Final Project

Here it is! Our groups final project-a wiki named EdTechFunding. Click on the picture below and it will take you to the website.

As education students in todays challenging economic times, we are aware we need more resources for grants than ever. We have uncovered a myriad of websites that will help teachers find funding for laptops, PE equipment, cafeteria equipment, technology improvement, etc. Not only do we provide websites that will help you find the grants, we are also providing websites on the wiki that help you write the grants. If that is not enough, check out the websites provided that have educational professionals who have successfully written and received grants. We can learn from their success!

Final Report on PLN

My Personal Learning Network, or PLN, has really developed into a vast array of resources for me to use. I am very grateful to be in EDM310, because I know I can follow many professionals in the teaching field by using the many tools I have learned in here. I will be confident that I am up to date on all of the new learning styles and technology tools as well as other areas of interest that I would like to follow. The best example I know of a PLN is the EDM310 Class Blog which, just so happened to be nominated for the 2010 Best Use Of A PLN award. Way to go Dr. Strange and EDM310!

Twitter
I am still tweeting and following technology teachers, usgs, friends, financial guru's and several others on Twitter. I have added several people to follow and several more are following me since my last update. Recently, I have "retweeted" and read articles and referred them in a tweet.

Blogger
I am now following more blogs than the last time I commented on my PLN. I am setting the blogs to RSS feed into my google reader. I like to read the articles quickly. It helps me save time and keep up to date. I really enjoy this feature. I hope to be an active part of EDM310 alumni in the future. I would also like to keep my blogger current in order to have something interesting to put on my resume.

Google
I have added my name and my blog name to the Google Alert tool to my email account. I will be thrilled if something ever shows up! I plan on using google docs to do a power point next week. I have used Google Images countless times to add pictures to enhance my blog.

Skype
I have used Skype with Raley in class for a required project. My sister and I plan to Skype again in the near future. She just bought the newest iphone and it has a skype app you can use. She lives in Arkansas and has a new baby, so I think it will be exciting for us to use so I can keep up with the growth of my new niece!

Drop Box
I have been using drop box to create a reading list. When I come across something interesting while doing EDM projects, but do not have the time to read the article in depth, I will put it in my drop box for later.

Symbaloo
I must admit, I have not been using symbaloo as much lately. I am not sure if it was my computer, but it seemed harder to open some links and navigate like usual when I used this feature. It grew a bit frustrating. So, I am back to using my "favorites" button. If the feature improves, or I learn how to use it better, I may consider going back to Symbaloo.

Imovies and Book Trailers
I have used Imovies to make movies and book trailers on my blog. I can see myself using these in the future to enhance my blog, which is a big part of my PLN.

Thank you Dr. Strange for your class! Even though there has been a bit of work, I cannot think of another class that I have had so far that will be more relative to my new career.

C4T #4

Mr. Robbo, The PE Geek "Reclaiming Physical Activity Time"

Jarrod Robinson is a PE teacher in Victoria, Australia. He has been trained to be a technology teacher, so he incorporates technology in his PE course. His latest interest is teaching the required "book work" aspect of the classroom online. His major decision to do so is based on the fact that it will free up class time for the instructional, hands on activities.

I really like this idea. He stated the children can access the links to their homework on their phones and personal computers. I think the students will enjoy this. I have subscribed to Mr. Robbo's RSS feed and plan to keep up to date with his new idea.

Mr. Robbo, The PE Geek "Make an app for your class"

In another attempt to save class time for physical activity, Mr. Robbo has created an Iphone app and an Android app. He stated the basic idea was for the students to be able to access the class content at anytime for the student. If a student is traveling to school for thirty minutes, he can quickly check his PE class on his phone.

Mr. Robbo thinks almost anyone can create an app because Iphone and Android have special software to make the process easy. To check out the app maker software for Iphone can can click
here. If you would like to look into creating android app you can click here.

Project #15 A Book Trailer

C4K#7, #8, #9 (In a previous blog), & #10

Lessons Learned, One-Pay Your Lunch Bill

This was a rather humorous post in regard to Mr. McClungs Mr. McClung's World decision to charge lunch in the school cafeteria when he forgot his from home. After his long non-repayment period of exactly two days, he subsequently received imperative collection notices from the lunch lady each day. He also noted the insistence of payment increased by the second day to a point where he was scared not to pay! Lesson learned-keep the lunch lady happy!

Aquatics by Emily

Emily is a twelve year old girl in the 7th grade at the Adelaide school in Australia. Her class has recently went to Port Noarlunga for Aquatics. Apparently, the school takes the whole class for two days of fun each year and they can choose from a variety of beach activities. Emily chose to do surfing, wave skiing and boogie boarding. Wow! Can you believe it? A school that takes their children to do these activities, and during the school day no less! I would like to read more about the Australian school system. It sounds very exciting!

My Brilliant Blog Mascot by Adia

Adia is a third grader from California in Ms. Yollis' class. After reading her comments left on our very own EDM310 class blog, I soon found out Adia earned her class blog by winning a Family Blogging Challenge. Congratulations, Adia! It did not take long to figure out Adia is a very creative student who has a voki and a blog mascot. These were all new to me and I have a new inspiration for my own blog from them. Keep up the great work, Adia! It was a pleasure to read your blog.

Progress Report on Final Project

Our final project is on creating a wiki. The purpose of the wiki is for education professionals to share their tips and suggestions how to access money for their classrooms and schools. I hope to find many resources for my future classroom as well as share them with others. Since I am a supporter of the 1:1 computer initiative, I would like to access funds to buy a computer for each student in my class to keep at their desk. We are in the beginning stages. You can see our wiki here. EdTechFunding

Blog Post #12

Blog Post Assignment #12

1. Watch the following video One Laptop Per Child, New York Times Review A New York Times Reporter introduces a new laptop that costs around $188 and was developed to be given to children in developing nations in support of the 1:1 initiative.

2. Watch the following video Laptop Initiative for Every Child in Rwanda The Rwandan President wants all of their children in his country to have a laptop.

3. Watch the following video Nicholas Negroponte with OLPC Foundation This is the company that makes the laptops for students.

4. Pick three laptop initiative videos of interest to you in regard to children in the US. Post one in your blog in lieu of a blog picture.

In response to these videos, please answer the following questions.

Question 1.) Rwanda's President has held a press conference and made a big production about his personal goal for all children in his country to have a computer. How many local leaders have you seen on television or in the news support this initiative in the US?

Answer 1.) I have not seen any local leaders in our area support this initiative.

Question 2.) In the Rwandan video, they noted the classroom attendance was up due to the computer program. Do you think children in the US would benefit from this laptop program?

Answer 2.) Yes, I definitely think children would enjoy going to school if they received a computer and were able to take it home with them in the afternoon. I think children would also share it with their family in the afternoons. What would America look like if every home had a laptop they could use?

Question 3.) We can probably assume most all professionals today have a personal computer and use it everyday in their workplace. In addition to professionals, retail sales, mechanics, factory workers, etc. all use computers as well. The United States is not a developing nation. According to Warren Buffet, we do not build many things any more. Our jobs are becoming more service oriented.

Our jobs are becoming more complex in nature. What benefit are we providing children when we teach them with pen and paper for thirteen years? Should we expect them to compete globally for jobs with children who have had their own personal computer for thirteen years?

Answer 3.) I do not think it is realistic to teach children to do all traditional book work anymore. We should be preparing children for the real workplace. In the current workplace, most people use computers everyday for most everything. The last time I hand wrote anything was in a personal thank you note. Everything else I do on a day to day basis is email, text, websites, etc. If I do not know an answer to something, I look it up online. If I need a phone number, I look it up online. Companies post corporate manuals and references online for their employees. Even if I need to know which doctor is in my companies insurance network, I look it up online. I could go on and on, but I will stop here and just say the following.

I hope all of the children I will be teaching will have a computer. I support the 1:1 initiative.

C4K#9 Mrs. Yollis' Class

Mrs. Yollis is a third grade teacher in Los Angeles, California. Her classroom blog was the 2010 first runner up for Best Classroom Blog and the 2010 winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Edublog Awards. You can see the blog here. Mrs. Yollis Classroom Blog

As you view Mrs. Yollis' class blog, you will see she uses it to educate her students and their parents on the exciting world of blogging. Mrs. Yollis commented that in all of her twenty five years in teaching, she thinks blogging is the best way to teach children to write. I can imagine it is due to the immediate gratification the children get in response to their writing from their family members and peers all over the world. This should be a big motivator for the children to learn to write using proper grammar. After all, the responses will be published for the whole world to see!

The parents of Mrs. Yollis' classroom get involved by reading their children's blogs and publishing comments. The parents can watch instructional video's so they will know proper blogging etiquette. I was quite thrilled to see grandparents blogging as well!

Mrs. Yollis's class follows several classes around the world. She has a time zone page which displays the real time of the different classes they follow. They follow classrooms in Australia, Switzerland and many more around the world. It is very interesting for me to see the differences and similarities of the different countries schools. The children's instructions and activities at their schools vary in comparison to ours here in the states. The Australian's seem to incorporate so many camps and water sports into their school days. I am sure it makes the student's in Mrs. Yollis' classroom quite green with envy like it does myself!

The Yollis classroom blog has many "how to" instructional videos. It gives the first time blogger access to the tools they need to get started right there at their fingertips. That is very intuitive on her part. I think she understands some of the parents may be a little timid, so it makes it easy for anyone to get started and start commenting with the children. This in turn, is rewarding for the children when they get the comments.

I have added Mrs. Yollis' blog to my PLN. I am also subscribing to her RSS feeds and directing them to my google reader. I hope to keep following and learning from her in the future. One day, I look forward to being her peer!

Special Assignment Mr. McClung's World

The following Q&A explores an intensive look at the blog entitled, Mr. McClung's World. This innovative blog is the ownership of Mr. McClung, an 8th grade teacher at Woodland Jr. High located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His blog was nominated for the Best Class Blog Award in 2009 by EduBlog Awards. You can visit his blog here Mr. McClungs World

Q1. What do you know (or have you found out) about Mr. McClung that is reflected in the way he has constructed his class blog?
A1. I have found Mr. McClung to be a very organized and structured teacher whose talents allow his students to be innovative and creative.

Q2. Comment on what you would say about Mr. McClung as an educator.
A2. As an educator, I see Mr. McClung as energetic, and able to try new things and integrate new processes of teaching and learning. His ability to do transform the classroom into a dynamic learning environment versus a boring lecture environment is inspiring to me and blows me away.

Q3. What do Mr. McClung's rules say about him, his teaching, and his connection with his students? What is your reaction to these rules (and guides) as a student and as an inspiring teacher?
A3. Mr. McClung's rules (Stay Positive, Talk in Class, Listen) translate: I enjoy teaching and encouraging young people. In turn, students will enjoy learning in this class. These rules encourage me to bring the same kind of rules to my future classroom.

Q4. What was the first thing under Everyone Needs? Why do you suppose this is the first requirement?
A4. Day Planner. I suppose a Day Planner is essential for staying current on assignments since there is a drop of a letter grade penalty for each day a student is late on an assignment.

Q5. Note the penalties for being late (under homework). Compare them with my penalties for being late. Comment.
A5. As I stated earlier, a student in Mr. McClung's class receives one letter grade reduction for each day he is late on an assignment. The maximum days late you can be on an assignment and still receive credit is three days. As of the fourth day late, you have received an F. In contrast, Dr. Strange requires us to color code our assignments-green for on time, pink for late, red for uncompleted. Dr. Strange has given us the unique ability through a google docs spreadsheet to grade ourselves. He has stated very clearly not to give up on any assignment, it is not too late to be successful in this class. I like the fact that we keep up with our own grades. It makes me feel accountable and produces an ownership mentality of my work. It is a picture of the real world. Suppose your boss asks you for a report; he or she expects the report to be on time. If something comes up (as it often does in life), and you are unable to produce the report by the due date, your boss still expects you to finish the report. Late or not, you are still held accountable. You do not get an option to not turn in the report.

Q6. Read Carefully his paragraph about what he hopes to accomplish with his blog. Comment and apply to your own aspirations as a teacher.
A6. Mr. McClung uses his class blog as an informative newsletter, a host of additional resources and a technology enhancer for his students and parents. I plan to use a class blog for the same reasons.

Q7. Which two useful links did you review in depth? Describe each of the two. How might each be used? Why do you think each made Mr. McClungs list?
A7. I reviewed the USGS site because I enjoy geography and follow USGS on Twitter. I am from Little Rock, Arkansas and just moved to Alabama in October of 2010. My sister lives in Greenbrier, Arkansas where most all of the current earthquakes are originating. Arkansas is on the New Madrid Fault line and has been in the news a lot lately because of all of the recent earthquake activity they are experiencing. It is not uncommon for Greenbrier to have a 3.5 earthquake every other day or so. I am sure Mr. McClung has this information for his students to see since they are in Arkansas and he teaches social studies. In addition, I reviewed the Arkansas Runner website. One of my old neighbors started the Little Rock Marathon. It is on the website. I also lived by Three Rivers Park and had lots of running trails in my old neighborhood. I imagine Mr. McClung has this link since he is an avid runner and coaches cross country. The students could use this link to enter local marathons to help train for their sport.

Q8. Under Internet safety, I asked you to read carefully the rules Mr. McClung sets forth for safety using the internet. Comment on these rules. Are there any you would add or subtract?
A8. Mr. McClung is wise to post his internet safety rules on his class blog. I think parents will appreciate the fact that Mr. McClung is aware of the dangers of the internet and addresses that. The rules help reassure the parents about their children's use of the internet, since maybe not all of them are familiar with the use of blogs. I would not add or take away anything away.

Q9. In the C4K part of this blog I asked that you look carefully at one of the categories under which your assigned post was filed. What did you find? Select one of the posts in the category and review it for me.
A9. My post was on Lessons Learned, Pay Your Lunch Bill. It was a humorous, but straightforward note about how the lunch ladies will hound you for every last cent you owe in no less than one day after you charge your lunch! Moral of the story-Don't expect free lunch perks at your new school even if you are the teacher!

Q10. Is there anything that Mr. McClung can do with his blog that you would like to do with Blogger?
A10. I can see where the toolbar on Mr. McClungs blog would be a very useful way to sort and incorporate a lot of material when you are a teacher. However, at this point, I do not necessarily have any use for the toolbar.

Q11. In what ways does Mr. McClung make his blog useful to parents, teachers, administrators, students like you, and others?
A11. Mr. McClungs blog would be useful to parents in order to keep up with their students assignments, see their students work posted and to see what a technology class can do. I am sure it is very interesting to some because it is not the traditional classroom they grew up in. I believe Mr. McClungs blog is a role model for the new classroom experience. I believe teachers, administrators and students like myself are all well served to familiarize ourself with this blog as a way to incorporate it's ideas into our own classrooms and schools.

Q12. How does Mr. McClungs 8th grade blog differ from other blogs you have visited including other 8th grade blogs? Why the differences do you think?
A12. I believe Mr. McClungs blog gives a better description of the total classroom experience and expectations. His blog is set up similar to a company website. It is very user friendly and has a lot of extras, insights and ways to get involved in what is going on in his classes. It is a very well rounded, one stop shop for all things McClung. I think Mr. McClung's website is different because he is very well organized and very passionate about his work.

Q13. Any additional comments you think would be useful in analyzing Mr. McClungs World in depth?
A13. I would like to watch a video about Mr. McClung's class responding to him with the speaking and hand gestures. I am very interested in this, but I could not find the video. I read in a comment where a former student thought this was copied from the military.

C4T #3

Motivation by David Wees

David Wees is a technology teacher at Stratford Hall in Vancouver, Canada. He posted a summary of the book Drive by Daniel Pink stating that cognitive thinking and performance in the workplace were not enhanced by a monetary reward. Instead, only tasks that involved labor would see an increase in performance with a monetary reward. You can David Wees's summary of the article here. Daniel Pink I owned a mortgage company for the past 13 years before I closed the company and started back to school to acquire a degree in education. In the past, I always paid my employees based on a percentage of their performance. You can only imagine how this piece of information would have reshaped my thinking if I would have read it while I was still in business.

However, a lot of the concepts Daniel Pink spoke about were the exact reasons we were in the mortgage business. Our jobs had a lot of flexibility and even employees were very much their own boss. We paid senior employees more money because they had mastered their craft. However, the mastery of the craft is exactly what has kept several of the mortgage veterans in the business. It could even be argued, maybe to their detriment. The market is sputtering and it is not exciting and fun anymore. Everyone comes to work with serious faces and on edge. With that being said, I agree wholeheartedly that we all desire to master our craft and be looked up to as the expert in our field. It makes us feel valuable and important. Sometimes that seems to be the only thing that keeps us going, even when the going gets tough.

What Should Be on a High School Exit Exam in Mathematics?

David Wees answers,"An exit exam is not necessarily the best way to determine if a student has been prepared by their school." He is speaking in regard to twelfth graders. I do tend to agree. I do not necessarily think giving a math exit exam with a pass/fail scenario to a student who is about to walk out the doors for good is doing him or her any favors. I believe if the test is a necessity, then it should be administered earlier in the students career. However, if the test is only for data assessment for the school, then the exit exam may be a good idea to give at the senior level.

Wees, like myself, is also for math education with a purpose. He states most adults are "mathphobic". In my classroom, I want to give math lessons based on spending budgets, grocery lists, better buy scenarios, etc. Why? Because our finances affect us in every way, every day. Students need to be taught being good at math is not just for the smart kids, or the "business minded". Math is for people who need food, shelter and a car!

Blog Post #10

An Open Letter to the Educators

Have you ever wondered if the classes you take in college are a relevant teaching style in the 21st century? Morgan Bayda is a Canadian education student who completed her teaching degree in Spring 2010. She has an interesting blog post that explores this very idea. Not only does she give her own opinions, but she also expands them with a video in her post authored by Dan Brown.

Bayda states she can barely stay awake in her courses because her professors encourage no questions or interaction in the classroom. She knows it would also be unthinkable to try to discuss the information with her classmates. I get an instant, crystal clear picture of the classroom she is describing. It sounds a lot like my own, a college lecture.

I once watched a movie that depicted a university lecture, set in England, in an era when women still wore petticoats and men wore wigs. The puzzling thing about the lecture hall and style was that it looked as if the professor was standing at the bottom of the middle of a small square. The four-sided, mini stadium was stacked up around the professor. The setting looked very intimate, the professor was speaking and the standing students were eager to exchange ideas with him and each other. The scene was loud and excitable. This is nothing like the college lectures I identify with, the same ones that Bayda described.

So, what does this have to do with the 21st century? Well, it makes me wonder. Is the scene I just described a bit like what we are screaming for today;a college lecture that is inquisitive and collaborative? Are students today looking for valid reasons to go to class instead of taking an online course? If so, does this mean universities and their professors may need to raise the bar of the virtual classroom experience? We have all heard that history repeats itself, maybe this is the time we should be looking to the past for answers to the present.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!

I am very impressed with John T Spencer's writing style. I am laughing and wincing all at the same time. I love it! Thank you, Dr. Strange, for asking us to subscribe to the feed. I think I would have missed a lot of his writing, if you had not. I really like the Google Reader as well.

Comments 4 Kids #4, #5 & #6

Prince @ Pt England School

I just finished reading Prince's blog. He is a 6th grade student at the Pt England School in Auckland, New Zealand. Prince has four brother and four sisters. His class just finished playing several games of Cricket. They won three out of four of their games. I was very surprised to see that Prince and I have very similar tastes in music. He likes Michael Jackson and Bob Marley. I guess what they say is true, music is universal!

Kalin @ Edgewood City School

Kalin is a 4th grade student in Mrs. Phares class at the Edgewood City School. She had a wonderful blog post. It was so sweet. You can see it here Kalin's Blog It said, "Friends are there for you anywhere. They will cheer you up if you are sad. They will make you happy and make you laugh." Friends have been a very important in my life. Some of my funniest and saddest moments have been shared with my friends. I could not imagine life without them.

Stevie @ Pt England School

Stevie is in the 7th grade at Point England School in Auckland, New Zealand. His blog post was about a two day camp he went to. They went to several activities such as tent making, archery and kayaking. He had spent a lot of time writing his post. It was several paragraphs long. The camp sounded like it may have been school sponsored because he wrote about doing the activities with teachers. That sounds like a great idea. A school trip that is like a summer camp! Sign me up!

PLN Project #10

A Personal Learning Network is a new term for me, but not a totally new concept. Now, I am learning to organize and follow information and people on the internet. This information keeps me up to date in my new professional field of teaching. It introduces me to concepts, terms and theories from people all over the world and I have not even stepped foot in a classroom yet. I can see the value in a PLN.

When I was in the banking business, loan products could change or be discontinued in a day's notice. It was imperative to stay up to date on all of the changes by reading websites, checking emails and making phone calls to account reps daily. I would also read magazine and internet articles constantly. However, in our profession, we just called this "keeping up with what was going on". We "followed" each other, but not with all of the awesome tools that are available on the internet.

If we want to continue to grow and prosper in our chosen professions, we cannot afford to choose to stick our heads in the sand. The world changes things in our professions whether we like it or not. I believe our best line of defense is being prepared for what is happening, not just being blindsided by change and hoping for the best. We must reach out to find and surround ourselves with mentors and smart peers.

I have been working on an Education PLN. I have created my own blog for EDM310. I am following current educator's blogs. I am following educators on Twitter. I have tweeted! I arrange my Twitter on Tweet deck. While I am checking out resources for my blog posts, I usually come across some information that I want to save to read later. I put this information in my drop box. I watch and make You Tube videos for educational purposes. I have put all of my information together on Symbaloo.

I am only getting started. I can't wait to see what I learn next. I am grateful for my EDM310 class.

Blog Post #7

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

I just finished watching the above lecture by Randy Pausch. He was a tenured professor at Carnegie Mellon. He was an excellent example of a lifelong learner. At the beginning of his lecture, I was surprised to hear him say he had terminal cancer. I was surprised to hear this because his demeanor was so warm, friendly and lighthearted. He was not full of doom and gloom. Instead, he went out of his way to make jokes and really give the audience a sincere, heartfelt lecture. In the beginning, we were told the lecture was intended to give the audience tips on how to achieve our own childhood dreams. In the end, we were told we were "Head Faked"; the lecture was actually for his children.

A "Head Fake" was one of Pausch's favorite teaching methods. He described it as teaching indirectly. An individual signs up to learn one thing, and in the end learns something else totally different. He gave the example of football. Initially, parents sign their children up to play football. However, most parents do not want their children to be football players. They really want their children to learn sportsmanship, teamwork and perseverance.

As I mentioned earlier, Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon. During his lecture he spoke about the different methods he would use to teach in his technology classroom. His classroom was actually quite unique for several reasons. First of all, it started out as an experiment. He would only instruct fifty students per semester. They would then team up in groups to work on and complete a project every two weeks. The class had no hard and fast rules except two, and they were only in regard to what the content of the projects could not be about.

Not knowing what to expect from his first student's projects, in his first experimental class, the students blew him away. After this, he was hesitant to set a bar of what excellence was in his classroom or what was expected. He did not want the students to become less motivated. It worked. The freedom of the classroom and the unlimited creativity made the class become the most popular on the entire campus. The students would exhibit their work to standing room only crowds in a huge venue.

Another element of his teaching that I especially commended, was his approach to group learning. He understood the importance of working well with your peers in these groups. I think he was actually setting them up for something bigger, another Pausch "Head Fake" if you will. Pausch would give a survey to each student. The survey asked them to rate their peers based on their ability to get along well with others in their group. He would then accumulate the answers in the form of a bar graph. The students would see how they measured up. The smart ones would then adjust their behavior accordingly.

Pausch was teaching his students the invaluable lesson. I am also interested in teaching students social skills that they will use throughout their life in my future classroom. I believe the adults who get the promotions and raises are not always the brightest, but the ones who have the best social skill set.

C4T #2

I Don't Know the Questions to Ask

I just finished reading this post on the Middle School Matrix Blog by Hadley Ferguson. She has put together a quite diverse teaching assignment on the Black Death that happened in Europe. Not only did she ask her students to do a review in the textbook of the subject, but she also incorporated a group learning assignment, and individual fictional writing assignment and a creative art assignment made out of a wood block.

What seemed like a simple art project with a couple crayons and a block of wood evolved into a more meaningful project for her and her students after collaborating with the art teacher. Ferguson admitted she learned a lot from the art teacher in a couple minutes. She wondered how much else she could learn and increase the value of her lessons if she spoke with other teachers in other disciplines more frequently. Her post was very sincere and I felt like I really benefited from some good advice after reading her blog.

Teaching Current Events

Once again, Hadley has made another creative assignment. This time it was for current events. She used her smart board to illuminate her tweet deck and hash tagged Egypt, Libya, and revolution. The students were already curious as to what was going on in the Middle East, but they did not understand. After they watched the tweet deck explode with so many tweets they could not even read them fast enough, they had a class discussion. Hadley then assigned each of them to investigate the topic on their own. They were to look up what interested them the most on CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera and then comment on Edmodo.

The children were very energized by the freedom they were given with the study and the diverse way they were able to investigate the topic. They were showing more creativity and interest than Hadley ever expected. I can't help but to feel like I need to be writing all of these lesson plans down for my future students. This post has energized me as well.

City of Fairhope Timeline

C4K#1, #2, #3 Summary

Owen T, The Most Amazing Camp in the World

I just finished reading my first C4K blogpost by Owen T. Owen is a student at Crozet Public School in Charlottesville, PA. His teacher is Ms. Paula White who enjoys teaching children about technology. Owen's blogpost was about a summer camp in the area called Summers Best 2 Weeks, also titled, The Most Amazing Camp in the World by Owen. I was very impressed that Owen included a link to the camp in his post in which he directed his readers to watch the movie trailer. I watched the movie trailer. He was right. It was amazing. It made me wish I was in the fourth grade again so I could go!!

The Million Dollar Project

Mr. St. Pierre's Class is doing "The Million Dollar Project" in response to Governor Cuomo cutting New York's state budget that will directly affect their school. During this project, students will be competing to win one million dollars. The catch? The one million is imaginary and the monies must be spent on school improvement.

These students are eleven and twelve years old, so some of them may be accustomed to saving and spending an allowance. However, experts recommend weekly allowances to be no more than the child's actual age. So, with that current trend in mind, I would be very eager to see the children learn the actual value of one million dollars. I can picture the children working on the project. They will transition from imagining a figure of one million dollars in a very abstract way, to becoming acquainted with a real, tangible figure. I would be very excited if my child came home with a project like this.

Mohammed, "Sailing the Pacific"

Mohammed is a five year student who goes to school in New Zealand at Pt England School. At first, I was a little hesitant about blogging because of the recent earthquake in Christ Church, New Zealand. After a map quest, I realized Auckland, New Zealand, the town where Mohammed lives, is six hundred and sixty miles from Christ Church. It also appears to be on a separate island. After reading a couple other posts from some older children at his school, it appears they all are okay. However, they are very concerned about and praying for their fellow citizens in Christ Church.

Mohammed's blog post was an amazing picture of color and animation about the Vikings. I enjoyed viewing the beautiful stars that fell to the ground, the cutest pink pig traveling in the midst of the Vikings, and a vibrant green fish that buzzed in the ocean. I also learned that Vikings would bring coconuts as part of their provisions.

Blog Assignment 4

Don’t teach your kids this stuff. Please?

This is an interesting poem on Dr. McLeod's website, dangerously ! irrelevant. Dr. McLeod is an accomplished associate professor who specializes in developing technology courses for education professionals. He addresses the need to let children explore and develop their computer and networking skills. His poses a thought about what will happen if he allows his children take advantage of the new computer age and you do not?

It makes you think you may be holding your children back from being competitive in the new age if you do not allow your children to do the same. I agree. We must not hold our children back from learning. We should stay involved in their technological learning and networking so we can monitor and guide them. We must not assume the worst every time a child gets on the computer, just like when we let them go play in the neighborhood with their friends. We must teach them and trust them to use their good judgment.

The iSchool Initiative

In this You Tube video, Travis Allen, a seventeen year old high school student, believes he has the answer to the budget cuts that are taking place at his school and around the country. He believes each student should have an IPod Touch because the apps and technology available to its users will eliminate the need for copiers, maps, paper, pen, calculators and other items that a school uses every day.

Travis states that the current public school system is broken. We can see and hear these same concerns about our public school system on television, on the radio and on the internet. I applaud Travis who is trying to give good answers to these concerns. I believe taking action with some new initiatives is a step in the right direction. We will learn what works and does not work with new initiatives like this one in our schools. We will be closer to the new education reform that everyone is asking for if we are only willing to try some new things. Try this in one school and something else creative in another. What are we afraid of?

The Lost Generation

I enjoyed watching this video, which had a very creative ending. I would have never thought you could write a statement, then read the statement backwards and it would still be relevant to your first message. Very amazing, obviously, AARP thought so as well. It looks as though the video had their endorsement.

I am impressed the author placed a high importance on family life. Our society places such an importance on self, which can be very good at times. However, I think the message of family could be highlighted more in our media. Being in a family teaches us that we do not always need to put our needs first to be our best selves. In fact, we can learn love, humility and self-control by putting others needs first.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

I do not know exactly why, but of all the video's I have watched this semester, this one seems to be one of the most stunning. I will want to share it with other people. In a weak effort to try to describe why, maybe the first thing that comes to my mind is I feel like I am witnessing an authentic virtual experience. The sheer logistics of the whole thing seems enormous. Which reminds me once again, this exact choir may be able unable to be duplicated in real time due to scheduling conflicts of its participants.

Teaching in the 21st Century

I agree with the positions expressed in this video. I particularly liked the idea of using new technology to teach students how to gather and use information to solve their everyday problems. I agree with the author that as teachers we should work to create lessons that engage our students. Engagement will lead to more learning than mere entertainment. I look forward to creating lessons that will be engaging, original and useful.

Summary Post C4T#1 (Post 1&2)

C4T#1-post#1
My first Comments4Teachers (C4T) assignment is to follow the blog of Liz Davis, The Power of Educational Technology. Liz Davis Blog Link She is getting geared up for her favorite conference of the year, EduCon. I have included EcuCon's guiding principles below.

What is EduCon?

EduCon is both a conversation and a conference.

And it is not a technology conference. It is an education conference. It is, hopefully, an innovation conference where we can come together, both in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the big dreams.

The Axioms

Guiding Principles of EduCon

Our schools must be inquiry-driven, thoughtful and empowering for all members
Our schools must be about co-creating — together with our students — the 21st Century Citizen
Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around
Technology must enable students to research, create, communicate and collaborate
Learning can — and must — be networked.

Liz explains this is her 4th conference. How I wish I could go! She makes it sound so fun to be surrounded by other teachers who are coming together to discuss meaningful ways to improve teaching in the 21st century. I believe a teacher is speaking volumes about him or herself when they take their personal time to attend these conferences. Not only do I read between the lines that they are still very interested in their profession, but that they care enough to keep improving upon themselves as well.

I just can't explain how excited I am to be a part of the EDM 310 class! It is the most labor intensive college class I have ever been in, but also the most rewarding. I have been time warped into different awareness level in my profession and am most appreciative for it. I keep thinking, I hope all education majors around the nation have a chance to learn and use communication tools like we have here at University of South Alabama.

C4T#1-post#2

I just posted my second comment for Liz on her blog. She has returned from the EduCon Conference and had some conflicting feelings about it. While she still believes in the significance of the conference, the materials seemed a bit of a repeat for a fourth time attender, like herself.

What I love is that she was very open and honest about sharing her feelings. It's not always easy to say what we feel, especially when it is not always positive. This brings us to the source of her discontent with the last conference. She felt as though there could have been more positive information about what the schools were doing right. Maybe more examples, instead of the same rhetoric, "We must bring our failing schools into the twenty first century with technology."

Congratulations to Liz who is so ahead of the technology curve that she is starting to circle back around! I am going to make sure to follow Liz, so I can go with her on this next trip!

Blog Assignment 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

This video seems to be very similar to my college experience. Some professors still use the chalkboard, especially in my math class. Some professors, however, do a mixture of the smart board and the chalkboard. Since I am a returning student, smart boards are new to me. They seem to have a lot of potential in making the classroom more interesting. If a professor chooses to use the smart board, I enjoy it more when videos are used in conjunction with class notes.

If I were to change anything about the video as a producer, I would include an additional survey for the students. I would not only ask about the critiques of the current classroom, but I would also ask for suggestions on how to make the classroom experience more productive. How would the students improve the classroom experience and make it more hands on and more interesting? Could the professor use the smart board to add more pictures, movies and possibly music to teach the subject? Could the professor ask the students to post comments, questions and answers on their blog, face book, etc. for the class? Would this make the class experience more memorable, more enjoyable?

"It's Not About the Technology"

I am especially interested in the comment Ms. Hines made, "technology is useless without good teaching." I agree. For example, if a teacher uses a smart board to only read off class notes, the lecture starts to lose interest very fast.

The best class I have this semester (besides my EDM 310 class of course!) has been the one with a chalk board, a smart board, a map, and a seasoned teacher. The class is Geography 102 with Mr. Glenn Sebastian. I can't help but to think this teacher has taught this same class several times, but still, he loves what he does. And you know what? Because Mr. Sebastian loves what he does, and has an excitement and an energy for the subject; it

makes me wonder why he loves it so much. I can't help but to perk up in class and want to listen to what he says is so awesome about Geography. I have even caught myself thinking, wow, I could see myself teaching this subject!

I come from a sales background. So, I understand in order to get someone excited about or sell your product, you must believe in and love it yourself. When we love what we do it will show and people will want to be around us and be a part of what we are doing! Thank you, Mr. Sebastian, you have sold me on Geography!

Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I agree that all teachers would benefit from being lifelong learners in technology. For that matter, I think all people would benefit from being lifelong learners in technology. Whereas, some people may be able to get away with not incorporating several means of technology in their daily lifestyle, I am surprised to find out that a teacher would be able to get away with it.

I wish I could have read about some of the specific frustrations that Mr. Fisch has with his fellow colleagues. Such as, they refused to teach with technology, they do not like to email, twitter, etc. Being a new education student, I would like to hear Mr. Fish's opinion also on what he feels would be a technologically competent teacher. I feel very fortunate that our program here at USA is preparing us to teach with several different technological methods.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

The Social Media Counter's count is astounding! Thinking about what all of these new avenues of technology mean to us as a teacher is also astounding. First, we must come to terms with the fact that yes, we will be using new technology to teach, and yes it will be a good thing. So, the sooner we learn to use it the better.

From everything I have observed so far, students learning technology are being brought together, not distanced from each other. Blogs, Twitter, Google Docs, etc. are excellent tools for young students to express and share their ideas that make them unique and special.

As a parent, I am looking for a school that promotes state of the art learning in a healthy, nurturing environment. I do not think any parents would disagree. However, if anyone is worried about technology becoming so advanced that it will replace a healthy learning environment, I do not believe that will be the case. I believe parents would only choose that option if the learning environments they had to choose from were not healthy for their children.

Who I Am, But Mostly, Who I Want To Be, Project #5

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?

I think a common occurring theme in this video is the question what will our society look like years from now since technology seems to be shaping and reshaping it so rapidly in the present. In addition to that theme it starts to pour in other information such as the birth rates around the world, job statistics, and the fact that computers will be smarter than us in the near future.
When I watch a video like this with such an overwhelming, vast array of quick information, I try to remind myself most big problems in life get solved in small steps, and not all at once. Some times when things seem to be going too fast and out of control, the best thing we can do to make sense of it all is to slow down and spend some intentional time solving the problem.


Mr. Winkle Wakes

Wow, what can you say. I am very impressed with the video. I like the fact that the video is able to get to the heart of its meaning very quickly and very directly. I don't think any of us could miss the message, our education system needs to embrace learning with computers.
I agree with the message. I know our younger generations love computers. It only makes sense to utilize such a valuable tool to capture the love of learning at an early age. How could any of us be against using something that will only make our job of teaching easier?

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

I am a newly declared Education Major and I cannot believe how I have learned in such a small amount of time that so many educated people believe teaching in it's present form is outdated. My son is in the sixth grade and as an informed parent, this is not a topic that we would ever hear about. After watching this video, it all makes so much sense: The value of a good education has always been the fact it will prepare you to be a productive, income earning citizen.

The educational system will prepare their students for their future better when they can "learn" to be more diverse in their teaching and especially their teaching methods. My goal as a future teacher will be to teach the same idea in a visual, physical and audible learning environment so that all children will have an equal opportunity to learn and express their wonderful selves!

Cecelia Gault (Young Student in Finland) Interviews Sir Ken Robinson

As future educators, we can do our best to make sure all children feel they are strong learners by encouraging their creativity in all of their studies. We can be avid supporters of the arts and sciences in our schools. We can enlist volunteers from the community when the funds run short to help support the programs that the schools are forced to cut due to the budget.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I love this lady. She is so humble. I have always seen humility as a sign of strength. After all, are we really telling anyone shocking news when we admit we do not know everything? Of course not! That's why I love the EDM Motto, " I don't know. Let's find out." It gives me permission to relax, and to enjoy the experience. In this class, I realize quickly that I will succeed, after all, I have a whole team behind me. I would guess the student's in Ms. Davis's class feel the same way.

Group learning is such a breath of fresh air after sitting quietly in a chair all day listening to a class lecture from a professor. Not that lectures are all bad, we just do not necessarily associate them with fun! Hat's off to Ms. Davis who is not afraid to explore and show all of us new learning and teaching methods!

Wordle

Blog Post 1

A couple paragraphs about myself, here goes. In October of 2010 my family moved from Little Rock, Arkansas to Fairhope, Alabama. My family consists of David, my husband of fourteen years, and my son, Jackson, who is twelve years old. We moved here to be closer to my relatives in Magnolia Springs, Alabama. We fell in love with the area during multiple yearly trips starting fourteen years ago.

My work experience over the last thirteen years includes being a Vice President for my own mortgage company, co-owned with my husband, a Loan Officer for a local bank and a Credit Manager for a multi-million dollar interior furnishings company. While my background is in finance, I am more than ready for a complete career change. I am very grateful to be given this opportunity to switch career fields in the middle of my working career.

I am attending the University of South Alabama in order to receive a degree in early childhood education. My son's lower school experience in Little Rock was absolutely phenomenal and I want to be a hard working part of that kind of dynamic school somewhere in this area. I am ready for a new challenge in early childhood education. Being a loan officer has sharpened my listening and problem solving skills. It has also helped me learn to balance heavy work loads and to multi-task. I enjoy staying busy and hope to entertain children with learning in the future.