Goodbye - For Now

A WORDLE Goodbye!

-Bailey

EDM 310 Summary

EDM 310 taught me a lot of different ways technology can be used in the classroom. Before the class, I had never considered blogging as being a tool used in education. Through the videocast presentation, I learned of so many ways that blogs can be used by teachers and students in the classroom. Comments 4 Kids is just one example of how children can benefit from blogging. I'm sure that when the kids read the posts on their blog, they get the best feeling in the world. I also learned how helpful the ALEX website is for teachers. Teachers can find the course of study for any grade or subject. There are so many different ways that teachers can incorporate technology in to the classroom to make learning more fun for the students.
I think that most things in the class are pretty self explanatory to those who are familiar with computers. There are so many different types of technology that teachers use in the classroom that were not really even taught in the course. I think being taught how to use a Smart Board or Elmo would be really helpful to all of us as future teachers.
I don't think that any material taught in the course should go to waste. I probably will not listen to podcasts or watch a videocast but I know how to use them in case I am required to create a podcast. I think every thing was self explanatory, so I think that attending class was a little pointless since I did all my work outside of class.
I wouldn't necessarily say that the class excited me because most everything I knew how to use from my Computer Applications class in High School. I did enjoy creating a blog and finding cute backgrounds because I did learn how useful blogs can be in the classroom and even in your personal life.
I do not think anything was intellectually challenging. I'm sure for people who are not familiar with using computers there was. But, since I know how to use a computer without any serious difficulties, I did not find any of the assignments challenging.
I was extremely bored sitting in class every Thursday night for 2.5 hours. Since I did all my work at home and knew how to use all the programs, I rarely paid attention in class. I would just go and sit on Facebook during the lecture and pay attention only when I felt like I really needed to. I personally think that attending the class for such a long amount of time was a waste of my time.
The only way I would suggest changing the course is making the class an online class. Dr. Strange has no problem posting videos onto his blog, so I think the class could be changed to an online class. Dr. Strange could post videos explaining how to do something onto his blog and have an option where students can Skype him if they have any other questions.
I think I am technologically literate. I don't think the class improved my literacy a lot because I am already familiar with computers. I wouldn't say I am GREAT, but definitely good. If someone has a question about a computer, I could most likely answer it or try to explain to them what needs to be done.
I don't think that I will have to work hard to maintain my technological literacy. I know that most schools require you to take a technology class before you can start teaching there. So before I teach, I will attend that and get caught up with all the technology at that time.

Technology and Learning

Seven Stupid Mistakes
- Thinking Online Communication is ever private - I know for a fact that online communication is never private. People can see your Facebook page, an email you send can be forwarded to people, and you never know who will see what you do online. It is VERY important to be cautious when sending online messages, whether you are a teacher or not, because you never know who will see what all you do.
- Thinking Technology in Schools will go away - Technology is doing nothing but improving each and every day. Not only will technology in schools never go away, but it will do nothing but get more complex. My advice to teachers who are not computer literate is to hurry up and learn because if you wait too long, you will never catch up!

Seven Brilliant Things

- Put Kids in Touch with the World - Kids can learn a lot about different cultures by communicating with other children across the world. Comments 4 Kids is a great way for students to post blogs and comment on other kid's blogs. I think Comments 4 Kids is wonderful because it seems safe, but as teachers we still must supervise everything the students do because anyone can say anything over the internet.

-Delight in the discovery, the newness, and the fun technology holds - Using technology in the classroom can make learning so much more fun for the students! Technology can be used to get creative ideas, post projects, and even play games to enhance learning. Technology should definitely be used in the classroom to make learning more fun!

New Classroom Rules

- Talk only when permitted, text at all other times - I love this rule because it is so true. Even though most schools have a no cell phone police, students still text each other throughout the day. I think it is great having a rule that allows texting in the classroom. It can help students communicate with students and teachers in other classrooms and is a lot easier to have on you at all time than a computer. I know I don't go anywhere without my cell phone.

- Be quiet in lines, hallways, and restrooms, unless you are at home and logged into your on line classroom, in which case you can dance and play - I thought this rule was really creative and it made me smile! I love how dancing and music is at the end. I'm all for not having to go to class and sit still. Online classes allow students to wear whatever they would like and do whatever they like. It is your responsibility to complete the work, so as long as everything is completed there is nothing wrong with dancing as you do your work.

At the Teachers Desk

At the Teachers Desk is a great example of how blogs can be used in education. I think that the Scary Statistics post by Jarrod Lamshed was very interesting. The post tells that for every 100 girls that do something that is frowned upon by society (such as commit suicide, be suspended or expelled from school, or be in prison) a greater amount of boys do the same thing. For every 100 girls that do something that society approves of (such as going to college, getting a bachelors degree, or getting a masters degree) there is a less amount of boys that do the same. Mr. Lamshed asked a good question at the end of the post: What can we do to help our boys succeed? Mr. C's post How to Get (and Keep) More Visitors is a post that can help teachers that want their blog to be found by others. Mr. C gives four tips to help people make their blog well known. 1) The longer you blog, the more popular your blog will become. 2) Post regularly so that people have a reason to visit your blog again. 3) Include popular searched words in the title of your post. 4) Comment on other blogs so that people will visit your blog. I find these tips very helpful and if you follow Mr. C's tips, your blog will be popular in no time.

Using Technology for Effective Communication is another post by Mr. Lamshed that I found very interesting. He tells how Twitter, Facebook, and Cell Phones are the main source of communication in the world today. He makes a very good point because I communicate with friends and family through Facebook, text messages, and email. Anyone with access to a computer can create a Twitter or Facebook account for FREE! To me, I do see Facebook and cell phones as the main way to communicate with people across the United States and even the world. Pencils and Crayons to be Banned in Schools is a blog post that really got me thinking. How can you have school without pencils and crayons? I want to teach Kindergarten and I think that pencils and crayons are a MAJOR aspect of learning at that age. In math class, I was ALWAYS required to write in pencil. I do not think that banning pencils and crayons in schools is a wise idea because it is keeping children from the educational experience that we all had during our education. Finally, Everyone loves a good movie. So why not read a blog that suggests movies for teachers to watch. Tuesdays with Morrie / Teacher Movies is a post that does just that. I think the collaborative blog is a wonderful idea. Teachers can get advice from so many different teachers on just one blog.

Toward a new future of whatever

I thought the video, Toward a new future of Whatever, was really interesting and true. People these days use Whatever and Meh in every day conversations and it usually makes me mad when people use them without any other words. Whatever can be a very offensive word depending on the context; it can be used sarcastically, when you don't know what else to say, or if you can't make up your mind about something. I go to YouTube all the time when I need a good laugh because YouTube is full of funny videos that my friends and I always watch.
I think what Dr. Welsh says about videos on the computer is absolutely true. I know that when my group was filming our video cast we were really nervous because we had no clue how many people would see the video. It is really awkward just talking to a camera, which is why I really like Skype because if the person on the other end is on video, it is not like you are just talking to a camera. I like the idea of writing a few meaningful words on your hand because there can be really motivational messages for people to see. As a teacher, I know I need to get comfortable being watched by people because I will have a whole class looking up to me. Also, I think it is a good thing to incorporate video into the lesson to get the students comfortable talking into a web cam because our culture is turning toward technology more and more as time progresses.

Blogging in the Classroom

Blogging is a wonderful way for students to learn how to use the computer and how to express themselves in writing. Comments 4 Kids is a really good program for children to post blogs for their class and get comments from people of all ages across the world. The blogs for Comments 4 Kids that I have commented on have seemed like the whole class was given a topic to write about in their blog for the week. It allows students to use their imagination to come up with a creative story for people to read. Mr. C uses his class blog to allow students to post video assignments. I think it is great that he has the students upload videos onto the class blog because it teaches them how to use video at a young age. He also has students post comments in Comments4Kids, particularly Kaia's post. It teaches students how to respect others opinions at a young age and rewording their post and comments to where it is not offensive. For my groups podcast we were assigned the topic "Blogging in the Classroom". One of the pros that my group came up with was that students can talk to students across the world to learn about different cultures. The students can also use the blog posts as their weekly journals express what is on their mind. It can motivate students to learn proper grammar because they think it is the coolest thing that their work is on the internet for other people to see. Blogging is a great education tool and I recommend many teachers use it.

Comments4Kids #3

For this week's comments4kids assignment, I commented on Noah's blog post about his science experiments. One experiment that his class did is watching meal worms change into beetles. The experiment is not complete yet, but he said that he is really enjoying the experiment. Another experiment they have done in science class is making a plateau out of sand and clay. The students poured water over the plateau to show erosion making it in the plateau change into a delta. I told Noah that my mom used to teach 6th grade science and she would do science experiments with her class on a regular basis. I told him that I like experiments because they are hands on and I learn better with hands on activities. I told Noah to keep up the great work and to continue talking about his fun science experiments that he has done in class.

ACCESS

What is ACCESS? ACCESS is Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide. The goal of ACCESS is to provide additional education to high school students in the state of Alabama. I think it is wonderful that ACCESS is helping low income high schools offer the Advanced Diploma and also AP courses for students to take. I do not really like that the classes are online because I think that high school students still need the classroom.

I don't think I will use ACCESS because I am going to be teaching Elementary School and ACCESS is for High School Students. I also don't particularly like ACCESS because the website was hard to navigate around. I went to Hoover High School, a school where money is not an issue. Hoover High School offers several AP courses and even the IB program. I guess I just am not as big a fan of ACCESS as I am ALEX because I will not be using it in my classroom and I graduated from one of the top academic schools in the state. I'm happy that the state is trying to make more schools like Hoover, but the low income schools also have the students that aren't as motivated in school, so I think it could be a waste of money.

ALEX

What is ALEX? ALEX is the Alabama Learning Exchange. The website is wonderful for teachers because it has the Alabama Course of Study, Lesson Plan examples, and Web links for teachers and students. The Alabama Course of Study tells teachers exactly what to teach in each content area based on the grade level. Not only does it tell the teachers what subjects need to be covered, but also gives lesson plan examples for the content required and helpful weblinks. The ALEX Website is wonderful for teachers of all grade levels to use as they are preparing lessons, especially since it is FREE!

I know for a fact that I will use the Alabama Course of Study section of the website to make sure that prepare my students for the next grade level. I think it is wonderful that the website offers teachers lesson plans to go along with the material. Lesson plans can be so time consuming and it is sometimes difficult to come up with good ideas, so I love the fact that ALEX is willing to share ideas to shorten the process some. There are also podcasts up on the webpage which can be really helpful to teachers. I will definitely use ALEX as a teacher and I recommend that others do aswell.

Comments4Kids #2

For this week's Comments4Kids assignment, I commented on Mark's blog. He wrote about his group Lego robotics project and how he was the one who did most of the work. He was very aggravated when he would be working while the other people in the group were goofing off. He said that next time he has group work, he will be sure to pick better partners. I told him that I used to hate doing group work with people who don't contribute to the project. I told him that it is very frustrating, but told him to keep up the good work. I also told him that if he makes an A on the project that it is his his work that got the group the good grade. I know that most people can relate to what happened to Mark in his group.

Comments4Kids #1

Students in Mr. Goerend's class has written several blog posts for people around the world to read and comment on. I commented on five of the students blog posts this week. The first post that I commented on is by a boy named David. David suggested International Football Day. I love the idea of international football day because I love football. I told him that I am very upset that I will not be able to attend USA's last football game of the season because it is on a Thursday and conflicts with class. The second post that I commented on was written by a boy named Cody. Cody talks about National Hop like a Kangaroo Day. The origin of this day is really meaningful to a boy named Max who didn't have an option but to hop like a kangaroo. I told Cody that I'm sure that Max felt very special when he saw everyone else in his class hopping around just like he did. Kids who do things to cheer up their friends are really awesome people!
The third post that I commented on was written by a student who referred to themselves as MS5. MS5 talks about national dress like a clown day! The day sounds like a lot of fun and I told MS5 that it reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten and had a lot of fun dressing up as a clown for school one day! And since everyone was dressed the same, it was a lot of fun! The fourth post that I commented on was written by Anna. She talked about National Mime Day. The day originated when she lost her voice after screaming at a football game and had to learn how to communicate to the people around her through hand gestures. I told her that the idea is great because it shows people how difficult it is to communicate when you don't have a voice. The last blog that I commented on was written by Noah. His post was about eating like sumo wrestlers. It is a day where you get to eat all you want, put on sumo wrestler suits, wrestle, and then eat more. It sounds like fun, but I would probably make myself sick by eating a lot! I think all the blogs the students wrote where they get to create an international holiday that they would like to celebrate is a wonderful idea and lets the students use their imaginations!

Dear Kaia

I absolutely love the ways that Mr. William Chamberlain uses blogging in his classroom. I looked at his classroom blog as part of my PLN and got some really great ideas from it. I loved it then and I love it even more now after seeing his influence in Kaia's life. Most teachers will give assignments to their class and not put much effort into it; Mr. C, on the other hand, puts effort into his assignments and really cares about what his students learn.

Comments4Kids is one of the weekly assignments that the students in his classroom have to complete. One blog that the students comment on is the blog of a three year old named Kaia. Kaia's father contacted Mr. C via twitter and decided to have a conversation on Skype with Mr. C's class. Since Kaia is only three years old she does not know how to read, so Mr. C's class put together a video of the comments they wrote on her blog. The class and Kaia's father turned just another weekly assignment into a meaningful project, both for the class and Kaia's family. Kaia's father even talks about the event in his blog. Mr. C, I think, seems like he would be a great teacher because he does actually care about what he does! When Kaia's dad asks him for audio or video for Kaia, Mr. C and his class put effort into creating a voicethread for Kaia. Mr. C is the perfect example of a good teacher who makes an impact in the lives of not only the students in his class but in people around the world. He commented on my PLN post this morning and it made me really feel good that he took time out of his day to comment on my blog post that took me such a long time to write.
Kaia is an adorable three year old girl that can really make an impact in people's lives through what her father has told her. She writes in her blog about how she loves to spend time outside, despite living in the desert. Her father took her outside one day to take pictures. I'm surprised at how Kaia's pictures turned out (you never would think that a three year old took them). She has a video of her talking about the pictures on the blog and how something as a whole can look so ugly, but parts of it can be so beautiful. Kaia is an intelligent girl and has a really good perspective of life.

Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Classroom blogs can be very helpful for teachers, parents, and students! I have developed a Personal Learning Network to get ideas on different ways that teachers use blogs in their classroom.
Mr. William Chamberlain uses his class blog to model technology use to teachers and students. His students can post on the blog with video, text, and pictures. He has links to useful websites that students can use to help them with their classwork. He even has a link to where his students can call him for help via Google and Skype. I think that is really great that he has the link because a lot of times when I have a question for a teacher, I don't know how to type it in words that the teacher will understand. Skype can really help students because they can talk for free through computer using the Skype phone; allowing the students to contact Mr. Chamberlain in an easier way than email.

Mr. Jarrod Lamshed uses his class blog to communicate with his students. He posts announcements for both his students and the community to see. He posted a video of a performance that the class had at Festival Theatre. He even has a schedule of events coming up in the classroom. Mr. Lamshed encourages the use of blogs saying they are great because you can give and receive feedback from other students, parents, and the community! I agree with him.

Mrs. Candace Follis uses her class blog to inform students what they will be doing throughout the school year. She has tabs for each of her subjects so that her students can find their way around the blog easily. The studens can look at the blog to find out what they are getting into before even signing up for the class. Not only can Mrs. Follis' students use her blog, but also new teachers. She posts her lesson plans so that other teachers can get ideas on how to cover a certain story covered in the literature class. I think it is great of her to share her ideas and I know that if I were teaching High School Literature I would definitely visit her blog on a regular basis.

Mr. Michael Fawcett has a really organized class blog that is wonderful for his students. He posts his class newsletter in a tab at the top of his blog for easy student access. Not only does Mr. Fawcett have the newsletter for his students to access at the click of a button, but he also has addition and subtraction practice tests. He has the spelling words posted onto his blog and links for students to access helpful websites. I also really like his blog because he adds pictures from classroom assignments.

Mrs. Kelly Hines has a class blog, but I like her blog for teachers better. She gives new teachers really good tips on classroom procedures and even the unwritten rules for new teachers. I really appreciate her tips because they will be very helpful as I work on my Classroom Management portfolio. She gives teachers some really great ideas on how to incorporate technology in the classroom. I also like Mrs. Hines class blog for her students. I like how she tells about what her class has done outside of the classroom and posts pictures. She also posts questions for the students to think about and answer in a comment.

All the blogs that I have looked at are wonderful classroom blogs. It is hard for me to choose a favorite! The information on the blogs is helpful for anyone who looks at the blogs. The students look at the blogs for homework, classroom information, and anything else the teacher decides to post onto the blog. The parents look at the blogs to stay connected with their child and being involved in their education. Other teachers look at the blogs as a PLN to learn ways that they can change their classroom blogs to make it easy for the students to navigate, answer questions, and even communicate with the teacher.

New Media Skills

I agree with the video, New Media Skills, that the skills judgement, negotiation, appropriation, play, transmedia, navigation, simulation, collective intelligence, performance, distributed cognition, visualization, and multitasking are needed to survive in the 21st century. I possess the majority of these skills. Judgement is used to personally decide what is right or wrong. Negotiation is used to work out a conflict with someone. Appropriation is used to budget both my time and my money. Play is something I do for fun so that I can relax. Transmedia navigation is all the social networks that I have joined. Performance is the way that I used everything in order to succeed. Mulititasking is a skill that EVERY person (especially students) must master! I use all these skills every day, whether I realize it or not!

Why Do We Even Need Teachers??

I think that even the networked student needs a teacher. Teachers know what needs to be covered in a particular class or subject. Many classes are offered online, which I think is wonderful. Online classes allow college, and even high school, students to get credit for a class without actually having to show up in class. However, even online classes still have the idea of a teacher. The teacher posts the assignments onto the website and uploads everything that the student needs. Without the teacher, the students could learn the completely wrong thing and end up failing in their career.

Teachers also are there to teach students how to be more computer literate, especially in the elementary schools. Elementary School teachers can incorporate computers into their lessons to make learning more fun for the students. Children think that computers are extremely cool and would love to do the majority of their work on the computer. Children NEED to know how to use the computer in order to succeed in the 21st Century where computers are pretty much taking over society.

Students of all ages need a teacher in order to learn what they need to learn. Teachers are there to teach and to answer any questions. Yes, most questions can be answered in a youtube video, but sometimes it helps knowing that there is a teacher that you can ask for help. Teachers will still be needed as much in 10 years as they are today, they will just have to keep up with technology and not let technology completely take over.

This Is How We Dream

I think that I am prepared, as a teacher, for the improvements that are being made in technology. I think that it is wonderful that technology has improved so much. You don't have to go to a Library in order to find what you need. If you do go to the Library, they still have computers to help you find what you need, rather than card catalogs. Technology has improved so much over the years and I think it is for the better. Computers have made education so much easier both for teachers and for students.

I do not think that the students will have a problem adapting to the changes in technology because they have grown up with it. Most students can't even imagine a life without computers and cell phones. Using computers is part of every day life in the world today. If students do not know how to use them, they can typically learn very easily. I think that my students will not have any difficulty writing with multimedia! I think that improvements in technology will just get better and better for education.

Since most things are on the internet, the cost for education can be much cheaper. If all textbooks are posted online then college students will not have to waste $300 on textbooks that they typically don't even use! I know the internet is not completely reliable (especially at USA where wireless connections are terrible) but having computer based assignments is a lot cheaper. Computers can be used for everything in education... and I think it is a good thing.

iPods

How can iPods be used in education? The Hoover City School System, I know, has already incorporated iPods into education. Teachers in the third grade at Riverchase Elementary School use iPods to allow students to hear themselves read aloud. Each teacher was provided two iPods and a voice recorder to use in the classroom. The students can read aloud into the voice recorder and later go back and listen to what they read. It is a great way for teachers to listen to students read and notice progress in the students reading by listening to the first recording of the year and the last.

Not only can iPods be used for education in Elementary school but also in Universities across the nation. Duke University has incorporated iPods into the classroom. Duke News tells readers that the use of iPods in the classroom has quadrupled after one year in the classroom. The University even provided first year students in 2004 with a FREE iPod. Now they give undergraduate students who enroll in a course that requires an iPod a free iPod. I know that if I went to Duke, I would enroll in a class that uses the iPods because I think that educators and students can do so much with technology.

iTunes U

iTunes U is a wonderful resource for both students and teachers. It is a free program from iTunes that allows anyone to access educational resources. Teachers can use iTunes U in the classroom. They can pull up an interesting book or video and share it with the class. They can download any podcasts or videocasts that will help them to better teach a subject that they are trying to teach. Each University on iTunes U can use the program to get certain information out to the Faculty and Students of the university.

It is great for students because it is a free program! If a student is struggling with a certain topic in school, he or she can go to iTunes U and find a podcast that better explains the topic so that they can have a better understanding of the subject. Suffolk University uses iTunes U to communicate with their students about speakers and interesting research on campus. iTunes U can also be a tool used for Alumni and prospective students to know what the University has to offer. I think iTunes U is wonderful for teachers, students, or anyone who wants to learn something.

Google Earth

What is Google Earth and how can it be used for teaching? Dr. Alice Christie answers these questions on her web page. Google Earth is a program that allows users to view maps, buildings, and other geographical elements. It is FREE, so anyone with access to a computer can download the program. Google Earth is a wonderful program to use in the classroom because it allows the students to interact, thus making a boring subject more fun.

Dr. Christie gives a few good reasons telling why Google Earth should be used in the classroom. One of her reasons is that it turns geography into reality, making the topic more exciting for the students. The students can better understand the concepts by using Google Earth to visualize information about the world. Dr. Christie even gives a few Google Earth lesson examples to help teachers incorporate Google Earth into the lesson. The website also has Google Earth tutorials and other Google resources to help teachers. Dr. Christie has a great website to help teachers incorporate technology into an every day lesson.

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!