Blog Post 15 (Final Reflection)

Project #16

Heather Rigby and I worked together to prepare a tutorial of essential tools on the SMARTnotebook. The tutorial showed heather and I teaching viewers the basic “how to”. We started our presentation off by opening SMARTnotebook. From there we explained step by step how to use and access the available tools. Here is a basic outline of what was covered:

-orientation
-toolbar adjustment
-keyboard/ text
-pens (regular, creative, and highlighters)
-the eraser
-shapes (shape recognition,making shapes, and lines)
-grids
-fill options (colors and page recording)
-Inserting images (interactive images)
-shades

Through this project we were aiming for students and teachers to begin using the SMARTboard technology to its full potential not just as a “expensive white board”. I would consider this a great beginner tutorial for students and teachers. The possibilities are endless with this piece of technology. We hope you enjoy the tutorial and learned something new that you can use in the classroom (teacher or student)!

Final Report on PLN

For my personal learning network I chose to go with Symbaloo because I really like the tile style layout. I have a number of tiles including Bank of America, dictionary.com, you tube, CNN, BBC, discovery channel, Amazon, history channel, consumer reports and many more. I really like the idea of having access to all the sites I regularly visit on one web page, it makes web surfing much easier.

This project will be an ongoing learning experience. I have been using Symbaloo as my home page for about a month now. Over the past month I've found myself using Symbaloo almost like a checklist, going through certain tiles ensuring that I complete whatever errands need to be done online. I really like how much easier I can navigate around the internet because of this homepage. Symbaloo is also very user friendly and takes no time set or adjust. Overall I'm very happy with Symbaloo, and I definitely see myself using this in the future as a tool to assist me in teaching and multitasking. Thank you Symbaloo.

C4T #4

I’ve responded to the Lessons for Teachers two most recent blog post, however I was unable to leave a comment for the second post, I’m not sure why but every time I tried I kept getting a error message that said wordpress error: the antispam number is no longer valid. I tried and tried but I had no luck leaving the second comment, I even tried to leave the comment on the post before and after the second post, but still no luck. Overall the post were informative. The first post I commented on was “A Teacher’s Guide to the New Final Cut Pro X.” In this post Final Cut sounds like a great movie editing system. I’m just beginning to learn how to edit videos, so I really don’t know much about the various editing programs. I’m going to look more into this program, it sounds really good, especially since it’s been around for 10 years. The second post “iMovie ’09 Bootcamp” was an information post/bulletin. The post invites everyone to attend the iMove bootcamp, in Los Angeles, California. I’m a big fan of Apple products and would love to learn about iMovie. If I lived in California I probably would attend the conference. Hopefully the class is recorded and uploaded onto YouTube. Even though I will not be able to attend I still appreciate the idea behind the post.

Blog Post #14

Pseudoteaching: MIT Physics

Pseudoteaching is when a lesson plan looks like it results in students learning but in reality the lesson is flawed and involves minimal learning. This term was brought about by Dan Meyer’s term pseudocontext. A term referring to examples of textbook problems that on the surface seemed to be about real problems and situations, but in reality were about make believe contexts that had little connection to the real world. Mr. Walter Lewin a physics teacher at MIT gave an excellent lecture that demonstrated what pseudoteaching was. Although he was full of energy and was passionate about physics, he might as well have been teaching an empty class room. By the end of the lecture Lewin had done all the hard work and talking and by the end of the term his class attendance and passing grade had dropped.

It wasn’t until 30 years later that Lewin realized the mistakes he had made. Just because you are passionate about educating does not make you a good teacher and just because you stand in front of your class and give your students a great lecture does not make you a great teacher. It’s important that we learn to teach our students to be passionate about learning just as much as we are passionate about teaching. This is succeeded by getting our students involved in the lesson plan. Encourage your students to speak out loud if they have a question, encourage your students to work amongst themselves and to learn on their own, instead of trying to memorize what was written on the board. One great idea I plan on using once I become a teacher is to encourage my students to come up with a lesson plan to their liking and even maybe allowing the students to teach the class. I feel this is a great idea so I as a teacher know that my students understand what is being taught in class, and additionally it is a great way for the students to be involved in learning.

Blog Post #13

Blog Post #13

“Top ten tips for using technology in the classrooms”

Jose Picardo’s short video “Top ten tips for using technology in the classroom” was interesting and beneficial. What he had to offer in his video wasn’t anything new, since we have been going over a lot of ideas like Jose’s tips in our EDM310 class but, never the less they are still very good tips. His top ten tips are to use video streaming, music, teleconference, interactive exercises, interactive whiteboards, podcast, blogs and wikis, social networks, internet tools and last the use of gadgets. All of these tips Jose has mentioned are what will soon be required in our student’s classrooms. Without evolving with the times and without continuous education, how are we as educators suppose to encourage our students to do the same?

Out of all of Jose’s tips the only tip that stood out to me was his tip to incorporate music into learning. I myself am a big music fanatic and the idea to incorporate music in your lesson plan is a great way to get your students excited about learning. One of the most important things I find about teaching is to encourage students to be creative and to express themselves and with our advancement in technology the opportunity to do so is endless. I plan on using many of the tips Jose referred to in his video, especially the use of video streaming, Skype, blogging and podcasting. As a social science major I understand that once I began to teach I will have a few students who will find what I am teaching to be extremely boring. With the help of technology I now have the opportunity to help those students find the joy of learning by encouraging them to be creative, like Jose said, create a lesson plan to the liking of your students. Had I had the opportunities that many of our younger students have, I most likely would have enjoyed waking up every morning and going off to school.

Blog Post #12

Watch the short film A Vision of K-12 Students Today and explain what a 21st century learner is.

A Vision of K-12 Students Today is a short film explaining how children in today’s society learn. A 21st century learner is a student who will use engaging technologies in a collaborative learning environment to assist them in transferring knowledge and skills into products, solution, and new information. Encouraging students to be engaged in learning is vital to their success. In today’s society children do not learn by sitting around and reading and writing out of a book but by creating blogs, podcast, videos, and using multimedia. As educators we must encourage our students to become independent learners and with the help of technology this goal has become easier than ever before to accomplish. By not teaching our students to utilize technology we are putting them at a disadvantage for success.

Special Assignment 2

Khan Academy – Khan Academy is a website designed to teach. There are thousands of short videos on the website that span the educational level of various age groups. The videos are alphabetized and access to them is easy and free.

Itunes U – Itunes U gives us 350,000 videos that can be seen on the iphone, ipod, and mac.
This website is very user friendly and has the potential to provide anyone, with the correct apple device, with information almost anywhere.

TED- This website features a wide range of speakers who present us with educational and motivational videos.

Khan Academy – This website features thousands of videos that teach. The short videos are convenient, free, quickly accessed. This program can be used by teachers to teach their students while familiarizing them with the technology and the internet. These videos aren’t just for children, so of the more advanced videos can be used by adults or college students how are trying to brush up on a particular topic.

Itunes U- Like the Khan Academy this website provides us with thousands of videos. The nice thing about Itunes U is that it is user friendly. Clips can be edited and added to making the process more customizeable.

TED- Filled with educational and motivational videos; TED has lots to offer it users. With the option to have conferences and conversations, TED is about bringing people together. TED offers videos in which speakers may differ from one video to the next.



Khan Academy – Of the three different websites, I like the Khan Academy the best. I see it as being the most useful tool for me as a teacher. Having the access to the Math and Science videos would be especially valuable for students if they missed class and needed to catch up. Math and Science often involve concepts that build off of each other, because of this, a student who is sick or out of town for a sporting event, family emergency, or anything else could access this website to stay up to par with the concepts that their missing in class.

Itunes U- Itunes U is a great educational tool that can be used by anyone with a Ipod, Mac, or ther apple products. The upside to this tool is its mobility. A student with a Ipod, Ipad or any other apple product that provides the student with the internet had the advantage of watching videos virtually anywhere.
This portability has the potential to good , that is a student can access this instead of wasting time in the car or on the bus , however it also has the potential to be ineffective if the person decides they rather play games or chat with friends.

TED- This website is great because it gives the user a wide range of speaker based videos. TED offers “TED conversations” and can be used for conferences. Of the three websites I feel that TED had least potential as a teaching aid. I’m by no means saying that TED isn’t useful, because it is, but from what I’ve seen I like Itunes and Khan Academy better.

This assignment has been a pleasant surprise. This assignment has showed me three new informative and educational websites that all have the potential to be very valuable learning aids. Of the three websites I personally liked the Khan Academy the best. I really admire the spirit and determination of Salman Khan. The idea behind the website is brilliant and with alphabetized and short videos the site itself is very easy to use. TED and Itunes U were also great sites that provide its users with thousands of videos and clips that cover a wide range of topics. Overall I think the assignment was great, all three websites are very educational and serve as great resources of information with just the quick click of a few buttons.

Blog Post #11

Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy

I really enjoyed watching Ms. Cassidy’s Skype Interview. When we think of exposing our children to the internet I know the main concern for parents and teachers is children’s safety. I really admired Ms. Cassidy’s approach to this concern; she not only educated her students about the dangers of the internet but made sure she shared minimal information about her students. She did this by only allowing students to use their first name and making sure the students names were not matched with any photos of them. Ms. Cassidy also discusses how technology has taught her students to multitask. Our students are now learning to read, write, podcast, set up videos, and collaborate with other students all at the same time. Something Ms. Cassidy also mentioned in her interview was the fact that children learn better when they are engaged and excited. By allowing her students to use their Nintendo DS she gives her students the opportunity to learn by play. I too intend on educating my students with the use of technology. Like Ms. Cassidy said “times are changing, and what we used to teach five, ten, twenty years ago does not work in today’s world”. I most likely will set up a blog for my class and encourage my students to do so as well. I feel that blogging will encourage the students to stay engaged with the class, and additionally its great opportunity to allow students to share their thoughts and get feedback on what others in their classrooms or even around the world think about their opinions.

Project #14

Project 13 Smart Board

Blog Post #10

1.Do you Teach or Do you Educate

Do you teach or Do you educate was an inspiring film. It is a short film explaining the difference between teaching and educating. It was clear from watching the video that educating involves passion, while teaching can be accomplished with little or no passion at all. To teach is simple, all it takes is to show or explain how to do something, but to educate you must be able to empower, enlighten, inspire, illuminate, encourage, and guide a student.

As a child, growing up I was never really too sure of what I wanted to be/do, however becoming an educator wasn’t one of those jobs that was at the top of my list. It wasn’t until I had joined the Army that I realized I had a passion to educate others. It always brought me joy to share my new found knowledge with others. As the short film states to teach is to “show or explain how to do something”. This task is very simple and just as it is simple to explain it is simple to forget once the lesson is taught and over with. I want to be the type of educator who inspires students to be passionate about learning. I want my future students to know that with the power of knowledge they can achieve anything. I want my future students to know that even if no one else believes in them, I will be there to support them. The way that I see it is, I will be a stepping stone for my students. My job as an educator is to help my students succeed in life so they may help me in life as well, because like they all say our children are our future.

2. Tom Johnson’s: Don’t Let Them Take the Pencils Home
“Don’t let them take the Pencils home” is a short story about an argument between Mr. Johnson and Gertude the school’s Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist. Gertude argues about how students taking pencils home causes as a distraction and in turn causes the students to have lower test scores. Mr. Johnson views the idea of not allowing students to take pencils home as absurd. He tells Gertude that he has spoken with the students and their parents, in which he explained ways that pencils could be used for learning. He then goes on to say that he has come up with a program where the parents learn certain skills that are being taught to the students, so that hopefully the students may stay interested in learning even when the students are home. He also explains that the point of creating the project was to show the students and parents that pencils are not just for entertainment but can be used as a learning tool.

I really enjoyed how Mr. Spencer uses a pencil to portray the idea of using technology in our class rooms and in our student’s homes. It was very clear what the message was. We cannot look at technology as a distraction but as a learning tool. I can see how some teachers and parents can only see the bad in technology, but this is because they themselves do not know how to fully utilize the benefits of technology. With today’s society revolving around the internet we have to learn how to incorporate technology into our children’s learning skills. I feel one of the main reasons we have students dropping out of schools and not seeking higher education is because they simply lose interest. If incorporating technology is what we need to do to keep students interested, excited, and motivated then I don’t see anything wrong with it.

Another great point in the story is the fact that Mr. Johnson got the parents involved. I know growing up anytime I was on the computer doing something for school my mom always thought I was just goofing off and wasting time. It was hard for her to take me seriously because she didn’t think that technology had evolved to the degree in which it was able to be incorporated into school. I believe it’s time for teachers, parents, and administrators to stop viewing technology as a source of distraction. We must realize that in our society of ever evolving technology, it will be and already is a norm in our classrooms.

C4T #3

"Knowing is Easier than Implementing: Difficult Conversations Reflection 1" and "Mrs. Palmer has changed my life," which have been posted by Mrs. Palmer herself were great blogs that everyone should read. In her posting of "Knowing is Easier than Implementing" Mrs. Palmer provides for us some insight for the beginning of a book called "Difficult Conversations." The blog talks of how the book starts off on the importance of talking to people about things that may be bothering you. After reading the blog I can say I support the idea of talking about problems no matter how small or how uncomfortable the conversation may be.

In "Mrs. Palmer has changed my life" Mrs. Palmer talks about how to encourage kids to want to read. She points out that in today's society less kids read for enjoyment and because of this kids are lacking in their reading skills and it is reflected in their test grades. To get kids motivated Mrs. Palmer approaches reading from a different angle, and tells her kids that they can read whatever they want, additionally they don't have to do a book report. By doing this Mrs. Palmer is trying to get kids to find the joy in reading, as opposed to just looking at it like a tedious task. I commented that allowing students to read for enjoyment is a brilliant idea. I love this approach because it really encourages kids to want to read more. I loved Mrs. Palmer's blogs and would recommend them for everyone to read.

Project 7 - Results

My Google form was about personal modes of transportation. I asked how many owned a vehicle, if so what type/make, how many, how reliable they felt their vehicle was, how many miles driven per week and so on. For the first question on whether or not you own a vehicle, all response were 100% yes, that they did own a vehicle. My next question was a combination of asking about type and make. For make the results were too scattered to see a majority, but for type the results indicated that 44% or the majority of people owned a sports utility vehicle. Most vehicles were new, 67% of people owned vehicles that were no older than 2005. The results were tied at 44% for both one and two vehicles owned by the respondent. Surprisingly one respondent however indicated that they owned 4 or more vehicles. The majority of the respondents felt that their vehicle was safe and 44% of them gave their vehicle a reliability rating of 10, on a scale of 1-10. As for miles the data was scattered, but over half of the respondents, 55% of them, drove 80 miles or more a week.

I think these findings are great and even though I cannot make any concrete interpretations, I think that the percentages do illustrate some good points. First and foremost is the fact that in today’s world it’s almost impossible to meet anyone one that doesn’t own a vehicle, that is unless they live in a large city that has some sort of commonly used transportation system i.e. taxes, buses, the subway, etc. Next I think my results for how many vehicles owned per respondent show that most people are conservative and own what they need. Lastly I think that the results for reliability, year, and mileage per week show a relationship. I believe this indicates that yes, most people do drive over 80 miles a week and I think this information illustrates the results for year and reliability. More miles mean faster wear and tear on that vehicle, so this means that you might find yourself buying a new vehicle every five years or so. This also explains reliability by showing that people are on the road often and that reliability is important, and that’s why so many people have ranked their vehicle’s reliability so high.

Blog Post #9

"What I’ve learned this year" By Mr. McClung
Mr. McClung’s blog was inspiring. His blog was a recap of his first year as a teacher and the lessons he has learned from it. Mr. McClung’s tips to be a successful teacher are; learn how to read the crowd, be flexible, communicate, be reasonable, don’t be afraid of technology, listen to your students, and lastly never stop learning. Out of all of his tips the ones that spoke out to me, where his tips on learning to communicate, to be reasonable, listen to our students, and to never stop learning.

I too feel that communication is the best medicine. It is key trait to succeed and to better ourselves.Mr. McClung also speaks about being reasonable. As educators our main goal should be to educate. To achieve this goal it is crucial that we learn that it is more important that our students comprehend the lesson than to perfect the presentation of the lesson. It was very clear in Mr. McClung’s blog that as teachers everything we do should be to better our students. Do not scold a child for their mistakes and failures but encourage them to try again. Next to their parents, teachers should be the student’s biggest fan and biggest supporters. Another great lesson is to listen to our students. As a future educator I would like to become a teacher where my students know and feel that I care for them. The last tip was to never stop learning, in order to become a great teacher we must continue to learn ourselves. Without evolving with the times and without continuous education, how are we as educators suppose to encourage our students to do the same?

Blog Post #8

1. This is How We Dream Parts 1 & 2 by Richard Miller
In Dr. Richard Miller’s presentation he talks about the convenience of the internet and the positive impact multimedia has on our teaching and learning experience. Dr. Miller starts his presentation by explaining his passion for books and how growing up he had been surrounded by them. He explains that during his time period, in order to do any sort of research you had to spend endless amounts of time in the library, collecting all your information through books, newspapers, and magazines. He then explains how in today’s society convenience is key. Thanks to our ever evolving technology we have the option to put together a research paper without ever stepping into a library or even leaving the comfort of our homes.



With the technology we have today not only are we capable of putting together our work in a timely manner but we are able to bring it to life. Multimedia is an innovating way we can add videos, images, and sounds along with our text to make it entertaining for our audience. Another great aspect of the internet is how it easily allows us to share our work with others around the world and it never gets lost. Dr. Miller stresses the importance of teaching our students to learn and to teach others around the world and even to collaborate with one another.

The question was asked “Will I be prepared to write with multimedia?” I have to say yes. Yes, I will be prepared and my students will be prepared as well. I fully intend to encourage my students to write using multimedia so they will find excitement in their work. Like Dr. Miller says, technology is changing the way we learn, teach, and communicate. We are living in a society where technology will continue to advance. With our continuing advancement I look forward to teaching my students what the internet has to offer.

2. Carly Pugh’s Blog Post #12
I really enjoyed Carly’s post. I definitely agree with what was said in her post “great teachers teach by examples”. The idea of coming up with a YouTube play list of what was important to you as a teacher was very inspiring. Not only was the idea of the playlist great but the thought of creating it for your field of study was very impressive as well. I know that I will definitely put her idea into action for my own class.

She definitely understood what Dr. Miller was talking about. She was able to take full advantage of what the internet had to offer and used multimedia perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed the video “Six Questions for Every Day”. Not only do I intend to portray those questions for my classroom but also in life.

3. "EDM310 for Dummies" "Chipper Series"
I really enjoyed the two short films. Right off the bat I could totally relate with the two ladies on EDM310 for Dummies. In the beginning of this class I did feel overwhelmed and at times confused on why I was even taking this class. As the semester progressed it was obvious to see that regardless of what your field of study might be the need to be knowledgeable on our ever changing technology is very important.

The Chipper Series was a very entertaining film and the message was very clear. It’s obvious that Chipper is searching for a way to achieve her goals by putting forth little effort. Even with her outlandish ideas Dr. Strange is never negative but offering her advice and staying optimistic about her ideas. It’s not till Chipper comes crashing down that she realizes that in order to be successful you cannot always try to look for a short cuts. Chipper learns that to achieve her goals she will have to be responsible and realistic about the path that she chooses.

I know from personal experience that sometimes students can get lost or are just not interested in what is being taught in class. As a social science major I know in my future I may be going over things in class that my students might find boring. To get my students excited I think I would take my students and reenact events from our history, not only would it be a great teaching method, but a great way to get the students to learn outside of the classroom.

4. Learn to Change, Change to Learn-
I have to say that I fully agree with this video. We cannot look at technology as a distraction for our students. In today’s society everything revolves around the internet and social networking. If these are the tools we need to incorporate into our class rooms to get the students excited about learning then why not change. I can personally say that I did not learn much in high school. Everything was so boring and there was nothing really exciting about learning.

In today’s society we have to fully understand the use of technology. Those who don’t will be at a disadvantage. As future educators we have to be aware of ways to keep our students interested and excited about learning. If incorporating social networks is the way then we should allow it in the classroom. Allowing schools to take full advantage of these programs and technology can give students a chance to learn about what’s going on around the world. This type of teaching encourages our students to become more creative and take more responsibilities.

Blog Post #7

The Last Lecture was a very heartwarming and inspirational speech. What inspired me the most about Randy Pausch was his positive outlook on everything. Even with just a few months to live Dr. Pausch stayed positive about his illness and the short time he had with his loved ones. Dr. Pausch says in his speech “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, we can just play the hand”. I knew within five minutes into this video that if a man in his condition can see the positive side of things, I should have no problem becoming more positive and optimistic in my own life.

In his lecture Dr. Pausch talks about his childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned. One of Dr. Pausch’s quotes was “Never lose the child like wonders, it’s just way to important, it’s what drives us”. By having this mentality and drive Dr. Pausch was able to accomplish many of his goals. Other advices he had to give were; never give up, stay loyal, have fun with whatever you do, show gratitude, don’t complain, and listen to people’s feedback. Dr.Pausch said some of the best advice he ever heard was from his football coach who told him “When you’re screwing up and no one’s saying anything then that’s a bad thing, it means they don’t care about you”. This makes total sense, and personally I feel that this is some of the best advice anyone can receive.

He then goes on to talk about enabling the dreams of others. Dr. Pausch was a tremendous role model and inspiration to so many people. Even as he was dying he was still determined to teach anyone who was willing to learn. He was told at one point by one of his mentors, “you are a great sales person so why not sale something that’s important, sale education.” Dr. Pausch didn’t have any fancy way of teaching; he taught the same way he learned. He wanted his students to know that to get ahead in life it was all about being a good person. He said all it took to get ahead was to work hard, never give up, be prepared, and be good at something. To be good at something makes you valuable and that’s all that matters.

One of Dr. Pausch’s greatest lessons learned was to find the best in people. “Wait”, is what he said, “Just keep waiting not matter how long it may take for someone to show you their better side”. Lead a good life and karma will take care of you and as a result your dreams will come. In the end Dr. Pausch reveals that his speech was not about how to achieve your dreams but how to lead your life. “Head fake” is what he called it. Head fake is teaching something to someone while making them think their learning something else. Lastly his second head fake was that his speech was for his children, this was not a last lecture for the audience of five hundred but his last lecture for his children. Although his lecture was dedicated to his kids it doesn’t mean we should not listen to all the great advice he has given us. If anything Dr. Pausch was truly a great inspiration to all and a man who truly lived to the fullest, until the very end.

Project #10 - Personal Learning Network

For my personal learning network I chose to go with Symbaloo because I really like the tile style layout. I have a number of tiles including Bank of America, dictionary.com, you tube, CNN, BBC, discovery channel, Amazon, history channel, consumer reports and many more. I really like the idea of having access to all the sites I regularly visit on one web page, it makes web surfing much easier. This project is still in the works, but I definitely see myself using this in the future as a tool to assist me in teaching and multitasking.

C4T #2

“I was surprised” and “It was a good year,” which have been posted by Mr. Chase were great. In his posting of “I was surprised” he informs us that earlier this day, of June 14, he was thrown a surprise party by some of his students, or some of the students he has advised. For Chase the surprise was truly a special moment that won’t long be forgotten. He says this experience reminded him of what it was to be part of a community. I commented that what’s great about this post is the idea that by teaching you can be part of a caring community, a community that learns from one another. In “It was a good year” Chase recaps a creative way of engaging his G11 students to want to read. His strategy was simple, he just let the students pick out the books that they wanted to read, the ones they were interested in. The only problem with all this is grading. But Mr. Chase potential solves this by allowing the students to be their own graders, while at the same time expecting them to explain their work and their assessments. I commented that the idea was creative and brilliant because not only does it push the students to read, but it also puts the student in the teacher’s position, as far as the grading goes. I love the blogs that Mr. Chase had posted he is a very creative and intelligent individual.

Project # 11 Short Movie

Project 8: Podcast

Blog #6

1: Wendy Drexler: The Networked Student;
The Networked Student was a short film based on a student’s impressive ability to be responsible and motivated to learn on his own, and to share his knowledge with others. The student attends a class where books are not needed and he does not need to sit through long lectures. In the beginning of class he will be taught the basics of building his personal learning network. The network is where he will be posting his findings to share with others. He learns to access and validate his findings in order to make sure that it is creditable information. His main resource centers to find information will be Google Scholar and his school’s library data base.
The question that was asked was “Why does a networked student even need a teacher?” Well without a teacher the student would not have been able to get started. It is his teacher that teaches him how to setup his network and get the ball rolling. The teacher will be the point of contact if the student needs any advice. They will also be the ones to teach the students how to comment, post, and ask the experts proper questions about their topics. A teacher is needed because not only will they be the student’s biggest supporter and encourager, but they are the ones who will be giving the students the initial building blocks towards taking control of their learning experience.
As a future teacher I love this idea. We are becoming more and more dependent on technology so incorporating it into our learning experience is key. In today’s society we are all about expressing our thoughts and emotions through social networking. The idea of encouraging students to take control of their learning experience and to teach and learn from others is great. While watching this video I realized that in order to become a great teacher I will have to become the back bone for my students and I will consistently have to educate myself to keep up with my students.



2 A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment
I was very impressed by the professionalism and organizational skills this young girl showed in her video. It was exciting to see that schools are becoming more involved with teaching students not only to learn on their own but being creative. The young girl was obviously well educated on how to navigate around the internet. I was also very impressed by her knowledge of the different programs, which she knew how to use as well as her ability to share her knowledge on topics with others.
When comparing her PLE to my PLN it obvious that this young 7th grader is way more advanced than I am. She has definitely inspired me to challenge myself. It's impressive to know that only after a few months of practice a 7th grader could be the one standing in front of me, teaching me these new tricks. After watching her video I was very excited and interested to learn some of the things she’s done to her PLE. After all, that was the purpose of her video, to teach others what she has learned, that way others can go on to teach others and thus perpetuating the cycle.

3 Critiques of Smartboards
Why Smart Boards Are a Dumb Initiation-
After reading Michael Stantons post I have to say I agree with what he had to say. Smartboards are just overpriced and overrated projector screens with a few gadgets. Stantons goes on the mention that purchasing a smart board is an administrative cop out. Instead of spending money on what the school and classrooms needs, administrative personnel purchase these outlandish pieces of equipment so they can look good on their evaluations. Even with these fancy new pieces of equipment many teachers are teaching their students the same way they did before they got the smart board. Indeed they try to find ways to get the kids interactive by having them use the board but rarely does that happen. One of the main reasons they don't use the smart board might be because the teacher themselves don't know how to use them. Stanton believes that with the amount of money spent on IWB’s we can find other ways to invest the money and purchase things that are truly needed to better our children’s education.

Switching off the Interactive White Board for Good-
Like Michael Stanton, Kevin McLaughlin also believes that IWB are overpriced and unnecessary pieces of equipment. McLaughlin makes it clear in his post that IWB’s have seen their days and now it’s time to stop wasting money on them and start spending money on tools that will better educate our kids. Both McLaughlin and Staton agree that teachers are not educated enough to use the equipment on a daily basis. They also agree the sooner schools stop buying these over rated toys the sooner they can start providing the students with tools that can get the whole class involved and interacted, as opposed to just one small group at a time.


The blog I found is ”What Are Disadvantages of Using the Smart Board in the Classroom?”. This blog discus the extensive cost of the smart boards.

eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_7996547_disadvantages-using-smart-board-classroom.html#ixzz1Pn3JJBFQ

Project 9

Blog Post #5

1. Eagles Nest
I listened to the short podcast of “Roamin with Ancient Roam”. I really enjoyed this podcast because not only does the podcast encourage creativity, but it also teaches our younger students about the different ways to incorporate technology into their learning experiences. Seeing the picture posted along with this podcast was great as well. It shows that the students are able to be creative by dressing up which in returns gets them excited to learn something new.

Setting up activities like the Eagles Nest Radio is a great way to motivate kids to be excited about learning. By changing things up and introducing new ways to learn like using the internet and technology we give students the ability to think outside the box, making them more creative. Growing up it was always more exciting to learn something by physically doing it and being involved rather than sitting in a desk and reading something out of a book. By putting together a radio station, a school play, or just simple games, kids are more likely it be excited about learning and wanting to be involved.

2. Langwitches
Langwitches was a post about a first grade teacher who was inspired by a podcast made by a group of second graders. The idea behind the project was to get her students more involved in the chapter book they were reading “Vacation under the Volcano”. By grouping her class she had a group of students doing the part of asking questions and a group answering the questions. By starting this project she saw shy and quiet students coming out of their shell and becoming more involved. A few of the skills she was able to address during this project was; listening, speaking, comprehension, technology, media, oral fluency and many other skills.

3. Podcasting in the classrooms
This was a great short film that did a great job on explaining the benefits of podcasting in class. I really appreciate the fact that students can go online and go over what was taught in class at their own pace. To me I feel that this is one of the greater benefits of podcasting. I know from my personal experience that sometimes during class you wish that your instructor would slow things down, that way you don’t feel so rushed trying to absorb everything in. With podcasting you now have the option to feel at ease and know that you can always go back and go over what was taught in class and not feel left behind; not to mention the benefit of a student being able to stay home when sick and concentrate on getting better and not have to worry about returning to school to be greeted with a stack of work.

I know that had we had podcasting during my high school years it would have been a big help for me. Unfortunately for me my mother passed away during my sophomore year of high school. Initially after she passed I had a hard time getting myself back into the school mode. I was very grateful that my teachers at the time were able to give me extensions on my school work. Even with these extensions I still had a hard time trying to understand everything on my own during my absences. Had we had the option to log onto a podcasting of our class it would have been a big help. I totally agree with schools podcasting in the classrooms. I can see it helping students to get a better understanding in what was taught further helping them to improve their grades.

My Sentence

Blog Post #4

1. Dont Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
I have to agree with what was said in the post. I feel to shelter children from technology is ignorance. In today’s world everything revolves around technology and it is a must that we all know how to use it. Indeed there can be consequences when the use of internet is abused and taken for granted. I feel that for teachers and parents there is nothing more important than to teach your children the proper and safe way to use these new tools. As a future teacher and future parent, I will be teaching my students and children the proper way to use the internet, because by depriving them of such knowledge I’m depriving them of advantages in future opportunities.

“Don’t teach your kids this stuff, please” is a post posted by Mr. McLeod about the dangers of allowing our children to use the internet and today’s technology. Some may read this post and take it for what it is but I took it as Mr. McLeod being sarcastic about the whole issue. After reading Mr. McLeod’s post I have to say I stand in the middle. I disagree and agree to what his post has to say. Advancements in technology are continuously being made and it seems technology is what our society is starting to become dependent on. I believe it’s important that we introduce technology and the use of internet to our students and children, but keep in mind to also teach our children the consequences of abusing this new tool. In the end of McLeod post he says that he will be allowing his kids to be involved with technology and the internet. That it will be his kids in the end who will have a leg up compared to the kids who have been sheltered from what is inevitable.

2. The iSchool Initiative
This was a great video that for the most I agree with. I agree from the money saving standpoint. There have been many times that I purchased a book only to look at and never use. With everything being accessible through the internet it would be so much easier to look up the information online then to buy a 300 dollar book only to use once. Not only will I be saving on books but also like the video said I would be saving on printer inks, paper and pens/pencils.



Although all these things sound great I have to say that I feel that some things need to stay “old school”. Having taken a few online classes I know the conveniences of the simple type, click and send. However there have been times were I have had technical difficulties and was not able to turn in my work on time. I find that without having some sort of a paper trail it would be too easy for students to come up with excuses on why assignments weren’t turned in on time. Another concern of mine would be with equipment crashing. What happens if something like this occurs? Do students just lose everything, will they have to repurchase certain programs that they had downloaded onto their iSchools.

3: You Can’t Be My Teacher
“You can’t be my teacher” is a short video staring a young boy asking if you, the teacher, are capable of teaching him. The young boy questions if a teacher is capable to teach students about today’s technology, if the teacher themselves do not understand the technological world. The young boy makes sure to stress that even at a young age the knowledge of technology is important. At one point he even asks, as a teacher are you educated enough on our advanced technological world, or do you think you can get by teaching students with just the bare minimal knowledge.

I feel that the boy’s message is important since everything we do revolves around technology and the internet. I agree with what this young boy has to say. How could we as teachers and parents expect our students and children to succeed in this high tech generation, while we as teachers and parents try to get by with just the bare minimal.

4: Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
Lux Aurumque is a musical piece composed and conducted by Eric Whitacre. With the power of the internet he was able to gather 185 people from 12 different countries and compose this beautiful virtual choir piece. It so amazing what the power of technology and internet allows us to do. To know that none of those 185 people had never met in person, but were able to connect through the internet and create a beautiful musical piece is amazing.

With the power of the internet people are able to see and connect with others around the world without leaving their homes. The internet gives us this world of endless knowledge and the opportunity to create and accomplish things one might have thought impossible at one point. This video was an excellent example of just that. Some of these people may not have ever had the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience but with the power of the internet they were able to come together and perform for over 2 million virtual viewers.

# 5: Teaching in the 21 Century
Teaching in the 21 century is a short film based on how students learn in today’s society. With today’s world revolving around technology it only makes sense that the way we teach students would revolve around technology. It’s clear that the video is saying that everything a student needs to learn is all assessable through the internet. As teachers and parents it’s our job to teach students to learn how to fully understand these tools and to teach them how to use these tools properly and to their advantage. Like what is said in the film, there is nothing wrong with students using their laptops, cell phone, and i-pods in class. These items are just of much of a tool as pencil and paper.

By encouraging our students to use these tools we are engaging them to learn. Instead of shunning them out of the class rooms and always shining a negative light on them we can use these tools to keep learning fun and exciting. So what does teaching mean in the 21st century? Well to me it means to keep students engaged, to keep them excited, and as a teacher to keep up to date on our constantly changing technological world. If the resources are out there then as teachers it’s our job to show our students how to use them.

Google Presentation- Project 5

Blog Post 3

1. Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

If all of the messages shown in this film are suppose to be indicative of a vision of students today across the United States, which I perceive the title to imply, then I say GET REAL!!! If the messages in the film are drawn from the data of the surveyed student population, which is only 200 people, then not only do I disagree with the video's statistical validity but I find the video to be misleading and ignorant, and again I say GET REAL!!! I find myself questioning many of the statements in the film. These questions begin just after the video starts and the camera zooms in on a question written on the back of a classroom seat. The question is: If students learn what they do, then what are they learning sitting here. This question leaves me annoyed. The short and obvious answer is to pass the class. This answer really applies to everyone, however this answer for me, as I’m sure for others, stems from something deeper and more important, which is to get an education. I agree that people learn through experience, but I feel that listening is equally important. This initial question, in conjunction with the bleak music playing in the background, seems slanted to imply that experience is everything. Although experience is necessary to learn some things, it’s not necessary for every lesson in life. I believe the classroom setting and the act of sitting in class and paying attention is an effective way of learning, if it was not then were would our world be today. Forgetting how far classrooms and teachers have brought us as a species, since their inception, is naive. To protest the classroom setting as outdated or pointless is foolish. Instead I think what should be protested is a students drive to learn, which (in today's materialistic society)seems to be minimal from the messages in shown this film. Overall I object to any implied notion that suggests experience (or doing something) is the only way to learn, and instead believe that we learn by both listening and doing.

I’m confused when I see a series of messages showing how much time students are spending on various activities throughout the day, in which the final number of hours is 26.5. What is the point of this information? It’s either useless information or it’s suppose to be some sort of message, which I can only interpret it as I or students in general don’t have enough time to do everything. Following this someone holds up a message and says I’m a multi-tasker followed by a message that says I have to be. Well the last time I checked unless you’re in the military, prison, or a hostage you don't have to do anything. As for the message that implied there's not enough time in one day to do everything, I respond by saying time management is fully the responsibility of the individual, and if you as an individual cannot handle a introductory anthropology course then maybe you should find a solution, like less time on facebook or quitting school, because I personally do not like people who are ungrateful of an education opportunity that millions of other people around the world will never get.

Another message that just doesn’t make any sense to me is the one that says when I graduate I will probably have a job, that doesn’t exist today. If this implies that many students will have jobs in professions that don't exist just yet then I have say again get real. Okay maybe you will have a job that doesn’t exist but the majority of us will not. What I'm saying is that if I’m going to school to be a history teacher or a nurse then I fully expect and most likely will be employed as a nurse or a teacher, and if you interpret it differently and pretend that this applies that to all graduates, I say get real since I find it highly improbably that new jobs (professions) are being created as fast or almost as fast as people are graduating. However if this is meant to act as a statement to imply that jobs are expanding in numbers, not professions, then I agree.

Again I’m confused when the video shows a message stating filling this out (scantron) won’t help me get there (to a job that is), or deal with war, poverty, ethnic conflict, hunger, etc. Yes, it may not get you a job but for many it will. As for the second part, if you want to deal with war, poverty, ethnic conflict, and hunger then become the president, a diplomat, a missionary, etc. but remember all these jobs require an education, which might entail a written test or two. If on the other hand you are worried about being negatively affected with these issues, then stay in school and stop complaining, or quit and go out and get a job. The film goes on to show messages such as, I facebook through most of my classes, I bring my computer but I’m not working on class stuff, I complete 49% of my assigned readings – only 26% are relative to my life, I'll buy a hundred dollar textbook and never open it, etc.

Sorry but I think a more fitting title would have been “fueling generalizations” by Michael Wesch. Gathering the information of 200 people, who mind you are in a introductory anthropology course, and arranging it into a video which has been given the title “A Vision of Students Today” is misleading and questionable at best. Lacking audible dialogue the film seems to be completely open for interpretation. As per my personal experience, the film is far from being accurate. The part in the video about debt after college is probably the argument I most agree with. I understand that my reaction to this film may be overzealous and slightly strong, but this is my interpretation of the video. Maybe I'm wrong? If you are reading this and disagree with my interpretations I hope and fully encourage you to send me your thoughts.

2. Kelly Hines: Its not about the Technology
In this article Kelly Hines contends that learning in the 21st century isn’t all about technology. Kelly goes on to say that there are four things that every teacher should recognize if they want to leave an impact on their students. Kelly tells us that teachers must be learners, that learning and teaching are not the same, technology is useless without good teaching, and so on.

I find all of Kelly’s arguments and strategies to be very true. I strongly agree that teachers must be learners. I believe that all teachers should be subject matter experts in their perspective field, and I think one of the most important ways to do this is by continuing education. I feel that teaching is a job of passion and intrigue. With the task of enriching the youth, it only makes sense to strive for more and more knowledge. Another great point Kelly makes is that technology is useless without teaching.

3.Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
The article by Karl Fisch: “Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?” says no it’s not okay. Karl’s seven rules really focus on teachers being accountable for their inadequacies. Throughout his seven rules Karl argues for no toleration when it comes to teachers excuses for being technologically illiterate. Using this approach, the task of becoming technologically literate is the responsibility of the teacher.

Because of the benefits it provides, not only to students but also to teachers, I feel that technological literacy should be embraced with open arms by all institutions of learning. For the most part I agree with Karl’s views and he makes a good point when he says we've had personal computers for thirty years now, it’s time to adapt. Now that technology plays such a huge role in the lives of our youth I fully support the idea of mandatory technological literacy. I still support Kelly Hines view that technology isn’t necessarily the cornerstone of learning, but I also support Karl’s belief of holding teachers accountable for being technologically literate and feel that it's the right thing to do, not only for the benefit of the students but also for the teachers.



4.Gary Hayes: Social Media Count
Gary Hayes Social Media Counts application is great a tool for reminding us of the importance of the internet in our society. It’s amazing how linked to the internet we really are. This application has really shown me the explosive growth rate and power of the internet. As the seconds pass it’s evident that our world is becoming more and more virtually connected.

I definitely appreciate just how much easier my life is thanks to the internet and other technologies. I feel both excited and nervous as the internet and other technologies expand. It’s exciting to think where we might be in 50 years if we keep up this rate of expansion, but at the same time as our dependency grows I wonder how devastating it might be if one day in the future it just all fails.

C4T#1

"The Clock" and "Fifteen Paperless Math Strategies", which have been posted by J Spencer, were great. In his posting "The Clock" Spencer blogs time and how it relates to nature. Unfortunately our clocks don't work in conjunction with nature everyday. Commenting Spencer I said wouldn't it be nice sometimes if things were now how they were back before the Civil War, in which time varied from location to location.
After reading "Fifteen Paperless Math Strategies", I found myself wishing to have sat in Mr. Spencer's class for math. In the post Spencer list strategies which are both creative and tied in with technology. Leaving Spencer a message, I told that I especially liked strategies 8,10,11 and said that its a shame I hadn't had a teacher who was able to use techniques that would allow me to tie in what I was learning with my everyday world.

Blog Post 2

Did You Know? 3.0
sean

The video Did You Know did a good job of showing how fast technology was progressing in today's world. In just five minutes the video illustrated the quick pace of technology and the need to keep up. One fact that amazed me was that a weeks worth of New York Times newspapers contains more information than a person was likely to come across in the 18th century. The film left me feeling both up and down about our future.

I think the progress were making on the international level is amazing. Its almost overwhelming thinking about how fast things are changing and have changed from just a few decades ago. I feel blessed to be living in a time that allows me seemingly endless access to information. However at the same time I feel bad for those living in third world countries that have only a fraction of the technology that industrialized countries possess.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

In the video Mr. Winkle wakes up after sleeping for a hundred years to find that everything is different. Technology, a word Mr. Winkle probably isn't very familiar with had gone from science fiction to science fact. As Mr. Winkle gets out and about he's amazed and confused as he encounters computers, printers, skype, and hospital machines. Overwhelmed Mr. Winkle finally finds a place that didn't change while he was asleep the classroom.

Mathew Needleman tells us that for Mr. Winkle the classroom hadn't changed in a hundred years. I disagree, I think that the classroom has changed technologically over the past one hundred years. Overhead projectors, power point presentations, and science labs all show that there has been some change. I do agree with Mathew in regards to having a more technologically advanced classroom setting, but I don't think that you can say that the classroom hasn't changed over the past hundred years.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

In the video Robinson explains the importance of creativity. Robinson says that creativity is as important as literacy and that we need to rethink the way we look at intelligence. He says that we all have talents and that we can all be exceptional, but argues that to often those talents are squandered away because our talent may be in something that school system doesn't deem vaulable.

I agree with Ken and I think that parents should take the time to identify and support their child's talents. I think that its just as important for educators to do the same with their students. Everyone has their own strentgths and weaknesses and I agree with Ken when he says that its time that we rethink the principals on which we educate our children.

Cecelia Gault

In Cecelia's interview of Ken Robinson, she ask Robinson various questions including the myths of creativity and his view on intelligence. Robinson contends that everyone one is creative and that creativity can apply to almost anything. This means that a person can be creative on many different levels. I agree with Robinson when he says that technology needs to be better incorporated into kids education, since it is now such a big part of our everyday society.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students Digital Smarts

Harness Your Students Digital Smarts is a short video of Vicki Davis a teacher in South Georgia inspiring students to learn through technology. Vicki understands that not all kids learn the same way and that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. By understanding this Vicki is able to customize her curriculum according to the group of students she has. She uses technology to teach her students how to learn in innovative ways to keep in touch with whats going on around the world. She gives her students an opportunity to be a part of it by blogging, using digital story telling and other digital tools.

I agree with Vicki's teaching method. I strongly feel that it is important for young adults to know what is happening around the world. In today's world everything revolves around technology and the internet. With the internet and technology the limitation of distance is removed. People are able to communicate with people around the world in the comfort of their own homes. By blogging and using other digital tools we are able to stay connected with one another and we are able to constantly learn and teach one another new things.

Wordle

Blog Post 1

The video by Dr Randy Pausch discussed the importance of planning and setting goals. He stressed the importance of planning on multiple levels and having short, mid, and long term goals. I learned that when making a to do list its better to tackle the more challenging task first, while saving the easy ones for later. Like Dr. Pausch I believe that without a plan you’re planning to fail.

About me

Hello my name is Sean Whatley and I’m twenty five years old. I was born and raised in Robertsdale Alabama until I was eighteen. Unfortunately by the time I was fifteen I had lost both of my parents. Growing up and till this day my mother has been a big inspiration in my life and it is because of her that I am who I am today. I had always known that I wanted to pursue a higher education, but not having any financial help I knew that attending college would be difficult. After graduating high school I enlisted in the Army as a combat medic and was stationed at an airborne base in Anchorage Alaska, from there I served fifteen months overseas in Iraq. After completing my four years with the Army I moved back home and enrolled into Faulkner State Community College. After a year I transferred over to the University of South Alabama. During my time in the military I was given the opportunity to teach others various aspects of medical care, and it was during this time I realized how much I enjoyed teaching. My major is Education Secondary Social Science.
During my down time I enjoy watching movies, fishing and camping, hiking, and playing soccer. I have a passion for soccer and hope to coach once I start teaching. Another interest of mine is traveling; fortunately while I was in the military I had the opportunity to travel all over Europe and South East Asia.

practice post

My first post