Blog Post #10

An Open Letter to Educators



Morgan's article really spoke to me and I could relate to it. She says that her classes that incorporated technology and multi-media, such as PLNs, Twitter, and blogs, have been the most beneficial to her. When I graduate college, I want to leave with insight on how to use the technology of today's society. I don't want to leave with just a bunch of handwritten notes from my history class of 200 students. By taking classes such as EDM310, I have learned many ways to use technology to my advantage. When I graduate, I will be able to use a smartboard, a PLN, Twitter, Google Docs, and many other things. I think more classes need to incorporate technology and not just a powerpoint with a lecture.

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

I really liked this video. It brought up a good point, your sentence can be your true motivation. It's very hard to think of 'my sentence.' Thinking of one sentence to sum up your motivations is not an easy task. I think though if I had to create one, it would be this, "She is a kind person who wants to be a helpful and motivational role model for her future students in the classroom.

Smartboard Lesson

Additional Assignment #3

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Educational Paradigms

There were so many important things in this video in my opinion. From the beginning of this video, I knew that everything that Ken Robinson was saying would be of value to me. The way that they presented the information was interesting and kept my attention. One of the things that I liked about what he said was the discussion about ADHD. He said that he does not believe that it is an epidemic and that children are being medicated for ADHD as much as people get their tonsils out. He brought up a great point though, we are living in one of the most stimulating time periods ever. There is so much information being fed to students and so many new technologies coming out to distract people. He also says that we have also started to give students more meds because of the raise in standardized testing. I couldn't agree with this more. I don't believe in standardized testing by any means. It shows nothing about how a child learns, it's simply a test to state how well a student can spit back information. We need to lower the number of standardized testing in my opinion. If I were to create this with a group of people,I would like to be the designer or the narrator.

Skype Interview

Blog Post #9

"What I've Learned This Year" by: Mr. McClung

The article written by Mr. McClung was great and very informational. A lot of teachers are nervous about their first day of teaching, it's normal to be nervous. A lot of the points that he made are useful and new teachers can use the post to help them with their first years of teaching. In the blog he states, "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT." I really like this quote. Most teachers get so bogged down with teaching the content in a state approved manner that they forget how to teach for student learning. It is important to follow the state standards, but don't take away from inspiring the children with your lessons and ideas. Mr. McClung also brought up technology in the classroom. He states the teachers must not be afraid to use technology. If they are worried about it at first, it's important that they take baby steps along the way. Student would rather have a fun teacher who teaches at a slower pace, then a fast, non-recptive teacher who is only in for teaching because of following the states stndards.

Short Video Project #12

Timetoast Timeline- Instructional

Blog Post # 8

Dr. Miller Discusses Writing With Multimedia

This video talked about the changing world of technology. He states that writing by hand is becoming less and less used and the use of computers is becoming the norm. He states in the first video that when writing up an article, he never had to use the library or the a book. He was able to find everything online and was able to write up the article on Google Docs. The paper is available online for anyone to see at any time and it was written, published, and shared all at the same time on the same computer.

In my experience, I have always been able to have access to computers and technology. I was always required to take a computer course to become more prepared in the technology field. I still remember in first grade, using the JumpStart computer program. I feel that with my preparation in school with computers, I could catch on fast to the extensive use of technology and multimedia in the classroom today.

I believe that students will be able to keep up and will be able to use multimedia. Children today are becoming more technologically advanced younger and younger. For example, I know of a six year old who has a facebook and runs it without help of her parents. This is crazy to think. When I become a teacher in a few years, students will be able to catch onto multimedia easily in my opinion.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 For Dummies
Chipper was all about procrastination, much like a lot of others. She wanted a way to be taught and not have to learn on her own. By being hand fed everything in her class, she wouldn't have to go out of her way to learn on her own. This video relates to how I feel about EDM310. Sometimes I get so frustrated with having all of this work and not having a professor constantly helping me with the work. I have realized though that by doing all of the work in EDM310 by myself, I have learned a lot.

EDM310 for Dummies was a great video made by Jamie Lynn. The video says that with the help of others, you can achieve anything. The message of this video is a good one. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help and work with others to finish tasks. Once you get past the basics in the networking, technology world, you can do things a lot easier.

Smartboard Arguements
I really like Smartboards. In the classroom that I'm in observing in right now in EDF 315, my teacher actively uses the Smartboard. The children love when she uses it for lessons. They are able to interact and use the Smartboard during her lectures. The two articles we were assigned to read weren't in favor of the Smartboard. They believe it is too expensive and more of a 'cop-out', rather than a good investment for the classroom. I found a website that agrees with the use of Smartboards in the classroom. Here is the URL: www.smartboardrevolution.ning.com/. On this website, teachers are able to share their ideas and tricks that they use with the Smartboard. There are always two sides of everything, but as of right now, the majority of teachers love the Smartboard.

Additional Assignment #2

I really enjoyed watching this video. Scientist Sugata Mitra is a very inventive person and listening to what he has done for children all around was very interestiing.

1. What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves? That video proved that if learners are motivated, they will teach themselves. The children in India were able to teach themselves how to use a computer within a short amount of time.

2. If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves? Of course, if children are motivated, they will teach themselves what they want to know.

3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself? There has to be some sort of motivation. Kids will work for what they want, they will teach themselves whatever needs to be learned if motivated enough.

4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process? They play a huge role in the process of learning new things. Programs such as google and youtube create ways for students to gain information.

5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn? If there is a desire to learn, motivation follows that.

6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process? By having problems in the process of learning, only teaches students to use problem solving skills to find out what they are wanting to find out.

7. How do you motivate someone to learn? By giving rewards or getting them excited by what they are going to learn.

8. How are you motivated to learn? Yes, very. I'm always willing to learn new things. It builds character and makes you more intelligent.

9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn? There is always a way to motivate someone to learn, in my opinion.

10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why? Yes, I teach myself through this class for example. We are given a list of things to do and I have to learn how to complete the tasks by myself.

11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning? A teacher is a monitor and a motivator. They the ones who make sure you are motivated to learn and that you are doing a good job.

12. What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video? Technology plays a large part in learning for students around the world. Technology is never going away, it's only getting stronger. We must learn to embrace technology and use it to benefit us.

13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers? Teachers should realize that technology is a self-organizing system and that we need to embrace technology in our classrooms.

Blog Post # 7- Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

I have actually seen this video a couple of times before being assigned to this. We watched the whole lecture in church and our pastor created a sermon from it. When I read that we were assigned to watch it, I was very happy. It gave me another reason to watch it and be inspired by Randy. The theme of his last lecture was 'Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.' The title alone is intriguing, everyone has childhood dreams.

During the first part of the lecture, Randy shares with us that he is suffering from pancreatic cancer. It saddened the audience to see this, although most of them knew already. For someone to be suffering from an illness that would take his life away in a matter of months, it was so incredible to me that Randy was in such good spirits. That is what I believe makes him a special man. Sure he didn't want to die, but he accepted it and made his last few months memorable.

Randy talked about his childhood aspirations, leading up to him talking about teaching and the classroom. Randy was a professor for a few years before becoming an Imagineer at Disney. His teaching style was creative and hands on with his students. He always made sure that the students were learning while having fun. Randy said this, "And even though I did not reach the NFL, I sometimes think I got more from persuing that dream, and not accomplishing it, then I did from many of the ones I did accomplish." This quote is inspiring, Randy always taught his students to chase their dreams and even if they didn't accomplish them, at least they tried.

I believe that everyone needs to watch this lecture given by the late Randy Pausch. It is not only inspiring, it's informational, and it gives people a new perspective on life. The things that Randy said in his lecture were profound and well spoken. For example, he said this, "It's not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life, ... If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you." Everyone needs to see watch this and educators of today and the future should lead their life like Randy led his life.

PLN Post #1

When I first began using the Symbaloo site, I was amazed at the ability to keep all of my bookmarks in one place. This is a very convenient thing to have whether you're a student, teacher, or are constantly using technology in general. When going on to the homepage, I noticed a link to a new teacher friendly Symbaloo page. This page is great for teachers who use technology as a way to teach their students, which is the majority of teachers today and teachers in the future. In my PLN, I added the links to Gmail, My Jaguar Mail account, facebook, Skype, Pandora, and Google search. As the semester continues on, I will find more references to add. Symbaloo is such a great site and I would have never known about it if it wasn't for this class.

TimeToast Timeline- Personal

Summary Post C4T #2 and #3

For my comments for teacher number 2, I was assigned to the blog of Lisa Thumann. Her blog is filled with useful information. She is a user of all things Google, sort of how we are in EDM 310. The post that I read and commented on was titled, "I Love, Love, Love Technology, But..." The article was about a teacher in Jersey that had written to her about her conditions in her school. The conditions regarding technology were so sad; the school didn't even have an email system set up for teachers. In today's society, email and technology are very important to keep up with what is going on between teachers and in the school. Lisa listed a few websites that could help with funding for this school and as I scrolled through the comments, I found some more websites. I liked reading this article, it was thought provoking and helpful at the same time.

Blog Post #6

1. The Networked Student
I really enjoyed watching this video. The ideas are similar to those that we use in EDM 310. This video is a reminder of how technology is affecting our schooling and the way that teachers teach. Our society is becoming technologically advanced and one day there may not be a need for teachers because of all of the new ways to connect with other students and professors simply through a computer.

As far as my career as a teacher, I am willing and almost obligated to become advanced in the use of technology in my classroom. It is essential that I am kept up on everything new that is happening in our society. I must be able to teach my students these things as a way of keeping them informed and advanced in technology as well.


2. A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment

This 7th grader's video was very eye-opening. It shows that students in middle schools are becoming very technologically advanced. There was no possible way that when I was 7th grade, any of what she was explaining was possible. Her PLE was very informational and I admired all of the work that she had put into it. Her video could be used a intro to PLE's or PLN's for other students in schools.


3. The Machine is Changing Us
This video was so full of information about the changing world of technology. I really enjoyed watching Dr. Wesch's lecture on technology and how it is affecting us. He states that websites such as Youtube, have their own online communities. Technology is advancing everyday, every minute, every second. In my college experience, in almost every class, the internet and technology was used. For example, in EDM 310, we are required to have our own youtube channel. This relates to the ideas that Dr. Wesch stated in his lecture about youtube. I liked a quote that was used 40 years ago, "We live in the world of an instant replay. Events are not only recorded, but replayed." This is so true. We can go onto youtube to find a video of anything that we could think of replay it. In my future career, I will definitely use youtube and technology in my classroom. Whether it's finding a documentary or posting classroom podcasts on youtube, I will use it and it will be beneficial to my class.

Summary Post C4K 1 and 2

For my first comments for kids, my student was Carmen who is in the 8th grade at Noel Jr. High School. At first, I read Carmen's learning manifesto. I noticed that teacher had commented and stated that she had not really followed the assignment guidelines, but I preceded to read and comment on what she had completed. Spelling and grammar was a big issue in her first couple of posts, but by the time I had commented on her About Me, her spelling and grammar had improved. Her about me showed that she was proud of her family and of her heritage. I really admired their class's willingness to learn and all of the blogs were very good.

Podcast Project

Blog Post # 5

The first podcast that I listened to was the third grade class, Eagles' Nest Radio. I really enjoyed listening to these podcasts. I believe that the students are benefiting from this new way of presenting information. I have never seen a classroom blog where they use podcasts as a way of learning. Allowing students to use podcasts in the classroom gives them the opportunity to use technology and be familiar with its advantages at a young age.

I then read the information written by Judy Scharf on how to make a successful podcast. The information was helpful to me and I will use some of her advice when doing my podcast. In her blog she gave tips for success, examples of podcasts from youtube, and information about podcasts in general.

The next page was I looked up was the Practical Principal's podcast, written by Melinda Miller and Scott Elias. Scott lives in Colorado and Melinda lives in Missouri. This shows how people from different parts of the country can connect and record a podcast. In their podcast, they share how their day goes as a principal and the experiences that they have at their schools.

Listening to these podcasts was helpful in learning how to make my podcast better. I learned that podcasts are beneficial for almost everyone. I really loved the idea of using a podcast in the classroom. I will definitely think about using a podcast in my classroom as a way for my students to connect with one another and keep up with what we are doing in the class.

Blog Post # 4

1.) Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please? By: Scott McLeod

When I first read this post by Dr. McLeod, I thought how can you think technology is not important? It's the essence of our future. I then realized that was exactly the point of his blog. He took a sarcastic approach to his post, making it more effective and thought provoking. I really enjoyed his approach and I agreed with the argument he was making. In researching Dr. McLeod, I found out that he is the co-creator of the video, "Did you know?", a video we watched for a previous blog assignment.

2.) The iSchool Initative

This video was about an idea created by a seventeen year old high school student. He created a concept called the iSchool, the idea that school could be completed in it's entirety on an Apple iTouch. There are already a multitude of apps on the iTouch that could be used for the iSchool and with modifications, more apps could be added that could make the iSchool possible for students everywhere.

I don't know what to think about this idea. It would reduce waste in our environment, I agree with that, but I'm not sure about the efficiency of the iSchool. I think the iSchool would be better if it was integrated into regular schools gradually. A classroom could still meet and do tests and things in the classroom, but gradually the iSchool would be introduced for homework assignments and a way for parents, teachers, and students to communicate.

3.) Lost Generation

I really enjoyed this video. The information that was given is a reality for my generation if things do not change in our society. At the end, they reversed the situation given as if things were changed now. I believe that we will celebrate the anniversary's of our divorce, will care more about our careers than our kids, and we will be lethargic and lazy. That is, if our society continues to progress towards this. We must work to change the standards for what people think we will become in the future.

4.) Ed Whitaker's Virtual Choir

This video was very soothing. I enjoyed it very much. As I watched it, it seemed like it was just a video of a choir and a combination of pictures of different people, but after reading Jennifer's post, I realized that these people had never met, their videos were combined. That is a hard concept for me to grasp. It seems as though the internet has become a tool for everything and anything in our society. The fact that it is possible for so many different people, who have never met, to come together and create a beautiful song just shows that the internet is used for everything in today's society.

Additional Assignment #1

The search engines Google Squared and WolframAlpha are both great tools to use in the classroom.

a. When I practiced searching in Google Squared, I found that it was very useful. Unlike www.google.com, Google squared lets the student find information about a topic on one page and all together. If you were doing a search on the planets, you could find anything you wanted about it on one page. You could also add a topic and instantly receive the answer to that topic.

b. WolframAlpha is also very useful. When you search for something on this search engine, you will find a picture or a map to go along with it as well as a plethora of information. Unlike Google Squared, the information goes down the page instead of using a table.

c & d. I had not heard of either of these search engines before this class.

e. Once I read the comment on my Did You Know assignment, I realized that I was in some way like Mr. Winkle. I have used computers since I've been in elementary school, but technology has advanced so much since then and all of the new technology today is very overwhelming to me.

f. This exercise has showed me that there is so much out there that I have not even come across. I didn't even know that these two very helpful search engines existed and if I did, projects that I have done in the past would have been much easier. I've learned that I react very surprised with the statistics about technology. I do not know as much as I thought it did when it comes to technology in our society today.

Food For Thought: I enjoyed the article Food For Thought, it is a crazy that the six year old, illiterate boy could work an iPad with no instruction.