Blog Post # 16

Final Project Blog Post

Before taking EDM 310 I did not realize how important technology could be in the classroom. I think to teach students today you must include technology in your lessons. It keeps the students engaged. There are several types of tools you can use with technology such as blogs, twitter, iMovie, and many others. I think the best approach for teaching with technology is project-based learning. This allows for students to show more creativity in their work and solve real world problems. The fact that project-based learning always involves a real world problem this gets the students attention because they find it useful. It is almost impossible to avoid using technology in the class because it is all around. Most likely every class has a Smart Board and some school districts even have iPads for all the students. It would be a waste to let a tool with infinite possibilities not be used in the class. So, if you were to ask me how I feel about technology in the classroom, then I would say it is one of the best things that ever happen to education.

Blog Post #14

In the article called Teaching Can Be a Profession by Mr. Joel Klein, I found some of his points to be valid and some to be totally ridiculous. The first change he suggested is that families should have more choices when it comes to school. I agree with this because schools do not have a even distribution of well qualified teachers. For example, schools in a good neighborhoods usually get better qualified teachers ,and more government funding leading to a better quality education for the students. Schools that are in low income neighborhoods get more unqualified teachers and less federal funding leading to a poorer education for those students. I must say this is not fair and children should get the same quality education no matter where they come from. There should be some policy put in place that allows for schools to have highly qualified teachers and equally distributed funding. If this were to happen there would be no need for parents to worry about what school their children will attend. I would like to stay hopeful but this will probably never happen.

Mr. Klein next suggestion was technology should be used to improve teaching and learning. I agree with this because we are living in the 21st century and it is our job as educators to give our students the best quality education possible. The only way I feel this is possible is by incorporating technology into the classroom. Before taking EDM 310 I had no idea how important technology was in the classroom. It keeps the students engaged and also prepares them for the future in a way that is more suitable for the real world. Technology is taking over and the best way to handle this is to just incorporate it in the classroom. If you are an educator and you are not on the technology bandwagon then you are putting yourself and more importantly your students at an serious disadvantage to the rest of the world.

His next suggestion was that education should be started for a child earlier than five years old. I would have to agree with him on this matter. Children are progressing at a faster rate than ever before. Why not shape the minds of little ones as early as possible?

Last but definitely not least he said that "Teaching should be professionalize, making it like other well-respected professions, such as law and medicine. I am rather offended by his suggestion saying that teachers are not professionals. So, I looked up the definition of professional to see did I miss something. According to Websters dictionary a professional is relating to a job that requires special education, training, or skill. To become a teacher you must attend at least four years of college, past several certification test, and successfully complete your internship and student teaching. That falls under the category of special training and skills. Next, he said that there should be better academic training for teachers. I have to agree with this teachers should be better trained in the basics of reading and math instruction. He also said that only the teachers of the top third of the class should be recruited. I do not feel this is an effective way to recruit teachers. My philosophy is that just because you score high and make good grades does not mean you are the best person for the job. For example, a teacher can have all the knowledge in the world and be ineffective at getting that knowledge across to their students. Teaching does not just involved academics you have to be able to emotionally support your students, be able to manage a classroom, and also be able to adjust to the needs of each student. His next point was that teachers are rewarded by seniority. I agree with his point because to often are teachers rewarded because they been around a long time and they are not effectively teaching their students. Mr.Klein brought up the fact that when there must be layoffs, the most recently hired teacher is terminated. There should be something to stop this from happening. For example,  here at the University of South Alabama students are able to evaluate each course. That information is used to determine whether the professor is effectively teaching the class. I feel this should be used at all schools to determine whether a teacher should be allowed to teach the following year. Parents and students should have a say in the quality of education they receive. I don't think the term professionalizing teaching should be used for the changes that need to be made. In my opinion teachers are already professionals. Mr. Albert Shanker suggested that educators should be required to take entry exams and do longer supervised internships. I don't agree that all that is necessary. However, I must say if this were to take place would this also include the pay of teachers being raised. They referred to the profession of doctors and lawyers but doctors and lawyers both receive a higher pay than teachers.

There are a lot of changes that need to be made concerning education and teachers. Teachers also should be respected more and be considered a respected profession. Because after all we would not have doctors , lawyers, and other so called respected professions if someone did not teach them the skills they know.

Part 2 of Blog Post #5

It has been a great journey learning all the possibilities of a Personal Learning Network. The use of PLN's makes life a little easier for me. When I am looking for a resource I don't have to look it up. I set my PLN as my home page in the web browser. When I access the internet all my resources I use on a daily basis are available for me through the PLN. I added things to my PLN throughout the semester as I found certain resources to be important to me. Some of those resources include twitter,the EDM class blog, and YouTube. Overall, I like the tool Symbaloo which is what I used to make my PLN. I will continue to use this tool throughout the rest of my years in college.

Alexis Personal Learning Network

C4T #4 Summary

 C4T #4 Blog Post Summary

This week I was assigned to the blog of Ms. Cathy Jo Nelson. In her blog post she expressed her confusion whether to be happy or confused about a common craft video on libraries. She is a librarian and I assume she is upset that technology has become such a big deal that a video is now needed to educate people on libraries.

C4T #4 Comment

Hello Mrs. Nelson,
I think that the Common Craft video was great. There has been a neglect in the use of useful library resources . A lot of people would rather just do their research on the internet. I think the issue is that many people do not know that these resources are available in the library. Hopefully this video will encourage more people to use the library.

C4K Summary for April

C4K #8 Blog Post Summary

I was assigned to Conner K's Blog this week in Mrs Lombard's class. On his blog post he talked about how school baseball has been fun for him this year. His team is undefeated with a record of 5-0 right now. His game the night before his blog post his team won against a school called Mount Saint Mary's with a score of 21-0. Conner K plays all positions in the outfield and he looks forward to the next season.

C4K#8 Comment

Good Job! How long have you been playing baseball? It sounds like you really enjoy playing the game of baseball. Best of luck on your next game, I know you will do well.

C4K #9 Blog Post Summary

This week I was assigned a student named Brody. In his blog post he talks about his school which is a farming school. Most of the students at this school have parents who are farmers and they also learn about farming. Brody also talks about the different cities in New Zealand. He lives in Taranaki, New Zealand which has a population of 109,700. There are lots of cultures in New Zealand such as Maori, Chinese, and Indian.

C4K #9 Comment

Hi Brody, My name is Alexis I am a junior at the University of South Alabama. I find it quite interesting that your school only has 9 classrooms. Since your school is a farming school do they teach you a lot about farming? I have never heard of your city Taranaki. I plan to do some research on your city to learn more about where you are from.

C4K #10 Blog Post Summary

 This week I was assigned Marvina. Her blog post was about how did April fools day begin. Her answer was through the adoption of a new calender in 1582.

C4K #10 Comment

 Great Post Marvina. You are absolutely right that the adoption of the new calendar is how April fools first started. Apparently Pope Gregory XIII started the calender for the Christians of Europe. This changed the beginning of the year from April 1st to January 1st. There were some people who still celebrated the beginning of the year on April 1st, and they were called the April Fools.

Blog Post #13

This project will help you to create a reading lesson for beginning readers.  First you must understand what the five components of reading are. Take a look at the links below, Then you will briefly summarize each component in a blog post. Also, in the blog post you will give two examples of how each component can be taught by using technology.

The Five Essential Components of Reading
Teachnology and Teaching Children How to Read
5 Anchors for Teaching Children to Read

Blog Post #12

C4T#3 Summary

Post 1
What he said........
I was assigned Doug off the Record blog for comment for teachers 3. This week he gave his review on a new app call ZooKazam. This app gives you the experience of a virtual zoo right on your apple or android device. To view the zoo animals you can print out one of the many targets provided by the website. Then you point your camera at the target and it shows you a 3D image of the animal. The animal makes noises you are even allowed to change the climate of the animal is in.

Comment 1
What I said.......
Hi Doug, My name is Alexis I am a Student at the University of South Alabama. I found the ZooKazam app to be very interesting. This app would also be very useful in the classroom for educational and fun purposes. However, like previously stated by Ms. Noble I am concerned about how would you use this app if color ink is not available. Can this app still be used only using black and white ink?
Post 2
What he said....
This week on Doug off the Record he talked about a new app made by Google called Chrome App Builder. With this app you are able to create your own app without the trouble of coding. You simply copy the web address and paste it in the app and it creates your very own app. If you wish you can publish your finished app to the Chrome Web Store.

Comment 2

What I said......

Mr. Doug I totally agree with you that it’s nice to just do something because you can. As a future educator I think that you should introduce new technologies to your students even if they do not plan to do anything with them. I wonder what other ways this app can be used in the school besides the one you suggested.

Project 14- Project Based Learning Plans

Project 14 Lesson Plan

Blog Post #11

We can learn a lot about teaching and learning from the teachers in the videos, and if you were not sure whether to use project based learning in your classroom these videos will help reassure you. The first video I watched with Mr. Brian Crosby Back to the Future I found very interesting. He took a class in which a majority of the students did not even know what country they lived in ,and got them to interact with people all over the world.  The students were so engaged in their projects and did such a good job that other kids from all over the world wanted their teacher to let them do the activity also. The students also learned to change lives and be sensitive to others. Mr. Crosby made it possible for a student who was sick with leukemia to come to class on Skype. The whole class participated in making her feel welcome when she was already going through so much. In the video with Mr.Mark Church,Making Thinking Visible  he asked the students to write down what they think human origins is all about. He also allowed them to discuss it with some of their classmates. Once finish they had to present to the class then he displayed their work on the board. In this one assignment he was able to get them to use their critical thinking skills, collaborate with other classmates, and present their work. This style of teaching is much more engaging than the teacher just standing up in front of the class lecturing. In the Sam Pane 4th Grade video he taught the students the importance of internet safety. I think when you teach lessons based off of project based learning it is important to teach the students about internet safety. Mr. Pane's approach to teach this was very engaging and it got the students attention. I think what we can learn from this is that you can get important information through to children when you make it meaningful to them.All the videos pretty much stressed the same idea of giving the students a challenge and giving them the responsibility to solve it. Then they had the opportunity to share their work with others all over the world and receive positive feedback. Not only are they able to share their work with others but they also learn to solve real world problems on their own.

Blog Post #10

Ms. Cassidy's approach to technology is exactly what we need in the classroom today for teaching technology. As an future educator I believe blogging would be very beneficial in the classroom. Students are more motivated to do their very best on work because they know they have a bigger audience rather than just the teacher. They also receive positive feedback from the people who comment on their blogs. Possible issues that could get in the way of implementing blogging and other technology software would be administration and parents. As Ms. Cassidy stated in her video she has had several different administrator's. Some of the administrators where all for her use of technology in the class and others were just not interested. This could be an issue if you had an administrator who did not want teachers using things such as blogger in the classroom. Parents could also be an issue when using technology in the class.It has many benefits such as they are able to view their child's progress throughout the year at anytime. However, some parents may worry that their child will get access to something inappropriate on the web. There are several benefits to using Ms. Cassidy's approach. One of the main reasons is that students are more motivated because through blogging they showcase their work all over the world. Students connect with others in their personal learning network who may share interest in some of the same things. If you encounter a problem with an assignment maybe someone in your personal learning network had the same problem and they can help. There are many advantages to using technology in the classroom ,but educators must not be afraid to use them.

SMART Board Project #12 Part A

C4K Summary for March

C4K #5

Future sophomores taking Plan tests I suggest you actually try on this test and prepare for it just like it’s an ACT or a summative grade test. I say that because this test will really help prepare you for the ACT test you will take your junior year so you should really take this testing serious. Study go over some things that you’ve learned in English, science and math, review some of those things it’ll really help you out in the long run. Also try to get a good breakfast in the morning before the test that’s a nice start for a test day. But reminder you have to bring your own snacks they don’t give out snacks anymore you have to bring your own food now. In my opinion the Plan tests aren’t that bad its basic stuff that you’ve learned at a young age all the way up to your age now.

My Comment

Hi Jaron, My name is Alexis I am a elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. I think you had some really good advice about preparing for the Plan test. I remember taking that test as a sophomore, and I did not take it as serious as I should have. I hope that your readers will take your advice and take it serious.

C4K #6

We took the plan on Tuesday. It was easy for me but I don’t know about the others students who took the test too. We took English, Math, Reading, and science and it was just half of school that day. You can get a break so you can go to the restroom or eat you snack or talk to friends. If they catch you with your phone out with out permission you go to your dean and you take the test another day during school  . After you finish you can get your phone out and text or play you games or watch videos. also you can do your homework or read while you may go to your locker or your bus. I whish you did good on your plan test. the plan don’t hurt your grade is just to see how well you have improve in those classes. the collage can see if you can go their collage or not.

My Comment

Hi Jasmine, I remember taking the plan test when I was in school. I found this test to be very beneficial for those students who planned on taking the ACT or SAT test. The Plan test is very good practice so I hope you learned something from it. I wish you the best of luck on your future.

C4K #7

Turtle are very dangerous and slow. They have been around for hundreds of years. In  some countries they are going instinct. Some animal hospitals are helping save turtles. Turtles are very cool and amazing creatures.

My Comment 

Hi Jake, My name is Alexis I am a student at The University of South Alabama. I happen to think that turtles are very amazing creatures too. It saddens me to know that these creatures are going instinct in certain parts of the world. Is there anything that we could do to help save these endangered creatures.

Blog Post #9

There is a lot to be learned from teachers and students about project based learning.  The Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning is a perfect example of what project based learning is all about. A good project should be perceived meaningful by the students and it should provide an educational purpose. I think it is very important for the students to find the project meaningful. If the project is not something the students care about it will be a lot harder to get them engaged in the project. PBL challenges students to solve a driving question. While students set out to solve a driving question PBl also gives students the platform to be creative and voice their ideas. I believe students feel more accomplished when they solve issues on their own and are able to showcase their ideas. In the video Project Based Learning for Teachers by Tony Vincent he sites a Einstein quote which says "I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn". This is what PBL is based off of the teacher does not actually teach the student. The students learn how to teach themselves and solve challenging real world problems on their own. When doing this they develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking.

In the 21st century it is getting harder and harder to motivate students. In the video PBL: What Motivates Students Today it shows interviews with real students on what motivates them. The most popular answer is they feel motivated when they receive some type of reward from their teacher. Students work harder and feel like their work meant something when they get rewarded for their work. This shows that students are just like adults in a way because adults also work hard for recognition in some type of way. For example, a lawyer works at a big law firm and they work very hard and their reward is to make partner. The same is for students if they work hard on a project and they receive an A , then they are going to work even harder to keep that A. There are many benefits to Project Based Learning and I believe if educators use it in their lessons the students will be more engaged and retain the information longer.

Project #9 Video Book Commentary

Blog Post #8

There is a lot to be learned about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. I found Mr. Pausch to filled with great wisdom about life. I learned from the video that teaching should be fun, and Pausch made this lecture fun by saying jokes to make them laugh and it kept their attention. There was one thing about teaching that stuck out the most to me in his video and that was when he said " When you are doing something badly and nobody's  bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care". As a future educator I found this to be very insightful. I have seen instances where teachers may see a student doing something wrong and they just move on either because they gave up or do not care anymore. It is a big mistake to let someone go on doing something wrong and you know that they are doing it. Taking the time out to let someone know they are doing something wrong can encourage them to do better, and they may carry that lesson they learned for the rest of their lives.

There was also a lot to learn from Pausch about learning also. What I received from his lecture is to try to learn something from every experience in your life even if it does not work out the way you wanted. For example, one of his dreams was to play in the NFL and of course this dream did not become a reality. Even though he did not go to the NFL he learned some valuable lessons from his coach that he carried throughout life . I also learned that if you want something badly you have to work hard for it. His quote about the brick wall is a great example of this. Learning should never stop when you think you know enough. If you have a dream to become a doctor then you have to work hard at it because there are lots of individuals who also want that position. To achieve your goals you have to never give up and bring your all to the table.

C4T#2 Summary

I was assigned Mr. Doug Johnson and the name of his blog is The Blue Skunk Blog.

C4T#2 Post 1 Summary 

The name of the blog post I was assigned for this week is Obstructing Change With Fear.  In this post Mr. Johnson discussed how some school systems are using the excuse of theft to avoid incorporating technology into their schools. He gives statistics to prove that what some schools systems may be saying about theft is simply just an excuse. In his data it showed that 84% of the participants said that theft rarely or never occurs in their school.

C4T#2 Post 1 Comment

Hello, My name is Alexis Taite I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I do believe that some school systems are afraid of change so they use the excuse of theft to not move forward. It is unfair to the students to not give them the education they deserve. So my argument is that it should not be a choice but mandatory to incorporate technology into the classroom. Students will not be prepared for today's society if technology is not incorporated into the classroom. The old fashion way of teaching is not as effective anymore because children have unlimited access to all sorts of information at the click of a button.

C4T#2 Post 2 Summary

The name of the blog post I was assigned for this week is  A Growth Mindset For Techs. In this post Mr. Johnson discussed people that work in the tech world. Many technicians may not be good at teaching others how to also be good using technology. There are two types of people that technicians deal with. People with a closed mindset typically respond in a negative way. For example "I've just never been good at technology". People with a growth mindset may respond in a positive way and have a willingness to learn. Technicians may choose to not help those who have a closed mindset or encourage them that it can be done.

C4T#2 Post 2 Comment 

Hello Mr. Johnson,

My name is Alexis I am a education major at the University of South Alabama. I believe it can be difficult for a technician to assist someone who has a closed mindset when it comes to doing things with technology. However, not all individuals are interested in learning how to use technology or they are use to someone just doing it for them. I think technicians should encourage people to become technologically advanced. For example, the video in your blog post shows a technician who is frustrated and just tells the lady to move. This was not a very productive way of handling the situation. I believe he should have been patient and went through the process step by step on how to solve the problem. Then, the next time she had the same issue she would know how to fix it herself. Teaching is not just something that is limited to school. Everywhere around us there is something new to be learned. So, for jobs like a technician I believe they should be open to teaching others how to solve their own problems.

Blog Post #7

New technological innovations are being introduced to the market everyday and children are quickly learning how to use them. I believe in order to be the best educator I can be I should try to stay up to date with this new technology to better teach my students. Before I graduate I think I should be very Knowledgable in the technology they are using in the classrooms. I can achieve this by going past learning the basics when it comes to using computers and push myself to explore all varieties of things.

The videos I watched for this blog post were very interesting. One of the videos talked about kindergarten students doing a book trailer on a book they read. I was in aww to learn that kindergarten students could make a book trailer and I was just learning to how to do this. Once the students learned the basic mechanics of how iMovie works they were able to navigate it themselves. I think it is good for children to learn how to use such resources as iMovie at such a early age. This activity is fun for the students and it reinforces what they read. Another thing I found interesting was one of the media specialist in the video gave an example of how she was having a hard time learning how to take pictures on an iPad. One of her students who was in kindergarten showed her how to do it. Imagine having a child as young as 6 knowing how to use a technology better than you do. iPads in the classroom keep students engaged in learning and makes them excited about learning. Technology is not getting rid of teachers ,but teachers who choose not to embrace technology will make it hard on themselves.

Project #7 Part B Two Movies as a Teacher

To Students......

To Parents......

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