Spread the Word to End the Word. Using "Retarded" derogatorily IS Offensive.

My friend showed me this video a few months ago. His cousin, Alexande, was in high school when he made it. It was actually made for a school fundraiser.

The message is powerful, but the task is simple.

Final Project EDM310 Reflection

Final Project!!!

C4T #4

Spencer's Scratch Pad
John Spencer is a middle school teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. His most recent blog, which he posted on April 13, 2011, is titled 'A Reminder from My Son.' Mr. Spencer's son was playing in the yard building a tower with sticks. Mr. Spencer's conversation with his son is this:

"What are you working on?" Spencer asks.

"I'm making a tower out of sticks," he says.

"Why?" Spencer asks.

"I want to see if it's possible," his son says.

"Why is it working?" Mr. Spencer points to it.

"Because I tried it," he says.

The two answers his son gave him lingered in his head.

"Can I help?" Mr. Spencer asks.

"Yeah, you can help. Even if you mess it up, I'll let you help," he says.

"I'll try not to mess it up."

Then it got knocked down and Joel, his son, responded with, "I knew it would happen. It's not strong enough. Can we get some concrete?"

"We don't have concrete."

"Okay," he says as he begins to rebuild.

Like Mr. Spencer, Joel's answers made me think. The answers themselves are very simple: "I wanted to see if it would work," and "Because I tried it." It's a good method to trying teaching methods also. We learn to guess and check in math so why can't we learn to teach by guess and check? Somebody has to try it!
______________________________

Mr. Spencer blogged about writing. He clearly love to write but he HATED writing in school. His reasons why made sense, too! When he was younger, just learning to write, all of the guidelines would stress him out. Teachers asked questions like "Where is your concept map," "Why aren't you editing what you wrote," and (my personal favorite) "Why are you brainstorming?" The requirements teachers made led writing to be a painful, arduous task, not a fun form of expression. Once Spencer began free writing he realized exactly why he hated writing in school. I was reading through some comments on his post and I laughed at one that said "There's nothing like red ink bleeding down your paper." That's all it said; I just thought it was funny. :) Some teachers critique so heavily on the little things that a well written paper can go unnoticed. I enjoy writing so when I'm a teacher I'll find ways to let my students have fun with their writing.

Final Personal Learning Network Report

My Personal Learning Network is pretty useful. I like how you can have multiple PLN webmixes, or pages. For example, Symbaloo already has a PLN set up with two webmixes, EDU Teachers and EDU Tools. I added an algebra webmix just to test it out. It has a quick quiz maker, video lessons, and a lot more tools for teaching algebra. It's pretty cool! I'll probably end up adding more webmixes when I get further into teaching. Right now I don't really need any except for my home webmix. It has all of the sites I have an account for. That makes navigating the web a lot easier and convenient. I think EDM made me nerdy because I'm excited to use all of these PLN tools to make lessons (and show off my techie skills).

Special Metaphor Assignment (Blog Post #14)

Metaphors Blonde Edition

I missed the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post. Honestly, it just flew right over my head. Call me a blonde. However, I understood the other camouflaged messages in the Pencil Integration post. For example, the idea that we, teachers, should focus on solutions and not the problems. Once the major metaphor, pencils were actually computers, was brought to my attention a huge "Ahhh" came out of my mouth. It seems pretty obvious that I should have realized that, especially since all semester we've been learning the importance of computer integration. I've recently been on the prowl for metaphors. I was watching The Little Rascals (best movie of all-time) and Darla said, "You make my heart melt like a popsicle on the fourth of July." Classic! It is one of my favorite quotes. Yes, I realize it is technically a simile but the idea correlates with this project. Today somebody said, "It's raining cats and dogs!" I caught the metaphor. Obviously, it's not raining cats and dogs... This metaphor also reminds me of the Weather Girls' song "It's raining men." I have an extremely funny friend who is always calling out GREAT metaphors about people. He's pretty mean though so I can't appropriately repeat any of his metaphors. To help our students better understand metaphors we should constantly use them. Make a game out of it. The teacher can spit out a metaphor and have the class figure out the real meaning. A metaphor of the day would be cool, too. It would be fun to hear students using the metaphor throughout the day. Practice makes perfect! We use metaphors because they make you think. They can also make things easier to understand. A lot of people don't even realize when they're using a metaphor. Metaphors can help change the way someone thinks. It can help them come to a new idea or way of viewing the world. They're pretty neat once you get the hang of them!

Blog Post 13

ALEX

ALEX was created by Alabama's Department of Education to help educators, parents and students find resources for education at one convenient site. ALEX stands for Alabama Learning Exchange. The website includes resources, web links, and lesson plans. What is great about ALEX is that the website is never complete. That being said, outside input is considered for the website by ALEX's executive personnel. The resources on ALEX are connected with Alabama's state curriculum.
Material can be searched for in a variety of ways. You can search by subject, age, lesson plan, and web resources. As I'm meandering through this website I'm very impressed. The set-up is easily understandable and convenient. There is even a podcast database. The podcasts can be beneficial to everyone. For example, a teacher can watch a podcast to vicariously learn how to do a project or experiment. Another way a podcast is beneficial is a teacher can search an informative podcast and have the class watch it. Better yet, students can make their own podcasts and apply for them to be on ALEX! On the site, there is a link titled ALEXville. Alexville is where colleagues can communicate. That's a great way to get feedback on lesson plans from a lot of teachers! ALEX allows you to have your own account. Here you can store and submit lesson plans and web pages.
ALEX seems to be very valuable. Why am I just now finding out about it?!?! I'm sure ALEX will be handy for me as a teacher, especially starting off. It will also be a motivator for me to create effective lesson plans. I'm very competitive, even with myself, and if I submit a lesson plan my goal will be for as much positive feedback as possible. ALEX enables teachers all over Alabama to collaborate. From previous Edm blog assignments, I've learned collaboration is a good thing in the education system. ALEX is a great way to collaborate with teachers, students, and parents. It seems to be a program that can turn good teachers into great teachers.

Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS) Distance Learning
ACCESS is a site for videoconferencing throughout the state. Alabama Supercomputer Authority is the program's technology partner. ACCESS is available to all Alabama public high school students. ACCESS seems very helpful for students and educators. Students who do not have the transportation to get to and from help sessions at school probably benefit a lot from this project. It's convenient and also helps save money.

C4K #7, 8, 9, 10

C4K#7
The Missouri Compromise-
Mr. McClung has a short video of three of his students stating the details for the Missouri Compromise.
The students looked like they had a lot of fun in their video. I like the idea of having students make a video with the facts. It seems they will remember them better because they’re engaged in the learning process.


C4K#8
Week in Review 17/03/11

This student talked about learning angels in math. I laughed because he spelled angels like "angles" and I was the worst at that as a little kid. They also told me how his class learned the song "We Are The World." They really liked learning the song. They also mentioned being the "communicator" in their inquiry group which I really liked because that shows leadership. In my comment, I asked the student if they wanted to be a singer or maybe even some type of director since they liked to be the "communicator." Also, I noticed how the student dated their week with the month being a 17- interesting culture difference!

C4K#9 Mrs. Yollis and her class--
Mrs. Yollis has been teaching for twenty-four years; a combination of third and fifth grade classes. Mrs. Yollis likes to travel with her husband. She seems EXTREMELY passionate about teaching her students. Mrs. Yollis recently finished her Master's Degree in integrating technology in the classroom. Her students, the bloggers, seem to really like learning and blogging! Their school in a suburb of Los Angeles. I've actually used Mrs. Yollis' 'Learn HTML code' link A LOT of times! I think it's great how the parents get involved on the blog! They are always commenting and I'm sure they're following the new posts often.

C4K#10 Jaden from Mrs. Yollis's Class
Immediately I liked Jaden's imagination. Jaden had his blog mascot, Mr. California, publish his post for him. Mr. CA told us about himself and he seems like a great mascot! Then Jaden asked if we had a blog mascot. (Jaden did a great job involving the audience in his post). I told Jaden how impressed I was with Mr. CA's credentials. I also told Jaden that I currently do not have a blog mascot but I've been trying to get a pengiun from Anatrctica, Toby, to be my mascot. I think it is a great idea to have a blog mascot (kudos to Mrs. Yollis). I'll most likely try to include fun accessories to my students' blogs. Jaden seems very intelligent and is a good blogger. I did my best to leave Jaden a quality comment. :]

This is Mr. California.

Blog Post 12

A Lesson on Overcoming Adversity

Instructions: Look up Vickie Boutiette. Who is she? What awards did she win? What kind of impression do you think Mrs. Boutiette has made on the teaching world?

Mrs. Boutiette is a third grade teacher in North Dakota. She was very passionate about her job until, in 1990, she was diagnosed with cancer in her tongue and throat. She received many awards, but the one which describes her best is the one given to her for overcoming adversity to make a difference in students' lives. It's called the Frieda J. Riley Teacher Award and comes with a $10,000 check. Her speech, tastebuds, jaw bone, and throat were all affected by radiation treatment and the lumps. She was hoping to be out for as short amount of time as possible but her recovery was delayed when the infection spread to her jaw. The left side of her jaw was removed and left a hole in the side of her face. She'd never be able to speak well again. Three years later she went back to teaching. She was given small groups of children to teach them how to read. Boutiette would stuff cotton in the hole in her face and cover it with a bandage. Her jaw was very unstable so it would slip out and she'd bite her tongue when she would speak. She would tell the children "I have a hard time talking. You have a hard time reading. We're going to help eachother." Her self-pity dissolved as her drive to help the students replaced her thoughts. She went on to get a master's in reading. During this time she had many more surgeries. By November 2003 she had a new jaw and was soon pain free for the first time in years. Boutiette spends a lot of her time training teachers to be better reading teachers. Mrs. Boutiette plans on donating her $10,000 check to buy more paperback books for students.
Mrs. Boutiette has made an enormous impact on the education system. She has helped many students and other teachers which trickles down to teaching more students. Her perseverance has inspired tons of people and proven adversity can be overcome. She's a great example of a great teacher. No matter the adversities teachers may face, they can be overcome.

I got my information from this article on Mrs. Boutiette.

Project 15

Project 14 Teach Someone Something: LEADERSHIP

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I strongly believe that leadership is a priceless quality to have. As a teacher I'm going to focus on teaching my students a few very important skills, leadership being one of them. Leadership leads to success, confidence, and the power to impact others. A leader is someone people look to for guidance.

Here are a few traits needed to be a leader:
1. Knowledge & Talent- Knowing what you're doing is the best way to lead by example. People will see you successfully completing the task at hand and they will look to you for advice.
2. Confidence- Confident people attract others.
3. Good Morals & Ethics- Most people are looking to do "the right thing." When they see you doing "the right thing" it shows you're a good person, therefore you've earned some respect. Good leaders are respectable.
4. Good Character- "Talent takes you to the top, character keeps you there." People with good character are always working hard to get better. Good character also ties into having good morals and ethics. "Character is what you do when nobody's watching."
5. Motivation- Motivated people have goals and people who are looking for a role model also have those same goals, they're just unsure how to achieve them.
6. Teachability/ Coachability- This basically means the ability to learn. EDM 310 has greatly stressed the importance of being able to learn. Open-mindedness leads to more knowledge which ties back to trait #1.
7. Understanding- Understanding the needs of others, your goals, and your resources is very important in being a successful leader.

I've noticed some people have a hard time grasping the idea of leadership. However, luckily for them, leadership is a learned skill.

"The only real training for leadership is leadership." ~Antony Jay
This quote reminds me of EDM 310 because we're learning how to learn so we can teach others how to learn.

Blog Post 11

Ms. Cassidy's Class- Little Kids... Big Potential
Ms. Cassidy's first graders use a LOT of technology. I saw computer programs, audio, video, and online programs in her class video. The kids seemed genuinely excited about all of the technology they use, especially their blogs. They love to get comments on their blog posts.
I really like use of personal blogs being an online portfolio of school work, like mine is for EDM 310. However, my favorite use of technology in Ms. Cassidy's classroom is Skype. I never thought to use Skype as a whole class to speak to experts or other classrooms. It's a memorable way for students to learn and collaborate around the world. Ms. Cassidy's students are surely more knowledgeable about technology than other kids their age. Also, with all of this technology being used paper isn't as necessary!

Special Assignment: Mr.McClung's World

Mr. McClung is an eighth grade teacher in Arkansas. He also coaches cross country. Mr. McClung is very organized. He is also really devoted to his blog which is very technologically enhanced. He seems pretty cool, too. His class rules lead me to think he encourages collaboration and excitement! I like the "gestures" rule a lot. I definitely like the "scoreboard" rule. It promotes competition and keeps the class accountable. I will probably incorporate these in my own classroom. It's very obvious that Mr. McClung is passionate about teaching. He puts a lot of thought and effort into his class projects. Mr. McClung seems to be very like-able. He's energized and active. I know this because he says he is a huge sports fan and likes to bike, play tennis, and jog. From my experience, active teachers are normally the fun ones. I can tell Mr. McClung really enjoys teaching because he says he uses a lot of different methods to helping his students learn. I really like how he doesn't practice the traditional teaching methods like a lot of teachers do. Everyone needs a day-planner. It's a great requirement especially for eighth graders because they are maturing into the age where they will have more responsibilities. Day-planners, if used correctly, will help students stay organized, prioritize, and turn their work in on time. Mr. McClung's late assignment policy is pretty standard. Most of the teachers I have had implement the loss of a letter grade per day. Especially since Mr. McClung says he doesn't give a lot of homework assignments I think his policy is a good idea. The class blog is the basis to majority of the class's use of technology. It's also an updated "newsletter" to show visitors what the class has been doing and the blog hosts a lot of useful links for parents, students, and other teachers to use. I reviewed two of Mr. McClung's useful links. Plagiarism Checker is useful because students can paste their paper into the site and it will check for any plagiarized sentences. When students use a lot of research sites it's hard to remember which facts were borrowed and which were actually their own. Plagiarism Checker helps students to keep from plagiarizing. I also checked out a Translation Website. I've actually used one before but the one Mr. McClung has put on his website is very helpful! You can translate from practically any language to another. This is helpful for students because they can use it for foreign language assignments. It's especially helpful for students with English as their second language. Mr. McClung's Internet Safety section is also a GREAT idea for young students to have access to. I'm extremely guilty of putting my last name on comments and other posts on the internet. Mr. McClung could probably note that his Internet Safety rules should also apply to phone calls and other soliciting methods. Mr. McClung's blog is hosted by edublog. I cannot find any major difference between edublog and blogger. However, Mr. McClung's blog is very decorated, but as far as I know, blogger can do the same things. I did google the topic edublogs vs blogger and I found that a lot of teachers have had to switch from blogger to edublog because blogger isn't safe for students. Mr. McClung's blog is useful to anyone who is involved in education including students, parents, and other educators. There is a wide variety of links on Mr. McClung's blog and a lot of information. His blog is different from other eighth grade blog because it satisfies the curiosities of a wider range of people than an average eighth grade blog which is suitable for just the students and maybe parents.

Blog Post 10

Morgan Bayda: An Open Letter to Educators

I liked that Morgan Bayda posted in her blog post is welcoming to change. Bayda and the video by Dan Brown both make good points. Dan Brown is very hyped up in his video. His main point is that how educators teach is not effective anymore. He thinks that a professor with 400 students just yelling out facts is not helpful in this day. I agree. Facts are free because of the internet and why would somebody want to pay for facts when they can get them for free? However, in society today a college degree is important. To change the necessity of a degree is practically impossible. Therefore, we should change the way educators teach which would then make an education even more valuable. I feel as though EDM 310 would be a good example of a type of class that Dan Brown would approve of because we're learning so much more than just facts! Actually, our learning isn't even based on facts. It's based on becoming a better learner so we can be better teachers. In conclusion, Dan Brown, Morgan Bayda, and anyone who wants to enjoy learning would both appreciate a class that requires them to be engaged in their learning rather than a lecture hall where they fight sleeping.

Don't Let Them Take The Pencils Home-
Ha Ha! This was interestingly humorous. A teacher was confronted by an administrator because he let his students take pencils home. (Maybe I am very fortunate but I still don't understand why the students wouldn't be allowed pencils to begin with...???) Anyway, the administrator spit out a statistic which said that students who use pencils at home have lower test scores. The teacher then explained to her that the statistic is a little bogus and better yet he explained some solutions to the problem. He finds homework projects which will keep his students interested so they will want to do them instead of playing games with their pencils. I think that his solutions will prove beneficial.
PS- Is this a metaphor I'm just not grasping or are students really not allowed pencils?

Project #12 Interview with Jena Jaragoski- Being in a sorority

Blog Post 9

I knew right away that I would like this post because the first words I saw were Stay positive.
Mr. McClung reminds us, as teachers, to constantly check for student apprehension. We don't need to focus so much on ourselves when we're giving a lesson. If we do that we will become unconnected from our audience. Mr. McClung stresses to let our audience drive our lesson plans. He also stresses to be flexible. If a lesson doesn't go as planned, then smile and go with the flow. Mr. McClung believes "communication is the best medicine." Be reasonable. If a student doesn't meet an expectation that you, the teacher, has set for them then pick them up, dust them off and encourage them to try again. Dr. Strange's favorite tip from Mr. McClung- Don't be afraid of technology. It's a great tip! Technology is here to help us and it can enhance learning greatly. Listening to your students is another very valuable piece of advice. Knowing your students will make teaching them that much more effective. Actually this may be Dr. Strange's favorite tip- Never stop learning. Students are expected to learn so why not teachers?

C4K#5,6

#5-
Joshua @ Pt. England School
blogged about pitching a tent. He gave good details about what to do and what not to do. Joshua also had help from a friend, Matthew, in writing this. The two gave a brief description then listed in order how to actually pitch the tent. I thanked Joshua for the instructions. They will be very useful next time I go camping. Then I told him to keep up the good blogging.

#6-
Rusty's Restaurant is Rusty by Athena in Ms. Engelhard's class-
Athena posted an example of an informal letter. She posed as an infuriated customer who wanted their money refunded. The customer, Brittany, was very rude and unprofessional. Athena added a p.s. note to the letter which said...
"P.S. This is an example of an informal letter. Do not write in this way if you would like your money returned."
I laughed. It was a great way to make a point. I told Athena that it was great idea and it was also slightly humorous.


(I talked to Mr. Capps about C4K#4 being in the last C4K post.)

SMARTboard Project 13

Blog Post 8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2-
I was pretty confused at the beginning of Part 1. It was hard to follow. But I do agree with Miller when he said that we are in a time of change in human history. We are changing from pen and paper to multimedia for documentation and sharing. A desk isn't as valuable unless you have a computer on top of it. Part 2 also made some good points. Miller said "...ideas do not belong to us individually but as a culture." I strongly agree with this statement. People who have formulated these ideas were raised by their culture. If they were raised in a different culture the idea probably would have never been formed. All the tools in the video kind of blew my mind. But in order for teachers to "share their ideas freely" I should get comfortable with all these gadgets. Multimedia writing is becoming so popular that my students will for sure be using it. I may be the one teaching my students how to multimedia write instead of cursive, even though I love cursive so I'll probably teach them that anyway!

The Chipper Series-
Haha Chipper says she can see the future. I enjoyed this video! It's pretty entertaining. It also reiterates the importance of doing your work on time! And the Wikipedia comment... I laughed out loud. Chipper isn't willing to learn by herself which is not how EDM310 works. Chipper is confused but the sarcastic message is great. Timeline Pilot School is a joke. There isn't a reliable way to really check the progress on the students which is really important. As a teacher, Chipper is not prepared or responsible enough to teach any students. Because she dropped out of college, Chipper moves from unstable job to another unstable job. Finally Chipper makes the right decision and goes back to school. EDM310 is helping make me more responsible and I'll be more prepared to teach effectively.
EDM310 For Dummies-
I also laughed in this movie. At the beginning, the girls are SO dramatic! The set up of the movie is great; like an infomercial. If anyone decides to make the book it would make a serious profit! I probably would have bought it! I was a lot more worried about EDM310 than I should have been. As long as I keep up with the work I don't stress out. The book would be helpful, though.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn-
Wow! I was shocked when I heard education was ranked last! Education is so important. Students need to be able to learn in an enriched, interesting environment. Kids love to be with their friends outside of school... so why shouldn't they love to be with their friends at school? A connection for teachers to collaborate with each other will benefit the students and teachers. Setting standards isn't enough. We have to lead our students to exceed these standards. The message of this video agrees with the idea that the classroom needs to adapt to technology for the kids' sakes.
RSA Animate- The Secret Powers of Time-
This video grabbed my attention immediately! The drawings were very neat. However, it was hard to keep up with the information. Basically, the video described that people live in 3 different times; the past, present, and future. People who live in the past will be reminiscing the good times (past positive) or the times they regret (past negative). The people who live in the present are hedonistic, which means they seek pleasure and avoid pain, or say it doesn't pay to plan because their life is lead by fate. And there are two types of people who live in the future: those who have learned to work instead of play and those who believe eternal life begins after the death of the body. When the narrator starts talking about Italy the video gets funny. The video says that in different cultures people have a different pace of life, which is very true! This man believes the purpose of schooling is to take past oriented kids and turn them into future oriented people. This video covered a lot of material in a little amount of time. I really liked it. I never once got bored watching it. I was disappointed to see that only 20% of American families have family meals. The study that asked people "if you had an eighth day of the week what would they do?" gave very interesting results. My first answer would have been relax but the majority of people chose work harder and make more progress. That says that people feel like they can never catch up in the work world.
RSA Animate- The surprising truth about what motivates us-
Another great film! This one talked about motivations. People who were given a simple rule-by-rule task tended to succeed in order to get their prize but people who were given a complicated cognitive task managed to fail more often for a higher prize than for a smaller prize. Money proved to not be a motivator for complicated, critical thinking. I like the idea of paying people enough so money isn't an issue. That way, they will be thinking about the work and not the money. This video states that for better performance self-engagement, mastery, and purpose are all needed in the job description. Basically, if a company wants innovation they shouldn't try to motivate with money. They should just step aside and give the employees a "free day" to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with no pressure. I really liked both of the RSA Animate videos. They had good, fresh messages with research to support them.

C4T #3

Synthesizing Education by Aaron Eyler

Aaron Eyler's last post was December 29, 2010 so I assumed he probably wouldn't have a new post up by next week. Therefore, my first comment was on an article he posted on December 16, 2010 and I left my second comment on his most recent post which is December 29, 2010.

You Get One Shot At This- posted December 16, 2010.
Aaron Eyler listed a few posts he had read which discussed the impact of failure on our education system. Eyler believes teachers need to stop ignoring failure by just moving on to the next task. If a student "fails" a task they should be able to redo it and make improvements. Students that are only grasping 70, 80, or 90% of the curriculum can't fully understand the future concepts.
I agree with Eyler in the fact that when a student fails they should get a chance to make improvements. It doesn't benefit anyone when a student only understands parts of the curriculum. Partial understanding hinders the student's future learning.

Calling All Political Junkies Who Care About Kids- posted December 29, 2010.
Well Aaron Eyler wrote that his new year resolution is to blog regularly on his site. This was his last post... haha.
Anyway, Eyler posted that he's been infactuated with commenting on political blogs and debating the educational issues they address. He wants to start a political blog that would make understanding politics easier for children.
I think it would be a great idea to start a political blog for children! As a child I never fully grasped the concepts of politics but I think with a little more help I could have. I would definitely be interested in sharing this blog with my students in the future if Eyler makes the blog. If not, I'll probably find one made by someone else anyway because I think it is important for children to understand politics to form their own opinions on the issues.

Short Movie Project #11- So You Want to be a Teacher?

First PLN Progress Report

So far I like my Personal Learning Network. I mostly use it when I'm multitasking on the internet. It makes staying organized really easy and convenient. I have all of the websites that I log onto on a normal basis on my PLN. I have a few links that I rarely use. But still, that's convenient. I'm still getting used to all the gadgets and tricks it can do. I've explored some of the links on the Edu Tools page. I can see most of them being very useful when I have my own classroom. I especially like how I can have multiple PLNs that are easily accessible and labeled with tabs. Out of the tools I don't regularly need for homework or bank accounts, the translate and weather ones are my favorite.
I'll definitely continue to use my personal learning network. I'll also introduce my students to Symbaloo and help them set up their own personal learning network. Even though I don't need it daily, my personal learning network is VERY helpful.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Professor Randy Pausch started his lecture by introducing the elephant in the room: his ten tumors. Then Pausch told us that he would not be talking about his cancer.
The thesis of The Last Lecture is to achieve your childhood dreams. Pausch believes we cannot change the cards we are dealt; just how we play the hand. The rest of the lecture is about his dreams he had as a child. Pausch knows it is important to have specific dreams.

Pausch's Childhood Dreams
1. Being in zero gravity.
2. Playing in the NFL
3. Authoring an article in the World Book Encyclopedia
4. Being Captain Kirk
5. Winning stuffed animals
6. Being a Disney Imagineer

Pausch found an opportunity to be in zero gravity. Then he hit a brick wall. The brick walls are there for a reason- to stop people who don't want it badly enough. Most people would have called it quits but Pausch kept trying and finally was able to be in zero gravity.
Pausch's desire to play in the NFL led him to a lot of life lessons. One practice his coach hassled him the whole time and later realized if someone isn't yelling at you when you've messed up then they've already given up on you.
Captain Kirk was a leader and Pausch believes Captain Kirk was a good role model for every young child. Obviously Pausch would never be Captain Kirk so he changed his dream to meeting him instead. Pausch believes it's okay to change your dreams Winning stuffed animals was also important to him because as a child he was always impressed by the big men carrying around huge stuffed animals at theme parks.
Pausch was initially denied as a Disney Imagineer. But a few years later he found an opportunity to work with the Imagineers. Pausch proved worthy and was offered a job as a Disney Imagineer. He declined. Being an Imagineer didn't fall into his life's path anymore.
Pausch mentioned toward the end of his lecture that none of this would have been possible without his parents. I really liked when he said that. He credited the people whom have inspired and taught him the most important life lessons.
It's inspiring to see Pausch so happy throughout the whole lecture. I believe that a truely satisfied person can be so happy when they know they are dying. Pausch indirectly taught me that no matter how bad the cards you've been dealt stink, you can always play a good hand. Persevering [your childhood dreams] is the most important message Pausch taught his audience. I think Professor Randy Pausch is a great role model for every teacher looking to make a difference in their students' lives.

C4T #2

Lee Kolbert- A GeekyMomma's Blog

Protecting Reputations Online: A Lesson to Share and Then Create
Lee Kolbert is a 4th grade teacher. She also believes in the idea of engagement in learning. Her post was about the importance of being mature and responsible on the internet. I strongly agree with her because I think anyone's reputation can be permanently ruined from one controversial post. For example, when John Lennon said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus their reputation was ruined and they were boycotted. Eventually, of course, Lennon apologized and everyone loved the Beatles again. Who could hate the Beatles forever, anyway?
Everyone else may not be so lucky as to get a chance to apologize. Offensive comments on the internet can ruin your future. So be smart and avoid offending people.

An Exercise in Perception-
Lee Kolbert posted this picture and asked what my first impression is of what's most likely going on.
A) Learning
B) Cheating
C) Wasting Time


I responded A) Learning because, even though I can't see what the boy is writing or drawing, their expressions show that the two students are engaged. If they were cheating their expressions would be a little more mischievous. The kids in the background also look like they are engaged in an activity. I would presume that the two students are collaborating and learning.

A Historical Timeline of the United States' Presidents

There are a lot of dates...
You can expand the timeline by dragging one of the thin white bars from side to side which are located on the outsides of the darker blue section under the dates.
Enjoy!

Blog Post 6

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler-
The theme of this video was neat. However, I don't totally agree with the message it is sending. I do like that the 'connectivist teacher' empowers her students to take control of their learning. I feel like that would really set apart the motivated students from the unmotivated students.
I like how the student shares the information which they've found through bookmarks and blogs. However, a lot of uninformed students can easily be mislead because of the blogs. Blogs are more opinion than fact. But, every teacher has their own opinion so, in a way, teachers teach in biased ways just like a blog can.
Once again, an MP3 player proves to be MVP of technological learning networks. The benefits from having credible recorded courses on your iTunes are endless!
Most importantly, I learned about the networking tools which are necessary to creating a successful learning environment on the web. As a teacher I'll remember to use MP3 programs, bookmarking, and blogging to connect with other scholars around the world. I'll guide my students to use the right tools for learning and I'll teach them how to find and communicate information properly.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)-
This students PLN is similar to mine with links for school work and social networking. But, I have my banks and doctors in addition to my work and play. Personal Learning Networks have proven to be very valuable. I'll definitely use one from here on out as a student and as a teacher. I'll also have my students set up a PLN with sites they'll need for my class and in general. I think a PLN is going to be a great way to empower disabled students with confidence and responsibility and organization skills.

Critiques of Smart Boards
Why Smart boards are a Dumb Initiative by Michael Staton- Staton believes Smart boards aren't enough of an advance in the classroom to be so much more expensive and Smart boards are an administrative cop out. Bill Ferriter wrote the article Why I Hate Interactive White boards. He believes that interactive white boards are too expensive when they don't make much of a difference in lesson plans.
I found this blog http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/ to counteract the blog above. It's called Teachers Love Smart boards. The author of this blog just LOVES using animation. He informs us of when animation is appropriate. He also says animation helps engage the students in learning. I disagree. I think animation merely entertains students. In a previous blog post I learned that engaging my students is more important than entertaining my students. The blog I found is not a very good counteracting advocate for Smart boards. But still... pictures are not engaging so I had to share this ridiculous post.

C4K #1-4

C4K#1
Evan- Crozet 4th Grade Class- The Secret of the Printer

Evan had a great idea about the printer. He says the printer works because there is a little man inside it painting the pictures or letters. The little man gets help from a lot of other little people by pushing the paper out of the printer.
I told Evan how awesome of an idea the little printer man is. I also asked what he looks like because I'm curious about that. Then I gave Evan my twitter, gmail address, and blog link.
______________________
C4K#2
Subika's Blog- Mr. St.Pierre's Class- I Loved the News Broadcast
Subika's group made a news broadcast. There were a few technical errors but she said "Who cares?!?!" Subika's family loved it and she said everyone did a great job. She can't wait to do another one.

I congratulated Subika on her broadcast and told her that I hope my group does as well on our podcast that we are currently working on. Then I left Subika the link to my blog.
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C4K#3
Pt. England School is in Auckland, New Zealand. Room 14 at Pt. England School is a Year 5 class taught by Ms Helen Squires. Room 14 is a creative writing class. This is their first time having their own blogs and the students get to use netbooks.

Fauea's @ Pt England School- Fauea posted a picture that he created on the computer. The picture had him, a big TV that said MTV on it and a PS3 connected to the TV. He titled his post Holiday. Fauea said he played PS3 at his uncle's house over the break. I thought the picture was very detailed. Not every Year 5 can match their shirt and shoes perfectly. :]


This is Room 14 at Pt. England School.
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C4K#4

I was assigned to a student under the name of pk2011. Pk2011 blogged about throwing a ball with his dad all day. Pk2011 said he got hit in the ribcage and shoulder. I asked if he wanted to play baseball or football then reminded him that practice makes perfect.

Blog Post 5

Eagles' Nest Radio & Class Blog-
This is very cool! Third graders are creating their own radio show! It's very neat how they researched all the information then set up a podcast to share it all! Even the sound effects are awesome. I definitely plan on doing projects like this with my students. The kids were not only entertained, but they were ENGAGED. This is a great way to really learn the material, express personality, and involve all the students.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom-
My favorite thing about podcasting: it promotes creativity and innovation. It also makes learning more memorable because students and record their projects. The video on this blog covered the basic benefits of technology. It was a well-made video but I did not enjoy watching it. Honestly, I feel like it was dragged out and beat around the bush. However, the video did make great points. The blog gave a quick overview of the video which I found more helpful. It also supplied readers with podcasting tutorials which proved to be very helpful.

100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better-
Wow. I had no idea there are so many iPod applications to help learn! This relates a lot to the iSchool which I've previously blogged about. I also know that Nursing majors at South Alabama have to have an iPod for its apps and such. All of these apps make learning a lot more convenient than a stack of huge textbooks. I'll most likely incorporate some of these apps in my future students' projects and even daily classwork. Actually, a lot of these apps would be very helpful for a lot of disabilities anyway like Audio book apps.

Timetoast Time Line

Project 8 - Podcast

My Sentence Movie

Blog Post 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?-
At first I was very confused then I started sensing the sarcasm. The style of writing is very unique. There is hardly any punctuation, no capitalization, or any full sentences for that matter. Yet, with all of these mistakes, Dr. McLeod is making a great statement!
When I began reading I was thinking, "Uhh aren't we supposed to be supporting technology in schools?" And, "Gosh, these ideas sound like the unreasonable rules of my high school."
The punchline to Dr. McLeod's sarcasm came when he said
"I don't want them

creating

sharing

thinking

learning."
His cynical comments will make someone rethink their reasoning on the 'blocked-technology rules.' He is right! TECHNOLOGY MATTERS, especially in education.
Dr. McLeod is very credible. He's an Associate Professor of Educational Administration at Iowa State, a co-creator of the Did You Know videos, and the director of the UCEA center for the advanced study of Technology Leadership in Education.

The iSchool Initiative-
An iPod with all of the resources for school is a really neat idea! This just shows how technology is advancing and will become a part of everyone's lives soon enough. Someone who commented on this video said her school is changing to iSchool next year, also. It's awesome to think that my children could be using iSchool instead of huge textbooks and a lot of paper. I'll probably even be teaching students with iSchool!
However, iSchool can have its cons. What about people prone to light-induced migraines? And will the schools be supplying these iSchools? That raises a lot of questions. As in what will be allowed on them and can they be used for personal use? And what about the kids who can't afford iSchool if the schools don't supply them. I'm also curious if there will be different versions of iSchool fit for different disabilities. There should be! And if not, I have an interesting project ahead of me.

Lost Generation-
THAT
WAS
AWESOME!!!
I even posted it to my Facebook wall! That video was just so cool! It caught me by complete surprise. The first half I was thinking "Oh no, this is bad. I don't like the message here." Then I thought "Wait, Dr. Strange would not have us watch a video with this kind of message. And if he did- how mean!" Finally, I saw the punchline! The technique used in this video was very creative. I had never seen anything like it before which may be why I like it so much. One word to describe it- ingenious.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir-
Wow! As I was watching this so many questions popped into my head. Like, how did he get all of their screens to be lined up and organized to look like an actual choir? My answer to that- he must have a mac (haha). What made him decide to even conduct a virtual choir? What an idea! The amount of organization that must have required is mind- boggling. He had 185 clips, plus his, to manipulate onto the main screen. Amazing! Very neat. The interactions between the individual singers and conductor can symbolize the interaction between a student and a teacher in a virtual class. So many possibilities!

Teaching in the 21st Century-
In this video "to teach" does not mean to fill heads with facts and data. It means to teach students the skills they need to acquire and share facts and data themselves. Every fact a teacher knows is now on the internet in some form or fashion. So why do we still have teachers? We still have teachers so students can be taught how to get this information, what it means, and what to do with it! If you were to give a caveman a computer and say, "Learn." What would he do? He wouldn't know what to learn. He wouldn't even know what to do with the computer. That's when technologically literate teachers become valuable. They know what needs to be learned and how to teach it: by providing their students with the skills they need to find the information on their own then share it. I really liked when the video said "students do not need to be entertained, they need to be engaged." Engagement brings entertainment but entertainment does bring engagement.

The Jacey-Blaire Project

C4T#1

Newspaper Map is Really Neat-
Larry Ferlazzo's post informed us about an easily accessible online newspaper that is displayed on a Google Map. Ferlazzo noted how Newspaper Map is substantially better than another version of an online newspaper, Newseum. Newspaper Map also allows you to choose a language to read articles in.
- Initially, I gave a little description of myself. I let him know a little about EDM 310. Then I confessed to Mr. Ferlazzo that I had never heard of Newspaper Map or Newseum. However, I was interested to find out about it. It seems very helpful and I'll be sure to put it to use. I thought up some cool projects for my future students using Newspaper Map.

Mr. Ferlazzo had a few posts for today, February 2, so I chose the one about school lunches. It's titled “U.S. Late To The Party On School Lunch Makeovers.” I chose this post of all others because I'm a firm believer in good nutrition and wanted to check this out. Ferlazzo posted an NPR article about lunches around the world. When I read the article I also found some pictures of school lunches around the world. It was interesting to see the different meals! Jamie Oliver of Scotland started a program called Hungry For Success a few years ago. The program was successful in providing students with healthful, nutritious lunches. Soon after other countries adopted similar programs. Meanwhile, America has just recently passed a child nutrition bill. Either way I believe nutritious cafeterias can have the most success in academics and in extra-curricular activities.

Blog Post 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This video was very enlightening. It was also very accurate. I like the way it was filmed also, i.e. in a classroom with real people raising little signs. That was very neat and kept me interested. I thought of two things that were left out: 1. how college effects eating and sleeping habits and 2. how athletes have constant physical strain along with the stress of school work and time management.
However, this video makes a great point about the direction of life that college teaches people to be prepared for. From personal experience, we DO learn outdated information that we won't ever use again. We DO learn in archaic fashions sometimes also, which I believe only hinders how much we can learn in that classroom.

"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Kelly Hines makes a good point! One that I have failed to notice until now. I thought EDM 310's purpose was to make me more technologically literate so I can use technology to have more effective lesson plans. When really, I need to be technologically literate in order to keep up with the 21st century! Hines mentions that teachers need to be learners. If I can't learn about the most recent form of technology that all of my students are using, how can I be teach them effectively?
Hines also says that if a student has not learned no teaching has been done. That's so true! I'll be able to use my 21st century tech-savvy skills to change up HOW the information is taught. This will also help me learn which teaching methods are more effective in different situations because, truthfully, technology IS useless without good teaching. Therefore, being a "21st century teacher" will enable me to be a good, effective teacher.

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
This post also made some very good points. We've been exploring this topic in EDM 310 so far. And ultimately, I think everyone's answer will be no 'No.' I like how Fisch tells people to stop being proud of their "ignorance." If you're technologically illterate, you should try to learn to become LITERATE.
"If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write." We all know how important it is to be able to read in this day. Fisch makes a great point. Reading didn't seem important back then, just like technology seems unimportant to most people now, but we WILL need to be technologically literate in order to be successful.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Most importantly, this social media count shows how imperative it is for teachers to be technologically literate! The speed of change today is impressively fast. As educators, we need to be able to keep up with the changing world at the pace of which it's constantly changing.
I uploaded Gary Hayes' Social Media Count to my facebook because I think it's a pretty cool application. It's amazing to think deeper into the statistics than just that minute we see on his app. The growth is exponential! All teachers should be technologically literate to make the greatest impact they can. Here is Gary Hayes' Social Media Count.

Blog Post 2

Did You Know:
This video was surprisingly interesting! All of the facts were really neat to look at in perspective. Also, this video proves that no matter what degrees we earn, we will never stop learning.
It's awesome to see how much is happening in the world each day. This video proves that we're in an era of technology. Technology won't stop advancing either. It will continue to grow and consume our world.

Mr. Winkle Wakes:
Poor Mr. Winkles! The poor man was in a bit of the same situation as Austin Powers. Anyway, the video shows the advancements of technology and how our world today could not survive without the technology.
Mr. Winkles realized that school has the same agenda as when before he fell into his hundred year slumber. In a way, it's assuring to know school will always be the same, despite technology. But school needs to keep up with the rest of the world. Technology in schools needs to be used more often. We need to use our resources to give students a step up in the world.

Sir Ken Robinson- The Importance of Creativity:
Ken Robinson makes very valid points throughout his speech. He is obviously very passionate about education. Children are known for being "care-free" and not having a worry in the world. However, as students have grown older educators have been more strict on the curriculum. Telling students how to think is just an example of how schools have killed creativity.
Robinson also made a good point to expect to be wrong. It's hard to learn if you never make mistakes. As children become adults they need to be willing to accept the fact that they're wrong. If people can keep open minds they will be more well-rounded. This speech was very good.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts:
Students shouldn't be limited to just paper and a pencil. Technology helps expand the methods of learning. It also builds confidence when a program has been mastered. Which then leads to more students learning that program when their friend who has just mastered it wants to "show off."
Vicki Davis is a strong believer of technology in the classroom. She has proven how technology can be effective also. Vicki Davis has also reincorporated the idea of creativity and individual learning. More teachers should be like Vicki Davis.

Wordle Post!

Sweet Wordle

Blog Post 1

Hello everybody! I'm Jacey- Blaire Chandler and I haven't "blogged" since eighth grade on Myspace and Xanga. I'm from Buford, Georgia. Buford is a suburb of Atlanta. Some of my friends refer to me as a sweet Georgia peach. They think it's funny. I found out about South Alabama because of soccer, but I chose it because of the education program and my cousin, Rylle Pannell, also plays soccer here. I like learning new things. However, I do not like being bad at things which is where my competitive side really shows.
I have an older brother who is a sophomore at Mercer University in Georgia. I'm a dog person, as is my whole family. We have four dogs- two beagles and we rescued two mutts.
I'm going to be a special education teacher. I chose the degree after one of my cousins, who has a few different disorders, lived with my family and I for six years. At first it was really difficult but then I grew to really enjoy the whole situation, even on the bad days. Because of my cousin I realized I want to be in a position to help other kids like him as much as I can. I'm extremely interested in disorders and behaviors. I want to know all about every single one. I love being in an environment with special needs children and I want to help them learn and watch them grow.

Here is the link to my South Alabama 2010 Soccer page
My Soccer Player Page #17