Project #13

For projects #15 and #16 my group: me, Heather Perrin, Brelyn Searcy, Ashley Franklin, and Katherine Reynolds; used Face time, email, and Skype to discuss how we were going to do our projects. We also used Google Docs. Using the tools available to us made our projects much easier to plan. We all worked well together and finished the job efficiently.

Project #8 Podcast

Blog Post #15 Final Reflection

Project #16

Project #15 Smartboard Collaboration

PLN Final Report

I have created my PLN, and I've added all of my information and links to it. I created it through Symbaloo. A while back I made an account with Edmodo, and I added a link to it on my Symbaloo page. I chose Symbaloo because it seemed the easiest to work with. Also, I can access all of my information with no problem. I'm glad this was an assignment for us, because I now know what a PLN is and the best way to use it.

Last C4K Summary

For my last C4K I commented on Christopher and Tabatha's blog's. Christopher was older than most of the kids I comment for and his post was about Napoleon. I told him that I've always been interested in Napoleon, and that I thought his post was very well written.

Tabatha's post was a reflection on a book she had read. The book was about a girl who was starting high school. I told her I think all girls are a little afraid of starting their ninth grade year, and also that her post made me want to find this book and read it.

Last C4T Summary Post

For my last C4T I commented on Ms. Cassidy's blog. Ms. Cassidy's main objective seemed to be PBL (Project Based Learning). She wanted to incorporate projects into all areas of learning. In the first post I commented on she seemed to have trouble deciding how she would use PBL with social studies. She managed by letting only some students play with the class Nintendo DS while others had to sit and watch. There are only a couple of the Nintendo's so before other kids got too upset over not playing she took the games back and had the class sit down. She got them to brainstorm on what would be fair for all the students. They made up rules and came to a fair conclusion together. This was the project having them work together. I thought this was a very thoughtful way to incorporate social studies into PBL.
The second post I commented on was also about PBL. She called it "Construction Day." Ms. Cassidy had the students find random things in the classroom and create something with them. Their imaginations were the limit. This was my favorite project she did because you could see into each kid's imagination.

Blog Post #13

My TEDx Talk-Learning is Messy

This video by Brian Crosby was too cool. Mr. Crosby just showed what he does with his fourth grade students. They do many fun an insightful projects, and the hot air balloon in the video was by far the coolest. The camera they put on the balloon made it so much better. In the beginning of the video Mr. Crosby shows that most of the students in his class didn't know what state they lived in, what country, their address or phone number. Mr. Crosby used blogs and Skype and other things during this project that enabled the kids to learn so much more about the world they live in than they ever would have known. My personal favorite part of the video was where Mr. Crosby showed how he Skype's with a student who has leukemia, and he involves her in what the class is doing while they do it. She has to do her work the same as the other students even though she can't be there. That's amazing for her and for her classmates. I would recommend this video to any aspiring teacher.

A Vision of Students Today

This is a video about the average college student in today's society. We go to class and sit through lectures that most of us pay no attention to. We spend more time on our computers on social networks than we do actually learning in the classroom. I know I'm one of those students who have asked the question; what's the point? What's the point in sitting through this class and paying for it if it will not help me with my future or help me now?
I think the point to the video is, through technology students can engage and learn so much more than they can sitting and listening to a teacher lecture. We are always on the internet anyway; why not incorporate that into our learning. Considering how much free information there is on the internet for us it seems crazy not to take advantage of that. Basically education is behind our society. In order for us to keep up with our surroundings education needs to keep up as well.

Progress Report Final Project

Me and My group have chosen to do a skit about making it through EDM310 for future students. After all we have done in this class we thought this would be the best fit for us. All we have left to do is film and post it, which we plan to do this week.

Blog Post #12

1. If you are planning on going into Language Arts and Reading look over these classroom strategies, they may be an excellent source for you.
2. Tell me what you thought after reading over the strategies. Do you think they could be helpful? Would you use this in your classroom?
3. Also look around this site. There may be other techniques you find helpful.

After reading over these I think they would be helpful for reading. They break down print awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing to where you would know what strategy to use in each area. I think something a lot of teachers struggle with is figuring out how to make sure kids are getting the information they need. These classroom strategies give a little insight into things that have worked for other teachers.

C4K Month of October

I posted on six different blogs for the month of October. The first one I posted was for Nikkity from Mr. Wirth's class. Her post was all about fall weather and what she loved about fall. I told her I also loved fall, and how cool was it that the leaves change colors? My next post was to an extremely busy 10th grader on wordpress.com. He was commenting on the election and all of his AP classes he takes. He really sounded more like her was in college rather than the 10th grade. I told him he inspired me to try harder for sure. He mentioned that the campaign ads were a waste of good money and I agreed with him there.

I also commented on Taylor's blog. Her post was an apology letter from Goldilocks to the three bears, which I thought was nice. I told her that we should all write apology letters from time to time. It was a neat way for kids to learn that apologizing is a good thing when you know you are wrong. Then, I commented on Hudson's post which was just a picture of an animal and he asked if we knew what it was. He said it wasn't a cheetah even though that is what it looked like. So I asked him was it maybe a jaguar.

The next post was about teachers being too focused on kids getting passing grades and high test scores. I agreed with that point, and I also mentioned how easy it was when I was in grade school to simply get information from other students without having to learn it yourself. My last comment was to Colton. Colton's post was about a book and why he liked the book. He said the book was about a person who has to find a way to survive, and how the person had to fight off a bear at one point. I told him his post made me want to go buy that book and read it.

C4T #3 Summary

For C4T #3 I commented on Julie Vincentsen's blog which is called One Principal's Musings. The first post I commented on was about ways to help struggling readers have a better learning experience with reading. I took interest in this considering I'm majoring in Secondary Language Arts. Audiobooks were suggested for struggling readers. I agreed with this method, and I will definitely keep this in mind for the future. Ms. Vincentsen also gave many options for websites to visit for audiobooks. I just told her how much I love reading and I believe kids are missing out if they are having trouble, and I thanked her for the list and her ideas.

The second post I commented on was about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and there was also a video included with the post. I read the post and watched the video. The post was basically celebrating his life and achievements, and also the achievements we have made as a country. The video was very inspiring to watch and I quite enjoyed the post altogether. In my comment I told her so and also thanked her for reminding us of how inspiring of a person Dr. King was. When you see people like that I think it inspires you to try harder every day.

Blog Post #11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class

Ms. Cassidy's first graders video helped prepare me for her Skype interview. It did a good job of showing me exactly what the kids do in the classroom. Then her Skype interview gave me a little more in depth view of it.

The thing that caught my interest the most was probably the wiki's. I like how the kids can get information from basically anywhere. They aren't limited to a text book or just searching. They actually get to talk to other people, maybe experts. If I used anything this would be the first thing I'd want to use. Another one I really enjoy is blogging, especially since I started doing C4K. I think this is an awesome way to grab the student's interest.

If I was to encounter any impediments it would probably be some of the things Ms. Cassidy mentioned for example administration or parents. To use technology in the classroom like Ms. Cassidy I'd need to make privacy for my students a priority. I could research other teachers who have used technology in the classroom and take notes from them on how best it's done. Then if administration approves everything move forward.

Technology in the classroom could have great benefits if it's used properly. In order to make it great there needs to be a lot of thought put into it. It isn't something that can be thrown together, but we are going to be teachers we shouldn't be throwing things together anyway. Students have an opportunity to learn from experts and interact with other students and teachers. Also, I think it would be so much more intriguing for the students to learn through technology.

Extra Post

A world where grades will be left behind

This is a piece from USA Today online about the potential future of education. Sebastian Thrun has created a free online learning program called Udacity. Udacity allows people to learn in fun ways from professors from around the world. The key word here I think is free, free education for people from real professors? That sounds pretty impressive, but what does this mean for me as a future educator? Will I even have a job? I think the idea is to incorporate the way Udacity is being used into schools. I as the teacher would guide the students through their learning experience.

The idea behind this is wonderful. Students are learning at their own pace, never getting behind, and only having passing grades. That's a teachers dream, but is this reasonable? Could this possibly happen in our lifetime? I think it could to an extent. Things like this do not happen overnight, but I think it's a definite possibility for the future of education.

Project #11 Short Movie

Blog Post # 10

Adventures in Pencil Integration: John T. Spencer

At first I have to say I didn't understand the cartoon. Then, after some research it was quite easy to understand. The Papermate is the norm; it's what the majority of people will go with. The Ticonderoga is a little more expensive and not many people will purchase it. However, the more educated person might purchase the Ticonderoga because it holds up longer and is not easily broken. If you follow the crowd you'll most likely purchase the Papermate, regardless if it isn't a quality purchase. The message I got from this was to think for yourself, and do not go with the norm. Maybe there are smarter choices you could be making if you weren't caught up with the crowd.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?

This was a very enjoyable post to read. The principal is angry with the teacher for "playing a game" during class time. However, the teacher sees it as a fun creative way to teach his kids rather than the same boring stuff over and over again. The part I really loved was this one, "If we want students to pass the rote memorization test, we need to focus on rote memorization skills." The principal goes on to ask him if he was sleeping during their meeting about this. The teacher tells him of course he was paying attention, but he is thinking to himself that he wasn't. I think this sums up how most teachers teach, by trying to get student to memorize when we should be learning.

Acceptable Use Committee

I found a third post on Mr. Spencer's blog that I enjoyed. The committee's goal is to make kids aware of "pencil predators." The predators send notes to kids to lure them in apparently. Then a teacher speaks up and says what if that goal isn't acceptable, and what if it's about being ethical instead? He says if that's the case we need an Acceptable Use policy for everything. His point being kids should be ethical critical thinkers. The leader of the group completely misses the point and says, "I think that's a brilliant idea. I'll bring that back to my supervisor. We should have Acceptable Use policies for all subjects."

This blog has a lot of neat posts that are funny and educational.

Dont teach your kids this stuff. Please?

This is a post by Scott Mcleod where it's pretty obvious he being sarcastic. What he pretty much says is do not teach your kids to grow and learn with technology. However, I will teach mine and they will have the upper hand down the road. I commented saying I liked the way he tried to convince people or not convince them to embrace technology. I learned that Mr. McLeod is an Associate Professor and his blog is called Dangerously Irrelevant. I've commented on his blog before and I've always enjoyed reading his posts.

Smart Board Project #14

PLN Progress Report

On my PLN I'm still just trying to figure it out a little better and organize what exactly I plan to do. This is one project I'd like done right. There are a couple things I'd like to ask someone in lab about, and I plan to go there soon to do that.

Project #12 Book Trailer

Blog Post # 9

Mr. McClung's Year 4 of What He Learned This Year

First of all I like the whole idea of what he is doing. Mr. McClung summarizes what he has learned as a teacher on his blog at the end of every school year. This is a great way to self-reflect, and to also communicate with other teachers about teaching.

This post in-particular was done at the end of his 4th year of being a teacher. He says he struggled a lot during the year trying to define himself as a teacher. He was very worried of what his peers thought of him, which is something he never previously cared about. He then came to realize that he couldn't change himself for the benefit of his peers, and as long as his students are enjoying themselves and learning that's all that matters. I think this is a good example of why reflecting on himself as a teacher is a good idea. Maybe he wouldn't have been able to come to that conclusion had he not taken the time to think about it.

Mr. McClung also said that he was getting too comfortable as a teacher, and he wasn't being very creative with his lesson plans. He was depending on older lesson plans. In his words, "I was not teaching well." He was given the opportunity to teach a whole new subject. With that opportunity was the chance to start fresh with new ideas. He wants his students to enjoy coming to his class and if he does the same things over and over he will not achieve that goal. He made a good point here that teachers shouldn't get too comfortable when teaching. They should always be looking for new and exciting ideas to keep the students intrigued.

Mr. McClung's Year 1 of What He Learned This Year

Now, I'm going to summarize what Mr. McClung said about his 1st year of teaching. He says that he realized that you can't just teach the content without thinking of student comprehension. A lot of teachers get caught up worrying about their superiors they forget about their actual audience, the students. He says that in order to be effective you have to let your audience drive the instruction.

It is important to be flexible and go with the flow. Do not beat yourself up over a failed lesson plan. Things aren't going to always go as planned. Be willing to work through it and improvise. Communication is also a needed in order to have good relationships with your fellow co-workers and your students.

Do not overreact if students fail to meet your expectations. They sometimes do and sometimes don't it's our job to be there to help when they do not. Use technology to your advantage and do not be afraid of it. It is also important to listen to your students and to know them. The most important point of all, in my opinion, is to never stop learning. We as educators should grow and learn in order to be successful. I completely agree with this of course how could anyone not?

C4T Summary #2

For my second C4T I commented on the Classroom in the Cloud blog. My first post was in response to his post concerning leaving pictures and things of yourself on the internet that could potentially harm you. It could harm you in your future endeavors in anything you choose to do. I said I thought this was a big issue in today's world. People post inappropriate pictures and things all the time, do they think of the possible consequences?

I then commented on his post about kids cheating in the classroom and was homework helping them do it. Should teachers assign homework? I said I thought yes we need homework, but we need more in depth homework. Make sure the assignments have to come from the kid's heads, rather than just fill in the blank homework or something along those lines. I know it would be a lot harder to copy another person's work that way.

Blog Post # 8

This Is How We Dream

This is a video of Richard E. Miller talking about writing. He says now in this time of change it has never been more important to be involved in the changes in multimedia and literacy. We work now through our laptops. We do not use pencil and paper anymore. He made a point that things we get that are paper can be thrown away, but documents on the internet are always there. Also, documents on the internet can be shared with anyone.

Another change Mr. Miller spoke about was that it is now possible to collaborate through technology. We can compose things not only with text but also with images and videos. I think this is useful, because not only are we able to read information but we can see it for ourselves. Being able to see and hear information catches your attention more I think. The material you're working with doesn't have to be material from the past it can also be material of the present. For example, results from the current election as they come in.

We work in an environment where material changes before our eyes. We have great visual representation of the material we are learning. Mr. Miller says he sees things being composed through technology, and he believes they should be. People are already composing using the web itself. I can see the definite benefits of this. There is that part of me who loves words, pages, and just books in general. I think I always will love these things and can't completely agree with using nothing but technology. However, I do see that our students need to be taught using the things around them that are available.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post # 12

I really enjoyed Carly's blog post. I think she did an excellent job with connecting writing and multimedia. She also helped open my eyes a little more to this. She showed exactly how we can use multimedia in our writing. She mentioned that not everyone loves books and reading. I didn't think about that until it was pointed out. I love my books, but I know plenty of people who don't read. She showed me that providing images and videos can include more people. Maybe someone's attention will be sparked that wouldn't normally have been by only reading a book.

The Chipper Series

The Chipper video is Dr. Strange's way of trying to tell us not to procrastinate. Get your work in on time! Chipper thinks she should get credit for doing her work even if it's late. If we had a job that wouldn't be acceptable so how is it acceptable for our school work? Chipper wants him to teach her she doesn't want to learn. In my opinion he is teaching us, and we learn more by figuring things out ourselves. The resources are there to help us there shouldn't be any reason for us not to get our work done.

EDM310 For Dummies

This video basically tells us if we are frustrated and confused all we have to do is use the material available to us. Like I said above everything we need is there we just need to take the time to use it.

If I were to make a video or participate in one for my class these are good examples for me. If your students are having trouble with something particular YouTube videos are a great way to lay out the facts for them. If I were to do a video I'd research things on the topic and come up with a creative way to make it.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

Education ranked below coal mining, really? This video makes the point that kids these days are experiencing a whole world outside of the classroom that is banned from the classroom. This world is more stimulating for them so why not accept and use it to educations advantage. If we want to make education through technology more available to students we have to first start with the teachers. The jobs students will have do not go with standardize testing. They will need the ability to get along and work with others while brainstorming for themselves also.

There are many different and cool tools on Web 2.0 Tools. I have given examples of a couple ones below.

1.) I chose to create and Edmodo account. This tool reminds me of Facebook mostly, but it's a place for teachers, students, and even parents. You can gohere to visit my profile.

I would use this account to connect with my students and their parents. I would post all inn class assignments that were done, and also all the homework assignments that need to be done. If my students have projects they have due I would post constant updates reminding them about it. I could also give my students assignments using this account. So if a student is absent they wouldn't have to fall behind. Parents could easily contact me with anything they may need. Also, the students would have more access to me than just in the classroom.

3.) My Comix:

4.) Animoto is a place to turn your photos, video clips, and music into stunning video masterpieces, at least according to Animoto. You can personalize videos and put music with them. You can even make them in high definition. You can create videos for absolutely anything you want to. It's a great tool if you love creating videos.

5.) My Poll:

Blog Post #7

The Networked Student

This is a video of a project done by Wendy Drexler's high school students. The student in the video is in an online student who must build his own personal learning network. His teacher wants her students to research and learn for themselves from the internet. The students focus is the American psyche.

First, he starts off researching his topic using many resources. He was taught beforehand how to asses' information to know when it is credible. Google Scholar is the first resource he uses to find worthy articles on his topic. He then puts the things he finds on a social bookmarking sight. This sight is visited by many others doing the same thing. So, not only does he have access to his information, but he can see what others have found on the topic also. He finds blogs and shares his opinions with others on the issue. After the student has the information he needs he builds his own blog. This blog is his opinion on the American psyche, and anyone can comment and give their opinion.

So, if the student can do all of these things by himself why does he need a teacher? He needs a teacher, because the teacher is the one who gives him the skills to do this in the first place. She offers guidance and teaches him to communicate the right way. Also one of the most important things she teaches him how to know what research is good to use. Lastly, she also shows him how to organize all of the things he learns.

This video was a good example of how to teach in the 21st century. The project seemed that it could really teach kids instead of learning and forgetting. If you put that much time into a subject you have to learn something. I think this way of teaching can be very effective.

Welcome To My PLE

The personal learning environment is pretty neat. The student has everything she needs on one page at the click of a button. If she wants to do her science work she clicks on the link for it. She has a place to take notes and a place to put information she has found from the internet. She can email experts to see if her information is correct, and even go as far as to Skype with them.

I can see both sides of this argument. Learning this way can be very effective. However, there are those students who will only play. For example, on Facebook, Twitter, or a gaming sight. I think if kids are going to be allowed to learn this way they can't have access to those things. There has to be a way to block them without blocking important information.

Project #8 Podcast

C4K Post # 1

I commented on five different kids post in September. We were only supposed to comment on three, but I was a little confused the first time of which kid to comment on. So I left a comment for all four kids.

The first one I commented on was Jacob and Olivia's letters. They wrote to someone in Africa, and they both wondered what it was like there. I told them how neat it was that they get to write to someone so far away and how I always wanted to do something like that. Jacob mentioned that he had traveled to Canada. I told him that was one place I'd really like to visit. Olivia talked about her pets and reading. I told her how responsible she must be to take care of her pets, and that I also loved to read.

Next, I commented on Catherine and Gabby's letters. They also wrote to the same person in Africa. Catherine said she plays soccer and she has an aunt that lives in Africa. I told her it was cool her Aunt lived in Africa, and that all of my family lived in Mobile. Gabby said her mom tells her she glides like a dolphin while swimming. I told her I'd like to see her swim and she should swim on a team. I also commented on the things they wondered about Africa, and that I also wondered the same things they did.

Lastly, I commented on Hope's blog. She told stories on her blog. The one I read was one of a girl who lost her hair band at the beach. I told her how funny it was that she lost her hair band, because I do that all the time at the beach. I also told her how cool her blog was. It was very colorful.

Time Toast Timeline Project #9a

Blog Post # 6

Randy Pausch Last Lecture

To start off I want to say childhood dreams are important. We believe we can do so much when we are young, and the older we get the less we believe in ourselves. As a teacher I should recognize the dreams of students and push them to be the best they can be. You never know when you could inspire someone to pursue their dreams, and if they want it badly enough succeed.

Randy Pausch started a project where the students create virtual worlds, and it became huge on his college campus. When he first started this the students had five projects to do throughout the semester. When they turned in the first one they had done such a good job that he said he would have given them all A's for the semester. So instead of telling them that he told them to try harder and do better, and they kept excelling. The point here is that we shouldn't set a bar for our students. They always have room for improvement. When I'm a teacher that is the kind of teacher I want to be. One who pushes her students past their limits to reach their ultimate potential.

Randy also kept pushing himself. As an educator he not only believed in the student always going beyond, but he also believed it for himself. He and a friend created the Entertainment Technology Center, and when that wasn't enough he started Alice. Alice is a program anyone in the world can download and create things on. Randy went above and beyond with his ideas. That is what a teacher should be, someone who sees no limits to their own abilities either.

Randy Pausch is very inspiring. Someone who has been told he doesn't have much longer to live yet he can still give those speeches. He still has a smile on his face, and he doesn't want pity. He worked toward helping others until he couldn't anymore. He inspires me not only as a future teacher but as a person. We focus so much on our own issues. Then you see someone like him and it completely changes your view.

My Sentence Project # 6

Blog Post # 5

The iSchool initiative

This video done by Travis Allen was very interesting and exciting. The iSchool could change so many things about education, and help in so many ways. It would be useful for students to communicate better with teachers and give them a more hands on learning experience. This would be better for special needs students, because fighting to get them technology to learn wouldn't be an issue. Every student would have it. Also Travis pointed out in the video this could benefit the world around us. No paper in school ever again? That's insane to think of how many trees that could save! I think it's also a good idea, because with the iSchool students would be limited to only things related to school. They wouldn't be on Facebook rather than doing their assignment.

Travis Allen's ZeitgeistYoungMinds

This second video by Travis is a continuum of his previous video. After making his first video at seventeen this video was done while he was twenty years old, and he has made so much progress with his idea since. He is now a college student, and he travels the country with a team of twenty-five students trying to inspire schools to embrace mobile learning. His iSchool initiative has received international exposure. His idea to rebuild the way we teach to match the world around us makes complete sense. Why not teach kids with the things they will be using once they have jobs? Most jobs I know of use computers and digital devices constantly everyday.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

I have to say this is awesome. All of the people in this video have never met before, yet they were able to perform this perfectly. Something like this you may say is impossible until you actually see it. I guess with the right person and determination anything is possible. This use of the internet shows how much we can do with technology. This shows there are really no limits.

Teaching 21st Century Students

According to Kevin Roberts if all teachers do is teach facts then our role as an educator is obsolete. Students can retrieve facts from anywhere today with the use of the internet. He believes we should teach students skills in order to learn how to use the internet effectively. We need our students to be engaged to learn, and he believes using technology can do this.It's our job as educators to try to incorporate this into the way we teach. I do agree with this. I think it is important to engage kids more, and in order to do that, using technology would be much easier than pencil and paper. I know this from personal experience. I saw firsthand how the use of Smart Boards really gets the students attention and excites them. As an educator I wouldn't say this wouldn't really affect me, because I'm not a educator yet so I have nothing to change. However, if I learn these things before I start teaching I'll be better prepared to incorporate technology into the way I teach.

Flipping the classroom is a great idea. I have family members who work in education, and this is one of the main issues. Not having enough time after lecturing to give each student what they need to achieve. This idea of sending lectures out before class is awesome. This gives the teacher so much more time to make sure each student understands the topic. I'd definitely like to use this in the future, because this would enable me to make sure more students actually learn.

Project #5 Presentation

C4T #1

I commented on Joe Dale's blog. I found that his blog has a lot of great information. The first post I commented on was Introducing the aPLaNet Project. This was to encourage Language teachers who do not normally use social media to do so in their classroom. This is a great opportunity for Language teachers to expand the way they teach, and learn new techniques. I especially found it interesting, because I intend to be a Language Arts teacher. My comment basically thanked him for this information, and that I appreciated it since I intended to be a Language teacher. I was honestly a little intimidated by Mr. Dale so I didn't want to say too much, and not sound like I knew what I was talking about!

The second time I commented on his post Dr. Lid King on Lingu@net Worldwide. This described a project that enabled people learning new languages to interact with each other from around the world. This is what I commented, "This is really great information for anyone interested in learning a new language. It's also a super idea for those who have been learning a language, and can now interact with others who are doing the same thing." Mr. Dale's posts are very informative and fun to read. It's great to know all the different capabilities we have to interact with each other through technology.

Blog Post # 4

Langwitches 1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audiobook

This was a really neat idea. The teacher took some students out of the classroom to record their voices, while another teacher kept reading to the students in the classroom. They were recording the book they were reading. I like this, because instead of calling on them to read in class this let's them play with the way they read aloud. They don't have to sound monotone, and if they do they can re-record until they're happy with how they sounded. When you listen to the recording you can tell the student's are excited about reading their part. The student's are learning to use different technology, and are also much more engaged in the activity. I would absolutely love to do something like this in the future. The step's they took while doing this are also there if someone is interested. When we do our podcast I will remember to have fun with the way I record my part.

Langwitches Flat Stanley Podcast

Yet again this was another really cool idea. I'm really starting to like Langwitches blog. This time she had her students read "Flat Stanley." Then she had them make their own Flat Stanleys that would be "sent" around the world to wherever they chose, and they would tell about their adventure in the podcast. This enabled them to learn about a place in depth and also have fun doing it. For example, one of the locations was Israel. Well, the student needed to know what it was like in order to tell about it, so they had to research it. I think this is a great way to incorporate all types of learning, and this shows there are no limits to the ideas you can come up with.

Joe Dale Podcasting in the Classroom

Starting off Doug Saunders say's that podcasting is an effective way to interact with students outside of the traditional classroom. This is important to do, because keeping students attention can be a challenge. Especially in today's classrooms. Saunders also say's that podcasting allows for creativity and innovation. This generation of students has never known a world without technology, so why not incorporate it into their learning? Podcast allow a more in-depth learning experience, because they are teaching concepts to others, according to Kourtney Bostain.

Podcasting is handy if students are sick and they need the information they would miss. The teacher can record his lecture, and put it on a website or wherever he/she chooses. Harry Dell created a podcast of a book instead of just reading the book in class. This had his students much more intrigued. One student said she liked the sound effects another says she and her family listens to the podcast's when they are in their car. It was convenient how links were provided at the end if I would want to podcast in the future. What these examples showed me the most was to have fun with a podcast and think outside the box. They are meant to challenge you and deepen your understanding.

Project # 2 Wordle

Blog Post # 3

Peer Editing

I left my comment for my assigned student on their blog. I chose to do this, because what I was critiquing didn't seem too harsh that I would need to email them. I guess the way I see it is, would I get offended by my critique? If I wouldn't then I do not see a reason to email them.

The peer editing videos taught me a lot about editing. The first one, What is Peer Editing?, was straightforward with the information. The three major things I took from it was compliment, suggestions, and corrections. We need to make sure we compliment before we critique others. Another point made was stay positive, which I also think is important to do. Even when you are critiquing it should be in a positive manner.

The second video, Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial, was pretty much the same as the first. They both conveyed the best way to leave a worthy comment. The third video, Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes, was my favorite. The kids portraying the different types of critiquing was pretty cool. They did a really good job showing how to critique and how not to.

Technology in Special Education

Lacy Cook's video was inspiring to me.She say's that the use of laptop's has changed the way she teaches. One of the student's, who used to have to be read to, now can listen to books on the Ipod touch. This is probably much faster and easier for him. It also keeps him in class rather that separating him. Another student's learning was made ,much easier by being able to communicate by laptop. He otherwise has a hard time communicating.

Students also have much more access to the teacher and the teacher to the students. Lacy says that it is much easier to keep the students attention when she uses technology. She wants her student's to be aware of all new technology so they have plenty of opportunity when working in the real world.

How the Ipad Works with Academics for Autism

The father in this video is awesome his son's learning capability using the Ipad was so great. I'd love to use app's in my future classroom to teach. The app I liked the most is called Alpha Writer, by Montessorium. This one caught my attention the most, because it has many possibilities. You can learn to; read, write and spell phonetically. You can even create stories using it. I'm planning to be an English teacher so this app would be helpful for me. If I was having a problem relaying information to a special needs student this app could possibly fill the gap I am unable to fill myself.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smart's

Vicki Davis uses many technologies, as shown in this video, to connect her student's to the rest of the world. She believes that pen and paper limit student's ability to learn, and that with that limitation only certain kinds of them will learn. She expects her student's to think. If you don't know the meaning of something then look it up.

Her method allows her student's to create blogs with people all around the world. It also gets the students truly involved in their work. They are interacting with each other, and you can see they are truly learning. Vicki say's this empowers the students which she believes is good for them, and I agree with her.

Blog Post # 2

Did You Know?

This video was very interesting to watch. It's unthinkable that the Chinese will have more English speakers than the rest of the world combined. It's also almost unthinkable to know how many people are on you tube all at one time. I personally didn't get a cell phone until I was 15, but the number of kids who have one, especially so young, is crazy.
Will I be ready to teach these kids that will have so much new technology by the time they are grown? I know I will do my best to stay up-to-date with the latest information in order to prepare them.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

This video was humorous and obviously meant to make you think. Why after all these years has everything around us progressed, yet education remains the same? Teachers still stand in front of students and lecture them, but are they really teaching them? We as future teachers should take this into consideration. If the future of education is to change we have to help change it.

Schools Kill Creativity

I really enjoyed this video, because I agree with it. He points out that we teach kids for one purpose, which is, to be college professors. We limit children from doing things they are good at and enjoy, and we try to force them into what society believes is right. We shouldn't hinder these kids from the things they are good at, but we should encourage them to branch out and pursue these things.

The Future

Watching those videos was pretty cool. It's hard to imagine a world where those things are second nature. To think I may be teaching children who will grow up to work in a world with these things is a little wild. The way I see it is I will also be working in this world possibly. I not only have to prepare my student's, but I will need to prepare myself. I honestly look forward to see the way things change and what's invented. I wan to be ready.

Blogpost # 1

Hey everyone, my name is Jessica LaForce, and I'm an English Education major here at South Alabama. I'm finishing up my third year, and I can't wait to graduate. I live here in Mobile, so that's really the reason I chose to come to South. I have a big family, and we are all very close sometimes too close! I married a year ago, and we are now expecting our first baby. I don't have many interest, but if I picked a favorite it would be reading. I could read all day everyday if I could get away with it! That pretty much covers everything I can think of, if you have any questions feel free to ask. Time Management Randy Pausch's "Time Management" video was very enlightening. When the video first started Randy mention's that if we could end procrastination we would do much better with managing our time. That is a big one for me. Procrastination is my middle name. I also liked when he said, "do the right things adequately." Also I liked the idea of have a plan, but be willing to change that plan. All around I really enjoyed the video.

My new Post #2

This is my new post # 2.

New Post

This is my new post.

Podcast Project # 8

C4K Summary for March

I commented on three different kids blogs and really enjoyed reading them. There was Erick, Jacob, and Charlotte. Jacob said he wanted to time travel to medieval times and be a Knight. I told him how some of my favorite books are time traveling books, and that would be a cool time period to travel to. Erick told me a little about his life of being a kid. Some things he does is homework,chores, and watches T.V. I told him how good it was that some kids still do chores. Then there was Charlotte, her blog was cool because she had a video with it. She wrote all about her summer vacation. I commented on the more interesting things she did like mini golf. It's been fun to comment on these kids post.

Blog Post Assignment # 5

dangerously ! irrelevant
The above link will bring you to Scott Mcleod's blog, which is called dangerously ! irrelevant. I have visited this blog before, and I enjoy reading it every time I do. He has a straightforward way of giving his opinion. In the post we read this week I thought he was just that, straightforward. Maybe not to begin, but as a whole the post made its point. Teach your children technology! Technology is the future whether we choose to get on board or not. I also have done a little research to find out; who is Scott Mcleod? Well, he is a an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. He also is the Founding Director of the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and was a co-creator of the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens). He has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work, including recognitions from the cable industry, Phi Delta Kappa, the National School Boards Association, and the Center for Digital Education. Dr. McLeod blogs regularly about technology leadership issues also at Mind Dump and Education Recoded and occasionally at The Huffington Post. He also just completed his first book, What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media. I found all of this information about him here.
iSchool Initiative
The iSchool Initiative video by Travis Allen was inspiring. I say inspiring, because he was so young when he made the video. His ideas for our future schools are awesome! Cutting the cost per student from about $600 to $150 is insane. Sign me up! The examples of all the learning apps he gave were really cool. I didn't know there were apps for all of those things. With one touch we can study all of the president's. Or we could look up any math equation. I think his idea for schools is really great.
While watching the virtual choir I have to admit I thought it was a little weird. Of course it's awesome that these people could do this all online without ever meeting, but it still reminded me of the end of The Da Vinci Code. I possibly would have had more of an open mind to it if it wasn't so creepy!
Teaching in the 21st Century
This video by Kevin Roberts raises a lot of questions for a future educator. Robert's suggest that teachers should teach student's skills rather than the basic information. He suggest that student's already have access to the information so teachers should show them how to use it. What does this mean for future educators if he is correct? It means that as future educators we need to be technology literate. In order to teach children how to use technology we first have to master at, and because it changes everyday we have to grow with it. I personally do not completely agree with Robert's, but I do agree to some extent.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets website had many tools that a teacher could use for their reading class. There were apps available and also a quiz students could take on the home screen. There were podcast student's could watch. The website is pretty much a reading class in one. Anything you want to know you can find on the website.