Vitulli and Santoli: Eyes on Ireland
I read and commented on Dr. Viitulli and Dr. Santoli's blog post Now For The Conference. Drs. Vitulli and Santoli are visiting Ireland for the Ireland International Conference on Education. This post was an interesting read that included pictures from the conference. Dr. Santoli writes in this blog post how she and Dr. Vitulli have met many people from all over the world. Each day of the conference, there is a keynote speaker. The speakers have raised questions such as, "How has technology and access to information challenged notions of academic integrity? What can we do in our K-12 classrooms to make students aware of academic integrity issues and of our expectations in this area?". The conference they attended seems educational and inspiring.
My Response:
Hello Dr. Santoli,
My name is Elizabeth Mims and I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class. I really enjoyed reading your post and others that you have penned about your trip to Ireland. I really like how Dr. Cooper asks that we refer to people with learning disabilities as those who learn differently. After all, we all learn differently, so why should some be labeled as having a learning disability? I think attending a conference with the focus on education would be fascinating and so informative! Thank you for sharing your experiences from your trip with us!
ibBethany07
The blog post I read was written by a young girl named Bethany. Her post was titled, Napoleon and Josephine. Her post gives readers a brief history lesson on the lives of Napoleon and Josephine. From the time they courted and were married to their divorce, and everything in between. The post included a couple of images to look at while one read.
My Response:
Hello Bethany,
My name is Elizabeth Mims and I am a student at the University of South Alabama, which is in Mobile, Alabama. I was assigned to comment on your blog as part of an assignment in my EDM 310 class.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post about Napoleon and Josephine. I never learned much about Napoleon and Josephine in high school, so I was intrigued when I began reading your post. What a disaster their marriage was! In a way, I feel very badly for Napoleon, however he should of just divorced Josephine. Again, thank you for the history lesson.
Kayla K's Blog
Kayla is a student in Mr. Boylen's class. Her blog post that I commented on is called, Hobbies. In her post, Kayla talks about the different hobbies she has. She plays sports, cooks and bakes, and makes jewelery. The sports she plays are volleyball, basketball, and track. She mentions in her post, how important it is to communicate while playing. She has a very busy life and seems to enjoy every minute of it.
My response:
When I commented on Kayla's blog post, I told her how I used to play soccer and run cross country in high school. I love baking, as well. I told her to keep up with playing sports because it is good to have an active lifestyle. I told her see had a good head on her shoulders and to keep blogging.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Project #13
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
C4T Last Summary
A Geeky Momma's Blog
I was assigned to read and comment on Lee Kolbert's blog, A Geeky Momma's Blog. I found her blog to be very interesting and I enjoyed reading her blog posts. Her first post that I commented on is titled, "Are You Driving A Race Car Or Horse And Buggy". This post addresses the issue of teachers and schools using technology in the classroom. Many refuse to make use of all the technology out there to teach their students. Mrs. Kolbert refers to these teachers as driving a horse and buggy, instead of a race car. If they want their students to succeed then they need to adopt 21st century teaching methods.
My response:
Hello,
My name is Elizabeth Mims and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading this post. I thought your analogy was clever and interesting. I feel like if teachers and schools do not want to make use of the technology out there, then they do not support giving their students the best education possible. Times are changing and the world is advancing. Our schools need to support 21st century teaching because the future depends on it. Our students depend on it. Thank you for the eye-opening post!
Second Post:
The second post I commented on was titled, Sexist or Silly? and it bright attention to a controversial school assignment on gender bias. The assignment required students to put the list of toys into categories based on whether they are for boys, girls, or both. One little girl forced all of the items in the category labeled "both". In response, her teacher gave her an F on the assignment. The girl's father was outraged by the assignment and grade his daughter received. He took his anger to Twitter, thus gaining media attention. The question Mrs. Kolbert asks are whether the father overreacted, did the teacher do anything wrong, and how could this situation have been handled better? She welcomed comments with reader's own answers and opinions on the matter.
My response:
Hello,
I felt as though the father should have spoken to the teacher first, before he turned to Twitter. In fact, I hate how people turn to the internet more and more to make a statement or get attention. He didn't know the teacher's full intent for the assignment. The teacher in return, should of given more detailed instructions for the worksheet. Also, I don't see how the student should have failed the assignment when, in her opinion, the toys can be for both boys and girls. There are girls who are tomboys, which means they probably don't play with Barbie dolls. While I don't completely agree with this assignment, I don't think it's something to make a big deal about. Also, the whole situation should have been handled better.
Elizabeth Mims
I was assigned to read and comment on Lee Kolbert's blog, A Geeky Momma's Blog. I found her blog to be very interesting and I enjoyed reading her blog posts. Her first post that I commented on is titled, "Are You Driving A Race Car Or Horse And Buggy". This post addresses the issue of teachers and schools using technology in the classroom. Many refuse to make use of all the technology out there to teach their students. Mrs. Kolbert refers to these teachers as driving a horse and buggy, instead of a race car. If they want their students to succeed then they need to adopt 21st century teaching methods.
My response:
Hello,
My name is Elizabeth Mims and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading this post. I thought your analogy was clever and interesting. I feel like if teachers and schools do not want to make use of the technology out there, then they do not support giving their students the best education possible. Times are changing and the world is advancing. Our schools need to support 21st century teaching because the future depends on it. Our students depend on it. Thank you for the eye-opening post!
Second Post:
The second post I commented on was titled, Sexist or Silly? and it bright attention to a controversial school assignment on gender bias. The assignment required students to put the list of toys into categories based on whether they are for boys, girls, or both. One little girl forced all of the items in the category labeled "both". In response, her teacher gave her an F on the assignment. The girl's father was outraged by the assignment and grade his daughter received. He took his anger to Twitter, thus gaining media attention. The question Mrs. Kolbert asks are whether the father overreacted, did the teacher do anything wrong, and how could this situation have been handled better? She welcomed comments with reader's own answers and opinions on the matter.
My response:
Hello,
I felt as though the father should have spoken to the teacher first, before he turned to Twitter. In fact, I hate how people turn to the internet more and more to make a statement or get attention. He didn't know the teacher's full intent for the assignment. The teacher in return, should of given more detailed instructions for the worksheet. Also, I don't see how the student should have failed the assignment when, in her opinion, the toys can be for both boys and girls. There are girls who are tomboys, which means they probably don't play with Barbie dolls. While I don't completely agree with this assignment, I don't think it's something to make a big deal about. Also, the whole situation should have been handled better.
Elizabeth Mims
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Final Report on PLN
Progress Report on Final Project
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Blog Assignment #13
The video, A Vision of Students Today was created by Michael Wesch and the students of Introduction to Anthropology, class of 2007, from Kansas State University. This video summarizes some of the characteristics of students today, including how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, dreams, and hopes, and what kind of changes they will experience in a lifetime.
I found this video to be informative and eye-opening. The setting for this video is a classroom full of 200 students. As the video plays on, each student holds up a piece of paper with a fact or statistic about college life and how students must multitask to get everything done in a day. A day that consists of 26.5 hours! The video talks about how students pay hundreds of dollars for textbooks they may use only a couple of times in class. Students don't attend class, even though they are paying for it, and when they are in class they spend their class time on their phones, the internet, or Facebook. Students will be in extreme debt by the time they graduate college. They may have a job that does not even exist today. The video also brings to light how these students are indeed lucky. Over one billion people in the world make less than a dollar a day. A laptop costs more than what some people make in a year!
This video about students in college hits the nail on the head. I am already dreading having to pay back my student loans. I feel like students are cheated when purchasing textbooks. We spend hundreds of dollars each semester on books, and when we try to sell them back to the school, we don't even get half of our money back. Professors have been sympathetic to this problem and inform students if they need to buy the book or not. They even encourage renting books online. I wish I had done that from the beginning. I try not to miss class because I know I am paying for it, but it's astonishing to see the number of students who drop the class or just skip it. They are still paying for it! I enjoy and learn more from classes that require doing homework assignments and projects. Classes that are lecture-based are not only boring but not an effective way to teach and learn. Also, students are more tempted to skip. A class like EDM 310 would absolutely motive students to do their work and prepare them for the future. Furthermore, I personally think the cost for attending college is a bit ridiculous, but who's going to listen to me? Overall, this video is so true and I am glad these issues have been brought into perspective.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Blog Assignment #12
For this blog assignment, Dr. Strange gave his students the opportunity to write their own blog posts. The instructions for this blog assignment are simple. Explore Krissy Venosdale's blog Venspired and read her post, If I Built A School. Who is Krissy Venosdale? Write a quality blog post summarizing the post and describing the type of school you would build given the opportunity. Send Mrs. Venosdale a thank you tweet (@ktvee) and be sure to include #edm310.
If I Built A School
For this blog assignment, I researched and found the blog of Krissy Venosdale. Mrs. Venosdale has been teaching for ten years and is currently a gifted education teacher. She started blogging when she began teaching and hasn't stopped! She draws inspiration from her students and maintains a classroom that is always busy. She believes in teaching STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She is very passionate about space science, as well. Her classroom is a place where students can "imagine, create, dream, and explore." Mrs. Venosdale believes in teaching her students how to think, not what to think. I find Mrs. Venosdale to be an energetic and creative educator who loves teaching and learning.
Mrs. Venosdale's post, "If I Built A School" is a creative article that manages to somehow link Willy Wonka to education. She starts off with the whole, "If I had the golden ticket..." and ends up creating a school that reminds me of sunshine and rainbows. Mrs. Venosdale may go a bit overboard in her dreams for building a school; however, it shows her enthusiasm for teaching and got me thinking about the type of school I would build. Actually, to be more realistic, this post gave me some creative ideas for managing my future classroom.
In Mrs. Venosdale's school, there would be a huge neon sign on the door saying, "Welcome: Now Entering an Innovation Zone." The walls would be colorful and the seats comfortable. There would be endless places for students to collaborate, discuss, and dream. She even puts a tree house in the library! The cafeteria has a coffee house vibe and it is open all day long. Grade levels based on age are nonexistent at this school. The students progress through the grades when they show readiness and ability. Mrs. Venosdale's school supports collaboration and project based learning. Technology integration would be part of a normal school day. All forms of technology would be readily available for students to use. The list of must-haves for this school goes on and on! The point Mrs. Venosdale is trying to get across is that she believes in teaching more than the standard curriculum. Se wants to go further with education and teach her students to have dreams. Big dreams. She wants to build character and promote the concept of thinking for oneself. Nowadays, students do as they are told and have little say in how they learn. Mrs. Venosdale is striving to better education for our students.
I highly doubt I can top Mrs. Venosdale's dream school. However, I will imagine for just a moment what my school would look like. I would want for there to be color on all the walls and art work covering every square inch. There would also be lounge areas throughout the school for students to go and work on school assignments and projects. Collaboration is encouraged and creative thinking is a must. I would have a different classroom for each subject and elective. Students are welcome to explore each classroom as they see fit. This means if they feel like going to art class instead of math, then so be it. Of course, they would eventually get to all their core classes each day. I would like to be able to provide an exuberant supply of laptops, iPads, desktops, and other kinds of technology for the students to check out and use. My school would be a place for students to learn and grow. They will build character and learn how to set goals and accomplish them. I have this desire to shape my students into successful human beings, and in doing so, I need to go beyond teaching only the core curriculum and work on their character and development.
Okay, so maybe my idea of a school is not as detailed or elaborate as Mrs. Venosdale's. She thought of everything! My overall thought of Mrs. Venosdale is that she absolutely loves being an educator and works hard to create a classroom full of promise and energy. I can only dream that I someday am able to replicate her teaching styles. Lucky for me, Mrs. Venosdale encourages dreaming big.
For this blog assignment, I researched and found the blog of Krissy Venosdale. Mrs. Venosdale has been teaching for ten years and is currently a gifted education teacher. She started blogging when she began teaching and hasn't stopped! She draws inspiration from her students and maintains a classroom that is always busy. She believes in teaching STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She is very passionate about space science, as well. Her classroom is a place where students can "imagine, create, dream, and explore." Mrs. Venosdale believes in teaching her students how to think, not what to think. I find Mrs. Venosdale to be an energetic and creative educator who loves teaching and learning.
Mrs. Venosdale's post, "If I Built A School" is a creative article that manages to somehow link Willy Wonka to education. She starts off with the whole, "If I had the golden ticket..." and ends up creating a school that reminds me of sunshine and rainbows. Mrs. Venosdale may go a bit overboard in her dreams for building a school; however, it shows her enthusiasm for teaching and got me thinking about the type of school I would build. Actually, to be more realistic, this post gave me some creative ideas for managing my future classroom.
In Mrs. Venosdale's school, there would be a huge neon sign on the door saying, "Welcome: Now Entering an Innovation Zone." The walls would be colorful and the seats comfortable. There would be endless places for students to collaborate, discuss, and dream. She even puts a tree house in the library! The cafeteria has a coffee house vibe and it is open all day long. Grade levels based on age are nonexistent at this school. The students progress through the grades when they show readiness and ability. Mrs. Venosdale's school supports collaboration and project based learning. Technology integration would be part of a normal school day. All forms of technology would be readily available for students to use. The list of must-haves for this school goes on and on! The point Mrs. Venosdale is trying to get across is that she believes in teaching more than the standard curriculum. Se wants to go further with education and teach her students to have dreams. Big dreams. She wants to build character and promote the concept of thinking for oneself. Nowadays, students do as they are told and have little say in how they learn. Mrs. Venosdale is striving to better education for our students.
Okay, so maybe my idea of a school is not as detailed or elaborate as Mrs. Venosdale's. She thought of everything! My overall thought of Mrs. Venosdale is that she absolutely loves being an educator and works hard to create a classroom full of promise and energy. I can only dream that I someday am able to replicate her teaching styles. Lucky for me, Mrs. Venosdale encourages dreaming big.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
C4T Teacher #3
This week I was assigned to read and comment on Lara Bishop's blog titled, "Welcome To Ms. Lara's Jungle. The first post I comment on was called, "Reaching Out To The Community, Even In 4-K." In this post, Ms. Bishop explains how important it is to help out in the community, even in preschool. Ms. Bishop says, in her post, how even the younger children can help give to charity. Simply ask the child to pick out some clothes and toys he or she no longer uses. They can also pick out a few grocery items to donate to a food pantry. The children will be learning a valuable lesson that will stick with them the rest of their lives.
The comment I left Ms. Bishop included words of praise for being such a good role model to her students. I agreed with her that it is never too early to start teaching children how to be caring and upstanding citizens. I was surprised to see from the picture Ms. Bishop included, all the grocery items her class collected for the food pantry.
The second post I commented on is called, "In 4-K, We're Always Up To Something! Look to see What We've Been Doing." This post consisted mostly of class pictures of Ms. Bishop's students during holiday programs. They did a fall nursery rhyme program, a Thanksgiving dinner, a pumpkin decorating contest, and a Christmas program. I enjoyed looking at the students in their costumes and at their unique pumpkins. I told Ms. Bishop that I could hardly wait to have my own classroom so I could find fun and educational activities for them to do. I always enjoyed class programs because the planning and practice was always fun and then we got to invite our families to watch. Ms. Bishop seems like a fun and caring teacher who believes in having lots of activity in the classroom. I hope to be a teacher like that, as well.
The comment I left Ms. Bishop included words of praise for being such a good role model to her students. I agreed with her that it is never too early to start teaching children how to be caring and upstanding citizens. I was surprised to see from the picture Ms. Bishop included, all the grocery items her class collected for the food pantry.
The second post I commented on is called, "In 4-K, We're Always Up To Something! Look to see What We've Been Doing." This post consisted mostly of class pictures of Ms. Bishop's students during holiday programs. They did a fall nursery rhyme program, a Thanksgiving dinner, a pumpkin decorating contest, and a Christmas program. I enjoyed looking at the students in their costumes and at their unique pumpkins. I told Ms. Bishop that I could hardly wait to have my own classroom so I could find fun and educational activities for them to do. I always enjoyed class programs because the planning and practice was always fun and then we got to invite our families to watch. Ms. Bishop seems like a fun and caring teacher who believes in having lots of activity in the classroom. I hope to be a teacher like that, as well.
C4K October
Reilly's Blog
For my first C4K assignment for October, I was required to comment on a post from a student named Reilly. Reilly is in the 4th grade and the post I commented on is a poem called, "Morning Greetings." Reilly's poem was so descriptive and well written. I can picture myself standing in a beautiful garden watching the sun rise. The birds are chirping and it's going to be a beautiful day! I advise everyone to click on the link and read this poem first-hand. I told Reilly his poem put the biggest smile on my face and to continue writing.
Claire's Blog Post
This was by far my favorite post to read and comment on. Claire's post is called "Decreasing Biodiversity And Why You Should Care" and it's about how important biodiversity is because it creates the complex patterns of life that exist on Earth. Claire mentions how global warming is destroying our ecosystem, and why we must step into action and change the way we live or we could face serious consequences. We must protect the endangered plants and animals for they livelihood, as well as ours.
The comment I left Claire on her blog post included me mentioning how passionate I am about the environment. If only people took the time to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Along with her post, Claire has a picture of a couple of polar bears on ice caps. Polar bears are a species on the brink of extinction due to rising temperatures and melting ice caps. If we don't do something now to protect our planet, we will certainly regret it.
Kailin's Blog
This week, I was assigned to read the blog of a young girl named Kailin. Her blog is cleverly called, "Keen Kailin". The post I decided to comment on was called, "Kailin's Poem." Her poem is actually a cheer that her softball team chants during their games. I told Kailin that I remember this particular cheer because my softball team used to chant it too. This was her cheer:
"Once there was a froggy that sat up on a log
he cheered for the other team and had no sense at all
he fell into the water and bumped his little head
and when he got back up this is what he said
go go go go you mighty rebbles fight
fight fight fight you mighty rebbles win
win win win you mighty rebbles go fight
win until the very end."
I told Kailin that it was nice to know the cheer is still being used all over the country because it used to be my all-time favorite.
Miyu's Blog
The final blog post I read for October was by a young girl named, Miyu. Miyu's post was titled, "Whale Shark." In addition to her post, Miyu added a vivid image of a whale shark. In her post, Miyu mentions that the whale shark is the largest fish in the ocean and they can grow larger than a bus! I told Miyu that I didn't realize whale sharks could get bigger than a bus, but it gives me a good idea of how large they are. Although many people are afraid of whale sharks, these sharks are truly magnificent creatures.
For my first C4K assignment for October, I was required to comment on a post from a student named Reilly. Reilly is in the 4th grade and the post I commented on is a poem called, "Morning Greetings." Reilly's poem was so descriptive and well written. I can picture myself standing in a beautiful garden watching the sun rise. The birds are chirping and it's going to be a beautiful day! I advise everyone to click on the link and read this poem first-hand. I told Reilly his poem put the biggest smile on my face and to continue writing.
Claire's Blog Post
This was by far my favorite post to read and comment on. Claire's post is called "Decreasing Biodiversity And Why You Should Care" and it's about how important biodiversity is because it creates the complex patterns of life that exist on Earth. Claire mentions how global warming is destroying our ecosystem, and why we must step into action and change the way we live or we could face serious consequences. We must protect the endangered plants and animals for they livelihood, as well as ours.
The comment I left Claire on her blog post included me mentioning how passionate I am about the environment. If only people took the time to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Along with her post, Claire has a picture of a couple of polar bears on ice caps. Polar bears are a species on the brink of extinction due to rising temperatures and melting ice caps. If we don't do something now to protect our planet, we will certainly regret it.
Kailin's Blog
This week, I was assigned to read the blog of a young girl named Kailin. Her blog is cleverly called, "Keen Kailin". The post I decided to comment on was called, "Kailin's Poem." Her poem is actually a cheer that her softball team chants during their games. I told Kailin that I remember this particular cheer because my softball team used to chant it too. This was her cheer:
"Once there was a froggy that sat up on a log
he cheered for the other team and had no sense at all
he fell into the water and bumped his little head
and when he got back up this is what he said
go go go go you mighty rebbles fight
fight fight fight you mighty rebbles win
win win win you mighty rebbles go fight
win until the very end."
I told Kailin that it was nice to know the cheer is still being used all over the country because it used to be my all-time favorite.
Miyu's Blog
The final blog post I read for October was by a young girl named, Miyu. Miyu's post was titled, "Whale Shark." In addition to her post, Miyu added a vivid image of a whale shark. In her post, Miyu mentions that the whale shark is the largest fish in the ocean and they can grow larger than a bus! I told Miyu that I didn't realize whale sharks could get bigger than a bus, but it gives me a good idea of how large they are. Although many people are afraid of whale sharks, these sharks are truly magnificent creatures.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Blog Assignment #11
I must say it's hard to believe that was a first grade classroom in the video, Little Kids...Big Potential. I was really impressed with how much the children know and how interested they seem in their assignments and projects. The students are blogging, Skyping with other classes and experts, and using Wikis. I believe Ms. Cassidy's approach to teaching exemplifies how a 21st century classroom should look. The students were able to explain just how they use all different forms of technology every day.
The students really seemed to enjoy blogging and receiving comments on their blog posts. They are proud of the fact that their writing gets better every time they blog. They understand the proper ways to comment on someone's blog. The main rule for commenting is to never leave a negative comment on someone's blog. Only say kind words! They also use their blogs as an online portfolio for their work, which I think is a neat idea. The students know never to use their last names on the internet, which is a very important safety procedure.
Ms. Cassidy has a class webpage that the students can refer to when they want to look for something on the internet. The webpage is student friendly and set up so the students have no trouble finding what they are looking for. The webpage has places where the children can go to learn. They can practice their math and reading, among other subjects. They can choose to go on the webpage during center time and from home.
In the video, viewers were given an idea of how the students used Wikis. The students wanted to use the Wikis to ask about traditions. They invited people from all over the world to share their family traditions. The students asked what were some family traditions for the holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc). This also gave the students an idea of how different people and cultures celebrate certain holidays.
Overall, I was overly impressed with this video and how Ms. Cassidy uses all forms of technology in her classroom. She even enlisted the help from current and previous students to make the video! Watching this video has given me so many ideas for projects involving technology. I really like the idea of Skyping other classes from all over the United States and even the world. This helps students learn how to communicate with others and become more connected. Blogging is another fun way for students to practice their reading and writing. I plan to have a class blog when I start teaching and require my students to keep their own blogs. They will have weekly blog assignments and be required to comment on a classmate's blog post. I also rather like the idea of having my students comment on student's blogs from around the world. This would be exciting and beneficial for the students. Kudos to Ms. Cassidy for showing viewers just what a 21st century classroom looks like.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Special Blog Assignment
As USA Today celebrates its 30th anniversary, they interviewed a few of USA's greatest visionaries to talk about the world of tomorrow. In the article, A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind, Sebastian Thrun is shares his vision for education and how it may look in the next thirty years.
Sebastian Thrun is a Google vice president and Stanford research professor who decided to forgo teaching in a traditional classroom for an experience in education he calls Udacity. What is Udacity, you may ask? Udacity is an education company Thrun founded in January of 2012. Here is the link for the website for those who wish to explore: www.udacity.com. Udacity offers a catalog of free online courses taught by professors from all over the world. After teaching a single course that had over 160,000 students enrolled, Thrun decided that he could not return to teaching in a traditional Stanford classroom. He had seen "Wonderland" and there was no climbing out of the rabbit hole.
Thrun vision for this education company is actually pretty simple. The courses are free but certifications and exams will require a fee. Grades are nonexistent. Thrun believes in allowing students as much time to master a particular skill or concept. As the classes progress, they will offer more challenging exercises and quizzes to help the students with the curriculum. Classes have the potential to hold thousands of students at a time. This ultimately gives more people access to a quality education that they may not be able to afford otherwise.
I find Mr. Thrun's visions to be quite interesting, however, I do have a few reservations. For one, as much as I sometimes complain about grades, I feel like they are important. I like to know how I am progressing throughout the semester in my classes. Another concern I have is whether students will receive a legitimate degree and if so, will jobs view these degrees as they do traditional college degrees? Will they accept them? Aside from these concerns, I rather like Thrun's vision of the future. His company will offer more opportunities to receive an education, with a more flexible schedule. He is helping define education for the future.
Thrun isn't looking to get rid of colleges and universities, he merely has a vision that offers more options for education. His program will not replace traditional schooling, it will offer a different form of education to a larger crowd at low prices. I admire Sebastian Thrun having this vision for a 21st century education, and for seeing that his vision became a reality.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Blog Assignment #10
I must say, it took me a few minutes to figure out the metaphor for this picture. However, I realized John T. Spencer's cartoon, I'm a Papermate. I'm a Ticonderoga. is comparing a PC to a Mac. The Papermate pen is representing a PC and the Ticonderoga is representing a Mac. Spencer is showing in his cartoon that although a Papermate pen, like a PC, is cheaper, it might not be as reliable as a Mac and have more problems. The Ticonderoga is a more expensive purchase, like a Mac, but people might be unwilling to spend the money on one. The cartoon is saying that buying a Mac is a better choice, because in the long run, it will last longer and buyers will experience fewer problems than with a PC.
In this post, Mr. Spencer has written a dialogue between a principal and himself, as a teacher. In the conversation, the principal makes inquiries about Mr. Spencer's teaching methods. It seems as though Mr. Spencer was playing games with his students to go along with his lessons. The principal does not approve of this teaching method. He mentions that he understands that Mr. Spencer is trying to connect the games to learning, but he says it's a stretch. The principal wants Mr. Spencer to use worksheets and have the students fill out packets of algorithms. Mr. Spencer's solution is to create an algorithm factory and integrate it into a Conflict-Oriented Reading and Writing Project called the "Factory Game".
I think in his post, Mr. Spencer is saying that there is nothing wrong with playing games to get a lesson across to the students. I thought it was clever how he managed to side-step the principal's rule and still find a way to integrate games into his lessons. I think the principal is narrow-minded with his approach to teaching. He is only concerned about the students passing their rote memorization tests, therefore he wanted Mr. Spencer to focus on rote memorization skills. In my opinion, the principal should be more concerned with making sure the students will remember what they are learning. Active, hands-on learning will produce these results, not worksheets.
The second post I read is called, I Banned Pencils Today. In this post, Mr. Spencer talks about how he has fought and continues to fight for the use of technology in his classroom. He says there is a need for media in his classroom. These tools are highly important, as are pencils and paper, but we cannot forget that the most important tool is our brain. Basically, he says that he asked his students to put away their pencils and paper during their math lesson. He asked his students to find the volume of a cylinder that is twenty inches wide and twenty inches tall. His students fidgeted a bit and seemed to be uncomfortable with solving this problem without writing it down. It took awhile for them to answer the problem but eventually, they all reached an answer and then shared how they came up with their answers with a partner.
Mr. Spencer wanted his students to realize that the greatest learning tool they possess is their minds. We rely too much, I believe, on calculators, the internet, and auto correct for learning, especially when it comes to math and spelling. Students need to sharpen their brains and not be afraid to come up with answers without outside help.
Scott McLeod is currently serving as Director of Innovation for Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8 in Iowa. He is also the founding director of UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education, or CASTLE. Dr. McLeod's blog Dangerously Irrelevant addresses technology leadership issues.
In the post, Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?, Scott McLeod pens a sarcastic poem to parents, teachers, and school administration telling them not to let children use the internet. Children don't need to learn how to search the web, blog, collaborate, make videos, or PLNs. He basically says that nothing good comes from the internet. Children will look at pornography, hook up with predators,and become victims of cyber bullying. We don't need our children creating, thinking, sharing, and learning. How repulsive! Then Dr. McLeod proceeds to say that he is using technology and the internet to teach his students. He will take his chances and show everyone how well his students turn out.
I found Dr. McLeod's post to be humorous and very true. Children need to be exposed to the technology and tools that the 21st century has to offer. It is impossible to protect our children from all of the bad that happens in the world. We can, however, educate them on how to properly use the internet and monitor their usage. Children deserve to have the best education possible and that includes using all forms of technology.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Blog Assignment #9
Mr. McClung is currently an assistant principal in Fayetteville, Arkansas. After exploring his blog, I discovered that he has taught in both Missouri and Arkansas. He is in his sixth year of teaching. In his post, What I Learned This Year-Volume 4, we learn that Mr. McClung got the inspiration to write a reflective blog post recounting his first year teaching from one of his mentors. He liked the idea so much, and received so much positive feedback that he has continued with his end-of-the-year reflections.
For his 4th year reflective post, Mr. McClung made the comment that he couldn't think of anything new to say that he hadn't said a previous year. That he hadn't really learned anything new. He said only two underlining themes stuck out to him. The first, he has titled, "You Gotta Dance With Who You Brought to the Dance". Mr. McClung talks about how he is concerned with how his peers view him as an educator. He says he was never really concerned before with how they view him, that he only cared about how his students and superiors viewed him. After worrying about this matter, he finally realized that he cannot change who he is as a teacher and he needs to stay true to himself. He has, after all, gotten to where he is today by doing just that. He sticks to one simple rule, and that rule is to make sure his students are having fun while learning.
The second theme is "Challenge Yourself". Mr. McClung has taught the same two subjects at the same school for three years and he noticed he was getting too routine with his teachings. He reused old lesson plans and he realized his creativity was slowly leaving him. He says he was becoming too comfortable as a teacher. Luckily for him, he was able to teach a more challenging subject at a different grade level the next year. He wants his students to look forward to coming to class every day and if he is teaching the same material each time, the lessons are going to suck (his word, not mine). So he says, challenge yourself as a teacher and do your students a favor by making the lessons fun and interesting.
After reading Mr. McClung's blog post, I have a better understanding as to the type of teacher I need to be. My main focus needs to be my students and I need to challenge myself constantly as an educator. Both go hand in hand. If I want my students to take away anything from my class at the end of the year, I need to be creative with my lessons and challenge my students. They will appreciate it in the long run.
I decided to read Mr. McClung's blog post reflecting his first year teaching. In his post, What I've Learned This Year, Mr. McClung starts by saying that he did not fully know what to expect from being an elementary school teacher. Over the course of the school year, he matured as both a teacher and a person, and learned a lot from his first year teaching.
The first piece of information is on how to read a crowd. He says throughout college and his teaching internship he focused on himself as a teacher and how his superiors viewed him. He would see teachers deliver lessons that were not student-centered, meaning they didn't focus on student comprehension. Mr. McClung made sure his lessons were driven by his audience.
Mr. McClung says being flexible is also very important. At the beginning of the year, he would try and be overly controlling with his lessons. He realized that his audience is a crowd of elementary school children and he doesn't need to worry if his lessons go off course. How you plan your lesson is always different than how it is actually delivered. Nothing is going to go perfectly so teachers need to be flexible and work with the situation in front of them.
Communication, says Mr. McClung is one of the hardest skills to develop, but it is the most important. He says build strong relationships with the students and other teachers at your school. When there is good communication, issues can be resolved easily and the focus can return to the students and the classroom. Mr. McClung also makes a good point when he says we, as teachers, should remember to be reasonable. Don't hold too high of expectations for your students. Don't be upset when they fail. The teacher's job is to pick them back up, dust them off, and continue to encourage them. Never stop encouraging.
Mr. McClung's next piece of advice is one I find humorous. He says not to be afraid of technology. I couldn't ever see myself being afraid to use technology, but I suppose that's because I am around it constantly. In fact, I'm eager to use technology in my classroom. Mr McClung also says technology is out friend and we shouldn't be overwhelmed before we even begin to use it.
Mr. McClung's last two vital tips are to listen to your students and never stop learning. Both of which are extremely important. Teachers must listen to their students in order to receive respect from them. Professional educators must always continue to learn and grow.
I really enjoyed reading Mr. McClung's post about his first year teaching. He really seems to enjoy teaching and learning new things every year. I plan to remember all of the tips he shared on his post. It's important to stay positive, continue to learn and grow, and remember that the students should always be the center of focus.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
PLN Progress Report for Project #10
I decided to use Symbaloo as my Personal Learning Network. I like how every website I use is neatly displayed on my home screen and all I have to do is select the tile for whichever site I want to access. As I find more interesting sites, I can add them to my Symbaloo web mix. Some of the sites I already have are Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Google, Gmail, Huffington Post, and YouTube, to name a few. My PLN will continue to grow, of course, and there are plenty of tiles to fill up. It only took a couple of minutes to set up my account and it's free. I would suggest this site because it's easy to use and it's a fun way to organize your websites.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Blog Assignment #8
In part one of Richard Miller's This is How We Dream, Miller talks about how the writing process has changed in the classroom and in the culture. He starts by saying how he thinks this is the greatest change in human communication in history. Today, we are able to communicate instantly with others from all over the world. We are gradually moving away from only using pen, paper, and textbooks, and beginning to see more use of technology in the classroom. We are no longer restricted to visiting libraries and reading books to find information. We have it at the touch of our fingertips, and, amazingly enough, it is constantly being updated. We can now compose print, film, and sound documents through the internet. Once material has been shared on the internet, it will remain there forever, and can be shared with anyone.
In part two, Miller continues with his lecture about how "writing with multi-media" is important and why teachers should use this method in their classrooms. Dr. Miller is passionate about the change from a reading/writing culture to a listening/watching culture. He mentions iTunes U as a way to compose academic information. One of the things Dr. Miller said that really stood out to me was that ideas do not belong to us individually, rather they belong to us as a culture, and should absolutely be shared.
I firmly believe in having a 21st century classroom where my students have full access to the technology they will need to receive the best education. As I have said before, textbooks are outdated and limited, whereas the internet is full of endless sources and possibilities. My view of a 21st century classroom is one where the students are kept busy with hands on activities that use technology to its fullest, and they actually are enjoying learning.
After reading Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12, I became inspired by Carly's enthusiasm for becoming an educator and all of the dedication she has put into this blog. After exploring this post in particular, it appears that we will soon be creating our own blog post assignment for Dr. Strange to use. I don't know yet what type of assignment I will create but I want it to be different and useful for the classroom. I can see that Carly took a lot of time to think and plan out what her assignment would be. I know students would have fun finding all of the videos she asked for. I will definitely come back to her blog for future reading and guidance.
EDM 310 is Different
In the video, The Chipper Series, Chipper is a college student who was in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama but dropped because she disagreed with Dr. Strange's teaching methods. Her work was never turned in on time, either. Her first plan of action after dropping out was to start her own pilot school. After she failed at that, she got a job teaching. She was fired not long after she was hired for not showing up. After many failed career attempts, Chipper finally comes to the realization that it is in her best interest to return to the University and earn her degree.
The video, EDM 310 for Dummies, is a humorous video about two EDM 310 students who are having a difficult time understanding how to do the required assignments. Viewers can see the students becoming frustrated and on the brink of madness from struggling with this class. They do, however, have the option to buy the book "EDM for Dummies" which gives tutorials on how to use Twitter, Blogger, Skype, Delicious, etc. After the students buy this book, they begin to excel with their assignments and actually enjoy them.
I found both videos to be very educational. I believe I am getting better with procrastinating on my schoolwork but there is always room for improvement. Also, if I don't understand an assignment or I need extra help I will try and utilize the EDM 310 lab more. I think it would be a neat idea to make a video explaining how the lab works and all the ways students can contact the staff for help. That way, students can get the help they need right away instead of stressing out about an assignment.
The video, Learn to Change, Change to Learn discusses the need for change in the classroom. The teachers in the video are promoting the use of technology in the classroom and 21st century learning. They are saying that students will be more successful if they are allowed to use technology in school and for assignments and activities. Times are changing so why should students be forced to learn by outdated methods. Who actually enjoys listening to lectures and taking noted everyday? No one! Students are already using all forms of technology every day. They use cell phones and computers to email and explore the internet. They are living in an age of global communication, so we need to adjust our teaching styles to keep up with our ever-changing culture.
I enjoyed watching this video, because I agree with what was being said. I believe that we need to change our teaching methods to accommodate our students. They are thirsty for new and exciting ways of learning. Technology is the answer! There are so many activities and learning exercises students can do using all different types of technology. I personally enjoy Blogger, Timetoast, Skype, and Twitter, to name a few. I almost feel like we are failing our students if we don't adopt a 21st century classroom where they can learn and grow.
Scavenger Hunt 2.0
The first tool I discovered is called Edmodo. This site is a great way for teachers and students to communicate. It has a similar layout to Facebook except it is specifically designed for the classroom. It literally took a second to join and it seems like a great tool for the classroom. I would use to keep up with the school calender and upload assignments. There's a wall one can write on if need be, just like Facebook. Students can post comments or questions and others can respond. This would be a safe, effective, and fun way for classroom communication.
A tool I have never used is called Smilebox. This website allows you to organize your pictures into collages, slideshows, or scrapbooks. You can make invitations and cards, as well. I would enjoy using this site in my classroom to organize class pictures or have my students work on their own collages and scrapbooks. How fun!
Poll Everywhere is a great tool that I used to create my very own poll. It literally took less than 30 seconds. I can see myself using this tool in my classroom. I would have my students create their own polls and ask everyone to vote in each one.
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