See ya later! :)

Hey everyone! It has been a privilege to share ideas with you all and learn from so many of you. I hope that we will all walk away from this class and be thankful for the things that we have learned. We are going to be the teachers of the future and I hope that we encourage our students to love learning like we have been encouraged to do in this class. Please continue to keep yourselves up to date with new technologies and don't fall into the path of the "ZAX"! :) Have a wonderful summer!

Final

What a wonderful, learning semester! I have enjoyed EDM so much this semester. I feel that this is the one class that I will actually use the majority of things that I learned. In a class where we are not really instructed, but given freedom to explore and learn for ourselves, I learned more than I could imagine. Although I could probably list so many things that I was introduced to this semester I will just list some of the highlights! :)
1)-YouTube: This was the first semester that I experienced YouTube as a teaching tool. What a great tool because..who doesn't love YouTube? :)
-Facebook: I learned how to use Facebook as an avenue for social networking-even in the professional world
-Twitter: This was fun for me. At first I was a little confused but I have learned to really enjoy it and love finding new ideas through peoples tweets
-Google docs: I love that you can share and edit documents through google docs. I use it ALL the time!
-Google Speadsheet: This is soooo cool and so easy. I plan on using the surveys in my classroom
-podcasts: I think this is a very useful tool. It is easy and kids will love to record and hear themselves.
-Delicious: Very helpful in organization, although I haven't used it to its best yet.
- AlEX: some good lesson plans and helpful sites
-Google Earth: so FUN for virtual field trips
-Video making: I have enjoyed making videos and am still learning how to edit them! Will use this in my class!
-Picasa: Easy and convenient for uploading and sharing
-Blogging: My favorite! I love to read other peoples blogs and learn about them through their opinions and ideas. I love blogging.
-Comments4Kids: I am glad that I have been able to be a part of kids lives and comment on the fun things they do. I have learned a lot from some of the kids.
-Comments4students: I enjoyed reading some of the students blogs. Some didn't really take the assignments seriously so they weren't as interesting.
-Comments4teachers: Although I did learn a few things that I didn't know before, this assignment was my least favorite. The teachers did not posts much and it was boring to be honest.
-PLN: I loved starting my PLN and think this will benefit greatly throughout my career.
-Skype: I'm a fan of Skype. Think it is great to hear and interact with people from different places.
-Cartoon maker/movie: I think that kids in my class will love to use these!

2)There is only one thing that really comes to mind when you ask if there is anything I did not learn that I would have liked to. I wish that we could have had maybe one class set aside to really interact with the Smartboard. I know that we will be using these in the classrooms and they are really neat. Watched videos and saw a presentation on how to use them but would have liked some hands on. :)

3)I think everything I learned will benefit me one way or another.

4)This class really did excite me. For the first time in as long as I can remember I was loving learning! The excitement really came when I started working on my PLN and just seeing and putting together all the resources I have to use in the future. I think that EDM has changed my view of learning and made me want to excite my students to learn.

5)This class constantly had me thinking and challenging my views on teaching, the school system, and students of today. So challenging..yes!

6)Some of the class meetings were boring when we were being told how to do something that already had posted instructions or videos.

7)EDM is such a wonderful class and the workload is completely do-able. I was able to do the workload and explore things on my own related to the assignments. I would not change anything about this class but just keep adding and finding new things to explore and learn about.

8)Am I technology literate..boy what a question! There is so much out there and even through this class we have barely skimmed the surface of technology. Do I know more than a lot of people who haven't had the opportunity to take this course, yes! This is a continual growing and learning process and will ALWAYS be. I am literate when it comes to technology but plan to continue to challenge myself and learn more and more. I would say I am medium if I have to choose.

9)I will continue to explore twitter and see up and new technologies. I will continue to read Dr. Strange blog and watch videos he posts. I will continue to listen to podcasts, explore blogs, find new sites...the possibilities are endless. I will just continue to love learning and it will keep me going on the technological literate journey.

PLN

I have really loved expanding my PLN. I have enjoyed following teachers and other professionals on Twitter, especially. Delicious has been a very interesting tool as well. It makes it great to organize all my fun sites and such. One way that I will really use networking in my future is through twitter and blogs. I love to hear peoples ideas and see new sites that they have posted for the world to see. My PLN will help me keep up to date and help to be a better teacher in the future. I plan to continue to expand my PLN! :)

Honest Reflection

Rachel McGuire, Spring Taylor, and I did a google presentation on Dr. Strange's post "Honest Reflection."
Here is the Google presentation:

Project 15 Interview

Spring Taylor and I interviewed two Vocal Performance majors from South. It was great to hear how much they use technology in their field and their own personal lives. We had a great time with them and hope you enjoy the video.

USA podcast

We did podcasts projects! Everyone did a really great job. Here is the link for our class podcasts. Follow this link to view mine, Spring's, and Rachel's video on blogging!
These podcasts will be available through South's iTunes account. Enjoy.

April 25th blog

Wow! This was a very impressive video. At first, I felt kind of inadequate when I thought of how great this 7th graders PLN or PLE was. Then I was just really encouraged and it made me want to get on top of my own PLN. I love that at such a young age these kids are doing and learning so much. This also was a great presentation. It was put together so nicely and presented great. I think so often we don't even realize the resources that we use that are part of our PLN. Watching this video makes me excited to work on my PLN more and get it organized and presentable.

I like this video as well. Those are two really great questions. I think that is great to evaluate ourselves and reflect on what we are doing in our lives. A great way would be to ask ourselves the question...Was I better today than yesterday?
I also like thinking about the question...What is my sentence? Also, I think that "my sentence" will probably change throughout my life. These are great thoughts to ponder. Check out the video and think about these questions. :)

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

april 18th blog

This was a fun way to post my thoughts about a subject in EDM 310. I discussed my thoughts on social networking and the benefits using Vocaroo. :) Have a great day!

Timetoast Project

Here is a look at my life! :)

comment4kids

week 14
This week I got to comment on Keiana's blog. She had a fun picture on her blog that she made. Her post was about going to dance on stage. I love that these children are so young and are writing and posting blogs. :) She is one of Mrs. Cassidy's students.

Skype!

My first experience with Skype was about two years ago when my friend Victoria was moving to Kazahstan. She told me about Skype and said we could talk for free. It was such a neat experience. I have used Skype a few times to talk to some of my friends that live in Brasil. I love that we can talk to people in other countries! :) Not only talk, but actually see them. It is wonderful. Lately, I have just used Skype for chatting with some of my close friends. I usually keep Skype pulled up when I am doing homework and occasionally bug my friends that get on Skype. I have used Skype a couple times to ask Dr. Strange some questions. I have really enjoyed seeing how some teachers use Skype to let students connect with other classes around the globe. I even enjoyed watching the Skype sessions that Dr. Strange's classes got to do this semester. Skype is great! You should sign up if you haven't already.

Time for Change

I love both of the videos that we were asked to watch for this assignment. The ZAX video just really pierces my heart because I feel like so many teachers are stuck and the world is growing, changing, and moving on without them. The sad thing is this doesn't just effect these teachers, it effects the students. They suffer when teachers are too scared, prideful, or stubborn to learn what all the world has to offer.
I love the PS 22 video. First of all, I love to look at these kids' faces and hear their sweet voices. I think it is wonderful that someone took the initiative to get this posted on the internet. These kids get an opportunity that they never would have experienced if this were not posted online. They get to sing in Madison Square Garden! How awesome! This is just one example of why teachers should post their students work on the internet.

Personally, I think it is a great thing to post students work and experiences on the internet. It allows them to get feedback and interact with other students and teachers. Below are just a few examples of why posting things is fun and useful.

A young girl named Kaia has taken some beautiful pictures and has a sweet little blog. Her father has helped her do these things and encourages her to share her vision with the world. Many people have commented and it has even helped a classroom learn about a new culture. It is so encouraging to see. Check it out.



Check out this video for another of example of why it is so cool that students get to post their creative ideas for others to see. In this video these students are getting their "voices" heard. The way they feel inside is able to be expressed and people get to know what goes on in their heads and hearts. I love it.

This is one of my favorites. This Kindergarten class shares so much with world each day. I have loved reading their posts and interacting with them through the internet. They are so cute and I love their daily experiences. They blog everyday about activities in class, what was for lunch, and even that they miss classmates that are absent. It is encouraging to see thoughts of students at such a young age.

comment4kids

week 12
I love how creative and smart these children are. They blow me away with their use of technology. They painted so many beautiful pictures. The picture above is from their blog.
Hi! Your picture is awesome. I really like it and your comment about the picture. I love the colors.
Amanda Sullivan
Mobile, Al
http://sullivanamandaedm310.blogspot.com/

Week 13
Room 14 at PT England School posted some fun blogs about their school camp experiences. I really enjoyed MaryV's blog. She posted a picture of her climbing the trail on the wall. She said it was her favorite thing at camp! :) She made it higher than she thought she had. You can check out her post by clicking here.
Mary, this looks like so much fun! You look like you are pretty high up. I am a little afraid of heights so I am not sure I would do as well. I bet that was an exciting day. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your picture. Have a great day.
Amanda Sullivan
EDM 310
Mobile, AL USA
http://sullivanamandaedm310.blogspot.com/

comments 4 teachers

These last couple weeks I got to read and comment on the blog LeaderTalk. There is some really interesting posts that really made me think about issues that I don't usually think about. I enjoyed reading them.

week 13
I love that you are so open and willing to learn new things and enhance your knowledge. Thank you for not being afraid to try and experiment with new technology. It is very encouraging to hear because I feel like too many teachers are stuff in their ways and a little afraid of trying new things. I have never heard of Naturally Speaking but from your blog post it sounds really neat. I would love to try this software sometime. It could probably save me lots of time. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You can find more of my thoughts on technology and other stuff on my own blog listed below. Have a great week! :)
http://sullivanamandaedm310.blogspot.com/
Amanda Sullivan
EDM 310 Student

Week 14
I tried to comment on the blog post this week and it said "comments are now closed for this post". I couldn't comment on the actual post so I will just put my comments on here. The post was about the Fourth Amendment and students rights. In a world of technical gadgets some teachers and administrators have crossed the line in students privacy. The post just discussed some cases that have emerged from this issue and how students still have rights. It was a very informative post. You can read it here.

kaia

This was such a fun assignment to read and see! I love that Kaia's dad is exposing her to these uses of technology at such a young age. It is sweet that he sees how great it is for her to learn these things but at the same time he is still sensitive of exposing his daughter so greatly. Personally I think that the exposure of these technological tools and social networking outweighs the negative concerns. I think that in all aspects of life, concerning your children, that you must take precautions but you also must let them explore. This is part of life. Parents should take this journey with their children and try to protect them the best possible way they can but still let them learn and grow.
I love the voice thread and I think it is so cool that Kaia's photos and blog has allowed for other students and people to learn more about another place. I would like to continue to view her blog and see what will be next in her little life. It is great that her dad has encouraged her to share what she is seeing through her eyes at this age.

An open letter to educators

I really enjoyed Morgan's blog post about her opinions on education. I completely agree with her. Sitting in a lecture for hours just does not cut it these days. I too really enjoy my technology class where I am encouraged to collaborate with other students and learn through my own exploration. Learning information just to be tested on is a waste of my time and others. I wish that all teachers were committed to the idea of learning! :) This semester I have really found a new love for learning. Through EDM 310 I have been encouraged to search out and experiment with many different things. It makes me excited to check out new stuff and learn how to use it. I love that my classmates and myself can interact with one another and that all of our ideas can be used to help one another. I love how Morgan thought to post on twitter that she was looking for volunteer opportunities and how people helped her find opportunities. This entire networking thing is wonderful. I am excited to use the tools that I have been exposed to in this class. Like Morgan and Dan I am glad that I am willing to embrace change and I hope that more future educators will be too! :)

comment4kids

week 10
Elly
Thank you for sharing this interesting information about Djibouti. I also love how you put the links up for the flag and the clothing. It is very hot there! I live in Mobile, Alabama in the USA and it is 65 degrees right now. Thanks again for sharing this information. Have a great day. If you want to view my blog you can at http://sullivanamandaedm310.blogspot.com/
Amanda

ALEX and ACCESS

I really enjoyed the ALEX website. The site has so many resources for teachers, administrators, and students. I probably spent almost two hours just searching through all the fun stuff that this site offers. First of all, ALEX provides students with many websites that offer them educational sites to explore on the web. They can find resources on ALEX from looking up certain animals to help with homework. Also, there is a link to an online translator. Children and parents can find resources on ALEX for counseling and guidance. It is easy to navigate through the site and find the information you need.

For teachers, I think ALEX is such a valuable reference to have. It provides lesson plans for every grade and every subject. There are also teaching tools and learning tools on the site. Countless handouts and references can be found to help in your classroom. Something interesting I found was the access to links for developmental opportunities and for grants. I will be using the ALEX site as a teacher. One thing I really like is the podcast treasury. I will also provide parents with a handout of the site's address. I think it is a wonderful reference for everyone and should be utilized.


ACCESS
Wow! I had never heard of any opportunities like those that the ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide) program allows. The ACCESS program allows students the opportunity to take Advanced Placement, elective, and other courses on the internet, that they may not normally have access to. It is a program set up by the state of Alabama for all public high schools. The ACCESS program uses the internet and E-teachers. The program is free to students. Schools are responsible for the equipment, internet access, and textbooks that may be required. All of the ACCESS classes meet Alabama Course of Study standards.

I think that the ACCESS program is fabulous. I believe that the students should be given the chance to take courses that may not otherwise be offered to them. When I was in high school I would have loved to had the opportunity to take some of the classes offered by ACCESS. The site also allows for teachers to learn about ACCESS and even become involved by applying to be an ACCESS distance learning teacher or facilitator. I do not plan to teach high school so as of right now this program does not effect my career but I still think it is wonderful. If I were certified I would not mind being a ACCESS facilitator. I believe that high school teachers, parents, and students should take full advantage of the ACCESS program.

EDM 310 Blogging Survey

Here are my results for my survey on blogging! I stopped at 40 students responses. Thank you all who answered my survey! :) Please click here to check out the results!

Comments4kids

I really love reading the Kindergarten Class blog! They posts such cute things about their days! I just finished reading day 117. They wrote about what they had for lunch, what book they read that day, and that they went to music class. I love that their teacher, who was sick that day, commented on their posts. :) So sweet! I can't wait to have my own class and class blog!

twitter

I just started using twitter (@acs406) as part of my PLN and am very impressed so far. Even today I watched a few videos and read a couple articles that people have posted about education and technology. It makes me excited to see how many resources and tools I am going to find and learn about through my PLN. :) I am actually getting excited about networking and getting ideas for my future students. I am so thankful that Dr. Strange has us do these assignments, otherwise I would not have been exposed to these awesome resources! I liked this article about PLNs.

comments4teachers

Picture of Mr. Carver~
I only have two posts for this blog because Mr. Carver did not post anything new. I have posted my comments below! Click here to view his blog if you would like.
First comments4teachers post!
Hi Mr. Carver! I believe that you are right about real change coming from those on the front line. I would love see politicians and the government more informed and educated about the education system and what teachers are really doing in schools.
I will be following your blog this semester in my EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. Dr. John Strange is my professor. We are a class focused on learning about using technology in our classroom. I personally am studying to be an Elementary Education teacher.
I look forward to reading more of your posts and learning from you. Have a wonderful day.
Amanda Sullivan
Mobile, AL
Here is a link to my personal class blog:
http://sullivanamandaedm310.blogspot.com/
Here is a link to our class blog:
http://edm310.blogspot.com/


2nd comment4teachers!
I am still in college working on my degree to become an educator. I do not know much as far as testing and evaluating go yet. I do agree though, that teachers should not be evaluated just on test scores. Thank you for posting this blog and opening my eyes to different concerns in the education world.
Amanda Sullivan
EDM 310 Student
http://sullivanamandaedm310.blogspot.com/

comment4kids

week 7
Mr. Lamshed's class blog is so cool. These boys are so smart, creative, and fun! I spent a good bit of time just looking through the videos and things that they have done on their blog. My comment4kids post this week was about clippers for cancer. It was an article posted in the newspaper about the cause and what the boys would be doing. I also looked at photos of the day the boys shaved their heads and found it awesome that they raised over $5,000 for the cause. Everyone worked really hard and they look like they had a great time. What a cool thing to see by such young, wonderful kids.

Clippers For Cancer 2010

View more presentations from lamshed.

week 8
Kindergarten Days is such a cute blog. The kids keep track of everything they do during the school days and make posts about everyday. They put little things like what they ate at lunch and they also posts about assignments that they do. They put pictures up that show them and stuff going on in their days! I really enjoyed this blog! Here is link for the day I commented on.

PLN

This class has really changed my view of learning! It has given me a new drive and desire to want to learn. I have found myself sitting at my computer for hours at a time going from video to blog to blog to blog to video to article to podcasts to facebook account and so-on. It has been interesting to find so many resources and tools that I will use when I am a teacher! :) My Personal Learning Network, so far, are some wonderful websites that I have collected through my searching, my great educators that I am now following on twitter, and a few podcasts that are great resources. I look forward to continuing this PLN and seeing it grow through this semester and through my future career. Check out my newest wordle for my PLN!

Feb 28 Posts

Dr. Richard E Miller's Videos
Dr. Miller's videos were interesting to watch. Even after being in this class for months I am always pleasantly surprised to hear of new ideas and things that I haven't thought about myself. I love that Dr. Miller put together these videos to speak about the way our times are changing and how we are no longer a reading/writing world. He has many legitimate points about how we are turning into a listening/watching world.
After watching the three videos, on this page, I sat back for a few minutes and thought about personally, what I am using these days. I couldn't remember the last book that I sat down and read completely through, but I could remember the last time I spent 4 hours browsing peoples blogs, youtube, and facebook accounts. We live in a world were things have to be fun and exciting and pop out at you for you to be interested. This is the world and the change that Dr. Miller is talking about.
I love how he spent so much time discussing the importance of this technology and how much collaboration goes on through using these tools.
In the 2nd part of the video he talks about how we can share info globally and freely and how we compose things digitally in this upcoming time. We have the opportunity to make beautiful, compelling compositions and share them with the world, so let's do it. The students that will be in my classroom will be able to do these things. They will know how to create and put their thinking onto a website and collaborate with others to improve it and mold it. I want to be fully prepared for these students. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to learn about using these tools so that I will be better able to help my students learn and use their creativity.

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler
Wow..I really like this video! The Networked Student is such an awesome but simple video. It so clearly displays what all we can do with our PLN and how the things that we are doing in EDM 310 now can impact our futures and our students. I love that Ms. Drexler has this vision for her students. The fact that she is willing to try this approach with middle school kids is awesome to me.
I viewed Ms. Drexler's blog and on it she has possible obstacles that she may face while attempting trying this with her students. I love that she can see things that may be obstacles and she is still willing to experiment and explore this process with her students. I would love to keep up with Ms. Drexler's progress with her students.
Being a "Networked Student" opens up a new world for students. It opens up a world of learning, exploring, creating, and collaborating. The student is completely in control of how much they put into this learning experience. While some may think that this networking student may be completely self sufficient, this is not the case. There is a huge need for teachers for the networking students.
The video explains that the teacher is there to help the student find reliable sources and information, build networks, there for guidance, help the searching be like a scavenger hunt and exciting, organize the information, and help him maintain the learning network so that he can use in his future. Having this type of networking ability at our fingertips is amazing and is almost vital in this day and time.
I am thankful that Dr. Strange has made us start our own personal PLN.

Michael Wesch Video
The video was really good and left me with some really challenging thoughts. Just thoughts about the changes through generations and what things will look like years down the road. Dr. Wesch left great room for deep thoughts. I have never thought of these social networking and media opportunities as a way for people to even learn about themselves more.
In my own life I use many of these media tools as a way to connect to the unknown world and learn about what is out there.
I look forward to seeing and even helping form this new future of whatever! I want to join in with my future students and help them learn about the world and themselves. I want to care for them and help them do whatever they dream up...by whatever mean necessary!

Randy Pausch Video

What an amazing lecture! I really enjoyed watching this lecture. Randy Pausch is such an awesome speaker but most importantly he was speaking to help others. He was using his lecture to encourage and help others. Even in Randy Pausch's state, he lives each day to have fun and to make life better for future children. His speech was extremely encouraging and I believe that all educators should take time to watch this video.

I love Randy Pausch's enthusiasm and excitement. I love his vision for future generations and for helping children enable dreams. One of my favorite parts of the lecture was when he was discussing his class that he instructed and how he was blown away by the first project they completed. I love that he did not just say, "way to go everyone!", but instead he called people and found more ways to stretch the students' abilities. WOW! He looked for other ways that they could use their wonderful ideas and made the projects bigger and better. He believed in them.

Pausch exhibits many teaching methods in his lecture. The one above, believing in his students and helping them reach their fullest potential, I really enjoyed hearing. He also used group work in his classes. He said that it was great for his students and their bonding. Pausch believes that students should have fun while learning. I totally agree. I do not think that students should sit in class bored to death. I love that in all his classes, he uses fun activities to help students learn.

He used many examples from his own experiences, he explained how two people said the same thing to him but how each of them worded it differently. The men both said the same thing but one man tore down Pausch and the other man built him up. He taught the lesson to watch how you speak and how you word things to your students. Pausch discussed how we will run into brick walls but that they are not the end all. A lot of his lecture was basically about letting kids be kids and enjoying life.

I could talk about this lecture for hours. I will just mention a few more points that he made. Respect authority while questioning it. Sell something worthwhile. Never lose childlike wonder. Have fun. Never give up! Ignore everything they say and only focus on what they do. Have a feedback loop and listen to it. Show gratitude. Don't complain, just work harder. I loved the video!

Comments 4 Kids!

I have been making my posts to the children's' blogs but did not realize that we needed to post about them. Here is my posts about the blogs I have had the pleasure of seeing.

Week 4
I got to post on a 5th graders blog named Jackie. Her class used photoshop and the tools in it to create fun pictures. She said the project was fun and it looks like she really enjoyed it. I like this project because it is just a goofy way to let kids explore using photoshop and also practice using their blogs.

Week 5
In week 5 I got to check out a classroom blog. They used a website they called HeroMachine to design super heroes that had characteristics that matched up with the planets. Then they challenged the people that read their post to guess which super hero matched each planet. I like how they have to have knowledge about the planets to make the super heroes to match them. Very creative way to help the students learn about the planets.

Week 6
This week I got to see a video of a young girl from New Zealand. She is discussing things that she enjoys in a video. She enjoys art and swimming. I love that her teacher commented on her post. This blog was cool for me to see that young students are recording videos and posting them on their blogs. Kids are so smart! :)

Feb 21

~Dr. Christie's Site~

I spent a lot of time looking at and learning from Dr. Christie's site. It was very informational and helpful for me, as a future educator. She has so many resources to use technology in the classroom. I love that she has made it a point to help educators teach our students using technology. Our assignment ask us to choose one thing on her site and write about how we could use that as teachers but I was really interested in a bunch of ideas on her site.

One thing that I found that was very appealing and useful was her electronic portfolio web. It was just a fun way to see this information presented like that and to see the useful resources and material that Dr. Christie uses. I will use this example and electronic portfolios for my classroom and put them in my PLN for this class.

Dr. Christie tells us so many ways to use technology in the classroom. I love how she used digital photography and media. She even has her own image essay, which I think would be great for children to create. I listed to one of the podcast that she has posted from a classroom in AZ. It gave me some great insight into using podcasting in my classroom. It is wonderful how she gives resources to help us learn how to use these tools and implement them into our classes.

One of my favorite ideas on her site was the Caldecott Honor KidQuest template. What an awesome site that they have created to help the children interact and enjoy the assignment. :) If every assignment were that interesting and interactive then students would love learning. It is wonderful that Dr. Christie does workshops to help educators help students learn. I recommend that any teachers or future teachers check out her site and the resources she has provided.

~Using iTunes & iPods~

I hope that South will incorporate the use of iTunes U more. I think that the way other colleges and schools are using iTunes U is awesome. It is such a fun and modern way to incorporate school into everyday life. Students can have lectures, notes, pictures, etc. at their fingertips all the time. At these schools that have utilized the iTunes U, the students have access to so much information. I believe it makes it easier for students if they have all these resources on their iPod. I think that students would be so much more prone to listen to a lecture or podcast outside under a tree before they would in a stuffy library on a computer.

The way these colleges are using the iPod is so great. They are turning a fun experience into so much more. You can now learn and it will be enjoyable. I would love to try to utilize this process in my classroom. Even if I just do podcasts or allow my students to do podcasts and then upload them onto their iPods. If they do not all own an iPod, I could just show them how it works and how they can use them for when they do get one, someday. I could upload pictures and so much more information for my students that would be helpful. I would love to use this in the classroom.

There are so many ways to utilize an iPod! I think that a lot of people focus on only the listening to music on an ipod. Although that is very enjoyable, iPods can used for numerous things. They can be used for recording notes, listening to lectures, studying foreign languages, etc. After reading a study done by Duke University, I really can see the great importance of an iPod. I love that something so entertaining can be used to further education as well.

Duke issued each incoming Freshmen in 2001 an iPod. They studied the usage and value of the iPods. For the most part the iPods helped in the students education. They were a great tool for listening to lectures and other things. Even thought their were some problems with the iPods, I think that they were a great benefit. I think now with even more advanced iPods, they could help in the classroom even more.

I found a pretty cool website for the "new iPod owner"! Most of the tips on this site are really basic. I think that it could be really helpful to someone who has never owned an iPod or someone who is not so savvy with technical stuff. It gives you tutorials for many issues you may come into with using your iPod.

Type 1 Diabetes at 14 months!

Please watch!

Valentine's Day Post

"What I've Learned This Year"
Mr. McClung's blog post was very helpful for future and present teachers. We really have no idea what to expect as future educators until we are actually in the position. I like the tips that he has given us to follow before we get into the classroom. Some of the tips seem very simple and seem like common sense but I think we too often forget about the simple things. All these things are very important and vital for running a classroom. I like that Mr. McClung realizes that you have pay attention to your classroom and teach for each class individually. You can't be completely focused on what you are teaching but on what the students are learning.

He states that you must be flexible and know that all of your lessons are going to be perfect. Sometimes they will go smoothly like you planned and sometimes they wont. I think that this is great for him to say because we do want things to go perfectly but we need to be realistic and know that they won't always. Keeping communication open and being involved with the other staff members is very important. As educators we should have high expectations for our students but our reaction if they don't achieve what we expect must be positive. We must reinforce that they try again and they are not a failure for now achieving the goal we have set.

His advice is really great. I like that he encourages us to use technology and not be afraid to learn how to use it. We need to learn so that we can educate our students even more. One of the most important things that he says are the last two points. We must listen to our students. These children must be heard. Some of them have no one that will listen to them and we need to be that person. We can't love them and teach them like they deserve if we don't even know them. I desire to know my children well and learn what I can do to teach them to the best of my ability. Mr. McClung also says that we should continue to learn!!! Sooooo true. We must desire to learn like we desire for our children to learn. To be a teacher, I think, you must have a passion to learn. :)

Wikipedia
I have actually read about the unreliable source that wikipedia can be prior to this blog assignment. I cannot remember where I read about this issue but I know it was about 2 years ago that I heard of it. The scanner is a pretty cool invention though. I love that not only can you see that the entries have been tampered with but you can also see who tampered with them. It is amazing to me that huge corporations would be deceitful and change information on wikipedia themselves.
Personally, I don't find it a reliable source at all. The fact that anyone can edit or change the information is proof that it is not a trusted source. I have actually watched a friend of mine edit some information on wikipedia. Since my freshmen year at South I have been told never to use wikipedia for any research reports or papers that I had to turn in to my professors. There are so many other sites that are reliable and I think that we should just use those. :)

My Presentation

Podcasting Potential

I really look forward to doing my very own podcast with my group members. Through reading and viewing a couple of the sites that were posted on our blog assignments I learned even more about podcasting. The benefits of podcasting that I can implement in my future classroom are really neat. Through using the fun tool of podcasting my students can learn better and have fun doing it! Using podcast is an easy way for students these days to learn, since they are familiar with this type of learning. Through them learning this way it promotes creativity and innovation, it is an effective way for students who may have been absent to learn, and also parents can see and hear what their children are learning.

One of the sites posted on our blog assignment brought me to a site that discussed "100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn & Study Better"! This was an awesome article and had so many useful tips for using your iPod to make studying and learning easier and more fun. I was amazed at all the applications that can be downloaded to your iPod that can help in the education process. You can download sparknotes, charts, graphs, tutorials, foreign language apps, and even dictionaries on your iPod. I feel like as educators we need to think of EVERY possible way to keep kids interested and if they love to use iPods then put the information they need on their iPod. This is so exciting to me because I know that steps like these are helping kids to learn and get pumped up for what we are teaching them.

I also read the basic of creating a podcast and hope that this will help me in doing my own podcasts. I would love to be able to use this tool in my future classroom so I am going to try my best to learn what all I can about podcasting through this class. I know that it will take trial and error and I will probably fail many times before I get it right but that is what this class is about..experience! :) Have a blessed weekend!

Kids and Technology!

One year old using an iPhone...are you serious?!?!


Most people would probably watch this video and think how awesome it is that a one year old can use an iPhone. This is pretty cool if you sit back and think about how smart and how fast children are learning technology these days. For educators of future educators, this video is scary. That video is of a one year old really using an iPhone and understanding what he is doing. That child still has years before he enters the school system, what will he know by then? It makes me nervous to think that he and many like him will be in my classroom. Will I be prepared?
After watching the video I really sat back and thought about the children I will be teaching. They are going to be smart, fast, energetic, and wonderful children. I need to prepare myself to give them the best opportunity possible. Instead of being afraid, I need to practice, practice, practice all the technological gadgets I can get my hands on. This will be a continual process for the rest of my life. New things are invented everyday and I want to learn so that my students can learn.

Media Literacy
The first thing that caught my attention in the media literacy videos was how excited these students are. They did not just put together this video because it was a project they had do, they helped put it together because this is something they enjoy. In the video they loved showing off how they use blogs, make comments, use wikis, and so much more. They are excited to share what they are learning with the world. This is how the classroom should look! Regardless of the amount of technology, students should have an excitement and a joy in learning. I think that Ms. Cassidy has done a wonderful job.
The second thing that is just crazy about this video is that the students are in the first grade. Wow! We will be teaching these students and they will only get smarter and quicker and better at the use of technology. I love that they are so young and have found an excitement in using these tools. When I get into the classroom I hope to inspire my children to find a love for technology like Ms. Cassidy has. I would love to keep them interested in things that we are learning through the use of fun tools like blogs, Skye, and wikis. I am excited for my students to learn and for them to teach me as well.

Podcasts
Listening to the different podcasts was enjoyable. There were some really good ideas on many of them and then just some interesting thoughts on others. Through the SmartBoard Lessons podcast I found a neat website called wallwisher.com. This website is just another neat tool that can get kids interacting with each other and with the teacher.
The wallwisher.com website allows you put little post-its on a wall. It is a cute and creative way to have your children comment on an article or something of that sorts. You can also add music, video, etc to the wall.
I really enjoyed the SmartBoard Lessons podcasts. The broadcasters were just full of personality and it made it more interesting. I like the little bits of music that are in all the podcasts.
I like EdTalk has guest on their show so that other people have opinions and it is just a fun and informational conversation. I loved KidCast. It was just so informative. Tons of stuff to improve our teaching and keep the children involved.
I really enjoyed the podcasts and would like to use them in my classroom as another way to encourage my kids through the use of technology. I would even like for us to create our own podcast, make movies, and use digital photography.

Technology, Technology, Technology!!!

A Vision of Students Today

I watched this video twice because I thought it was really awesome and so relevant. I love that the students at KSU came up with this and participated in making such an honest and neat video. The video encompasses an average college students life very well. From my own personal experience I can completely relate to the students at KSU. We sit in classes among tons of other students, the professors don't know our names, we are assigned countless pages to read that sometimes pertain to what we are learning, we obtain thousands of dollars in debt, and for the most part we aren't even heard. I am not blaming the professors because they are just teaching like they were taught but there comes time when as a professional I would think that they would want to step outside the box and try new ways to keep their students interested. I imagine that they truly want us to learn and become excellent in the subjects that they are instructing so why don't they try and incorporate these subjects to our lives? Maybe it is because they are afraid of failing themselves, maybe they are scared of the unknown, or maybe they are just oblivious to the opportunities out there.

Students today spend hours upon hours on the computer, on cell phones, using ipods, and many other technical devices. We are working, going to school, doing service projects, connecting with world, and trying to cram tons of school work into the mix. It amazes me that professors expect students to sit in their seats and learn from a chalkboard or from a standard lecture. Personally, I would be so more apt to do my readings or homework if it were somehow incorporated into my use of everyday technology. Living as a student in the US we have the opportunity to have laptops and smart boards and other fun things at our fingertips, so I think that we and the professors should use them as much as possible. I enjoy EDM 310 because I get to be creative, I get to explore new technologies that I didn't know about prior, I get to see how teachers are using technology in their classrooms, I get to connect with other students, and I am being prepared for tomorrow and I am learning how to prepare my future students for tomorrow as well.

A Vision of Students Today


"It's Not about the Technology"

Mrs. Hines has truly put much thought into this article and I am thankful that she has shared it with the public. I hope that MANY educators will read this article and take it into deep consideration. We hear so much about technology and how we need to innovate it into our classes and into our students lives but Mrs. Hines makes a wonderful argument. Why yes, technology is a wonderful tool, it is not technology that teaches the children. If we really care about our students and really want them to succeed then we need to have a completely new mindset. We also need to be willing to work hard and do awesome things for our students. Mrs. Hines makes some key points on how teaching is not about the technology.

I completely agree with Mrs. Hines and honestly her article makes me even more excited and encouraged to become a teacher. As future educators we much be learners and we must be completely invested in our professions. How can we expect to teach children if we aren't sold out on what we will be teaching them. Also, once we become teachers we always have someone down our backs telling us what to do and how to teach our children. We must be self-motivated and we must be willing to find new ways to teach these future students. We need to get creative and excited and they will want to do the same. To prepare these children for the future we must be prepared ourselves and not just through technology. We must be thinking about our individual class needs and we must strive to meet them. If we combine our passion for teaching and our desire to see our students learn and then add technology, the possibilities are endless. The tools of technology can take up beyond what we can imagine if we give it all a shot. :)

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
This is not the first time I have been exposed to Mr. Fisch's posts. I enjoy reading his thoughts and opinions and for the most part agree with his positions on topics. I am encouraged that he takes the time to write these type of posts or messages to his employees and that he doesn't just allow them to remain stagnant. Sometimes all it takes is a push in the right direction and people can achieve some awesome things. The fact that Mr. Fisch pushes his employees to become technologically literate is so encouraging. He wants them to succeed so they can help students succeed. This should every educator and future educators mission. We should want to improve our literacy in every aspect so that we can help our children to the best of our ability. Mr. Fisch is exactly right when he states that being technologically illiterate today is like not knowing how to read and write 30 years ago.

I think that every teacher should not only know the basics to technology but that they should be proficient in it. They should want this for their prospective students and also, for themselves. In a world where things are changing daily and the main form of communication is through technology, it is crazy to not be literate in it. Times are changing and it is time for teachers to change to. They need to be transformed from the inside to the outside. They need to have a mindset of excitement and curiosity about what these new tools entail and then they need to let these new discoveries play out in their classes to help their students learn. I'm thankful that Mr. Fisch is open and honest about his feelings toward this subject and I hope that his employees and the many people that have read this will take it to heart and find a new joy in learning to be technologically literate.


Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Wow...the numbers on the social media count blow my mind. It is amazing to me that that many people use the Internet in their daily lives to do so many different things. To me, that makes me realize how vital it is that I keep up to date in all the new tools offered on the Internet. As far as my professional career as a teacher I should be completely capable and literate in using these tools. Apparently these tools are widely used by people all around us. If I am literate in my use of these tools then I can use them to teach my kids, to communicate with parents, to contact teachers elsewhere, and for my personal enjoyment as well.

These quickly changing numbers also mean that new things are coming and VERY quickly. This means that as a professional I will have to be on my toes at all times and continually learning. Also, I will be teaching my children for things that aren't even available to them yet. I will be preparing them for the unknown. Exponential times is exactly what we are living in and I need to be willing and excited to embrace these times. I am excited to see what is in store for my students by the time I am in the classroom and teaching them.

Love

Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained. -C.S. Lewis

~Exponential Times~

Did You Know? 3.0 and Mr. Winkle Wakes
These two videos really challenged me to sit back and think about today's technology and how fast things are changing. In the 'Did you Know? 3.0' video I was blown away by some of the statistics and also disheartened by how far behind America is. The amount of new jobs, new words, and new opportunities that technology is providing to people everyday is incredible. I wonder though, are we taking advantage of everything we have in front of us? Are we using technological advances to the best of our capabilities? How amazing is it to think that 50 million people were reached via Facebook in 2 years. The amount of people we have access to is incredible. We could use these resources in our classrooms to help our children connect with other parts of the world. As future educators, we should be taking advantage of all these fun new technologies. They should be the way we are teaching the students of today.

Based on the "Did You Know?" video alone, it makes me anxious to even see what the classrooms will look like in 2 years when I graduate. My hope is that educators would get excited and want to embrace all the technology and fun new ways to get our students involved. I would love to see classrooms connecting with other classroom across the globe. Also, it would be neat to see teachers connecting with other teachers through these technological advances. The fact that we are preparing children for jobs that do not even exist yet is mind boggling to me. That just shows me that we really have to make use of every new technology. We need to challenge students to try new things and not be afraid. The students need to be taught to experiment and try out new ideas and not be afraid to mess up. They are the biggest part of this unknown future! click here to view this video

The 'Mr. Winkle Wakes' video really made me question whether we are using all the advances that are at our fingertips or are we wasting them? Mr. Winkle was asleep for 100 years and when he wakes and goes out into the world he discovers all the new technologies. He sees them in the business world and in our health centers but when he enters the school system he finds comfort. He finds a place that is boring and calm, with no sign of exciting, new technology. It makes me sad because this is so true of many of our school systems today. We find it imperative that the latest up-to-date technology is used in our health facilities, at work, and even in our extracurricular activities but we don't demand it in our schools. That just doesn't make sense at all.

If we expect children to thrive with the exponential times then we as future educators need to be educating ourselves on all the upcoming technological advances. We need to encourage the use of new things and try them out ourselves. How can we expect children to just sit and learn the "old fashioned way" when all around them things are constantly changing and advancing. We need to be providing ways for them to experience these new resources. The truth is, we shouldn't be incorporating technology into our lessons, we should be incorporating our lessons and education into our use of technology. Why would a child want to sit in a classroom and stare at a white board when they could be taking a virtual field trip or could be interacting with a classroom in Australia. It just makes sense that we would exhaust these resources for the futures of our students. watch it here!

The Importance of Creativity
What a wonderful speech that Ken Robinson gave on the topic of creativity. I loved how I was really challenged to step out of the "teaching thinking" and really embrace the thought of creativity being vital in education. Mr. Robinson makes so many great points in his video that are so true of how teachers can so easily just push creativity aside. He says in the video that children are "educated out of creativity". This is such a sad thought but so true in our school systems. Instead of focusing on areas that children thrive, such as art, theater, painting, drawing, singing, dancing, writing poetry, etc. teachers put all their focus on the subjects that are tested on. This is killing the students creativity and probably making them dislike school. To a child that has so much creativity and just wants to let it out, it must be so hard to sit in a class where they cannot shine in what they are gifted in.

Mr. Robinson makes the point that it is our (educators) job to help them make something of this future. The future is unknown and we are preparing them for the unknown. We need to allow them to be themselves and embrace who they are in every aspect. Doing this, will allow them to flourish in the upcoming future. If we value each child and their own special uniqueness and creativity, then they will be more likely to succeed in the future. Even as teachers we can use so much creativity in our lessons. We have so many resources at our fingertips to make learning fun and exciting and out of the ordinary. I am thankful that Mr. Robinson spoke out about this and I hope that this video and speech really encouraged educators to stop killing creativity and invite it into their classrooms.
Please check out this video and website! It has some really neat stuff and really great teaching materials!

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I wish that every teacher/educator had the motivation that Ms. Vicki Davis has to empower her students through technology. She has taken students in a rural, Georgia community and opened them up to a new world. She has taught them how to explore the digital world and make use of it for educational purposes. She allows them to teach each other, to teach her, and most importantly how to teach themselves. They are learning and ENJOYING it. Ms. Davis makes a great point in the video. She says that with only paper and only pencil that only certain children will succeed. I love that she has made that observation and that she is taking steps to make sure that every child has the opportunity to succeed in her classroom.

Through the digital world, she has connected her classes with the entire world. She has them involved in Digi Teen with digital citizenship and Flat Classroom. These are just a few resources that students have the opportunity to get involved in and have fun learning. Ms. Davis does not try to make the students conform into what she thinks the class should be but instead she customizes each class based on the students. This should be the mindset of all teachers. We should get to know our students and see what all we can do to help them succeed. If that means that we do things that are uncomfortable and new to us then we need to step out and do that. Every step that we can take to help them learn and have fun and feel empowered, we need to take! This website has really fun stuff on it for students and for educators. Check it out! Very useful website!