Final Blog Post

Summary C4T #4

Ms. Kolbert posted a video of a 1 week old puppy pile

My comment:
This is such a cute video!I could really sit here and watch it all day!

Ms. Kolbert posted: What's the problem with anonymous commenting?

My concern here is his statement that "anonymous speech is of a lesser quality." I realize not every anonymous comment will have the same Earth-shattering impact as say, Deep Throat, but I do think there is a place for people who have valid information to share and have good reason to want to conceal their identities.

Will requiring people to register accounts really yield the results Tim is seeking? Will people really self-moderate? Or will they quickly figure out how easy it is to create email addresses for this purpose?

What about the possibility that many people, anonymous or not, may simply stop commenting for not wanting to jump the extra hurdle of having to register?

I think this is something we all struggle with as educators who blog and may want to bring the blogging experience into our schools and classrooms. Is there value in anonymous commenting?

My comment:
I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the university of South Alabama. We are required to leave our names and emails on all of our comments so the persons blog we are posting on can give us feedback. This is a good rule.

Project #16

http://edm310fordummies.blogspot.com/

Final PLN

I have completely improved my PLN since the last progress report. I am now using iGoogle for my PLN and I am enjoying it. I like that I am able to personalize it in every way. My background is quite possibly one of my favorite things. I love reading people’s blogs and I have chosen several to follow that show up on my iGoogle page. I think I like simply reading the posts, it's interesting to see what individuals have to say. I love reading blogs from teachers around the world. I think it is fascinating to see what they are doing with their students. I have gotten many ideas about things to do with my own students in the future. Through my PLN, I have gained a new respect and appreciation for blogging. Prior to this class and my PLN, I swore that I would never blog, but I now see the point. Not only will I continue to blog and follow people’s blogs, but my students will most certainly blog as well.

Special Metaphor Assignment Blog Post #14

 I did read Tom's post and I definitely understood that it was a metaphor the second time I read it. Maybe some people did not understand the exact metaphor that it was about computers. I would assume that students at least noted that it was an article about advancement in the classroom. The first hint that it was a metaphor was "Tom, Tom, you cannot have students bring home pencils and paper." Well, you obviously can have students bring home pencils and paper. Another hint was  "Cool, this is a toy" about a pencil? No one thinks a pencil is a toy, but people do think that about computers all the time. I encounter alot of metaphors on a daily basis as well as others whether they notice them or not. It is a common part of American communication. A short list of some of the metaphors I encounteres were:"It rained cats and dogs", "I'm heartbroken", "The grass is greener on the other side. As educators we can help our students understand metaphors by teaching them to use context clues. If they are reading something that doesn't make sense, or one word doesn't fit, they should consider that they may be reading a metaphor. We use metaphors to make our writing and speaking more colorful and entertaining. Using metagphors is a great way to use our imaginations.

C4K 7,8,9,10

C4K#7
I commented on a class blog called McClungs World. The students are in 8th grade at Woodland Jr. High in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The students are in Mr. McClung's social studies and computer application classes. I commented on a post called Prosser’s Gabriel which is a social studies post. The post is about a song the students hear in class, the song is called Prosser's Gabriel. In the comment I left on it I introduced myself first and I told the students that I thought the song was pretty cool. I also said that the students are lucky that their teacher has introduced them to a singer that sings about history in order to make their class more interesting.
C4K#8
I commented on Evan's blog page. Evan is from Sydney, Australia. He is in year 6 in Miss Pikes class at Epping Heights. In Evan's blog post he says " HI, my name is Evan. I hope that you enjoy my blog. In my blog I’m going to tell you some things about me and show you some pictures on my adventures". So in my comment I introduced myself and said I look forward to reading about him. I really enjoy reading these childrens' blogs, it is so interesting to read what they have to say.

Blog Post #9
^{.
Mrs. Yollis is a 3rd grade teacher of 24 years and an amazing one at that. Her blog was about her class blogging and how she uses it in her class blog and incorporates the parents into the class. I commented back to Mrs. Yollis and told her how much I loved her idea of blogging and the safety that she introduces with it and how she has inspired me to incorporate blogging into my own class. Mrs. Yollis is an absolutely amazing teacher.
.Blog Post #10
Miriams blog was about her vacation to Hawaii and kayaking to captain Hook Monument. She had several pictures of her vacation and her kayaking and being close to the dolphins. She had a beautiful vacation and displayed beautiful pictures to show us that. I responded saying that I had recently visited this same monument and I had an amazing time as well}

Blog Post 13

ALEX stands for the Alabama Learning Exchange. This is a free online resource that teachers can use. I have actually used the ALEX website when making lesson plans for one of my classes. There are many different resources on the ALEX website alone. You can look up: the course of study for any subject, any grade, and lesson plans. They have a search tool as well as web links specific for your job (teacher, principal, etc.). There are links to further professional learning. You can create an account and build your personal workspace. There is a link for ALEXville, which will give you resources for different projects and news around the state. Last but not least, there is a "podcast treasury" that you can access that gives you many, many, subject based podcats. The ALEX website is extremely useful for teachers, and pre-teachers. This site is so useful because it has almost everything you need, all in one place. The information is valid and up to date. It is very easy to understand and navigate as well.

Blog Post # 12

Visit the blog:
http://itsnotallflowersandsausages.blogspot.com/

The best "TELL IT AS IT IS BLOG"

The lowdown: A second-grade teacher with the pseudonym Mrs. Mimi dishes about the crazy side of teaching.
Why We Love It: Fantasies of throwing down with that colleague who –rummages through your desk? Horror field-trip moments that have carved a permanent groove in your mind? Faculty-room shenanigans that rule your day? Thanks to Mrs. Mimi, we never have to feel alone.
Why She Loves Blogging: Says Mrs. Mimi, “It’s comforting to know that I am not alone in my frustrations.”

Visit this post and choose to comment on one of Mrs. Mimi's  posts, I think it is important to know that teachers do struggle and students need to know what they are getting into and weather they can handle it.

Final Project Progress

For our final project we have formed our group including myself, AnnMerritt Taylor, and Courtney Mathis. We are currently brainstorming ideas...

Project 14

How to Tie Your Shoe

You will need:

1. A shoe
2. your shoe laces
3. your hands

Procedure:

#1 First you take one shoe, and lace it up with your shoelace.

#2 To lace it up, criss cross your shoelace over and under the holes in your shoe.

#3 When the ends of your shoelaces meet take one end, lay the other down, then go over and under your laid down end.

#4 Take one end of your shoelace and make a loop.

#5 Take the other shoelace and wrap it around the loop.

#6 By doing that, you will make a smaller loop.

#7 Put the middle of the shoelace you haven't looped, through the small hole.

#8 By putting your shoelace through the hole, you make another big loop.

#9 Pull on the big loop very hard, this will make it tight.

#10 That's how you tie your shoe!

Extra Help to Double Knot!

#1 When you have two loops, you seperate them.

#2 Place one down, then hold the other in your hand.

#3 With the one in your hand, go over then under the one placed down.

#4 Pull tight! That's how you double knot!

Blog Post 11

This video was so interesting! It was really great for me to actually see technology being used in the classroom, rather than just reading about it. I have never seen a classroom like this, but it is very inspiring to know that it can be done. The fact that its in an elementary school made it even better because that is what I want to teach. The amount of technology this class uses is incredible and these children are very lucky to have a teacher that is willing to bring technology into the classroom. I loved that they got to Skype to people all around the world, this makes being at school way more intersting. I would honestly have never thought to do this with my class, but it is definitely something that I will use now that I have seen it done. I really would love to meet Ms. Cassidy. It is so inspiring to see and hear an elementary teacher using so much technology in the classroom. I can only hope that I can use this technology in the same way she does. Many administrators do not find this amount of technology to be necessary but I absolutely believe it is best for the students to start using technology in the classroom. I also worry about the parents' reactions. Ms. Cassidy's parents all were very happy in this setting, and hopefully my parents will be as well. I think it was very obvious from the video to see how truly advanced her students are! They seem to really enjoy their classroom setting and clearly they are learning more and more every day.

Blog Post 10

Morgan Bayda:I am not sure that I can fully relate to Dan Brown or Morgan Bayda, but I do understand what they are saying. We truly are using an educational system that was designed for a different time. The world has change immensely, however education has not seemed to catch on so well. Hopefully in the next few years will change for us because this is not how people should feel about their schooling.
     
I do not have the same experiences that Morgan Bayda had. She says that she often felt cheated in her university classes because they were either too big or too small for communication to be comfortable. I have been in classes as big as 200 people with auditorium seating and classes as small as ten people. I never seem to have a problem speaking my mind. I think it all depends on how outspoken you are, if you are shy you are gonna have trouble getting your point across in any class size.
     
So much can be done over the internet. Dan Brown is right when he says that information is now free. If the education system does not start realizing this fact and changing the way things are done, I do believe that more students will do just what Brown did: drop out. Literally almost anything can be found online, so why would people pay to have someone tell you in a lecture? This makes sense right? I do believe so!
    
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home:

     Wow! This post was pretty funny, but rather sad at the same time. I am very glad that he stuck up to the woman because that was just ridiculous! I have to wonder why people would think that students taking pencils home results in lower test scores? I would think that it would result in higher test scores! Apparently not...

Summary C4T 3

Freakish Final Four?
ESPN had over 5.9 million entries to its Tournament Challenge. Only two of them have the final four correct.Given what you know about college basketball, the NCAA Tournament, and probability, are you surprised there are two that are correct? Or would you have expected there to be more that were correct? Or less?

My response:
At first glance I thought there should be more but I agree that 2 is about correct, I do not know much about NCAA basketball but calculations show that 2 would be correct.

I'm Going (to) Nowhere, How About You?

If you live in the Denver metro area, considering attending a screening of Race to Nowhere on Tuesday, April 5th, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary School in Littleton. I'll be there and I hope you'll join us. You can purchase tickets for $10 (plus $1.54 fee) online or pay $15 at the door (space available, I assume).

My response:
I believe this is a imortant film to watch for future educators and also for parents. I am interested to see what the student discussion afterwards holds.

Summary of C4K's

C4K #4
WG2011's post
Basset hounds are the cutest dog breeds ever! The basset hound’s ears are some of the longest in the hound family. One of  best features about basset hounds is that they always look sad, even when they’re happy! The basset hound’s legs are very short for a dog as long as it is. The last, and best feature is that they have a lot of extra skin, which makes them look slightly bigger. Basset hounds are my favorite dog breeds! If you me to do a post on a different dog, tell the breed name in comments. :^)

My Comment
I agree with you that these are the cutest dogs ever! I actually own a basset hound, “Callie”. She is the love of my life!

C4K #5
Rayden's Post
Rayden pack your bags your going to your Cousins house’ Mum screamed from the deck I could just hear Mum say ‘YES’ then I screamed ‘YES’ at the top of my lungs.
As I was waiting for my cousin to come to my house I played Madden (NFL) 2009 with my favourite team, The Steelers. The reason I like them is because of Troy Polamalu, I think hes the best player on the field he is a great interceptor and tackler.
After I played about 5 games my nan got to my house. As quick as I could ran to the door and opened it and my nan ran up to the door and greeted me with a big hug. I waited for about an 1hour while Mum and Nan gossip .
Still waiting to because of all the traffic arrive at my cousin’s house in Glen Field. I finally got to his house I sated for 1 week unfortunately he got sick and went to my nan’s house I was cousin lease for 3 week’s.

My Comment
Hey Rayden
It seems to me like you really look up to your cousin, I have a particular cousin that I look up to as well. I enjoyed reading your story.

C4K#6

Ryan's Post
It is now March 25. We are less than two months away from the end of school. Up until today, the weather has been really nice. I’m so ready to go back outside and enjoy the sunshine. It’s a long winter when you are trapped inside because of frequent snowstorms.
Another sign that school is getting out is the beginning of baseball. We started throwing the baseball around a couple of weeks ago. It’s been awhile since I’ve played catch, but it has all since flooded back to me. What is your favorite part of the end of the school year?

My Comment
I am also ready for to school to be out. I go to the University of South Alabama and we get out on May 6th. My favorite time of the school year is now because it is so pretty outside.

Blog Post 9

First of all, I loved reading this post because it gave me many things to look forward to when I become a teacher. These are things that I am almost certain the majority of first year teachers do or overlook and it will be nice to have a background! I think he is absolutely right; new teachers become so conserned with themselves and proving to their fellow employees that they are a good teacher that they loose focus on what is most important: the students. The students should always be a teachers first concern. It really hit me when he talked about making the perfect lesson plan and that it is never perfect. I often do not think about that, but I certainly should. I can make a lesson plan that seems perfect on paper, but that does not mean that all of my students will grasp the content simply based on the plan. Workplace drama.. I do not think that you can ever escape that. As he said, communication is key! Growing up I had a few bad apples for teachers but for the most part they all encouraged me to do my best. I think that I was lucky because my teachers encouraged me to do my best, but never repremanded me when I did not meet their expectations. I know that many teachers do this, and it is sad. As he says, they are children, and neither of us are perfect. I do not think I have to worry so much about the technology aspect simply for the fact that we are being pushed to use it in our education now, while teachers who went to school even ten years ago were not. He ends the post with: "we owe it to our students." We truly do.

smartboard project

Blog Post 8

This is How We Dream:

In this video, Richard Miller made many good points. He showed some ways that technology can be incorporated in Language Arts, which really interested me because I had been curious about that prior to the video. He believes tat educators should discuss their ideas freely. I think this is very important in education! Teachers need to share their ideas in order to better their teachings and help students advance. While I do understand and agree that technology can certainly speed up process time, I am not sure that I like the idea of almost everything being done by video. Now I have to wonder if my education, or parts of it, were a complete waste of time. Maybe that is exageration, and I'm sure that it is, but it does worry me. I think that this idea could work though. Everyone, students, teachers, administrators, would have to adjust to this new technological education. We would all have to learn the types of technology and how each can be used and incorporated into education and the curriculum. Basically, in order for this idea to work, everyone has to want it to work and be willing to actually DO the work.

The Chipper Series and EDM 310 For Dummies:


EDM 310 For Dummies made me laugh, but it also confused me. I am not exactly sure what the point was in making this video? I really am not sure as to what specific things I would want to create a video about. I have a wide range of interests, but I have a hard time coming up with something that I think anyone else would actually want to watch.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

I think the argument in this video is absolutely correct. The students that we teach will be using so many different technology devices out of school and they are not allowed to use anything but mainly books, paper, and pencils in school. The world needs to know that technology is a good thing and everyone needs to be willing to open up to the idea. It seems that the students have an overall interest in technology so why not use it to our advantage. If technology will make students more willing to learn then we as teachers should definitely take advantage of the opportunity.

The Secret Powers of Time by Philip Zambardo and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
by David Pink

These two videos were basically talking about society. In "The Secret Powers of Time" it was talking about how as Americans we focus so much on getting things done that we forget about friends, family, and sleep. This video was basically saying that we are way too stressed out and it is pointing this fact out so that hopefully we will change.

In "The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" it was talking about how when offered a large incentive our work performance goes down. Is this really surprising to you though? Not to me. Clearly people do way better when given the option to just take the pressure off of doing a assignment. The study shows that is was not just the case for Americans but world wide. I feel these messages described the growth in people's education and their drive for success in many ways.

C4T summary 1 and 2

This post was by Anne Carnevale
Did you know that YouTube has some great video clips for younger students? I ran across a few recently that are perfect for primary grade classrooms. She goes on to list a number of sites that can help your students.

My Response
I really would like to thank you for posting this because I have never even considered looking up videos on youtube for teaching instruction. I am a student at the University of South Alabama and I am studying to become a teacher, this information will be really useful to me.


This post was by Anne Carnevale
One of the most common questions I hear when working with students or teachers is, “How did you do that?” There are a number of keyboard shortcuts for our Macs that you might find helpful. She goes on to list the ones that could be helpful.

My Response
My name is Bailey Abston, I am a college student at the University of South Alabama, where I am studying Elementary Education. I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. I was very excited to see this post on short cuts for the Mac because I am currently learning how to use a Mac.

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch Last Lecture:

The opening to Randy Pausch's lecture was extremely moving and it really inspired me how this man acted. I truly admire him for his strength and ability to encourage people through his story. It amazes me how someone who has literally been given a death sentence can be so positive and uplifting. This would be the most horrible situation to be in but this man somehow finds a way to make this lecture positive and he acts like nothing is wrong.

In his lecture, Pausch tells us how to achieve your dreams and how to help others acheive their dreams. Pausch states that it is not so much about how to achieve your dreams, but more so how to live your life. I really like this theory and I will apply this to my lifestyle because I did find this very interesting. I would like to think that I will be able to live my life the way this man does. While I do think that this is much easier said than done, I do believe that this is a great quote to live by.

Pausch believes that teachers have the ability to help others achieve their dreams. I absolutey agree with this statement, teachers are a very important part in students' lives and dreams. I found this even more inspirational because I am in the process of becoming a teacher. The goal of my life is to make a difference in a childs' life and it's amazing to hear that this can actually happen. I have always said that is the main reason that I want to become a teacher and simply knowing that it can be a reality and not just a dream is very encouraging for me.

The technique that stood out the most to me was head fake. This is when you make a child think that they are learning one thing, when really they are learning something completely different. He states that these are extremely important for learning and they are everywhere, I certainly agree with him. I really like this technique and I think that it would be very useful in an elementary classroom. Using games to help children learn could be an example of this technique.

PLN Progress

This is the first PLN I have ever created and it seems interesting. I created a Twitter account about a month ago. I updated my profile information and put a picture up. I followed people according to a few of my interests and I was able to find other students and teachers from class using the email search tool. I am currently following 13 people. I am still learning to navigate through twitter and figure out exactly what it is that I am doing. I will continue to learn and eventually I am sure I will understand how everything works.

Instructional Timeline

Blog Post # 6

The Networked Student:

I cannot believe how much technology is available to us today that wasn't available when I was a child! It is astonishing, and a little scary, that students even as young as elementary students are using this technology to such measures. This video demonstrated the student using only some of the technology available to him, and yet it is still more than I knew before this class began. This video really opened my eyes to new risings in technology. This question was asked " Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" The video gives many reasons, but one that it does not give that I think is a big factor is the fact that if the student did not have someone assigning them work, the likelyhood that the student would be doing it is very low. I am a student and I know from experience that someone has to tell me what to do in order for me to do it. The sad truth is that many students do not learn about the braod range of technology until they are forced to. For instance EDM310 has really opened my eyes to new things that I would have never known about if I was to be doing this on my own. Only when students are forced do they finally realize the importance and magnitude of technology.


A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment:

After watching this video, I really found myself wishing that I could've been taught this way! It absolutely amazes me the things that take place now, because of technology. Technology plays a huge role in life and in schooling these days.

Smartboards?

Both of the assigned readings state that smartboard products are completely useless and do not help in the classroom at all. Although I must say that I do not agree with them, I have found a website that has nothing but good things to say about Smartboard technology. You can check it out at http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/.

C4K 1,2,3 Summary

This was from a student named Shane at Pt. England school.
An Unbelievable Poem
RUNS EVERY LUNCH TIME
ALWAYS ACCELERATES THE WHEN RUNNING
UNCLE IS A POLO T-SHIRT MAKER
FANTASTIC AT DRAWING

This was from a student named Mike in Mr. St. Pierre's class.

My friend
The air was thick with a terrible smell
Everyone in the car going through hell
Everyone jumping just like my heart
I sighed and I grimaced
Why’d my friend have to fart?

This post is from a student named Nicole in Mrs. Lugrins class. This childs' post was about skiing at Asessippi and she is stating that this was the best time of her life in 2011.

Blog #5

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This had some really great points. I had never seen a podcast until I took this class EDM 310, so this was a good video for me to watch. It shows many ways that podcasts can be used in the classroom for the benefit of the children. Now that I have experienced podcasts I understand the importance of using them.


The Judy Scharf Podcast Collection
The Judy Scharf Podcast Collection is a great tool because there is a file that you can download that has a list of benefits of podcasting in education! Judy Scharf describes a podcast as the following: "The term "podcast" is a cross between "broadcast" and "iPod." A podcast is a "radio-style" talk show. It may include music as well." Instead of standing in front of the class with note cards, podcasts allow us to incorporate music, video, pictures, and additional audio! I think that all of these resources will be very beneficial when creating my own podcasts in classrooms.

The Education Broadcasting Network
This holds great resources for all teachers. All teachers need new ideas to incorporate the leaning abilities of the children they are teaching. As a new teacher in a few years, I will surely be looking back at this network because I feel like it can help me in many ways. The list of benefits of using podcasts in the classroom goes on forever.

Project 6 "This is my sentence"

"Bud Not Buddy Video"

Blog Post # 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? :

     I really loved reading this post! Dr. McLeod turns this very important subject into something humorous and sarcastic and makes it interesting. I agree with this argument completely! He gives his kids the opportunity to become technologically litterate and all children need this opportunity.Technology is not going anywhere but forward and you shouldn't put your children behind because you are afraid or unwilling to use technology. All peple need to know how to be technologically litterate. Scott McLeod is the Associate Professor of Educational Administration at Iowa State University and the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He is also the co-creator of the Did You Know? (Shift Happens) videos.

The iSchool Initiative:

     I personally don't own an iTouch, but many of my friends do. Due to the fact that I do not have one myself, I had absolutely no clue that hardly any of these tools are available. I think that the iSchool program sounds like it might actually work. Not only would this program be easy and much more organized for both students and teachers, but as stated, it would be much more cost efficient.

Imagine all the money you could save with our tiny budgets in schools today. I don't see any reason why this shouldn't be tried in schools. Overall, I loved this video. I think that this is a very innovative way of thinking about school and I think that more schools should at least give this program a shot!

The Lost Generation:

     Wow! The first 30 seconds of this video I was like why am I being asked to watch this. I loved how everything she said, she was able to reverse and make it positive. I thought this technique was very interesting and eye opening. This is something that all people should live by, and everyone should watch this video!!!

Eric Whitacer's Virtual Choir:

     My first reaction to this was how incredibe! I found this amazing! The fact that every single one of these choir members was on their own computer, in their own home (or where ever they were) just completely blows my mind that this is even possible. I have never even heard of this being possible. This is just amazing to me!

Teaching In The 21st Century:

While watching this video I began to realize that what I have been learning about the future of education not only applies to my life but also to what I will teach as a future educator. Teaching in the 21st century means as teachers in this century, we cannot simply apply old methods of frontal learning and memorization and neglect crucial information. We as teachers need to change some of the methods of teaching in order to engage our students with a hands-on, approach.

Project # 5

Blog # 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

I thought that this video was amazing. It really sums up the college experience and the stress that many students have throughout college. While my college career may not be summed up completely by this video, many of the things stated were accurate. I am currently a full-time student and I am not working right now because I just don't think I would have time for it. I will not be in debt because I am fortunate enough to have a full scholarship but I can imagine how stressful not having enough money can be. I will not be in a profession that does not exist today however I hope there will be changes made to education as we know it. While my life may be different, I do understand many of the things in this video.

It’s Not About the Technology:

I completely agree that technology is important, but it is not where teaching begins. In order for technology to even be used in a useful way, teachers have to teach what is laid out in front of them. There are new theories and skills and tools that many teachers are not aware of and therefore these don't get passed on for their students benefits. I think that it is very important for teachers to be learners, not just while they are obtaining their degree, but throughout their entire career. I love the way Hines compares teaching with the physics principle of work, you can get up and lecture all day long, but if no students have actually learned anything, then what good have you done? Technology will not be effective without a good teacher.

Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? :

I thought this post was interesting and made me think. With technology playing such a huge role in our society, and this role growing every day, being a technologically litterate teacher is extremely important. If you are a technologically illiterate teacher then new forms of education would not get passed down to your students if you don't know how to use it. I think every teacher should be able to use new technology that would benefit their students, if it is benefiting your students then it is benefiting you. How can we as teachers teach something if we ourselves do not know, or are not willing to learn? We as teachers and future teachers have to remember every day that we are preparing our students for their future… not tomorrow. The future is technology so therefore you should know how to use it!

Gary's Social Media Count:

I would never have thought that technology has such a huge role in our society, but the numbers don't lie. As a future teacher, this tells me that I have to do everything that I can to become technologically literate and do everything that I can to include technology in my classroom. I am currently not technologically litterate but I am glad I am taking EDM310 class because it has already opened my mind up to new ideas.

C4T 1 and 2

When Compromise Means Defending the Indefensible, It’s Time to Embrace Our Idealism
Posted on Feb. 7, 2011 by zoeweil

In this post the author is stating that idealism is declining and it is so important to not let this happen.The author states that "Without idealists who envision a safer, saner, more equitable world and who are willing to work toward it, the fate of billions of people, animals, and the ecosystems upon which we all depend, would be far worse." The author says we need to embrace the ideas of idealism in children because they are our future.

My comment was that the world needs more idealists because without these people who stand up for what they believe in our Nation would be lost. The writer is absolutely correct it is time for all of us to embrace the idealist within and refuse to succumb to the messages that would keep us inert. It is not wrong to think realistically about certain issues but for others sometimes you need to go outside the box. Embrace the ideas of others around you, in other words don't go with the flow. This was a very interesting topic and I enjoyed reading it.

Steve Miranda's: My Little Experiment, and the Remarkable Data it Produced.
Posted Jan. 30, 2011

In this post Mr. Miranda is commenting on how little children care these days about how well they may or may not be doing in his class. He is stating that children see their grades, their letter grades and then basically throw their papers away without reading any of his comments that he made on the paper. Mr. Miranda makes comments to improve their grades further but none of them take the time to read the comments.

My comment was that students are taught to make good grades so therefore this is all they truly care about at the end of the day. Writing line by line feedback is clearly not so important in the early stages of schooling. Think about it, if you made an "A" on a paper would you bother looking further into it to see what you could've improved? This was a really interesting blog and I enjoyed reading it and found the information very useful.

Blog # 2

Did You Know?
WOW!!! I think this video is amazing and packs a ton of information in such a short video. I am very suprised to how fast technology has grown and how far behind I am. I am really behind. I did not know most of the information that was in the video and that scares me that I am not even the least bit technologically literate.
Today you can buy anything online and any question you ever have you can just type it in your computer, phone, ipod, etc... and instantly you have an answer. This video really leaves me wondering what life will be like in the future for me and also for others that follow me. While watching this video I realized how important it is for me to be technologically literate because I will be teaching this one day. This video definitely surprised me and I now understand that I need to pay more attention to everything I will be learning in EDM310.

Mr.Winkle Wakes
I thought the Mr. Winkle Wakes video was interesting. I feel like this video is making a very important point. The world of education has not changed at all, it has stayed the same over all these years. Light-bulb moment "maybe it's time to change". Most people are well informed of how far schools are behind in technology, but if not, this is the video to watch. In order to bring technology into schools however, it has to be taught first and most school systems just don't have the funds for it.
Most students are familiar with technology so doesn't it make sense to bring it into schools? Some people wouldn't agree with me but I think grades would improve in schools because clearly getting on a computer is much preferred by students today than opening a book. This video made me think about what my life is gonna be like years from now. Hopefully soon the school system will change.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I really found this video very interesting. I completely agree with what he was saying. I believe that schools today should focus more on technology and creativity because it is the future. He is true by saying "We are educating people out of their creative capacities."
Technology is the platform on which children grow and become their own person. Children should be able to hold on to this uniqueness about themselves, not taught out of it. By stopping creativity, we are literally killing all individuality, maybe that child could've been the next Picasso, you would never know because you are taking that away from them. Creativity is key to childrens' success and is absolutely a necessary component. We need to give creativity back to children in the future, not take it away.

Cecelia Gault (Young Student in Finland) Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
I think this video points out key componets that need to be done to education in the future, the near future. The curriculum needs to be more level between arts and sciences. Technology definitely needs to be brought into play. Children should also be able to learn in their own unique ways because every child is different. I do agree that all children are creative however, and clearly this little girl has found her niche. Cecelia did a wonderful job on this interview and it really shows you that given insruction children can be magnificent.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I enjoyed watching this video, and I love the concept that students are capable of learning things with guidance. Every student learns differently and more schools should have programs like this. I feel like students will always use the information taught in this kind of class. I really liked her statement that only certain students learn from pencil and paper assignments all of the time.
When I watched this I couldn't help but notice how well the students seemed to enjoy the way she teaches things. They really were learnng alongside each other. I definitely feel that more schools should be set up like this. When I start teaching I hope this is what my classroom will look like.

Wordle

My Life!!!

Hey everyone! My name is Bailey Abston and I am in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I have lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama for most of my life, but I also lived in Gilbertown, Alabama for a short time. The beach is fun but it's not really all that it's cracked up to be after you have lived there for so long. Mobile is definitely different however and i am enjoying every minute of my fourth semester here. I am an Elementary Education major because I love kids and working with kids. I hope to further my career by getting a degree in Special Education as well. My boyfriend Derek is in the Marines and we have been together for 2 years now. Whenever i am done with school i plan on moving to wherever he is. He is the love of my life! My favorite hobbies are fishing, hunting, diving, and just hanging out with my friends.