Blog Assignment #15 - Final Reflection!!

Here is my FINAL REFLECTION for edm 310. I seriously cannot believe that this is all over. It was a blast and I learned a lot, but I am definitely ready for summer break!

Final Project - #16

Ok. There are two parts. The links will be to each part - one and two - respectively. I know that this is long, but it was my final project, and I had a great time doing it. Plus, I also had so much fun, despite the minor technical difficulties.

Part One
Part Two

Special Metaphor Assignment (Blog Assignment #14)

1. Honestly, I have no idea why people did not understand it was a metaphor. I mean, pencils are not controversial in any way, except maybe as a potential weapon, so why would they not be allowed at home? Why would there be a blog about something so utterly unnecessary? Mr. Spencer has an entire section on his blog that we were REQUIRED to read about interpreting his blog! So, I think that this is simply an obvious indicator of people who just did not actually read the assignment given to them. However, I think that a few people may have still been confused because well, Mr. Spencer does a killer job with using his blog as a metaphor. It seriously almost made me cry at his spectacular use of literary wit. Some people might have been so confused by the amount of information that there was on Mr. Johnson and the pencils, that even though they read the explanation it might not have sunk in. That being said, I honestly think that the main explanation here is that people just did not read what they were assigned.

2. Funny thing, this assignment. It really made me notice just how much I use metaphors daily. I was with my best friend when I read this assignment, and as soon as I had closed the computer window, I used a metaphor for carrying a burden - it was a "monkey on my back." We both burst into laughter because we were JUST reading about how metaphors pop up in everyday situations and media whether or not we think they do! After keeping track of metaphors for just a few days, I saw just how much I use them. I mean, I use them almost everytime I talk. It is interesting to think that something so poetic is a part of everyday speech. I am glad for it, do not get me wrong, but I find it interesting that I have never though of the significance of the idea. As I was doing my nightly Bible devotions, I came across plenty - especially in Jesus' parables. Matthew 13:17-19 is a great verse to look at because it is where Jesus tells the confused crowd the meaning of his most recent parable. Metaphors are a great way to tell stories, and since I am planning on going into the private-school education field, I can easily incorporate the use of metaphors and even similes in the room at an elementary level with the parables of Jesus. I will not go into detail about every metaphor that I have used over the past 3 weeks, but I will say that it has been fun consciously taking notes of them. From reading the Bible, to making funny jokes with friends and even to figuratively complain about homework assignments - metaphors are a dynamic and poetic way to speak! Every person needs to know how to use this part of the English language.

3. I think the key to getting people to use them is to first have them be understood. Ignorance fosters nothing but more ignorance, so if we want students to be able to notice and use metaphors we need to teach it to them! How is that done? Well, I think a great way is to use English class. Make English a place where children are free to explore the language. Allow them to ask questions and figure things out by researching it. Show the kids how metaphors make your stories more meaningful and your dialogue more interesting. Explain that when referring to an object or person, it does not always have to be direct - make your language interesting and mysterious. It is a difficult task, especially in the elementary levels, but it can be done. How about we use some of that great er, um, TECHNOLOGY? Haven't we been talking about this all semester long in EDM 310? What a great resource to use when talking about metaphors! There are plenty of sites dedicated to teaching metaphors!

4. Why do we use metaphors? That is simple to me. Metaphors are there to confuse the ignorant, and enhance the reading pleasure of those who are willing to take the time and invest some heart into their education. Metaphors are a way to prove that English can be exciting, to add depth to pieces of the written work, and to prove that comparisons do not have to be plain and dull. They are poetic and beautiful, and (to me anyways) ensure that the English language has some kind of appeal. Plus - an added bonus - they add humor to daily newspapers and politics. How else are the regular people of America supposed to understand all of the "wonderful" politicians out there? Great example: metaphors are the way that the cartoonists make serious governmental issues somewhat relatable and interesting to those who prefer not to read the Drudge Report every day. So, let's help everyone out and start using metaphors more often!

Comments for Kids Summary Post #3

For the seventh comments for kids, I had to go watch a video entitled T-man showing off his piano skills. This video was under the section on the main page called Talent Show. I was so encouraged to see this young eighth grader play so well. I used to be quite good at piano, but I quit practicing, so I got out of the habit. I left a comment for both him and Mr. McClung, thanking them both for excellent work (since I was also required to explore and investigate Mr. McClung's AMAZING blog as well! Here is what I had said:
"My name is Rebekah Lloyd, and I am from Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. Although not as extensive as your blog, feel free to check out my blog or you can follow me on twitter.
I have had a wonderful time investigating your entire blog, and I am encouraged to see so much talent in your eighth graders! I watched the video called T - man showing off his piano skills from the Talent Show section. I love to play the piano as well, but I was definitely not that good at his age! I loved the song choice, because my little brother used to play that one all of the time. it brought back great memories for me. Keep up the great work 'T-man'!"
Although the additional assignment was lengthy, I enjoyed exploring Mr. McClung's blog very much. I compared it to mine and saw that there are many more things for me to add in order to make my blog the best thing that it can be. I REALLY liked the way that he shares his blog with his students. He keeps safety in the forefront of his internet services, and I - and probably the parents - greatly appreciate that fact.
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This week (april 4th) I was required to visit Mrs. Thompson's class blog. I visited a student's blog - her name was Zoe. Zoe not only had an impressive background, but her overall blog was great! She had added tons of little pictures and details that I have not even done yet! Although, it is obvious that she does not blog that often, her posts were well written. I looked at her most recent post about sports day being postponed, and left this comment:
My name is Rebekah and I am visiting your blog from Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama! I would just like to say that you have an amazing blog! I really like your background, and all of your little additions are great! I am so sorry that your sports day was postponed, but hopefully it will be something that was worth the wait. Have a great time playing! Good luck in school, keep up the great blog-work!
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This week the entire class was required to go to Mrs. Yollis' class blog. After investigating the site for a while, I learned a lot about her. After reading her biography, I was excited to see that I have a lot in common with her. She is interested in travel and goes all over the world! I too enjoy that, so it was neat to see the many places she has been, and the places that she has taught. I also watched her short movie How to Comment . It was very helpful, and very straightforward. i liked how she made it simple for even the newest bloggers and commenters to leave her class a message. Although I have already visited the link for learn HTML code I decided to go ahead and review it. I had forgotten about how informative and simple this set of instructions makes the complicated issue of HTML code to the average audience. This is the site where I learned HMTL code at the beginning of the semester, so I can attest at how wonderful these instructions are. Mrs. Yollis can really give some great instructions, and I am really glad that she has - it has helped me so much! I have lived in California before for 3 years. I can honestly say that it was the best time of my life. I loved California, and I would go back any minute. I was glad to see that she offered the people of the world a little bit about her and her class' world in California. The video was really interesting, and all of her information was great. even though she is in the Los Angeles area, it made me want to go back to my favorite "home" - San Francisco!
When I had to go and comment on her posts, I liked how she laid out examples of good comments. I can really tell from her site that she is passionate about using technology as well as enabling children to make it a part of their lives. So, I left a comment on the post titled "Family Blogging Month."
Here is what I said: "Mrs. Yollis and Class,
My name is Rebekah and I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I was so excited to be able to visit your class blog because of how much I have referred to your "Learn HTML" post for honing my HTML skills.
Your dedication to teaching children about using technology is so inspiring! I cannot even begin to state how much I appreciate teachers like you! You take something that could be a distraction, and make it a useful tool! I am sure that the children in your class will appreciate you in 10 years!
I really enjoyed reading the comments from parents and the posts of work from your students. The Hershey's poem had to be my favorite - and that is because I love chocolate!
I was reading some of the comments posted about "Family Blogging Month" and wanted to mention that I have the same question as Miss Tiffany Fey: "How you involve family members who do not or are not able to own their own computer?" This is a concern that I have thought of before, and would be interested to hear your input. Feel free to visit my class blog to answer this question and also see what I have to say about your blog!
Thank you for your time!
Keep up the wonderful blog!"
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By far the BEST comments for kids to date. No questions asked, Mrs. Yollis knows how to get her children to create quality blogs. I was assigned to read Adia's blog, and what I enjoyed so much was that I actually learned something new. After reading her wonderful post about the Japanese culture, I felt so enlightened! She obviously deserves to have her own blog, and I am pleased to see that Mrs. Yollis allowed her to have one. Thank you, Dr. Strange, for assigning this blog, I really did like to see such quality work coming from such a young girl! Because I was so inspired, I left her a very lengthy comment. So, that - combined with the fact that her blog post was great - causes me to refrain from posting my comment for you to read. I want you to go and see her post for yourself, and there you will find my comment. Please go and visit her blog by using the link above. It will be well worth the trip. This blog is an example of the required standard I would have if and when my classroom begins a blog.

Response to Chase Davidson's Blog Post #12

I was in love with the assignment from Chase Davidson's Blog Assignment #12. Go and check it out - do it. It is really more fun than anything - and seems like a great way to get to know my classmates! Here was my response to his assignment: This Time - Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Blog Assignment # 13

First, I had to go and research ALEX - Alabama Learning Exchange. To put it simply, it is just that - an exchange (of ideas at least). This site is a place for teachers in the state of Alabama to come and have access to many great resources! There were eight options offered on this site for you to go and explore. So first, was the section titled "Courses of study." This link led you to a page where all of the Alabama content standards were available to look up in order to create lessons. This was helpful to me because I think that the Alabama Department of Education webpage (where these come from) is very confusing. However, ALEX offers them in a more approachable way. The next tab "WebLinks" led me to a page of links. These links were separated by what type of educator you are so that the resources will be the most accurate for your position (administration, teacher, etc.). This is helpful because many resources can be found on the web, but it can quickly become overwhelming. I really appreciate the simplicity of ALEX's site because it offers pertinent information without all of the hassle and confusion of conflicting sites. The next tab, "Lesson Plans," was a very neat one. It led me to a page where I was able to search their database for lesson plans! You were able to search by teacher, school, and subject. I think that the many different ways to search makes it easier to find what i am looking for, as well as making it fit specific needs. Also, if you create an account, you are able to create your own lessons for others to see as well. The next tab, "Search," was simply a place to search the ALEX database (including all of the links they provide) for any random content you might be searching for, but are not exactly sure where to find it. This is great because I definitely find myself knowing what I want but not knowing exactly where it can be located. The next tab,"personal workspace," is where you are allowed to create an account where you can store your lesson plans, as well as the plans and webpages of other teachers. It seems like a PLN to me - a place where teachers are allowed to store other information about teachers. So, it is a VERY helpful thing to offer. The next tab,"Professional Learning," led to a page of links where the latest professional development seminars, workshops, and conferences are held. This is GREAT for teachers since you always have to keep learning! What a wonderful resource for young teachers (and old) to have! ALEX offers you a one-stop-shop, where everything you need to get involved in a developmental workshop is right in front of you! GREAT! The next tab,"Podcast Treasury," led to a page full of podcasts. They were all about various content areas, and were from regular classrooms, all the way up to places like the Exploreum. I think this would be a great place to go and have the students research about podcasts and see how they are completed, so that they could make their own! I also saw that they had links on the side to various partners, and to their itunesU site! The last tab,"ALEXville," was a little less straightforward to me. It was a page that was devoted to ALEX's "communities." It led to a page with a globe on it surrounded by houses. Each house led to a different part of the ALEX "community." It led to places like professional development sections, courses offered y the ALEX, as well as to other websites - such as the ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and
Students Statewide) program. Overall, ALEX is a great way for teachers to have quick access to millions of resources, therefore maximizing the time that the teachers, administrators, and "politicians" involved can devote to increasing student achievement.
After exploring ACCESS, I discovered quite a bit about how I feel about online learning. ACCESSis all about "equal opportunity to learn" by using the internet as their primary resource. The website offers an information page for students and their parents, as well as one for educators. The ACCESS site not only offers courses for high-schoolers, but also offers professional development courses for educators. I am a bit turned off by generic online learning, just because I know that the average person does not take it seriously. To many, online courses are an "easy-A" because they do the assignments open book, and have no teacher lecturing at them all day. Unfortunately, it is difficult to offer online courses and make them have some sort of worthwhile benefit. In theory they are WONDERFUL - affordable, quick, and in the comfort of your own home - and I think they are useful for things like homeschoolers, and summer schoolers. However, in practice they become slightly flawed. Hopefully, useful tools like online courses can be remediated in order to best serve the American Public School. ACCESS, however offers courses that are video conferenced, and are monitored by professional teachers! I like how they have a mission statement about maintaing equity by offering the extra coursework, and they maintain fairness by providing top-quality teachers for the students to learn from. Gone are the days of the "easy-A" online course, and here come the courses more suited for this century! I think that this is a great idea for high-schoolers, budding teachers, and hopefully even the parents will want to be involved! ACCESS is at first a simple site devoted to online learning. However, dig a little deeper and find that it is a great site that wants to enhance learning by providing the students of today with equal opportunity to "access" the world's knowledge. Both are excellent resources to know and understand as I begin my trek into the educational sphere!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two

Ok, so I am so excited. This is the sneak peek of the new movie coming out on July 15, 2011! Please watch it and comment. . . the end is almost here! I CAN'T wait! AT ALL.

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/harry-potter-and-deathly-hallows-part-ii/featurette-opening-sequence

Personal Learning Network: Final Reflection

Okay, so much has changed (been added) to my PLN since the last update. I have continued to add the suggestions from Dr. Strange, and also a few of my personal interests as well. In order to keep myself in order, I have color coded the different links, so that I can easily refer to the section I want to use. The black tabs are all for searchable databases such as the Bible, a dictionary, and a site called "save the words." I find these useful because I like to make sure that I have a good vocabulary, and these sites help me. The white colored tabs are for social networks such as blogger, gmail, twitter, and mobile me. I find this really useful because having the links all in one location makes it really easy for me to navigate all of the sites. The blue links are all similar to the social networking sites. These include lists of influential tweeters and facbook. The next section, green, is all composed of education based sites. These include teacher blogs like Mrs. Yollis, Mr. Chamberlain, and John Spencer. I find that these sites are very helpful since I do not always remember the proper url. The brown section is all shopping related - a girl has to have a little retail therapy at her fingertips every now and then! The orange section is composed of my favorite art related links, and the hot pink is all related to diet and fitness. Art, diet, and fitness are all extremely important to me, so I am glad that I can finally have a place to "house" all of these links. The red section is mostly search engines, but I did add my favorite movie review sites because I was not sure where else to put them. Now, this is only my MAIN "webmix." There are also tabs on the top of the page that link to my other bookmark lists which are "fitness," "education," and "news." These I did not spend as much time on, but I did make sure that they conatined links that I actually wanted on my personal learning network.
I have had a great time developing my PLN, and I like using symbaloo because there are great backgrounds and personalizations avaliable. I like when things "look pretty" and symbaloo definitely accomplishes that task. I also like how it is so simple to make sure that you have the exct links you are trying to locate. With their searchable link locator, it made my job so much easier when looking for certain websites.
Despite the great advantages of symbaloo, there are some downsides. Not all of the links I wanted are in the database, so I have to go and look up the url, and then add it manually to the webmix. It is by no means hard, but it is a bit pointless. I am sure that there is a much easier way for the site to have all links on the web avaliable. Also, the tools I used in symbaloo are all avaliable on the macintosh bookmarking tool. While not as pretty, the tool is much easier for me to access, and it does not require me to log into any specific site. All I have to do is create the various folders I want, click on the "+" icon in the upper left hand part of the url area, select the place it needs to go, and push "add." Much easier than loggin into symbaloo, checking if they even have the link in their database, moving the icon to the page, changing the colors, and then pushing "done." I like the prettiness of it, but in the end, it just is not as practical. I like symbaloo as a bookmarking tool if I did not have the mac tool avaliable to me. Yet, macintosh has graciously provided me with their tool, and I will stick to it! My PLN has evolved and holds many links that I see as being very useful, but I think that the biggest lesson I learned is how the efficiency of certain sites/tools tremendously change how the much the information collected actually becomes useful and accessible.

Final Project Progress Report

First, I will briefly tell what exactly I am doing for my final project. Technically, I am doing two projects because I am working with Anthony Capps right now to make a puppet production for St. Elmo school. We are going to be doing a Where the Wild Things Are themed puppet show. I am the stage manager, so I am in charge of making sure that the set looks authentic and exciting for all of the children. I believe that we are doing that production on the 28th or 29th of this month. My other project is one that I am working on with my friends from other states. As of now, I am almost done with my personal project because I had asked Dr. Strange about it a while back.For this project, I am doing a video compilation of about 5 skype interviews. I have really come to see skype as a great tool for collaborating, so I really wanted to utilize it for my final project. In my interviews, I am asking my fellow friends and future business people of the world to tell me just how much they think technology is changing education, and if it should be taught to children in the elementary classroom. I advantageously set out to gather about 10 interviews, but I have come to see that scheduling, and most importantly time, is a huge issue. I capped the interviews at about 5 because my video is already right at 10 minutes.I think that any more time would make it dull, because I do like the project as of now. I like to hear what others think about certain current topics, so that is the inspiration behind this project. I simply want to have regular people voice their opinions so that the world can have a better understanding of what the citizens in it have to say.
As a result of these interviews, I have also learned quite a bit about my friends. I have asked them questions that I probably would not regularly just bring up on facebook conversations, so it has really helped me gain a better perspective on the way that my friends think, and the beliefs that they hold dear. I am excited that I can be a part of two wonderful final projects, and I cannot believe that this semester is almost over - man how the time has flown!

Blog Assignment #12

I had never realized what itunesU exactly was before EDM 310. Because I saw it mentioned a few times by Dr. Strange, I decided to check out the resources that it has to offer. While I did not officially apply, I did go through itunes in order to access various university websites' podcasts that you would use to create your personal itunesU site. I have yet to make my site, but along the way I was pleasantly surprised with what I found out! Not only does itunesU offer "classes" with some of the most reputable educators, businesspersons, and curators, but it does so in the comfort of your own home! Access to priceless information and points of view are now at your finger tips! So, after spending about 3 hours on my Saturday morning (and I am not exaggerating), I subscribed to the podcasts of notable art museums, a few sociology professors, and even a pastor that I like. I actually have a handwritten list - that is still growing - of podcasts I found on itunes that I am going to follow once I get my ipad2. Many of them are videos, so I think that they are great, wholesome entertainment for on the road.. Well, I could go on about the wonderful aspects of itunesU forever, but I think that it is YOUR turn for some investigation. I was inspired by my personal research, to create a new assignment for my assignment # 12.

Start out by going to the itunesU page. It will tell you tons of information about what itunesU has to offer, and will ask you to "apply." Go ahead and apply, only if you would like - and are ready - to!!!. If you prefer to not apply quite yet, then just go to itunes and search for educational podcast. Universities will pop up, as well as art curators, special tours, and pretty much anything having do further personal educational interests. Find at least three, DIFFERENT podcasts. Please write a paragraph - which is 5 sentences or MORE! - for each number.

1. Summarize the podcast:
What is the discipline? Who is the speaker? Which institution/museum funds/supports this podcast? What was it about? Please answer these questions for each of the three, DIFFERENT podcasts.

2. Tell me which one was your favorite and WHY!

3. How would you use educational podcasts - like the ones that itunesU offers - in your classroom? Please specify if your classroom is elementary, middle, or highschool.
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So, here is what I found when doing this assignment:

1. The first podcast I liked comes from the Hirshorn Museum in Washington DC. The speaker is from the museum, but the main interview-"ee" is an assistant curator - Jessica Beck. I liked this post so much because it was discussing Andy Warhol. He is one of my favorite artists, so I found this cast about his Marilyn Monroe lithograph very interesting.
- The next podcast comes from the Victoria and Albert Museum in England. The speaker here was just the woman who normally does the general museum podcasts. The topic was about the explosion of Chinese design in modern day art. I love the Asian culture, so it was great to see a podcast all about the interesting part that their culture is playing in today's art sphere.
- The last podcast was from the National Gallery of Art in The United Kingdom. I listened to an episode about the Google art project. The speaker was Miranda Henkley. The main theme of this podcast was celebrating the benefits of Google Art Project's great advantages in helping art be accessible all over the world. The podcast included the many benefits that Google has given the world because of this project. I liked this one because I had recently become aware of the Google Art Project because of Dr. Baggett. They talked about the details that are visible, and they were all right! I went and played on this site for about an hour after this podcast!

2. My favorite podcast was the one that discussed the Google Art Project. There were 3 main reasons about this cast that made it so enjoyable: One, the speaker had a British accent. For some reason, everything sounds 10 times more interesting when spoken in a British accent. Two, I like the fact that I was already familiar with the topic. This podcast enabled me to not only learn new facts about art pieces, but also with a tool that allows me to see them whenever I want - for FREE!!! Three, I love this podcast because of the great learning potential it holds. The Google Art Project makes the world able to view fine works of famous art for free, and I am so excited by the possibilities that stem from technology like this!

3. I am an elementary education major, and I would use the podcasts I found to help the kids learn about visual arts. I plan on incorporating the arts into as many lessons as I can, so I think that tools like the Google Art Project are perfect for me! I would have the kids browse a museum for paintings that are related to what we would be studying in Social Studies, like a scavenger hunt, and then have them write about how the paintings depict the action from history. I love both history and art, and plan on making them both a part of as many activities as I possibly can!

Project 15

This was so much fun to make!

Teach Someone Something - Project 14

Here, I chose to briefly teach - or well introduce - my cousin to the world of knitting!
Enjoy! How to knit

Comments for Teachers - Summary Post 4

The first part of my comments for teachers required me to go to eLearning Blog Dont Waste Your Time by David Hopkins. As usual, I went to the most recent post and began to read. I scrolled down before i read and say that many of his blog posts are very informative (such as the Dropbox one I read and then the one about the best twitter names - which I bookmarked for my PLN!) I was actually very interested in this post. Although I do not really use the Dropbox download as much as I should, I am becoming more and more familiar with ta very similar system - mobileme. While I still prefer mobileme, because of its extensiveness, Dropbox is an excellent way to store information so that you can access it anywhere that you have internet. I have recently been hired as a personal assistant that helps with technology problems, answering emails, and even modifying documents. The main way that I am/will be doing this is through mobileme on my ipad2. I actually might suggest to my boss that Dropbox would be a useful tool to have! His post had a short video about how Dropbox makes it challenging for others to upload documents to someone else's Dropbox. His post is all about how an upload form can be created to make this easier - everyone can go to the form, upload the document, and well, be done! Simple as THAT! He also lists links to great resources about Dropbox. After having a bit of difficulty trying to comment, I subscribed to the RSS feed, and was then able to leave a comment where I told him how neat I though his resources are:
My name is Rebekah Lloyd and i am visiting your blog from Dr. Stange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I am going to be looking at your blog posts over the next week or so, and will be summarizing my thoughts on my class blog soon. Feel free to check them out! You can also follow me on twitter. I was interested by this post! As a part of this class, we are to download Dropbox, and use it if we feel the need. However, I have not actually used it for my class, but for my job as a personal assistant. I am going to try to do this to keep her life as easy as possible. Thanks for sharing these great resources as well!
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Because the author of my blog did not respond to my first comment - I do not think he posted it either - I decided to go ahead and try to say something about another post. This time I picked the post Reading: Social Media in Higher Education for Marketing and Communications. I found this post informative because I had actually heard of this before viewing the post. It is not foreign to anyone that the internet is a marketers dream. There are always people searching on the web, and social networks make news travel faster than ever before. This post was talking about the idea of using social networks for higher educational purposes - that is, using them to have class lists on the web for students to view before creating their schedule. These lists would have reviews of the classes - and probably professors - for the students to use when choosing general education classes. A few concerns were listed about negative reviews causing low enrollment, but was countered by an excellent point: "these conversations are happening elsewhere, likely on sites you have no control over." So, why not put these reviews on a site that can be monitored by those associated with the institution involved? I can attest to this truth because I am a constant visitor to the site rate my professor. This site offers reviews of the teachers and their classes - but the universities do not control them! I think that the idea to have a university-endorsed review page on facebook or Twitter is a great idea! That way, the reviews are out there, but they are ones that the administration can monitor. This also allows any alerts about staff to arise. All in all it is a great idea - the reviews already exist, so why not offer students another place to find reviews that they can COUNT on! Here is the comment that i left on this post - hopefully it will appear on the site:

Hello! My name is Rebekah Lloyd and I am visiting from Dr. Strange's EDM310 class blog at the University of South Alabama. I will be posting my reaction to your posts on my class blog if you would like to come and read them!

I definitely agree that social media is a great marketing tool. Even without thinking about education, think about how many companies use facebook and twitter to promote products! Since I am in college myself, I always check sites like ratemyprofessor.com in order to make sure that the class I am taking will have a decent professor teaching it. So, I think that a "database" for open classes is a great idea because it allows the students to see which classes are the best fit for them as individuals.

Thank you for the valuable posts, this blog is truly educational!

Blog Assignment #11

Generally, I liked the way that she decided to use the limited resources she was given (5 computers) and turn them into an opportunity for development. However, I can definitely see where problems would arise. The idea of modern technology and the safety concerns involved, combined with a basic lack of information is enough to scare any parent when concerning their child. So, introducing that technology must be done with caution. Luckily, Mrs. Cassidy had support from her school in her endeavors. Not so much help, but support. She admitted that she did the work on her own, but she also said that there was definitely a level of support from her school. She is very fortunate in that aspect because not all schools have the resources or patience to allow such an integrated use of technology.
I was actually quite surprised at what these kids used in the classroom. Not only were they learning how to do things on the computer that I am still trying to figure out, but they were all very good at it! Overall, I was impressed by what Mrs. Cassidy had her students doing, yet there was one thing she used I do not think I would find necessary in a school setting. The one thing I did not really like was the usage of the Nintendo DS. The computer games were fine, the smartboard, the wikis, the videos, the blogs, and the skyping - all were okay. However, I definitely see how parents would not like the DS being used as a part of the curriculum, becasue - well - I would not like that either. Now, I realize that I am speaking from the point of view of a private schoooler.I would not pay for my child to go to school and play video games. Still, I do not think that I would send my child to a public classroom to play video games either. Now, I do like the idea of using games as a supplemental activity during a free time, but I do not see them as being necessary for a majority of the curriculum.
That being said, I really liked the idea of using wikis. Actually, I was unsure of how they would be helful in the classroom until I watched this video. I liked the idea of finding out what a tradition or a ritual was by having other people add their traditions and rituals to the page. That makes the children see what a tradition is, and then use that information to figure out the definition of the word. A MUCH better way to find out about word definitons than just hand-feeding it to a child.
I believe that the main problem that I would encounter would be dealing with parental concerns about safety. The internet is scary to many families because of the uncertainty involved. In order to alleviate the concerns, I would have a few parent-teacher conferences which would consist of Q and A sessions and a general presentation about what I plan to do with the children's education concerning the internet. If there were any other concerns, I would assure the parents that I would be monitoring ALL of the work that they do because it will be done on the class pages. I would also tell them that they can be as involved as possible, actually, I would prefer that they help their children with their class blog/wiki/technology projects. That way, both the student and the parents are involved and learning about the process.
I think that there would be many benefits to adding wikis to my classroom, and having the parents be fully involved: One, the children would not be being hand-fed information like traditional methods of schooling. They would be actively searching for and investigating information by letting people add information about the topic to their wiki. Two, involving the parents makes them more willing (hopefully) to help their children become better learners by utilizing modern techniques. Therefore making the children be able to fully enjoy and benefit from the modern educational process.

Special Assignment #2

1. After researching Mr. McClung's blog, his safety rules, and his general approach to education, I have learned a lot about him. He is located in Arkansas, and is a very young teacher. He loves his students, and proves it because of his great devotion to their class blog, as well as his desire to continue his own education so as to better provide for his students. He states - but it is pretty obvious - that he highly supports technology in the classroom. He also says that he does not like to do class in the traditional methods (homework nightly, lecture, powerpoints, etc.) but likes to present information in a new, exciting way in order to have kids become actively engaged in their education. He wants learning to be FUN, so he uses high energy, and collaboration in order to do so.
2. As an educator, I would say that he definitely wants his students to get the most that they can out of their education. He does not want the kids to passively sit back and listen to him drone on about history while not remembering any of it. he wants them to enjoy coming to class and be able to actually experience school as the social environment that it is! That being said, I would also like to point out that Mr. McClung is an educator with a purpse. He does not have fun just for the sake of fun. He has safety rules, and class guidelines that HAVE to be followed in order for the class to be able to function in its "abnormal" way (compared to their other classes). I like Mr. McClung's approach because it has a set of rules that have to be followed, but also has a routine of being engaging and fun. So, the students are much more willing to listen to his directions if the pay-off is to have an interesting class.
3. I pretty much said what i had to say about the "rules" in my above point, but i can reiterate it. Mr. McClung has purpose - to help the children become actively involved in their education. Well, you cannot be that kind of educator without rules. He has set up basic guides for his students to follow, and because the class is so rewarding, the students seems to be more willing to listen to them. As an aspiring teacher, I am in love with his rules! I loved the one that made the kids respond however he said "class." For example, if he said "classidy-class," they had to say "yessidy-yes." I thought this was an extremely effective way to test listening, while still keeping his overall theme of fun in the classroom. I aspire to be more like Mr. McCling in my classroom. He has fun, but also has rules - a great balance to find when possible. Oh, and I am definitely stealing his "classidy-class" idea, I was laughing at how cute that was!
4. The first thing under everyone needs: was a personal day planner. I think that this was the first requirement because it demonstrates the importance of keeping track of your time/assignments/life. He is helping these kids learn how to manage time at a younger age, and it will definitely help them in their future schooling years. I think that this was the "first" requirement for EDM 310 too . . . time management, right?
5. His homework rules are similar because you both have late penalties. I think that it is interesting how he does not like "homework" while you do not like the "grades." With his late penalties it is more about the grade, while in your class it is more about the assignment itself. While you do have to assign a grade at the end of the semester, you do not assign specific grades per assignment. If there is a trend of late work, you will definitely not do well, but there is no specific grade per assignment like in Mr. McClung's class. Both of you emphasize on-time work because it is an important life skill to have.
6. My favorite part of his paragraph was where he said that the goal was to act as a newsletter for parents, students, and teachers conveying information about everything that is done in their class (projects, experiments, deadlines, etc.) As a future teacher, my main goal will be to keep those in my classroom fully informed. A blog like Mr. McClung's would be a wonderful way to do so. I really like how much information is offered to the parents and students - something that I feel obligated to do as a future teacher. No matter what kind of school I am in (public vs. private) I will always try to keep my families informed. It is their right and privilege to know how their children are doing, and it is really easy for me to post things such as deadlines and fundraiser information on the web (as opposed to sending home a flyer to be lost by the child).
7. The two "useful links" I was intrigued by were the Colbert Nation and the The Arkansas Department of Education. I chose the Colbert Nation because I enjoy his show quite a bit, but I have never actually visited his website. The Colbert Nation is simply a website that reports current events in a humorous - or not so humorous (to some) way. I think that this made Mr. McClung's list because he is a history teacher, and he seems like he is a fun-loving person. Because the Colbert Report is all about reporting current events in a humorous way, I am sure that he appreciates the different take on history that is provided by the comedian. Although not the most factually based site, it is helpful because students listen to humor. Now, some comments are inappropriate to show in school, but overall the mission is to have the students see that history can be interesting. Because current events are such an important part of our nation's fabric, I am sure that he sends his students to many sites like the Colbert Nation so that they can choose an event that they find interesting, and from many points of view. The other site that I visited was a little (ok, a lot) less fun, and a ton more informative. It was the Arkansas Department of Education site. This site was a database of information for teachers, students, and parents about the mission of Arkansas education. Anything from testing information to state standards, to other educational websites - this was the place to go. I chose this because I was interested to see what their state standards were. I do not plan on living in Alabama after I graduate, so I am always interested in researching what other states require of their teachers. I think that Mr. McClung put this on his site because, well, he lives in Arkansas, and it is good information to have. Also, he probably wants parents and students to have easy access to what they need to know about their educational standards and state requirements. Any common testing questions, and resources could be linked to this site.
8. There is not one thing that i would to do this list except copy and paste it to any kind of internet activity that I require of my students. I think that his advice about the last names is really important, and although I have failed to do so, I would recommend the advice to any student making an online account. I think that my favorite rule was the one about using a class email. That way, the teacher reads all emails from other sites and can filter out inappropriate comments. Overall, a great list of rules from an excellent teacher: I will definitely be using a few of these if I ever create a class blog!
9. My assigned post was under the Talent Show video section. So, I chose to watch the video titled "One of our 8th graders covers a Weezer song." This child's performance was great! I totally recognized the song was one by Weezer, and I loved that he was so happy to showcase his vocal talent as well. Also, his outfit was spectacular! I actually watched a couple of these videos, and was pleasantly surprised to find so much talent in the eighth grade class. It is obvious that Mr. McClung takes pride in his students - another thing that his blog says about him as an educator.
10. I think that the two main things I saw Mr. McClung do on his blog that I either have not figured out how to do, or cannot do on Blogger, would be to have the tabs sections at the top of my page, and be able to chat with the blogs author. I like the tabs because it allows information to be very organized, and it is easy to access (for parents and younger students). I would like the chat option the MOST - especially one day as a teacher - because it offers the parents and students (heck, even other educators) more opportunities to try to contact me. The chat option would be nice to have because it is quick, and does not require me to give out much personal information.
11. His blog is made useful in any ways - I am sure that I could talk for forever about exactly how many ways he has made his way useful. I have discussed many throughout my entire post, but I will restate them and add a few more here. As said before, he offers many useful links that provide resources for parents, teachers, and students alike to enjoy. He offers a chat option (which I love) so that people can ask him questions about homework, and he can offer parents alternate ways to contact him about more serious matters like grades and reports. Also, he provides examples of students work, which can be helpful for future students, and possibly other teachers (for lesson plan ideas). There are many ways for his blog to be useful, it just is a matter of getting on the web and looking him up!
12. His blog is different from the other 8th grade blogs that I have visited in one important way - he is obviously very invested in the entire process. From start to finish, he seems like he oversees every part of his blog. On other blogs, the students are the ones posting and commenting, but on his site they are the subject matter for his blog. He is in charge of doing the posting (on his website) and he also makes it a site for his own information. I like this idea because it seems like there is more navigational advantages to him being in charge. I like that he lets his students go out and comment on blogs (much like we do in EDM310) but then makes the class blog a more professional resource site for people to use. This is more useful in my opinion because his students are able to see how to successfully make a blog professional, but also able to have personal touches of your own personality. Hopefully, his example will help the students create useful public blogs about things that they do and enjoy once they become more experienced with the technology.
13. There are not really any other comments that I would like to add about Mr. McClung's blog that were not covered in the questions required above. However, I would like to say that if you were not assigned the "Talent Show" section, to please check it out! There are so many awesome talents that were presented by the children! You HAVE to check them out! T-man, and the Weezer cover were quite amazing!

Blog Assignment #10

After reading the post by Morgan Bayda and watching the required video by Dan Brown, many thoughts popped into my head. Essentially, these ideas line up with what I have already come to see about our modern age with regards to education. Like these two individuals, I do think that information is now free, so institutions need to change the way that they approach teaching. Because of the internet, information is easier to find, and its much cheaper to access for the common person. I can relate to what Dan Brown said about buying textbooks and not using them simply because the information is easier to understand, access, and view from more than one paradigm on the web. Gone are the days when we need to pay an institution to teach us facts! The information is free and we are free to go and find it! We need to have a place for students that encourages research, collaboration, and using the relationships and ideas that are discovered to propel the students into their own, desired destiny (and not one pre-destined for them by being tracked through the public school system).
Because the information age is making information free and more easily accessible, the institution MUST change. Although I admit that I do like pens, pencils, crayons, and paper, I do realize that this is no longer an appropriate approach to modern education. However, I think that these basics should NEVER be completely taken out of the institution as a whole. Unlike Dan Brown, and possibly Morgan Bayda, I think that the "classics" still have a place. Call me a strict perrenialist if you like, but I think that there is nothing comparable to reading an actual literature book, producing an actual work of art by hand, and studying it by using the work of others as inspiration. Yet, for these classes to be beneficial, collaboration must be integrated, teachers must be willing to learn a student's name, and hands on experience needs to be integrated. The institution of education needs to revolutionize the foundation it is built on, or like Brown says " the world will get rid of it." I do not want to see the institution fail - I want to see it make the changes necessary in order to keep itself going! To keep itself alive the focus must be completely shifted from grades and facts, to creativity, ingenuity, imagination, professionalism, and a willingness to make mistakes in order to learn. If these values would be taught in classrooms across the world - I believe that we would truly begin to see a better atmosphere of life.
The last idea that came into my mind was about just how behind education really is. The point that was made about businesses and governments acclimating to the changes by trying to integrate better practices compared to the LACK of effort put forth from education to change was something I had never really dwelt upon before. Once I did, i was not very happy with what I came up with. Why have things remained the same? Why do educators think that it is okay to simply add a few "tools" to involve students and faculty in the information age? I honestly have no idea why doing the least amount of work possible, having the least amount of initiative to change, and a complete lack of willingness to innovate is the theme in our EDUCATION department. Yet, here we are. Why are these the values being portrayed to the world as ones we want future Americans to emulate? Last time I checked, we want new thinkers, inventors, and artists to shape the modern world. At least, that is what we claim. So, why not take a page out of our OWN BOOK and create a system where the values we talk about are actually attainable! As a future educator, I am angry that the institution os so behind, and I am ready for a new wave of ideology to sweep through it as we speak!

The next part was to check out the blog post from John Spencer on his blog Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home. I left a comment on this post because i was SO INTERESTED in his approach. Here is what I said:

"Hi! I am yet another student from Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I will keep my thoughts brief. I liked how when i substituted "computer" for "pencil" it worked so well. I realized that a satirical criticism was your intended point even before I read about your blog in the content and conflict sections. Your refreshing approach shows both a passion for the topic, and a greatly intellectual and well-thought out approach to modern education's issues. This makes your posts surprisingly easy to read because they mimic stories - which also makes them very enjoyable! I will definitely be looking at your blog in the future."

His use of satire to critique society was engaging and truly interesting to read! I like the way he uses the concerns of integrating pencils into schools from history and metaphorically compares those concerns to the ones we face today about integrating technology into the classroom. All of his blog posts are aligned with this common theme, and I am definitely going to be reading his future posts. His blog will be on my PLN, no questions asked!

Comments for Teachers - Summary Post #3

I thought this cartoon was pretty funny!

On this first post, although it was old, there were some powerful accusations being made. The author had written the original full of the "f - bomb" but substituted the word "messed" to make it more appropriate. He pretty much said that education is "messed" up. The institution is so focused on curriculum and learning objectives, that the really important goal - learning values and useful knowledge for real life, is pushed to the side. Everything the institution does is related to content objectives and I agree that it needs to stop! He mentioned Sir Ken Robinson as a man who also sees this problem but asks him to define what he means by a "learning revolution." Basically, we need to demolish the current educational system and start afresh. How? I do not know all of the answers, but i do know that it needs to be fixed - starting with the elementary classroom. Lets try shifting the focus from grades and test scores, to enrichment and learning for the sake of knowledge. A lofty dream indeed. My response to his post is as follows:
" Hello! My name is Rebekah Lloyd and I am in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. If you would like to read my thoughts on your post, or see what my class is about, please visit my class blog. I agree that the educational system is "messed" up. The institution is so focused on tests and scores, that the actual children taking the tests become a second thought. There are many educators out there trying desperately to fix the issue, but I think that - in the end - it will crash before it gets better. The public institution has been set up for so long, that the only way for it to leave is to fail, and it is well on its way. What we, as educators, need to be ready to do is have a solution in our hands that is ready to be implemented. We need an effective plan for the failure of the current school system. What is that plan? I do not know, but I am willing to learn from men like Sir Ken Robinson in order to find out. I will use the resources around me to find a solution and then try to use some of the ideas in my classroom!"

Because my teacher's blog is so old, no one commented on my previous post. So, I went down the line and commented on the next post in the line-up. It was a video, and it was about how the internet is evolving in the modern world. It says that the web is a constantly evolving "version," always improving itself. From 1.0 - 3.0, the web has constantly evolved to become more interactive and more able to tell you what YOU like. There are no sudden changes, except for the general appearance. The internet is becoming more and more involved in our lives, and not only with computer devices, but in ALL appliances. We have not reached an omniscient computer yet - and I honestly do not care to have one. I believe that the only omniscient being is God the Father - Jesus Christ - so i do not think that he would ever let a man-made creation reach that point. It is a terrible thing to mess with, so I think that we all need to embrace technology, but treat it with the caution and respect that it deserves. My post on this blog was as follows:
My name is Rebekah, and I am commenting on your very interesting blog once again, as a part of Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. If you would like to read a summary of my comments on your blog feel free to do so by visiting my blog. I really enjoyed this video! It was both educational - i had no idea that washing machines were internet savvy now! - and informative. I learned a bit about how amazon and facebook make the internet more personal, as well as the potential that the web has for further expansion. My only question is: Do you think that the internet becoming "an omniscient being - capable of human intelligence" is a good thing. I am kind of timid on that thought, and would enjoy any comments on the topic. Thank you for an enjoyable experience!

Skype Interview

Check out me and my BFF's plans for our future café! I am so excited!!

Comments for Kids - Summary Post #2

This round, I was required to once again go to Pt. England school in Auckland, New Zealand. The teacher I was required to research was Mr. Ted Barks, and the class was his Room 18 class (years 6-8). I found out that this class seems like a lot of fun, and that they have some really great values that they list on their blog for visitors to see. My favorite blog post was probably the one about their values. I liked that they took the time to post what they believe in, and also that the values were so meaningful. I also really liked the pictures that were shared. The kids seem like they enjoy being around each other and that they all truly love being a part of their school!
The student who's blog I had to post was named Mary. Her blog was so pretty, and was extremely well laid out. Although it was not quite that full, I can tell that she is working hard to achieve her goals, and that she is probably better at doing technological tasks than I am. It was interesting to see that many of the things that she is learning is what I am learning in EDM310.How great that those children are learning it first! Here is the comment i left her on her post reflecting on her year last year:
"Hello!
My name is Rebekah, and I am a student at the University of South Alabama, USA. I you want to look at my blog for Dr. Strange's EDM310 class, feel free to do so!
I really enjoyed reading your reflection about last year! It sounds like you did a bunch of really interesting activities! I also have to learn about making movies and using Google Apps, so I understand how hard it can be, but keep up the great work! It is definitely worth it in the end! I hope that you reach your goal and make the Netball team this year, I am sure that you will do great!
Have a nice day"

This week I was required to go to Room 21 at Pt. England School. The child who's blog I looked at was named Junior T. He had written an "About me" piece that was very interesting. Since Room 21 contains grades 7 and 8 I made sure that my comment did not sound like I thought he was in Kindergarten. So, here is what I wrote:

"Hi Junior!

My name is Rebekah Lloyd and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned to read your blog for my technology class with Dr. Strange. If you want, you can visit my class blog. I think that it is really admirable that you want to grow up to be a doctor! Keep up the great work, your blog looks wonderful!"

This week I was required to visit Room 8 at Melville Intermediate School. This school looks very engaging and exciting and like the kids have a lot of fun learning! This school is located in New Zealand. After watching the video I left a quick comment telling the class group about how well they did.

"My name is Rebekah Lloyd and I am from Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I love your picture slideshow! You and your group did a great job, and I love the music selection. Your video allowed me to see what your school is about! It looks like you have a great place to learn and be with friends!"

Blog Assignment #9

After reading Mr. McClung's post, there are several thoughts that come to my mind.
First, about his thought on the section entitled How to Read the Crowd. I think that this is a major problem in many schools. We are drilled to become the "perfect" educator" and have to go through constant evaluation and testing. Unfortunately, this makes the crowd we are learning how to teach somewhat insignificant at that moment. A good performance is all that is required, and while the students should be engaged, you are the one being tested. Sadly making the audience - who is the MOST important part - become a second thought.
Next, in the section entitled Be Flexible, I agreed with where he stated that "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT. Although I need to strive for a great lesson, I DO NOT need to beat myself up over lessons that were not ideal. As a teacher I need to be ready to change my plans so that I can best fit the students' needs. They are, after all, the REASON I am there.
In the section Communicate, the importance of communication and collaboration to solve problems. Now, I honestly am NOT a fan of group work. I like to do it my own way, and I only like input from a few people. To me, no one really knows what you want but YOURSELF. However, I realize the importance of using other opinions to aid you in decision making and problem-solving.
The next section really hit home for me. I am a perfectionist. . . I admit it. I was that girl throughout my years in elementary and high-school. You know, the one who did everything the teacher asked, even the extra credit work? Yeah, the one who worked for hours on a project to earn those extra two points for "artistic flair." I say all of this because I truly do expect a certain level of perfection out of people. I am desperately trying to fix this issue, because it causes me many problems actually. Like Mr. McClung said, Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." A fact that I am working on every day of my observations in the classroom! Luckily, my field experience is doing so much to help me test my current level of educator "traits."
Hmm. . . technology, eh? Isn't that another word for Devil? Watch out! - It is going to take over the world! What, I should not be afraid of it? I am totally kidding, EDM310 has really opened my eyes to the potential of technology in education, and helped me accept that I am indeed "computer savvy!" So thanks to this class, I will already be prepared to use technology to teach children how it can enhance the way that they learn.
The section about listening is KEY! I know that I am uncomfortable talking to someone unless a visible amount of interest is in their face. Interest equals listening - in my book - Otherwise, I think that they do not care and that hurts! If they do not seem interested, that means that they are just distracted, or that they really just do not care. Either way - that is NOT the impression that I want to give my students. I want them to feel comfortable enough to ask me questions, and expect a thoughtful and beneficial answer. They need to feel like I care about them and about their learning, otherwise I am not a teacher at all.
This post would not have been complete without this last section. I think that this is VITAL as a teacher, however, I think that all human beings need to embrace the idea that learning never ends. Everyone is required to make decisions right? Well, current information is necessary to make that decision. Even with silly things like ordering a hamburger. Let's say that you are in a McDonald's Drive-thru, and you order a hamburger Happy Meal for your child. You give the meal to the child, and they immediately complain that there is no toy. Luckily - being the prepared parent that you are - you had waited to drive away in anticipation that controversy about the meal might arise. You ask the teller why there is no toy, and she replies that Happy Meals no longer have them. You ask her when and why this happened. She says, "It was on the news this morning." Well, you do not watch the news, you have no newspaper subscription, and you never really have time to just surf the internet. So, you had no way of learning any of the new info about McDonalds. You knew that they sold Happy Meals, but your knowledge had to change when you learned that they no longer offered toys in the package.
While I realize that this is a very silly example, I think that it illustrated an important point in a simple way. That is, learning occurs everyday whether you consciously acknowledge it or not. So, as educators, we need to embrace the idea of our brain's constant evolution, and then teach our students to do the same. If we accept it , and consciously improve upon it - the possibilities for what we can accomplish with our students are endless! If we relate it to each student and their own life, maybe they will be more willing to give the idea of "permanent learning" another, more enthusiastic, try? Hopefully so!

Smartboard Presentation Interview

Look at this interview with the student we had in our "classroom." He helped us so much!

Blog Assignment #8

This video had many interesting things to say, and was presented in a very creative way. It was almost a "How to" video, but he made it seem like a narrative. I really liked the way that he spoke and had this presentation in the background. Multimedia is a special way to learn, and I really think that if students can learn how to properly use these resources, their work will be better in both the classroom and in their future jobs. It makes projects more interesting, and actually more fun to bring together as one huge project.
While I agree that books are no longer the primary source of information, I prefer certain books to be right in front of me. Mainly when it comes to novels is where I like to have the actual book. That being said, I do NOT miss the fact that I have all of the information I need on the web. I really only like to go to the library for pleasure reading, so I am so happy that educational resources are so easily accessible. This makes the life of the student simpler and more informed.
The whole attitude of the presentation was interesting. I agree with most of what he is saying - especially about technology and human connections changing in a way that have never been tried before. i also like that he said presentations need to be beautiful and informative in order to be good. His presentation used so many types of resources:video, audio, web sources, screen video, skype - that I did not know what to think! Some of the info he presented was insane, but I think that it is an admirable "dream" to pursue. I agree that we are not presently in a place to teach these things, so my thought was - wouldn't it be wonderful if EDM 310 students thought this to young students and fostered this desire in the younger generation! Then, these kids could go on and make the way for this revolutionary teaching and presentation method to occur! I am not only prepared to write with multimedia, but I am ready to help my students learn how to do it as well - who knows, maybe they will be teaching it one day!

After watching the EDM310 student videos, I think that I would like to make a more collaborative video with people who are not actually there physically. I would use skype to make my collaborative project, because it is a great resource for contacting those far away. Since almost all of the videos I have been viewing the past few weeks talk about the benefits of collaboration through mediums like skype, I think I would like to out these statements to the test and collaboratively complete an interview project about technology and EDM 310 100% online.
While I realize that these two videos were more like skits, I think that I would take a more serious route with my project and make it a series of interviews with people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs because I want to really test how to use skype across the world.
These videos were funny, yet they had a great way of presenting some fundamental EDM310 ideas. They were both full of messages such as getting your work done on time, being responsible and making sure you check the class blog and checklist, and to make sure that you stay on top of the EDM310 workload.

In the video Learn to Change, Change to Learn I agree with the arguments presented. Kids are the center of education, but education is NOT only the schoolroom. We learn socially and academically, so let's make the classroom a place that gives the students the tools to navigate in both spheres. Education is an ever-changing process, so we need to be ready to change with it. I like the point made that states students will NOT be required to memorize facts in their future, but the WILL be required to be literate in collaboration, creativity, culture, and professionalism. So, it really is time to prepare students for 21st century learning. The "death of education and the dawn of learning" has arrived! (I liked that quote).

The first video was amazing! I loved the presentation of the topic and i found it really interesting. Basically, his argument was that there are future oriented people, past oriented people, and present Hedonistic people. Your motives depend on your time zone and your culture because different values are associated with different areas. He talked about how Americans are busier than ever, and they complain about lack of family values, but if there is "no time" for family then there will be no family values. Children know better than to do bad things, but they do it anyway because the present oriented mind that is being developed because of the instant gratification that technology provides makes them choose it anyway. We are all to some degree Hedonistic, but the more future oriented you are, the more likely you are to resist temptation. He goes on to say that parents and teachers seem to not realize that technology is REPROGRAMMING the minds of children today. So, no wonder they are bored in class being talked to, there is NO INTERACTION! So, lets revolutionize education to make it interactive and engaging so that there will be fewer dropouts and more thinkers ready to innovate. The more we use technology, the more the modern student will be willing to listen!
In the final video the main argument was that we are not reward driven people, but we are purpose driven. After giving countless amounts of data from studies done at MIT and Carnegie Mellon, he came to the conclusion that people in general do better when they are driven by autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Take money off of the table so that the workers can focus on self direction. In the classroom this idea can be applied by giving the students enough time to make a productive project together with the theme of an educational topic. Do not make them sit and listen to you talk for too long - involve them and give them a REASON to be excited and to produce creative work. Students want to succeed and they want to prove that they are creative - so, give them the chance! As a teacher, I need to be ready to foster an environment that encourages autonomy and mastery by using the mediums that students are familiar with (technology). If this is done, much more cognitive work will be retained and will have much better results than if only motivated by grades or by candy. Students are not horses - they are PEOPLE! Let's treat them in a way that appreciates their minds and prepares them to work in a business world modeled by the "Purpose Model" the David Pink mentions!

Smartboard Presentation

Check out our Smartboard Presentation about the days of the week!
After watching this could you please take our survey? It would mean SO MUCH! We WANT your feedback!

Where the Wild Things Are Book Trailer

This was so much fun to make! Thank you for asking me to make this Anthony! A great book for all ages! (The movie is not bad either) =)

PLN - Progress Report # 1

So, as of now, my PLN is a work in progress. I have added bookmarks to various high schools that I have gone to (under the education tab) and also lists of Educators' twitter names and lesson plan sites. I have kept the search engine as my main heading since it is so easy to access information when it is right in front of me. Also, i have added websites for my favorite chefs, trainers, and fitness magazines because I love to be in the "know" about everything pertaining to fitness. Recipes and ideas are key for me to learn how to come up with new approaches to the culinary world, so I have started a ton of bookmarks for the culinary world. As far as education, I also have kept a bookmark on education magazine because they offer up to date information about the latest events and issues in educational policies.

I am by no means complete - and I do not think that I will ever actually be DONE - creating my PLN, but I am definitely on my way to creating a central location for all of my most coveted resources and hints for education, culinary arts and fitness.

Comments for Teachers - Summary post #2

In William Chamberlain's blog post Can We Adopt a Master/Apprentice Approach to Learning?, He states that educators and students would gain more benefit if we modeled teaching more like the older-style "master/apprentice" model of imparting information. He goes on to say that if we taught the "apprentice" student how to learn, they would use that teaching to drive them to become a "lifelong learner." I believe that this is true. Smaller classes result in more personalized lessons, which create better learners. However, my only issue or question rather, was about how this would ever become a reality. I understand that it is desirable but I do not think that many public schools have the resources to decrease class size, hire new teachers, and find more classrooms for the smaller classes. So, great idea, but it will probably take some convincing to get the necessary funds. However, change is never easy, so hopefully I can be a part of the generation of educators that makes the difference in the way children are taught to learn and investigate their world!
Here was my response to Mr. Chamberlain,
I am a student at the University of South Alabama from Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class. I know that you are familiar with what we are trying to learn in this class because Dr. Strange mentions you quite often! In about two weeks, I will be summarizing what I have learned/discovered while following your blog on my class blog, so feel free to leave me a comment!
I think that the master/apprentice approach to education is a really interesting new perspective to think about. I truly think that this would be a more beneficial way of learning, I just do not quite understand how it would ever come into practice. I prefer smaller classroom settings, but with all the people there are today, I am having trouble seeing this ideal become a reality. Students and teachers would most definitely retain and learn more in smaller settings, but how would we be able to decrease class size? Lifelong learning is the key to your idea, and that I completely see as a practice that needs to be taught ASAP.
I would be interested to hear what your solutions are, so feel free to contact me on my class blog (link above) or at my twitter address. Thank you!

Fortunately, he responded to my comments this time! Here was the post he gave to me

"Rebekah, isn't your EDM310 class kind of a master/apprentice class? You do most of the stuff on your own, but have "master" helpers in the lab?"
So, I was able to converse even further, I responded to him with more questions,
"Yes, it is!
I was mostly referring to how this would be possible in the elementary classroom. In the university classroom I think it is happening now - or at least - it should be. Elementary might be a bit more challenging. So, I guess that the master/apprentice approach might mainly be attainable in the higher level education classrooms?"
Here was his reply:
"That is very true, effective education does occur more naturally in a one on one environment. I have just never really thought it was possible to do one on one teacing in a classroom. However, now I am seeing that it can be attainable (Thanks to you and EDM 310). Thank you for teaching me something new!"

I am excited to be able to ask these questions and actually get responses! I am learning so much as a result of this conversation, so Thank you for assigning me to this teacher Dr. Strange!

Short Movie #11

Here is my project number eleven!


I had a lot of fun using my cousins to help me, and it taught me how to easily make this a great activity that students could do with each other! like, make them read a current event to their peer, and then do an on-camera evaluation together! New way to do current events maybe? Like a USA class "News" site? Sounds exciting!

Blog Assignment # 7

My initial reaction to his talk was laughter. He was extremely optimistic about his situation, and I was encouraged to see his positive outlook on his few remaining months of life. I really liked the macintosh joke, and his personal photos from his childhood. Emphasizing childhood dreams was interesting to me, being an educator, because it made me remember all of my crazy childhood dreams. Who am I to question these dreams? They are serious aspirations that these children have and they mean a lot to the individuals. I think that it is my job to encourage any type of dream a child has. No matter how unusual the dream, I should foster an environmetn where children feel free to develop those dreams, experiment with ideas, and bring substantial information to the table so that they can figure out how to pursue thier future goals.
I like the quote that said "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." That is true for children because experience in order to learn. I also liked how he addressed the challenges we face in life as things we learn from - what a positive role model for children! He approaches his subject honestly, and somewhat objectively so that he an do the best possible job - something I need to keep in mind towards my own beliefs when educating children.
The other thing I liked that he mentioned was how he discussed his collaboration with other men and women in order to ask questions for a meeting. This helped me see that collaboration is a key to successful meetings no matter what your vocation. If you are willing to go the extra mile, people will help you get to where you want to go. He illustrated the different ways to approach people when problems occur, and demonstrated how differently handling a situation (as an administrator) can make the students or faculty members feel. Think about what you say, it really does change people! People influence people, so make wise choices!
I liked how he discussed involving group projects in his classroom. He made the groups switch every two weeks, which sounded really interesting! I also liked how he decided to continually raise the bar to challenge the students to do better than they thought they could do. He effectively brought across the point that in order to have people do the best job, never set the bar - keep it higher and higher in order to succeed. Group interaction was key to the success of his students and made it apparent that they loved to learn. What a blessing as an educator! I also liked how he addressed the idea of book learning in masters degrees - use projects to enhance learning not books!
They incorporated technology into the classes and used it to help the students learn real life skills. The way that this man revolutionized the learning process in his classroom is really encouraging to see. He uses collaboration to help the students see how to be better people and to be more self-reflective in their learning. I think this video - although lengthy - was a great one to use as an assignment because many of his points were similar to many of Dr. Strange's EDM philosophies. Basically, keep living life with happiness and excitement, embrace challenges, use authority to learn, and be prepared to learn from everyone around you - yes, even your students! So, let us keep in mind the ideas that this man put forth in his speech: be a good collaborator, be self-reflective, be willing to encourage even the craziest childhood dreams, be able to teach something hard but by keeping it fun for the students, and be professional!

Comments for Kids - Summary post #1

First of all, I am guessing - just by using the teacher's Twitter name as a clue - that although she has many years of experience she is very invested in using technology as a resource for developing PLNs (personal learning networks).
Here is what I have said during my first comments for kids session:
"Hello Dairon!
Your post made me hungry for a sprinkled chocolate doughnut, my favorite!
I am a student at the University of South Alabama, and I was assigned to look at your blog for a while. So far, I am very impressed with your class blog. Keep up the great work!
My final answer for your math problem is 51 minutes.
I was wondering, if it takes you 25 minutes to walk home from the donut shop, what time will you get to your house?
I look forward to talking to you again!
Have a great day!
If you would like, you can post your answer on my class blog."

For Commments for Kids #2, I was required to go to Pt. England School in New Zealand. First of all, I loved listening to their beautiful accents! What I learned about this school is that it is a rapidly growing institution with a true love of their students, and a passion to teach them the best possible information available. After reading the Mission statement and a few school policies, I am really intrigued by this school in New Zealand! I think my favorite random fact was when I read about the "Tuck shop." This is a place where the students can buy .healthy snacks for their morning tea time! I loved learning about something so normal there, but so culturally different here! I wish WE had morning tea time and a healthy "Tuck shop!" After I listened to the "KPE Episode #338," about a book called "Ace Reporter," I am definitely sold on classroom podcasting. It is fun, engaging, and purposeful. This podcast was highly entertaining, especially since i had never read that book before, and because they did a wonderful job discussing plot, characters, and theme. Here is the comment that I left them:
"Hello!

My name is Rebekah. I am from the University of South Alabama in the United States, and I am visiting your site for Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class. If you would like to learn more about me, or if you want to leave me a comment on my blog feel free to do so!
I just wanted to quickly say that I really enjoyed listening to this episode of KPE. You did a wonderful job discussing the characters, the themes, and the plot in Ace Reporter! I had never heard of this book until your news report, so I might just have to go and read it on my own!
Thank you!"

Pt. England school in New Zealand is the same school I was required to go to for #2. So, this time I focused on finding out what Room 16 is. From what I can see, room 16 is a blog for a certain class. Each Room has a different number, and these students all seemed to be in their sixth year of school. So, the number is the class that they are in. I went to his posts, apparently they are newer, and I left him a comment on his most recent post about him as Superman. Here is what I said,

"My name is Rebekah, and I am visiting your blog from all the way in the USA! I am a college student at the university of South Alabama and am in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class.
I think it is really neat that you are Superman! I enjoyed the artwork that you made of yourself as Superman, it was amazing! Although I do not like to beat people up, Superman is definitely one of my favorite superheroes! I also looked at your old blog from Room 14, and thought you had some great posts! Well done!"

Overall, I learned so much about different students as a result of this blog. I really do think that comments for kids is a rewarding assignment, and I cannot wait to see more blogs from children!