Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Final Report on PLN
I have also enjoyed reading the blogs of these teachers. They have shared so much information with thier readers and have given me many, many ideas to use in the future, as well as given me a lot to think about in terms of the profession I am pursuing. I really love that I have access to these blogs and can always leave comments giving my views on a topic and take advantage of all of the information teachers are just throwing at anyone who cares to read their blogs.
I also am liking my PLE, symbaloo. I have found a few glitches with it, although that may just be my computer. But, I really like how everything I could need is in the same spot and all I can access it all with just a click. This is something that I want to introduce my students to in the future.
Overall, my PLN is growing and I know that it will only continue to grow with time.
Last C4T Post
For my last C4T, I left comments on Josh Stumpenhorst's blog, Stump The Teacher. The first post I read was titled Great Teaching in Preschool. It was about how the way preschoolers are taught is lost with age. For example, in preschool we have small class sizes, our parents are involved a great deal, play is learning, and failure is used as a learning tool. So many of these things are lost in teaching process with the aging of the students. If you think about it, how many games did you play in class during high school? A few if you are lucky. Or, better yet, how many times did you do project that your parents were involved in? Hardly ever. Most importantly, failure should always be used as a teaching tool. When you start to get older, you get even more scared of failing at something that you stop trying, or using your imagination. I think it is especially important that children know that it is okay to fail at something every now and then.
This is the comment I left on this post:
"Hi Josh,
I am currently studying to become an educator, and I can’t agree with you more. No, I don’t have a firsthand teaching experience with this, but I do remember my experiences as a student. What you have shared here makes me want to strive to accomplish and keep all that is lost with age in the teaching and learning processes. Thanks for the great post! Every part was dead on.
Victoria"
The second post I read was titled Why Would You Become a Teacher? I really enjoyed this post, because in my personal experience I have been asked this question several times. He gives a list of things that student's in higher education classes, pursuing the career as an educator, need to be aware of. He states that he wonders why people still choose to become teachers today. He states several negative things about becoming a teacher from teaching under an administrator who tells you how to run your classroom, when they have been absent from the classroom for a long time, to defending your choice to become a teacher to your family and friends. He also states things like having to work for a school system that only cares about test scores instead of the child, and having to put forth all of your energy to a child who does not care, will not care, and will eventually drop out of school. I really liked his post, and it is something that I think everyone pursuing this degree should read. If none of these things bothers you, you're in the right place. If they do bother you, but you still want to become a teacher, you are still in the right place. He closes the post with the statement that all of these things are irrelevant if you are truly passionate about teaching.
This is the comment I left for him:
"Hi Josh,
I am one of the higher education students that this post is directed toward. It is a shame that there are so many negative things about pursuing a career as a teacher. I think that your closing paragraph speaks volumes about teachers, however. If you are truly passionate about teaching, then all of the cons are irrelevant. I really enjoyed this post!
Victoria"
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
C4K Summary for November
For my first C4K assignment in November I read a post from Cade, a student from Mr. Boylen's class. He wrote a post on Hoot, the novel. It was only a short summary of the book, including a statement saying that he liked it.
This is the comment I left for Cade:
"Hi Cade,
My name is Victoria, and I am a college student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher! I think Hoot is a great book! Did you like it? I love owls and think they are amazing creatures. Do you want to know what I don’t like? I don’t like bullies! Being bullied is not fun and people should really stop and think about their actions before they hurt someone. I hope you recognize this and always do something if you see someone in need of help. I like how you blog a lot about books. I love to read! I hope you keep up with your blogging; you’re doing a nice job!
Best wishes, Victoria"
My second C4K for November was for Faye. She wrote a post on all of the things that her class had done in the month of October. Her class read a book, each student wrote their own stories, they did a project on the thirteen colonies, learned about the phases of the moon, and they even went out for smoothies on their teacher's birthday. She did such a great job covering all of the things her class did during the month.
This is the comment I left for Faye:
"Hi Faye,
My name is Victoria. I am a student at the University of South Alabama where I am studying to become an elementary school teacher. It looks like you did a lot of neat things in October! I have never read The One and Only Ivan, but after you told me about it, I want to! It seems like it is a good book. I also like learning about the moon! Did you know that during the day the moon can get to be as hot as 225F (107C) and at night it can get as cold as -243F (-153C)? That is really hot, and really cold! It looks like you had a lot of fun and learned a lot of things in your classroom last month! I hope you are having just as much fun this month. I really enjoyed reading your post, so keep up the blogging!
Best wishes, Victoria"
This is the comment she left back for me:
"Thank you for reading my October Reflection! I really appreciate it a lot. I hope that you will read The One And Only Ivan! Thank you again. Have a great year at University of South Alabama! – Faye"
My third C4K comment was for Katie, a high school student. Katie wrote a post about 10 lies that people tell you in high school. After reading some of the things she thought were lies being told to high school aged students, I felt the need to respond to her. My comment was quite long, but something told me she needed to hear what I had to say. I tried to make her see the good things about the four years of high school instead of focusing on the negative.
This is the comment I left for her:
"Hi Katie,
My name is Victoria and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am currently studying to become an educator and I completely understand the way you feel about High School. Most kids feel the same way that you do and your ideas are mostly universal. I have been assigned to comment on your blog for one of my classes, and this post really popped out and spoke to me. I just want to comment on a few of the lies you have been told.
Let’s start with lie number 1; it goes along with number 7. I was told this many, many times in high school. It was actually plastered in every room on campus. “If you have a problem, tell us your problem, and we will do our best to fix your problem…” blah blah blah. What a load of bull! However, if you can find one teacher or coach that you really “click” with, he or she is your person to run to when you need something. Fortunately, I had one of those, and for the last three years of high school, I knew that if I had any problem, whether it had something to do with school or not, she would be there to help me. It is important to establish bonds like that with adults, especially for students in high school, because let’s face it, it’s a cruel, cruel world out there.
Number 2- Bullying is one thing that truly disgusts me. Every school says the same thing; there is a zero tolerance for bullying. But, when something serious occurs, it feels like the consequences are laughable. This is one thing that schools everywhere need to work on, unfortunately.
Lie 3 is completely true. I brought my lunch every day. After eating the mystery meat a few times, I decided that there was no way I would be able to stomach that stuff all year.
Number 4- No matter how hard high school gets to be, or has already been, those four years ARE the best of your life. I didn’t think they were while I was there, but looking back now, I would trade a lot to be able to go back. I am a senior here at South, and I still feel that way. As long as you are surrounded by people you love, and people who love and support you, there is no reason that these four years shouldn’t be the absolute best.
Lastly, lie number ten- No matter what anyone says to you, you ARE important. In whatever way your peers, family members, or even teachers bring you down, you are truly special. I don’t know you personally, obviously, but believe me, whatever you may be going through, remember that you are important to someone. You may not think you are important to the right people, but that just means you should surround yourself with those who think you are. As far as administration and the like, sometimes you just get bad school officials who make the school year a drag. It is often hard to feel special at school, but you are.
I’m sorry for posting such a long comment; I just really felt the need to speak to you. I am glad that you recognize bullying as problematic in the school system. If you are a take charge kind of girl, I challenge you to do something about it. Start a club or organization, or you can make a petition to call attention to the problems in your school, or anything along these lines. I’ll go with just a few more words. High school may be tough, but just remember to apply yourself and the best you can be will shine through in your work. Find a teacher or coach to bond with. If you feel like the administration at your school is being phony when they say they will help you (like I did), then find someone you actually can run to with your problems. Lastly, high school is fun! Try making friends with different people, even if you don’t have any problems with your friends now. You will be surprised at the relationships you gain with people you never thought you would. You can never have too many true friends. I wish you the very best of luck this year, the next two years, and in your life.
Victoria =)"
This is the comment I left for Cade:
"Hi Cade,
My name is Victoria, and I am a college student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher! I think Hoot is a great book! Did you like it? I love owls and think they are amazing creatures. Do you want to know what I don’t like? I don’t like bullies! Being bullied is not fun and people should really stop and think about their actions before they hurt someone. I hope you recognize this and always do something if you see someone in need of help. I like how you blog a lot about books. I love to read! I hope you keep up with your blogging; you’re doing a nice job!
Best wishes, Victoria"
My second C4K for November was for Faye. She wrote a post on all of the things that her class had done in the month of October. Her class read a book, each student wrote their own stories, they did a project on the thirteen colonies, learned about the phases of the moon, and they even went out for smoothies on their teacher's birthday. She did such a great job covering all of the things her class did during the month.
This is the comment I left for Faye:
"Hi Faye,
My name is Victoria. I am a student at the University of South Alabama where I am studying to become an elementary school teacher. It looks like you did a lot of neat things in October! I have never read The One and Only Ivan, but after you told me about it, I want to! It seems like it is a good book. I also like learning about the moon! Did you know that during the day the moon can get to be as hot as 225F (107C) and at night it can get as cold as -243F (-153C)? That is really hot, and really cold! It looks like you had a lot of fun and learned a lot of things in your classroom last month! I hope you are having just as much fun this month. I really enjoyed reading your post, so keep up the blogging!
Best wishes, Victoria"
This is the comment she left back for me:
"Thank you for reading my October Reflection! I really appreciate it a lot. I hope that you will read The One And Only Ivan! Thank you again. Have a great year at University of South Alabama! – Faye"
My third C4K comment was for Katie, a high school student. Katie wrote a post about 10 lies that people tell you in high school. After reading some of the things she thought were lies being told to high school aged students, I felt the need to respond to her. My comment was quite long, but something told me she needed to hear what I had to say. I tried to make her see the good things about the four years of high school instead of focusing on the negative.
This is the comment I left for her:
"Hi Katie,
My name is Victoria and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am currently studying to become an educator and I completely understand the way you feel about High School. Most kids feel the same way that you do and your ideas are mostly universal. I have been assigned to comment on your blog for one of my classes, and this post really popped out and spoke to me. I just want to comment on a few of the lies you have been told.
Let’s start with lie number 1; it goes along with number 7. I was told this many, many times in high school. It was actually plastered in every room on campus. “If you have a problem, tell us your problem, and we will do our best to fix your problem…” blah blah blah. What a load of bull! However, if you can find one teacher or coach that you really “click” with, he or she is your person to run to when you need something. Fortunately, I had one of those, and for the last three years of high school, I knew that if I had any problem, whether it had something to do with school or not, she would be there to help me. It is important to establish bonds like that with adults, especially for students in high school, because let’s face it, it’s a cruel, cruel world out there.
Number 2- Bullying is one thing that truly disgusts me. Every school says the same thing; there is a zero tolerance for bullying. But, when something serious occurs, it feels like the consequences are laughable. This is one thing that schools everywhere need to work on, unfortunately.
Lie 3 is completely true. I brought my lunch every day. After eating the mystery meat a few times, I decided that there was no way I would be able to stomach that stuff all year.
Number 4- No matter how hard high school gets to be, or has already been, those four years ARE the best of your life. I didn’t think they were while I was there, but looking back now, I would trade a lot to be able to go back. I am a senior here at South, and I still feel that way. As long as you are surrounded by people you love, and people who love and support you, there is no reason that these four years shouldn’t be the absolute best.
Lastly, lie number ten- No matter what anyone says to you, you ARE important. In whatever way your peers, family members, or even teachers bring you down, you are truly special. I don’t know you personally, obviously, but believe me, whatever you may be going through, remember that you are important to someone. You may not think you are important to the right people, but that just means you should surround yourself with those who think you are. As far as administration and the like, sometimes you just get bad school officials who make the school year a drag. It is often hard to feel special at school, but you are.
I’m sorry for posting such a long comment; I just really felt the need to speak to you. I am glad that you recognize bullying as problematic in the school system. If you are a take charge kind of girl, I challenge you to do something about it. Start a club or organization, or you can make a petition to call attention to the problems in your school, or anything along these lines. I’ll go with just a few more words. High school may be tough, but just remember to apply yourself and the best you can be will shine through in your work. Find a teacher or coach to bond with. If you feel like the administration at your school is being phony when they say they will help you (like I did), then find someone you actually can run to with your problems. Lastly, high school is fun! Try making friends with different people, even if you don’t have any problems with your friends now. You will be surprised at the relationships you gain with people you never thought you would. You can never have too many true friends. I wish you the very best of luck this year, the next two years, and in your life.
Victoria =)"
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Blog Assignment 13
Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby's Presentation at TedX Denver was quite enlightening. He opens up his presentation with a a few facts that he asked his students in a survey. It was a little shocking to see that most of his student's did not know what city they lived in, but more so that they didn't know what country they were living in. This really surprised me, however I have never had the privilege of working with the types of students he is working with. I thought that was an interesting way to start off his talk.
What a cool experiment. I love how he incorporated several subjects into the experiment too. I wish I had done this experiment in school. As a child, I always wanted to tie a letter to a balloon and send it up into the sky in order to see if anyone would receive it or write me back. It would even be cooler to do this experiment.
I really like the idea of writing a story collaboratively with students in another state. That is something I want to do in the future with my students. Also, how amazing is it that Celeste was included in her classroom while learning? This is something I will need to remember when The problem arises. Skype is such a simple tool to use and set up, and this is one of the greatest ways I have seen it used. Through Skype she is included in the lessons and can be "in class" with all of her peers.
Crosby ends his presentation with a quote from a high school teacher. This quote states that the basics should be taught in a motivational and meaningful context. I completely agree. So many children are not motivated by desk learning, and really don't learn all that they should. I enjoyed Mr. Crosby's presentation; it gave me several ideas to use in the future.
A Vision of Students Today
First of all, wow! I love the composition of this video. A Vision of Students Today is a great way to get not only students, but educators thinking about the different aspects of learning in the classroom. Seeing all of the papers and computer screens being lifted into the air stating some fact about college courses is very relatable. And, I can say that I could have easily replaced any one of those students and held up the exact same statement. Well, I do watch more that one and a half hours of TV per night, and I sometimes get seven hours of sleep, I don't spend most of class on Facebook, but I would be lying if I said I had never logged on while in class, but for the most part, these statements are correct of almost all college students. Here I go commenting on the video as a student, when I should be viewing it as an educator. So, as an educator, I think that this video gives faculty something to think about when it comes to altering their methods of teaching.
(On a side note, why do departments assign textbooks to students that are barely used. I have personally paid for expensive books that I can count on one hand how many times I opened them in the semester. Why have your students pay for something they won't use. This is one issue that I think should be addressed.)
As a future educator, it is obvious that there is work to be done in school systems. It is a little easier to fix the problems posed in this video in a K-12 school system, but once you get to colleges and universities, it's tough. Or, it's made out to be tough. As a student, I understand what a temptation technology is. I would definitely rather be looking at Instagram accounts or Pinterest than studying. But, with all of the technology at our fingertips, professors should take advantage of those resources. It can only make learning relevant.
Brian Crosby's Presentation at TedX Denver was quite enlightening. He opens up his presentation with a a few facts that he asked his students in a survey. It was a little shocking to see that most of his student's did not know what city they lived in, but more so that they didn't know what country they were living in. This really surprised me, however I have never had the privilege of working with the types of students he is working with. I thought that was an interesting way to start off his talk.
What a cool experiment. I love how he incorporated several subjects into the experiment too. I wish I had done this experiment in school. As a child, I always wanted to tie a letter to a balloon and send it up into the sky in order to see if anyone would receive it or write me back. It would even be cooler to do this experiment.
I really like the idea of writing a story collaboratively with students in another state. That is something I want to do in the future with my students. Also, how amazing is it that Celeste was included in her classroom while learning? This is something I will need to remember when The problem arises. Skype is such a simple tool to use and set up, and this is one of the greatest ways I have seen it used. Through Skype she is included in the lessons and can be "in class" with all of her peers.
Crosby ends his presentation with a quote from a high school teacher. This quote states that the basics should be taught in a motivational and meaningful context. I completely agree. So many children are not motivated by desk learning, and really don't learn all that they should. I enjoyed Mr. Crosby's presentation; it gave me several ideas to use in the future.
A Vision of Students Today
First of all, wow! I love the composition of this video. A Vision of Students Today is a great way to get not only students, but educators thinking about the different aspects of learning in the classroom. Seeing all of the papers and computer screens being lifted into the air stating some fact about college courses is very relatable. And, I can say that I could have easily replaced any one of those students and held up the exact same statement. Well, I do watch more that one and a half hours of TV per night, and I sometimes get seven hours of sleep, I don't spend most of class on Facebook, but I would be lying if I said I had never logged on while in class, but for the most part, these statements are correct of almost all college students. Here I go commenting on the video as a student, when I should be viewing it as an educator. So, as an educator, I think that this video gives faculty something to think about when it comes to altering their methods of teaching.
(On a side note, why do departments assign textbooks to students that are barely used. I have personally paid for expensive books that I can count on one hand how many times I opened them in the semester. Why have your students pay for something they won't use. This is one issue that I think should be addressed.)
As a future educator, it is obvious that there is work to be done in school systems. It is a little easier to fix the problems posed in this video in a K-12 school system, but once you get to colleges and universities, it's tough. Or, it's made out to be tough. As a student, I understand what a temptation technology is. I would definitely rather be looking at Instagram accounts or Pinterest than studying. But, with all of the technology at our fingertips, professors should take advantage of those resources. It can only make learning relevant.
Final Project Progress Report
I am happy to say that the end in near! I need a long break from school, and Christmas break can't get here fast enough. My group, Kids R Us, has been working on our final project through Google Docs, email, and text message. On Google Docs, I and one other group member have written out our scripts for our video, and we are still waiting on the other two to do so. We have chosen to do an advice video that is a sort of parody of "Dear Abby." I think it is going to work out really well! We are going to film this coming week as well as edit and publish. I am excited to work on it. I have been blessed with a group that likes to have fun and that puts forth the effort to get our work done. Here's hoping filming runs smoothly!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Blog Assignment 12
Assignment:
1. Watch John Green's An Open Letter to Students Returning to School. Summarize John's thoughts in a paragraph. In a second paragraph tell whether or not you agree with what he has said, as well as whether or not you agree with his methods of doing so. Would you show this video to your students on the first day of school? (Assuming you teach middle or high school.)
2. Check out Crash Course! and watch at least one of the 90 videos on the channel. Choose something that specifically interests you. Then, summarize the video and give your thoughts on it, including its composition and content. Would you ever use a Crash Course in one of your lessons as a teacher? Why or why not?
My Response:
An Open Letter to Students Returning to School
Through a comedic monologue, John Green welcomes any and all students back to school by giving them the message of starting the school year off with an open mind. He makes the point, in the video An Open Letter to Students Returning to School, that many students do not see the point in learning things that they won't use in their everyday lives. He explains that though you may not know you are using these things, in fact you are. My favorite part of the video is the closing. Green closes his video by stating that the reason he teaches is not because of the students, he teaches for himself. He states that the reason he teaches is because he wants the future generation to be able to sufficiently take care of him, by doing things from inventing better antibiotics to inventing a microwave pizza with an "actual crispy crust." He explains that he wants his students to be able to make these improvements in society so that they will be able to take care of him, and to make his life easier in the future.
In the future, I plan to teach elementary aged children. This video is more geared toward older students, so I probably wouldn't show my students the video. If I taught high school though, I would start out every year showing the video to each of my classes in order to inspire them to put forth a little more effort during the year and to understand that even though they think they won't use this information, they actually may have a use for it. I will however, share this video with my colleagues in the future. I really enjoyed it.
Crash Course
After looking at the many videos produced by the Vlogbrothers on Crash Course, I decided to watch one on the Skeletal System because I enjoy Biology. This video was a really great way to introduce the skeletal system to students. It is comical, so it easily holds a student's attention. The Crash Courses videos cover subject matter of a high school level, so I wouldn't be able to show one of these videos to an elementary aged student. However, if I need to brush up on almost any topic in Biology or History, I would be able to watch one of these 10-13 minute videos to do so. The videos could be very helpful in a high school or even college setting. I like them because the way the videos are made is really neat. They use green screen as well as a lot of graphics. Overall, I think the Vlogbrothers do a great job of producing relevant videos for such a large amount of topics.
1. Watch John Green's An Open Letter to Students Returning to School. Summarize John's thoughts in a paragraph. In a second paragraph tell whether or not you agree with what he has said, as well as whether or not you agree with his methods of doing so. Would you show this video to your students on the first day of school? (Assuming you teach middle or high school.)
2. Check out Crash Course! and watch at least one of the 90 videos on the channel. Choose something that specifically interests you. Then, summarize the video and give your thoughts on it, including its composition and content. Would you ever use a Crash Course in one of your lessons as a teacher? Why or why not?
My Response:
An Open Letter to Students Returning to School
Through a comedic monologue, John Green welcomes any and all students back to school by giving them the message of starting the school year off with an open mind. He makes the point, in the video An Open Letter to Students Returning to School, that many students do not see the point in learning things that they won't use in their everyday lives. He explains that though you may not know you are using these things, in fact you are. My favorite part of the video is the closing. Green closes his video by stating that the reason he teaches is not because of the students, he teaches for himself. He states that the reason he teaches is because he wants the future generation to be able to sufficiently take care of him, by doing things from inventing better antibiotics to inventing a microwave pizza with an "actual crispy crust." He explains that he wants his students to be able to make these improvements in society so that they will be able to take care of him, and to make his life easier in the future.
In the future, I plan to teach elementary aged children. This video is more geared toward older students, so I probably wouldn't show my students the video. If I taught high school though, I would start out every year showing the video to each of my classes in order to inspire them to put forth a little more effort during the year and to understand that even though they think they won't use this information, they actually may have a use for it. I will however, share this video with my colleagues in the future. I really enjoyed it.
Crash Course
After looking at the many videos produced by the Vlogbrothers on Crash Course, I decided to watch one on the Skeletal System because I enjoy Biology. This video was a really great way to introduce the skeletal system to students. It is comical, so it easily holds a student's attention. The Crash Courses videos cover subject matter of a high school level, so I wouldn't be able to show one of these videos to an elementary aged student. However, if I need to brush up on almost any topic in Biology or History, I would be able to watch one of these 10-13 minute videos to do so. The videos could be very helpful in a high school or even college setting. I like them because the way the videos are made is really neat. They use green screen as well as a lot of graphics. Overall, I think the Vlogbrothers do a great job of producing relevant videos for such a large amount of topics.
Friday, November 9, 2012
C4T Comments For Teachers 3
For my third C4T project, I was assigned John Spencer's blog, Adventures in Pencil Integration. The first post I read was titled Why Were Your Kids Playing Games. In this post Spencer writes dialogue between a teacher and his principal. The principal asks the teacher why he and his students were playing games as opposed to him teaching a lesson. The teacher's reply was that he and his students were in fact participating in a mock simulation, but that it was educational. The principal does not accept this though. The teacher goes on to say that soldiers and doctors do the same thing everyday when learning their craft, but the principal still disagrees with his methods. I really enjoyed this post and I think that it is very important to get children interested in what they are learning. And, if a game helps do that, then what is wrong with them?
This is the comment I left for John Spencer:
"Hi John,
I really enjoyed this set of dialogue! I feel that it is extremely important to keep your students engaged while learning, for that’s when they are learning the most. I know how hard it is to pay attention to lecture after lecture, and to memorize straight facts. When you incorporate these concepts into a game, however, the information suddenly seems simple and a breeze to recall. I also feel it is important for students to learn skills instead of just memorizing facts. If you teach a child how to retrieve information (and then let them show you they can do it), they’ll never forget how. Repetition is important. I mean who wants a doctor performing surgery on them who has never even practiced the procedure? I really enjoyed reading your post!
Best wishes, Victoria"
The second comment I left for him was on a post titled I Banned Pencils Today. I read a lot of Mr. Spencer's blog posts and this one really stuck out to me so I decided to comment on it. In this post, Spencer talks about banning pencils during a math lesson. Of all things, a math lesson! He encourages his students to use their brains and figure out the problem mentally instead of writing it down on paper. At first, the students were uncomfortable with this idea, but after they finished and came up with the correct answer they realized that they could do it. His purpose for showing the children that their brains are powerful and evolved. I think that his experiment was a wonderful way to do that.
This is the comment I left him:
"Hi John,
Wow! I love this! I think that this is a wonderful thing to do for students. I admit, I would have been very uncomfortable if a teacher had asked me to do this, especially with a math problem. But, after I completed the problem, it would be so fulfilling to know what you can figure out with no tools. I am currently studying to become an educator, and I will definitely be using this approach for a lesson or two once I become a teacher. Thank you for sharing this!
Victoria"
Blog Assignment 11
Little Kids...Big Potential
Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher from Saskatchewan, Canada. She made a great video starring some of her students that tells some of the neat things the whole class does with technology. They talk about doing things from creating their own wikis to using the Nintendo DS. One thing that I saw on the video that I really liked was that when the students went to their "Centers" they were able to go to a computer and complete a plethora of activities. I think that is wonderful! Just by seeing how excited the children were about all of the cool technological things their teacher had offered them really showed me how great of a teacher Ms. Cassidy is.
After watching Ms. Cassidy's Skype session with Dr. Strange and some past EDM 310 students, I could tell even more that she loves what she does. I really like how her administrators were all willing to let her use blogging and other sorts of online technology with her students. Some of the techniques that she uses that I really liked were the students blogging themselves, and her class web page. I decided the second week of this course that I would have a class blog or web page for students and parents. I think it is the best way to have all of the information that my future students or parents can use in order to keep up with everything as well as to get acquainted with the use of computers and the Internet.
Some benefits of student blogging are getting the students to be familiar with computers and the technology used for it. Another great benefit is that it will help with their writing skills. The more you write, the better at it you get. By having students write a lot and using different types of media instead of just plain, gets boring very fast, pencil and paper, the students will get more excited about writing. The class web page would be good to keep all of the homework assignments posted for students and their parents, as well as to issue reminders. I also think it is a great idea to post different resources for remediation on the site. This will help students to get ready for tests, or work at home on things that they need a little extra help with. I think the problems that could arise would be if I had a principal who was either not interested in the students blogs or if I had a principal who was against it. I think some parents could have an issue with it to start, but I would hope that they would come around to the idea of letting their children participate and learn new mediums of technology. As long as you have people who are for it, the ideas should be very beneficial.
(And, I wish we could get that kind of snow just once! But, I do not want it to last until March or April!)
Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher from Saskatchewan, Canada. She made a great video starring some of her students that tells some of the neat things the whole class does with technology. They talk about doing things from creating their own wikis to using the Nintendo DS. One thing that I saw on the video that I really liked was that when the students went to their "Centers" they were able to go to a computer and complete a plethora of activities. I think that is wonderful! Just by seeing how excited the children were about all of the cool technological things their teacher had offered them really showed me how great of a teacher Ms. Cassidy is.
After watching Ms. Cassidy's Skype session with Dr. Strange and some past EDM 310 students, I could tell even more that she loves what she does. I really like how her administrators were all willing to let her use blogging and other sorts of online technology with her students. Some of the techniques that she uses that I really liked were the students blogging themselves, and her class web page. I decided the second week of this course that I would have a class blog or web page for students and parents. I think it is the best way to have all of the information that my future students or parents can use in order to keep up with everything as well as to get acquainted with the use of computers and the Internet.
Some benefits of student blogging are getting the students to be familiar with computers and the technology used for it. Another great benefit is that it will help with their writing skills. The more you write, the better at it you get. By having students write a lot and using different types of media instead of just plain, gets boring very fast, pencil and paper, the students will get more excited about writing. The class web page would be good to keep all of the homework assignments posted for students and their parents, as well as to issue reminders. I also think it is a great idea to post different resources for remediation on the site. This will help students to get ready for tests, or work at home on things that they need a little extra help with. I think the problems that could arise would be if I had a principal who was either not interested in the students blogs or if I had a principal who was against it. I think some parents could have an issue with it to start, but I would hope that they would come around to the idea of letting their children participate and learn new mediums of technology. As long as you have people who are for it, the ideas should be very beneficial.
(And, I wish we could get that kind of snow just once! But, I do not want it to last until March or April!)
Thursday, November 8, 2012
C4K Summary for October
C4K Post 1
For my first C4K post in October, I read a story written by a fourth grade student. The story was about a young girl who receives a teddy bear for Christmas. Although the girl would have rather had an iPod, she soon came to love the gift that Santa left for her. The child had a wonderful imagination and wrote the story very well. I really enjoyed it!
This is the comment I left:
"Hi macagl1954,
My name is Victoria, and I live in Mississippi. I am studying at the University of South Alabama to become an educator. You have such a terrific imagination! I loved your story about William the Teddy Bear! I am so glad that Sunny decided to love him! I hope William and Sunny will remain friends forever. You did a great job of composing your story as well by making sure there was a beginning, middle, and end. I very much enjoyed reading it! I hope you continue to write stories and keep up with your blogging.
Take care, Victoria"
C4K Post 2
For my second C4K post for October, I was enlightened by the post A Novel Concept written by an Advanced Placement Government and Politics student. The post was about the negative aspects of taking online courses. The author also talks about how it is frustrating it is to be in a class with people she will never be able to see in person. I think this is frustrating as well, but to me, the benefits outweigh the negative aspects of online courses. This post was very well written and I enjoyed her style. This post really got me thinking and I like that.
This is the comment I left for Mi:
"Hi,
My name is Victoria and I’m from Mississippi. I’m currently studying at the University of South Alabama in order to become an educator. I’ll be honest, when first reading your post I was a little confused because you seemed to be against a life fused with technology. After reading to the end though, I completely understand where you were going. I agree it gets a little frustrating when you are taking a course online and you never set eyes on your classmates and professor. Being able to put a face and personality to a name is important, especially when you are communicating with your peers via IM or comments on a blog. There are some good things about online classes, however. I like the fact that I can work at my own pace when I’m enrolled in an online course. But, there are some cons, as you discussed. I enjoyed reading your blog post! I was always a bit indifferent to online classes, but your post got me thinking about the things that are wrong with online learning. Keep up the good work! And, good luck in your courses!
Victoria"
Once again, I was shocked to see that someone replied to my comment. I have only had a few people reply to my comments through all of the C4 assignments. Just like the children like for us as as EDM 310 students to post things on their blogs, I like to hear back from the authors!
This is the comment she left for me:
Hi Victoria from Mississippi!
Thanks so much for your comment! I definitely agree… pros and cons come with the whole world of technology in a myriad of ways. And, working at your own pace truly is wonderful (except if you get notoriously distracted like me…) but I agree, that freedom is wonderful, even if it does heighten the amount of self-responsibility involved. I’m glad my post got you thinking, and I hope that your adventures at university are fulfilling and fantastic! Good luck to you as well!
Mi
C4K Post 3
My third post to read and comment on for C4K in October was written by Dylan. I was a little confused about his post. I am not really sure if he was summarizing a story he had read, or if it was a story that he made up himself. His wording was a little confusing and it just didn't really make much sense to me. In my comment I asked him a few questions and hoped to get a response, but I didn't.
This is the comment I left for Dylan:
"Hi Dylan,
My name is Victoria and I am studying to become an elementary school teacher at the University of South Alabama. I notice that you just started blogging. What fun you are going to have as you continue to add posts to your blog! It's a lot of fun.
I have a few questions for you. Is this a story that you read about and are giving a summary of, or is this a story that you wrote yourself? I would love to know! I'm glad that the father in the story was nice to his son and showed him how to ride a bike. My dad is who taught me how to ride a bike too!
Keep up with your blogging! I'll be anxious to look at your blog in the future to see what else you've written for your readers.
Best wishes, Victoria"
C4K Post 4
My fourth C4K assignment for October was written by Carson. Carson wrote about a field trip to Aldridge Gardens that his class when on. On this field trip, the students learned all about worms. Carson told the readers a few things that the students learned on the trip.
This is the comment I left for Carson:
"Hi Carson,
My name is Victoria. I am a student at the University of South Alabama and I am studying to become a teacher. I am glad you had a lot of fun on your field trip to Aldridge Gardens! I see that you learned some important information about worms. How cool is it that worm castings can help plants grow? I think it is very exciting to think about all of those little worms that are helping all sorts of plants outside to grow big and strong! Did you like digging for worms? Were they hard to find? I bet you were good at it since you found a lot. I hope you are having a great school year, and keep up the great work with your blogging!
Victoria"
This is the reply that Carson left on my comment:
"Worms help us! They help or sols (soils)."
C4K Post 5
My fifth C4K assignment for October was from Vitulli and Santoli's Eyes on Ireland blog. The post I commented on was Dublin Bound. It was a short post written as they were boarding their plane.
This is the comment I left:
"Oh, I love an Irish accent! I hope you had a nice flight over. I’m looking forward to hearing about your trip in class when you get back! I hope you are having a great time.
I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Victoria"
Monday, November 5, 2012
Special Blogpost
A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind
In this article by Mary Beth Marklein at USA Today the idea of an alternative way of gaining an education is reported. Sebastian Thrun, a Stanford research professor and a Google vice president, talks of his time as a teacher for a free, online course. After doing so, he explains that by teaching in a traditional classroom it is very, well, traditional. But by teaching in this new way, online to students who do not pay for their courses, it is like seeing "Wonderland."
Thrun created Udacity as a way to democratize education. Udacity offers several classes that, at completion, a student receives credit. The courses offered at Udacity are free of charge for instruction, and anyone can take them. One thing that I discovered from researching Udacity is that, or some schools, you can complete courses online through Udacity that will transfer to your University. If you take the course on Udacity, you can pay an exam fee, which is around $89.00, for the course. If you pass, it can be used as a transfer credit for your university, if they will accept it.
At first when I was reading the article I thought, "This can't be real? This seems like a fake education to me." After finishing the article and researching Udacity a little more I think it is a really neat idea. I discovered that there aren't an abundance of classes offered, but the classes that are offered are taught by university professors. At the end of your class you get a certificate saying that you completed the course (if you need it for your job.) You also can get a transfer credit for participating universities. I think that this is really awesome, especially for the state that our economy is in. If I could take a course online for free instruction and pay a small exam fee (compared to the university's tuition per course) I definitely would choose that option for as many courses that I could. Also, I could see why professors would like teaching this way better. If you teach students at a university that are required to take a course, you know that not everyone is enjoying themselves and that they really are only taking the course because they have to. If a professor teaches an online course with Udacity, or another site like it, they know that their students are taking the course because they want to, not because they are required. People who do not want to take the course won't, and those who do will, and those are the students who will get a lot out of the experience and will enjoy it. I think that when the students enjoy themselves in a course, the professors will too.
At first I was skeptical, but after further research, I think that it is a neat idea for those whom it can benefit.
In this article by Mary Beth Marklein at USA Today the idea of an alternative way of gaining an education is reported. Sebastian Thrun, a Stanford research professor and a Google vice president, talks of his time as a teacher for a free, online course. After doing so, he explains that by teaching in a traditional classroom it is very, well, traditional. But by teaching in this new way, online to students who do not pay for their courses, it is like seeing "Wonderland."
Thrun created Udacity as a way to democratize education. Udacity offers several classes that, at completion, a student receives credit. The courses offered at Udacity are free of charge for instruction, and anyone can take them. One thing that I discovered from researching Udacity is that, or some schools, you can complete courses online through Udacity that will transfer to your University. If you take the course on Udacity, you can pay an exam fee, which is around $89.00, for the course. If you pass, it can be used as a transfer credit for your university, if they will accept it.
At first when I was reading the article I thought, "This can't be real? This seems like a fake education to me." After finishing the article and researching Udacity a little more I think it is a really neat idea. I discovered that there aren't an abundance of classes offered, but the classes that are offered are taught by university professors. At the end of your class you get a certificate saying that you completed the course (if you need it for your job.) You also can get a transfer credit for participating universities. I think that this is really awesome, especially for the state that our economy is in. If I could take a course online for free instruction and pay a small exam fee (compared to the university's tuition per course) I definitely would choose that option for as many courses that I could. Also, I could see why professors would like teaching this way better. If you teach students at a university that are required to take a course, you know that not everyone is enjoying themselves and that they really are only taking the course because they have to. If a professor teaches an online course with Udacity, or another site like it, they know that their students are taking the course because they want to, not because they are required. People who do not want to take the course won't, and those who do will, and those are the students who will get a lot out of the experience and will enjoy it. I think that when the students enjoy themselves in a course, the professors will too.
At first I was skeptical, but after further research, I think that it is a neat idea for those whom it can benefit.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Blog Assignment 10
"I'm A Papermate. I'm a Ticonderoga."
This cartoon is an obvious parody of the "I'm a Mac. I'm a PC." campaign for Apple. In this cartoon, the man personifying a Papermate pencil states that he costs less money than the Ticonderoga pencil, but breaks all of the time. Clearly this represents the PC. The man personifying a Ticonderoga states that he, on the other hand, is an expensive purchase. However, once you buy one, you will have it a long time. This obviously represents the Mac. I think that this cartoon is great! I loved the Mac vs. PC commercials that used to air on television. I, as a current PC owner can say without a doubt, when I have to buy a new computer it will definitely be a Mac.
Why Were Your Kids Playing Games
After reading the post Why Were Your Kids Playing Games, by John Spencer, I decided to read his post I Banned Pencils Today, as well.
In Why Were Your Kids Playing Games, Spencer creates dialogue between a teacher and his principal. The principal asks the teacher why he and his students were playing games as opposed to him teaching a lesson. The teacher's reply was that he and his students were in fact participating in a mock simulation, but that it was educational. The principal does not accept this though. The teacher goes on to say that soldiers and doctors do the same thing everyday when learning their craft, but the principal still disagrees with his methods. In the end, the principal recommends a technique that the teacher can use in the place of the "game." The teacher however, outsmarts the principal by using the recommended methods, but making them into a game.
I really enjoyed this post because I feel like it important for student's to participate in games, or simulations in order to get more from a lesson. I think that students will pay more attention to the work and even recall things better if the information is presented to them in a way other than a traditional lecture. One thing that stood out for me in this post was his reference to soldiers and surgeons. Can you imagine going into a surgery where your surgeon had never practiced the procedure before? I wouldn't be too crazy about that!
The second post I read from John Spencer's Blog was, I Banned Pencils Today. I loved this post as well. Spencer states that on this particular day, he banned pencils during a particular subject, Math. He asked his students to find the volume and area of a cylinder using mental math. No paper and pencil could be used, just their brains. He states that though it took some of them a while, the students all came up with an answer to his problem. He states that the reason he held this little experiment was because he wanted his students to see that although they can use tools, like pencils, they don't need them. His purpose was to show them that they have highly evolved and powerful minds.
I thought this was so wonderful. I will definitely copy this from Mr. Spencer. I think that reminding children that they have the ability to use their brains to figure out a math problem instead of having to write it all down is great. If this had been something that one of my teachers had done in class, I probably would have freaked out a little at first. After coming up with the correct answer though, I think I would feel very fulfilled and proud of my small accomplishment.
Don't Teach Your Kids To Read This Stuff. Please?
When I first started reading Scott McLeod's post, Don't Teach Your Kids To Read This Stuff. Please? I was a little distracted by his writing style. After getting into the post, I soon realized the point he was making. He states that reading and writing for the web can be harmful to students; that there are many harmful things online for children to find or be introduced to. He goes on to list a lot on negative things associated with the Internet as well as the usage of cell phones. At the end he advises once more to not teach your kids to do these things. His reason? He is teaching his children all about every one of the things he listed. He asks which students will have a leg up in the future; his or ours.
I think that this post is really thought provoking. If you shelter your students from all of these things, what kind of person will they be in future? If they can't use technology in the future, what can they do? The kids who are exposed to these things will surely have a leg up. Dr. McLeod lists many negative things that are associated with the web. If you teach your kids about these negative things, and how to avoid them, and how to act when they are in a particular situation, they will be less likely to abuse the privileges of technology.
Dr. Scott McLeod is an academic expert on school technology leadership issues for Kindergarten through 12th grade. He serves as the Director of Innovation in Iowa. He is the author of the book What School Leaders Need to Know about Digital Technologies and Social Media. He also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE. EDM 310 students will recognize his series, Did You Know? from an assignment earlier in the semester.
This cartoon is an obvious parody of the "I'm a Mac. I'm a PC." campaign for Apple. In this cartoon, the man personifying a Papermate pencil states that he costs less money than the Ticonderoga pencil, but breaks all of the time. Clearly this represents the PC. The man personifying a Ticonderoga states that he, on the other hand, is an expensive purchase. However, once you buy one, you will have it a long time. This obviously represents the Mac. I think that this cartoon is great! I loved the Mac vs. PC commercials that used to air on television. I, as a current PC owner can say without a doubt, when I have to buy a new computer it will definitely be a Mac.
Why Were Your Kids Playing Games
After reading the post Why Were Your Kids Playing Games, by John Spencer, I decided to read his post I Banned Pencils Today, as well.
In Why Were Your Kids Playing Games, Spencer creates dialogue between a teacher and his principal. The principal asks the teacher why he and his students were playing games as opposed to him teaching a lesson. The teacher's reply was that he and his students were in fact participating in a mock simulation, but that it was educational. The principal does not accept this though. The teacher goes on to say that soldiers and doctors do the same thing everyday when learning their craft, but the principal still disagrees with his methods. In the end, the principal recommends a technique that the teacher can use in the place of the "game." The teacher however, outsmarts the principal by using the recommended methods, but making them into a game.
I really enjoyed this post because I feel like it important for student's to participate in games, or simulations in order to get more from a lesson. I think that students will pay more attention to the work and even recall things better if the information is presented to them in a way other than a traditional lecture. One thing that stood out for me in this post was his reference to soldiers and surgeons. Can you imagine going into a surgery where your surgeon had never practiced the procedure before? I wouldn't be too crazy about that!
The second post I read from John Spencer's Blog was, I Banned Pencils Today. I loved this post as well. Spencer states that on this particular day, he banned pencils during a particular subject, Math. He asked his students to find the volume and area of a cylinder using mental math. No paper and pencil could be used, just their brains. He states that though it took some of them a while, the students all came up with an answer to his problem. He states that the reason he held this little experiment was because he wanted his students to see that although they can use tools, like pencils, they don't need them. His purpose was to show them that they have highly evolved and powerful minds.
I thought this was so wonderful. I will definitely copy this from Mr. Spencer. I think that reminding children that they have the ability to use their brains to figure out a math problem instead of having to write it all down is great. If this had been something that one of my teachers had done in class, I probably would have freaked out a little at first. After coming up with the correct answer though, I think I would feel very fulfilled and proud of my small accomplishment.
Don't Teach Your Kids To Read This Stuff. Please?
When I first started reading Scott McLeod's post, Don't Teach Your Kids To Read This Stuff. Please? I was a little distracted by his writing style. After getting into the post, I soon realized the point he was making. He states that reading and writing for the web can be harmful to students; that there are many harmful things online for children to find or be introduced to. He goes on to list a lot on negative things associated with the Internet as well as the usage of cell phones. At the end he advises once more to not teach your kids to do these things. His reason? He is teaching his children all about every one of the things he listed. He asks which students will have a leg up in the future; his or ours.
I think that this post is really thought provoking. If you shelter your students from all of these things, what kind of person will they be in future? If they can't use technology in the future, what can they do? The kids who are exposed to these things will surely have a leg up. Dr. McLeod lists many negative things that are associated with the web. If you teach your kids about these negative things, and how to avoid them, and how to act when they are in a particular situation, they will be less likely to abuse the privileges of technology.
Dr. Scott McLeod is an academic expert on school technology leadership issues for Kindergarten through 12th grade. He serves as the Director of Innovation in Iowa. He is the author of the book What School Leaders Need to Know about Digital Technologies and Social Media. He also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE. EDM 310 students will recognize his series, Did You Know? from an assignment earlier in the semester.
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