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.

Project #16 Aries Final Project

Project #15

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Project 11 Green Screen

Smart Board Project

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?

Project 12

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.

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

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.

Aries Group Podcast Project #8