In the YouTube video, Do you Teach or Do You Educate?, it explains the difference between being a teacher and being an educator. They start off by giving the verb form of "teach"-"(1) Show or explain how to do something. (2) Encourage someone to accept as a fact or principle. (3) Give information about or instruction in. (4) Cause someone to learn or understand something. (5) Induce by example or punishment to do or not to do something. These things all sound great until you actually think about the difference in that and and educator. The video then gives some examples of what an educator should be. "(1) One who gives intellectual moral and social instruction. (2) A mentor. (3) An experienced and trusted advisor. (4) To guide a person. (5) Who advises and shows the way.
I never really thought about the differences in the two words until now. After reading the definition of a "teacher" though, it seems like everyone, including myself, is and has been a teacher in their life. I work in a nursery and I am able to play with younger children quite often. Naming colors, numbers, letters, and shapes are a daily thing in this class. I suppose I am already considered a teacher since I show and explain how to do something. When I am with my friends, I might help them learn or understand something too. Everyone is a teacher at times. It takes someone different to be an educator though. Now that I think about it, I have wanted to be an educator (not a teacher) this whole time. When I was in high school, I had an amazing "educator." She was someone I looked up to and made me want to learn. Although she was my Journalism and English teacher, she taught me a lot more than that. She taught how to handle life situations and even helped me understand history better. She was someone I trusted; I think this is what an educator should be and I hope to fit all the definitions of an educator.
In Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!, he has a conversation going with Gertrude, the School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist. I will admit, this blog post was a little bit confusing to understand at first. After rereading it, I believe I understand the point of this post. Obviously the two people were not really talking about pencils, but technology. Gertrude tells Tom that his students are not allowed to take home "pencils." Tom mentions that there is no danger to the children and he's talked to the parents about damage property. Gertrude tells Tom that it is because those that take home pencils have lower standardized test scores. Tom argues with her that a bubble test does not prove their knowledge. Tom then talks about how many parents who do not use pencils at their work believe it is just a toy, but he can fix that and show them ways their children can learn with pencils. Gertrude then argues that the children will still go home and play hang-man and other games with their pencils when they are done with their assignments. Tom argues that is okay because there is probably some kind of learning going on through the games. Gertrude then says, "Okay, you keep telling yourself that, but don't blame me when your test scores are lower." Tom then points out the use of "your" in this sentence.
After having my mind replace "pencils" in this sentence with "computers" this was a cute post that made perfect sense.Tom first tells that they cannot physically hurt the children and that parents have signed a form for property damage. Gertrude talks about how children will just play on the computers and their test scores will be lower. She believes they will just play games on the computers the whole time and not learn anything. Tom states his ideas on how to get the parents involved and how playing games is probably giving some kind of knowledge without us knowing. Gertrude is too concerned about the test scores for the school and not that the children are learning. The whole point of this post is to show people that students taking home computers will help them learn in great ways. They might play games, but that's okay. They will learn more by taking their "pencils" home. Their parents can become involved and learn ways to help their children learn with this technology.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
C4T # 2
For the past two weeks I read David Warlick's blog called, 2cents Worth. The first blog post I read from him he wrote about his trip to an "unconference session." He mentioned how he got into groups with other teachers and he was shocked every time someone said, "Our students need this skill." He focused on the world "skill." He makes a point that this teachers are right, but perhaps the word "habits" is better. He says, "But it seems to me that a large and explicit part of 21st century learning and the transformed classroom is the notion that skills must become habits. We need to teach our students important skills, but we need to also craft and cultivate learning environments and experiences where learners are constantly provoked to use those skills as part of their learning practice. We need to instill a learning lifestyle."
I enjoyed reading this from him. Students have many skills, but they need to turn these skills into habits in order to succeed. I left him a comment telling him how I agree with him. I mentioned how I also used the word "skill" without actually taking into consideration about the word "habit."
He had not updated his blog this week so I had to go back and find an interesting post. I read one about his thoughts of Steve Jobs. I also read one about a game idea he came up with; this is the blog I left a comment on. He talked about how a few summers ago his daughter was in the hospital. His daughter ran a restruant and had to do many things on her iphone to make it run. He then came up with a game idea. Instead of children playing a game about running a restruant, they could play a game about running and maintaining a school. The player could add on the school by adding a library, gym, labs, or updating a classroom. They would have to budget the school and add courses and hire teachers. He made it clear that to "win" in the game it was not about the highest test scores. Instead, to win your school would graduate to the "next Winton Marsellas, a team of biologists who cure cancer, the next Kurt Vontegut or the staff of an award winning trend-zine." He hopes that having a game like this might help change schools in real life.
I left Mr. Warlick a comment on this blog. My comment talked about how much I wish this game existed. "Adults might see how much change is needed in today’s school. Younger children playing the game might see how important school is and what they can become with a great education. Future teachers playing the game would see what is really important for their students."
I enjoyed reading this from him. Students have many skills, but they need to turn these skills into habits in order to succeed. I left him a comment telling him how I agree with him. I mentioned how I also used the word "skill" without actually taking into consideration about the word "habit."
He had not updated his blog this week so I had to go back and find an interesting post. I read one about his thoughts of Steve Jobs. I also read one about a game idea he came up with; this is the blog I left a comment on. He talked about how a few summers ago his daughter was in the hospital. His daughter ran a restruant and had to do many things on her iphone to make it run. He then came up with a game idea. Instead of children playing a game about running a restruant, they could play a game about running and maintaining a school. The player could add on the school by adding a library, gym, labs, or updating a classroom. They would have to budget the school and add courses and hire teachers. He made it clear that to "win" in the game it was not about the highest test scores. Instead, to win your school would graduate to the "next Winton Marsellas, a team of biologists who cure cancer, the next Kurt Vontegut or the staff of an award winning trend-zine." He hopes that having a game like this might help change schools in real life.
I left Mr. Warlick a comment on this blog. My comment talked about how much I wish this game existed. "Adults might see how much change is needed in today’s school. Younger children playing the game might see how important school is and what they can become with a great education. Future teachers playing the game would see what is really important for their students."
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Blog Assignment # 9
I first read Mr. Joe McClung's blog post from What I've Learned This Year from 2009. I thought it was be interesting to read about his first year teaching. McClung is an elementary school teacher from Noel, Missouri.
His first advice is to make sure you concentrate on the lesson you are giving. He talks about how when he was student teaching he was more concerned on how to delivered his message so that he could impress his supervisors. He states that you need to focus more on the students though. I completely agree with this, but this is a hard one. When student teaching, most teachers just want to pass and get through. They are nervous the whole time the are teaching because they are being graded. It is important though to remember WHY you are teaching though. Surely if you teach to the students then you will end up succeeding no matter what.
His next advice is to be flexible in your lesson plans. He says, "No lesson is ever perfect. The lesson you teach and the one you plan are always different." Most teachers, especially first years, try to control everything. If you have control in the classroom then you are doing a good job. This isn't true though. If a student isn't learning your lesson plan a certain way, then change it.
He also says it is important to communicate with students and other teachers.
Being reasonable is another piece of advice. He believes we should not set expectations for our students because we will become disappointed if they fail. He says, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again."
Another piece of advice he gives is to not be afraid of technology. A lot of people are scared of using technology, but just try experimenting with it.
Listening to your students is something he recommends as well. It's important to get to know your students. Listening and learning about them will help them see that you care about them.
His last piece of advice is to never stop learning. We need to grow as professionals for our students. Nobody can know everything, but we can learn something everyday.
I then decided to read McClung's What I Learned This Year from 2011. I thought it would interesting to see how it went his third year teaching.
His first lesson he learned is knowing who your boss is. He says that we should always focus on the students and what is best for them, not what is best for the adults you may be trying to please. Students should always be our main focus and not the administration. Although I do agree with this, this sounds easier said than done. If you believe something is best for your students, but the principal disagrees then you might end up losing your job if you go against him or her. When I first read this I immediately thought about Rafe Esquith's book, "There are No Shortcuts." When he was student teaching he believed he was right about letting his students learn from watching a play; the principal disagreed. He ended up becoming angry and having to repeat a semester of student teaching. So yes, I do agree with McClung about how students should be our priority, but I also agree you should pay attention to what the administration wants. You cannot help your students learn if you are fired and have no students.
His second piece of advice is to not expect others to be as excited about change as you are. You have to enjoy your teaching and believe something will work. Do not allow others to stop you from trying something different.
His third piece of advice is to not be afraid of being an outsider. You don't have to fit in with the other teachers, because this is about the students. McClung claims that it is okay to eat lunch with your students and be immature. You don't have to go to the teacher's lounge and fit in with others. It may be hard at first and you may feel alone, but this is about the students.
He then gives his next piece of advice called, "Don't Touch the Keyboard." This basically means not to take over your students' work. If you take over it then they will never learn. You have to have enough patience to let them try on their own. They might fail a few times, but in the end they will succeed. McClung says, "This means that our students will struggle a little bit in the front end but it will help them excel in the end game." This may be something difficult to do because we want to feel like we're helping and letting our students fail while trying something is not ideal. If we do it though then they will really be failing.
McClung's last piece of advice from this school year is to not get too comfortable. It is easy to slip into a routine with teaching and grading papers, especially after teaching for years. However, falling into a routine will only hurt our students. McClung says, "While routines are good in the sense they allow me to be more effective, they can also be bad because they can foster apathy." I agree with this. We need to make sure we change things up some so that we can make sure we do not just fall into routine.
I really enjoyed reading McClung's blog posts. It was great to read something from a new teacher that is trying out different things so I know what might work when I become a new teacher.
His first advice is to make sure you concentrate on the lesson you are giving. He talks about how when he was student teaching he was more concerned on how to delivered his message so that he could impress his supervisors. He states that you need to focus more on the students though. I completely agree with this, but this is a hard one. When student teaching, most teachers just want to pass and get through. They are nervous the whole time the are teaching because they are being graded. It is important though to remember WHY you are teaching though. Surely if you teach to the students then you will end up succeeding no matter what.
His next advice is to be flexible in your lesson plans. He says, "No lesson is ever perfect. The lesson you teach and the one you plan are always different." Most teachers, especially first years, try to control everything. If you have control in the classroom then you are doing a good job. This isn't true though. If a student isn't learning your lesson plan a certain way, then change it.
He also says it is important to communicate with students and other teachers.
Being reasonable is another piece of advice. He believes we should not set expectations for our students because we will become disappointed if they fail. He says, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again."
Another piece of advice he gives is to not be afraid of technology. A lot of people are scared of using technology, but just try experimenting with it.
Listening to your students is something he recommends as well. It's important to get to know your students. Listening and learning about them will help them see that you care about them.
His last piece of advice is to never stop learning. We need to grow as professionals for our students. Nobody can know everything, but we can learn something everyday.
I then decided to read McClung's What I Learned This Year from 2011. I thought it would interesting to see how it went his third year teaching.
His first lesson he learned is knowing who your boss is. He says that we should always focus on the students and what is best for them, not what is best for the adults you may be trying to please. Students should always be our main focus and not the administration. Although I do agree with this, this sounds easier said than done. If you believe something is best for your students, but the principal disagrees then you might end up losing your job if you go against him or her. When I first read this I immediately thought about Rafe Esquith's book, "There are No Shortcuts." When he was student teaching he believed he was right about letting his students learn from watching a play; the principal disagreed. He ended up becoming angry and having to repeat a semester of student teaching. So yes, I do agree with McClung about how students should be our priority, but I also agree you should pay attention to what the administration wants. You cannot help your students learn if you are fired and have no students.
His second piece of advice is to not expect others to be as excited about change as you are. You have to enjoy your teaching and believe something will work. Do not allow others to stop you from trying something different.
His third piece of advice is to not be afraid of being an outsider. You don't have to fit in with the other teachers, because this is about the students. McClung claims that it is okay to eat lunch with your students and be immature. You don't have to go to the teacher's lounge and fit in with others. It may be hard at first and you may feel alone, but this is about the students.
He then gives his next piece of advice called, "Don't Touch the Keyboard." This basically means not to take over your students' work. If you take over it then they will never learn. You have to have enough patience to let them try on their own. They might fail a few times, but in the end they will succeed. McClung says, "This means that our students will struggle a little bit in the front end but it will help them excel in the end game." This may be something difficult to do because we want to feel like we're helping and letting our students fail while trying something is not ideal. If we do it though then they will really be failing.
McClung's last piece of advice from this school year is to not get too comfortable. It is easy to slip into a routine with teaching and grading papers, especially after teaching for years. However, falling into a routine will only hurt our students. McClung says, "While routines are good in the sense they allow me to be more effective, they can also be bad because they can foster apathy." I agree with this. We need to make sure we change things up some so that we can make sure we do not just fall into routine.
I really enjoyed reading McClung's blog posts. It was great to read something from a new teacher that is trying out different things so I know what might work when I become a new teacher.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Blog Assignment # 8
Richard Miller's This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
Richard Miller's presentation, This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2 , was given in 2008 to the Modern Language Association. In these two videos Miller talks about how writing has changed in our culture. We no longer have to go to a library to do research on something. We now have our laptops that we take with us; this is our work space now. We are able to research the world without leaving our desk. We are also able to communicate to people from around the world in an instant through our computers. He also pointed out that someone is able to see what presidential candidates stand for by looking online. You can go to a topic that affects you and see where all the candidates stand on that topic.
Miller told his audience about when he wanted to research the campus murders about Virginia Tech. He incorporated that with researching violence. He learned everything and did all of his research without ever stepping foot in a library. He was able to look at material and use it. He was also able to see how that material was put together and where that information came from and then share it with someone else. He and some other people put together an online document about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He made the document with print, videos, audios, and images all mixed together. People were able to see parts of Dr. King's speeches as well. He then mixed that with information about Black History Month taking place around their campus and how it connects with people today. I thought this was such a great idea. I remember in one of my history classes I was able to listen to President Franklin Roosevelt's speech about Pearl Harbor. I have read this speech over and over, but actually listening to the real thing made me feel like I was living in their time and was experiencing the moment. Although I love reading, technology can do great things to help students learn.
I liked a the end when Miller talked about how teachers need to be inspiring and willing to look beyond. These new ideas will expand knowledge around the world and be much faster. He can now get his articles published instantly on the web, where as before it would have taken years to be published. I enjoyed his ideas in this lecture. I really started thinking in the very beginning when he talked about how we are living in the time that is the most important for human communication because it is changing history. I think this is true. Print is not our main source of communication now. We are slowly starting to put everything on the internet. I am not quite prepared for this, but I am taking the first step by taking this class and learning how technology is affecting schools and life. This way, I will be able to teach my students so they can be better prepared for their future.
Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12
Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12, was a great idea. Although I have only half way completed EDM 310, I can also see how important YouTube has been in this class. This is great because watching something and listening to something is much easier for many students to learn. I believe Dr. Miller would appreciate Carly's idea because she wants her students to be creative with technology. With making a YouTube playlist, students will be able to learn instantly and do research on topics. This kind of learning with videos and images is exactly what Miller talked about.
My favorite part in Carly's assignment was when she talked about creativity. She mentioned how being creative is important to her because it explores more ideas. In one of the videos she posted, it makes people think about how the world could be different. I, also hoping to teach English one day, think this is extremely important. Carly talks about how students could imagine themselves as fictional characters just to think outside the box. I think the best way to understand someone is to try and walk in their shoes. Having students pretend to be a character from literature is a creative way of learning more about that character. Carly's idea of a playlist is a great idea for us and for our future students. After making a playlist we could always add it to our Personal Learning Network; this way we would be reminded how we need to teach and why we want to teach.
EDM 310 is Different
In The Chipper Series, a student named Chipper talks with Dr. Strange about her experience in EDM 310 and her life. She does poorly in EDM 310 thinking it is okay to not do her work on time because she will do it in the future and she talks about procrastination. She then tells Dr. Strange that she and her parents are angry with him and believe he is not doing his job. She wants to be taught and doesn't want to have to learn on her own. Chipper then decides to create a Timeline school where students can decide when they want to come to class and for how long. The FAA told one student that she needs to fly a real plane and practice before she can become a pilot, but the FAA eventually shuts down the Timeline school. Chipper then decides to become a teacher, but is fired because she comes up with awful excuses and does not do her job. She then becomes a waitress thinking she will make more money, but she is fired there also. Chipper tries to become a nanny thinking that the children can sit in front of the TV while she plays on Facebook, but she is not hired because of her past. She then becomes a trash collector and has a change of mind there. Chipper decides to get it together and go back to school to get her masters in Education. She will come to class, no longer procrastinate, and do her work. This cute video showed how important it is to be responsible for your life. Doing you work, not procrastinating, and showing up are things that will be important in school and all future jobs. These are lifelong skills.
The EDM310 for Dummies , is a cute YouTube video created by students. These girls are frustrated and stressed out with EDM 310. They then read EDM310 for Dummies and learn everything they need to know about the class. In the end, they are no longer stressed and enjoy the class. Although this book does not exist, this video shows that once you spend time and learn about every part of EDM 310 you will enjoy the class and learn many thing.
Both of these videos were very cute and important to watch. They help current students see the importance of this class. It would be fun to create a video about things learned in EDM 310. Having a younger student in high school know more about technology than a teacher would an interesting video to create. The two people could be on a game show type thing and have questions. Obviously the student would know more than the teacher and that would cause the teacher to want to learn more about technology.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
In the YouTube video, Learn to Change, Change to Learn, starts off by talking about how 55 jobs were ranked by their technology use and Education was ranked the lowest, even below coal mining. This whole video has different people from different cultures talking about how education in schools need to change. Students are learning more about technology outside of school than they are actually in school. One man talked about how technology is not a choice; it has emerged and helps learning. We need to accept it and try to use in more in school. One man talked about a living called "nearly now". This is where children are living when they update their Twitter of Facebook and they can research things there; he stated that is a a great place for living.
Children do not just learn in schools. School is a place to work together and socialize, but student learn in different ways. They learn through libraries, museums, outside the classroom, and online. I thought the most important part of this video was when the woman talked about how to change this. "You start with the teacher." This is so true. Teachers are able to communicate with other teachers and can learn from each other on how to teach their students. If teachers want their students to learn as much as possible, they need to teach by example and do their research as well.
Richard Miller's presentation, This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2 , was given in 2008 to the Modern Language Association. In these two videos Miller talks about how writing has changed in our culture. We no longer have to go to a library to do research on something. We now have our laptops that we take with us; this is our work space now. We are able to research the world without leaving our desk. We are also able to communicate to people from around the world in an instant through our computers. He also pointed out that someone is able to see what presidential candidates stand for by looking online. You can go to a topic that affects you and see where all the candidates stand on that topic.
Miller told his audience about when he wanted to research the campus murders about Virginia Tech. He incorporated that with researching violence. He learned everything and did all of his research without ever stepping foot in a library. He was able to look at material and use it. He was also able to see how that material was put together and where that information came from and then share it with someone else. He and some other people put together an online document about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He made the document with print, videos, audios, and images all mixed together. People were able to see parts of Dr. King's speeches as well. He then mixed that with information about Black History Month taking place around their campus and how it connects with people today. I thought this was such a great idea. I remember in one of my history classes I was able to listen to President Franklin Roosevelt's speech about Pearl Harbor. I have read this speech over and over, but actually listening to the real thing made me feel like I was living in their time and was experiencing the moment. Although I love reading, technology can do great things to help students learn.
I liked a the end when Miller talked about how teachers need to be inspiring and willing to look beyond. These new ideas will expand knowledge around the world and be much faster. He can now get his articles published instantly on the web, where as before it would have taken years to be published. I enjoyed his ideas in this lecture. I really started thinking in the very beginning when he talked about how we are living in the time that is the most important for human communication because it is changing history. I think this is true. Print is not our main source of communication now. We are slowly starting to put everything on the internet. I am not quite prepared for this, but I am taking the first step by taking this class and learning how technology is affecting schools and life. This way, I will be able to teach my students so they can be better prepared for their future.
Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12
Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12, was a great idea. Although I have only half way completed EDM 310, I can also see how important YouTube has been in this class. This is great because watching something and listening to something is much easier for many students to learn. I believe Dr. Miller would appreciate Carly's idea because she wants her students to be creative with technology. With making a YouTube playlist, students will be able to learn instantly and do research on topics. This kind of learning with videos and images is exactly what Miller talked about.
My favorite part in Carly's assignment was when she talked about creativity. She mentioned how being creative is important to her because it explores more ideas. In one of the videos she posted, it makes people think about how the world could be different. I, also hoping to teach English one day, think this is extremely important. Carly talks about how students could imagine themselves as fictional characters just to think outside the box. I think the best way to understand someone is to try and walk in their shoes. Having students pretend to be a character from literature is a creative way of learning more about that character. Carly's idea of a playlist is a great idea for us and for our future students. After making a playlist we could always add it to our Personal Learning Network; this way we would be reminded how we need to teach and why we want to teach.
EDM 310 is Different
In The Chipper Series, a student named Chipper talks with Dr. Strange about her experience in EDM 310 and her life. She does poorly in EDM 310 thinking it is okay to not do her work on time because she will do it in the future and she talks about procrastination. She then tells Dr. Strange that she and her parents are angry with him and believe he is not doing his job. She wants to be taught and doesn't want to have to learn on her own. Chipper then decides to create a Timeline school where students can decide when they want to come to class and for how long. The FAA told one student that she needs to fly a real plane and practice before she can become a pilot, but the FAA eventually shuts down the Timeline school. Chipper then decides to become a teacher, but is fired because she comes up with awful excuses and does not do her job. She then becomes a waitress thinking she will make more money, but she is fired there also. Chipper tries to become a nanny thinking that the children can sit in front of the TV while she plays on Facebook, but she is not hired because of her past. She then becomes a trash collector and has a change of mind there. Chipper decides to get it together and go back to school to get her masters in Education. She will come to class, no longer procrastinate, and do her work. This cute video showed how important it is to be responsible for your life. Doing you work, not procrastinating, and showing up are things that will be important in school and all future jobs. These are lifelong skills.
The EDM310 for Dummies , is a cute YouTube video created by students. These girls are frustrated and stressed out with EDM 310. They then read EDM310 for Dummies and learn everything they need to know about the class. In the end, they are no longer stressed and enjoy the class. Although this book does not exist, this video shows that once you spend time and learn about every part of EDM 310 you will enjoy the class and learn many thing.
Both of these videos were very cute and important to watch. They help current students see the importance of this class. It would be fun to create a video about things learned in EDM 310. Having a younger student in high school know more about technology than a teacher would an interesting video to create. The two people could be on a game show type thing and have questions. Obviously the student would know more than the teacher and that would cause the teacher to want to learn more about technology.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
In the YouTube video, Learn to Change, Change to Learn, starts off by talking about how 55 jobs were ranked by their technology use and Education was ranked the lowest, even below coal mining. This whole video has different people from different cultures talking about how education in schools need to change. Students are learning more about technology outside of school than they are actually in school. One man talked about how technology is not a choice; it has emerged and helps learning. We need to accept it and try to use in more in school. One man talked about a living called "nearly now". This is where children are living when they update their Twitter of Facebook and they can research things there; he stated that is a a great place for living.
Children do not just learn in schools. School is a place to work together and socialize, but student learn in different ways. They learn through libraries, museums, outside the classroom, and online. I thought the most important part of this video was when the woman talked about how to change this. "You start with the teacher." This is so true. Teachers are able to communicate with other teachers and can learn from each other on how to teach their students. If teachers want their students to learn as much as possible, they need to teach by example and do their research as well.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Project # 11
A reading of "The Fox and the Geese"
This was made using AVS Video Editor.
Since this was the free version, the tag in the middle of the video goes away after 1 minute.
This was made using AVS Video Editor.
Since this was the free version, the tag in the middle of the video goes away after 1 minute.
Blog Assignment # 7
Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture" posted on YouTube was about achieving your childhood dreams. This speech was inspiring and emotional. He opened in the beginning by letting his audience know that he had tumors in his liver. He knew he would not live much longer, but he did not want that to be the topic of his speech. He made it clear that he did not want to talk about his cancer, family, or religion. He didn't want tears, but after watching this video I had to find the Kleenex.
Randy spent time telling the audience about his childhood dreams. He wanted be in zero gravity, play in the NFL, author part of an encyclopedia, be Captain Kirk, win stuffed animals, and be a Disney imagineer. He worked hard with a class and was able to be in zero gravity. He never became part of the NFL, but he played football and it changed his life. He did have the chance to write part of an encyclopedia. He obviously could not be Captain Kirk, but he was able to meet William Shatner. He won many stuffed animals while playing games; he even brought them on stage to show the audience. He helped work on the Aladdin project at Disney. Although he did not live all of his childhood dreams, he stressed the importance of brick walls. When a brick wall is put up and you do not get what you wanted, it only shows just how badly you did want that thing. He also states that you will always get experience when shooting for your dreams. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."
He also stressed the importance of getting the basics down and then doing hard work. He achieved so much by working so hard. Once, a football coach kept pushing him hard and made him do a lot of work. Although he found this irritating at the time, another man told him that it's good the coach is pushing him so hard. It's bad when "you screw up and nobody says anything; that means they gave up on you." He says that this advice has been the best advice he's received. I also think it is meaningful. As a future teacher, patience is something I will need to have while teaching students. Some students may not understand something and although it may be tempting to just let him or her work on something else, I have to push them and not give up on them.
Randy stated his love for Captain Kirk as a child. Although Captain Kirk was not the smartest, he had a leadership quality that stood out to Randy. He knew that he also wanted to be a leader. He ended up teaching a computer programming class. His students did an amazing job on a project the first week of class and Randy stated that he did not know what to say. Another man said to go into class and tell the class they did a great job, but they can do better. This was great to say so that the students could extend their limits in the class. I will also take that into account while teaching and grading projects.
Towards the end of the speech, Randy gave more advice he had learned in his life. He believes all people have good in them; nobody is 100% evil. If you wait long enough then people will impress you. He also believes in having fun at all times. Learning something hard in a fun way is great for students. You just have "to decide if you're a Tigger or an Eeyore. You should always help others and put them first. Never give up on your dreams and be sure to listen to feedback and show gratitude. Don't complain about things; just try and work harder. He ends by asking if people have figured out the "head flakes." The 1st head flake is to be sure to lead a good life and things will eventually come to you. The 2nd head flake is that this speech was not for us; it was for his three children.
This speech is full of advice from a man that accomplished many things and lived a full life. Every person who strives of making a difference in this world should watch this speech.
Randy spent time telling the audience about his childhood dreams. He wanted be in zero gravity, play in the NFL, author part of an encyclopedia, be Captain Kirk, win stuffed animals, and be a Disney imagineer. He worked hard with a class and was able to be in zero gravity. He never became part of the NFL, but he played football and it changed his life. He did have the chance to write part of an encyclopedia. He obviously could not be Captain Kirk, but he was able to meet William Shatner. He won many stuffed animals while playing games; he even brought them on stage to show the audience. He helped work on the Aladdin project at Disney. Although he did not live all of his childhood dreams, he stressed the importance of brick walls. When a brick wall is put up and you do not get what you wanted, it only shows just how badly you did want that thing. He also states that you will always get experience when shooting for your dreams. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."
He also stressed the importance of getting the basics down and then doing hard work. He achieved so much by working so hard. Once, a football coach kept pushing him hard and made him do a lot of work. Although he found this irritating at the time, another man told him that it's good the coach is pushing him so hard. It's bad when "you screw up and nobody says anything; that means they gave up on you." He says that this advice has been the best advice he's received. I also think it is meaningful. As a future teacher, patience is something I will need to have while teaching students. Some students may not understand something and although it may be tempting to just let him or her work on something else, I have to push them and not give up on them.
Randy stated his love for Captain Kirk as a child. Although Captain Kirk was not the smartest, he had a leadership quality that stood out to Randy. He knew that he also wanted to be a leader. He ended up teaching a computer programming class. His students did an amazing job on a project the first week of class and Randy stated that he did not know what to say. Another man said to go into class and tell the class they did a great job, but they can do better. This was great to say so that the students could extend their limits in the class. I will also take that into account while teaching and grading projects.
Towards the end of the speech, Randy gave more advice he had learned in his life. He believes all people have good in them; nobody is 100% evil. If you wait long enough then people will impress you. He also believes in having fun at all times. Learning something hard in a fun way is great for students. You just have "to decide if you're a Tigger or an Eeyore. You should always help others and put them first. Never give up on your dreams and be sure to listen to feedback and show gratitude. Don't complain about things; just try and work harder. He ends by asking if people have figured out the "head flakes." The 1st head flake is to be sure to lead a good life and things will eventually come to you. The 2nd head flake is that this speech was not for us; it was for his three children.
This speech is full of advice from a man that accomplished many things and lived a full life. Every person who strives of making a difference in this world should watch this speech.
C4T #2
I was assigned to David Hopkins' blog, Don't Waste Your Time. The first comment I left on his blog was for a post where he talked about the future. He actually had the YouTube video "Did You Know?" posted on his blog. I thought this was great since I was assigned to watch that video a few weeks ago. He mainly focused on the facts about preparing students for jobs and roles that do not even exist yet. He asked the question, "What are we doing to prepare ourselves for this change, for the roles in which we are already employed?" He also talks about how his role as a teacher as not changed, but how everything else (including his students) have. I left him a comment, but unfortunately he has not been on to read or approve it. I told him in my comment that I agreed with him. Society and some schools does not seem to want schools and the classroom changing, but the students are changing. We need to prepare ourselves better so that we are able to help them work these jobs and roles that do not exist yet.
Since Hopkins has not updated his blog recently, I had to go to a previous post he wrote. I was glad this happened because I found a post about e-books. As I stated in my previous blog post, I have a hard time dealing with the idea of reading books on a screen. I just enjoy everything about the paper books. In his post he talked about how he is a big fan of e-books. He listed some facts about why e-books are better. He stated that digital textbooks are 53% cheaper than printed books and you don't need to buy highlighters when you can use your finger. I left him a comment telling him about how I appreciated his listing of those facts. I am still not 100% sold on making everything into an e-book, but having cheaper textbooks would be amazing. I also brought up that having e-books is better for the environment (something he did not mention in his post) and that is important during this time in our world.
Since Hopkins has not updated his blog recently, I had to go to a previous post he wrote. I was glad this happened because I found a post about e-books. As I stated in my previous blog post, I have a hard time dealing with the idea of reading books on a screen. I just enjoy everything about the paper books. In his post he talked about how he is a big fan of e-books. He listed some facts about why e-books are better. He stated that digital textbooks are 53% cheaper than printed books and you don't need to buy highlighters when you can use your finger. I left him a comment telling him about how I appreciated his listing of those facts. I am still not 100% sold on making everything into an e-book, but having cheaper textbooks would be amazing. I also brought up that having e-books is better for the environment (something he did not mention in his post) and that is important during this time in our world.
Project # 10
For my Personal Learning Network, PLN, I used the site Symbaloo. At first it was a little overwhelming. There were so many icons and half of them I did not know or have an account with. I had the option of deleting them, but I think after this class I will probably have a good idea what each icon means. I decided to organize the home screen by moving the unknown and unused icons to the right side. I will eventually use them and learn more about them while expanding my knowledge about technology. I moved the "fun" icons to the very left row. This included horoscope, diet and fitness, health, and weather. The next row is the important and most used icons; this includes Gmail, Blogger, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.
The next row is the information ones, Google, Encyclopedia, and I added AOL to it. The middle icons are the shopping ones, Ebay, Shopping, Amazon, and Craigslist. My favorite icon is the shopping icon. When I clicked on that so many other icons popped up where I could search for perfume, shoes, and other things. I left many blanks left on the home screen so that I can add more icons while I take this class. I also enjoyed the YouTube one. This one was a bit more educational and useful than the shopping one. When I clicked on YouTube I was able to add videos that we have watched in this class to that. This PLN is a great way of keeping videos, sites, and everything organized.
The next row is the information ones, Google, Encyclopedia, and I added AOL to it. The middle icons are the shopping ones, Ebay, Shopping, Amazon, and Craigslist. My favorite icon is the shopping icon. When I clicked on that so many other icons popped up where I could search for perfume, shoes, and other things. I left many blanks left on the home screen so that I can add more icons while I take this class. I also enjoyed the YouTube one. This one was a bit more educational and useful than the shopping one. When I clicked on YouTube I was able to add videos that we have watched in this class to that. This PLN is a great way of keeping videos, sites, and everything organized.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Blog Assignment #6
The Networked Student-Wendy Drexler
The Networked Student is a short YouTube video by Wendy Drexler that had cartoon drawings; while the man was speaking the cartoons would be placed with different words. These were words about the how the student learns. When I first started watching this, I kept thinking the student is taking a class with the same structure like EDM 310. Although this student is learning about American Psychology, the student goes to class three days a week and spends two days online. His teacher hardly ever lectures and there is no textbook used in class. Instead, the student must find all of his information online.
This teacher teaches connectivisim, which is a theory that learning comes from many different sources and ties. Students in the 21st century will take control of their learning and make new connections with other people around the world; this will strengthen their learning process. This student first has to organize his Personal Learning Network. He uses Google Scholar and the school’s online library to find information. This is a neat idea; students can still find information without actually attending school. I did not know there even was a Google Scholar. He also shares the websites that he has found and he searches for blogs. When this was first said, I was thinking about how reading blogs is a bad idea; they could contain wrong information and make the student learn things that are not true. However, they answered that quickly in the video by telling the viewers that they too know blogs are for opinions. They stated that the student could even leave a comment on the blog to offer his own opinion. Once this student has built up his knowledge about the topic, he can form his own blog so other students can write in it and offer their opinion. This is a great option because sometimes students learn best by listening to their peers.
This teacher teaches connectivisim, which is a theory that learning comes from many different sources and ties. Students in the 21st century will take control of their learning and make new connections with other people around the world; this will strengthen their learning process. This student first has to organize his Personal Learning Network. He uses Google Scholar and the school’s online library to find information. This is a neat idea; students can still find information without actually attending school. I did not know there even was a Google Scholar. He also shares the websites that he has found and he searches for blogs. When this was first said, I was thinking about how reading blogs is a bad idea; they could contain wrong information and make the student learn things that are not true. However, they answered that quickly in the video by telling the viewers that they too know blogs are for opinions. They stated that the student could even leave a comment on the blog to offer his own opinion. Once this student has built up his knowledge about the topic, he can form his own blog so other students can write in it and offer their opinion. This is a great option because sometimes students learn best by listening to their peers.
I thought one of the most interesting parts is where the student can listen to podcasts and audio on his iPod. He can listen to other professors, even from schools like Yale, speak about his topic. He will read about his topic, write about it, and listen to others speak about it. This is a great way for students to learn. After doing all of this, I doubt this student will ever forget about American Psychology. He will not be memorizing for a test and then completely forget what he just studied. Since he will be teaching himself and learning in all these different ways, he will not forget what he learned.
I was worried while listening to this because I kept thinking, “Well, where am I needed?” Are teachers needed if students can do all this? Thankfully, they answer this in the video. Teachers will show the students how to build their network and take advantage of all their learning opportunities, they will offer guidance when students need it, teach how to communicate and ask for help, show how to tell the difference between useful information and junk, how to search the web properly, and show how to organize all their information. Teachers will still be needed in the 21st century, but teachers need to see that students today need to be taught different ways so they can survive and succeed in this century.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
This YouTube video, Welcome to My PLE, is a video from a 7th grade student taking a science class. She gives her viewers a tour of what her Personal Learning Environment (PLE) looks like. The main page contains many boxes in different colors. They are all organized in the order she wants them in. She keeps her Facebook and blogs that are not for school at the very top. She clicks on her science class to see what she’s doing every day. This is great for organizing everything. It can even hold clips of information she found interesting and keep the sources until she needs them. She is also able to use her email and Skype to communicate with others. This student admitted that she enjoyed learning this way. This gives her freedom and more knowledge about the internet and all of its possibilities.
I need to start working more on my PLN. After seeing many of the possibilities of having a PLN or PLE, I am now excited to fix mine up. I like things organized anyway, so having everything right where I need it is a great option. It is great for students to have one of these to help with their school, but it is also great for teachers. A teacher that has a desk full of paperwork can become a bit overwhelmed at times. Having different bits of information, websites, and files organized sounds like a teacher’s dream come true.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
C4K September Summary
My Comments for Kids were so much fun. I enjoyed reading all of the students’ blog posts.
My first student I was assigned to was Madison. She is in 5th grade and created a biopoem. In her biopoem she stated that she loved dogs, Selena Gomez, God, and hopes to go to Italy one day and attend church for the rest of her life. Her biopoem also contained a picture (looked like a Wordle) in a shape of a yellow heart.
I left her a comment telling her about how I also have faith and I hope to go to Italy one day because the pizza there is probably great. I also told her about my two dogs and asked her how many dogs she had.
My first student I was assigned to was Madison. She is in 5th grade and created a biopoem. In her biopoem she stated that she loved dogs, Selena Gomez, God, and hopes to go to Italy one day and attend church for the rest of her life. Her biopoem also contained a picture (looked like a Wordle) in a shape of a yellow heart.
I left her a comment telling her about how I also have faith and I hope to go to Italy one day because the pizza there is probably great. I also told her about my two dogs and asked her how many dogs she had.
The second blog I commented on was from a middle school student named Shiann. She wrote a beautiful post about remembering September 11, 2001. She mentioned about how people that day lost firefighters, mothers, fathers, coworkers, grandparents, and siblings. I thought this post was great since she was younger. She admitted in a comment that she was too young to understand what was going on at that time, but she still wants to pay her respects now. I thought that was amazing. Many students don't fully understand or care that much about things that happened in history if they were not a part of it. It is nice to see that she is still trying to change the world by writing inspiring blog posts.
I wrote her a comment telling her about where I was when September 11, 2001 happened and how I felt at that time. I also made sure to thank her for writing the post. She responded to my comment by thanking me for reading her post.
The next week I commented on a boy named Logan's blog. He is from the same class as Madison and also created a biopoem. He also chose to do his wordle in a heart shape, except he used the colors pink and black. Logan stated in his post that he wanted to know everything, feared his brother, loved God, wanted know more about Thomas Edison, and wanted to be a professional player for the Cowboys. I left him a comment telling him that it’s great he has a passion for learning and that is something everyone should have. I also said that I thought it was great he has a dream about playing for the Cowboys; he can do anything if he keeps his faith and sets his mind to it. I ended my comment by telling him that believing in yourself is the most important thing.
This week I commented on a blog by a young girl named Em. She wrote a blog about where she would want to go and she chose Japan. The reason she wants to go to Japan is so she can dance like a woman named Miss Lisa. The woman apparently moved to Japan and learned how to dance. Em's blog was so cute because along with her short blog post, she posted an audio clip with her telling her listeners that she wants to go to Japan. She also posted a YouTube video of her. She asks the viewers watching to try and find her dancing in the video.
I left Em a comment telling her how great she dances. I also told her that the only country, other than the United States, that I have been to is Mexico. I then told her that I would love to go to England and I asked her if she has ever been to England.
I left Em a comment telling her how great she dances. I also told her that the only country, other than the United States, that I have been to is Mexico. I then told her that I would love to go to England and I asked her if she has ever been to England.
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