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.

C4T #4 Summary

 

Don't Let Anyone Despise You- Fulfill Your PURPOSE! 

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. 

Teach This! Teaching with Lesson Plans and Ideas that rock!

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:  

• myHomework Student Planner  

• The Top 100 Apps for Kids: 61-70-Smart Apps For Kids 

• Khan Academy App for iPod touch and iPhone 

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.

Final Project #16

Project #15 SMART Board Instruction Part 2

Final Report on PLN

My Personal Learning Network has defiantly come a long way, since I first started using symbaloo. I have now added teachers personal blogs onto my board, such as Vicki Davis and Silvia Tolisano. I have added a few education tools, which I feel will help me in the future. Also, I have added a SMART Board tool onto my board as well.

Check out my new PLN down below!

C4K Summary for November

C4K#7 Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli

On Nov. 4,  I commented on Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli blog post titled 'Strolling down Merrion Road in Dublin'. They discussed their trip to Ireland in their blog post, which they took over Fall break. They shared some pictures of local places in Ireland, such as the Guinness pub. I told Dr.Vitulli it looks like they are having a great time. Also, I told her I can not wait to hear about her trip when she arrives back from Ireland.

C4K#8 Aspen H
 

On Nov. 11, I commented on Aspen's blog.  Aspen is in Mr. Boylen's 8th grade LA class. He discussed in his blog about his trip to Colorado, where he visits his cousin. He talks about how he and his siblings and mom had to take a train up to Colorado.  I told Aspen that I have never traveled by train before and found it interesting that he and his family traveled by train. I asked Aspen if he had been to the Grand Canyon, since he mentions seeing canyons in his blog post. I did not receive a response back from Aspen.
 
C4K#9 Susan
 

On Nov. 18,  I commented on Susan's blog. Susan is a student in Mr. Cometti's World History class at Roberts Dale High School. She discussed in her blog about Veterans Day.  She mentions about her great grandfather and how was a mechanic, as well as, a pilot on bombers during WWII.  I told Susan that my great grandfather, grandpa, and dad each served in the military. I told her that my great grandfather served over in France during WWII and that my mom his shadow box, which includes some of his medals from WWII. I asked Susan if she had any memorable items from her great grandfather? She did respond back and said that she did not have any personal items from them, but she heard so many great stories about her great grandfather from her great grandmother.


C4K#10 Ms. Nelson's 4th Graders-Rosa Parks Video

 

On Nov. 25, I commented on Ms. Nelson's 4th graders blog video titled 'Rosa Parks'. Ms. Nelson's students collaborated together and made a video about historic people. The historic people consisted in the video are Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and Governor Bently. Ms. Nelson's 4th grade class actually got to meet with Governor Bently earlier this year. I told Ms.Nelson and her students that I enjoyed watching their video! Also,  I told Ms. Nelson and her students that I liked the sound effects that went along with each historic person.

Progress Report on Final Project

Our group includes Courtney Block, Anna Faggard, Jessica Mose, and myself. We communicate with each other through text messages and email, but mainly through text. So far, we have met twice to work on our project. We have most of our project done and will complete the rest of our project when we return from Thanksgiving break.

Blog Post #12

For this week’s blog post, Dr. Strange asked EDM310 students to create an assignment that he would have assigned to students. As I sit here and think, what kind of creative assignment can I come up with that Dr.Strange hasn’t already assigned. I begin to do some research on the web, while brainstorming new ideas. I came across two videos on YouTube, which I felt was appropriate for EDM.

Here is my assignment that I created:

1. Watch Why Implement Technology into the Classroom? Discuss this video and your reactions. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog Post.

2. Watch ABC World News- What Makes A Great Teacher? Discuss this video and your reactions. What do you think makes a great teacher? Explain your thoughts. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog Post .

Why Implement Technology into the Classroom? 

This video explains how fast technology has evolved and how technology has made its way into the classroom.  Today, classrooms are not based upon pen and paper. Classrooms are currently set up with technology based tools, which enhances the learning process for students. Even food corporations are keeping up with the rapid rate of technology, such as McDonalds.

As a future educator, I must keep up with new technology that is out today in order to understand new technology tomorrow. I find it amazing how much technology has changed over the last decade.  I remember when CD players came out, which was the hip thing then. Now, there is iPods and iPads that can do so many neat things. It’s unreal! This video is a reminder to not be discouraged from new technology, but to learn and use it to the best of your ability and share it with students and colleagues.

 

ABC World News- What Makes A Great Teacher? 

This is a short news segment on ‘ABC World News’. ABC World News follows two teachers, who believe they have the secrets to success. Both teachers state, the reason behind their success in their classroom is they set high goals for their students. These two teachers work strongly with their students, so students can achieve their goals and succeed among many other things.

I believe a great teacher is someone who pushes their students towards success. A great teacher must encourage each student and help guide them toward a better future. I think it is important for teachers to learn new things, whether it may be new developments of technology or new ways to teach a lesson. Overall, teachers should thrive to be lifelong learners.

C4T #3 Summary

Where to begin the story?

Summary:

Mr. Rice discusses in his blog post how he can he connect more with his colleagues. He states how he is having trouble sharing his ideas with fellow teachers and catching them up to speed. He mentions about Sir Ken Robinson and possibly sharing his videos with faculty. 

Response:

I told Mr.Rice that his first step should be to share his blog with his colleagues and see how that turns out.  I shared with Mr. Rice a link Sir Ken Robinson's video that I had watched for EDM 310. I mentioned that Sir Ken Robinson gives great advice and that Mr.Rice should considering sharing his with his colleagues.

Setting The Bar Low

Summary:

Mr. Rice discusses in his blog post on how administrators are setting the bar low, instead of setting the bar high at his school. He states that when he was evaluated by administrators, they didn’t have a great deal of positive or negative feedback that Mr. Rice was hoping for. He says that he is a perfectionist and would be the first to score his self harshly.

Response: 

I told Mr. Rice that I was stunned that administrators at his school would want to set the bar low. As a future educator, you would think that the bar would be set high for students, teachers, and administrators. I thanked Mr. Rice for sharing his blog post!

 

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy teaches first grade in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. She has been using technology in her classroom for the past ten years. She incorporates tools such as Nintendo DS, lap tops, and the SMART board with students in her class. Students in Ms.Cassidy’s class use technology for many educational purposes.

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

In this video, students discuss how they use technology in Ms. Cassidy’s class and how they connect with other students around the world. Students use Skype,which is an online video chat, to interact with other classrooms or an expert to learn more about a particular topic. Ms. Cassidy’s students had a skype session with a geologist, who discussed with them about the different types of rocks. Students not only use skype to connect with others, they blog as well. Ms.Cassidy mentions how she protects her students from harmful sites, when they are online. She tells her students to use only their first name for their blog and to click on sites that she has mentioned.

Skype Session With Dr. Strange

In this video, Dr.Strange and his students ask various questions to Ms. Cassidy over skype. Ms.Cassidy mentions that current and future teachers need to keep up with technology, so they can enhance the way that they teach. She also mentions that teachers should start connecting and building their personal learning network, so they can share new ideas with other educators.

Ms.Cassidy had great advice throughout each video. One technique that I would like to use in my future classroom that Ms.Cassidy used in hers is skype. I think skype would be a neat tool to use in the classroom with students because students can learn more about a topic by connecting with an expert or by connecting with another classroom around the world.

Special Blog Assignment

A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind

In this article, USA Today celebrates its 30th Anniversary by interviewing some of the USA’s greatest visionaries to discuss about the world of tomorrow. USA Today sat down with Google VP Professor Sebastian Thrun to discuss the future of education. Thrun made two points on the future of education:

1. Learning will be just as fun as playing video games.

2. Grades will not exist.

Thrun discusses that the way we learn now will be highly different then the way we learn in the future. He said that in the future, learning will be just like a playing video game, such as today’s popular app game “Angry Birds”. Thrun then goes on to say that grades will not exist for students. Grades will become a thing of the past. Students will be able to master a skill or show they understand a concept at their own pace.

Reading this article brings many questions to mind. Where do I stand as a future educator?  How will a student's progress be measured if no grades are given?  As a future educator, I do not believe grades should be eliminated from the education system. I believe that grades should still be given in school because grades are a measure of what a student has mastered.

One section of this article that I enjoyed reading about was a metaphor Professor Thrun discussed about choosing a blue pill or a red pill, in terms of education. If you choose the blue pill, you return to class and lecture to students but if you decide to take a gamble and choose the red pill, you see your class in a new light and make some changes to your class. Overall, this article has given me a new outlook on what the future holds for educators.

C4K Summary for October

C4K #3 Max

On Oct. 7, I commented on Max’s blog. Max is in the 4th grade in Ms.Dunlop’s class. He discussed in his blog post on how he likes playing football during the fall because it is fun sliding through the leaves and drinking hot chocolate after playing a couple games. I told Max that I enjoyed fall because of the cool weather and of course football games. I asked Max if he had a favorite college football team and if so, who were they? He did respond back and said he liked Penn State.

C4K# 4 Courtney

 
On Oct. 14, I commented on Courtney’s blog. Courtney is in the 12th grade. She is a student in Mr. Gwaltney’s AP U.S. and Comparative Gov. Politics course, located in Oregon. She discussed in her blog about the first presidential debate between President Obama and Governor Romney. I told Courtney that she did a wonderful job on her reflections of the first presidential debate.

C4K #5 Austin

On Oct. 16, I commented on Austin’s blog. Austin is in the 5th grade at Scott Hagedorn Chicago Suburb. He wrote about the history of The Liberty Bell in his blog. I asked Austin if he had been to any historical sites in the United States. I told Austin that I visited New York City with family a few years ago, and I was able to see The Statue of Liberty. I did not receive a response from Austin.

C4K #6 Marty

On Oct. 28, I commented on Marty’s blog. Marty is from Alberta, Canada. He discussed in his blog that he is not too fond of the Eiffel Tower but he likes to play hockey. I told Marty that I liked that Eiffel Tower and would love to see it one day. I asked Marty if he played any other sports besides hockey, he did not respond back.

Blog Post #10

Adventures in Pencil Intergration 

This is a cartoon made by John T. Spencer. The message John is trying to send is name brand products may be costly. However, you get your money’s worth when buying high quality products than buying low quality products. Basically, this cartoon is a metaphor between PC and Apple. Apple is known for their quality devices, such as the iPad. On the other hand, PCs are just as great as Apple but they tend to catch viruses and crash more often. Overall, it is up to the customer on how much he or she wants to spend.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games? 

In this post, Mr. Spencer is explaining to the principal how he incorporates games along with his lesson plan with students. The principal was not so pleased to hear that students were “playing games” while learning how to read. The principal was more concerned if students were going to be able to pass the rote memorization test.

I thought this was an interesting post by Spencer. I liked how he didn’t teach his students to memorize the subject he was teaching for the day.  Instead he incorporated games along with his lessons, which I think is great because students are able to interact with each other and actually comprehend what they are learning rather than memorizing the material.

The Con Academy

In this post, Mr. Spencer is approached by a man who considers that he flip his classroom. The man insists that if Mr. Spencer flips his classroom, Mr. Spencer will be able to answer each students question and see where each student stands with the material he is teaching.

I enjoyed reading this post by Spencer. It was humorous as well as informational. I think the idea of teachers “flipping their classroom” is a wonderful idea because students can work independently on their assignments and have their questions answered over the assignment the next day in class.

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

This is an antic post by Dr. Scott McLeod on whether or not technology should be in the classroom. Dr. Sott McLeod is the Director of Innovation for Prarie Lakes Area Education Agency 8 in Iwoa. He is the founding director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the nations only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administers. He is also the co-creator of the widely popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens).

I think Dr. Scott McLeod has a very valid point about incorporating the use of technology in the classroom. Students should be exposed to technology because technology is a helpful tool and makes learning a lot more fun. We have great technology out there today, why should we not expose students towards it? Yes, technology can be harmful in some ways but it can also be educational if used properly.

Be sure to check out John T. Spencer and Dr. Scott McCleod’s blog!