Sunday, May 5, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Project 13
For my group it was hard for us to arrange a good time for all of us to meet to discuss things about our projects. We are luck to have resources such as Facetime and Skype. We talked through gmail, Skype, and Facetime about what we wanted our projects to be about and when a good meeting time would be for all of us. We talked about what specific roles each of us would partake in for our projects as well. Thankfully we understood how to use Google Docs so we could easily send each other documents with no issues. We used many of these resources for our project 15 and project 16 before actually doing the projects. These resources were extremely helpful because it got our group organized before meeting to do our projects and made everything a lot easier.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Blog Post 14
CourseSmart has invented a digital textbook that allows teachers to track their students progress. Mr. Guardia seems to be confused because his students are showing in their textbook tracker that they haven't even opened the textbook but once but they are doing quite alright on the quizzes. Another issue with the textbook tracking is the software problems. After all of the experimenting with the textbooks Mr. Guardia noted that his students test scores were higher but their time in to the textbook was still lower than what was expected.
I would love to have this in my classroom. I think that it would be great to track my students progress. Knowing what students are doing their work and taking their work seriously is really important to me. I want my students to feel trusted and know that I believe in them but I feel as though they would question that with the digital textbook. Another issue I would have about the digital textbook is the software problems. If I used this in my classroom then I would want it to work properly and make sure there wouldn't be any complications.
If I could ask the teacher anything about this then I would ask if he would continue to use it or suggest it for anyone else. If I could ask the students anything them how they felt about the digital textbook. I would ask them about if they felt as though their trust was being tested or if they felt like they were being doubted. If I were to comment on this I'd bring up that I think it makes the teacher/student relationship more questionable of their trust. I would comment that the digital textbook makes the teacher/student relationship seem as though there was no trust at all and that the teacher doubts their students.
I would love to have this in my classroom. I think that it would be great to track my students progress. Knowing what students are doing their work and taking their work seriously is really important to me. I want my students to feel trusted and know that I believe in them but I feel as though they would question that with the digital textbook. Another issue I would have about the digital textbook is the software problems. If I used this in my classroom then I would want it to work properly and make sure there wouldn't be any complications.
If I could ask the teacher anything about this then I would ask if he would continue to use it or suggest it for anyone else. If I could ask the students anything them how they felt about the digital textbook. I would ask them about if they felt as though their trust was being tested or if they felt like they were being doubted. If I were to comment on this I'd bring up that I think it makes the teacher/student relationship more questionable of their trust. I would comment that the digital textbook makes the teacher/student relationship seem as though there was no trust at all and that the teacher doubts their students.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
C4T
For the first C4T I had Scott Mcleod. The post had various slides that focused on ways to better the education system. I commented that I thought the slides were pretty funny and that I agreed with each one of them. I read other comments and they said the same thing and talked about how education has to develop more. I also commented that I found his other post to be really interesting and educational.
For this weeks C4T I had Scott Mcleod again. This post talked about weather teachers should be evaluated by student test scores or not. I commented that I don't think students or teachers should be evaluated on their test scores at all. I commented that I don't believe in standardized testing at all. Just because a students test scores say they don't know the information doesn't mean they actually don't. Students may just test badly or have test anxiety so I don't believe in standardized testing.
For this weeks C4T I had Scott Mcleod again. This post talked about weather teachers should be evaluated by student test scores or not. I commented that I don't think students or teachers should be evaluated on their test scores at all. I commented that I don't believe in standardized testing at all. Just because a students test scores say they don't know the information doesn't mean they actually don't. Students may just test badly or have test anxiety so I don't believe in standardized testing.
Final Report On PLN
When I first started my PLN I was completely overwhelmed and stressed. I didn't know how I would manage 9 hours of my time and the rest of my time for my other classes. I learned through out the semester that the way to succeed in EDM is time management. I've successfully gotten all of my work done on time every week through out the semester which I'm extremely proud of. I think that PLN can be for any age and grade of students as long as they understand the importance of time management. I'm glad that I've learned so much in this class and with all of the apps and networks we have used!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Blog Post 13
When watching the video Back To The Future it really shocked me that only 3 of his students could say what country they lived in. Brian Crosby really used hands on activities for his students to learn easier. By using the hot air balloon activity or the crushed can activity it showed the kids that learning can be fun and easy. He uses blogging for the students and I think that shows the students that technology can be used in the classroom as well. I like that he uses the blog for the students to talk about their activities they learned in class. I hope that when I have my own classroom that I can use blogging and technology for my students. Being in EDM310 has taught me that technology in the classroom can change the learning styles of a student by a lot. From watching all of the videos in EDM I've learned so much about how technology can advance the classroom and learning of the students.
The Blended Learning Cycle is online, classroom, and mobile learning all blended together. This cycle is engaging, exploring, expanding, explaining and evaluating. Paul Anderson uses this through out his classroom for his students. He ask his students a specific question and ask the students to investigate on the question. They then focus on the video. The video allows an easy review for the students and also can be something for them to look back on whenever they please. Mr. Anderson then applies a reading about the topic. Review is next. By reviewing the students it helps him see where the students are lacking knowledge on the topic or what specifically they may be confused on. The students are not allowed to move on the final stage until Mr. Anderson feel they completely understand the topic. The final step is a summary test that test them on everything they have learned. I really like Mr. Andersons approach on this. I think that its a really organized and helpful way for the students to gain new knowledge on something they may have confusion with. Maybe one day I can use a similar strategy in my own classroom but have my own personal side to it.
Progress Report on Final Project
Today my group, Aries, met to discuss our final project. We discussed what we wanted our projet to be about and what we wanted our topics to be. We made a detailed outline that had what each of us would talk about in our portion of the video. We also discussed when we wanted to meet for our final project to be done. Scheduling isn't easy when you have a group of college students involved in other classes, sports, jobs and other activities but we decided to meet Tuesday, April 23, 2013. We are all eager to start on this project and get it finished!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Blog Post 12
1. Watch Find the 5 Mistakes! video. Look for the mistakes and record what you think the mistakes are and then record the proven correct answers.
2. Next read 5 Grammatical Errors.
3. Write a post on what you learned or what you are still confused on. Include in your post how using correct grammar can help or hurt your blog.
2. Next read 5 Grammatical Errors.
3. Write a post on what you learned or what you are still confused on. Include in your post how using correct grammar can help or hurt your blog.
MY RESPONSE:
When watching the video I realized that I already knew all of the information so there was nothing I needed to record. Although I was already aware of the mistakes, my future middle school students may not be. I thought this could be a very educational video for them to look back on when doing their homework. The blog on 5 Grammatical Errors seemed a little harsh but I don't think it was meant to hurt anyone's feelings. Simple grammar can make or break a good writing post. I think it's important for students of all ages to know and use correct grammar is everything they write. I know that if I'm reading a blog post that seems interesting to me but it has a lot of grammatical errors then that will be the only thing I focus on. Proofreading your work can prevent these simple mistakes.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
C4K March
For the month of March I unfortunately did not save my comments. I can't remember specifically the students names but I do remember what their blogs were about and what I posted to them.
One student was new to his blog and was introducing himself to his classmates. He told his favorite subject and what he liked to do in his free time which was wrestling. I commented that he would learn that blogging for his class can be really fun and educational and I wished him the best of luck in his class.
The other students I was assigned to comment on was a younger kid that was new to blogging as well. The post that I commented on was about a history project he was doing in class. He had to make up an event in history. It was a really interesting post.
Another students blog I commented on was about her class and how she felt about blogging and about herself. I introduced myself and what EDM was about and wished her the best of luck with her new blog and classmates.
One student was new to his blog and was introducing himself to his classmates. He told his favorite subject and what he liked to do in his free time which was wrestling. I commented that he would learn that blogging for his class can be really fun and educational and I wished him the best of luck in his class.
The other students I was assigned to comment on was a younger kid that was new to blogging as well. The post that I commented on was about a history project he was doing in class. He had to make up an event in history. It was a really interesting post.
Another students blog I commented on was about her class and how she felt about blogging and about herself. I introduced myself and what EDM was about and wished her the best of luck with her new blog and classmates.
C4T #3
The previous blog I was required to comment on was for a teacher Ms. Miller who was assigning her class with a history project dealing with podcasting. I thought it was neat because each student was put into a group. The group members were all assigned a specific role so that no one was doing more work than the other. I thought this was a similar podcasting project like the one we did in EDM.
This week I was assigned to Ms. Millers same blog. I basically just re-read the blog and I still have the same thoughts. I think its great she is using technology in her classroom. Podcasting can be fun and a very educational thing for students to do. I know when we did our podcast for EDM I learned a lot.
This week I was assigned to Ms. Millers same blog. I basically just re-read the blog and I still have the same thoughts. I think its great she is using technology in her classroom. Podcasting can be fun and a very educational thing for students to do. I know when we did our podcast for EDM I learned a lot.
Blog Post 11
In the first video it talks about how the first grade uses technology and when the students blog they get better each time with it. I can relate to this because the more I blog for EDM, the more I am comfortable with it. It also talked about how they use smart boards and other hands on learning with the internet. The students use Skype to contact other students and discuss things they may be confused on. In my personal opinion I think technology in the classroom is great. Before EDM I wouldn't have said this but I've learned a lot in this class. I think using technology in the classroom can really advance a students education. I hope to use all the technology in my classroom that I possibly can.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Blog Post 10
In this cartoon, I believe that the point it is trying to make is that just because something cost less that it may not be the better choice. I would much rather pay extra for something that I know is going to last me a long time rather then saving money for something that isn't going to do me any justice. Just because the Papermate LOOKS like a better choice from judging it, doesn't mean it is. Don't always judge a book by its cover before you open it up and read the pages.
In Spencer's post, "Why Are Your Kids Playing Games" he talks about how he educated his students in a factory setting and that its more hands on for the students. The principal doesn't agree and sees it more as a game. The principal says that no matter what is being taught to the students, he does not want games in his school. Towards the end of the post the principal tells Spencer what needs to be taught and Spencer sees this more of a challenge. He is really rebellious and courageous. Most teachers would simply just agree and do it the way the principal tells them to but Spencer sees this as a challenge.
I also read 5 Reasons for Leaving the Pencil Confrence
Scott McLeod made some really valid points in his blog. I commented that it was a very interesting and witty post to read. With being in EDM310 I've learned that education through technology and the web is something our generation needs to get used to. Sure there are awful things that you can find on the internet but with that there are also amazing and educational things that we can learn from. Students need to be aware of what is on the web regardless if its good or bad. Making mistakes and seeing others make mistakes only helps us learn from what is right and what is wrong. Scott McLeod travels to many schools and loves to visit schools that "live on the cutting edge of deeper learning." Since he likes to visit schools that are into different learning styles maybe he should visit Dr. Strange's class?
I also read 5 Reasons for Leaving the Pencil Confrence
Scott McLeod made some really valid points in his blog. I commented that it was a very interesting and witty post to read. With being in EDM310 I've learned that education through technology and the web is something our generation needs to get used to. Sure there are awful things that you can find on the internet but with that there are also amazing and educational things that we can learn from. Students need to be aware of what is on the web regardless if its good or bad. Making mistakes and seeing others make mistakes only helps us learn from what is right and what is wrong. Scott McLeod travels to many schools and loves to visit schools that "live on the cutting edge of deeper learning." Since he likes to visit schools that are into different learning styles maybe he should visit Dr. Strange's class?
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Blog Post 9
In McClung's first blog post he talked about how its important to focus on the student and not yourself. That the student is the main priority and their comprehension is something big to worry about. Then he went on to say that being flexible and patient is important. Not always did his lesson plan scheduling work out the way he wanted but he had to make the best out of a worse situation. He also states that communication is good for every situation. That if there is an issue then its best to talk it out with the student rather than yelling or punishing them. He states that its best to help students when they are down and encourage them that they can do better rather than making it worse.
In the Volume 4 blog post he goes on to talk about what all he has learned in his years and that he wants this blog to be different than the others. Something that McClung learned was that he needed to always remember what his job was for. To educate and focus on the students. He got so caught up in wanting others to like him that it took away his focus on the main goal and changed his ways of teaching. He also learned that its easier to fall in routine than what he expected. He says that once your teaching becomes routine then its easy for not only you but for the students as well. Your teaching becomes lazy and the students classwork gets uninteresting for them. McClung was offered a higher teaching position and said that he was going to accept the offer. He wants to challenge and improve himself in this position as well as his students.
In the Volume 4 blog post he goes on to talk about what all he has learned in his years and that he wants this blog to be different than the others. Something that McClung learned was that he needed to always remember what his job was for. To educate and focus on the students. He got so caught up in wanting others to like him that it took away his focus on the main goal and changed his ways of teaching. He also learned that its easier to fall in routine than what he expected. He says that once your teaching becomes routine then its easy for not only you but for the students as well. Your teaching becomes lazy and the students classwork gets uninteresting for them. McClung was offered a higher teaching position and said that he was going to accept the offer. He wants to challenge and improve himself in this position as well as his students.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Blog Post 8
1. Richard Miller talked mostly about how writing needs to be expressed more creatively. He believes in multimedia writing and writing that is fundamentally different. I think that I could definitely use this in my future teachings. I plan to teach high school English so I definitely will have a lot of writing in my classroom. I want my students to feel comfortable in my classroom and with their peers. I don't want my students to feel judged or in a position to where they cant open up with their writing. I think that using multimedia writing like Dr. Miller can be a fun and different way to help my students with their creative writing. I think that creativity is crucial in a students success, especially with English. As a teacher I feel like its my job to not only help my students with their writing and creativity but also their success and confidence.
2. Carly Pugh's blog post was about how she was being lazy and behind on her work when suddenly she realized she could write about whatever she wanted for her last blog post. She got extremely excited and created a very interesting and fun blog post to read. I think she comes extremely close to Dr. Miller's hopes for writing with multimedia. Carly put forth a lot of effort in her post. I think that all of her approaches when she becomes a teacher are wonderful and creative.
3. In The Chipper Series it was about a girl in EDM310 with Dr. Strange who didn't like his way of teaching or assignments. She believed that he should teach her since she was paying to go to school there and be taught. Chipper decided to drop out of school and create her own school. When that failed Chipper got a job teaching but was fired because she never showed up for work. She worked at a few more places after but nothing ever worked out the way she wanted it to. In the end Chipper went back to school and eventually got her Masters degree.
The second video EDM for dummies was about students who were completely frustrated with the class and lost in their work. They felt like they were going crazy because it was so much work and they didn't know how to manage it all. After the students got the book EDM for Dummies the students felt a lot more comfortable with their classwork and blog.
I think that the primary message of these videos was to keep calm and get through this class. I know sometimes I feel extremely frustrated with the classwork and blog post but in the end I'm helping myself learn and teach myself the fundamentals of success in the classroom. Both videos were inspiring and fun to watch.
4. In the video Learn to Change, Change to Learn it talks about how work is changing and technology is advancing everyday. I think the video was telling us that technology has emerged learning from the usual lectures to something more creative. When watching this video it has taught me that when I become a teacher I should provide the best for my students. When technology is as advanced as what it is today then why shouldn't teachers welcome it in their classes? Just because teachers are using technology in their classes doesn't mean that its an excuse for them not to teach. I think students still need their teachers to help walk them through processes of learning but with the help of technology advancement in the classroom the success of our students could possibly be limitless.
5. (1.) When watching the Scavenger Hunt 2.0 video I thought about how creative it was. I think that Edmodo is a great social networking site for teachers. I would use it to connect with my students and their parents easier outside of the classroom. Edmodo is like a mix between Facebook and Pinterest. I could use this as a homework site, take home quiz site, basically anything I wanted my students to do outside of the classroom could be done here. It could also allow me to contact the parents easier as well.
(2.) Prezi is an awesome site for teachers and students. Teacher can use it for a more creative and fun way of teaching their students new information. Prezi is like a more advanced and creative Power Point. I think students could use Prezi to create presentations or group projects.
(3.) This is My Comic
(4.) A video tool that I have never used is Animoto is a pretty cool and creative video tool. You can add videos of your own or create videos. After you create your own video you can share it to Facebook or Twitter or your blog. I think this is a really interesting video tool for teachers and students to be able to use.
(5.) This is My Poll
2. Carly Pugh's blog post was about how she was being lazy and behind on her work when suddenly she realized she could write about whatever she wanted for her last blog post. She got extremely excited and created a very interesting and fun blog post to read. I think she comes extremely close to Dr. Miller's hopes for writing with multimedia. Carly put forth a lot of effort in her post. I think that all of her approaches when she becomes a teacher are wonderful and creative.
3. In The Chipper Series it was about a girl in EDM310 with Dr. Strange who didn't like his way of teaching or assignments. She believed that he should teach her since she was paying to go to school there and be taught. Chipper decided to drop out of school and create her own school. When that failed Chipper got a job teaching but was fired because she never showed up for work. She worked at a few more places after but nothing ever worked out the way she wanted it to. In the end Chipper went back to school and eventually got her Masters degree.
The second video EDM for dummies was about students who were completely frustrated with the class and lost in their work. They felt like they were going crazy because it was so much work and they didn't know how to manage it all. After the students got the book EDM for Dummies the students felt a lot more comfortable with their classwork and blog.
I think that the primary message of these videos was to keep calm and get through this class. I know sometimes I feel extremely frustrated with the classwork and blog post but in the end I'm helping myself learn and teach myself the fundamentals of success in the classroom. Both videos were inspiring and fun to watch.
4. In the video Learn to Change, Change to Learn it talks about how work is changing and technology is advancing everyday. I think the video was telling us that technology has emerged learning from the usual lectures to something more creative. When watching this video it has taught me that when I become a teacher I should provide the best for my students. When technology is as advanced as what it is today then why shouldn't teachers welcome it in their classes? Just because teachers are using technology in their classes doesn't mean that its an excuse for them not to teach. I think students still need their teachers to help walk them through processes of learning but with the help of technology advancement in the classroom the success of our students could possibly be limitless.
5. (1.) When watching the Scavenger Hunt 2.0 video I thought about how creative it was. I think that Edmodo is a great social networking site for teachers. I would use it to connect with my students and their parents easier outside of the classroom. Edmodo is like a mix between Facebook and Pinterest. I could use this as a homework site, take home quiz site, basically anything I wanted my students to do outside of the classroom could be done here. It could also allow me to contact the parents easier as well.
(2.) Prezi is an awesome site for teachers and students. Teacher can use it for a more creative and fun way of teaching their students new information. Prezi is like a more advanced and creative Power Point. I think students could use Prezi to create presentations or group projects.
(3.) This is My Comic
(4.) A video tool that I have never used is Animoto is a pretty cool and creative video tool. You can add videos of your own or create videos. After you create your own video you can share it to Facebook or Twitter or your blog. I think this is a really interesting video tool for teachers and students to be able to use.
(5.) This is My Poll
C4T#2 Post #2
Wesley Fryer
This week I was assigned to Wesley Fryer's most recent blog post Moving at the Speed of Creativity. His post was basically a summary of Growing Nimble Thinkers for the Creative Economy by Deborah Morrison and Glenn Griffin, with some of his own notes about the post as well. There was a video with the post that I watched too. The post talked about how important creativity is in the classroom and educating students. I introduced myself and where I was from. I commented that I was a firm believer in how important creativity is for a students success. I also commented that I didn't think creativity was just about the "a-ha" moment but about failure as well. A main point that I made was that I don't believe creativity is a major help in success by just succeeding but also by failure. I said that I thought failure was just as important as success. The reason behind me saying that was because I believe brick walls aren't there to keep us out but to test us to see how much we want to know what is on the other side. This post was very interesting and helped me to see just how important creativity is for success of our students.
This week I was assigned to Wesley Fryer's most recent blog post Moving at the Speed of Creativity. His post was basically a summary of Growing Nimble Thinkers for the Creative Economy by Deborah Morrison and Glenn Griffin, with some of his own notes about the post as well. There was a video with the post that I watched too. The post talked about how important creativity is in the classroom and educating students. I introduced myself and where I was from. I commented that I was a firm believer in how important creativity is for a students success. I also commented that I didn't think creativity was just about the "a-ha" moment but about failure as well. A main point that I made was that I don't believe creativity is a major help in success by just succeeding but also by failure. I said that I thought failure was just as important as success. The reason behind me saying that was because I believe brick walls aren't there to keep us out but to test us to see how much we want to know what is on the other side. This post was very interesting and helped me to see just how important creativity is for success of our students.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Progress Report on PLN
At first when I started my PLN I was a little overwhelmed. The more that I do it and experience it, the more I gain confidence. I'm still getting the hang of it and I still get stressed about it. I think the main key to success is time management. Having my own PLN has taught me responsibility and dedication. I think that a PLN should be for older students. I don't think anyone under the 7th grade should participate in a PLN. I think that I'll use a little PLN when I teach my students because I will be teaching high school juniors and seniors.
C4K Summary for February
Alex posted on his blog about Youtube in 1916. It was said that there was a huge war happening and the civilians never came out of their homes because they had Youtube. The post was to inform what those people would be watching on Youtube. Alex said that the video quality and sound would be very poor. It was also said that the airplane was just invented so there would be people on their roofs recording videos of the airplanes. Alex says that the video's would be very popular. When commenting to Alex I replied that I thought the post was very interesting and creative. I agreed that the videos would probably be amateur, not like what we are able to watch today.
Laura's blog was about how much she loved horses and how she wished she had some. I told Laura that I used to have horses when I was younger. I told her that I had to get rid of them when I went to college because I couldn't take care of them properly due to time management and me not living at home. I told her that horses were beautiful animals and that I hoped she got the chance to ride one someday.
I introduced myself to Kevin and told him a little about myself. I welcomed Kevin to his blog and wished him well with everything in his class.
Kaylan had a blog post on her feelings. She said that its easy for someone to tell what kind of mood she is in. She said that if she were in a good mood that she would draw something that represented happiness. She said that if she were in a bad mood her drawings represented sad and dark emotions. She said it is the same when it comes to listening to music too. I introduced myself to Kaylan and told her that I do the same when it comes to music. I always listen to certain music genres depending on the kind of mood I am in.
Laura's blog was about how much she loved horses and how she wished she had some. I told Laura that I used to have horses when I was younger. I told her that I had to get rid of them when I went to college because I couldn't take care of them properly due to time management and me not living at home. I told her that horses were beautiful animals and that I hoped she got the chance to ride one someday.
I introduced myself to Kevin and told him a little about myself. I welcomed Kevin to his blog and wished him well with everything in his class.
Kaylan had a blog post on her feelings. She said that its easy for someone to tell what kind of mood she is in. She said that if she were in a good mood that she would draw something that represented happiness. She said that if she were in a bad mood her drawings represented sad and dark emotions. She said it is the same when it comes to listening to music too. I introduced myself to Kaylan and told her that I do the same when it comes to music. I always listen to certain music genres depending on the kind of mood I am in.
Blog Post 7
Randy Pausch
Randy Pausch starts his lecture off by telling his audience that his dad always taught him if there is an elephant in the room, introduce it. Randy told the audience that about a month ago, his doctors told him that there are 10 tumors in his liver and he had around 3 to 6 months left of good health. Randy said something that really inspired me. He said that, "we cannot change the cards we are delt, just how we play the hand." I thought that was very interesting and a good way to handle hard times.
Next he told the audience about his childhood dreams. His dreams were: being in zero gravity, playing in the NFL, authoring an article in the World Book encyclopedia, being Captain Kirk, winning stuffed animals, and being a Disney Imagineer. Randy got the chance to be in zero gravity. He was in a group that won a contest to be able to experience zero gravity. At first, NASA was not going to allow Randy to participate but he negotiated with them and got to fulfill his childhood dream. Another dream of his was to play in the NFL. Randy didn't get to experience this dream and he thinks that it was for the best. Randy believes that football taught him fundamentals and hard work. Randy learned through football that when someone is criticizing you, it only means they are trying to help. But when the criticizing stops, then that just means that they have given up on you. Randy believes that brick walls are there for a reason; to allow us to prove how badly we want things. Another dream was to win stuffed animals. Randy said that when you are young you always see big, buff guys with the stuffed animals walking around the theme parks. Randy made it a goal to win many stuffed animals and brought them on stage to prove it.
Pausch had techniques like never lose the child-like wonder, help others, have loyalty to others, and never give up. Pausch always wanted to push his students to the best of their abilities. His students surprised him when they turned in their first assignment. He didn't know what to next so he simple told them that their work was good but they could always do better. So every time after that, the students impressed him more. Everything that Pausch's students did was a project-based assignment. He believed that most of what we learn, we learn indirectly or by "head fake".
When first watching Pausch's lecture I was so annoyed that I had to watch an hour long video. But when I really payed attention and got into the video, it was so interesting. The hour lecture flew by and I learned so much from it. I believe in everything Pausch had to say and I try to live by his words everyday. I think that helping others is such an important role in someones life. With becoming a teacher, I will be able to help my students every day. Having loyalty in others in another important technique of Pausch's. I think that being loyal helps the trust between people and can also help someones outlook on life and the every day activities some people perform. The main technique I can relate to of Pausch's is to never give up. I realize that there will be struggles in life and people will always try to stand in my way of succeeding but if I can have my mind set on a certain goal then I know I will succeed as long as I never give up. I think that teaching my students Pausch's techniques then they will have a better chance of succeeding at whatever comes their way as well. Pausch says that if you wait and be patient, then people will surprise you. I need to keep this in mind when teaching my students that way they know that I will support them and help them to never give up.
Randy Pausch starts his lecture off by telling his audience that his dad always taught him if there is an elephant in the room, introduce it. Randy told the audience that about a month ago, his doctors told him that there are 10 tumors in his liver and he had around 3 to 6 months left of good health. Randy said something that really inspired me. He said that, "we cannot change the cards we are delt, just how we play the hand." I thought that was very interesting and a good way to handle hard times.
Next he told the audience about his childhood dreams. His dreams were: being in zero gravity, playing in the NFL, authoring an article in the World Book encyclopedia, being Captain Kirk, winning stuffed animals, and being a Disney Imagineer. Randy got the chance to be in zero gravity. He was in a group that won a contest to be able to experience zero gravity. At first, NASA was not going to allow Randy to participate but he negotiated with them and got to fulfill his childhood dream. Another dream of his was to play in the NFL. Randy didn't get to experience this dream and he thinks that it was for the best. Randy believes that football taught him fundamentals and hard work. Randy learned through football that when someone is criticizing you, it only means they are trying to help. But when the criticizing stops, then that just means that they have given up on you. Randy believes that brick walls are there for a reason; to allow us to prove how badly we want things. Another dream was to win stuffed animals. Randy said that when you are young you always see big, buff guys with the stuffed animals walking around the theme parks. Randy made it a goal to win many stuffed animals and brought them on stage to prove it.
Pausch had techniques like never lose the child-like wonder, help others, have loyalty to others, and never give up. Pausch always wanted to push his students to the best of their abilities. His students surprised him when they turned in their first assignment. He didn't know what to next so he simple told them that their work was good but they could always do better. So every time after that, the students impressed him more. Everything that Pausch's students did was a project-based assignment. He believed that most of what we learn, we learn indirectly or by "head fake".
When first watching Pausch's lecture I was so annoyed that I had to watch an hour long video. But when I really payed attention and got into the video, it was so interesting. The hour lecture flew by and I learned so much from it. I believe in everything Pausch had to say and I try to live by his words everyday. I think that helping others is such an important role in someones life. With becoming a teacher, I will be able to help my students every day. Having loyalty in others in another important technique of Pausch's. I think that being loyal helps the trust between people and can also help someones outlook on life and the every day activities some people perform. The main technique I can relate to of Pausch's is to never give up. I realize that there will be struggles in life and people will always try to stand in my way of succeeding but if I can have my mind set on a certain goal then I know I will succeed as long as I never give up. I think that teaching my students Pausch's techniques then they will have a better chance of succeeding at whatever comes their way as well. Pausch says that if you wait and be patient, then people will surprise you. I need to keep this in mind when teaching my students that way they know that I will support them and help them to never give up.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Project 10
I plan to teach high school English when I graduate from USA. Since I will be teaching high school students I am guessing my students will be involved in the use of technology and Facebook. I would like to create a Facebook group for each of my classes. I want to be able to work with my students outside of class and through something that will catch their interest. I think that having the students participate in an online chat outside of school will help them stay focused on their work. In the group I would have different book sites for them to go on for readings and an open chat for them to discuss between each other and myself.
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.facebook.com/
Blog Post 6
The Networking Student
The Networked Student concept map started off explaining there is a high school student who is studying Psychology. It said that the teacher never lectures the class and there is no text book. The students teacher didn't lecture or assign a text book because she believed in Connectivism which is the belief that learning connects within a social network of different diversities. Conectivism connected teachers and students around the world but in order to get connected you had to create a personal learning network. The high school student would look things up on Google and share the information with others and read others information as well. In the video one thing that struck my interest was when it was mentioned on iTunesU that the student was able to hear professors lectures from various schools around the world.
I think that teachers are needed for this type of learning because without the teachers guidance, students would be clueless on how to educate their selves through Connectivism. In the video it said that teachers are needed specifically because they can show guidance when students get stuck, explain how to communicate properly, and ask respectfully for help from others.
After watching The Networked Student I think that teachers are still needed in the classroom. I believe that regardless if the classroom environment is being educated through Connectivism or just old fashioned lecturing, the teacher is a primary source for students to rely on. I do think learning from computers and technology is a great and creative way for students to learn but just because they are learning from a computer doesn't mean that the teacher can't still teach her students. I think that Connectivism is a great way to educate students but just because computers are being used doesn't mean that teachers are suddenly irrelevant.
7th Grade Personal Learning Environment
The 7th grade students PLN seems to be similar to mine in EDM310. I think it's great for students to get use to how to use technology because it seems like technology is advancing every day. Learning has gotten to be more of a routine and I think that is where students lose interest. I believe that by using technology to help educate students today we are showing them that learning can be creative and engaging.
The Networked Student concept map started off explaining there is a high school student who is studying Psychology. It said that the teacher never lectures the class and there is no text book. The students teacher didn't lecture or assign a text book because she believed in Connectivism which is the belief that learning connects within a social network of different diversities. Conectivism connected teachers and students around the world but in order to get connected you had to create a personal learning network. The high school student would look things up on Google and share the information with others and read others information as well. In the video one thing that struck my interest was when it was mentioned on iTunesU that the student was able to hear professors lectures from various schools around the world.
I think that teachers are needed for this type of learning because without the teachers guidance, students would be clueless on how to educate their selves through Connectivism. In the video it said that teachers are needed specifically because they can show guidance when students get stuck, explain how to communicate properly, and ask respectfully for help from others.
After watching The Networked Student I think that teachers are still needed in the classroom. I believe that regardless if the classroom environment is being educated through Connectivism or just old fashioned lecturing, the teacher is a primary source for students to rely on. I do think learning from computers and technology is a great and creative way for students to learn but just because they are learning from a computer doesn't mean that the teacher can't still teach her students. I think that Connectivism is a great way to educate students but just because computers are being used doesn't mean that teachers are suddenly irrelevant.
7th Grade Personal Learning Environment
The 7th grade students PLN seems to be similar to mine in EDM310. I think it's great for students to get use to how to use technology because it seems like technology is advancing every day. Learning has gotten to be more of a routine and I think that is where students lose interest. I believe that by using technology to help educate students today we are showing them that learning can be creative and engaging.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Blog Post 5
1. Mrs. Venosdale is a gifted ed teacher who had a very interesting and entertaining post about what type of school she would build if she had that chance. If I had the chance to build my own type of school it would be a place of escape for students ages 5 to 18. I would have the school sectioned off into age groups and there would be certain common areas for students of all ages. For ages 5-10 the section would have classrooms that would educate the students on whatever they wished to learn about. Their classrooms would be filled with color and lots of candy and drinks as well. For ages 11-15 the classrooms and hallways would be artsy and school spirited. Those classrooms would be enjoyable and educational about whatever they wished to learn. Ages 16-18 classrooms would educate those students on what options they have for their future. The cafeteria would ave every meal you desired and the play ground/ break area would have a huge jungle gym including water slides and swing sets. The school would be educational but also fun and helpful to each student.
2. The more I learn about technology the more it amazes me. Technology is changing every single day and surprising so many. The virtual choir is unbelievable. Considering none of those people have ever met it just amazes me that their voices can click so well together. With the advancement of technology, maybe this is how music can be made in the near future.
3. I believe that Roberts thinks it means to teach that with the use of technology, students can find out whatever they want, wherever it is, at any time they want, no matter where they are. Roberts thinks its the teachers job to filter what the students are using those resources for and show them the proper ways of using technology. With the fast advancement of technology students may start to believe that they no longer need teachers. What if they are correct in this belief? I think that he is right in believing teachers should maintain and filter what students are learning on their own. Teachers need to keep up with technology use in the classroom and always try to stay right on top of creativeness when educating their students.
4. I think flipping the classroom is a great and creative way to keep students engaged in what they are learning. In watching all of the videos i completely agree that education has become a routine and boring. I believe that by flipping the classroom we can allow our students to maintain a more interesting way of learning and educating their selves. I would definitely flip my classroom if needed and I think that if I ever did, maybe my students would participate more and the classroom environment would be more creative and fresh instead of the usual every day routine.
2. The more I learn about technology the more it amazes me. Technology is changing every single day and surprising so many. The virtual choir is unbelievable. Considering none of those people have ever met it just amazes me that their voices can click so well together. With the advancement of technology, maybe this is how music can be made in the near future.
3. I believe that Roberts thinks it means to teach that with the use of technology, students can find out whatever they want, wherever it is, at any time they want, no matter where they are. Roberts thinks its the teachers job to filter what the students are using those resources for and show them the proper ways of using technology. With the fast advancement of technology students may start to believe that they no longer need teachers. What if they are correct in this belief? I think that he is right in believing teachers should maintain and filter what students are learning on their own. Teachers need to keep up with technology use in the classroom and always try to stay right on top of creativeness when educating their students.
4. I think flipping the classroom is a great and creative way to keep students engaged in what they are learning. In watching all of the videos i completely agree that education has become a routine and boring. I believe that by flipping the classroom we can allow our students to maintain a more interesting way of learning and educating their selves. I would definitely flip my classroom if needed and I think that if I ever did, maybe my students would participate more and the classroom environment would be more creative and fresh instead of the usual every day routine.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
C4T #1 Summary
This week, I was assigned to comment on the most recent post on The Learning Brain blog. Last week the specific blog that I commented on was about a 20 year old woman who has not grown since age 5. For the past 15 years the doctors haven't been able to figure out what was causing Brooke Greenbergs disorder that has kept her from growing. When commenting on this post I expressed my concern for Brooke. I questioned if she thinks like a 20 year old and is as mature as a 20 year old. I also asked that if the doctors do figure out what has been causing her to not grow, if there could be a cure for it. It was an interesting post to read and I enjoyed it.
This week I was assigned to comment on the most recent post on The Learning Brain blog. The specific blog was about how meditation increases brain size. It said that researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have scientifically proven that meditation can physically alter the size of your brain. Comments were made in the post about how it would be interesting if there were a tool invented to be able to measure the transformations of the brain during meditation. When I commented on this post it did not show my comment so I re-did another one basically stating the same things. Today when I looked at the post it showed both of my comments, oops! I stated how the human brain is such an amazing thing and that I thought scientist are always coming up with creative ways to surprise people. I also talked about how I've never done meditation but my roommate does yoga and she says that it calms her down and allows her to clear her mind of stress. So, I was wondering if meditation and yoga could possible do the same things to the brain when exercised? It was a very interesting and educational blog.
This week I was assigned to comment on the most recent post on The Learning Brain blog. The specific blog was about how meditation increases brain size. It said that researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have scientifically proven that meditation can physically alter the size of your brain. Comments were made in the post about how it would be interesting if there were a tool invented to be able to measure the transformations of the brain during meditation. When I commented on this post it did not show my comment so I re-did another one basically stating the same things. Today when I looked at the post it showed both of my comments, oops! I stated how the human brain is such an amazing thing and that I thought scientist are always coming up with creative ways to surprise people. I also talked about how I've never done meditation but my roommate does yoga and she says that it calms her down and allows her to clear her mind of stress. So, I was wondering if meditation and yoga could possible do the same things to the brain when exercised? It was a very interesting and educational blog.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Special Blog Post #1
Wolfram Alpha Search
When doing the Wolfram Alpha Search about comparing population of India, China and the United States, it proved that China is the highest in population with 1.35 billion people, followed by India with 1.21 billion people, and then the United States with 309 million people. The search proved that the population of the Unites States is much lower than the compared countries. The next thing that I compared was the poverty rate in the United States and Africa. The results were that the United States poverty rate is 12% and Africa is 45.6%. The next search I did was the life expectancy in Brazil and Mexico. The results came out to be that Brazil's life expectancy is 72 years and Mexico is 76.1 years. When using the Wolfram Alpha search I found it to be very useful and educational. I think that using this search engine in my future classroom would be a great tool for my students to have. The students can use it for any question or interest they have.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Wow. Watching the Social Media Count surprised me. For example, I've always known that Facebook was a popular social media site but I never knew that it could have been that popular. The Media Count shows comments and likes on Facebook, blog posts, apps downloaded, tweets sent to Twitter, ect. that are constantly changing. Seeing how much the numbers changed really put a reality check on me as to how much things change daily and by the minute.
All of these changes mean that by the time I start teaching that the social media can be so different from what I know of today. I think that change is a good thing if its going to improve the original. These changes mean that by the time I'm teaching my classroom that maybe technology will have a significant improvement. I hope that technology continues to grow and change because I want to educate my students with the latest technology in order to benefit their futures.
When doing the Wolfram Alpha Search about comparing population of India, China and the United States, it proved that China is the highest in population with 1.35 billion people, followed by India with 1.21 billion people, and then the United States with 309 million people. The search proved that the population of the Unites States is much lower than the compared countries. The next thing that I compared was the poverty rate in the United States and Africa. The results were that the United States poverty rate is 12% and Africa is 45.6%. The next search I did was the life expectancy in Brazil and Mexico. The results came out to be that Brazil's life expectancy is 72 years and Mexico is 76.1 years. When using the Wolfram Alpha search I found it to be very useful and educational. I think that using this search engine in my future classroom would be a great tool for my students to have. The students can use it for any question or interest they have.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Wow. Watching the Social Media Count surprised me. For example, I've always known that Facebook was a popular social media site but I never knew that it could have been that popular. The Media Count shows comments and likes on Facebook, blog posts, apps downloaded, tweets sent to Twitter, ect. that are constantly changing. Seeing how much the numbers changed really put a reality check on me as to how much things change daily and by the minute.
All of these changes mean that by the time I start teaching that the social media can be so different from what I know of today. I think that change is a good thing if its going to improve the original. These changes mean that by the time I'm teaching my classroom that maybe technology will have a significant improvement. I hope that technology continues to grow and change because I want to educate my students with the latest technology in order to benefit their futures.
Blog Post #4
Langwitches
The Jody Scharf Podcast Collection helped me in understand what a podcast is and how it works exactly. At first I had no idea of what a podcast was. I've heard about them from other students but I've never done one myself. This post helped me in understanding podcasting more and hopefully when it comes time to do one in EDM I won't have any issues.
I chose my second article to be Langwitches Listening- Comprehension- Podcasting. The main purpose was for the students to be able to listen and comprehend their speaking skills. In the post it says that in order for students to learn new vocabulary that they need to hear new words at least 70 times. I listened to their podcast and the students were speaking Hebrew. I don't know anything about that language but listening to all the students speak it in their own way was interesting.
Lastly, I watched the benefits of podcasting in the classroom. I've never thought of using podcasting in the classroom but I think it's a very creative way to teach your students and get them to see learning in a more fun way. When I start my own podcast this semester I hope I can take away useful information that way I can use podcasting in my own classroom one day. I think that teaching students about podcasting in the classroom not only benefits them in school but they can also use it as adults for their jobs.
The Jody Scharf Podcast Collection helped me in understand what a podcast is and how it works exactly. At first I had no idea of what a podcast was. I've heard about them from other students but I've never done one myself. This post helped me in understanding podcasting more and hopefully when it comes time to do one in EDM I won't have any issues.
I chose my second article to be Langwitches Listening- Comprehension- Podcasting. The main purpose was for the students to be able to listen and comprehend their speaking skills. In the post it says that in order for students to learn new vocabulary that they need to hear new words at least 70 times. I listened to their podcast and the students were speaking Hebrew. I don't know anything about that language but listening to all the students speak it in their own way was interesting.
Lastly, I watched the benefits of podcasting in the classroom. I've never thought of using podcasting in the classroom but I think it's a very creative way to teach your students and get them to see learning in a more fun way. When I start my own podcast this semester I hope I can take away useful information that way I can use podcasting in my own classroom one day. I think that teaching students about podcasting in the classroom not only benefits them in school but they can also use it as adults for their jobs.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Blog Post 3
1. Watching the video's and slide show were very interesting and informative for me. The children were funny but also taught me the right ways to avoid being a bad peer reviewer. I have heard of some of the ways to avoid being too straight forward or not helpful enough but the children's examples of the wrong peer reviewing made it more clear for me to understand. I was taught all through high school and my first couple of college composition classes how to peer review. I was taught to mainly stick to grammatical errors but I was never told to give compliments. I think that is great to add in compliments and suggestions along with the grammatical corrections. It makes seeing your errors much more approachable and not so embarrassing.
I chose to comment on my classmates blog with their grammatical errors rather than emailing them. I think it is okay to have your work out in the public that way other students can read it and maybe have a better understanding of whatever they are confused on. I think that me commenting on the blog with corrections and comments allows other students to see what I saw and they can also comment if I have over looked something. I don't believe there is such thing as perfect writing so posting suggestions can only make the person's post better.
2. Watching the video about The Mountbatten completely blew my mind. I had no idea that there was such a machine. I think it is absolutely amazing that technology has become so advanced to help our seeing and hearing impaired students become just as advanced as our other students. If I had this type of machine in my classroom I would definitely learn to use it so if my students had any confusion I would be able to help them with it. I also think it would be good for the other students to learn the basics of this machine so when doing peer review the impaired student doesn't feel left out from his or her other classmates.
I am so interested and surprised by the technologies for the blind. There are so many different uses for blind students to choose from. The IPad for blind is such a great tool for students. I think its amazing that the blind can now use advanced technology and applications with little extra effort. I never thought about how blind students study math until watching the video. The grid that is available for blind math students seems to be a great tool. With having the braille and printed number on the front of the block the teacher can see what the student is working on with out having to actually learn to read braille. With the advancement of technology in the classroom the impaired learners shouldn't be held back because of their disabilities. I think it is a beautiful thing that people are finding ways for the impaired learners to keep up with technology and creativity.
3. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
EDM310
Vicki Davis
Ms. Davis reminds me a lot of Dr. Strange. Both professors are attempting to make education more creative and diverse rather than the typical taking notes/ lecturing. I think both teachers are succeeding too. Ms. Davis is using technology in her classroom because she thinks that not all students learn the same way. She is using technology to connect her students with other students around the world and I think that is amazing. How many classrooms can you do that in? Not many that I am aware of. Not only is Ms. Davis educating her students in a creative way but by connecting her students to other students from different countries, those other students are educating us as well. She says that her students teach her new things all the time as well. I think its great that Ms. Davis and Dr. Strange are taking a leap of faith by changing the typical way of education into a more diverse and creative way of learning and hope that I get the opportunity to do so in my own classroom as well.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Blog Post 2
1.
Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version
EDM310 Class Blog
Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod
In Dr. Strange's version of Did You Know 3.0, he elaborates on how technology is growing more and more each day. In the video, he starts with statistics and predictions on how American educators are being passed up other non-native English speaking countries who are educating their students on American language. One slide say's that if the Chinese "learners" do learn English then there will be more people in China speaking English than in the United States. What does that say about our educators? The video also explains how India has more K-12 Honors Students than all of the K-12 students of America and that 25% of India's population with the highest IQ's outnumber the entire population of the U.S. So, with that being said, apparently American educators are doing something wrong.
Technology is taking over our world. I do believe that Twitter, and Facebook can be a distraction to students but with those distractions I believe teachers need to find a way to keep hold of their students attention. Technology will continue to be a part of our every day lives so teachers need to learn to grow with it rather than just letting it pass them by. I think its a great thing for other countries to learn our language but with that shouldn't we keep the race going and learn theirs as well? Allowing other countries to out- educate the United States does nothing but set our country back even further. If this is how our world is going to continue to grow, can you imagine where we will stand 50 years from now?
2. Mr. Winkle Wakes
EDM310 Class Blog
Matthew Needleman
When watching Mr. Winkle Wakes, I couldn't help myself but to laugh. What a silly video on how to educate how much the world has changed. It does make some valid points though. Mr. Winkle wakes up after being asleep for 100 years. He is amazed at the technology in office buildings and hospitals. One thing that he recognized was a school and the computer that he had seen in the office building and hospital. This computer wasn't being used in the classroom though. Mr. Winkle was happy to see that after his 100 year slumber that one thing remained the same; school.
After watching the video I came to the conclusion that I agree and also disagree with Mr. Winkle's observations of how the world has changed. I do agree that we have come a long way with technology in the past 100 years. With the growth of technology, our world has become a more advanced and convenient place to live. Mr. Winkle was glad to see that school and education has remained the same and I disagree with him. I think that our field of education grows everyday. Now, students have access to internet and computer that allow them to search the web for anything they are curious about. With the growth of technology, people aren't just getting educated in classrooms listening to their teacher lecture. Technology has allowed us to educate ourselves daily through the internet and other available sources.
3. The Importance of Creativity
EDM310 Class Blog
Sir Ken Robinson
The Importance of Creativity video was very witty and educational. It opened my eyes to see just how important it is to allow young students to embrace their creativity rather than shutting it down and telling them its wrong. Sir Ken Robinson hit a lot of key points that I found should be crucial for educators to focus on. He says, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you"ll never come up with anything original." Teachers around the world teach the same subjects regardless of the country. So if the world is educating people on the same subjects everyday then how can someone be comfortable expressing their creativity? Teachers need to educate students that it is normal and okay to be different. Sir Ken Robinson says, "We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it." I found that to be very intriguing in terms of education. Children have such vivid imaginations and parents usually embrace it, but when we enroll them in school that creativity and imagination gets turned into a disorder or learning disability.
When watching The Importance of Creativity I couldn't agree more with Sir Ken Robinson. When I teach my future English classroom I want my students to be able to write creatively without fear of a bad grade. When it comes to creativity I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer. Its about producing original ideas that have meaning and value. So if creativity focus on valuable diversity then why is it being discontinued so often by our educators? Sir Ken Robinson says that intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. All three of those definitions are somehow based off of creativity and originality. I believe that if educators continue to deny creativity within education then we have no choice but to fail at our goals and dreams.
Mr. Winkle Wakes movie focuses on pointing out how much the world has changed within the past 100 years. 100 years ago they didn't have computers, printers, internet, hospital machines that help save your life, or x-ray pictures. Schools had no use of technology. Now that we have advanced into a technological education system, schools have more room to develop and grow. Students have more resources available and can further their education with the help of technology. When thinking about how far the world and education has advanced within 100 years it makes me wonder what our world will be like the year of 2113. What resources will teachers be using to educate their students? What will technology look like and how will it work? We have absolutely no idea how far we will come but I like to believe that change is a good thing. As long as we are keeping up with technology and allowing it to make us better, I believe the education system will continue to grow and make light of the resources available for us.
4. Pinterest: Using Available Resources
EDM310 Class Blog
Kaitlyn Burgess and Bethany Griffith
I've been on Pinterest for about a year now. As soon as I got the hang of the website I immediately fell in love. There are so many categories to choose from and creative things to search for. Pinterest can be useful to teachers and students in many different ways. I've found that Pinterest is a very organized way of remembering things that seem meaningful or useful to you. I want to express creativity in my personal classroom and showing my students how to use Pinterest may help them to open up and find their own creativity. I think sharing your ideas on Pinterest with other teachers can be helpful as well too. When it comes to education I think that creativity is the key to success; thankfully technology has introduced us to Pinterest and we can now use that resource to help educate in a more original and fresh way!
EDM310 Class Blog
Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod
In Dr. Strange's version of Did You Know 3.0, he elaborates on how technology is growing more and more each day. In the video, he starts with statistics and predictions on how American educators are being passed up other non-native English speaking countries who are educating their students on American language. One slide say's that if the Chinese "learners" do learn English then there will be more people in China speaking English than in the United States. What does that say about our educators? The video also explains how India has more K-12 Honors Students than all of the K-12 students of America and that 25% of India's population with the highest IQ's outnumber the entire population of the U.S. So, with that being said, apparently American educators are doing something wrong.
Technology is taking over our world. I do believe that Twitter, and Facebook can be a distraction to students but with those distractions I believe teachers need to find a way to keep hold of their students attention. Technology will continue to be a part of our every day lives so teachers need to learn to grow with it rather than just letting it pass them by. I think its a great thing for other countries to learn our language but with that shouldn't we keep the race going and learn theirs as well? Allowing other countries to out- educate the United States does nothing but set our country back even further. If this is how our world is going to continue to grow, can you imagine where we will stand 50 years from now?
2. Mr. Winkle Wakes
EDM310 Class Blog
Matthew Needleman
When watching Mr. Winkle Wakes, I couldn't help myself but to laugh. What a silly video on how to educate how much the world has changed. It does make some valid points though. Mr. Winkle wakes up after being asleep for 100 years. He is amazed at the technology in office buildings and hospitals. One thing that he recognized was a school and the computer that he had seen in the office building and hospital. This computer wasn't being used in the classroom though. Mr. Winkle was happy to see that after his 100 year slumber that one thing remained the same; school.
After watching the video I came to the conclusion that I agree and also disagree with Mr. Winkle's observations of how the world has changed. I do agree that we have come a long way with technology in the past 100 years. With the growth of technology, our world has become a more advanced and convenient place to live. Mr. Winkle was glad to see that school and education has remained the same and I disagree with him. I think that our field of education grows everyday. Now, students have access to internet and computer that allow them to search the web for anything they are curious about. With the growth of technology, people aren't just getting educated in classrooms listening to their teacher lecture. Technology has allowed us to educate ourselves daily through the internet and other available sources.
3. The Importance of Creativity
EDM310 Class Blog
Sir Ken Robinson
The Importance of Creativity video was very witty and educational. It opened my eyes to see just how important it is to allow young students to embrace their creativity rather than shutting it down and telling them its wrong. Sir Ken Robinson hit a lot of key points that I found should be crucial for educators to focus on. He says, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you"ll never come up with anything original." Teachers around the world teach the same subjects regardless of the country. So if the world is educating people on the same subjects everyday then how can someone be comfortable expressing their creativity? Teachers need to educate students that it is normal and okay to be different. Sir Ken Robinson says, "We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it." I found that to be very intriguing in terms of education. Children have such vivid imaginations and parents usually embrace it, but when we enroll them in school that creativity and imagination gets turned into a disorder or learning disability.
When watching The Importance of Creativity I couldn't agree more with Sir Ken Robinson. When I teach my future English classroom I want my students to be able to write creatively without fear of a bad grade. When it comes to creativity I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer. Its about producing original ideas that have meaning and value. So if creativity focus on valuable diversity then why is it being discontinued so often by our educators? Sir Ken Robinson says that intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. All three of those definitions are somehow based off of creativity and originality. I believe that if educators continue to deny creativity within education then we have no choice but to fail at our goals and dreams.
Mr. Winkle Wakes movie focuses on pointing out how much the world has changed within the past 100 years. 100 years ago they didn't have computers, printers, internet, hospital machines that help save your life, or x-ray pictures. Schools had no use of technology. Now that we have advanced into a technological education system, schools have more room to develop and grow. Students have more resources available and can further their education with the help of technology. When thinking about how far the world and education has advanced within 100 years it makes me wonder what our world will be like the year of 2113. What resources will teachers be using to educate their students? What will technology look like and how will it work? We have absolutely no idea how far we will come but I like to believe that change is a good thing. As long as we are keeping up with technology and allowing it to make us better, I believe the education system will continue to grow and make light of the resources available for us.
EDM310 Class Blog
Kaitlyn Burgess and Bethany Griffith
I've been on Pinterest for about a year now. As soon as I got the hang of the website I immediately fell in love. There are so many categories to choose from and creative things to search for. Pinterest can be useful to teachers and students in many different ways. I've found that Pinterest is a very organized way of remembering things that seem meaningful or useful to you. I want to express creativity in my personal classroom and showing my students how to use Pinterest may help them to open up and find their own creativity. I think sharing your ideas on Pinterest with other teachers can be helpful as well too. When it comes to education I think that creativity is the key to success; thankfully technology has introduced us to Pinterest and we can now use that resource to help educate in a more original and fresh way!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Blog Post 1
About Me
My name is Gabby Williams. I was born in Biloxi, MS on April 7, 1992. I am only child and was raised by my parents. I've lived in Biloxi my entire life and recently moved to Mobile, AL to peruse my degree in English Education. I graduated in 2010 from d'Iberville High School and started my freshman year in the fall at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. I cheered there for the two years and graduated in May of 2012. Summer of 2012 I decided to move to Mobile to cheer and start my degree in English Education. I don't have a job because my time is consumed between school, cheering, and trying to maintain a social life. As my first year at South Alabama I've grown to love the city, my new friends and teammates, and the school its self.
I want to enter the field of education because I want to help educate the children of our future and know that I've done my part in helping our world today. My passions are my family, friends, and boyfriend. Cheering is a passion for me on the good days. I love to cheer and support my school and teammates but at times it gets a little rough and tough. I love living on the water at home in Biloxi so in my free time being in the sun is my calling. I used to run track in high school so I've never lost my passion for running.
Future Classroom
When in my future classroom I plan on being a unique and fun teacher. I want my students to come to class always prepared and eager to learn. When I teach my
high school English students, I not only want to help them with their grammar
skills but also help them to open up and enjoy writing. I feel that every
student is entitled to his own self-expression when it comes to writing and
English, and he should feel comfortable enough to express their diversity. As
teachers I feel that part of our job is to help students become confident
enough with their writing and also with revising others writing. Teachers
should focus more on correcting not criticizing and that’s what I plan to
do.
I like to think that I am going to be a pretty easy going teacher. My main teaching philosophy is I want students
to feel comfortable enough in my classroom to be able to write freely and
creatively about any topic, whether assigned or student chosen. I want my main
focus to be on self-expression, creativity and feeling comfortable with
revision. I believe in peer review but not every student will care enough about
someone else’s paper to analyze it correctly and provide acceptable feedback.
To me, peer review is old and boring but group review can be an easy and
productive way for students to grade each other’s work.
My students will be high school juniors and seniors so we will be working with literature and writing mostly. I want my students to learn the proper way of writing and revising their work and others as well. I want my students to be able to write honestly and without fear of a bad grade based on creativity. My students will learn the proper ways of writing through hands on activities and assignments rather than me lecturing to them daily.
The tools that my students will employ as a part of their learning process is being able to be hands on with writing and grammar. I want to use fun activities and games to show students that writing can be fun and isn't boring or as tough as they believe. I want to test my students through our activities and document their learning process so I can show them how far they have come from their old styles of writing.
I want my classroom to be an open and welcoming environment. I don't want to be the teacher in school that all the students are afraid of. My classroom will be set up in a fun and exciting atmosphere. I don't want my classroom to feel like a typical white, brick wall, classroom. I want to have my classroom bright and vibrant so the students can feel free to be their selves and open up with their writing and grammar.
Dr. Pausch
When watching Dr. Pausch's video on time management I've learned that procrastination is the absolute worst and Americans are the worst about stress and procrastination. I learned that I should focus more on goals, priorities, and planning. I learned that instead of doing the right things that I should focus more on doing things right.
I learned that failing to plan is planning to fail. I took that as if I don't plan my days, weeks, and months then I will fail at whatever I'm trying to succeed at. I learned that organization and planning my schedules and to- do list is crucial in succeeding. Watching the time management video I hope will help me in this class and others as well.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
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