Assignment #14 Final Reflection

Project #13

My group and I decided to collaborate through Google Docs, Email, Text messages, and through phone calls. Not everyone had each other's numbers, so we had to make sure everyone in our group had a way of getting in touch with one another. My group consisted of Lindsey Edwards, Carly willoughby, and Michelle Nix. Everyone had great ideas and contributed as much as they could. Carly made a blank shared document in Google Docs and we all put in as many ideas as we could on our own time. I thought Google docs was such a great way for us all to collaborate because we all use Google and it kept all of our thoughts and ideas organized. It is very easy to collaborate without meeting in a group. Technology has evolved so much and there are so many options and ways to communicate while in a group.

Final Project #16

C4T #4 Summary

Wesley Fryer

For this C4T I was assigned to Wesley Fryer. Wesley Fryer is definitely one beyond words. I would definitely like to meet him because he writes some pretty interesting blog posts. In Wesley Fryer's first blog post that I commented on, he writes about all the amazing uses of his phone. He also writes about how he is blogging on an airplane from 36,000 feet in the air! That amazed me. He is a very dedicated blogger to say the least. He was taking a flight from a conference in phoenix back home to Oklahoma City. His post was about his first time using inboard in-flight WiFi on an airplane. He updates different airline ticket prices and other interesting things on his cell phone.

Here is my comment for Wesley Fryer: Hi there Wesley Fryer! I am an EDM310 student at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned to you blog my professor, Dr. Strange. I thought your blog was great and very informative about how technology has developed and grown thus far. I recently got a smartphone so I am now using all of the media that is made available for people. Just this weekend, I had visited New Orleans, LA and I had to use my GPS. Without the GPS, I probably would have ended up in Texas somewhere. So I am pretty dependent on my new smartphone. I love how I can receive and reply to emails from my fellow classmates and my professors. Another APP that I am thrilled to have is Skype. I have always been a fan of the standard Skype that I have on my computer, but now that I have one on my phone, I am set! Thanks for posting such a lovely post about your trip and your technology uses! An EDM student at the University of South Alabama Emilie Rinehart.

Wesley Fryer's second blog post that I commented on was very heartfelt for me. The blog post was about a video that was shared at his church one Sunday morning. The video is done by a young lady who has undergone several surgeries since birth. I can only imagine the struggles this young lady and her family have been through over the years. The video is a remake of the song by David Phelps: No More Night. She remakes this song by doing a touching sign language performance. This video really touched me because I know sign language and I have seen some of the difficulties that people go through with hearing impaired handicaps. I wanted to show the two YouTube videos so everyone could see how touching they really are. I commented to on his blog by telling him how much his blog post impacted me and I told his about my church and how we have a session designated to those who are hearing impaired.

Final Report on PLN

We are suppose to have a final report on our PLN. The PLN assignment was probably my favorite assignment in EDM310. I liked it because it forced me to become organized and to search for more useful tools. In the process I also found wonderful sites that I use daily. I am going to pass the idea of the PLN down to my future students and my future colleagues because I think it will benefit them as much as it has me. I think I will continuously be adding different tiles for my PLN. There is always going to be something out there that I can find to use daily! I thank Dr. Strange for encouraging us to search for more resources and organize them so they are right at our fingertips.

Blog Post #13

Engage in an E-Media Fast

I learned very quickly on Saturday, April 28th, that I am not the right person to take up new hobbies such as fasting. It was really hard going from using my phone every few minutes of the day, my laptop at least once a day, and usually watching one show a day, to having to eliminate all technology as a whole. I didn't realize how many electronics I used on a daily basis until I started this assignment. My cell phone is always near at all times because my family and I live in different cities. So when I decided to commit to this challenge, I had to tell my family that I would be out of touch on Saturday for a school assignment. My dad definitely had zero faith in me because he knows how attached to my new phone I am. I mean, he is the one who decided to get me the phone so I would be "up to-date" with the times anyway! I have literally everything on my phone. Everything from my Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and of course my communication from texting to calling everyone I know. So I chose to do my fasting on Saturday because I work at night from 4:30 to about 10:00. We are not allowed to use our phones at work anyway so I thought it would be a great idea to at least try. Saturday morning I woke up around 6:45 to let my dogs out and to get ready for a beautiful day without technology. I studied for an hour or so for the Praxis in the morning, which required zero media or electronic devices. After the studying, My boyfriend and I went to Wal-Mart and Lowes to get some shopping done for our house. Once I went to work, I put all of my belongings (my purse which included my cell phone) in the back and got to work. I had almost accomplished my fasting but I realized I had to ask my sister about a day that I had to take off for her baby shower that was coming up. I asked my manager of course if I could text her in the office and then get back to work. After I texted, I realized I had just FAILED my fasting assignment. I think this assignment is a great way for EDM310 students to really realize how much technology has grown and come to know how much they really use these electronics on a daily basis.

Project #15 SmartBoard Instructional Lesson

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

I personally do believe schools destroy curiosity and creativity in schools. A lot of school systems require their teachers to have a strict lesson plan and only teach on certain topics. I think boundaries are good but to really embrace the growing mind, we should expand our teaching and learning boundaries. A lot of schools allow creativity and curiosity to be destroyed because they want a black and white system with nothing in between. I think students should have a little bit of grey. The grey is a prime example of opposite of the old fashion way of learning and teaching. I do not think students are actually learning anything. They are so focused and their minds are so drilled on having things memorized to pass their chapter tests.

I definitely believe a curriculum can be developed to increase creativity and curiosity. I think it may be tough to get everyone within the system on board, but I believe it is possible! I think by incorporating short projects, games, and sideshows within the lesson plan,students could gain more prospective and stay in tune with the topic to be learned. I know there is always a more creative and engaging way to teach. We as educates just need to do a little more research to discover it. I think if the curriculum can get the students attention and allows them in interact then I believe the curiosity will be increases. I like games that you can play that include vocab words. Students like to feel like they are having fun while learning.

I truly believe teachers actions can increase curiosity and creativity. As a future educator, I think we must keep our students interested in learning and learning even more. I want to be the teacher who would spend extra time to make sure his/her students know the material rather than just get the lesson plan done on time or as quickly as possible.

Blog Post #12

For this assignment I am suppose to explore the tools in technology to make an assignment for my future classroom. I began searching the internet for sites that were similar to "Timetoast", "Edmodo",and "Animoto." I came across the site Kizoa and I wanted to explore it even more. I liked this site because you can do so much with your photos and videos. With Kizoa you can make sideshows with text, photos, effects, and music. You can also make collages and edit photos. I like how you can make collages because I want to make an assignment at the beginning of the year where each student is required to make a collage on Kizoa. This site is so easy to use and it is fun! If you have a email, Facebook, Twitter, or blog; you can upload pictures from these and use them on in the collage in just minutes. You can also upload your video to Youtube. It would depend if I would require students to upload. I would probably have an assignment where students would have to collaborate with one another in groups and make a slideshow that can help teach the class. I decided to make my own slideshow of my favorite photos. I chose family photos, pictures of my boyfriend and I, and pictures of my puppies (Sadie and Stella). I would share this with my class so they could gain some perspective of how Kizoa works. Here is the Link to it. I hope you enjoy! My Kizoa Slideshow

Progress Report on Project #16

My group members for Project # 16 are as followed: Carly Willoughby, Lindsey Edwards, and Michelle Nix. After meeting last Thursday, we decided to do our project assignment around the concept of using EDM310 techniques in our future classroom. We are going to have one of us act as if they are the teacher and the remaining group members will be the students. We will pretend we are actually learning some of the techniques and concepts that we have gained in EDM310. We will show the benefits of blogging, we will talk about timetoast and show the class one that we have constructed, we will visit the Edmodo website, and finally, we will play around with the Smartboard.

C4K Summary for April

For the Month of April we were assigned to Mrs. Cassidy's class. We were told that these comments that were reading were apart of the "World Challenge". For this challenge we were assigned to one student from Mrs. Cassidy's class and we were suppose to continue to comment throughout the month of April. However, my student that I was assigned to did not have anymore current posts so I went back and commented on ones from the past. My last comment for C4K's was a different student. My first student I commented on was Jadein who is from Vancouver, Canada and Dylan who is a first grader from Moose Jaw, Canada.

The comment to Jadein that I commented on was her blog post about a book she read. Her blog post is entitled, The Sock Monkey Blog. I thought that was so cute because I grew up having a sock money. A sock monkey is a soft monkey stuffed animal. The book that Jadein wrote about is called "Silverwing". I thought it was so neat that she made a book trailer. It was right around the same time that we were assigned to making our own book trailers. She wrote a short summary of why she enjoyed the book and then had the book trailer right below it. This is what Jadein wrote: "Sliverwing is an fantastic book about a young bat named Shade who has to battle his way back to his family. This book will leave you on the top of your chair with amazement. You won’t want to stop reading it. I can’t properly describe it with words, so maybe pictures will do it better. This book is so great I made a book trailer for you, because everything I said is absolutely true. Oh yay!"

This is my comment back to Jadein: "Hi there Jadein! My name is Emilie and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I like the title of your blog, “The Sock Monkey Blog”. I use to have a sock monkey when I was younger. I thought it was neat that you did a book trailer because I was recently assigned one for my EDM310 class. I made my book trailer on a book called, “Hidden Feast”. This book was about a barn yard party. Mine was similar to yours! You did a great job making your book trailer because I definitely would like to read the book Silverwing! Do you have any other books that you would consider making a book trailer for? I look forward to hearing back from you Jadein. Good luck with your future book trailers. Thanks for the great post, Emilie"

My Second post to Jadein was a previous post she had written on New Years Revolution 2012. In this blog post she talks about how she wants to make goals for different parts of her life. I thought it was so smart of her to break her goals down into categories so she could have a clear understanding of what she was trying to accomplish. Jadein has a personal goal, a local goal, a global goal, and a school goal. This is Jadein's blog post: "Want to hear about my New Year’s resolutions? I’m not going to make a few resolutions then fail before January even ends. 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail right in peoples’ faces because they think it’s just going to happen, so we are trying to be that 20% that succeeds. It’s going to be hard but I think I’m going to live…..”sigh”….. I should be more happy about it, right? I should think more about the resolutions. Some people are thinking more about “the end of the world”. I personally believe the world is NOT going to end and I don’t get why people are fussing about it. If the world really does, I would probably make the best of it. But I should probably talk about how New Years started, right? I have no choice, anyways. New Year’s started in Mesopotamia 4000 years ago in Sumer. Have you heard about Mesopotamia or Sumer? Mesopotamia was one of the first civilizations and Sumer was a kingdom in it. This all took place where Iraq is today. Back then New Year’s resolutions weren’t about quitting smoking and losing weight. It was mostly about growing healthy crops. We took it and made it to our own thing – all thanks to the Mesopotamians! My New Years resolutions: Personal Goal: My personal goal is to go outside more because I’m bored of staying inside all day. I don’t play any sports and don’t go to any groups that involve being out in nature. I’m just that type of person, I guess. I only like to stay inside, play video games, and be on the Internet! It’s a BIG part of my life and that’s why I want to change it. My plan is to hangout with friends more and take my dogs for long, scenic walks. Global Goal: My global goal is to make more blog posts. As I said in my personal goal, the Internet is a large part of my life, but, the one thing I didn’t say is I don’t make enough blog posts and since it is a part of my grade it would be better for me to do so. My plan is to put my posts in my own words because this blog is about about me and what I care about. The more I put in my own words the more happy I will feel, which obviously will make me less miserable. I can also teach others about global issues which can help people be aware of what’s going anywhere in the world. Maybe it could help change the world and make it a better place and more accomodating and accepting to others. Local Goal: My local goal is to recycle more because sometimes the recycling is all gross and makes my family look like we don’t care about healthy choices. We have a home and I want it to look nice and help out my neighbourhood and community. My mom gets mad when I haven’t sorted and cleaned up our recycling. If I can remember to do it more often or build a schedule for it I will be able to stay on top of what it should be like and avoid what it has come to be. School Goal: My school goal is to do more work because I don’t like being behind on my school work and leaving school with a ton of homework. Since I came to this school, it’s been better and right now I’m pretty on task, but if I can get better at it now, then I will be prepared for next year in highh school. I don’t want it to be like grade five again when I had so much homework, it hurt my back just looking at it. My plan is to stay organized with my work, like what homework should I do first or finding out what’s overdue and what’s SUPER-overdue. Writing this super long post is my first step! I have a plan. I will succeed."

Here is my comment for Jadein:Hi there Jadein! Your blog post about having a New Year’s resolution was great! It is a very good idea to have goal. I make a conscious effort to establish new goals for myself. I like how you separated your goals into categories. It is great to keep your goals organized so you will come closer to achieving them! I am definitely like you, I need to set aside a goal to go outside more. With technology evolving, we tend to stay in and serve the internet and play on play stations. I also like how you want to make more blog posts for you global goals. I am in EDM310 and we are assigned blogs every week. After I am through with this class I will definitely further my blogging. I am having so much fun commenting on other blogs and browsing!

My last blog post that I commented on for April was for Dylan's blog in Mrs. Cassidy's class. His blog was a short blog but I tried to ask him questions about why he liked to ride his bike and what his favorite art work was at the museum he went to. this is Dylan's blog post: "Me and deion went on buesugls (bikes)and we went to the ortmeuzeyum (Art Museum)toogethr" I commented back to Dylan by asking him what type of weather he likes to ride his bike in and what type of Art work he enjoyed to look at when he goes to the museum.

Blog Post #11

Little Kids...Big Potential

Kathy Cassidy is such a wonderful teacher. I enjoyed her video because it is so wonderful that children at a young age can use technology and really enjoy it! The children in the video seemed so interested and engaged. They loved to write on their blogs because it helped to polish their writing skills. It is a great thing that teachers, such as Mrs. Cassidy, are computer literate and are willing to help make a different in their students lives. I thought it was really neat how Mrs. Cassidy changes up the way she uses technology in the classroom. She wants to allow her students to be able to experience as much as they can but also meet the needs they may have within their studies. I definitely think it is a great idea for students to develop such a passion for the intelligence of technology at a young age.

Skype Interview with Kathy Cassidy

Wow! I hope I become a teacher like Mrs. Cassidy. She is very smart and she seems so passionate about technology and her students. It is pretty cool that she has had her class blog for over five years. I am glad that I am finally becoming more literate in the world of technology. I like how with only five computers, she incorporated technology into the classroom and found wonderful tools and sites for her younger students to use. She says that with fives, you can make an area for students to learn, hence the five computers she had access to. It is a great idea that Mrs. Cassidy takes safety measures in regards to her students. With her blogs, she does not match student names with students pictures. I think that passing out forms in the beginning of the year to enable the students' work to be put on the internet is a great idea and is nice for parents to get involved. Once I become an educator, I will definitely have a class blog to allow my students parents to keep up with their progress throughout the school year. I think it is very important to keep teacher and students, students and parents, parents and teachers, and administrators and everyone else connected. I think we should continuously try to incorporate ways of learning and teaching with technology into our curriculum. I think it makes learning more fun and teaching more organized, and who doesn't want that? I feel honored that I was assigned to watch Mrs. Cassidy's class video about how they use technology and also her Skype interview with Dr. Strange. She is making a wonderful difference and changing her students view on learning by integrating technology into her curriculum. These students are going to be very knowledgeable and I am sure they will be thanking Mrs. Cassidy in their future years in school. I definitely will have to say, "Well done Kathy Cassidy, you are an inspiration!"

Blog Post #10

Do You Teach Or Do You Educate?

The video, Do You Teach Or Do You Educate?, is a short video that describes "To Teach" or "To Educate". I thought the video was short and sweet but I also wanted more details. I feel like I already know the teacher I am going to be and I know I will incorporate the appropriate amount of either teaching or educating. I think a good teacher, in time, and with experience should be able to establish when to teach and when to educate.

Webster's dictionary states that to teach is "to impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in." I believe for one to be a good teacher, they must not "bark" at their students or preach at them, but motivate them and try to inspire them. Teachers should have a passionate outlook on educating and not just look at it as a job 5 days a week. You should always love what you do and I know by combining teaching and educating them you can make it fun and instructional. If we can learn to incorporate fun and interesting topics into our curriculum then students will be more alert and ready to learn.

I want to be the teacher that my students can look by and say that I inspired them and change their learning experience. I want to be the teacher that made learning fun and kept my students focused and engaged. I want to be the teacher that shows compassion, advices her students, and most of all helps to create the foot steps to their intellectual journey. I definitely believe one can teach and educate. You, the teacher, just has to be able to use the two in an affective way.

Don't Let Them Take The Pencils Home by Tom Johnson

After reading Tom Johnson's blog post, Don't Let Them Take The Pencils Home, I thought to myself, "wow, pencils really are important." I never really thought about how pencils could be used or thought as toys in inter city schools. It actually makes sense to me now. With these students having parents who do not supply things such as pencils would enable them to view a "pencil" as a toy. Also the academic specialist talks about when students play with pencils, their test scores become lower and lower. The specialist thinks when students take pencils home and play games such as "hangman" then they lose all test taking capabilities. I think when Mr. Johnson says he does not mind if his students play such games is a good thing. Mr. Johnson seems like a great teacher and I know test taking can make students nervous about taking these board tests. I want to allow my students to be great test takers and feel like they can always ask questions so they can accomplish these board tests to the best of their ability. Teaching is about learning and growing and I want to continue to grow and better myself as an educator.

Blog Post #9

What I Have Learned This Year

Mr. McClung is definitely an eager and enthusiastic educator. It was nice to read about someone who is going through what I am about to go through. He discusses details about his first three years teaching. He talks about the changes he has made within himself within the classroom. When constructing lesson plans you're not always going to be perfect. You have to learn to make the lesson plan and simple teach it as best as you can. The lesson does not always turn out the way you would hope but sometimes that is a good thing. He talks about how he always strived to be the "perfect" teacher, but that is not always the outcome. You should not center your classroom around your superiors but center it around your actual students. In all actuality it's the students who are gaining knowledge from your teaching! I like how honest Mr. McClung was in his blog. He is always stating how he felt and how he would better himself as an educator. I would say Mr. McClung is a true inspiration.

Communication was stated in Mr. McClung's first blog and I think that is a prime priority in education. If one is unable to communicate with their superiors, co-workers, and students then they have lost the main objective of being a teacher. He talks about how communication is one of the hardest concepts to overcome, but always practice to ensure your skills are at best use. I strive to better my communication skills in everything I do. Weather it be with my family, boyfriend, co-workers, and customers at work. Being a server, is an excellent way to learn how to better my communication skills, on a professional level and casual.

In Mr. McClung's second blog most, What I Have Learn This Year, he talks about not being a control freak. Mr. McClung says he will not be one of those teachers who because a bit batty and more and more controlling. Teachers tend to control their students without even knowing they are doing it! There are simple ways to prevent yourself, the educator, from being a control freak. Simple allow your students to get their own handouts as Mr. McClung stated and give students classroom duties that can be done by not only teacher but also students! Mr. McClung is so clever to me. I think students should have more responsibilities in the classroom so the teacher isn't so controlling and commanding. I personally would like to be an educator where students can learn from my lessons but also enjoy them.

C4T with Justin Tarte

Justin Tarte- Life of an Educator...

My second teacher that I was assigned was Justin Tarte. The First blog post I read of his was Leave a Legacy... written on March 17th 2012. I was glad that I was assigned to this post because it was quite enlightening and refreshing. Justin talks about how we as human beings do often wonder what people think of us and we spend way too much of our time stressing what others think than ourselves. He discusses how important it is to leave a positive legacy not only as an individual but also as an educator. Weather you are doing something or not people are all constantly noticing you so you must leave a positive and respectable legacy.

I commented on Justin's Blog Post by telling that his post was a well written post. He is such an intelligent educator. I hope to leave a positive legacy and one that could change the lives of others. I think everyone should read this particular blog because it is enlightening, positive, and encouraging.

Mindset: Start Making the Shift...

I read Justin Tarte's blog post, written on March 25th, about a book he read entitled, "Mindset", by Carol Dweck. The book talks about how there are two different types of mindsets, The "fixed" mindset and the "growth" mindset.

A fixed mindset avoids challenges, while a growth mindset embraces challenges...

A fixed mindset gets defensive or gives up easily, while a growth mindset persists in the face of adversity...

A fixed mindset sees effort as fruitless or worse, while a growth mindset sees effort as a path toward mastery...

A fixed mindset ignores useful negative feedback, while a growth mindset learns from criticism...

A fixed mindset feels threatened by the success of others, while a growth mindset finds lessons and inspiration from the success of others...

A fixed mindset will plateau early and achieve less than their full potential, while a growth mindset will reach ever-higher levels of success...

I comment back on Justin Tarte's blog post by telling him I want to have a "fixed" mindset and a "growth" mindset. By having a "fixed" mindset, I will have intelligence that is static and with "developed" mindset I will have intelligence that will continue to grow and develop.

C4K Summary for March

I was assigned to Bubble Bee for my March 4th C4K. The blog post was about why she thought her class and her deserved stickers from her teacher. Her blog post was short but to the point. She has a list of five items that are characteristics of good behaviors.
Her list is as followed:
1.We work quietly during tests and concentrate.
2.We get good grades because we study hard .
3.We listen in class during important events.
4.Respect teachers decisions.
5.We read diligently.

I commented back by telling her how much a great idea it is to have set goals and behaviors to earn things such as stickers. I preceded too ask her what of stickers she liked and how many she has received on a given day.

I commented on Brandon's Blog Post for March 25th. He blog post was a poem about a slug. I believe the theme of the poem was to address bulling. I told him that I thought it was a great idea to talk about bullying through a poem, especially if younger viewers are reading it. His poem could teach kids to stop the act of bullying and to never judge a book by its cover.

"One day there was a little slug called Bob so lets get this story over and done with. He lived with his sister and brother and mum and dad. He carried a big shell on his back. He got bullied a lot in school because he was slimy. He had always been slimy his whole life, but it is not nice being bullied like that. His teacher never believed him because he spent most his life drinking 5 star coffee. It’s very upsetting being a slug because you have to try your hardest to get to school on time because they go really really slow."

Instructional Video on Smartboard Project #14

Short Movie Project #11 "Hidden Feast"

Blog Post #8

This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
By Richard E. Miller

Dr. Richard Miller, an English professor at Rutgers School of Arts and Science. In his video, "This is How We Dream" Part 1 and 2 he talks about how writing has changed and improved in our workplace,our daily lives,the classroom, and our culture. I felt this video was informative and refreshing to listen to and watch. Dr. Miller states the importance of how we gather our information and then how we relay our information to one another through technology. He believes there are two different types of change, which are incremental change and fundamental change.

Dr. Miller talks about incremental change in part 1 of the video. Incremental change is our workspace, or where we work now. Pens, pencils, and paper have been eliminated by word processors. More than likely you will see a student or a regular Joe carrying a laptop around instead of another utensil to gather information. Times are changing and our workspace because simple our laptop or desktop. Dr. Miller discussed how he wrote a response in an article on the Virginia Tech shooting by just the use of his computer and internet. He did not have to open a book or step foot inside of a library. I think it is convenient and wonderful that the internet and technology has come this far. We have an endless supple of information at your fingertips within seconds!

In part 2 of Dr. Millers video, he tells us about fundamental change and how we should use it. "We as educators need to be in the business of sharing idea with one another freely." This particular quote stood out to me because it is a true statement. I personal think it is such a great thing to be able to post ideas and share with fellow colleagues, classmates, and your teachers. He talks about how fundamental change is how we use our technology with writing, researching, and publishing information. Individuals need to embrace one anothers' ideas and share because it can easily be someone else' next resource. There are so many tools than enable us to learn and pass on our own ideas. Dr. Miller states that change needs to be beautiful and compelling so it inspires curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. I think he made a bold and honest statement. We need to work and learn together by sharing ideas and resources that may be helpful. I enjoyed this video and I would definitely re-watch it the future and pass it on.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12

I think Carly Pugh is such an inspiration for many students. After I read the first paragraph I though she was an excellent writer and very dedicated to her work and major of education. Her Blog Post was witty and kept me engaged throughout the entire post. She tells us about her playlist and all the benefits of it. I am currently working on my own playlist because I would like to incorporate multimedia into my future classroom. I like how she includes different topic in her playlist, it makes thing so interesting. You can use music and YouTube for more than just entertainment, and I know I am easily distracted so using these techniques in my classroom will help tremendously. Carly is right when she says that good teachers teach by example. Carly is going to be a fantastic teacher and I look forward to speaking with her after she begins her journey teaching.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

The video The Chipper Series,
may seem far fetched for some but in all actuality many students behave exactly as Chipper did. I know I use to be like Chipper before I entered into the world of college. I agree with her that juggling school, work, and a social life can be tough but you have to learn to make the time, especially in EDM310. I have definitely figured out that procrastination does not lead to success. I unfortunately suffer from the awfully curse of procrastination, but I know I am learning to be a better planner and organize my time more wisely. I feel blessed to be required to take EDM31o because I know by the end of this course, I will have wonderful tools that will help me manage my time and get things done in a timely fashion. I have always been the student who waits until the last minute, but now I do try and begin my assignments many days in advance to ensure myself the time and the help if I need it. I thought the movie was very informative and it was witty and entertaining as well.

EDM310 for Dummies

I liked the movie EDM310 for Dummies because it paints a perfect picture of how the course can make one feel at the beginning. I would be lying if I did not admit to feeling a little overwhelmed in the beginning of the semester. I began feeling much better when I used my resources (Google Docs, EDM310 blog page, and the detailed instructions that were provided by Dr. Strange) that were mentioned in the video. I love that I constantly am learning more and more and day after day because of this class. I feel accomplished after completing an assignment for EDM310. I have learn some very valuable tools that I will carry with me into my future career in the educational field. Like I said earlier, I feel blessed to have this class because I have gained a stronger capability of learning on my own and I know once I become a teacher I will enjoy helping my students learn on their own as well.

I would make a video that would be based around a world that has a no technology law. The use of technology has been abolished and all chaos has broke out. The society then realizes how detrimental it is to use and understand technology. I think this video would be important for those who do not have a need to use technology and those who feel it is not worth learning about. I would cast Dr. Strange as the super hero who breaks the law restraining technology!
Learn to Change, Change to Learn

I strongly agree with this video and all of these individuals beliefs. I think the school systems should be more focused on teaching their student the growth of technology rather having a strict standard basis for learning. It is important to have change in the classroom because the world around us is definitely not slowing down and new things are constantly arises in technology. School and teachers tend to sway away from social networks and electronic devices in the classroom. I think teachers should uses these devices and resources with their students. You can do and learn so much from one another by using these things. The main focus is definitely to turn the old fashion ways of teaching and learning into a new and up to date way of learning. Incorporating things like: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, blogger, and other social networks will help with communications between student and teacher and will also keep students engaged. In my future classroom, I will definitely bring technology along with me. There is no harm in doing so.

SCAVENGER HUNT

I was assigned to do a scavenger hunt and I began by watching Discovery Education Web 2.0 video posted by Justin Cometti. WEB 20.12 is where the actual scavenger hunt begins. This site is filled with technology and tools for teacher and eager learning student.

1.) Locate a tool that is similar to Twitter/Facebook and provides a social platform for teachers, parents, and students. Create an account as a Teacher and write a paragraph or two about how you could use this site in your classroom.

Edmodo, is a secure, social learning platform for teachers, students, parents, and districts. I like this platform because it is safe way for teachers and students to connect and collaborate, share content and access homework. I like it how teachers and put grades up in an organized way and also post notifications. This would make it easy for those who miss class for numerous days in a row. This is a wonderful tool to establish social media in the classroom. I am excited to use this in my classroom, such an awesome way to stay organized!

2.) Find a video tool that you have never used. Summarize some it's special features.

I was browsing the website and I found the tool, Animoto. I thought this was a neat tool because you can sync your Facebook, flickr, picasa, and other sites with it and your photos can be uploaded in just seconds. You can add phrases or links to the photos. I liked how you can add music or even connect your mp3 player to it with a playlist. You can watch your video in HD and once you are done, you can upload it easily to Facebook, your Blog, YouTube, and much more. I will definitely use this tool in my future classroom.

3.) Find a tool to create a poll anywhere and at anytime. Create your first poll and post it here.

I found the tool Poll Everywhere. I thought this tool was really easy to use and it is FREE! I decided to ask a question with two multiple choice answers. My quetion was, "Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee?" I would definitely use this in my classroom. I think it would become useful for math and history, but I could always find a use for language Arts and science.

Get a free sms student response system at Poll Everywhere

Project #12 Book Trailer

Blog Post # 7

The Network Student by Wendy Drexler

The video I watched, the network student, by Wendy Drexler explains what the criteria is to be a network student. I enjoyed this video because I am currently a networking student and I like how the teacher encourages her students to use social networking to learn. To have a network, one must create a PLN so their specific site and daily resources will be at their fingertips. I think networking is both important for teachers and students. The video also shows how the teacher "teaches" in the network. The PLN (Personal Learning Network) is made up of websites for learning, friends, classmates, new, etc. I think it is neat how students can connect with one another to find out how to figure out assignment. Also, teachers converse with one another to discuss what they are learning and also they talk about lesson planning.

A Seventh Grader's Personal Learning Network

After watching this video I thought to myself, "I definitley can create my very own PLN (Personal Learning Network)." I liked how organized her PLN was. Her PLN was similar to mine. We both had many tiles that are associated with our studies. My PLN has tiles for the news, my EDM310 class, my email, my blogger, resources for my future classroom. I have my PLN organize in order to the things I use the most on the top left corner to the bottom left corner.

Project #9b Transportation Technology

Project #10 Personal Learning Network

My Personal Learning Network

For my My Personal Learning Network I decided to use Symbaloo. I really like how easy Symbaloo is to to use and how easy it is so set up a Personal Learning Network. This is a wonderful tool to allow one to have their basic daily networks at their fingertips. I decided to start my PLN by adding the EDM310 class blog as a tile. I think it is very important to have that on my desktop. I set up the rest of my PLN as social, news, shopping sites, Blogger, music, and mail. I definitely needed to have blogger on my PLN because I am constantly viewing my own blog and my fellow classmates blogs. I have also my my C4T's blog on my PLN so I can stay connect with them. I also decided to put "Reading Rockets" on my PLN because I know I will continue to use this resource in my future classroom. I am continuing to look up different resources because I want my PLN to grow much more. I know when I am a teacher, having a PLN will benefit me and make my planning and teaching so much easier.

C4T #2 With Ira Socol

...in which I may suggest that I oppose literacy

Ira Socol is the second professor that I was assigned to. In his blog post, "...in which I may suggest that I oppose literacy", on February 9th, he wrote about the dangers of humiliations from teachers in the school systems. He begins his blog post by quoting R.D. Synder. He says that he thinks that the quote is a funny way to begin his post but then begins to say he likes to think of himself as a "prophet" of literacy and he likes to bring the love of stories and books to those who have grown up without them. He discusses the fact that not everyone learns on the same level and teachers should encourage their students instead of merely scolding them. Ira is the type of person who likes to argue his point and if he feels strongly about his blog post he will use as many resources as he needs to back it up. I told Ira that I am on the road to fulfilling my goal as a teacher and I asked if he had any advice on students who struggle with reading. I told Ira Socol that I agreed with his quote by James Gee about learning and how remediation can ultimately turn into a lifetime of humiliation for these students. As a future educator, I do not want to steer my future students away from learning and reading, but focus on their strengths and try to guide them on the road to success. We so often find teacher expressing the failures of their students instead of embracing the strengths.

if learning is to be constant, space, time, technology, pedagogy, Curriculum must be the varibles

In Ira Socol's second post, he discusses the mere fact that if students are meant to succeed then schools must be more flexible. He says we should use education as variables and make each aspect of the system work together to provide success among students. He says we should make the learning experience a comfortable place so students will enjoy learning. I agree with Ira 100%. The old fashioned chair and desk does seem to sway students away from wanting to embrace there education. So in my future classroom I am going to use Ira's advice and allow my students to become comfortable in their environment so they will be willing to learn. Ira also goes into discussion about how time should change. He feels that we as educators should not put deadlines on assignments because it can negate the purpose of having your students do their best. Most of the time when students are not given the stress of a deadline, they tend to excel in the work they are doing. The second blog post of Ira's was my favorite. Ira wants to turn the "teaching places" into contemporary "learning spaces" that cross over to the realm of the educational experience. I am pleases to have been assigned to Ira Socol because he has enlightened me onto new teaching concepts and most importantly the significance of uses technology to better the educational experience. I told him that I planned on continuing to view his blogs and follow him on twitter.

Blog Post #6

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science and human computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pausch gave his last lecture about Achieving Your Childhood Dreams just a year before he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2008. He begins his upbeat lecture by introducing the "Elephant in the room", he does this by spending just a few minutes discussing his pancreatic cancer. He tells the audience that he is still very much in good health, and he shows this by doing pushups. I thought that was a great way to begin his lecture and to get rid of any issues or distractions the audience may have. He then lists what he will be addressing in his lecture and what he will not be addressing. He wants the audience to know that he will not be talking about cancer, things more important this childhood dream:his wife and kids, spirituality and religion (his death bed conversion). He tells the audience he will be talking about childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned:how you can achieve your dreams of enable the dreams of others.

Randy Pausch was entertaining, energetic and upbeat throughout the entire video. Even though he had a terminal diagnosis, he still had a positive outlook on life and a glow on stage. I felt like I could watch him over and over, and I often found myself re-listening to different parts of the video. I am pleased that I was assigned to this video because of how inspiring Randy Pausch is. Through his lecture he gives many individuals the courage to achieve anything they set their mind too. He talks about his dreams and how he achieved some of them and the ones he didn't achieve allowed doors to open onto other opportunities. He achieved being in zero gravity, he dreamed to be in the national football league, authorized an article in the world encyclopedia, he dreamed of being captain Kirk, he won A LOT of stuffed animals, and becoming a Disney imagineer. He has a lot of inspiring quotes but the one he put the most emphasis on was the one about "Brick Walls". "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who do not want them badly enough. They keep all the other people out." I believe this is telling us that we are going to encounter hurdles that will try to prevent us from achieving our goals and dreams. Whatever it is that is in the way, as long as you truly want it, you can achieve dreams and reach your goals. Pausch talks about how sometimes you have to take a different roads to get to your dreams but they are always reachable if you want it bad enough.

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want". This is such a powerful and inspiring quote. This quote is a good one to incorporate into daily lives. In most cases the first time we go after something, we do not always get what we want or it sometimes turns out not as planned. We do not always get what we want, but during that journey we learn and experience new things.We learn that we should probably re route our journey. Also, when we are trying to figure things out, we do not always find the answer but find out new information that we never knew.

My favorite part of Randy Pausch lecture was about weather or not you are a tigger or an eeyore. He firmly states that you must be very aware of the tigger/eeyore debate. He says you should NEVER lose the child-like wonder because it drives us. You should always find the fun in everything you do. I need to find the fun in everything because I sometimes focus on the negatives in life and that is no way to live, especially with life being so sort. I want to learn as much as I can, be able to say what I want to say, and teach how I want to teach to get my points across. I want to always remember to have fun in all I do and keep a positive outlook on life and my future as an educator. I know I will take these wonderful skills Pausch as spoken of in his video with me through the rest of school and in my career.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes of Randy Pausch: "Tell the truth." "Be earnest." "Apologize when you screw up." "Focus on other people, not yourself." "Find the best in everyone"... These are wonderful quotes that I want to post in my planner or on my bathroom mirror so I can remind myself of simple yet forgetful statement I should live by.

Randy Pausch enlightened me and taught me many new ways of learning, becoming the best individual I can be, and achieving my dreams no matter what I encounter. I like that he said you should always try to be good at something so it makes you valuable. I believe he is an amazing teacher, and a profound individual. I want to be a dedicated teacher and hopefully spread the positivity and motivation onto my future students. We only have one life here on earth so we must embrace it and take any positive opportunity that happens to come our way because it might just change your life, for the BEST!

C4K Summaries for February

My first comment for kids was for Youssef. I commented on his post about his school. Youssef shared about how much he enjoyed his school. He talked about the great activities his school offered. He mentioned Crayola Day and Twin day. I had never heard of either so I asked him to explain them to me. Youssef stated that the school incorporates Islam into the curriculum. He seemed to really like that. He mentioned how he loved going on field trips to Catalina Island and Big Rock Creek.
I commented back on Youssef's blog by telling how I thought it was wonderful that his school allowed the students to practice and learn Islam. I also asked him if he would explain to me what Crayola Day was and what twin day was. Those seemed really interesting to me. I told him that when I was younger I liked to go on field trips also. I asked him what his favorite place was that he visited on his field trip.

My second comment for kids was for Jordi. She talked about her new baby cousin in her blog post. She wrote how she already loved her new cousin so much and how holidays were so much more special with a new member to the family. Jordi talked about how shopping for her new cousin is a lot of fun and new to her. She also asked weather or not the viewer of her blog post has a baby cousin. Jordi also included a very well put together video of her cousin.
I began commenting on Jordi's post by telling her that I do not have a baby cousin but that I do have a baby niece. I asked her what all she bought her baby cousin when she went shopping. I also complimented her on her well made video of her baby cousin. I told Jordi that I thought she would make such a wonderful role model for her cousin and a great babysitter.

My third comment for kids was for Aliyah in Ms. Eppele's class. Aliyah talks about sportsmanship in her classroom and how she feels that her class is currently lacking it. She said that some of her classmates liked to rub it in the other students faces that they won.
When I commented back to Aliyah, I told her that I agreed with her about sportsmanship. I told her that I felt everyone should lose once in their life to prevent them from becoming a permanent sore loser. I told her to continue having good sportsmanship and being a good leader. I told her that her classmates would most likely follow her mature lead.

My Forth comment for kids was for SP7 CK. This student is in Mrs. T.G.'s class and from Iowa. The blog post that I chose to read and comment on was titled "Why we deserve stickers." This student listed five reasons to why she believed her class deserved stickers. The student said that the class worked quietly during tests, got good grades because they all studied hard, listened in class, respected the teacher, and read diligently.
I commented back telling the student that stickers were always my favorite in school. I mentioned to the student that stickers always made me and my fellow students feel like were were being the best students we could be. I told this students that the reasons listed for receiving stickers were really good ones. I would definitely want a class as motivated and hard working as the one Mrs. T.G has. I think positive reinforcement is a great way to produce successful students.

Project #8 Podcast

Project 9a "My Timetoast Timeline"

Blog Post #5

Don't teach your kids this stuff. Please? by Dr. Scott McLeod

Who is Dr. Scott McLeod? Dr. McLeod is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. He is a very well-rounded individual with wonderful insight about the world of technology. He is a well known blogger, CASTLE director, Idea Generator, Solutions generator, etc. Dr. McLeod states his opinions in a sarcastic fashion and leaves his viewers with many thoughts in mind. I like how he got his point across by using sarcasm in his blog post. I do agree with his statement that there are bad things out there and we need to keep our children safe, but I also feel like we shouldn't keep children too sheltered. Dr. McLeod talks about how the negatives of technology can prevent us from actually encourages the use of technology in our classrooms. We need allow children to enhance their knowledge but also keep them safe while doing so. I think as long as we address the concerns to our students and allow them to come to us with any problems then the worries should soon pass. We as educators need to educate ourselves primarily first so we do not feel threatened or fearful of negative outcomes of technology. There are so many wonderful opportunities in regards to technology; so we should embrace it instead of running away from it!

iSchool initiative By Travis Allen

I was very impressed after watching the YouTube video on iSchool initiative by Travis Allen. Travis was only 17 when he created his video, iSchool initiative. Travis speaks about how schools should incorporate technology into the curriculum and eliminate the use of pens, paper, and possible books. He believes the iPad and iTouch have a lot of wonderful uses that will benefit future students. He also talks about how there are different apps that can help allow the learning experience to grow. You can do so much through internet apps and YouTube, the possibilities are almost endless. I feel like this could be a fantastic idea but we would need to get administrators on board, and I know that would be a difficult thing to do. It seems like teachers today and school administrators would dislike the idea of ischool because they are stuck in their traditional ways of teaching. Travis also talks about how expensive the cost of books for a single student can be. He says the price for one student on ischool would only be 150 dollars opposed to 600 dollars for textbooks alone. I think that would enable a tremendous amount of savings for school systems but I know the administrators would fine holes in ischool. I personal feel ischool would be very inexpensive compared to the prices of textbooks, but I think we have a long way to go to get parents, teachers,and administrators on board before this could ever happen. Travis Allen has a lot of great ideas and he did a wonderful job on his YouTube video.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

I watched the video on Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir-'Lux Aurumque and I was truly impressed! The music was so beautiful and all the different faces that were put together just amazed me. I was very pleased after watching this peaceful sounding video. Eric Whitacre is such a talented individual to have put this remarkable video together of all these individuals. I am personally very happy that we were assigned to this particular video because I would have never looked at anything of this nature. This is definitely something I would like to look into further. I like that there is such a positive and moving video on the internet such as this one. I love how technology is evolving into the arts. I think it is a good thing to incorporate as much technology as possible into the arts. I will definitely show this video to my future class.

Teching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts

Kevin Roberts talks about how students do not always need their teachers first to solve a problem or as a resource. Technology is a major resource for many students. Teachers are not always the biggest part of the classroom, but they are needed to engage with their students and pave the road for their future with technology. Technology needs to brought about in a way of learning and educating instead of just being known as a form of entertaining.

Students today need to be aware of the technology around them because it is not only growing but it is also everywhere. Yes, the internet can help teach the student and be a resource for almost anything, but the need for a teacher is definitely still relevant. I believe even when technology has taken over the school systems the need for an educator in the classroom will still be utmost important. Teachers not only pave the way for students, but also leave stepping stones for their future students.

Reading rockets
Reading Rocket is a wonderful website filled with tons of resources for teachers, parents, administrators, counselors, and many more! Reading rocket has lesson plans, fun games, ABC's of teaching, video podcasts, and much much more. I really think this website is going to come in great use for my future classroom. I have already printed off a few things! I found the resource Helping Struggling Readers a wonderful resource because it gave many different tips and information to help encourage your students with reading problems. There are questions and answers for the teacher and parents to discuss about the student also available on this resource. I like this resource because it have tools that teachers can use in the classroom and also free printable worksheets!

Blog Post #4

Judy Scharf's Podcast Collection

In Judy Scharf's Brief summary of what a podcast is, she explains that the term "podcast" actually is a cross between "broadcast" and "iPod". Judy talks about how a podcast is a "radio-style" talk show which may include music and is useful in the classroom for any subject. Judy informs us that a podcast is simply a type of digital media. A podcast is a wonderful tool to share information with millions of people around the world just through the internet. To make a podcast, all you need is a microphone, a computer, and the software for your computer, which Judy tells us is free to download. Judy includes two links, the first link is one on YouTube which shows you how create your podcast and what tools and downloads you must have to do so. The second video is on Teacher Tube, an instructional video that also shows you in detail how to create a podcast and how to use iTunes in the classroom. I felt both videos would come in handy when I make my podcast for EDM310.
I definitely plan to use podcast in my future classroom. I think podcasts will give students the time to show their voices and present their assignments in a more vocal way. I am excited to learn how to make my own podcast so I can become an expert for my students.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This video by Joe Dale is done by using an actually podcast. He talks about how podcasting focuses on the higher levels of Blooms taxonomy and allows for creativity and innovation. The video also talks about how podcasts offer a new and relevant way of learning for students. The students become more engaged and excited about learning. After the huge outbreak of the iPod, podcasts have become more and more popular. I like the idea of podcasts in my future classroom because it will allow students to have a higher level of learning and it will definitely allow them to learn significantly. If a child were to ever be sick for an extended amount of time, podcast will come in handy to allow students to get the important information they may need or they have missed. I am excited about creating my own podcast.
I enjoyed visiting Langwitches Blog because it was filled with a lot of useful information about twitter, Skype, a lot about iPads, and podcasts. Langwitches likes uses podcasts because it is a great way learn many different types of languages. She does a lot of documenting and provides a lot of tools on her blogs that I would definitely use. The one I would use is, Story Telling with the iPad, I think this is a great tool for teachers to use in the classroom for their students to learn languages. One Langwitches blog there is also storykits for students which I think will be very useful.

Project #6 "My Sentence Video"

Blog Post #3

Technology in Special Education

Special Education has come a long way with the success of technology. After watching this video it made me recall when I was a special education peer helper in high school. The students that I would help also had computer and desktops for communication, hearing aids for hearing, and technology for viewing simple sentence for vision impaired. Simple requests like: going to the bathroom, needed help with an assignment, or simply hungry/thirty would be difficult to ask without a touch pad or computer for those whom can not communicate. Without technology for learning, understanding, and communicating, I know the stress on the teachers and the students would be very frustrating. I was there, so I understand how difficult it can be on the student to show their ability to learn.
I strongly feel every student regardless of their learning capability should be able to perform to their fullest and gain a sense of success and creativity. The technology that is used for special needs provides opportunities for those students and we as educators definitely need to know what kind tools are out there for our students. As a future educator I will definitely be mindful of the technology that is available for my students who may have special needs.


How the iPad works with Academics for autism

After watching the video about the iPad I quickly realized how amazing apple has come. I think it is wonderful that the iPad has so many apps and options to help autistic children with learning and success. There are many many apps to choice from at Apple.Education Apps.com. It is fantastic that there are apps that will motivate and help children in specific areas. Many areas that are essential for these children with autism are: counting, reading, siting, drawing on the iPad to practice, and etc. I looked through several of the apps that were provided and I would definitely consider using them in my classroom if it were allowed. My favorite app is the Britannica kids about volcanoes for Science. The colors and very visual pictures would definitely excite any students, especial one who has special needs.

Gary's Social Media Count

This media count is absolutely incredible! I am yet again shocked at how technology impacts almost everyone on a regular basis. What does this mean for a professional career as a teacher? We as educators must learn to familiarize ourselves with the future of technology. We must not only know how to use the technology, but we need to know how to learn from it and change our previous teaching techniques to evolve from it. We incorporate the new technology of our future into our classroom. There are so many new ways to use technology to teach and I believe it we can embrace these techniques then will we have a successful classroom indefinitely. I am very excited about using technology in my classroom because I know the smartboards and iPad will help students come a long way. We must embrace changes in the technology world and not fall back into the old ways of teaching.

A Vision of Students Today

This video shows how we have developed tremendously through technology. This video raises the point that teachers are still teaching in an old fashion way, and with technology constantly evolving, students are getting bored. Throughout class students are not even focused on their readings, the teacher, or focused on actually learning. Looking at the chalkboard and taking notes; forget about it! We as educators need to allow changes in our classrooms due to the progression of technology that is unstoppable. We can still teach our students the same material and set them up for success, we just have to change the route with technology. There are options such as: internet based classroom, electronic based books, and more smart board activity. We do have to keep in mind avoiding students texting, face booking, and non classroom web browsing in the classroom. We as educators must keep our students in tune during class so they will not be tempting to do the non class activities. We definitely need to prepare are students for the next step in their careers because this world is a technology based one.