project 15 interview

GoodBye!

I'm a big quote person and since I was listening to Tom Petty and the heartbreakers I will use this quote: “You and I will meet again, When we're least expecting it, One day in some far off place, I will recognize your face, I won't say goodbye my friend, For you and I will meet again."

We will meet again....sometime soon I'm sure. And for all of you who haven't heard this song from Tom petty here is the video:

Professional Blog

MY PROFESSIONAL BLOG

Final Blog Post- May 2nd

We've used a lot of technological tools in this class, and this blog is a final declaration as to what we've learned and what we've learned from those tools.

Our first question involved us making a list of what we've learned by using all of the tools assigned to us. If you've been following this blog, you will realize that we have used tools like iTunes U, podcast, twitter, delicious, Google docs, Comments4teachers, Comments4kids, Google Earth, and other tools to make sure we are not technologically illiterate as we enter the field of education. I've learned that iTunes U is extremely helpful. It gives the students a more rounded view of the information you are teaching, and it can help you study for a test. Podcast are also helpful when teaching. It can give the students that learn with audio, a chance to understand the lectures better. Twitter, I honestly didn't find the significance in it. Granted, it makes it easier to follow certain people and to keep you networked, however, if you don't know what you are doing it can be complicated. Google Earth is a very helpful tool, especially if you're teaching the subject of history. They can look and see where everything is and what used to be. Google docs is an amazing tool. It can do everything Microsoft Office can do, except you don't have to pay for this. Comments4kids was helpful, because we saw how kids are getting more involved with technology. And comments4teachers helped us develop our PLN, which we will use when enter our teaching field.

The second question asked us if there was something that we should have learned in this class. My answer to this was no, I honestly believe that we have learned how to use everything out there. I would have liked to expand our knowledge of Google Docs a little more. I wanted to learn how to do a grade book using Google Docs.

Third question asked if we learned anything that we should have not. I think the tools that we studied thoroughly are the tools most used. I would have liked to have covered moodle. I saw that on one of the teacher's I commented on. I found it very interesting. It is a community online sharing site. That's all I know.

Fourth question asked us if we found this class useful. In all honesty, I found this class useful. Eventually we will have to use these tools, it may not be right now, but eventually the education system will convert. And I found most of the stuff useful and eye opening; especially everything you can with itunes...I thought that was great, that really excited me.

He then asked if we were bored by this class at anytime. I found some of the blogs boring. I mean I'd watch three blogs/videos with the same message. That to me is boring.


I found the professional blog to be intellectually challenging. It really made me sit down and think about why am I becoming a teacher.

I would only add going over evernote. That to me was incredible; it's so nice not having to remember everything, and to have it right there in front of you. I just wish I knew how to use it.

I think I would rate myself as a medium technologically literate teacher. I think I can do too much to be a low, however, I still have a lot to learn, so I'd say medium.

I plan to keep this up by keeping myself up to date with the latest technology out there. If there is one thing I've learned from all the videos we have watched: you better stay connected. It's kind of like social darwinism: if you don't learn to adapt you won't survive, and I want to survive, so I will stay up to date. How I plan to do this is simple: Follow certain blogs on technology and what is going on. Hopefully, this will help, but as long as I'm willing to learn, I think I'll be ok.

Skype

skype


Skype is a tool where a person can talk to someone over the internet. It was an interesting tool to use. Periodically throughout the semester, we had people skype in and we would talk to them and have them answer questions. I found that interesting because it gave us the emotion missing from text or phone call. So, for my skype project, I skyped my best friend who is also taking this class. I found it more convenient than finding my phone to text or call her about a question, when obviously she was online.

Teaching Someone Using Technology-project 8-

I taught someone how to embed their google earth project into their blog. They were having trouble, and did not know what to do, so I helped them do it. Here is what I did:


I also taught my uncle to use skype. He did not care for skype, and probably won't ever use it. But he was patient and listened to me while i showed and explained how to use it.

Voicethread Project

Audacity?

One of the projects required for this class is to use some form of voice thread option. I chose to use audacity because the rest of the options were not working...price you pay for using technology. Hopefully this works.

April 25

The seventh graders PLE would put mine to shame. She was very organized seventh grader. Her PLE included: Facebook; evernote; her email, and her science class's blog. Here is a video link to the PLE. I was introduced to another tool called Symbaloo. I will be using it because I need to be more organized than I am now and this puts everything right in front of you. So thank you seventh grader.

Two Questions

I found this video to be very enlightening. Everyone should answer these two questions within their life time: what is my sentence (purpose) and was I better than yesterday. My sentence is simple: I'm living and learning. I do not know what my purpose in life is. I know I want to be an influential person and I want to help make a difference in this world. Whether or not that's what's in store for me, I will find out. So that is why my sentence is I'm living and learning. And in my opinion, I grow as person every day. So to me I'm better than what I was yesterday. Life is an experiment anyways.

Substansive Presentation

here is a link to our blog and presentation EDM Substantive Presentation

Google Earth Project

or if the embedded gadget doesn't work click here.

April 18th

Our assignment for this week was to blog about a certain topic or something that we have done in this class. The project I have chosen to blog about is google docs. Google docs is very easy to use and convenient since you don't have to open another program to get another task; everything is right in front of you. You can do a presentation, send a document, do a survey and collect its summary, write a document, create a folder, etc. It can basically do everything Microsoft office can do, but it's free so it's better.

April 11th

The Zax's

I enjoyed this assignment. The Zax's story was one of my favorites growing up, and it's cute. It's a great way to express how stubbornness never gets you anywhere. The Zax's never got to where they were going. We see this in every day life, especially in the education system. The world is changing all around it and we're still stuck to the same teaching paradigim. But maybe the system will get over its zax's ways and evolve into the future.

The Ps 22 video:
This video featured a chours class singing landslide, and they were outstanding. So the assignment this week was to answer the question is it important for students to post their work in their blogs? And the answer to this question is yes, it is important for students to post their work in their blogs. Using this as an example, yes it is important because these kids have a talent that should be shared with the world. And many of the kids that we have seen throughout his whole blogging assignment, for example The Dear Kia Blog, she shows the world her video essay. Another example would beThe little voices little scholars blog, it shows the kids learning and how great they're doing in their classes. And finally,Room 9's blog. This room shows how they know a dead language. Not only is blogging good for showing students talents, but it gives them a feedback, and this feedback allows them to know that they're doing a great job and this inspires them to succeed.

April 4,2010

I enjoyed watching Kaia's picture essay. It was really interesting to find a person at such a young age taught two things: technology and to look beyond society's normal definition of beauty. Her father is doing a great job of teaching her to look beyond something ugly and to see the beauty in everything, and using technology to connect her thoughts with everyone. It was also assigned to watch the video/voice thread presentation by Mr.C's class. It was really nice what he did for them.

It's amazing how technology can connect people on a level so many miles away.

My PLN

I will use twitter to follow history teachers look at their discussions or have discussions with them, use delicious to bookmark important sites about history or lesson plans, and when I become a teacher, have my students do timelines using timetoast. Google Earth will also be a fantastic tool to use. And to keep me updated with the latest technology in the classroom, I will follow the following blogs: Joe Dale

And Steven Anderson

I also plan to use Facebook to follow other history teachers as well.

ACCESS

Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS)was created by Govenor Bob Riley and his task force for distant learning. The goal of this program is to give every student an opportunity for equal education. A goal education systems should share as a whole. In order to meet the goal, classroom courses and teachers are provided through technology. Equal access will be provided through high quality instruction to improve student achievement through distance learning. It is great because students can receive the highest quality education, no matter what school the student attends. The classes are taken online during regular school hours. The student is able to work at their own pace and has the opportunity to repeat a lesson if they are struggling. The student can take higher level classes that are not offered at all schools. It really gives the students who do not have the opportunity to take AP classes the equal chance at an education they deserve.

As a teacher this is a goal of mine, I believe it is very important to give each student the chance to excel in school and in life. And if this does what it says it will do, it will be very beneficial to the education system.

Time Toast Time Line---Events that Led to the Civil War

Last lecture (March 7)

This video was amazing and one of my favorite videos of our blog assignments. The assingment for the 7th of March, was to watch a video entitled Randy Pausch's last lecture. To begin with, Randy introduced the fact that he has 6 tumors in his liver and does not have long to live (6 months). To me, I find this fascinating---he doesn't want to be secluded or to dwell in pity, but he wants to keep doing what he has been doing his whole life: inspiring people.

The lecture then transitions into childhood dreams. Pausch has lived up to almost all of his childhood dreams. The only one he didn't achieve was going into the NFL. He did however play football and that taught him the fundamentals to be successful in this life. I find it amazing that he kept his dreams alive and achieved most of them.

He then starts to talk about the childhood dreams of others. He taught a class at MIT where he used video gamming technology to teach his students about video programing. He used technology to teach kids; an idea that developed this class. But because of his techniques, the students that he taught had companies ready to hire them.

The lecture then closes with the subject lesson learned. He talks about how everyone has the potential to be successful, they just need someone to believe in them. He also talks about being loyal and truthful and how this is the best way to live your life. And I agree with him.

I found the lecture to be very uplifting and got out of it the obvious: we do not know how long we have left to live; so live it to the fullest. We should inspire, not hinder.

Feb. 7th blog

While we were doing our podcasts in the beginning of the semester, we were supposed to look at one of these tools and write two or more paragraphs about what we learned from the website that we picked, and while I was going over what I was missing for this class; this post was one of them. The website that I picked was the best article every day ( the website ).

I found this website extremely interesting, because not only was I told how to do a podcast, but how podcast can benefit my learning. I learned all types of tools for my ipod, for example, I can do lesson plans on my ipod. I clicked on the on of the how-to offers, they showed me how to do a pod cast, things I already knew.

Talkin' About My Generation

This by far has been the best video of the year. The Evolution of "Whatever" is a video by Michael Wesch, its 30 minutes long but definitely worth the time to watch it.

He starts with the two versions of 1984 and which theory has come to fruition. Obviously, Orwell's version has not come to fruition---big brother has not taken over fully, however, the Huxley version (A Brave New World) has come to fruition. People want to amuse themselves to death. Our generation today is a perfect example of this. Our generation or the MTV generation has short attention spans, and is extremely narcissistic---it's all about us. And then the author goes into the evolution of the word whatever to show how generations have evolved. In the 60's whatever meant i don't care to meh---indifference to whatever---I do what I want. He then cuts back to our generation's need to be narcissistic and that this whole social media is a product of us feeling this way.

I think that social media can be a good thing, I think that it helps people that lack certain social skills to open up and share with the world what the feel, or meet new people. I think it honestly does give a sense of identity to certain people, so in that case its a great thing. However, to me it seems like we're feeding our generation's need to be narcissistic, and shouldn't we be breaking that habbit? But....whatever we'll see how this turns out.

ALEX

The assignment for the week of March 12th was to write two or more paragraphs about two teaching tools ALEX and ACCESS. ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange), was the first tool examined by me. In my opinion, I found the tool to be extremely useful.

ALEX is a resource that helps benefits teachers, students, and other administrators. It's not hard to use, in fact it is very easy, all the info you need are right there in front of you. The site also offers course of study which is laid out by subject and grade level. Alabama's standards are on the site as well, a feature also extremely helpful for teachers. Helpful weblinks are offered as tools to help students and teachers. Teachers can also make lesson plans or view other lesson plans. Podcast are also offered on this site.

I found this website to be extremely useful. There are a lot of aids and helpful links for teachers to use for their students and themselves.

comments4teachers

February 28th- I posted a comment on Beth's blog (the nebraska change agent). Beth's blog for this day was about Moodle. Moodle is an online site for teachers and students. It is a source for "blended learning"----where people go to class and also have things to do online, kind of like this class. And I found Moodle to be very helpful and maybe one day, I'll use it.

March 2nd- Her titled blog this week was Rising Start Looking to Shine? The only Principal she has worked with is retiring, and she is looking for someone that can fill his shoes. She also starts to explain the programs in her school, for example, Valley Alternative Learning Transitioning School (VALTS)- An alternative school that serves somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 students who are simply square pegs in round holes. They are students who, for a variety of reasons, just don’t thrive in a traditional high school environment. Students attend class Monday through Thursday for a total of 12 hours per week in either the morning or afternoon. They are expected to work an average of 20 hours per week which count as elective credit. Friday’s are reserved for teacher planning and student make-up work. That's really it, I enjoyed learning about her school, and realized I'd like to teach at a school like that.

March 8th-"Backchannel gone right" was the title of her blog this week. She talked about how her students got to interact with Ted Talk via skype video. They got to interact with him and ask him question....this really impressed the kids and they got more involved. here is a link to ted's website...go check it outted talk

March 28th- Her last post for the month of March and it was title Presentation Sharing---WE NEED YOU. She started a wiki to help clean up her PLN...make it a little easier. A very interesting tool for when I develop my own PLN.


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Week 10 and 12- I found Blogging about the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom by Steven Anderson intriguing. His first post I commented on was back in February, and it was about how our kids do not find the relevance in the subjects they are learning. I fear I will have this problem when I become a teacher, especially since the subject I'm teaching is history. Kids don't appreciate the past because they can't relate to it.

His second post I commented on was his views on Google Earth. I commented on it because we are doing a Google Earth Project. And Google Earth is a very helpful tool when you're trying to explain where things are. You can even go back to see how bulidings and countries were shaped. To me, as a future history teacher, I found this extremely important because it can help me to excite them about history, and they can see how things were and get a better understanding for the subject material.
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Week 13 and 14- I commented on Joe Dale's blog titled Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom. The two post I comment on were his most recent ones. He started out talking about a tool calledRadio Lingua. It is a tool used enhance language learning. Learning a foriegn language is not my speciality, but this tool is extremely helpful...I encourage everyone who reads this to check it out.

His next post feautred skype and how to record calls using PrettyMay and Pamela (Tutorials.)Although an interesting tool, I found the fact that someone can record my conversation without telling me a little frightening.

My Survey

this is my survey

O.K. I had a total of 8 responses, however, 4 only showed up. I sent it in plenty of time to get results, however, they didn't come. Which is normal when you poll people. But here are my results.

Summary

Comments4Kids

Week 4- I commented on A.J's blog. It was a post about Paper Mario's World. I thought it was cool that he could post a game on his blog.

Week5- I was assigned to comment on Keeghan's blog. I commented on the he/she's favorite game and it is Modern Warfare 2. He/she talks about the fact that she cheats in the game. I tried to comment on it; whether or not it took is a different story.

Week 6- I posted a comment on Room 9's blog. Its a very interesting blog, I found the background to be very cool.

Week 7-I commented on Mrs. Quam's Student Writing's blog. I posted a comment on post 14 and 15. The first one summarized the Twilight book. She had everything in order, she did a great job. And the second was a poem about life...it was a really good poem, and a person having that perception at such a young age is very eye-opening.

Week 8- I posted a comment on Kindergarden Days 112. They accomplished a lot: had a tornado drill; had a reading group; used smartboards; made new sentences; made thermometers and used white boards.


My March 8th assignment for comments4kids included the blog of Mr.McClung. I found the blog extremely interesting, it included locating epicenters. An epicenter is where the earth quake originates. In order to do this, Mr. McClung had his students calculate the distance of a seismic station by using the arrival of seismic waves. After they were able to locate the epicenter from their three locations, he then had his students draw circles using a compass with the radius of the circle equal to the distance of the epicenter.


My March 22-28th assignment was a blog about St. Patrick's Day. He believed that St. Patrick's Day was all about green and Leprechauns, and then he asked if we knew anything about the day...I told him about who St. Patrick was and what he did in Ireland.

March 29th-April 4th was to comment on Uli's blog. It was about how he likes going to the beach the swim. I told him I too love to go to the beach and asked him if he's ever tried to skim board.

April 5th-April 11th was to comment on Heremaia's favorite thing to do at camp. She explained how she liked to climb the beanstalk, how she almost fell, and then she did fall...I told her that its ok if she fell, just as long as she had fun and tried in the process...I also told her she would conquer it at a later date.

Week-14- This week I commented on Mr. McClung's blog again...I'm not sure if it was a student making the post or the teacher...but it was a review of opitical terms...It was really neat how he or she did it.

Make up Blogs: Just in case.

April 1st- I commented on Lorenzo blog. I commented on his first video post, he told about his holiday. It was extremely cute. And I told him he was doing an excellent job, and to keep doing great work.

April 2nd- I commented on Layquitah's Mihi in Maori. I thought it was really intriguing how they spoke in a different a language.

April 8th- I commented on Mary V's blog. She climbed up the wall...I told her I would have been afraid to climb up the wall.

April 8th- I commented on Samuela's favorite thing to do at camp. She had a 20 second video video documenting her camp experience. She also liked to stay up late...haha.