Blog Post Assignment #10

Morgan Bayda's blog post was very nice to read and it inspired me in more ways than one. In this post, Morgan discussed the ways that she is faced with boring lecture classes in school. She says that in these classes, she and her classmates are almost never encouraged to discuss the things that are being studied and that she struggles to stay awake during these types of classes. This reminded me of many of the classes that I have been through in my past, and this encourages me to not teach this way when I become a teacher in the future.

Like Morgan has stated, she is encouraged to constantly interact with her classmates in classes such as her computer class. This also reminds me of myself because of the things that we are assigned to do in this class. It seems to me that students will almost always enjoy collaborating and learning from their classmates, so why not incorporate these things into all classrooms? I definitely agree with her last statement: we cannot be afraid to change things. In order to give our students the best education possible, we almost have to change things so that they are being educated for the world that they will be living in and not a world of the past.

The video Two Questions That Can Change Your Life was very thought provoking for me. I never thought about every person in the world having their own personal sentence, but I believe that this kind of thinking can inspire many people to want to make a difference in our world. My sentence would be that I am trying to make the world a better place by encouraging young people to love themselves for what they are good at and not strive to be something that they are not. It is so easy for students to beat themselves up over what they cannot do and not even realize all of the wonderful things that they can do. I think that this is something that is very important to help young people see- that they are all great at something.

The second question in this video was also wonderful. Simply asking yourself if you were better today than you were yesterday is a great way to feel like you have accomplished something. There is no need to try to save the world, because you will just become discouraged and upset when you continue to fail. As long as you have made a difference in even the smallest way, even if it is only in your own life, you have accomplished something that is special. Remembering this question at the end of everyday is a great way to lift your spirits and to have the motivation to continue to make a difference each and every day!

Smart Board Instruction Project #13

Additional Activity #3

The presentation Changing Educational Paradigms by Sir Ken Robinson was a great presentation! I have never thought about things such as ADHD in the ways that he presented them, but his argument seemed to make sense. I am not incredibly familiar with disorders such as this one, but I do know that children affected by it tend to get bored and distracted easily, which would make his point make valid. As Sir Robinson said about himself, I am not educated enough about the subject either to make too many decisions about the things that might be affecting these children, but I agreed with what he had to say still.

It seems so logical to get our students excited about learning instead of boring them with things such as constant standarized tests. Even if the students are not diagnosed with ADHD, it is still very possible that they will become bored at some time or another while learning in the classroom. As teachers, we should all try to encourage our studnets to want to learn as much as possible and we can do this be getting them interested in the things that we want to teach them. As stated in the presentation, the Arts do seem to be the victim of or current epedemic. Incorporating the Arts into our teaching more and more is sure to get young people interested in school and happy to learn.

I really liked the way that this video was put together, and I think that it is sure to get the attention of more people than if it were just someone standing up and talking in front of an audience. The video itself was a great way to keep people more interested in what was going on and keep them from becoming bored by the facts that were being presented. If I were to participate in making a presentation such as this one, I think that I would most enjoy the job of being the narrator. All of the jobs invovled in making this video were probably fun, but I think that I would enjoy narrating it most!

Blog Post Assignment # 9

Mr. McClung's post, What I've Learned This Year , was very helpful and neat to read. This post has reminded me of things that I know I will have to keep in mind in my years of teaching, especially my first year. I realize that it might be easy to forget to practice some of the things that we know we should be doing, and posts like this one remind us to do those things.

I really took to heart what Mr. McClung had to say about technology because I am one of those people who have never really used it a lot. While I am slowly becoming more and more familiar with technology, I still fell a little bit overwhelmed by it sometimes. When I become a teacher, I will be committed to allowing my students all of the educational benefits that technology can provide us with even if it takes me extra time to learn how to use that technology. In this class, I have learned to embrace technology and its place in the classroom instead of being afraid of it because I am unfamiliar with it.

The other thing that really stood out to me in this post was that we should not set our students' goals too high. It is going to be our responsibility to set our students up for achievements so that they do not become discouraged and quite trying. I have seen teachers scold their students for not accomplishing a goal when that particular goal was not really in the student's reach to begin with. This is not fair to the student and will probably end up hurting their self esteem. As a teacher, I will try to follow all of these tips that Mr. McClung has given us, but I realize that I definitely will not be perfect. Each year I will be able to learn from my mistakes like Mr. McClung has and use them to become a better teacher the following year.

Timetoast Timeline Project #9b

Blog Post Assignment #8

Richard Miller's presentations about the ways that we can us technology today were both very interesting. It is still a little bit shocking to me to see all of the things that can now be done simply by using your computer. I know that our world continues to advance everyday, but I sometimes have to watch videos like these to be reminded just how much technology is changing our lives. I enjoyed seeing the different things that Mr. Miller has been able to do with technology.

I know that a career in writing, such as Richard Miller's, is more prone to be affected by the advancement of technology than a lot of other careers are. I was shocked to see that Mr. Miller was able to write an entire paper without ever stepping foot into a library. Even with our newly created technology, I still find myself using other resources as well as the new ones. I guess that this is probably just a habit that I will eventually grow out of. I have yet to write an entire paper using only my computer and its sources, but I will not say that this might not happen in the near future.

At this point, I would have to say that I am not completely prepared to write with multimedia, but I fell that I am on my way to being able to say that i am. I hope that my students will be able to learn from me all that I know about topics such as this one, but I almost feel like some of them might know more about it than I do. I guess that we will just have to share our knowledge with each other so that we can all end up knowing as much as possible about our ever changing world of technology.

The Chipper Series and EDM 310 for Dummies were both fun to watch because I felt like I knew exactly what the students in these videos were talking about. I especially liked Chipper and Dr. Strange's discussion about procrastination because this is something that I unfortunately have had a few problems with in the past. The main thing that I took away from watching these videos concerning the ones that I will be creating in the future was the mood seen in them. I would typically try to be serious when making a movie for EDM, but now I know that I can be just as effective by simply having fun and being creative. This will also increase my chances of my fellow students watching and enjoying the videos that I create.

The critiques about the Smartboards were so neat to see because I have never looked at them from that point of view. All of the teachers that I know have always enjoyed using their Smartboards, but I now see that not everyone shares the same opinion about them. In my opinion, the advantages of such devices far outweigh the negative effects that they might bring into the classroom. Our students are being exposed to all sorts of new technology outside of the classroom, so why not bring it into the classroom as well? If a teacher feels as though they can teach a certain lesson better using a regular chalkboard, then I feel that they have the right to do so, but they probably should not shut out the Smartboards completely. I feel that one of the greatest benefits of Smartboards is that they increase the chances of the students interaction and also their desire to pay attention to what is being taught.

Additional Activity #2

The idea to place computers in villages like these was absolutely amazing! It was so neat to see all of the things that the children were able to learn by themselves with the help of only the computers. In the video The child-driven education, you can see the children's eyes light up as they use the computers. This definitely proved that children can learn how to do anything they want to do given the right opportunities. Computers are so helpful in our education these days, so why not introduce them to other parts of the world so that they can receive the same benefits that we see here. I feel that anyone who is motivated to learn something will learn it simply because they have the desire to do so. Even if these people happen to be children, they will still be able to teach themselves whatever they want to know.

I feel that the best way to motivate someone to learn is to tell them about the benefits of learning. Learning brings us so many rewards that anyone should be able to find joy in learning something new. I am motivated to learn simply because I realize that in doing so I am bettering myself. For example, I learn in college everyday so that I will be able to eventually become a teacher. By becoming a teacher, I will be able to show others the great rewards that come with learning new things. In my opinion, a teacher always has a role in learning because even people who teach themselves will still at times need a guide to look to. If you are trying to teach yourself to do something and you get confused or mess up, then you can look to a teacher to help you. This is always a better option than just giving up and moving on because you can't figure something out.

My emotions after seeing this video were happy because I loved seeing the kids get such a joy from learning new things with the help of computers. They seemed to be both pleased with what they were learning and proud that they were able to teach themselves how to us the computers. I teach myself on a daily basis, but not without the general guidance of a teacher or mentor. I feel that EDM 310 gives me the opportunity to be able to teach myself new things, but we as students are still given general guidance and rules to follow when teaching ourselves. The power of knowledge is so great and it feels even better to become knowledgeable about something on your own terms. The best motivators to self teach are the rewards that come from doing so.

Timetoast Timeline Project #9a

Blog Post Assignment #7

Randy Pausch's last lecture was very touching and inspiring to watch. At the beginning of his lecture, Mr. Pausch tells everyone that he has cancer in his liver and he states that he will not live much longer. While most people probably feel bad for Mr. Pausch when he says this, he urges his audience not to feel bad for him. He does not want anyone to pity him because he says that he is living life to the fullest. He knows that we cannot change the cards that we are dealt in life, so he and his family have pretty much decided to just deal with his cancer. This was the first touching thing in this video. In my opinion, it takes a lot of strength to go on living your life to the fullest when you know that your days are numbered no matter what you do.

One teaching method that Mr. Pausch talked about that really struck me was the indirect learning method. This is when people think that they are doing only one thing, but they are learning another thing at the same time probably without even realizing it. The reason that this appealed to me so much is because it seems so obvious and effective, but I have never actually thought about using a method like this. One example of indirect learning is when children play on sports teams. While a child is aware that they are playing football, they do not usually think of the things that they are learning by playing it unless those things pertain to the sport itself. In reality, children playing on a football team together is actually teaching them very valuable things such as team work.

The positive attitude that is seen throughout this entire lecture is something that really stuck me as being amazing. Mr. Pausch speaks of his happy childhood and states that all of his dreams that he had as he was growing up have come true. He urges his listeners to work hard, cherish feedback, and never give up on anything. He also goes on to say that we should keep things fun for our students and support the things that dream of. Perhaps the thing that will stay with me the most from this video was when Mr. Pausch says that we should always enjoy the company of our students.

At the end of the speech, Mr. Pausch tells us that his lecture was not really made for the benefit of the audience, but rather for his three children. It really touched me to hear him say this because I know that the things that he was telling his children were the things that he would have told them in person as they grew up if he were still alive. All in all, this video really mad eme think about my future career in the teaching field and I now look at a few things from a totally different point of view than I did before I watched it. I will always try to remind myself that even though being a teacher will be hard work at times, I should not really view it as work, but instead as a pleasure. It is a gift to be able to touch the lives of young people and I hope that I will always remember to enjoy each and every one of my students and the time that I have with them.

Progress Report for PLN

After looking over both Symbaloo and Netvibes, I decided to keep track of my PLN with Symbaloo. While both of these sites seemed pretty helpful, I was more drawn to the Symbaloo site. A friend of mine who took EDM last summer suggested Symbaloo because she said it was so easy and extremely useful. After creating my account on Symbaloo, I realized that she was definitely right! I have always been someone who likes to stay very organized and this site just helps me to do that even better. I love how everything can be color coded also because that makes it even more fun! Using Symbaloo was very fun for me because I had never created anything like it before and I look forward to using it very often in the future. This is one of the things from this class that I will definitely be taking with me to use throughout the remainder of my college career and even after that when I become a teacher.

Comments for Teachers Summary #2

The second teacher that I was assigned to comment on was Dr. Strange. The first post of his that I commented on was on that referenced the things that had gone on in lab on a particular day. On this day, when Dr. Strange asked our lab assistant, Anthony, how lab had gone that morning, Anthony replied that it had been "great". Dr. Strange then posted about what had happened during lab that caused Anthony to say that it was great. In summary, what happened that day in lab was that students were helping other students learn how to do things because they had also had troubles doing the same thing. By helping each other learn, the students who were in lab went from working independently that day to interacting with one another to form a learning community.

The second post of Dr. Strange's that I commented on was a follow up post to the first one that I had commented on. This time, our EDM lab was described as being quiet. While students sat quietly doing there work, it was apparent to Dr. Strange and the lab assistants that learning was taking place. This realization came from the fact that students were now completing there work with less questions. Dr. Strange then went on in this post to summarize what students had commented about the "Great" post. All of us who had commented on the first post had roughly the same feelings. Although we all felt fairly nervous and frustrated at the beginning of our EDM class, we now feel reassured that everything is going to be just fine because we have so much help if we need it.

All in all, what I commented about the two posts was what I felt like before this class began and what my feelings are about the class now. I used to be so scared about the things that I would have to face in order to do well in this class, but all of those worries are gone now. Each and every time I have a question, I go to the lab and there has always been someone there waiting to help me with anything I need. I know that all I have to do is ask when I need help, and I think that this class will continue to be one of the most enjoyable and beneficial ones that I have taken so far.

Blog Post Assignment #6

The video The Networked Student was very interesting and neat to watch. I agreed with all of the things that were stated as being benefits of being a networked students, but I have often thought about what will happen to us teachers in the years to come. If technology is such a wonderful teacher, then what are we going to be needed for? Well, this video answered that question quite nicely and it made me fell a lot better about my worth as a teacher in the future.

I know well that all of this new and coming technology is able to provide many, many benefits to our students, but they will also need time in the classroom in my opinion. Even if classes are given online, the students should probably meet in a classroom setting at least once a week so that the teacher can check up on things such as all of the students' progress. Of course students will always have questions about how to use the technology, how to organize the information that they are given by the technology, and how best to take advantage of the different opportunities that they might be presented with through this technology. Classroom meetings with the teacher will be a great time to get all of these things straightened out.

Finally, it is very important to remember that teachers provide a mentor for students to follow and look up to. I feel that it is very important for all young people to have good influences in their lives, and teachers can be just that to many students. Teachers not only provide the initial instructions on things like how to use the technology properly and what they are looking for in an assignment, but they also provide a relationship that many students enjoy having. Many of my teachers have taught me things that are so much more important than academics, and all students should have the opportunity to have that in their school career.

The video A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment was a very well put together video. While I did not ever have any classes such as the one that she was describing in the video in middle school, it seemed like a great way to have a class. Many of the things mentioned in the video were things that we use in EDM 310, and that is why I am so grateful to be learning all that I am in this class. As mentioned in this video, freedom in learning is a great way to motivate students because it allows them to learn in the ways that best suit them as individuals.

Dr. Wesch's video The Machine is Changing Us was very informational and funny at the same time. I could relate to many of the things that he mentioned in his talk, especially when he mentioned that technology can make us feel more self conscious. This is so true because you never know who is going to read what you are putting on the internet. Anybody has access to the work that you do on the internet, and that makes feel a little bit more concerned about the validity of the work that I do. This video reminds us that we have to remember that we do not truly know who we are showing our work to when we do post it on the internet, so it is good to always do it to the best of your ability.