Project #16 Final Project

Blog Assignment 14: Final Reflection

Report on Collaboration

I am a member of Team Confused and my group consists of myself, Ariel Robinson, Jessica Bonner, and Alex Mayfield.  For our collaboration we decided to use Google Docs as our form of communicating with each other.  We shared a document with each other and each decided on a color we would type in.  Whenever we had an idea or thought, we could write it to the group in our specific color then we knew who was typing.  I enjoyed collaborating this way.  It's a great way to stay organized by being able to see all of our writings in one place instead of tons of separate e-mails.  I plan to use this tool and others in the future for online collaboration.

Project #15 SmartBoard Lesson

Blog Assignment 13

For this weeks blog assignment we were told not to use any type of technology for 24 hours. This included watching TV, using computers, listening to the radio, using my cell phone, etc. For me, this was painfully tough. I didn't realize how much I rely on technology throughout my day. Without this technology, I was able to read some of my textbooks that I normally don't read because I am so entranced with all of my technology that I use throughout the day. The hardest part of this "media fast" was not being able to use my cell phone. My iPhone has everything that I need on it.  From my apps to text messaging to e-mail, I was lost without it. Since I live in an apartment on campus, I do not have a land line, so getting in touch with my parents was not easy. The BCM (Baptist Campus Ministries) thankfully has a land line that I was able to use to contact my parents. I realized how nice it is to be able to shoot your friend a text message instead of having to locate a land line to make a phone call. I definitely take technology for granted and I am very thankful that I get to use it every day and I plan to continue to use it all the time.

Update on my PLN

As the semester has progressed I have continued to update my PLN.  Whenever I find a website that I think will be helpful one day as a teacher, I will make a space for it on my PLN.  The tiles that are pink are websites that are useful for presentation tools and collaboration.  The green tiles in the bottom right corner are blogs that I think will be useful.  I also have found people on Twitter that I follow who I am able to contact.  The educators that I follow post insightful material and useful resources.  I plan to continue to use Twitter and continue to find new educators to follow.

C4T Summary #4

Comment #1
This month my teacher is Dorothy Burt and she is a teacher in Auckland, New Zealand.  In her post, she blogs about the idea of using computers to take exams.  Each of her students have their own personal netbook that they are able to use for classroom activities.  From her research, she found that the students score higher when using the netbooks for written exams.  I think it's a great idea because I know most students do well typing and they can type faster than they can write with a pen or pencil.  The problem with this idea for our area though is the cost.  Most public schools in Mobile (or should I say all) do not have the money to purchase a netbook for each student.  The students could use the public computers in the schools to take certain exams and see if their scores improve.

Comment #2
This week I commented on Mrs. Burt's post titled, "Student Reflections."  90 students between the grades 5 through 8 chose to respond after using Netbooks in the classroom for 1 year.  There was a lot of positive feedback regarding the use of Netbooks for their school work.  Most of the students seemed to dislike the act of physically writing, but enjoyed doing their work more then they were able to type.  This even applied to the poor typists.  Netbooks allow the students to be able to post more to their blogs and they are doing so because they know others are able to read their work.  Before the use of their Netbooks, the only person reading their work was their teacher which doesn't give them much inspiration.  There were few negatives, mostly dealing with slow internet and battery life.  In my comment, I told Mrs. Burt what a great idea it is to allow the students to reflect on their use of the Netbooks.  I hope that one day the school that I work in will be able to incorporate some type of technology into the classrooms.

Progress Report on Final Project

This is an update for "Team Confused."  For our final project, we plan to create a video on how to survive EDM 310.  We are still in the process of planning exactly what to do, but so far we know that we need to include:

1. Time management

2. Read the class blog...DAILY!

3. Submit all your work...ON TIME

4. Constantly be creating your PLN (Personal Learning Network)

5. Go to the lab...you get more work done when you do!  Plus, people are there to help.

The list is continuing to grow and we hope to maybe incorporate Dr. Strange somewhere in the short video.

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts - Special Post #12A

Creativity and Curiosity

This week we were assigned an additional, special blog post.  About a week ago, while in class, Dr. Strange brought up some questions regarding creativity and curiosity in the classroom.

The first question is: Do schools undermine curiosity and/or creativity in students?  Personally, I believe that schools today inhibit the creativity of students.  I know that some teachers try to help their students excel in creativity, but with standardized testing it is difficult to do this.  Teachers are told that their students must pass these tests, otherwise the schools will not receive the proper funding and such.  This puts tremendous pressure on the teachers to "teach the test."  No longer are the days of students being creative and curious, but students are being shoved information down their throats and being forced what to think.  This puts limitations on their creative minds.

The next question asks: Can a curriculum be developed that increases the curiosity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?  I think such a curriculum is possible.  One way that could help stimulate the students curiosity would be to encourage them to ask questions.  I know in the past I've shied away from raising my hand because of what others would think of my question or answer.  Teachers need to make sure the classroom is inviting and let the students know that it's perfectly okay to ask questions.   I feel that when students ask questions, not only are they learning, but others, including the teacher, will learn as well.  In addition to encouraging them to ask questions, we need to allow the students to work together to come up with solutions on their own.  Whether they work in pairs or on their own, brainstorming and problem solving will allow them to open up that curiosity of learning.


Question three asks: Can a teacher's actions increase the curiosity of students?  If so, what would be those actions?  I think we need to allow the students to think on their own.  I've had teachers in the past who expect me to write down their "answer" otherwise it isn't correct.  This may or may not be the right answer, but it's what they (the teacher) think to be true.  As teachers, we need to open up the doors to allow students to use their creativity freely.  One day as a teacher, I don't want to put words into my students mouth.  I want them to think and act on their own.

The last questions asks: What would help you become more curious?  What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process?  I have always struggled with being creative and curious.  I've always wanted to please my teachers so I've always done what I thought they wanted out of me.  I need to not be afraid of trying new things and to not be afraid of being let down.  I think that teachers and schools need to have more projects that allow the students to show their creative side.  Allow their imaginations to run wild!

Blog Assignment 12

For this weeks blog post we were asked to come up with our own assignment that deals with our area of specialty.  Since I am going to be a math teacher, I decided to obviously focus on math.  I remember back at the beginning of the semester when we used Google Docs to create a presentation which is a convenient way to create a presentation through the internet and it was free.  I found another place to create free presentations online, called Empressr.  On this website you can find other students presentations and create your own from scratch which you can share publicly or privately with a password.  You're able to embed audio, video, pictures, and much more into the presentation.  From playing around with it for awhile I found that it seemed that you were able to do more than with Google Docs.  So, if I were Dr. Strange, I would make it a requirement for students in EDM 310 to create a presentation that they could use in a classroom setting.  The students would need to create their presentation for the field they are planning to teach, whether it be math, science, history, special ed, elementary education, etc.

C4K April Summary

C4K #1
George is a 12 year old student from New Zealand.  In his post he wrote about his home country of New Zealand.  He included the islands that it is made up of and the population.  I don't know much about New Zealand so it was neat to learn some about it.  Sign Language was first made an official language in New Zealand, which I did not know before reading this post.  In my comment, I let George know that I was interested in learning about his country and I hope to visit there one day.  He also taught us some simple words in one of the main languages, Maori.  I look forward to keeping up with his blog.


C4K #2
This week I was given a new 4th grade student named Noah who is from Vermont.  In his post, he writes about his love for cats.  He inserted a very cute picture of a cat and even put a source to it.  I was amazing by his ability to insert pictures into his blog post since I just learned how to do this recently! In my comment, I praised him for this.  It is so great that these students are able to use this technology and that their teachers' encourage it.  I hope one day to be able to incorporate that into my classroom. 


C4K #3
This week, Noah blogged about his concern about the trees being cut down in the rainforests.  He is worried about the animals that live there.  When the trees are cut down their shelters are taken away from them and they are dying.  In my comment, I let him know that I feel the same way about cutting down the trees in rainforests and in our own communities.  In my 8th grade class we raised money to help the rainforests and got the school involved by building a rainforest in the hallway at school.  I encouraged Noah to continue to blog and to fight for what he believes in.


C4K #4
In this weeks C4K, a student named Latu posted a video collage of photos from a trip to Butterfly Creek which is a butterfly garden.  It was fun to watch the video of the photos of the students in her class.  It looked like they all had a great time!  A video of pictures is a great way to remember a fun event like that.  In my comment, I expressed how much I liked the video and also that I love that there are so many different colors of butterflies.  I'm sure that the students saw many different types and colors of butterflies on their trip to Butterfly Creek.  

Blog Assignment 11

Ms. Cassidy's First Grade Class

A first grade teacher named Ms. Cassidy from Canada made a video which included her students called, "Little Kids...Big Potential."  In this video the students tell us how they use technology to learn in the classroom.  They use an assortment of different tools like: blogs, Wikis, Skype, a classroom webpage, videos, and even a Nintendo DS.  I could not believe how much these first graders knew about technology.  I need them to help me out!

Dr. Strange and some of his students in 2010 recorded a Skype conversation with Ms. Cassidy where they asked her questions about her teaching strategies.  She insisted that we get plugged into something that interests us whether that be blogging, Twitter, videos, etc.  She wanted us to realized how important it is to make contacts with other educators around the world.

I love Ms. Cassidy's enthusiasm for helping her students learn through using technology.  Ms. Cassidy, along with myself, both feel that students will be more interested if technology is incorporated into the classroom.  She mentioned that when the students blog they feel like their work matters when people from around the world are reading and commenting to them.  It gives the students a sense that the work they are doing matters and that other people are interested besides their teacher.  I thought her use of Skype was awesome.  Her class would meet face-to-face with other teachers and professionals to accompany with their lessons.  To me, this definitely makes learning fun and interesting!

I think the technique I would most likely use is blogging or having a webpage for my class.  I could post assignments and links to websites that could help the students learn and be interactive.  Blogs will also allow the students to interact with each other and with others around the world.  When they have questions they can post them on their blog or ask another student.  An issue I can see myself running into is the students taking advantage of their freedom of the internet in the classroom and going on sites which aren't beneficial to their learning.  I want my students to be independent, but I will need to have rules that they must follow and consequences if they break those rules.

With using technology in my classroom, I hope that my students will have a drive to learn.  I hope that I can make learning fun and interesting besides me just lecturing to my students all day.  They will have a sense of freedom that will hopefully allow them to excel in their work.  I plan to implement some of Ms. Cassidy's techniques into my own classroom and I'm really excited to do so!

Blog Assignment 10

Do you Teach or Do you Educate?
This video was a great wake up call to the difference between being a teacher and being an educator.  When you "teach" the material you are instructing or explaining how to do something.  When you educate you inspire, enlighten, and empower your students.  I want to strive to be this type of educator one day.  I don't want to drill the information into my students brains so that all they do is memorize it.

I will have interactive activities that will keep them involved in their learning.  I want to be there for my students when they need to be advised.  Questions will be fully welcomed in my classroom.  I don't want any question unanswered.  If I don't know the answer to their questions, I will for sure find an answer.  I want my classroom to be inviting and to be a place that my students will enjoy to learn.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home
This was a very insightful post.  The blog post is an argument about whether or not children should be allowed to take pencils home from school with them.  One argument is that if you let the student bring the pencils home that it will lower their standardized test grades.  The woman, Gertrude, who is against the students bringing pencils home says that they just will play games with the pencils and not learn.  Johnson retaliates by saying even if they are playing games, they can still be learning.  Games like hangman help students writing letters and to spell out words.

This is not just some random blog post about pencils, there was a message behind it.  As teachers we often look at the problem, rather than looking for a solution.  We need to step back and look at the problem because if we don't then it will just keep occurring.  Johnson was optimistic about the pencils.  He knew that even if all the students at home were playing games with their pencils, at least they would be learning something.

As a teacher, I want to be a problem solver.  I want to be able to find solutions to problems in the classroom, like the case of the pencils.  If I have a positive outlook, I feel that I'd be able to find a good solution.  Any way to keep the students motivated to learn is good to me.  I know I will face times that are so tough to get through and frustrating, but I will have faith that my students are willing to learn from what I have to educate them in.

Project #14 Smart Board Instruction Part 1

Blog Assignment 9

Mr. Joe McClung decided that after this first year of teaching that he would reflect on his year by writing a blog post.  During his first year of teaching he was at an elementary school in Noel, Missouri.  

As teachers, we need to make our lessons student centered.  In the end it is not the administration who needs to learn the material, its the students.  The most important concept is that the students need to comprehend the material.  If they are not understanding, we as teachers need to change things up so that the students are able to learn.  Like Mr. McClung said, "In order to be effective you have to let your audience drive your instruction."

I knew coming into the education career that I would need to be flexible.  Throughout my school years, I have always wanted to make sure everything I have planned works out perfectly.  As teachers, we need to make sure that we are flexible and that if what we have planned for the lesson doesn't go over well, that it's okay.    We need to remember that it's okay to make mistakes.  I agree with Mr. McClung 100% on this.  It's a great reminder to know that we don't have to be perfect as teachers.

We need to care about our students lives, not just in the classroom, but outside of the class as well.  As Mr. McClung said, we need to build respect from our students and to do that we must get to know them personally and show them that we care.  In my opinion, when you show a student that you care they will want to learn more from you.  They will be more willing to listen to what you have to say.  

During Mr. McClung's 3rd year of teaching, he was at school in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  In this blog post he reflects on what he's learned throughout his 3rd year and explains how he continues to keep learning from his students. 

Don't be afraid to be an outsider.  This really sticks out to me.  I know that when I was growing up I always tried to fit in with my peers.  Throughout college, I have learned that I need to stick up for what I believe to be right, not what others think just so I will fit in.  Mr. McClung wrote about how you don't need to seek approval from the other teachers.  I think it's very important to build relationships with your students.  In the end it's not about being accepted by the other teachers, but that your students are learning.  I hope one day that I'm able to not be hurt by what other teachers think of me if I don't happen to fit in.

Since I am going to be a math teacher it is VERY important that the students are able to work the problems on their own.  The best way to learn math is to practice, practice, practice.  I know from tutoring in the past that it is very easy to help a student who is struggling by basically doing the problem for them.  This is not okay! As Mr. McClung said, "Don't Touch the Keyboard."  Basically meaning, don't do the work for them even if they can't seem to figure it out.  In the long run it will help the student because they are able to do it on their own.  

We cannot get comfortable.  If we choose as teachers to "get comfortable" in our classrooms, then we will stop learning and this will hinder our students' learning.  If we don't seem interested as teachers, how can we expect our students to stay interested?  In my classroom one day I want students to be motivated, but that means I must be motivated as well.  We need to be passionate about what we do because that really does have an effect on the students overall achievement. 

C4K March Summary

C4K #1
Clair is a 4th grade student at Hotspur School in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.  In her post she writes about her birthday.  She had a few of her friends spend the night at her house.  In my comment I told Clair that I remember when I was her age, my parents would let me have sleepovers on my birthday too.  Those memories are some of my fondest.  Clair seemed very excited about her birthday and being able to share her special day with some of her best friends.

C4T Summary #3

Digital Discoveries

Diane Krause's blog is all about her "good finds" on the internet.  In each of her blog posts she writes about a good educational website or a tool that you can use in your classroom.  In this post, she found a website, The National Gallery of Art.   There are more than 20,000 digital images that you are allowed to download for free.  This really can come in handy.  I plan to add this to my PLN in case I ever need to find any images.  The images are designed to help with learning, enrichment, enjoyment, and exploration.

In Mrs. Krause's second post from March 26,2012, she shares another "digital discovery."  The website that she shared this time is called SlimeKids- School Library Media Kids.  This website allows you to search for book trailers that have already been made.  In my comment to wrote how we had just made our own book trailers.  And after making my own book trailer, I know the hard work that goes into making them.  This website can save teachers a lot of time by not having to make their own book trailers.  Mrs. Krause's blog is a great place to find websites that can help you out in your classroom.  I definitely recommend checking out her blog!

Blog Assignment 8

This is How We Dream
These videos, part 1 and part 2, by Richard Miller were very interesting. To quickly summarize, Mr. Miller is emphasizing how important it is for technology to be incorporated in the classroom today.  There are many tools available today to use that can enhance the learning experience.

Back a few years ago it was impossible to do research without the use of a library.  You had to check out books and spend hours trying to find what you were looking for in them.  With today's internet capabilities, we don't even need to go to the library to complete a research assignment.  You can find books, journals, and much more at the click of a button.  This makes doing research much more bearable.  For me though, I think it's still important to use the library as a resource for research.  I don't want the library resources to disappear all together.  It's important to be able to find a book in the library.  Also, sources online are not always reliable.  You have to make sure you find a reliable source.  Books at the library tend to be much more reliable than a website that "Joe Schmo" put together.

With things like Google Docs, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and one I just found called Scribblar.  These tools allow you to interact with others without being together in person.  I could work with someone across the world on a project and never have to meet them face to face.  This collaboration tool, Scribblar, that I came across is a virtual whiteboard.  Since I am going into math, this could be a great tool for tutoring.  Collaborating across the web is a great way to use technology and I think Mr. Miller hit the nail on the head when talking about how useful it is.  I plan to use this technique throughout the rest of my college career and when I begin teaching.

Carly's Blog Assignment
Carly Pugh was given the task of creating her own blog assignment.  She came up with a brilliant idea of creating a YouTube playlist of videos that correspond to your own teaching philosophy.  I think it's a wonderful idea.  For me, being able to watch videos it catches my attention more and I feel that I learn more because of it.  When I'm reading, I tend to lose my train of thought and forget what I'm reading.  YouTube videos can enhance your classroom if used effectively.  I think that Carly also wants what Richard Miller wants - technology in the classroom.  They both want it to be incorporated and used effectively.

Student Produced Videos
The Chipper Series and EDM 310 for Dummies are videos created by previous EDM 310 students.  Making videos are fun and are a great way to learn too.  I think an idea to make a video would be to do something like the Today Show.  You could have different segments about different topics going on in the classroom.  There could be parts for interviews and fun crafts too.  There are so many opportunities when making videos for your classroom.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
We all know that the style of teaching in a classroom is changing everyday.  In this video, different thoughts are thrown out about how the classroom has evolved so much.  Technology is not something we can avoid.  Students need to learn to properly use these resources.  For the most part I agree with this video.  Some of the people in the video, to me, made it seem like the teacher is there to facilitate and that the student would be doing all the work.  I think it's the teachers job to teach the students.  If the teacher is globally connected, they can easily show the students how to be globally connected which can help them in the long run.  There are so many ways a student can learn by using these technologies, but I still think it's the teachers job to teach the students.  The students need more than just the technology.  They need someone to be accountable for them. If they are just on the internet "connecting," who knows what they may be up to.  Overall, a very insightful video.

Scavenger Hunt

1.) Edmodo is a social networking site that is almost identical to Facebook. On their site there is a preview video of how it works.  You set up your classroom and you're allowed to communicate professionally with students and their parents.  Grades can be posted, tests can be marked on calendars, and students can ask questions and collaborate back and forth.  The teacher can take a poll and give assignments.  This definitely could be a site I see myself using in my classroom one day.

2.) Prezi is a site where you can make a presentation like this one.  This is a free service and after playing around with it, it's kind of fun to do!  This is great for presentations about anything.  You can privately or publicly share your Prezi and you're allowed up to 500mb of presentations, which is quite a lot!

3.) Photo Peach is a great video tool for the classroom.  As a teacher, you are able to create and organize projects for the students to do without having multiple student accounts.  There is a privacy feature that the students work will not be displayed unless otherwise changed.  The prices are reasonable if you plan to use this service regularly.  You are able to add photos, text, and music to the video.  It looks like a great tool for the classroom.

Project #12 Book Trailer

Project #11 Short Movie