Blog Assignment 13

Engage in an E-Media Fast

Assignment:

Do no use any electronic (powered by electricity or batteries) entertainment or communications device (except a land line telephone) for 24 consecutive hours.

            Banned:

            - Any use of television, video records or players

            - Computers, tablets, notepads or similar devices

- Video cameras, audio recorders or equipment, radios, iPods, iPads, iPhones  (or any cell phone)

- Telephones other than land line telephones

Response

Needless to say, this was an thought-provoking challenge. So for this activity, I got up at about 6 A.M on Friday morning. My boyfriend and I went fishing and we were on the lake by 6:30. At this point, my phone was turned on silent and was given to him. The only reason we had my phone was for emergencies and his phone was dead (by the way we ran out of gas, but I did not use the phone, he did). Fishing is peaceful and a great get away from any stress and considering finals are next week, I figured this would be the best way to keep my mind off of school. Reading a book, at this point in the semester, is out of the question because guilt would take over, and I would have ended up getting online and studying. We fished until 6 o’clock P.M. and finally got off the water and back to the house at about 7. From here we had to clean the catch from the day. I still have not used my phone and it was pretty easy to stay off of Facebook because I have not even signed on in the past week. At about 8 P.M., I headed to the store to get stuff to cook for dinner. Since we were at his parent’s house, in the country, electronics, like the computer, are easy to stay away from. We are also on an “E network”, so the internet connection on my iPhone, without WiFi, is unbearably slow. After eating supper, the activity was done for because we have a music room for karaoke and listening to music, and every night of the weekend is a party, especially if we are cooking. By 10 o’clock P.M. there were friends and family at the house and in the music room singing and dancing and using almost every electronic device possible. Ranging from the TV to microphones that use batteries to cell phones to the computer containing all of the music, I gave up. There was no escaping the technology. Maybe if I would have spent the night in the boat on the river in the pitch-black dark surrounded by water and woods, I could have lasted a whole 24 hours with technology; but I doubt it, considering I play solitaire on my phone every night before I fall asleep with the TV on. I lasted about 14 hours, give or take a few minutes, without technology.

Now, the interesting part about this activity is I do this almost every weekend. I rarely keep my phone on me and my computer is turned off unless I am doing something for school. Whether I am laying out by a pool, in a hunting stand, or fishing, technology is away from me, so this Friday was not any different than any other weekend. I enjoy the peacefulness of not listening to a phone ring and ding and not looking at a computer screen.

Honestly, I do not think it would be possible to last a whole 24 hours without technology. I believe that we have, for lack of better words, become addicted to having these resources, like phones that do anything and everything at touch of a button, around us all the time. In my house, the TV is always on and I will literally go crazy without the background noise of Spongebob, or something of that nature, playing while I am typing my blog assignments. Thoughtful project, but everywhere you look, you are surrounded by technology. 

C4T #4

My assigned teacher for C4T #4 was Andrea Hernandez. Andrea is an elementary educator from Jacksonville, Florida. She is involved in “ed tech” at her school. The first blog that I commented on was “Who Moderates Comments on Student Blogs?”. This blog post was a good one for me to read because, although I figured the teacher moderated the comments, I was unsure. I recall seeing “comment awaiting moderation” on almost all of my C4K comments. In this post, she addresses an issue with a parent. The concern was about the school being a good spam filter for students’ blog. She goes on to explain how she analyzed and addressed the situation. The final section of this post asks if “we” should put the students in control. In this section she explains the potential risks and spam in this section.

In my comment, I told Andrea who I was and explained EDM310. I said that I felt students could control their blogs at an older age, but younger students, like elementary students, should have their blogs filtered by teachers. I think the internet does have some risks, but if taught properly, students can learn to use the internet responsibly. Parents, an older generation, think that the internet is “bad”, but they need to understand that they are only hindering their child’s learning by keeping them away from technology.

The second post that I commented on was “Using iPads to Creat eBooks with 2nd Grade”. In this post Andrea explains a project that she did with her second grade students. This project was based on reading with an iPad, then writing an eBook. She included the eBook on this post. I enjoyed reading and looking at this project. In my comment I told her about this class and said that we had blogged with elementary students and watched 1^st graders use computers in their classroom. I told her that I am always amazed when I watch young kids use computers. I loved the eBook. 

Project #10 (Final PLN Post)

Although my PLN is not as immense or as vast as others, it has come a long way since the first report. As of right now these are the main websites and people that I find helpful as a junior in college.

These are the tools incorporated my PLN:

1. Google (used for Docs, Google +, main search engine, G-mail, etc.)
2. Yahoo (used for e-mail and another search engine)
3. Facebook
4. Twitter
5. Edmodo
6. YouTube
7. Blogger (used for blogging and following others)
8. Delicious
9. Wikipedia
10. University of South Alabama Homepage (used for PAWS, contacts, e-mail, etc.)
11. EDM 310 Blogspot (used for Student links, assignments, etc.)
12. Mr. McClung’s blog
13. John Strange’s blog
14. Sylvia Talisano
15. Scott McLeod

These are the main websites that I visit on a daily basis. I could brake down my PLN even more and have each site, like PAWS, USA e-mail, and teacher’s websites, individually shown; but I find it easy enough to navigate through the main website, finding my way to what I am looking for at the time. I am sure this list will change and grow over my years of teaching.

I plan to keep expanding my PLN!

Project #15

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts- Special Post #12A

Creativity, Curiosity and Education

I believe that schools around the United States have slowly destroyed the development of curiosity and creativity in students. I think this is happening because students, sometimes including myself, have learned to do just enough to get by. If we receive a decent grade, even an A, by doing the minimum work, then why would a student work any harder? If teachers are awarding outstanding grade to students who do not care, what driving force do they have to try harder? Curiosity and creativity is developed when a student must research, study, comprehend, and recap the lesson. This is true for any subject, math, science, history, or english. I believe this class’s curriculum pushes it’s students to the maximum. I want an A and the only way to be rewarded with an A is to be creative and curious, know how to time manage, and learn from others. I think more classes should be set up this way. The key components, such as admitting the students to do work at their own pace, allow students to make their own decisions and the consequences are fail and/or retake the class. This EDM 310 class is a lot of work, but with the right mind set and goals, a good grade is possible to those who are willing to be creative and work hard.

There will be some students who do not care about classes, but not all students are like this. If a student is unwilling to work hard, then there is nothing a teacher can do to change their attitude. Creativity and curiosity is an element of wanting to learn. No matter how hard we, as educators, stress the idea of how important a lesson is or a bad grade will be rewarded for poor work, some students will have a the sour/bad attitude. I think the worst thing to do for a student with a bad attitude towards learning is to assign busy work. Nobody, including good students, wants to sit at a computer or desk for hours on end doing busy work.

The best idea for creativity and curiosity is to show the students how the assignment or lesson pertains to them. If I am interested in a subject or find that what I am researching relates to me, I am more willing to do the task and enjoy doing it. By turning the lesson into something that affects the student, they are more willing to learn.

Elli in a writer for InGoodMeasure.net. She was born and raised in Colorado and she enjoys skiing, playing tennis, and hiking. I am now following her on Google+ and can send tweets at @ingoodmeasure.

Blog Assignment 12

Science is often an extremely difficult subject to teach because many teachers struggle to make the subject enjoyable and stimulating. When students are not having fun learning, they tend to fail or do just enough to get by. What educator wants to lecture to desks full of blank faces? Since science viewed as tedious and uninteresting, why is it an important basic for students of all ages? How can we make science more entertaining and fun to learn for all students? How has technology helped science evolve into what we know today? Research these questions and support your answer with helpful websites or animations. Follow the requirements in Writing a Quality Blog Post.

My Justification

Science, whether we like it or not, is used in every day life. Science explains the weather, gives theoretical answers to why we exist, describes how we, as humans, interact with our environment, solves underlying questions everyday through research and theories, is used for finding the cure for cancer, and rationalizes what precautions need to be taken to better our future. Without science, such as biology, chemistry, and physics, our world would not exist as we know it today. This is why science must be taught in classrooms. We, not only, need science to explain and understand simple questions, but we also need science to answer the questions of what and why. Here is a website for support. 

We, as educators, can make science more entertaining by including the students in the lecture plans. Allow the students to teach the class. By breaking down the lesson and allowing the students to teach, they learn the lesson, easily, and their peers are more interested in the subject. I know when I am in a classroom listening to the same teacher lecture for an hour, the lecture gets boring, but when I teach a process, like the cellular process of glycolysis, I learn the lesson better and my peers are more interested. Changing the atmosphere of the “normal” classroom always gets students’ attention.

Technology has helped science evolve in many ways; but in the science classroom, technology has allowed educators to make animations explaining the hard concepts to grasp. The processes, like glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and photosynthesis, are hard to understand because we cannot see them with our own eyes. By watching an animation, students are able to see the processes and better understand them. Just reading and memorizing the steps does not offer a thorough explanation. Read this explanation of mitosis, then watch this mitosis animation and this animation. Which one would you prefer? I know I learn better by watching the cell divide when compared to reading the phases of cell division. Advances in technology has bettered the science classroom in multiple different ways, and this advances have offered students and teachers a better way of learning. 

Progress Report

For the Final Project, I started a Google Doc, which we have used to communicate. We have had a few different ideas, and finally decided on what we wanted to do. We are still working on the minor details. I am ready to see the final product!

C4K Summary #3

C4K #7: For this assignment and the World Challenge, I was assigned Claudia who is from a little town in Tauranga named Mount Maunganui in New Zealand. The post that I commented on was a picture called “My Place”. This picture could be enlarged and it described the small town where Claudia lives. In my comment, I told her that I was a student at the University of South Alabama and that I was planning to be a teacher. I told her that I had never been to New Zealand, but like her small town, Mobile has a few beaches right around the corner. Along with telling her about our beaches, I compared and contrasted Mobile with Mount Maunganui. I asked her what is her favorite flavor of ice cream and what is her favorite “sporting event” to play.

Since Claudia did not write another blog post the next week, I had to ask for an “alternate assignment”.

C4K #8: For C4K #8 I was assigned Brennanm. I could not find out much about Brennanm, but he was the first student to comment back! In this post, Brennanm explains his favorite Nascar driver, number 8. He says that he likes this driver because “he runs hard, wins, and is good”. In my comment, I told Brennanm who I am and that I enjoyed watching the races on the weekends. I told him that my favorite driver was Dale Earnhardt in the number 3 car, but he had a very bad wreck. After telling him that I agreed with him on the number 8 car, I asked him if he liked any other drivers.

Since Claudia still had not written another blog post, I emailed Dr. Strange asking for another “alternate assignment”, but in the mean time I commented on Brennanm blog again. I ended up with two C4K #9.

C4K #9a: For this week’s assignment, I continued to comment on Brennanm’s blog because I was thrilled when he commented back. This blog post was about burning hourse hold garbage. In this post, Brennanm explained that burning garbage makes pollution and pollution is not good for humans or the environment.  He also said that burning garbage could cause forest fires. In my comment, I agreed with Brennanm because anything, like cars, that causes pollution is not good for the environment. I also explained that, although man-made forest fires are not good for the environment, sometimes natural forest fires are good for forests vegetation. I asked him if he had ever seen a forest fire; he did not respond.

C4K #9b: For my alternate, “alternate assignment”, I was assigned Lauren, and the blog post that I commented on was about toilet paper rolls. In this post, Lauren stated “in the U.S. there is 160 million pounds of waste that comes from 17 billion toilet paper tubes”. She says that we should start using less toilet paper. In my comment to Lauren, I told her who I am and that I was shocked to see these statistics. I asked her to think about how long it takes plastic to decompose compared to the rate of cardboard decomposing. I told her that I recycle and asked her if she recycled anything; and I also said that is might be hard for some people to use less toilet paper, so maybe we should recycle the cardboard rolls.

C4K #10: For my final C4K, I was assigned Kerstein. I commented on “Kerstein’s Tennis Ball Story”. This post is a video of Kerstein telling a story about a tennis ball. Following this post is Kerstein's story and the picture to the left is a drawing of her ball. She says that her and her friends like to throw the tennis ball, and that tennis balls are furry. In my comment, I stated who I am and that I liked to play tennis. I also told her that my dog's favorite toy is a tennis ball. I asked her if she had ever played tennis. At the end of my comment, I told her that I loved her story.

Kerstein's Tennis Ball Story

                              
Kerstein Wrote a Story about a tennis ball. from Jenny She on Vimeo.

Blog Assignment 11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy’s Class

The required video for this week is “Little Kids…Big Potential”. This video shows how first grade students in Ms. Cassidy’s classroom use blogs, a classroom webpage, wikis, videos, and collaboration to learn. One student tells the listener how to comment on blogs, and multiple students say they like to use blogs because they get comments from other people, like family members and other students. Their webpage helps the students find things on the Internet, and includes pictures that are links to other educational websites, a reading page, videos, and letters of the alphabet. This classroom webpage allows the students to pick what skills, like math or reading, they want to work on. The wikis allow the students to use collaboration with others around the world, enabling them to put together projects based on traditions and the alphabet. The students used Skype to talk to experts and other classrooms. They also use Nintendo DSs to play educational games.

First of all, I think that this video is incredible, in that, it shows how technology influences students as young as first graders. Secondly, I have learned, this semester, how much technology benefits students, and this video supports the idea of using technology in the classroom. In the Skype interview with Ms. Cassidy, she says that we are handicapping our students and ourselves if we do not take advantage of the technology tools that are available to us. Education is taking a turn, like our world, into technology and teachers who refuse to learn how to use technology are doing more damage to the students by not using technology.

Although I liked the video, I was disappointed to find out that first, the five minute video was over an entire year if not more, and second, that the students who were talking were older than first graders. Ms. Cassidy pulled some of her past students to record the voices in video because she felt that her first graders could not articulate what she wanted said. I was impressed because I was under the impression that these students were using technology every day to learn. If we are being pushed to educate using technology, why would we only use it every now and then? I believe that if her students, or all students, learn well using technology, then we should use this tool, if available, as much as possible. When I found out this short video was over an entire year, I felt like she was only highlighting the best parts of the year. I also think it was wrong to use older students to converse during the video when the video is emphasizing first graders using technology.

Along with these disagreements, I also had a problem with her idea of cheating and/or collaboration. One of the questions in the interview was based on the idea of cheating due to the use of the Internet to turn in assignments. Ms. Cassidy’s answer to this question was, “I don’t think it’s a problem. I think it’s a switch on how we view information. I think information is becoming more collaborative and I think that then your professor should get more creative in the ways that he asks you to present information, so that it’s not possible for you to grab somebody else’s and copy it because you can still get the information… from these other people, but you need to present it in a different way that would make it yours…it’s not cheating, it’s collaborating.” Whoa! I am not tolerable with this idea. If I turned in my final project for my biology class and claimed it as "my own work" when, truthfully, it was someone else's ideas presented a different way, I am confident that I would be turned in for plagiarism. There are sites, like turnitin.com, that allows teachers to turn in papers, checking for originality. I want my students to be original, and not rely on “collaboration” for an excuse on behalf of not putting effort into their projects, papers, or anything else that is to be turned in for a grade.

So after picking out the details that I disagree with, I absolutely love the idea of a class blog, like Ms. Cassidy’s and Dr. Strange’s class blogs. I think I will have a class blog type gadget, either using edmodo.com or blogger. I like the idea of using technology to help students learn. I think that worksheets and problems out of the book get old. If I can find a resource that will help my students outside of pencils and paper I am all for it. Anything interactive that will help my students learn their science lesson will be a great help for, not only me, but also my students. Technology is a useful resource for all ages because they learn how to collaborate, problem solving, and other useful information that teachers cannot teach alone. 

Blog Assignment 10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

According to this video, the verb “teach” means (1) to show or explain how to do something (2) to encourage someone to accept as a fact or principle (3) to give information about or instruction in (4) to cause someone to learn or understand something or (5) to induce by example or punishment to do or not do something. According to this video, an “educator” is, one who gives moral and social instruction, a mentor, an experienced and trusted advisor, a guide, a person who advises and shows the way. This was an interesting video, in that, I had never thought about the difference between an “educator” and a “teacher”. Honestly, I use the terms interchangeably. Is it possible to be both? After thinking about these definitions, I believe I fall under both categories. I believe that I will be a “teacher” because I will show or explain how to do something and cause some to learn or understand something; but, I also believe I will fall under the category of an “educator”, as well.

I believe that the standards of the “normal” or past teacher have changed vastly. Teachers used to be here for only teaching purposes. They were the epitome of the above definition. Now days, teachers have transformed into educators, and are showing the way and setting examples for students. I think I will be more of an educator than a teacher. I intend to be a mentor, an instructor, a guide and an example for my students. I loved this video!

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home


This was an interesting blog post as well, but Gertrude’s mindset does not surprise me, at all. I know plenty of people that read anything and everything and believe every last sentence. Gertrude is not the only person in the world who believes everything she reads. After reading this post, I thought about people going on diets. Everyone knows that eating right and exercise will lead to weight loss, but people would rather take every diet pill on the shelf before exercising. The main point to this post is we should focus on the problem, or situation, and solve it directly instead of beating around the bush. Gertrude wants to stop sending pencils home because that is causing lower tests grade instead of changing the teaching techniques.

Teachers need to focus on their students and their needs. If their test scores are low, then we need to figure out what is causing low test grades, and change. Every student deserves a wholesome education, and it is our job, as teachers, to make sure they obtain this education. 

Blog Assignment 9

The first post that I read was “What I’ve Learned This Year” and it was posted on May 27, 2009. The post begins with Mr. McClung describing his first year as an elementary school teacher. He says that since the beginning of his first semester he has grown and matured and decided to share what he had learned in his first year of teaching. The first section of the blog is entitled “How to Read the Crowd”. In this section, Mr. McClung described how he was so worried about being judged by his superiors that he lost touch with his students. He stated that many teachers do not make their lessons “student centered”. The point of being an educator is teaching the students and student comprehension. We are not teaching our superiors. The next section is “Being Flexible”.  The main point that Mr. McClung makes is “no lesson is ever perfect. The lesson you teach and the one you plan are always different”.  Being flexible is an important aspect for me to learn. I am an extremely organized and well-planned student and if things do not go according to my schedule I become frantic. This will be the hardest point of being an educator for me. The following section is “Communicate”. Mr. McClung says the best medicine is communication and the best way to resolve any issue is by talking about it. I will not have any problems with communication. I am the type of person to confront issues first hand. I do not like drama or arguments. Being a good communicator has paid off for me. The next section is “Be Reasonable”. We must learn to help students instead of bringing them down. Some students will meet our expectations, while others will not. Educators cannot get upset when this happens. I am so glad he brought this subject up. Many of my past teachers fall into this category. Teachers often push students to the limit with tests, paper, quizzes; whatever they think is beneficial for their class. I am extremely hard on myself when my grades fail, but I do not take  multiple-choice tests well. Many teachers, especially college teachers, have a few tests and a final for the overall grade. Guess what! 9 times out of 10 all of these tests are multiple choice! Not good for me as a student and I know many others like me. Teachers become disappointed and evil when students do not do well in their class. I believe that if the majority of the class if failing your tests, then apparently you are not doing something right. Teachers must learn to change with their students and lift them up when they fail. They need encouragement, not disappointment. The following section is “Don’t be Afraid of Technology”. He says to “jump in head first” with technology. My goodness! We have drove head first into technology this semester in EDM 310. I am so thankful for this class! I learned so much about computers and new technology, and I cannot wait to begin teaching with my new skills! The next section is “Listen to Your Students”. Here, Mr. McClung says that teachers build respect for students when they have a relationship with them. This is also true. Being a student, if a teacher does not care to know my name and face, then I do not care about what they have to say during class. Might seem like a bad idea considering they are the ones testing me and I have to pass their class to graduate; but, honestly, this is the truth. Why would I want to come to class and listen to someone who does not want to listen to me? The final section for this post is “Never Stop Learning”. He says that we are working in a learning environment, so why not soak up as much as we can. One of my favorite teachers from high school told me once “education is that one thing nobody can take from you”. At first, I did not have a clue what she was talking about, but now, being in the real world, I know exactly what she means. Why would anyone want to stop learning? There is so much to know and see, by shutting down your brain after graduating you are only hindering yourself.

The next blog post that I read was “What I Learned This Year” and it was posted on June 23, 2011. This post starts off with all of his new experiences for the year, such as being a head coach, coaching cross country, being the computer applications teacher, and the first time for teaching at a school for longer than a year. The beginning section of this blog is “Know Who Your Boss Is”. This section is much like the section “How to Read the Crowd” from an older post. In this section, the main point is our decision making process should always be student centered and not centered on pleasing adults. He makes the point that we often get consumed with trying to please others, leaving the students out, when our main job as teachers is educating students. This is an important lesson for everyone, not just teachers. I know many people who are more worried about pleasing and making others happy than their own happiness. We must consider ourselves and our students before we begin making others happy. Students are our main focus and we, as educators, must not lose sight of this. The second section is “Don’t Expect Others to be as Excited About Change as You Are”. This section focuses on not letting others bring your positive and excited attitude down. I have been around many “Debbie downers” and they often influence my attitude. If negative people surround me, I will often pick up their negative attitude. I must work on this. If I am having a bad day, I do not want the people around me to have a bad day, as well, especially my students. The next section is “Don’t be Afraid to be an Outsider”. This section is about Mr. McClung being ok as the “outsider”. He says that he would rather eat and have personal relationships with his students than having relationships with his other adults in the school. I am not sure where I stand with this section. I will probably be like Mr. McClung because I want to connect with my students and help them as much as I can; therefore, I will be the “outsider”, hanging out with my students in my classroom. The succeeding section is “Don’t Touch The Keyboard”. This section talks about letting the students do their tasks instead of us doing it for them. Teachers must allow the students to struggle in the beginning because this is how they learn. If we are constantly doing the task for them, then they will never learn. The final section is “Don’t Get Comfortable”. Mr. McClung makes the statement, “Teaching itself is a very comfortable job that offers security…and often times comfort and security does not create an atmosphere that highly motivates individuals”. This is an interesting point, in that, I never realized that being “comfortable” creates a less motivated person, but truthfully, when we get comfortable with something our work beings to slack. Interesting point.

I am glad that we had to read these posts. I think they are very helpful for new teachers and even older teachers 

C4T #3

My assigned teacher for C4T #3 was Jenny’s Learning Journey. Jenny is a schoolteacher in Auckland, New Zealand and her blog is used “to record my experiences, reflection, learning, sharing, and any other things that matter to my career as a teacher”.  The first blog post that I commented on was “Having a Go at Photography”. In this post, she talks about a “young man who is full of energy and original ideas”.  His father could not buy him a big, fancy camera, so he uses what is available to him, his iPhone. Jenny says that his pictures look amazing to her, and the moral to his young man’s story is “The happiest people don’t have everything, they just make the best of everything”. One day, Jenny went for a walk and snapped some pictures of flowers. The pictures next to this post are a few that she has taken. In my comment I said that I believe this is an extremely important lesson in life. I know many people who need the materialistic aspects in life, like name brand clothes, to make them happy. We need to make the best of what we have! I also said that I also enjoy taking pictures and that I have used some of my work to create a huge collage on one of my walls in my house.

The second blog post that I commented on was entitled, “My First Experience with Google Plus”. In this post she describes how she had heard about Google Plus. She said at first that it did not look very “user friendly”, but after using it looking around she got the hang of it and she loves it. She describes Google Plus as being very similar to Facebook and says that the privacy feature is most impressive. She has a few circles with different members in each. In my comment to this post, I said that I had heard of Google Plus, but that I had never thought about using it. I am now looking into Google Plus and will be using my account. 

C4K Summary #2

C4K #6: For this assignment, I was assigned Brandon who is part of Class 12’s Blog. The blog post that I commented on was about New York City. Brandon said that New York City is a very busy place with lots of buildings, cars, and people. He went on further to described two famous buildings, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty and asked if anyone knew of any other famous buildings in New York City. In my comment to Brandon, I told him who I was and that I had visited New York City years ago. I told him that while I was up there I got to see the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, as well as, Ground Zero and Time Square. Finally, I agreed with him that New York City is a very busy place, but I want to visit again one day.