C4K#7

The blog for this young student was simplistic, but really thought provoking. She listed 7 random facts in a descriptive way about herself.


7  Random Facts About Me!

1.  I have only finished one novel.
2. I have never left Canada.
3. I’m a twin.
4. I was two months premature.
5. I lived in Alberta.
6. I hate Spiders.
7. I have never been to the zoo.

What are some random facts about you?

In response to her query!

1.) I have never been to Canada
2.) I have 2 wonderful boys.
3.) I can speak Japanese.
4.) I love watching movies with my wife and sons.
5.) I am an only child.
6.) My favorite novels are Sci-Fi.
7.) I have taken and helped teach Jujutsu for 17+ years.

I explained in my comment I thought this was a really cool way to blog and that it gets your readers to open the minds to what they think 7 descriptive thing could be listed about them. I went on to say thank you for sharing this with me and the rest of the blogging world and that I was looking forward to her next blog.

Savanna wrote about a local Hockey team the Vancouver Canucks and how she was going to go and see one of their games with her family. She talked about who her favorite player was and who her sister's favorite player is on the team. She talked about how the NHL was going through trades and how she hoped the Canucks would get a few good players. Her ending statement was a question, "Have you ever been to an NHL game?".

In my comment, I endeavored to answer her question. I told her there was not a lot of hockey in this area save the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Winter sports in this area are not as popular as the northern states, I explained. I went on to tell her that I had seen the Bruins play, because my family lives in Massachusetts. I also told her that my youngest cousin was a junior Bruin, which is an honorary Bruin, and was on the USA Hockey team. I told her that I might take my boys to see the Ice Flyers, they have never seen a hockey team play. I thanked her for her contribution to the blogging community and told her I was excited about reading her next post.

Good-Bye, 2011 ..... Hello, 2012! This post is pretty self explanatory based on the title and picture of the post. My student wrote about the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012. The student gives a little background on why we do this tradition and what it means to her now. She moves on to her end of the year resolution, how she planned on keeping them, and why they were important to her. She did four resolutions, one pertaining to her, one pertaining to school, one pertaining to the community, and one pertaining to the Global community. Her resolution is broke up into the goal, why the goal is important, and how she plans on keeping the goal in practice. At this point, I was truly amazed at the thought this young person has put into such an idea, that most of us take for granted. As she ends her post, she leaves the readers a statistic that is really sad for this tradition. Of the people that make New Years resolutions 80% of them never follow through. Leaving 20% of those who make those resolutions succeed in their efforts.

In my comment to her I explained how I thought her previous posts were great reads and even though there were no new posts I was looking forward to this read. I was right, another great post by this budding blogger. She took the time to lay the framework for this post by giving some background on the history of the tradition. She then wrote on how she has interpreted the tradition into her life. I told her that I thought she did a very good job. I explained that I was taken back on her topic of her global resolution, which spoke of fighting childhood marriages in other countries. I told her I would work on helping my friends and family keep their resolutions. Who knows we may be able to push that percentage up to 50% instead of 20%. I explained it is like changing the World we each do our part and those little steps make big impacts.

This blog was simple. Kobey, a first grader spoke of a day where he/she played at a park with Mom and Madison. 

As for my comment, I asked what her/his favorite thing in the park to play on. Even though the post consisted of one sentence it was straight to the point. Although, I feel that Ms. Cassidy could have been involved more in the editing and encouraging process. I understand a first grader will not be a great writer, but the teacher, I believe, should have invested some time in the proofreading before posting. As well, the creativity of the post.

I guess we could look at it from a different point of view, maybe this gross misspelling was on purpose. A new way of viewing what children of that age are capable of doing. Have them post blogs that are meaningful to them and leave their posts in the 100% natural way it was written. This could show the level the school/teacher is educate at or the quality of education those students are absorbing. This manner of blogging could show the gritty realty of our children. We could actually measure a student's progress with blogging in the writing and proofreading field of their education journey. 

The decision on how to take this post is totally up too you (the reader). Only the educator of that class truly knows the purpose of letting this blog be posted in this manner. 

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy used all sorts of technology in her classroom. Her YouTube video Little Kids.....Big Potential and the Skype interview were interesting glimpses into her world of technology in her classroom. When she first received computers, there was little to no interest in the development of a technological program in her school. Ms. Cassidy took the opportunity to create and grow a program on her own. She spent several years trying to learn and perfect her technological techniques. In her You Tube video, she has shown what technology can do for youngest students. Her technology pedagogy has inspired these 1st grade students to blog, podcast, and produce videos. Just think she took those free computers and turned them into a technology tidal wave that keeps growing. Imagine we could do with a technology program.

The technology in the classroom that I found most inspiring was the Blogging. I thoroughly enjoy blogging and I think it can be a powerful tool for students as well as teachers. Blogging can offer so many avenues for students today. Not to mention the act itself improves students ability to read, write, and proofread their own work. Even though many people may see blogging as an introduction to technology in the classroom, I think it opens many doors and opportunities to other forms of media interactions. In classrooms today, technology is new and frightening to some educators. The act of blogging can quell that fear. It can be easily introduced school wide with little to no time. It requires no real formal instruction for the educator or for the students that will be using the free online software. All it requires is a little time, a little drive, and someone willing to proofread the student's work.
As educators we can do so much more with blogging. We can reach out and inspire future students. We can share goals and creative avenues that we are using or plan on using in our classrooms. We can easily create a world of learning, by connecting with other blogging students and teachers. It is as easy as connecting the dots. When I become a teacher I am going to use the power of blogging in my arena. In the end, we are all searching for a better way to use technology in our classrooms. What better way than moving from pencil and paper to keyboard and screen.

Blog Post #10

The video Do you Teach or Do you Educate? had me stop and realize my influence on my future students. This powerful video asked two simple questions of us, future teachers of America, are we going to teach or are we going to educate our students? This question can be easily answered, but not easily implemented. We graduate with high hopes and big dreams for ourselves an our future students and then we are faced with the reality of the educational world. Most new teachers are not prepared for the challenge of education, some are not interested in the fight, and then there are those that welcome the challenge of educating students instead of teaching. We would all like to believe that we are the ones ready for the challenge, but this is just simply not true. That does not mean we can't be ready. We need to steel our resolve and hunker down for the long fight, because some students will fight and bureaucratic teachers will resist our attempt at educating instead of teaching.
I myself would like to believe that I am ready for that fight. I have spent many years in different arenas of employment with no real accomplishments that could stand up in time. Because, of this I have searched my soul for what truly drives me and I believe it is educating students. Instructors that educate students instead of teach, their names are passed from lips of students, to other students, to parents, to communities. Their name and quality of teaching lives in the hearts of the students they have encountered. I want to be that person. I want to be that educator that has made a difference in a student's life. I am not in this employment for the money, summers off, or a steady source of income. I want to challenge my students, make a difference in their educational development, and lead young minds forward on to their learning journey. In the end, I want to be an educator in scholastic and life not just a teacher in the classroom.

At what point do we start to loose the ability to read between the proverbial "lines". I read Mr. John T. Spencer's blog Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home and right off I understood he was referring to technology and students. I finished reading his post and found his ability to hide his soap box, technology and students, with a very funny one, pencils going home with students. Then something struck me, just about every person that commented on his post thought he was a pencil crusader or felt he handled his supervisors problem very well. People were cheering him on in his quest for pencil rights and the ability of students to play Hangman. Someone even commented that Hangman was a great vocabulary builder. Maybe I am being a little to critical, but almost every comment on his post followed the same pattern. It was either "Great solution to the problem" or "Pencils and paper help garner creativity". I continued to read more and more comments and the overall opinion shared by the group was that Mr. Spencer, a.k.a. Mr. Johnson, was helping kids deal with "drill and kill bubble tests" by allowing them the affordability to take their pencils home and use them in a creative manner.
Wow, when everyone is looking up in the sky and you are the only one not doing it, you feel like you may be missing something. Trust me this is not one of those times. I was truly amazed at the amount of people that truly thought this article was about pencils in schools and home life. "Parents don't use them in the factory" come on people, he is being metaphoric. He is substituting pencil for technology. We as future teachers should really focus on being able to see the hidden subjects, because students won't just come out and tell us how to reach them in the classroom. Educators such as Mr. Spencer help us, the students of educating others, by exposing us to different types of posts. So we can challenge ourselves, allowing our minds to grow. When we grow, students win.

C4K#6

The Class 12's blog was done by a 4th grader on a book called France changed into small by Amel. The student retold the story beautifully. He/She was able to recount the story of a young person startled by a loud knock. When the young person ventures out to see what the noise is, the young person finds a box. In the box there are small items that look like French objects, such as the Eiffel Tower. The student was able to place the read in his/her words as if they were reading story verbatim. I really enjoy seeing young students blogging. When I read an elementary student's blog, I can see a difference in their writing elements. They are straight to the point. They write how they talk. Their writing mimics how they see the world.
I asked if he/she, "Did you like the book?". I gave a bit of encouragement to the student. Overall the read was simple and straight forward.

Project #14

Blog Post #9

I decided to write on Mr. McClung's first year as a teacher. His blog What I've Learned this Year attempts to unfold his introduction from student teacher into the realm of teacher. He explains how certain misconceptions in teaching about what was expected of teachers really played an inconsequential roll in actually teaching. He went in like we all do trying to please our supervisors instead of focusing on the important aspects, the student. As his year unfolded he learned some key points in the day to day life of a teacher. Be flexible in your lessons for the day, "there is no perfect lesson plan". Communication is key to interpersonal relationships with teachers and students, "build those strong relationships". Don' be afraid to use technology in your classrooms no one is an expert at first, "so jump in head first....the water feels fine". Never stop the learning for yourself or for the students, "We work in a learning environment, why not soak [it] up...". These and other key points mentioned in his blog were the foundations that Mr. McClung has learned to utilize in his teachings. His success should be our lessons.

I decided to read Mr. McClung's latest post, What I've Learned this Year to see if his beginning fruitions still held true. I was surprised, not only did he still cling to those beginnings, but he expanded on them. According to his post he has focused more on the students than before. His first bold statement reads,"Our decision making process should always be student centered and not centered around pleasing adults". This bold declaration builds upon his earlier remarks about teachers should focus on students instead of their supervisors. His last comment really hit home for me as an aspiring teacher, "Don't Get Comfortable". We so often get our dream jobs and we excel in them to the point they become routine. When this happens we get comfortable, this can be a bad attitude to have in some workplaces, especially teaching. Mr. McClung see this as a way for teachers to not grow, to not succeed, and to let education down. As teachers he states, we should be "movers and shakers...". Teaching should be dynamic. So education does not end up "stagnant" . 
I have read Mr. McClung's first and last reflections and I believe them to be uplifting and eye opening. I would like to continue to look to his blogs as a guide in my own upcoming profession. I believe his blogs could further my teaching skills and offer an inspiring way to look at teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed his parts on don't be concerned if you are an outsider with other teachers, focus on the students. I myself feel immature sometimes, Mr. McClung said it worked for him in his class. He did what most anthropologist do, he lived with the school natives, students, and they accepted him. I want to be like that, I want to be accepted by my students, so I can build a stronger education within them. 

Blog Post #8

The video This Is How We Dream Part 1 discusses topics on how the modern language has changed. We are in an age were we can connect to all peoples globally, through the digital innovations of our age. The author of this video Richard E Miller moves through his beginnings of his print material and on into his digital article. He sees the inevitability of how printed material can end up wasting in landfills, while his digital print is forever located in the article pages of that web site. As well, digital print is accessible by all peoples that have access to an internet connection. Richard moves on to say, that print media has not changed in its foundations, but instead in increments. People are able to access print media just in different forms.





In the 2nd part This Is How We Dream Part 2 Richard E Miller moves beyond the shift from printed text to conceptual web print. As individuals grow with this new media, people can conceptual the new thoughts on the web in many different and fantastic ways. An author can take a low brow article and turn it into a dynamic read for all those who access the material. Imagine being able to drastically change how print material is read and interacted with. Ideas free flowing on the web, being shared with all people. The exchange of of material in such a dynamic fashion could change how education is taught. From how it is taught and where it is taught. Richard shows a model of the building he teaches in and how it is adapted to the necessity of an automobile. He states, with a little imagination and Auto-cad he and a colleague are able to show a building that is green and more adaptable to a future full of wireless students.

In conclusion, as we grow and our imagination becomes more fact than fiction, our surroundings will need to adapt as well. Something as simple as printed material being on the internet, instead of a hard copy bound on a shelf in a central building, can revolution the way students interact with all aspects of education. As the revolution of web media grows and how authors utilize it, we will need to arm our students and ourselves (the teachers) with the tools of the trade. Are we prepared? Are our students prepared? I don't think anyone is prepared. But with material like this constantly showing us the possibilities of what we can achieve. I think we are on the way to being those students of the future.

Carly Pugh's EDM310 Post #12 was a truly stunning accomplishment for the task at hand. Her attempt at adhering to Dr. Miller's use of multimedia in the writing was well done. I honestly think she hit the proverbial, "nail on the head".The ability to interweave all the different dimensions of writing and media into one well developed plan was simply genius. As I read through her post I found myself thinking of ways to use multimedia in my future classrooms. I believe that was her point of the post, to get students to think. Her use of YouTube to add depth to her writings was a great addition. If I were a student in her classroom, I believe, her technique would allow me to understand English in a new way. I really never excelled in writing or reading, but with the use of multimedia in projects, teaching, and homework I may have been a better student in that subject. This is where I want to be in my level of multimedia in writing. So, I too can pass along the knowledge to my future students.

Effort and Creativity

Creativity is a wonderful thing, as well as, an intangible mistress when you sit down to try and create. I watched both of theses videos and kept thinking how hilarious, wonderful, and thought provoking they were. I too feel like there should be an EDM310 book for Dummies. I understand the satire of Chipper. We have all been there before when the work load is to much and sometimes it would just be easier to quit. I think that is the point of these videos is to show that with effort and creativity we can succeed no matter what the odds.

Creative project:

1. A Video Journal, this would show the progression of the student and any problems he or she may face in there classroom, for example EDM310. I believe during EDM310 a video journal could be very useful to the teacher. It could help the teacher see where students succeed and fail. I believe it would also benefit the student in the form of an honest outlet of what feels like insurmountable odds sometimes. Because this is such a drastic new medium for most of us, it can feel overwhelming and cause a lot of us to be lost. I believe if we were able to record 10 minutes of our progress on our current status in EDM310 periodically throughout the semester. We could see our own progression from novice to semi-professional. At the end of the semester we would turn in this video journal to our teacher.The professor could see each and every student being frustrated or being excited about each and every one of our projects, blog posts, C4K, C4T, and etc. I also, feel that video journals would help students with their shyness, anxiety of being in front of the camera, and the technical savoy of working with their computer or the lab computers. Video journals could be adapted to daily life, much like writing a journal. The process could also, I believe, find a niche in schools. This electronic way of recording ones thoughts, feelings, and directions could be a way to bring a more human face on our technological path into our future.    

Learning to Change, Changing to Learn 

If you had asked that question 3 months ago I would have said, "yes, this is arbitrary to learning". But after taking EDM310 I have learned a great deal about how kids could improve their learning in schools. We could integrate education around the World with student's social media and other technological developments geared toward network connecting, such as iPads, Tablets, and cellphones . We could network our classrooms, teachers, and Parents throughout all facets of the scholastic realm. An "E School" is what we are seeing now with programs such as, iTunes U. This program is that beginnings of online education and networking students and teachers in an open free expression of idea. This environment starts to mimic what these educators were talking about in the video. To see current educators promoting this environment now adds more levels of excitement to the possibilities for our future education system. I am truly excited at what these environments for learning will produced for a student.

Web 2.0 Tools Scavenger Hunt 

MakeBeliefsComix! 

Poll Everywhere

Try this audience polling system at Poll Everywhere

Prezi



I have done a few presentations with Prezi and I was amazed at the quality of this product and amazed that it was free. But I was unaware of the deal offered to students and teachers for this product. I had signed up for a general account previously and now I have gone back and signed up as a student. By doing this I have better access to features of this Prezi website. If I were a teacher I would upgrade to the Pro version, which is $100 off the regular price, making it $59 a year. It is an amazing tool for education and it can be a true benefit to all who need a presentation software in the scholastic field.

Short Movie

C4T#3

In Mr. Spencer's blog his parody is designed to show the tool cost from one medium to the next. On the on hand, students can choose pencils, which are cheaper, but fragile, and on the other hand students can choose the "Ticonderoga" the costly tool, but it is cooler. Both will achieve the same desired results. One medium has the style of the times, while the other has faint remembrances of scan tron tests. In other words, we see technological tools as an innovative use in education, but his satire shows us that technological advances may not always be the best investment.

I commented on Mr. Spencer's blog, citing that I did not agree with his point of view. I understand the nostalgia of pencils in the classroom, but nostalgia does not prepare students for a digital future. I stated that when I started my program, I was ready to buy a chalkboard and a lifetime supply of chalk, but as I have been introduced to this new media my eyes have been open to better ways to reach students. Even though the investment monetarily is great in the beginning, the outcome far out weights the cost.

In Adventures in Pencil Integration Mr. Spencer attempts to use a game to implement learning. The game is done in such a way the kids are creating a "factory" and there output is writing text. The blog centers around this game Mr. Spencer was implementing, but the game was being viewed by superiors as a bad idea. He goes on to say that, the principal asked him to stop games all together. The principal takes it further sighting that Mr. Spencer should focus on certain prep test and/or algorithm work packets. 

As you read this blog you begin to feel drawn into this material. The reason is it is a conversation between Mr. Spencer and the principal and it is presented to the reader in a dynamic fashion. It is written in a dialogue, so as you read you actually feel like you are in the room. 

I really enjoyed this read and commented in that fashion. I agreed with his position on games in the classrooms. If they are beneficial to learning then we should be implementing them everyday. This blog adheres to Mr. McClung's final reflections, on focusing on the students not your superiors. Mr. Spencer is doing that, he is focusing on learning and his students, not the principal and his agenda. In turn the students find the activity enjoyable and the students absorb the material without ever realizing they are learning. I believe that is what we should all strive for as future teachers. Teach students in such a way as to make it fun, yet they absorb those lessons we teach without them ever knowing he/she was taught.  

Book Trailer

My Instructional Prezi

How We Learn on Prezi

Blog Post #7

The Networked Student is a video on the implications of learning about a subject in a non-traditional way. Typically we have all sat in a classroom, took out our pen and paper, and listen to our teachers lecture. All the while we are day dreaming, doodling, and generally not paying attention. According to this video, all that could be a thing of the past. Students would utilize their personal or school computers as the classroom. Students would connect with each other across the globe without ever stepping foot in a classroom. Students would interact with teachers in a virtual setting. The teachers would be more like coaches and encourage learning through guidance instead of the traditional style of teaching.

These feats are accomplished through a well crafted PLN (Personal Learning Network) by students. This is a software that takes your researched web pages and compiles them into an easy and organized accessible database. Some examples of these PLN pages are Symbaloo, Netvibes, and Google Reader. These types of PLNs can include all the student's researched web pages or connections the student has made on the scholarly level. There are several different ways to customize a PLN allowing the student the freedom to evolve the information as new material is updated.

As I grow in this class each day my astonishment diminishes for each new readings. The technology currently available is vast, but it is limited by the users that are using it. The idea of not being in a classroom with my students is foreign to me at this juncture. In the future, this type of education would be much more common, I believe, therefor less foreign. As the technology grows in our classrooms, so should the teachers. Schools will need to put educators in place who will have the experience and knowledge to handle these new improvements. As current students training for this profession, I believe we should grasp these opportunities and lead our future students into the next millennium.





The power of this student's PLE is extremely impressive. The student has utilized the PLE in a manner that is beneficial to school and assignments. The teacher sets up certain assignments to be completed by the student or the teacher a lots the student time to work on existing projects. The student was able to use the connections created to contact professionals for feedback on completed or in progress science projects. The central theme, I think, to this post was the freedom to do well, while self-monitoring. The student in this kinda of environment was allotted an extremely large amount of internet freedom. With this freedom the student felt the weight of responsibility to focus on the tasks at hand, instead of carelessly traipsing through the internet. The given control over the individuals own work seemed to impact the student's desire to do well on assignments.

As for a comparison between this student's PLE and my PLN, I can honestly say I am at the Kindergarten level. I have just begun my exploration into PLN and PLE web pages. I am hoping though with a little more time and a lot more practice I will be zooming through my PLN much like this 7th grade student is doing. I will hopefully have good scholarly connections so my future projects benefit, much like this technical student.

C4T#3

   Mr. Crosby wrote on his blog about Should kids' grades call the shots on who teaches and who goes home, which eluded to another article Teachers Talk about Evaluation. He was asked to comment on this article and his response was simple. He believed that social issues played a large role in how kids act and learn in class and that test should not be a way to measure the performance of a teacher. He felt that we should "face it head on", the social problems that effect our children. The article goes beyond his response to say that tests were being implemented as performance tools on teachers. Theses new procedures would take scores on standard test and award teachers with the highest grades and punish those with the lowest test scores. Most to all teachers polled agreed this was not the best way to evaluate teachers and that the measurement required more defining before it was released nation wide.
   My comment was directed toward how teachers should look at this as an opportunity to grow in their field and not as a way to hold them back. Its funny teachers tell students to look at tests as a measure of their progress and not a way to put the student down. Yet, when it is applied to teachers it is being utilized in a way to put them down or keeping them from getting that deserved raise. I went on to explain that if teachers were interested in making money they were in the wrong profession. Teaching is a calling, not a lottery.

   This post is on the same teacher I previously reviewed, Mr. Crosby, but this post focused on children growing and making relationships across the US. The post Leaving Their Mark - Redux, Redux focused on his achievements using Skype to reach out, not only to his students, but to other students nationwide. He taught his students the value of technology by incorporating it into his daily classroom life. He also, managed to wedge in a "head fake", to quote Randy Pausch. Mr. Crosby was able to teach grammar, writing skills, and technology in his use of Skype and blogging. Overall his intent, I believe, was to allow the student to grow intellectually but in a natural way and by the end of his 3 years with them he had produced a better student in technology, proofreading, writing, and spelling, as well as touching the lives of other students around the nation.
   I was profoundly inspired by this piece. I was amazed at the level these young children excelled too. In the beginning they could barely explain where they lived and by they end they were blogging and using Skype like veterans. I was especially amazed at the multifaceted way Mr. Crosby incorporated the education into the daily interactions with technology. To educate children without them knowing they are being educated is truly the highest form of teaching. I hope that as I grow into the position of a teacher that I too could follow in the steps of a great educator like Mr. Crosby and help my future students excel in their scholastic journeys.

Vodcast

C4K#3

I was assigned to read a class blog from Waikato, New Zealand called Pipo Ako: Room 2. These kids blogged about a kitchen garden that they had taken a trip to and what they found in that garden. They explained about the different vegetables and fruits that grew in their garden. They even spoke of a flower, the Marigolds, that were used to keep bugs away. I was unaware that those flowers could be used in such a manner. They ended their post by asking if anyone could help them with creating a scarecrow. They were having problems with the birds raiding their garden. 

I commented on their blog in a positive way, there were no real spelling or structure errors in the blog. I began with an introduction of who I was and where I was located. I went on to tell them I thought their small field trip was awesome, how they got to go to a kitchen garden and learn about what was being grown there was a great educational experience. I talked about my childhood and how my father had a garden. How it was a great learning experience for me. He taught me about planting vegetables, how to care for them, and how to protect them. I went on to discuss how we built a scarecrow. How it was the scariest thing, I think I had ever seen as a child. I suggested they take on building a scarecrow as a class project, but aim for making the scarecrow more funny and less scary. 


I really enjoyed this blog it was short but to the point. The experience seemed profound and absorbed. I see this as the highest form of education. Students need to explore to grow. Books are fantastic tools, but limiting students to pages is like saying "the World is flat". You can only go so far before you fall off. I think these kids went further and absorbed more in a small field trip to a quaint kitchen garden.

This comment was done on a post for a girls school in Oregon. The post was on An Equal Society Start in the Classroom by a student named Elisa. This article included a documentary of a teacher who divided her classroom by two (2) physical differences blue eyed children and brown eyed children. Once the class was divided the children with the blue eyes were given special privileges while the children with the brown eyes were not. Then on the second day the roles reversed, children with brown eyes were favored more than children with blue eyes. The results were unbelievable. Friends no longer were friends, test scores were worse, and barriers began to manifest from nothing. This documentary was designed to show how races were treating one another. That Civil Rights were and are important in society. The student blogging about this tried to parallel this documentary with today's events and in the classroom. The student went on to say, "that we will become healthier individuals that are empowered by self-initiative to work for justice and equality."  Her post on this social issues was most informative and I believe she will be a valuable voice in the continual fight for human rights, as well as her classmates. 

As for my comment, I explained that I had been exposed to that documentary in high school. It was moving than just as it is still to this day. I went on to explain that people that hold hate and anger inside them and express it to their neighbors and social circle only perpetuates these problems in equality. Instead we should address the person in front of us not the physical appearance and use acceptance and tolerance to begin our social relationships. I enjoyed this post and I am definitely excited to see what our younger generation will be doing with the World.

Blog Post #6

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams was an inspiring tale of a man who used education to accomplish great acts for students that were directly and indirectly connected with his words. Throughout the video I heard him speak of ways to breakdown barriers with simple strategies. He spoke of smiling, allowing people to realize how brilliant you can be, offering something of value, and being honest. He set his life in motion with such humble goals, but those goals turned his life into one fantastic adventure after another. He was able to work with some of the top professionals in Virtual Reality and work with some top companies in the field, such as Disney's Imagineers.
Randy Pausch spoke on aspects of treating people. What and how we say things to others greatly impacts how we are perceived. He spoke of several examples that set him back in the eyes of peers and mentors, because of his actions or what he had said. I too, have had issues with interactions with peers and mentors. I come off as over barring and a little too direct, lacking tact, which makes me look like a person who is not a team player. Randy lists a few suggestions that could get people to help you (me) in the future, so as to not come off as not a team player. He starts off with, we can't get there alone, meaning we need others help to achieve our goals in life. Tell the truth and be earnest, these according to Randy would be attitudes he respects far more than hipness. Hip will fade away but a truthful earnest worker will not, they will last. He goes on to say, acknowledge when you screw up, admitting when your wrong is a way to learn from your mistakes. The last topic he covered was focus on others, not yourself, in my opinion this can be the hardest attitude to garner. We spend so much time as individuals improving ourselves, so we can be better, we sometimes forget that others make us better. As future teachers we will need students, parents, and other teachers to make us better at educating.
His teachings in this video are great guidelines for new teachers. A constant phrase Randy kept using was, "Brick walls are there for a reason, they let us prove how badly we want things". He continually used that phrase in each obstacle he retold, citing only people that do not want something let those "Brick walls" stop them. As teachers we will run into those walls everyday but it is up to us to tear those walls down. Another theme that is integral to being a good teacher brought up in this video was, include all who want to learn. His teaching were in virtual reality but he opened up his doors to included all who wanted to learn. He was able to broaden his simple course Building Virtual Worlds at Carnegie Mellon University into a great learning experience for all students on campus. He inspired the future of our country. That is important to us as new teachers to inspire students. We could all learn a great deal from how he approached life.
In conclusion the video Randy Pausch Last Lecture:Achieving Your Childhood Dreams is an inspiration to all who want to be in the education field. His legacy is of a man who took something as simple as a smile and courtesy and turned it into a way of being and interacting with others. He was able to open doors that would have normally been closed tightly with his ability to apply some simple steps he had learned throughout his life. He was able to enter into Disney's Imagineers when no one else was allowed. He was able to use virtual reality as a door prop to involve students on campus into his creative world. He was able to inspire all he interacted with on a daily basis. His inspiration lives on in each one of us (the future teachers) who watch his videos and absorb his lessons.

Blog Post #5

Don't teach your kids this stuff. Please? by Scott McLeod and many more post by this wonderful innovator in education. I found his take on education to be bold and front running. His attempts to inspire the leaders in education, will hopefully create the necessary foot hold required for education to move forward in technology. Dr. McLeod stated "If the leaders don't get it, it's not going to happen." I believe this sums up Dr. McLeod and his philosophy. We need technology in our schools, so we can compete with the rest of the World.




Ischool Initiative by Travis Allen was an eye opening piece on how easily a simple touch device could be integrated into our education system. Using an iPod Touch he was able to show how we could replace a large portion of what we currently use as required materials for school, by this simple device. The applications on these iPod Touches that are currently available and the applications that could be available would make this device more viable for up and coming students. This in turn could really drive U.S. schools into leadership positions of education in the World community. Mr Allen even came out 3 years later with an update on his progression called Travis Allen's Zeitgeist Young Mind's Entry which he states that, "his program has gotten worldwide attention" and has led him around the the US promoting his program.

My reaction to this is development is simple. If we can save money in education. Cut cost to parents. Alleviate the pressure faced by teachers from parents on the progress of students. With a device that cost a 1/3 of the current classroom budget for students, then I say lets go. Standing around and waiting for something to shift or for the right people to get on board is tragic. Each day, each moment lost is another student left behind in the technological development of our changing world.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque' was amazing. I have never seen anything quite like that display. I was in awe, upon watching all of those beautiful voices singing together from all over the World. And to think, all of that was done by the technology we are currently depriving our young minds from having in our schools. A virtual choir, what an amazing gift, they were able to share with each other and the almost 3 million views on You Tube. This revolutionary way of communicating is just the beginning. Just by this display alone we can see the huge benefits with this type of interaction each and every student and educator could achieve in our schools. Technology can improve our classrooms, our interactions, and our level of comprehension. classrooms. Lets sing out our move forward together.


Robert's Teaching in the 21st Century seems to be a call to teachers to do more than regurgitate facts and dates to students. Instead we should be growing socially in this technological environment, reaching out to people around the world to help education grow in our students. Using the internet as a tool, as well as, other free programs offered through the internet such as; Google, Wiki, Facebook, Twitter, etc. This are readily available for students and teachers outside the classroom, as well as, inside the classroom. We the up and coming educators need to take this opportunity and act. Create engaging classrooms. Inspire students to want to learn instead of feeling like they have to learn.

Time Toast Timeline

Blog Post #4

The articles I read fir this blog post were as followed, "Integrating ICT into the MFL Classroom" created by Joe Dale, "1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audiobook" found on Langwitches's Blog page, and "Curriki - Podcast Collection" created by Judy Scharf. Each of these articles opened my eyes to the immense potential of Podcasting and/or Vodcasting.

In Joe Dale's article "Integrating ICT into the MFL Classroom",  I was able to see the benefits of Podcasting in a classroom as well as out of the classroom. For example, children in the classroom were much more in-tuned with the lecturing part, because of the use of Podcasting in the power point lectures. At home, students could get their assignments when they were sick. Parents could even follow along with their children on what they were doing in class with the use of these Podcasts uploaded by the teachers.

On the Langwitches's Blog Page I was able to see the impact a simple book had on children and how they made the book more interactive with Podcasts. The students that were listening were utilizing scripts to follow along with Podcasts. The whole endeavor seemed to bring new life to story time.

As for  "Curriki - Podcast Collection", this page gave me the basics. What Podcast/Vodcasts were and how to implement them. Tips to succeed in rolling out Podcasts in our classrooms. The programs students would use when creating a Podcast/Vodcast and how to use them.

This post was exceptionally difficult for me because I saw no real value in Podcasting or Vodcasting in relation to education, before reading those articles. Of course, I have never used Podcasts or watched Vodcasts, so my knowledge base on the subject was low. After reviewing these sites I was wrong. Listening to these young students using Podcast and/or Vodcasts to create projects seemed to evolve the process. Opening new doors and giving students better experiences in the classrooms. Hearing themselves recite a reading they did on a Podcast or watching themselves on a Vodcast brought out a certain look of accomplishment and joy. It is so great to see those students absorb the material in such a way as to promote success not only in themselves, but also in future learners.

Each of these writings has ample material I can now use to do and improve my Podcast and/or Vodcast. I really enjoyed the script, which I believe draws the readers in, presented in the Langwitches's Blog. I liked how students can read different parts and overlay them into one Podcast. This allowed for a more interactive listening experience, instead of a monotone lecture on the material. This was presented in Joe Dale's article. As for a reference I have Judy Scharf's post to refer back to, when I need help on the technical side of setting up and actively creating the project. I feel all three of these post will attribute to my Podcast and/or Vodcasts the best, because of what they will bring to my teams project. These in-turn will allow me to succeed in a greater magnitude even on my future Podcasts and/or Vodcasts.

My Sentence Video

C4K#1

Mrs. Ripp's Class » A Trip Back In Time blog by Matthew was a really cool read. He mentioned really interesting points on what things would be like back in time without a lot of our amenities. He wanted to go back and see how things were before a lot of technologies that helped mankind were invented to see how humans lived. He also wanted to bring tools back from cave men times so scientists could study them. Matthew put all of time in his blog about going back in time.
He hit on several different points in history and made me think of what I would want to see if I went back in time. I responded with, going back to ancient Japan to see the Samurai. I told him I took Jujitsu and I learned about the Japanese culture. I thanked him in Japanese for his contribution to the blogging community. It was a really fun to see where elementary kids are at compared to when I was in their grade.


Mrs. Huebner's class had individual blogs for his/her students. I was asked to comment on  Kaylee's Blog. Her blog was on art and what it meant to her. Her first thought was she was not good at art, but that she liked it. She went on to talk about what she thought it took to make good art. She felt an individual should be "passionate, colorful, creative, spontaneous, and you shouldn’t care what anybody else says about your painting or picture". The last of her thoughts revolved around how nobody could steal art from you or make you change your mind on how you feel about it.
I told her in my comment that I felt the same way about art. I was not good at art, but I liked looking at art. I told her a story about how my mother took me to museums when I was a kid and I spent a lot of time looking at paintings. I went on telling her she should never care what people say about the art she creates. I thanked her for her contribution to the blogging world and sharing her feelings on art.

Blog Post #3

The video Technology in Special Education uploaded by lacecook was an informative way at looking at special needs students, who without technology, would be unable to achieve any measurable accomplishments in their classroom. The teacher walked you through her classroom showing how students interacted without technology and then with technology. In the case of the special needs students in her classroom, you could see a significant difference in how they interacted in that environment. The achievements were measurable and there was a defined improvement in the students academic day.
I was moved after watching this video. When I was in school, special needs students were in a learning resource area, not included in the general education population. I did not realize how different it must be for a special needs student trying to use the same tools as general education students take for granted everyday. But technology evened the playing field, even made students with special needs increase by leaps and bounds. As a future teacher in general education I will definitely look at technology to improve the lives of my students, especially the special needs students.

How Apple-Education-Apps can be helpful in our classrooms. I looked through the education apps offered by apple and I was asked to find one I would use to help future students. All of the apps for education seem to help in each area of education and all had there places, but the one I liked the most was Virtual History Roma. The helpful interface of a virtual world set up in the past would be a significant help in understanding that time period. In the case of a special needs student this app would allow them to interact like other students in class. This would create an inclusive feeling for the special needs student. As for the general education students I believe the interaction with a 3d world of that time period would not only help those students grasp concepts, but also help them feel dynamic in their learning experience. 





The explosion of social media since the 90's is outrageous. According to that counter on Gary Hayes Social Media Count I would estimate by the time we are set as teachers social media will have touch almost all human life with access to electricity. This means we as educators must really take into account the impact that social media has on our future students. In order for us to not be left behind or surpassed by our students, we as professionals should invest ourselves in as many aspects of technology as possible. We do not have to be experts in social media, but we should be able to talk and work with it in an educated manner.

The video A Vision of Students Today uploaded by mwesch an the cultural anthropology class of Kansas State U. opened my eyes to how students are being lost in our schools. In classrooms were there is 1 teacher and 115 students, teaching becomes very broad and general. This leaves a lot of the learning up to the students. Some students see the errors and try to overcome, but it seemed that most of the students just did enough of the material to get by in the class. I believe if we as future educators purse technology based education the students will be less apt to just do enough to get by. I believe we could reach all of our students, while teaching them the basics of technology in order for them to succeed in those future jobs that do not exist now.

Project #5

C4T#1

I was assigned a Blog post by Bill Ferriter and his current post is on an education system of  "Doing" instead of "Knowing".  He states we should be asking "What If" instead of  "Yeah, but....", when we approach teaching our future students. Bill Ferriter feels that we as educators should be moving into the future and growing with it and not being stagnant. He wants students to "...see themselves as living, breathing contributors to the world around them rather than simply as little people locked away behind our walls waiting to be released?" Mr. Ferriter has explained in his blog that the education formula would have to be taken back to the beginning. To start to change the current process, even the purchases made in our schools would need to be reevaluated. His article pursues the concept of an ever changing educational system, with emphasis on current practices for teaching. Instead of relying on archaic principals that have been allowed to continue because of educators having the inability to move forward.
After reading his blog I left a comment. I explained who I was and what I was attempting to do, by reading his blog. I ventured to explain how our professors encourage us, the students, to make changes in our lifetime as educators, not to follow the status quo. I went on to say that in my experiences change is very hard to do, especially in a system such as this that has existed the same way for an extensive period of time. I applauded his efforts and simply said his hardest adversary would be his entrenched supporters of a current education system and that anything "Different" would be seen as a threat.

In my second blog reading for Mr. Bill Ferriter he endeavors to take on the topic of Fewer Priorities Makes Schools MORE Productive.  His take on the subject is that teachers with fewer responsibilities are more likely to succeed than those who are overwhelmed. Currently teachers are set at the bottom of the hierarchy pyramid instead of at the tip of the diamond. In his eyes and others this is how the structure should be viewed. This would also lead teachers to better opportunities in the future on focusing on our youths, instead of dealing with our problems.
In my response, I agreed with his beliefs on the subject. I have heard horrible stories about over run classrooms and teachers having enormous amounts of problems. I believe that if we could cut down on those problems found in those classrooms and allowed the teachers to focus, we would see significant changes in our youths.

Blog Post 2

Did you know 3.0 by Dr. John Strange which was based on the original Did You Know? by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod was completely overwhelming. I was unaware of the complete inundation we are seeing of technology on our planet. The authors of the original Did You Know? stated that every "2 years technology changed" and "every vocational student would be out of date by their third year in school". Dr. Strange’s version states that "We are training children for jobs that do not exist now".

We are also seeing a huge population increase in India and China. There are currently more 18 million English speaking Chinese in China. There are 300 million "learners" in China for English, those learners will be more than the current population in the United States of America  by Dr. Strange. Along with the population explosion in India, you are seeing 25% of India’s population has the highest IQ, which out numbers the population of the United States of America. These changes are happening each and every moment of every day. Interesting enough we see technology change and populations increase and we think nothing or little about it. It is not until we see a video like Dr. John Strange’s Did You Know 3.0 that we begin to realize the ramifications of these growing trends.


Mr. Winkle Wakes is a PARODY developed by Mathew Needleman. It shows an old man waking up after 100 years of sleep. He ventures out into our world. He is immediately overwhelmed at how technology has changed over those years. He started feeling sick and found himself in the hospital. Even in the hospital Mr. Winkle was still overwhelmed at what he was seeing and experiencing. He left and began to wander around and found himself at a school. He entered the school and immediately felt at ease. This was the first place he had come to that he felt completely at home. Nothing was different, the structure was the same, teachers were the same, and students were placed and acting the way he remembered.

I found this PARODY to be a quirky way to state and obvious problem in our current world. In our everyday lives technology lives in every nook and cranny. But in our education system we still find a huge gap in technology. Even the structures in the classrooms have not changed. Classroom sizes have increased, technology has become more readily available, and knowledge is more easily sought, yet we have not exposed our children to these positive opportunities. 

The Importance of Creativity by Sir Ken Robinson  and the TED: Ideas worth spreading shows us, the teachers and students, other paths for teaching new and upcoming students. The future holds infinite possibilities and we are grooming our future educators, merchants, and artisans to grow in and be a part of these possibilities. Sir Ken explains to the audience that the Arts are lost in almost every educator's structure around the World. The "hierarchy starts with Math, Humanities, and then the Arts" according to Sir Robinson.    They are at the bottom of the hierarchy in every education structure around the World. He goes on to say that,"...we teach children out of creativity..." sighting that adults tell children there are no jobs for artists or musicians in the World. It is almost as if we push children out of creativity and in to a subject.

I listened to all 19 mins and 29 secs. of that presentation and I was really taken back. I had heard those same speeches from educators, parents, and other adult family members when I was young, about how you do not need to waste your time on the Arts. You need to focus on subjects that will get you a career. I honestly never thought much about how important Arts play in a child's and young adult's education. I believe with the right effort from teachers involved and the right push from the administrators we could really work on making the education of our youth a much more creative one.


A Vision for the 21st Century by a presenter at the TED conference is a short video, which bring ups current issues with the structure of the education system. How children learn in a passive manner and learning is still a memorization progress. It was compared to a factory, kids come in and pass one station (grade) to another memorizing and regurgitating facts. Just as an assembly line in a factory. We should have better standards for our youth. Other than just treating them like parts and pieces on an assembly line.

The response to this current structure by these individuals is turn learning into an adventure. Turning lessons in to video games that allow children not only to learn but interact in a dynamic model rather a static one. These games are set to teach languages and historical cultures. This avenue of teaching placates to the children strengths rather than their weakness, while still teaching important subject material.

The video Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts posted on Edutopia is designed to show the empowerment of kids through technology. A teacher in a rural Georgia town has her students working on a global scale, because of technology. She has empowered her students to not only learn new concepts, but to teach fellow classmates and herself these new techniques.

After watching this video on the effects of technology on such a small group in the South, I feel we should really pursue the aspects of technology in our classrooms. The picture drawn was quite different than what I would have expected from a technology class. I would have thought it would have trended in a classical way. Teach the material and the children regurgitate what they have learned. It was not anything like this, instead children were growing, teaching, and changing not only their lives, but those of the community around them.

My Wordle

Blog Post 1

I was born in Dallas, Texas and moved around with my mother until we settled down in Clay, Alabama. Clay is located about 20 miles northeast of Birmingham. Growing up in the outskirts of a moderately sized city offered little too nothing to do. I invested most of my childhood in playing community sports. As I got older, I grew out of the community sports phase and wanted to involve myself into something that had life long goals, so I began taking Akayama-Ryu Jujitsu

in my junior year in High School. I have been actively taking and help instructing Akayama-Ryu Jujitsu for 17 years. I graduated from High School and decided to go to college. I was not really prepared for a large university, so I choose to go to a Junior College in Birmingham and worked odd jobs here and there. In 2003, I decided it was time to move to a new place with more opportunities. It was helpful that my martial art teacher had moved to Gulf Shores to retire, so I followed him and Akayama-Ryu Jujitsu. As a bonus I was able to enroll at the University of South Alabama. I continued my college track and was able to get a bachelor's degree. I graduated in 2007 with a degree in History.
After graduation I was unable to find employment with my degree. So, after working a few retail jobs here and there. I decided, with the support of my family, to quit my full-time job and return to school to get an education degree. I am currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education specializing in Social Studies. I have been back in school for about 2 weeks and I can honestly say it is never too late to go back to school.

I watched the video by Randy Pausch on Time Management and I found his tips to be very easy to follow. Much of what he spoke on in his Time Management speech seem very common sense and followed what we are all taught through our school experiences. I am not really aware of his works other than his video I watched briefly on you tube. But he seems to offer a lot of possibilities for future endeavors into time management.

Practice Post

My first post.