Project #15 SMARTboard

Progress Report on the Final Project

I'm so excited to be writing this post, because that means we can all finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! For the final project #16, my group and I will be creating a ten through fifteen minute movie on how to survive EDM310. My group member consist of: Claire Langham, Jenna Barnes, and myself. We have all thrown around some ideas, but have not started filming it yet. We plan on starting our project next week, and staying ahead of the game. We plan to incorporate different things we've learned about technology this semester into our video. We're all very anxious to finish this project, as we all hope it will be very informative for future EDM310 students.

C4K November Summary (Final Post)

C4K #8

For blog post #8 I was assigned to comment on Carl D's blog. Carl is a student in Mr. Boylen's 8th grade class in Los Angeles, California. The blog post I chose to write about was called, "The Foxman." This post was based around a book that Carl read by Gary Paulsen. Carl proceeded to write in the blog about how much he enjoyed the book, because it was based off of being in the wilderness. I responded to Carl, and told him that I also have read a Gary Paulsen book called, Hatchet. I went on to tell Carl that I read the book when I was around his age per an assignment for a Literature class I was in. I also told him that when he was finished reading The Foxman that he should read Hatchet, because I thought he would really enjoy it.

C4K #9

For C4K #9 I commented on Ashley L's blog. The blog post that I commented on was titled, "October Reflection." The post was about all of the activities that her class did during the month of October. Ashley's favorite thing that her class did that month was have a "monster bash". She said that during the bash they played games, ate a lot of candy, and made some Halloween crafts. She also said that after the bash they all got to write a creative story. Ashley wrote about a girl and a dog going to see a spooky movie with ghosts in it. During the month they also read a book that she really enjoy called, The One and Only Ivan. Ashley said that after her teacher finished reading her class the book, they all got to use iPads and write to each other about what they thought about the book. I started off my comment back to Ashley by telling her how much I enjoyed her blog post. I then told her how vivid she is in her writing, and they is a true talent that not a lot of people have. I then told her that October was always one of my favorite months during school too, and that the Halloween parties we had were always so much fun! I ended my comment back by telling her to continue blogging all throughout her schooling, because it's such a great way to stay connected with other students, and that it can help her become an even more creative writer.

C4K #10

For C4K #10, then final C4K, I was assigned to comment on Erica Kelly's blog. Erica is a student in Ms. Martin's tenth grade class at Baldwin County High School. Her blog post that I commented on was titled, "Reflection," and it was dedicated to a book she read called Speak. The blog post wasn't very long, but she did get her point across about how much she loved the book. I had to do some research on this post, because I was not familiar with the book. After a quick google search, I found out the novel is by Laurie Halse Anderson (who is also the author of The Scarlett Letter). It's a young adult novel about rape, recovery, and confession. I was a bit weary about a tenth grader reading a book that has anything to do with rape, because that could possibly be extremely graphic. As I read into more about the book, I found out the main premise behind the book is about the victim expressing her voice through the art she produces in a teacher's classroom. I would have to read this book before making any firm judgments on it, but above all it's great that Ms. Martin's class is reading!

Blog Assignment #12

For blog assignment number twelve, we were told to come up with our own assignment. This blog assignment took a lot longer to begin than any of the others. I couldn't think of the direction I wanted to take it, because my major, Elementary Education, covers a broad array of topics. After thinking about many different concepts, I finally decided on one that I believe will be the most beneficial. Using technology in the classroom is something I have been saying I want to do since blog post number two. Internet safety is something that is vital to cover when you're dealing with children using the Internet. So for this assignment, I will be teaching different approaches on how to be safe online.

When addressing Internet safety with students, a few things need to be taken into consideration. One, the transfer of handling "real life" situations to virtual ones. This is something that needs to be taught, it is not automatic knowledge for children. Second, while most "Stranger Danger" programs teach that strangers are scary, and want to hurt or abduct children, online occurrences are completely different. Not all strangers seem dangerous. Lastly, in "real life" students can walk or run away from a potential threat. In an online environment, the danger is inside a student's environment, and hard to escape without the necessary skills for handling these situations.

The assignment I have come up with is directed to elementary age students. With younger and younger students spending more time on the internet, it is crucial that we teach them how to protect themselves online. Most students know how to handle "Stranger Danger" face-to-face situations, but facing them online is a totally different subject.

Internet Safety Assignment:

1. Watch the Video, "Internet Safety."

2. Click on the "Hard Quiz" button at the bottom right of the screen, or click here "Quiz."
-Choose Online Quiz, DO NOT choose Paper Quiz.

3. Click on the "Activity" button at the bottom of the page, or click here, "Activity," and write down 10 SAFE websites.

4. Write in your blog post about Internet safety, and explain why it's important to be safe on the Internet.
-Questions to think about: What is a stranger? What do I do if a stranger contacts me online? What kind of things are okay to tell a stranger? What kind of things are not okay to tell a stranger?

Use proper sentence structure, and try to use correct punctuation. Write one paragraph or more. Tell me everything you learned about being safe on the internet!

Blog Assignment #11

The video,"Little Kids Big Potential," is about a first grade class in Moose Jaw, Canada. The teacher of this class, Ms. Cassidy, uses numerous forms of technology to help teach her class. These forms include blogs, a classroom webpage, wikis, videos, Skype and Nintendo DS to share, collaborate and learn in their classroom. The blogs really help the students with their writing skills. They can see what they're writing, and it helps them pronounce different words. It's also a fun way for them to interact with family members when they comment on their blogs. Family members can also stay updated on the students artwork, because it is posted on their blogs. Webpages make learning tools for the students a lot easier. Students can simply click a picture, and it will take them to what they're trying to learn about. Ms. Cassidy's students also use Wikis to learn about different topics such as traditions and rituals from people all around the world. Videos were used for the students to put into their blog, and show how they're learning different things. The students can use Skype to communicate with students in different places. The students even got to communicate with experts in different fields they're learning about through Skype. The nintendo DS helped the students share, and solve problems. I was impressed seeing such young children interact with technology that I just started interacting with as a college student. Having technology in the classroom is definitely something I am going to push for!

Dr. Strange and Ms. Cassidy had a skype interview with each other to discuss the technology she uses in her classroom. In the video, Ms. Cassidy says she started using technology because she was given five computers in her classroom. The main thing Ms. Cassidy answered that I had questions about was students privacy. While the internet is an incredible thing, it can also be a dangerous thing if proper precautions are not taken. Ms. Cassidy says that she protects her students by keeping their last names private. Her students are only allowed to put their first names beside their work, and they all know not to put their last. She also doesn't allow a name to be beside a picture, and she requires parental consent before a students work can be posted. I personally love the idea of students blogging about their work. It gives family members the freedom of viewing their child's work on a daily basis without having to go to the school.

After watching the Skype interview and Ms. Cassidy's class video, I can really picture the way having technology in the classroom would go. I've always known I want technology to be present, but I never realized how much I would want my students to blog until now. Another thing that I know I will want to do after watching the videos is Skype. I think Skype is such an awesome learning tool that could really benefit students. Skype can change a boring everyday routine to something students are excited about. I think it would be really neat for my future students to be able to Skype with other classes, and to talk to experts in the skills we're studying.

Project #3 C4T #3

Post #1

For C4T #3 I was assigned to John T. Spencer who shares a blog with Chad Segerston. Mr. Spencer is a sixth-grade ELL teacher, who has written five books. The first post of Mr. Spencers that I commented on was titled, "How to Fix Education in 5 Easy Steps". Mr. Spencer's post indicated that steps need to be taken to improve our education system. He then listed five steps that he thought would help improve our system. I told him that I liked the idea of taking a few steps at a time, and I thought it was a great idea. The step that he listed that jumped out to me the most was the step that said "empowering great leaders." I told him that without a top down change in the educational system, comprehensive reform cannot happen. administrators need to be involved in the process and should communicate with teachers and parents to come up with the best course of action for educating today's students. Without administrators support, systemwide reforms will be impossible, and students will be forced to suffer the consequences of actions taken by the decision makers of an educational system that will have failed them.

Post #2

Post number two was about Mr. Spencer's struggle on when to give students immediate feedback or to withhold the information for a while. The blog post was titled, "Is Timely Feedback Always a Good Idea?" Mr. Spencer said on most "skills" that he teacher, such as mathematics, he gives immediate feedback, while most "concepts" he teaches he struggles with trying to wait or give it then. I told Mr. Spencer that I agreed with giving immediate feedback for "skills". I said if we don't, then I would be afraid that the student would possibly end up confusing themselves even more, get overly frustrated, and ultimately give-up. Then I told him with "concepts" such as creative writing, we need to wait to give feedback. When creativity exercises come into play I think students need their space to be as creative as they can be. If we interfere with that then we could stop their creativity from reaching its highest potential. I then gave Mr. Spencer as example about dreams. I said when we're suddenly awaken from a really good dream, no matter how hard we try we can't get back into that place of utter bliss. The place where the world we were in was so vivid, and real. We're blocked, and it's just impossible to get back to exactly where we were in the dream. To me, this is just like creative writing. If a thought is interrupted than it's almost impossible to get back to where you were going with the story.

C4K October Summary

C4K #3

For C4K #3 I was assigned to a student in 4th grade named, Marbei. Marbei is a very creative writer who really does enjoy blogging. In the post that I commented on Marbei wrote a very vivid story about a penguin named Donald. Donald loved to dance, but all of the kids at his school made fun of him because he was a boy. Donald didn't let the other penguins get him down, and he kept dancing. At the end of the story, we find out that the other boy penguins that were making fun of him ended up being dancers too. The moral of Marbei's story was to never give up, and always follow your dreams. I wrote back to Marbei and told him how great him blog post was. I told him how creative of a writer he is, and said to never give up on writing. I also told him how important the moral of his story was, and that it's something everyone needs to remember in their lives.

C4K #4

C4K #4 was from a student named, Sarah, at an all girls school. Her blog was based out of an AP Government and Politics class. Sarah's post was about her struggle with online classes, and her coping with not being face-to-face with a teacher. In the end, she does step out of the box, and become at ease with her online classes. I wrote Sarah back, and told her that I could completely relate with the anxiety she was having. I told her that online classes make you think on your own, because you don't have the capability of waiting on someone else to raise their hand and ask the question. I then told her that I was glad she didn't give up on the class, because in the end once you complete a course you struggled with then it will be so much more rewarding. Sarah actually wrote me back, which I was very pleased about. She graciously thanked me, and told me she agreed that online classes do make her contribute more of her own thoughts. She ended by telling me she was so glad to hear that she wasn't the only one that struggled with it in the beginning.

C4K #5

C4K #5 was from a student that attends North Petherton Primary School named, Oscar. Oscar wrote his blog post about role models. This post was a bit difficult for me to respond to, because his whole post consisted of one sentence. In the post, he said that his role model was Mo Farah, and he then asked "who is your role model?" I must admit, I did have to do a google search to find out who Mo Farah is. After a quick google search, I found out that he is a track Olympian. I responded to Oscar by telling him Mo Farrah did a great job at the Olympics, and that having a role model such as as olympian is a great choice. I then told him about my role model, which is my grandfather. I ended my response by telling him to continue blogging, and to keep up the good work!

C4K #6

C4K #6 was from a student named, Cole. Cole's blog post was about Elephants. In the post, he wrote about different descriptive features of an elephant. The last thing he said about elephants was that some of them live in Africa. The last comment made my response a lot easier. I told him that he was right about some of them living in Africa, and that I was going to Africa Summer 2013 for a month long safari. I also asked Cole if he was a fan of elephants, because he was an Alabama football fan. Even though Cole didn't respond to me, I have a feeling that since he is from Birmingham, he likes elephants because he is an Alabama fan!

C4K #7 Special Edition

From the blog, Vitulli and Santoli: Eyes on Ireland, I commented on the post called, "Strolling Down Merrion Road in Dublin." In this post, Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli had just arrived to Dublin, and were struggling with some jet-lag. Luckily, as soon as they got to their hotel they caught their second wind, and began exploring. The began by exploring around their "neighborhood" where the U.S. Embassy is located. After that, they ate some pureed soup, before heading back out to explore. They then visited the Book of Kels at Trinity College, and then went by the National Gallery. I responded to them by saying that no matter where I travel to, or how jet-lagged I am, I always manage to catch my second wind when we land. I then told them that it looked like they were having such a wonderful time. I also told them about the Safari I'm going on in Africa next summer, and that almost every dinner we will be eating pureed soup that they make for us in the bush. I ended my response by wishing them safe travels, and hope they keep enjoying their incredible trip!

Special Blog Assignment

In honor of USA TODAY's 30th anniversary, they interviewed some of the greatest visionaries to talk about the world of tomorrow. Mary Beth Marklein wrote the article, "A World Where Grades Will be Left Behind," to discuss a particular version of education where it is free, and anyone can attend. In this type of learning, education is turned into a place of utter bliss. No one is late for school, failure isn't even a word used, and lesson plans mimic the fun you have while playing a video game. Sebastian Thrun, a research professor at Stanford and a Google Vice President, was one of the visionaries interviewed for this article. Thrun taught a free online artificial-intelligence course that consisted of more than 160,000 students. After teaching this course, he realized he could no longer teach in a traditional classroom, and he then founded an education company called Udacity.

Udacity is a free online based type of education that has various courses, and are taught by professors all throughout the world. Sebastian Thrun compares his journey from the classroom at Stanford to Udacity through two pills. He says, "I feel like there's a red pill and a blue pill, and you can take the blue pill and go back to your classroom and lecture your 20 students. But I've taken the red pill, and I've seen Wonderland." Technology has made so many leaps over the years that it has allowed us to personalize the way we teach from a computer. Thrun's friend, Sal Kahn is continuously inspiring more classrooms to "flip". Flipping a classroom consists of students watching videos at home, and then coming to the classroom during the day to do their homework. The goal in this process is to make school affordable so more students can attend. Thrun says that his schooling system won't consist of grades, and that students will work on a particular skill until they master it. Students won't be charged to be instructed, but they will be charged to take exams and certifications.

I agree with this type of educational system. I believe I'm in one very similar to it with EDM310. We have no grades, everything is online, no paper in or out, and there is no huge fee. I honestly think this article would have been a complete eye-opener to me if it wasn't for EDM310. Having no pens or paper in a class must be hard for some people to understand, but if they would stay open to the idea then they would have a whole new outlook. Technology is an amazing thing, and I firmly believe we should keep evolving with it.

Blog Assignment #10

Papermate or Ticonderoga

This cartoon from the blog, "Adventures in Pencil Integration,"by John T Spencer, was fairly easy for me to understand. The papermate tends to try and spend less money on objects despite the poor quality of it. A ticonderoga will spend the extra money if it's good quality. I personally am a ticonderoga. I'll spend the extra money on something if I know it will last me a long time. Basically, this cartoon is saying if you are a papermate then you're the type of person that tries to save money, but will end up spending more in the long run because of faulty equipment. If you're a ticonderoga then you will spend the extra money to get good quality. Mr. Spencer commented on his blog about the cartoon saying, "it's a mock of a Mac and a PC," well, I have a Mac so it confirms my argument that I'm a ticonderoga.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?
"Why Were Your Kids Playing Games," by John T. Spencer is a post of a conversation between a teacher and a principal. The post starts off by the principal telling the teacher they need to talk. It's easy to tell that the principal is a stickler for rules, because he won't even shut the door for their conversation because of his "open door policy". The principal goes on to condemn the teacher for what he calls "playing games instead of teaching".

"The game" that the principal accuses the teacher of playing with his students consists of the students reading a scenario and then writing our their solutions in a descriptive way. The principal is so against games because of a hangman game that went poorly in 1985. The main point the principal isn't grasping in this conversation is that the students were engaged, and learning.

I believe this principal is way over the top. Having educational games in a classroom is a good idea. It keeps the students involved, and eager to participate. Students learning is the whole point, and to me it doesn't matter how that is done as long as its tactful.

Spelling Checker
The post I chose to read was, "Spelling Checker," by John T. Spencer. This post started off with Mr. Spencer telling us about a letter that was sent to him by a students mother. The mother was upset with Mr. Spencer's "spelling checker program" he uses to correct misspelled words. I completely disagree with this mothers complaint, and completely agree with Mr. Spencer's method. He underlines the misspelled words so the student knows what they have done wrong, and then gives them a dictionary to use as a learning tool, by making the student look up the word.

Students shouldn't be given every answer. They should have to put in some effort, and learn on their own. The complaining mother wants her child to be babied, and Mr. Spencer refused. Mr. Spencer responded to the mother by sending her a graph of the decrease in spelling errors due to his system. I will definitely be implementing a system similar to Mr. Spencer's system in my classroom. The best way for a child to learn is on their own with only the guidance of a teacher.

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff Please?
"Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please," by Scott Mcleod is a great example of being stuck in your ways. Mr. Mcleod is being sarcastic saying not to teach your kids technology. The principal from "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff" reminds me a lot of this post, because the principal also refuses to change his views on certain subjects. I completely disagree with not evolving with the world. Technology is only growing, and if teachers aren't growing with it then they are doing a disservice for their students.

Project #11 Short Movie