Project #15 "Smartboard Lesson"

Final Project #16

Final Project Progress Report

For my final project I am making a movie with Molly, Amanda, and Keiko.  We have almost all of our scenes recorded and we should be finished recording on Tuesday.  We will then have to edit and put the scenes together.  This movie is coming along well.  Hope you will enjoy it!

Blog Assignment #12

For this week's blog assignment, I want you to choose a classroom to go into and observe the technology that is currently being used.  You need to check your google docs to choose a class from the list provided.  Let me know as soon as you have chosen your school.  This assignment is to be done by the 3rd week of the semester.  Once you have chosen your class you need to make arrangements with that school and teacher as to when to visit their classroom.  In your blog post I want you to write what you observed.  Tell us what technology was being used, how they were using it, were the kids interactive with the technology, we they having fun while learning, did the teacher know how to use the technology well, did the technology work(or were the glitches).  I want you to get feed back from the teacher and the students on their opinions of using the technology in their classroom.   Would you use this type of technology in your future classroom why or why not?  Tell us how much technology has changed since you were in school.  

C4T #3

Post #1

On September 18,2012,  Mr. Noschese posted on his class blog about Screencasting VPython programs.  Mr. Noschese teaches a AP Physics C class made up of 15 students and assigns them to make a screencast and explain how it works and why for their VPython programs.  He likes screencast because he can tell which students understand their assignments and which ones do not understand it.

On October 28,2012, I commented on his blog:
Mr. Noschese,

I am a student from The University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.  I am taking EDM310 and I have been assigned to comment on your post.  I am going into Science education so I can see myself using some of your techniques.  Technology has come along way since I was in high school.  I am not a traditional college student!

Post #2

On October 10, 2012 Mr. Noschese posted on his blog about Metacognition Curriculum.  He wanted to research how his student's mindsets work and how they learn.  He had them fill out a questionnaire and then watch a video.  Then the students had to get into groups and write down one thing that learned, one thing that they found surprising, and one question that they still had.  Then he put them on an overhead and shared them with the whole class.

I posted on November 11,2012:

Mr. Noschese,
I am a student at The University of South Alabama taking EDM310. I have been assigned to follow your blog and comment on your post. I think it is great that you are getting these young students to think about their thinking process. I think that questionnaires are a great tool to learn about your students.

Blog Assignment #11

Ms. Cassidy's class video

Ms. Cassidy's approach to the use of technology in the classroom is impressive considering the age of her students.  Ms. Cassidy teaches first grade in Moose Jaw, Canada.  Her students use blogs and they enjoy getting comments back on their work.  When the students receive comments it help keep them motivated to do well because they know that other people can read their work.  This is also used as an exercise to teach her students how to compliment other students by leaving positive comments on the classmates blogs.  She uses other forms of technology in the classroom such as video games to make learning fun and it teaches the students to share.  She also has a class website which is very informative for the parents.  I think it is amazing that she is able to keep up with all of the technology while working with all of these little students.  

My biggest concern with all of the use of technology is exposing young students to too much too soon.  I think that there are a lot of safety measures that have to be put into place.  I think that there are many benefits to using technology in the classrooms and it will help prepare these students for the future.  I plan on using a classroom website and a classroom blog.  I will be teaching at a higher level so I hope that they will have learned to share by then!  I will use my PLN for help when I am looking for new projects and ways to use new technology in my classroom.          

C4K Summary October

C4K #3 class blog

Tristan is a 9th grade student at PWA.  The post that I commented on was titled "Does Life in Canada Suck?"  written on September 26, 2012. Tristan said that he realizes he is fortunate to have a house to go home to, a school where he can learn , and a doctor that he can go to when he gets sick.  He also knows that he is lucky that he can play the sports that he chooses and that playing sports help him stay in shape.  All of these things make him happy.

I commented on his post on October 6, 2012.  I told him that he is fortunate to have all of those things and that I am glad he realizes that.  I told him that he seems like he has a positive attitude.  I told him to remember to stay positive, work hard, and to follow his dreams.


C4K#4 

Collinscal is a 10th grade student in Mr. Mike Gwaltney's Modern World History class at a Episcopal school in Oregon.  This class is made up of students from Oregon, Iowa, Maryland, and France.  I comment on her post "Friends" written on October 9, 2012. Collinscal wrote about if you should mix your personal life with your academics.  She said that tends to get off track with her friends and that she gets distracted with her personal life.

I commented that I think it is ok to mix your personal life and your academics to a point.  I said that the most important thing is that you get you academic assignments completed.  I commented that involving your personal life with academics can make for a fun learning experience.  


C4K #5
Kailin is a student in Ms. Capps's class.  She is a very good little writer.  I really enjoyed her blog.  I posted on her blog on October 18, 2012.
 Kailin,

My name is Amber and I am a student at The University of South Alabama. I am taking EDM310 and my professor asked me to read you blog and to leave a comment. I really enjoyed reading your poem! I think you did an outstanding job and I look forward to seeing what you write next. Keep up the good work!

C4K #6

Julia is a 6th grader in Mrs. Peterson's class.  The students all have English class blogs and are to post on the books that they are reading.  Julia posted on The Outsiders on October 10,2012 and I commented on October 28,2012.

 Julia,

My name is Amber and I am a college student at The University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.  I am taking EDM310 and I have been assigned to comment on your blog.  I think that you have done a really good job organizing your posts and you seem to enjoy making your post.  Keep up the good work.

C4K #7 

Vitulli and Santoli: Eyes on Ireland was the blog I posted on November 4, 2012.  I commented: My name is Amber and I am in EDM310 at The University of South Alabama.  I was assigned to follow your blog and comment on your post. It looks like y'all are having a great time and have lots of food to eat!  I have never been to Ireland , but it looks like it would be a nice place to travel to one day.

Special Blog Assignment

A world where grades will be left behind.

This USA TODAY article written by Mary Beth Markleing is how Sebastian Trun views the education system changing where grades will become a thing of the past..  Sebastian Trun, a VP of Google and Stanford research professor is seeking to revolutionize the education system as we know it.  He has created Udacity in California where he wants the college education to be FREE and fun and where grades are not given. He thinks that grades should not be assigned and classes should be online and more like video games.  I think that we should ask Who is going to fund this education system?  I know he said it will be free, but the program must be funded somehow.  I am a college student and my most expensive class is my online class.  I want to know what happens to the structure and discipline that comes from  in the classroom?  What happens to meeting standards and having that competition with the person next to you?  I was always told to work hard and make good grades because employers are going to look at the degree, but given the choice between someone who made all C's and someone who made all A's the employer will probably pick the one who made all A's because it will most likely reflect their work ethic.

I think that we need to have great teachers in the classroom and earning grades are important values that are taught.  If it were easy to get a college education with a degree then everyone would have one.  It takes a lot of hard work and determination to succeed.  I do not feel that you can be prepared for a physical struggle if you only read about self defense online.  It takes so much more than that, it takes strength and skills that are learned through physical experience not through an online course. As a teacher, I do not want to give grades based on written exams alone.  I want students to get involved with hands on projects and experiments, be responsible for studying and completing homework.  I do not want my students to be overwhelmed and consumed with assignments at home, but just enough to teach them that they have to work for success.

I have not become a fan of the "flipped" classroom.  The thought of my children coming home and watching videos all night, then going to school the next day to do homework is horrible!  Let kids be kids, not robots.  From a college level standpoint, I do not like watching podcast and then going to class to be quizzed.  The point of having a college professor is for theprofessor to be there in class to teach me and to have those class discussions. I think a lot can be learned that way.  Who are the educators?  Is it just a computer program in a closet somewhere?  I want to go to class meet with an instructor and not look at a computer 24/7.  Everyone learns in different ways and that is just not my way of learning.

It made me laugh to think that someone could compare a children's video game to the same as taking college physics.  REALLY???  Have you taken college physics because I have and I worked my butt off for an "A" but I did it!  I didn't want a "B" I wanted an "A" because that was the highest level of success.  All of this talk about playing games and getting things for free makes me think of the welfare program in this country.  This cheap education program sounds great, but as the old saying goes "You get what you pay for."    

Blog Assignment #10

Adventures in Pencil Integration

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff.  Please. 

Project #14 Smart Board part 1

Blog Assignment #9

 

What I've Learned This Year

Wednesday, May 27,2012

What I've Learned This Year

June 13,2012 

Project #10, PLN progress report 1

I picked Symbaloo as my PLN.(Personal Learning Network) I am currently still adding to my PLN, but it is coming along very well.  This is a very useful and helpful tool.  I really like having everything in one place to access from.  I have everything from twitter, delicious, timetoast to picasa, EDM310 class blog, and my email, just to name a few.   Here is a snap shot of my PLN, it is still a work in progress.  Well, I am having trouble posting a picture of my PLN, but here is

Project #12 Book Trailer

Blog Assignment #8

Richard Miller
This is How We Dream Part 1 and 2
watch video here

Richard Miller is a very exciting and smart man.  He talks about how technology is our future and shows us that there are many benefits to using multimedia.In these videos he shows us that writing has changed.  We now have a worldwide way of communicating as we write.  The old way was using pen and paper and now we have word processors, ipads, iphones, laptops, ect...  We now use laptops with internet service instead of going to the library.  We can now add pictures, videos, and sound in our writing.  He encourages us as educators to stay on top of technology to help educate our students.  It is a day to day learning process because technology is changing so fast.

Blog Post #2 by Carly Pugh
watch here 

Carly suggested an assignment for EDM310 in her post.  She suggested that students of EDM310 make a YouTube playlist with their favorite videos.  She showed how YouTube can be a great resource for teaching.  She also said that "good teachers teach by example." I think that there are many great videos to watch on YouTube that can help in the classrooms.  I think that some of these videos can be very helpful in planning lessons and demonstrating experiments to the students.

EDM310 for Dummies
watch here

This is a funny video for EDM310 students to watch.  It strongly suggest that you need to do your work on time and not procrastinate on assignments.  EDM310 has a lot to offer that can help you in the future with projects.  I have learned a lot from EDM310 that will help me in the classroom from making power point presentations to adding pictures, videos, and links to either a blog, website, or email. I think with technology changing so fast as educators we need to be able to stay with the times.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
watch here

Learn to change, change to learn is all about how classrooms are outdated and need to change.  This video stresses that students are bored in the classroom and they could be more fun for students to learn if we used more current technology. Students are already using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,phones, and texting.  We need to use more of these features in the classroom and encourage creativity.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0
This was an assignment that was suggested by Justin Cometti, who was an EDM310 student at South Alabama in the Fall of 2011.  The assignment is to look for 5 things, but only choose 3 to do for our post. 
Edmondo is a very useful resource.  It is very similar to Facebook and Twitter.  You can create and post assignments and their due dates.  You can send and receive messages from students and parents.  You can also use Google docs.  Prezi is also a very useful tool to use and it is FREE!  You can use it to turn normal boring slides into colorful and entertaining presentations. I created a poll at Polleverywhere.com.

C4T #3

What Ed Said
Post #1

Edna Sackson  works at International Baccalaureate PYP school in Melbourne, Australia, as a Teaching and Learning Co-coordinator.  I commented on her October 1, 2012 post on 20 ways to think about your class blog.  Edna likes to encourage learning based on her school’s learning principles by promoting the use of class blogs. She feels that the blogs are mainly used to communicate with parents and to share the learning that takes place at school in the lower levels. As students mature and get into high school, the class blog can be so much more than that just a way to communicate with parents. Edna posted the following thoughts:

"I think that a class blog is not (just)…

• A  place to post questions, worksheet style, with an expectation that all students will respond.
• A space for teachers  to assess and comment publicly on students’ writing.
• A sort of online vacuum, into which students’ writing is sucked, never to be seen by anyone.
• A compulsory homework assignment.
• Something managed entirely by the teacher, who makes all the decisions as to what will be posted and when.
• An occasionally used alternative to writing on paper.

(With apologies if you use your blog successfully in some or all of these ways!)

Some questions to consider…

1. Do you teach students how to write meaningful comments that promote conversation?

2. Do you set aside time every day to check  for new comments and  discuss the comments that come in?

3. Do you encourage your students to respond to each other and whoever else comments?

4. Does your blog roll include other class blogs within your own school and are your students actively engaging with these?

5. Do you encourage your students to comment on class blogs at schools in your own and other parts of the world?

6. Have you and your students considered ways to involve their grandparents and retired people they know as a potential audience?

7. Do your students have ownership of the layout and theme of your class blog?

8. Do you frequently discuss the potential  audience and purpose of blog posts?

9. Do you model good writing for your students by blogging yourself? ( A collective in-school blog doesn’t require a great time commitment).

10. Do you regularly read and comment on other teachers’ blogs and discuss your learning with your students?

11. Do you encourage students to take photographs of great learning experiences and share their reflections with the world?

12. Do you have a visitors map or a flag counter and check them every day with your class to see who has visited and where they are in the world?

13. Have you considered a class Twitter account to share learning and tweet your posts to other classes?

14. Have you thought about blogging as authentic writing, rather than another separate thing you have to fit in?

15. Do your students choose where to post their writing and thinking, with the blog as just one option?

16. Have you exposed your students to great blogs (not just class ones) so that they can discover what makes a blog appealing and interesting?

17. Have you helped your students see how blogging is different from other writing? Can they drill down to the essence of something, add images and use  hyperlinks?

18. Do your students see the blog as an additional place to share and provoke thinking, and to make thinking visible?

19. Is your blog a place to continue the learning conversation from school to home and back?

20. Are you working on building a learning community which includes yourself, students, parents and other learners in your school and the world?" 

On October 7, 2012 I posted the following:  My name is Amber and I am a student at The University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I am taking EDM310 and we are required to follow different blogs posted by teachers and students and then leave comments on their most recent post. You can follow my class blog at EDM310blogspot.com. I see a lot of teachers that have a class blog, but they are not being followed by parents and the students are not using them except for when they are at school. I know that where my kids go to school, many of the parents can not afford a computer at home. Some of the teachers blog and others do not blog at all. I think that class blogs are very useful, but I see that they are not for everyone. I do feel that the more we teach the younger kids the more it will become a part of everyday life. You have to just keep trying and never give up.

On October 17,2012 Edna Sackson posted "Snippets from the SOME."  She posted on how she interacts with students from across the world in other classrooms.  She tells about how the students are learning and having fun while doing so.  She did notice the students behaving different one day and realized they were more serious and quiet because their teacher was in the back of the classroom watching, but when she was not there they were more relaxed and laughing and they really enjoyed Ms. Sackson.  I posted on October 20,2012 that I thought it was great that she could contact with students from across the world.

C4K Summary September

C4K #1

My first C4K was on a 5th grade girl, Hannah who attends Point England School and she loves to play basketball.  Hannah's blog.  Hannah is in Mrs. King's 5th grade class in room 13. Ms. King's 5th grade class blog. Hannah posted about basketball on Tuesday, September 18, 2012.  She said that they get to play different sports each term and basketball is her favorite.  

I commented on her posted on September 23, 2012.  I told her my name and that I was a college student in the United States and that I am studying to become a teacher. I told her that I thought it was great that she like to play basketball and that we use to change sports every term to when I was in school.  I encouraged her to keep it up!  

C4K #2

My second C4K was on a third grade Science class and their hands-on lesson.  Ms. Capps and her third grade class enjoy their Science lesson with hands on experiences.  They are studying rocks and they hold them, take measurements, make observations, and are having fun while learning.  I commented that I thought it was great to have the kids so involved with hands on experiments.  My kids seem to take away more from the lesson when it is more hands on and not just reading the text.    

Blog Assignment #7

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler
watch video here

This was an interesting video put together by Wendy Drexler's class to show connectivism.  This class is based on being text book free and teaches students how to build their network and to take advantage of every learning opportunity.  It is designed to teach the steps and tools for researching and it gives students a way to share their research with others.

"Why does the networked student even need a teacher?"  This question was asked and was responded in the video by saying that the student does the research, but the teacher is their to help them build their network. The teacher is there to give guidance and teach them how to ask for help respectfully.  The teacher is suppose to help them learn the difference between good and bad information.

Some of my favorite classes have been the hardest ones that I have taken, but I learned the most from them. One of them was American History and the professor was amazing!  He would stand in front of the class and    tell the story, it was up to the student to take notes on what they thought was important.  This was great for working on listening and comprehension skills.  We also had a research topic and we were required to write a paper.  My favorite professor of all time would be Dr. Barry Corona and his Chemistry classes.  Dr. Corona was amazing and extremely smart.  His classes were taught by in class lectures, but he taught the material with a personal life experience with each lesson.  Both professors gave the material needed for the class with their in class lectures, but it was their personal  experiences, their stories, and class discussions that made these classes awesome and memorable.  These were both very hard and challenging classes, but they made me want to work harder.  

I feel that teachers need to play a big part in the classroom experience, not just be there for support.  I think it is great to have so many tools available to learn from, but not as the soul teaching source.    As a parent, I would be concerned if my child came home and this is how they were expected to learn everything.  With this style of learning the parent becomes the teacher and not all parents have the time or knowledge to help their child.  We spend our tax dollars to help fund teachers, not supporters.  As a teacher I will encourage my students to learn and use tools to help their learning opportunities, but I will be teaching the material in the classroom.  They will be able to use these tools to further their knowledge outside of the classroom.  

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment

This 7th grade student has done an amazing job with her PLE.  She seems to be very responsible and enjoys having the freedom to choose her assignments to work on.  I think that there are many students that will have a hard time keeping up with all of this and this will challenge many students.  I can not compare my PLN to her PLE because I am just getting started.  She is an amazing student and has done a great job!

Project #8

EDM 310- Podcast- Rafe Esquith's "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire"- CH 1,2,17 and epilogue by BrookeThompson09

Project #9a Time Toast Timeline

Blog Assignment #6

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture was given at McConomy Auditorium at Carnegie Mellon University where he was a professor. Due to cancer, he was told he had three to six months to live and he gave his last lecture on September 18, 2007.  His lecture was about having dreams, achieving them, and helping others achieve their own dreams as well.  Randy Pausch was a very enthusiatic and inspiring professor during his lectures and he still maintained a positive outlook.   Throughout Pausch's lecture he talks about what people need to know in order to achieve their dreams and how to help others.

Pausch learned valuable life lessons and through his own experiences he was able to help others.  He mentioned a football coach who held practice one day without even bringing a football to the practice.  He wanted to teach the same skills to all of the players because not everyone on the team is going to touch the football during a game.  Pausch believed that leadership is a skill.  He believed that we should not just hear words, but that we should watch the actions of others.

Randy Pausch said that books were becoming a thing of the past because of new technology there are now virtual worlds.  Pausch encouraged the use of technology in our schools.  He said we should find ways to teach difficult material in fun ways.  He thought we could teach a lesson while at the same time they were learning something completely different and they were enjoying themselves.  Pausch said that we should always encourage kids to dream.

Pausch said we need to encourage kids to dream and to set the bar high.  As parents, teachers, coaches, and friends we need to "help others," "listen," and "find the best in everybody."  We should teach them to not complain about things, but to work harder.  We should teach them that things happen for a reason and not to give up, but find a way to get over that "brick wall."  Finding a way to get over that "brick wall" will just show people how much you want to reach your dream.

As teachers, Pausch said that we need to critique students in a way that they realize we are there to help them achieve the dreams.  He said it is not always what you say, but how you say it.  Pausch says it is ok if we do not know the answer, but we should help them find it.  He said we should "focus on others not yourself" and as teachers that should be our goal.  He made a very inspiring and encouraging lecture to those to help others and dream!