Final Reflection

Final Project

Final Report on PLN

Having a PLN has helped me so much!  I use it as my homepage and when I open my internet everything I need is right there.  It includes my blog, classes, schoolwork, banking, e-mail, social networks, seriously everything.  It is so nice to not have to open 5 different web-sites to look at everything.  All of my most visited sites are there in front of me. Having my PLN helps me keep up with current events more then ever before.  It is so easy to just look at the pictures and pick what you want to read about.  This is one of my favorite things about symbaloo, because I do not always have time to sit down and read an entire article.  Now I can get a summary on just about anything.  I'm fortunate to have learned about PLN's because it will help me stay organized in the future, and hopefully I will be able to use them in my classroom to make things so much easier for my students.

Blog Post #14

Pseudoteaching: MIT Physics by Frank Noschese
The post Pseudoteaching: MIT Physics is very interesting.  After reading about pseudoteaching, I thought back to some of the lectures I have attended and realized, pseudoteaching is VERY common.  John Burk and Frank Noschese define pseudoteaching as "something you realize you’re doing after you have attempted a lesson which from the outset looks like it should result in student learning, but upon further reflection, you realize that the very lesson itself was flawed and involved minimal learning".

To show a prime example of pseudoteaching they used Walter Lewin and his lectures on physics.  He ran through his lectures three times each before presenting them to a class.  He was very enthusiastic and had many demonstrations to get his points across.  They looked effortless and from the outside it seemed like his students were learning a lot.  That's just it, it LOOKED like his students were learning a lot.  In reality they were just sitting there watching him lecture.  The students were not participating in the learning process because their professor was doing all of the talking AND demonstrating.  It has been proven that in order to retain maximal information, people must DO.  People have to engage and interact in order to learn and not forget.  So, when Walter Lewin's class attendance dropped 40% from the beginning of the semester and people were still failing physics, there was clearly something wrong with the teaching style and something needed to be changed.

To solve this problem MIT created TEAL.  This stands for technology-enabled active learning.  Instead of students relying on memorizing formulas, TEAL helps them adapt general methods of problem solving to problems they have never seen before, and apply abstract concepts to new situations.  The mission of TEAL was to create problem solving, self-learners.  Students are encouraged to ask a lot of questions and work in groups to solve problems.  To get the students to answer questions and work together to find the correct answer, "clicker questions" were implemented.  Students can answer a question on the screen using their personal clicker.  TEAL also added experiments to the classroom.  This way students could actually participate in the classroom and get hands-on experience.  All of the students were actively participating in their learning experience.  Some professors did not like the idea of TEAL, but over time it has proved itself to be a fantastic way for students to learn.

Encouraging teachers to find other ways of teaching besides lecturing is a wonderful idea.  In the posts from above they use the perfect example: "you do not learn to play the piano, ride a bike, or play sports by just watching someone else do it".  To learn these things you MUST do them.  Teachers need to let their students experience for themselves how and why things work.  By doing this their students will not just memorize formulas, definitions, and certain facts about a subject, they will actually learn!  The "clicker questions" are a great idea.  Throughout the class period, students will be able to see what they are struggling with and they can get help right then and there.  If the teacher is not lecturing, and all of the students are actively learning, then students with questions are not interrupting anyone else's learning experience.

 Pseudoteaching is definitely an easier route, but after reading this post I do not see why anyone would be okay with spending all that time preparing lectures that really don't teach anything at all.  That makes no sense to me, and I believe that the benefits of using a "TEAL approach" to teaching far outweigh the difficulties you might face while using this teaching style.

Comments For Teachers #4

Dianne Krause has put a lot of time into her blog.  Essentially, she finds the best resources she can for teachers to use when they start integrating technology into their classrooms, and she posts her findings on her blog.  She posts a lot of different links to web-sites that will help teachers figure out how to effectively incorporate technology into their classrooms.  You can find posters, blogs, videos, and instructions on how to use some technology throughout her blog.

In the first comment I left her, I told her about my major and how some of her blogs will be useful to me.  I really appreciate the time she has taken to share all of these resources she has found with us.  If we had more people like Dianne guiding us through the transition to an education system that uses technology, everything would be a lot easier.  Teachers would not have to be scared of technology, they could easily learn about technology.

The second comment I left was on her post about educational hash tags for twitter.  She posted a link with a list of a lot different professionals on twitter that would be helpful to people in the education field.  They are grouped by subject, grade level, schools, and even home schooled children.  It is easy to find a person that could be helpful to you personally because everything is so organized.  Future teachers can use this to find a professional to talk to, and get some great ideas from them.  I was very impressed with Dianne's blog.  I can tell that she puts a lot of work and time into it, and she has found some really great resources.

Blog Post #13

Top Ten Tips For Using Technology in the Classroom

In Jose Picardo's video he gives his Top Ten Tips For Using Technology in the Classroom.  His first tip is to make use of streaming videos.  Students watch YouTube videos all the time, and by implementing them into your classroom they instantly become more interested.  His second tip is to use music more often.  Most likely, your students will already have an iTunes account, and you should get one as well.  We should find out what kinds of music they like to listen to and use it to our advantage.  Jose's third tip is to use teleconferencing tools.  Teachers can take advantage of this by getting their children to communicate with students from other schools and other countries.  This is a great opportunity for them.  His fourth tip is to create your own interactive exercises.  No one knows the students better than the teacher.  By creating your own exercises, by using web-sites like Content Generator or Languages Online, you can base your lessons personally around your students strengths and weaknesses.  Picardo's tip number five is to use your interactive white board more effectively.  A little goes a long way and the students will benefit from, and appreciate it.  His tip number six is to create your own podcast.  You can make and edit sound recordings that will help engage your students in the classroom activities.  His seventh tip is to start a blog or a wiki.  These are good tools to use because you can showcase your students work and achievements.  If will give the teacher an extra dimension for teaching and it will provide a focus for your students efforts. Jose's eighth tip is to use social networks.  As  a teacher this can give you so many new ideas for your classroom, and you can also create closed groups for you and your students.  His ninth tip is to use internet tools to motivate the students.  They are always on the internet anyway, so you could incorporate some lessons into their daily internet use.  His last tip is to make the most of your students gadgets.  They all have cell phones and most of them have iPods or mp3 players.  Instead of taking these away from the students show them the educational activities they can do with these devices.  When you show students that you are working to bring things they like into the classroom, this will make them want to learn more and hear what you have to say.  I think all of these tips would make a classroom more interactive and creative.  Students would not be bored and they would want to learn instead of dreading it.

Progress on Final Project

Josh Milne, Heath Morris, and I are all in a group for the final project.  We have been throwing ideas around for what we want to do, but we have not settled on one yet.  One of our ideas was to make a video on what EDM310 has done for us! (What we have learned, what we will continue to use, what has been most beneficial to us personally).  That is not our concrete decision, but it is a start.  We are going to meet and try to get started on it ASAP.

Project #15

Full YouTube Video

Blog Post #12

1. Watch this video on How Technology Evolves by Kevin Kelly 19:58
2. Write a post in which you discuss Kevin Kelly's views on why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is today.  Include comments on why you think watching this would help staff and faculty in schools better understand the need for incorporating technology into the classrooms.  Follow the requirements in Writing a Quality Blog Post.

On this web-site I watched a talk by Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves.  It was a very interesting video because it gives a very obscure look into why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is.  He talks about the evolution of all living species and the 6 kingdoms.  His theory is that technology is like a 7th kingdom.  It is a way of life, and just like the other 6 kingdoms it focuses on ubiquity, diversity, specialization, complexity, and socialization.


  He believes that technology is needed and should be constantly evolving (being invented) so that everyone can embrace it and find their potential for difference.  He says that technology gives us the potential for difference and opportunities.  There are millions of children in the world whose technology for self-expression has not been invented yet.  He thinks that it is our moral obligation to invent these technologies and keep evolving them so that everyone can recognize their own difference.  Kelly thinks that technology is an essential part of finding out who we are.  He looks at it as "the infinite game" because technology can be delayed but never killed.  It will continue to evolve and we must embrace it.


If staff and faculty in schools watched this video I think they would really appreciate it.  Kevin Kelly's theory shows that technology expands and grows to adapt to the world around it, just like everything else. The expansion and adaptation of technology is not something we have a choice about... It is going to happen!  Staff and faculty could use this theory to get their students excited about finding their difference and expanding their opportunities through the use of technology.  It will explain to teachers that it IS their moral obligation to help students learn how to use technology and to use it effectively.  They will only stunt their students progression by avoiding it.


This video stood out to me because it gave me a possible reason behind the "technology epidemic."  I watch videos all the time that are useful and tell me that technology is important.  This is one of a few videos that actually gave me a reasonable theory behind it all.  Everyone might not agree with this theory but it is a start and it should give students and teachers a sense of excitement to know that technology will do nothing but grow and give everyone MORE opportunities.    

Special Assignment #2

1. The Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that offers free lectures to anyone with web-access.  Lectures can be seen on materials such as K-12 math, biology, chemistry, physics, finances and history.  It is an easy and convenient way to get help with, or learn certain subjects.  You can watch the videos, practice problems, and the site will even help you keep track of what you have learned and what you need help with.  The web-site is organized and easy to navigate.  There is a tab (watch) that has all of the videos posted underneath it.  This is an easy way to access all of the videos quickly because they are grouped by subject.
2. This web-site can be very helpful to teachers and students.  Students can get extra help in their classes by watching the videos ON THEIR OWN TIME.  If they miss a class or just need extra tutorials they can access lectures to many different subjects.  They can make use of the assessments and practice exercises to get a better understanding of the material they are learning.  With students permission, teachers and parents can keep up with what the students are learning and how they are progressing.  Teachers can have an at-a-glance look at everything you have been learning, down to the specific problems you have worked on.  This would be a good tool to assess your students strengths and weaknesses.  Teachers would be able to plan their lessons accordingly and get extra help to students who are struggling in certain areas.
3. On the Khan Academy web-site I watched the video about Unemployment.  He talks about the difference between U-3 and U-6 definitions of unemployment.  U-3 is defined as the "total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force."  Essentially what this means is the amount of people who have been actively looking for a job in the past 4 weeks.  This is calculated and makes up the percent of U-3 unemployed people.  Then he talks about U-6 which is defined as the "total unemployed, plus marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons."  This means that calculated together would be the amount of people who are unemployed that have been looking for a job in the last 4 weeks, plus the people who are unemployed because of some personal reason of their own, and the people who are employed part time in a job that they would not normally accept under other economically sound conditions.  The calculations for U-6 are higher and this shows that there is lowered labor utilization.  Since there is lower labor utilization there is wage deflation.  This makes service based jobs, which are the majority in western civilizations, not able to higher as many people.
4. When teachers begin teaching they can use this web-site to really get to know their students strengths.  They could also use this if a student misses class and they need to catch up on a lecture.  I think by using this web-site many teachers will be able to focus more on what needs to be covered in class.  They will save time and be more efficient in planning their lessons.
5. This web-site surprised me because I had no idea there was anything like this.  There are so many lectures on so many topics.  I really would have liked to have something like this when I was in high school.  It would have made some of my classes a lot easier because he really breaks things down and puts them in perspective.  I was surprised at how easy he is to listen to, and I thought it was really cool how he writes on the screen shots and draws diagrams.  These things make it easy to follow along and really learn what he is saying.

1. The iTunes U web-site is a simple, easily accessible way for faculty and students to distribute information to each other.  The institution that is using it can make it public for everyone to access or they can keep it private, just for their students and faculty.  Faculty members can easily post lectures, lab demonstrations, historical footage, and many other educational materials to their site for students to access on their computers and even their phones!  Students and faculty can upload brochures, and flyers to help keep everyone involved in campus life.  Teachers can also add slide shows, books, films, and audio-books to their site for their students to view.  If an institution decides to distribute their content publicly, which most do, then everyone with itunes and the internet can benefit from their knowledge.  This site also has an apple store where you can purchase your high-speed technological devices.  It also has tabs for each device that help describe what each one does and how it works.  For example, if you click on the tab for iPods, it has information about every kind of iPod there is.
2. This web-site could really help teachers keep up with advancing technology.  It explains how to use these devices thoroughly and what each one does.  This would be an easy way for a teacher to learn how to use a device that might help them in their classroom.  Teachers could upload information anytime they want and students could access it anytime, anywhere.  Being able to do this could help a teacher engage their students all of the time and not just in the classroom.  Making use of iTunes U could also help expand the teachers and students personal learning network.  They could get ideas from other institutions who have posted material and made it public.
3. I watched a demo for an iPad's educational app on iTunes U.  It was about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  On the demo, you could watch the play in animation, click on a button to get a description of all of the characters, and click on a button to get an overview of the play with certain subtopics like plot summary, themes, and quotes.  It was very detailed and easy to understand.  It is simple to use and the program really breaks down the story for people who need more of an understanding of the play.  Watching this demo was a lot better than reading the play, and would definitely keep students attention a lot easier.
4. Using apps like this with your students could make learning a lot more interesting and exciting.  It would be easier for students to grasp usually hard concepts, and in turn would make them more motivated to learn.  There were many other apps like this one for different subjects, and incorporating them into your lessons would be very helpful to the technological students of today.  They would better understand the material and would be able to relate to the style of learning.
5.  I was surprised by this web-site as well.  It was so detailed and filled with information on how to use apple devices.  The web-site had so many cool apps that you could incorporate into your classroom and make learning a lot more interactive.  The web-site mentioned that 800 institutions use this web-site and share it publicly.  I had never even heard about it until now, and I think it is astounding how fast things like this are spreading throughout the educational spectrum.

1. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a non-profit organization that brings together the world's best thinkers and doers to give the speech of their lives in 18 minutes or less.  These speeches are called TEDTALKS and are on topics such as technology, business, science, global issues, and so much more.  It is free to the public and there are over 900 Ted talks on the web-site currently.  You can find the different talks by the speakers name, theme of the talk, and you can listen to them with subtitles if they are not in English.  The web-site is featured around ideas, questions, and debate.  All three are ways for people to interact and learn together.
2. Teachers could take advantage of the materials on this web-site by watching videos and hearing new perspectives on certain topics.  They can learn about how other cultures and countries view different topics and they can implement that into their curriculum.  This could help them become more open-minded and understand the views of others better.
3. On this web-site I watched a talk by Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves.  It was a very interesting video because it gives a very obscure look into why technology is important and why it has come to be what it is.  He talks about the evolution of all living species and the 6 kingdoms.  His theory is that technology is like a 7th kingdom.  It is a way of life, and just like the other 6 kingdoms it focuses on ubiquity, diversity, specialization, complexity, and socialization.  He believes that technology is needed and should be constantly evolving (being invented) so that everyone can embrace it and find their potential for difference.  He says that technology gives us the potential for difference and opportunities.  There are millions of children in the world whose technology for self-expression has not been invented yet.  He thinks that it is our moral obligation to invent these technologies and keep evolving them so that everyone can recognize their own difference.  He thinks that technology is an essential part of finding out who we are.  He looks at it as "the infinite game" because technology can be delayed but never killed.  It will continue to evolve and we must embrace it.
4. I think this video could really help explain why technology is important to everyone.  It could explain to students why technology is what it is today and encourage them to continue to use and embrace it.  It shows them that it is not going away and it is only going to continue to grow.  I think people could really see how using technology could evolve them as a person and help them find who they are.
5. I was surprised at how sucked into this web-site I got.  I loved how there were so many diverse opinions and ideas.  I was also surprised with how many videos there were and on so many different topics.  The videos I watched made me think about things that I never would have thought about.   I was impressed with how easy it was to watch these videos, and how fast time went by.  I think this is a very useful web-site and I really liked it!

Smartboard Project

Project #14 Teach Someone Video

Special Assignment #1

1. Did you know about WolframAlpha? No
2. Did you know about GoogleSquared? No
3. What percentage of China's population is the population of the United States? Approximately 24%
4. What percentage of India's population is the population of the United States? Approximately 25%
5. Now what do you think about the facts reported in Do You Know? The information validates how fast our world is changing.  It is astonishing.
6. Do you think that WolframAlpha and GoogleSquared will be useful for you and your students? Why or why not? I think both of these sites could be helpful to everyone.  When you use GoogleSquared you can see a lot of information about similar topics right away.  Each topic has specific links to find even more information on what you might be looking for.  This is really cool and it can save you a lot of time!  When you use WolframAlpha there are graphs that explain the text.  This could help students who are visual learners put things into perspective.  I will definitely make use of both of them.

Blog Post #11

Skype Interview With Ms. Cassidy
It was amazing to see The First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class  making use of technology in their classroom. I could not believe these children knew how to effectively use these tools. Ms. Cassidy has done a wonderful job incorporating technology into her classroom. Her students learn through wikis, blogs, videos, and skype sessions with other students and classrooms around the world.

She said that her students get excited about their blogs when people view and comment on them. They know that everyone can read them, not just their teacher. Her students want to write quality posts and they want people to comment on them. The fact that her students are excited is so great! Their parents can also keep up with what they are doing on their own time. This should be very important to parents because they can see first hand how their child is progressing. She also makes sure that her students are making appropriate comments on each others blogs. Ms. Cassidy makes sure that everyone is positive and respectful in their blog posts and comments.


Ms. Cassidy brings up the issue of safety for her students. She makes sure that her students never put their last names on any of their online work, and they do not match their pictures with names. I know a lot of parents, teachers, and students themselves worry about safety online and this is a great way to keep students identity partially confidential. Ms. Cassidy also has class web pages set up so that her students can go to them and click on links that she wants them to visit. These links include games, text, etc... She tells them that they should only click on the links that she provides for them and ignore everything else. By doing this, she prevents them from accidentally going to web-sites that are inappropriate or not related to school activities.

She stressed that her PLN's have helped her immensely build her use of technology in her classroom. She gets new ideas all the time from people she has met through networking. They also help her learn how to do things and answer questions she might have about technology. She believes that all teachers should be technologically literate because the world is changing and everything is based on technology. By using things like twitter and blogs she has been able to become a technologically literate educator.

I think by using Ms. Cassidy's approaches to bring technology into the classroom I could build an effective and positive learning environment for my students. They will learn how to be collaborative learners, how to share, and how to be more creative and excited about learning. Students, parents, and teachers could all reflect on the students work, and we could all learn and grow together.

Comments For Teachers #3

Exploring Web Tools: Symbaloo
In Tyler's blog post about Exploring Web Tools he talks about Symbaloo. He mentions that it is free, which is always great! He also talks about how he created a "custom dashboard" for his students that has useful sites and tools for his class. I think this is an awesome idea. It will be so easy for the students to use and find information quickly. In my comment to him, I told him about my PLN (which I am using Symbaloo for) and how it is useful to me. I also let him know that I think his use of the "custom dashboard" for his students is a really good idea.

Evidence That PBL Works
In Tyler's blog post Evidence That PBL Works he talks about the research that has proven that project-based learning works. The results from the research found that both students and teachers benefit from PBL, students scored higher on measures of problem-solving skills and their application to real-world economic challenges, students who used PBL outscored their peers on standardized tests, and teachers scored higher levels of satisfaction with their teaching material. In my comment to him I wrote about how important I think all of these things are. The most important of all of them, in my opinion, is that students showed better scores in problem-solving skills. I think that students should start to learn problem-solving skills early in life because it is something they will need to use forever. If PBL's can enhance this skill in students I think it should be incorporated into the curriculum.

Blog Post #10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?
This video compares and contrasts a teacher and an educator. It talks about the teacher first and gives a few simple definitions: to show or explain how to do something, encourage someone to accept as a fact or principle, give information about or instruction in, cause someone to learn or understand something, and to induce by example or punishment to do or not do something. Then it gives a few examples of an educator: enlighten, inspire, empower; one who gives intellectual, moral, and social instruction; an experienced and trusted advisor; and a person who advises and shows the way.

I wanted to become a teacher because I love learning new things, and I love to teach others what I know. I can honestly say, I now know that there is way more to teaching than just throwing information at students. After watching this video I can see that there is a big difference between being a teacher and being an educator. I fully intend on being an educator. I want to enlighten, inspire, and empower my students and I want them to trust me. Trust is big when it comes to your students, especially if you are an educator. I want to be able to educate my students on how to learn independently so that they can continue learning even when I am not around. I want them to be proficient in finding accurate and useful information on their own. My students need to trust me to lead them in the right direction and show them how to do this correctly. To be an educator, I plan on getting to know my students well and doing everything in my power to show them that learning can be fun in the classroom and independently.

Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home
This post was entertaining, yet it is sad to know that this stuff really happens. Gertrude, the "School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist" storms into Tom's classroom ranting about PENCILS. She read in a journal article that it is proven that students who take home pencils do poorer on standardized tests. She tells him that he has to stop letting his kids take pencils home. Instead of giving in to her absurd wishes, Tom lets her know his view of the issue. He believes that students can go home with pencils and whether or not they are "playing hangman" or doing homework, they are still learning. Their brains are still working with some sort of creativity.

His argument is simple. It should not matter how children learn, as long as they are learning. I think it goes back to our everyday discussions about technology. A lot of teachers feel the same way about technology. It is just a tool that distracts students from learning. When in reality it is one of the children's best tools for learning. We should not take something away from our students that is such a big part of their learning environment. We should find a solution to the problem, which is usually being creative and finding a way for your students to learn effectively, while having fun and staying interested. This is essentially what Tom did and there is no need to make an argument against that. I think his argument could work well whether we are talking about a pencil, or an ipad.

Skype Interview

Blog Post #9

What I've Learned This Year
In Mr. McClung's post What I've Learned This Year he gave some great advice for first year teachers.  Any teacher who is about to have their own classroom for the first time is going to be excited/nervous.  The advice he gives is easy to read and understand, and definitely attainable for all!

In the first part of his post he talks about "how to read a crowd."  He mentions the importance of keeping your lessons "student centered."  It is easy to get distracted by the people watching you that you can forget what you are there for... to teach students.  I think this is important advice for any teacher to follow because the teachers that I learned the most from in school were the ones that actually made class about the students.  As a teacher you have to feed off of how your students like to learn.  To know this you have to be able to read the crowd.

As a control freak, and someone who lives their life through lists and plans, his section about being flexible really helped me.  He writes about how no lesson is perfect and we just need to go with whatever happens, make the best of the situation, and move on.  This is very good advice for someone like me.  I know it is something I will probably struggle with my first year of teaching as well.  I hope I can mentally prepare myself now, and learn to just let things happen.

Mr. McClung also talks about communication.  I think that communication is the key to life, so naturally, the key to effective education as well.  It is extremely important to have good communication with not only your students but also the people you work with.  Everyone should grow and learn together, and the best way to do this is to proficiently communicate with everyone!  Plus, everyone likes a positive learning environment.

Be reasonable!  Do not get upset or discouraged if your students do not always meet your expectations, or they will get upset and discouraged.  Teachers really do need to realize that our students are not perfect and we just have to support them and encourage them as best we can.  If you give up, so will they.

And then there was technology...  Mr. McClung talks about how essential technology is in schools today.  He says that we should not be scared of it or give up on it, before we start to learn about it and how to use it.  After taking four weeks of EDM310 I can honestly say he is right.  Technology is essential in our society today and we do have to embrace it, and use it.  We should not be scared of it, and we should do our best to incorporate it into our classrooms.

Mr. McClung also talks about listening to your students.  I think this is so important because knowing your students and how they like to learn will make their learning experience so much better.  When you listen to your students they will know that you care about them and respect them, and they will respect what you have to say in return.

The last thing he writes about is "never stop learning."  I agree that this is really important for teachers to remember.  There is constantly new information in the world and teachers should constantly be learning along with their students.  He says that it is never to late to change your thinking, learning, or style. If you find something that works better, or makes more sense, why not switch up your way of thinking and learning.  Your students can also help shape your teaching style if you take the time to listen to them and really know what they like.

Mr. McClung gives some great advice in his post, and I think all soon to be teachers should read what he has to say.  It has made me feel a lot better about the whole situation, and has given me some different perspectives that I never thought of.

Blog Post #8

This Is How We Dream
Richard Miller obviously put a lot of thought into these videos. He stresses that the way the world of technology is changing is incremental, not fundamental. All of the new and collaborative ways we have learned to use technology are an additional gain to our education system. The way people learn in the world is changing.

He talks about "sharing knowledge infinitely" which really made me think. There was a time when people had to buy a book, or rent a book from the library to find information they were seeking. With the way technology has changed, people have access to free information that does not just include text. You can find videos, pictures, audio, and text all in one for a collaborative learning experience. The best thing about it is that everyone can access this information at the same time for free. It does not go anywhere, you do not have to return it, and people can share their knowledge with everyone. Richard Miller makes the point that we can use this advance in technology to "push ideas into our culture." Everywhere you look there is technology being used so we can make use of this, and incorporate our ideas for people to think about.

Richard Miller says that as teachers we "must share ideas freely." What better way to do that then through technology. Students are using technology and will be more apt to understand what we are saying if we can share our ideas through technology. He makes the point that people compose work now "not by word processors, but digitally." He says that this is not fully understood, and I agree. The options for digital learning are endless, and people are constantly finding new uses for our technology. He can imagine a day when everything is done digitally, and thinks we should prepare for this. I agree, technology will only continue to grow and we must learn and grow with it as a culture.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12
Caryl's post was clearly well thought out. I can tell she put a lot of work into it. I think she comes very close to what Richard Miller was trying to say in his video. She truly makes her assignment a collaborative experience. She includes links in her post that go to videos, to help better explain what she is trying to say. She makes the point that you can use more than just videos to do this. I imagine she means that you can add podcasts, audio, and links to other web-sites to help further explain what you are trying to say. I think that her YouTube playlist idea was awesome. You can collaborate your personal teaching philosophy, instructions, ideas, helpful hints, and so on...with videos that you believe best reflect you and what you are trying to get across to others. This would be good for anyone to have, and you could continuously add to it while "sharing knowledge infinitely." She has created a digitally sound experience instead of just a word processed style of learning.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
The classroom is a place where students learn, but this is not the only place that students learn. With the technology available and widely used today students can, and are, learning all of the time. Students learn a lot through their social networking: facebook, twitter, text messaging, and online in general. As teachers we should embrace this way of learning as well and not reject it. The video mentions that "every turned off device is potentially a turned off child." I really do agree with this. In schools children are directed to not use their cell phones, stay off facebook, and keep their heads in their books. Personally, my friends and I share information with each other everyday that we have learned through our social networking. Not only do we share this information, but we are excited about it. We find things that we are interested in and we can share it with mass amounts of people through the technology that we use. Why would teachers try to take away one of the most fundamental tools for student learning? You would think they would be ecstatic to know that we are pursuing different types of learning on our own.

In the video they talk about one continuously brought up point in EDM 310 that I love! We should not teach our students to memorize facts, and information. We should work with our students to help them learn how to find accurate information and be able to validate, synthesize, problem solve, collaborate, and communicate this information. I love this because I truly believe that these are the tools needed to enable students to become lifelong learners. Right now we have a "classroom system instead of a community system." Many people believe that learning should be done in the classroom. They must not realize that learning is done everywhere, and that if they supported this idea then everyone in a community could constantly, and actively learn together.

One of the last arguments I would like to talk about is NCLB. In this video they say that if there was no NCLB then this would enable students to become more creative. I agree with this because instead of learning only the information that will be on standardized tests, students could shape their learning around what they are interested in. Not only could they do this, but they could also incorporate different learning styles into their education. By doing this they would have a sense of freedom to learn more things the way they would like to learn them. They would enjoy learning a lot more and they might actually get excited about it.

The Chipper Series/EDM310 For Dummies
Both of these videos were really creative and I liked that students created them. The Chipper Series video was about doing your own work and getting it done on time. You will learn more from doing your work, and it is not beneficial if someone else does it for you. EDM310 For Dummies was really funny and so true! This class can be extremely overwhelming. It is a class filled with many assignments and a lot of useful opportunities. In the beginning of the semester I really thought "I cannot make it through this class!" Once you get used to how things work and really start exploring on your own you can really learn some interesting things, and learning becomes exciting and a lot easier. Both of these videos were really creative. I would like mine to be as well. I have not put much thought into what I want to do for my video. I would like to do a video on how to stay ahead in EDM310, but I am not sure how I would like to do this. I think it is really important to stay ahead in this class because you can so easily get behind. Once you are behind it would be almost impossible to catch up. I think this really needs to be stressed for future EDM310 students.

Project #8 Podcast

Project #10

Symbaloo
For my personal learning network I am using Symbaloo. It is very convenient and really helps me stay organized. I like that I have all of the main web-sites I go to everyday right there in front of me. It is easy to keep up with everything I am doing, and I do not have to constantly open new tabs. I really like the news highlights tab at the top of my PLN. It gives me access to all of the top news stories, and their summaries, just by scrolling my mouse over the pictures. This is so helpful and easy to use. I can see what is going on in the world and I do not even have to leave my PLN! The google search box in the middle of my page is also very helpful. If I need to go to a web-site that I do not commonly visit it is very simple. Once again, I do not have to leave my PLN or open a new tab to type something into google. It saves me a lot of time and frustration. I love how organized it keeps all of the things that I use. This enables me to visit all of my favorite sites from just one page. It's awesome!

Comments For Teachers #2

Teaching in the 21st Century
In this blog Dr. Strange writes about some of the fears students that are going to be future teachers have for the future of education. Students are scared of many things and technology is one of them. They do not want their students to have to depend on technology. Some of the students even said that they are afraid that technology might take over their jobs. They spoke about inappropriate information that can be found on the internet and how it could hinder a students learning experience.

Dr. Strange posted a video for them to watch called Teaching in the 21st Century. We have to be able to guide and engage our students through their technological learning experiences. We have to be able to teach our students skills not facts. These are the kinds of things that will help them in the future to keep learning even when we are not there to facilitate. He stresses that we must not teach the way we were taught (burp-back education method)but we should advance our teaching skills with the advancements of technology throughout the world. We should incorporate new ideas and methods of teaching that actually ENGAGE our students.

In my comment to Dr. Strange I admitted that I had some of the same fears as some of his past students. I also said that after watching the video I decided that this fear is a good thing. It will help motivate me to really learn new things and to keep up with the changing world that education has become. After watching the video I realized that I cannot be scared, instead I have to jump right into the change and embrace it. I realize that I will have to work extra hard to catch up and stay caught up, but it will be well worth it.

Serendipity
In Dr. Strange's post there was a video posted from one of the EDM 310 alumni. It was very interesting, and taught a lesson that was full of inspiration. Some people in Sweden decided to do a little creative research. They took boring stairs that were next to an escalator, and turned them into piano keys that made noise when you walked up them. They called this the "fun theory." They wanted to see if making these boring stairs "not so boring" would make people use them instead of the escalator. At the end of their study they found that 60% more people used the piano stairs that day, then they used the boring stairs on any other day of the year. This shows how far a little creativity can go to get people engaged in activities they never usually like to do.

In my comment to Dr. Strange I noted that the "fun theory" actually works! It was fantastic to watch these people get involved in something they do not normally do because it was fun. This can be related to education in so many ways. You have to make your classroom fun to appropriately engage your students. It has to be interesting, and as you can see, a little bit of simple creativity can go a really long way. People thrive on what they like to do, and what they think is fun. By sparking students interest with a little creativity you can get them involved in learning, and they might actually find that they like it. As a teacher it is our job to step out of the box and find new ways for our students to become engaged. If we get creative, so will our students.

Short Story Project 11

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
This video was an hour long, but in that hour I learned so much about Randy Pausch. He is a very educated, determined, motivated, and overall just a good person. His personal value system is amazing. Randy does not only believe in making his life better, but he also strives to make the lives of other people better. Randy believes in karma, and so do I. He sticks to his morals and values and clearly it has worked great for him. He has been able to accomplish all of his dreams by working hard and never giving up!

Randy Pausch kept going back to a statement about a brick wall. I think this is what stood out to me the most about his lecture. He says that brick walls are not made to keep everyone out...they are made to keep out the people who do not want something bad enough. I think this is so true. Everything is attainable, but everything is not given to you. You have to work hard for what you want and never take no as an answer. Randy gave many examples of brick walls he has had to overcome, and with much persistence he has! This was just such valuable information, and very inspiring to see what hard work and dedication can bring to your life.

Another thing that Randy continued to bring up were "head fakes". He explained them as ways to teach students certain things without letting them know that is what you are trying to teach them. Having students learn in fun and entertaining ways, so that they actively participate, and having them learn things along the way they didn't even know they were learning. I think this is a very effective way to teach students. You have to be creative and think of ways that you can do this, but I think the reward in the end will be very satisfying. To be able to see your students having fun and enjoying the learning process would be awesome. For them to realize that they learned so much more than they thought, and without dreading it the whole time, is amazing.

One thing that also stood out to me was a piece of advice one of his mentors gave to him. Randy was so impressed with his students work he did not know what to say to his students. He called one of his mentors and they told him to not set a bar for his students. He told him he should go into the classroom and tell his students "this work was good... but you can do better," even though he was already blown away. By not setting a bar his students would never settle. They would not have a stopping point, and therefore, they would not STOP. They would continue to grow, learn, expand, and they would have no limits. I think this is so important because when you set limits, most people will only work as hard as it takes to meet that limit. If you want your students to go above and beyond they have to feel like there is an above and beyond. There are endless possibilities when there is no bar.

This video was very inspiring. It was well worth watching, and I think the lessons were priceless. His techniques were amazing and I think all teachers should aspire to be as motivated and dedicated to their work as Randy Pausch was.

Project 9b Timetoast

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student
First of all, this was a very creative approach for a video. I was impressed on how sucked into the video I got even though there were not actual people in it. I thought that was very clever. This video showed all of the different technological ways that students can learn on there own. They can make professional, personal, and educational connections all the time. So, the question Wendy Drixler has asked is "why do we need teachers?" Her answer entails many reasons about why a student still needs a teacher. She says that the teacher is the one who helps their student build these connections and take advantage of learning opportunities, gives guidance to students when they get stuck, shows students how to communicate effectively and ask questions respectfully to their connections, how to differentiate between good information and propaganda, how to turn a web search into a scavenger hunt, and shows their students how to organize the information they find.

All of the reasons that Wendy gives are great. Building connections is so important for students so that they can continue learning on their own once they do not have a teacher. Being able to communicate effectively and ask questions respectfully is one of the most important things I think a teacher can teach their students. Without being able to do this they will not be able to build those important connections for their future. For students to continue learning accurate information it is the teachers responsibility to show them how to find "accurate" information. There is a lot of inaccurate information on the web and our students should know how to recognize the difference. Obviously, there are many reasons why students would still need their teacher even when technology is such a big part of the learning experience. I think this video did a great job showing this.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
This 7th graders PLE was very much like my PLN. A lot of things on her PLE were organized and can be viewed by other people. This is similar to my PLN because I can be "Googled" and people can look at my work. Just like this 7th grader I can add videos, text, and pictures to my PLN. I can add links to my social networks, and links with my contact information. This 7th grader spoke about peer review and reflection. I think this sums up my PLN. All of my peers can see my work and comment on it. They can tell me their views on the topic and give me some insight I might not have thought of otherwise. I think having a PLN, just like her PLE, gives me a lot of room for reflection. I can look back at my work and see what I have done, and what I have thought about certain topics. I can also reflect on the comments I received to help shape, and sometimes change, my opinions on the same topics. Just like in the 7th graders PLE I can edit my work and add things constantly. This helps us continuously learn, and improve our own knowledge and our work. The 7th graders PLE is very similar to my PLN in many ways. Since this is the first time I have ever done anything like this, and she started in 7th grade, it looks like I have some catching up to do!

Smartboards
How Smart is a Smartboard is a blog that I found that comments on how effective smartboards can be.  It talks about students being able to use the smartboard to choose their lunch for the day.  They mark which lunch they want and a list goes to the appropriate person in the school.  They can watch the morning announcements done by students at the school on the smartboard every morning.  The teachers can have their lessons, calenders, web-site links, videos etc. all on the smartboard... and the markers never dry up!  I can see how all of these things could really make a classroom run smoothly and get the students interacting.


Why Are We Still Wasting Money on Whiteboards is a different blog that talks about how big of an expense and waste interactive white boards are.  Bill Ferriter talks about all of the different types of technology that he could buy with the money spent on interactive whiteboards.  He makes the point that he could buy things that each student could use at their desk, and prescriptions to educational magazines.  He could buy things that would benefit the students more.  I agree that interactive white boards are expensive, but if they are used correctly (teachers are proficient at working them) then I think that they could be very beneficial in a classroom.  I also think that with any technology used in the classroom  the students need to learn how to use it also.  If they don't it could cause some anxiety for them in future projects where they might need to use it.

Blog Post #5

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This did a great job demonstrating the abilities of a podcast in schools. There were many times in high school that it would have been very useful to have a podcast. I hated missing school because when I came back I had so much work and information to catch up on. It was very stressful and a podcast would have been great!

I also played sports in high school. After school I did not have a lot of time for extra help in my classes. Sometimes I did not understand something fully and I could have used a podcast in this instance as well. I could have used it to go over the information again at my own pace, and as many times as I want. This would have been helpful and it would have saved me from a lot of anxiety.

Another thing I thought was interesting was his use of the podcast. I liked how he got the other teachers to help him read. I'm sure this made the story a lot more entertaining for the students. I would have much rather listened to a story like that in class then just my teacher reading it to me. Looking at this gave me some very good ideas for my future careers.

100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better
I had no idea you could do all of this on your iPod! There were things from learning languages, to audio lectures, to spark notes, to various quizzes, to even teacher lesson plans. It amazes me how many downloads they have to offer. The best part...you can use them wherever you are! I think this would be a great tool for a teacher to have. We can learn things ourselves from it, but we can also take things from it to use in our classroom. They have really neat study guides and quizzes for almost any subject.

One of the downloads is called GoogleGet. I think this would be really useful to both students and teachers. You can get the top news stories all the time. Your students would be informed of current events all of the time, not just while they are sitting in front of the T.V. I think this could be a very effective tool to utilize in the classroom.

Langwitches
This was very inspiring. I could tell these students enjoyed making this podcast. They were trying their best to speak clearly, and really tell the story. They did a great job. I think that this would be great to do with students to get them to work together. It is a group effort and they would learn great teamwork. Working together on a fun activity like this will bring the students closer together, and really help them stay engaged in the activity. I really liked listening to this podcast, I was very impressed!

Project 9a TIMETOAST

My Sentence Video

Blog Post #4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor in the Education Administration Program at Iowa State University. He is known as one of the nation's leading academic experts on K-12 school technology leadership issues. In his blog post "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?" he amusingly makes some very good points. I really liked that he wrote about the dangers of technology. It is true, technology can take people down some pretty dangerous routes. This usually happens to people who have not been taught how to use technology effectively. As future teachers we should do just that... teach our students how to use it effectively.

We can warn our children/students about the dangers of technology, and do the best we can to protect them from it. Keeping them from it is a different story. Technology is growing at outrageous speeds, and our children will need to know how to use it in the future. If we do not start teaching them now they will be that much more behind. There are ways to teach our children/students how to use technology in a safe and smart manner. As teachers, we should be aware of how to do this and we should DO IT! We should not use danger as an excuse for not properly preparing these children for their future.

The iSchool Initiative
Travis made a wonderful video. He portrayed his point very well! I think he has some very interesting ideas that could be very beneficial to the school system. The part about saving money and saving our "precious resources" was definitely a plus. I don't think anyone would disagree with that. Being able to stay organized, find information, explore the world maps and the universe with just a touch of your finger is a cool concept. I think if people could learn to use this system effectively it could work.

I do have one problem with the iSchool program. It might be just a personal problem, but I do not like the idea of NO school books, and NO pencils and paper. Although I think technology is an important thing to incorporate into the schools, I do not think that it should be the only way students know how to learn. There is nothing wrong with a little book-reading, and hand-written assignments. Maybe I am a little old school, but I do appreciate these things. I think all students should be able to navigate their way through an actual book, not just the internet. With that being said, I do think that a lot of Travis' ideas are interesting and worth looking into. It was a good video!

You Can't Be My Teacher
Wow! This was a very inspirational video. To see how important technology is to this little boy was amazing me to me. He is so young and probably knows more about technology, and the internet than most adults. Most of all, he is INTERESTED. He is asking questions and he WANTS to be involved. He WANTS to learn more from the internet. This shows how much technology can get students involved in their learning.

He asks in the video "Are you going to make me sit at a desk?" This really made me think. When I was his age I did not have a choice. There were not enough technological advances to even have the option of learning any other way. He does not want to sit at a desk! This little boy recognizes the importance of technology in the classroom. He realizes that you can not be an effective teacher without being technologically literate. He said in the video "It's your job!" He is absolutely right. As teachers it is our job to keep learning and expanding our views so that we can effectively teach our students.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
I did not even know something like this was possible! That was truly amazing. Putting 185 people who have never met together like that on the internet and creating this could not have been an easy task. This just proves how much you can do with technology and how much it is advancing.

Being able to do things like this can be very beneficial. At the same time, I have to question one thing. Part of the experience of participating in things like choir is the social aspect. I would just like to know if this detracts from that any. It might not be the case in this video, but sometimes people hide behind technology to avoid face-to-face social interaction with other people. Knowing how to act in social situations is an important part of learning, and I do not think that people should exclude this from their lives just because they can.

Teaching In The 21st Century
I like that this video says that teachers are now "filters". It is true that students can learn anything at anytime. I think it is very important for teachers to realize that we have to show these children how to use this information. Also, just as important, to be able to find accurate and reliable information. We have to show them how to incorporate the knowledge they find with problem solving skills, and critical thinking.

The video asks the question "should our curriculum be focused on facts and content, or skills?" Personally, I do not think that we have to choose. I think that proficient teachers can develop a learning style that focuses on both. It is hard to be skillful at something without knowing facts behind it. It is our job to guide them towards these facts, that they may or may not find through the use of technology, and help them make use of them with problem solving and critical thinking skills. When they are taught how to find reliable information from technology and use it in proficient ways, their learning will be endless.

Project 5: Google Presentation

Comments For Teachers #1

Why Are We Still Wasting Money On Whiteboards?
In this blog Bill Ferriter talks about all of the different technological resources we could buy with the money schools spend on interactive whiteboards. He makes some very interesting suggestions that I think are worth thinking about. He said that for the price of six interactive whiteboard we could buy 75 netbook computers, 87 iTouches, 360 Livescribe pens, or 36 years of VoiceThread subscriptions. These are all materials that would be more personalized to the student.

In my comment to him I agreed that these different resources could help students become more involved in their schoolwork. I also agreed that interactive whiteboards can be a waste of money. If teachers are not proficient in their use of the interactive whiteboards than they will not be as effective in teaching with them. In my comment, I left some examples of teachers I have had that did not use their interactive whiteboards to their full potential. It was frustrating to me, and the rest of the class. I do agree that interactive whiteboards can be useful in expanding the creativity of children, but teachers need to be taught how to use them first!

Need MORE Proof that Testing is Destroying Education?
Mr. Ferriter makes some crucial points in this blog. He talks about the challenges teachers have come to face because of testing in schools. We are faced with some pretty big decisions. Do we teach children "the test" or do we teach them the things that will matter to them most in their future? It seems like a simple question, until your job depends on it! Teachers are being let go for their students test scores. This puts a lot of pressure on both the teachers and students to learn only certain information.

When I commented on this blog a lot of things were running through my mind. Bill Ferriter touches on the fact that students are not learning crucial elements of education such as "crafting persuasive arguments, engaging in collaborative dialogue, and making critical judgments based on information". This really bothered me because I think these are all important skills for students to learn. These are things that people can, and will, use the rest of their lives. We use these skills in everyday situations and I feel that they are too important to leave out of the curriculum.

Blog Post #3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

This video does not necessarily capture my experience since I have been at college. Some things are similar, but I think it relates more to some of my friends then to me personally. I can count on one hand the times I have had to have class in an auditorium. Most of my classes have about 25-30 students in them. My major is Health Education and I am lucky enough to have most of my professors more than once. Most of them know my name, and I feel like I do have a personal connection with them. However, I have a lot of friends with different majors and they would tell you the opposite. Most of them have classes in auditorium's a lot and their professors do not know who they are. It is frustrating to them and I can see why. I can say that I do see a lot of students using their laptops for things other than class. This is a common occurrence as well as playing with their smart phones.

When the student held up the sign about books and how much they cost I could absolutely relate. They cost so much money and a lot of the time I open them once or twice. A lot of people I know have this problem and I would love for it to change. If the course does not need a book, and the test information comes from the slides then why do professors tell us to buy the book? It really is a waste of money. Most teachers post their slides online anyway. Not very many of my teachers use a chalkboard or a standard white board. Most of them use a smart board or their power point slides. From my experience, more teachers and schools have made the switch to more technologically efficient devices in their classrooms.

"It's Not About the Technology"

I think that Kelly Hines makes some very valid points in her writing. I believe that there is more to a better education than just the switch to more technological devices. We as teachers need to have a specific goal in mind when it comes to transforming and bettering the classroom experience. Without this goal the expenses on our new resources will be a waste. They will also be a waste if we do not know how to effectively use the technology we are incorporating. I agree with Kelly Hines when she says that teachers should be learners. We should constantly be learning the new trends as well as information available in our society. By doing this we can productively teach our children in a way they will understand and enjoy.

As teachers we need to be consistently open-minded. We need to learn from our students and embrace the new culture and generation. In doing so we will have endless possibilities to learn, as will our students. When incorporating new technologies into our classroom we should use them to their fullest capacities, even if this means taking the extra time to learn how to do this. In the long run, I think this will impact the students learning in a positive manner.

Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I think Karl Fisch makes a very interesting point in this blog. I have seen many of my friends already get turned down for a job because they are technologically illiterate. When technology is such a big part of the world that we live in, and is only growing, how can we think that it is acceptable to not grow with it? I really liked the point he made about communication. The fastest and most convenient form of communication is technology. As teachers, are we not trying to communicate different ideas to our students? We are, and we should be doing it in a way that they can relate.

Like Karl says, technology is only improving and expanding. I cannot even imagine what kind of technology will be in our world in 2020! If we cannot keep up with these new technologies it will be very difficult to find a job. Why would a school hire a teacher that cannot use the most effective ways of communication with their students? To the generation after us, these technologies will be almost common knowledge to them. We need to make them the same way for us. By doing this, communicating with our students and the ways we teach them will not suffer.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Gary Hayes Social Media Count made my head hurt! I could not even read half of the statistics because they were changing so frequently. Watching the numbers in his media count shoot up in just a matter of seconds should prove something to us as future educators. We need to get, and stay with the times! This means investing our own time in learning how to use these technological devices and services, and how to use them well! These numbers show us just how popular technology is and how often it is used. These numbers are not going to reduce as we further in our careers, most likely they will rise.

I think it seems overwhelming to a lot of people, including myself, because of how quickly new technologies are found. It should! This should also push us to stay on top of the game, and motivate us to improve our knowledge of the our changing world. The world does not stop developing and improving its ways, and neither should we.

Blog Post #2

Did You Know?
This video really makes you think. New technology is being invented all the time! The part of the video that talks about students learning about technology that is not even invented yet blows my mind. I think this puts a lot of pressure on students to keep up with all of the technologies, but with it expanding like it is I think it is almost impossible. Technology is also expensive. When the newest version of something comes out every other month, and you are trying to learn how to use it, the expenses can add up.
I think the world depends so much on technology that we let it take over our lives. The part of the video about the computer being smarter than the human brain scares me. At the rate we are going, and the improvements we make to technology all the time, soon the world will not need teachers. A piece of technology can teach us everything we know. In 2011 we have online classes that students can take. They still require a teacher at the other end, but think about in 5 years... Don't you think that this will not be the case? Eventually we could possibly not even need a teacher on the other end.
I absolutely think that people should know, and be aware of different technologies in the world and this video shows that. I also think that everyone should be careful with how much technology is being used, and everyone should try to keep their lives balanced with technology and the "old school" way of doing things. Technology can take over people's lives positively and negatively, and I think that a little bit goes a long way.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
I think this video makes some very good points. Mr. Winkle wakes up after 100 years and is confused by all of the technology. He is afraid of what he doesn't know. I think that is a very good point. A lot of people are scared of what they don't know and they run from it. It is 2011 and technology is part of our lives. We cannot run from it or act like it does not exist, we have to embrace it. Technology has become a part of everything that we do, and to be successful in life you need some type of knowledge about how to use it.
Once Mr. Winkles finds the school he is happy. It is the only thing he found that has not changed in the past 100 years. He felt comfortable and decided he wanted to stay. I think this part of the video is making the point that the whole world is changing, the school system needs to as well. If the world is flourishing by use of technology then we need to know how to use it. What better way to learn how to use technology then at school? When the world is advancing through the use of technology how are students supposed to keep up just listening, reading, and writing? This video shows that if we do not want to wake up one day feeling lost like Mr. Winkles, then we better start learning how to use our resources... and we better start learning it in school!

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
This video was interesting and very amusing. I liked what Sir Ken Robinson said about "children growing out of creativity." His theory that everyone is born creative and they have to use their creativity to keep it is very interesting. Not everyone learns the same way, and some people need things like technology to help them ignite their creativity. When these students can be creative they will enjoy learning a lot more.

I also agree with his statement about people and making mistakes. To many adults are afraid to make mistakes and this stops them from being creative. People are so afraid of failure that they cannot bring themselves to try something new. No one is exceptional at everything, but most people are exceptional at a few things. As teachers we need to find those few things in our students and help them grow and learn through them.

Cecelia Gault Interviews Ken Robinson
In this interview Sir Ken Robinson talks about the difficulty in defining the word intelligence. He makes the point that even people who have studied intelligence their whole lives cannot even agree on a definition of the word. With that being said, I think that we should never underestimate our students. Everyone is intelligent in their own way. It is our job to support our students in what they want to do, and teach them things that will help get them there.
He believes that we can teach people to be more creative. I agree with this, and I think that technology can aid teachers in doing so. Technology can open students up to new ideas, and show them how to expand their creativity. It can give them a fresh look at themselves and the world around them.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis teaches in a rural Georgia town. While I was watching the video, what stood out to me the most was these students talking to students in other countries. I think we need to have an appreciation for other cultures education, and ours as well. This is a great way to see how other people learn, and a way for us to get new ideas about how to learn.
I loved that her students did things on their own. The fact that she did not have to sit at the front of the classroom and lecture to them the whole time had to be refreshing for everyone. They not only learned things by themselves, but they also taught her some things that she didn't know. Being able to figure things out by themselves will help them in so many ways. When they do not need a teacher sitting at the front of the room telling them what they need to know they will be able to teach themselves about things for the rest of their lives. They can constantly learn new things in a productive manner.

My Wordle

Blog Post #1

About Myself


       My name is Caileigh McCulloch.  I am 20 years old and I am a senior at the University of South Alabama.  I ended up at USA because my dad worked here for a few years.  He was the PMS (Professor of Military Science) at South.  He just retired from the Army two years ago so I have lived in many different places.  I have lived in many places in the United States, but I also lived in Germany and Australia for about two years each.  My mother was also in the Army for a while, but got out when I was born.  My older brother attends West Point (a military academy) and he will be graduating this December.  I was in the ROTC program here at South my freshman year, but quickly realized the military was not for me!  My parents now live in Florida, and I will be in Mobile at least until I graduate.  I am a full time student at South and I have worked at Club Sun for two years.  I like to play sports, read, play video games, go to the beach, hang out with my friends, and sleep!  I have played sports my whole life and I played volleyball at South my freshman year.  I like to read pretty much any book, and I will play Call of Duty all day long. :)
      My major is Health Education.  I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in 5th grade.  I chose Health as a subject I would like to teach because I believe that too many children do not know enough about this subject.  I think that it is one of the most important subjects and there should be a lot more emphasis on it.  To have the best life possible people need to know how to be healthy and productive individuals.  I think my passion for teaching comes from my ability to effectively communicate with people.  I love to learn new things and I love teaching others what I know.  Health is also a subject where the information can change over the years.  I will constantly be able to learn and teach new information.
     So there is my profile.  I hope you enjoyed it, and good luck this semester! :)

Practice Post

Hey! It's Caileigh.