Blog Post 10

Do you Teach or do you Educate?

This video was very inspiring. The music was a great touch to capture the attention. I feel the words can be used synonymously. The video showed more impact on Educate and all the cool terms were use with it. But, I don't feel like an Educator and a Teacher is much different. I want to be a Teacher that will educate the students the best I can. To teach means to show and explain how to do something, encourage someone, and give information. The video show the words that describe Educator here are a few; enlighten, empower, mentor, shows the way, and trusted advisor. I want to be all of these plus the definition of Teacher and I do believe that is possible. It all has to do with educating the student. That is the goal we as Teacher/Educators have and we all work toward that goal. Call it what you like,it is Education which is the kindling of a flame.

Tom Johnson's Don't let Them Take Pencil's Home!
In this blog the message to me was Educators get too caught up on the outcomes of test scores they lose focus on having the student learn. They need to be more focused on a solution to problem and not just the problem. Some teachers do not really look at the problem correctly becasue they are so caught up on test scores and that is their main focus. Even though test scores are important and measure how well a teacher is teaching learning is also very important. To me test scores are not a correct measure of a teachers ability to teach. Some student do not take these test very serious and cause low scores. Students seem to learn in a more creative environment. I think Gertrude is too caught up in having high test scores , that is does not matter to her what the children are actually learning. As long as their test scores remain high she does not want to change anything. I guess you could really substutue the word "pencil' with any educational word like computer, textbook, or worksheets. Focusing on test scores is becoming a main focus throughout schools today.

C4t Summary 3

What did you do during the great occupation of twenty-ought-eleven?
I was assigned to a blog of 19 educators called Cooperative Catalyst. The most recent blog post was by an educator Brent Shavely called "What did you do during the Great Occupation of twenty-ought-eleven? Brent believes that all of life is a learning experience. I agree everyday is a learning experience for me. Each day brings up new questions and answers. Students may ask questions we may not know the answers for but, we must find them we then learn new material. He also believes that individuals worked there entire lives seeking out "new things" to have and to do. Well again I agree because I feel like that is what I am doing. I am seeking an education to have a better life for me and my family. In his blog he goes on to talk about how learning experiences occur at all times and under all circumstances.

Challenge schools to change
The second C4T was also on the blog Cooperative Catalyst. This time is was an educator named Chad Sansing. The title of his blog was "Challenge Schools to Change".Chad Sansing is a humanities teacher at a charter school. He believes that a simple truth lurks behind our schools: we built them to keep our kids apart. Chad's blog talks about how each child deserves a personally meaningful education and a community of learning that includes ,involves, and inspires him or her. It is about creating a new public education system that recognizes and values a broader definition of learning than that accounted for by test. Chad's goal is to influence federal and state education policy so that meaningful work of lasting value stands in place of high test scores.

Project 13 Smart Board Presentation Part 1

Blog Post #9

What I have Learned this year (2008-09)
What I have Learned this year (2008-09)
I wanted to read Mr.McClung's first year (2008-09) and third year (2010-11) to see if his attitude has changed any.
When Mr. McClung first started out he was so worried and caught up in pleasing his superiors he lost touch with his audience. Mr. McClung felt like he was trying to control things way too much. I can see how this would happen on your first year as a teacher. He would beat himself up over activities that did not go well. He needed to get over that and I feel the same way. We are all human and not everything is always gonna go as planned.

He also states how communication is key. I strongly agree with him on this. Communication is the best way to learn, solve, and respond to an issue in the workplace. He also mentions "don't be afraid of technology." We as EDM students have learned how technology can help you as a teacher. Don't be afraid of it, it is our friend. Lastly, never stop learning. It is never to late to change something. Students deserve the best we can give them.

What I have learned this year (201-11)
What I have learned this year (2010-11)
Know who your boss is
I really loved Mr. McClungs statement about we are here for the kids. Don't get caught up in any other drama at the school. Focus on what you are there for, the kids. Students should always be the primary focus. Even though administration is important you are there to serve and teach the kids. Mr. McClung is an optimist and tries to maintain a positive attitude when it comes to things such as change. I really think this is important. Change is not always a bad thing. Change is good. I hope I am just as optimistic as him. Mr. McClung states "don't be afraid to be an outsider". That is something that I am afraid of. I am not saying I want to be in others business and drama. I surely don't want that, I just want to feel welcomed and not have to worry about not fitting in. I think it is important to have good relationships with other co-workers. I really enjoyed reading his post and hope I have the same look on teaching as he does.

Project 12 My Book Trailer

Blog Post #8

This is How We Dream Part 1&2

Richard Miller's presentation is a great way of showing how multimedia is used in the classroom. The computer/Internet is the most useful source for information. I could not tell you how long it has been since I have been to the library. Several years ago I would have gone to the library at least once a week. That is really changed with the evolution of the Internet. I still do love books but, it is so convenient to go to the Internet at home or school and get the information I need.

This is the world we work in today, a digital environment. There is an unlimited source of information on the Internet. As classroom teachers we must understand and accept how fast the world of multimedia can and is changing. The Internet is a great way to keep in touch with people all around the world. It has become so easy to stay involved in something while half way across the world.

Am I prepared to write with multimedia in the classroom? I really want to be, I will definitely use it in my classroom. I think it is a great way to teach. The kids seem to enjoy using all the technology out today. I am excited to learn how it all works myself. There is so much to learn and I am eager to learn and teach it. It will be a great way to incorporate different ideas into the classroom. My students may not be ready themselves but, with my help and help for others they will be. We must teach and learn together. This is a very creative way to lean. It is awesome to view your final project online once you have completed the project.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post 12

In Carly's blog post she talks about how you can be a better teacher by creating a YouTube play list. After reading and viewing all the videos my thought was "WOW". This is great and would be a great source to have as a classroom teacher. I have never created a YouTube play list and at first seemed like it would be a little time consuming but, after I read on it seem simple. She really had some great videos on her play list and gave me some great ideas to use in my future classroom.

Chipper
The message from the two videos was you should always do your work on time and do not procrastinate. If you wait until the last minute to do your work it will get very stressful. EDM310 can be overwhelming but, if you just give yourself time to do the work you should be fine. How funny was the part when "Chipper" said that Dr. Strange was not doing his job because she just wanted to learn and do no work. Take on EDM310 as a fun experience and not all just work and no play. If you have fun and actually learn it will be such a better experience. I felt like Dr. Strange wants us to succeed but, also wants us to do the work instead of looking for ways out. The video shows how if you do not do your best at your work you may be without a job. Procrastination is not a good thing and if you want a little less stress in your life, learn to better you time and do not procrastinate.

Learn to change, Change to Learn
This is a powerful video about learning in education. It states that education is different now, more people seem to care about their culture. As a classroom teacher we must know how to find information and communicate that info. "Death of education, dawn of learning", this is what the last speaker on the video says. With everything changing so rapidly now everyday there is something new to learn.

TimeToast Timeline Instructional Project #9b

Short Movie Project #11

C4T Summary 2

Nancy's Imaginary Line
1) I had the pleasure of being assigned to a blog "Connected Principles". I read a blog post titled Nancy's Imaginary Line. This was an interesting story of a teacher who took her students out for an exciting outdoor activity, which turned out to be so much more. He little group was restless so she took 2 pylons and told the kids to stand behind the "imaginary" line. Well the kids minds started to turn. The students walked over to the imaginary line and had many questions.
1."What color were the lines, can mine be pink"?
2."How thick are the lines"?
3."What does and imaginary line really look like"?.....
These were just a few of the questions the student asked. It goes to show how each student thinks differently and how smart they are. Their minds were really focused on the imaginary line. The teacher was a little thrown off course. This was a good lesson in imagination and creativity for the students.

Pause Before You Post
2)This article was about technology bullying. October is Anti-Bullying month. The reason a month is dedicated to anti-bullying is to help cut down and eliminate the number of students being bullied through computers. Many people think it is OK because they hide behind a computer and are not face to face. Students are actually committing suicide due to bullying. We as teachers must learn to recognize bullying and put a stop to it. My teacher that I commented on is a strong believer in social media but, feels that it has became easier for cyber bullying. I agree I also love all the social networks sites as well but, we need to teach children to be more careful in what they post. Ask them..Would you actually say that to their face? So for the month of October.."Pause before you Post".

1st Progress report on my PLN

As of right now I am very new to creating a PLN and still have a lot of work to do on it. As of right now I have 27 tiles on my symbaloo. I have a variety from craigslist to my favorite search engine Google. My PLN will help me have a set of people and websites tools that I can call upon for help, consultation, collaboration and other assistance. I have added some lesson plan sites as well, I have found them to be very helpful this semester. Even though I am just starting out I plan to add more as I come across helpful websites. My PLN will always be a work in progress.

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
Randy Pausch is an amazing man, he has done so many amazing things in his life. He has had several experiences he shared with the audience of how he has fulfilled his childhood dreams. He goes on to tell about his accomplishments and experiences he has had. I would also like to mention how sad I was to hear about his health issues. It was a shock, I would have never guessed it based on his attitude. Everyone has childhood dreams, he shows there is a way to make those dreams come true. He also explains that there will be brick walls. Some of those brick walls are made of flesh, is a statement he used that I like. Brick walls are there for a reason, to stop the people who really do not want it bad enough.

Another statement he talked about was if you are screwing up, and no one is telling you anymore that is a bad thing. That means they have given up on you. So criticism is not always a bad thing. Be glad someone cares enough to tell you.I really enjoyed his speech, he has so many little saying that really made sense after thinking about them. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted" is another I liked.

He also spoke of an 2 week assignment he assigned to his students and was completely blow away by their work. He needed a little advise on what to do so he went to his Mentor for advise. His mentor told him to go to class the next day and tell the students good work, but you could have done better. That was the perfect advise he explained, his students just kept climbing in performance. Toward the end Randy stresses how important it is to have fun while learning. Turn an assignment into something fun,have a "child like" behavior.

C4K Summary 1

My first student was David a student at PT England School in Auckland, NZ. David is a amazing 7 year old young man. His favorite subject at school is Physical Education because he loves to play a lot of rugby. He has a really cool blog and is a very interesting young man. I think it is awesome all the things he is doing. I really enjoyed reading his blog. He even commented on my blog and google presentation. David really enjoys playing rugby and you can tell by his blog.

My second student was Tina she also is a 7 year old student at PT England School in Auckland, NZ. She again has a really cool blog. For a 7 year old student this is awesome. She writes about her day and what she has done in class along with class projects. She even posted some of her favorite poems that I loved reading. Tina also is a big fan of rugby and enjoys playing it. One post she posted was about her getting a vaccination. She explained how she was so scared. I would love to keep in contact with these amazing children.

St. Elmo Explores was my third blog post for kids. This is an amazing program that was able to come together by the donation from Ms. Lucy Buffet. The kids all wrote thank you letters and put it in a google presentation on their blog. This program takes place at St. Elmo Elementary school. The students are being introduced to ipads and all kind of new technology. This is an awesome program. Thanks Ms. Lucy Buffett!

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

This class is a lot like EDM. This video shows how many tools are out there for research. It mentioned about blogs, and they are a good source to read other opinions of students. It was a great example of how we connect with people all over the world. This video explains the purpose of technology and how students and teachers can use it. The Networked Student sounds like a very smart, technology literate student. Even though the student is already educated in technology it will still have question and need help learning all this.
This is where the teacher comes in. The teacher of the Networked Student will help with guidance and questions the student may have. The teacher will also help organize and differentiate between information. So, the teacher is just an important as the technology out there.

Welcome to My PLE!

This video is of a 7th grade student telling about her Personal Learning Environment. This video was very informative, and I think she did a great job on explaining step by step on how to use and generate any information you need from a click of a button. She was so organized. I just learned what a PLE was and really need to create mine. The student was polished and professional. I wish I had her organizational skills. This is a wonderful idea and would help students keep on track with what all they need to learn.