To my classmates:
This semster has been interesting! I hope you all have a fun and safe summer! Peace Out!
Melonie
Sunday, May 3, 2009
What I Have Learned
Where do I begin? I have learned so much this semester that I did not know before. I believe my favorite thing I learned this semester is what a valuable resource Google can be. Google documents is really neat because it is like Microsoft Works in many ways but can be opened anywhere at any time without a flash drive, as long as Internet access is available. Also, I did not know how to create spreadsheets on google to calculate loans and payout tables, but I think everyone needs to know how to do these sorts of things to help out with basic everyday activities. Google Earth is another feature I really enjoyed; it allows us to take tours of the world or find any location we want and see it up close. I enjoyed creating my iGoogle page because I was able to find all sorts of things that interest me and make tabs for them all on the same page so that I can keep up with them easier.
One thing I really enjoyed learning about was podcasting. I think our class did an amazing job this year with the podcasts. There are so many podcasts available on pretty much any topic desired.I hope everyone had as much fun doing their own podcast as I did doing mine.
Another thing I found enjoyable was learning how to blog. Blogging is such an easy way to express ideas and keep up with things happening in the world. Blogging could be a great resources for teachers to post homework assignments or have the children post their assigned homework as we did in our class this year.
Oh Twitter! I cannot say that I love twitter because it is difficult to get used to using. I would much prefer facebook because there is such a variety of applications and other interesting things to do. Although, I do believe twitter could be a great way to answer student's questions or to get my own questions answered about whatever topic needed.
ACCESS and ALEX are two great resources for teachers. So many things can be found on these websites. There are sample lesson plans and many other ideas on pretty much any subject, for any grade level.
Overall, I think this class was a huge help. I have been introduced to so many great tools that I can use in my future as an educator. I am very thankful for a class on educational media because it helps teachers realize how valuable technology can be in the classroom for all sorts of purposes and I will definitely use these tools I have learned.
One thing I really enjoyed learning about was podcasting. I think our class did an amazing job this year with the podcasts. There are so many podcasts available on pretty much any topic desired.I hope everyone had as much fun doing their own podcast as I did doing mine.
Another thing I found enjoyable was learning how to blog. Blogging is such an easy way to express ideas and keep up with things happening in the world. Blogging could be a great resources for teachers to post homework assignments or have the children post their assigned homework as we did in our class this year.
Oh Twitter! I cannot say that I love twitter because it is difficult to get used to using. I would much prefer facebook because there is such a variety of applications and other interesting things to do. Although, I do believe twitter could be a great way to answer student's questions or to get my own questions answered about whatever topic needed.
ACCESS and ALEX are two great resources for teachers. So many things can be found on these websites. There are sample lesson plans and many other ideas on pretty much any subject, for any grade level.
Overall, I think this class was a huge help. I have been introduced to so many great tools that I can use in my future as an educator. I am very thankful for a class on educational media because it helps teachers realize how valuable technology can be in the classroom for all sorts of purposes and I will definitely use these tools I have learned.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
First Grade Podcast Information
The first podcast I viewed was about literacy centers in the first grade classroom. The podcast showed all sorts of neat things a teacher can do to get his or her students engaged in literacy activities. One idea I like was using decorative pointers for the children to read with, this can get the students excited about reading because they get to pick a pointer that they like. Another thing I liked was that the students were given lots of choices about what they wanted to in the literacy center. When students are given choices it can make them feel more independent and can get them more involved and make them actually want to do the activity because they get to choose what they do.
The second podcast I saw was about gardening with the students. The students all had their own little buckets of soil and they were planting flowers in them. The students watered their flowers every day to make them grow. All of the children were very excited to have something of their own to take care of and they were especially excited when they began to see grow in what they had worked so hard for.
These two podcast were both really interesting and had valuable information. I liked how the first one about literacy centers gave ideas for teachers to take back to the classroom. The second one was neat because it showed an activity that the students really enjoyed doing that a teacher could use her his or her own students.
I believe podcast such as the two mentioned previously would be great for teachers. Both of the shared valuable information that could be used in the classroom such as ideas to incorporate into literacy centers or activities to get the students excited about science. I have learned to use podcasts as a research tool when looking for ideas for my classroom in the future. There are so many great topics at the tips of our finger tips, all we need is Internet access and there lies a world of information within the iTunesU!
The second podcast I saw was about gardening with the students. The students all had their own little buckets of soil and they were planting flowers in them. The students watered their flowers every day to make them grow. All of the children were very excited to have something of their own to take care of and they were especially excited when they began to see grow in what they had worked so hard for.
These two podcast were both really interesting and had valuable information. I liked how the first one about literacy centers gave ideas for teachers to take back to the classroom. The second one was neat because it showed an activity that the students really enjoyed doing that a teacher could use her his or her own students.
I believe podcast such as the two mentioned previously would be great for teachers. Both of the shared valuable information that could be used in the classroom such as ideas to incorporate into literacy centers or activities to get the students excited about science. I have learned to use podcasts as a research tool when looking for ideas for my classroom in the future. There are so many great topics at the tips of our finger tips, all we need is Internet access and there lies a world of information within the iTunesU!
Wikipedia Blog Post
Wikipedia is known as the "free" encyclopedia, but just because it is free does not mean it is accurate. Before I research wikipedia, I did not realize that anyone can post whatever they want onto the site. I was always using wikipedia for sources for research papers and just for basic information. Although, much of the information on wikipedia can be accurate, we should still be cautious when reading the information. I do not think that wikipedia should ever be used as a source for any sort of scholarly paper because of the simple fact that it is unreliable information.
Twitter is an interesting topic of choice. I believe that once a person gets used to using twitter it could be of value. To be honest, I find twitter very hard to understand because I am not savvy with technology at all; though I have learned so much valuable information throughout the semester and am starting to make progress in that area. I do think that we are lucky to have a class that shows future teachers how to use all different sorts of technology such as twitter. Twitter can be used for classroom teachers and for students. One thing I do like about twitter is when you have a question, you can post it on twitter and literally within minutes someone will most likely have answered your question; this can be of value to teachers and students. For students, classmates and their teacher can reply with answers to the student's homework help or any question the student might have. For teachers, twitter can be helpful to keep up with what the students are interested in or what areas they may be having trouble in so that they can receive more help in that subject. I have not posted any questions myself but I have looked at posts done by others and I can see that it can be very helpful, along with being very interesting. There is all sorts of information within twitter on basically any subject and I believe it could be a great asset to a teacher once he or she gets past the initial difficulty of learning the ropes.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Improving Podcasts
Podcasts hold a lot of valuable information and can be very interesting if done correctly. Podcasts can be found on almost any topic imaginable. Visit itunes.com and go to itunes U to find all sorts of free podcast resources. For me, podcasting has its ups and downs, but I still believe they can be great tools for research and general information.
Most of the podcasts were pretty good, they stuck to the point of the discussion and got the information they wanted to get across to the public done in a fairly organized manor. I learned a lot of new things about technology in schools from listening to the podcasts of other members taking EDM 310 this semester. There were topics focusing on no burpback education in schools, an interview with the dean on technology in classrooms, different technological tools that can be used such as ACCESS in classroom, and an interview with Dr. Strange on his theory that students have become listeners and viewers rather than readers and writers, along with many other important topics.
However, some improvements could be made in order to make podcasting more effective. One problem I noticed in many of the podcasts is that the students did not seem very interested in the topics they were discussing. Though the students may have been presenting important information, it is hard to stay focused on listening to a podcast in the students talking are not interested in what they are talking about. Maybe if the students got to come up with their own topics about technology in classroom then they would be able to hold the listener's attention longer because they would be enthused about the topic being discussed. Another thing I noticed in a couple of the podcasts was a pause in the discussions as if the students were searching for the words to say; this could be fixed by rehearsing more. I believe there should be a practice recording session before the final recording date which would allow the students to practice and hear what their podcast sounds like and what improvements need to be made before the final recording. Other than those couple of improvements, the podcasts sounded fantastic!
Most of the podcasts were pretty good, they stuck to the point of the discussion and got the information they wanted to get across to the public done in a fairly organized manor. I learned a lot of new things about technology in schools from listening to the podcasts of other members taking EDM 310 this semester. There were topics focusing on no burpback education in schools, an interview with the dean on technology in classrooms, different technological tools that can be used such as ACCESS in classroom, and an interview with Dr. Strange on his theory that students have become listeners and viewers rather than readers and writers, along with many other important topics.
However, some improvements could be made in order to make podcasting more effective. One problem I noticed in many of the podcasts is that the students did not seem very interested in the topics they were discussing. Though the students may have been presenting important information, it is hard to stay focused on listening to a podcast in the students talking are not interested in what they are talking about. Maybe if the students got to come up with their own topics about technology in classroom then they would be able to hold the listener's attention longer because they would be enthused about the topic being discussed. Another thing I noticed in a couple of the podcasts was a pause in the discussions as if the students were searching for the words to say; this could be fixed by rehearsing more. I believe there should be a practice recording session before the final recording date which would allow the students to practice and hear what their podcast sounds like and what improvements need to be made before the final recording. Other than those couple of improvements, the podcasts sounded fantastic!
Opinion on Blogging in Classrooms
Blogging has become the thing to do in many classroom across the country. Teachers all over the world are using them in their classrooms to help their students on all sorts of levels. I was never familiar with blogging until this class but now after being required to blog quite frequently I have begun to think that it can be a valuable resource. Many other people taking EDM 310 this semester share my opinion that blogging can be a useful tool for teachers.
After reading other student's blogs for the semester I have realized that I am not the only one who believe that blogging can be useful. Blogging is an easy way for students to keep up with their assignments, especially if he or she might have missed a day of class. Not to mention, for the teachers trying to go green, using blogs to post assignments instead of handing out numerous papers in the classroom can help save resources and money.
Blogging can also help teachers become more familiar with who their students are a human beings outside the classroom. Students will most likely put their on twist and flavor into their blogs to show a little bit of their personalities, which can help the teacher get an insight into the kinds of things they like. Also, blogs can be used for the children to post their homework assignments instead of turning them in at school; in EDM 310, we use our blogs to write mini papers on assignments we are given. English papers, short essays,poems, or anything that you feel comfortable for the world to see can be posted onto blogs for easy grading. Blogging can also be useful for contacting people from all over the world and seeing how other countries are using technology.
Overall, I believe that blogging can really be an essential technological tool for teachers. The possibilities are endless when blogging. I know that it is almost impossible to get teachers who are stuck in their ways to realize the possibilities within the technology blogging offers, so if teachers just entering the field will open their minds up and try out blogging in their classrooms I think we would see a vast improvement in assignment being turned in and done well and maybe veteran teachers will eventually realize that blogging can be useful.
After reading other student's blogs for the semester I have realized that I am not the only one who believe that blogging can be useful. Blogging is an easy way for students to keep up with their assignments, especially if he or she might have missed a day of class. Not to mention, for the teachers trying to go green, using blogs to post assignments instead of handing out numerous papers in the classroom can help save resources and money.
Blogging can also help teachers become more familiar with who their students are a human beings outside the classroom. Students will most likely put their on twist and flavor into their blogs to show a little bit of their personalities, which can help the teacher get an insight into the kinds of things they like. Also, blogs can be used for the children to post their homework assignments instead of turning them in at school; in EDM 310, we use our blogs to write mini papers on assignments we are given. English papers, short essays,poems, or anything that you feel comfortable for the world to see can be posted onto blogs for easy grading. Blogging can also be useful for contacting people from all over the world and seeing how other countries are using technology.
Overall, I believe that blogging can really be an essential technological tool for teachers. The possibilities are endless when blogging. I know that it is almost impossible to get teachers who are stuck in their ways to realize the possibilities within the technology blogging offers, so if teachers just entering the field will open their minds up and try out blogging in their classrooms I think we would see a vast improvement in assignment being turned in and done well and maybe veteran teachers will eventually realize that blogging can be useful.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Stanford Blog
Many students believe they are born with fixed knowledge and that they are not able to become more. Others believe that their brain is like a muscle and that every time they learn something new their brain grows. Two different workshops were created as a study in order to see which theory is correct and to encourage a growth mindset. Students who were in the group that were given motivation and higher expectations were succeeding but the group who had a lack of motivation did not do so well.
It is so important to have a curious mind and to let our imaginations grow because with that curiosity so much can be learned. Those who believe that people are born smart or not need to be encouraged to get out there and experience the world in new ways. People should want to engage in learning to broaden their knowledge about many different topics. When people open their minds to learning new things with a growth mindset great things can be discovered and people can realize that knowledge can be learned as opposed to being born with it.
It is so important to have a curious mind and to let our imaginations grow because with that curiosity so much can be learned. Those who believe that people are born smart or not need to be encouraged to get out there and experience the world in new ways. People should want to engage in learning to broaden their knowledge about many different topics. When people open their minds to learning new things with a growth mindset great things can be discovered and people can realize that knowledge can be learned as opposed to being born with it.
Monday, March 9, 2009
iTunes Podcasts
In "The Edible Schoolyard" podcast I thought it was really neat that they integrating gardening into the classroom and using organic materials. They were using hands-on activities to learn about soil and photosynthesis, along with many other things. The children were learning to work together and see live things grow from their hard work. The children were able to eat their won healthy food for lunch. The Edible Schoolyard program was started in order to provide better lunches for schools and the children seemed to enjoy eating the things they grew and cooked themselves. The students says that it gives them a warm feeling getting to provide for themselves. The children are the ones who make all of this happen.
In the "Night in a Global Village" podcast the students were sacrificing their status as privilged students in order to help the less fortunate children. Some students lived in refugee camps where they were not allowed to speak in English and had to live like the people who were less fortunate than themselves. The camp in Guatamala had plenty of water but the camp in Appalacia had no water so they had to bargain with the other camp to have water. It was freezing at night and the children were scrambling for resources for food and fire. The students realized they had to stop arguing amd work together to get things done.
Both of these podcasts were really neat. The one about the children growing and cooking their own food was cool because it taught the children real life skills but it also taught them about important science lessons. The hands-on activities seemed to be a good way to get the students interested. The podcast about the children living as less privilged children was interesting because it showed the students struggling like other children do every day of their lives. It allowed them to experience life in a whole new way and be able to appreciate the things they have and to take action to help the people who are less fortunate.
These podcasts would be great for me to use as a teacher. Podcast like these could help give me ideas to use in my classroom to make learning more intersting for my students. I think the students would be very intersted in the hands-on activities since todays society is more of a hands-on society. Children can learn better when they are seeing results of action rather than reading about others experiences. I could even show the podcasts in my classroom to let them get an idea about what I want them to do, or even watch them for information about the specific subject being taught.
In the "Night in a Global Village" podcast the students were sacrificing their status as privilged students in order to help the less fortunate children. Some students lived in refugee camps where they were not allowed to speak in English and had to live like the people who were less fortunate than themselves. The camp in Guatamala had plenty of water but the camp in Appalacia had no water so they had to bargain with the other camp to have water. It was freezing at night and the children were scrambling for resources for food and fire. The students realized they had to stop arguing amd work together to get things done.
Both of these podcasts were really neat. The one about the children growing and cooking their own food was cool because it taught the children real life skills but it also taught them about important science lessons. The hands-on activities seemed to be a good way to get the students interested. The podcast about the children living as less privilged children was interesting because it showed the students struggling like other children do every day of their lives. It allowed them to experience life in a whole new way and be able to appreciate the things they have and to take action to help the people who are less fortunate.
These podcasts would be great for me to use as a teacher. Podcast like these could help give me ideas to use in my classroom to make learning more intersting for my students. I think the students would be very intersted in the hands-on activities since todays society is more of a hands-on society. Children can learn better when they are seeing results of action rather than reading about others experiences. I could even show the podcasts in my classroom to let them get an idea about what I want them to do, or even watch them for information about the specific subject being taught.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
iTunes University
Itunes University is a part of the iTunes store used as an educational resourse. The iTunes U has many different categories to select from when searching for information. The categories are as follows: business, engineering, fine arts, health and medicine, history, humanities, language, literature, mathematics, science, social science, society, and teaching and education. There is also a search available to find information from a specific provider, such as university research.
I believe that iTunes University would be a great tool for me as a teacher and a student. There is an abundance of information on almost any topic imaginable. I think the iTunes University would be great from the student perspective because there is a lot of information for research papers available. From the teacher perspective, I think iTunes University would be a great tool because it has a section for K-12 information, and teaching and education section for topics I may need to refresh myself on for classroom activities. Visit http://www.itunes.com for more information.
I believe that iTunes University would be a great tool for me as a teacher and a student. There is an abundance of information on almost any topic imaginable. I think the iTunes University would be great from the student perspective because there is a lot of information for research papers available. From the teacher perspective, I think iTunes University would be a great tool because it has a section for K-12 information, and teaching and education section for topics I may need to refresh myself on for classroom activities. Visit http://www.itunes.com for more information.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
iPods for Instruction
The use of iPods can be an educational tool as well as a technological tool in the classroom. Tons of information can be stored on an iPod depending on the specific iPod purchased. Although a little pricey, iPods offer a great deal of educational items for learning purposes. Foreign language and music lessons can be downloaded, along with slideshows and podcasts. Podcasts can be valuable because they allow the students to see first hand research on the topic chosen. http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/sites/sites070.shtml gives a lot of information on sites that can help teachers learn to use an iPod in the classroom. IPods offer all sorts of tips on great ideas for lessons and information on practically any topic can be found in the itunes store. Everything is relatively inexpensive in the itunes store after the initial purchase of the iPod.
Duke University has decided to give all incoming freshman 20-GB iPods to foster innovative uses for technology in the classroom. The iPods will be preloaded with the Duke fight songs, an academic calendar, and freshman orientation information. Students will be able to download course content and they will also be able to record notes onto their iPods. I think that iPods will help foster creativity in the classrooms and that students will definitely benefit from using iPods to enhance learning because of their wide capacity of information.
Duke University has decided to give all incoming freshman 20-GB iPods to foster innovative uses for technology in the classroom. The iPods will be preloaded with the Duke fight songs, an academic calendar, and freshman orientation information. Students will be able to download course content and they will also be able to record notes onto their iPods. I think that iPods will help foster creativity in the classrooms and that students will definitely benefit from using iPods to enhance learning because of their wide capacity of information.
Dr. Alice Christie
Dr. Alice Christie has a PH.D. in Educational Technology and Language and Literacy from Arizona State in 1995. Before receiving her PH.D. she taught in the K-12 schools. She travels and holds workshops on how technology can be useful for teaching and learning in the classroom. Dr. Christie has conducted a lot of research to show the differences between genders using technology and on teachers as they learn to integrate technology. Teachers could learn a lot from Dr. Christie about using technology to enhance learning in the classroom.
I thought a neat feature to use in the classroom to enhance technology was Google Earth. Google Earth costs only twenty dollars a year and offers all sorts of fun ideas. Google Earth uses satellite imagery to explore different places throughout the world. Things such as maps, buildings, geographic formations, and civilization infrastructures can be searched through Google Earth. Tours can also be designed and saved through Google Earth to go along with geography lessons in the classrooms. Google Earth is a virtual way to get students engaged in learning about different places all over the world and could be a great tool for classroom learning.
I thought a neat feature to use in the classroom to enhance technology was Google Earth. Google Earth costs only twenty dollars a year and offers all sorts of fun ideas. Google Earth uses satellite imagery to explore different places throughout the world. Things such as maps, buildings, geographic formations, and civilization infrastructures can be searched through Google Earth. Tours can also be designed and saved through Google Earth to go along with geography lessons in the classrooms. Google Earth is a virtual way to get students engaged in learning about different places all over the world and could be a great tool for classroom learning.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Randy Paush Post
Randy Paush was born in 1960; he died of liver tumors this past year. Paush gave lectures that were very motivational. One question he asked the audience at the beginning of his lecture was "If you had on last lecture to give before dying, what would it be?" Randy Paush spoke to people about their childhood dreams and the lessons they learned growing up. He went on to accomplish very many of his own childhood goals throughout his life. He was always encouraging students to follow their childhood dreams.
Randy Paush was a professor at MIT. He designed a program called Building Virtual Worlds. The program gave students a whole new way of learning by allowing them to access the virtual world while still learning important information. I thought this program was a really amazing idea because a learning experience like that will most likely help students remember what they are actually learning.
Professor Paush also put together a team of students to compete in a NASA competition. The grand prize was a ride on the Comet Vomit. His team won and got to experience what it was like to be an astronaut. This was an amazing opportunity that his students will remember for a lifetime. He was always pushing the students to work hard and their hard work definitely paid off in this situation. I couldn't imagine the feeling they must have had getting to experience something like this firsthand.
This video was so neat. Randy Paush was truly an amazing professor. He knew exactly what to do to motivate his students and get them to work hard to achieve their gaols and aspirations. I thought is was so cool how he was a believer in following childhood dreams because not too many people do that anymore. Everyone gets caught up in everyday life and forgets about what they really want for the,selves but Paush really helps his students achieve their childhood dreams. He pushes them and makes them work hard so that his students will be able to say one day that they achieved their dreams just as he did for himself. I enjoyed watching this video and it gave me the motivation I needed to push myself to work harder at reaching my goals I have set for myself.
Randy Paush was a professor at MIT. He designed a program called Building Virtual Worlds. The program gave students a whole new way of learning by allowing them to access the virtual world while still learning important information. I thought this program was a really amazing idea because a learning experience like that will most likely help students remember what they are actually learning.
Professor Paush also put together a team of students to compete in a NASA competition. The grand prize was a ride on the Comet Vomit. His team won and got to experience what it was like to be an astronaut. This was an amazing opportunity that his students will remember for a lifetime. He was always pushing the students to work hard and their hard work definitely paid off in this situation. I couldn't imagine the feeling they must have had getting to experience something like this firsthand.
This video was so neat. Randy Paush was truly an amazing professor. He knew exactly what to do to motivate his students and get them to work hard to achieve their gaols and aspirations. I thought is was so cool how he was a believer in following childhood dreams because not too many people do that anymore. Everyone gets caught up in everyday life and forgets about what they really want for the,selves but Paush really helps his students achieve their childhood dreams. He pushes them and makes them work hard so that his students will be able to say one day that they achieved their dreams just as he did for himself. I enjoyed watching this video and it gave me the motivation I needed to push myself to work harder at reaching my goals I have set for myself.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Podcast Blog
EDM 310 classes do podcasts about technological concepts in the world of education. I have chosen two podcasts to view from last semester to figure out what could have been done to improve the podcasts for future references. The first podcast I watched was called "Blogs and Blogging" by Silas Smith, Andrea Williams, and Lashonda Pruitt; the three discussed what blogging is and how is can benefit teachers and students for many different reasons. The other podcast I saw was called "Facebook a an Educational Tool" by Theda Hines and Larrica Smith, the two women talked about all of the positives and negatives they discovered about facebook being used as an educational tool.
There are a couple of thing I noticed that could have been done to make these podcasts a little better. Practice is one thing I think that could have really improved the podcasts, this way the students would not have been reading their papers in front of them most of the time and focused more on the information they were presenting. anther thing that would have maybe helped is letting the students pick their own topics so that they were actually interested in the topic they were discussing, rather than choosing from a list of already formed topics.
The last idea I had about improving the podcasts was having a pre-recording session to get the students more familiar with the idea of recording a podcast, this way the podcasts would run more smoothly when it cam time to record the final time. Overall, I think these men and women did a fantastic job on their podcasts!
There are a couple of thing I noticed that could have been done to make these podcasts a little better. Practice is one thing I think that could have really improved the podcasts, this way the students would not have been reading their papers in front of them most of the time and focused more on the information they were presenting. anther thing that would have maybe helped is letting the students pick their own topics so that they were actually interested in the topic they were discussing, rather than choosing from a list of already formed topics.
The last idea I had about improving the podcasts was having a pre-recording session to get the students more familiar with the idea of recording a podcast, this way the podcasts would run more smoothly when it cam time to record the final time. Overall, I think these men and women did a fantastic job on their podcasts!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Fischbowl/ November
AHS just opened up wireless Internet at the school for personal use and use in the classrooms. It is not available for use on the weekends at of now for security reasons. Many people ask the question "Why wireless?" They want to know why students need wireless access in the classrooms and what they could do with this access. This blog was dedicated to answering that question and clearing all doubts that wireless Internet is not needed in schools.
One of the reasons the blog discussed is that there is an infinite number of resources available to students online for projects or assignments; so much research can be done at the tip of your finger. Another advantage is the Internet has pretty much an unlimited amount of storage, students can saved their documents on google and retrieve them anywhere in the world, all they need is Internet access. Teachers as AHS have begun to use blogs and wikis in the classroom to enhance learning. Students will spend their live in a world advancing in technology all of the time so if they do not learn how to guide their way around the Internet now they will not be able to hold up in the outside world. Everything has already changed and advanced from when we were younger and I cannot imagine what it will be like for the generations of students in the future. My favorite thing about this blog was the quote from Albert Einstein that stated "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
One of the reasons the blog discussed is that there is an infinite number of resources available to students online for projects or assignments; so much research can be done at the tip of your finger. Another advantage is the Internet has pretty much an unlimited amount of storage, students can saved their documents on google and retrieve them anywhere in the world, all they need is Internet access. Teachers as AHS have begun to use blogs and wikis in the classroom to enhance learning. Students will spend their live in a world advancing in technology all of the time so if they do not learn how to guide their way around the Internet now they will not be able to hold up in the outside world. Everything has already changed and advanced from when we were younger and I cannot imagine what it will be like for the generations of students in the future. My favorite thing about this blog was the quote from Albert Einstein that stated "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Fischbowl Post #2
This fischbowl video was about teachers being technologically illiterate. I agree with this video in some ways. I do believe that technology has become an important part of a child's education and that they need to be well versed about how to use computers. When I was in grade school I knew nothing about computers, my computer classes in high shcool were a joke because all we learned how to do was play games. When I came to college I realized how much I missed out on in school because almost every class in college uses a computer in some way, shape, or form.
The downfall to me is that I don't think our eduaction system should be too focused on technology. the most important experiences a person can get from education is always hands-on activies because those are the ones you will remember the most. Technology has evolved so much over the past few years that it will absolutely blow your mind, I cannot imagine what will be in store when I graduate and finally become a teacher.
The downfall to me is that I don't think our eduaction system should be too focused on technology. the most important experiences a person can get from education is always hands-on activies because those are the ones you will remember the most. Technology has evolved so much over the past few years that it will absolutely blow your mind, I cannot imagine what will be in store when I graduate and finally become a teacher.
Podcast Blog Post
The first podcast I viewed was the SmartBoard Lessons podcast. The SmartBoard podcast was pretty cool, it is such an amazing tool to use in the classroom. It is amazing how is stores information. It is unfortunate that the SmartBoards are not found in every school since they are so expensive, because I believe that they would be a great value to enhance children's learning.
The next podcast I watched was the Kidcast. The Kidcast was encouraging the use of podcasts in the classroom. Personally, podcasts are hard for me to pay attention to and I don't believe that the students would be very engaged since their attention spans are fairly short. I do think that podcasts are very informative but I think they are more appropriate for the college setting. Another podcast on the list I watched was the This Week In Photography podcast, to me this was the most boring one of all. The podcast was mainly about photographers trying to take pictures at the inauguration and how crowded it was, nothing too special.
Another podcast I watched was MacBreak Weekly. The MacBreak podcast was all about the Mac computers. I have no clue about how to use Mac computers since I do not own one myself but they looked like pretty advanced pieces of technology. EdTech Talk was another podcast I viewed; this podcast was about parent involvement. EdTech Talk was about how important it is for the parents to be involved in their child's education. I thought this podcast was great because it explained how the parent really should get involved because it benefits the child's education.
All of the podcasts I watched were very informative. It was amazing to me how many different podcasts there are and how many there are on education topics. I even saw some about learning Spanish which I thought was pretty neat. The downfall with podcasts for me is that it is hard for me to stay engaged starring at a computer so I know it would be hard for a child to do the same. Like I stated before, I believe that the podcasts are better used in the college setting.
The next podcast I watched was the Kidcast. The Kidcast was encouraging the use of podcasts in the classroom. Personally, podcasts are hard for me to pay attention to and I don't believe that the students would be very engaged since their attention spans are fairly short. I do think that podcasts are very informative but I think they are more appropriate for the college setting. Another podcast on the list I watched was the This Week In Photography podcast, to me this was the most boring one of all. The podcast was mainly about photographers trying to take pictures at the inauguration and how crowded it was, nothing too special.
Another podcast I watched was MacBreak Weekly. The MacBreak podcast was all about the Mac computers. I have no clue about how to use Mac computers since I do not own one myself but they looked like pretty advanced pieces of technology. EdTech Talk was another podcast I viewed; this podcast was about parent involvement. EdTech Talk was about how important it is for the parents to be involved in their child's education. I thought this podcast was great because it explained how the parent really should get involved because it benefits the child's education.
All of the podcasts I watched were very informative. It was amazing to me how many different podcasts there are and how many there are on education topics. I even saw some about learning Spanish which I thought was pretty neat. The downfall with podcasts for me is that it is hard for me to stay engaged starring at a computer so I know it would be hard for a child to do the same. Like I stated before, I believe that the podcasts are better used in the college setting.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
International Blogs
There is a blog by Jarrod Lamshed for his class in Australia. This blog is used a little differently than the other blogs. Mr. Lamshed uses his class blog for reflection questions. The students are given a topic and they have to respond to what they feel about the topic, kind of like a threaded discussion on online. There was also a post for a video quiz where the students have to watch a video for a quiz. this is the link for the blog in Australia http://.web.me.com/jarrod.lamshed/Boys_class/2009_Blog/2009_Blog.html .
At http://teachers.saschina.org/ahossack/ you can see a school in china called Singapore American School. This is a school that teachers American things to the students in China. The teacher, Mrs. Hossack post the children's assignments and also things to help the students if they get lost. The teacher also post pictures and videos of things her students are doing throughout the year so that the parents can see the activities that their children are doing. I think it is really cool that teachers in other parts of the world use blogs the same way that we do here in America. There is a picture of a one of the students from this class located at the top left.
Grade Schools Blogs
A fifth grade class blog from Noel Elementary school was created by Mr. C. The website to see this blog is http://www.mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/ . This blog was created to let children learn how to use a blog and it is a great way for children to access their assignments if needed. The blog is also used to keep people up to date with what his fifth grade class is doing at school. There are pictures with the class interacting. There is also information about what other class around the world are doing in comparison with his class.
At http://www.millersenglish10.blogspot.com , a tenth grade English class is using blogspot in the same way our class does. Their teacher posts their assignments on the blog. Any dues date they might need can be found on the blog. Students can get on and comment on an assignment if they have any questions. There are also resources to help the students found on Mr. Miller's class blog. The school Mr. Miller teachers at can be found in Branford, Connecticut but the school name was not listed.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators, and Students Statewide offers more options that the students would not have if the program was not available. ACCESS offers things such as advanced diploma courses, additional course offerings, duel enrollment credit courses, and advanced placement courses. It seems that ACCESS is committed to having children be all that they can by giving them more options than just the basic classroom. The teachers using ACCESS will be trained with multimedia and technology tools to enhance instruction in the classroom.
To be honest, the ACCESS program is very overwhelming to me. I am no good with technology but it seems like children will be so caught up in technology and the Internet that they may be loosing the basic fundamentals of regular school. Although, I do believe technology is an important part of today's education and that children should learn to use the Internet and be able to conduct research and whatever else they wish to learn but it kinda scares me how caught up in technology our nation has really become.
To be honest, the ACCESS program is very overwhelming to me. I am no good with technology but it seems like children will be so caught up in technology and the Internet that they may be loosing the basic fundamentals of regular school. Although, I do believe technology is an important part of today's education and that children should learn to use the Internet and be able to conduct research and whatever else they wish to learn but it kinda scares me how caught up in technology our nation has really become.
Fisch Bowl Video
WOW!!! So much information was presented in this video that was amazing to think about. I cannot believe what technology has become to day. To think that more text messages are sent out than the population of the whole world is astonishing. I am 21 years old and I fit in completely with the statements made about 21 year old in today's world. Television and the Internet have taken over our lives if I'm not watching TV I'm most likely on the Internet.
On the topic of myspace, I have never really been a fan of myspace but it amazed me that so many people have joined, I cannot believe that it would be the 8th largest country in the world. In today's society it is almost impossible to function with computer/Internet access. There is now way we could pass classes in college if we don't have some way to spend a few hours a week online. I'm not big on technology, mainly because I am horrible with computers but it really does make our lives so much easier. I just hope that our country hasn't become to reliable on technology because technology isn't everything.
On the topic of myspace, I have never really been a fan of myspace but it amazed me that so many people have joined, I cannot believe that it would be the 8th largest country in the world. In today's society it is almost impossible to function with computer/Internet access. There is now way we could pass classes in college if we don't have some way to spend a few hours a week online. I'm not big on technology, mainly because I am horrible with computers but it really does make our lives so much easier. I just hope that our country hasn't become to reliable on technology because technology isn't everything.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Alabama Learning Exchange, also known as ALEX, is a valuable resource for teachers to use when they are making their lesson plans. ALEX allows the teacher to look up the Alabama Content Standards required for a specific subject in order to make sure the teacher is teaching the appropriate material in their classroom. ALEX provides the standards not only for the basic math, science, English, and social studies, but it also provides the requirements for physical education, foreign languages, health education, driver's education, arts education, and many other courses of study.
The Alabama Learning Exchanges gives teachers access to sample lesson plans to use in their own classroom or to simply get ideas to take with them to the classroom. Alex also has a professional learning page where the are links to information about special education and English language learners and it gives tips on how to work with these children in their classroom to help them get more involved. The professional learning page of ALEX also provides information about grant opportunities and how to support roundtables in their classroom. Alex also has a personal workspace area where the teacher can store information found through ALEX in their workspace and they can also save lesson plans they like for their future lessons. ALEX works with the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide(ACCESS) to provide things such as advanced diplomas, additional courses, and advanced placement to better enhance a child's learning experience and help them get the most they can out of their education.
I feel that the Alabama Learning Exchange and ACCESS and absolutely wonderful resources to use when I become a teacher. ALEX, along with ACCESS, will give many options for the students to progress and develop to their full capabilities. ALEX will help me to ensure that my lesson plans are meeting the state standards and provide me many resources to make sure my students have the optimum learning experience possible. I cannot wait to use ALEX when I become a teacher because I feel that it will really help me achieve the goals I want for my classroom and for my students!
The Alabama Learning Exchanges gives teachers access to sample lesson plans to use in their own classroom or to simply get ideas to take with them to the classroom. Alex also has a professional learning page where the are links to information about special education and English language learners and it gives tips on how to work with these children in their classroom to help them get more involved. The professional learning page of ALEX also provides information about grant opportunities and how to support roundtables in their classroom. Alex also has a personal workspace area where the teacher can store information found through ALEX in their workspace and they can also save lesson plans they like for their future lessons. ALEX works with the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide(ACCESS) to provide things such as advanced diplomas, additional courses, and advanced placement to better enhance a child's learning experience and help them get the most they can out of their education.
I feel that the Alabama Learning Exchange and ACCESS and absolutely wonderful resources to use when I become a teacher. ALEX, along with ACCESS, will give many options for the students to progress and develop to their full capabilities. ALEX will help me to ensure that my lesson plans are meeting the state standards and provide me many resources to make sure my students have the optimum learning experience possible. I cannot wait to use ALEX when I become a teacher because I feel that it will really help me achieve the goals I want for my classroom and for my students!
A Few Things About Me
Technically, I am a senior at South this year but like a lot of people do, I changed my major in the later part of my junior year. I was a pre-med major and I wanted to be a dermatologist but after I took a lot of the classes and hated them I realized that wasn't the path I wanted to take. I learned that education was the path for me. I love children and I also have a passion for learning new things and I think it will be great for me to be involved in the learning process for young children. I am twenty-one years old and I have one little sister who I am very close to. I have a boyfriend I have been dating for a while now and we planned to get married on 10-10-10, he is the love of my life and I couldn't have asked God for a better match! My best friend Britney is absolutely a blessing in my life; she is always there for me when I need her and she is so much fun to be around. I am a member of Chi Omega here at South. The second love of my life is my dog, Pebbles, I love her like she were my child. I have the best parents who instilled morals and values into my sister and I and they have very high expectations for me to succeed in whatever path I choose to follow.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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