be confused with gentle teasing.)

10.You've asked me for help, I've helped. I've asked you for help, you've ignored me.
Seriously?


Top 10 Reasons Why I Probably AM Following You on Twitter:


2. You make me think.

4. You've sent me places online, pointed me to articles and blogposts and provided resources I might not have found as quickly on my own.

7. You've told me when you think I'm wrong.

9. You've taught me something.

Miss Kolbert's blog was very entertaining and educational, I would recommend her blog to anyone who's looking for great answers and a smile.

Blog Post #6

Who would think one man could inspire millions? I know it is possible and has also been done before, but not so much in the way Dr. Randy Pausch has. “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”. I can’t explain what that simple quote by Dr. Pausch did to me. So many emotions are drawn from this one lecture that makes me want more and more of his inspirational speaking and mentoring. The Last Lecture was filled with multiple teaching techniques that can and will be used in my future classrooms. This lecture was specifically based on the following key points: my childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned: how you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others.

Every child has a dream while growing up. There are the impossible dreams in which are created through our imaginations and the possible dreams which seem impossible, but can come true. In the lecture Dr. Pausch explained why the metaphorical brick walls are put up. “The reason is not to keep us away, but to give us a chance to show how badly we want something”, said by Dr. Pausch. There’s much truth in that statement; how else are we going to be able to tell the amount dedication a person has, if they don’t fight for what they want. What are we without our dreams? Dreams create those paths we must travel to reach the opportunities we long for, and I learned that from watching this video of The Last Lecture.

It’s always good to have examples to base the realities of things off of. Dr. Randy Pausch was a great example. He could’ve chosen any of his colleagues or students of the past, which have also gone on similar paths, but instead he allowed us to hear the testimonials about himself. I know that I love to hear people tell the stories of how they reached success, and the key things they did to achieve it. I’m also sure that the millions of people that have watched or read the book have also enjoyed the learning experience.

I plan to teach my students to have the same drive that Dr. Pausch had and I will try to the best of my abilities to reveal it in myself. I’ve learned so many things that are beneficial to my career life, but most importantly to life in general. We should all know that helping others, showing gratitude, or not complaining are some of the correct ways of life and when you add it to your work environment it sets off a chain of humane sincerity. When Dr. Pausch ended his lecture he concluded that The Last Lecture was not about: my childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned: how you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others, but was simply about how to lead your life the right way. We sometimes feel that we have heard it all and some as they watched along or read are still thinking the same way. Whether they like it or not Randy Pausch is and will forever be a legend, he could have lived the rest of his days in peace with his family, but he chose to keep giving a since of peace to others. May he finally have the peace he kept on giving.

Project #8 Group Podcast

C4K February

#1
The first child I was assigned was named Shalmon. He attends Pt. England School where his teacher is Ms. King. His post was titled “Home Alone”, which was his description of how he spent his holiday. It started very slowly because Shalmon wasn’t enjoying it very much. He first mentioned how he did not like that he would be home alone with his brothers, but when he found out that they would be playing basketball one day, he was excited. I added that I was also a fan of the game and how glad I was that he eventually had some fun over the holidays.

#2
The second child I was assigned was Prestan. Prestan is from New Zealand and his teacher is Mrs. Huebner. His post was about an interview he had with another person. The questions were based upon Christopher Columbus. The post was filled with many facts about Columbus and I made it clear to Prestan that he refreshed my memory of some things about Christopher Columbus. Things like how Columbus was searching for East Indies/India as he stumbled into the discovery of America.

#3
The third child was Royce. Royce is a third grader from Connecticut, in Mrs. Yollis class. His blog post was called “Amazing Things you find in Nature”. He uploaded multiple pictures of animals he had seen regularly in his back yard. The main thing I loved about his entry was that he ended it with questions. He asked if we had animals lurking around our backyards. I was in awe of how well written his post was, and he even included a joke which I found quite funny.

#4
The last child of February was Teva. She is a student in Mr. Moriarty's class of Parkvale, New Zealand. Her latest blog post was a google presentation called "Six Things My Teach Needs to Know About Me". She included things such as her favorite color and food. What I like most about her presentation is that remembered to leave links for her class blog and hers as well on last page of the presentation.

Timetoast Project #9a

Years of Vacations

Blog Post #5

Do not Teach Your Kids this Stuff. Please?

First of all, the form of the post really got me thinking. As you scroll down further and further towards the end I’m sure you notice it’s not typically in the form of a paragraph. It somehow jumps out to me as doomsday or something in that nature, in a sense that if we don’t encourage children to use technology and support the movement of it, then we along with the children will be lost. Yes! There are things on the internet children should stay away from, but there’s so much more offered that they will not see in the outside world. Everything comes with a choice and focusing on teaching our children to make correct choices will help benefit them in their usage of technology.

The iSchool Initiative

I can’t say that I agree fully with the idea of getting rid of everything in today’s teaching and replacing it with the iSchool. I know that technology is expanding and I do feel the use of it is beneficial, but as far as making it top priority is just not something I’m comfortable with. Although the idea of the iSchool is not one I totally agree with, I enjoyed the presentation of the argument.

Travis showed all the features that are in the classroom or on a computer that can be found easily on the iSchool. Just thinking about the hassle of carrying books and sometimes not having a writing utensil does make me feel that this idea is a great one, but what happens when something goes wrong with the iSchool and there is wait on a replaceable one? I wouldn’t mind meeting one of the iSchool Initiative members to get the full outlook on the idea.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

I am speechless after watching this video. I love music in every aspect and I always try to find the latest on how someone has changed something or created a movement. This is definitely a movement in the making. The people might as well have been in the same room, because I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. I am in awe of this discovery and of the person who thought to make something like this. This is confirmation that technology is as good as people say it is.

Teaching in the 21st Century

In this video, Roberts feelings of the word “teach” today means educating future students about properly using technologic resources. With so much going on around nowadays we cannot rely on just television or someone else passing along for information. We must go where we can get a precise answer to whatever it is we seek to know. I agree with Roberts’ outlook on the situation on teaching students today. We cannot approach them students with just the day to day book teaching.

Roberts also feels that technology is not just pure entertainment, but is more about the engagement of the student and the task at hand. Students enjoy the challenge of being asked to find out things on their own; technology gives them that confidence in themselves to be able to do it. Although sometimes I feel that technology is not going to be needed much in Math, it clearly is. Teaching does not always have to be about a particular subject. I believe it’s about building the knowledge of a person and I know technology helps with that, so I’m all for encouraging it.

Reading Rockets

I honestly feel that nothing can really prepare you fully for the position of teaching, but this site pretty much sums it up quite well. Reading is one of the most important subjects taught and there are many things listed on this site that are valuable to students reading capabilities. I personally would choose this site as an example seeker to help me in the classroom. It’s filled with multiple links to help make you and I perfect teachers. It varies from helping for teachers to helping for principles as well.

I loved this site; in particular I liked the link Teacher Education which explains why some teachers are look at not being prepared to teach. There are multiple guidelines for the teacher in critiquing their personal knowledge while applying it in the classroom. I also enjoyed reading about Speech, Language, and Hearing. It definitely helps one to understand how to approach teaching a child with a hearing disability or a child learning English as a second language.

Blog Post #4

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection

After reading Judy Scharf's Podcast Collection, I began to understand what Podcasting was. Judy broke the word down into two parts which were broadcasting and ipod. The meaning of a podcast, then became apparent to me. Podcasting is a broadcast that can be uploaded as a feature not only on a computer, but on an ipod or a MP3 player as well. She left some tips in the post to help with succeeding at creating a well put together podcast. Her tips included learning Audacity, making sure you have enough time to complete the task, and also being able to let the task be seen by someone, so that students may feel proud of themselves.

Langwitches: Podcasting with First Grade

Although I am not going to be teaching any kids below the age thirteen, I enjoyed reading about the first graders. The one thing in the post that stood out was when it said that an audience matters; even for someone as young as a first grader. Being able to say that someone was interested in the work means a lot. This form of activity also taught the kids to be patient while working on the project. Podcasting seems to be an activity that helps get your voice heard whether its through a video or just audio. I believe I will enjoy it just as the first graders have.

Langwitches: Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting

This post was based upon actually listening, understanding another language and using podcasting as to tool to help. The students had the opportunity to create their own podcast and while using SmartBoards to edit it. Podcasting was an essential tool in this task in which they recorded their voices while reciting different words of different sounds. Overall this assignment helped the students with their speaking sills and fluency in another language.

My Sentence Movie

Project #5

Blog Assignment 3

Technology in Special Education
A.
This was the first time Technology in Special Education has been introduced to me. I do know it requires a great deal of patience to work with a special needs child. From experience of working with a special needs child, I can say that it takes quite a while to finish a single task. Seeing that technology not only keeps the students focused, but boost the confidence of them is remarkable. I think it takes a great teacher to try and think of a sufficient way that could help any student let alone a special needs child.

Technology is a great source for just about any subject. Introducing it to special education courses was a great idea. It makes the students feel “normal” in the sense that they are learning in the way every other type of student is. When the time comes for me to introduce technology to a special needs child I will be honored to enhance their learning abilities. Time management would most likely be the first thing I will try to teach just as Dr. Strange did for the first blog post in Edm310.

B.
The video of the father and son on How the iPad works with Academics for Autism was enlightening; its main focus was to show how technology has impacted the learning of an autistic child. Gadgets are very fun and kids love trying new things, especially when they can use them to gain a feeling superiority. The iPad offers so many different applications to help with learning for young children. I came across an application that stood out to me called Freefall Spelling. The app. contains lessons on spelling, writing and math. It includes some games as well and its being appealing to the human eye is just a plus.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count
My first thought after clicking the link Gary's Social Media Count was by the time I begin teaching, technology will be at somewhat of a normal high, and classroom room setups will be on the same page with it as well. Technology was introduced a long time ago and it has expanded tremendously. If one believes there will be no use for technology they are wrong. After seeing the numbers jump so quickly on link given above made me think about whether the world would even be able to function without the use of technology.

My prediction for the future is that the focal point of the classroom will be the use of technology. Soon it will be required for elementary schools to not only know the basics when it comes to using computers, but also the advance things that are being taught in college classrooms. I am seeing these things progress in today’s teaching.

A Vision of Students Today
A Vision of Students Today was very relatable, as a student we all wonder why there is so much emphasis on education being important. One sometimes feel that certain subjects have no use for being learned, if they have no relation with whatever job is being pursued. Math is usually a major subject that most students complain is pointless to continue with after a certain level, not knowing that the preparation for more advanced Math is crucial to a lot of careers.

I think as future educators we should make sure our students are involved in everything dealing with the subject at hand, plus more. We should want the students to feel that the material is needed and not just the passing grade. A few instructors that I’ve been taught by have made it clear that it’s up to the student to pass the class, but I also feel it is up to the teacher as well. Being a teacher is not usually a last resort type of job and most teachers do it because they enjoy helping others. If instructors were to act more interested in the students learning the material I believe the statement will work vice versa.

C4T #1

The teacher assigned to me was Kevin McLaughlin. The first comment I left was a post explaining why IWB's(Interactive White Boards) are no use for today's students. I agreed with the teacher as far as the IWB's not being needed for certain subjects. With technology so many different things are being created and enhanced; spending money on these boards do appear to be a waste.

The second comment I left was on a more recent post called "Leashes are not Required". The name was very catchy and after reading the post I understood why that name had been chosen. The post was about how he took the approach of teaching literacy and numeracy in a less traditional way. What I mean by that is he gives his kids some of the responsibility of there work being done on time. The students were able to use personal journals to make sure there task were done. I believe this gives the kids a boost of confidence. I liked both post, but this one inspired me a lot and I can't wait to apply some of the things I've learned.

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?
Before I click to watch the Did You Know 3.0 Dr. Strange's 2012 Version I had my own conception of what it would be about. I had no idea I would be questioning whether or not I will be ready to go into the teaching field. Although it’s apparent that the human race is more than just Americans, I think we sometimes forget. Americans can come across as being lazy in a lot of ways, and it is now up to the present generations to change that.

It becomes very controversial when one makes a statement such as the one I made above, but after viewing the 2006 statement in Did You Know 3.0 Dr. Strange's 2012 Version and seeing that 18 million Chinese now speak the English language not to mention the 300 million learning, made my assumption along with others true. Not once in either video did I see a comparison of Americans to any other culture. I also viewed the original Did You Know 3.0 and it’s even more frightening than Dr. Strange’s. I think the idea of each video suggest that future teachers everywhere but in America especially, should be well adapted to the world of technology in its old and new horizons.

Mr. Wrinkle
The video Mr. Wrinkle Awakes reminded me a lot of the comment I left on my assignment for comments for teachers. I think Mr. Wrinkle was sought in his traditional ways for a lot of things and awaking to new ways of life was a bit overwhelming for him. He didn’t really like the new digitalized world he had awaken to, but once he got into a place where he was comfortable he felt relieved to know not everything had changed.

I believe the video suggests that we all, along with Mr. Wrinkle should wake up from ancient times and get up to date with technology. We all know that time waits on no one and at this day and time neither does technology. In the video there was a display on multiple devices used today, but what was missing is how far they’ve come. If Mr. Wrinkle slept another hundred years’ and wakes up he’ll probably wish he hadn’t.

The Importance of Creativity
I enjoyed this video for many reasons and the first is because of Sir Ken Robinson’s humorous delivery of the topic The Importance of Creativity. Being creative has been a description of me, for as long as I can remember. It’s something about a hidden talent or a creative side of oneself that brings out the best in peoples’ work ethic and ability. Living in a world where education and flourishing careers are a necessity sometimes place being creative on the backburner.

In the video Mr. Robinson told a few stories of how some people discovered their creative side and how it sometimes was a conflict with their ability to learn in a classroom. He specifically spoke about Gillian Lynne, who is known for her direction/choreography of Cats and the staging of The Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love. In her story, Mr. Robinson explained that she had some sort of learning disorder and was looked at by a specialist to get a legit diagnosis. When the specialist and Gillian were alone together he noticed she had a passion for dance and told her mother exactly that.

A Vision for 21st Century Learning
The main arguments in A Vision for 21st Century Learning are whether the traditional way of teaching is better, opposed to a more advanced way through technology. I feel that there isn’t anything wrong with traditional teaching. It has been the way of teaching for quite some time, and many of our teachers today were taught through those ways. I can’t deny that technology has a way of challenging the traditional way of teaching, and if both were combined with a dedicated instructor it would be unimaginable.

Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
The first thing I noticed in the Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts video is the approach at teaching and learning. It is very similar to the approach in the course EDM310, in which the instructor does not lecture a full class period, but makes it more of a hand on experience. The teacher gives certain guidelines which help the students gain empowerment from succeeding in the tasks given, mostly on their own. These ways of teaching boost the students’ confidence in themselves as well as the class performance.

I liked that Mrs. Davis classified herself as an entrepreneur, as well as a teacher. In the video she also made the remark that she feels a teacher does not have to know it all. I agree with her; once the student sees the importance in that statement they will understand you do not have to know it all, but most importantly to learn as much as possible. Watching this video gave me insight on the idea of enhancing technology in the classroom because I did not understand the point of it all.

Project #2 Wordle

Blog Assignment 1

Hello, my name is Katrina D. Williams, and I am currently attending the University of South Alabama. The state of Alabama is where I have resided all twenty years of my life, as well as the rest of my immediate family. Family means a lot to me, as it should for everyone else. I absolutely love my mother, she is my strength, my rock and one of my best friends. I have yet to go a single day without speaking with her, and if I don't I feel as if I missed out on something. I grew up in a small town by the name of Hurtsboro, where I went through the phase of trying to figure out my many likes and dislikes. As a child I enjoyed dancing and still to this day it is a passion of mine. As I grew I also enjoyed the game of basketball, but I disliked actually participating with a team. Back in my childhood year’s one would have placed me in a category with the tomboys because it was definitely hard to be as some would say, “a girly girl”. I have a total of three brothers, all older, and all very over protective. My youngest brother and I are close in age; as children we spent a lot of time together, so playing with dolls or any little girl toy was awkward. For some reason it was easier to just make up silly games, or to just settle with playing with his toys.

As the years progressed I reached the adolescent stage of life and I discovered that being categorized as a tomboy just didn’t fit. When I entered high school I went out for the cheerleading squad, which in my eyes was a huge step closer to being more girly. Try-outs were hectic and I almost didn’t make the team, but when I open my envelope it revealed that I had made the cheerleading squad. The excitement I felt was inexpressible, and I told myself I wouldn't be categorized as anything other than me; after that day I made cheerleading one of my top priorities. I proceeded to try-out each year and as a senior I was voted captain of the squad. After strongly finishing my senior, I applied for and received an academic scholarship to attend Southern Union State Community College for two years.

During my first two years at SUSCC my mind constantly wondered what was I good at and what did I see myself doing in the near future. I had a chosen Business Accounting as a major entering college because of a sudden interest during a high school course, but as I started into the degree program for that major I could not see myself as an accountant. I began to think of all the things I loved doing, and after a few days of thinking I realized that all of my life I never had a problem with speaking to a person and in return listening to what they have to say. I also remembered that giving great advice was also one of my signature qualities. That brought me to the idea of being a counselor. I love helping others and I felt that the younger generation is what I would focus on first. My major had to be changed to Education because in order for me to practice counseling I would have to teach for at least a total of two years. I chose Secondary Education as my major and now I’m at the University of South Alabama pursuing my degree in mathematics.

Randy Pausch on Time Management
This video on time management was extremely helpful, in the sense of knowing that once you create a goal or a to-do list there is a purpose for whatever needs to be done. I also learned it’s good to plan daily and whether or not the task is completed is a matter of actually planning it from the start. Dr. Pausch’s life was taken July of 2008 due to cancer, and in a lot of ways I feel his life was the best example of managing time. He never strayed from his plan to continue educating while preparing to leave his family as well.

Penn State University Time Management
I’m finding the subject of time management very coincidental to myself. Half of things on the list in this study I would usually say or do. The ideas given to be better with managing your time were all very constructive. I created a calendar with all my weekly events and it definitely helps to have a plan of what is to be done daily. It’s very hard to adapt to being away from home and not having the extra push of someone you’re used to, and this study definitely gives one a push to be more responsible for yourself.

Practice Post

My first post.