Final Reflection

PLN Final Report

In this class we were asked to build our very own PLN. In order to do this, I have bookmarked important sites on Symbaloo and I have followed many people on Twitter. I use Twitter to learn about new events that deal with education, so that I will remain constantly informed. I hope to use these sites as tools to keep my connected with other educators across the world. This has been a very helpful project and I have learned a lot from building my very own PLN. I am going to keep adding on to my PLN even after this class is over.

Blog 14

This week we had to explore Box of Tricks which is a blog created by Jose Picardo. On this blog, he lists resourxes for an educator to use in alphabetical order. This makes finding resources very easy to do. He has compiled a great list that I would like to use as a future educator, so I have added his website to my symbaloo bookmarks. We also had to watch the video Top ten tips for using technology in the classroom. This video is very organized and constructed in a manner that is easy to follow. I like how Jose Picardo suggests learning all that you can while using interactive whiteboards. He suggests that educators watch tutorials online so that they can use the interactive whiteboards to their advantage. That is one thing that I will definitely make sure that I keep up with. We have been learning how to use SMART Boards in this class, and I know I still have a lot more to learn before I master how to use the interactive white board to its fullest capacity. I want to be able to teach my students all that I can, which will require me to learn a few things myself.

When he suggested making podcasts, he mentioned using the program audacity. I have never used this program before, so it is something that I would have to learn how to master. Mr. Picardo also suggests using Facebook to create a closed group that would allow the teacher and students to interact with each other. Students are so reliant on technology, that it only makes sense to use technology as a way for a teacher to keep in contact with their pupils.

Project 16

Blog Post 13

My Teacher is An App is an article written by Stephanie Banchero and Stephanie Simon that is featured in the Wall Street Journal. The article focuses on the topic of public school students from kindergarten to twelfth grade receiving their education online. The students can take one or more of their classes online. This gives the students the flexibility to complete their assignments at their own pace, without giving the students too much freedom where they will not complete their work. For example, Noah, a student mentioned in the article, is able to take a break from his online classes to grab himself a snack, yet he realizes he must complete a quiz in the next 3 hours. He is given freedom to get food, yet he still has a specific time frame in which he has to complete assignments so he is not given too much freedom.

I can see why a lot of students would like to have the freedom to take one or more of their classes online. For Allison, her online history class has renewed her love of history. She does not have to deal with boring history lectures again. I am not sure that I agree with grade school children taking all of their classed online though. I feel if students were required to take all of their classes online, they would become too dependent on technology. The students would also face a decrease in human interaction, which I do not find healthy. I like how Florida implements online schooling in moderation. Florida requires all of it's public high school students to take at least one class online. I feel like this is a genius idea to introduce online schooling, but moderation is key in its success.

Project 15

Final Project Progress Report

I am working in a group with Katelyn Callahan and Jessica Walker for our Final Project in EDM 310. We have decided to create a video for EDM 310 that will show future students what they have to look forward to in the class. The video acts as an introduction to EDM 310. The video will reference the following topics that are important in EDM 310: blogging, podcasts, Timetoast, Delicious, YouTube, and much more. We have done most of the filming for our final project. We just need to work on the final edits and our project will be completed.

C4K3

Jabez is a year 5 student at Pt England School in Auckland, New Zealand. He wrote about the Immersion Assemble his school hosted where the theme was "Outta This World." The assembly seemed to be a lot of fun! There was a rap about the planets, stories of constellations, and teachers dressing up and performing "Twinkle, Twinkle Litte Star." This is such an entertaining way to explore and learn about topics that deal with space. I commented on Jabez post by saying it sounds like everyone had a blast at the assembly. I also mentioned that it was awesome that two of the teachers dressed up in tutus and that the picture of the teachers in the post was very amusing. I let Jabez know that he is a very descriptive and interesting writer, and that I hope he keeps the great work up.

Blog Post 11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class

Ms. Cassidy teaches a first grade class in Moose Jaw, Canada. Right at the beginning of the video, you are shown many of the various ways that her class uses technology. Her students love to work on their blogs. The student's blogs are used as an online portfolio of their work. These children are very skilled when it comes to using technology to help strengthen their education. For example, Ms. Cassidy's class knows how to use Wikis to find out about the topic of traditions and rituals. The students received answers from people all around the world who helped contribute their knowledge and defintions to aid this class with their learning. This is a technique that I would like to use in the classroom because it provides a wide variety of answers from those all over the world. By being provided a variety of answers, the class can be shown how a definition might differ between cultures.

I also like how the children use skype to talk to experts to learn about various subjects in the classroom. The only difficulty I see with utilizing this in my classroom is getting into contact with the experts and getting the expert to agree to a Skype Interview. Ms. Cassidy's class uses videos a lot as well, and I think that is such a fun and creative way to get the student's excited to learn about a subject. The student can demontrate their knowledge of the content they are learning by creating a video and demonstrating the topic at hand. The only difficulty I see with implementing this in my classroom is getting consent forms signed for the children to be allowed to be in the videos.

A Skype interview was conducted between Dr. Strange, a part of his class, and Ms. Cassidy which can be seen here: Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy. This interview covers the topic of technology being used in Ms. Cassidy's classroom. I think that it is very smart not to force the children to ignore technology when in the classroom. As you can see in the video I talked about before this interview, technology has contributed so much to the learning of Ms. Cassidy's first grade class. I am glad that they were given the opportunity to learn so much in her classroom, because the skills they are learning will benefit them greatly later in life.

Project 14- Skype Interview

Blog Post 12

For this assignment we had to create our own blog post that we thought should have been an assignment for EDM 310. I decided to look for articles that dealt with the topic of teachers using Facebook and how teachers have gotten in trouble using the social media site.

Some states have actually set restrictions on the use of Social Networking sites used by teachers: Missouri Teacher Law Banning FB

Be sure to also answer the following questions:
1. Do you have a facebook or other type of Social Networking site?
2. Do you have material that may get you in trouble with your employers/future employers? (cursing, inappropriate pictures, etc)
3. Do you have privacy settings on your facebook page?
I suggest that everyone takes the time to actually look at their facebook thoroughly. This will be beneficial for you in the long run. Some people may think that their antics will not get them in trouble, but you would be surprised at the how often teachers get in trouble for things that they post online. You want to appear professional at all times. You are leaving an intellectual trail, as we are always told in this class, so do not post something that you would not want everyone to see.

Now, take a look at these two articles. Please summarize your thoughts on the articles, including your thoughts and opinions on what you read. 1.) Eight Ways Teachers Can Get In Trouble Because Of Facebook. These are all ways that you can get into trouble by using a social networking site.
2.) Ten Ways Teachers Can Use Facebook To Connect To Students This article focuses on the positive ways teachers can use Facebook to improve their classroom.

My answer to the assignment:
I do have a Facebook account of my own. I also have a Twitter account. I make sure that I do not post anything that is obscene on my Facebook. I try to make sure that I use clean language and that none of my pictures are controversial. My Facebook profile is private. Only my friends can view what I post online. Even though I have privacy settings, I make sure that I keep my Facebook clean because I want my facebook to be a proper reflection of who I am as a person. The first article deals with ways that teachers can get into trouble by using Facebook. I found it horrible that teachers were using facebook to make fun of or to complain about their students. Students are supposed to look up to you as an educator and not feel bullied by their teachers. As I continue to read the article I am horrified at the actions of some of these teachers. One thing that I am truly disturbed about in particular is that a teacher made fun of a student's death on facebook. Death is not a laughing matter and it is just sad that a teacher would go to such lengths to joke about a tragic loss of life. I see a consistent theme of the teachers in this article making a mockery of themselves and their schools. I believe that Social Networking can be used for good, but we need to use the networks professionally. We are supposed to be role models for our students, so we need to act in a manner that is respectable.

The second article explains how Facebook can be used in a positive and educational manner within the classroom. Facebook is a tool that can be used by teachers to connect with their students. I especially like how the article mentions that Facebook allows teachers to connect with their students in a manner that students are familiar with. Students are well versed in the ways of technology, so having a teacher that understands things that student's are accustomed to is important. Facebook can also be used by the students to keep up with their assignments. Overall, Facebook can be used in a positive manner. It is just up to the teachers to use the social media site in a way that is benefitial and not harmful towards the students.

I found two other articles on facebook that future educators might find interesting. I would suggest that you take a look at the following links:
1.) Facebook in First Grade
2.) Complete Guide To Facebook For Educators

Additional Post 1

Metaphors: What They Are and Why We Use Them
1. Why did you miss the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post, or, if you "hit the nail on the head", why do you think you understood the metaphor and why do you think that others in the class missed the metaphor?
I believe that I missed the metaphor because I did not read Tom Johnson's article closely enough. I should have done some more research around the blog to try and find more clues to show me that the pencils that are talked about in the article are a metaphor for technology. Now that I look over the article again, it does seem a little far-fetched that someone would be making such a big deal about tools such as pencils.

2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them?
I have seen metaphors in many of my other classes, such as my American Literature class this semester. Metaphors are very common in figurative language, so it is not shocking that I have stumbled upon many metaphors in the books and poems that I have read.

3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors?
First of all, I think it is important that teachers teach their students what a metaphor is and how to identify them when they are used. I also think that it is important to emphasize the importance of reading things closely and slowly. Many times people try to speed read their assignments because they want to be done as soon as possible. When people do this though, often they miss important things such as metaphors and the true meaning of the peice of work they are reading. I will make sure that I ask my students to read their assignments carefully. I want them to be able to understand the true meaning of assignments they are given.

4. Why do we use metaphors?
We use metaphors to create writing that is rich and full of life. Metaphors are a fun and creative way to compare one thing to another thing in the world. Metaphors allow you to draw connections between two things. Metaphors also make writing more interesting to read.

C4K 2

For my first C4k, I was assigned Dykio. We were asked to say hello and present an interesting fact addressed to our student about the United States. I wrote that if you look on a map, Alaska is typically drawn to a scale that is smaller than Texas. In reality though, Alaska is at least two times the size of Texas. I learned this from a teacher I had in Elementary School.

Madison is in period 5 of Mrs. Gregory's 6th grade class. Madison wrote about the origins behind many of the various halloween traditions we still practice today. She went over topics such as why costumes are worn, the tale behind a Jack-o-Lantern, and why people may bob for apples on this holiday. I never really thought about the history behind the holiday. I commented on her post saying that she really captured my interest with all the stories she shared. I also mentioned that it I found it remarkable how the people in the past worked so hard to ward off being possessed by a spirit. I told her to keep up the great work since she taught me so much about the holiday.

Rachel is also in period 5 of Mrs. Greogory's 6th grade class. Unlike being assigned to comment on Madison's post, I used the name generator on Mrs. Greogory's class blog and Rachel's name was randomly selected. Rachel wrote about cancer. She covered topics such as what cancer is, habits that can increase the risk of cancer, and the most common types of cancer. Her post was incredibly informative. I commented and let Rachel know that I really liked was how she made an appeal to her audience to try and live healthy. She asked those who were smokers to reconsider their habit because it could seriously harm them. I let her know that I am not a smoker, and I do not plan to start smoking because I know how smoking seriously harms the body. I also let Rachel know that I liked the picture she included in her blog.

Jordi is a student in 2KM at Leopold Primary School in Victoria, Australia. In her post, Jordi wrote all about her love of athletics. She is very involved in athletics at her school. She has done the 800 meter run and she came in third place in an activity called “the walk.” Jordi has included many visuals in her blog, which I really enjoy. I commented on Jordi’s blog and congratulated her for her success with her athletics. I told her that I loved how she included so many graphics and pictures within her post, and that I hope she keeps up with her great work in the future.

Michael is a student in Room 9 at Pt England School which is located in Auckland, New Zealand. In his post, Michael created a very neat animation of the Australian Outback! His animation is very impressive. I commented on his animation by saying that I enjoyed how colorful he made the animation and how he included music in the background. I told him that he is very gifted and that he should be proud of what he has created.

Mike Gwaltney teaches a high school history class in Portland, Oregon called the Age of Exploration.This week I read The Power of Research, which is a blog post written by his student named Elliot. Elliot realizes that the skills he learns in this class will be helpful later in life. He talks about becoming a life-long learner, which is something that I want to be as well. I commented on his post by saying that it is apparent that he has learned a lot about himself as a scholar. The flexibility of the project allowed Elliot to discover his strengths and weaknesses when it comes to research. I told Elliot that I love when I am given the opportunity to create a project of my choosing, because I do not like for my creativity to be stifled by the rigidness of guidelines. I ended my comment by saying that I hope Elliot keeps his thirst for knowledge.

Blog Post 10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

This video goes over the differences of teaching and educating. It may be easier to teach someone how to do something, but it is not beneficial for the student to be taught instead of educated. What exactly are the benefits of of teaching? For the teacher it is the following: it is simply easier to do. Do we want to teach our children to be robots and to only think in the way that we program them to? Or would we rather have out children push for knowledge and question why something is? I want to be a mentor for my students by being someone that they look up to. Yes, I want to challenge them. I want to make them work hard. I know kids sometimes want to take the easy way out but I want to make sure that they learn when they are in my class.

As a future educator, I will need to remember not to think that my way is the only right way to do something. I will need to realize that students can come to the same conclusion by following different steps. I will try to show my students how to do something in various ways, so they can pick which method works the best for them. The students get a say in how they want to learn when they are being educated. I need to be open-minded and not expect a student to go about things in the way that I present for them. Students are unique, and I should not punish or scold them if they provide me with a unique answer.

Tom Johnson: Dont Let Them Take the Pencils Home!

This post may look like it is only about pencils, but it is about so much more than a simple writing tool. This post covers the importance of focusing on a problem and creating the proper solution to eliminate that problem. Tom Johnson presents his argument by telling a story. In this post, there is a woman named Gertrude who wants to ban the use of pencils. She tries to back up her reasoning with a study that does not clearly support her argument. Tom realizes that the study should not be applied to this situation. Tom Johnson is able to point out the flaws of her reasoning and provide a much more sound solution to the problem at hand. Tom creates a solution that will fix the actual problem at hand, instead of trying to eradicate the use of pencils with no proper reasoning, as Gertrude tries to do.

I wanted to be well-versed in what the Pencil Initiative actually was, so I did a bit more research on the blog site. Over in the navigation bar, there is a link called Conflict which describes the goals and struggles of Pencil Integration. Tom Johnson's Pencil Integration focuses on finding the perfect balance in the classroom. Classroom structures are going through a serious reformation to try and create an environment and method that is the most beneficial to educate our students. When do we use technology and when should we rely on the old teaching tools such as pencil and paper? How much technology is too much technology? Technology should be used in the classroom, but to what extent?

C4T 3

Caren Carrillo: Awkward Classroom Silence

Mrs. Carrillo covers the topic of silence in the classroom and she kindly provides various tricks for teachers to use that can encourage a student to say something. The biggest tip that she provides for teachers is the following: “Don’t Be Afraid of Silence.” She says that teachers should not worry if they are met with silence because it does not necessarily mean that the kids do not understand the lesson plan. Mrs. Carrillo says that if a student does not understand something, they will most likely ask for clarification or they will not be able to answer the question that is asked of them correctly. Mrs. Carrillo gives tips such as engaging students in a staring contest until one of the students cannot deal with the quietness anymore and says something to break the silence. I think that is such an incredibly clever idea! Some students do not like to speak up much in class, but the awkward silence might encourage them to find their voice and say something. I commented on Mrs. Carrillo’s post by saying that I have experienced silence at the end of presentations before, and it would make me very nervous. I would tend to think that I did not explain my presentation in a manner that my audience could follow. I never really thought that my audience might not be saying something because they are too shy to say something. I told Mrs. Carrillo that I really value the tips that she has outline in her post and I plan to try out her suggestions in my classroom.

Caren Carrillo: A Little Seasonal Classroom Humor

In this post, Caren Carrillo provides a link to a humorous article from The New Yorker that chronicles a teacher's efforts to throw a Day of the Dead celebration in her classroom. The article starts out with a teacher named Emily who asks parents to send in pictures for an altar that will be created in the classroom. Many parents respond back to Emily's request with confusion, and Emily tries to ease the concerns of the parents over the ritual that will be performed in her classroom. Emily has to keep sending emails because her original emails are too vague. In the end, it is shown that Emily features one too many mishaps in her Day of the Dead celebration. This article serves to remind teachers to be smart when it comes to planning celebrations. I commented on Caren Carrillo's post by saying that I was glad that she shared this article on her blog. I noted that although Emily was only trying to teach the kids about a new culture and celebration, she went about the process in the wrong way. I noted how flippant Ms. Emily is when she is responding to the concerns of the parents in her classroom. She dismisses their concerns and is rather unprofessional in the way that she regards the parents. On various occasions she appears to be too busy to care or listen to any of the parents suggestions. If Ms. Emily listened to the parents instead of thinking that her way was the right way, then she might still have her job. I told Mrs. Carrillo that this article will help remind me that I should not become too hyper-focused on what I want to do in the classroom. As a future educator, it is important to listen to other people's concerns, because they might be able to notice a flaw in my plan that I would not have noticed on my own.

Blog Post 9

Joe McClung: What I've Learned This Year (2008-2009)

Joe McClung chronicles the lessons he has learned during his first year of teaching in Noel, Missouri. His post shows how he has grown as a person and an educator. Mr. McClung explains the significance of keeping lessons focused on the students. I agree that it is incredibly important not to forget that the goal is to teach the students in a way that they will be able to understand. Sometimes teachers can get so wrapped up in their lessons and how they want to teach something, that they do not stop and think of if the students will be able to follow a lesson plan. In high school I had a science teacher who would get so caught up in how she wanted to teach things that she would never stop and ask if the students understood her way of teaching. She expected the students to conform or change their learning styles to fit with her teaching styles, which is a bit unrealistic. I think that her class would run a lot smoother if she would give her students the opportunity to voice their opinions. It was almost as if she stifled the potential growth of her students by being unwilling to adapt to her student’s learning styles.

Another thing that Mr. McClung talks about in his post is the importance of educators listening to their students. Again, I can link this back to my science teacher in high school. She never asked for our opinions during her class. The students did not feel that they had much of a voice or any say in how the class would run. At the end of the year we had to fill out teacher evaluations, and our teacher was shocked when she saw that most of the students checked that they felt like the teacher did not care about their opinions. I think it is vital for teachers to let the students know that what they say matters and that their voices and opinions are important to the teacher. I am shocked when teachers do not listen to their students. Can the teachers not tell how important it is to actually listen to what the students have to say? Students can tell if you do not listen to them. They want to be able to trust their teachers, and if the teacher is not willing to listen to their students, how can the teacher expect to be trusted? Listening is also essential for building effective communication. If a teacher wants to be trusted and communicate effectively with their students, they need to listen.

Joe McClung also talks about the significance of being reasonable and flexible as a teacher. Teachers can plan and plan until the sun goes down, but they should remember that things do not always go as expected no matter the amount of planning that has been put into an activity. Life can always throw little obstacles or curve balls our way, and it is important for a teacher to be able to adapt to things that they did not expect to occur. Adaptability is key when you are a teacher. If a teacher is too rigid, they will not be able to adapt when lessons do not go according to plan. Mr. McClung also states that teachers should not to be afraid of technology. He also claims that teachers should never stop learning. I feel like these two things go hand in hand. In EDM310 we have learned just how important it is to utilize technology in the classroom. Technology is constantly evolving, and in order to use the tools technology has to offer, teachers must be willing to commit to being a lifelong learner. I want to be the best teacher possible, so I will not allow myself to become complacent when it comes to learning. I do not want to stifle the growth of my students. I will continue my learning so I can give my future students the best education I can possible give them. I hope that other teachers will openly embrace the idea of being a lifelong learner, if not to better themselves, than to better their students.

Joe McClung: What I've Learned This Year (2010-2011)

This post covers Joe McClung’s third year as a teacher. He is still learning and experiencing change. Joe McClung describes himself as an optimist and someone who is excited to learn new things. In his post, he talks about professional development (PD) sessions that he likes to attend. He has noticed a rise of people who attend the PD sessions that only have negative things to say. He comments that these pessimists are not able to find anything good to say when new ideas are mentioned. He mentions that you should not let others ruin your excitement. Not everyone can share the same enthusiasm for learning and change that you may feel. There are always going to be “Negative Nancys” and “Debbie Downers” who try to dim your joy. As McClung mentions, you must not let someone’s negativity influence your decisions. Teachers should still embrace change and constant learning, even if others may frown upon innovation. The teachers who push the envelope are usually the ones who make the greatest impact on their student’s lives.

Mr. McClung also reveals the importance of being true to who you are as a teacher. Teachers may feel pressured to act a certain way because they have a lot of people to please. He says that one should not focus too hard on trying to please every single adult that they meet. Mr. McClung mentions that it is important not to forget about the students that you are trying to teach. The students are most likely the reason that you became a teacher in the first place. Your goal is to teach and provide your students with a meaningful education. How can you focus on that goal if you are too focused on pleasing every adult that you encounter? I have to strongly agree with this point. I do believe that it is essential to condone yourself in a professional and respectable manner, because teachers are often role models for their students. However, I do also believe that if teachers focus too much on pleasing every adult that they meet, they will not have the time or energy to devote to their students.

Joe then mentions the fear he has of becoming comfortable as a teacher. If a teacher becomes too comfortable, they might become complacent. Joe McClung has received practice as a teacher, seeing as this is his third year as an educator. He is learning tricks to use while teaching that make his job easier. One thing that he notices is that even though he is getting more comfortable with teaching, he should not let his comfort stop him from moving forward. It is dangerous for a teacher to become disinterested. A teacher should push their students to provide their best work, and I think it is equally important for a teacher to remember that they must also continue to push themselves. This is imperative for a teacher to remember. It might be easier to fall into a routine, but having something become easier is not necessarily a good thing. If you become too set in routine, you will not try new things. I do not want to be a teacher who gets set in their ways. I want to make sure that I try new things in my classroom. Another important point that Mr. McClung covers is that a teacher needs to let a student complete their tasks. When we see someone struggle, it is almost a natural reaction to go over to that person and complete their work for them. How can we expect someone to be an independent learner if we take over completing their task? Mr. McClung says that we should not touch the keyboard if we are trying to teach the student how to do something. A student needs to complete their task by their own individual actions. A student can still rely on a teacher to provide help by acting as a guide for the assignment, but the student needs to complete everything on their own. We want students to be able to rely on themselves without becoming 100% reliant on someone else to complete their work.

Project 13

Blog Post 8

Dr. Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream, Part 1 and Part 2

In parts 1 and 2 of “This is How We Dream,” Miller notes many of the changes that have occurred because of our generations increased use of technology. Miller notes that we used to work with paper and pencil, yet now we rely on word processor and our laptop to record our writing. While working on a desktop, we can research through the data that is online instead of having to enter the halls of a library. We can find so much online. One thing that I found very interesting is how Miller mentions how his academic publishing can be found in separate formatting. He mentions that the printed source of his academic writing will most likely end up discarded in the trash bin, while his web-formatted academic writing will live on forever. This just shows how print is becoming less important and is deteriorating in our society.

Miller talks about how he created a document for his “Creativity and Collaboration” class that used text, audio, images, and video in one single document. This provides a richer educational experience for students, because they are being taught using multiple approaches. I feel like creating a document as Miller has done will be incredibly helpful for students who are visual learners. He also talks about sharing knowledge digitally. It is impressive how easy it is to share knowledge on the internet! One can embed links and codes on other’s sites to share information, create public sites, or a googledoc for someone else to edit. It is impressive how we can connect so easily. He also mentions how easy it is to collaborate with others using technology through uses of things such as video conferences, googledocs, and email. You are not solely limited to only using text. You can use multiple types of media such as images and video to back up what you are trying to say.

I think that many educators should take notice of Miller's suggestion to implement multimedia into how they teach. I have been subjected to many powerpoints that were completely devoid of anything other than text, and it can be incredibly hard to pay attention to lectures when there are no images, audio files, or videos to capture your attention. As an educator I will want to incorporate the use of multimedia into my lessons to make sure that I keep my student's interested in what I am trying to teach them. I believe that I will be able to get my student's to be interested in multimedia, and I hope to be able to teach my student's how to use multimedia themselves.

Carly Pugh: Blog Post #12

As I look at Carly Pugh’s blog assignment #12, one thing is obviously apparent; she provides many visuals and formats other than only using text to teach information that she views as important. I am completely amazed at how large of a playlist Carly was able to create! In Carly's blog assignment, she created a playlist that contains 44 videos that she found on Youtube. I believe that she does follow Dr. Miller’s hopes for writing in multimedia, because she incorporates multiple types of media to enhance how she teaches others. She recognizes in her post that not all people learn from text. She talks about how visuals can help teach students, and I completely agree because I believe that visuals can help students who are visual learners. Adding videos instead of relying completely on text will also help keep the students engaged. If you teach a student only through text, you are bound to lose their attention. Videos can enrich the way to teach a subject, and I am glad that Carly has rounded up so many videos that she believes will help benefit us. Her work makes me want to round up a playlist of my own videos that I believe will be helpful when I am a teacher.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 For Dummies
These videos use humor to talk about EDM 310. In "the Chipper Series," Chipper is a student who does not want to follow the rules set by EDM310. Chipper wants to be taught instead of learning. Chipper procrastinates on her work and does not want to put any effort into attaining her education. Chipper shows us what type of student we do not want to be. If you want to learn something that is worthwhile, the chances are that you will have to work hard in order to learn how to do that something. In order to succeed, you will have to devote time and effort. Chipper did neither of those things, so it is not shocking that she is not very successful at the things that she sets out to do. "EDM For Dummies" is a funny video that talks about tutorials for all of the sites and tools that we use in EDM310. It talks about tweeting, how to improve a PLN, and so much more. This video talks about how learning new things can be incredibly difficult, but if you devote the time to learn how to do something, you will be able to succeed. Students in EDM 310 can consult the class blog for their EDM310 needs or attend a lab if they need help. Videos are a fun way to grab the attention of viewers, and videos can be used to help supplement material that is being taught in class. I hope to use videos in my classroom to go along with what I am teaching. I feel that using videos will help keep my students focused on the lesson that I am trying to teach. I also think that it would be fun to get my students involved in making videos of their very own.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
Technology is increasingly present in our society today. Students are constantly connected through use of various types of technology. One woman in the video says that it is important to provide the best teachers for a student. In order to be the best type of teacher, a person must be informed on the ways of today. That is why it is so important for the teachers of today to know how to use technology. We are supposed to teach children things that are important, and technology is definitely important. Think of all the possibilities and opportunities that are open for students if teachers show the students how to use technology correctly. Students can get into contact with businesses to learn about subjects firsthand and make connections that might help them in the future when they want to get a job. Teachers must first know how to use technology in order to teach the children how to use it effectively. The video argues that it is important for teachers to find a place that they can collaborate together and share information with each other. I agree with this video. The way that we teach children has to change. I believe that EDM 310 has offered me the knowledge on how to use many technological tools that will help me reform the way I will teach my future students.

Project 12

Project 11

Project 9b- Instructional Timeline

Project 10 Summary

PLN Progress Report Summary

We are supposed to be working on our own PLN. To do this I decided to utilize Symbaloo which is a site that can be used to collect bookmarks of important websites. Symbaloo will help me remain organized as I collect the websites I classify as important and would like to use. I like how Symbaloo gives me the freedom to organize my webmix however I would like to. Some of the important items I have added to my webmix are twitter, my personal blog, the EDM 310 class blog, my youtube channel and much more.

I am trying to make connections with those around me. I have been adding to the amount of people I follow on Twitter. I have been adding educators and those who tweet about education reform so I can learn about current news that applies to my profession. I hope to continue to extend my PLN and make further connections to help with my future profession as an educator.

Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

I have watched Randy Pausch’s lecture before, and I could watch it again and still be captivated by his presentation. He is so prepared with his lecture, he speaks with an easy confidence, and he injects humor into his presentation that keeps you captivated by what he says. Randy Pausch uses power point to outline what he is going to talk about in his lecture and he includes many visuals like pictures and videos to really capture your attention. One of the things that Randy Pausch talks about in great detail is how to achieve your dreams. It is important to emphasize the importance of dreams and how one must go about to achieve their dreams. Randy Pausch gives you the history and motives behind his childhood dreams and how he went about achieving them. The first dream he goes over in his presentation is his want to experience zero gravity. he was presented with the opportunity to accomplish this dream when a group of he lead won a NASA competition. The group won the chance to experience zero gravity but Randy was disappointed when he found out that his group was not allowed to bring faculty with him. He did not let that bit of information crush his dreams though, because he found a way to get around that obstacle. He did research and he found out that the group could bring a news journalist with them and he found a way to get a press pass. With a bit of cunning and hard work he was able to achieve a dream of his. This brings us to one of the very important lessons that Mr. Pausch teaches in his lecture.

Randy Pausch talks about not letting roadblocks get in the way of solving your dreams. He faces a roadblock with the NASA situation, but with a bit of hard work and ingenuity he was able to overcome the obstacle and achieve his dream. I think it is very important as future educators to point out to our students that they should not give up when they face difficulty. Students must realize that they will face roadblocks in their lives, but that should not deter them from achieving their dreams. Obstacles will always arise, but if the students believe in themselves, they will be able to overcome the obstacles that they encounter.

Randy also talks about a class he taught where students turned in some of the best work he has seen. He asked a fellow professor for advice on what he should say about the work of his students, and the professor replies that Randy should tell his students that he believes that they can do better. That may seem like a harsh thing to say to students who turned in excellent work, but I believe that it is a way to motivate his students to continue to do their very best. Randy listens to the teachers advice, and he was happy to see that his students continued to work hard. This emphasizes the importance of pushing students to always strive for excellence and their personal best. Mr. Paush calls it a “disservice” to not keep pushing your students. Students should be constantly challenged so that they continue to make achievements.I have found in life that some of the most challenging teachers teach you the most important lessons because these teachers pushed you to succeed.

Another important point that Randy emphasizes is the importance of critiques. Randy details the story of how his football coach critiqued Randy a lot during one of his football practices. After practice, someone came up to Randy and mentioned that they noticed the coach had a lot to say to Randy during his practice. This person said that the people who critic you are the people who show that they actually care. I agree that giving criticism does show that you care, because you are trying to help someone fix something. It takes effort to give feedback and if you were to just ignore that someone has a problem, you would not be helping them. Positive, constructive feedback is an important tool to use in the classroom. I think it is important to reassure students that a teacher's criticism is not something to get upset about. It is essential to let students know that getting criticized does not mean that they are doing something wrong, it just means that they are doing something that can be improved upon. If a teacher ignores a problem exists, they will not help their students.

C4T 2

Bill Genereux: Student Blogging Challenge

Bill Genereux talks about how the internet has created many opportunities over the years. Bill mentions the dream of being able to use technology to form connections between school. The internet allows us to connect with others all over the world, and he provides proof with the Student Blogging Challenge supported by edublogs and organized by Sue Wyatt. The Student Blogging Challenge teaches students how to blog and provides the students with an opportunity to connect with other students across the world. This is a truly fascinating project for teachers to get their students to participate in. I commented on Bill's post saying that Sue Wyatt had an amazing idea when she created the Student Blogging Challenge. I mentioned that Wyatt’s blogging challenge helps teach children how to create a well-rounded blog that reflects who they are as an individual. Students will be so proud of their work and they will learn so much from this opportunity. Students are also able to connect with other students across the globe, so Bill Genereux's dream of using technology to connect schools has been achieved. I hope to get my students involved in activites like this when I become a teacher.

Bill Genereux: ACMHCK Conference
Bill Genereux gave a presentation at an Association of Community Mental Health Centers Of Kansas(ACMHCK) conference that illustrated how technology can be used in professions. Bill teachers about PLN networks and the power of using videos in his presentation. I commented on his post saying that it is important to keep up to date with technology in order to benefit how we carry out our jobs. I mentioned that we are currently learning how to make and develop our own individual PLN in our class. One of the things that stuck out in Bill's post is the fact that many of the mental health professionals did not know about Youtube. Bill showed the group a video on pro-ana(pro anorexia) that could be found on youtube, and many mental health professionals did not know that videos like that existed and that their patients could be watching those videos. It just proves how important it is to know what is out their and a PLN will help you connect and share information to keep you better informed of what you might encounter.

Blog Post 6

Wendy Drexler: The Networked Student

Wendy Drexler’s video chronicles the tale of a high school student in the 21st century. He does not have a textbook for his class and his teacher rarely lectures the class. Instead, he is a student who learns through connectivism. Connectivism is described in the video as learning through a social network by making ties and connections. The students learn the skills that make it possible for them to form connections with people all across the globe. The student in this video must first figure out how to find credible and reliable information before he creates his blog. The student cannot just assume that something is reliable because it is online. Sometimes a student wants to pick the first thing that they find that may possible relate to the topic they are researching. It is the job of the teacher to make sure that the students know how to find reliable resources. The students may be doing the bulk of the work, but the teacher can be viewed as a guide who is there to help the student along the way in case they run into any speed bumps. The teacher is there to help the students learn how to network properly. The student creates the connections, but it is the teacher who makes sure that the student makes connections that are strong and reliable. The teacher should inform the students of resources they can use to enhance their networking.

This video talks about using iTunes U as a possible resource. This is a resource that the teacher can recommend for the student to use to find academic podcasts and vodcasts. Information is just at his fingertips. Who knew that an mp3 player could enrich a student’s life so much? It helps him expand his knowledge and improve upon his academics. As the video points out, he can access lectures from prestigious universities and listen to them on his mp3 player. I bet many students do not even know that they can access these lectures and podcasts online. These students need to be taught how to access the information that can be found online, which is where the teacher will help the students.

One part of the video that really stuck out to me was where the video mentions the important point that it never hurts to ask! I was impressed with how the student was able to set up a skype conference for his whole class with a film director who created a documentary on the American Psyche. He was able to do this simply by contacting the director and asking! It is important for the teacher to remind their students the importance of asking. The worst that can happen is that they do not receive a reply or the person they asked answers with a "no" for their request. Since the student asked, he was able to provide his entire class with an enriching skype conference with the director.

The teacher's role in networked learning is to be a guide. The teacher should teach the students how to differentiate from reliable and unreliable information, inform the students how to ask for something correctly, and actively support the students when they achieve great finds through their networking. The teacher provides the students with skills that are relevant and will continue to help them further on in their lives. I am ready to help guide my future students make connections. I will encourage my students to learn for themselves, but I will be ready to help them if they face any difficulty while trying to create their connections.


A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
In this video, a 7th grade student introduces her Personal Learning Environment(PLE) that she has created for her science class. The student in the video uses Symbaloo, which is a website that allows her to bookmark the sites that she frequently uses. The student puts the bookmarks that are not school related at the top of her symbaloo bookmarks and the bookmarks that are school related can be located on the bottom row. The student is very clear and concise when she speaks, which makes it easy to follow her PLE. I like how she mentions that her PLE allows her the freedom to pick how and when she wants to complete an assignment. I believe that letting students pick how they want to use their tools to complete their assignment will provide them with a unique learning experience . In our EDM 310 class we have been asked to download Delicious. This is a site like Symbaloo that allows the student to collect bookmarks. I cannot count the amount of times I have found a website with great information, only to have forgotten where to find that website at a later date. Using a site like Symbaloo or Delicious will help me keep track of the resources that may come in handy for a project later on down the road. This way I won’t be frustrated with myself for not being able to find a great website that I once stumbled upon. I will definitely use Symbaloo or Delicious to help with my PLN. It will help me collect data and remain organized.

C4K 1

Teari is a year 7 student at Pt England School in Auckland, NZ. In his post, Teari revealed that his school's year 8 Sevens Rugby team won a competition and are now the New Zealand National Champions. In my comment on his post, I congratulated his school and the year 8 team for their win in the competition. Teari's school would receive constant updates about the rugby team's status in the competition, and they were very excited every time they heard that their team had won a game. I said that it was very nice to see a school be so supportive. I also asked Teari is he has ever played Rugby. I mentioned that I would like to learn how to play the sport.

Bobbi-Grace is a year 8 student at Pt England School in Auckland, NZ. Bobbi has been learning about fractions in her math class, and she included a picture she made to show the probability of an event using fractions. The picture demonstrated the probability of drawing a yellow, green, or blue cube out of a bag. I left a comment telling her that her picture is very neat and it shows that she has a clear understanding of what she has been learning in class. I asked her if she liked math class and she responded by saying that math is one of her favorite subjects. She says that she likes math because she learns something new every week.

Martha Yim: Discovery- Baldwin County

Martha Yim realizes that she has to change her original plans for how to incorporate the iPad project into the classroom. Mrs. Yim says that she will give the teachers and students the chance to ease into the use of the new technology in their classroom. She states that the students will learn how to blog and create online questionnaires in the first week of the project. I commented by saying that this project looks very promising. I admitted that I liked the fact that students are being eased into the technology so they can learn the basics before moving on to harder activities. I also said that I hope the teachers will provide the students with the chance to explore the iPad themselves in an opportunity for self-discovery. The students might be able to teach themselves a thing or two if they are given the time to explore all that the iPad has to offer. I wish Martha Yim and all the other partners working on this project the very best! It is very exciting to see how technology can be used in the classroom.

Mariana is a first time blogger who is participating in the Student Blogging Challenge. Mariana created a voki and an avatar, which are characters that a person creates online to represent who they are as a person. I told her that her voki was very cool! Mariana was born in Colombia and she loves to play basketball. I asked Mariana if she plays basketball on the school team. I also said that playing basketball is a fun way to stay healthy and active. I encouraged Mariana to continue blogging because is doing an excellent job so far.

Project 8

Blog Post 5

Scott McLeod: Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

In Dr. McLeod’s post, he lists many arguments that can portray the dangers of teaching kids how to use technology. His post is humorous and sarcastic as he asks adults not to teach their children how to use technology. At the end of his post he says that he is going to teach his kids the tools they can learn from technology so they can get ahead in the world. The kids that are taught how to utilize technology will definitely have a “leg up” as Dr. McLeod says, compared to the kids who are left in the dark about technology. Technology is crucial in our society, which is why we as future educators must teach our students how to use the internet and other devices so that they do not fall behind. I think it is also important to point out that there is a danger when using the internet, as Dr. McLeod points out. People do use the internet in ways that can be harmful to a child, but we cannot let the people who abuse the internet stop our children from exploring the wondrous benefits the internet can provide. Instead, we need to teach our children how to be safe on the internet. At schools and at home, adults can block hazardous online content. Adults must talk to children about the dangers of online predators and how under no circumstances, should a child meet with a person who they have met online. If we do our jobs and educate our children about the good and the bad that comes with technology, then I see no reason why we should ban our children from using these tools to get ahead in life.

To find out who Scott McLeod is, I looked at his twitter profile. On twitter, Scott McLeod says that he is a CASTLE director. I typed CASTLE into google’s search engine, and I found out that the acronym stands for UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. CASTLE provides a variety of tools such as tutorials and boot camps on technology for school administrators to use. Scott McLeod is also an associate professor at the University of Kentucky.


Travis Allen: The iSchool Initiative and ZeitgeistYoungMinds entry
Traditional schooling revolves around using costly items such as books, paper, pencils, copy machines, scientific calculators, and much more. The iSchool Initiative is an innovative program that is all built around one thing; an iTouch. Travis Allen uses his creativity to provide an alternative way to reform the education system by suggesting the use of an iTouch in school. Travis outlines a variety of applications that students will download on their iTouch to use for educational purposes. I really like the iHomework application because it makes it impossible for the students to their lose syllabus. People can easily misplace papers, so this electronic file will be very beneficial. Teachers will also not have to worry about handing out a revised syllabus because the syllabus can be updated directly to the student’s iTouch. Providing fast connections between a student and teach is a very ingenious idea that Travis Allen focuses on in his program.

I like how Travis Allen’s iSchool Initiative focuses on saving resources and creating speedy connections between teachers, students and parents. Travis Allen also does a lot of research on how the iSchool Initiative can save money compared to traditional schooling. I do agree that we need to rethink and reshape our education system to be current, and to do so we should embrace the tools and technology laid out before us, but such heavy reliance does not sit well with me. I feel like there should be some moderation in Travis Allen's program. Relying so heavily on this technology does not seem smart. Teachers will need to have back up plans in case the technology does not work during lessons. What happens if a kid breaks their iTouch? What if it is stolen? What are strategies teachers will use to help those who do not have their iTouch with them in class? This seems risky. Kids are clumsy and break things rather frequently. The rain can destroy an iTouch easily and sometimes technology can glitch for no reason. What would a teacher do if a kid had to wait for their iTouch to be fixed? All of these factors need to be taken into account. I will say that Travis Allen has created a very impressive and well-researched alternative to reform the education system. I just feel that the program will need to be modified before attempting to place the program in an elementary school setting.


Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
This video left me awe-struck. Eric Whitacre collects videos of 185 singers and creates a compilation of their voices to form a virtual choir. I would never have thought to use the internet to form a virtual choir. Eric Whitacre puts the voices together in a flawless performance. I had a friend listen to audio of the video and they thought that the singers were practicing in a room together like a traditional choir. They were shocked when I told them that the voices were collected on the internet and compiled together to create a virtual choir. This is another example of how technology can be used in such creative and beautiful ways. I really enjoyed listening to the virtual choirs rendition of "Lux Aurumque."


Kevin Roberts: Teaching in the 21st Century
Roberts believes that in order to be a teacher in the 21st century, you need to teach children how to use technology correctly. In Robert’s video, he says that students now rely on technology to provide them with the information that they seek. Robert describes teachers as a “filter” meaning that it is our job to teach the children how to use technology correctly to provide them with the answers that they are looking for. I agree with Roberts that technology can provide the answers to many of our questions at the click of a button. Children can use search engines like Google to find the answers to many questions that they may have, but how will they know what answers are correct out of the possible answers that are provided? Teachers still need to teach children how to find the correct answers. Teachers should let their students know that Wikipedia is not always reliable because anyone can post on that site. Many libraries provide a list of websites and online resources that provide correct information provided by experts on given subjects. Teachers should let that list be available to children so they can find the correct answers.

Roberts questions if our curriculum should be focused on content and facts as it was traditionally centered on, or should our curriculum be reformed to focus on teaching children valuable skills? We as teachers need to teach the children the skills to use tools properly. We need to also lead by example by using tools in a professional manner so that our students will learn how to use blogs and other social networking sites correctly. Teachers need to use technology as a tool in the classroom to help teach their students and keep them engaged in the lessons. It is the job of the teacher to remain current with technology to find a way to engage the students.

Project 9a- Individual Timeline

Blog Post 4

Eagles' Nest Radio & Class Blog
Creating a podcast is a clever way to get students involved in learning subjects that can be hard to understand. History is full of many facts that students are expected to memorize, and it can be difficult for children to remember all of these facts when taught by a teacher during a lecture. Lectures can be dry and dull for children to listen and learn from. A podcast is an exciting way to get the students eager to learn! Creating a podcast gives the students the chance to actively participate in the material they are learning about in class.

I am very impressed with the level of professionalism that the third graders display in their class podcast. The “All Roads Lead to Rome” podcast is well thought out and it shows. While listening to the podcast, I noticed that the students focus on speaking clearly and slowly so that the listeners will be able to understand all the information that is being presented. The children use inflection to show when they are excited and to grab the listener's attention. The third graders remind me that I need to focus on how I present my information while I am working on my group’s podcast. I need to make sure that my audience can understand what I am saying and that I present my information in a manner that captures my listener’s attention.


Joe Dale: The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

This video discusses the benefits of podcasting in an informative and easy-to-follow presentation. As future educators, it is important to find educational ways to incorporate technology into our classrooms. A Podcast is a tool that teachers can use to teach their students effectively. I liked how the video suggests that podcasts can be used to help keep students up to date on the information covered in class if a student happen to miss a day of school. Podcasts can keep the students from falling behind in their classes. In college, I have had teachers who have created podcasts for their students to watch. The recordings provided the students an opportunity to refer back to information that was covered during class. I would listen to the podcasts to help improve on the notes I took in class, adding any information I might have missed during the teacher's lecture. I know from personal experience that podcasts can be very beneficial when used in the classroom.


Langwitches
This is an exciting activity that helps a first grade class improve their reading skills! The teachers help the class create an audiobook by recording the student’s voices while they read from a script. This activity gives the student’s a chance to practice their reading skills. Each student is given a section of the script to read aloud while the teacher records what the student says. The students can hear what they sound like, focus on the areas that they need to improve on, and re-record their section again to fix any errors. It gives the students the chance to be creative with how they present their dialogue. When the recording is finished, the class can listen to the audio while following along with the written script. I love how each student is able to provide their own unique and individual contribution to the class project. The students must feel so proud and excited to hear their voices when the audiobook is completed.

I like how the teachers ask for the students to reflect on the podcasting experience when they are finished with the recordings. It is important to know if the students enjoyed the activity and if they have any likes or dislikes when it comes to podcasting. The children may also have suggestions on how to make the podcasting experience even better in the following years to come.

Project 6

C4T 1 Summary

Ira Socol: The Stories of 11 September 2001

Ira Socol mentions how telling stories about the events of September 11, 2001 can help heal students. Student’s can learn from listening to other’s stories about September 11, 2001. He includes many of the stories he himself has written about the terrorist attacks. Ira also emphasizes the fact that students should be given the opportunity to heal by writing their own stories about the event. Writing these stories can help student’s express exactly how they are feeling, which can be very therapeutic and help students cope with events. I believe that writing is an excellent way to get the students talking about how they really feel. In my post, I told Ira my story of September 11, 2011. I was in fifth grade when the terrorist attacks occurred, and we were let out of school early because of the attack. The teachers, however, did not tell us why we were being let out of school early. Our school decided that it would be best for our parents to tell us what had happened that day. I told Ira that our teachers did talk to us about what happened when we got back to school. I believe that it is important to talk about difficult events. If you ignore or ban talk about difficult situations, how can you expect anyone to heal? I hope to incorporate storytelling in my classroom so that my students will be given the opportunity to express how they feel instead of being forced to bottle up their emotions.

Ira Socol: Five things to do, Five not to do

Ira Socol gives a list of five things that he thinks you should and should not do in the classroom. His post emphasizes the ways a teacher can reform how a traditional classroom is structured. For the list of five things that teachers should do in their classroom, Ira suggests providing alternative ways for students or parents to access information, such as utilizing podcasts. He also mentions incorporating variety into the classroom because teachers must remember that all students are individuals and they each have unique conditions for how they learn the best. Ira mentions that teachers should not stress the use of handwriting within their classroom. I commented that since I am an elementary education major, I will have to emphasize the importance of handwriting. Students are expected to follow a specific model of handwriting when they first learn how to write, so if I teach the lower grades in elementary school, I will have to make sure that my students are able to follow the model. I also commented that I would be trying out many of his tips in my classroom, because I believe it is important to use technology and incorporate variety into a classroom.