C4K #1 Month Of February

C4K Kid #1

In my first C4K assignment I was assigned to NoelK from Around the World with Phoenix Kids K-2 Noel's assignment was to write a 100 word story about anything he wanted. Noel wrote about a kid finding a key in the frosty grass at the park, and the key ended up opening up a treasure chest. There were some obvious grammatical errors in Noel's essay but it was well written for the most part. In my comment I told Noel that I liked how he used adjectives to describe the key and the grass, and how the key opened up a treasure chest. I finished by asking him what type of treasure it was and suggested that next time he use some more adjectives, and describe the treasure as well. This is the link to Noel's story, I recommend you check it out.  Noel's Blog

C4K Kid #2

In my second C4K assignment I was assigned to Mikiya, who is Ms. McKeller's third grade class at Robbins Elementary in Prichard, Alabama. Mikiya wrote in her blog about how she loved her life. She described her family how she has 1 brother and 2 sisters, and then two more brothers on her dad's side. She wrote about her best friend, favorite food, favorite sport, and her birthday. I thought the most interesting thing in her blog was that she wrote that the person who inspires her is her teacher. This was awesome to me because I hope I am the type of teacher who inspires my students as well. In my comment for Mikiya I wrote about how I like how she loved her life and the common interests we have. I also suggested that she be more elaborate about her best friend and her nickname. I definitely think you should check out her blog and comment as well. Mikiya's Blog

C4K Kid #3

For this C4K assignment I was assigned to Lukis, who is a year 5 student at Pt England School in Auckland, NZ, and his teacher is Miss Lavakula. Lukis did a Google presentation in his blog where he talked about his favorite singers, things to do, foods, and video games. I thought that it was really cool that Lukis is already able to make a presentation and he is on in year 5. I also thought it was really neat that he goes to school in New Zealand, and that I am all the way in Mobile, Alabama leaving a comment on his presentation. I left a comment talking about how I liked the fact that his favorite singers are 50 cent and Usher. Then I asked him what his favorite sport is, because he said he liked playing sports but he didn't say which ones. I definitely think you should check out and comment on his presentation at Lukis's Blog.

C4K Kid #4

My Fourth C4K assignment I received a young girl named Brandi, she is in Mrs. Vannoy's first grade class at Nan Gray Davis Elementary school in Theodore, Al. In her blog post Brandi writes that she loves Mrs. Vonnoy and that she is sweet and the best. It just amazes me every time I am assigned a comment for kids assignment because each time I am blown away with what kids already know how to do. Brandi is in First grade and already has a blog, I didn't even know how to spell my last name in First Grade let alone know how to create a blog post. I definitely think anyone reading this she check out Brandi's blog and give her some encouragement to keep on learning, because if she can already accomplish this in the first grade her possibilities are endless. Brandi's Blog

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

In Randy Pausch's Last Lecture he talks about the importance of childhood dreams, and the road to which we achieve these dreams. He wants everyone to understand that even though you might hit a brick wall that this doesn't mean you should give up. He says brick walls are there for a reason they help people understand that sometimes you have to work harder. He says that people should never give up and that sometimes you have to go through a bunch of crap to get to the gold. I think this is an interesting idea about life in general but also a good tactic for teaching. That as a teacher our job is to help these kids in anyway possible. So I agree that This is a very good ideal to use when teaching. That teaching kids that even though they might not succeed the first time doesn't mean they should give up. It just means they should keep trying.

One of the techniques he talks about is the "head fake" technique. all this is essentially is teaching kids how to do something while giving the appearance that you are teaching them something else. For example, Randy used the virtual reality world to teach his students. However he didn't tell his students he was teaching them how to use computer programs and how to create virtual reality settings. He told them that he was allowing them to make whatever they wanted that he was teaching them to be creative. As he did this the students in two weeks came back with results that were extraordinary. The students surpassed every expectation he could even think of. However he received some advice, and told his students that they were good but he knew they could do better. I think this was an excellent decision, it allows his students to always progress and to never just settle for what they think is good enough.

Another piece of advice that Randy was given and gives during his lecture was that people who yell at you and tell you that you're doing something wrong are worth listening too. He says that when someone harps on you it is a good thing because that means they haven't given up hope for you. It is when people stop telling you what you are doing wrong is when you should worry. I think he is absolutely correct. That advice should be listened to whenever it is given, even if it is bad you should still listen. I also agree that people shouldn't be discouraged when they are told they are doing something wrong, they should instead appreciate the fact that people still care and want them to do things correctly.

Randy explains that their is a correct way to tell someone something and incorrect way to tell them the same thing. For example he says that when he taught at Virginia that his dean told him no even though he had no idea about the project. Then his other dean told him that no he didn't know anything but one of his best faculty came to his office extremely excited so he should listen. Both deans told him they didn't know about the subject however one of them told him I don't know but let's find out. With this I don't know let's find out strategy he allowed his professor to get extremely informative information instead of just kicking him to the curb. Another instance is when one of his bosses told him that people think he comes off as pretentious and that it would be ashamed to have all of his ideas tossed aside because people didn't respect him. This was able to allow Randy to realize he was being a jerk and also allowed him to listen. If his boss would have told him, Hey you're a jerk Randy probably wouldn't have listened.

I am definitely going to try and incorporate all three of these strategies into my teaching. I want to use the "head fake" because this will allow my students to be able to learn how to do something, while they think they are just having fun. I also want to never give up on any of my future students. If I give up on just one student I might be the only one left who believes in them and without me they will never reach their dreams. I also think the key to being a good teacher is to be able to point out someones flaws in a correct and polite way so that they will listen to you. I think Randy Pausch made excellent points in his last lecture and I am going to do my best to implement them when I become a teacher.

Project 9 Progress Report

Progress Report

I would have to say my PLN is starting to develop very nicely I've already have some contacts and added some of the useful tools that, with the help of Dr. Strange, I have found. It is just the beginning and I already can see how my PLN organization and clarity is going to help. 

Project #10

Finding The Right Tool

My major is Secondary Education, and English, So I decided that I would like to find a tool that could help mine and my student's grammar. The reason I thought this was a good idea is because I know the toughest problem I have as a writer is making sure all of my words are spelled correctly and that I capitalized all of my I's. Sometimes spell check isn't enough so as I was searching I came across this website http://www.grammarly.com/. At this website it claims that it corrects up to 10 times more mistakes then regular spellcheck. So as an English Teacher before any of my students turned something in I would suggest that that use this website just to make sure all of their grammar is correct. What makes this website great is because it not only just checks for misspellings but it checks for missed punctuations, comma splices, and it checks for plagiarism. So all-in-all I think this website is fantastic for not only English papers, but for all written or typed pieces in general.

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

When I watched The Networked Student all I could think about was how teachers I have are already doing this for me, especially Dr. Strange. The premise of the video is that teachers should not lecture but instead should give their students tools, and let the students learn, on their own how to use these tools. For example The student is in American Psychology but instead of being lectured to he has a networked teacher. Which is a teacher that assigns work to be done by the student himself, on his own time. That the student has to go out and find which sources are important and what interests him. The teacher knowing that as the student does this they are creating a network of connections that they will be able to use for future projects.

The thing I like most about this blog post is that it explains step by step how to make these connections. Also it allows the viewer to see the importance of using these connections and technology to not only make studying easier but to become more intelligent. All-in-all I like the idea of a networked student. It allows the student to enter the real world in college and not wait until after they get their degree. What I mean by this is it allows students to learn how to find things out for themselves instead of having someone lecture in their ear how to do it. This way students find the way that works for them best and can reach out to their connections to explain or find out information they learned, or want to learn.

So to answer the question "Are you ready to be a networked teacher?" I think I am halfway there. The reason I say this is because I used to consider myself technologically literate but now that I have been taking Edm310 for 6 weeks I realize I still have a long way to go. However I do think that I can be a networked teacher and I think I can do it well. Every online class I have taken in my life I have made an A in. I think this is a good representation of my Time management skills, my determination to finish what I start, and my ability to meet deadlines. All of which I am positive that I will be able to teach my future students.

PLE or PLN

Watching the video on A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment I realized how easy PLN's can make things be. It has all of your resources on one page ready for you to click on at any moment. I also liked the video because a 12-year-old made the PLE, which is impressive but if someone who is 12 can do it I know I can do it. Comparing her PLE to my PLN, she has more tiles then I do, but I will start adding some more when I make more connections. I liked the video a lot though, because of the end really. She explains how online anyone can make something look creative instead of just artists. Also that using PLN's will cut down the use of pens and paper which is also good for the planet so pretty much they're a win win :). But On a more serious note I think the video was really informative and makes valid points on why a PLN can be useful to anyone.

Blog Post #5

Krissy Venosdale

Ms. Venosdale, is a Gifted Ed teacher grades 3-6 in Hillsboro, Missouri. In her blog If I Built a School she talks about what the perfect school atmosphere would be like in her opinion. She says that she wants a school that has no curriculum and and that what grade you are in isn't determined by your age but by your ability. I think this is actually a really good idea, I think teachers shouldn't have to use a curriculum rather they should have guidelines not rules. In her school she also wants to focus on creativity. One thing that Ms. Venosdale wants to accomplish is a cool atmosphere for the teachers and the children. She starts off by saying that she wants to have a giant tree house in the library. Which I for one think is an absolutely genius idea. It reminds me of something that the magic school bus would have. She also wants to have an giant fish tanks in the hallways for students to be able to enjoy there studying. The last thing that stood out to me was that she wanted to give every teacher their own parking spots and let kids write positive messages to their teachers, so that is the first and the last thing they see when they leave or come to work. 

If I had to build my own school, I would have to steal a couple of ideas from Ms. Venosdale. I would steal the tree house and fish tank ideas. These two ideas are great because they make the students want to and enjoy being at school which is half the battle. Also if I could build a school I would focus on sports and getting students involved. I would have all the basketball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer games played during school hours. This way all the students could miss class on game day and support their fellow classmates. For the actually school work I would focus on what the students want to learn about. Since I want to teach High School, all of my students will have the basics down so this way we can focus more about what interest them so they can strive and enjoy their time at my school.

Virtual Choir

In Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir- "Lux Aurumque" there are a choir of people who have never met before and get together online and perform. It is absolutely amazing to think that a group of 185 people who have never met can be broad casted together singing a song for 6 minutes and sound really good. This was kind of a shock to realize that something like this can be done on the Internet and turn out amazing. It really makes me strongly believe that technology is definitely the way of the future, and if people can do something like this now imagine what they can do 10 years from now. He goes on NPR and explains how and why he created a virtual choir How to make a virtual choir. In this interview he talks about the "Lux Aurumque" video and he also talks about the reason it is so intriguing is because it consists of hundreds of people who are alone but are somehow alone together.

Teaching in The 21st Century

In Teaching in The 21st Century, created by Kevin Roberts and then edited by John Strange, It asks a lot of questions about old teaching methods and how they are going to teach new generations about new advancements. I think the video brings up some valid points, especially about using technology to not only entertain but to engage. By asking students things that they are interested in, such as vacation spots, and then asking them to use viable resources to explain why other people should be interested as well. I think the main point that the video is trying to get across is that we need to use technological tools as a form to engage students not only to entertain them. 

I think these views will affect my teaching by allowing me to realize the importance that students use this technology to, not only play but learn. The video suggests that you make kids research relative material, such as how to lose weight. Now granite this might not be interesting to every student but it will be to some. Or have kids research the best jobs, and then explain why those are the best. These two examples are perfect because it engages the students to learn, what will be best for them in the future, or even now. So I think the video changed my views by allowing me to recognize that I need to assign tasks that will be useful to my students future, and that they will want to learn about. 

Flipped Classrooms

I think flipping the classroom is a terrific idea. This way the students will learn from their homework instead of just reviewing what they learned earlier. The principle behind flipping allows teachers to teach while the students are at home so that when they meet in the classroom they will be able to talk about strategies to tackle tough problems and any specific questions the students have. Also another perk of flipping a classroom is that every student can learn at their own pace. This way if one student is falling behind in lecture the teacher doesn't have to stop lecturing and catch everyone up to speed. 

When I have my classroom I will definitely push for a flipped classroom approach. This way all of my students will learn how to engage with the material I assign and have questions and comments during the school day. I will also try and flip my classroom because it allows the student's parents to know exactly what I will be teaching in my class. I recommend flipping for everyone, and if anyone wants more information here is Flipping 101 with Fizz.

My Sentence Movie

Project #5 Presentaion

Blog Post #4

LangWitches

The first LangWitches page I read was 1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audio book. In the blog post Ms. Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano writes about how herself and the first grade teacher created a script for the kids to read and record, to create their own audio book. As they did this they saw how enthusiastic the kids were being about being able to hear their own voice reading to them as they followed along in their book. I thought a neat part of the experience that she writes about is how the kids started trying to change their speed, volume and inflection as they read. I also like the fact that the kids wanted to keep recording until they got their voices just right. By doing these audio books Ms. Tolisano got her kids excited about learning to read and use technology while they do it. I think this was a fantastic strategy because reading is one of the hardest things to get kids to want to do. Ms. Tolisano got the kids excited about reading and was teaching them the importance of technology too. I think that when I become an English teacher that I will make my students do this as well. This way I can incorporate teaching them how to use technology and hopefully letting them learn how much fun reading can be.   

In LangWitches- Podcasting in the First Grade by Ms Tolisano, It was about 1st graders again. The reason I found so much interest in the 1st graders was because if students are able to get excited about learning as early as first grade then it sets them up for success for the rest of their lives. On this blog post one again Ms. Tolisano is able to get the first graders excited about reading and learning how to use the Internet. She recorded her students acting out an interview as the two main characters in the book they were reading. The thing that I thought was amazing about the results was that this helped get all of the students involved. Ms. Tolisano explains that the shy kids were bursting out of their shells and gaining respect from the other students. I thought this was extremely important, because going to school teaches valuable social skills. That's why when I heard that the Podcasting boosted students confidence, I automatically became a fan. The kids were so excited about being out on the Internet, and getting their voices heard that they not only wanted to learn, but actually enjoyed it. 

In The Benefits Of Podcasting In The Classroom by Joe Dale there is a video that is extremely helpful when it comes to Podcasting. He explains that Podcasting is an effective way to teach the "Millennial" generation, someone born after 1980, because it involves technology. Which is an extremely valid point, that someone who was born after 1980 has always had some sort of technology whether it is cell phones, computers, or IPads. He also explains how it creates creativity in students, by allowing them to Podcast about something they like. A big thing that was brought up is it allows students who are absent a lot to be able to stay on track with the rest of the class. Which I thought was huge because I would hate having to wait on one or two students to catch up. Another great perk that this link points out is that with Podcasts it allows parents to keep up with the material as well as the students. So if their student if falling behind or if the parent wants to know what is being taught, Podcasts make it simple. 

C4T #1

Summary of my teacher #1

In my C4T assignment, I was assigned to a teacher named Amanda Ooten, and her blog title is called Science Teaching for the Future. In her most recent blog she is describing the progress of how her flipped classroom project is going. The flipped classroom method is where students do homework in class and watch the lectures at home. Mrs. Ooten says that the progress is fantastic and recommends that teachers try it out. Also in her blog she is asking for advice on how to receive grants, because her main focus now is trying to get to a 1.1 ratio. Which means that for every one student in the class she wants to have on Google chrome book. She also states that she is now teaching AP biology and is working on a lesson plan that will apply for advanced classes as well as regular classes. Finally in her blog post she describes why her YouTube videos were taken off of YouTube. She explains that her videos were taken off because she used Pearson products in her video, and Pearson made her take them down. So she warns all flippers out there to not use textbook images :).

Summary of my comment #1

I commented on Mrs. Ooten's blog pretty much saying that I enjoyed learning the whole concept behind the "flipping of the classroom". I also touched on the fact that the reason I think other educators should use the "flipping" strategy because of the percent of students who have started passing. After the "flipping" strategy was put in place a higher percent of students started passing classes and ultimately graduating. Finally I just said how I wish that she would post more because her last post was written on February 22, 2012.

Summary of my teacher #2

Unfortunately Mrs. Ooten has not had time to publish a new post, so I had to go to her previous one. In this blog post Mrs. Ooten talks about what is going on in her flipped classroom. She explains that when she first started her flipped classroom that she decided to flip it 100%. She then explains about how that was to much work for the students to comprehend. That even though the students should learn on their own, they still need to have some stuff taught to them. After she changed her plan to only flip her class 50% of the way she saw a major improvement, not only in learning but in study habits as well. She explains how more students would stay after class or come in early for more one on one lessons. She even found out that her students were joining together on the weekends for group study sessions. She finished by saying that this strategy works for her, because she wants to do this. However, it might not work for other teachers as well as the methods they are already using. Mrs. Ooten all-in-all just wants kids to understand that it is their class not hers.

Summary of my comment #2

In my comment I told Mrs. Ooten that i really liked that fact that she saw her own mistakes, and instead of blaming the kids she changed to help them. I also told her that I liked the fact that she understood that just because flipping a classroom works for her doesn't mean that it will work for everyone. Then I stated that most people today are looking for a one correct answer, while in fact there are many of answers, you just have to choose the one that works for you.

Special Post #1

WolframAlpha

When I looked up the differences in the population size between India, China, and the United States honestly, I was kind of shocked. I knew that China and India had more people than the United States but I didn't realize how much more. The statistics that WolframAlpha have are based on 2010 records, but in 2010 for every 1 person in the United States, China has 4.39 and India has 3.93. Another interesting fact that I learned was that even though they might have more people the United States citizens live longer. Based on the evidence every Chinese person has an average lifespan of 73.5 years, India's is 69.9 years, and the United States is 78.1 years. (Based on 2009) I'm glad that we were assigned this website because I feel like it will make collecting facts easier. 

This got me thinking since I now know how many people are in the United States I decide to look up how many females there are and how many males, and I found out some interesting stuff. It turns out that according to 2010 that there are more females in the United States then males. Females outnumber males 154.6 million to 149.4 million, however from the ages of 0 to 17 males out number females 37.89 million to 36.15 million. This got me thinking that females must live longer than males in the United States so that was my next question. This gave me the results that in 2009 males live an average of 75.65 years while females live an average of 80.65 years. I was kind of surprised when I found out that on average females live five years longer than males, but it kind of makes since. 

I definitely think that WolframAlpha is a solid website to teach students how to use. It is a credible source for information about any fact that a student could need in writing a paper. I also think that it is a good website for teachers to use as well. One thing I want to bring into my classroom is telling my students random facts. With WolframAlpha this makes doing something as simple as this even simpler. I also think teachers could use this website to look up facts on any presentation that a teacher would need to present and get related facts as well. 

Social Media Count

Gary Hayes social media count is unreal! It is extremely interesting to look at it has everything you could want to know from how many Ipad's are sold every week, how much money the box office brings in every second, to how many World of Warcraft quests are started each year. The information definitely makes me reconsider how I am going to have to teach my classes. After reading this information I am positive that in the near future all kids will be learning on Ipads. Also that kids will be so overwhelmed by liking and commenting on Facebook or sending text messages that if I don't add some sort of technology to m teaching then there will be no way to reach my students. 

Blog Post 3

Peer Editing

I think the main thing that I gathered when watching the peer editing instructional, was that you should edit with respect. I know that when I get my papers peer edited, if they don't give some sort of complement I automatically discredit what they have to say. So when I watched the instructional on how to peer edit having the first step, as complementing definitely seemed right. The second step of the process is suggesting. I like the fact that the video has this second because once again it allows you to gain the trust of whom you are editing. If you want someone to listen to your suggestions then you have to gain their trust that’s why the last step is corrections. The first two things you do in editing are make the person you edit trust your judgment, by complementing, and then suggesting how to make it better. Then after they trust you, and you haven't been a mean Margaret, you give your suggestions in a nice and helpful way.  

I also realized while watching these videos that I tend to be either a whatever William or a defensive Dave. Sometimes when peers edit my paper I tend to discredit them because they are the same age as me and I turn in to a whatever William, and stop listening. Even though these videos made me realize that if peers can see my mistakes then the teacher will definitely be able to see them as well. I also turn into a defensive Dave; I have the feeling that I worked really hard on my paper and that my peers read it in five minutes and try to change everything. I need to realize that my peers are only trying to help, and that I shouldn't get caught up with all of the changes but look for the opportunity to grow. So all in all these videos taught me the importance of peer editing and how to do it properly. 

Assistive Technologies

The Mountbatten is a tool that allows blind students to type in brail hear the letter they are typing and allow them to save their assignments on to a computer. The Mountbatten also allows teachers who can't read brail to be able to read the text because the writing also pops up on a computer screen. Honestly I think this tool is beyond fantastic! Not only can it allow blind students to be able to work effectively in regular classrooms, but it can also allow teachers who don't know brail to be able to read their assignments. If I had a blind student I would definitely use a Mountbatten because it would allow the blind person to write not only for me, the teacher, but for the other students as well. It would also allow blind students to be able to create portfolios on a computer and keep a record of everything they have produced. 

In the "Teaching Math to the Blind" a professor from the University of San Francisco brings up the valid point on how tough it is for blind students to learn math. In regular brail blind students read the problem in a horizontal fashion instead of the much easier vertical fashion. So the professor created a grid with brail numbers and visual numbers, which is good if a teacher doesn't know brail, to allow students to place the problems out vertically. The grid also has a voice so it tells the student exactly what problem is set up. The grid is actually very neat; the student sets up the problem and is able to read it one line at a time instead of having one line of a bunch of numbers. With this invention the professor claims that blind students will now be able to learn basic math all the way up to simple algebra. With this invention it will help blind students learn the fundamentals of math and ultimately give them a better chance of receiving a steady job. If I had a blind student in my class I would definitely want this grid not only to make teaching easier for me, but make learning easier for the students as well.

Also in the videos it showed how voice over on the Ipad allows blind people to still be able to use technology and grow just as everyone else does. The thing that I thought was most interesting about the Ipad is that it allows blind people to be able to read regular books. With the IBook application a blind person is able to chose what book the want to read and also have all the images in the book described to them. The only thing about the voice over that I have negative to say is that it looks like it is extremely difficult to use. In both videos the user has problems getting the Ipad to do exactly what they want, but once the kinks are worked out then I definitely think that this will be revolutionary for blind people. 

Digital Smarts

In the "Digital Smarts" video Mrs. Davis explains how she is teaching not only her students, but her self to be more digitally smart as well. In her classroom she allows her students to learn through doing activities that they enjoy, such as twitter and virtual reality. She has her students learn how to use podcasts, blogs, and other virtual experiences to allow them to get the most out of their education. She won the award for having the best blog in the United States, because of this strategy. One cool thing about Mrs. Davis's classroom is that she takes this small town city in rural Georgia, and is broadening their horizons, allowing them to connect with people all over the world.

I think Mrs. Davis's system and Dr. Strange's system is a lot alike. Both teachers recognize that they only way a student will learn something are if they want to do it, or if they do it themselves. In the video Mrs. Davis talks about how she does not need to explain herself if she says a word that someone doesn't know, because it's just like Dr. Strange says, if I don't know let's find out. I think Mr. Davis uses a very effective way to teach and, apparently, if she is winning best blog awards other people do as well.