Blog Post #13

“Alex” is the acronym for Alabama Learning Exchange. It is a resource website for teachers. It features things such as courses of study, web links, lesson plans, podcasts and more. It has links to find professional development opportunities and many teaching tools. It features grade specific lesson plans in twelve different categories ranging from English to career/technical in all different grade levels.

Under professional development, it includes educator standards and the code of ethics that we all must adhere to. It has a helpful FAQ page in professional development and related professional learning units. It features a web resource section that has links to helpful sites for administrators, teachers and students.

I think this site will be very helpful for a new teacher, in particular the lesson plans, podcasts and some of the interactive links. I would like to see some more community based computing tools.

Additional Assignment #5

John Spencer has a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a master’s from Northern Arizona University. He teaches 8th grade at a low SES school in Phoenix, Arizona.

You can summarize what John Spencer has said in some of his posts with, reaching the child = teaching the child. John has proven that using technology based tools is a good method to spur creativity and maximize opportunities for learning. His use of metaphor in math to describe a variable is very off the wall, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Children that take advantage of his class will not only receive an education, they will learn how to think.

Project #15 Writing With Multi Media

Blog Assignment #12

Think about the topics in this video. What are some of the technologies mentioned?

Which of these technologies do you think would be most useful in teaching? How will you use them?

How could the technologies listed be used to enrich a literature class teaching Shakespeare?

 
What are some of the technologies mentioned? Some technologies that were mentioned are blogs, winkis, podcasts, online collaboration, webcams, E Portfolios, cell phones, iPods and more.

Which of these technologies do you think would be most useful in your teaching? How will you use these? I will be teaching the early elementary grades so I think blogs and online collaboration will be useful. iPods will be great for story time or learning games (letters, shapes, colors). Skype and video will be great for exploring volcanoes and animals in the jungle!  Then we can post everything we learn on the class blog.

How could the technologies listed be used to enrich a literature class teaching Shakespeare?
For a high school class, we assign students to research and report on the clothing and costumes of the era.  Have them construct a multimedia presentation on the Globe theatre.  Have them Skype with a Shakespeare scholar.
Ask them to collaborate and rewrite a portion of a Shakespeare play into modern language and then video the scene and post on the blog!

I also found this video. Watch it for "extra credit". ;)

Google Form Results - Project #6

My questionnaire requested demographic information on the class sample to determine race, age, educational background, etc. to determine any correlation between background and pursuing a degree in education.  Additional questions were on future post grad work and use of technology in the classroom.

As shown in the graphs below, the sample demonstrates  ”normal” demographic characteristics for an undergraduate class.  The single interesting finding was that having family members involved in some form of education seems to have a significant impact on the student’s choice of major.  Thirteen of nineteen responses showed links to either immediate or extended family members involved in education.

Final Project Progress Report

Cassie Steele and myself will be doing this project together. We have talked about different things that we could do, and decided to do a movie on our experiences in EDM310. We are going to talk about the different tools we used in this class. We will also talk a lot about our opinions of this course and some other ideas that we have.

Blog Assignment # 11

Ms. Cassidy’s uses many techniques in her classroom. Some of the ones I think I might use would be, educational computer games, educational programs, videos and blogging and smart board. She uses the computers as a study center for specific learning exercises, but emphasizes the wide range of resources and interaction that can be accomplished with technology.

Children are able to manipulate the technology (animation, symbols and reading) at a younger age than they are able to type coherent responses, so Skype or video may be better feedback or evaluation tools. One great use of the technology is the exposure and interaction that the class can have with distant places and cultures.

Ms. Cassidy was very complementary of her technology resource officer. We are learning a wide range of basic building blocks in EDM 310, but a reliable technology resource person in our school will certainly be helpful.

Project #14 Teach Someone Something

Click here to view my .pdf file

C4T #3 Summary Post

The blog I commented on was called, “About a Teacher”.

The first post I commented on was called, “Aren’t We Done with Waiting?” Greta talks about having the initiative to be a concerned and involved professional and use our skills to collaboratively help children. She is advocating a grassroots movement of networked education professionals committed to parent/student/teacher communication to effect positive change in all of our educational processes. As John Donne said: “No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.” In other words, we’re all in this together. Let’s do what we can.

I commented to Greta and told her that a lot of what she talked about is the approach I want to take when I teach. I said that positive effects from the bottom up cannot help but contribute to some amount of change.

Greta’s second post I commented on was about loving your children in your class before you even know them. Greta had the “bad” child in one of her classes. The child all of the teachers warn you about. This little boy Thomas had serious behavior problems. Greta found out that he had been a victim of sexual abuse. She showed him that she cared about him, spent time with him and did little things that eventually helped the way he acted and changed his attitude. She loved him before she even knew him, and she really ended up helping him.

I commented to her and told her that that was wonderful, that she was a great impact in his life. I said that being about to learn about, love and help my students I will have one day is something I’m so excited about.

C4K Summary Post

C4K #3

This post was by Room 116. It was about the Christchurch earthquake. The child who wrote this said that it happened very early in the morning. They said that there was a lot of damage, but no one was hurt.

I said that it must have been really scary waking up to an earthquake. I said that I couldn’t imagine being in one and asked if earthquakes happen often there.

C4K #4

This post was by Lily. It was about a fete given by her school that she helped out with. She described everything that went on very well and used great detail.

I told her that it sounded amazing and that I loved reading about it. I told her that when I was in grade school, we had something very similar to it, but it was called Field Day.

C4K #5

This post was by Ben B. He talked about his name. He said he liked it because he could make his name short or long. He said no one he knows has his name. Most people thought his name was Benjamin, but that it wasn’t.

I told him that is was awesome that he liked his name. I also told him that I’m curious what Ben is short for, because I also thought it was short for Benjamin.

C4K #6

This post was by Adam. His post was about his biome project. He said that he had to study a biome and make multimedia and a presentation out of it. He talked about different animals in the tundra. Some animals he talked about were polar bears, seals, killer whales and wolves.

I told him that 5 weeks was a long time to spend on a project. I said that it was very informative and that the pictures looked great.

C4K #7

This post was by Unisaur. This child took a picture of the ceiling in the USS Alabama. This picture was taken because it went along with the elements of photography.

I said great job and that I loved the photo. I said that if I tried to take a picture like that, it wouldn’t have turned out the way I would have wanted it to. I also said that I thought Wave was a great name for the photo.

Project #13 SMART Board Instruction

Additonal Assignment #3

What do you think is the most important thing Sir Ken Robinson says in this presentation?

I think the most important thing Sir Ken Robinson says in this presentation is the current “industrial model” of education is not working.

Is there anything you disagree with in this presentation?

While it may be time to change the “industrial” model, these methods have enabled the most literate society in history. In doing this, we have probably placed a lot of square pegs in round holes.

How congruent are Sir Ken Robinson's positions with those which you are being taught in the College of Education. In other words, where is there agreement? Where is there disagreement?

Most education classes are structured to continue the current methods and infrastructure of the traditional classroom. We see some progress with classes such as EDM310 and PLNs.

What can you do to address the issues Sir Robinson raises?

I can work with students to promote motivation and not medication.

What do you think of the presentation?

I thought the presentation was distracting. Though, it was interesting, I think it would have been easier for me to focus if it was a straight lecture or powerpoint.

If you had to do a presentation with others like this, what role on your team would you like most to play?

Narrator.

Blog Assignment #10

Post by Morgan Bayda

No matter the venue or the size of the class, my experience is that good teachers can make the difference. If you have a poor teacher in a small class that uses technology and a good teacher that can hold your attention in a large lecture hall, you will still end up with the opposite of the described problem.

Technology and online facts are not a panacea. If one does not learn the basics of grammar and sentence structure, getting online to teach yourself English 101 prior to writing a report for your administrator is probably not a good idea.

Good, motivational instructors that teach in relevant ways are the key now just as they have been for the past 1000 years. The problem is that we need more of them. Technology is a tool that we will use to keep ourselves and our courses relevant and hopefully, make us one of the memorable teachers for our students.

Two questions that can change your life

What’s your sentence?

Was I better today than I was yesterday?

The two questions above serve to focus us on a goal. The first is to establish a goal-worthy core value or philosophy and the second question is to provide a constant measure of our progress in living up to that goal. Right now, after a hectic day with a class of four-year-olds, I believe thinking about ”my sentence” will help me react in a more positive way.


My sentence:

I will be a positive influence and role model to the children I teach through personal attention and interaction.

Blog assignment # 9

What I’ve learned this year

 I would summarize Mr. McClung’s post with four values: listen, be flexible, be positive and never stop learning.

In these are valuable skills to use in everyday life as well as in the classroom. Everyone wants to be heard. Often, you can disagree with someone and still work together as long as you acknowledge that their viewpoint has value.

Children, especially young children, have limited ways to express themselves. We must be aware and listen to this feedback. Whether as an individual student or a class body, if we pay attention to the feedback, we can modify the message to connect more.

No one likes working with a sourpuss. Not even other sourpusses! When we emphasize the positive (what we CAN do, what we DO have control over) we can affect other people’s outcomes in a positive way.

Never stop learning is the final point Mr. McClung makes. I try to remember that everyone you meet can teach you something and many times those “somethings” are valuable. A good administrator can teach you leadership. A student’s viewpoint can be insightful. With our technological resources we have no excuses for handicapping our students or ourselves by not using them to further our own education.

Project #12 Skype Interview

Blog Assignment #8

This Is How We Dream:

Dr. Richard Miller is a visionary when it comes to the application of broadband media and publishing. This is a huge paradigm shift for today’s adults, but I think our future students will have a much easier time with it. Familiarization with the multimedia through the web and available on cell phones and iPods will allow the future students to quickly adapt to multimedia publishing. This has been evident in several of the videos we have watched as part of our class assignments EDM310.

This course is providing a good introduction to many of the tools and technology that are required to publish in this realm but I will need a lot more practice to be comfortable with the multimedia. As the technology matures, new tools and software are being developed to make this type of publishing easier and more seamless. One of the biggest challenges will be ensuring that the content is original thought and not just a mesh of other people’s work.

One concern about students is the still limited access to broadband internet in rural areas. Access is usually provided at school and in libraries but the students that will need the most attention will often be the ones with the most limited resources and access.


EDM310’s videos

The primary message in the Chipper Series was to get your work done and be professional because that is the expectation. As an adult, that is what you are going to have to do.

In the EDM310 for Dummies, these girls thought of a way to help students get through EDM310 with an “A” .

After watching these two videos, an idea I thought of was a video on specifics of a PLN. It would be more of a “how to” video with specific guidance.

Critiques on Smartboards

Both Mr. Staton and Mr. Ferriter seem to agree that it is not necessarily the technology of the Smartboards that they have issues with, but how they are used (or not used) in the classroom. Mr. Staton believes that there are more cost effective ways of obtaining the same technology without the expense of a Smartboard.

Mr. Ferriter believes that the Smartboard can actually hamper effective learning by maintaining the “teacher-centric” model. Both agree that the purchase of Smartboards can be an easy way for school administrators to show technological advancement, whether or not the boards are used effectively.

A contrasting view is cited below.

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/5/5/smartboard-survey-teachers-likem.html

Instructional Timeline #9b

Project #11 Short Movie

Additional Assignment #2

1. What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves?
Yes.

2. If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves?
Yes.

3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself?
Learning resources such as access to information. Groups can also facilitate learning.

4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
They’re a source of knowledge that is immediate and direct.

5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
Motivation stimulates people into action. Without motivation there is no learning.

6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
The questions or problems stimulate thinking. People naturally want to solve problems if it concerns a subject they are interested in.

7. How do you motivate someone to learn?
You motivate someone to learn by finding out their interest and leveraging their interest.

8. How are you motivated to learn?
I am more motivated if I can apply a concept or subject as opposed to learning theories or concepts that do not directly apply to me.

9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn?
They can be exposed to it, but probably will not retain it.

10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
Yes. At some levels we are always learning. A large part of this course involves learning the subject matter independently. Also learning hobbies or crafts are examples of individual, independent learning. Motivation can range from curiosity, to deep interest in a specific subject. The long term rewards that are obtained (degree, job) are another source of motivation.

11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
A teacher’s most effective role is coach or mentor. With a teacher’s guidance, the learning process can be made more efficient and direct (wasting less time than undirected self learning) and at the same time, provide timely feedback to ensure that the desired skill level is reached.


12. What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
Group learning is more effective than individual learning.
Age is not a barrier to learning with technology.
A mentored class, even by an unskilled teacher, demonstrated a significant increase in learning.

13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
How effective is the SOLE concept for long term learning?
What type of subject matter is this method best suited for?

Blog Post Assignment #7

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

I really enjoyed Dr. Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture. He advocated many wonderful teaching methods.  The first is to realize that all children have dreams.  If we key in on those dreams and use them to motivate the learning process the children will pretty much teach their selves.

 Another applicable topic was, “Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?” It’s easier for a student to pay attention and want to learn when they are excited about a topic. Effective teachers create and foster that excitement by being a “Tigger” and not an “Eeyore”. Unusual and off the wall teaching methods can aid in maintaining attention and creating a focused effort.  This also goes with what he said about, “have fun, make it fun”. Whenever possible, learning by doing and combining some fun will result in effective learning.

Dr. Randy Pausch said, “Most of what we learn, we learn indirectly (or by “head fake”).” I can relate to this because I have probably learned more about the development of children from babysitting and my job rather than what I have learned from the courses I have taken. Or to put it into military terms, a flanking maneuver can be more effective than a frontal assault. If we give the children the tools to find the answers, they will often ask the questions.  As several of the blogs we have viewed have demonstrated, students can amaze us with their abilities of doing something hard and still yet having fun in the process.

A lot of the lecture was philosophical in nature, but is highly relevant to our classrooms.  “Never give up”, “never lose the childlike wonder”, and “the best gift an educator can give is to make someone self reflective” are all core goals and beliefs that we should carry with us in our work.  If we can use any or all of these techniques and philosophies to impart a desire for learning, then Dr. Pausch’s legacy will live on.