Short Movie Project 11

Summary's for C4K 8-11

C4K 8: For this post I was assigned a class blog to comment on. The blog is a class blog out of Australia of 2nd graders. The post I commented on was about the class's followers of their blog. They were close to 20,000 followers and they had some predictions of the date they would reach 20,000 followers. One student, Riley, guessed the closest to the date. I congratulated Riley on his well guessed prediction and I think it is awesome they have so many followers.

C4K 9:For this post I was assigned a class blog as well. This is an 8th grade class's blog and their post was about a dance class they are able to take at their school. They posted a video showing the students dancing. They do ballroom dances to modern pop music. I thought this was so cool because not everyone likes to dance, but with the music they use it will show students that everyone can dance. I thought this was very cool and if I had this opportunity in school I would have taken it.

C4K 10: For this assignment I was assigned a student from Mrs. Melito's class. Marigrace was assigned to answer a few questions thoroughly and she did such a great job with this post. She had a few spelling and grammatical errors, but overall did an awesome job.

C4K 11: For this assignment I was assigned a student named Trey in Mrs. Huebner's 2nd grade class. His blog post was about Iowa football and he wrote "I Love Iowa Football They Are The Best :)" His post was really cute and had different fonts. He also did every other word yellow and black.

Project 15

Additional Assignment 5

For the post "Sketchy Portraits," I think Mr. Spencer's main idea was that middle schoolers are going to act like they do and be considered rude because it is who they are. I think he was trying to prove the point that they aren't being rude, but being creative. For "The Medium Shapes the Learning", I think Mr. Spencer's idea here was to say not all technology is good in the classroom. Some technologies will be distracting to students and we shouldn't bring certain things in a classroom. The post titled "He Just likes the Class for the Pencils" is about the teachers. Students will not show respect to teachers who don't seem to care or show respect back. Kids aren't stupid. They know when a teacher has an attitude.

Blog Post 13

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is a website that teachers can use for lesson plans and other things for the classroom. It has different sections on the website which include, Courses of Study, Web Resources, Lesson Plans, Search, Personal Workplace, Professional Learning, Podcast Treasury, and ALEXville. Teachers can find useful tools from each of these catgeories. For example, with the Lesson Plans, teachers can see what other teachers have done in the past as far as "lesson plans" and get ideas. If the teacher chose the category "Courses of Study," the teacher will be directed to pick a subject then choose what grade level. After this, the website will show different things to do in that particular subject with the class.
ALEX is a great website that every teacher should visit. It gives so much information that will help teachers new and old. Once I become a teacher I will use this website as much as possible. It will help me to see how I'm doing compared to other teachers as well as keep me updated with new things teachers will be doing.

Project 14: Teach Someone

Teach Someone

Blog post 12

For this post write a paragraph about the things you've seen and read in this video. Talk about what you agree with or disagree with.

Results for project 6

For my survey I asked some questions about the price of college. Of the 16 students I asked, 11 will be paying for their school which is close to 70%. With this said 62% will be in debt after they graduate from college. Of that 62%, 75% will have at least $15,000 in debt some may even have more than $20,000. 50% of the students are employed and are using this money to pay for their living expenses. Close to 40% live on campus and 40% live off campus while the remaining 20% live with their parents. 62% do have roommates that help with rent and utilities as well as other living expenses. 80% of the students on a scale of 1 to 10 agree with at least a 7 or higher that school is overpriced. With this information I gathered, I believe as well as my fellow classmates that college is definitely overpriced. With the way the economy is today, college graduates are having a hard time finding a job to pay back these debts. The government as well as school administrations should take every circumstance into consideration and think about the students rather than the universities.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ag7TfTI53s-7dGxsVWVBQ1lKbXhwTWVucTBqOFdveGc&hl=en#gid=0

Report on Project 16

For project 16 my group has decided to use videos about how technology can be helpful to educate students about other cultures. The people in my group are Morgan Mohler, Kathryn Buchanan and myself. We are going to explore and talk about the ways blogs, Skype and wikis can be used in classrooms to educate students on cultures from around the world. We will talk about how we can use these technologies in our own classrooms when we become teachers ourselves. After we have all our information and videos we will put them together using Glogster.

Summary for C4T #3

For C4T teacher 3 I was assigned Ann Carnevale. Her blog post was titles Computer Centers- Take 2. Her post was giving teachers different ideas on how to use and what to use the computers in the classroom for. She says first we need to decide the rotation of the computer use. She suggests putting a list of the students name by the computer and just go down in the list in sequence. After deciding on the rotation, you need to decide when you use them. The best time would be when you’re not directly teaching to the whole class. The next step she tells us is to decide what activities we will be teaching. The activities should take 5 to 15 minutes. She also put pictures up as examples taken from her own class room. I thought Ms. Ann did such a good job giving ideas and options for computer use in the classroom. I especially liked the pictures she posted because I am more of a visual learner. I really enjoyed this blog post and I learned a lot from her.

C4K's 3-7 summaries

C4K #3
This blog post was from Room 10@ PT England School and the post I was assigned was from a boy named Eric. Eric posted a video about James Cook. His video was well presented and his information was great. He spoke with enthusiasm and did such a good job on his video.
C4K #4
This post was from a 6th graders blog titled BrookeLog10’s Blog. Her name is Brooke and her post was about a Japanese Lote Project she had to do for class. She had to write about a Japanese festival and include pictures, colors, and Japanese writing. She said she got a 6/10 on her project because she started it last minute. I thought it was cool they’re learning about Japan and I think she should start her projects a little earlier so she leaves out careless mistakes.
C4K# 5
For this assignment I commented on a 7th graders blog named Jesse. She had a post about herself and didn’t have much to say. She said her name is Jesse and she has one cat and two dogs. I told her to maybe add to that some things such as her favorite food and color. She could also talk about her friends and family.
C4K #6
This blog post was by a 7th grader named Madeline. Her post was called “My Question of the Week”. Her question was why the sky is blue. She says she knows it has to do with reflections in space, but she wants to really know why it is blue. I didn’t have the answer to that, but I did tell her I like the color blue and I think her question is a pretty common question.
C4K #7
This comment was on a class blog called Mr. McClung’s World. The blog post was titled “Lesson’s Learned”. His first lesson was about a boy named Chevy who is transferring schools and he had one request before he left. This request was to be on the weekly lessons blog post. Mr. McClung goes on to say how greatly Chevy will be missed. I thought it was pretty awesome that Mr. McClung could include him like that and I hope to one day fulfill the requests of my students as Mr. McClung has done. The second lesson on this post was about technology such as videos and smart boards. This is obviously interesting to me because this EDM class has taught me so much about technology. Finally, his third lesson of the week was about charity. The charity was about flexing muscles. The students could vote on who had the best pose, but every time they voted they had to pay a quarter and it all went to charity. I thought this was a fun and interesting way to raise money for charity. Most kids I know would love to do this.

Blog post 11

Ms. Cassidy's Approach to Technology

I really enjoyed the first video because I plan on teaching Kindergarden or 1st grade and those were the students she had in her video. Her approach to technology, in my opinion, is really great because she doesn't over do it and they really enjoy it. I will probably use blogging in my class room because this not only let's them say how they feel about certain situations, it teaches them to use to internet, how to type, and improves their writing skills. Just from blogging in this class alone I have seen improvements in my writing skills. Starting this at an early age only seems like the most knowledgable thing to do. Ms. Cassidy is right when she says technology isn't going anywhere and everyone needs to learn about it. Also, when she says "why would they want to hand write something for her to see when they can type it on their blog for everyone to see". Putting something on the internet for anyone to see only helps the student to realize that what they put on will reflect who they are as a person and this in turn could make or break their success. I really enjoyed the video and the skype chat. They were extremely helpful and I will be using these things in my class room one day.

additional assignment 3

I thought this video was really cool and Sir Robinson keeps it interesting. I think one of the most important points was when he talks about ADHD. He made it humerous, yet told the truth. Today, doctors just prescribe a medicine to keep children focused, but what really is going on is that the student is not excelling in a particular subject, but they could be excelling in something else. Most of the time it has to do a lot with the teacher. For example, I was told I have ADHD my freshman year of high-school. I'm taking a history class this year and with history being my worst subject I thought I should take my medicine. My teacher makes history so interesting and fun I don't even need my medicine. This is cool because it shows I'm really not ADHD, because when something interests me I can pay attention and really do well. I don't disagree with anything in this video, I feel like Sir Robinson makes valid points and supports his arguments with great examples. As an educator, I can hopefully one day help my students to see their more intellectual side and help them to figure out what they are interested in so they have a successful life. I thought this presentation was pretty cool and if I had to do one I would want to be the artist or maybe the narrator.

Smartboard Presentation Project 13

Blog Post 10

An Open Letter To Educators
Morgan Bayda does a great job of showing and explaining the video posted by Dan Brown. In his video, he explains why he dropped out of school. His reason was that “school is interfering with my education”. This didn’t make sense until I heard exactly what he was talking about. He talks about sitting in a lecture for two hours writing as quickly as you can while your professor flips through slides and allows you to talk to no one except the professor s themselves. I can relate to this in that most of my classes are this exact way. The teachers believe they are educating us by telling us to take notes about facts, learn them, and we will be tested. This is not educating us and will not help us in the real world. After I’ve taken my notes, memorized them, and was tested on them I have already forgotten what I memorized and in actuality nothing was learned. I can relate to Morgan Bayda in the way that all of her classes allowed no talking and discussing the “facts” with other students. Comparing that to this EDM 310 class, it is almost polar opposite. In this class we are encouraged to talk to other classmates and discuss our assignments, leave comments, and help each other out. This seems the same as the Ed computer classes Morgan Bayda took herself. Overall, I thought this post and video were well thought out and I completely agree with them.

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life
I liked this video a lot and I think those two questions can actually change my life. My sentence is “They are the reason I am furthering my education”. I really liked this video and I can now ask myself the second question every night of “Was I better today than yesterday?” My answer to this question will hopefully keep me motivated to continue my education and in the future help students to become educated. Maybe I can be the reason a student wants to further their education. Great things to think about.

Blog Post 9

“What I’ve Learned This Year” By: Mr. McClung
This post about Mr. McClung’s first year of teaching was really inspiring. I felt that everything he had to say made so much sense and his response to his own thoughts about teaching are extremely helpful. He starts off by saying that reading the crowd is one of the first things he has learned from being a teacher. Basically, we don’t need to focus on ourselves. Don’t worry about doing the lesson plan perfect because the superiors are watching. We need to focus on the students and make sure they are actually learning. He then talks about being flexible and being able to communicate. These two thoughts, in my opinion, are two of the most important ideas. Throughout high-school, I played sports and if it weren’t for my teachers being flexible and able to communicate with me I would’ve failed majority of my classes. I missed many classes due to away games and my teachers were always willing to work with me to keep me on top of my assignments. Being responsible was another thing Mr. McClung talked about. If a teacher isn’t responsible he or she really shouldn’t be teaching. Our job as educators is to never let the student get down on themselves for not doing well; this is being responsible. After responsibility comes technology. He says we shouldn’t be afraid of technology. I am so thankful to be taking this class because this class alone has taken me out of my comfort zone with technology and introduced me to so many amazing things. I agree that no one should be afraid of technology and everyone needs to realize it is here to make our lives so much easier if we would let it. Another great point brought up my Mr. McClung is to always listen to your students. This is so important because if the students realize you don’t care, why should they care? I had a few classes in high-school like this and to this day I regret not caring. I had teachers that would just give everyone As and I was ok with that because as long as the teacher didn’t care, I didn’t care. Finally he talks about how important it is to never quit learning. Once teachers accomplish their goal of becoming a teacher, many believe their learning process is over and it’s now time to teach. Wrong. Teachers should always be willing to learn while they teach. I really enjoyed what Mr. McClung had to say and I agree with him 100%.

Timetost Timeline project 9b

Blog Post 8

This Is How We Dream Part 1 and 2
In these two videos, Richard Miller explains how much things have changed when it comes to writing and researching. He describes our desktop as a workshop and we use Word Processing apps to write about our research. We no longer have to go to the library we can easily use the internet to find exactly what we are looking for.
While books in the library only have so many copies, the internet is full of different copies. We are now able to share our information and while 3 people could be looking at the same book in the library, millions can be looking online at the same book. Although the internet having these sources and information is so convenient and helpful, I hope the print copies will stay around. Internet is not always reliable and often crashes. In the case that a research paper is due in a week and my computer crashes I would go to the library.
I don’t think I am completely prepared to write with multimedia, but as I continue with my school and learn new things everyday about technology, I will be ready when the time is necessary. As an educator I must learn to do this because technology increases day to day and when I’m a teacher my students will already know what to do. I need to be able to do what they can do, but teach them and learn from them at the same time.

Chipper and EDM 310 for dummies
I thought both of these videos were well thought out and had extremely important points to them. The video about Chipper was pretty funny. The moral of it was that you have to always do your work and do it on time. You cannot rely on someone else to do it for you. If this is the case, you will never make it far in life. The EDM 310 video, I thought, was well produced as well as had a good point. The main idea was that this class is difficult and can make you go crazy if you do not know how to use the tools and websites. Once they learned how to use them they realized how beneficial this class will be for all classes. I haven’t had any great ideas for my video and after watching these two videos I feel I need to put much more thought into mine. I haven’t decided what I’m doing yet, but hopefully my video will be equally as great as theirs. This class really is so helpful for me in all my classes as well as life itself.

Smartboard critique
Michael Staton has given two interesting reason as to why he believes “Smartboards are A Dumb Initiative”. His first reason basically says that it doesn’t make anything more efficient or easier, but it makes it look better. As for his second reason, he says administrators just want to spend money and when asking for $200,000 for smartboards sounds better than saying they need the money to improve learning outcomes. He basically just says it’s a cop out when asking for money for technology. As for Bill Ferriter, he gives, in my opinion, more persuading reasons as to why he hates interactive white boards. The main reason I believe his reasons are more believable are because he experimented with a smartboard for a year. He goes on to say that even after time, they will become known as really expensive over head projectors. He also says that the idea of a perfect classroom would be to promote independent discovery and collaborative work so why are we spending so much money on tools that do not promote these two things. While I found it difficult searching for an argument to these approaches, one article titled “Using Smart Boards in K-12 Classroom”, gives both pros and cons to using smart boards. The main idea of the use of smart boards according to this article is that this world is becoming so technological and using smart boards for students helps them to become a part of the technology world. Introducing them to technology in the classroom is one way to help them in life. This article also says teachers need to decide for themselves if using a smart board would be helpful or not. I think this is the best thing because for some teachers smart boards might truly help them in a classroom while others, such as Michael Staton and Bill Ferriter, do not believe they are in any way helpful. I found this article very imformative: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/reviews/9759.aspx

Additional Assignent #2

How Kids Teach Themselves
1. What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves?
2. If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves?
3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself?
4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
7. How do you motivate someone to learn?
8. How are you motivated to learn?
9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?
10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
12. What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
1. I do think learners can teach themselves if they’re motivated. We have had to teach ourselves a lot for this class, and when I’m motivated, it makes it that much easier.
2. I think motivated learners that are kids can teach themselves to a certain point.
3. They need to have technology. When they have a computer they can research and find answers through search engines.
4. They have a major part in this process. The learners, especially children, need to have the computer to teach themselves.
5. Motivation and desire play, in my opinion, the biggest role in this process. The child or learner needs to be completely motivated or they won’t be interested in learning.
6. The role of questions or problems play a major role as well. They make the learner think as well as answer in a timely matter.
7. Motivating someone to learn could be considered one of the most difficult experiences of being an educator. You have to change the way the kids are use to looking at it and make it interesting for them.
8. I am motivated by my teachers and peers. When the people around me are studying and wanting to learn as well as my teacher being excited about teaching makes me want to learn as well.
9. Anyone not motivated to learn can still learn, but it will make the process longer and more difficult.
10. I don’t always teach myself, but sometimes I have to. For this class I have had to teach myself a lot. Although we are given instructions there isn’t someone there showing us step by step. For other classes that I teach myself in, it’s only because the teacher isn’t doing a good job.
11. Teachers have always played a huge role in my learning process. If a teacher is excited and interesting as well as interacts with the class then it is so helpful and much easier to learn. This class has taught me how to teach myself with some instructions.
12. I think the most important idea from this video was when he asked the lady to teach the kids about science. Her response was she didn’t know how it how could she teach it. He told her to just act like a grandmother and admire what the kids were saying and doing. As she did this for 2 months the kids grades went up 20%. This is amazing and proves that repetition alone can improve the learning process.
13. I think teachers need to realize how much kids look up to them and want to “impress” them in the class room. For example, the teacher I was talking about in the above question would say to the students, “oh that’s cool”, “can you do that again for me?”. These statements and questions let the students know the teacher is interested in how they’re doing.

Project 10: PLN progress report

For my PLN I've been playing around on Symbaloo. So far, mine is nothing like the 7th graders PLN, but I am working on it each week to perfect it. So far I have the originial favorites it started with such as twitter, apple, and youtube. I have added my personal blog, the EDM310 class blog, the manual and a few others. It is really helpful because I am constantly on the internet for this class and having these sites all on the same page saves me some time. I have found myself to be interested in things I've learned from in this class that I never thought I would be interested in. I think technology is great, but little did I know it was so useful and helpful for all ages, especially in the schooling systems. Once I have my PLN exactly how I want it I will post a link to show you.