What I've Learned This Year

Mr. McClung offers a lot of good advise for teachers on his blog: At the Teacher's Desk. In one particular blog, What I've learned this Year, he gives some very helpful tips to future teachers by giving a list of things that he learned during his first year of teaching. His list of things that he has learned includes: how to read the crowd, be flexible, communicate, be reasonable, don't be afraid of technology, listen to your students, and never stop learning. I completely agree with most of what Mr. McClung said in his blog. One thing that I do not agree with him on is being reasonable. As teachers we are supposed to set the bar high so that our students will work harder. I understand that some students will try harder than others but that doesn't mean that we should set the bar lower so that all students can reach the goal. If all students do reach the goal then the bar has not been set high enough because the students have only learned the minimum that they need to know in order to achieve your goal. My classroom management teacher taught that if you set low expectations for your students, you will keep them from achieving high standards. So, I think ALL teachers need to set high standards for their students so that the students will set high standards for themselves. I agree that teachers can't be afraid of technology because it seems like technology is taking over the world. His last point, I think, is the best one: NEVER STOP LEARNING!

Can Wikipedia be Trusted?

Wikipedia is not the most reliable source for information, but I think it can still be trusted with certain things. I think that with most dates Wikipedia is correct because it can be proven wrong and it is not just an opinion. I think that Wikipedia can be trusted when you need information about a certain time period in History. I would back up most information found on Wikipedia with other research but the website can be a really good starting point when you are trying to find information. I use Wikipedia but I keep in mind that anyone could post anything on the site. I have not come across any false information personally, which is why I don't have a problem with Wikipedia but I know that there is misleading information on the site, which is why I do not use it often and use back up sources when I do use the website. After reading several blogs about articles that were edited by major companies on Wikipedia, I still think that Wikipedia is unreliable because things written can be misleading. So, if you use Wikipedia to get most of your information, be sure to do some back up research on the topic because it may not be 100% accurate.

Achieving your Childhood Dreams

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture was very interesting and can teach people of all ages many lessons. The lecture is titled "Achieving your Childhood Dreams" but the lecture was about so much more than just achieving your dreams. At the very end of the lecture, Dr. Pausch explains , "It is not about achieving your dreams... It is about how to live your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself and the dream will come to you." The lecture can really make an impact in someones life by giving them the hope that their dreams can come true.


Dr. Pausch started the lecture by telling us his childhood dreams and how he achieved his dreams. One of his dreams was being in zero gravity, but he didn't want to become an astronaut. He had the chance to experience zero gravity; but to do so had to resign as a teacher and get a press license. Another one of Dr. Pausch's dreams was to play in the NFL and even though he did not get to do so, he still learned a lot through playing football as a child. Dr. Pausch also dreamed to become Captain Kirk, win big stuffed animals, and author an article in the World Book encyclopedia. The dream that, I think, Dr. Pausch worked hardest to achieve is his dream to become a Disney Imagineer. He did whatever it took, after being denied a position, to show them how badly he wanted the job. He got to work on the Aladdin VR and afterwards was offered a job, to which he said "no" to.

Dr. Pausch then talked about how to help others achieve their dreams. As teachers, you have a big impact in encouraging students to achieve their goals, even if their goal is unrealistic. Dr. Pausch told a story about one of his students goals: to help create Star Wars movies. Dr. Pausch thought to himself... they probably won't make the other Star Wars movies... but he did not tell the student what he thought, but just encouraged him. The student mentioned did, however, achieve his dream and helped to create more Star Wars movies. Dr. Pausch then wanted to help other students through his class on building virtual worlds. The class teaches the college students how to come up with creative ideas while working in a group with three other people. The students were graded not on the project itself, but how the group worked together as a whole.

DR. PAUSCH'S LESSONS LEARNED

1)Role of Parents, Mentors, and Students
2)Decide if you are a Tigger or an Eeyore
3)Never lose child-like wonder
4)Help others
5)Loyalty is a two-way street
6)Get people to help you.

Dr. Pausch ended the lecture with a list of a few things to remember. First, remember that brick walls let us show our dedication. (whether to a childhood dream or a lifestyle) Second, don't bail; the best gold is at the bottom of barrels of crap. He went through a lot to get the job with Disney but thought it was completely worth the work. Third, get a feedback loop and listen to it! He showed his students a chart of how well they worked in a group compared to other students in the class. For all of the students it meant to set the bar higher and to make changes in their work ethic. Fourth, show gratitude. He kept going to Disneyland after being denied the job. Lastly, don't complain just work harder. Complaining will not get you anywhere in life but farther off than where you started... Hard work will help you to feel like you have accomplished so much more in life, even if in reality you did not accomplish that much.

Is it Okay to be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I think that the Fischbowl Blog was very harsh. I think that all teachers need to know how to use a computer, but I don't think that ALL teachers HAVE to use technology to teach. I think it is the easiest way to teach and can be the most fun for the students, but I don't think that people should be required to teach through technology. It definitely is not something that a technologically illiterate teacher should lose his or her job over. Some people just are not good with computers no matter how many classes they take, so I do not think that teachers should be required to teach with technology and be threatened with losing their job.


Technology is a great way to teach and learn. Teachers do need to know how to use a computer especially since a lot of schools are starting to use technology more and more each year. I think every teacher needs to learn how to use a computer and the Internet, but every teacher does not need to know how to use podcasting in their teaching. Every teacher does not need to know every little thing about computers and blogging, but they have to be willing to lose. I think it IS okay for teachers for teachers to be technologically illiterate, but their job will be much easier if they are technologically literate.

It's NOT about the Technology

I completely agree with Mrs. Hines in her blog "It's Not about the Technology". It is 100% true that technology is absolutely nothing if the teachers don't get creative with what they are given. The teachers have to learn how to use the technology for themselves and also learn how to use the technology as a teaching method. At first, teaching using technology will be a little slow because the teachers have to get used to teaching a different way than they are used to teaching. There will be a lot of trial and error to see how the students react to the technology and how much they learn using it.

I know that during my Senior year at Hoover High School the teachers had absolutely no idea how they were going to incorporate the new technology into their lessons. Some of the teachers used the technology in really creative ways while others just used the technology as just a regular means of teaching. They would put their existing notes under the Elmo while the creative teachers would put their notes into a PowerPoint presentation with fun colors to make learning more interesting. The technology has made grading tests much faster because the students could put the answers into the clickers and the computer would do the grading, giving the teacher less work to do at home.

A Vision of Students Today

I think that the footage in the A Vision of Students Today Video is very accurate about students today. I do all the reading that I need to do for class and most of it, at least in the core classes, is stuff that will not help me in life at all. In American Literature, we have been reading stories about slavery and it really does not have anything to do with what I need to know for my degree. I know that once I get into mainly education classes the information taught will be useful, but in Biology, American Literature, and Math I do not particularly need to teach elementary school. Yes, I still pay attention in class and do my work like a good student but many people don't show up for class at all.

I don't think that there are a lot of people that sit on Facebook during class like some of the students mentioned in the video. I know that I usually text people during class, especially Biology, because it is so boring and the teacher just reads the notes that he posts online. I think that technology is great in helping students in their classes but is also great in distracting students. It would be wonderful if textbooks were online because it would save students a lot of money spent on textbooks, but it could also cause problems with students and their homework. I am always on the Internet as I do homework and it does not have a bad impact on me personally but I know it does cause problems with several people and their school work.

Plagiarism and Copyright Laws

Plagiarism, or claiming another person's work as your own, is illegal but it is 100% preventable! All you have to do to prevent plagiarism is cite your sources. Even when you paraphrase something that someone says you have to cite the source. You must give the other person credit for their own ideas, words, or facts. Consequences for plagiarism are very serious so be sure to cite your sources and give the proper person credit for their work!

Copyright Laws are also very serious. According to Section 101 of the Copyright Law, anything prepared by an employee or a specially ordered work can claim copyright. Anything from literature to just a picture can be claimed under copyright. And just because you own something does not give you the right to copy it. I know that at my church they have to show a copyright license to print lyrics of popular songs in order to give credit to the right person. Both Copyright laws and plagiarism were created to keep people from stealing another persons work and giving them credit for what they have done... If you are taking it from them, they deserve the credit!

Accessability for All

It is amazing how far technology has come to allow people with disabilities to use the Internet. There is a blind man that attends my church in Birmingham and it is really amazing what all he can do. In high school, Shane played trumpet... I'm not sure how he read music but he did. Shane also downloads books and hymns to print off in Braille. He has a machine that he can put a memory card into that translates whatever is on the card into braille. Shane has taught the Youth Sunday School class with all his notes and Bible on a refreshable braille display that was shown in the Dr. Sullivan's PowerPoint Presentation.


Shane is a really fun guy to be around and it is really interesting learning how he lives using technology. He really lives a regular life because technology has so many creations for the blind. Shane has a Facebook Account and spends a lot of his time on the Internet. He has an ipod that he can work probably better than I can work my own. He knows what he is doing and wants to help other blind people become computer literate. He actually just started working for Apple, which really shows how much he knows and how willing he is to teach other people with disabilities to use the computer. Shane really is an awesome guy and is the coolest blind person I know!

Langwitches Blog

Producing a Podcast tells about different ways that you can record a podcast; one way they suggest recording a podcast is using a cell phone. I know that my mom's school lets the students use a voice recorder while reading and they can go back later and listen to themselves reading on the ipod. The Langwitches Blog also gives an outline for people to use to help them prepare, plan, and create the podcast. The Blog also has examples of podcasts the Kindergarteners did with examples of different ways you can change the voices in the podcast to make it more fun for the students.

Podcasting with 3rd Grade is an example of a project that a teacher did with a 3rd grade class. The blog tells different things that the student will learn in the project about animals. The students learn about the animal but also research skills, storytelling skills, and learn how to use computers to edit their podcast. The 3rd graders that did this project are more experienced with podcasts than most adults. I think that using podcasts in education is a very good idea. The teachers can teach using podcasts but the students can also learn at a young age how to create a podcasts through projects that will be fun for the students and the teacher.

Tech Literate Teacher Videocast

I think there are several improvements that can be made in the Tech Literate Teacher Videocast. When the students are introducing themselves they are very monotone and I think they need to look at the camera instead of just looking at the microphone sitting in the middle of the table. Nicole talked extremely slow, making it sound like she was reading a script and trying not to mess up. Nicole and Megan both sit there with their hands in their laps looking very nervous instead of using their hands to talk like most people do during a conversation.

I like the way Dr. Strange, Dana, and Kitty use their hands as they are talking. It makes the videocast look more like a conversation and not something that is planned. Even though the students use the words "uh" and "um" a lot they sound like they know what they are talking about. When Megan talks she mumbles, so it is hard to understand what she is saying. Dana and Kitty are both really clear and look comfortable doing the podcast. The podcast overall was really good but there are a few things that I will try to avoid in my podcast.