C4T #3

21 Century Classroom: The Amaryllis

This month I was assigned to the blog of Ms. Heidi Siwak, an award-winning, inspiring teacher in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ms. Siwak's students undertake all original projects involving technology and host the world's first student-led global Twitter chat on Hana's Suitcase. She says that her blog is "where I document our learning." I fell in love with Ms. Siwak's approach to learning and found her to be very inspirational.

Post #1

The most recent post on The Amaryllis was a guest post composed by Ms. Siwak's sister, Karen Siwak, regarding their father and the one prior was a compilation of photographs of Ms. Siwak's father. The post prior to the photographs was not about technology in the classroom or innovative learning but entitled, "One of My Greatest Teachers is Reaching the End of the Line" it was about her father, who was, in fact, reaching the end of his line. He had suffered for a while and believed that it was his time, so in his memory, Ms. Siwak bravely wrote about her dad.

Cliche, I know, but as I began to read this post, I sat at my computer and cried thinking about the teacher that my grandpa, the only father I've really known, has been to me. Ms. Siwak's father and my grandpa seem to be one in the same. Both hard workers, paid for everything with cash, self-taught, and would give anything to anyone that needed it. She expressed that she used to think he would do things just to make her mad, and often times I've thought that of my grandpa; now I know that it's because we posses such similar personalities. I feel like I could have scrolled down the page and gained a wealth of knowledge on teaching with technology or on critical thinking but instead, I just thanked her for sharing the story of her father. Sometimes our greatest teachers are not our school teachers but simply people that teach from their hearts.

Post #2

The second post in Ms. Siwak's blog that I commented on was titled, "Teach Kids the 'Game' of University Early". This post was written by Ms. Siwak in regards to her second daughter starting college soon and after a visit to a few universities. In Canada, they use a system of "marks" that I'm not entirely familiar with; from what I gathered, "marks" are similar to our grades. Marks given in 12th grade reflect highly when applying for college and a higher mark in a regular class is better than a low mark in an IB class. Ms. Siwak says that it would be beneficial for students to determine if the curriculum and hard work involved in an IB program would be worth the effort if IB was not recognized over regular high school classes. She also said that it may be beneficial for students to begin exploring their options earlier as opposed to waiting until the 12th grade.

I commented by saying that I agree that students should be guided earlier in secondary school in regards to college careers and life after high school. I explained that, had I not known what I wanted to do, my high school probably wouldn't have prepared me enough to make my decision. Earlier school observations and open houses would allow for better, more thorough planning as opposed to quick, spur-of-the-moment decisions being made.

Summary: The Amaryllis

I really enjoyed reading Ms. Siwak's blog more so than any others that I have read in EDM 310. She seems to be on top of technological advances and their uses in the classroom, while being informed and in touch with her students. Although I don't know that much about her, she seems like the type of teacher that I aspire to be. I want to be a teacher that is in-the-know, informed, and one that embraces technology and its benefits while still having a relationship with my students.

Blog Post #10

Papermate vs. Ticonderoga

Mr. Spencer's cartoon, posted in his blog "Adventures in Pencil Integration" is a mock of the "I'm a Mac. I'm a PC" campaign. I'm almost sure I understand the comic, but there may be an underlying meaning. Then again, I could be completely over-thinking the concept. This comic refers to a Papermate as cheaper, yet it breaks all the time. The Ticonderoga is a more expensive pencil and "the most expensive purchase a hipster will ever make." To me, a "hipster" refers to someone who often tries to swim against the current, not cautiously examining their decisions but simply trying to be different. The Papermate is "mainstream" and boring. I think you could tie this comparison in with technologically advanced teaching and "mainstream" education. Teaching with technology may be advanced, it may be more expensive, and it may be more work, but you and your students will benefit more from taking the road less traveled.

Adventures in Pencil Integration

The posts in Mr. Spencer's blog, Adventures in Pencil Integration, comprise a "satirical story" of an era in which common technology does not exist while going against the ideas of the "emerging, factory system of education." Mr. Spencer's posts can be difficult to understand if the reader is unsure of Mr. Spencer's objective. In my opinion, this is Mr. Spencer's way of critically examining common education and his effort to move towards 21st century education.

The post titled, Why Were Your Kids Playing Games is a dialogue between Tom Johnson, the main character, who, according to Mr. Spencer, "is searching for authentic learning" and the principal. In this posts, the principal receives word that Tom Johnson had been playing games in class rather that teaching. To Mr. Johnson, he was engaging his students, however, the principal was worried about meeting standards and believes that what Mr. Johnson is doing is a "stretch" from learning. The principal is focused on what the Drill and Skill Consulting Group (sounds a lot like "burp-back" education to me) thinks rather than the fact that Mr. Johnson wants to engage his students in learning.

To me, this scenario can be related to education today. Too often, teachers who are excited about learning and education get shut down because of local standards and dates, goals, etc., that have to be met. The principal in Mr. Spencer's Adventures in Pencil Integration could be compared with many principals today who are worried about how well their school will do on the next standardized test. In the case of Mr. Johnson, he, like many teachers, want to engage their students instead of drilling them with facts. However this is sometimes hard to do. Teachers must find a balance between what they have to teach and the methods that they want to go about doing so. At the end of this particular post, Mr. Johnson does just that. He incorporates what the principal told him to do with his own way of engaging his students. He called it "The Factory Game" which is what he was doing with his students to begin with.

I also read the latest post in Mr. Spencer's blog. It's title was "Remember Pencil Quests?". In this post, I wasn't completely sure if this was Tom Johnson speaking or Mr. Spencer himself. I'm thinking it's Mr. Spencer speaking because of the content of the post. In the beginning he is recalling a time in his schooling when students were sent on a Pencil Quest. He remembers being extremely excited just to be doing something outside of the common classroom setting. Even though now we look back at Pencil Quests as being simple, at least Mr. Spencer's teacher was attempting to do something that was innovative at the time.

Mr. Spencer's closing comment to this post surely made me think about the future. He said he wonders what students in the future will "...consider to be quaint." I also feel like my students, when they are adults, will look back at SMARTboards and blogs and feel as if they are simple classroom techniques. However, being an innovative and progressive teacher is what is important.

Admittedly, it took me a while to understand Mr. Spencer's blog. However, after reading about the context, characters, and conflict of his story, I was surprised by his clever idea. I thought this blog, although hard to read at first, is an excellent critique of modern schooling. Mr. Spencer is a bright man!

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

Mr. Scott McLeod is the Director of Innovation at Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8 and is the founder of the UCEA Center for Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He also hosts the website, Dangerously Irrelevant as well as several others.

I enjoyed reading the post assigned by Dr. Strange. This was a sarcastic punch to technology illiterate parents and educators. By reading this post, I gathered that Mr. McLeod is definitely in favor of technology in the classroom and believes that children who are exposed to the wonders of technology will have a better advantage over those who are kept from it. When I wrote my comment on Mr. McLeod's post and as I read the comments of other students, I was slightly amazed that some students missed the point of this post. Mr. McLeod was, by no means, saying that he was opposed to technology. His poem was summarizing some of the ideas that technology illiterate people posses and eventually stating that if these people wanted to keep their children away from technology then that was fine. However, he knows that his students and the students of other teachers who use technology proficiently in the classroom will have an advantage over the others.

SMARTboard Instruction Project #14

Project 11- Short Green Screen Movie

PLN Project #10 Progress Report

Above is a screen shot of the progress of my PLN. I am so very fond of PLNs and Symbaloo! I can't stand to be unorganized so with the help a PLN all of your regularly used sites are in one place. Also with Symbaloo, you can access specific resources at any time, making your PLN very convenient. Symbaloo can be customized for any individual's needs and can be made public or private. You can choose wether you want to create your own mix of websites and resources or if you'd like to share your resources with individuals with the same common interests.

So far, my PLN is coming along quite nicely. I've added the majority of the tools that Dr. Strange suggests that we use, like BeFunky, Diigo, and Delicious. Also, I've added websites that I use regularly such as Pinterest and YouTube as well as educational sites to benefit teachers, for example, PBS Teachers and Teacher Tube. I can't wait to see how much more I can add to my PLN as the semester goes on and even in my teaching. I'm certain that I will use my PLN regularly in the future.

Book Trailer Project

Blog Post #9

I enjoyed reading the posts written by Mr. McClung in the blog, At The Teacher's Desk. For the assignment, we were to read 2 out of 4 of Mr. McClung's reflective post, one being Version 4. Since I am a person who has always pictured myself being a teacher, it was exciting to read real life examples of classroom experiences. Mr. McClug's zeal for teaching and learning is one to be admired. I enjoyed Mr. McClug's reflections and found myself reading all four of the recommended posts. These were all of value to me so I quickly added his blog to my PLN.

First, I read the post referring to Mr. McClung's first year of teaching. As the day that I take my first classroom approaches, reality sets in and, naturally, I'm quite nervous. Excited, but nervous! With that being said, I diligently read what Mr. McClung had written, taking every piece of advice to heart. I'm definitely a people-pleaser. I can't stand to have anyone mad at me, or disappointed in me, or judging me. However, when I begin teaching I will have to realize that it is about what my students and superiors think of me rather than what my peers think. Mr. Clung advises teachers to communicate-with peers, superiors and students in order to build relationships and resolve workplace drama. Among this, he also said to embrace technology and to be reasonable when dealing with students.

Mr. McClung's advice to read the crowd and be to be flexible stood out to me the most. Once again, it's all about the kids. He says to let your audience drive your lessons and not to panic when your "perfect lessons" don't go as planned. These are all facts that I know I need to remember. To me, it's so easy to get lost in planning the perfect lesson that you think other teachers would like when, in actuality, your expectations cannot be too high. Children are going to let you down when they don't meet the expectations that you had for them. Mr. McClung says to work with the mistakes that happen wether those are your mistakes or a student's mistake. All of this information is so valuable for beginning teachers. I know when my first year of teaching comes, I'll be re-reading this post to make sure that I am on track.

Version 4 of Mr. McClung's posts was also very valuable. He reiterates some of the facts stated in Version 2 and Version 3 of his reflective posts. Staying true to yourself and who you are as a teacher and the desire to challenge yourself are two great pieces of knowledge that he shares. I loved Mr. McClung's one rule: "are the kids having fun". I believe that sometimes we get consumed with what we think has to be discussed in lessons and what we are "supposed" to teach that we miss some "teachable moments". Ms. Wilson, the 4th grade teacher that I am currently observing always tells me to embrace those times. If an outsider walked into her classroom they would see kids around the room and would, most likely, think that her class was in chaos. Realistically, she is embracing every child's specific needs while still being an outstanding teacher to the class. I've learned so much from her in the short months that I've been in her class. She and Mr. McClung believe in reading the crowd and being flexible. Of course, we have to stay on track but most of the time we have to go with the flow of our students. It's difficult to do this while keeping the focus but I think it's so valuable to students to know that their teacher really is concerned about them.

Blog Post #8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream

Mr. Miller raised several thought provoking points in his videos, This Is How We Dream, parts 1 and 2. I thought his ideas were very similar to those that Dr. Strange encourages us to think upon and to consider incorporating into our future classrooms. Although EDM 310 has opened my eyes and given me a whole new appreciation for technology, I did find Mr. Miller's videos to be a bit difficult to understand; this is most likely because technology is so advanced that we can't fully wrap our minds around it. Mr. Miller even said so himself when he stated, "The kind of composing that lies ahead is only one I can point to." However, I think it is fantastic to be aware and mindful of the future of technology and what we can do with technology today.

Since the beginnings of the school, teachers have had the biggest influence on children. Everything in the classroom, as Mr. Miller mentioned, revolved around books, pencils, and paper. I'll be the first to say that I do not believe technology can replace everything, and I do not think that I am wrong for thinking that way. However, it is clear that technology is becoming more dominant than standard paper and pencil. YouTube, iBooks, Smartboards, iPads, and Kindles are being used every day in classrooms around the world. I have a niece and nephew who are encouraged to bring their Kindles to school, only for academic use, of course. It is not hard to imagine a world prevalent with web-based learning systems and paperless books. Mr. Miller eloquently describes incremental and fundamental changes in technology and how it benefits the world that we live in. It is so very important for teachers to be mindful and knowledgable of the technology that could be useful in the classroom.

In Mr. Miller's videos, he describes incremental and fundamental changes taking place in technology today. He remarks on the use of laptops, word processing, messaging, collaborating without seeing one another, or researching without stepping foot in a library; these are all incremental changes. Fundamental changes are what comes from these incremental changes. Although I find it difficult to fathom, there are even newer technological advances to come. Mr Miller's quote, "Limits and restrictions are largely ones we place on ourselves," really stuck out to me. I've been guilty of limiting myself, even in EDM 310, when all the while, I could have soared if I would have allowed myself to step outside of the box. It is mandatory that teachers try new ideas and new concepts, especially in the aspect of technology.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12

I was very impressed with Carly's blog post! Her zeal for education is contagious! In writing this blog post and creating an assignment that she thought Dr. Strange would assign, she went above and beyond. I was so impressed with how many different and valuable links she added and with the amount of effort put into her post. The idea of a playlist is a great tool for teachers to use in their classroom whether for educational purposes or sheer inspiration. I think I'll make mine starting...now!

Carly comes about as close as possible to Dr. Miller's hopes for writing with multi-media. Writing with multi-media isn't simply a paper written with word processor or completed with the use of the web, but instead implementing different technological outlets, in this case YouTube, to create something of value. I think using unexpected tools to write with multi-media is the whole purpose of what Dr. Miller explains. Carly does a great job of doing so! Her assignment was well thought out, extensive yet enjoyable, and she perfectly embodied Dr. Miller's idea of writing with multi-media. If he read her post, I think he would be proud!

The Chipper Series and EDM 310 For Dummies

I had already watched the videos The Chipper Series and EDM 310 for Dummies but when I re-watched, I found myself laughing again and again. Let me just say, I'd pay serious money for a copy of EDM 310 for Dummies! Really. In EDM 310, especially in the beginning, you do feel like a dummy and I, for certain, have gotten a little crazy. However, along the way, you find out that the class isn't as awful as you assumed it to be and that you learn valuable lessons as you go. When students watch the videos at the beginning of the semester they may be slightly frightened-I know I was-but when you watch the videos later on, they allow you to appreciate all of the hard work that you've put forth in EDM 310 and value everything that you have learned.

If I were to create a video, wether it be for EDM 310, or for some type of instruction, I'd love to incorporate music into it. I think music is a great tool that can be used widely in education. You have to admit, after you hear a catchy tune a few times, it's hard to get it out of your head. It's also something that has virtually no technological boundaries. There are so many ways to technologically incorporate music into videos, classroom instruction, even Smartboard lessons. There are no limits to what you can do with music, even as an educational tool.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

To me, this video reiterates what Dr. Strange teaches us in EDM 310. I will admit, at the beginning of the semester, I wasn't very willing to change. However, over the course of the semester with Dr. Strange pushing us and urging us out of our own comfort zones, we have learned so much that we probably would have never known of had we not taken the class. Even worse, we may have had to use technology that we wouldn't know how to use without the help of Dr. Strange and the EDM 310 lab staff.

There were many quotes in the video that stood out to me. One was made by a man that said we must, "accept that technology is not a choice." As educators, we are to equip our students with the knowledge that will benefit them out in the real world. One day our students will, more than likely, have a job that we've never imagined possible using technology that doesn't exist. It is a necessity, not an option, that teachers teach technology and use it generously in their classroom.

Another was made by a lady that said, "it's about providing the best quality teachers no matter where a student lives and making those bridges." I thought her quote really spoke to me. While in EDM 310 the question that I've asked myself the most is, "How will this affect my students?" I've also wondered how my students will have access to certain types of technology and I've come to realize that it isn't about having access to these tools, but teaching how resourceful they can be. It's my job, as the teacher, to bridge gaps between my students and their futures.

Scavenger Hunt

PollEverywhere

PollEverywhere is a great site for creating polls that you can use, answer, and see responses through the web and through text. I could definitely see myself using this tool in the future and possibly on my teacher blog to receive feedback from parents. Check out my first poll here!

Prezi

Prezi, the tool used in this video, has great slide enhancing technology that would bring any classroom project or presentation to life. With very low rates, teachers and students have the ability to make their presentations extraordinary. The free "Edu Enjoy" plan offers Prezi's core features, along with 500 mb of storage space, the ability to make your presentations private, and the right to use your own logo if you so choose. For only $4.92, the "Edu Pro" plan offers all of the features of the "Edu Enjoy" plan while granting access to Prezi's premium support and Prezi Desktop, an offline tool. With these low rates and easy to use instructions there are no reasons for teachers to have boring presentations any longer. I would love to use Prezi for my future classroom!

Animoto

Animoto is an internet video tool that allows users to upload video clips, photographs, music and a variety of other things and allows you to add effects and cinematic technology. Animoto also offers free Animoto Plus account for teachers and educators to use in the classroom. I think this would be a great tool to utilize in the future.

C4T #2

Action-Reaction

For my C4T #2 assignment, I was assigned to Frank Noschese's blog, Action-Reaction. Mr. Noschese is a high school Physics teacher at John Jay High School. In his blog he said that he believes that "students learn best when they are actively engaged in physics through activities such as reading, discussing, experimenting, and solving problems." From what I gathered, he is a very active teacher who is passionate about Physics and helping his students learn.

C4T #2 Comment 1

The first blog post that I read by Mr. Noschese was called, "VPython Screencasts". In this post, he tells about an assignment that he gave his students. They were to make a screencast, a virtual walk-through showing what is actually on screen, explaining their VPython programs. The students were to use Screencast-o-matic to explain the way that the VPhython program worked and its reasonings. Mr. Noschese said that he gave this assignment not only to help students learn how and why something works the way that it does, but also to give himself insight as to who was lagging behind and who was excelling in this area of subject.

In my comment, I introduced myself as a student at the University of South Alabama and complimented Mr. Noschese on his blog post. I said that I thought his idea of using screencasts as a learning tool was a great idea. I also mentioned that not only did the students' creation of screencasts help him know who was behind and who was ahead, but it also taught the students a useful technology skill and also a communication skill.

C4T #2 Comment 2

For this week, Mr. Noschese hadn't posted anything recently, so I went back to the most recent post prior to the last one I had commented on. Entitled Metacognition Curriculum , this post was a basic outline of the curriculum that Mr. Noschese was teaching his students. He said that he was attempting to introduce his students to metacognitive processes and the fact that our brains can grow neurons as we age. He taught that intellectually stimulating environments and activities can work to make learning easier.

His curriculum consisted of an in-class survey simply asking student opinions on certain, science/metacognitive topics. They're answers could range from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Also, he provided the class with a packet consisting of articles, an infographic, and a final questionnaire. Also he showed a video and afterwards had students answer questions in groups on white boards. They were to write one thing that they learned, one thing that they were surprised to find out and one question that they still had after watching the video.

In my comment, I expressed to Mr. Noschese that, even though metacognitive processes weren't my area of study, I did appreciate his style of teaching. I love his student centered approach and the fact that he teaches his students in a hands-on manner. I think the best way to teach students is through experience. I expressed my appreciation to Mr. Noschese in my comment. I liked reading his posts for C4T #2; even though I am not planning to teach older children, his style and zeal for teaching is inspiring.

Podcast Project #8

Blog Post #7

The Networked Student

When I watched The Networked Student for Blog Post #7 assignment I tried my hardest to keep an open mind. Last week I received an eye opening comment from Dr. Strange regarding Blog Post #5. At first, my defensive, perfectionist side came out and thought, "Does he know how long it took me to complete this post?", "Why is Dr. Strange calling me out?", "All I did was state my opinion; why is that so bad?" Then I realized, "Taylor, he is helping you!" So with this assignment, I was sure that I wasn't going take Dr. Strange's comment lightly and that I would keep an open mind when completing future assignments. Now, let me say that I have always considered myself open-minded and have always been willing to try new things. However, after receiving Dr. Strange's comment, I realized that I wasn't taking the whole "tech literate" teacher thing seriously. It wasn't that I was afraid of creating a podcast, or publishing something in iBooks, or any of the other tech savvy projects that Dr. Strange assigns, but that I wasn't willing to step out of my comfort zone and take the plunge.

After watching and re-watching The Networked Student, I could not help but think of my college career today. Most of my classes involve some sort of internet component and some are even completely online. EDM 310, especially, resembles the set-up of the high school class referred to in the video with the teacher acting as a guide to help students communicate and find good information to help them on their intellectual journey. I probably see Dr. Strange, face-to-face, less than any of my other teachers, yet I feel more connected to him than I do the others because he is always willing to help and has no problem communicating with students. No, I'm not trying to get on his "good-side", but he has honestly made me sit back and think about what I am doing and the path that I am going to take. It is so important for 21st century teachers to be "tech literate" and I definitely do not want to be left behind.

The theory of connectivism, the idea that learning occurs as part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties, is a great idea that enables students to become self-motivated learners while still receiving guidance from a teacher when needed. I think this is so very important, especially in high school grades, because they leave with a better idea of what college will be like. The question, "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" is, to me, very easy to answer. I think of myself and my classmates in EDM 310 as "networked students", yet without the guidance of Dr. Strange and the assistants, we would all probably be lost. A teacher in a networked class is there for assistance and the extra push that we all need somewhere down the road. I know I have learned more in EDM 310 than I have in any other class and it's because the work is hands-on and we have a teacher who has taught us skills that most of us would have never been knowledgable of before. I am positive that the use of technology in the classroom is inevitable and extremely beneficial to the future of our students.

Even though I think the concept of connectivism and the networked student is a great idea, while I was watching the video I did have one concern that has generally been my concern with several concepts this semester. "How would this work for lower elementary age children?" My dream is to have a classroom full of crayons and glue while teaching children the joys of getting lost in a book and learning how to use math in everyday life. These skills, although simple, are very important. I think kids should be allowed to just be kids and I do not believe that there is anything wrong with that! With that being said, I know that technology is becoming more and more powerful in society and we must keep up with its changes.

Now I think I have answered my own question of "how would the "networked student" concept work for lower elementary age children?". The answer is to modify the material to meet the intellectual capabilities of these students and offer more assistance from the teacher than you would for a high-school aged class while still allowing students to learn on their own. For example, a class blog instead of individual student blogs while still allowing students to post to the class blog if they desire. Another is a class Twitter instead of individual accounts. This would allow students to connect with people from around the world, yet cut out some of the pressure that may come with an individual account. I love the idea of a student-centered class where the students learn from experience and bring prior knowledge into the classroom. I do not think that children are ever to young to become independent learners and creating them to be "networked students" is a great way of guiding in that direction.

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment

A PLE, or PLN is something that I can definitely appreciate! I feel so much more peaceful about my work when it is all organized and a PLN keeps documents, websites, and other internet tools all in one spot. I think the 7th grader's PLN in the video is much more complex than mine is, but I'm sure after EDM 310 my PLN will be very effective and something that I plan to utilize throughout my career.

The statement made by the 7th grader, "I really like learning this way because we get more freedom," doesn't necessarily pertain only to a PLN, but to the concept of the "networked student." This statement really made me dig deep and think about the effect of networking on the student more so than on myself. Children desire to have freedom. Most children that have no freedom rebel, so I'm a firm believer in trusting children and allowing them to have freedom. Learning is no different. Allowing students to freely complete their assignments could easily result in more work being completed and possessing better quality. Another reason I appreciate and plan to use PLN's in the future is because they allow teachers to see their students' work all in one spot. Instead of mounds upon mounds of papers to grade, with a PLN papers can be viewed and graded online instead of as a hard copy. I love the PLN for many reasons, these just being a few, and I look forward to using this tool in the future!

Blog Post #6

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

The Randy Pausch videos assigned in EDM 310 have, quite possibly, been the most influential assignments, to me, so far. I love Dr. Pausch's zeal for life and his effort to be inspirational. He is a man with every reason to be down or upset, yet he focuses on the positive things in life and reaches out and encourages others to do the same. I believe that if we all took a glimpse at Dr. Pausch's life and aspired to develop at least one of his good qualities then the world may look a little brighter. In his last lecture, Dr. Pausch displayed his positivity and courage even as he reached the end of his ever-meaningful life.

Randy Pausch, being the brilliant man that he was, accomplished so much in his life. From being a renowned professor to a Disney Imagineer, he achieved goals that many of us could never dream of. We could easily feel sympathy towards Dr. Pausch, seeing that he was sick, however, I don't believe that he wanted people to feel pity for him. He was a firm believer in living life to it's fullest potential and stretching its boundaries. In watching Dr. Pausch's last lecture and the previous lectures assigned, I have gained a new outlook on life. I've always thought that I was a positive person, and I still believe that I am, but I haven't always been willing to push the envelope. As teachers, we can gain a great deal from listening to and receiving Dr. Pausch's words of wisdom. It is so important as we gain our own classrooms to be positive and encouraging to our students and to keep our minds open just as he encourages others to do.

Dr. Pausch, a seasoned professor, stressed the importance of pushing your students. He said that he was teaching once and realized all of his students were meeting requirements but were not excelling as he would have liked. He then asked a mentor for help and his mentor said, in essence, instead of raising the bar, do not set a bar. This is so true! If you give students a bar, most will rise to it, but will not always go above and beyond. I think, in my future classroom, I will encourage students to step outside of the box. There is always room for greater, always another star to shoot for. Like Dr. Pausch, I do not believe that we can discourage that!

Another point that Dr. Pausch made that I found to be quite simple, yet profound, is the concept of the "head fake". The "head fake" is the notion of indirect learning and Dr. Pausch says that most learning is, in fact, indirect. I, honestly, had never really pondered on indirect learning but Dr. Pausch so eloquently encourages the "head fake" as does Dr. Strange. Both of these men believe in giving assignments that emphasize stepping outside of our own personal boundaries and they push their students to do their best even if it is a little uncomfortable. Dr. Pausch's quote, "Brick walls are there for a reason; they let us prove how badly we want things," is so true. Sometimes as students, as teachers in the future, or even in everyday life, we will face "brick walls". Overcoming these walls will only make us stronger. My favorite quote is, "Always shoot for the stars; even if you miss you will land among the clouds." This isn't a quote from Dr. Pausch, to my knowledge at least, but I believe that it does correspond with Dr. Pausch's ideas. Aiming high has two outcomes: you can achieve your goals, or you can learn something along the way. I believe that I will try my best to encourage my students based on the notion of the "head fake" when they believe that they have failed. There is always something good that can come when you look at things positively and I believe children should be taught this at a young age.

I do think that I could go on and on when writing about Dr. Pausch; I find him to be fascinating! I can only imagine how his own students felt about him. Even though there are many, many things we can take from Dr. Pausch, what I gained most from him is to simply be the best "you" that you can be. He says that we choose to be a "Tigger or an Eeyore" meaning that we choose to be happy, bouncy, and fun, like Tigger, or we could be mopey and down-in-the-dumps like Eeyore. I want my peers, coworkers, family, and especially my students to see me as a Tigger. Just a few of the lessons that Dr. Pausch says that he learned throughout life are:

"Have FUN"
"Help others"
"Don't bail"
"Do the right thing"
"Don't complain; just work harder" and
"Find the best in everyone"

I think that if we do these things and live by Dr. Pausch's words as rules and guidelines to life and teaching then we have no reason to fail. Always be encouraging and uplifting to your students and watch how they blossom. Push students to aim higher. Dr. Pausch himself said, "One of the best gifts and educator can give is to get someone to be reflective." I know I will try my hardest to push students to learn on their own and to reflect on their own hard work. Dr. Pausch's aspiring life and words of profound, yet simple, wisdom would make us all better teachers, better students, better parents, and ultimately better people.

Project #9a TimeToast

C4K Summary for September

Hannah's Blog

The first C4K that I was assigned to was a blog called Hannah's Hacienda written by a child in Ms. Yollis's class. Hannah's most recent blog post was a bout a horseback riding trip that she took with her Girl Scout troop. The trip was through the hills of the Santa Monica mountains and instead of the girls picking their horses, the horses chose their riders. Hannah said that the guides told the girls that if a horse paid attention to them or made eye contact with them then the horse wanted them as its rider. The first horse, named Gambler, chose Hannah right away and off through the mountains their troop rode.

I started my comment by introducing myself, telling Hannah my purpose for commenting on her blog and then complimenting her on her great use of bright, eye catching colors and her quality blog post. I told Hannah that I also liked horses but had never rode horseback. I think I would probably be a big chicken, so I told Hannah that in my comment and concluded by asking her if she was afraid the first time she rode a horse.

Broneq's Blog

The next C4K that I was assigned to was the blog of a Year 5 student named Broneq at PT England School in Auckland, New Zealand. Broneq's most recent post was about the Olympics. Even though his grammar was not the greatest, Broneq was enthusiastic in his post and it was evident that he was really interested in the Olympics. He told what he thought the Olympics were about said that "you have to run to win a medal."

I started by telling him where I was from and that I enjoyed reading his blog post. I asked him if he had ever watched the Olumpics on television and I also asked what sports he was interested in playing. I concluded my comment by stating, "I wonder if those sports are played in the Olympics."

Blog Post #5

Travis Allen- The iSchool Initiative

In this video, Travis Allen, a then 17 year old, talks about his idea called the iSchool Initiative. The iSchool Initiative embraces the notion of a "paperless" classroom. If a school were to use Travis's idea then every child would need an iTouch to hold textbooks, homework assignments, etc. Travis argues that, with the iSchool, less money would be spent because, basically, everything that a student would need could be purchased as an app. Take, for instance, scientific calculators. Most high school students are required to have a scientific or graphing calculator and if a student was enrolled in a school participating in the iSchool Initiative, then they would have their calculator on their iTouch. Other useful apps that are mentioned in the video include Chemical Touch, an informative periodic table, U.S. Constitution, a digital copy, WorldWiki, where they could access maps and globes, and various other helpful and resourceful apps. Also, the iTouch's basic apps would come in handy. The email application would allow teachers, students and parents to send and receive homework assignments, schedules, grades, etc. while the Notes app would work for student to use in class as opposed to a pencil and paper.

Call me old school but for elementary age students I don't believe that the iSchool Initiative would work. However, if I were a high school or even middle school teacher, I would seriously consider talking to my principal about participating in a trial of the iSchool Initiative. I think it's a great idea that would keep students engaged and even organized. I know, personally, it was hard as a high schooler to keep all of my papers, tests, assignments, books, and everything else that could possibly fit in a book-bag, together. With the use of the iTouch, everything that students need would be in the palm of their hand. I also love the fact that their iTouch would be limited to only educational sites and that students and teachers would be totally accountable for assignments and grades. This would promise that students wouldn't be able to access sites that were distracting and did not pertain to their studies.

In the other video, I learned that Travis and a group of 25 college students travel to schools educating principals and teachers about the iSchool Initiative. Some schools have already adopted Travis's plan. Overall, I think the iSchool Initiative would be a great way to integrate more technology into a 21st century classroom to promote more flexible learning styles that adhere to every student's individual needs.

Eric Whitaker's Virtual Choir

While watching this video, I sat with dropped jaw, staring at the computer. I'll go ahead and say that I'm not a person that just "gets" technology; I wasn't born with that gift. So when I watched this video, I couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that this 2052 member choir, performing Lux Aurumque, was all recorded over the internet. And the fact that they had never even met and rehearsed in person? That blew my mind! I thought this was a really cool way to use the internet. It's obvious that it took a lot of thought, time, and effort.

Teaching in the 21st Century

In the video, Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts, John Strange version, Roberts' ideas are expressed throughout the whole video. He believes that, in a 21st century classroom, teachers should be teaching skills to go along with the facts that they are given to teach. In this day and age, students can find information anywhere and Roberts believes that it is the classroom teacher's job to be the "filter". Roberts believes that teachers need to teach students how to handle information that they find outside of class. These concepts include validating information, communicating with others through the internet, and analyzing information that they find. He believes that teachers should teach skills instead of only facts so that students will know how to make life decisions and will be able to use their knowledge outside of the classroom. Another point that Roberts makes concerns technology in schools. He believes that teachers should teach technology because it makes up most of the world today. Roberts says, in essence, that teachers should teach students to be knowledgable not only of facts, but also of skills, and that it is the responsibility of the 21st century teacher to do this.

I believe that Roberts' ideas are correct. I think it is so important, especially now, for a teacher to be relevant. We must not only drill children with facts but be able to equip students with outside knowledge that they need for life skills. The point that I liked the most that Roberts made was when he posed the question, "How do you manage technology?" He said that you manage technology in the classroom the same way that you manage a pencil and paper. Any tool will provide temptation to students but with proper discipline, any tool, especially technology, can be effective. I agree with Roberts on the fact that classroom materials must be engaging for students. Even in my small Sunday School class, I've realized that children are simply not interested in learning if it doesn't involve some kind of technology. They are around it all the time and school should not be any different. Teachers must teach meaningfully in the 21st century and that means being relevant and engaging.

Flipped Classroom

I loved watching the videos by Katie Gimbar, Dr. Lodge McCammon, and Ms. Munafo, regarding the Flipped Classroom. I had never heard of the Flipped Classroom but I think it is a great idea especially for higher grade levels, and individualized subject classrooms. I think it would be most beneficial for older students because there may be a little too much responsibility involved for younger children. However, for middle and high school grades, maybe even 4th or 5th, I think the Flipped Classroom is how every classroom should be! It teaches students, not only facts and information, but also responsibility and communication. If I were a middle or high school teacher I would definitely use the Flipped Classroom. It would involve lots of work, but I think the outcomes would be rewarding.

My Sentence Video

Project #5 Google Presentation

Project #3 C4T

C4T Assignment

C4T #1 comment 1

For my first C4T assignment, I was assigned to Ms. Edna Sackson's blog entitled What Ed Said. Ms. Sackson is the teaching and learning coordinator for a school in Melbourne, Australia. The first two post on Ms. Sackson's blog were guest posts, so I started with the most recent post written by the author herself. This post was titled, "Time to learn..." and focused on a recent "Staff Conference Day". This was a type of professional development lead by teachers for the teachers and was divided into different groups that the teachers could either decide to participate in or to facilitate. Ms. Sackson provided quotes, some of which were from facilitators and some that were from participating teachers, all of which coincided with their group. By reading the teachers' comments, it was clear that everyone enjoyed a professional development day that was interactive and one where they could decide which group would be most beneficial to them.

I left my first comment under this post made my Ms. Sackson. I introduced myself and informed her that I was in a class at USA and that I was assigned, for a short time, to view her blog and comment on a couple of her posts. In my comment I also said that I enjoyed reading the quote from a woman named Linda who facilitated in the group that was learning more about blogging and its benefits in a classroom setting. I informed Ms. Sackson of the sole purpose of EDM 310 and that we were also exploring the world of blogging and how it can be incorporated in the classroom.

C4T #1 comment 2

For my second comment on What Ed Said, I was able to read a post titled, "Twitter in the classroom..." and it focused on a class, the first class in the school, who had started using Twitter. The teacher had ultimate control of the classroom Twitter account, which I liked, but the students could tweet about their learning experiences or they could collect data from their followers. Ms. Sackson began by showing the class how Twitter works and created a sample tweet. She said that shortly after, the children were learning and eager to tweet. She said that, when you use Twitter in your classroom, not only do children learn technology, but they learn other skills such as expressing themselves to an actual audience and reflection of their learnings.

In my comment, I expressed to Ms. Sackson that, at first, I was slightly skeptical of what Twitter could offer for children. I was worried that their little wondering eyes would drift off into something not pertaining to classwork, or that they would just see Twitter as something fun and not a learning experience. However, like I told Ms. Sackson in my comment, I loved that the classroom teacher had ultimate control of the account and that students could post throughout the day about what they learned with teacher supervision.

Blog Post #4

Podcasting with First Grade

I found Ms. Tolisano's blog, Langwitches, to be very informative, especially concerning podcasts and using podcasts with your students. The first post of Ms. Tolisano's that I read was titled "Podcasting with First Grade." First grade?! Are your kidding me?! I'm twenty years old and, quite frankly, I find creating a podcast to be terrifying! But sure enough, these first graders created a podcast like champs. They were so excited to be involved in the creating process and you could really hear it in their little voices. For this particular podcast, the students created an "interview" with the main characters in the story Vacation Under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osbourne. Students pretended they were interviewing Jack and Annie about their adventure to Pompeii. The questions and answers were created by the students and when the "script" was finished, each child played a role, rotating the parts of the interviewer, Jack and Annie. Ms. Tolisano said that the children loved to hear their own voices and editing with sound effects. She helped them with their acting voices and fluency to make a more fluid interview. Ms. Tolisano was sure to point out that the students were not focusing on the skills required to make a podcast, but instead they were learning listening, comprehension, and storytelling skills. They were also working on performance and presenting. I loved how excited the children were! Ms. Tolisano did an excellent job making sure the children were engaged and enthused about learning.

Flat Stanley

I also read Ms. Tolisano's post, Flat Stanley Podcast. I've heard the story of Flat Stanley before but the approach that Ms. Tolisano took was above and beyond. Last year, my nephew came home with a little paper man named Stanley that he was supposed to take with him throughout the day, recording his journeys and when he was finished, he was to send Stanley to a relative. Stanley made his way, through the mail, to my house and I even got to take little ole Stanley to a Mississippi Surge hockey game. I thought that was the cutest idea, until I read Ms. Tolisano's approach to Flat Stanley.

In the book, by Jeff Brown, Stanley is a normal little guy who, one day, gets squished by a bulletin board. One would normally look at this as a problem but, now that he's flat, Stanley can go anywhere through the mail! Instead of sending Stanley through the mail, Ms. Tolisano's students pretended that they were the ones that were flattened and that instead of a bulletin board falling on them, their Smartboard was responsible for the flattening. The assignment was to figure out a location that they were going to "go", research that place, think of sights, smells, and feelings that they would experience, and their transportation to and from their destination. After the assignments were completed, Ms. Tolisano created a podcast with the students briefly explaining their journey. It was absolutely adorable! Like the first graders in the above mentioned blog post, these students were so excited to tell about their pretend getaway and to hear and manipulate their own voices. This project, also, wasn't just about learning to podcast, but instead critically thinking about the story that they had read and applying that to life events. Podcasting, in this sense, is about engaging kids in learning and it is a great tool to do so.

Producing a Podcast

Another post in Langwitches that I read was titled, Producing a Podcast. Like I said before, I am terrified to create a podcast, but if first graders can do it, then I know I can, too! Even though this particular post is about what Ms. Tolisano does when producing podcasts with her students, I also benefited from her approach by applying it to my own learning to podcast. She says that the very first thing that she does is identify the purpose or theme of the podcast (interview, summary style, etc.). Then she prepares her students. In this second step, instead of preparing students, I would be preparing myself by practicing speaking, volume, and fluidity. Thirdly, Ms. Tolisano makes her children familiar with the sound editing software. In my case, I would have to familiarize myself. Next, she records the audio, which I would do, and created segments if working in groups. She then adds transitions and an outro. I think I will use this post as a guideline when making my own podcast. Even though Ms. Tolisano uses these steps with her students, I think it would also be beneficial when creating your own podcast.

Blog Post #3

Peer Editing

For my C4C #2 I commented publicly instead of privately because I didn't feel that anything that I said would be embarrassing to the student or would hurt their feelings. I was fortunate enough to read a well-written blog post where my classmate followed the rules in the blog post's instructions and as well as the instructions in Writing A Quality Blog Post. There were very minimal amounts of spelling or grammar mistakes and I could tell that my classmate had taken her time in writing the post. Her writing was clear, very informative had someone never seen the videos, and it was well written. In the future, if I ever had to read a blog post that wasn't as well written and had more mistakes I would probably decide to let my classmate know privately. Fortunately, for this post I did not have to do so.

After watching the video, What Is Peer Editing, viewing the slideshow, Peer Edit With Perfection, and watching the video, Writing Peer Reviews Top 10 Mistakes, I feel very informed on how to write a meaningful, quality review for a peer. The first video and the slideshow went hand in hand. I liked this because I am more of a visual learner. It is hard for me to just remember what I hear, so I liked that the slideshow basically restated what was in the video. To write a quality peer review, you must follow 3 basic steps: compliments, suggestions, and corrections. Also, you should stay positive and be specific in your comments and reviews. Let the writer know exactly what you think, but make sure that your criticism is constructive, not hurtful.

I love, love, loved the Top 10 Mistakes video! Those kids were great! I've always been afraid that my peers were going to think that I was a "Picky Patty" and I definitely did not want to seem like a "Mean Margaret". I think that it is hard to not seem like at least one of those characters in the video, but we should always keep in mind how we would feel if someone were to say something hurtful to us. Also, the video taught us to be mindful when we are on the receiving end of a peer review. Don't blow off the comment like "Whatever William". Gladly receive comments even if they aren't what you want to hear. Most of the time, your peers are trying to help you and if you take their comments with an open mind then, chances are, they will benefit your writing.

Technology in Special Education

A.) Students in Special Education classrooms or even children with special needs that are integrated into a regular classroom often have trouble that other children would not typically have. Sometimes they have trouble visually and sometimes they have trouble speaking. Usually these children are incredibly bright, they just have a difficult time either communicating or paying attention. After watching Technology in Special Education, I learned that there were many ways to help children in need with the use of technology.

Ms. Cook does an excellent job incorporating the use of laptops and other technology in her Special Ed classroom. A couple of the students shown had trouble talking and they used the computer to type out what they wanted to say. Another child couldn't see very well so he used a computer program to magnify the print of the text that he was reading. Also, one child, who had difficulty in reading and concentration used his iPod touch to listen along to a book. Technology in Special Education has come a long way. I think the use of technology is a great way to get Special Education students involved in learning and excited about learning. The students in Ms. Cook's class were very excited about their technology, and Im sure other students would be as well.

For the future, if I had a special education child in my class, I think a laptop or an iPod touch would be a great thing to keep in my classroom. I'd also make use of powerpoint presentations to show to the whole class, so that the class would benefit and my special education student would also be able to learn. I'm sure that there are resources out there that I haven't even heard of. I'd love to learn and maybe incorporate those technologies into my classroom for special needs children. Each child is different and they learn in different ways; I'm sure with all of the fun new technology there would be something that could benefit every child.

B.) The app that I chose after watching How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism is called Reading Raven HD and it is available on the iPad, iPhone or iPod. I was drawn to Reading Raven because of its fun graphics and the great customer reviews. Reading Raven is an app consisting of lessons and games that help children read words then builds up to reading full sentences. Its lessons are self-paced and can be customized to fit the age group that you are working with.

I would use this for class games and if there were special needs children in my class it would also be beneficial to them. The colors are bright and the illustrations are exciting. This app works on many different subjects from reading and writing to phonics, spelling and vocabulary. It seems like it would be a good tool to use for several different subjects, not only one, and I think it would grab the attention of special needs children while also being effective for the other children in the class.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Digital Smarts

Vicki Davis is an IT teacher at a Georgia public school who founded two different social media/blogging sites where her students can post and interact with students from around the world. One site, called DigiTeen, encourages digital citizenship among students while they post to their blog concerning a certain topic. The other, Flat Classroom Project, incorporates students from all over the world, reporting together and communicating through the site. In the video, Ms. Davis says the she encourages students to be thinkers and to teach others. She also says that it is ok if a teacher doesn't know everything.

I love Ms. Davis' teaching style. I feel like I'm that teacher that doesn't know everything under the sun but I am willing and excited to learn. In our day and age students, especially older children, are more informed than their teachers are and teachers shouldn't be afraid of that. I think Ms. Davis' sites are beneficial to students because, without those sites, these children would probably never talk to a student in the middle east or across the seas. I'd love to learn more about her websites and possibly even use them in the future.