Blog Post #14

Top Ten Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom by Jose Picard

This was exciting to see in the blog post assignment. I had previously watched this video. When I was coming up with a blog post for blog post assignment 12 I was going to use this video not realizing it was already assigned. Jose Picardo had some very neat tricks when it comes to incorporating technology in the classroom.

Students do enjoy music. It helps keep then intrigued. Using teleconferencing tools can encourage students to communicate with others all over the world. Students’ involvement in the lessons is very important. If a student is involved, then you know they are learning. To make this possible you can create interactive exercises. To keep students working to their full potential can have them creating a log or wiki. This way their work is being published for others to see and students are striving to do their best work.
Social networks can allow students and their peers to communicate. There is controversy over some networks, but if used appropriately they can be very useful. The internet offers so much; therefore we might as well use it.
In Jose Picardo’s video he talks about many parts of technology that can help teachers in the classroom. They are all things that will spark a student’s interest. I think if teachers would use these tips in their classroom they would see an increase in the students’ attention during a lesson. I will be sure to incorporate these tools in my lessons.

Project #15 SmartBoard Instruction Part 2

Blog Post #13

My Teacher is an App by Stephanie Bancher

For this blog post I chose option 2 and I’m glad I did. This was a very interesting post. I didn’t realize how many students were taking classes full-time online. It stated that an estimated 250,000 students were teaching themselves through virtual schools. It amazes me that in Georgia students can use a new app to take courses on there iphone or blackberry.

My like for technology has drastically increased while taking edm310. Even though I know that you can teach yourself a lot from the internet, I still think students should use it in a classroom setting. I don’t think students should use the internet to teach themselves entirely on their own. Can you count on students grade K-12 to get on the computer and do their lessons everyday? I think it would make sense that students from virtual schools would make lower on standardized test. When a student is viewing information online they might not know exactly what they need to now specifically. They will remember what stood out to them, where in a classroom you have a teacher telling you what to focus on.

The hybrid school sounds more like something I would agree with. They blend online and face-to-face interaction with a teacher. It is surprising to me the number of states offering virtual schools and the amount of students attending them. I feel very much out of the loop. This is why I enjoy edm310 because I am continuously learning something new.

Blog Post #12

For Blog Post Assignment 12, I am able to create my own assignment. I found a video where they are discussing technology in the classroom. I would have the students of edm310 watch the video and give their opinion. It is a video that is on 2 minutes and 7 seconds. Even though it is short you get to see students using technology and also the opinion of a teacher is given. So please watch Integrating Current Technology as discussed in Donna Walker-Tileston's Ten Best Teaching Practices.

When I was in elementary, middle, and high school I did not really get the chance to use technology. I had 2 computer classes over all. Some of my teachers had a SMART board that they never used, and were not familiar with. It was unfortunate that it went to waste for that time. I have a little sister that is 5 and is aware of how to do things on a SMART board. Her teacher uses it in the classroom everyday. In this video you can see a teacher who is using a smart board and students can get involved in the assignment. The students choose a tile and dragged it to its appropriate place depending on I were a reptile or mammal. The teacher also says she is able to create quizzes, food chains, Venn diagram, and make corrections to a power point if she were to forget something. They can also create organizers. There is just an endless amount of possibilities. Why would a teacher not want to have access and use a SMART board in the classroom? After making an instructional video on using the SMART board I really enjoy using it. If I were give the opportunity to use the smart board in my classroom, I would try and use it to it’s full potential.

Post Progress on Final Project

For the final project I am in a group with Brandon Hastings and Maegan Torres. For the final project we collectively came up with the idea of a video discussing technology in the classroom. We each have picked something specific to gather information on. My focus is students using blogs. I thing this is very important after taking edm310 and would like to find out more about.

C4T #3

1. Shawn Cornally’s Let’s Go Camping with ThThTh

This post discussed to ways of assigning work to students. One of the ways was “arbitrary.” This is where you give the students an assignment with a deadline. The other way would be where you give assignments and have the student turn them in when they feel that it is complete. My opinion was that you need to set deadlines so that every student in the class is working on the same assignment at the same time. I do like Mr. Cornally’s way of giving the assignment back to a student if he feels they could have done better rather than just giving them a bad grade. If we give students work and they rush though it, they aren’t gaining what they need. By giving it back to the student to complete they can go back and correct their mistakes in their spare time. Mr. Cornally had some good thoughts in this post. I really enjoyed this and wouldn’t have thought about this on my own.

2. Do students understand their ‘digital footprint’ and how it can affect their employability? By David Hopkin

This is a topic that every student needs to think about. Some people who are using social media do not realize the affects it may have on their future. This is something that employers may look at and have a major impact on their opinion of you. When leaving a “digital footprint” you have to be extremely careful about what you say. You never know who may see it and the difference it can make on your future.

C4K Post for October

C4K5
In this comment I told a student something interesting about the United States. I chose to inform her that even though most people in the United States speak English, we have no official language.

C4K 6
For this comment I was assigned to Alisha who told a story about Harold. Harold is a giraffe that visited her school from the Life Education Caravan. She learned that they breathe through the nose and mouth. Air goes through the wind pipe then through lungs and brain. I just told her that I was glad she listened to Harold and was able to learn some interesting facts.

C4K 7
In this post there was a video made by Tevita and Dartanian. It was well done. They were learning to use imovie for interviewing, filming, and editing. They did such a great job. In my comment I mentioned that I wish I could have started using imovie at their age. I also said they have an advantage b being able to use imovie and to keep up the good work. They have been given such a great opportunity and are doing really well with it.

C4K 8
I chose to comment on a student names Abby’s post. She had created a story about a girl amed Kayla who shared her Facebook password. Someone had logged on her Facebook and bullied other students. Kayla was at blame and even transferred schools because she had no friends. In my comment I told Abby that this could really happen. I stressed the importance of not sharing personal information. I told Abby that anything said on a personal profile is a reflection of her, therefore she should be the only one posting information.

C4K 9
Mr. McClung’s school was able to dress out for spirit week. It was the week before playing their rival. Sound like a lot of fun and I wish that I would have had more freedom for spirit week at my school. My schools always had strict rules for spirit week and we weren’t able to do very much. Mr. McClung won a contest where the kids got to chose how he would shave his beard. I must say the kids gave him a very interesting look.

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's First Graders in Mr. Cassidy's Class and Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy

Ms. Cassidy has developed a way of teaching. It seems that her students in her first grade class are gaining a lot from her use of technology. From the interview it seems that she started out simple and was new at using technology in the classroom. This all began because she was given five computers for her classroom. She has done a lot of work and has come a long ways today. She had to get help and have support from others to be able to get to where she is today. Now every year the students are working with technology on a regular basis. Not only are the students gaining from the use of technology, but also parents are able to view the progress of their child. Cassidy has a strong opinion on technology. She believes that there are so many useful sites and tools on the internet. If you don’t take advantage of these tools then we are not only creating a disadvantage for our self but for every student. The world is changing around us, so we need to stay current as well. The internet is making it possible for students to communicate with people all over the world. Ms. Cassidy talks about how some teachers are also using technology but some are unwilling to change and are comfortable using there old ways. Future teachers need to be technologically literate because technology will always be here and will continue to grow. I would like to have my students using to technology to gain any additional information that they possibly can. Technology has many interactive tools that can be very beneficial to the student. I want to be technologically literate so that I am not creating a handicap for my students. It is very important for us to offer our students all that we can. If we don’t take the time to learn technology, we are doing a disservice to our students. This Skype interview was very neat and I really enjoyed hearing what Ms. Cassidy had to say and directly to Dr. Strange and edm310 students.

Blog Post #10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

When I get started in my career as an educator, I hope to educate each student in my classroom. I would never want to be the teacher that just lectures and have the students memorize the information I am giving. I want to interpret the information in a way a student can understand and comprehend. I want them to be able to do research on there own and be able to gain something from it as if I were to explain it to them.
When a student leaves my classroom I want them to be able to apply techniques I have taught them to every subject and not just have facts memorized about the subject I teach. I want to be a mentor to all o my students. I want them to know they can come to me anytime they need help. I will teach them skills that can help in the classroom and in life.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!

This post made a point in a very interesting way. The conversation between Tom and Gertrude is going back and forth over students taking home pencils. Gertrude is arguing that students should not take home pencils. Her argument is based off of an article she read. In this article it said students who take home pencils have lower grades on standardized test. Tom has been trying to solve this problem, he continues to state that pencil and paper are not the problem. The problem is what the students are doing with the pencil and paper.
This also shows how closed minded some educators can be. Gertrude was not willing to even try to compromise. She continued to reject the idea of pencils being sent home all based off of one article she read. She was overlooking the problem instead of finding a solution.

Project #13

Blog Post # 9

At the End of Teaching 2009 – 2010

As a teacher we are never done learning. I think Mr. McLung can relate to this. During the year 2009 to 2010 he went from having to teach 6th grade to 8th grade. He said that he had to take on a new way of teaching. Eighth graders have more independence and have to be treated more like adults. He also had to teach new curriculum for history and science. He felt that he was successful when teaching science but had some difficulty with history. He had to do research to find how to make history current and fun. He also didn’t want his classroom discussions to be as scripted, the way most teachers try to plan them. He then faced the problem of kids not being able to state their thoughts. This means that Mr. McLung had to find a new way of teaching information. He doesn’t want his students thinking that that have to name a right answer, but that they can express their own opinion.
He gives advice to teachers who are new, that you should get to know the “school moms.” He says these are women that have been involved with the school for a long time and are helpful. Being a teacher is not an easy job. You have to give lectures everyday and are an influence to your audience. For this reason we must stay humble. Also we must present topics in an enthusiastic manner even if isn’t something we find to be interesting. We have to stay focused and not get caught up in control. At all times we must keep in mind what is most important. We want to give our students everything we have to offer. He had a successful year where he has learned many things about what it takes to be a great teacher. His journey is complete though as he realizes there is still a lot to learn!

At the End of Teaching 2010- 2011

This year would be his first to continue on at the same school for longer than one year. Once again he is not done learning and has gained a lot from the 2010 to 2011 school year. Teachers must always remember that the main focus of learning is the students. It is easy to get side tracked pleasing everyone, but our primary concern should be kids. Maintaining a positive attitude is important. Some ideas may be presented that you are fond of and others may not be. In this case you not let the lack of excitement from others effect you. We need to be aware of how much work we are doing for the student. If the student isn’t doing the work then they are not learning. Even if the work is difficult we must not do it for the student. “This means that our students will struggle a little bit in the front end but it will help them excel in the end game.” I’m sure that may teachers who have been teaching the same subject matter for a while have the tendency to get “comfortable.” He has found it helpful to join committees and picking up new tasks so that he doesn’t get caught in a routine. Getting comfortable can cause a lack of motivation. He believes education should be willing to exceed the eight to three work hours.

In such a short time Mr. McLung has learned so much. Every here he is picking up new skills that will benefit his students. He sets a good example for upcoming teachers.

Blog Post #8

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2


Dr. Miller starts out by talking about books. They are very common and as he grew up he was surrounded by books. He one day hoped to have career involving books. Today we work less with pencil and paper and more with our laptops. Mostly are workspace consist desk top. You can access so much information from the web and can do assignments without ever having to step into a library. The computer makes it easier to collaborate with others and share information infinitely. Not only can you share text, but your can work with images and video. Dr. Miller was able to put together a document with sound text and visuals. This is possible because of the internet.
The information you can find on the internet is limitless. It is updated instantly. There is a great amount of academic lectures and information that can be accessed. To be a successful educator we need to be willing and able to share ideas. Using the internet you can share your ideas not only with the students in your classroom, you can share ideas with people around the world.
The web applications that were shown in this video were impressive. The way his videos were put together was appealing and helped keep my interest the entire time. He is very knowledgeable about the possibilities of technology. Technology allows us to demonstrate and share our dreams. You can use technology to help visualize the ideas you may have. In conclusion we as teachers need to increase our use of the web to make our ideas more clear and so that can reach a larger audience.


Blog Post #12 by Carly Pugh

The introduction into this post was different. It did get your attention which I thought was good. Carly has good ideas that are similar to the ideas of Dr. Miller. Her idea is to use YouTube and create a playlist with videos all on topics about what kind of teacher you will be in the future. Dr. Miller also likes the idea of using technology to express your thoughts. Carly made her own playlist which I thought was well put together. She included links in her description of what she wanted to do which enhanced her blog post. Both Carly and Dr. Miller explain that they find visuals to be useful. I can agree that visuals can help you understand after reading someone else’s thoughts more clearly.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

These videos were very entertaining. It is interesting to see the videos people have made from previous classes. We all know that edm310 can be overwhelming at times, however it is important to remember we are gaining a lot from it. I have been stressed with this class and it is good to see I’m not alone. The people who put together these videos looked like they enjoyed it. I would like to create a video similar to edm310 for dummies but maybe more like a survival guide to edm310. I think that would be fun to create so that next group of students could see.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn


Education was ranked number 55 by the U.S. Department of Commerce based on IT intensiveness. Kids are using social media, communication, texting, and social networking everyday which is banned in schools. They are getting more outside of school than inside school. I like the man who talks about children living in a different space. It is like their own zone where they can update facebook, get on twitter, reflect, and research. This is where a student isn’t pressured and a wonderful place for students to learn. Teachers and students need to make global connections. We need to start expanding our way of learning, and keep from being stuck inside the classroom. Students can learn more about collaborating and finding information rather than memorizing material. We need to get on board with 21st century learning. Standardized testing isn’t the way we should measure a student’s knowledge. In their future careers students won’t have to have a right answer. They will need to be able to work with context and work as a team with others. Technology is a way where we can make a change in education so that we no longer fall behind and in fact can stay ahead.

Project #9b Instructional Timeline

Project #10- PLN Progress Report

For my PLN I am using the website symbaloo. This is one of the most convenient and useful websites I have ever seen before. With symbaloo I am able to create a page with the links to every site that I use frequently. Everything I need is all on one page and easily accessed. I have always done better in school when I am organized and symbaloo makes it very easy to stay organized. Not only do you have and icon for every site that you would like but you can group them in categories. You can select what color you would like for each one also. I have really enjoyed symbaloo so far and I am excited to continue doing so!

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch’s introduction was very shocking but inspiring. He is being faced with something very tragic and yet he has such a positive outlook. I really liked his saying “We can not change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” He seems like a very outgoing and nice guy. I think he has a great sense of humor and does a great job of giving a presentation. He chose such a great topic to talk about. Some of these things we have heard before, but I think they sink in more when you hear them from someone in his condition.
It is so amazing that e was able to accomplish his first childhood dream by being in zero gravity. His idea of learning more from the dreams that he didn’t accomplish really caught my attention. He said that a football coach would always drill him really hard because he was messing up. An observer pointed out to him that this was a good thing. When someone is taking the time to correct you on your mistakes that mean they haven’t given up on you. This stood out to me and I think it is important for anyone who feels like they are constantly being corrected to keep this in mind. Another wonderful quote came from this section, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”
Pausch was a motivated person from a very young age. Not many kids go to Disney Land and think about creating the rides and other things rather than just enjoying it. Even though Disney denied him of a job at first he still continued to pursue Disney for a career. This paid off for him.
Not only has he accomplished his childhood dreams he has become a professor where he can help others to reach their dreams. The advice he was given by a friend was well given. If you don’t know where to set the bar for your class don’t do the students a disservice by putting it anywhere. You should continue to pus the students forward by asking for more.
Randy Pausch has accomplished a lot during his life. Unfortunately his life was cut short. I think he has so much to be proud of and people will still continue to learn from him. He was able to meet so many successful people and lead others to success. I am pleased that I was able to view this video and will spread the word to others. He has taught me so much as to what are the important duties of being a teacher.

C4T #2

Learning with ‘e’s
1.) Business Games
This post discussed the topic of sharing information freely. Since teachers share their information with one another, is it smart for a business to do so? If a business were to give out there information this could be risky because the business world is very competitive. A business could lose income. I don’t think this is the same in the teaching world. So much improvement needs to be made in education and it would be beneficial to access the ideas of other teachers. By sharing your ideas as a teacher you are helping out so many others. If we all keep are ideas to our self, how will we ever see changes in education? For a business it is wise to give out a cheap version of their product for potential users to sample and sell the updated version for a steeper price. These way potential buyers can use a sample of the product before making a large purchase and companies aren’t losing income. Also each company has an idea of what the other one is doing.
2.) In the Same Boat
As teachers we are all “in the same boat.” While this can be comforting, it is an issue. There are changes that need to be made in our education system. People can me be hesitant to change and it is hard to get the message across to such a large crowd. In this post the topic of making a change globally in education was discussed. Technology offers so much to people who are willing to learn. Information on the web can be overwhelming at times. Even if we can not attain all the information provided from the internet, we can learn more than we would from one text book. Having students use technology, such as the Japanese schools did stated in the post, can allow a student to use many skills. This is also intriguing to the student and keeps them focused. If we want to see change than it is up to each individual to do so, as said in the final remark. We can start making changes little by little till eventually we all “row in the same direction.”

C4K Summary Post (September)

C4K #1

My comment was to Kaylee who wrote a biopoem about herself. We had some things in common. We both consider ourselves to be fun, loving, and athletic. Kaylee had goals that she set for herself that I hope she will reach. She knew exactly where she wanted to attend college and that she wants to own her own vet clinic in Colorado. She loves the summer and to read. She seems like a very motivated child and I hope she continues forward on the right track. I think Kaylee has a bright future ahead of her.

C4K #2

This video was called “First Day Success.” This classroom of students were given iPads and learned how to do some neat things on them. In my comment I told the students they should feel very privileged to have this opportunity. I also said that hey first day would not be the only successful day.

C4K #3

I had to leave a comment on a video from the students of St. Elmo. In the video each kid held a picture up of themselves and stated something that they had in common with the rest of the students from their class. They also each named a fact about themselves that made them different from every other student. I enjoyed the video and thought this was unique. Students learn that they all have something in common with each other, but they are also unique individuals. Each characteristic, the common and different one, made each student special.

C4K #4

In this post Kali posted the top 5 places she would recommend to visit. She chose some very neat places including: Empire State Building, Figge Art Museum, Capitol Reef National Park, 2010 Olympic Stadium, and West Edmonton Mall. I have never been able to visit any of these places. She also asked for recommendations in a response to her post, therefore I suggested three places. I suggested Dubai, San Alfonso Del Mar and the Eiffel Tower. Dubai is the holder of the tallest building in the world. San Alfonso Del Mar has the world’s biggest pool. The Eiffel Tower just has a one of a kind view. I hope one day both Kali and I get to visit these places.