Deidra Day's EDM310 Blog

Goodbye For Now

2009-11-24T11:59:00.005-06:00

Randy Pausch mentioned that "You just have to decide if you are a Tigger or an Eeyore."
I believe that life is full of all kinds of situations that make us happy and sad and it is so important to remember that the way we react makes all the difference.
I have enjoyed EDM310 with Dr. Strange and my fellow students. I enjoyed chatting in class, reading your thoughts in your blogs, and getting to know a little about each of you. The best of luck to each of you as you continue your education and enter classrooms where you try to make a difference.

Dr. Strange's Questions about What I learned in EDM310

2009-11-24T11:53:00.015-06:00

Wow! EDM310 was a very full and challenging journey for me. I was excited and apprehensive at the beginning of the semester. I knew I wanted and needed to know more about computers for myself and as a teacher, but part of me just did not want to jump into the technological world. Now I am not scared that I will break a computer with the stroke of the wrong key and I have learned lots of very wonderful technology applications I can use in my life and in my classroom.
The free applications of Google are probably going to be the tools I use on a daily basis. Once I set up my gmail account, iGoogle page, and started using Google Reader, I had established the method that I would use for working through this class. Google Docs and its many applications are useful in life and the classroom.
I believe iTunesU, and ALEX will be great resources for many questions and knowledge when and even before I am a teacher. I am very glad to have learned about them. Comments4kids has probably been the most enlightening experience. We saw actual teachers using blogging as a teaching tool and a communication tool with parents. I believe a teacher that uses technology that actually reinforces the objectives and motivates and inspires students is using technology well.
We read and learned a lot about why teachers should use technology in the classroom. We looked at student blogging, Wendy Drexler's "networked student", and Matthew Needleman's movie making, but I would have loved to have seen more actual ways teachers use the tool of technology in the classroom. I wonder what other ways they use technology to teach their state's course of study.
I really enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson's speech on creativity. I too believe that we tend to lose our creativity as we grow up. Many times the environment established in classrooms requires that students work toward a pattern so students feel the need to only complete assignments to meet standards rather than use their own experiences, interests, and imagination to create something unique that accomplishes the same goal of learning.
I learned about several inspirational people in this class. The most memorable was Randy Pausch. I do not believe that he was unique in his spirit or in his attitude toward the situation he faced. He just had the opportunity to share his emotions and thoughts in a forum that many heard. Several points he made in his speech will probably always be with me. He lived with beautiful confidence and determination. The "head fake" was extremely interesting to me and I will try to use it in my classroom.
As per Dr. Strange's request, this class did not excite me. This class overwhelmed me because there was so much information. I have learned a great deal. I have learned where and how to find information and I have made connections with educators all over the world who do what they do very well. But, this class covered so much information, I feel like I only glanced at much of it. I will have to go back and dig deeper as I continue learning.
I do not believe I was challenged intellectually. The way I think about technology was challenged. The idea of being a "technologically literate" teacher seemed great,but I am not completely sure I thought it was necessary, especially in the lower elementary grades. But, instead of kindergarten students using classroom computers for just educational video games, we saw examples of kindergarten students using computers to create. This and the fact that children are growing up in a world that uses technology more and more served to convince me that students should be exposed to technology for the purpose of education at very young age.
There were so many things to watch, read, think about, and comment about, I did not have time to be bored. I did grow weary of the discussion of whether or not we should be "technologically literate" teachers and whether or not students' work should be posted online. The best way to convince me that something is necessary or useful is to show me where it has been successful.
I do not believe I am “technologically literate”, but I am much closer than I was four months ago. Those who use technology and make its applications work for them are probably the most “literate”. It seems to me that I am still working to learn. The educators who we visited by way of skype, comments4kids, and blogs, are all making technology work for them. My “literacy” will improve as I continue to dig deeper into the information from this class, follow and communicate with my PLN, research for the remainder of my education classes, and prepare lesson plans for my students.

Collaborative Project 11

2009-11-21T15:33:00.009-06:00

Three classmates and myself created an electronic poster about the water cycle to briefly demonstrate edu.gloster.com. We used CamStudio to record the video of the screen and the audio of our discussion. Windows Movie Maker was used to edit and add title and credits.
Glogster is a tool to produce online posters. Students may create an account or teachers may create a class account for all of his/her students. The students log on and can add text, graphics, movies, and audio to create a poster about any subject. The uses of this media and the possibility for student creativity is really limitless.

Thoughts on Doug Johnson's "Seven Stupid Mistakes and Seven Brilliant Things Teachers Do With Technology" and "New Classroom Rules"

2009-11-13T09:52:00.012-06:00

Doug Johnson's list "Seven brilliant things teachers do with technology" includes several of the topics discussed in EDM310. I think his third point is an important one. "Make conferencing real-time." Not only can students benefit from the use of technology in the classroom, but so can their parents. As a parent, I have personally benefited when teachers have used technology to communicate about my child's progress. I can access their grades and averages online twenty four hours a day. This allows me to more effectively manage my child's academics. It gives us a chance to avoid any “surprise” grades by catching academic trends early and allows me to be more involved in my child's education.
I also believe his fourth point,"Put kids in touch with the world", highlights the unique usefulness that certain technologies provide. Much like a supercharged library, the internet can facilitate a child's natural curiosity to expand beyond the four walls of the classroom. This curiosity could help the teacher identify the child's passions. Then the child's own interests become a teaching tool, allowing the teacher to instill the importance of learning, researching, and communicating conclusions. These skills are intrinsic to the education process, and they always serve them well in society. In EDM310, Comments4kids introduced us to the possibility of students communicating with the world.
Our own Anthony Capps reminded us that we are creating an "intellectual trail" while using technology. Many of the mistakes listed in Doug Johnson's list "Seven Stupid Mistakes Teachers Make with Technology" can be avoided when considering the "trail" that one is leaving.
His sixth point, "Ignoring the intrinsic interest of tech use in today's kids", is very important because classroom teachers should use every tool and method at their disposal to "motivate and interest" their students. Children do have a great deal of interest in technology. They live in a world where their games and nearly all other entertainment involves some form of technology. The possibility of a keyboard and mouse instead of paper and pencil somehow seems much more interesting. The possibility of connecting with people in other parts of the world seems much more motivating.
The third "stupid mistake" of "Not supervising computer-using students" is incredibly important. Connecting with people in other parts of the world can be a very good thing, but the possibility for bad connections should not be ignored. Teachers should consider that they should try to protect their students from access to inappropriate sites and images. Classroom computers should be used with supervision and the monitor should be visible to anyone who may pass.
The New Classroom Rules by Education Innovation includes a couple of rules which I think are important because they are part of all the social skills that everyone should learn and use no matter the situation. "Be polite, courteous, and respectful at all times in both physical and virtual space." Much of what is learned at the elementary level is about how to treat others and how to behave in public settings. Remembering to be kind and respectful while communicating with people around the world is an additional skill that will always be useful.
Rule number six is somewhat like some of the classroom management strategies I've learned. "Don't Talk to your neighbors, unless you are sharing your ideas, asking for help or giving help." Many teachers ask their students to "Ask three, then me" when they have a question in class. Students are to ask three neighbors for help. This allows for "peer tutoring" and eliminates having to repeat some instructions for the teacher.

Thoughts on "At the Teacher's Desk"

2009-11-11T22:43:00.014-06:00

Okay... I have to stop reading and actually write something about this wealth of information. At the Teacher's Desk is a collaborative blog of teachers of all grades, subjects, and even all parts of the world. There is demonstration and discussion on everything from how to copy and paste in a document to whether or not a teacher is better if he/she is also a parent. I learned about "Notebooking" and the many advantages of it and so much more...
The blog itself is easy to browse. The only problem is time. I tend to get lost following one post after another while learning all the time. I was already a follower of this blog. But now I realize that I should look into the blogs of the contributors....there is so much to be learned from their experiences and previous conversations.

"Whatever"?

2009-11-08T19:20:00.021-06:00

Until now... Until I watched Michael Wesch's video, I thought nearly everything on youtube was nothing but silliness. In fact, in his speech, Mr. Wesch mentioned that possibly more than 99.9% of what is on youtube is irrelevant. The only serious exception that I have known of is it's use in passing along family video or instructional video.

But, there is a community of youtube viewers from around the world who are communicating. They are sharing all kinds of views and ideas. Not all youtube videos are silliness. Some youtube producers just want to be heard....heard for many reasons.

Developing My PLN

2009-11-04T01:24:00.006-06:00

The limitless sources on the internet can be overwhelming. I believe creating and using a personal learning network of educators will help me find the most efficient and effective tools a teacher can use in the classroom. Not only will I be pointed in the right direction, these educators share the best ways to use applications and I can email, tweet, or ask questions in their blog to find additional information I might need. I am looking forward to the wealth of experience that I can learn and take into my own classroom.
I follow At the Teacher's Desk and have found information from teachers from all grade levels, subjects and even parts of the world. Our own EDM310 blog lists sources and links to follow for all kinds of information. I plan to go back to the links of some of our blog posts and dig deeper. I already know this will be a great place to find information.
I follow the tweets of several educators on Twitter, including Mr. Anderson from Web20Classroom, Nancy Stewart, Tom Barrett, and Kelly Hines, the author of "It's not about the Technology. I agree with Ms. Hines that, "Technology is useless without good teaching". I want to be a good teacher and I intend to use my PLN to gain as much knowledge of methods and tools as possible. As I learn in the education field, I'm sure that my interests and needs will change. My PLN will probably change as well and reflect new interests and needs.
I will try to remember that Dr. Strange said, "...a good teacher who lacks the ability to use technology effectively is not as good as she/he could be using technology."

Thoughts in Anthony Capps Post Concerning "This is how we dream" by Richard Miller

2009-10-27T23:10:00.003-05:00

Wow! What an eloquent analysis of Dr. Miller's speech. I understood Dr. Miller's basic message, but didn't see all the details that Anthony pointed out. It is extremely interesting that the author himself gave such incredible comments and encouragement. Anthony seems to have an amazing ability for writing. Great post, Anthony!

Posting student's work to blogs

2009-10-26T22:21:00.019-05:00

The students in the PS22 Chorus recorded their own beautiful version of Stevie Nick's song "Landslide" and posted it on the web. She was so impressed with their work that she invited them to perform at Madison Square Gardens. What a wonderful opportunity and reward these children have received for their hard work and talent. Had their work never been posted, Stevie Nick's might never have made the invitation!

Another example of a benefit of posting children's work is Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog. Mrs. Cassidy uses the blog to show the activities in which the entire class is engaged. They work with classes all over the world to produce creations such as "The Monster Project". The children are learning to collaborate with others across the world. Her kindergarten students post their individual work for comment. Children can be very motivated when they know that anyone in the world might see their production.

The work of college level students certainly offers a great deal of opportunity for discussion. The topics, questions, and even arguments presented in "A Vision of Students Today" by Michael Wesch are displayed for the world to contemplate and possibly try to answer.

The blog where our own podcasts are displayed on the web is another example of why it is good to post students work. Not only are the "Conversations with Future Teachers" posted for discussion by the world, but the work of classmates is shared and we can all learn from the work of others. We watch and listen to learn and collaborate to improve our own productions.

Comments4kids Week 10

2009-10-26T00:24:00.004-05:00

A second grade teacher at Random Lake Elementary School has just begun having her students blog this year. Her blog has generally been a great place for the families to "peek into" the school day. The teacher communicates announcements but also posts information about the things the second graders have done and are planning to do. I think parents, students, and teachers could probably benefit a lot from this kind of interaction.
I also followed a link to the class website. Wow! What a great site! There is information and links for parents, teachers and kids.

The Story by Anne-Maire Holmwood

2009-10-24T22:34:00.004-05:00

Ms. Holmwood created a very friendly video about stories and how they have been passed through time. Indeed, she told the story. Comments left at her post included information about using "free use" images. Three listed sites were: http://creativecommons.org/
http://www.archive.org/index.php
http://freeplaymusic.com/index.php
I want to make sure I follow copyright laws.

ACCESS Distance Learning

2009-10-18T22:52:00.004-05:00

The acronym ACCESS means Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Education, and Students. Statewide. The goal of "distance learning plan is to create equity through additional educational offerings for all Alabama public high school students". Students must be a enrolled in an Alabama public high school and only the designated staff member at their school can enroll them in ACCESS.
I found that every high school course, including electives like foreign languages, could be taken through this web based resource. The site listed the following particular characteristics that successful ACCESS students usually possess:

* are self-motivated and self-disciplined
* stay on task without direct supervision
* like to figure things out without direct assistance
* prioritize workload effectively
* can successfully work alone
* are good at assessing their own progress
* like working with computers and software programs
* enjoy the challenge of working with new technology
* are good at following instructions
* use email and can create messages with attached files
* can download and install programs from the Internet
* can search the Web
* can copy and paste from one program to another
* rarely procrastinate
* enjoy communicating in writing and reading the writing of others
* work with others to complete projects
* seek assistance when problems arise
* take an active role in the learning process

Students take complete assignments, projects, collaborative work, and even tests online. Grades are reported to the students "home school" which is their high school and received with other subject grades on a report card.
Alabama is broken into three regions and students are served through a support center in their region. Teachers are usually from the same region and ACCESS offers online teaching opportunities to state educators.
ACCESS could certainly be a great resource, especially at a school or in a district that did not have the funding for all the teacher units the needed. Could this be what schools will be in the future?

The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)

2009-10-17T18:59:00.008-05:00

According to the site description, the Alabama Learning Exchange "is designed to index and share many types of educational materials and information through a time-saving, one-stop resource for educators, parents, and students. The majority of these rich resources (lesson plans, Web links, and interactive activities) are located and connected to the Alabama Courses of Study by National Board Certified Teachers."
What a wonderful resource for teachers who want to prepare the best possible lessons for their students! Teachers can simply click on their grade level, scroll down to their lesson objective and find several complete lesson plans and links to useful sites for making learning fun and interesting. I look forward to using this great site when I am planning a lesson to teach and meet the required standards.
There is a "Podcast Treasury" with many subject areas that could be an excellent tool in the classroom. A part of the site is for "Professional Learning" with lots of information on Library Media, Alabama Professional Development, Special Education, English Learners Education and more.

Thoughts on Kaia's Blog and her Daddy's Blog

2009-10-15T21:23:00.006-05:00

Kaia is a very young little girl whose daddy helps her blog. She shares lots of thoughts, pictures and experiences. William Chamberlain's class regularly comments on kids blogs. Kaia's father contacted Mr. Chamberlain's class and asked them to send Kaia a voice thread and they did. This was one more way to connect and provide more motivation to little Kaia to post.
As it turns out, Kaia's Dad does a lot to inspire and motivate Kaia to express herself. He is definitely working towards Kaia's literacy. They took cameras outside, Kaia took lots of pictures and created a photo essay about her pictures to put on her blog. Many people have seen her presentation and have commented. ....This can be very motivating for a young child.....
Kaia's Dad is a teacher. He is very interested in technology being used as a tool in education. He stated that Kaia "is still too young to really grasp the connections that she is making, but in a few years these connections and this type of interaction will be ubiquitous in her life. I hope that her teachers are ready to help her continue on this journey."
While technology is a very useful tool, there is definitely another side that teachers must understand. I believe parents are right to have reservations and the following quote from Kaia's Dad's blog that expresses my own views.
"...this experience was also eye opening for me as a parent, because having Kaia exposed like this made me hyper aware of how vulnerable I am making her... I started to think about how much trust we ask that parents put in us as teachers. Kaia’s blog started as a way to share photos with family, it has quickly become a way that we are documenting her life. And now, it is becoming a way that she is connecting with people throughout the world. This is scary. Part of me wants to pull back and keep her our little secret. But if we want our students to feel comfortable and be cautious online, we must be able to do the same with our own children. As teachers and technology evangelist it is easy to ask parents to allow us to expose their children to a variety of experiences online, but as a parent it can all seem so scary. I agree with many people that if we choose to live open lives online, we must trust that the positive experience will outweigh they dangerous ones, but there is nothing like seeing pictures of your daughter on a youtube video created by someone else to spark up the paranoia. Where can this go? Will I always be able to control it? Should I be able to? These are all important questions to ask as we push the boundaries of our lives and our learning online."

The New Media Literacies Project

2009-10-14T00:39:00.006-05:00

I wanted to find a good definition for "media literacy" and, in my search, I found a very compelling reason to teach it. The Center on Media and Child Health states,"As a teacher, encouraging and practicing media literacy in your classroom is one of the most important things you can do to keep children safe and healthy in the Information Age. Since your students are surrounded by media every day, learning how to question the media messages they see and hear is crucial."
The Comparative Media Studies (CMS)Program at MIT has developed the New Media Literacies Project. The CMS site states, "Our courses are designed to teach students to both make and reflect upon media and in the process, to acquire important skills in team work, leadership, problem solving, collaboration, brainstorming, communications, and project completion, which will prepare them for a broad range of academic and professional careers." In another part of the site, the CMS notes the "social and cultural expertise" that is taught in its department.
I think the New Media Literacies Project is part of that effort. They have identified important skills that are needed to be successful in media. Indeed, we all need to be socially and culturally considerate toward others, in technology and in person.

Thoughts on the "New Media Literacies" by the NML Staff

2009-10-11T22:01:00.006-05:00

Terms from The New Media Literacy:
judgement, negotiation, appropriation, play, transmedia navigation, simulation, collective intelligence, performance, distributed cognition, visualization, multitasking

I believe we should use judgement when considering any content, no matter the source. The prospective of the presenter always affects information. The video mentioned that negotiation is about "knowing how to enter into different groups and different spaces and knowing how to understand what the different norms are". I've never been part of a "group", but I would suspect this is about being socially acceptable. Appropriation is like putting together a research paper from many sources. Play is "the capacity to experiment with your surroundings as a form of problem solving". I think these skills are just different forms of the same skills always needed by effective artist, citizens and workers.

Comments4kids Week 6

2009-10-10T23:20:00.003-05:00

I read Cody's post from Mr.Goerend's Classroom Blog. He wrote a great little story about the creation of "National Hop Like a Kangaroo Day". In the story, a boy named Max hurt his foot playing football and had to hop on one foot for a few days. Through a series of events, the President learns of Max and his classroom's idea of a day to hop around like a kangaroo. I think it would be a fun holiday.... especially if we could all dress like kangaroos and spend the day hopping around in the parks near our homes!
Colby is learning to write creatively and lots of people are getting to see his work. I have got to say that as a sixth grader, I do not think I would have wanted my own work out there for the world to see.

Thoughts on "Connectivism"

2009-10-10T18:24:00.005-05:00

Wendy Drexler's The Networked Student is a "very easy to understand" representation of the way a student learns through networking. I enjoyed the "commoncraft" design style. The use of simple drawings and a single voice narration is a welcome change to many videos which have sometimes too much video and audio "noise".
"Connectivism" is a way of learning that doesn't use textbooks. The teacher guides the student to information by helping him or her create a learning network. A student searches for information from reliable sources about a subject and then follows the links to additional information and sites. A "virtual textbook" is created by RSS Feeds, "social bookmarking account", voice thread, and wiki. Among other things like being a guide and advisor, according to the video, a teacher "helps him (the student) organize those mountains of information" found through all the research.
At Ms. Drexler's blog, she listed several obstacles that a teacher meets when trying to introduce the teaching method of "Connectivism". One obstacle that might be very real for a new teacher is trying to incorporate this amount of technology and time into the already established and required curriculum. Just as Matthew Needleman suggested in his skype call to our class, I will just have to add a little technology each year. A second obstacle mentioned by Ms. Drexler that is a real concern is "protecting students from inappropriate content". I do not know if I am right, but I understand that sometimes the filters that are meant to protect our children, sometimes block the use of some tools or useful sites. I do not know the answer to this, but I believe their protection should come first.

Thoughts on "Writing with Multimedia"

2009-10-10T06:51:00.002-05:00

The move toward using multimedia is obvious in nearly all parts of our life. Many churches have large screens in the front of their sanctuaries where they project song lyrics, announcements and even scripture text. Funeral homes now, at least in my area, prepare short slide shows with a musical background and pictures provided by the family. Many weddings and receptions have a song or two using pictures or video about the couples' lives.
With the advent of cameras on everyone's cell phones and the constant posting to youtube and blogs, I believe our children are growing up in a world where there is music, pictures and video about nearly everything. I think they can't help but think in these terms. The only reason they might not consider producing work for school in this format is if their assignment restricts them to paper.
Richard Miller's This Is How We Dream might serve to make teachers more aware of the world of presentation than students. As I said, students are surrounded with these forms of communication. So, if teachers will provide class time, the tools and instruction in how to use them, and allow students to choose a topic of interest to them, I believe teachers will be surprised how creative their students will be.
It is worth mentioning that I think the biggest hurdle besides obtaining the tools, might be educating the students in how to use them. Some students will come to the classroom with some prior knowledge and access, but others will not. If the tools are introduced in a step by step method and built upon with time, just as math or most any other subject, the student will not become overwhelmed and be able to be more creative with their projects.

Using iPods in the Classroom

2009-10-04T22:56:00.007-05:00

According to NECC Ning, "Teacher current app favorites include: WordBook, Thesaurus, USA, Countries, Brain Tuner, Blanks, Whiteboard, CoinToss, Lose It!, Word Warp, FlipBook Lite. Of course they are using the included apps: Calendar, Calculator, Notes, Clock, YouTube throughout each day." Elementary and Middle School teachers who teach math, language arts, science, and social studies use the iPod touch as teaching tools for their curriculum. A special education teacher, Jeremy Brown commented on the site listed above that the ipod "will be used both as augmentative communication devices (AAC) as well as instructional tools - using a variety of apps found in Education section of Apps Store...If all goes well, I am hoping my classroom will become a model for use of such technologies across the county." NECC Ning looks to be a great discussion forum for teachers who will use every technology tool available to teach their classes.
Duke University took the use of ipods to a new level in 2004, when they "were passed out to all of its 1,650 freshmen in the fall", according to the July 1, 2005, article in The Chronicle of Higher Education. voanews.com reported one year later that, "The most popular use was to record such things as classroom lectures or field notes."

Ways iTunes University Might Be Helpful To Me As A Teacher

2009-10-03T22:58:00.008-05:00

iTunes University holds actual lectures and information from real colleges and universities. Actual lectures and lessons can be found and downloaded for convenient learning by anyone and for free. Any subject matter is available and future podcasts can be ordered with subscription. Link to iTunesU introduction.
At iTunesU, follow the link or path to DePaul university, Modern Languages, Basic Spanish, to lessons for learning Spanish. These podcasts could be very valuable to me if a child enters my class who speaks Spanish and very little English.
Teacher resources are also available at iTunesU. I have thought that I would love to add American Sign Language to the curriculum in my classroom. I found great ideas and resources at Florida Department of Education, Foreign Languages - Foreign Lesson Profiles. Tips for using cameras as teaching tools in the classroom can be found following iTunesU, Teaching and Education, Northeast Able Resource Center.

Thoughts on "Mr. C's Class Blog" Comments4kids Week 5

2009-10-01T23:19:00.006-05:00

William Chamberlain's class blog has lots of information. Several teachers at Noel Elementary School have begun to use technology more and more in their classrooms. I read about Mrs. Smith's third and fifth graders who had made stuffed symmetrical fish. The lesson was used for art, math and social studies. I enjoy lessons that allow children to be creative!!

Thoughts of Dr. Alice Christie's Website

2009-10-01T18:07:00.006-05:00

Wow! Dr. Alice Christie's site is an online technology class just like EDM310 will become very soon. I see the benefit in having all the class information ready to be learned by anyone who is interested. The site itself states that "It is a comprehensive resource for educators wishing to use technology in their classrooms."
I will use the "Class" section of the site just as I am sure I will refer back to our EDM310 class blog. Now, I know I will have two reliable and thorough sources for any technology questions I may have after this class or when I have my own classroom.

Thought on Comments4kids Week 4

2009-09-29T11:29:00.007-05:00

I read Austin's blog from Mrs. Cassidy's first grade class. He told his Dad that he loved him. Mrs. Cassidy is using blogging as a literacy tool. Many times, children are enthusiastic about using technology and this can be a great way to motivate students.

Thoughts on "What I've learned this Year"

2009-09-25T14:41:00.007-05:00

According to Harry Wong, author of my classroom management textbook The First Days of School, three characteristics of an effective classroom teacher are: classroom management, teaching for mastery and positive expectations. Mr McClung is right in reminding new teachers not to "become upset when they (the students) do not meet the expectation". We should set goals high enough for challenge and success.
I'm grateful for the reminder not to worry so much about my lesson plan, but focus on my students. Mr. McClung stated, "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT" and "in order to be effective you have to be able to let your audience drive your instruction." My students need me to listen to them and help them achieve, not just carry out the lesson plan.
Very soon, when I am standing in a classroom full of students and it is my job to be their teacher, I am going to try to remember that I am "performing in front of a crowd that struggles remembering what they brought for lunch that day" and try not to be nervous. Smile.

Thought on "Wikipedia Scanner"

2009-09-25T08:29:00.014-05:00

According to an NPR article posted August 16, 2007, "Wikipedia calls itself 'the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit,' which is another way of saying it is not fact-checked. Or spin-checked, for that matter." Anyone can edit, add, or delete information posted on Wikipedia and do so anonymously. However, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, Virgil Griffith, has created a tool to track the location of changes made to Wikipedia. It is called the Wikipedia Scanner.
A Wired article, by John Borland, said that Griffith created the scanner because he became curious about Wikipedia edits when it was reported that "congress members 'offices had been editing their own entries" and he "wanted to know whether big companies and other organizations were doing things in a similarly self-interested vein." NPR and Wired noted several companies' Wikipedia articles which had been edited from computers owned by those companies.
I wonder if, since everyone knows that information can be edited or even deleted from Wikipedia, it is important to know the source of edits. What if the original content was erroneous? Are we just as interested in the source of information posted to harm an image?
I think it is also important to remember that the use of terminology and adjectives is subjective to the perspective of the individual providing the information. Subject matter should be considered when using Wikipedia because, as NPR stated, "the company or the band you're researching is likely to have enhanced or polished its Wikipedia image" or negative information could also be posted by someone who has opposing views.
Additional article

Thoughts on Comments4Kids Week 4

2009-09-24T12:25:00.008-05:00

Allyas posted a very pretty pattern on her post for Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog. Posting art work and examples of kindergarten and first grade work would be a very effective way to get children and even parents familiar with blogging as a teaching tool.

Learning about FDR in Warm Springs, GA

2009-09-24T11:45:00.001-05:00

Thoughts on "Randy Pausch's Last Lecture"

2009-09-20T16:38:00.014-05:00

Mr. Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and that is where he delivered his last lecture. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just one month before and had been told he had only three to six months of healthy life. He told his story of fulfilling his childhood dreams and enabling others to fulfill theirs. I discovered he lived longer than the doctors had expected, but still passed very young at the age of forty-eight. His last speech was one of the most inspirational speeches I have ever heard. At the end, he told his audience that the speech was not for them, but for his children. I enjoy bits of information to remember and below are a few of some of the wonderful things he had to say.

"Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us show our dedication and prove how badly we want things."
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."
"Millions of kids are having fun while learning something hard. That's pretty cool"
"The best way to teach somebody something is to have them think they are learning something else." = "head fake"
"You just have to decide if you are a Tigger or an Eeyore."
"When you do the right thing, good things have a way of happening."
"Be good at something, it makes you valuable."
"Be prepared: "luck" is where preparation meets opportunity."
"Find the best in everybody: no matter how long you have to wait for them to show it."
"Never loose the child like wonder. It's too important. It's what drives us."

If you would like to hear some very encouraging words to brighten your day, you can click the link below to watch the entire speech
RANDY PAUSCH'S LAST LECTURE

Thoughts on Comments4Kids Week 3

2009-09-19T20:08:00.004-05:00

I read a story about how Cassi got her pet bunny. I'm not sure if it was fiction or not. She included lots of details about the days leading up to her father bringing a bunny home to her and her sister. Her story was categorized as Student Writing. I think her teacher, Mr. Goerend, uses technology for many different purposes, including student writing, notes to parents, and helpful tips and websites for students to use.Cassi's Post

Thoughts on "Did You Know? 4.0"

2009-09-16T18:47:00.004-05:00

Wow! According to Did You Know 4.0, the average American teen sends 2,272 text messages every month. Each generation finds ways to use technology for its advantage and is becoming more and more comfortable using it for communication and research. As educators, we should take advantage of this swiftly advancing media and use its many parts as teaching tools.

Thoughts on the "Beasley Broadcast" Week 3

2009-09-16T18:24:00.005-05:00

The Beasley Broadcast, produced by the students of the RBS 4th Grade, is very interesting. The students sound so excited to be a part of the product. They covered interesting topics that would appeal to students of all grade levels at their school. I also loved hearing the students' reactions to comments made on their blogs. Their excitement is compelling. This is a useful and practical way to use podcasts in the elementary classroom.

Thoughts on "Is it Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?" by Karl Fisch

2009-09-11T21:26:00.010-05:00

Mr. Karl Fisch has a very passionate opinion, that "If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write." I tend to agree with mferrill who said in a comment "My point is not that teachers shouldn’t make the effort to use technology, but teachers can still be effective using other tools. And don’t worry—the technology will take care of itself. Younger teachers have grown up with it so they will incorporate it into their lessons naturally."
I'm a non-traditional student and ,unlike my younger college classmates, I have not been using all the social networks and other tools of technology in my own life. EDM310 has been an eye opener and a wonderful challenge for me. Just as mferrill commented, as new teachers like myself go into the classrooms, they will take the technologies they have learned and incorporate them as teaching tools.

Thoughts on "It's not about the Technology" by Kelly Hines

2009-09-11T20:24:00.007-05:00

I really enjoyed Ms. Hines' article. I agree that technology for the sake of just using some type of technology might not be most effective. When technology is used as a tool for teaching or as motivation, it's much more valuable.
I agree with Ms. Hines that, "Technology is useless without good teaching". I believe it takes a good teacher to effectively use technology as a tool and not just something else to do in the classroom. I hope to be an effective teacher. I plan to use technology as a tool to help my students advance, comprehend, create, and succeed. Through this class, the assignments given, and the links I follow in them, I am finding many resources for ways to teach creatively. I enjoyed the comments made and the links given. I followed a few and found much more information with which I agreed.

Thoughts on "A Vision of Students Today"

2009-09-11T13:28:00.005-05:00

I graduated from high school twenty years ago. My life has involved being wife and mother for the past seventeen and half years. Windows 95 was coming out when I left my job as a secretary to stay at home with our children. I didn't have a cell phone till about the middle of 2001. I learned and did fairly well in what is now considered the old fashioned schools.
Students today are growing up with all these technologies before them and they expect information to be presented this way and, in fact, they react and absorb it better. I believe that some children may benefit a great deal from having most information presented in a moving and interactive format. Does this mean that everything about our educational system needs to be restructured? I am at a loss for what should be done about all the issues presented in this video.

Thoughts on "Podcasting in the Classroom"

2009-09-10T11:23:00.004-05:00

Having students perform the dialogue as the voices of a novel seems to be a great motivator for literacy and subject content. When podcasts are project based, children use higher level thinking skills from Bloom's Taxonomy to prepare their presentation. As the Principal Christie Forrest of Douglas Wilder Middle School mentioned, podcasting offers "an opportunity for parents to communicate and see what's going on in the classroom. They have an actual audio clip of class work and parents always appreciate hearing about what's going on in the classroom." I appreciate that the creator of this vodcast included the addresses of tutorials where others could learn to produce podcasts.

Thoughts on Mr. Needleman's skype call

2009-09-09T21:35:00.001-05:00

I learned so much from Mr. Needleman's call. I would love to know his procedure or lesson plan for producing a movie in a kindergarten, first or second grade class. How did he do it?
I plan to investigate Classroom 2.0. I hope to use the ideas of these creative teachers!

Thoughts on creating a presentation in Google Docs

2009-09-08T09:30:00.004-05:00

I found Google Docs to be very "user friendly". I had been told that using it to create a presentation was like using Power Point. Having never used Power Point, either, I thought I would have a difficult time. But, I found Google's tools were easy to understand and use! I am so glad!

Thoughts on posting to "comments4kids" Week 1

2009-09-07T00:04:00.005-05:00

Surely having college students around the world commenting on your post about your summer reading book would be a great motivator for those students who love to use technology. I enjoyed reading the students assessment of their books. Each child seemed to have a very different perspective of the same story.

Thoughts on "The Tech Literate Teacher"

2009-09-06T02:10:00.006-05:00

I enjoyed watching the "Tech Literate Teacher" podcast from the summer class of EDM310. The discussion reaffirmed for me the purpose of this class. I knew I was going to be learning about technology, but really did not realize that there were so many different resources available. I also did not realize that technology could be used in so many as teaching tools.
The only change that I would consider making to the podcast would be to let each person bring a different idea or subtopic to the table. Each person could take turns introducing their question or facts for discussion.

Thoughts on "Video in the Classroom"

2009-08-29T18:31:00.003-05:00

Matthew Needleman's idea is fabulous! He said that the least motivated students are the ones who benefited most from the experience of creating films. This is another example of students needing something different than the traditional classroom for them to succeed. The opportunity to create is a great motivator for some kids and when given the chance to express themselves, they will impress everyone around them!

Thoughts on Podcasts

2009-08-29T17:19:00.006-05:00

Exploring iTunes podcasts has opened up a whole new world. There is an endless amount of information, entertainment and even education. The idea of college classes being available for free on iTunesU is very interesting. There really seems to be no end to the amount of knowledge one can acquire if willing.
My husband first taught me about iTunes when he showed me that our favorite talk radio programs had been stored there and we could listen to them anytime. I loved that if I had missed a program, I could download it to my MP3 and listen at my convenience.
One of my favorite programs is "The Gesalt Gardner" with Felder Rushing. He is a horticulturalist in Mississippi who takes calls and answers questions regarding southern gardening. We also enjoy "Car Talk", an entertaining couple of brothers that takes calls and answer questions about car troubles. "The Dave Ramsey Show" delivers much advice about finance and its host, Dave Ramsey, is the author of several books about the subject, including "Financial Peace" and "The Total Money Makeover".
Using podcasts as part of the elementary classroom is a new idea to me. I probably will subscribe to the "SmartBoard Lessons Podcasts" and "Teachers Connecting Podcast". These are great resources for ways to use technology in the classroom. I don't think that I would ever come up with many of these ideas on my own.

Thoughts on "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts"

2009-08-23T00:36:00.008-05:00

I love the video of Ms. Vicki Davis' class. It seems that all teenagers, rural or not, enjoy their cell phones and social pages on the internet. What a perfect way to use their interests. By assigning projects with classmates and with students across the world, Ms. Davis is taking advantage of the networking and social interaction they already enjoy to teach them new ways of using technology.
The tools, class time, and inspiration to jump out into technical opportunities are probably well accepted by most teenagers. I love that the students were learning things and then teaching them to their teacher. I do wonder how much of this type of instuction could be used in a younger elementary class? Could these applications be used in second or third grade?

Thoughts on "The Importance of Creativity"

2009-08-22T23:57:00.006-05:00

I enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson's speech concerning creativity. Children and even adults learn in different ways. I learn best by listening and watching demonstration. Others learn by movement and acting. I've noticed that when classroom teachers use many different methods of teaching, my own children respond differently. They even retain information better, sometimes, because they acted out a part of history or made a craft representing some area of science.
Sir Robinson used the dancer and choreographer Gillian Lynne's educational experience to show that some children learn best kinesthetically. He even suggested that Ms. Lynne might have been diagonsed with ADHD, had she been in a classroom today. This is a very serious thought for a new or veteran teacher. There are so many children that are medicated in our schools. Sir Robinson said we should "rethink the fundamental principles upon which we are educating our children." I am hopeful that, if we did make changes, they would make a big difference for these bright children who want to move in their learning.
"Creativity is as important as literacy in education and we should treat it that way." Ken Robinson

Thoughts on "Did You Know? 3.0" and "Mr. Winkle Wakes"

2009-08-20T22:39:00.014-05:00

Karl Fisch's DID YOU KNOW 3.0 video is startling. A tremendous amount of information is transported so swiflty. More interesting is that larger amounts are being moved even faster everyday. The video stated "We are living in exponential times".
The idea that "the amount of new technical information is doubling every two years" leaves me asking the same question that Mr. Fisch asked in the video. "So what does it all mean?" How will all the internet devices, fiber optic cables and supercomputers be used? As a future teacher, I should view technology as a tool for my students to prepare them "for jobs that do not exist,using technologies that haven't been invented, in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet".

Matthew Needleman's MR. WINKLE WAKES video is a kind reminder to not let the class computer set idle. Students can use the computer to go outside the walls of their classroom to discover more about any topic in the lesson plan.
The world around our children is changing so fast. They should be given the opportunity to learn about the technologies that are helping to change it. In fact, they will be part of those businesses and medical facilities. Click below to see video

I am Mom

2009-08-20T11:10:00.006-05:00

I have been married to my high school sweetheart for seventeen years. God has given us the gifts of three bright and healthy children. Staying at home with our children while they were small has been very rewarding. I will always cherish the memories of watching them grow and being with them during their preschool years.
Now, just as planned, I have returned to college to finish my elementary education degree. Our home is very busy with three children and the Mom as students and Dad working. We are all adjusting to a schedule of homework and extracurricular activities. Being the Mom is a blessing.

University of South Alabama

2009-08-18T23:56:00.006-05:00

GO JAGS!

2009-08-18T22:43:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my blog!