My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

I would like to tell everyone in class that I had a great time this semester. Dr. Strange, you are basically the man, you have taught us so much while still being very flexible and I cannot say that for every teacher I have. Brett it was lovely sitting next to you in class, I know you are not going to know what to do without me. Everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the class as much as I did...HAVE A GREAT BREAK!!!!! It's been real, it's been fun, but it ain't been real fun. Just Kidding!

EDM 310

I learned so many things in EDM 310 that I did not think I would or that I would even care about. The first thing was iGoogle. After this class I am basically a google freak. I use my gmail for everything and I go on my account all the time. The other day I was telling my dad everything that was on google and I think he thought I did something with his daughter, he said he was proud of me being so geeky. I also learned a lot about iTunes. I am a Mac freak already and I know a lot about iTunes but I was unaware of everything that was offered free, especially podcasts. Also, I enjoyed seeing all the things I was able to do on Google Docs, because that work can be saved anywhere and opened anywhere that has internet and that is something very convenient. Also, I would love to learn more about making a podcast as well as a video podcast because I know I had a blast doing those! I feel more technologically savvy now, and that is not something I was before all thanks to this class!!

Blogs

I read the blog of Stephanie Ellis, only really because she loves Twilight and I do to, but it was a very good choice looking back on it. I would first like to say that I loved all her posts and she is very articulate. Also, I think it is very cool how she expresses herself and her opinions in a very classy manner. At first I was not overly enamored with the fact that I was going to have to do a blog for a class, I thought it was going to be a stupid idea, but now looking back, I really appreciate it.

One reason a blog is very beneficial is that a student can express herself freely while doing something productive for school. I really liked writing in the blogs and talking about what I agreed with as well as disagreed with. When I type these blogs I feel like I am talking to a group of people because I know anyone can read it. Also, by having students watch and listen to something and then respond, you are able to know what they were thinking and if they liked it or not. I thought that Stephanie Ellis did a great job with this because she really had an opinion on everything which was great when you are in a class like this with some diverse opinions.

One thing about these blogs that is bittersweet is the fact that they are public. For one, I think that it is great that they are public and that many people can see them and respond. However, it is also bad because if there was not a students who really paid attention they could just go to the other blogs and kind of reword them. I am not saying that is the right thing to do however, if I was in a jam I could see that as an easy way out. I also think that the blogs being public can be a really good thing as well. If I was ever confused I would look on other people's blogs to get an idea about what I need to write. Also, classmates can communicate with one and other so they know everything that is going on as well as they can work
with one another.

Overall, I felt that a blog is a great idea. It is unconventional right now but I feel that it could be a lot more popular in the future. The Internet is something very important in today's society so I could see many teachers using them in the future. It does stink when the Internet does not work because it throws everything off. Overall, I was very impressed with many of the blogs that I looked over and I know that a lot of people took their time on them and thats great. Blogs have been well received and I feel they are just going to keep becoming more and more popular.

ACCESS LAB

The ACCESS lab that I went to was at Baker High School. I was very fortunate because while they were very hard working with some people they were very generous and welcoming with me. Since I had no one to go with I made my teammate, Kari Fraizer, a Baker Alum to come with me. There she showed me around the whole school and we then went to the ACCESS lab. These ACCESS labs are all over the state of Alabama and the point of them is that there are classes on the other side of the state that maybe students want to take, and these classes allow them to.

Even though the cost of these labs are extremely high, I believe that the whole idea is brilliant. There is no better way for students to learn about technology and meet new people then to be involved with these ACCESS labs. Kari said that she was not really well aware of what the ACCESS lab was all about and I feel that is how many students are. This is a great experience they are passing up not because they want to but because they don't really understand it. I also think that these labs are really good with helping prepare a student for college because many times the classes are not nearly as personal.

I had a very good time visiting the ACCESS lab and learning all about what they really are. I think that every state should have them and that Alabama should support their ACCESS labs more. The only way these labs are going to do well is if they have some more premotion so students can learn more about them. Other than that I wish I was in high school again so I could try out one of these classes....well, not really, but you get my point:)

P.S. I brought my camera and it died, therefore you are unable to see a picture of me and Kari's beautiful faces. I went to go back and get a picture, but they wouldn't let me in because I didn't have an appointment...I guess I should have brought Kari again!

Electronic Contact Assignment

For my electronic contact, I chose a teacher who is the 2nd grade teacher at The Lane School in Hinsdale, IL, Wendy McGreal. We shot back and fourth some emails about technology in the classroom and I enjoyed what I learned. I have never really thought that much about technology, but I know that they did use it at the school and I felt that interviewing and talking to a teacher who has younger students would be very beneficial. Now, they are not completely high tech, but there are many advances being made in the classrooms now a days. First, Ms. McGreal does use the dry erase board a lot, but she does also incorporate many different things.

Ms. McGreal is now starting to use a projector frequently, one that is set up to a lap top. Here the students can see things a lot more clear and many times it is easier to understand because they get computers. Also, it is just a lot nice to see and they become a lot more interested. Wendy also tries to get her students to the computer lab a lot because she thinks that it is a great experience for them. The Internet is regulated, and many times she tries to find fun exciting sites where they can explore just so they can get used to the internet. She also tries to use the Internet so they can find research. I do applaud her however because she told me she also makes them use books combined with the internet or cd-roms because she feels society is straying away from the important things that people should know how to do.



Lastly, Ms. McGreal is making her students type all of their papers. She says that they do a lot of writing in class, and so when they are in the computer lab sometimes they work on their typing skills. She understands that you can’t just ignore technology or things will pass you by quickly and she does not want her students to not be prepared. Also, during class projects she films them so the children can watch them and learn from their mistakes as well as have fun with it.

I enjoyed talking to Ms. McGreal a lot about technology because I feel that she has a perfect balance in her classroom. Technology is very important so she tries to slowly incorporate it. Many 2nd graders are a lot more computer savvy then adults, but that doesn’t mean they all understand how to use it. Wendy McGreal is really setting her class to be successful not just in reading and writing but the future of technology.

Duke University

This podcast was an extremely good one in my opinion because it was one a lot of people could relate to. Sometimes people watch or listen something but unless they have a memory or thought that is similar then many become disinterested. Everyone has something to say about September 11th, and we all have our different opinions of where we were or what we remember about it. I for one was in 8th grade English class when our teacher ran out of the room and all of the teachers congregated to watch the awful television footage. I thought it was very interesting to hear that one girl say that she thought that it was a movie. I can remember watching footage for days and it seemed like a dream. A lot of movies now a days look like then when they are a trailer and it is unbelievable that those things can actually happen. Listening to these things can really give people perspective and help them see other people's point of views.

I believe that it would be very beneficial for a social studies class to listen to a podcast like this one because it helps people to be a lot more open minded. There are many people now a days that have been affected since 9/11 when their lives would be completely normal otherwise. The United States as a whole has become a lot more prejudice towards middle eastern cultures and many people are then misjudged. When teachers use this sort of podcast it does have something to do with learning about a specific topic but it really also has to do with the fact it just makes them broaden their perspectives on life.

EDM 310 Podcasts

First of all, I would like to say that I think that the podcasts were a great project for our class to experience. I liked podcasts prior to this; however, I feel it is one of those little tools that people don’t know about. I think it was great for our class to be there while the podcasts were going on so we could hear them first hand. Since I heard my class live, I thought I would go back and listen to those again to hear how they were on the computer. Also, I figured a lot of people would go back and listen to different people because they had already heard our class.

I listened to my group’s presentation first because I just wanted to know what I sounded like. I know that lame, but it is true. I thought overall my group did well. I think that we did decent when talking, we each took our turns and then we talked all together like a conversation. At the same time, I feel that we could
have been a little more conversational. When people listen to radio shows they listen to hear everyone’s opinion, usually it’s more of a casual setting and its more conversational. Also, when I was listening to myself, I felt that I sounded like a valley girl and unprofessional. I have to carefully pick out my words because I think that is one of the reasons I sounded like I did. Like everyone, I also need to work on not using the filler words, such as like and um. Those also make people sound unprofessional and uneducated on the subject. For the first time, I was proud of my group and I thought we did a very good job, but there are always those little things you can work on.

I thought that the other groups did well also, but just like our group they experienced a little things that could be fixed. First, I thought my group was lucky because we got an interesting topic to talk about, and I thought some other topics were a lot more straight forward and kind of boring. I thought for the most part the groups did a good job trying to make it interesting but some of them went a little too long. When these podcasts go over the time by 5 to 10 minutes people can really tell and they lose a lot of interest. I felt that the people in our class had a lot of the same opinions, and well I value that they all wanted to talk I also feel that it also made me lose interest because it was quite repetitive. The rest was just little things like talking louder and not using filler words. I think this is a great tool that we tested out because it was useful for me to hear how I sounded when I spoke and all of us can improve ourselves, which is what I felt like this exercise was all about.

Mathematics with Technology

This podcast was on a very interesting and important subject that will be key to future teachers everywhere. Judy Chandler is a math teacher as well as technology junkie. She has been trying to integrate technology into the classroom for a while, and is now doing this by experimenting and giving Mac computers to teachers and students to heighten the experience of school everywhere. She has put her two favorite subjects, math and technology together to make for a very different informative classroom setting. She wants the students to actually get something out of a classroom right away and with the computers they can see what they are doing and how they need to correct it right away.

I believe that technology is a very important tool, especially since it has become such an important tool to our society over the past ten years. For one, technology and math come hand in hand. Many of the very intelligent people who have become innovators of different computer programs love and excel in math. I am not saying that computers wouldn’t be useful for something like history; I just believe that it is easy to relate and connect math and technology.

I believe what Judy Chandler has a great idea, it just needs to be followed through. I went to Hinsdale Central High School, a suburb of Chicago, and my junior year the school started a new program. Every teacher was given a Toshiba Notebook laptop and then there were some trial classes that got a classroom set of these laptops as well. These laptops work as regular computers but then you can turn it around and it acts like a Notepad where you can write on the screen. Many of the classes that I was in were the trial classrooms, and I loved them. At first the computers were annoying because there were many technical difficulties because they were so foreign to our tech support at school at the time, but as the weeks progressed, there was great improvement. The teachers would connect his or her computer to the screen in the class and the class would then do all of the work or take the notes on their notepad. Then we were able to email our notes to ourselves after. It seems like it is something you could do with a regular notebook, but it wasn’t the same. For example, in my math class, when taking notes you could change the color of your pen, and our teacher would do that a lot. The class would follow, so we could distinguish the steps a lot better and when we looked back we could tell what we did in the class previously. It was a very good tool and it even prepared me better for college.

I think that there need to be more advocates of Judy Chandler. Not only is she an intelligent woman, she is a great teacher with wonderful ideas. If people took her more seriously, classrooms could be more productive. I understand that many older teachers are afraid of the unknown, however, it’s never too late to learn. Technology is going to keep moving forward, even if we are not. Why not join the party now?

Growth vs. Fixed Minds

This video podcast was about a very interesting experiment that a psychologist Carol Dweck put on. She said that many students have fixed mindsets and they think that intelligence is all about what genes that you get, therefore they never do as well they can in school and in many cases their work declines. There were two different groups, one practiced study skills and this new growth mindset where the other group just learned study skills. The growth mindset is one where the students are explained that their brain is a muscle and it gets stronger as well as smarter every time it is used. They also read articles about this theory and really believed in themselves. Then back in the classroom after these sessions, the teachers, who were unaware of which student was in which group, could even tell who the children in the growth mind set group were. The students who learned nothing new and still believed in the fixed mindset kept declining.

I thought that this video podcast was the most interesting that we have watched or listened to. I was so intrigued by the video and the experiment that Carol Dweck did on these students. It really excited me because i really do believe that learning has to do a little bit with the genes you possess but it also had to do alot with how hard a person works and if they have faith in themselves and their work. Many children just need a little boost, and when I realize that the brain is always getting smarter i think that this experiment had kind of a placebo effect as well. If the students think that they are improving then they really will and I think that that is wonderful.

This video really stuck with me and I believe that all teachers should have to watch this video. There are many teachers out there that think that if a student is not smart then they just need to leave them behind to help the other students and that really is not the case. What the students really need is the support from the teacher so that he or she knows that they can accomplish anything. If a teacher believed in me I would always try harder for that grade just because someone had faith in me. When a kid says they are stupid they just need someone to pick them up and show them how great they can really be, and I think that that was this podcasts message.

Infrared Light-Grade K-5

In the 5 minute video that was viewed, we learned a lot about infrared light and what exactly it it. The video was not that exciting and the acting was not very good but it did get the point across. They showed us the different kind of energy that cold and hot gives off by using an infrared camera. While i was not that excited about this movie, if I was someone who was younger I would be kind of fascinated. Also, the movie was short enough that even if the students did not think it was that interesting it would have kept their attention for those 5 minutes.


Even though i did not care for the movie that much, I did love the idea behind it. I think that it is great how much technology is being used in the classrooms these days. For an elementary school science teacher, these videos would be perfect to use to just try and show the students what they are being taught. Also, as I mentioned before. the movies are very short and this helps out the teachers because if something can be accomplished short and sweet then that is what they would love. Another thing that I really enjoyed about this was that they were free. Colleges are sponsoring people to make these videos and making them themselves. This helps the teacher and school because they do not have to purchase their own movies, and it also helps the Universities get more publicity.

I think that these movies are great for a learning tool but they are also great because they can give teachers ideas. I think that it would be cool if teachers could tape themselves teaching or having a special presentation and then putting it up for people in the class. Teachers could also get creative and put the class into groups and have them make and educational video about something they are learning about. Then, those movies could be put up on podcasts and the students could get it and download it themselves. Even though it's not always the best thing, televisions have become a big part of society now a days and if we would figure out how to incorporate something like these podcasts into everyday school I feel that a lot could be accomplished, even more then already.

Edible Schoolyard and A Night in the Global Village

The Edible School Yard is a teaching tool used at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkley, California. It is a garden where the children in that class grow and cook their own food. The was thought up by Alice Walter, who was not happy with the lunch program so in turn she complained to administration. She said that the lunch items were not nutritionally helping the students. By having this garden classroom the children not only grow their vegetables but also cook them as well. This idea is fantastic because it incorporates not only cooking and good life lessons but it includes science as well. Also, by being hands-on the students are more involved and pay better attention.

I think that this is a great tool that many classrooms should have if the climate and the school funds accept it. Not only does it make the students work hard to grow and cook their own food, it makes them appreciate everything more. By growing the foot the students are more inept to try foods that maybe they wouldn’t if someone had just placed it on a plate in front of them. Also, it puts healthy food in their bodies. Lunch items these days really lack in nutritional value, and in turn it lowers the energy level of the students. By replacing those high calorie, low nutrient foods with high energy, high vitamin foods there could be a slow progression in the academics of the school. Overall, I think that the Edible School Yard is a great idea. It not only teaches the students a life lesson but it also teaches them their basic things they learn in school hands on.




A Night in the Global Village was a podcast about teaching students on how many people in the world have to survive. The students were taken to a camp with no electricity or plumbing and they were put into groups. These groups each had one important supply like wood, water, food, ect., and they all had to work together to make their meals and live. It was a great learning experience for the students, because living like that and understanding it is not just done by hearing about it. One has to live like that to really appreciate your life compared to how some people have to live.

Just like the Edible School Yard, I thought that A Night in the Global Village was a great idea as well. In many history and global learning classes we hear all about how lucky we are and how many people suffer daily. I could never imagine living without running water or electricity but the majority of the people in the world live like that daily. By having the students experience that first hand, they will then take a better understanding of everything they learn. Many people are visual learners were as some are auditory learners, but whenever you experience something those memories will never be forgotten and I think that is what learning is all about.

Podcasts

Dr. Strange had our class listen to 6 podcasts and then we could write our reactions. I had never really listened to podcasts before so i didn't really know what to expect. The first time listening through all of them I was really bored they reminded me of the radio shows that my parents listen to to bore the death out of me. After a while I just shut them off and didn't listen to them for a while after that. That was kind of extreme of me to do but I didn't care, I had listened to a few minutes of each and i thought that was enough, however; I was extremely wrong. After a week or so I decided to listen to them again, I mean after all this blog had to be done, and I found out a lot more then I had imagined.

The first thing that I learned was that i had to listen to more than 5 minutes of each section to get anything out of it. Yes, I still feel like it was a little boring at points however I found out some very beneficial. These podcasts are like little radio shows where teachers can help one another by sharing information to one another. Not only can they share via email to the hosts, but the hosts themselves know what they are talking about. I feel that if you use a podcast then you are quite an innovative person because podcasts are really knew thing to the world of technology and especially teaching. I think teaching has come a long way and I feel that one of the reasons this is because people like that who do these shows.

The show that I liked the most was SMARTboard. One thing that I really liked about that was that the hosts were not just men or female. First, I really feel that it is a great thing to hear males involved because there have been lack of male role models in teaching lately, but i really also liked the chemistry. The man and woman had a very good way of talking to one another and they didn't have the same views which always makes everything a lot more interesting. One thing that I didn't not fully understand when they were talking about it was the actual smart board. I think if maybe I would be able to see it then it would make alot more sense. I was guessing that it was some type of computer, it was $8,000 so it had to be something quite fancy.

The other show that I didn't really care for was the MacBreak show. It wasn't that I didn't like the show it was more that i did not really get into it. All of the men were kind of geeky so I felt that they all knew what they were talking about, but at the same time we were suppose to understand it as well. I am really into Mac anything so I did really enjoy that aspect of everything but if I was just a normal person I would have not understood it at all. Also, it was kind of static-y to listen to so it just was kind of unappealing.

Overall, I really did enjoy learning the new things when it came to the podcasts. I know I was very harsh in some of my critiques, but I think that would only help them out in the long run. Podcasts are going to be the next big thing in the technology world so I think that this can only get better. Also, if we listen to them now I think it personally helped me when it did come to the teaching and technology tips. Podcasts are going to be the next big things in years to come.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture was an amazing speech. Not only was Randy Pausch very entertaining, he was so insightful, especially when it comes to future teachers. The first thing that I noticed about the Last Lecture was the fact that he talked about the "White Elephant" in the room. He just wanted things out in the open, and he knows what everyone was thinking, so why not just bring the subject up? Many people can sense when people are thinking something and they just don't say it and I believe that is was great of him to just put himself out there. I feel that when teachers put themselves out there that is when they get the best result, and I suspect that that is one of the reason Randy Pausch was so successful.

My dad brought me down his book The Last Lecture and I kept telling him that I was going to read it. After watching the actual speech, I decided that I was going to was going to read it and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. The chapters are very short and they are great life lessons for people. Since reading it I have recommended it to many people older and younger, and my dad has picked out certain chapters for my ten year old sister to read and she even likes it. I really liked reading it because you learn so much more about him and his philosophies and why he is the way he is. I was also really interested on learning about his family and how he grew up because that is the foundation of every person.

One of the things that I really appreciated about Pausch after reading his book and watching the lecture was how he handled his students. Just because someone is very intelligent, does not mean that they will automatically be a good teacher, but that was not the case when it came to Randy Pausch. He was a very smart man teaching very bright students, and he always knew how to get the best out of them. Pausch never let his students plateau and that is very respectable. He also used many different techniques to push them instead of just lecturing them that they could do better. If Pausch had not influenced by so many people then the theatre at Carnagie Mellon would not have been packed when he gave his speech.

I could have a conversation about Randy Pausch with someone for hours, which means that this blog could keep on going, but since I do not want to recap the whole book or lecture I will finish with this. The one thing that impressed me most about Pausch was his honesty. In the lecture he was honest about his illness, he showed the slides, and he let everyone know about his diagnosis. In his life he was a very honest husband and son, and in the classroom he was very straightforward with his students. I believe that it is very important that people and students can trust the ones they look up to, and I also believe honesty is the best policy. Pausch represented himself and these qualities very well and that is why he was so successful in many aspects of his life.

The Wonderful World of Educational iPods

iPods have become very popular devices over the past couple of years. People of all ages have adapted to the iPod craze. Everyone from athletes, children, grandparents, even the people going to work on the train, has iPods. Duke University is also going along with the trend and getting their incoming freshmen iPods to “enhance their learning experience”, they download them with material that will help them learn and gain more knowledge throughout college. I think that that is a great idea. Now a days, iPods are very accessible and they have so many new gadgets and tricks that they can do. They are also very portable and therefore students can take the classroom anywhere. I like listening music when I am on the road for volleyball, and if there was a podcast or something along those lines of a lecture, I would love to listen to that so I would not be as behind in school.



The website I found out about iPods was called Smart iPod Ideas. It was a very basic website however I found it to be very useful. The first page was just about Podcasts and listening to things such as books on your iPod. However, once you get past that home page there is a lot of other interesting things. There are many article that one can read to fully understand how to use the iPod to the fullest extent. Also, there are many links which a person can go to learn more as well if that information is not sufficient enough. Overall, this is a very basic website but if someone used it correctly it could be very useful.

To Learn More Please Click Here

Dr. Alice Christie

One part of Dr. Christie's website that I really enjoyed was her online resources for databases for when children have to research information. When I was growing up I found that this was the hardest thing to do, when researching on the internet. Now-a-days, when researching, many students go and just type in a subject into Google. While this may be effective sometimes it may also not guide them to a site that is not very helpful. Also, it sometimes hard to find information it also is at a higher grade level many times.



I also was very impressed with Dr. Christie's database website because it is not only helpful for the students but it is also very helpful for the teachers. She includes not only website for only specific topics but she also provide websites for data bases, search engines, ask an expert, almanacs, encyclopedias, webcams, simulations, references, and primary sources. With all of this information, it is easy for a teacher to find something that the children can understand very well for their age. Also, a teacher can easily look where the children got the information if there were any misunderstandings. Dr. Christie's databases are very helpful for many teachers as well as students and should be used by as many teachers as possible.

WIKIPEDIA-FRIEND OR FOE?

I wasn’t surprised on what I found out about Wikipedia after reading the articles on NPR and Wired. When Wikipedia first came out I didn’t know that it was not reliable and I got angry when my teachers told me it could not be used as a source for papers. Then my freshman year, my roommate and I were bored one day and we just started to put crazy things on Wikipedia to see how long they would last. They stayed on the website for about 2 hours. After then I realized that if I took two hours to get ridiculous information off the site then how long would it take to get information off of something that seemed kind of correct? It is going to take many years until the website of Wikipedia can be used as a good reliable source, but for now, it is very useful when you need to find out fast facts.
I was also not surprised when I found out about what companies like Wal-Mart are doing when it comes to information on their stores on Wikipedia. Since many people believe that Wikipedia is a reliable source, it was kind of intelligent for these companies to write these falsehoods knowing that it would take days until someone noticed the information if they did at all. Even though it is unethical what they did, at the same time it is just another way that the company can publicize themselves. Wikipedia really needs to be revamped so that not everyone can write on the website and we can have more reliable source. Wikipedia has a good base idea, there are just some things that need to be tweaked.

Formula For Success

Once again after reading this blog, I feel that Karl Fisch has made a great point once again. In today’s society it is all about getting the right answer and that is what grades for school are based on. He makes a really good point saying “everyone focuses on one right answer. In society today we want people to think with an open mind, but tests are not always reflecting that. Some tests only have one right answer, such as history, there is only one date that a battle happened on, but I don’t believe that that is the case in many subjects. Math is a subject in which students learn to think logically. Now, there are formulas they may need to know for a particular semester, but in reality is everyone going to need to know how to find the area of a triangle when the are 45? I think that an assessment as Karl Fisch had mentioned is a great idea when testing students, instead of your basic math test.

The reason I think that an assessment is a good idea in place of an exam because it makes students think so much more than a basic test. For example, as Fisch said, a good question would be. “You’re designing a school, what size and shape would your math classrooms would be and why?” Now, a student cannot just memorize that answer and write it down on the sheet of paper and forget it right when they leave the room. A question like that has a lot of different, smaller questions that need to be answered. Not only is there a math problems involved like area, but there is also a lot of explaining that a student could do to reason his or her decisions. For a teacher, it is a good idea to hear them out because sometimes teachers judge, but if you give someone a chance to explain many times you would be pleasantly surprised. I think that Karl Fisch is a very innovative teacher and he really looks in the future and he wants others to do the same and I really respect that.

Click Here to Read Karl Fisch's Blog

FISCHBOWL-TECHNOLOGICALLY ILLITERATE

When I heard people say phrases like, “I don’t get computers” or “me and my computer don’t get along-it hates me”, I used to just accept that as a normal response and I helped the person out. Now, after reading this post and thinking more about it, why would I ever want to handicap someone like that? Karl Fisch had some great points that he was trying to make in his blog, and one that really stuck with me was teachers today that are technologically illiterate are like teachers who couldn’t read a hundred years ago. Teachers are only hindering their students when they do not know what is going on in the advancement of technology. When a 3rd grader knows more about a computer than his teacher does, we have to ask ourselves, should that person still be allowed to teach? We are here to help out our students and have them grow and learn and if they are the ones teaching us then what are they really getting out of it?

I believe that there is no doubt that Karl Fisch shouldn’t have won the award for most influential blog, because everyone needs to read it and then reflect. I am sure that there were many people who changed the way they felt about computers after reading that blog. I know I did. Sometimes I get really frustrated with the Internet and technology in general, but the times are getting more advanced everyday. Instead of rejecting it, why do we not just embrace it for all we can. The main thing I want to do in life is really have an influence on the children I teach and I want them to know I did all I could to help them learn. By being not only computer literate but also technologically advanced, I can achieve that dream.

Is It Ok To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

International blogs

At the Renwick School, there is grade 1 taught by Dianne, and her blog is the one that I discovered on the web. I thought that it was very interesting that she did a blog for such a young class, but then I saw how it was so helpful. First, she could help other young teachers who do not know what to do with a young class. Dianne put up pictures and descriptions of what her and her class did all day and especially on days that were fun for the kids. Also, when parents have young kids, it is kind of hard to let them go. By the teacher having this blog parents can keep up with what their children are doing. Also, it is hard to understand children and what they are talking about but here parents have the access to help them understand. I thought that this blog was unconventional because of the age but it is a brilliant idea.

The British School of Amsterdam has a blog for its “lower junior” class and its “upper junior class”. Much like Dianne, the teachers for the Lower Junior Class are very involved with the blog and want people to know what is going on in their school. They not only talk about what the students to daily, they also post different things that they have done. For instance the first thing that I saw there were Anti Bully Poems that really helped the students express themselves. I think that many teachers are now finding out the benefits of blogs and they really enjoy when the students as well as parents can be involved. I feel that many schools should start really advocating blogs to their teachers because it is also a great way to share information with other teachers around the world. I really think that many great ideas are being spread world wide and it is fascinating.

Please Note: I tried to find a picture of the British School of Amsterdam's Blog, but I was unable to find one

My Presentation

New Handouts

Ms. Averitt has distributed some interesting articles on RSS Feeds and Podcasting. I have added them to the list of handouts on the right but here are links anyway!
Ford Motor Company

BLOGS BY TEACHERS

This website was made by a teacher who teaches 2nd grade. When you first enter the blog she says that people on this could either be really old or really young bloggers, and that is because the students use it as well. She lets the students blog and write different things sort of like their projects. She also takes many pictures so everyone can see what the class is learning what to do. I think that it is great that Mrs Kristin Heng-Ling Sok Khin is letting such young kids use a blog because first they could think it is cool to see their work online. Also, at the same time they are learning how to use technology at such a young age and that really is something that students need to learn young now. This blog was a clever idea with many bright colors and fun artifacts, to make the blog something fun to look at and read.

Another Blog that i found was on blogger.com and the name of it was Ms. Frizzle, a spin off of the teacher from the Magic School Bus. She used a blog just to talk about what she was doing with her students. One thing that i thought was really neat was how she had end of the year reflections from her students on their experiences in her science class. One thing that i thought was weird though was that she wanted to keep her school, students, and herself anonymous. Usually teachers blog because they want to share what they are doing in their classroom with other teachers, parents, and the students. By making the blog author unknown, we still can learn everything, just without knowing who is doing it, other than knowing she teaches in the Bronx. I feel that if a blog is published then information should be there as well, just not maybe very specific. It was very cool the difference of the two blogs I found, both with the same purpose.

DID YOU KNOW?

When i first sat down to watch this video, i just thought that it would be something else about the Alabama school system, but then it was something very touching that was completely unexpected. I thought that the numbers of the statistics is amazing and it shows how much people hand the world are changing. A couple of statistics that really shocked me was that 1 out of 8 couples that get married met online. I thought that even though those places were out there, I did not realize how many people participated in that. I also thought that is was astounding that kids that are 4 years old know how to work a computer. Another fact that was cool was that if Myspace was a country it would be the 8th largest in the world. There were so many of these facts that really put things in perspective.

I really think that this presentation is very important for any person to watch, but especially any person who has any influence on any child's life. Technology is making a drastic difference on everyone in the world and it is so weird, and something that no one really ever expected. Many children need to learn important things about technology because that will be their future, and by watching that movie, it brings alot to the table. I thought that it was really funny that they played on the initial "BC" by saying "BG" for Before Google, because that is so true. I cannot remember a time when I did not have Google, let alone a computer. I believe that any educator needs to realize about all of the growth that is happening and this video was a great way to gain someones attention.

ACCESS

The point of ACCESS is that "the State of Alabama will provide equal access to high quality instruction to improve student achievement through distance learning opportunities." Alabama is one of the lower ranked states in the country when it comes to academics, and they really are looking to provide new things for their students. ACCESS is fundamentally going to help out because people can access it from anywhere and they will have references from many different places, not just specifically their district, city, or state. One problem with ACCESS however is that many of the districts are lower income and they do not have the funds, because the base of ACCESS is new technology. If that technology is not accessible, then how will the students learn. Even though this is a slight set back, the overall plan of ACCESS is ingenious. Students who are above average will finally have their chance to be challenged, while the other students are still learning everything they need to know also at a high level.

I believe that ACCESS is just one of the many new building blocks of Alabama state education. In the past, the state has not had the best reputation for public education, but with the new programs like ALEX and ACCESS, they are making huge strides. Coming from Illinois, Alabama's public education system was a lot different, because certain states were ahead of the times. With new improvements, Alabama is slowly closing the gap, which is a positive for everyone in the state. I thought the great thing about ACCESS was that it really looks like it will help the AP students and really challenge them, and I feel like that was not as much as of a priority before. Also, as said above, it just doesn't focus on the "gifted" students, because it has something for everyone. By bringing different settings, places, and resources it will really challenge the students and help them have a better learning experience.

ALEX

ALEX or Alabama Learning Exchange is a new concept that the state has come up with to help students with their academics. Not only is it focusing on the students but also the teachers, administrators, and parents that are in students lives daily. When they all succeed together that is when the states scores will improve and it will do better in national standings. ALEX has courses of studies for every subject, and it also shows the improvements from different years. There are courses of studies from the years 1999, 2003, and 2007 therefore we can see the benchmarks the state is making to attain their goal. ALEX is really just another thing that Alabama can do to slowly improve the education. Other than courses of studies on the website their are also web links, lesson plans, and a special "personal web page" on the site. These are just more resources that can help teachers. In the past 10 years the state has been making huge strides and ALEX is slowly helping the process.

Also on the ALEX webpage, there is a professional learning link. There is a page that says Alabama Learning Development and they talk about different programs professionals can be involved in to help. For example, "The Alabama Leadership Academy (ALA) was established to increase the achievement of all students in Alabama by supporting the growth and development of superintendents, principals, and teachers as instructional leaders." The Learning Development really helps the schools be more efficient, because they are taking care of the administrators and teachers first, because those are the people who take care and teach the students. The Alabama Learning Exchange has really started to have a large impact on the progression of Alabama school systems with the help of different links and pages and different developmental programs. It will slowly help everyone in the long run.

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Mi Vida

Hi! My name is Taylor Irvin, and I play volleyball here at South. I was an elementary education major, but then i switched over to physical education because what I really want to be is an Athletic Director. I am from Chicago, and I have lived there my whole life but I moved down here because of the chance to play Division I athletics. That was hard to do because it is about fourteen hours away and I am very close to my family, but it was something I knew that I should do because not many people can have that accomplishment. I love to read, lay out, and really just be with my friends. My true love however is Notre Dame football. I have been a huge fan since I was in 7th grade. Its great down here in the south, and I did not know that I would love Alabama this much when I first came down here, however, I am not sure how I feel about all the Alabama and Auburn fans (just kidding)! Have a good day!

Hey!!!

Hey everyone!!! This is my blog i hope you really enjoy reading everything! Have a fabulous day!!!