Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Final Report on PLN
This is a final update on my personal learning network. I have added more teachers to follow on twitter as well as a few more blog sites. I also have access to the Alabama Standards website and know I will be using this in the future. I continue to use my iGoogle page to keep track of assignments and find out what else is going on. I have enjoyed reading blogs by math teachers because that is what I would like to teach in the future. I will continue to add to my personal learning network as I find more helpful sites and links.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Summary Post C4K Students #8-#11
C4K #8: Colby C
Colby C had a blog post about how the water cycle is never ending. I thought his description of the water cycle was very well done. Each step seemed very clear and well stated. It sounded like he understood the process of the water cycle. Another one of his posts, “my rain pivot”, caught my eye. The animation was really cool and I wondered how hard it was to create this.
C4K #9: Olivia
Olivia wrote a blog post about Halloween customs. It contained lots of examples about how people around the world celebrate it. I thought her Halloween post was very well done. She did a lot of research and came up with lots of really good facts. Her writing (grammar, spelling, etc.) was great. I loved her usage of color. I was also looking at her storybird and I thought that was really neat.
C4K #10: Colby
Colby wrote a blog post about his experience when he skyped with students from Philadelphia. He learned that they had to wear a uniform every day, their favorite football team is the Philadelphia Eagles, and they eat Philly cheese steak all the time. It sounded like he had a lot of fun talking to people from Philadelphia. I don’t think I’ve ever tried Philly cheese steak, but it sounds interesting. Maybe he will get to visit Philadelphia some day.
C4K #11: Clare
Clare wrote a blog post about a book she is reading called “Dragons Breathe”. A girl named Emma and her aunt are searching for her missing love. On the way they come across dragons, spiders, and wizards. I loved the picture of the dragon. This book sounded really interesting. I love romance novels with twists in them. It sounds like Emma and her aunt are going on quite an adventure.
Colby C had a blog post about how the water cycle is never ending. I thought his description of the water cycle was very well done. Each step seemed very clear and well stated. It sounded like he understood the process of the water cycle. Another one of his posts, “my rain pivot”, caught my eye. The animation was really cool and I wondered how hard it was to create this.
C4K #9: Olivia
Olivia wrote a blog post about Halloween customs. It contained lots of examples about how people around the world celebrate it. I thought her Halloween post was very well done. She did a lot of research and came up with lots of really good facts. Her writing (grammar, spelling, etc.) was great. I loved her usage of color. I was also looking at her storybird and I thought that was really neat.
C4K #10: Colby
Colby wrote a blog post about his experience when he skyped with students from Philadelphia. He learned that they had to wear a uniform every day, their favorite football team is the Philadelphia Eagles, and they eat Philly cheese steak all the time. It sounded like he had a lot of fun talking to people from Philadelphia. I don’t think I’ve ever tried Philly cheese steak, but it sounds interesting. Maybe he will get to visit Philadelphia some day.
C4K #11: Clare
Clare wrote a blog post about a book she is reading called “Dragons Breathe”. A girl named Emma and her aunt are searching for her missing love. On the way they come across dragons, spiders, and wizards. I loved the picture of the dragon. This book sounded really interesting. I love romance novels with twists in them. It sounds like Emma and her aunt are going on quite an adventure.
Summary Post C4T Teacher #4
In the last couple of weeks, I have been following Andrea Hernandez. Andrea is a technology coordinator in Jacksonville, Florida. In her first post, “An Expert Opinion”, she talked about how frustrating it is that often times, in order to get articles published, one must have certain credentials. She argued successfully that it really sho0uld depend upon experience, research, and ideas regardless of where the person went to school.
I stated in my response that I totally agreed with what she said about outward appearance and creditability regarding where one might receive an education. Someone can receive just as good an education from a small, not well-known school as one with the name of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. A person’s education becomes what they make of it. The best way to become educated about a subject is to really research a topic and not just read one article. Practical experience is really great to have.
The second post was called, “Planning + Collaboration = Success”. She talked about a project that she and a second grade classroom collaborated on. It was called “The Fire Safety Project”. She described how planning is an essential component when creating video projects with your students. The video was posted on her website along with the storyboard.
I stated in my response that I thought this was a great project to do with her students. It was a good example of what her blog talked about-when classroom teachers and technology educators have the time to collaborate, they can make things happen. I can’t believe these kids had all these wonderful ideas. I love that they all got to say “Stay safe, be cool. Don’t be a fool.” They should all be very proud of this video and making this on their own. I hope they win the money.
I stated in my response that I totally agreed with what she said about outward appearance and creditability regarding where one might receive an education. Someone can receive just as good an education from a small, not well-known school as one with the name of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. A person’s education becomes what they make of it. The best way to become educated about a subject is to really research a topic and not just read one article. Practical experience is really great to have.
The second post was called, “Planning + Collaboration = Success”. She talked about a project that she and a second grade classroom collaborated on. It was called “The Fire Safety Project”. She described how planning is an essential component when creating video projects with your students. The video was posted on her website along with the storyboard.
I stated in my response that I thought this was a great project to do with her students. It was a good example of what her blog talked about-when classroom teachers and technology educators have the time to collaborate, they can make things happen. I can’t believe these kids had all these wonderful ideas. I love that they all got to say “Stay safe, be cool. Don’t be a fool.” They should all be very proud of this video and making this on their own. I hope they win the money.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Woops…
Sorry about my “progress report for the final project”. I got project 15 and the final project mixed up. For my final project I will be working with Jared Datema and Jenny Black. We have not picked a set idea but I was thinking maybe one option might be to design my own website/blog for my first classroom. Or I could just explain how to set it up and explain what type of technology I would have in my students use. Another idea I was thinking was to do a project about what was left out of EDM310.
Additional Assignment 5
In Tom Johnson’s first post, Just Teach Them to Solve for X, Tom is basically discussing whether we as educators should teach just facts or the processes behind how or why things happen. Perhaps teaching both are essential. If students can get the answer but not understand the reasoning behind how they got the answer, are we really doing our jobs? Teach students how to think critically and learning through metaphors let's students stretch thinking skills. We need to challenge students and one way of doing that is to use metaphors.
In Tom Johnson’s second post, Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils, he talked about how students of all ages are still "a work under construction." He is using the pencil as a metaphor for the person. He states, "My students are at that age where the pencil becomes their own metaphor." Tom Johnson is saying that just as a pencil can be used to sketch and shade in things and can be erased so can students’ ideas, attitudes, and behaviors. They seek freedom and independence as they grow older yet they also want that permanence and stability from parents and teachers of being the child still. They want to be treated as both kids and adults. Near the end of the post, he talks about how the one teacher wants them to act one way not both- but why not? Why not embrace their questioning of authority and adventurous spirit where they might try and fail-it teaches life’s lessons and they can use it as self reflection.
In Tom Johnson’s third post, He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils, Tom describes himself as a nice guy teacher and then describes his classroom as where there is serious learning going on. Other teachers cannot quite understand it. He wants kids to enjoy learning and have fun but demands respect and seriousness when in the classroom. He then discusses a hypothetical meeting between a student, parent and teachers where most of what happens is to shame the student and then just because he seems to be doing well in Tom’s class, Tom becomes the target. Just because he trusts the student and treats him like an adult the others assume the student likes his class because of the "pencils". Pencils here can be any number of things, like any technology or an extra recess or reward. Tom stresses though that he tries to use humor, develop a relationship with them and give them meaningful work to engage in. It is not the "pencils" that is the reason the students like the class it is how they are treated.
In Tom Johnson’s Fourth post, The Medium Shapes the Learning, he talks about how filmmakers chop up bits of film and create some new production that astonishes the crowds. Tom also says that it is similar to what the Romans thought about bread and the circus-that one was a necessity for the masses but that also the circus kept them entertained too. Often fun, though, becomes a replacement for meaningful. Just remember that one should have a plan for using any new learning technology or device before using it for a lesson. New devices can enhance learning and makes learning fun, but just prepare ahead of time.
In Tom Johnson’s second post, Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils, he talked about how students of all ages are still "a work under construction." He is using the pencil as a metaphor for the person. He states, "My students are at that age where the pencil becomes their own metaphor." Tom Johnson is saying that just as a pencil can be used to sketch and shade in things and can be erased so can students’ ideas, attitudes, and behaviors. They seek freedom and independence as they grow older yet they also want that permanence and stability from parents and teachers of being the child still. They want to be treated as both kids and adults. Near the end of the post, he talks about how the one teacher wants them to act one way not both- but why not? Why not embrace their questioning of authority and adventurous spirit where they might try and fail-it teaches life’s lessons and they can use it as self reflection.
In Tom Johnson’s third post, He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils, Tom describes himself as a nice guy teacher and then describes his classroom as where there is serious learning going on. Other teachers cannot quite understand it. He wants kids to enjoy learning and have fun but demands respect and seriousness when in the classroom. He then discusses a hypothetical meeting between a student, parent and teachers where most of what happens is to shame the student and then just because he seems to be doing well in Tom’s class, Tom becomes the target. Just because he trusts the student and treats him like an adult the others assume the student likes his class because of the "pencils". Pencils here can be any number of things, like any technology or an extra recess or reward. Tom stresses though that he tries to use humor, develop a relationship with them and give them meaningful work to engage in. It is not the "pencils" that is the reason the students like the class it is how they are treated.
In Tom Johnson’s Fourth post, The Medium Shapes the Learning, he talks about how filmmakers chop up bits of film and create some new production that astonishes the crowds. Tom also says that it is similar to what the Romans thought about bread and the circus-that one was a necessity for the masses but that also the circus kept them entertained too. Often fun, though, becomes a replacement for meaningful. Just remember that one should have a plan for using any new learning technology or device before using it for a lesson. New devices can enhance learning and makes learning fun, but just prepare ahead of time.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Project 15
Message in a Bottle
A Bend in the Road
For my second video I tried to do an animation in memoov at memoov.com. This program allowed me to make the animated characters move and talk. I don't know what happened but I couldn't find it after I made it. It took me an hour and a half to do but I didn't want to try again in case I couldn't find the next one I did. I had fun doing it and I wish it came out.
I added credits to these two videos! Sorry I forgot the first time!
A Bend in the Road
For my second video I tried to do an animation in memoov at memoov.com. This program allowed me to make the animated characters move and talk. I don't know what happened but I couldn't find it after I made it. It took me an hour and a half to do but I didn't want to try again in case I couldn't find the next one I did. I had fun doing it and I wish it came out.
I added credits to these two videos! Sorry I forgot the first time!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Blog Post 13
ALEX- Alabama Learning Exchange
ALEX is a website devoted to providing resources to Alabama administrators, teachers, parents, and students. The homepage is broken into eight categories: courses of study, web links, lesson plans, search, personal workspace, professional learning, podcast treasury, and ALEXville. Courses of study provide all of the Alabama content standards for each subject. When I clicked on mathematics it took me to a page listing the standards for math. Each grade level from K-8 is listed, and then mathematics skills for high school students were listed such as algebra, geometry, precalculus, and statistics. Possible lesson plans are provided as examples for teachers. The link for lesson plans is also very user friendly. You can click on a subject and a grade level and find different lesson plans that were created according to the Alabama learning standards. Another category, podcast treasury, is a showcase for student podcasts based on some of the lessons provided. Professional learning gives information about professional development opportunities for teachers. There are also grant opportunities listed as well.
ALEXville provides a blog called ALEXville News as well as a collection of listservs opportunities and professional learning courses. By clicking on professi0onal organizations, you can see a list of all professional organizations in Alabama. I clicked on the link for National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and it took me to the NCTM website. It provides support for teachers in the field as well as a list of journals and books, and upcoming conferences.
I think ALEX would be extremely helpful to a new teacher because it brings so much information together into one website. New teachers could find the Alabama content standards for the course they are teaching as well as lesson plans, professional development information, and professional organizations they can become a member of. Although I might not access all of it at one time, just knowing about the site and becoming more familiar with it, is an excellent resource.
ACCESS-
ACCESS provides distance learning opportunities for students. This site says that it has more than, “50 different courses including 5 different foreign languages and 10 different AP courses.” More than one hundred teachers provide the instruction. It provides remediation modules for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. ACCESS would be helpful for students who might not be able to fit a course into their high school schedule. It also provides AP review. The resources site lists some interesting Chemistry software as well as access to Graphmatica which gives students the ability to plot equations. It looks like many Alabama high schools take part in the distance learning site.
ALEX is a website devoted to providing resources to Alabama administrators, teachers, parents, and students. The homepage is broken into eight categories: courses of study, web links, lesson plans, search, personal workspace, professional learning, podcast treasury, and ALEXville. Courses of study provide all of the Alabama content standards for each subject. When I clicked on mathematics it took me to a page listing the standards for math. Each grade level from K-8 is listed, and then mathematics skills for high school students were listed such as algebra, geometry, precalculus, and statistics. Possible lesson plans are provided as examples for teachers. The link for lesson plans is also very user friendly. You can click on a subject and a grade level and find different lesson plans that were created according to the Alabama learning standards. Another category, podcast treasury, is a showcase for student podcasts based on some of the lessons provided. Professional learning gives information about professional development opportunities for teachers. There are also grant opportunities listed as well.
ALEXville provides a blog called ALEXville News as well as a collection of listservs opportunities and professional learning courses. By clicking on professi0onal organizations, you can see a list of all professional organizations in Alabama. I clicked on the link for National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and it took me to the NCTM website. It provides support for teachers in the field as well as a list of journals and books, and upcoming conferences.
I think ALEX would be extremely helpful to a new teacher because it brings so much information together into one website. New teachers could find the Alabama content standards for the course they are teaching as well as lesson plans, professional development information, and professional organizations they can become a member of. Although I might not access all of it at one time, just knowing about the site and becoming more familiar with it, is an excellent resource.
ACCESS-
ACCESS provides distance learning opportunities for students. This site says that it has more than, “50 different courses including 5 different foreign languages and 10 different AP courses.” More than one hundred teachers provide the instruction. It provides remediation modules for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. ACCESS would be helpful for students who might not be able to fit a course into their high school schedule. It also provides AP review. The resources site lists some interesting Chemistry software as well as access to Graphmatica which gives students the ability to plot equations. It looks like many Alabama high schools take part in the distance learning site.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Progress Report for Final Project
For my final project I have decided to do two movie trailers. I picked an author, Nicholas Sparks, and have chosen three books that I am interested in doing. The books I have chosen are Message in a Bottle, A Bend in the Road, and The Guardian. I also have a couple ideas about how to create the movie trailers. I thought maybe one way would to use Picasa and tell a story with pictures and captions. My other idea was to make a movie by clipping out other pieces of videos I had found, and then use quick time player or another type of player. I thought since I had those two ideas, maybe I would do one movie trailer one way, and the second trailer the other way.
Blog Post 12
Search the web and find three articles or videos about how to use technology in the discipline that you want to teach. You can go to youtube and watch a video, find someone you’re following on twitter, find a technology blog, etc. and see how they use technology in the classroom. Then write a summary about each article/video and explain how it will help you use technology in your classroom.
I am going into secondary math education and I wanted to find out more about how I could use technology in my math classroom with my students. I thought this would be a good assignment to see what other techniques teachers use in their math classes.
I really enjoyed the video, “The Role of Technology in Math Education” because it talked about how important it is to have technology in the classroom which I thought was really important. They talked about how important math and technology is. This video also talked about a tutoring program that helped students in a one on one situation if they needed extra help. I think this video showed me a lot in a short time. I can have a class blog where I show the assignments and their deadlines so everyone can look on the internet if they forget. I can also have links off that page that they can click on and have different math activities that I find interesting. This way the students have more fun in class and we can all interact with each other. This reminds me of Randy Pausch’s last lecture and how he talked about the head fake. We are teaching them math on the internet but they are also being taught more about technology and are having fun doing it.
In the video, “6th grade Math Class Using PLATO Learning’s Straight Curve” it talked about how this form of technology was colorful and fun to use. It included things that students used in their daily lives. One example talked about the probability of getting a certain colored gum ball out of a gum ball machine. This type of technology also explained hard math words to where the students were able to understand what the words meant. The students can also come up and do activities on the computer to help improve their knowledge of the section being taught. It kind of reminded me of the smartboard. I could definitely see myself using PLATO in my own classroom because I saw how much fun the kids were having with it and how well they were understanding the information.
I found this really cool site called, “IXL” that is for any grades between pre-k and eighth grade. Higher levels are coming soon. You can click on any grade level. The majority of the grades have over two hundred skills to learn from. Then in each skill, there are multiple problems teaching the skill. This site shows all the math skills that eighth graders should learn in the school year. They can click on any practice activity and there is a score out of one hundred to see how they do. They also have a report section which includes sections on students’ progress towards state standards. This site is also very fun for students because they get awards for doing well in different sections. I can definitely see myself using this website in my classroom because it has so many different activities you can use. The kids obviously need to have a computer to access this information. I could put this site on a class blog so they can access it at home. I could teach a lesson and then after I feel they are getting it they can get on the computer and try activities on problems we just learned about. This looks like a really fun site and I was even excited to find something so wonderful! I actually started playing around with it and answering different questions using this program. I am excited to see what they come up with for higher levels of math courses.
I am going into secondary math education and I wanted to find out more about how I could use technology in my math classroom with my students. I thought this would be a good assignment to see what other techniques teachers use in their math classes.
I really enjoyed the video, “The Role of Technology in Math Education” because it talked about how important it is to have technology in the classroom which I thought was really important. They talked about how important math and technology is. This video also talked about a tutoring program that helped students in a one on one situation if they needed extra help. I think this video showed me a lot in a short time. I can have a class blog where I show the assignments and their deadlines so everyone can look on the internet if they forget. I can also have links off that page that they can click on and have different math activities that I find interesting. This way the students have more fun in class and we can all interact with each other. This reminds me of Randy Pausch’s last lecture and how he talked about the head fake. We are teaching them math on the internet but they are also being taught more about technology and are having fun doing it.
In the video, “6th grade Math Class Using PLATO Learning’s Straight Curve” it talked about how this form of technology was colorful and fun to use. It included things that students used in their daily lives. One example talked about the probability of getting a certain colored gum ball out of a gum ball machine. This type of technology also explained hard math words to where the students were able to understand what the words meant. The students can also come up and do activities on the computer to help improve their knowledge of the section being taught. It kind of reminded me of the smartboard. I could definitely see myself using PLATO in my own classroom because I saw how much fun the kids were having with it and how well they were understanding the information.
I found this really cool site called, “IXL” that is for any grades between pre-k and eighth grade. Higher levels are coming soon. You can click on any grade level. The majority of the grades have over two hundred skills to learn from. Then in each skill, there are multiple problems teaching the skill. This site shows all the math skills that eighth graders should learn in the school year. They can click on any practice activity and there is a score out of one hundred to see how they do. They also have a report section which includes sections on students’ progress towards state standards. This site is also very fun for students because they get awards for doing well in different sections. I can definitely see myself using this website in my classroom because it has so many different activities you can use. The kids obviously need to have a computer to access this information. I could put this site on a class blog so they can access it at home. I could teach a lesson and then after I feel they are getting it they can get on the computer and try activities on problems we just learned about. This looks like a really fun site and I was even excited to find something so wonderful! I actually started playing around with it and answering different questions using this program. I am excited to see what they come up with for higher levels of math courses.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Post Form results from Project #6
Post Form results:
I just wanted to start off by saying that one person wrote back to me stating that on one of my questions (Question #9: Which of the following Jags sporting events have you attended?) I didn’t leave a choice of “none”. I’m sorry about this mistake. I had twenty-two people respond to my questionnaire about how students spend their time during the semester. I decided to do this because I am new to this school/state and I wanted to see what everyone else around here does.
There were four males (18%) and eighteen females (82%) who filled out the questionnaire. Seven students were under the age of twenty (32%), ten students were between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-five (45%), and five students were between the ages of twenty-six and thirty (23%). Out of these twenty-two students, six of them (27%) live on campus whereas the other sixteen (73%) do not. It takes most of the students less than fifteen minutes to arrive at the campus (twelve students (55%)). It takes five students (23%) between fifteen minutes and a half hour to get to the campus, two students (9%) between thirty minutes to forty-five minutes, one person (5%) from forty-five minutes to an hour, and it takes two students (9%) over an hour to get to the school. Nine students are taking four classes this semester, eight are taking six classes, four students are take five classes, and one student is taking two. I noticed that almost nobody goes to the library. Eighteen people said they never go to the library, three people go about once a week, and one student goes about three times per week. When the students were asked how well they were doing academically this semester on a scale of one to ten (one being not so well, and ten being very well), three people said five (14%), five people said they were doing about a seven (23%), the majority of the students thought they were doing around an eight (45%), two people thought about a nine (9%), and two people said they were doing very well and marked ten (9%). I thought it was really interesting that eleven students (50%) have gone to the new recreation center, and eleven students have not. When I asked if these students were planning to participate in intramural activities this semester two people said yes (9%), sixteen people said no (73%), and four people have not decided yet (18%). I asked everyone what Jags sporting events have they attended and the majority of students have attended the footballs games. The next sport that lots of people go to was a tie between baseball/softball and basketball. Then there was a four way tie between soccer, track, tennis, and volleyball. No one has attended a cross country meet or a golf match. Again, I am sorry for not listing a “none” to this question. I also wanted to see what everyone did in their spare time. I got a range of answers varying from spending time with their family and friends (which the majority of students do in their spare time), studying, going to work (which was the second biggest answer), playing video games, reading, watching television and movies, and I even got an answer that they don’t really have any spare time. I thought this was also interesting that no one had stated that they get on the internet.
I noticed that all of the male students in this class do not live on campus, and they all are taking four classes. This means that twelve females are taking more classes than the males, and five females are taking as many as the males. The males also live closer to the school than the females. At first, I thought it was interesting that eighteen people did not go to the library, but then I realized that sixteen people did not live on campus so it might be harder for them to go back and forth. The students that live closer to the campus tend to go to the library more (and they were all females). I would have guessed that the males would have been interested in playing in the intramural sport events, but none of them are planning to play. I thought it was weird because they live close to the school and I usually think of the males as wanting to play in sports and do different activities. I was not surprised that the majority of the students have attended the Jags football games. The football team is doing very well and they are still undefeated. I also noticed that the males are older than the females. Maybe this is why they don’t get out as much and participate in other activities. They might have families that they would rather be with!
I just wanted to start off by saying that one person wrote back to me stating that on one of my questions (Question #9: Which of the following Jags sporting events have you attended?) I didn’t leave a choice of “none”. I’m sorry about this mistake. I had twenty-two people respond to my questionnaire about how students spend their time during the semester. I decided to do this because I am new to this school/state and I wanted to see what everyone else around here does.
There were four males (18%) and eighteen females (82%) who filled out the questionnaire. Seven students were under the age of twenty (32%), ten students were between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-five (45%), and five students were between the ages of twenty-six and thirty (23%). Out of these twenty-two students, six of them (27%) live on campus whereas the other sixteen (73%) do not. It takes most of the students less than fifteen minutes to arrive at the campus (twelve students (55%)). It takes five students (23%) between fifteen minutes and a half hour to get to the campus, two students (9%) between thirty minutes to forty-five minutes, one person (5%) from forty-five minutes to an hour, and it takes two students (9%) over an hour to get to the school. Nine students are taking four classes this semester, eight are taking six classes, four students are take five classes, and one student is taking two. I noticed that almost nobody goes to the library. Eighteen people said they never go to the library, three people go about once a week, and one student goes about three times per week. When the students were asked how well they were doing academically this semester on a scale of one to ten (one being not so well, and ten being very well), three people said five (14%), five people said they were doing about a seven (23%), the majority of the students thought they were doing around an eight (45%), two people thought about a nine (9%), and two people said they were doing very well and marked ten (9%). I thought it was really interesting that eleven students (50%) have gone to the new recreation center, and eleven students have not. When I asked if these students were planning to participate in intramural activities this semester two people said yes (9%), sixteen people said no (73%), and four people have not decided yet (18%). I asked everyone what Jags sporting events have they attended and the majority of students have attended the footballs games. The next sport that lots of people go to was a tie between baseball/softball and basketball. Then there was a four way tie between soccer, track, tennis, and volleyball. No one has attended a cross country meet or a golf match. Again, I am sorry for not listing a “none” to this question. I also wanted to see what everyone did in their spare time. I got a range of answers varying from spending time with their family and friends (which the majority of students do in their spare time), studying, going to work (which was the second biggest answer), playing video games, reading, watching television and movies, and I even got an answer that they don’t really have any spare time. I thought this was also interesting that no one had stated that they get on the internet.
I noticed that all of the male students in this class do not live on campus, and they all are taking four classes. This means that twelve females are taking more classes than the males, and five females are taking as many as the males. The males also live closer to the school than the females. At first, I thought it was interesting that eighteen people did not go to the library, but then I realized that sixteen people did not live on campus so it might be harder for them to go back and forth. The students that live closer to the campus tend to go to the library more (and they were all females). I would have guessed that the males would have been interested in playing in the intramural sport events, but none of them are planning to play. I thought it was weird because they live close to the school and I usually think of the males as wanting to play in sports and do different activities. I was not surprised that the majority of the students have attended the Jags football games. The football team is doing very well and they are still undefeated. I also noticed that the males are older than the females. Maybe this is why they don’t get out as much and participate in other activities. They might have families that they would rather be with!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Blog Post 11
Ms. Cassidy, a first grade teacher in Moose Jaw, Canada, began working with technology in her classroom ten years ago when she received five computers. She has encountered tremendous support from the administration, parents, and children in using and working with technology.
She begins working with the first graders when they arrive in September and they become competent with blogs, skype, videos, Nintendo DC, and other activities online. Her approaches teach students to use blogging as a way of improving their writing ability and compiling a portfolio of their work. Students understand the need for making positive comments to others and they enjoyed skyping with other classes. Ms. Cassidy also spoke at length about personal learning networks. She suggested that a person start off with one that they had a particular interest in. For example, if you are interested in photography, try flickr, and if you are interested in writing, try blogging. She also discussed the importance of being technologically literate. Having a PLN is of importance.
I can definitely see myself using these types of technology in my classroom. I’m sure that the students will be very familiar with these technologies as they will be older, however, I am sure they there will be plenty of new sites and technologies to learn about before I begin teaching. I do hope that the administration where I work is supportive of technology education just as Ms. Cassidy experienced. That would be one impediment that might be faced. I also hope that parents are supportive with having students work and videos on the web.
Benefits from Ms. Cassidy’s approaches would include increased student writing performance, creativity, imagination, and a more global appreciation.
She begins working with the first graders when they arrive in September and they become competent with blogs, skype, videos, Nintendo DC, and other activities online. Her approaches teach students to use blogging as a way of improving their writing ability and compiling a portfolio of their work. Students understand the need for making positive comments to others and they enjoyed skyping with other classes. Ms. Cassidy also spoke at length about personal learning networks. She suggested that a person start off with one that they had a particular interest in. For example, if you are interested in photography, try flickr, and if you are interested in writing, try blogging. She also discussed the importance of being technologically literate. Having a PLN is of importance.
I can definitely see myself using these types of technology in my classroom. I’m sure that the students will be very familiar with these technologies as they will be older, however, I am sure they there will be plenty of new sites and technologies to learn about before I begin teaching. I do hope that the administration where I work is supportive of technology education just as Ms. Cassidy experienced. That would be one impediment that might be faced. I also hope that parents are supportive with having students work and videos on the web.
Benefits from Ms. Cassidy’s approaches would include increased student writing performance, creativity, imagination, and a more global appreciation.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Summary Post C4T Teacher #3
In the last couple of weeks, I have been following Paige Baggett’s blog posts. Paige is an assistant professor in the College of Education, at the University of South Alabama. In her first post, “Mistakes”, she talked about how people get upset when they make mistakes. She tried to talk about how mistakes aren’t real mistakes, only surprises that can then be used as new opportunities. She then made the analogy between art and life and how “life is the art of drawing without an eraser.”
I stated in my response that I love drawing and art, as well as learning about life. I think sometimes we all wish we had an eraser at some point in our lives and could do something over, but then when I think about it, why would we want to do that? Look at us now. Every mistake we have made in life made us who we are today. We could keep erasing and erasing until everything is perfect, but nothing in life is perfect. I think I have turned out pretty good in life without using an eraser. Life is a learning process. I learn from my mistakes. I try to do the best I can at everything I do. I am happy with the decisions I have made in my life and I am proud of the person I have become.
The second post was a video called, “Why Art Matters”. It showed that art is loud, soft, time, space, science, revolution, wonder, evolution, work, play, language, inspiration, doubt, perspiration, extraordinary, mundane, math, creation, collaboration, color, ideas, feelings, design, dream, anticipation, global, local, expression, patriotic, quixotic, love, New York, you, me, everything, through images and picture that represent the words.
I stated in my response that the video was extremely well done. It showed how art intertwines through all of the disciplines. It ended with a quote by Einstein, “the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination”. This quote reminds me of what I want to show my students, use their imagination, everyday.
I stated in my response that I love drawing and art, as well as learning about life. I think sometimes we all wish we had an eraser at some point in our lives and could do something over, but then when I think about it, why would we want to do that? Look at us now. Every mistake we have made in life made us who we are today. We could keep erasing and erasing until everything is perfect, but nothing in life is perfect. I think I have turned out pretty good in life without using an eraser. Life is a learning process. I learn from my mistakes. I try to do the best I can at everything I do. I am happy with the decisions I have made in my life and I am proud of the person I have become.
The second post was a video called, “Why Art Matters”. It showed that art is loud, soft, time, space, science, revolution, wonder, evolution, work, play, language, inspiration, doubt, perspiration, extraordinary, mundane, math, creation, collaboration, color, ideas, feelings, design, dream, anticipation, global, local, expression, patriotic, quixotic, love, New York, you, me, everything, through images and picture that represent the words.
I stated in my response that the video was extremely well done. It showed how art intertwines through all of the disciplines. It ended with a quote by Einstein, “the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination”. This quote reminds me of what I want to show my students, use their imagination, everyday.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Summary Post C4K Students #3-#7
C4K #3: Osana
Osana had a blog post about a famous, British explorer, Sir Francis Drake. She provided a picture and a very detailed description of his life. She said that Sir Francis Drake did a lot for Queen Elizabeth by stealing spices, Spanish treasures, and getting her land. I can see why he was an English hero. He was a great explorer.
C4K #4: Care
Care wrote about what it might be like to be invisible. It was very creative and showed lots of imagination. She talked about how she wanted to scare her teacher, then go to a restaurant and make the dishes fly all over the place, then steal a rental car and go to an amusement park, then go to a birthday party, get ice cream, and go see how big Mt. Everest was. I thought this post was really interesting and made me think about what I wanted to do if I were invisible.
C4K #5: Sophie
Sophie wrote a blog post about a book she had read called “Out on the Edge”. She talked about where the book took place, a summary of the plot, her favorite parts, and what she thought the message was. The book had lots of twists and turns. I thought her book review was very well written. Her thoughts were very detailed and I could see she really enjoyed the book. I noticed in her other posts that she was interested in romance and romance books. I thought her book report sounded very interesting and reminded me of books that I also read.
C4K #6: Omar
Omar wrote a blog post telling a creative story about going back in time to relive a part of your life. It was about a football player who had a chance to win the “big game” with only ten seconds left. Before he catches a pass, he wakes up and discovers he was dreaming. But then he goes to the game and everything happens the same way, but before he catches the ball he finds he is thirteen again. The story was very detailed and showed that he had a creative and wonderful imagination. In his teachers blog, he wrote “Writers edit, revise, discuss, and revise again. And writers need a place to publish that revised material. That’s what blogs can be used for.” I reinforced this idea and told him that although he did have some spelling and punctuation errors, those are minor and he will get better with that each and every time he writes. I really enjoyed reading his story.
C4K #7: Dakota
Dakota is in the fourth grade and in one of her math classes she had to participate in the O.R.E.O project. The O.R.E.O project is “Our Really Exciting Online” project. They had to lick off all the icing in an oreo and see how long it took them. Then they had two tries to see how many oreos they could stack. Then they had to stick the whole oreo in their mouth for fifteen seconds and explain what it was like before they could eat it. Then they had to make a sculpture out of the icing. It sounded like she had a really fun time with this project. She gave good details about her records and how long it took her to do the parts in the assignment. I was also really impressed on how well her writing, punctuations, grammar, etc. It seemed like she was really enjoying math which makes me really happy because I love math!
Osana had a blog post about a famous, British explorer, Sir Francis Drake. She provided a picture and a very detailed description of his life. She said that Sir Francis Drake did a lot for Queen Elizabeth by stealing spices, Spanish treasures, and getting her land. I can see why he was an English hero. He was a great explorer.
C4K #4: Care
Care wrote about what it might be like to be invisible. It was very creative and showed lots of imagination. She talked about how she wanted to scare her teacher, then go to a restaurant and make the dishes fly all over the place, then steal a rental car and go to an amusement park, then go to a birthday party, get ice cream, and go see how big Mt. Everest was. I thought this post was really interesting and made me think about what I wanted to do if I were invisible.
C4K #5: Sophie
Sophie wrote a blog post about a book she had read called “Out on the Edge”. She talked about where the book took place, a summary of the plot, her favorite parts, and what she thought the message was. The book had lots of twists and turns. I thought her book review was very well written. Her thoughts were very detailed and I could see she really enjoyed the book. I noticed in her other posts that she was interested in romance and romance books. I thought her book report sounded very interesting and reminded me of books that I also read.
C4K #6: Omar
Omar wrote a blog post telling a creative story about going back in time to relive a part of your life. It was about a football player who had a chance to win the “big game” with only ten seconds left. Before he catches a pass, he wakes up and discovers he was dreaming. But then he goes to the game and everything happens the same way, but before he catches the ball he finds he is thirteen again. The story was very detailed and showed that he had a creative and wonderful imagination. In his teachers blog, he wrote “Writers edit, revise, discuss, and revise again. And writers need a place to publish that revised material. That’s what blogs can be used for.” I reinforced this idea and told him that although he did have some spelling and punctuation errors, those are minor and he will get better with that each and every time he writes. I really enjoyed reading his story.
C4K #7: Dakota
Dakota is in the fourth grade and in one of her math classes she had to participate in the O.R.E.O project. The O.R.E.O project is “Our Really Exciting Online” project. They had to lick off all the icing in an oreo and see how long it took them. Then they had two tries to see how many oreos they could stack. Then they had to stick the whole oreo in their mouth for fifteen seconds and explain what it was like before they could eat it. Then they had to make a sculpture out of the icing. It sounded like she had a really fun time with this project. She gave good details about her records and how long it took her to do the parts in the assignment. I was also really impressed on how well her writing, punctuations, grammar, etc. It seemed like she was really enjoying math which makes me really happy because I love math!
Additional Assignment 3
What do you think is the most important thing Sir Ken Robinson says in this presentation?
The most important thing Sir Ken Robinson says in this presentation is that the current educational system is not achieving what it needs to in order to send students into the future. The current system was designed and conceived for a different age, where the academic would receive most of the learning and the nonacademic would go into the work force. Students are grouped according to age and not learning ability. Lastly, all people have the capacity for divergent thinking, but it tends to deteriorate as one gets older.
Is there anything you disagree with in this presentation?
There is really nothing in the presentation that I disagree with. In fact, Sir Ken Robinson’s positions are in agreement with what is being taught in the college of education.
How congruent are Sir Ken Robinson's positions with those which you are being taught in the College of Education. In other words, where is there agreement? Where is there disagreement?
Both agree that the educational system is attempting to teach students skills in order to get jobs that do not exist, currently. Another form of agreement is that educators should enhance student creativity and produce divergent thinkers instead of only teaching content.
What can you do to address the issues Sir Robinson raises?
As a future educator, I feel that I should get students interested in the learning process and being able to think creatively. It is important that students learn to use technology around them. I also feel that it is important for students to work in groups and to be collaborative workers.
What do you think of the presentation? If you had to do a presentation with others like this, what role on your team would you like most to play?
I did like the presentation because it gave a visual image for what he was discussing. The artist was effective in writing down key phrases that were his major points. I did, however, think it was a lot to focus on. If I had to do a group presentation, my favorite role would be the artist because I like to draw.
The most important thing Sir Ken Robinson says in this presentation is that the current educational system is not achieving what it needs to in order to send students into the future. The current system was designed and conceived for a different age, where the academic would receive most of the learning and the nonacademic would go into the work force. Students are grouped according to age and not learning ability. Lastly, all people have the capacity for divergent thinking, but it tends to deteriorate as one gets older.
Is there anything you disagree with in this presentation?
There is really nothing in the presentation that I disagree with. In fact, Sir Ken Robinson’s positions are in agreement with what is being taught in the college of education.
How congruent are Sir Ken Robinson's positions with those which you are being taught in the College of Education. In other words, where is there agreement? Where is there disagreement?
Both agree that the educational system is attempting to teach students skills in order to get jobs that do not exist, currently. Another form of agreement is that educators should enhance student creativity and produce divergent thinkers instead of only teaching content.
What can you do to address the issues Sir Robinson raises?
As a future educator, I feel that I should get students interested in the learning process and being able to think creatively. It is important that students learn to use technology around them. I also feel that it is important for students to work in groups and to be collaborative workers.
What do you think of the presentation? If you had to do a presentation with others like this, what role on your team would you like most to play?
I did like the presentation because it gave a visual image for what he was discussing. The artist was effective in writing down key phrases that were his major points. I did, however, think it was a lot to focus on. If I had to do a group presentation, my favorite role would be the artist because I like to draw.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Blog Post 10
Morgan Bayda
Morgan Bayda, a new teacher in Canada, talked about how education has changed over the past decades. Unfortunately, education has not changed as much as it should. Students still attend a school, receive textbooks, and sit in a class with other students while the teachers impart their knowledge. In order to further emphasize what she was trying to say, she posted a link to a Dan Brown video where he explained how the value of education has dropped. Education on the internet is free to all and he eventually dropped out of school because “school was getting in the way of his education”.
I agree that the educational system has not kept pace with the information age. There seems to be many ways of accessing information and delivering that information to students that could be researched. As a student pursing a teaching career, I hope to incorporate more technology into my classroom. EDM310 has shown students many ways to improve student creativity and help them become more involved in their own learning. I enjoy classes where the teacher interacts with the students and I’m sure that my students will in fact feel the same way.
Two Questions That Can Change Your Life
Daniel Pink’s video asked people to live their lives considering two questions. One being, “What’s my sentence”, and the other being, “Was I better today than yesterday?” I think my sentence would have to be “Help somebody every chance you get”. Every time I help someone, it seems to make them feel better about themselves and that makes me feel better about myself. I always appreciate when people help me. These questions affect me because by thinking of these questions daily, it will keep me on track of who I want to be and what I want to become as a teacher.
Morgan Bayda, a new teacher in Canada, talked about how education has changed over the past decades. Unfortunately, education has not changed as much as it should. Students still attend a school, receive textbooks, and sit in a class with other students while the teachers impart their knowledge. In order to further emphasize what she was trying to say, she posted a link to a Dan Brown video where he explained how the value of education has dropped. Education on the internet is free to all and he eventually dropped out of school because “school was getting in the way of his education”.
I agree that the educational system has not kept pace with the information age. There seems to be many ways of accessing information and delivering that information to students that could be researched. As a student pursing a teaching career, I hope to incorporate more technology into my classroom. EDM310 has shown students many ways to improve student creativity and help them become more involved in their own learning. I enjoy classes where the teacher interacts with the students and I’m sure that my students will in fact feel the same way.
Two Questions That Can Change Your Life
Daniel Pink’s video asked people to live their lives considering two questions. One being, “What’s my sentence”, and the other being, “Was I better today than yesterday?” I think my sentence would have to be “Help somebody every chance you get”. Every time I help someone, it seems to make them feel better about themselves and that makes me feel better about myself. I always appreciate when people help me. These questions affect me because by thinking of these questions daily, it will keep me on track of who I want to be and what I want to become as a teacher.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Blog Post 9
“What I’ve Learned This Year” by Mr. McClung
The main thing Mr. McClung was trying to portray in his post was to stay positive. He told us about how to read your students. Reading your students reactions to the material you’re teaching is more important than just following a planned lesson. Communication is always important in any relationship, even teacher-student relationships. Getting to know one another other than just in the classroom lets the students know that you can be there for them as a friend as well as a teacher. If you take the time to talk to students and they learn that they can trust you, it might make a student’s year. He also talked about being reasonable. Students all learn differently. Sometimes students will understand what you’re talking about and sometimes they won’t. He also talked about using technology and to never stop learning. You are in a learning workspace so “soak up as much as you can.”
I really enjoyed reading Mr. McClung’s post. I think it is really great that he’s making his teaching be more about the students instead of his planned lesson. Things aren’t always planned out, and plans always change. I think being positive will make it easier not only on yourself but for your students as well. I really liked when Mr. McClang said, “In order to build the respect that we all seek in a student teacher relationship, it is important to take interest in the lives of our students.” I learned a lot about what type of teacher I want to become by reading his post.
The main thing Mr. McClung was trying to portray in his post was to stay positive. He told us about how to read your students. Reading your students reactions to the material you’re teaching is more important than just following a planned lesson. Communication is always important in any relationship, even teacher-student relationships. Getting to know one another other than just in the classroom lets the students know that you can be there for them as a friend as well as a teacher. If you take the time to talk to students and they learn that they can trust you, it might make a student’s year. He also talked about being reasonable. Students all learn differently. Sometimes students will understand what you’re talking about and sometimes they won’t. He also talked about using technology and to never stop learning. You are in a learning workspace so “soak up as much as you can.”
I really enjoyed reading Mr. McClung’s post. I think it is really great that he’s making his teaching be more about the students instead of his planned lesson. Things aren’t always planned out, and plans always change. I think being positive will make it easier not only on yourself but for your students as well. I really liked when Mr. McClang said, “In order to build the respect that we all seek in a student teacher relationship, it is important to take interest in the lives of our students.” I learned a lot about what type of teacher I want to become by reading his post.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Blog Post 8
Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
Dr. Richard Miller’s video talked about change that the writing process has gone through. One good example was when he explained how he had a book published that only those who bought it, or borrowed it from a library, could read. Then he said that his book went the way of all books, it went out of print. In contrast, another paper that he wrote and posted on the web was readily available, read by many, and will remain out there for anyone who would like to read it. He also said that he never left his office. He was able to research, compose, and publish right from that same room.
I was fortunate enough to attend a school where I had my own individual laptop computer since junior high. Having one has made me very familiar with multimedia. I know I can type faster than I can write, and I would rather do so. In high school, I was asked to make presentations using the computer and web materials. I realize that there is so much more out there, but I am prepared for it.
I would assume that the students I will be teaching will be very able to write with multimedia. Just watching some of the videos from this class and seeing these children produce such varied projects is amazing. They are only going to be introduced to more exciting things.
The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies
The primary message in The Chipper Series is that you need to be an independent learner who does their work on time, especially since we are the ones that want to become teachers. Another message might be taking responsibility for your actions. You should get everything you can out your education.
The primary message in EDM310 for Dummies was that with the help of others, anything is possible. Perhaps at the beginning, the class may seem overwhelming. Once you get used to it and understand all of the networking sites, it becomes a lot easier.
After watching these two videos, one possible video topic might be about younger students using lots of different technologies and getting a chance to be creative.
Smartboards
After reading the two critiques of smartboards, I searched for a blog was in favor of them. I came up with http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/. One argument against using smartboards is the cost of them. Another argument is that they thought the regular board could do the exact same thing. A third argument was that there was not enough research showing that student learning and achievement would improve with the use of the smartboards. Arguments in favor of smartboards range from more student involvement to peer interaction. This site had categories with lesson plans for every course of study.
Dr. Richard Miller’s video talked about change that the writing process has gone through. One good example was when he explained how he had a book published that only those who bought it, or borrowed it from a library, could read. Then he said that his book went the way of all books, it went out of print. In contrast, another paper that he wrote and posted on the web was readily available, read by many, and will remain out there for anyone who would like to read it. He also said that he never left his office. He was able to research, compose, and publish right from that same room.
I was fortunate enough to attend a school where I had my own individual laptop computer since junior high. Having one has made me very familiar with multimedia. I know I can type faster than I can write, and I would rather do so. In high school, I was asked to make presentations using the computer and web materials. I realize that there is so much more out there, but I am prepared for it.
I would assume that the students I will be teaching will be very able to write with multimedia. Just watching some of the videos from this class and seeing these children produce such varied projects is amazing. They are only going to be introduced to more exciting things.
The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies
The primary message in The Chipper Series is that you need to be an independent learner who does their work on time, especially since we are the ones that want to become teachers. Another message might be taking responsibility for your actions. You should get everything you can out your education.
The primary message in EDM310 for Dummies was that with the help of others, anything is possible. Perhaps at the beginning, the class may seem overwhelming. Once you get used to it and understand all of the networking sites, it becomes a lot easier.
After watching these two videos, one possible video topic might be about younger students using lots of different technologies and getting a chance to be creative.
Smartboards
After reading the two critiques of smartboards, I searched for a blog was in favor of them. I came up with http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/. One argument against using smartboards is the cost of them. Another argument is that they thought the regular board could do the exact same thing. A third argument was that there was not enough research showing that student learning and achievement would improve with the use of the smartboards. Arguments in favor of smartboards range from more student involvement to peer interaction. This site had categories with lesson plans for every course of study.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Additional Assignment 2
1. What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves?/ 2. If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves?
I definitely think that if learners are motivated, they can teach themselves. We saw in the video that children from all around the world were able to learn any number of topics when they didn’t even know how to use technology, and sometimes English.
3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself?
I think that everyone, in order to learn, have to have the motivation for it. Although working with others might not be necessary, it certainly helps increase the probability for learning to take place. The students seemed excited to be participating with peers.
4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
The computers and internet access play a significant role in learning. Students have to have access to information in order to learn about it. Computers also are interesting to many students, and probably the opportunity to them increases student motivation.
5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
I think if someone has the desire to learn, they are obviously motivated to learn more about something.
6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
I think that most people, when faced with a problem or question, will try to answer it using problem solving skills.
7. How do you motivate someone to learn?
I think that if you get someone excited about something, it will motivate them to want to learn more about it.
8. How are you motivated to learn?
I am motivated to learn because I have a goal of being a teacher. I want to be a good teacher so it motivates me to learn as much as I can in order to do that. I am also more motivated to learn when teachers make learning fun and when they are excited about what they do.
9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?
I think that anyone who is not motivated can still learn. Maybe they won’t learn as much, or as fast as those who are motivated.
10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
I do teach myself on a lot of things. I have a math class right now where the teacher doesn’t really “teach”. She just wants to get through the information and move on. This makes me have to read and learn it myself. I read and learn it myself because I want to be a math teacher and if someone isn’t going to help me, then I would still like to be knowledgeable about it. I sometimes like to teach myself other things because I’d like to figure something out on my own instead of asking other people how to do it.
11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
A teacher plays a huge role in my learning. I like to know that I’m doing things correctly. I like teachers who are very organized because that makes me become clear about what it is I need to do. I like when teachers are on time passing back homework and tests so I can look over my work and understand why I got the grade I did. I also think teachers that take the time to talk to me one-on-one and that allow me to get to know them as a person instead of just a teacher, make it easier and more comfortable to learn.
12. What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
I think one important idea I took away from this video was that children work better in groups where they can talk about the answers they have come up with and why. He stated in the video that after he told groups to figure out questions together, and then when he came back two months later and asked them individually if they remembered the information, the score was the same. I also thought that when he left the computer in certain areas, it was neat to see all the children trying to learn stuff on their own.
13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
I think one main question that was asked in the video was why are there certain areas where teachers don’t want to teach? Perhaps these areas should be identified and then qualified teachers, armed with computers, should be sent to teach there.
I definitely think that if learners are motivated, they can teach themselves. We saw in the video that children from all around the world were able to learn any number of topics when they didn’t even know how to use technology, and sometimes English.
3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself?
I think that everyone, in order to learn, have to have the motivation for it. Although working with others might not be necessary, it certainly helps increase the probability for learning to take place. The students seemed excited to be participating with peers.
4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
The computers and internet access play a significant role in learning. Students have to have access to information in order to learn about it. Computers also are interesting to many students, and probably the opportunity to them increases student motivation.
5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
I think if someone has the desire to learn, they are obviously motivated to learn more about something.
6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
I think that most people, when faced with a problem or question, will try to answer it using problem solving skills.
7. How do you motivate someone to learn?
I think that if you get someone excited about something, it will motivate them to want to learn more about it.
8. How are you motivated to learn?
I am motivated to learn because I have a goal of being a teacher. I want to be a good teacher so it motivates me to learn as much as I can in order to do that. I am also more motivated to learn when teachers make learning fun and when they are excited about what they do.
9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?
I think that anyone who is not motivated can still learn. Maybe they won’t learn as much, or as fast as those who are motivated.
10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
I do teach myself on a lot of things. I have a math class right now where the teacher doesn’t really “teach”. She just wants to get through the information and move on. This makes me have to read and learn it myself. I read and learn it myself because I want to be a math teacher and if someone isn’t going to help me, then I would still like to be knowledgeable about it. I sometimes like to teach myself other things because I’d like to figure something out on my own instead of asking other people how to do it.
11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
A teacher plays a huge role in my learning. I like to know that I’m doing things correctly. I like teachers who are very organized because that makes me become clear about what it is I need to do. I like when teachers are on time passing back homework and tests so I can look over my work and understand why I got the grade I did. I also think teachers that take the time to talk to me one-on-one and that allow me to get to know them as a person instead of just a teacher, make it easier and more comfortable to learn.
12. What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
I think one important idea I took away from this video was that children work better in groups where they can talk about the answers they have come up with and why. He stated in the video that after he told groups to figure out questions together, and then when he came back two months later and asked them individually if they remembered the information, the score was the same. I also thought that when he left the computer in certain areas, it was neat to see all the children trying to learn stuff on their own.
13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
I think one main question that was asked in the video was why are there certain areas where teachers don’t want to teach? Perhaps these areas should be identified and then qualified teachers, armed with computers, should be sent to teach there.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Project 10
Personal Learning Network
Before EDM310 I had never heard of a personal learning network. After investigating some websites for this course, I think I have a better understanding of what a PLN is about. I set up an iGoogle page where I created a tab for the blogs I am following. I also have a tab for my own personal sites that I enjoy looking at. I signed up for a twitter account and I am following an educational technology/art teacher from my former high school. I am also following Steven Anderson. I would like to eventually add more math teachers. In addition to the EDM310 blog, I am following several other teachers, one teaching math. I am sure as the course continues, I will have added others and have even a better understanding of how to use and work with my PLN.
Before EDM310 I had never heard of a personal learning network. After investigating some websites for this course, I think I have a better understanding of what a PLN is about. I set up an iGoogle page where I created a tab for the blogs I am following. I also have a tab for my own personal sites that I enjoy looking at. I signed up for a twitter account and I am following an educational technology/art teacher from my former high school. I am also following Steven Anderson. I would like to eventually add more math teachers. In addition to the EDM310 blog, I am following several other teachers, one teaching math. I am sure as the course continues, I will have added others and have even a better understanding of how to use and work with my PLN.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Blog Post 7
Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture
Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture dealt with three subjects. The first being his dreams, the second being about enabling others’ dreams, and the third being the lessons he has learned. Randy Pausch had six childhood dreams while growing up. They were experiencing zero gravity, playing football in the NFL, writing an article for the World Book Encyclopedia, be like Captain Kirk, win large stuffed animals, and work for Disney Imagineer. While he might not have achieved them all, he connected in some way with each of them. The bottom line is not to lose sight of your dreams because “anything is possible”. Even though you might meet up with a brick wall, it’s only for those who are not strong enough to get through it.
As a professor at Carnegie Mellon, he was able to help others achieve their lifelong dreams. He created courses like Building Virtual Walls and Dream Fulfillment Factory which encouraged students to work in a team and create projects in virtual reality. They were highly successful and many people tried to get into the classes. These courses emphasized the ability to become self reflective in their skills and in their ability to work with others. They also “tricked” students into having fun while at the same time learning computer programming.
The last part of Randy’s lecture dealt with the lessons he learned throughout his life. The first one he mentioned was about how much you can learn from your parents, mentors, teachers, friends, students, and colleagues. Some of these lessons might be about helping others, having fun, always having a childlike wonder, never giving up, that loyalty is a two way street. He showed a picture of Tigger and Eeyore and stated that obviously he was the Tigger. He also stated that on his father’s 80th birthday, he rode on a rollercoaster. He wanted to try something new. He emphasized to focus more on others so he brought out a huge birthday cake for his wife and had everyone sing happy birthday to her (I had tears in my eyes at this part).
Other lessons he mentioned was to always do the right thing because good things will happen, show gratitude, listen when you get feedback, don’t complain- just work harder, find something you’re good at, find the best in everybody, and be prepared. He was such an upbeat charismatic speaker and it made me think about how to plug them into my personal and professional life. This video kept my attention and I learned a great deal from it.
Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture dealt with three subjects. The first being his dreams, the second being about enabling others’ dreams, and the third being the lessons he has learned. Randy Pausch had six childhood dreams while growing up. They were experiencing zero gravity, playing football in the NFL, writing an article for the World Book Encyclopedia, be like Captain Kirk, win large stuffed animals, and work for Disney Imagineer. While he might not have achieved them all, he connected in some way with each of them. The bottom line is not to lose sight of your dreams because “anything is possible”. Even though you might meet up with a brick wall, it’s only for those who are not strong enough to get through it.
As a professor at Carnegie Mellon, he was able to help others achieve their lifelong dreams. He created courses like Building Virtual Walls and Dream Fulfillment Factory which encouraged students to work in a team and create projects in virtual reality. They were highly successful and many people tried to get into the classes. These courses emphasized the ability to become self reflective in their skills and in their ability to work with others. They also “tricked” students into having fun while at the same time learning computer programming.
The last part of Randy’s lecture dealt with the lessons he learned throughout his life. The first one he mentioned was about how much you can learn from your parents, mentors, teachers, friends, students, and colleagues. Some of these lessons might be about helping others, having fun, always having a childlike wonder, never giving up, that loyalty is a two way street. He showed a picture of Tigger and Eeyore and stated that obviously he was the Tigger. He also stated that on his father’s 80th birthday, he rode on a rollercoaster. He wanted to try something new. He emphasized to focus more on others so he brought out a huge birthday cake for his wife and had everyone sing happy birthday to her (I had tears in my eyes at this part).
Other lessons he mentioned was to always do the right thing because good things will happen, show gratitude, listen when you get feedback, don’t complain- just work harder, find something you’re good at, find the best in everybody, and be prepared. He was such an upbeat charismatic speaker and it made me think about how to plug them into my personal and professional life. This video kept my attention and I learned a great deal from it.
Summary Post C4T Teacher #2
In the last couple of weeks I have been reading Becky Goerend’s blog posts. The first one I read was “The Red Group”. This post talks about dividing students into classes where her math students are grouped together according to ability. This is so they can be taught at the pace they deserve. She was struggling about how to address those students, who on the first day, guessed that they indeed were in the lowest group. How do we as teachers make students still feel confident even while being in a lower group?
I stated in my response that I am studying to become a secondary math teacher so this post was very interesting to me! I could relate to this topic. When I was in middle school, we had the same divided classes, and we too figured out who was in the “smarter” classes. They need to be taught at a different pace than the rest of the students in order to be successful in the class.
The second article I read was called, “Why Blog?” which was what her students asked her and how she responded. She provided a very thorough list of reasons students should blog.
My response to this article was that I thought her answer to your students’ question was very informative. I agree that writing and commenting on others’ blogs improves writing. I don’t think people want their writing to look bad on posts so they usually try to do their best. I also think getting feedback from peers is very helpful in the writing process. I also agree that blogging cuts down on the use of paper and is better for the environment.
I stated in my response that I am studying to become a secondary math teacher so this post was very interesting to me! I could relate to this topic. When I was in middle school, we had the same divided classes, and we too figured out who was in the “smarter” classes. They need to be taught at a different pace than the rest of the students in order to be successful in the class.
The second article I read was called, “Why Blog?” which was what her students asked her and how she responded. She provided a very thorough list of reasons students should blog.
My response to this article was that I thought her answer to your students’ question was very informative. I agree that writing and commenting on others’ blogs improves writing. I don’t think people want their writing to look bad on posts so they usually try to do their best. I also think getting feedback from peers is very helpful in the writing process. I also agree that blogging cuts down on the use of paper and is better for the environment.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Summary Post C4K Student #1
I read two asignments that Anahi posted. The first one was to write about themselves. Anahi is in the 8th grade and likes to participate in sports. Anahi seems very interested in Math and Science. The second assignment was to create a learning manifesto where they identified three to four items that would help them to become a better student. Anahi thought that getting more sleep, paying attention to teachers, and talking less in class would be essential to doing better in school. I thought those were very realistic goals to have. I also thought it was a good idea to become involved in extracurricular activities. Studies have shown that students who are involved in many different things use their time more efficiently.
Blog Post 6
The Networked Student
I thought the idea that the video was trying to portray was one where the teacher became more of a facilitator and a role model than the twentieth century lecturer. Students are empowered to interact with other informed individuals, as well as the internet, to accumulate knowledge about a subject which they can then share on their own personal blog. Students become more in control and responsible for their learning. Of course, many might question the need for a teacher. Obviously, someone needs to be there to oversee that students will learn the content, be able to guide them on their journey when they get stuck, and to help them analyze proper sites to use. That someone would be the teacher!
Before taking this class I would not have felt at all confident in my ability to teach a networked student. However, this class has given me access to many different types of technology that I can use in the classroom as a teacher. I hope to be a good role model for students and to be able to facilitate their creativity. I always find myself wondering how I can incorporate these activities and this technology into a high school math class.
I think it is great that Wendy Drexler is trying to foresee any possible problems that might occur with trying to teach a networked class. It seems like she is prepared and I am sure that she will be successful! I wonder how she will get around the age requirements for many of the web applications. I’m sure it will all work out! Hopefully many other teachers in her school district will become excited about teaching a networked class and end up trying it too!
A 7th Grader’s Personal Learning Environment (or PLE)
Mr. H’s 7th grade student is a great example of someone who seems on top of her schoolwork and who takes full responsibility for her learning. She likes to work independently and she feels that technology is a great resource that she takes advantage of. I thought it was great that she was asking for review from experienced scientists on her work. For my personal learning network (PLN), I intend to find some high school math teachers who have blogs or twitter that I can follow. I would also like to follow a technology blog so I can stay on top of the latest trends. I feel as if my iGoogle page is similar to her personal learning environment. They both allow for quick and easy access to the internet, classes, homework, blogs, etc. When I start my personal learning network, it will be similar to when she asked advice from the experts. We both have to find experts in the field and will benefit from the knowledge gained.
The Machine is Changing Us
Michael Wesch discussed how an individual identifies with himself in relation to the greater community. He discussed how the term “whatever” has changed from the 1980’s to the present, and he talked about the MTV generation. He also had a group of students investigate and research YouTube to see who was making the videos, why they were making the videos, and who their audience was. Michael Wesch felt that today’s generation is looking for their authentic self.
I could relate to many parts of the video. I remember seeing the “Charlie bit me” YouTube video back in high school. I also am familiar with the terms “whatever” and “meh”, and have seen a lot of episodes from The Real World. Although I know about YouTube, I have never uploaded a video. As for my experiences in college, edm310 has broadened my interaction with the greater community as Michael Wesch described, mainly YouTube, blogging, facebook, etc. I have no idea what the future is going to bring. My best guess would be that computers are going to be a must in my teaching career. Students will be more independent learners and we will be using more of the networked educational system. There will also be more communication worldwide.
I thought the idea that the video was trying to portray was one where the teacher became more of a facilitator and a role model than the twentieth century lecturer. Students are empowered to interact with other informed individuals, as well as the internet, to accumulate knowledge about a subject which they can then share on their own personal blog. Students become more in control and responsible for their learning. Of course, many might question the need for a teacher. Obviously, someone needs to be there to oversee that students will learn the content, be able to guide them on their journey when they get stuck, and to help them analyze proper sites to use. That someone would be the teacher!
Before taking this class I would not have felt at all confident in my ability to teach a networked student. However, this class has given me access to many different types of technology that I can use in the classroom as a teacher. I hope to be a good role model for students and to be able to facilitate their creativity. I always find myself wondering how I can incorporate these activities and this technology into a high school math class.
I think it is great that Wendy Drexler is trying to foresee any possible problems that might occur with trying to teach a networked class. It seems like she is prepared and I am sure that she will be successful! I wonder how she will get around the age requirements for many of the web applications. I’m sure it will all work out! Hopefully many other teachers in her school district will become excited about teaching a networked class and end up trying it too!
A 7th Grader’s Personal Learning Environment (or PLE)
Mr. H’s 7th grade student is a great example of someone who seems on top of her schoolwork and who takes full responsibility for her learning. She likes to work independently and she feels that technology is a great resource that she takes advantage of. I thought it was great that she was asking for review from experienced scientists on her work. For my personal learning network (PLN), I intend to find some high school math teachers who have blogs or twitter that I can follow. I would also like to follow a technology blog so I can stay on top of the latest trends. I feel as if my iGoogle page is similar to her personal learning environment. They both allow for quick and easy access to the internet, classes, homework, blogs, etc. When I start my personal learning network, it will be similar to when she asked advice from the experts. We both have to find experts in the field and will benefit from the knowledge gained.
The Machine is Changing Us
Michael Wesch discussed how an individual identifies with himself in relation to the greater community. He discussed how the term “whatever” has changed from the 1980’s to the present, and he talked about the MTV generation. He also had a group of students investigate and research YouTube to see who was making the videos, why they were making the videos, and who their audience was. Michael Wesch felt that today’s generation is looking for their authentic self.
I could relate to many parts of the video. I remember seeing the “Charlie bit me” YouTube video back in high school. I also am familiar with the terms “whatever” and “meh”, and have seen a lot of episodes from The Real World. Although I know about YouTube, I have never uploaded a video. As for my experiences in college, edm310 has broadened my interaction with the greater community as Michael Wesch described, mainly YouTube, blogging, facebook, etc. I have no idea what the future is going to bring. My best guess would be that computers are going to be a must in my teaching career. Students will be more independent learners and we will be using more of the networked educational system. There will also be more communication worldwide.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Blog Post 5
In Judy Scharf Podcast Collection, it talked about what a podcast is and a time schedule so you can manage your time. She also included a link to a YouTube demonstration about how to use audacity to make your podcast. I feel that this site would be helpful to teachers who are going to use podcasts in their classroom. She gives detailed information about how to engage students in the process and a detailed time schedule. I can use a lot of this information in my own podcast. It will make me more organized so I can finish my podcast on time.
In Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog, students in third grade did a podcast about Rome. This shows how to make an audio podcast. Each student from the class had their own “news report” about the Roman Empire. They included a picture as well as a cartoon character that looked like they were the ones actually talking. I thought this was very creative and enjoyed watching it. I’m sure all the students had a good time making and viewing their podcasts. It was great to see students so young being successful with technology. I learned that you can have a picture with your audio podcast which was pretty neat. They also had background music playing while they shared information about Ancient Rome.
In The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom, it talked about the many uses of this type of technology. In the video it showed how absent students can still keep up with their schoolwork. It also talked about how parents can get more involved. I thought this video was helpful to understand the many reasons why teachers should be using podcasts in the classrooms on a regular basis. It makes students more responsible for their own learning.
In Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog, students in third grade did a podcast about Rome. This shows how to make an audio podcast. Each student from the class had their own “news report” about the Roman Empire. They included a picture as well as a cartoon character that looked like they were the ones actually talking. I thought this was very creative and enjoyed watching it. I’m sure all the students had a good time making and viewing their podcasts. It was great to see students so young being successful with technology. I learned that you can have a picture with your audio podcast which was pretty neat. They also had background music playing while they shared information about Ancient Rome.
In The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom, it talked about the many uses of this type of technology. In the video it showed how absent students can still keep up with their schoolwork. It also talked about how parents can get more involved. I thought this video was helpful to understand the many reasons why teachers should be using podcasts in the classrooms on a regular basis. It makes students more responsible for their own learning.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Blog Post 4
Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Scott McLeod uses satire in order to show how strongly he believes in technology and the benefits it can bring to the field of education. His point is valid because in these days, students will encounter technology everyday in their lives. How can anyone stop them from using it? It just makes sense to have them be creative with it and to help them make use of it in their daily lives.
Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor of Education Administration at the University of Iowa. He is also the Director of a Center called Castle.
The iSchool Initiative
The arguments that Travis makes are many. He talked about how much cheaper it would be to use the iSchool and to get rid of calculators, projectors, maps/globes, school books, etc. It would also help the environment because it would lower the amount of trees we would need to cut down. Your teachers and parents would be able to get more involved and could access grades and due dates. Homework could be shared and/or class lectures could be recorded for students that are absent from class.
All of these arguments were very convincing. I am familiar with many of the tools that Travis talked about in his video and can see how this would be a good idea. I can only imagine what else will be available in the next five years.
Lost Generation
At first I was shocked that what she was saying was likely to happen, but by the end, I was happy and liked what it read as she reversed the statements on the video. It really made you think about the world in my lifetime. I hope to be more in control of what happens in my life.
Her technique, I thought, was very clever. I thought it was really neat how she was talking about reversing what she had first stated and then literally reversed it by reading it backwards. I liked reading the words as she spoke them. It was much more captivating than if she had just spoken herself on the video.
Eric Whitaker’s Virtual Choir
I thought this was a very neat way of using the internet. These people obviously could not have contributed and taken part in this choir except through the internet. It also brings to mind other ways that people in all parts of the world could contribute to a larger project. The uses are limitless.
Scott McLeod uses satire in order to show how strongly he believes in technology and the benefits it can bring to the field of education. His point is valid because in these days, students will encounter technology everyday in their lives. How can anyone stop them from using it? It just makes sense to have them be creative with it and to help them make use of it in their daily lives.
Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor of Education Administration at the University of Iowa. He is also the Director of a Center called Castle.
The iSchool Initiative
The arguments that Travis makes are many. He talked about how much cheaper it would be to use the iSchool and to get rid of calculators, projectors, maps/globes, school books, etc. It would also help the environment because it would lower the amount of trees we would need to cut down. Your teachers and parents would be able to get more involved and could access grades and due dates. Homework could be shared and/or class lectures could be recorded for students that are absent from class.
All of these arguments were very convincing. I am familiar with many of the tools that Travis talked about in his video and can see how this would be a good idea. I can only imagine what else will be available in the next five years.
Lost Generation
At first I was shocked that what she was saying was likely to happen, but by the end, I was happy and liked what it read as she reversed the statements on the video. It really made you think about the world in my lifetime. I hope to be more in control of what happens in my life.
Her technique, I thought, was very clever. I thought it was really neat how she was talking about reversing what she had first stated and then literally reversed it by reading it backwards. I liked reading the words as she spoke them. It was much more captivating than if she had just spoken herself on the video.
Eric Whitaker’s Virtual Choir
I thought this was a very neat way of using the internet. These people obviously could not have contributed and taken part in this choir except through the internet. It also brings to mind other ways that people in all parts of the world could contribute to a larger project. The uses are limitless.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Additional Assignment 1
a. What are the educational implications of searches such as Google Squared provides?
The educational implications of searches, such as Google Squared, provide us with charts, statistics, images, and descriptions. The great thing about this is that you can see them all at once. You can also put other information you wanted to know about in the “add columns” tab.
b. What are the educational implications of searches such as WolframAlpha provides?
The educational implications of searches, such as WolframAlpha, provide us with a lot of detailed statistics about one particular subject. It enables students to get a more in depth look, as opposed to a simple Google search.
c. Did you know about Google Squared before this assignment?
I did not know about Google Squared before this assignment.
d. Did you know about Wolfram Alpha before this assignment?
I did not know about Wolfram Alpha before this assignment
e. Reread your comments about Did You Know. Have my comments altered your thinking about anything you saw, heard, read, or reported for the Did You Know assignment? If not, say so. If so, describe how in as much detail as necessary.
Your comments reinforced how much information is out there and how important it is to use search engines like Google Squared and WolframAlpha to find out and analyze information. One thing that I did get out of your comments was to keep questioning statics in order to understand the context and their real meaning.
f. What did you learn from this exercise about how you react to and deal with "statistics"?
I leaned that statics can be used in different context and I have to be careful when I see them.
Food For Thought:
I think it’s amazing how quick kids can use and understand new technology. My nephew, Wyatt, just turned five and he can beat me at video games.
The educational implications of searches, such as Google Squared, provide us with charts, statistics, images, and descriptions. The great thing about this is that you can see them all at once. You can also put other information you wanted to know about in the “add columns” tab.
b. What are the educational implications of searches such as WolframAlpha provides?
The educational implications of searches, such as WolframAlpha, provide us with a lot of detailed statistics about one particular subject. It enables students to get a more in depth look, as opposed to a simple Google search.
c. Did you know about Google Squared before this assignment?
I did not know about Google Squared before this assignment.
d. Did you know about Wolfram Alpha before this assignment?
I did not know about Wolfram Alpha before this assignment
e. Reread your comments about Did You Know. Have my comments altered your thinking about anything you saw, heard, read, or reported for the Did You Know assignment? If not, say so. If so, describe how in as much detail as necessary.
Your comments reinforced how much information is out there and how important it is to use search engines like Google Squared and WolframAlpha to find out and analyze information. One thing that I did get out of your comments was to keep questioning statics in order to understand the context and their real meaning.
f. What did you learn from this exercise about how you react to and deal with "statistics"?
I leaned that statics can be used in different context and I have to be careful when I see them.
Food For Thought:
I think it’s amazing how quick kids can use and understand new technology. My nephew, Wyatt, just turned five and he can beat me at video games.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Blog Post 3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This video did a pretty good job of representing what my experiences have been taking college classes. I would describe myself as being a multi-tasker and students are asked to accomplish many tasks and are forced to multi-task every day. I did notice a few differences in my experience. I’ve been taking mostly math classes so I don’t usually see people on their computers. I usually see a chalkboard/whiteboard and students are using paper and pencil. I came from a small town and a small college in Maine and the typical class size was a lot smaller than what the video stated (a couple classes there were as many as five kids in the class). Even though these classes here at South are larger, they are still smaller than what the video had stated.
Another difference I noticed was there was no mention of texting. If I was the video producer, I would definitely add something about the amount of texting students take part in. I noticed the video was produced in 2007 so perhaps students were not texting as much. With unlimited texting in many cell phone plans, I feel that could explain why. Another reason why this might be true is that students can do other things while they are texting.
It’s Not About Technology
Mrs. Hines made a good point in her post about technology. It is not just that the technology exists but that teachers need to know how to use it and be able to use it correctly with their classes so that students have a better learning environment. I definitely noticed this in my high school. Some teachers introduced us to new ways of using technology while other teachers didn’t even know how to access e-mail.
I agree that teachers must be learners. Teachers have to be willing to learn “current trends, research and tools.” Therefore, teachers must devote some time in order to master these and teach them to their students. It is a collaborative process.
Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
I totally agree with everything Mr. Fisch said about teachers being technologically literate. I especially liked how strongly he stated his opinions. It is not acceptable for teachers to say that they either don't have time to learn or they just don't get it. I also liked how he talked about his experience as a math teacher. I am studying to be a secondary math teacher and his comments really connected with me. At first I thought his comments about losing a license or losing a job was harsh, but after thinking about it, it seems like the only answer. Some teachers will not incorporate this technology on their own. Their principal must demand it from them.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Mr. Hayes certainly came up with a great idea showing how fast social media applications can change. I could not help thinking that within a week or a month he could probably add another column or two. For those students just entering kindergarten, many of these items might be a mystery to them. One thing that this means for me as I work towards becoming a teacher is how willing I have to be to learn and keep pace with technology and my students.
This video did a pretty good job of representing what my experiences have been taking college classes. I would describe myself as being a multi-tasker and students are asked to accomplish many tasks and are forced to multi-task every day. I did notice a few differences in my experience. I’ve been taking mostly math classes so I don’t usually see people on their computers. I usually see a chalkboard/whiteboard and students are using paper and pencil. I came from a small town and a small college in Maine and the typical class size was a lot smaller than what the video stated (a couple classes there were as many as five kids in the class). Even though these classes here at South are larger, they are still smaller than what the video had stated.
Another difference I noticed was there was no mention of texting. If I was the video producer, I would definitely add something about the amount of texting students take part in. I noticed the video was produced in 2007 so perhaps students were not texting as much. With unlimited texting in many cell phone plans, I feel that could explain why. Another reason why this might be true is that students can do other things while they are texting.
It’s Not About Technology
Mrs. Hines made a good point in her post about technology. It is not just that the technology exists but that teachers need to know how to use it and be able to use it correctly with their classes so that students have a better learning environment. I definitely noticed this in my high school. Some teachers introduced us to new ways of using technology while other teachers didn’t even know how to access e-mail.
I agree that teachers must be learners. Teachers have to be willing to learn “current trends, research and tools.” Therefore, teachers must devote some time in order to master these and teach them to their students. It is a collaborative process.
Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
I totally agree with everything Mr. Fisch said about teachers being technologically literate. I especially liked how strongly he stated his opinions. It is not acceptable for teachers to say that they either don't have time to learn or they just don't get it. I also liked how he talked about his experience as a math teacher. I am studying to be a secondary math teacher and his comments really connected with me. At first I thought his comments about losing a license or losing a job was harsh, but after thinking about it, it seems like the only answer. Some teachers will not incorporate this technology on their own. Their principal must demand it from them.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Mr. Hayes certainly came up with a great idea showing how fast social media applications can change. I could not help thinking that within a week or a month he could probably add another column or two. For those students just entering kindergarten, many of these items might be a mystery to them. One thing that this means for me as I work towards becoming a teacher is how willing I have to be to learn and keep pace with technology and my students.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Summary Post C4T Teacher #1
In the last couple weeks I have been reading Tom Johnson’s Adventures in Pencil Integration blogs. The first one I read was the article, “Meat the Teacher Fiasco”. This article talks about a Meat the Teacher night where the teachers are putting on a barbecue because of a homonym error (meet vs meat). The parents, students and teachers all gather together and start playing a baseball game. The kids end up playing their own game on the street and their teacher joins in. It then talks about how this was a great way to start a year, by having the students see the teacher as a human instead of just a teacher. It gives the sense of an “all-out carnival” instead of, “an awkward meet and greet.”
My response basically stated that I thought it was a great idea for the students to see their teacher as human rather than a teacher at first. I think that when students get to see their teacher this way they will feel more comfortable in class since they already know their teacher, and then more learning will take place this way. The students will see that their teacher is there to have fun with them and they can learn together instead of looking at it like this teacher is just going to be giving them a grade.
The second article I read was called, “Visitors” which talks about a visitor coming in and asking questions about pencils. These visitors usually miss the beauty of a pencil. However, before the end of the evening, many ask about what the students are learning and not necessarily about what technology they used to get there. Students can be creative with many different forms of technology, even pencils!
My response to this article was that students should learn different ways to communicate their knowledge. I think students should have a good sense of pencil, slates, computers, etc. Then they will have more knowledge in many different types of uses for this varied technology. I agree that technology is changing very fast and most of their knowledge will soon be mostly on computers and other technology, but I do not think that pencils will be gone completely.
My response basically stated that I thought it was a great idea for the students to see their teacher as human rather than a teacher at first. I think that when students get to see their teacher this way they will feel more comfortable in class since they already know their teacher, and then more learning will take place this way. The students will see that their teacher is there to have fun with them and they can learn together instead of looking at it like this teacher is just going to be giving them a grade.
The second article I read was called, “Visitors” which talks about a visitor coming in and asking questions about pencils. These visitors usually miss the beauty of a pencil. However, before the end of the evening, many ask about what the students are learning and not necessarily about what technology they used to get there. Students can be creative with many different forms of technology, even pencils!
My response to this article was that students should learn different ways to communicate their knowledge. I think students should have a good sense of pencil, slates, computers, etc. Then they will have more knowledge in many different types of uses for this varied technology. I agree that technology is changing very fast and most of their knowledge will soon be mostly on computers and other technology, but I do not think that pencils will be gone completely.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Blog Post 2
Did You Know?
This presentation was very interesting. When I was watching it, I hadn’t really thought about how fast things were changing. I know that people Google all the time for information, but hadn’t really thought about the exact number being that large. It seems incredible that technology can change that fast.
What I got out of this video was that people should try to stay informed as best they can with technology. This means trying new things, and keeping an open mind to what can be used not only in your daily life, but in your classroom with your students as well.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
When Mr. Winkle wakes up he realizes there are so many changes in the world around him, even at the hospital, that he had to visit because he was so “lost” he thought he was sick. He didn’t make out any better there because he was surrounded by all the new machines and technology. When he finally found the school he realized this was the same as he remembered it.
The point that Mathew Needleman was trying to make was that the world is changing daily and schools are not, but they should be. Teaching should be more about getting students to learn more on their own rather than being lectured. I think this is trying to tell us that we should come up with different ways of teaching instead of always doing the same thing. We should make learning fun and interesting, while engaging students in their own learning.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson’s presentation dealt with trying to get children to be more creative and be prepared for unknown future which lies ahead. Robinson said that as students get older, they become more afraid of making mistakes. We, as educators, need to let kids know that making mistakes is okay and is part of the learning process. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
I thought Sir Ken Robinson did a great job of using examples from real life. He made his presentation funny and interesting to watch. I think this presentation was trying to say that in the future we don’t know what there is going to be. Teachers are trying to teach kids for what things we know now. Robinson’s point was that teachers need to educate kids so that they can adapt on their own.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis’s presentation talks about getting the students more involved in their own learning, and learning with people not just in their classroom but also all over the world. I thought it was a good idea that she added a video of her students and saw her in action. There was a lot of learning and creative thinking going on in her class. When she got the students involved they seemed to want to learn more. She said in the video that her students even taught her how to do things.
This video emphasizes the importance of keeping up with technology and using it in your classroom. Vicki Davis also had students working together with their classmates to get more involved in the activities. I thought this was a good way of learning and teaching.
This presentation was very interesting. When I was watching it, I hadn’t really thought about how fast things were changing. I know that people Google all the time for information, but hadn’t really thought about the exact number being that large. It seems incredible that technology can change that fast.
What I got out of this video was that people should try to stay informed as best they can with technology. This means trying new things, and keeping an open mind to what can be used not only in your daily life, but in your classroom with your students as well.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
When Mr. Winkle wakes up he realizes there are so many changes in the world around him, even at the hospital, that he had to visit because he was so “lost” he thought he was sick. He didn’t make out any better there because he was surrounded by all the new machines and technology. When he finally found the school he realized this was the same as he remembered it.
The point that Mathew Needleman was trying to make was that the world is changing daily and schools are not, but they should be. Teaching should be more about getting students to learn more on their own rather than being lectured. I think this is trying to tell us that we should come up with different ways of teaching instead of always doing the same thing. We should make learning fun and interesting, while engaging students in their own learning.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson’s presentation dealt with trying to get children to be more creative and be prepared for unknown future which lies ahead. Robinson said that as students get older, they become more afraid of making mistakes. We, as educators, need to let kids know that making mistakes is okay and is part of the learning process. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
I thought Sir Ken Robinson did a great job of using examples from real life. He made his presentation funny and interesting to watch. I think this presentation was trying to say that in the future we don’t know what there is going to be. Teachers are trying to teach kids for what things we know now. Robinson’s point was that teachers need to educate kids so that they can adapt on their own.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis’s presentation talks about getting the students more involved in their own learning, and learning with people not just in their classroom but also all over the world. I thought it was a good idea that she added a video of her students and saw her in action. There was a lot of learning and creative thinking going on in her class. When she got the students involved they seemed to want to learn more. She said in the video that her students even taught her how to do things.
This video emphasizes the importance of keeping up with technology and using it in your classroom. Vicki Davis also had students working together with their classmates to get more involved in the activities. I thought this was a good way of learning and teaching.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
About Me
My name is Sarah Pierce. I was born and raised in Maine. I moved down to Alabama a couple weeks ago to start school down here at USA. My father transferred down here with his job two years ago. I am a Math Education major.
I am very family oriented. I am very close with everyone in my family. I decided to enter the field of education because I love kids. I have been a nanny and have had lots of babysitting jobs growing up. My sister has four kids and I am a very happy Aunt. I had to move away from them to come to school down here which was really hard. Both my grandmother and my mother were teachers, which might have also impacted my decision on teaching.
I really enjoy being outside and doing sport activities. I was always playing three sports a year growing up. I stopped after high school because I wanted to focus my time on doing well in school and not "over working" myself. I like to get things done on time and I like to do them to my best ability.
This picture is from Alligator Alley that I visited during my first week here.
I am very family oriented. I am very close with everyone in my family. I decided to enter the field of education because I love kids. I have been a nanny and have had lots of babysitting jobs growing up. My sister has four kids and I am a very happy Aunt. I had to move away from them to come to school down here which was really hard. Both my grandmother and my mother were teachers, which might have also impacted my decision on teaching.
I really enjoy being outside and doing sport activities. I was always playing three sports a year growing up. I stopped after high school because I wanted to focus my time on doing well in school and not "over working" myself. I like to get things done on time and I like to do them to my best ability.
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