Sunday, October 31, 2010

Blog Post #10

An Open Letter To Educators

lecture full of bore students


In Morgan Bayda's blog post where she commented on Dan Scott's video, I can honestly say that all three of us have something in common.  That is that we have all experienced having that professor that makes you just want to sign the role and leave due to he/she lecturing for two hours while you sit there trying to figure out what the lesson is really about.  I would also like to add that it really irritates me to have to pay hundreds of dollars on books that I may use the first day of class, while the rest of the time it sits in the truck of your car the next couple of months.  I don't know about most students but I'm also a mom and for me to have to spend that kind of money on a book I only use once and to just receive half that money back at the end of the semester can become very upsetting!   Furthermore, I would like to add that as Morgan mentioned, I applaud Dan for his courage to have that diverse mind frame and go his own route, but I don't think that I would have made the same decision.

Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home

In this post it goes to show just how people take the things they read and if it interests them in a way that seems valid they look no further and run with that information.  The 'specialist' in this post really makes me want to double check her resume; not only becomes she doesn't find critical information to back up her story, but because she feels as if students should not take home their pencils.  First off if they don't take them home then they would not be able to do homework, so that there is an opposing fact to what she believes.   Like Mr. Johnson if someone came to me and said that I too would think it was some sort of hazardous problem but for her to say it drops test scores, I don't see the logic in that.  But instead of Tom arguing with her about what she feels is so true, he thinks of ways that would help the students to become more creative at home and at school, while also having the faith that they would put their ideas to great use.

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

 girl


I would like to first say that I try my best to become a better person than I was yesterday.  Not only as a student, but as a mother, a fiance, a daughter, a friend, etc.  When I strive to do better and accomplish that goal it makes me feels wonderful inside, and it reassures me that I am on the right track in life.  My  lifelong sentence  is "Even though I was the last born out of my moms kids, I WILL be the first to attend college and graduate, so that I can become a better parent to my child than my mom was to me!"  I will always believe in this sentence because I want my child to have things in life that I didn't and I know that to better those chances I must receive and education in order to better educate her in life.  Also I want to add that even though my mom is not a bad parent to me, I see things in life that could have been different if she made better decisions.  I may not be the perfect parent but I want to be 'perfect' in my daughter's eyes and to let her know that the possibilities in life are endless!

Additional Assignment #3

sketch of Ken Robinson


This video was extraordinary! Not only was the animation great, but most of the messages were outstanding as well, and even though I'm not a great artist I would love to have the job of the artist/designer if I had to plan out something similar.  I think that the most important issues that were addressed is when he talked about medicating the students and the many standardized tests that  have been thrown in the school systems today.  I sort of understand that they issue them to seniors entering college to see where they stand academically, but for them to issue them to junior high and elementary students, I think is ridiculous! I feel as if they should not take up the younger kids time by giving these test because clearly it takes up too much time and its hard to cover all the information that is on it due to the class sizes being so large.  The other issue is the medications that are allowed to be given to kids at school.  I don't understand the reasoning behind it, what to calm a child down?  Well an active child to me is a child that's willing to learn and experience new things and in my opinion once you medicate them to were they become zombies in the classrooms, that's the real problem.

With me being an education major, I can relate much of the material I'm being taught to the some of the points that Robinson is trying make.  One that is most important is the use of technology and helping kids to become more familiar with it. Also, by showing them how it can be used to their advantage when it comes to learning in school, oppose to making them bored and have there attention floating elsewhere.  But their is one thing that I don't quite agree with him and that is when he says that we shouldn't organize kids by their ages.  I understand that some kids may be a little more or less advance than some kid their age, but I feel as if it allows them to learn from one another. With them being the same age they have more in common, which makes the process of growing easier for them.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Blog Post #9~What I've Learned This Year? by Mr. Clung

little engine that could book


I really enjoyed reading this post, Mr. Clung really provided me with some useful information about the life of a first year educator.   He really made me realize that being a teacher is not so much about lessons plans and getting everything done in a days time, but more so of being patient with students and being willing to listen to them if whether we are going too fast or too slow, or even if they just don't understand.  I have seen many teachers today let go of the teacher/student bond and just try to go by the book and be done.  But that is an example of a 'burp back education' which is something that I am going to try my best not to do to my students.  Mr. Clung also made a great point in his blog when he mentioned that the best way to make things run smoothly is to communicate.  That is not only true in a personal relationship, but also a student/teacher realationship, and even a work environment.  If you don't teach yourself how to communicate with different people, then in my opinion you will not be able to obstain an accurate relationship with your parents and/or your students.  I'm sure that being a first year elementary education teacher was challenging for him do to him going strictly by the books and the things that he was taught in college, but I'm happy to see that he learned from his mistakes and his students that no matter how hard to try and stick to those lesson plans those little minds will continue to work at their own pace.  I am sure that once I graduate and become a teacher that I will run into some of the same problems, but hopefully I'll be able to learn from my mistakes as a first year or even a second year teacher and apply those new applications to my teaching and learning network.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Timetoast 9b- US statehood

Blog Post #8

picture of mircophone

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1&2

Part 1 and 2 of Richard Miller's video was great and it provided many different techniques that can be used with technology by gathering and even presenting information on the web. It sort of seems like a lot of information to grasp as of how to become comfortable with using the web and neglecting all other sources (such as library, books, etc.), but I see that he is saying with just about everything being available online it would make the job easier.

Am I prepared to write with multimedia? Well there are different sources of technology I need to familiarize myself with, but I know once I am an educator I will have become more knowledgeable about the web and the things available for me and my students. But, I feel as if even though I'll have the knowledge to write with multimedia, I don't think I'll have the time to get my students to be as creative as they probably could be with using it the way the educational system has started to dictate the way things are taught in the classrooms. In my opinion as long as the students are grasping the information in a mannerable way, then it should be up to the teacher as to what technique would better suite them.

I'm sure that with me being an elementary educator the students may be very familiar with the basics techniques of the use of the web, but I am sure that I will have to spend more time with them to assist them on how to properly display certain information and/or assignments via the web.  As I stated in the previous paragraph, in order for us to better work with students and assist them with multimedia writing, the principals would have to let up a little and allow teachers to show their capability of expanding students thoughts and creativity.

EDM for Dummies

I really enjoyed these videos they did a great job.  I was also able to relate to to the stress at the beginning becuase this class can be stressful when you are new to all the different technology that is being thrown at you.  But once you ask questions and are able to understand the purpose of it all, you become more relaxed about the assignments and they become a breeze to complete.

Smartboards

bdiehl001 said...

Short Movie: Germs Are Not for Sharing~

Monday, October 11, 2010

First Report PLN

Although I still have much work to do on my Personal Learning Network, I have accessed networks such as youtube, facebook, symbaloo, podcast,  twitter (which I have just joined) and of course my blog.  The 7th grader's PLN that I watched on youtube was very impressive and soon enough I'll feel the same way about mine.  I have been exploring new networks every chance I get to better familiarize myself with the technology that is available to me.  With this EDM310 class I feel that once this semester is over and I have successfully passed, I would have accessed so many different networks that I never knew existed which I'm more than positive will be a great benefit for my career as an educator.   Also I would like to say that My PLN in Action by Karl Fisch was a great example by how it can really be put to use in many ways and also helpful to people of all sorts.  One thing that I favored most was the post where he said he had read where someone said that 'books are still in my PLN'.  I think this is great because even though most things today are given to us in some sort of technological form, reading is something that will still enhance your way of analyzing things, improve the way you speak, and  broaden your thought process.  So therefore, a PLN with many different ways of learning is great have because the thing that teachers need the most are organizational skills, and with an improved PLN I think it will help out a lot.  So keep an eye out on my magnificent Personal Learning Network because it is coming soon!


a wordle of PLN's

Project 9a Timetoast~Madison Emeri Dale

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Blog Post #7~Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

randy pausch at podeum


Though this video was a little over an hour long, I feel in my opinion that it was well worth the time. Most of the time when you listen to speakers they are usually too boring, too scattered brain, or simply begging for too much attention; and well he was just the opposite. His words were very inspiring and meant a lot in a way that most people could relate to.

This was amazing, the words that he spoke and the way he spoke them were magnificent! There are very few people good in not only spirit but at heart also, and Dr. Pausch proved just that. I loved his introduction and how he still presented himself with high spirit though all the complications with his kidneys that he has faced in life the last few months (during the time of the video). Unlike many people he is not asking for sympathy or any sort of compassion, because as he mentioned he has already been blessed with the support of his wonderful family.

He had a very strong belief in education, that sort of reminds me of Dr. Strange. He wasn't too fond of the use of books because he didn't think it was enough to help students to actually learn something, he felt as if they could learn by doing and continuing to strive harder along the way. It seems as though he had accomplished just about all of his goals in life, which I think is very impressive. Also I would like to say that it's so nice to see that someone with the knowledge of his life span has so many happy memories about their life.
He was a well-spoken man with the thought of respecting others and you will receive the same respect that you will receive back by doing so.

C4T Teacher #2 Summary Post

I have been following post done by Karl Fisch and he is a very interesting guy. I say this because a lot of the posts that he post on his blog are very eye catching and makes you want to read and respond in pages at a time. The two posts that I commented on were the newpaper article in the Denver Post and the post about Teacher/Parent Conferences.

parent teacher & student conference




First let me say that I never thought that some people could have such a negative outlook on something as important as education and allow certain things to be publicized for us to see. The Denver Post made a headline story that read "Back in Action" and the subtitle to that read "Summer is almost over and the disappointed about returning to class...", really? It's understood that some kids aren't as excited about going back to school when the summer break is over, but the word disappointed to me is a little extreme, especially when coming from a newspaper publisher. If anything they should have been helping promote some sort of back to school function, especially with the drop-out rates that are sky rocketing today.

The other post that I commented on were his thoughts on Parent/Teacher Conferences at school. He made a statement by saying what is the purpose of holding a conference about a student and they are not present. Well to me this makes sense, because it's true that the parent may be able to relate the conversation back to the student but with them not being present, most of the time they are not going to be the least bit interested as to what went on. He also brought up the idea of a student-led conference, which I think seems to be great. It not only allows students to have that sense of authority and attention many always strive to get, but it also allows for better communication with the teacher, parent, and of course student as to what is understood and/or misunderstood in the classrooms.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Additional Assignment #2

a little kid sitting on books with a cap and gown on


How Kids Teach Themselves

Mitra's experiment was amazing and it makes so much sense when it comes to how and why kids learn the way they do. Most children are what I like to call enthusiastic learners, I use that term to mean that most kids learn better when there is a lot involved in an activity in order to better release their energy. Motivational learners are just what is says, they are motivated to do what ever needs to be done by even going that extra mile, and though a kid may have that motivation in them; the model and guidance of an educator is still needed to continue them on the right track. Technology plays in role in this also, because with it changing so often, it always provides that different outlook every time for students, to prevent them from becoming bored or uninterested. For example in one of Mitra's experiment where he embedded a computer in a wall in India, it shows just how motivated kids were to learning and exploring new things and how their excitement about it motivated them to explore more. Another point I would like to touch on is, how do you motivate someone to learn? Well my answer for that is that you must first figure out that persons personally and discover the things that interests them the most and decide how to embed that within their learning experience. But sometimes it takes a little more than that to assist a student with their learning skills, because some of them just think that school is just work, work, work, so as an educator you should show them how working can be both fun and educational and that's where you integrate your hands-on ability with them. I give this example because that is a way that has motivated me to continue to learn new things and even use them in my everyday life. I'm not saying that I need to be taught hands-on every time, but for example in my EDM310 class, the technology that I have learned how to use has been not only knowledgeable to me, but all of it is something that I am able to apply with me in my future career as a teacher. So with doing so, it motivates me to learn more knowing that I'm not wasting my time and that I am able to take this information and actually use it! Therefore, there are many issues that we should focus on as aspiring teachers, one would be making sure that we keep up with technology in order to better understand the world and better prepare our students and another is that we must keep the students interests on with what we are learning next, because that not only keeps them motivated, but their thoughts of school being boring and hard, will have completely exited their little mind and they are continuing to be motivated about learning!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

Though this video wasn't very long it contained a lot of not only important, but also knowledgeable information.  Most people don't expect students to do so much networking to accomplish a certain goal, but for the one's that are determined to go that extra mile, we as educators should be prepared. A student that is highly networked may seem like a challenge to some teachers but to me I feel as if it would another source for teachers to learn and become more aware of different sources that students have available. I'm not saying that the student should be teaching the teacher, but as I stated in one of my earlier posts, a teacher should be just as willing to learn new things as they are to teach new things.

Another point I would like to comment on is the question of "Why does the Networked Student Even Need a Teacher?", well my answer is simply, a role model. Even though a student my know everything there is to know about a certain subject and or an assignment, I feel as though they still need that modeled educator to assist them when they become confused, encourage them to keep up the good work, and even help out with networking, as stated in the video. In my personal experience, even when it may seem like I know exactly what I'm doing when giving instruction, it's sometimes become challenging when I'm left alone with no one to help me get started.

In conclusion, I really feel that even though I can still become a little better prepared to teach a networked student, that by the time I graduate I will have majority of the skills needed and even then I still would have an open mind and have that willingness to learn from my students!


student showing teacher work


A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment

This student is very self constructed when it comes to her school work. She is well prepared when its time for class by knowing exactly what needs to be done and doing it instead of drawing her attention else where and making her schoolwork her last result. This is very impressive for a kid her age, but in my opinion it's not everyday that you have a student of her grade level with her mind set with the knowledge of what to do and just doing it. Honestly, me as a college student it took me some time to mold myself into completing my work in a timely manner opposed to last minute. When I was growing up I always had someone there to remind me of what was important, but once you are in college you are basically set free and left to be responsible on your own. This student is on to a great a start and I hope that she doesn't loose her focus!


The Machine Is Changing Us

This video was very long but the speech was amazing! I really appreciate being assigned things that Mr. Wesch publishes because it seems to always be something with much logical and interesting information. It's so much to say about this video but I really want to point out when he talks about how the media mediates our generations young and old into believing that what ever we see on television or in magazines is the way things should be. I think that though those things may seem relevant and the time, it eventually plays out when another something comes along. Also I want to point out that though the Maury clip was a little amusing it was also ridiculous at the same time, because that shows exactly how kids today act towards their parents, full of disregard, disrespect, and no morals! He says that the machine is 'changing' us, I say that we don't have to allow that if we stand up and have a voice on what's right and not what's popular!


bullentin board-a mind is a terrible thing to waste

C4K Summary Post 1 & 2

young girl and boy learning


Well I was assigned two different kids post comments on, one having done "About Me" assignment and the other kid had done the "Manifesto". The first student I commented on was a 3rd Grade student by the name of Kyla Carpenter, whose parent Alana Carpenter had taken EDM310 before. Her About Me post was very nice because along with it she had video of her pet and of her and her dad building a tree house, which I though was very neat. The other kid was an 8th Grader named Camren who had made some very interesting commitments in his Manifesto. But out of the ones he had listed the one that I found to be most becoming was the statement where he said that he promised not to give on no matter how hard something gets, and well to me at that age especially, that's a wonderful goal to have. I feel this way because many kids today seem to lack that will power and when things become a little challenging for them they just move on without even looking back. To conclude I would like to add that the two kids I read on were great and I hope they continue the good work!