Blog Post #15 and Final Reflection Video

Future Classroom from Blog Post #1
As I think about my future classroom, the picture is a little hazy in my mind.  I expect I will learn a lot more about methods as my own college courses progress.  I want to teach fourth or fifth grade or even sixth grade math all day at a middle school.  However for this reflection, I am focusing on fourth or fifth graders.  I want to keep and maintain their attention.  I want the students to expect the unexpected.  My personal teaching style is incorporating lecture with discussion followed by hands on experience.  I know I will have to be flexible and be able to assess what actually works versus what a lesson plan says.

In a class size of 25+ students, I will have to constantly be aware of the array of learning styles and ability of the students.  There are always the high, middle, and low students, and possibly special needs students contained in the class.  Natural leaders will emerge. There will also be those that are shy or content to not be as verbal.  Regardless of these things, I worry most about behavior problems.  Their home lives may not be so great or they may have medical issues.  Social dynamics between the students will be a factor.  Fourth and fifth graders should no longer need help tying their shoes or sounding out words, but they have other needs.  I want them all to develop skills to assess information, solve problems, and achieve success because of and despite all of these factors.  

I expect to use various tools in the classroom.  Of course the basics are pens, pencils, paper, and textbooks.  I know art is a valuable subject to integrate into other subjects so I plan on having many art supplies and music.  I want to have a quality classroom library while also making use of the school library.  For different units of study, I want to bring items for hands on demonstration. Concerning technology, I would love to use a Smart Board well while also allowing students to use classroom computers to enhance learning.  

I want my classroom to be the place my students will enjoy entering every day rather than dread.  I want my classroom to be a place of safety, positivity, stimulation, and achievement.  While I am not a sports fan, I may use a sports theme for decorating because I want my students to have the attitude that we are all on the same team. 

New Reflection
After having field experience at Fonde Elementary School this semester required by another class, I feel like I have seen a lot more real examples of a school in dire need of rejuvenation.  I no longer fear bad behavior like I wrote about in my earlier post.  The key is to give students a reason to behave, not badger them for misbehavior. 

Students are craving for engagement and inspiration to learn.  Technology definitely has a part to play in that.  My statement, "I would love to use a Smart Board well while also allowing students to use classroom computers to enhance learning," stands out to me.  I will need to hands on training to use a Smart Board well.  Just trying to figure it out myself is not enough.  With my current ability, I could not use it for much more than as a projector for the internet.  In a school like Fonde, there are not enough computers in the classroom to incorporate technology based learning in any major way.  I know I will have to do my best to work with what I have.  Having said that, to me the greater issue is evaluating what is the point of education and what defines success in the classroom.  While I know standardized testing is a current reality, I refuse to be a drilling, teach to the test type of  teacher.  I stand by the rest of my original post.

Oops, I did it again.  This video exceeds five minutes.  Enjoy some jelly beans or something.

 

Project #13

Tonya Fendley enjoyed working together on our projects.  We were able to use several forms of communication to plan our projects.  Even now, I am preparing this post from a document Tonya shared with me through Google Docs.  We tried Facetime, but I kept getting a message on my iPad saying the service could not be found.  It was easier to stick with the features Google provides.  He used Google Hangout because we were usually already on our computers signed into Gmail and Google Drive.  We used Google Docs for every project.  We could be typing at the same exact time and see each others edits.  We used Gmail to email to each other the Smart Notebook file for our Smart Board lesson. 
We had each other cell phone numbers to keep in touch as well.  We texted each other while in the building to find each other because this building has alot of hallways.

C4K Summary for April

C4K #8
Spencer R's Blog

Spencer's blog post was in an introduction of himself.  He wrote he has lived in Iowa all of his life and has never been to another country.
My comment:  My name is Catherine Warren.  I am in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.  I have never been to Iowa, but I have been to other countries.  What countries would you like to visit?

warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com                                                                                          

Mohamed's Blog

Mohamed's blog post was titled "Character Development".  He wrote about a 14 year old boy who moved from Somalia.
My comment:  Hello, Mohamed.  I am a college student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.  Is this story about you?  Are you from Somalia?  I have been to Uganda and loved it.

warrencatherineedm310@blogspot.com


Trent's Blog

Trent's post was about moving on to grade 5.  He asked, "What do you look forward to?"

My comment:  Hello, Trent.
My name is Catherine Warren. I am in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in the USA. I hope you are enjoying grade 5 by now. I look forward to finishing college. I always look forward to traveling to many places. What are you looking forward since you have been in grade 5 for a while?
warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com

PLN Report

PLN stands for personal learning network.  I have not created an account with Symbaloo or a similar site.  I do not have some elaborate network.  My inclination is to think up something really profound that will impress Dr. Strange.  However, by definition of PLN, the keyword is personal, so what matters most is what works for me.  What I enjoy most is my iPad.  I grew up with my dad saying, "Look it up."  Now I say, "I'll Google it."

I have spent countless hours "Googling" anything and everything I want to learn about.  If I want to save a page, I can make a screenshot, or I can email a link of the page to myself and then use my email app to pull it right back up.  I have taken pictures, edited them, shot video, and made iMovies on my iPad.  I use apps for YouTube, Google Drive, and Blogger.  My email app contains all three of my email accounts.  I love the touch screen.  I can take the iPad anywhere and access free Wifi all of the time.  I also use apps for the Weather Channel, Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.  It is the best electronic gadget.

C4T Summary

Free Technology for Teachers

The post I commented on is titled "10 Good Video Sources for Math Students and Teachers".  Richard Byrne listed ten sites and why they are good.

My comment:  I am a student in EDM 310 at the University if South Alabama in Mobile.  Your blog is what I would call a resource directory.  You have so much information compiled here.  What do you find the most challenging to make your posts?

warrencatherineedm310@blogspot.com

"A Quick Round Up of New Google Drive Features" is a post stating:  Now if when you collaborate on a Google Document you will see the Google+  profile picture of your collaborators. Click the image to learn more about the person. The chat feature of Google Documents is tied to the Google+ integration. Click the new chat icon to start a group chat with your collaborators.

My comment:  Thank you for sharing the latest features of Google Drive.  Google offers so many useful tools.

Blog Post #14

Teacher Knows if You've Done the E-Reading

This is an article posted on The New York Times website dated April 8, 2013.  The article  is about professors at Texas A&M and eight other colleges who are testing technology from a company, CourseSmart, "that allows them to track their students' progress with digital textbooks."  The article gives pros and cons to this as well as questions if this is beneficial in any way.

As a teacher, I would probably be very curious to see who read the assignments, how many pages were read, and how much time was spent reading.  I would probably draw conclusions about students' scores and time spent reading.  I might become partial to students who do the reading versus the student who don't.  After some time, I would get back to the main thing, which is teaching my class.  Being voyeuristic does not replace good teaching.  Snooping on students does not change whether or not they did the reading.  Inspiring them to want to do the reading is my job.

As a student, I would probably be pretty irritated.  If this is going on now, it would not matter because I do my readings and work.  If I do not, it will be reflected when I take a test.  I may be tempted to fool my teacher into thinking I did the reading by leaving the textbook open like the article suggests.  Also, some students claimed they took notes on paper instead of digitally, which does not accurately reflect students' engagement.  The teacher's perception of the students' study habits may be influenced.  As a student, I would feel micromanaged.

Questions for the teacher:  How often do you check on your students' statistics?  What do you hope to accomplish by doing this?  How does this affect your perceptions of your students?  How do you handle your disappointment after seeing the information?  Do you reflect on your own teaching?

Questions for the student:  How do you feel knowing your teacher has the ability to know if you have read the assignments?  Does it change your study habits?

My comment I would add:  After being in EDF 315, I have discovered what a big business the textbook industry is.  My opinion is that this is just another strategy for the publishers to make money.  The hook is to market to the colleges with the guise of helping teachers track their student's progress.  The article says "eventually, the data will flow back to the publishers, to help prepare new editions."  It's all about money.  Period.

Project #16 Movie

This video is on the long side, but it is so worth it.  So pop some popcorn, grab a Coke Zero, and kick back to watch this episode of The 310 Show with Dana Lettergrade!

Project #15 Smart Board Instruction

Blog Post #13

Brian Crosby-Back to the Future

This is a great video that addresses what I call integration of subject matter.  Mr. Crosby has students for three years for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades.  They are considered at risk, low income, and second language learners.  The survey statistics he gave about how many students do and do not know simple things like what city they live in, their addresses, and phone numbers were very disheartening.  This survey seems to be a spring board for Mr. Crosby's philosophy, "You don't know what could be if you don't know what is."

The presentation is about how a lesson on hot air balloons encompasses so many content areas:  science, writing, collaboration, exploration, and blogging.  The students have Skyped with students in New Zealand about what they have learned and how to do the same activities.  Mr. Crosby said that this is active learning which empowers kids to want to learn on their own.  "We can't keep racing kids through schools."  The student, Celeste, with leukemia participating with the class via Skype is priceless. 

I really like that Mr. Crosby has about thirty years of teaching experience.  He is not a recent college graduate who is new to teaching in the digital age.  Mr. Crosby has grown in his career to come to this style of teaching, which shows he greatly loves what he does and that meeting the needs of his students is what is truly important.

Blended Learning Cycle

Paul Anderson has developed what he calls the blended learning cycle.  He created an acronym from the word quivers.  The letters stand for question, investigate, video, elaboration, review, and summary quiz.  As a science teacher, Mr. Anderson has a very good system of beginning with a question.  Science is all about figuring out why things are they way they are and why they do what they do.  Then students are to investigate and inquire about the question presented.  The students watch a video on the subject that Mr. Anderson has already made.  This step seems very elaborate but the beauty of a video is once it is made, it can be used over and over.  During elaboration, the student delve deeper into the subject.  Mr. Anderson then talks with each student during the review stage to determine if the students really understand the material before they can move on to the summary quiz.

I like Mr. Anderson's statement, "I don't think you've really learned something unless you can explain it to someone else."  This is his perspective on the review so the students will be successful on the summary quiz.  This is a very good strategy.

Progress Report on Project #16

Enjoy the commercial!

Blog Post #12

kidblog.org

This class has opened my eyes to the world of blogging.  I have really enjoyed making comments through the C4K assignments.  My proposed assignment would be for EDM 310 students to choose a blogging site for future use in the classroom.  We visit so many blogs but don't necessarily know how they work.  I chose Kidblog.  It is free.  Teachers can create a class blog really quickly.  I like looking at the settings.  It give me a real behind the scenes feeling.  Right now "Mrs. Warren's Class" has no students, but in the future, no matter what grade I teach, we will blog.  Now is the time to become familiar with such sites.

Mrs. Warren's Class

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's Little Kids...Big Potential

Ms. Kathy Cassidy has really done a great job of educating herself in technology to be able to lead the way in integrating the tools of technology in her first grade classroom.  In this video, students give voice overs and pictures of the work they have done and how they use technology on a daily basis.  The video highlights blogs, internet safety, webpages, center time, wikis, group videos, Skype sessions, and even learning with Nintendo DS "Nintendogs".  A student says playing Nintendogs in a group has made them better problem solvers and taught them to learn to share.

I know I will introduce blogging to my classroom, regardless of the grade level.  Through EDM 310, I have learned that even first graders are capable of contributing to a blog.  Even if a student only writes one sentence, the value is great.  Ms. Cassidy said in the Skype interview that blogs allow the students to have an audience.  Having an audience improves the students' writing.  The anticipation of receiving comments is also encouraging and fun for the students.  I find it interesting that she says the tools of just five years ago are not the same because of how quickly technology has changed.

I see from her interview the importance of support from fellow teachers, technical coordinators, and administration.  Her guarded response in the interview about support from administration led me to think she has not always had the support she would have liked, though she did not actually say that.  People in administration positions do not always see the importance of technology in the classroom which can lead to restricted access and restricted time spent on technology. 

I like that parents have given positive responses.  Parents naturally love to see their children and their work on display.  On the internet, parents can share their children's work with other family members and friends.  I like Ms. Cassidy's insistence on internet safety for her students.

An impediment I personally say at Fonde Elementary was that the students did not know how to properly type and are not taught how.  In my classroom, time will be spent on that.  I know that there are free learn-to-type games on the internet.

C4T #3

First Post
spicylearning.wordpress.com by Royan Lee

The post I commented on was in regard to an individual filming him/herself teaching not for the purpose of posting lessons online as in the flipped classroom concept, but for the purpose of critiquing the actual teacher. 

My comments:  My name is Catherine Warren. I am in the class EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I have never thought of filming myself teaching until reading your post. I think it will be most beneficial. I have watched films of myself in videos created for class projects. Because I was a character, it was enjoyable to watch. I would love to film myself in my future classroom. I don’t think I want to let someone else critique me, though. Your post is an interesting proposal.

Second Post

The next post was about giving students feedback and how students interpret that feedback.  Mr. Lee explores the way students respond to direct and indirect comments.  He gives examples of ways people communicate and how different people react to the same comments.  It was very interested and something I will consider when I give my own students feedback.

My comments:  As a college student currently taking EDM 310, a technology course which led me to your blog, but also an education foundations course which is focusing on the multicultural classroom, we have discussed language barriers quite a bit.  It has mostly been in regard to a student learning English, communicating with parents, understanding cultural communication styles, etc.  What type of feedback to give a student and how that student may receive that feedback is something that has not been covered.  However, after reading your post, I see it is not an issue limited only to ESL students.  Culture is so complex within our own communities.  Great post.  Cancel reply

C4K Summary for March

C4K#4
Dustin
The post I commented on was an interview of a fellow student.

My comment: Hello, Dustin. I am new to blogging. My original comments posted twice. I tried to delete one copy, but they both disappeared. My name is Catherine Warren. I am another student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I was a little confused about which Dustin's blog I was to comment on. And as it turns out, you interviewed the other Dustin. That is funny. Did you enjoy the interview? Did someone interview you? I hope you enjoy your blogging experienceC4K#5

Laila's blog address is http://kidblog.org/MrsGoerend1213/author/lailak201286164/

She is an amazing writer with some fabulous posts.  The one I commented on has to do with what she thinks it would be like if we did not have the First Amendment.  She mentioned that we couldn't say what we want and that we wouldn't know what is going on because the press wouldn't be able to inform us.

My comments:  Hello, Laila. My name is Catherine Warren. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. Your blog is better than a 9th grader’s blog that I have read. It is hard to believe you are a 5th grader. You write like an adult. You are very talented. Have you studied the other amendments to the Constitution?
warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com

C4K#6 Faith's blog address is http://kidblog.org/Harbor7/ce0306fd-3262-4845-8890-5a76ef417a99/ted-talk-6/#comment-688

This student says she would improve school by putting in more Smart Boards.

My comments:  Hello, Faith. My name is Catherine Warren. I am a student at the University of Alabama in the class EDM 310. There is a Smart Board in that classroom. I need to learn more about how to use it. What do you like best about Smart Boards?
warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com

C4K#7
Quziyah's blog address is http://pesquziyaha.blogspot.com

This student explored where Easter eggs come from.

My comments:  My name is Catherine Warren. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in America. I am glad you enjoyed research about Easter. I will go to church and spend time with my family. How will you celebrate Easter?

warrencatherineedm310@blogspot.com

Blog Post #10

Adventures in Pencil Integration

I actually have some background regarding the above cartoon.  When my son was in the first grade, I bought some Papermate pencils because they were very cheap.  His teacher sent home a note requesting better erasers because the erasers on the pencils were not very good, and the pencils themselves were very smudgy.  This led me to the discovery of Ticonderoga pencils.  They are my absolute favorite!  They are also the favorite of my now freshman in college son.  He will not buy or use any other kind of pencil.

Now to interpret the cartoon.  Hhmm.  The man on the left looks older than the guy on the right.  He is dressed in a suit.  I do not know if he is supposed to be more mature, professional, or nerdy. However, his caption, explaining his cheapness, gives the message that you get what you pay for. The best pencil, the Ticonderoga, is what a hipster would buy.  According to this definition of hipster, a hipster is smart, educated, and frugal.  Again, by purchasing something more expensive, you should get what you pay for.

The dilemma I have is determining if there is a further meaning to this cartoon.  Does it stop at the quality of pencils?  Is it making fun of pencils, because the artist thinks pencils in general are obsolete?  Refer to my picture in Blog Post #3.

 

*10:38 p.m. P.S.*  After reading a few other people's blogs, I see that this cartoon is a play on the Mac/PC commercial.  I have seen this commercial a while ago, so I actually get the cartoon.  I explored Mr. Spencer's blog, but obviously not the extent to discover the meaning of the cartoon.  Oops.

John T. Spencer

The blog post I chose to comment on is When a Child Hates Pencils.  This post is about a student who hates pencils because he associates them with work instead of learning, and failure instead of success.  This post also addresses trinket reward systems and the punishment of being sent to another class to then copy words over and over.  

"Our principal encouraged me to keep Josiah away from pencils until he was "mature" (as if a pencil was something one has to mature into) and has "proven that he can earn the privilege of using them again."  I ignored his advice and handed Josiah a new pencil the second day of school.  I told him he could draw, write poetry, tell a story, whatever. 

"Will I get a stamp?"

"No. I don't do stamps."

"A letter?"

"No letters here either."

"Then why should I do this?"

"I write because I have something to say.  I draw because I want to create.  I can't control it.  There's something in me that propels me to draw."

"Will you read it?"

"Yep.  I'll even write comments and on some parts I'll ask you to do an assignment I choose.  I'll make some corrections.  I'm still your teacher.  But my goal is feedback, not judgment."

He tears a page out of the journal, writes a poem about wanting to fly and then creates an origami flying dragon with the poetry written on the wings.  It's beautiful and quirky and it didn't happen because of letters or stamps or peppy praise."

This post perfectly reflects my experience last week at Fonde Elementary, which I am still processing.  The teacher I observed is really a great teacher.  She taught in Baldwin County for 2 1/2 years.  She has been at Fonde for 7 years.  She has gone from a high performing school to a low performing school.  I felt very inspired to be there.  She said herself, "I know we are not supposed to teach to the test, but that's what we have to do here."  She is so focused on test scores.  I am afraid she is losing that special something she must have had in Baldwin County.  I shared with the students about setting goals and taking the necessary steps to achieve those goals.  I shared with them about running the Azalea Trail Run the following day.

I was asked by a fourth grader, "Whatcha gonna get for runnin' that race?"  

"Nothing."

"You're not gonna get nothin'?"

I tried to explain that I will have personal satisfaction.  I will have happiness within myself.  I will be proud of myself.  I might as well have been speaking a foreign language.

Dr. Scott McLeod

Dr. McLeod has many credentials.  Most recognizable is the fact that he is the creator of the Did You Know? video I watched on YouTube earlier this semester.  I agree with his positions in Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff-Please?, however I will have to do a lot more learning myself to be able to use and teach the technology he thinks should be in the classroom.  I will have to educate myself on filters, controls, etc.  Again, referring back to my experience at Fonde, the absolute quietest those students ever became was in the computer lab.  They were working on math problems on computer programs that were identical to the type they had been working on in the classroom.  The students were so engrossed.  I could have heard a pin drop.

Project #11 Short Movie

This is over 4 minutes long.  Be patient.

Project #14 Smart Board Useage

Project 12 Book Trailer

Blog Post #9

Mr. McClung
In Mr. McClung's blog post, What I Learned This Year 2009-2010, he shares what he has learned during that particular year of teaching school.  There were many firsts for Mr. McClung during that year.  He had to adapt in order to effectively fulfill many new tasks.  He had to change his expectations of the outcomes of his lessons because he taught material he had never taught before.  I like how he says, "I don't want my students to always look for the right answer, but instead take a different approach that requires them to think analytically and assess each situation on an individual basis."  This is my philosophy exactly.  In the case of a subject like math, I want my students to understand why and how they arrive at an answer that will most likely only have one correct answer. 

In his section, Find your School Mom, I do not know who Mr. McClung is calling a school mom.  I don't know if he means a literal mother of a student, or if he means a well-seasoned teacher that serves as a go-to type of colleague.  Regardless, I believe the more ideas and support, the better for everyone. 

In the rest of the post he makes more good points.  The ability to act crazy and silly in order to grab students' attention comes quite easily to me.  I like that he states, "Check your ego at the door." Another good point is about making sure he teaches not only what he enjoys but also the subjects that his students need to learn.  Also, his assessments need to match the depth of the material he covered. It is natural to gravitate to what we like regarding anything, but it is about making the student successful that matters most.  Mr. McClung found it helpful to give students tasks in the classroom which "requires them to be responsible and take ownership for the classroom experience."  This takes a load off of the teacher and saves precious time as menial tasks are delegated.

Mr. McClung shares how problems with administration affected his attitude in the classroom.  While he does not explain the details of the situation, I appreciate his honesty in admitting that there have been problems.  "No matter how bad things may be, as a teacher you can not let surrounding factors affect how you conduct yourself in the classroom."  This is so true.  Mr. McClung concludes this post by admitting he has flaws yet is willing to improve and move forward.

In the post, What I Learned This Year Volume 4, Mr. McClung begins with admitting that he was worried about his perception among his peers but that he got over it.  He does not pinpoint why he went through this, but I like that he just chose to get over it and refocus on his students.  I was a little surprised that he felt like he had gotten too comfortable and was not teaching well.  He felt like relying on old lessons led to routine and lack of creativity.  I am looking forward to having well written lesson plans to have from year to year.  That is the benefit of becoming an experienced teacher.  I assume that instead of writing lesson plans from scratch all of the time, I will be able to better supplement existing ones.  Only time will tell.

The main thing I learned from Mr. McClung's posts is the value of proofreading.  Honestly, I can not believe he made all four posts with so many errors.  They would have easily been noticed if he had taken the time to re-read what he had written.  I am not error-proof, however, I don't want to appear that unprofessional simply because I did not review before clicking "publish".

Blog Post #8

This is How We Dream

Dr. Richard Miller shares a presentation on YouTube.  As I watched, I thought it was a bit redundant regarding the perspective this class is trying to teach us.  Upon further reflection, I realize this was done in 2008, 5 years ago.  Instead of thinking, "Okay, I get it,"  it is interesting to examine how what Dr. Miller says has actually occurred.

Dr. Miller talks about how information has moved from being published in books to being documented on the Internet.  Research has been sought and compiled online with images, film, sound, and anything archived on the web.  People collaborate to produce print, sound, and visual documents.

Dr. Miller mentioned an example of instantaneous voting results during the 2008 election.  He also mentioned the value of iTunesU for academic lectures and info.  He said, "Ideas don't belong to us individually.  They belong to us as a culture."  Ideas can be shared freely.  The challenge comes in how to put all this together.  Computer literacy is the new "reading and writing skill".  Writing with multimedia takes time to learn, but it will be so worth it.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12

I think Carly is very thorough in her post.  I think her idea goes beyond what Dr. Miller describes.  As stated above, Dr. Miller's presentation was done in 2008.  Carly's post was from April 2011.  I like that Carly did not reinvent the wheel.  She evaluated what is important and searched out resources that reflect that.  By creating a YouTube play list, she literally has saved the resources at her fingertips.  As a future English teacher and literature lover, she wants to present her students with this classic subject matter with the use of modern technology.  Again, she is not reinventing the wheel.  She is just changing gears.

"Movies"

The types of videos I would like to participate in making must be fun and not boring.  In another class I was Diane Sawyer of 20/20 conducting an interview about No Child Left Behind.  It was so fun to be someone else.  It is so fun to break out do the unexpected.  I also like the chance to try to be funny though it may come off as really stupid.  Before that video assignment and the Rafe Esquith video for this class, I had not done any videos.  As far as in the future, I don't know what the subject matters would be but I am definitely up for it.

The primary message of the EDM 310 for Dummies and The Chipper Series are about getting the work done for this class.  Students in this class can feel crazy, frustrated, clueless, paralyzed with procrastination, or they can choose to dive in, read the directions, put forth the effort, develop some work habits, and succeed.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

This video covers the opinions of several people regarding education.  Education that will really work involves communication, relationships, connectivity, and access to information.  The jobs of the future will not be obtained by people who are right answer vending machines that have been churned out by the philosophy of No Child Left Behind.  Future employees will need to know how to find, validate, and synthesize information versus memorize facts.  This starts with the teachers changing how they lead and teach students.

The video ends with the statement, "It's the death of education, but it's the dawn of learning."  I agree with this.  Last night I saw some of a series, "Blackboard Wars."  It is a low income, minority school full of behavior problems.  The show focused on some first year teachers who are very excited to teach and think they are making a difference, yet so frustrated by the issues of this school.  I wonder how exposing these students to this teaching style in this video would engage and change their perspectives of attending school every day.  Low income schools tend to lack resources of middle class schools, however use of technology may be on of the very things that helps improve behavior, not just learning.

Scavenger Hunt

1.  The first thing I chose to do is create an account with Edmodo.  It has the look of Facebook.  Users familiar with Facebook would probably like it.  I signed in as a teacher, though I am not one yet.  The page can be customized many ways.  This site could be used to communicate with the classroom as well as network with other teachers.

2.  The  nice deal Prezi makes for students and teachers:  for free Prezi offers private presentations, the use of your own logo, and 500MB storage space.  For $4.92 per month, Prezi offers private presentations, the use of your own logo, the ability to work offline securely, premium support, and    2 GB storage space.

3.  A video tool I have never heard of is Animoto.com/education.  "Educators can apply for a free Animoto Plus account for use in the classroom.  Animoto automatically analyzes music, photos and video clips, and orchestrates a custom video, leaving you free to focus on the content and narrative of your videos."  Sounds good to me!

C4T #2

Langwitches by Silvia Tolisano

First Post
Subject: Embedding Visuals into Teaching and Learning.  Wonderopolis is a website with over 800 visual props and also the opportunity to submit your own.  Another website, Visual Writing Prompts, has pictures and prompts categorized by subject and writing type.  This post is about resources to use for finding pictures as prompts for writing assignments.

My comments:  I am a student taking the class EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama.  I remember writing assignments that were so boring.  Using prompts from websites like these seem very engaging for the students.  This idea of using technology in the classroom is so new to me, though I am enjoying  envisioning the prospect.

This blog allowed me to leave my name, email address, and blog address.

Second Post
Subject:  The proper use of hyper-links as enhancements to writing in the digital world.  This post includes a guide for download.

My comments:  This is an extremely helpful post. Reading it in one sitting is not enough for the information to settle in. Thank you for posting a downloadable tool for help regarding hyperlinks. Just when I thought I had become an adequate writer, I feel like a beginner in the digital world. There is always something new to learn.

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch The Last Lecture
The shorthand I took for the instructions for this blog post:  identify and comment on teaching methods, discuss all of the things he discusses that you can use in teaching, but don't just retell what he says, identify:  teaching and learning, summary and my reactions.  I do not know if my blog post will satisfy these instructions because I believe the notes I took and the impressions I have are more related to life than just what I would use in a classroom.  This will probably be the most hodge-podge post I have made.

Pausch outlines his lecture as Really Achieving Your Dreams, Enabling the Dreams of Others, and Lessons Learned.  Pausch's childhood dreams included experiencing zero gravity, playing professional football, writing an article in the World Book Encyclopedia, being Captain Kirk, and becoming an Imagineer for Disney.  Through football he learned that when you are screwing up and no one is saying anything anymore, it means they have given up on you.  I am still letting this statement soak in.  In evaluating this statement, I have put myself in both positions.  I hope that people will still speak up when I need it.  I also hope I will have the courage to speak into others' lives when they need it most.

In Pausch's experience as an Imagineer, he heard the statement, "Wait and people will surprise you."  I don't know that I have the patience to apply that to everyone I know, but, oh, how I want everyone I know to extend that attitude toward me.  It is amazing how I do not give as readily as I like to receive.  So, moving forward, how long will I wait in order to be surprised?  I also like Pausch's two examples of how to say, "I don't know."  It can be done pridefully and defensively, or calmly and with honesty, humility, and control. 

In the next point of Pausch's lecture, Enabling Others' Childhood Dreams-become a professor, I definitely connected with the bigger picture of becoming a teacher.  My childhood dream was played out in my bedroom with my blue chalkboard.  Chalkboards may be obsolete by the time I am a teacher, but I greatly want one just for my own personal satisfaction.  To think that once I achieve a degree, I will than have the ability to steer others into pursuing their childhood dreams in the making gives me the mental image of a rock thrown into a pond and the ripple effect.  I hope to spur children on to go further than I will and further than they ever thought they would.  More than a classroom, I hope this for my own children.  Through Pausch's class about building virtual worlds, he learned to raise the bar even though the students did well to begin with.  I think the bar needs to be raised when they don't do so well either because students must have something to strive for.  As Pausch was nearing the end of his life, he made the decision to find someone better than himself to hand over his work.  I see the importance of finding a mentor and always look for someone who is better than me to go to.

I like Pausch's quote, "The best gift an educator can give someone is the ability to be self-reflective."  I know this class has that approach and I am trying to honestly evaluate my work or else I will not be doing myself a service.  Pausch also defines the "head fake":  have fun while learning something hard.  That is exactly the mindset I have when I envision teaching math.

For Lessons Learned, I wrote down a lot of points that stood out.  The contents in the parentheses are my reactions.  Help others (I am only helpful sometimes).  Never give up (I am a natural quitter).  Tell the truth (In the South, politeness can trump honesty).  Apologize (That's easy).  Focus on others, not yourself (That's hard).  Don't complain, work harder (The other option would be to quit).  Be good at something:  it makes you valuable (Believe it and search for the talent). 

Pausch ends the lecture by informing the audience that there are two head fakes in his speech.  The first one is that this wasn't really about achieving your childhood dreams.  It is about how to lead your life.  (I knew it!)  And the second, "This talk wasn't for you.  It was for my kids."  I have no doubt his children have been listening.

PLN Progress Report

So far I have encountered many valuable resources that have ideas and new ways of thinking regarding education.  What I have yet to consider is the way to streamline my sources.  I have not yet chosen anything like Symbaloo, but I realize now is the time.  I definitely want to include some of the blogs I have read through this class.  I really like Mrs. She's class blog.  This New Zealand second grade class is very special.  I see how parents are responding with the pride of viewing their children's projects online.  I also like Langwitches.  I need to create a "one stop shop" as I find blogs or sites that I want to use in the future, rather than back track to find them.  Of course, there are the standard YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.

I want to seek out a mentor that will help me along the way.  I have a few teacher friends that may be good mentors.  It may be that my mentor is someone I have yet to meet.  Either way, I know I will need one.  I am really enjoying blogging as well as discovering what tools Google offers.  At the end of the class, I want to have a PLN that will serve me beyond this class.

Project #8 Podcast

Lighting Their Fires Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnIPyWnEIdM

Lighting Their Fires Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPu2oQvfSjs

C4K Summary for February

C4K#1
IBSusan09
This blog's address is ibsusan13.edublogs.org.  This student writes her blog as required for her 9th grade World History class.  This student answers the question:If you lived during World War I, which would be the best to own: a horse, a cow, or a dozen chickens?  In my opinion a cow would be best to own.  The student continues with her reasons.
My answer:You wrote an interesting answer to an interesting question. A cow is a great choice. Milk could also be used to make cheese and butter. I do not know much about World War I or what life may have been like day to day. Answering questions like this makes history more interesting and personal. 
Warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com

C4K#2
Max S

This blog's address is http://kidblog.org/BBunch/8c73918c-c5be-486a-b9f9-85f3db4b90fd/we-do/#comment-183.  This student just made his first blog post.  He wrote about how he made some saves as a goalie during a soccer game.

My comment:  Hello, Max. I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. This week I get to comment on a blog from your class. I am glad you did such a great job as a goalie during your game. I also see that you are new to writing a blog. I am new, too. How do you like it? Do you play other sports? 

warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com

C4K#3
Little Voices, Little Scholars by Mrs. She
Welcome comment left for the class at littlevoiceslittlescholars.blogspot.com and for the students, Tatiana and Amelia.  They are so cute.  I love their artwork from last year.

Project #10

Yesterday, as I was eating breakfast, I was watching HLN.  When I first turned it on, there was an ongoing interview about the soon to be released Google glasses.  The description sounded like a pair of glasses that stream information about your location.  The following is some highlights from an article from The New York Times.  You may read the full article by clicking on the link.  I think technology like this could be used on a field trip.  Also, students could take turns taking the glasses home overnight or through the weekend to experience information and then report back to the class some points of interest.  According to HLN, the selling price is supposed to be $1500.  This made me consider the possibility and feasibility of insuring such an item against loss, theft, or damage.

FEBRUARY 21, 2012, 6:15 PM 149 Comments

Google to Sell Heads-Up Display Glasses by Year’s End

By NICK BILTON

People who constantly reach into a pocket to check a smartphone for bits of information will soon have another option: a pair of Google-made glasses that will be able to stream information to the wearer’s eyeballs in real time.The people familiar with the Google glasses said they would be Android-based, and will include a small screen that will sit a few inches from someone’s eye. They will also have a 3G or 4G data connection and a number of sensors including motion and GPS.They will also have a unique navigation system. “The navigation system currently used is a head tilting to scroll and click,” Mr. Weintraub wrote this month. “We are told it is very quick to learn and once the user is adept at navigation, it becomes second nature and almost indistinguishable to outside users.”The glasses will have a low-resolution built-in camera that will be able to monitor the world in real time and overlay information about locations, surrounding buildings and friends who might be nearby, according to the Google employees. The glasses are not designed to be worn constantly — although Google expects some of the nerdiest users will wear them a lot — but will be more like smartphones, used when needed.One Google employee said the glasses would tap into a number of Google software products that are currently available and in use today, but will display the information in an augmented reality view, rather than as a Web browser page like those that people see on smartphones.The glasses will send data to the cloud and then use things like Google Latitude to share location, Google Goggles to search images and figure out what is being looked at, and Google Maps to show other things nearby, the Google employee said. “You will be able to check in to locations with your friends through the glasses,” they added.

Blog Post #6

Networked Student by Nancy Drexler
This video explains the process, connectivism, that "21st Learner" goes through to study a particular topic.  This process allows students to take control of their learning.  Through the Internet, "21st Century Learner" develops his personal learning network, or PLN.  For his topic, the American psyche, he uses Google Scholar and his school's library database to find information.  He uses a social bookmarking site to store his findings.  The student searches blogs on the subject while realizing many blogs post opinions versus facts.  The student posts on his own blog, also.

On his mp3 player, the student has access to iTunes U.  He listens to college lectures presented by some of the best professors in the world.  After all of the student's research, he is able to make an electronic presentation of what he has learned about the American psyche.  The student is learning information management.  His motto is:  It never hurts to ask.

Regarding the question, "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?", the video offers great answers.  The teacher teaches the student how to build a PLN, how to take advantage of learning opportunities, and gives guidance when the student gets stuck.  The teacher also teachers how to communicate properly, how to respectfully ask for help from experts, how to discern between good information and propaganda, how to check the validity of a resource, how to turn a web search into a scavenger hunt, and how to get excited when he finds that "pearl of content".  The teacher should help the student organize those mountains of information creatively and to solve the problems of the world.

All of this sounds similar to a video from a previous assignment.  Teachers are to be filters of all of this information.  What is so crucial is for a teacher to have this understanding and philosophy to be able to operate a classroom in this way.  Also, after reading a bit of Nancy Drexler's blog, I see that teachers will have to be able to teach students the in's and out's of how the Internet works, writing skills, and digital responsibility including giving credit to sources.  A teacher can not do this if the teacher is not knowledgeable about these very things.

A 7th Grader's PLE
A student explains the process of her online learning.  When she goes to class she immediately checks what she is working on and what is due.  She uses a social bookmarking site, Symbaloo, which led me to ask, "What is Symbaloo?"  It is described as "Your Person Internet Desktop" and it is called an iGoogle alternative.  Which led me to ask, "What is iGoogle?"  iGoogle will not be available after November 1, 2013 because "with modern apps that run on platforms like Chrome and Android, the need for something like iGoogle has eroded over time."

Back to the seventh grader, online learning has given her more freedom and responsibility.  She says she decides how and when, not if, she will learn and do her assignments.  I think another good descriptor is discipline.  She said because the Internet is neat, paperless, a person is hardly ever in need of a pencil.  I laughed out loud (LOL) when I heard her say this because I had a pen in my hand taking notes.

Project #6 My Sentence Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m6a4XM_yiU

Blog Post #5

If You Built a School

If I Built A School by Krissy Venosdale is a very interesting blog post.  This teacher's approach to her students' learning has a lot to do with creativity, groups, technology, out of the box activities, and freedom.  Her attitude is that every moment is valuable, as is each of her students.  I didn't have to read for very long to see her perspective on this type of learning environment versus the typical teaching of just the state standards.  Her description of her dream school involved words like creativity, innovation, passion, technology integration, and collaboration.  Her idea is to not focus on grade levels but abilities.  She envisions cozy spaces, inviting areas, brightly painted areas.  I especially thought the encouraging parking signs for each teacher was an endearing touch.  I must mention her giant treehouse in the middle of the library because she wrote about it twice.  

I am not sure how to answer the dream school question.  When I start to think about it, the negatives pop in my mind.  Where would the funding come from?  What do you do with the students who misbehave?  How do you train the teachers?  Then I rethink and realize the point of a dream is there are no limits. 

If money were no object, if all the teachers were fully skilled, and misbehavior was no issue I would include the following:  In all grade levels there would be two teachers in the class that work as a team.  Classes would travel around the school to the different subject rooms such as art, science, and music.  There would be lots of books.  Rather than rushed chaos, the lunchroom would be restaurant style with waiters so students could relax and reflect.  However, they would be responsible for the cleanup of their tables so they would take ownership of their own messes.  Things like art, music, and drama would be integrated daily into subjects.  As part of art and science, there would be school flower and vegetable gardens that the students tend.  There would also be an emphasis on learning the cultures of the world.  Perhaps each class could focus on a city in the world, meet a class in that city via Skype, and then go on a week long trip to that city at the end of the year.  Every day would have a scheduled 30 minute slot for a power nap that the teachers are also allowed to have.  

I think the most valuable point Ms. Venosdale makes is the fact that she herself is continuing to learn.  How can teachers expect their students to be excited about learning new things if teachers themselves are not willing?

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

Apparently it's a small world.  My college freshman son who is home for trimester break walked by during this video and said, "Oh, that's Lux Aurumque.  Mrs. McCormick (his high school choir teacher) wanted us to watch this video to see how it sounded, but I never did.  But Eric Whitacre is one of the best modern composers."  Before my son walked in I thought the music sounded VERY familiar and it was in fact a piece sung by Faith Academy's choir last year.  My reaction to this use of the internet:  Astounding.  

After the interview, I realize that these are videos put together.  Just watching the video it looks, like Whitacre said, a Skype of one huge choir, but it's not.

Teaching in the 2st Century

Kevin Robert presents the question "What does it mean to teach in the 21st Century?"  He makes points about the fact that information is everywhere.  Teachers will be a filter of knowledge.  The goal moves from students learning facts to students using information to solve problems.  His presentation poses questions that I call life questions.  Students need skills to evaluate information and make a judgment to proceed to solve a problem or answer a question.  

For the very young, teachers still need to teach students literacy and math skills.  These basics must be introduced before using technology as a sole source of learning.  I do not see doing away with hands on teachers on the preschool and early elementary levels.  Third grade and up must begin to be more than fact factories.  My approach to teaching is to use the skills and knowledge the student knows, ask questions, and explore to learn more.  Visually, I picture the process of connecting Legos to get to the bigger picture.

Flipped Classroom
The three videos about flipping the classroom present an approach I have never heard of.  Understandably, in the last video, Ms. Munafo said they are only using it to teach math right now.   I could definitely use this approach.  Getting up and running would require a lot of planning ahead, but after that, lessons that could be used for a few years would be at my fingertips.  I like the idea of the students being able to work together.  In the subject of math, perhaps my favorite, students sharing with other students how they solved a problem is very effective for the students who are asking for help.  Ms. Gimbar was also very adamant about not re-lecturing in the classroom as this defeats the purpose of the students preparing ahead of time as well as allowing the student to dictate to the teacher how this will go.  I also like how she allows them to catch up during homeroom or lunch or at the beginning of class.  Students want to be engaged and don't want to feel left out.  This could be used for other subjects such as science and social studies.  The students watch the lecture before class and then class time is used for group projects and experiments.  

Project #5 Presentation

C4T #1

How to Manage 3rd Party Apps Accessing Your Google Account at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ by Richard Byrne

Mr. Byrne gives instructions for how to go into your own Google account to revoke access of a third party, even though this third party has previously had access.  Mr. Byrne addresses this issue after recommending Teaching Objects, an online lesson planning service.  This raises the question that a lot of people ask, can I revoke access if I decide I don't want to use Teaching Objects after trying it? The answer to that question is yes.

My Comment:  My name is Catherine Warren, an education major at the University of South Alabama located in Mobile, Alabama.  I will be summarizing my visits to your blog with a post on my blog, http://warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com, in approximately two weeks.  The class I am taking that is requiring this is EDM 310 with Dr. John Strange.  The class blog is http://edm310.blogspot.com.  This most recent post of yours is exactly what this class is about.  Through this class I have been introduced to the wide world of Google, beyond Google Search.  You give helpful instructions and answers to questions I did not even know have been asked because I am so unfamiliar with third party access to Google accounts.  I believe I will find the link to opening and editing Word files in Google Drive to be very helpful.

The Periodic Table of iPhones
Mr. Byrne discovered this infographic about the rare-earth minerals used in the construction of iPhones.    He proposes a chemistry lesson about rare-earth minerals in other electronic and household items.

My Comment:  Answering this question could also be applied to a geography or geology lesson. Where in the world are these minerals found? What methods are used to extract them? What is the cost of doing this? Are these minerals extracted from the item if it is turned in for recycling?

Twitter: @CesWarren

http://warrencatherineedm310.blogspot.com