My EDM310 Blog Assingments are Now Complete!!!

I wish everyone well in their future and hope that you make the best out of your careers!!

What I Have Learned

There were so many things that I learned in this class. I really enjoyed the Pisca software. After doing spreadsheets I made my husband a budget sheet that was very useful! The podcast were great and will be great for my class. During my ACCESS lab visit I met a teacher at MGM name Ms. LeGrone uses podcast in her class and her students find it very helpful. So thanks Dr. Strange for showing me how to better my students. I actually used my knowledge on Google presentation to give a presentation for my EDF 315 class. I think that everything in the class curriculum was very helpful.

Class Blog

I chose Tina Dillen blog page. I chose her because oddly we have taken all our courses together this semester so I might as well get to know her!
The blogs are a good way for us to express ourselves. Just looking at Tina's blog page you can tell she really enjoyed the class. Together I think we could both agree that we probably would have never made/heard/ or even watch a podcast! But overall I think that we have learned how we should all incorporate technology in our lives because soon or later books will be replaced with the Kindle. (please watch the video)
Looking over her blogs there are many things that we agree on as far as technology in the class rooms. Blogs can be a great tool for the classroom when used in the proper way. It would allow for the students to communicate with teachers and their peers. I was looking over my own blogs one day and saw that Sara Large had left some comments on my page about some of my blog posting.It was a joy to see that my work was being looked at by my peers so I know that it would be a joy for the kids.
Overall I will continue to use my blogs beyond this class and hopefully can have some of my friends and family members to join so we can all start blogging. I mentioned blogs at work and no one knew what I was speaking about, so I have a long way to go!

Class Blog

Duke University

I viewed the film Broken: HIV film from South Africa. The film really touched home for me because I was sexually abused by father. I didn't tell anyone for a long time because I felt as though my family would react as the girl in the film mom did. After telling I felt much better my parents ended up divorcing and we all are doing better. It also touched me personally because my father-in-law is living with AIDS and is doing quite well with his illness. I sometimes forget because he is just the average person who works and enjoy having the grandkids around. He is the typical father and a great grandfather!

Technology and Math

This podcast was giving a view on incorporating math and technology. Some Teachers are not fun of this idea they think that the students will not pick up on it. Ms. Chandler stated that students usually learn Math through repetition/memorization. Which is true because when I was in high school I memorized formulas and once the test was over they were out of my head.

So what Ms. Chandler wants to show the student why this formula would be helpful or why they should learn the Math. To look at the Math visually and get a better understanding of why/how the different steps occur would really help the students.

I think that all teachers should give every learning techniques that comes their way a try because some students may find that technique to be useful. Teachers who hold back in their classroom, because they are afraid of change, are holding back on the students education. Using technology in the classroom can be a helpful teaching tool for teachers.

Ms. Chandler was very helpful in helping me to understand that I need to be ready for the overall technology upgrades that could be hitting the schools soon. After taking this EDM 310 class I hope I can be "Techno Savy" just for the sake of my students

Communicating With Teachers across the Globe

I used the website teachers.net
to communicate with teacher and ask the how they incorporate technology within their class. Most of the comments I got were from teachers who did really use the technonlgy. I even got a response from Artaz who say she use technology daily. She has a Smartboard in her class, their school has an online grading system and she lets her class do research using the class computer.
I also recieve this post:
Districts vary widely in what tech is available. Some are still as
low tech as paper and pencil, while others are state of the art.
Most are somewhere in the middle.

The best use of technology in an elementary class is when it is
used to enhance learning and not for the sake of technology
itself. I taught K-5 technology for my last five years. I used the
technology standards to supplement the grade level standards. For
example, in grade 5 we were learning how to make business cards,
so we made business cards for book characters. Example: Wolf
Demolition Service, will huff and puff and blow your house
down, call Big Bad Wolf at 555-5555 for fast service.
In K we used Kid Pix to find stamps with pictures of the letters
or sounds they were working on.

Some classrooms have the technology to do podcasts. In others you
are lucky to have chalk. You make the best of what you have.

So these where comments I recieve on technology in class.

My Access Visit

I really enjoyed my ACCESS lab visit! I went to MGM in Semmes and met with Mr. Rogers Rose who gave me a tour of the lab and also walked me around to many more teacher who are certified to teach using the ACCESS lab.The lab itself was so high tech and I was jealous that it was not in when I was in high school.
ACCESS is a program that students at one school can take a course from another school all over the state of Alabama (Mr. Rogers say all over the world). While in the lab we looked over the $80,000- $85,000 equipment (Yes I had to ask).
I asked Mr. Roger if a student was in a lecture through IVC then how would that student ask the teacher in another location a question in mid lecture? So Mr. Rogers can place a call using the system, so he called Murphy. When the call is place it instantly turns on the cameras at Murphy and the microphones also. The student can then ask a question.
Mr. Roger also said for every student that is enrolled he is paid $150.00 per child and for IVC courses he is paid $300.00 a child. He says that if you wanted to get certified you would probably have to teach some off the wall courses for example he teacher AP Psychology. He also mentioned that the student can learn well if they have a great facilitator, which is the person in the other classes to make sure that the kids are not goofing off.

Positive Critic!

I know for a fact without listening to my podcast I can say that me and my partner should have been more engaged in the conversation. Because it was a DISCUSSION! She went through the information she had gathered then I went through the information I had gathered and we never responed on each other work or findings.
I listened to Mrs. Averitt group on internet sites for Elementary teacher. For the most part i think the podcast was okay. I think that we should practice more because there was a lot of UM's that started to get on my nerves. I know that as this being the first time many people were nervous.

I thumbed through a few more and I think that maybe we can learn how to project our voices because some of us sounded dry and not enthusiastic at all. For the most part I think that for the first time around that this was okay but like Dr. Strange said there is always room for improvement.

Growth vs Fixed

This podcast video was about a study done between students. They where divided into groups of Growth and Fixed. The whole point that the Ms. Dweck was say it that the brain was like a muscle so it's like as long as I am working this muscle by exercising then it will get bigger and stronger. The students in the growth group were taught growth study skills and the other were taught/used fixed study skills.
After the study was over the students teachers could clearly see that the students that were in the growth group had advanced a little more and the fixed group did not progress but neither regressed.
I would like to say on a personal note that all teacher need to poses that character that makes a child get out of bed every morning stating that they want to go to school. So learning should be a fun process but also taken serious.

iTunes video for K-5 Classes

I watched a movie titled Flow in the Coral Reef Ecosystem. It was a movie about the different types of coral reef. It gives insight on how almost all the living creatures benefit from the reef and step of how it multiplies or grows.
I like the film because as a teacher it can take my class a place that would cost us a fortune o a field trip. If I was teaching a lesson o the coral reef I could go to iTunes and pull this video up and put my class undersea.
Not only can they watch this video but there are many more that are mostly science. Since I always thought Science was a subject that should be fun and exciting I could show my students the film and maybe we could take a trip outside and try our own experimenting!

The Edible Schoolyard/ Night in the Global Village

I thought both the podcast topics were interesting but I like the Night in the Global Village best. It puts the students in the shoes of others so they can experience what that person goes through on a daily basis. The kids living in the refugee camp had to make their own fires and things of that nature.
On the other hand the other kids had running water and the "luxuries" and i use that term loosely because it wasn't really luxurious. Some students even have socks taped over their hands as a form of a disability.
I the Edible Schoolyard i would love to be a student at MLK Jr Middle. The student learn through interaction. Working and maintaining the garden, then being able to use the materials that were grown in the garden to make lunch would be great.
Alice Waters started the program as a way to improve school lunch. The Teacher Chef explained that some of the basic skills that should be taught at home are being left put so being able to do all these things at school just completes the circle.

Pocdast

After I downloaded iTunes to my computer at work I found myself coming in and listening to different thing every morning. The database is so enormous, there is so much to listen to. My Husband had an iPod, but couldn't get the hang of using it. It held pictures and

I found that I could learn how to do lots of things especially in my classroom. If there was something that i needed assistance on I could look a podcast and get instruction on how to use the item.

I can say that honestly before Dr. Strange's class I had no idea what a podcast was. I am excited that I have had the opportunity to learn who to do the many different skills that he is teaching me in class. I can take these skills to my own classroom and they would help me be a successful and effective teacher.

I am interested in finding a podcast that any elementary education teacher would have. I am just looking for ways to help myself be prepared for the career I chose.

Last Lecture

I found this lecture to be entertaining. It was about Randy Pausch childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others and lessons learned. Randy show us how to accomplish goals in our lives. Even if we run into a brick wall we should find another route to help us succeed.

I thought he executed his lecture well. There was never a dull moment. I must admit when I saw that it was an hour long I dreaded it, but the first minutes had me excited. I found that even though he is dying he has not let that led him to being pessimistic about life. I guess because he has accomplished so many things.

One thing that we should do is have our goals mapped out. If we are able to see our goals, we could be more successful at achieving them. Randy says we need to learn how to take criticism well. If we ourselves know we are making mistakes and no one is correcting us then that means that people have given up on us.

Overall I thought the lecture was an inspiration to all students and I think that every college student should watch it. It would really keep them motivated because they might be standing in front of a brick wall and looking for a way around it.

Duke passes out iPods

At Duke University the incoming freshman received an iPod that had all the orientation info on it. (I can imagine how much that cost) Now the students only receive the iPod if that are enrolled in a class that uses it. The classes are foreign language, so that the students can hear the language being spoken and for some engineering courses.
I think this is great idea (I wish South passed out iPods for this class). It's great that they are helping the students with their technology.

Dr. Alice Website

I found Dr. Christie's website very helpful when I began to use a website for my own class. I would give the parents a chance to know what is going on in my classroom especially those who work 9-5.
I want to use my website to also show the progress of my students.
The online research resources where helpful. I will be sure to look at the lesson on GPS because I have to use on Saturday.

Trusting Wikipedia

I think that the only time Wikipedia could be trusted is when you go and double check the information you receive to other information. Even when I am doing research as a student the professor would remind us that Wikipedia is not a good source for information.
I am glad that Virgil came up with his system. It's good to see those big corporate companies be exposed. I also found that is it amazing that no one wants anything to said bad about them or the company. They take it to the extreme to cover up any mess that have done.

My Presentation

Best of Fischbowl November "Why Wireless"

I read the article Why Wireless and found it interesting. It mention on point where it says we are moving from "handing" assignments in to "publishing" them. I use wireless all the time in fact when I made my first post I was sitting at a Taco Bell eating with friends.

Being wireless give me the option of being free as in not having to be plugged in to all these wires. I could be sitting anywhere and just pull out my laptop and start working. I don't have to be confined anywhere. "The computer is the primary instrument for intellectual and creative work in our society."- Gary Stager was a quote on the posting and when you think about it it is a fact. So I am thankful that I have learned how to do a Google document and travel anywhere around the world and don't have to carry a disk,jump drive or anything that would hold the info for me.

Technologically Illiterate Teacher

I think that now since technology has taken over there is no way you be able to survive
in the world. For example the simple fax machine is a biggie at my job. I work at a doctor's office and we have Rx faxed all day long and without it we would have to use snail mail or we would have parent over running our off ice trying to get their child's Rx filled.

I think that all teachers should incorporate technology into their lesson plan to get students used to using computers. In some years from now the world will be ran by computers and some students will be behind because many don't have a computer at home. Once I have my own class I would encourage my students to visit many learning websites. My daughter is 4 years old and loves PBS Kid's website.