Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
C4K December
For the month of December, we only had one student to leave a comment for.The student that I had is Colby and he is in the second grade and is learning to blog just like we are. His page was very well put together and it was very creative as well. He had pictures of his homework assignments on his page and it made it look very creative. I was impressed with his creativity and the way he used his blog to only be in the second grade. He is better at blogging than I am!
Final PLN
I have been using symbaloo for my personal learning network. It is an amazing
website that allows me to keep all my bookmarks in one place. As of now, I use multiple
websites and sources for my PLN. My favorites and most used are pecentral.org and
pelinks4u.org. I have recently been following blogs of other P.E. teachers through
blogger.com. I use facebook.com and twitter.com to keep up with my social networking on a
more personal basis. I also use mapquest, youtube, and gmail as apps on my iPhone to help
me keep updated on the things that I need to succeed. My iPhone is a device that I cannot
live without because it is the key to my PLN. It keeps all my information organized for me
and it makes it easy to access. This is my PLN for now but it continues to grow daily and it
will never be complete because there is so much information and tools available for me to
use now.
website that allows me to keep all my bookmarks in one place. As of now, I use multiple
websites and sources for my PLN. My favorites and most used are pecentral.org and
pelinks4u.org. I have recently been following blogs of other P.E. teachers through
blogger.com. I use facebook.com and twitter.com to keep up with my social networking on a
more personal basis. I also use mapquest, youtube, and gmail as apps on my iPhone to help
me keep updated on the things that I need to succeed. My iPhone is a device that I cannot
live without because it is the key to my PLN. It keeps all my information organized for me
and it makes it easy to access. This is my PLN for now but it continues to grow daily and it
will never be complete because there is so much information and tools available for me to
use now.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Project #16-Progress Report
I am in a group with Hillary Polchow and Carlis Howze. Our idea came from Hillary who was inspired by Eric Whiticre's virtual choir as well as this project posted on Intrepid Flame's blog. We will be creating a song on Indaba Music without meeting face-to-face. Hillary is going to have two of her musically inclined friends record the instrumental for the song. Then, we will write lyrics and lay the vocals over the music. After we finish the song, we will shoot a video to go with it. We were considering asking for 15-30 second clip submissions (like Mr. Raisdana is), so that we could collaborate with more people, but we figured that students would be too busy working on their own projects. We've broken down the roles as follows:
Musicians: two friends (Talent Recruiter: Hillary)
Lyrics: Brittany
Vocals: Carlis
Sound Editing: Hillary
Videographer (shooting and editing): Hillary
Video Performer: Brittany
Video Performer: Carlis
Musicians: two friends (Talent Recruiter: Hillary)
Lyrics: Brittany
Vocals: Carlis
Sound Editing: Hillary
Videographer (shooting and editing): Hillary
Video Performer: Brittany
Video Performer: Carlis
Friday, November 12, 2010
Additional Assignment #5
Tom Johnson's adventures in Pencil Integration:
Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils;
He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils;
The Medium Shapes the Learning
The three posts that I read from Tom’s blog were better than the last that I read. I felt like they made much better sense and they touched on a subject that I can actually relate to. My favorite was the first that I read labeled” Sketchy Portraits: 8th grade Identity and Pencils.” This post is about the change going on with the students and how they feel erasable because their future is constantly changing. The metaphor that he uses between the relationship of pencils and the students is really funny in a way but it so true. His blog is good to read but I think it can be a little hard to catch onto because everything is a metaphor. All his points are set up to pencils but they make sense and they catch people’s attention.
Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils;
He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils;
The Medium Shapes the Learning
The three posts that I read from Tom’s blog were better than the last that I read. I felt like they made much better sense and they touched on a subject that I can actually relate to. My favorite was the first that I read labeled” Sketchy Portraits: 8th grade Identity and Pencils.” This post is about the change going on with the students and how they feel erasable because their future is constantly changing. The metaphor that he uses between the relationship of pencils and the students is really funny in a way but it so true. His blog is good to read but I think it can be a little hard to catch onto because everything is a metaphor. All his points are set up to pencils but they make sense and they catch people’s attention.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
C4T #4
Royan Lee
Comment #1 The teacher that I was assigned to is Royan Lee and his page is labeled ‘The Spicy Learning Blog’. I commented on his post called ‘Something to Remember’ and I liked it because it was short and to the point. It is about how to deal with teachers who want to use social networking in the classroom but are afraid to do it because they fear the kids will use it for play and not school work. He points out that a part of education is social networking and you must have it in the classroom. I told him that I am in EDM 310 and this class is all about social networking and the importance of technology in the classroom. I told him that I loved his post and that I will continue to follow his blog.
Comment #2 The post that I left a comment for has to be my favorite. Royan (the teacher) gave his students a one line google survey at the start of the year asking them one question-“What should every teacher know about you?” The students had very interesting things to say on this survey. I told him that this was very creative and that I enjoyed reading it. He combined all the students’ answers into a wordle and he posted it under their comments. His page is very creative and I have enjoyed reading it. He has given me great ideas and projects from his page that I will use in the classroom.
Comment #1 The teacher that I was assigned to is Royan Lee and his page is labeled ‘The Spicy Learning Blog’. I commented on his post called ‘Something to Remember’ and I liked it because it was short and to the point. It is about how to deal with teachers who want to use social networking in the classroom but are afraid to do it because they fear the kids will use it for play and not school work. He points out that a part of education is social networking and you must have it in the classroom. I told him that I am in EDM 310 and this class is all about social networking and the importance of technology in the classroom. I told him that I loved his post and that I will continue to follow his blog.
Comment #2 The post that I left a comment for has to be my favorite. Royan (the teacher) gave his students a one line google survey at the start of the year asking them one question-“What should every teacher know about you?” The students had very interesting things to say on this survey. I told him that this was very creative and that I enjoyed reading it. He combined all the students’ answers into a wordle and he posted it under their comments. His page is very creative and I have enjoyed reading it. He has given me great ideas and projects from his page that I will use in the classroom.
Project #6 Google Form Results
Health and Physical Education Survey: Given to 19 college students
1. How would you best rate your physical activity level?
Sedentary 2
Moderate activity 14
Vigorous activity 3
2. On a scale of 1-5, how would you best rate your physical education experience?
1 - least 4
2 2
3 2
4 6
5 - best 5
3. Is Physical Education important in the school’s curriculum?
Yes 16
No 3
4. Should it be required that all school districts develop and implement a planned, sequential physical education curriculum k-12 that adheres to national and state standards for health and physical education?
Yes 18
No 1
5. When schools face budget cuts, which of the following should NOT be cut?
band 3
art 7
PE 9
6. What would be the best choice for getting students involved with PE?
offering aerobic classes 5
having more time available for dressing in/out 1
offering physical challenges 6
giving awards to the highest participant 7
7. Do you think healthy eating habits should be taught in the physical education curriculum?
Yes 18
No 1
8. Should schools disallow substitutions for physical education with activities such as marching band or varsity sports
Yes 8
No 12
9. Obesity is at an all time high in the school systems. Do you think adding more time for physical activity into the curriculum can turn this problem around?
Yes 13
No 6
10. Do you think that by banning snack machines in the schools hall is a better way to fight obesity than adding more time for physical activities?
Yes 2
No 17
I am very pleased with the outcome of my form that I submitted in October to my classmates. My project was a questionnaire that I created asking the importance of Physical Education in the school system. I am majoring in Physical Education so this was a very important topic to me. I had a few students admit to not being active and not caring about their personal health but for the majority of students, they cared about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
This form shows evidence that P.E is important in the school systems and that it should not be eliminated due to budget cuts in the school systems. I had 19 students fill out this form and as you can tell from the results that I posted above, most of them feel that it’s important to have P.E in the school systems as well as teaching students the importance of healthy living. I also liked the fact that the students admitted that eliminating snack machines in the school halls is not the answer to the high rate of obesity in the school system. It is the lack of physical activities that keep the students over weight.
1. How would you best rate your physical activity level?
Sedentary 2
Moderate activity 14
Vigorous activity 3
2. On a scale of 1-5, how would you best rate your physical education experience?
1 - least 4
2 2
3 2
4 6
5 - best 5
3. Is Physical Education important in the school’s curriculum?
Yes 16
No 3
4. Should it be required that all school districts develop and implement a planned, sequential physical education curriculum k-12 that adheres to national and state standards for health and physical education?
Yes 18
No 1
5. When schools face budget cuts, which of the following should NOT be cut?
band 3
art 7
PE 9
6. What would be the best choice for getting students involved with PE?
offering aerobic classes 5
having more time available for dressing in/out 1
offering physical challenges 6
giving awards to the highest participant 7
7. Do you think healthy eating habits should be taught in the physical education curriculum?
Yes 18
No 1
8. Should schools disallow substitutions for physical education with activities such as marching band or varsity sports
Yes 8
No 12
9. Obesity is at an all time high in the school systems. Do you think adding more time for physical activity into the curriculum can turn this problem around?
Yes 13
No 6
10. Do you think that by banning snack machines in the schools hall is a better way to fight obesity than adding more time for physical activities?
Yes 2
No 17
I am very pleased with the outcome of my form that I submitted in October to my classmates. My project was a questionnaire that I created asking the importance of Physical Education in the school system. I am majoring in Physical Education so this was a very important topic to me. I had a few students admit to not being active and not caring about their personal health but for the majority of students, they cared about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
This form shows evidence that P.E is important in the school systems and that it should not be eliminated due to budget cuts in the school systems. I had 19 students fill out this form and as you can tell from the results that I posted above, most of them feel that it’s important to have P.E in the school systems as well as teaching students the importance of healthy living. I also liked the fact that the students admitted that eliminating snack machines in the school halls is not the answer to the high rate of obesity in the school system. It is the lack of physical activities that keep the students over weight.
Blog Post #13
ALEX stands for Alabama Learning Exchange and it is a website designed for teachers as well as future teachers. It is a wonderful resource center for teachers because it has lesson plans designed for every subject, grade, and level. The website follows the guidelines outlined by the Alabama Educators Code of Ethics so all lesson plans are evaluated and ready to use. Alex also has web links that teachers can follow to better help them put together their lesson plans and to further research anything that they may want in a reliable way. It also has a link that teachers can sign into so that they can make their own lesson plans with the information that is available from their website.
I love this website because it gives lesson plans that I know that I can trust. There are hundreds of websites available that gives teachers pre-designed lessons but none of them follow the Alabama Educators Code of Ethics like the Alex site does. I wouldn’t change a thing about this website because all the information on it is designed to help teachers. Alex is a trusted website that I will use when I become a teacher and I will recommend it to any if my colleagues.
I love this website because it gives lesson plans that I know that I can trust. There are hundreds of websites available that gives teachers pre-designed lessons but none of them follow the Alabama Educators Code of Ethics like the Alex site does. I wouldn’t change a thing about this website because all the information on it is designed to help teachers. Alex is a trusted website that I will use when I become a teacher and I will recommend it to any if my colleagues.
C4T #3
We Still Use Slates
The teacher that I have been reading about is John Spencer. His blog that I first read was titled “We Still Use Slates”. It is about taking technology out of the classroom for a minute and using good old slate. The students in his class were confused because they didn’t understand his reasoning for this. I, on the other hand, understand his reason for this completely. Technology is great and in a lot of ways students can’t go without using it, but sometimes students and even teachers need to learn from the standard way. Technology is wonderful but when it’s taken away, can the student still learn without?
Taking technology away every now and then is a good idea. I believe this is very important because students need to learn to not rely on it the way they do. Once taken away, can the students learn properly? Can the teacher teach properly? Technology is a blessing and it is used to help us, not hinder our learning ability. Taking it away helps everyone to think for themselves and to dig deep for the answers without finding them with the touch of a button.
How Will People See Us?
This blog left me puzzled even days after I read it. A student asked his teacher what our descendants would think of us if all they seen were our picture. This question can leave you with a million answers because it would all depend on the picture. The question here is “what would our descendants think of us if all they seen were a picture of us at school?” The picture that was taken of this class seemed like the students were very serious and not smiling much. This made them wonder if their descendants would think that they didn’t have fun in school and didn’t laugh much. I guess the answer would be left up to the person who was viewing the picture in the future.
This blog had me questioning myself when it can to my personal experience. If someone walked into my college class and snapped a picture of everyone, the picture would expose a sad truth. Our future descendants would think that were being tortured in class because there probably wouldn’t be smile on anyone’s face. Blank stares would fill the picture and there would be a power-point presentation on the board. This is caused when technology has gone bad. Students are memorizing the slides, spitting the answers out for the test, and then erasing them from their memory completely. It’s like an etch-a-sketch effect but with people. Technology has become a crutch for teachers and we need to remember what it is like to really teach. Human interactions and hands on experiences should be first taught because that is what makes education interesting. If some things would change, more pictures might have smiles on them instead of blank or serious stares.
The teacher that I have been reading about is John Spencer. His blog that I first read was titled “We Still Use Slates”. It is about taking technology out of the classroom for a minute and using good old slate. The students in his class were confused because they didn’t understand his reasoning for this. I, on the other hand, understand his reason for this completely. Technology is great and in a lot of ways students can’t go without using it, but sometimes students and even teachers need to learn from the standard way. Technology is wonderful but when it’s taken away, can the student still learn without?
Taking technology away every now and then is a good idea. I believe this is very important because students need to learn to not rely on it the way they do. Once taken away, can the students learn properly? Can the teacher teach properly? Technology is a blessing and it is used to help us, not hinder our learning ability. Taking it away helps everyone to think for themselves and to dig deep for the answers without finding them with the touch of a button.
How Will People See Us?
This blog left me puzzled even days after I read it. A student asked his teacher what our descendants would think of us if all they seen were our picture. This question can leave you with a million answers because it would all depend on the picture. The question here is “what would our descendants think of us if all they seen were a picture of us at school?” The picture that was taken of this class seemed like the students were very serious and not smiling much. This made them wonder if their descendants would think that they didn’t have fun in school and didn’t laugh much. I guess the answer would be left up to the person who was viewing the picture in the future.
This blog had me questioning myself when it can to my personal experience. If someone walked into my college class and snapped a picture of everyone, the picture would expose a sad truth. Our future descendants would think that were being tortured in class because there probably wouldn’t be smile on anyone’s face. Blank stares would fill the picture and there would be a power-point presentation on the board. This is caused when technology has gone bad. Students are memorizing the slides, spitting the answers out for the test, and then erasing them from their memory completely. It’s like an etch-a-sketch effect but with people. Technology has become a crutch for teachers and we need to remember what it is like to really teach. Human interactions and hands on experiences should be first taught because that is what makes education interesting. If some things would change, more pictures might have smiles on them instead of blank or serious stares.
Blog Post #12
EDM 310 is a class that is made for future teachers to learn more about technology in the classroom. The problem is, some teachers and future teachers are computer illiterate so this makes teaching new technology to the students impossible. If the teacher doesn’t understand it, the students certainly will not so there has to be a computer 101 class to better acquaint the teachers with their systems. For this blog assignment, we will do a basic overview of a computer so the rest of the class will flow more easily.
•Start by using Microsoft word, type a simple sentence (anything you want) and save it as“blog assignment 1”.
•Upload a picture (of anything you want) and save it as “Blog pic #1”
•Send an email from your gmail account with an attachment labeled “practice email”
•Start by using Microsoft word, type a simple sentence (anything you want) and save it as“blog assignment 1”.
•Upload a picture (of anything you want) and save it as “Blog pic #1”
•Send an email from your gmail account with an attachment labeled “practice email”
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
C4K October Summary
The first student that I left a comment for in October is a new student! His name is Tihi and he is in the second grade. I do not know much about him because he is just now getting use to the computer and hasn’t posted a lot of information about himself. I left him a comment telling him who I am that I hope he has a wonderful school year.
My second student is named Indy and she is in the sixth grade. She loves music and she plays the flute and piccolo as well as being in two bands. Another hobby of hers is playing sports and her favorites are softball, netball, tennis, and gymnastics. She is a very interesting student because she loves everything about school and her hobbies. I told her that I have really enjoyed reading all about her and that I hoped she has a wonderful school year.
My third student is named Eli and he is a seventh grader who attends school in Australia. I really enjoyed reading his blog because of the cultural differences in his blog versus mine. He seems to be having a wonderful year at school and his class seems to be doing a lot of fun activities. His blog was well put together and I told him that I liked seeing his page and that I wish him a very well school year.
My fourth student that I left a comment for is in the sixth grade. His name is Josh and he attends school in Iowa. He has to blog in class just like we do. I liked his page because he seemed like a really funny student. His posts were creative and I think that he writes well. I wished him luck in school and I told him that his post were funny.
My fifth student is in the second grade and her name is Sophie. She attends school at Leopold Primary School in Australia. Her blog was very well put together and I was very impressed by this. I must say that her blog is much better than mine! I had a hard time believing that she is only in the second grade because her blog looked amazing. I can tell that at her school, they really teach technology in the classroom. Sophie likes to travel so I commented on her ‘Holidays’ blog. She has been all over the world but her favorite place is Fiji. Her pictures were very cute and I enjoyed reading about all the places that she has been.
My second student is named Indy and she is in the sixth grade. She loves music and she plays the flute and piccolo as well as being in two bands. Another hobby of hers is playing sports and her favorites are softball, netball, tennis, and gymnastics. She is a very interesting student because she loves everything about school and her hobbies. I told her that I have really enjoyed reading all about her and that I hoped she has a wonderful school year.
My third student is named Eli and he is a seventh grader who attends school in Australia. I really enjoyed reading his blog because of the cultural differences in his blog versus mine. He seems to be having a wonderful year at school and his class seems to be doing a lot of fun activities. His blog was well put together and I told him that I liked seeing his page and that I wish him a very well school year.
My fourth student that I left a comment for is in the sixth grade. His name is Josh and he attends school in Iowa. He has to blog in class just like we do. I liked his page because he seemed like a really funny student. His posts were creative and I think that he writes well. I wished him luck in school and I told him that his post were funny.
My fifth student is in the second grade and her name is Sophie. She attends school at Leopold Primary School in Australia. Her blog was very well put together and I was very impressed by this. I must say that her blog is much better than mine! I had a hard time believing that she is only in the second grade because her blog looked amazing. I can tell that at her school, they really teach technology in the classroom. Sophie likes to travel so I commented on her ‘Holidays’ blog. She has been all over the world but her favorite place is Fiji. Her pictures were very cute and I enjoyed reading about all the places that she has been.
Additional Blog Assignment #3
Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Educational Paradigms
This is video was very well put together. By this, I mean that the video covered his issues with education on a level that everyone can understand. It was simple but it had very key point to his idea of changing the educational paradigm. His main point that I believe he is trying to make here is that education cannot go on the way it has been. It has to be diverse because not all kids are facing the same economic and cultural values on the same level. I do agree with this idea of changing education because it is not a one size fits all subject. I would like to think that all children have an equal opportunity to an education but they do not. As far as the video goes in general, I liked it because like I said before, it was put together in a way that everyone could understand it. We were asked what part of the film would we be in if it was ours and I have decided that I would not be in it at all. I do not like putting together videos so this doesn’t pertain to me.
This is video was very well put together. By this, I mean that the video covered his issues with education on a level that everyone can understand. It was simple but it had very key point to his idea of changing the educational paradigm. His main point that I believe he is trying to make here is that education cannot go on the way it has been. It has to be diverse because not all kids are facing the same economic and cultural values on the same level. I do agree with this idea of changing education because it is not a one size fits all subject. I would like to think that all children have an equal opportunity to an education but they do not. As far as the video goes in general, I liked it because like I said before, it was put together in a way that everyone could understand it. We were asked what part of the film would we be in if it was ours and I have decided that I would not be in it at all. I do not like putting together videos so this doesn’t pertain to me.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Blog Post #11
Ms. Cassidy via Skype
Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher in Canada. She did a skype interview with Dr. Strange in February of 2010. This interview is about how she became so involved with technology and the importance f it to her. She has been involved with technology for about 10 years now. It started when she received computers for her classroom which was full of 6 year olds. The computers were great, but you couldn’t add anything to them. She started playing around with them and that’s how she became so involved with technology. She has used things like blogging and twitter in her career to help her succeed. Her PLN is something that she builds on everyday and she uses it to connect her with others that will help her further her knowledge in the technology world. I admire her approach to this situation because it was done all by using the technology that was given to her. She used the technology to help her further her knowledge of it so that she can better teach it to the students. I learned a lot from watching this interview because it made me feel like you can overcome barriers with technology just by doing your own research.
Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher in Canada. She did a skype interview with Dr. Strange in February of 2010. This interview is about how she became so involved with technology and the importance f it to her. She has been involved with technology for about 10 years now. It started when she received computers for her classroom which was full of 6 year olds. The computers were great, but you couldn’t add anything to them. She started playing around with them and that’s how she became so involved with technology. She has used things like blogging and twitter in her career to help her succeed. Her PLN is something that she builds on everyday and she uses it to connect her with others that will help her further her knowledge in the technology world. I admire her approach to this situation because it was done all by using the technology that was given to her. She used the technology to help her further her knowledge of it so that she can better teach it to the students. I learned a lot from watching this interview because it made me feel like you can overcome barriers with technology just by doing your own research.
Blog Post #10
An Open Letter to Educators
Morgan Bayda is a teacher that received her degree in Canada. She travels all over the world to help other people out in any way that she can. I had to read several of her post for my comment for teacher assignments and I must say that she has been one of my favorites. She has posted pictures of all the places that she has traveled to and with them, she has written summaries about her experiences in those places. I admire her for all the traveling she has gotten to do and for all the help that she has given to people all over the world. I read her blog all the time and there is always something interesting on it. For this assignment, we were supposed to read her blog about Dan Brown’s video. Dan Brown is angry and he wants education to change. Morgan understands where he is coming from but she doesn’t agree with his decision to drop out of school. I also agree with Morgan because Dan has thrown away his future all because he is mad.
Don’t Let Them Take Home Pencils
The problem in this story is the same problem that many teachers face every day. It seems as if people are trying to just band-aid a problem rather than finding a solution to it. The teachers didn’t want the students to bring home pencils because of the low test scores on the standardized test. They believe the pencils are to blame so now the students can’t take home pencils. Instead of taking away the pencils, why not find a way to make the pencils helpful to the students? The cycle will just continue until someone stands up and tries to help the students out.
Two Questions that can Change Your Life
1.What’s my sentence? 2. Was I better today than yesterday?
These are two questions that the video asks its viewers to think about. This video is a type of self-help post to get others to become better people. I get its point, I just didn’t like it. I felt like it was way too short to get any real message across. I am forced to answer “what’s my sentence” so here it goes….
“I am a full time wife, daughter, sister, grand-daughter, and friend who loves life”
Morgan Bayda is a teacher that received her degree in Canada. She travels all over the world to help other people out in any way that she can. I had to read several of her post for my comment for teacher assignments and I must say that she has been one of my favorites. She has posted pictures of all the places that she has traveled to and with them, she has written summaries about her experiences in those places. I admire her for all the traveling she has gotten to do and for all the help that she has given to people all over the world. I read her blog all the time and there is always something interesting on it. For this assignment, we were supposed to read her blog about Dan Brown’s video. Dan Brown is angry and he wants education to change. Morgan understands where he is coming from but she doesn’t agree with his decision to drop out of school. I also agree with Morgan because Dan has thrown away his future all because he is mad.
Don’t Let Them Take Home Pencils
The problem in this story is the same problem that many teachers face every day. It seems as if people are trying to just band-aid a problem rather than finding a solution to it. The teachers didn’t want the students to bring home pencils because of the low test scores on the standardized test. They believe the pencils are to blame so now the students can’t take home pencils. Instead of taking away the pencils, why not find a way to make the pencils helpful to the students? The cycle will just continue until someone stands up and tries to help the students out.
Two Questions that can Change Your Life
1.What’s my sentence? 2. Was I better today than yesterday?
These are two questions that the video asks its viewers to think about. This video is a type of self-help post to get others to become better people. I get its point, I just didn’t like it. I felt like it was way too short to get any real message across. I am forced to answer “what’s my sentence” so here it goes….
“I am a full time wife, daughter, sister, grand-daughter, and friend who loves life”
Blog Post #9
"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung
This has to be one of my favorite posts this year. Mr. McClung is reflecting on his first year as a teacher and he talks about what he expected coming from a new college student to a full time elementary school teacher. He really gives insight on the realness of being in front of the students and how it was everything that he never expected. He gives advice for new teachers so that hopefully they can avoid some the stress that being a new teacher can cause. His advice includes the following: 1. How to Read the Crowd- which he means that being effective is making sure the students comprehend the material. 2. Be Flexible- be prepared for anything because a perfectly prepared lesson plan can still go wrong. “NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT.” 3. Communicate- with the students and other teachers 4. Be Reasonable- Often we build our expectations too high for students, and become upset when they do not meet the expectation. 5. Don't be Afraid of Technology- use it because it is our friend 6. Listen to Your Students- because you may be the only person that does. 7. Lastly, Never Stop Learning-It's never too late to change your way of thinking, learning, or style. He gives very good insight on how teachers should approach their first year. I liked reading this because I felt like he was right on with his advice.
This has to be one of my favorite posts this year. Mr. McClung is reflecting on his first year as a teacher and he talks about what he expected coming from a new college student to a full time elementary school teacher. He really gives insight on the realness of being in front of the students and how it was everything that he never expected. He gives advice for new teachers so that hopefully they can avoid some the stress that being a new teacher can cause. His advice includes the following: 1. How to Read the Crowd- which he means that being effective is making sure the students comprehend the material. 2. Be Flexible- be prepared for anything because a perfectly prepared lesson plan can still go wrong. “NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT.” 3. Communicate- with the students and other teachers 4. Be Reasonable- Often we build our expectations too high for students, and become upset when they do not meet the expectation. 5. Don't be Afraid of Technology- use it because it is our friend 6. Listen to Your Students- because you may be the only person that does. 7. Lastly, Never Stop Learning-It's never too late to change your way of thinking, learning, or style. He gives very good insight on how teachers should approach their first year. I liked reading this because I felt like he was right on with his advice.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Blog Post #8
Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
Part 1 covers the basic things that we already know about technology. The video did not come as a shock to me because I am from a generation that uses technology in order to survive. It talks about how when students went to school in the past, they had to use the library in order to get the materials that they needed to class. They had to hand write papers and hand-write notes in class. In today’s classroom, we use computers to help us write our papers. When we take notes, we take them from our computer instead of with pen and paper. Technology has bettered our lives in many ways and this video just points the facts out.
Part 2 if the video covers how we use technology around the world. The video covered how technology is used everything from whale watching to nuclear scientists. Technology has made everything better by making life easier for people around the world. We can use technology for leisure purposes as well as using it to work. It is a great tool that we are fortunate to get to use.
EDM310 is Different:
We were asked to watch two videos made by students in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class. This is to help us get ideas of what our own video may be about. We are asked to produce a video on anything that we like and then post it to Youtube. It can be something simple or it can be an elaborate project. It just depends on the students creativity and experience with using the technology that we are asked to use. The two videos that I watched from past students were really good. This makes me nervous now because mine will not be as good as theirs. My favorite was “The Chipper” series because it shows the typical college student trying to wait until the last minute to finish a project. The movie Titled “EDM310 for Dummies” was really good as well. It gives simple questions and answers that students have about this class. This is great because it can be overwhelming at first until you become more comfortable with the computer. They were both great movies and I hope mine will be half as good as theirs.
Critiques of SmartBoards
This was the first time that I had done any real research on different opinions of smartboards and my-oh-my have I been missing out! There are some heated arguments on the pros and cons of SmartBoards. Some teachers really like them; some could give or take them, while others demand that they be removed from their classroom. I do not have a real opinion on this because I have not used one to teach yet and honestly, I probably never will considering that I am a Physical Education major, but I am still interested in this topic.
One teacher that I found to be interesting loves SmartBoards. She has a blog set up to help teachers get the tools they need to better their SmartBoard experience. She has a ton of links to webpage’s that are set up specifically for the use of SmartBoards. She has made it easier for other teachers to learn to love their SmartBoard as much as she likes hers. The link to her blog is http://abunday-smartboard.blogspot.com/. It is a great blog for future teachers to look at so that they can get the information that they need to help them with their SmartBoard.
On the other hand, there are people who absolutely hate their SmartBoard. The hate comes from everything between not being comfortable with it to hating it because it isn’t mounted in a good spot in the classroom. The arguments that I have found on this topic do seem valid, but like I said, I really cannot pass judgment on this debate. One argument that I found to be interesting can be located on this link: http://smartboardchat.blogspot.com/2007/05/mobile-verses-mounting.html.
Part 1 covers the basic things that we already know about technology. The video did not come as a shock to me because I am from a generation that uses technology in order to survive. It talks about how when students went to school in the past, they had to use the library in order to get the materials that they needed to class. They had to hand write papers and hand-write notes in class. In today’s classroom, we use computers to help us write our papers. When we take notes, we take them from our computer instead of with pen and paper. Technology has bettered our lives in many ways and this video just points the facts out.
Part 2 if the video covers how we use technology around the world. The video covered how technology is used everything from whale watching to nuclear scientists. Technology has made everything better by making life easier for people around the world. We can use technology for leisure purposes as well as using it to work. It is a great tool that we are fortunate to get to use.
EDM310 is Different:
We were asked to watch two videos made by students in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class. This is to help us get ideas of what our own video may be about. We are asked to produce a video on anything that we like and then post it to Youtube. It can be something simple or it can be an elaborate project. It just depends on the students creativity and experience with using the technology that we are asked to use. The two videos that I watched from past students were really good. This makes me nervous now because mine will not be as good as theirs. My favorite was “The Chipper” series because it shows the typical college student trying to wait until the last minute to finish a project. The movie Titled “EDM310 for Dummies” was really good as well. It gives simple questions and answers that students have about this class. This is great because it can be overwhelming at first until you become more comfortable with the computer. They were both great movies and I hope mine will be half as good as theirs.
Critiques of SmartBoards
This was the first time that I had done any real research on different opinions of smartboards and my-oh-my have I been missing out! There are some heated arguments on the pros and cons of SmartBoards. Some teachers really like them; some could give or take them, while others demand that they be removed from their classroom. I do not have a real opinion on this because I have not used one to teach yet and honestly, I probably never will considering that I am a Physical Education major, but I am still interested in this topic.
One teacher that I found to be interesting loves SmartBoards. She has a blog set up to help teachers get the tools they need to better their SmartBoard experience. She has a ton of links to webpage’s that are set up specifically for the use of SmartBoards. She has made it easier for other teachers to learn to love their SmartBoard as much as she likes hers. The link to her blog is http://abunday-smartboard.blogspot.com/. It is a great blog for future teachers to look at so that they can get the information that they need to help them with their SmartBoard.
On the other hand, there are people who absolutely hate their SmartBoard. The hate comes from everything between not being comfortable with it to hating it because it isn’t mounted in a good spot in the classroom. The arguments that I have found on this topic do seem valid, but like I said, I really cannot pass judgment on this debate. One argument that I found to be interesting can be located on this link: http://smartboardchat.blogspot.com/2007/05/mobile-verses-mounting.html.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Additional Blog Assignment #2
1.What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves?
Yes. All students need is motivation and it helps to come from a teacher but it matters the most when it comes from the student themselves. I really enjoyed this video because I believe the point of it is to help the areas where there is not any education. As I read the comments that some people left about this video, I became really aggravated. I feel like half of the people that viewed it, misinterpreted it. He wasn’t saying that teachers aren’t important, nor was he saying that students are better off teaching themselves. The point that he was making was that there are areas where teachers will not go so the children there are left without an education. When you give them the option to succeed, the ones who want it the most will. Why segregate them the way they have been? With all the technology that we have in the world, there isn’t any reason to why these children do not at least have the opportunity to an education.
2.If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves?
Yes they can. It is not going to be an easy street for them but they can do it. If you want something bad enough, you do it. These students just need the opportunity to a better education because for some, the only education they will get will be from themselves.
3.What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself? The condition for a child to teach themselves has to be drastic before I believe it can be successful. When the child is faced with the option of either A. no education or B. an education that they taught themselves by-I believe the ones that want it will choose B.
4.What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
They play the most important role of all. Computers and Internet are the only resources these students will have to a proper education. They can learn all they need to learn just by using the internet.
5.What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
Motivation comes in first, then technology. A student must have the desire to further their education before anything can be done.
6.What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
There a lot of questions when it comes to self learning but I believe the good outweighs the bad.
7.How do you motivate someone to learn?
As a teacher, you encourage them to learn so that they can accomplish their dreams in life. For a student that lacks access to a teacher, the mother must motivate the child. Some children are just lucky enough to be dreamers all on their own. When they have dreams that they want to accomplish in life, they will motivate themselves to be better.
8.How are you motivated to learn?
I am motivated to learn when it interests me. I will be the first to tell you that if I am not interested in something that I am being made to learn, I will not pay attention. It has to be a goal I’m working toward in order for me to be motivated enough to do the things that I don’t want to do.
9.Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?
No. It has to come from within in order to succeed.
10.Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
All the time. I Youtube things that I need directions to because you can see the examples from a video instead of reading them. I taught myself how to sew from the internet and I also get ideas for teaching my kickboxing class from the internet.
11.What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
A teacher is there to help you put the pieces together. I can read something on the internet and be confused on the meaning of it, but when I get to class, the teacher explains it in a way that I can relate it to my life.
12.What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
That there are children out there that can learn on their own. When a student is faced with this only option and still wants to learn, I have to admire them.
13.What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
Is it helpful to use out of classroom technology to further the student’s education even if there is a teacher on staff? A teacher must use other resources for the students that just simply learn better on their own. We help students that need more one on one attention so why not help the students that learn better by themselves?
Yes. All students need is motivation and it helps to come from a teacher but it matters the most when it comes from the student themselves. I really enjoyed this video because I believe the point of it is to help the areas where there is not any education. As I read the comments that some people left about this video, I became really aggravated. I feel like half of the people that viewed it, misinterpreted it. He wasn’t saying that teachers aren’t important, nor was he saying that students are better off teaching themselves. The point that he was making was that there are areas where teachers will not go so the children there are left without an education. When you give them the option to succeed, the ones who want it the most will. Why segregate them the way they have been? With all the technology that we have in the world, there isn’t any reason to why these children do not at least have the opportunity to an education.
2.If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves?
Yes they can. It is not going to be an easy street for them but they can do it. If you want something bad enough, you do it. These students just need the opportunity to a better education because for some, the only education they will get will be from themselves.
3.What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself? The condition for a child to teach themselves has to be drastic before I believe it can be successful. When the child is faced with the option of either A. no education or B. an education that they taught themselves by-I believe the ones that want it will choose B.
4.What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
They play the most important role of all. Computers and Internet are the only resources these students will have to a proper education. They can learn all they need to learn just by using the internet.
5.What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
Motivation comes in first, then technology. A student must have the desire to further their education before anything can be done.
6.What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
There a lot of questions when it comes to self learning but I believe the good outweighs the bad.
7.How do you motivate someone to learn?
As a teacher, you encourage them to learn so that they can accomplish their dreams in life. For a student that lacks access to a teacher, the mother must motivate the child. Some children are just lucky enough to be dreamers all on their own. When they have dreams that they want to accomplish in life, they will motivate themselves to be better.
8.How are you motivated to learn?
I am motivated to learn when it interests me. I will be the first to tell you that if I am not interested in something that I am being made to learn, I will not pay attention. It has to be a goal I’m working toward in order for me to be motivated enough to do the things that I don’t want to do.
9.Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?
No. It has to come from within in order to succeed.
10.Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
All the time. I Youtube things that I need directions to because you can see the examples from a video instead of reading them. I taught myself how to sew from the internet and I also get ideas for teaching my kickboxing class from the internet.
11.What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
A teacher is there to help you put the pieces together. I can read something on the internet and be confused on the meaning of it, but when I get to class, the teacher explains it in a way that I can relate it to my life.
12.What is the most important idea, question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
That there are children out there that can learn on their own. When a student is faced with this only option and still wants to learn, I have to admire them.
13.What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
Is it helpful to use out of classroom technology to further the student’s education even if there is a teacher on staff? A teacher must use other resources for the students that just simply learn better on their own. We help students that need more one on one attention so why not help the students that learn better by themselves?
PLN Progress
My PLN so far….
I am a user and active member of Facebook
Websites I frequently use:
PECENTRAL.ORG
AAHPERD.ORG
BLOGGER.COM
I am a user and active member of Facebook
Websites I frequently use:
PECENTRAL.ORG
AAHPERD.ORG
BLOGGER.COM
Blog Post #7
RANDY PAUSCH'S LAST LECTURE
It was really an enjoyment for me to watch Randy because he was so funny and had such a good attitude and personality. He started off his speech talking about childhood dreams. He talked about the importance of them and how every child does have dreams whether they are big or small. I think as future teachers we should always encourage kids to be all they can and that if they work for their dreams they can accomplish them. This is very important for early childhood education teachers because the younger the children are, the more they believe in their dreams. I also loved how he stressed the fact that he actually did everything on his list and learned from every single experience.
One of the key points that Randy made in his speech was to help the children learn on their own. This idea caught me because I am a firm believer in the fact that children will remember things they experience for themselves better than something they are just told or taught. The difference comes from the children actually doing activities and learning from the hands on experience rather than just memorizing information from a textbook to get them through a test. That’s when education becomes what I call the “etch a sketch” effect. They memorize the information, spit it out for a test, and then erase it completely from their memory. When the students are faced with hands on experiences, it teaches them far more important information that they will retain for a longer period of time.
Randy talked about some of his old memories and one thing he always remembered was "when people stop correcting you they have given up". This statement is so true and it so important for teachers to realize this. Students know when a teacher has simply given up on them and this makes them not attempt their best or even worse, give up on their dreams all together. By giving students encouragement, you are also giving them a chance to succeed. Encouragement goes a long way in a child’s life and it is the simplest thing a teacher can do for someone.
Another point that Randy made in his speech was to help teachers realize that there needs to be fun in the classroom. When a student is bored to tears, they lose focus and determination. It isn’t hard to try to make the lesson plan a tad bit more fun and it’s a key factor in trying to help the students succeed. This goes for all grade levels, not just younger children. I feel like Randy had good points in his speech and it is something that I will remember in the classroom.
It was really an enjoyment for me to watch Randy because he was so funny and had such a good attitude and personality. He started off his speech talking about childhood dreams. He talked about the importance of them and how every child does have dreams whether they are big or small. I think as future teachers we should always encourage kids to be all they can and that if they work for their dreams they can accomplish them. This is very important for early childhood education teachers because the younger the children are, the more they believe in their dreams. I also loved how he stressed the fact that he actually did everything on his list and learned from every single experience.
One of the key points that Randy made in his speech was to help the children learn on their own. This idea caught me because I am a firm believer in the fact that children will remember things they experience for themselves better than something they are just told or taught. The difference comes from the children actually doing activities and learning from the hands on experience rather than just memorizing information from a textbook to get them through a test. That’s when education becomes what I call the “etch a sketch” effect. They memorize the information, spit it out for a test, and then erase it completely from their memory. When the students are faced with hands on experiences, it teaches them far more important information that they will retain for a longer period of time.
Randy talked about some of his old memories and one thing he always remembered was "when people stop correcting you they have given up". This statement is so true and it so important for teachers to realize this. Students know when a teacher has simply given up on them and this makes them not attempt their best or even worse, give up on their dreams all together. By giving students encouragement, you are also giving them a chance to succeed. Encouragement goes a long way in a child’s life and it is the simplest thing a teacher can do for someone.
Another point that Randy made in his speech was to help teachers realize that there needs to be fun in the classroom. When a student is bored to tears, they lose focus and determination. It isn’t hard to try to make the lesson plan a tad bit more fun and it’s a key factor in trying to help the students succeed. This goes for all grade levels, not just younger children. I feel like Randy had good points in his speech and it is something that I will remember in the classroom.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Blog Post #6
Wendy Drexler: The Networked Student
I must say that I had no idea what a “networked” student was before watching this. At least that is what I thought because in reality, I am exactly that! Just for review, the clip is about students today and their ability to learn on their own. It describes the types of information that students have access to without even going to class or reading the book. It raises the question of “Why does a networked student even need a classroom teacher?” because it looks as if the student doesn’t need one. There are many arguments to this issue, but I have only one. A student that has a personal learning network AND a teacher are the students that succeed.
First of all, like I said before, I had no idea what a networked student was. I realized that I didn’t know what it was because of the simple fact that I have put no thought into what I have been doing all this time. I have always researched my classes and Googled questions that I have had to stump me. I research everything and when I can’t find the answer, I dig even deeper until I do. I am also guilty of not buying textbooks because I learn more from my computer. Half the time, the books are available for view on the internet anyway. Technology is a way of life for me and I can see where I have taken it for granted because I didn’t realize what I have been doing.
As far as teachers go, they are absolutely needed in the educational setting. When I look things up online, it is because I am then able to go to class and discuss the information in an informative way with my teacher. Teachers help piece the information together in a real way so that it becomes more personal. A networked student only makes one smarter by giving them the chance to really understand the issues that are discussed in class.
A 7th graders PLE
This student is using technology to help her in science class. She is learning how to use her computer to better her education. She uses things like Google Docs to help her organize and to be better prepared in class. I think she is on the right track to becoming a very successful student because she is learning how to use technology to further her education. Her PLE is a lot like my PLN because I also use some of the same programs that she is using to help me. We are both trying to make the best out of our education by using our technology that we have to help us.
Michael Wesch: The Machine is Changing Us
Wesch's closing question hangs in the air: "How can we use this to conquer the narcissistic disengagement that we see today in a culture that is still ruled by trivialities?" I personally do not have an answer for this but I hope to one day have a better idea for an answer. The video is pretty long but I am glad to have watched it. His questions/answers contradict themselves but this is because there is not just one black and white answer. Technology and it power raises a lot of questions in the terms of good or bad but it is something that no one can answer right now.
I must say that I had no idea what a “networked” student was before watching this. At least that is what I thought because in reality, I am exactly that! Just for review, the clip is about students today and their ability to learn on their own. It describes the types of information that students have access to without even going to class or reading the book. It raises the question of “Why does a networked student even need a classroom teacher?” because it looks as if the student doesn’t need one. There are many arguments to this issue, but I have only one. A student that has a personal learning network AND a teacher are the students that succeed.
First of all, like I said before, I had no idea what a networked student was. I realized that I didn’t know what it was because of the simple fact that I have put no thought into what I have been doing all this time. I have always researched my classes and Googled questions that I have had to stump me. I research everything and when I can’t find the answer, I dig even deeper until I do. I am also guilty of not buying textbooks because I learn more from my computer. Half the time, the books are available for view on the internet anyway. Technology is a way of life for me and I can see where I have taken it for granted because I didn’t realize what I have been doing.
As far as teachers go, they are absolutely needed in the educational setting. When I look things up online, it is because I am then able to go to class and discuss the information in an informative way with my teacher. Teachers help piece the information together in a real way so that it becomes more personal. A networked student only makes one smarter by giving them the chance to really understand the issues that are discussed in class.
A 7th graders PLE
This student is using technology to help her in science class. She is learning how to use her computer to better her education. She uses things like Google Docs to help her organize and to be better prepared in class. I think she is on the right track to becoming a very successful student because she is learning how to use technology to further her education. Her PLE is a lot like my PLN because I also use some of the same programs that she is using to help me. We are both trying to make the best out of our education by using our technology that we have to help us.
Michael Wesch: The Machine is Changing Us
Wesch's closing question hangs in the air: "How can we use this to conquer the narcissistic disengagement that we see today in a culture that is still ruled by trivialities?" I personally do not have an answer for this but I hope to one day have a better idea for an answer. The video is pretty long but I am glad to have watched it. His questions/answers contradict themselves but this is because there is not just one black and white answer. Technology and it power raises a lot of questions in the terms of good or bad but it is something that no one can answer right now.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
C4K #1 and #2 (September)
The student that I have been assigned to is named Levi and he is 13 years old. In his “All About Me” post, he explains that his family is the most important thing to him. He has two sisters that enjoys being with. He is learning how to use computers safely in class by doing his blog assignments. He also shared in his blog that he likes Math and Science and he hopes to continue to do well in them.
The students were asked to write another blog called “Manifesto”. This is supposed to be a post explaining the things that the student wants to achieve in the school year. Levy has really good goals that he wants to achieve in this school year. He wants to complete all his homework on time, make A’s on all his work, and be more responsible with his work. The Manifesto assignment is a great idea because it gives the students a chance to put their goals into perspective. I am glad that I have gotten a chance to read about Levy and I wish him much luck in his school career.
The students were asked to write another blog called “Manifesto”. This is supposed to be a post explaining the things that the student wants to achieve in the school year. Levy has really good goals that he wants to achieve in this school year. He wants to complete all his homework on time, make A’s on all his work, and be more responsible with his work. The Manifesto assignment is a great idea because it gives the students a chance to put their goals into perspective. I am glad that I have gotten a chance to read about Levy and I wish him much luck in his school career.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Blog Post #5
I watched the Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog in absolute amazement. This is a class of third graders that post podcast of themselves informing us of what they have learned in school. They take the information that the teacher has taught them and they act it out in their video. I couldn’t believe how well the students retained the information and how good they were in front of the camera. The students in this class have been given a wonderful opportunity to use technology in the classroom to its fullest advantage. I not only learned what to do in a podcast, but I also learned how to have fun doing it.
“The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom” by Joe Dale was very informative and helpful information on podcasting. It gives the benefits to using it in the classroom do that teachers can be more aware of it. The key points that Joe pointed out in his presentation is that podcasting is an effective way of interacting with students outside of the classroom, it is a form of learning that students today are familiar with so it makes it relevant to them, it allows for differentiation and project based learning, students can access the higher order thinking skills in Bloom's taxonomy, it promotes creativity and innovation, it can offer distance learning opportunities for absent students, it makes the process of creating and uploading audio files easy, and parents can see and hear what their children are doing at school. It makes education more available to the students and it helps everyone communicate no matter where there location may be.
“The Pratical Principles”: Scott Elias and Melinda Miller have been recording the Practical Principals podcast since the Fall of 2007. I really enjoyed their take on technology and education. They talk about technology in a user friendly way so that the average teacher can learn to use it without fearing it. The practical principle 25 is their newest addition to their podcast. The podcast cover things like the iPhone and iPad and how they can be used to do many great things. I liked their podcast because they made the material they were talking about interesting and it gave me ideas to use the technology more than I do now.
“The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom” by Joe Dale was very informative and helpful information on podcasting. It gives the benefits to using it in the classroom do that teachers can be more aware of it. The key points that Joe pointed out in his presentation is that podcasting is an effective way of interacting with students outside of the classroom, it is a form of learning that students today are familiar with so it makes it relevant to them, it allows for differentiation and project based learning, students can access the higher order thinking skills in Bloom's taxonomy, it promotes creativity and innovation, it can offer distance learning opportunities for absent students, it makes the process of creating and uploading audio files easy, and parents can see and hear what their children are doing at school. It makes education more available to the students and it helps everyone communicate no matter where there location may be.
“The Pratical Principles”: Scott Elias and Melinda Miller have been recording the Practical Principals podcast since the Fall of 2007. I really enjoyed their take on technology and education. They talk about technology in a user friendly way so that the average teacher can learn to use it without fearing it. The practical principle 25 is their newest addition to their podcast. The podcast cover things like the iPhone and iPad and how they can be used to do many great things. I liked their podcast because they made the material they were talking about interesting and it gave me ideas to use the technology more than I do now.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Comment for Teacher #2
Comment for Teacher #2
Morgan Bayda is a new teacher in Saskatchewan that travels all over to help others out. On her blog, she has pictures of all the places that she has been as well as the people that she has met. She has gotten to do and see things that many people will never experience in their lifetimes. She is a very lucky woman to get the opportunity to see all that she has and the people that she has met are very lucky as well. She has helped out people everywhere she goes and I am sure she is touching the lives of those people with every step of the way. Her pictures are amazing and her blogs capture everything that is being seen in the pictures.
Morgan has a post that concludes her trip to Costa Rica. She believes that she is leaving with more questions than answers but in the end she is happy with it. She has enjoyed the adventures that Costa Rica has given her and she is now ready to move on. I wrote to her and asked her to please keep writing and posting pictures of her trips because I love reading them. She has seen beautiful places and beautiful people and I hope to one day get to travel just like her.
Morgan Bayda is a new teacher in Saskatchewan that travels all over to help others out. On her blog, she has pictures of all the places that she has been as well as the people that she has met. She has gotten to do and see things that many people will never experience in their lifetimes. She is a very lucky woman to get the opportunity to see all that she has and the people that she has met are very lucky as well. She has helped out people everywhere she goes and I am sure she is touching the lives of those people with every step of the way. Her pictures are amazing and her blogs capture everything that is being seen in the pictures.
Morgan has a post that concludes her trip to Costa Rica. She believes that she is leaving with more questions than answers but in the end she is happy with it. She has enjoyed the adventures that Costa Rica has given her and she is now ready to move on. I wrote to her and asked her to please keep writing and posting pictures of her trips because I love reading them. She has seen beautiful places and beautiful people and I hope to one day get to travel just like her.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Blog Post #4
Don’t teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? By Dr. Mcleod
Dr. Mcleod takes a completely different approach to telling people about technology. He is asking teachers to not use it and keep their students in the dark about what is going on in the world. He asks them to not use cell phones and social networks because this will only get them in trouble. He is using as much sarcasm as he possibly can because at the end of the blog, he ask teachers not to use it because he is and he wants to see whose group of students turn out more successful. I loved the argument he made because it shows the ridiculous things people say about technology and he turns it around and puts it back on them.
Technology in the classroom is very important but there are still teachers who won’t use it. This is because they are scared of it and don’t know how to use it themselves. It can also be because the fear of showing the students how to use it can turn the students into cheaters and expose them to cyber-bullying. While this may be true, there are still more benefits to using it than not. Dr. Mcleod had several good reasons to his post and I am glad that I read them.
The iSchool Initiative
This video clip amazed me because not only did it have informative information, but because it was made by a high school student. The school the student was attending had a major budget cut and the result of it was to cut technology out of the classroom. Not only was technology affected, but the budget for books was cut and the teachers were also cut. This put more students in the classrooms with fewer books and very few teachers. The point the high school student is trying to make is if we had more technology like the iSchool, there would be less reason to have books and paper. The cost could go down because of the resources the iSchool could bring.
The iSchool is an iPhone with school apps on it. It can do all the required subjects with fewer items required. By this I mean paper, pen, books, and calculators. The iSchool would have everything the students and the teachers need with fewer resources to work with. The student did a wonderful job explaining this and I admire his gesture for trying to help the school systems.
The Lost Generation
I absolutely loved everything about this clip. The technique that was used to present it was better than the actual point of it. At first, I thought it was depressing and it was starting to lose my attention, but by the middle of it when they flipped the script, it suddenly became better. I am not sure the point of it, but I did like it a lot. It gave a new meaning to what life is supposed to be like versus what people are actually doing with theirs.
Virtual Choir
I must say that this video gave me chill bumps. I have watched it over and over again and I am still amazed by it. This is a group of people singing and while this may not seem like a big deal, the truth is that they have never seen one another. They recorded this through the internet and put it on YouTube. It is amazing to see and I am so glad that I have. I have emailed a link of it to my friends so that they can see it too. It just goes to show people what technology can do for the world.
Dr. Mcleod takes a completely different approach to telling people about technology. He is asking teachers to not use it and keep their students in the dark about what is going on in the world. He asks them to not use cell phones and social networks because this will only get them in trouble. He is using as much sarcasm as he possibly can because at the end of the blog, he ask teachers not to use it because he is and he wants to see whose group of students turn out more successful. I loved the argument he made because it shows the ridiculous things people say about technology and he turns it around and puts it back on them.
Technology in the classroom is very important but there are still teachers who won’t use it. This is because they are scared of it and don’t know how to use it themselves. It can also be because the fear of showing the students how to use it can turn the students into cheaters and expose them to cyber-bullying. While this may be true, there are still more benefits to using it than not. Dr. Mcleod had several good reasons to his post and I am glad that I read them.
The iSchool Initiative
This video clip amazed me because not only did it have informative information, but because it was made by a high school student. The school the student was attending had a major budget cut and the result of it was to cut technology out of the classroom. Not only was technology affected, but the budget for books was cut and the teachers were also cut. This put more students in the classrooms with fewer books and very few teachers. The point the high school student is trying to make is if we had more technology like the iSchool, there would be less reason to have books and paper. The cost could go down because of the resources the iSchool could bring.
The iSchool is an iPhone with school apps on it. It can do all the required subjects with fewer items required. By this I mean paper, pen, books, and calculators. The iSchool would have everything the students and the teachers need with fewer resources to work with. The student did a wonderful job explaining this and I admire his gesture for trying to help the school systems.
The Lost Generation
I absolutely loved everything about this clip. The technique that was used to present it was better than the actual point of it. At first, I thought it was depressing and it was starting to lose my attention, but by the middle of it when they flipped the script, it suddenly became better. I am not sure the point of it, but I did like it a lot. It gave a new meaning to what life is supposed to be like versus what people are actually doing with theirs.
Virtual Choir
I must say that this video gave me chill bumps. I have watched it over and over again and I am still amazed by it. This is a group of people singing and while this may not seem like a big deal, the truth is that they have never seen one another. They recorded this through the internet and put it on YouTube. It is amazing to see and I am so glad that I have. I have emailed a link of it to my friends so that they can see it too. It just goes to show people what technology can do for the world.
Additional Blog Assignment #1
Google Squared is a search tool that helps you quickly build a collection of facts from the web, for any topic you specify. The educational implications of searches done on Google squared provides teachers with helpful data that is easily accessed and compiled into one fact sheet. It makes research easier as well as finding data to use in the classroom much easier and faster. Another search engine is WolframAlfa and it is simply the best tool that I have ever used. It gives facts and data without having to do any searching. As a teacher, the educational implications to using this tool is that finding data out is much more user friendly and it is compiled into one spreadsheet or document which makes giving it to the students a lot less stressful.
I am glad to have had the chance to use these tools because I have never heard of them before this assignment. They will make my life as teacher a lot less stressful and they will also help out my future students. I feel like the information that I have seen from the YouTube video from Dr. Strange and the ‘Did you know’ video go hand in hand with one another. I still cannot believe the amount information that is available to anyone who wants it just by using the internet. I feel like technology has taken over the world and that it is a good thing. Technology can still be a blessing and curse but for the most part, I know that I personally couldn’t make it through the day without it.
I am glad to have had the chance to use these tools because I have never heard of them before this assignment. They will make my life as teacher a lot less stressful and they will also help out my future students. I feel like the information that I have seen from the YouTube video from Dr. Strange and the ‘Did you know’ video go hand in hand with one another. I still cannot believe the amount information that is available to anyone who wants it just by using the internet. I feel like technology has taken over the world and that it is a good thing. Technology can still be a blessing and curse but for the most part, I know that I personally couldn’t make it through the day without it.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Blog Post #3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
This clip is taking place in a college classroom where the students are giving facts about their college experience. Each student held a sign stating what they are doing with their college years. Most of them spent it on Facebook or on their cell phones. This didn’t shock me because I too am guilty if this. The point the clip is trying to make is if whether or not technology is good in the classrooms. I can see the issue with it because students are not paying attention when there is a laptop, iPod, or other device in their hands. Technology can be a big distraction, but it can also be a saving grace. I actually loved the way the director put all the facts in the student’s hands for us to view. I think that by doing this, it created an instant connection between college students viewing it and them.
I do have a connection with this clip because every day I see people on Facebook instead of listening to the professor. I see empty seats where students pay for their education but yet do not come. I too pay for textbooks but never use them and I can see where technology has played a role in this. However, I believe that I could not be as successful as I am now without the technology that I use. It keeps me up to date with my studies and it helps me to further my education by allowing me to see things that I would never get the opportunity to see without it.
Kelly Hines: It’s Not about the Technology
The core outcomes that are listed from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills can be learned without technology by a good teacher. The problem here is that if we are teaching kids in the 21st century without technology, aren’t we defeating the purpose? Education is based on technology because the purpose is to educate the students about life/job skills. If we as teachers deprive the students of technology, aren’t we harming more than causing good? Technology is the way of life and it is only getting worse so the main point is that technology has to be taught in order for these students to make it in today’s society.
However; with that being said, I do believe that technology is not a substitute for good teaching but can be wonderful in the hands of a great teacher. The teaching method has to be changed in order to teach students now. There are more and technological advancements happening and teachers have to be able to keep up. With the right teacher, technology can be the key to success in the classroom. It can aide in helping the teacher and the students become better learners.
Karl Fisch: Is it okay to be Technologically Illiterate?
This blog is pretty harsh when it comes to teachers and technology. Some people may even find it defensive, but I liked it. I am glad that someone out there is finally stepping up and saying that if teachers can’t deal with the technology that is available to them then they need to find another job. It isn’t okay to have some teachers very technologically savvy and others who can’t even turn a computer on. Let’s face it, we have all had the wonderful experience of having an old teacher like this and it is nerve racking. Teachers must educate themselves in order to be able to educate the students. The times are changing and technology is a way of life for many of the students today; not to mention the jobs that are being created that solemnly rely on computers.
If more teachers could realize the importance of technology then there wouldn’t even be an issue here. Teachers do not want to change because they fear it. The problem is the fact that they are hindering the students learning abilities by not teaching basic life skills. Technology isn’t something that is a luxury to learn; it is an essential fiber in the thread of education.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
The numbers are outstanding in the terms of how many people are using technology by the second. At first, I was almost certain that this didn’t apply to me because I am a Physical Education major. The more I got to thinking about it though; I realized that this has absolutely everything to do with me. How am I supposed to get kids active when they have their heads in a computer all day? I can’t punish them for it because it is their way of life now. I have to learn to incorporate it into my curriculum so they can learn the healthy benefits from it.
Just as I said before, teachers have to change in the classroom in order to be able to keep up with the students. This is going to be even harder for me because I have to make sure they are active and healthy. I can incorporate the Wii system into my coaching so that I can show them how to use there playing time wisely. I can teach them about the wonderful tools online that are set up to help people keep track of their nutritional goals. I most certainly can use technology to help me with my PE classes and if I can do this, any teacher can do it. It’s all about change and change is good.
This clip is taking place in a college classroom where the students are giving facts about their college experience. Each student held a sign stating what they are doing with their college years. Most of them spent it on Facebook or on their cell phones. This didn’t shock me because I too am guilty if this. The point the clip is trying to make is if whether or not technology is good in the classrooms. I can see the issue with it because students are not paying attention when there is a laptop, iPod, or other device in their hands. Technology can be a big distraction, but it can also be a saving grace. I actually loved the way the director put all the facts in the student’s hands for us to view. I think that by doing this, it created an instant connection between college students viewing it and them.
I do have a connection with this clip because every day I see people on Facebook instead of listening to the professor. I see empty seats where students pay for their education but yet do not come. I too pay for textbooks but never use them and I can see where technology has played a role in this. However, I believe that I could not be as successful as I am now without the technology that I use. It keeps me up to date with my studies and it helps me to further my education by allowing me to see things that I would never get the opportunity to see without it.
Kelly Hines: It’s Not about the Technology
The core outcomes that are listed from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills can be learned without technology by a good teacher. The problem here is that if we are teaching kids in the 21st century without technology, aren’t we defeating the purpose? Education is based on technology because the purpose is to educate the students about life/job skills. If we as teachers deprive the students of technology, aren’t we harming more than causing good? Technology is the way of life and it is only getting worse so the main point is that technology has to be taught in order for these students to make it in today’s society.
However; with that being said, I do believe that technology is not a substitute for good teaching but can be wonderful in the hands of a great teacher. The teaching method has to be changed in order to teach students now. There are more and technological advancements happening and teachers have to be able to keep up. With the right teacher, technology can be the key to success in the classroom. It can aide in helping the teacher and the students become better learners.
Karl Fisch: Is it okay to be Technologically Illiterate?
This blog is pretty harsh when it comes to teachers and technology. Some people may even find it defensive, but I liked it. I am glad that someone out there is finally stepping up and saying that if teachers can’t deal with the technology that is available to them then they need to find another job. It isn’t okay to have some teachers very technologically savvy and others who can’t even turn a computer on. Let’s face it, we have all had the wonderful experience of having an old teacher like this and it is nerve racking. Teachers must educate themselves in order to be able to educate the students. The times are changing and technology is a way of life for many of the students today; not to mention the jobs that are being created that solemnly rely on computers.
If more teachers could realize the importance of technology then there wouldn’t even be an issue here. Teachers do not want to change because they fear it. The problem is the fact that they are hindering the students learning abilities by not teaching basic life skills. Technology isn’t something that is a luxury to learn; it is an essential fiber in the thread of education.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
The numbers are outstanding in the terms of how many people are using technology by the second. At first, I was almost certain that this didn’t apply to me because I am a Physical Education major. The more I got to thinking about it though; I realized that this has absolutely everything to do with me. How am I supposed to get kids active when they have their heads in a computer all day? I can’t punish them for it because it is their way of life now. I have to learn to incorporate it into my curriculum so they can learn the healthy benefits from it.
Just as I said before, teachers have to change in the classroom in order to be able to keep up with the students. This is going to be even harder for me because I have to make sure they are active and healthy. I can incorporate the Wii system into my coaching so that I can show them how to use there playing time wisely. I can teach them about the wonderful tools online that are set up to help people keep track of their nutritional goals. I most certainly can use technology to help me with my PE classes and if I can do this, any teacher can do it. It’s all about change and change is good.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
C4T #1
Student Internet Use in the Holidays
This blog is about a study that the teachers did on their students about internet usage during the holidays. They wanted to get an idea of how many students had access to the internet at home and what they were looking at when they were using it. 29 classes responded and the outcome was that out of the 29 classes, about 25% of them had at home internet usage. The teachers used the information to see how the students used their technology that they had at home before the school issued net books and the internet access on them will be available to the students 24/7. I left a comment stating that it was a good idea to do the survey because I believe that when the students are not pressed for time on the internet, they will do more productive things with it. Right now, most of them have limited access to the internet so they are choosing to do more social networking with it than school work. I believe that will change when the school issues the net books because the students can access the internet whenever they want.
Engaging Parents through Home School Partnerships
This blog is about helping the parents with technology that they are not used to. Schooling is very different now from when the parents went so it is essential to help them out so their children are getting the most out of their education. The school is having evening meetings to teach the parents the basic skills of what it takes to teach now. The purpose of the meetings have been to inform the parents about the Manaiakalani project and how it is progressing in their school, and to give the parents a hands-on opportunity to interact with their own children's shared learning. They even have creative ways of getting the parents to attend by the children making invitations for the parents to come. I commented on the blog by saying that I totally agree with the project because I didn’t have any technology skills given to me or my parents growing up. I went all the way to my senior year of high school without a computer. Looking back, I have no idea how I did it, but it was simply because my parents nor I was taught anything about them. Dorothy left a comment on my page saying that I am very lucky to have a teacher like Dr. Strange and to have the opportunity to learn about technology this way.
This blog is about a study that the teachers did on their students about internet usage during the holidays. They wanted to get an idea of how many students had access to the internet at home and what they were looking at when they were using it. 29 classes responded and the outcome was that out of the 29 classes, about 25% of them had at home internet usage. The teachers used the information to see how the students used their technology that they had at home before the school issued net books and the internet access on them will be available to the students 24/7. I left a comment stating that it was a good idea to do the survey because I believe that when the students are not pressed for time on the internet, they will do more productive things with it. Right now, most of them have limited access to the internet so they are choosing to do more social networking with it than school work. I believe that will change when the school issues the net books because the students can access the internet whenever they want.
Engaging Parents through Home School Partnerships
This blog is about helping the parents with technology that they are not used to. Schooling is very different now from when the parents went so it is essential to help them out so their children are getting the most out of their education. The school is having evening meetings to teach the parents the basic skills of what it takes to teach now. The purpose of the meetings have been to inform the parents about the Manaiakalani project and how it is progressing in their school, and to give the parents a hands-on opportunity to interact with their own children's shared learning. They even have creative ways of getting the parents to attend by the children making invitations for the parents to come. I commented on the blog by saying that I totally agree with the project because I didn’t have any technology skills given to me or my parents growing up. I went all the way to my senior year of high school without a computer. Looking back, I have no idea how I did it, but it was simply because my parents nor I was taught anything about them. Dorothy left a comment on my page saying that I am very lucky to have a teacher like Dr. Strange and to have the opportunity to learn about technology this way.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Blog Assignment #2
Did You Know? 3.0
The clip of “Did You Know?” stated a ton of facts and data that have been changing since technology started. The scary thing is, the numbers that this clip produced about how people are using data and technology today. I wasn’t expecting to be shocked the way I was after watching this. I have always known how wonderful technology is and how important it can be in everyday situations, but I didn’t realize just how much it is being used to save lives. The clip showed how doctors and nurses are using technology to improve their studies and the lives of their patients.
What I also didn’t realize is how the technology that I am using today will be outdated in no time. The rate at which technology is used not only here in America but all over the world is amazing. It is allowing people to connect with one another on a whole different level. Technology is saving people and saving education and this video is exact proof of that. People are able to understand things better with access to the world at their fingertips. Technology is the number one key to success in today’s world because everywhere you go, someone somewhere is using it.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
I must say that this is by far my most favorite clip. Mr. Winkle wakes after a 100 year sleep to find him-self very confused in the world. Everything around him had changed and he did not know what to do. When he went out of his home to adventure into the streets, everything scared him. Hospitals were not the same, jobs were not the same, and the people around him were not the same. It wasn’t until he reached the school grounds that he began to feel comfortable with this new world. He loved the fact that there was not any new technology in the classrooms. He felt like all the other students because they were using just pen and paper like he was accustomed to. Mr. Winkle had finally found his place in life and it was at school.
What is ironic here is the fact that when you first watch the clip, you feel bad for Mr. Winkle because everything has changed. The daily activities that he was used to had been changed dramatically. What I soon came to realize is that technology has changed everywhere but in the classroom. I have always known that the classrooms are outdated and that it needs to be changed, but I didn’t realize just how outdated they were until watching this. I think it hit me when Mr. Winkle loved school and didn’t want to leave. He was finally comfortable and felt at home with the school. I wanted to shake Mr. Winkle just because he should not have felt at home. School is the foundation of our education and we have here a 100 year old man feeling at home in our classroom. This is sad and I hope technology in the classroom picks up tremendously.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I am so glad that someone has touched on this subject because there are so many students in school that are not passing by the standards set by the school system. The problem with this is that the student is smart, but because he/she cannot pass according to the set standards, they are deemed as failing. The four main subjects are Math, Science, History, and English; these are important subjects but what about the students who are excellent in the arts? Why separate them and make them feel not important because they aren’t as good at the standard level? Schools as a whole discriminate against creativity and this segregates the students that are more individualistic than others.
School systems today centralize on standardized testing and making sure that all students are on the same page. This may be good in the sense that making sure all students are productive citizens, but is this good for individualism? I believe that by taking the creativity away from the students turns them all into one type of person. We are all created by God to be individualistic and to not fit into a norm. If schools focused more on the needs of the students rather than just the standardized testing way, there would be more graduates from high school and college.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
This woman is a high school teacher from a rural area in Georgia. She teaches computer efficiency to the students and how to apply it to everyday life. She teaches ways to use the computer to make life easier for the students. It is a hands on class that uses the most high tech technology available and turns it into a user friendly way. I particularly liked the way she used Smart phones in the classroom to show the students all the things they can do to make their life better. She makes the students understand the importance of technology in a fun way. She shows them ways to apply it to job skills and how to use it for college classes.
My favorite thing about this whole clip was the fact that she is teaching this technology to students who may not even have a computer. She helps them to not be afraid of the technology that they are using and how easy it can be to use it. She is connecting them to the whole world in just one class and for some students; this may be the only connection they get with other nationalities. I cannot stress enough how important this class is that she is teaching. I hope more classes’ incorporate her way of teaching so that students today can be job ready as well as college ready.
The clip of “Did You Know?” stated a ton of facts and data that have been changing since technology started. The scary thing is, the numbers that this clip produced about how people are using data and technology today. I wasn’t expecting to be shocked the way I was after watching this. I have always known how wonderful technology is and how important it can be in everyday situations, but I didn’t realize just how much it is being used to save lives. The clip showed how doctors and nurses are using technology to improve their studies and the lives of their patients.
What I also didn’t realize is how the technology that I am using today will be outdated in no time. The rate at which technology is used not only here in America but all over the world is amazing. It is allowing people to connect with one another on a whole different level. Technology is saving people and saving education and this video is exact proof of that. People are able to understand things better with access to the world at their fingertips. Technology is the number one key to success in today’s world because everywhere you go, someone somewhere is using it.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
I must say that this is by far my most favorite clip. Mr. Winkle wakes after a 100 year sleep to find him-self very confused in the world. Everything around him had changed and he did not know what to do. When he went out of his home to adventure into the streets, everything scared him. Hospitals were not the same, jobs were not the same, and the people around him were not the same. It wasn’t until he reached the school grounds that he began to feel comfortable with this new world. He loved the fact that there was not any new technology in the classrooms. He felt like all the other students because they were using just pen and paper like he was accustomed to. Mr. Winkle had finally found his place in life and it was at school.
What is ironic here is the fact that when you first watch the clip, you feel bad for Mr. Winkle because everything has changed. The daily activities that he was used to had been changed dramatically. What I soon came to realize is that technology has changed everywhere but in the classroom. I have always known that the classrooms are outdated and that it needs to be changed, but I didn’t realize just how outdated they were until watching this. I think it hit me when Mr. Winkle loved school and didn’t want to leave. He was finally comfortable and felt at home with the school. I wanted to shake Mr. Winkle just because he should not have felt at home. School is the foundation of our education and we have here a 100 year old man feeling at home in our classroom. This is sad and I hope technology in the classroom picks up tremendously.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
I am so glad that someone has touched on this subject because there are so many students in school that are not passing by the standards set by the school system. The problem with this is that the student is smart, but because he/she cannot pass according to the set standards, they are deemed as failing. The four main subjects are Math, Science, History, and English; these are important subjects but what about the students who are excellent in the arts? Why separate them and make them feel not important because they aren’t as good at the standard level? Schools as a whole discriminate against creativity and this segregates the students that are more individualistic than others.
School systems today centralize on standardized testing and making sure that all students are on the same page. This may be good in the sense that making sure all students are productive citizens, but is this good for individualism? I believe that by taking the creativity away from the students turns them all into one type of person. We are all created by God to be individualistic and to not fit into a norm. If schools focused more on the needs of the students rather than just the standardized testing way, there would be more graduates from high school and college.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
This woman is a high school teacher from a rural area in Georgia. She teaches computer efficiency to the students and how to apply it to everyday life. She teaches ways to use the computer to make life easier for the students. It is a hands on class that uses the most high tech technology available and turns it into a user friendly way. I particularly liked the way she used Smart phones in the classroom to show the students all the things they can do to make their life better. She makes the students understand the importance of technology in a fun way. She shows them ways to apply it to job skills and how to use it for college classes.
My favorite thing about this whole clip was the fact that she is teaching this technology to students who may not even have a computer. She helps them to not be afraid of the technology that they are using and how easy it can be to use it. She is connecting them to the whole world in just one class and for some students; this may be the only connection they get with other nationalities. I cannot stress enough how important this class is that she is teaching. I hope more classes’ incorporate her way of teaching so that students today can be job ready as well as college ready.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Blog Assignment #1
On May 4, 1988, I made a crash landing on Barksdale Airforce base; at least that is what my first t-shirt said the day I was born! My father was in the United States Airforce and we lived in Shreveport, Louisiana. Four years later, we moved to Mobile, Alabama and we have lived here ever since. I graduated high school in 2006 and started college in the fall of 2007 at Faulkner State. I enrolled at the University of South Alabama in the spring of 2010 and here I am now! I have been married for going on 4 years now to my best friend named Blake Estes. We own and operate Estes Nursery in Semmes, Alabama. We do not have any children at the moment so our dogs will have to do for now. We have a five year old poodle named Gucci and a two year old bull mastiff named McCalla. They are our world and we love spending all our time with them. We enjoy going camping, bike riding, running, and anything outdoors that we can do.
My personal hobby is kickboxing and I have been learning and teaching it for several years now. My hobby is what has brought me to the wonderful world of education. My major is physical education and I hope to teach children how to love staying active and the importance of nutrition in their daily lives. I am very passionate about my career decision and I hope that I can positively impact at least one child’s life in my career. I teach cardio-boxing at the University of South Alabama and I teach turbo kick at a local gym called Sportplex. I am happy with my career path and I hope to become the physical education teacher that helps students learn to live healthy lifestyles. I plan to graduate in the spring of 2011 and start my career from there.
My personal hobby is kickboxing and I have been learning and teaching it for several years now. My hobby is what has brought me to the wonderful world of education. My major is physical education and I hope to teach children how to love staying active and the importance of nutrition in their daily lives. I am very passionate about my career decision and I hope that I can positively impact at least one child’s life in my career. I teach cardio-boxing at the University of South Alabama and I teach turbo kick at a local gym called Sportplex. I am happy with my career path and I hope to become the physical education teacher that helps students learn to live healthy lifestyles. I plan to graduate in the spring of 2011 and start my career from there.
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