Blog Post 14

Project 13

My partner and I collaborated on both Project 15 and 16. We have been partners since the first group project and work very well together thanks to you choosing groups. For project 15 we used different ways to communicate without being face to face. We used Google docs to discuss our projects and come up with written lesson plans and final projects options. Google docs made it easy to brainstorm and discuss our ideas. We also used Google Presentation to come up with a slide show to figure out what order we would do our project. For the final project we emailed and texted back and forth to come up with meeting times. For the final project we used imovie and screenflow. Imovie was fairly easy to use but we were not familiar with screenflow. Overall this was a great activity. There were pros and cons to not communicating face to face with partners. The pros are that getting everyone to meet at one time is always difficult. Some cons are it made it difficult to figure out what each other was talking about in a clear way.

Project 16

Project PLN final

In my final PLN I have changed a lot around. For my first PLN I was so focused on filling up the whole thing rather than focusing on what I really use. I have deleted many tiles that where not important. I hope to continue working on my pln using it often and changing it as I progress. Through this class I have learned that being organize and keeping things together is key. Hopefully when I get the hand of this I will be able to use it with my class

Blog Post 13

When I first read this blog post assignment I thought my whole world was going to collapse. No technology is that even possible for me it was not. Throughout this week I have used every source of media you can think of. When I was a kid I went out and played four-square, jump rope, and other outside activities. I received my first cellular device in the 6th grade and that’s where it began. I began gossiping more than often this was before texting was invented. Around that time I also began to watch more television. That became the biggest problem for me I would stay up all night watching cartoons if I could. Still to this day I watch more television than an average adult.
I have realized that when I am bored instead of reaching for a good book I look for the remote and my phone. It makes my mother so mad when she sees the cellular device constantly being checked or at use. She threatens to throw it out often. There are so many reasons I did not complete this task. One I was constantly keeping in touch with my project member. Two I have has projects due in other classes because it is close to finals. Lastly, because of my birthday was this weekend and I did not want to miss any phone calls. I think if we took technology away from children it would feel strange but they will be fine. Some of these students are so eager to learn and as long as the teacher keeps them interested things will work out. This was a great experience and in the future I will try to successfully do this.

Project C4T#4

Technology in Schools Is a Fad. Trust Me.

In this blog post, Mr. Smith gives a sarcastic post about technology being a fad. He states that technology is the “next big thing” like automobiles, fire, batteries, and more. He jokingly says that these things never caught on and neither will technology. Being in
EDM 310 has taught me many different was to use technology efficiently in my future classroom. I believe that instead of many teachers running from technology and labeling it as a fad they should embrace it. Technology is being used everyday in ever way and if teachers don’t get with it they will be lost. Most of today’s communication is via email. As a society we have come a long way from many different changes. What if cars, ink, paper, copiers and other really important things educators need on a daily base were not invented how would your classroom change? Change is apart of life therefore I believe people should just go with it.

Society Has Gotten Too Fast.
In this my last comments for teaching blog post, Mr. Smith writes about society moving way to fast. He basically is telling us that we never stop to smell the cookies or flowers. We are constantly on the go doing the most we can possibly do in a day. I thought back on how my years have been flying by. I recently turned 21 and has yet to realize time is going way to fast. I know I have lazy days but I am constantly checking my phone or watching television. He mentioned that we should pick at least 2 hours where you are doing something that does not relate technology. He picked jogging as his free activity. Mine would be shopping.

Group Project 15 Smartboard Math Lesson

Blog Post 12

1. Watch Using Smartboards in the Classroom
Write a post in which you discuss how you as a future educator can use the smart board in your classroom.
2. Watch Kindergarten Interactive White Board Use
Write a one paragraph post in which you will discuss your thoughts about Mrs. Arslanian video of her kindergarteners interacting with the smart board. .



When I was in school we did not have many smart boards. Most of our work was done on dry erase boards. Sometimes it was difficult to understand the teacher handwriting. In many class we used projection screens with power points but not in math. Math to most people is the hardest subject to teach and learn. In college I took a math class that was done on power point and it was very confusing to most of the students. Although I am very good in math I had to go home and re-teach the lesson to myself. When I took calculus in college we used a smart board. It was so amazing the teacher was able to have outlines of problems while working them out on the screen. It made it easier to see and learn. I believe if you can use smart boards in math they are easily used in any subjects.

After watching Kindergarten Interactive White Board Use I was amazed at how excited the kids were. As a future educator I will love to see how my students interact in the class and enjoy learning. Smart boards are very useful in the classroom in today's society. By connecting the computer to the board you can do almost everything. Most of the teachers today do not know how to use the boards and feel that they are just a waste of money. I believe if teachers will take the time to learn all the different things you can do on them it will broaden there learning abilities. Using technology efficiently creates better teachers and happier students.

Post progress report on Final Project

Sarah and I have discussed several video ideas for our final project. We have not fully decided out of our many choices what our final idea will be. Sarah posted on one of her blog post about making a video on how to schedule EDM work throughout the week and Dr. Strange commented by saying, "That would be a great idea for the final project." We have also discussed a "How To..?" video on one of the tools we have learned to use. If anyone has any comments on which one we should use, please feel free to comment. Thanks in Advance.

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

I agree that schools in the United States systematically destroy the development of curiosity and creativity in students. I believe the first thing that is restricting kids from creativity is politics. When you look into the school system you see that it is being ran by politics that have no clue how to run a classroom. Such as Bush’s project “No Kids Left Behind.” Although I believe no kids should be left behind all kids are not equal. Another reason I believe curiosity and creativity is taking out of the class room is because some of the administrators and teachers are stuck in the past. They are really upset that the technology industry is growing so rapidly. Instead of finding ways to use it efficiently in the classroom they ban it.
I believe there should be technology seminars for all teachers to keep them updated with the rapid progression of technology. This will show teachers new ways of teaching in their classroom while using technology. If teachers would start adding lessons that use technology they will develop a curriculum that increases the curiosity and creativity of their students. I believe the key component to increasing curiosity would be using things such as social networks in an educational way. A prime example of this would be blogging. While being in EDM 310 I have learned so much about technology and things we can use on the internet.
When kids become curious they begin to use their creativity. I believe that most children are still curious about a lot of things but adults are not playing their part. Teachers and parents are the most influential people in a child’s life. Therefore, I believe if they will take the time to answer curious questions students will become more creative. As a future teacher I will use what I learned in this class to help bring out the creativity in all my students. If schools and teachers fully supported the new technology, and try everything they can to make sure our school stays up to date on new techniques and products things will change.

C4K Summary for April

Hannah's Blog Post "Make it Global"

In this blog post, Hannah talks about how the children of Africa die daily from malnutrition, pneumonia, and others. I found it touching that a child her age unselfishly thought about others. I see many children these days in America focused on what they want instead of putting others first. When I was around her age I thought only about Magan not knowing what was going on around the world. As I got older I took part in organizations that focused on helping others in need which changed my view. As a young adult I hope to start a group of my own that will teach kids about giving back at a younger age. While watching television I have come across many infomercials about the children in Africa struggling to survive. Some of them show such gruesome pictures that make me cry. I hope she will continue to think about others and ways to make a difference and inspire others like herself to do so also.

On Hannah's second blog post assignment she made a prezi on her tourist attraction. The place she picked was Los Angeles, California. She stated that there were many different attractions in this city. The place she liked the most was Universal Studios. I personally would have picked this as my first choice. Unfortunately I have never been to the one in California but I have been to the one in Florida. I like this park because the stimulation rides are awesome and the 3D effect makes you feel like you are in the picture. Secondly, she mentioned Santa Monica Pier which I have only seen in movies. There is also Disney Land, I do not understand the difference between Land and World. She also enjoyed shopping, and walking around Hollywood which I am sure was exciting. I was very impressed with her prezi skills since I could not figure it out. I have been to LA but I was too young to remember. After watching her prezi I want to plan a trip to go soon.


On week five challenge Hannah was asked to create a photo gallery. For her photo gallery she decided to use pictures of polar bears. When I first seen the polar bear picture I thought of the Coke commercials during Christmas time. Polar bears are such beautiful large animals. The difference between them and regular bears is that they live in a very cold environment. I wonder how thick there coat of fur really is to keep them from freezing in those extremely low temperatures. I asked Hannah whether or not she lives in a cold town. I think she picked some excellent pictures for her gallery.

Tyrese's New Shoes
For my last comments for kids Ms. Jenny She’s student Tyrese posted a picture about his new pair of shoes. At first I was exited because I love shoes. Above the picture there was a sentence. It said, “My mom bought me these for being a good boy.” When I was in school my mom gave me new things every time my report card came out and I had A’s & B’s. This helped me to keep up the good work. I hope that more parents become involved and help push there children to achieve and do good things. When children are awarded instead of ignored for doing good things it helps them to want to do more and continue to make their family proud.

Blog Post 11

Little Kids...Big Potential
In this video first grade teacher Kathy Cassidy shares her approach to use technology in the classroom. In this video her first grade class explains to us how they as six year- olds use technology. The first thing they talk about is blogging. As a college student I did not know anything about blogging until I enrolled in EDM 310. My sister whom is three years younger than me had to explain to me how to use and what was the purpose. It amazes me how much these six year olds although enjoying writing in books like blogging just as well. They enjoy that other people get to see what they are doing and can comment on the work they post on their blog. It amazes me at this young age how well they know how to use technology and was using those laptops like they were grown ups.
Mrs. Cassidy uses blogs to help the children with their writing skills and as a portfolio of their progress throughout the year. She also teaches them how to use the internet safely and to keep their personal information limited. I love the fact that she allows her students to pick a subject of their choice to work on everyday. Mrs. Cassidy is teaching her first graders how to research things on the internet by using Wiki. I love the fact she uses group video projects that teach them how to work together while using technology. I believe every teacher should start using more technology in the classroom.

Kathy Cassidy Skype Interview
In the Skype interview between Dr. Strange and Mrs. Cassidy, Cassidy answered many questions and gave tips for future educators. The most important tip she gave was to start developing our online networking system. Before this class I already had a facebook, twittter, and many more social networks log-ins. She also states that we should use tools that we find interesting such as Youtube for videos and Flickr for pictures. When I am in my elementary classroom I hope to use several of the same tools Mrs. Cassidy use with her students. I believe blogging is a wonderful way to teach students communicating, writing, sharing, and researching skills in an interesting way. Blogging introduces students to many changes of culture, levels and more. I really want to technology to be a part of my daily lesson plan as an educator. I believe that since technology is around us, why not use it as a way to educate our students, while allowing them to have some fun.

Blog Post 10

Do you Teach or Do you Educate?

Starting off my Journey I did not want to be an educator. As a little girl I always wanted to be a doctor and help people. Even when I got to college I was stuck on that track of mind. Suddenly it hit me, I thought, “Is this what I truly want to spend the rest of my life doing:” In my heart I believe my true career was always there. I have always told my mom after her sickness “I want to help people.” Being a naive young woman I did not think about the other ways I can do so. I see many children that look like they just want someone to listen to them.
Being very active in the Youth department at church, I have been around different age groups. It puts a smile on my face every time I say something that makes them smile. I plan to educate by being not only a teacher but a counselor, and a friend. I see many teachers today that focus on lecturing boring notes rather than getting to know students. There are so many parents out there that are ignoring children instead of reaching out to them. Being noticed and having someone listen when they talk makes a child feel special. Every time I see a child I ask them questions such as “How was your day?”, or “How was school?” I want to be that teacher that put there students learning abilities before the state standards. There are a lot of children just crying for attention and looking for it in the wrong place. I feel if the parents are not taking there part the teacher should try to help ease the situation.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

In the post “Don’t Let Them Take the Pencils Home” there is an argument about why kids should not take them home. I believe Mr. Johnson’s approach to the situation was very well thought of. Instead of making a big fuss about the situation he thought of a more reasonable way to tackle it. Gertrude, the School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialists argues that taking pencils home result to low test scores. How is this true? I believe Tom was right to question Gertrude’s statement after reading one research. I believe that even a game such as hangman can be used as a learning opportunity rather then a waste of time. This game could be easily used as a vocabulary and spelling lesson.
It was funny how he fought the argument with sarcastic reasons, making Gertrude think about what she was saying. Such as not taking pencils home because they will stab themselves in the scrotum or damage of property. This was an excellent way to argue with someone and put them in there place. I think Tom believes that if students can take bubble test using a pencil they should be able to entertain themselves also. Things will not just happen magically why not as future educators we find ways children can learn at home as well as in school and enjoy doing so.

Blog Post 9

What I've Learned 2009

In Joe McClung’s blog post, “What I’ve Learned”, he shares his experience on what he has learned about teaching in the classroom for his first year. In his essay, he mentioned key ideas for beginning teachers. His first thought was telling us to read the crowd; many teachers today only think about what is best for them. As a future teacher I hope to always think about what is best for my students. Secondly, he tells us as teachers we should be flexible. Growing up has taught me that things do not always go as planned. Change is always good. Thirdly, we learned that communication is very important but is the hardest skill to develop. Fourthly, he talks about being reasonable by not setting our expectations to high.
He tells us to don’t be afraid of technology. While being in EDM 310 I have learned great ways to use technology efficiently in my future classroom. Listening to students is very important. Sometimes all children want is to be heard and giving attention. I believe the bond between students and teachers reflect how a student learns in the classroom. Lastly, never stop learning. I believe this goes for any field. I had the pleasure of having a college professor whom was also a psychologist. He told us he has numerous degrees and is constantly taking classes to learn more. I believe the only way you can keep up with this world is to continue learning. Things are changing rapidly and we have to learn new things to make it in this fast
moving life.

What I've Learned 2011

In this blog post McClung talks about his third year of being a positive teacher although faced with many changes. He has gotten comfortable with what he is doing and how to do it the best way he can. He has learned that being an outsider comes with many benefits. He has also learned that everything should be centered on the students. Sometimes teachers will be so worried about serving the administrators that they forget why they are teaching. One thing that stuck out to me was “don’t touch the keyboard”. This made me think back to recently when I was child sitting. My neighbor’s son is in the third grade. One day I was watching him and he had a black history project to do. His task was to look up facts about Jackie Robinson, and put it on the poster board. His mom told me if I could, to get him started. As a college student I wanted so bad to help him when I saw him writing with a pencil all tacky on the board. I left out the room and told him I will be back in ten minutes to see his progress. When I got back he was finish. When his mom came home she was excited to hear that I got him to do his project all by himself. From that moment I felt like I accomplished something.
This just shows that sometimes you have to sit back and let the students struggle to teach them success. Lastly, he talks about not becoming comfortable. Looking inward I can tell that a teaching routine can get boring. As a teacher he learned quickly to become involved in different things to make his time enjoyable. As educators, teachers should be willing to be “movers and shakers” and exceed the traditional demands. I look forward to learning how to change and become an excellent teacher. Reading McClung’s posts have taught me many things that will help me become a great teacher.

Project C4T#3

Netbooks
In this blog post,the Dorothy Burt's students were invited to publish a reflection on their personal blogs about their first year of having their own digital device. There were 90 children from Years 5-8 chosen to respond publicly. For the most part all of them enjoyed having this device. There were some pros such as: it is easier to type then write, I can correct my errors and keep my work clean, I enjoy writing now. There were also cons: The battery died fast, the internet did not work correctly all the time. Most of the children agreed they liked it better then pencil and paper.

I did agree with the teacher by having the children use netbooks in the classroom. Technology is being used everyday around us. Most of the children know how to use cellphones, computers, and other devices better then parents. I believe using technology is a great way to learn. When I was in school I hated writing. Now I type everything, this makes it easier to see my errors and fix them with no mess. As a future educator, I want to find ways to use technology in my classroom.

Got a Blog? Make a book!
In this blog post, Dorothy Burt talked about turning a blog page into a book. At first I thought this was a strange idea. After reading why she did it I realized this was a great opportunity for everyone. As a beginner blogger I do not know how to do all of the things to make an excellent blog page. This class has taught me many different things about blogging. I hope to continue blogging and learning from other blog pages. I think it is great to be able to use technology such as this to communicate and learn from others. I will be teaching my future students how to blog efficiently and to learn as well. I hope to someday be able to print my blog page and make it into a book for others to read. Although the multimedia part of the blog will not work in the book, text is just as important. This idea is great for sharing your accomplishments with family and friends.

C4K Summary for March

Class Blog on Titanic
The world's interest in the fascinating history of Titanic has endured for 100 years. April 15, 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic ship and although it has been a century since the infamous luxury liner sank in the Atlantic Ocean, there continues to be a thirst for information regarding Titanic facts, myths and legends.
In this blog post, Simon McLoughlin's 4th grade class wrote facts on the Titanic. It was interesting because Brandon told me the exact day and time the Titanic sunk.
When the Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage the world was filled with hope and awe. In just a few short days those emotions turned to horror and grief. When the ship sank, the lives of both the famous and the unknown were lost as well.
I was happy to read about this because the movie will be returning to theaters on April 4th in 3D. The movie Titanic was originally released in December 1997. Although this is a very long movie I will be there to see it. This movie which is based on the true event is very touching, with a love story that will touch your heart. I hope everyone goes to see it again.

Project # 14 SmartBoard Part 1

Blog Post 8

This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2

In this video Dr. Richard E. Miller discusses how writing is changing. He starts by telling us how important reading and writing is and how he beginned his career. He is an English professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He is the author of As if Learning Mattered: Reforming Higher Education (1998) and Writing at the End of the World (2005). He also, published many articles and videos such as This Is How We Dream. His current issue is “the end of privacy" and how education is being changed as a result of hand-held devices that enable instant publication and global distribution of anything that can be seen or heard.

This video tells us how teaching has changed and will only continue moving forward. I recently read a blog post about children between the ages 5-8 given netbooks to see there reaction. It amazed me that just by giving them their own personal computer they enjoyed writing more. Even to this day I have always hated writing. It was hard for me to see my mistakes, to keep my paper clean, and to read my own writing. Using word processing software such as Word helps me to organize, type fast, and finish my work much faster. So what does this mean to the children? Do you wonder if they will ever write with pencil and paper again?

These are questions we as educators have to figure out. Yes, I understand how easy it is to use technology, but I see children that do not know how to use the telephone book. I believe the way teachers, parents, and others are going about this technology is a little wrong. I love my technology but sometimes we all need to learn how to pick up pencil and paper. I have been to stores when the system is down and the workers become confused. Although technology has always been around in my life; I still know how to use things when it is not available. What if one day the internet crash globally what will we do then?

Carly Pugh's Blog post 12
Carly Pugh is a student at the University of South Alabama, who published an outstanding post on her EDM 310 blog post assignment. She created a playlist of YouTube videos that defined her teaching of philosophy. Her idea was to show her beliefs as a teacher and what she expects from her future students. After reading and watching Carly’s post I saw many similarities as well as differences. I feel like in Carly’s post she approached to teaching by integrating technology such as blogging, podcasting, and others along with written essays and reports. Dr. Miller to me focused on just technology based activities. I am leaning more to Carly’s philosophy of teaching. I love technology but we should teach kids the traditional things too. I think using modern and traditional teaching philosophy will create better teachers which develop better learners.

Chipper Series &
EDM 310 for Dummies
The Chipper Series was really funny. Chipper is a student who thought she could play the system and breeze through without doing the work. She like most people is just looking for the easy way out of things. She does not believe in deadlines and does things the way she wants. We all know that life is not easy. There will be times when you are stuck and things will not always go as planned. To be successful in the real world takes patients, handwork, and willingness. In the end Chipper finally realize she was going about a career the wrong way and sees how EDM 310 helped.
In Edm 310 for dummies I really understood how these ladies were feeling. This class is really not hard but isn’t easy either. I find it to be very stressfully sometimes because it requires so much attention. At the beginning of the semester Dr. Strange informed us that we will need at least 9hrs a week. At first I thought he was bluffing but this is true sometimes it requires more. I can now do so many things using technology that I would have never knew about. I think this class is awesome.
While watching assigned videos, I have learned a lot about how to create and use other technology to create a video. The videos created have been useful to my success in EDM 310. I would love to be able to create a Prezi of my own which I have not mastered yet.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
It is definitely time for a change in education. This video is comprised with many knowledgeable educators. Education is raked 55 by its level of IT intensiveness. That shows you how much the education system needs to step up to the new way of learning. As an aspiring teacher, I can’t wait to step up in a classroom of my own and make a change. I want to be the teacher that not only the children enjoy, but an inspiration to them. I see so many kids that are scared to dream, and believe they will never amount to anything.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0
1.
The Student Circle is a social network site that I found for students, teachers,and institutions. I joined the site finding that it is similar to facebook. It was started in Kyrenia-area in 2010 as an educational social network for college and high school students. It provides free course resources and materials, live teacher help to students, scholarship offers, study groups and many more students services.
2.
The comic Strip

3.
Poll Everywhere

Replace your audience response systems with Poll Everywhere

Project 11

Project 12 Book Trailer.

Blog Post 7

Wendy Drexler: The Networked Studentt

In the Wendy Drexler video The Networked Student, you can see how networking is a great way for student to learn. Her high school students completed an amazing very interesting project. This project was a way for them to enjoy learning. Technology will be the base of all learning now. Most students will go to the computer before looking up something in a book. We as future educators should teach our youth how to use different websites on the internet. Teaching our students how to be computer literate enables them to find information and connect with others. It amazes me what all we can do with technology. I remember when the only way we could find out things was through boring books and talking to teachers. By using the internet even shy students will be able to stay in contact with many different people. Students will be able to get in touch with scientist, doctors, and more. As a future teacher I have learned that most of my teaching will be teaching our students how to use the internet efficiently. I want to be able to teach my students how to be independent, responsible learners. I am all for changing the way we learn. I think back to high school when I dreaded going to history. I never saw the point of the class. We lectured every day and did one long research paper as a project. I want to find ways for my students to enjoy all subjects and use technology to keep them interested. Communicating with other classroom and making big projects with others all across the world and changing ideas sounds like a great plan.

PLE

A 7th grade student shows us how she uses her PLE, Personal Learning Environment in a video. She created her PLN using Symbaloo, which is the same site I used to create my PLN. She has hers well organized with everything convent for her use. It was amazing what all she included in her PLN. All the information she needed for different projects were there. I believe that your PLN changes as your life goes. There will be things you need everyday and things you will only use once. I believe using this method in the classroom will make it interesting to get the class involve. They will enjoy changing the colors and organizing the tiles. I think this will be an easy way for parents, and teachers to teach there kid how to use the internet at a young age. Furthermore, I believe PLN is a tool to help students become responsible, independent learners with technology.

Project 10 PLN

First Progress Report
By using Symbaloo I created my first PLN. At first I did not know what the purpose of this project was. I have heard about Pinterest from a friend and it remeinded me of it. I never understood that site so I did not use it. When I was filling in the blanks I did not know what I was adding. After thinking about what mold me and my likes it became easy. Before I knew it I had covered the entire thing with more ideas in my head. The things that I use the most are all included such as; shopping places, Facebook, twitter, calculators and more.I have listed my schools where I am in contact with some teachers. This was an amazing opportunity for me to organize all the things I use the most at my fingertips. I will continue changing and rearranging my Webmix and pass it on to my friends.

Project 9b Timeline

project 3 C4T#2

Learning Theory is not Pedagogy
In this blog, Mr. Kruse talks about a Theories of learning. The one he focused on was Constructivism. I disagree with this type of teaching because I believe it is not fair. Constructivism talks about the desire a leaner has to lean new material. Most young people today are lazy. I sit back and watch how the desire to do things they want and most do not include education. The youth now only focus on fast money not finding something that will help in the long run. A lot of the youth today are very intelligent but do not take the time to educate themselves. Therefore, I believe us as parents, family, educators to not just let them learn what they desire but to push them into bigger things. I am not saying push them into things they do not like, but show them how to be well rounded. I believe every child has a chance to do anything but if they do not know they will not desire.

Preservice Teachers as Users and Producers of Technology
In this blog post, Mr. Kruse talks about technology in the classroom. When reading this post I thought about our class. In EDM 310 we as future educators are doing exactly what Mr. Kruse wants. He wants all teachers to be able to use the technology we have in our classroom. Before entering this classroom I thought I knew all I needed to know about technology. I was wrong! I have learned things I have never knew existed. Such as: Blogs, Podcast, PLN,s, and more. Because technology is evolving so rapidly I believe not just educators but everyone should know how to use these things. This class is amazing and I look forward to learning more about what technology can bring to my future classroom.

Blog Post 6

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

Randy Pausch delivered an amazing speech titled “Last Lecture-Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” On September 18, 2007, he stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University and talked about achieving childhood dreams. He started the presentations with slides of his CT scan about his pancreas cancer that will kill him soon. On that stage you could never tell he was fighting cancer. He was energetic, youthful, cheerful, and very funny. He seemed to be like Captain Kirk invincible. Unfortunately, as tough as he fought the cancer took his life July 25th, 2008.

In his lecture he talked about his childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned. During his childhood he dreamed big about going somewhere, meeting amazing people, and doing great things. As a football fan going in the NFL seems like a wonderful goal. Training to get there he met positive, caring coaches. One thing he learned was to never give up and take any criticism given. He gained enthusiasm and fundamentals for living and successful life. He also learned that hard work pays off.

“Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Although he was not able to do everything he dreamed he found better dreams. Wanting to be an imaginer at Disney land was the biggest, but he got turned down. As a determined young man he never let the brick wall block him. Pausch fought down every wall and even with rejections he found a way to get close to his dream job.

As a future educator, like Pausch I believe every child should dream big. He taught kids through technology that learning does not have to be boring. With his class “Building Virtual Worlds” he enabled college students to think out the box and do something they never did before. He was amazed at the outcome; this shows you how amazing students can be when doing things they aren’t use to and learning while doing them. I to want to find ways to get my students involved without dreading doing the work, and coming up with ways that teach them how to stay focused while working with peers. This world is growing because minds are being put together. One person alone cannot do everything. Left and right brains are needed to develop bigger, better projects.

To get where he was it took many different people. With the help of parents, mentors, students, friends, and colleagues he became a phenomenon with a legacy that will live on forever. One quote that stuck with me was

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture.

After listing to this lecture I learned that no matter what obstacles faced I should dream bigger and fight harder. I will continue encouraging any youth in my path to do the same. I have a quote in my room that I look at every day. I will put it in my classroom to encourage my students. It says “ Dream, as if you’ll live forever Live, as if you’ll only have today.” In the words of Pausch “Are you a Tigger or an Eyore?”

Podcast Project 8 Group E.M.S

C4K Summary for February

Yengshi's Blog
Class Blog
My first comment for kid was a student named Yengshi. He wrote a scary story about him and his friends going down a dirt road. They became lost and passed by an old, empty house with a loud screeching sound. They were able to get away after finding a gas station nearby. The man at the station told them that a lady died in front of the house. I told him about my experience going down a dirt road and getting lost. Also, I mentioned he should have added a scarier part to the story by having the ghost of the lady appear. It was a great story and I enjoyed the pictures that helped you visualize the story.

Sill's Blog
My second comment for kid was a student named Sill. He wrote down some of the spells he remembered from his favorite movies Harry Potter. I have seen all the movies and do not remember one spell. It amazes me how incredible some of these kids are. The spell that stood out to me was Episkey it means to heal someone. I have no powers but seeing people suffer hurts me and to lift them from the pain would be awesome. Although, the series is over I will continue supporting and watching all of the movies over again.

Anna's Amazing learners
My third comment for kid was a classroom of five- years old from New Zealand. They were such amazing five-years old because they knew many vegetables. At their school they have a Kitchen Garden where they grow many vegetables. In this post they showed pictures of onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and a pumpkin. What amazed me the most was their zucchini. I know many adults that do not know what a zucchini is and definitely do not know it is a vegetable. They had big smiles on their faces which made me excited because they are learning things outside of the classroom and enjoying it.

Lol Pics
My fourth comment for kid was a student in the fifth grade. He decided to write a poem on his messy room. What astonished me the most was he was able to rhyme within his poem. Reading this post reminded me of my younger sister. My mom fuss and write notes everyday about clothes being on the floor. In his poem he talks about how toys were on the floor and his mom screaming as loud as she can. His ending was great because he was being honest by saying,
"The reason I like my messy room,

With stuff
laying all over,

Is because
I’m too lazy to use

A broom."

Blog Post 5

Don’t teach your kids this stuff. Please?
In this blog post, Dr. Mcleod criticizes people views about technology. When I read it the first time I thought he was all against technology. After rereading it I realized he was stating facts on why people hate technology, but he still lets his children do things. I like the fact he says he does the things with them. Most parents do not know what their children are doing on the computer because they do not pay attention. I agree that technology is very useful if used for the right things. My parents were against facebook, after hearing bad things on the news. After realizing there was no way to take it away the checked on us often when we got online.Dr. Mcleod is the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky, as well as, the Founding Director of UCEA CASTLE.

The iSchool Initiative
In his Youtube video, Travis Allen talks about his great change to the iTouch. The name is the iSchool. In 2009 I was also a senior in high school but technology was not on my mind. Technology was never that important to me. I did not know what facebook was or how to use it. I believe that Travis is a very intelligent young man. I am sure that some schools are already trying to take the initiative and convert from books and paper to iPads, as well as, MacBooks. All of these products are created by Apple. I personally do not have an iPhone, iTouch, or iPad. I do not know how to use any of them or the Macbooks. Although I want to invest in an ipad it is way to expensive. I think it is way too expensive to supply every child an iSchool. I do not think it will be fair for some students to have them and others do not. I know there are thousands of new apps created to help improve and assist students, teachers and other professionals within our school system.
In his video, he discussed how our school system can save money and at the same time allow students, teachers and parents all access to the student's work, assignments, school events, test scores and more. Travis' proposal is for every student to own and use the iSchool in place of books, pens, calculators, planners & other required school materials. By using this technology, schools would save on average about $500 per student. He states this will help schools become more "GREEN" friendly, but would also be a great opportunity for schools to put money back into the system. It would be great if schools could hire more teachers, instead of laying so many off and continue to overcrowd classrooms. I look forward to see how far this idea goes.

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
When I first saw the assignment I was so lost. A Virtual choir, really! I When I pressed play I noticed that everyone was on their own computer with Whitacre directing through his. What amazed me was how amazing they sound. I am in the youth choir at my church and even on our good days we do not sound that good. It is amazing what all you can do with a computer and I would have never thought you could form a choir. Eric Whitacre is a well-known composer and public speaker. Although not my type of music the performance “Lux Aurumque” was enjoyable. The choir contains 185 singers from 12 different countries. I am still trying to figure out how their voices harmonized and synchronized. It is still hard to believe that you can put such incredible work together. Technology is really incredible bravo to Mr. Whitarce for putting that much time into his performance.

Teaching in the 21st Century
What does it mean to teach in the 21st century? As a future educator I believe a lot will change. The use of technology is slowly taking over the old ways. Pens, Paper, and books are no longer needed. I google search anything I need on a project or for class. If teachers say we can only use books I search through the electronic library. Text books cost a fortune in college and most of the time we never open the book. My smartphone makes life even easier, whenever I want to find out something I can with a touch. It is amazing how much you can do with technology and it is changing the world. The people before us think it is killing us, but it is actually making the generation smarter. What took them years, takes us seconds. With what we know now, it amaze me to think about what generations to come will know. I think teachers should focus on embracing technology. Finding ways to engage our youth with something they enjoy will benefit us all. Watching this had me thinking about so much. Like how will I ever know how to use all this technology coming at us? I would not say I am technology illiterate but I do not know a lot.

Reading Rockets
The Reading Rockets is celebrating their 10 year anniversary for launching readers. When I first got on the website I saw the little boy actually flipping pages which would be appealing to young readers. This website contains so much information. As a future educator this website would be very useful. It keeps you up with the latest reading news and classroom strategies. I liked that since it is Black History Month it shows you different resources for very import African Americans that made and making a difference. You can find stories, biography, activities, videos and more on writers, poets and illustrators. It also can show you how to teach reading in the class room and give you reading guides.
As a child watching things have always made it easier for me to understand. On this website you can find podcast, videos, and PBS shows. There are many people that have comprehension problems like me. Even as an adult after reading a chapter it is hard for me to remember what happened. On this website it shows different apps that could help students. After being forced to read in middle, and high school, and not knowing how to comprehend I really do not enjoy reading. I really want to be able to pick up a book and finish it instead of putting it down. I believe if we help the children young this will encourage them to want to read. This website is even better because it is not just for teachers. There are different tabs of information for parents, principals, librarians and others. Since Spanish is the second language in America you can even read stuff in Spanish. I think more websites like this one should be used by many because it takes a village to raise a child.

Project 9a Timeline

Blog Post 4

the Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom by Joe Dale
In this blog post, teacher Joe Dale shares a video provided by YouTube on the Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom. It talked about the most beneficial points for introducing podcasting in the classroom. Podcasting is a good way to interact with students outside the classroom. Podcasting is an innovative way for educators to engage students with project based learning environments. Technology is the source of all leaning, therefore, different technology-based programs should be used when teaching students. Another great benefit of podcasting is that it allows parents to interact with their children and know what they are doing in the classroom. While, being a student at the University of Alabama most of my professors used podcasting which made it easier for me to obtain the information learned in class.

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection
Judy on her blog post explains to us, what is podcasting and where it came from? Within her collection there is a video showing step-by-step instructions on how to create a podcast using Audacity. She gives ideas on projects and time schedules. She tells you the required materials such as a microphone, computer, and free software. She briefly explains the benefits of podcasting in education and the tips for succeeding. Judy has provide a lot of information on podcasting, and her information is very helpful to someone who has never done a podcast before.

Flat Stanley
On Silvia Tolisanso’s blog she provided resourses on teaching techniques. One of her classroom activities was Flat Stanley. After listening I was amazed at how incredible those first grade students were. They seemed so exited about learning in that manner. The Flat Stanley project is a project where students mail out Stanley, a paper boy, to different places around the world. The person that receives him takes him around and takes pictures of every event. The students then discuss their Stanley’s adventure to the class. I have had the pleasure to meet a Stanley. A lady at church granddaughter sent her Stanley to Mobile. He went to church, to the Exploreum, and many other places. I thought it was weird at first a 60yr old woman walking around with a paper boy! After finding out what it was for I thought it was an amazing activity. Most students never see outside of their own city, to be able to see the world through a project is amazing.

Project #6 My Sentence Movie

Project 5 Presentation

Blog Post 3

Technology in Special Education
In this video, Mrs. Cook shows us how she is able to use the technology we have today in her classroom. As a special education teacher she shows us that communicating with her students can be a lot easier when adding technology. Most of her students agreed that using technology has helped them do better in the classroom. Mrs. Cook also mentioned that she is able to understand her students more and build a relationship with them. Teaching special education students can be a challenge; technology can help the teacher as well as the student get through the task.
One of the ladies at my church is a special needs teacher. She tells me often how she use technology everyday with her students. Also, she explained to me that using technology such as the computer comes more natural to them. She being an older teacher is not technology illiterate therefore, her students teach her also. I think it is amazing what all technology can do. Before, special education students were separated from the normal children. Using technology will help them feel included and can also teach the other students about helping their classmates.

How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism
When looking for an app that will be good to use in a special needs class I stumbled upon Injini. It contains a collection of learning games to toddlers with cognitive, language, and fine motor delays. It is a game designed for special needs students to have fun and practice fine motor skills at the same time. This app could easily be used in the class room because it contains most of the learning skills used in early childhood education.
Kindergarten through second grade is the base for student's learning abilities. Enhancing the children's fine motor skills, language skills, understanding of cause and effect, spatial awareness, memory and visual processing helps them to be able to retain what they learn. This could be easily turned into a group project to help the students work together and communicate, as well as working on their own.




Gary's Social Media Count

In Gary’s social Media Count is shows how drastically the numbers change every second. People are using technology in so many different ways to be socially connected to anyone around the world. My fisrt thought after seeing this was, “How did the people before us survive?” I am a 21 year old student and I am constantly sending a text, checking facebook and tweeting. I have had a cellular device for ten years and I have seen them change so fast. In six grade all I knew how to do was dial a number, now I can easily do anything I want on my smartphone.
My mother thinks that technology has ruined our generation, but I think the opposite. Yes, we are so use to calculators that we can not add basic math, but technology has save more lives now then ever. Like everything in this world I believe there are pros and cons but we should make the best of what we have. I enjoy using my technology, it helps with my school work and makes learning much easier. Using facebook helped me to connect with my friends, family that live across the world, and meet new people.

A vision of Students Today
As a future teacher looking in, I feel that some people are not doing their job right. One of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher is to actually get our children ready for the world. I believe that some of these teachers are not teaching the best of their abilities. Many of the teachers are being lazy and not doing what they are paid. Yes, I realize some of them are upset that they do not get paid enough to do what they are doing. Yes, I do believe that the teacher’s pay should be more, but does that mean we sell our kids short.
In the end, they are the ones that will be taking care of us and we are not preparing them well enough. I know so many children that can not stand math. I believe basic math is one of the most important subjects in the classroom. They are so use to digital that they can not tell time on a regular clock. Instead of having regular clocks most schools have digital to make it easier. Most of the schools in Mobile County have smart boards. Please explain to me why a math teacher needs a smartboard. When my teacher stood in front of either a chalkboard or dry erase and explained to me what goes next, I was able to retain the information much easier. Now these teachers are so lazy that the put the steps on a powerpoint and waiting for the class to copy them instead of teaching.
When you talk about Universities it is another category of laziness. I have been in classes where the teacher reads their power point notes and expecet your to remember everything for the test. I believe this is the worse method of learning. First, it makes the classroom so boring that no one wants to pay attention. Secondly, students say, “they are on the website so why pay attention in class or even come.” Most of the books I have purchased were never opened because I did not know where to start. I believe that teachers should take the time and find a method that works not for ten students but all.

Project 3 C4T#1

A Unique Way of Keeping Track of Reality
Jenna's Blog

Perception is the Key to Survival

In this blog post Jenna Bentley talks about how we as people look at the wrong in our lives such, as a problems instead of just living. She talked about a man name Pi and how he was devoted to his religion and fought for his life daily. He loved his life and only focused on living for his family and God. Things changed when he almost did not make it. He was on a life boat mentally giving up and lost his will to fight. She talked about how we as humans get tired of fighting and want to give up. Pi received his second chance from the greater power therefore we all should believe. From my personal experience I have hit a rock in my life. At first I did not know what to do but things are slowly falling in place. I have learned that change is not giving up it is making life fit you. I believe in second changes and I will continue to fight and be strong because giving up to me is weakness and I am not weak.

Recipe For Defeating Fear
In this blog post Jenna Bentley talks about how Pi defeated his fear. Defeating fear has always been a struggle for me. Unlike Pi I try to find ways to back out of things thinking about what could go wrong. I would love to be as strong as Pi and make a decision to survive. I enjoyed reading about Pi and it gave me courage to move on. When I made the decision to transfer to South I was scared. Instead of thinking about what was best for me I thought about what people would think. I stressed myself out going back and forth with what to do. Finally, I conquered my fear and realized that this is my life. I am the one that has to live with the choices I make and I made one.

Blog Post 2

Did You Know? 3.0
I Realize that technology is changing our world so quickly. I did not realize that things were changing as fast as they actually are. English is progressing very fast around the world. In my sophomore year I had a Japanese roommate. It was such an awesome experience she only was my roommate for 3 weeks. She took an english program, although her engilsh was not great she was learning very fast. I realized while at the University how many Asisans and Indians were enrolled and most of them spoke english better then people i knew.
It is amazing how technology is allowing us to talk to many different people from all the across the world. When I was in six grade I recieved my first cellauar device. Most of the time I just used it to contact my parents after school programs. Now I can do so much with this little device such as emails, transfer money, with the touch of a finger. Now I meet five year olds walking around with cell phones and knows how to use them better then I do. It is amazing how my students will not know much about how to look in an actual book to find things and how to do basic math without a caculator. As stated in Did You Know things will continue to progress even more as technology gets bigger.


Mr. Winkle Wakes
While watching this video I stumble upon the the date. It is February 3, 2012 this video was made in 2008. If Mr. Wrinkle woke up today he would be totally amazed. Four years ago things were just starting off. Of course jobs and hospital were the first place to pick up most of the "machines" meaning technology. Now Things are progressing faster then ever. I recently attended The University of Alabama where technology was every where. The whole university meaning everywhere on campus contained many Mac computers. Looking up the prices I have realized those are the most expensive computers out there. Every teacher owned an Ipad, there were enough computers on campus for every freshmen to use. To take quizzes and for student participation we used clickers just another form of technology.
One of my church members is an elementary student at O'Rouke. She recently got a computer in her house just to help her in the classroom. She asked me to come tutor her how to do some stuff that will help her get around it easier. She informed me that most of the things students do are now on the computer. She said that sometimes she has to help kindergartners take test on the computer. When I think back to when I was in kindergarten the only electronic we had in the room was a big television and a VCR. At the Mobile County schools most classrooms have a SmartBoard and most of the students can use it better then the teachers. This shows us how things have changed.

The Importance of Creativity
Mr. Robinson talks about how deep educations is to most people. It is so important because it takes us into the future. He talks about how talented kids are but creativity is being taken out of student's education. He told a story of a little girl drawing a picture of God and how her picture is how he really looks. Sometimes kids need to be wrong to learn what is right. Kids are growing up so afraid of being wrong and making mistakes are not good. The most usefully subjects were on top but now the world is changing.
It is amazing how far education has come. Before people dropped out of school to get a job. When my parents growing up just graduating from high school guaranteed them a job. Now a days just having a Bachelors degree is not enough, most jobs require a Masters. I think that we should change how educations is forced on everyone. Some children can not handle college but we should not make them feel like they are not important or not smart. Children are very sensitive therefore I believe we should bring creativity back into the classrooms. We should help children that being wrong or making mistakes is not the end of the world but a way to become better.


A Vision for 21st Century Learning
Our World is different from any before. We learn more and we do things different. Now our Kindergartners are learning how to use computers in class on a daily base. Gaming devices are used instead of going outside and playing. What if we could learn things virtually.We are so use to learning things through the burp back method but what if things could change. Kids learning so much faster with a hands on approach rather then being lectured all day.
So what if the did come up with a virtual way for kids to understand history. What if they could experience being there when The United States was established. What if they can tour over seas without looking at just pictures. History was always my least favorite subject. Talking about old things that had nothing to do with my day and age was always useless to me. If there was a way to making learning about the wars that were fought to change the world, or important dates to remember I would be the first interested. With all the technology out there I believe this is the century that will make that happen.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smart
EDM 310 is such a different class but I feel as it is just as important as some of my main classes. When I first started this class I did not realize what we would be doing. I thought it was going to be a boring read notes and apply them later kind of class. I thought I was doing pretty good with knowing how to use technology but this class has showed me I was not. Yes I have a twitter and Facebook but I only use them to keep up with my friends. I have heard of a Blog and been on a couple of pages but I did not know what it was used for and certainly how to use it.
I believe this class should be required for all college students no matter what major you are in. To be able to take advantage of all the technology we have and will have is important. Like Davis I believe our students should learn how to use the technology young rather then keeping it away. I agree with her that most teachers are trying to keep technology out of schools. If they embrace it and find away to make it useful in there classroom they will see how beneficial it really is.

Project 2

Blog Post 1

About Me

Hi my name is Magan Crum. I am from Mobile, Alabama. I graduated from Davidson High school class of 2009. I have two very hardworking, wonderful parents that are always there for me whenever I need them. I consider my mother as not only a parent but as my bestfriend. We continue to be there for one another when things go wrong. I have two siblings an older brother whom is in the Navy, and a younger sister whom will be graduating from Davidson this May. After graduating from high school I left Mobile and went to the University of Alabama to major in Biology to pursue my dream of being a pharmacist.
My time at UA although was fun during football season did not help me complete my goals. Therefore I decided I needed a fresh start to figure out what I really wanted to do. I transferred to South this semester with a new attitude and a new major. I picked Early-childhood education because although being a doctor will bring me a lot of money I was not happy during the process of getting there. I always wanted to be a teacher because I love being around children. Yes they can be a handful but I feel we can learn from them and teach them things they will need in life. Growing up I always wanted to do something that involves helping others therefore I believe this is the next best thing. Getting our youth prepared for life is really important to me.



Randy Pausch on Time Management

While watching this video I realized my time management skills are terrible. Growing up I was forced to use planners and finds ways to keep up with my things but I never did. When I got to college I realized how important time management really was. Juggling different things around such as school, homework, work, and extra actives can be a challenge. The planner still does not work for me but I have found other ways to help. I recently purchased a dry erase calendar and I start planning things out on it day by day, therefore it can easily be erased and changed. I also bought just a regular dry erase board to write down my to-do list and I actually check things off when I am done which makes me feel accomplished. I am still working on completing goals but I realize doing things the right way is what is best for me and money should not be one of the reason I am doing something.

Practice Post

My first post.