Thursday, December 6, 2012

Blog Post #15 Final Reflection

Project #15 Report on Collaboration

For Project#15, my group and I could only communicate by using skype, Google Docs, and Google chat. Since we could not discuss this project in person, my group (Team CSI) communicated by using Google Collaboration, text messages, skype, and also ooVoo. Courtney Block, Anna Faggard, and myself came up with a 5th grade science lesson, which we presented on the SMART Board. We discussed this information on Google Collaboration, as you can see up above. I enjoyed using skype with my group members, since I have never used skype before taking this class. I will defiantly use all these tools that I have mentioned outside of EDM310.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

C4T #4 Summary




Summary:

Vicki Davis discusses in her blog post post about not letting others get you down, to fulfill your purpose. She mentions how someone corrected her in a recent blog post of hers. She said that she tried not to let this anonymous strangers comments bother her, but unfortunately they did. After dwelling on this situation, Vicki finally took a stand and disregarded the comments. She remembered her calling as a teacher.

Response:

I told Mrs. Davis that I enjoyed reading her blog post! I told her that her post was very encouraging and helpful for educators and everyone in general. I also mentioned that each of us have our own special talents and that we should not be discouraged by what others say. 


Summary:

Vicki Davis discusses about various sites that can help improve with teachers lesson plans, as well as, students. Some of the sites she mentions are:  
My Homework Student Planner is an app that some students are using to help organize homework.

Response:

I told Mrs. Davis that the sites she has mentioned will defiantly be helpful for me and my future students. I told her I will check them out.

Blog Post #13


Brian Crosby 

Brian Crosby is a teacher at Agnes Risley Elementary School in Sparks, Nevada. He discusses in this video TEDxDenverEd-Brian Crosby-Back to the Future about how some of his students were unaware of common known things, such as their home address. Some of theses students are living in poverty and are unable to express their creativity. Mr. Crosby wanted to improve the lives of these students. After sharing his story about his students, Mr. Crosby shows a picture of his students two years later. Mr. Crosby's students were exposed to many technology tools and were using them regularly in the classroom.

One part of this video I enjoyed is when Mr. Crosby discusses about his students being able to participate in a hot balloon project. Students attached a video camera onto a hot air balloon and received feedback through their class flickr account. Mr. Crosby assigned his students, to write about this experience from beginning to end on their blogs. I would defiantly like to do a lesson like this with my future students.

 

A Vision of Students Today

This video gives an inside look of students going to college today. Some of the students featured in this video hold up signs or a laptop stating a message. One student holds up his laptop with a message that reads "I buy hundred dollar textbooks that I never open." I can relate to this as a student.

At a teachers standpoint, I believe teachers can impact students more by using other resources, such as technology. Students need to be engaged in lessons. So, why not use tools that students are familiar with like Google, facebook, and YouTube . I think teachers should incorporate technology into a lesson, since our generation is becoming more and more technology based. It may cost more to add a SMART Board into a classroom, but think of how much more a teacher can engage his or her students.