Blog Post # 15

Final Project #16

For our final project, we did a series of tutorial videos. Our group's name is the Septemberists'.

PLN Final Report

For my PLN, I used symbaloo. Throughout this class, we have been introduced to many great website resources, many great educators, and many phenomenal class blogs that put our student blogs to shame! Throughout this semester, I have learned so much about the internet and technology. I have thought of many ways to use it in my classroom, and I have been introduced to many great examples to use as a guide. I added the websites, class blogs, and the teachers' blogs to my symbaloo, so that I can resort back to them whenever I need them. For example: I have a link to Mrs. Yollis' class blog on my symbaloo, because I feel that it is a great example of how to manage a class blog. When writing Blog 14, I added Jose Picardo's page of internet resources to it. I thoroughly enjoyed making my PLN, and I know without a doubt that someday I will refer back to it.

Blog Post # 14

I found the resources on Jose Picardo's website"Technology and Education's Box of Tricks" to be extremely helpful. I really enjoyed going through the different tools he has listed on his website, and playing around with them. I think that every school should provide the link to this website to their teachers, because it is a huge help! I really enjoyed the video, Top 10 Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom. There are a few things that he mentioned that I was already planning on incorporating into my own classroom. I want to, first of all, create a class blog. The students will have their own links, and they will have to post blog posts as assignments. I think that this is a great way to incorporate technology, and to also teach English and creative writing. Of course you can use any subject, but these are the ones that I plan on using. Also, I have seen Elementary teachers use internet videos and Interactive whiteboards in their classrooms, and I think that both are great tools. The students really seem to enjoy smartboards, and especially videos (educational of course).

I will be honest, before watching this video I never really thought about using any of the other things that he suggested. Who would have thought about using music, interactive exercises, teleconferences, or their "gadgets", as he called them? He definitely has a great outlook on using technology efficiently in the classrooms. I have thought about using social networks, and I'm just a little Iffy on those. The reason being is that I'm just afraid that they would try to talk to their friends instead of doing what they're supposed to be doing. Many teachers would like to use technology more in their classrooms, and Jose definitely has great suggestions on how to do so.

C4K - November Comments

11-6 Comment

For my first November comment, I had to comment on Mr. Mclung's class blog. I was assigned to the post "The Scramble for Africa." In this post, Mr. Mclung explained that his class had just discussed the Rise of Kingdoms in Africa. He said that one way he was teaching his class about it was through the use of political cartoons. He put a slide show of some of the cartoons he used in the post.

I replied and told him that I thought the political cartoons he chose were great representations of the issue. I also told him that I remembered my teachers in middle school using political cartoons, and that we always loved them.

11-13 Comment

For my second November comment, I had to comment on Mrs. Yollis' Project 365 Blog. I was assigned to post 276 called "Rhodie!". This post was wrote by Mrs. Yollis, and she told her students about a dog named "Rhodie" that she and her husband were dog-sitting. She told about how much work it was taking care of him, and defined the word "tend" for her students. Then, she asked them if they have any animals that need tending to.

I responded and told her that I like how she uses a class blog to help teach her students on. I also told her a little about my dog "Hershey", and what all I have to do to take care of her.

Part two of 11-20 Comment

For my third November comment, I was assigned to a student named "Silas", who is a student at Pt England School in New Zealand. I commented on his blog "The Planet Vars". In this post, he made up a planet called "Vars", and he told about a boy named Brian who lived on it. He also told about how huge it was, and showed a picture of it.

I commented back and told him that I thought his planet was cool, and that I would love to visit it some day. I also told him that he needed to make sure to place commas and periods as needed.

Blog Post #13

For this assignment, I decided to do the media fast. I'll admit, i have actually attempted this once before, but I failed. At church, our youth leaders always tried to get us to do this fast. I usually ended up texting someone when I got bored, and always messed it up. This time I was successful. It is definitely very hard and requires a lot of will power! I kept forgetting that I couldn't watch television and I had to keep starting over, but eventually I remembered. As for the cell phone, my husband and I are currently sharing a phone, so I just sent the phone with him to work to avoid tempting myself. He did not have a problem with this, whatsoever, might I add. He did keep trying to watch television, and I had to keep reminding him. We have recently moved, and we have not got internet yet, so staying away from the computer was pretty easy for me. My husband took it and played "Sims 3" on it, which helped me to stay away.

I feel like this assignment should be required, because everyone needs to realize that they CAN survive without media. Of course, it complicates things a lot, and it takes getting out of tradition to do it...but I think that it is a great idea. After doing this, I learned that I really am not as media-dependent as I thought. When you first start out, you think "I can't do this. I'm not going to make it..." and then when you finish it, you have a sense of accomplishment that brings pride in yourself. Media has really became a huge part of our every day lives. We depend on it a lot. It makes you stop and think about what life was like back in the day when computers were too expensive to own! I think that if I gave this assignment to my students, most of them would not make it. There may be a select few that do, and it would probably be the ones that don't have internet or cable. This assignment will definitely make you think!

Project #15b

Progress Report on Final Project

For our final project, Greta, Frances and I have been thinking that we should do a video that helps students to learn how to manage their time more efficiently. We were inspired by the EDM310 for Dummies videos! They were very helpful to us. We all agreed that the time management portion is the hardest part of EDM310, so that is why we decided on it.

Blog Post #12

An assignment that I think we should have to do in EDM310 is to compare teachers that we've had growing up by their technological literacy. List one or more teachers that have been creative with the technology their school provided (whether the new or old technology) and talk about how the use of technology helped you to do better in the class, or if you feel it didn't help at all. Then, talk about a teacher you had that was not technologically literate at all and your learning experience, and talk about whether or not you learned better with them, or with the teacher who used technology.


I never really had teachers who efficiently used technology until high school. It may be because in Elementary school, we didn't have all the cool technology that we have now. For middle school, it probably was just a basic fact of not having enough money in the budget to buy the newest stuff. For this assignment, I am going to compare two history teachers that I had in high school.

My 11th grade history teacher (I can't remember her name!) used a smart board to teach with. Whenever we took tests, she had these nifty things called "clickers", and we would each be assigned to our own. She would give each student a test, and then as you read each question, you click the letter on the clicker to answer with. If it received it, on the smart board it would blink green and show the next number. If you had to go back and change an answer, there were buttons on the clicker that would allow you to do that. It was a very "green" way of taking tests, and also it eliminated cheating. If someone were to try, it would be very difficult! In that class, I actually learned a lot! I always had trouble paying attention in school, and I could never focus enough to read the chapters in textbooks. Whenever I had this class, I found that her use of technology really helped me to focus, and overall I did great in the class.

In 12th grade, I had a history teacher that was very monotone, and he taught using a chalkboard. He gave us a ton of worksheets that never seemed to make sense to me. They never fully related to the notes that he gave us, and I had a hard time paying attention. Obviously, I did horrible in this class. I know that this example is not very good considering he was monotone, so I will use one more! My 10th grade history teacher was the same way. He wasn't really monotone, he just gave us a lot of bookwork. He had a whiteboard that he wrote notes on, but it was just very hard to pay attention. Both of these classes were just extremely boring to me! There was nothing interesting, whatsoever about them.

I think that I learned more in 11th grade than I did the entire time I was in high school! My theory is that it was because my teacher was not afraid to use technology. She was always experimenting with the smart board, and it was really entertaining to watch. It caught your attention and didn't let go! The other two teachers were the opposite. My theory about them is that they were afraid of technology. If they just had of tried to incorporate it the least little bit I really think it would've helped! There are some teachers that are just so good at teaching that they don't have to use technology to get their students' attention, but if they threw in just a tad of technology, I think that they would be that much better!

C4K #10

Mrs. Yollis' class blog is extremely impressive and professional. She has an "about me" page, telling the students and the parents about her, and she also has a page that tells a little bit about her 3rd grade class. She even has a video tutorial that shows how to comment, and also a link that explains how to use html codes. I also saw a link that says "Mrs. Yollis' Class Blog", and when you go to it, she has a whole bunch really cool things. One, for example, says "Blogging tips for teachers". When you click on it, she tells about ways that blogging has helped her students, and there are even some tips for teachers. I really think that It is really a great blog site for students and parents, and I think that it is a great resource for teachers. I think that every teacher needs to visit her site and see just how much all of her students have learned from having a class blog.

C4K - October Comments

C4K #1
For my first comment, I commented on the kids view's post "Have a Great Holiday Prep S and K". In this post, the students made a video of themselves inviting visitors to their class' blogs ( We Love Learning and Learning Together) while they went on a holiday break. I went to both sites and left the kids comments telling them how good they were doing and that I loved their Australian accents.

C4K #2
For my 2nd comment, I was assigned to Anthony. I commented on Anthony's post, "science week." In his post, he told about his science class, and about an experiment he wanted to try. I commented and told him that I was glad that he enjoyed science, and that I hoped his experiment went well, and that he would post a blog about how it went.


C4K#3
For my second comment, I "randomly" was assigned to Cesar. I commented on his post "My Poem." It was a poem that he wrote about winter. I commented and told him that he did a great job, but that I thought his poem deserved a better title than just "My poem."

C4K #4
For my fourth comment, I posted on Jake's blog. I commented on his blog "How you get Brain Freeze's". In his post, he told the scientific reasoning for how you get brain freezes, and also how to cure them. I commented and told him that I get them occasionally, and that I will remember the cures for next time!

C4K #5
For my 5th comment, I had to post on the post "Taimana's Australian Animation". In this post, Taimana had made a video of what he thought the Australian Outback looked like. I commented and told him that I thought he did a great job, and that the kangaroo's were my favorite.

Blog Post #9

"What I've Learned this Year (2008-2009)"

In this post, Dr. Mclung talks about what he learned hist first year of being a teacher. He tells about how he learned that it really isn't about the teacher, it is about the students being able to learn what you are teaching. He also talks about a solution he found to fix a problem in the work environment; communicate with your co-workers. He said that it is one of the hardest things to do, but it works! He then talks about how sometimes teachers build up their expectations too high for students, and he says that teachers should make sure they are being reasonable. He cracked me up when he began to talk about teachers being afraid of technology. He stated "Grown adults everywhere are afraid of computers like it's a bad horror film and computers are trying to take over the world. " Might I add, he is right! There are many teachers who won't touch anything except their computers, and that is either to get on the web, or to take role. Dr. Mclung also says that he learned to listen to his students, and that it was important to keep a good teacher-student relationship with them. Lastly, he says that educators should never stop learning. Can I just say, Amen to that!

There were several things that he said that really stood out to me. One thing was "A common theme that I have seen in a lot of teachers is the fact that they do not make their lessons student centered. They become so concerned with the delivery of the content that they are missing the most important aspect of teaching, and that is checking for student comprehension." I think he is so right! This is very true, and after reading this it made me think about whenever I give lessons. I am always worried about how to give it, instead of how the students take it. This is almost considered selfish, to an extent. From now on, whenever I go to teach anything I will always consider the students view first. Another thing I really liked that he said was to listen to your students. So many times, we ignore them because we are in a bad mood or just don't feel like hearing their input. We need to stop being selfish and try to listen to them more. A third thing that I liked was when he said we should never stop learning. I really liked that because if we stop learning, then we will stop "updating" our curriculum and lessons to go along with the current technology trends and learning styles.

What I've Learned this Year (2010-2011)

In this post, Dr. Mclung tells about his third year teaching. He says that it is his first year to be a head coach, a cross-country coach, to teach a second year at the same school, and a computer app. teacher. He says that he learned that it is far more important to focus on your students than to focus on what others think of you. I agree with him. It is more important for us to teach our students in ways that best work for them, than to worry about what other coworkers think about our method of doing so. As long as your methods are legal and they are teaching the students correctly, I don't see where it would matter. Second, he says "Don't expect other to be as excited about change as you are." He then tells about how he is an optimist, and there are others who are not so optimistic about new things. His opinion is that you should ignore them and go on with your excitement. Yet again, I agree! I am an optimist as well, and I think that if your school were to make "changes" and you were to go about it dead set that it was not going to work, then more than most likely it won't work for you. It might, however, work for others who go about it positively.


The next thing he mentions kind of goes along with the previous topic, and that's "Don't be afraid to be an outsider." He explains his point, that if you are going to be yourself, you cannot be afraid to be different. After that, he talks about not doing the students' work for them when they have questions. He mentions that if we do the work for them, then they will never master the skills. I understand what he is saying, and I believe he is right. It is easy for us to get annoyed sometimes with students who ask question after question and do not ever do the work right, and so sometimes we get "fed up" with them and just feel the urge show them how to do the work. It is ok to help them, but if we just give them the answers they might not ever learn how to fend for themselves. Lastly, he says "Don't get comfortable." He talks about how it is important that we not get "comfortable" doing the same thing every day, because then we will just be boring old teachers that don't try anything new. I know that growing up, I liked it when I had teachers that were willing to try something new, so I definitely agree with him here. I really enjoyed reading his posts! They have actually taught me a few pointers for whenever I become an "official" teacher.

Blog Post #8

This is how we Dream - Parts 1 and 2 By: Richard Miller

In this video, Dr. Richard Miller tells about new ways that we can teach using "collaborative technology". He begins with pointing out that our new workspace is our desktop; it is hardly ever paper and pencil anymore. From our desktop, we can (as he puts it) "research the riches of the world." He says that we have just as much access to books and media on the web now, so we really don't even have to go to the library to do projects anymore. Dr. Miller points out that he and his staff are able to collaborate on the web using not just text, but also with images and videos. He mentioned that he and his fellow staff members put one of their publications on youtube, and within 3 months it had over 9,000 views and had been embedded into blogs. Towards the end of the video, he states that he does not have a way to teach the technology that he has described, because they would need "Ubiquitious composing technology, spaces that foster collaborative learning, inspiring teachers of new media composing, and pedagogies that foster creativity and collaboration."

You can tell that Dr. Richard Miller really knew what he was talking about. I was very impressed by this video. I thought it was really interesting how he and his colleagues were able to collaborate like they did using the internet. If we could learn to do that in our schools, working together with other teachers might would become a little bit easier, because we wouldn't have to hold meetings after school. We could just find a time that it easiest for us all to meet, and then get on the internet with our webcams at the same time. He says "We need inspiring teachers, people who tell you that they're teaching visual literacy. I don't think they've yet begun to deal with how profound this change is..." I agree with him. Maybe they've realized that technology has advanced, but I do not think that they have realized just how much new technologies could majorly impact our schools, and our ways of teaching. I think it would be awesome if we could have some kind of curriculum to teach teachers and future teachers about the technology, and how to use it.

Now to answer the question, Am I prepared to write with multimedia? I know that I could definitely try! With all the technologies out there and all the internet resources I think I probably could. The only thing is that our schools will have to first be able to get all the technology that is needed. Maybe we could do some simple things, but not all the things that Dr. Miller showed in the video. He said that for himself to even teach it at his university they would need more materials. I know that I said in the previous paragraph that we need a type of curriculum to help teach us how to use these technologies, but I honestly feel like EDM310 is helping to do that! I can't speak for others, but so far it has taught me to use podcasts, make youtube videos, use smartboards, and so much more. I think that as technology progresses, it will be incorporated into EDM310. Now, for the next question; "Will my students be able to do this?" I think it will be a while before students can do most of what he showed in the videos. Like I said, first the schools would have to get the technology to do it. If the right technology were added, then its a good possibility that they could!


Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12

I think that Carly's idea is great! It involves making us think about our future educating methods, what kinds of technology we want to use and basically what kind of teachers we want to become. I think that by assigning us to make a youtube playlist, she is inspiring us to use internet resources and technology; therefore, she is doing exactly what Dr. Miller talked about. She did a really great job instructing what to do, and she even gave an example of exactly what she had in mind to be accomplished. She is definitely creative! I loved her form of writing. While reading her post, you almost feel like you are inside her head (I mean that in a good way!) She will definitely be a teacher who has realized the change in technology, and who is ready to incorporate it into her teaching methods. She really did a great job!


The Chipper Series & EDM310 for Dummies

I found these videos quite humorous! They did a great job on them. Both videos made me wish that I could make tutorial videos to help future students with the things in EDM310 that my classmates and I have both struggled with. For example: I've had a hard time with managing my time, and also with the PLN. It would be cool if I could make videos for future students helping them to do these things! The EDM310 for dummies video was a really great idea, and I really think that if Dr. Strange wrote the book he could definitely make some money! To me, the purpose of both the Chipper Series and also EDM310 for dummies was to help people realize that if you have problems with the class, there are always people who are willing to help, but you must be dedicated to the class to really succeed!


Learn to Change, Change to Learn

In this video, several different people all gave their opinions about how they think that educators need to change their curriculum and teaching methods. They are basically saying that the curriculum needs to be more student-centered, to where students can be able to relate their experiences outside the classroom to their experiences inside the classroom. They bring out many great points. One man stated "The kids are having a much more stimulated and rich environment outside of school than they are inside of schools". I think this is really something for future educators to think about. We don't need to "dumb down" our curriculum, but we need to change it to where it at least interests the students. In the video, a different person states "Kids are very rich content developers today through their social networking science, they're big communicators through email, instant messaging, and even text messaging; and yet all of these things are banned in their schools." I agree with most of what she said, I just think that we might have a difficult time monitoring their texts and instant messages. Her basic point is that we aren't really allowing them to use the things that they learn from the most. That is true to an extent; we do have internet and computers in the schools, but they only get maybe an hour or two a week on them.

For the most part, I agree with the basic message of this video. I think that people who are coming up to be teachers will be good with this because we realize the present/modern ways of learning; but as for the current teachers already teaching (some but probably not all), they really need to learn to adapt the use of technology into their lessons.

Project 13 Smartboard Presentation

Project #11

For my short Movie Project, I talked about Why I want to be a Teacher.

Blog Post #7

In this video, Randy Pausch did a phenomenal job. He talked his childhood dreams, and he explained that some of them he got to do, and some he didn't. Some were; experiencing ground zero, playing in the NFL, winning huge stuffed animals, and becoming a Disney Imagineer. Of these, he tells that he got to experience ground zero, he never got to play in the NFL but he learned a lot from his football coaches, he won a bunch of huge stuffed animals and showed them to the audience, and lastly he told about how hard it was, but he got to be a Disney Imagineer.


He said something that really stood out to me, and that was "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." He told about how even though he didn't get to play in the NFL, he got some really good experience from it, and he learned a lot from his coaches. I found this statement pretty powerful, because it is so true! It reminds me of that saying, Thank God for some unanswered praters. He also told of some things that he learned during the time. Another cool thing that he said was "Brick walls are there to show us how badly we want stuff." I thought that this was awesome. He said this when he was talking about how hard it was becoming a Disney Imagineer. Eventually he made it, and he got to work on the Aladdin project. I found this to be really cool! It was definitely very motivating listening to him talk about these dreams of his that actually came true, especially since at the time he was dying. We should have all learned a lot from him!


After he talked about his childhood dreams, he talked about enabling dreams. He talked about a course that he taught on virtual worlds. He showed a video of a student's virtual reality, and then he showed a slide show of the students he taught. I thought that it was extremely interesting! Then, he went on to talk about a course that he and a man named Don Marinelli taught. It was a course that focused on people and learning to work in groups. He also talked about a project called "Alice", which is a way to teach computer programming. It has become very popular, as he stated over 1 million people have downloaded it and ten percent of colleges are using it.


Last, he tells about the lessons he has learned. One is that many people have helped him a long the way, like his parents, his teachers, and more. Another is that we learn from many people, such as our bosses and also our students. He talks a lot about how it is important to help people. I found this video really inspiring. It is important for us, as educators, to encourage our students to shoot for their goals and to help them as much as we can along the way. This was a great video!

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

This video was about a boy who does his work by using the internet. His teacher uses "connectivism", which teaches the students to use the internet and social networks to get connected socially with other people, and to help with school work. The boy uses different websites, internet tools, and social networks. Some of the internet tools that he uses are skype, google scholar, delicious, and more.


The first question being asked is "Why does the networked student need a teacher?" Well honestly, they probably could do it on their own if they had to; however, the help of a teacher would guide them and help them a lot along the way. Teachers help answer any questions or concerns, help the students to stay on task, and they encourage the students to learn. If there is something that the students are struggling with, the teacher is there to help them better grasp the concept that is being taught. So do they need a teacher? No. Is it better for them to have one? Yes! That is my opinion anyways.

The second question being asked is "Am I prepared to be a teacher of a networked student?" That is a very good question! I would love to say yes, but I am afraid that I'm only halfway there. I need to get a better understanding of all these social networking tools and internet resources before attempting to teach them to other people. It would be embarrassing for me to teach something and then find out that the kids know more about it than me. This class is helping me a lot to better understand the many tools of the internet, but I am afraid I have some more learning to do! I really enjoyed the video and watching how the boy used all of the internet references and websites, and I would like to learn more about the "networked student". I believe that once I learn more about this, then I will be prepared to be a teacher of a networked student.


Welcome to my PLE
This video was really cool! I would love to use something like this in my classroom. Her class blog had an agenda that helped them to be able to keep on track with their homework. It was really cool how she had all of the websites that she visits on her page where she could just click the icon any time she needs them.

Project #8

The Septemberists' Podcast

C4K September

C4K#1

For the first comments for kids assignment, I commented on Athena's blog post called "Silly Sports Day." In her blog post, she wrote about a day when her class and several others had a silly sports day. I said that I was glad she and her class enjoyed it. One of the games she had listed that her class participated in was the 3-legged race game, so I told her about a time when I tried it, and lost.


C4K#2


I can't find the website for this comment, but I know that I commented on a child's blog who wrote about the book series "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." She said that she enjoyed reading them, and that she liked to play outside just like the kid in the book. I told her that I was glad she enjoyed the books, and that I had not read them but I have seen one of the movies.


C4K#3

For the 4th Comments for kids, I wrote to Miller on the St. Elmo Explorer's blog called "Letters to Lucy." This class received free iPads and money for field trips (donated by Lucy Buffett), and they put together a google presentation of all the children's thank you letters to Lucy. Miller told Lucy that he thought she was awesome, and that he was excited about the iPads and field trips to come. I told him that I thought his letter was sweet and that Mrs. Lucy would enjoy reading it.

Project 9A

Blog Post #5

Don't Teach your kids this stuff. Please?


I found this post rather entertaining! I love his sarcastic way of bringing out all the pros and cons of teaching kids technology. This post really got me thinking, and I definitely agree with him. Some parents really do need to allow their children to use technology and the internet more. As long as you monitor what websites your child gets on and you try to keep up with them, then hopefully they won't get into trouble of any sort. The children will need to know how to use the latest technologies, and also the internet to be able to succeed in this constantly advancing world.

Scott Mcleod J.D., Ph.D., is a famous expert on K-12 school technology issues. He is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky, the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology leadership in Education (CASTLE). He was also the Co-creator of the series "Did you know? (Shift happens)".


The iSchool initiative (Mobile Learning) and Travis Allen's Zeitgeist Young Minds Entry


In these videos, a young boy named Travis Allen tells about a new learning concept called "iSchool Initiative." He is showing his proposal to solve many education problems by incorporating technology. In the video, he lists many iPhone apps that can be used for school purposes; He names apps like the Email App, the Chemical Touch, the US Constitution, and many more. Teachers would have total access to their students any time or place with the touch of their hands. He also shows the many ways that this project could save money for the school systems.


I think that the whole idea of "iSchool Initiative" is absolutely phenomenal. It is definitely an amazing concept! Not only would it save money, but it would also get students interested in learning. They would be so excited to learn that they would probably do their homework, study, and pay attention in class. Travis Allen is a genius! I hope that in the future, this concept is really incorporated into our schools.


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir


I found this video to be incredible. It was a choir of people who have probably never met, singing through the computer. Eric Whitacre is extremely creative and smart to be able to put something so awesome together. It is amazing that not only they all had perfect harmony, but they weren't even in the same room singing! I used to sing I don't know how he did it, but this was amazing!


Teaching in the 21st Century


In this video, he is really trying to get teachers to not just "teach" but to encourage the students to get active and participate. When students are involved, they learn better. I agree with him. We, as educators, need to get our students involved. As he pointed out, technology makes doing this easier. I never realized until I took this class just how many ways technology can really be used in the classrooms. As a future educator, I need to start learning now to use technology efficiently in a classroom. With the use of technology, I will be able to get my students engaged in learning and hopefully interested in school!I feel like using technology in schools would help every teacher in many different ways, but I honestly feel that the main way it would help is to keep the students engaged and interested in learning.

My Sentence Video

Blog Post #4

Eagles' Nest Radio & Class Blog


Eagles' Nest Radio and Class Blog was a 3rd grade blog site where the students made podcasts of what they learned. They pretended to be people talking on the radio, and they sounded so cute! I must say, for 3rd graders they were most impressive! From what I heard, it seemed like they really enjoyed getting to talk in podcasts! It also sounded like they really new what they were talking about, which tells me that using podcast' was a very effective way of teaching for their teacher.

Listening to this blog really made me want to try to use podcasts in my future teaching lessons. They really seemed to learn so much, and they seemed to have fun doing it! I feel like this was a great example to us as future teachers of one of the ways we can incorporate technology into our classrooms. I liked how they used music in the background. It made the podcast sound really professional. I think it would be a great idea for my group to try to use music in our podcast.



The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom


This website was very informing. It Tells about how podcasts are effective ways of teaching in classrooms, and how they can be very beneficial. Joe Dale brought up many very good points and ideas. One, for example, was putting "review podcasts" on itunes. He gave an example of a little girl who got sick the night before her class' test review day. She went on itunes and downloaded the review, so she didn't miss any material covered in class and didn't go to school and make anyone else sick!


This website/video showed several great examples of what podcasts can be used for in classrooms. It gave a list benefits, and I think that someday I will use podcasts in my classroom for most of these things!




Judy Scharf Podcast Collection


This website was very helpful to me. It tells all about podcasts, what they can be used for, and how to use them. Before I went to this website, I did not even realize why a podcast is called a "podcast". It is because it is a mix between an iPod and a broadcast, and it can be downloaded from itunes or a podcasting website onto an iPod or an mp3 player.

My group and I will probably go back to this website whenever we begin putting together our podcast, because it is a very helpful website! After listening to all of these podcasts and visiting the websites, I now understand the purpose of podcasts. Before, I had heard of them, but did not really know what they were, or what the point was to them.

Project #5

Blog Post #3

It's Not About Technology


I'll admit, at first when I read this I was thinking "what?" But then the more that I read, the more I understand. She is saying that everyone is trying to say that technology is the only thing that we need to change in our educating systems. She pointing out that even with new technology, if teachers don't adjust their ways of teaching, the technology is pointless. Her main supporting points are that 1.)Teachers should be learners, 2.)Learning and teaching are not the same thing, 3.)Technology is useless without good teaching, 4.)Be a 21st century teacher without the use of technology.

Well, she is right. Technology is useless without good teaching! We have to learn to teach the children effectively to where they understand us, and where we're coming from. Once we've mastered that, then we incorporate technology. As teachers, we really must watch the children and attempt to use teaching methods that affect the children in the best way. In my opinion, technology really does help to get them to pay attention better. When I was in elementary school, I had a hard time paying attention. In middle school, teachers began using overhead projectors, which made it a little easier. Then, in high school, teachers started using powerpoint presentations and smart boards. That is really when I started being able to grasp the concepts of what they were teaching. It was just more interesting to me than listening to them talk for hours! I understand where this lady is coming from, and I agree with her that we should be learners as well as teachers, and learn how to be a good teacher before we throw technology into the picture.


Is it ok to be a technologically illiterate teacher?

In this post, he basically talks about how important it is for teachers to be technologically literate. He goes through many opinions about why he feels this way. I found his blog to be very impressive and interesting.

He made this statement: "If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write." This is a very powerful statement. And in a way, it is very true. Teachers need to learn how to use technology efficiently. Using technology in the classrooms really helps students to pay attention and be more interested in what is going on. He also talks about back in the 20th century. When it first began, people who couldn't read or write could still be successful. The further along it came though, the harder it was for them to find jobs and be able to do anything. When comparing to the 21st century, if you are not able to at least type or use computers, then you are uneligible for many jobs.


Gary Haynes Social Media Count

Right after I clicked on this link, the numbers began changing so fast I couldn't keep up with them! I noticed that within 60 seconds, facebook had over 600,000 items that were shared. It is definitely shocking to watch the numbers change that fast in one minute alone!


As a future educator, this means that I really have to start trying to be technologically literate. Whenever we took our edm310 questionaires, it asked whether or not I considered myself to be technologically literate. At the time, I said "yes." Now, I say "no." Taking this class has made me realize just how important keeping up with the latest technology really is! Especially as an educator. Earlier in this post I talked about how I couldn't pay attention in school until, basically, technology got incorporated the tiniest bit. If we are going to teach in this generation, we are going to have to use the latest gadgets and technology to keep up with them. My 12 year old brother apparently knows more about computers than I do! This is embarassing, and not good at all. We are just going to have to try our bests to stay updated!


A Vision of Students Today

This video was very interesting to me. I tried to watch it from the point of view of an educator. What I got from it was that the students were basically miserable because the class seemed to have no bit of technology to keep them interested. The teacher used chalkboards instead of a smart board, or a projector.


As educators, we have to understand not only the attention span of students, but also what keeps them interested. The majority of the students' signs talked about how much they use technology out of class, some during class because they were so bored. I know it said to focus as an educator, but I have to say that as a student, I understand where they are coming from. This video relates to all of the assignments I've wrote about in this blog post, and I know It sounds like I am repeating myself; But this goes to show that it is far easier to keep students' attention with the latest technology of their generation.

C4T Comments

Learning with E's By: Steve Wheeler


The first comment I left was on a post he wrote called " Cut price education?" It was about a discussion on the TES pages about making colleges go only to online-distance learning classes where students teach themselves. The reason they are proposing this is because they think that it will cut the cost for schools. Professor Wheeler thought this was a horrible idea, and said that it will increase the work loads of teachers, and cause many students to not seek after college educations. I agreed with him, because I know that many students do not do well with online distance learning classes! I said that it would be far too hard to attempt classes like "statistics, calculus, chemistry, etc." and also I agreed that the teachers' work loads would increase. Students would have far more questions about how to do things, and many complaints and problems. Also I feel that many students would choose not to go to college because they feel that they are not technologically smart enough to attempt this!


The second post I commented on was called " From atoms to Bits". In this post he summarized a lecture from Professor John Naughton at ALT-C 2011. Professor Naughton's key theme was "the elusive technological future", and it was about technology taking over music, advertising and publishing worlds, and education. I commented back and told him that I think Professor Naughton is right, because technology is taking over basically everything. I told him that I definitely thought it would eventually take over education, and that I feel students learn better with the use of technology. I told him about the video we watched with Vicki Davis, and how the students seemed to learn more.


Concrete Classroom By: Michael Kaechele


In my first comment to Mr. Michael, I commented on his blog post "9/11 as a PLN Theme." This post was following his post on Teach Paperless where he wrote about why he was not teaching what happened on 9-11 and why. I commented back and told him that his reasoning for not teaching it is good, and that I agreed with what he was saying.


In my second comment to Mr. Micheal, I commented on his blog post "Do you care?" He told about getting to hear E.B. Lewis speak at a Diversity PD day. He told a story that Lewis told about a time when he spoke to a group of 400 middle school students. He motivated them and tried to tell them that they have a purpose in life and that they are important. I commented back and told him that I thought what E.B. Lewis said was awesome, and that middle school students need to hear stuff like that because of the hard transitions and adjustments they are going through.



Creating Lifelong Learner's By: Matthew Needleman

For my first comment, I commented on his blog post "Technology in Schools is a Waste, or is it?". In this post, he talked about an article he read that was in the New York Times, "In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores". He talks about how some schools waste money on technology because they never use any of it. I commented and told him that I thought the main reason teachers aren't using their technology placed in their schools is because they don't know how to use it properly. Then, I went on to tell him that I feel if schools are going to spend that kind of money, they should have people go in and teach the teachers how to use the technology.


For my second comment, I commented on his blog post "TreasuresResources.com, New Web Site for Treasures Reading Program". He talked about a website he created to be a resource for teachers (http://www.opencourtresources.com). He also mentioned that his school district adopted the Treasures Reading Program, so out of popular demand, he made a new website (http://www.treasuresresources.com). He tells a little bit about each site, and about some of the resources that is on them. I commented and told him that I thought his websites were a great idea, and that many teachers would and probably already are benefiting from them.



Angela Maiers By: Angela Maiers

For my first comment, I commented on her post 10 Ways to Assess College. Looking back, I just realized that this was actually a "Guest post", and that someone named Joe Baker wrote it. At the time I thought she actually wrote it. This post is basically to aid parents in helping their children figure out which college is best for them. It goes over many points that are great for the parents, and their children to know. I responded and said that I thought it was a great idea, because I had a hard time picking which school to start at after I graduated high school. I told her that I thought every parent (with children seeking to go to college) should have to read it.

For my second comment, I commented on her post The Sandbox Manifesto: Life, Learning and Success on the Local Web. In this post, she tells that she recently visited some children in a sandbox. While she was there, she realized how much the web relates to a sandbox. She tells about her "Sandbox Analogy", and included a slide show of the main points. I replied and told her that I had never thought about the web like that, and that I thought her analogy was great. I also told her that from now on, whenever I think of the web, I will always think of her Sandbox analogy.

Blog Post 2

Did you know?
This video was very interesting, yet slightly disturbing. A lot of it shocked me, like the fact that India has more honor students than the US has students. Our educating system must really be going down hill. I guess this makes our jobs as educators even more difficult! Also, It said that the number of texts exceeds the total population of the planet. This doesn't really surprise me, but it is really strange to think about. More than most likely, most of these texts come from the US. Text messages are great, don't get me wrong, but they are causing us to become non-social. It is becoming easier to talk to people through technology such as facebook, email and text messages, than it is in person.

It stated that "By 2013, a super computer will be built that exceeds the computational capabilities of the human brain." Then, a few second later it says that by 2049, there will be a computer that will exceed the abilities of the human species! People are becoming so independent upon technology that you can't help but think that someday all of the jobs will be replaced by robots! You can't help but get that idea from this information, or maybe I'm just paranoid. Either way, this video helps to prove just how rapid technology is constantly growing.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
This video cracked me up! Mr. Winkle basically represents all the older people who have not yet adapted to the technology changes. It really has happened very rapidly too. My family got our first computer in 2000, I believe. My parents still have it, but don't use it. Back then we had dial-up internet and we thought it was the best thing in the world. They now have laptops, a web camera, and wireless internet. They've come a long way!

In the end, it said that Mr. Winkles was comforted after he took a visit to his old school. I didn't really understand that part because even in schools technology is used far more. I guess it meant that people are still learning the same basic concepts, reading, writing, and arithmetic. This is true, although now we learn these things with the use of technologies such as smart boards, computers, and projectors.

The Importance of Creativity
Ken Robinson brought up some very good points. He explained how creativity is important in children, and even adults. Creativity is about being original, and if we have no creativity, then all of our work will be basically the same! From this video I learned that it really is important for us to encourage the children to use their imaginations and try to be different, to be themselves.

He brought up the point that when kids are creative, they aren't afraid of being wrong, and that If we are not prepared to be wrong, we will never come up with anything original. We must try to not make children feel stupid when they answer a question wrong. Using discussion questions after teaching lessons would probably give children a chance to speak for themselves and put things into their own words. We need to focus on helping them to not become just like every one else, but to be their own self and to think for themselves. For many questions there are more than one answer, and we need to help the children to explore all possibilities instead of just one.

Cecelia Gault (Young Student in Finland) Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
In this video, a young girl named Cecelia interviewed Sir Robinson. I agree with him when he says that the school curriculum should be more balanced. We put such an influence on subjects like science and math, and then we think so little of allowing them to participate in art, music class, drama and dance. Those kinds of classes help them to be creative.

He pointed out three main points about creativity. One was that Everyone is creative. Some people just don't realize it because they were taught a certain way their whole life. The second was that creativity is not about just one thing. He is right, being creative is not just about painting what you want in a picture. When I become a teacher I will have to be creative about decorating the classroom and thinking up creative ways to teach my students. The third was that you can teach people to be creative. This is true! As teachers, we must try to encourage children to be creative. When I get students like Cecelia, I must try to get on their level and try to understand things the way they do. She is a very smart little girl! It will be challenging to teach people like her because she seems so advanced for her age.

Harness your students' digital smart

In this video, the teacher uses all different kinds of technology to teach her students. She uses wikis, blogs, podcasts, virtual worlds, and other forms of technology to teach them. I think what she is doing is really awesome.

You can tell that in the video the children are enjoying the class. They seem to even pay attention a lot! It is really impressive, and they seem to really be learning a lot. I think that this is an awesome way to teach, and I'm sure that many schools will soon incorporate even more technology into their programs.

Project #2 Wordle

Blog Assignment 1

Hi, My name is Hillary Parmer. I was born and raised in good 'ole Mobile, Alabama. I graduated high school from Alma Bryant high in 2008, then went the following Fall semester to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. I went there for two years, and then last year, I transferred to South to begin taking Elementary Education classes. Over the summer, I married my best friend, James Parmer, and we now have a little girl on the way! I work at a retail pharmacy in Bayou la Batre named "RX Express" and have been there for two years. I wish I could say that I had awesome talents and interests like some people, but truth be told I am quite boring! I like to read books, watch movies, go to church, attend church activities, and get on facebook...I'm just a normal American!

Growing up, my mom was a teacher. She taught at private schools, and public schools. From K-5 to 3rd grade, I went to the school that my mom taught at. I always tried to tell my teachers that I was sick so that I could go sit in my mom's class room and watch her teach. When I was about 6, I pretended to teach to my stuffed animals in my room! As I got older, I realized that teaching is probably the only thing that I can see myself enjoying, (and it's important to enjoy what you do) so here I am!

The video on time management was very interesting to me. It made me realize how horrible at making and finishing to-do lists I am! He talked about doing the ugliest things first so that they will get done, and of course I always put them last and they never get done! An example: cleaning the house is always on there, and I always put it off so it doesn't always get done! He also talked about planning. He said "Failing to plan is planning to fail" and this is very true. If I don't plan things ahead of time, then usually they turn out horrible. This video was very helpful and I think that every college student should have to watch it!