Post #26: My EDM 310 Blog Assignments Are Now Complete

Hello Classmates,

What a LONG semester. I'm sooooo glad it has finally came to a close. I don't know about most of you, but I did learn a lot in Dr. Strange's class. It was a pleasure meeting him as well as all of you. I hope we will see each other again and often as we try to finish our education at South. Good luck to all of you. Thanks again for your knowledge, patience, and understanding Dr. Strange.


Brandy

Post #25: What I Learned in EDM 310

What I Learned...
How to set up a blog, make posts to it that include links as well as pictures.
How to participate in a pod cast.
All about Google, including iGoogle, Documents, and Gmail.
How to make a presentation using Google.
Almost learned how to do Spreadsheets.
How important technology is in the field of education.

For the most part, I enjoyed the class, as well as fellow classmates and Dr. Strange. The blogging and the many projects got tedious, but overall, it was a interesting class in which I learned quite a bit about technology and the part it plays in education.

Post #24: My Correspondence With Ms. Giardina

I corresponded with a fantastic teacher in Birmingham, Alabama. Her name is Steffayne Giardina and she is a first grade teacher at
Vestavia Hills Elementary East. Ms. Giardina attended collge at the University of Alabama Birmingham. She graduated from Vestavia in 1986. Ms. Giardina has a BA and a MA in Early Childhood
Education from UAB. She has taught K and 1st in Homewood at Shades Cahaba for 11 years. Her husband, Michael and herself have 3 children--Anna and Julia-4th
grade--Riley-Kindergarten. Ms. Giardina also has a 3 year old West Highland Terrier named Duffy.
She has been teaching first grade at Vestavia for seven years. I got in contact with Ms. Giardina through my cousin Allen who used to live in Birmingham. Her first grade class has a link from the elementary school's web page. It is entitled Giardina's Geniuses. The link includes a supply list for the class, personal information about the teacher, a wish list, announcements, and a list of helpful links. I asked Ms. Giardina how she utilizes technology in her classroom. She uses a Promethian Board, Document Camera, Clickers, laptops, and digital microphones. I can't imagine a bunch of 6 years olds around all this equipment. She says her students are always excited to learn to use the technology and she loves to show them how to use it properly.
I also asked Ms. Giardina if there was alot of difference in how technology is used in classrooms now and at the time of her graduation from college. She is very happy to pass the knowledge she has of technology on to her young pupils. I asked her if she had any advice for an up and coming educator. She said, "I would recommend brushing up on all of the new ways to implement in classroom--take workshops when available." I enjoyed my brief exchange with Ms. Giardina and hope to continue communication with her in the future.

Post #23: A Look At a Classmate's Blog

It was a hard decision to decide what classmate's blog I would read and write about in my own blog. After some thought, I decided on Daniel Griffin. Daniel, like most of us in the class, started out very strong and on time in his posts to his blog. in his first post, Daniel make it clear he had no idea what he was doing, but like most of us, he quickly caught on. But as time goes on, he seems to be a little behind schedule. And who can blame him? I looked at most other classmates' blogs and everyone seems to be feeling the end of semester blues.
The blog started out as something interesting to do; something to contribute to, but as time wore on, the blog became an element of satanical proportions. Dr. Strange, I really like the class, but I think that revamping what people are required to do with the blog needs to happen to encourage more student cooperation. Knowing about technology is extremely important and I understand that a new teacher must have a clear understanding of the computer and its constant evolution, but after 4 months of diligent school work, projects, trips, and of course blogs, it all kind of gotten stale.
The good thing about it is most of us have never blogged in our lives and hadn't planned on it. Now everyone in class seems to be on the same page. We are all capable of doing things on the computer we never thought possible. Blogging is a great way for teachers to introduce technology to their students and offer another means for the class as well as teachers and parents to stay abreast of what is going on in the classroom.
Of course I've already mentioned the negative aspects of blogging. It is very tedious and and time consuming. I think we as students should be given the option of blogging on a number of different subjects instead of what Dr. Strange has instructed us to do. Overall, I know the work on the blog was strenuous,but it has proved itself as a useful instrument of learning.

Post #22: Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies

Duke University has a lot of different podcasts listed. These were products of the universities Center for Documentary Studies (CDS). According to the podcast, "The CDS is a program which teaches, engages in, and presents documentary work grounded in collaborative partnerships and extended fieldwork that uses photography, film/video, audio, and narrative writing to capture and convey contemporary memory, life and culture." The pod cast was a look back in time at different historical events that have transpired. It is very interesting and makes you feel blessed to live in these times.
Another pod cast from the Duke University's Center of Documentary Studies is a film called Broken. This is an educational film from South Africa about various people living with and dying from HIV. It was a short film that conveyed the reality of rape and sexually transmitted disease that children face every day. It was a film made by children, reaching out and sending the message that children are the future and they must be protected. I felt so bad for these orphans. These children need our help. It was a "MADaboutART" production. Mad about Art is an organization that uses art to educate people in South Africa about HIV and AIDS. They help children by building life skills and self-confidence, while educating them about the disease. They have a method called Children Teaching Children. The children use art and the pictures they draw and paint to educate others about their experiences. Children are becoming involved and are being empowered to make a change in the trends that are continuing throughout the world. This is a very touching look at how this terrible disease is afflicting our youth.

Post #21: In-Class Blogs Were Fun!

Wow!! Everyone made some really interesting points. First, I listened to Theola Hines and Larrica Smith's pod cast entitled "Facebook as an Educational Tool?" During the pod cast, the ladies discussed how and why Facebook could be used in education. Their pod cast was the first one in our class, so I automatically think of them as the guinea pigs of our group. Actually, they did very well. As I remember, they were supposed to have a third member in the group, but they did not show. Theola and Larrica persevered and still took care of the assignment. I liked it because it was the shortest of all the pod casts I listened to and it was funny and infomative. I liked how Larrica asked all the questions and Theola had all the answers. The speech was a little monotonous, and at times, both students needed to speak louder. They also went around the moon to prove a point about Facebook. All in all, it was pretty good.
The second pod cast I listened to was Lisa Burke, Scarlett Moore, and Mandy Sullivan's discussion on "Technology Use at the University of South Alabama." It was very interesting. They discussed the classes and teachers that utilize technology in the classroom and the teachers and classes that do not. Of course at South, where mostly everyone, including myself, is about 10 years behind the rest of the free world, the technology could be used quite a bit more. They discussed Facebook, Moogle, E-Companion, and others that most of us use or have used. The only problem I saw with this pod cast was that it was a little long and monotonous. Overall, it was pretty good. You really don't realize how far behind South is until you have actually heard it. Good job guys!!! Maybe some good will come out of the broadcasting of this podcast.
The third pod cast I listened to was Chris Borchardt, Delana Bemis, and Heather Rogers' discussion on "UTube as an Educational Tool?" It was pretty good and offered alot of information about UTube and what can be found on it and how it can be useful in the classroom. They also dicussed the cons of having UTube in the classroom. Because of UTube allowing inappropriate material to be televised, it must be used in the classroom with extreme caution. Parents could be offended and upset, as well as students and faculty. The pod cast was a little long, over sixteen minutes.
I finally got an opportunity to listen to the pod cast I participated in with Daniel Griffin and Amanda Bentley. We discussed the positive effects Randy Pausche's Last Lecture had on us. I know we are not supposed to discuss how we can improve our pod cast, but ours needed very little improvement. Everyone spoke clearly and loud enough to be heard over the background noise. The pod cast was approximately twelve minutes and we stayed on track. We were funny, innovative, and we did not forget to mention where we found all of our research on Dr. Pausche. The only areas where I saw even the slightest improvement was that I could say "Umm" alot less, Amanda could just talk more, and Daniel could have left the beer remark out of it. Those are all very small things. I think we did very well. All in all I think all of the pod casts will be better next semester because they will be video casts!

Post #20: My Trip To the ACCESS Lab

Wow! I'm speechless! I visited the ACCESS Lab at Satsuma High School a few weeks ago and had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Litaker, the ACCESS Lab instructor. The ACCESS Lab at Satsuma is used mainly as a way for students to get core classes needed to graduate, but it also offers students courses in Latin, Chinese, as well as others. This is Satsuma's second semester with the ACCESS program, and it works out very well for students as well as teachers. The lab in Satsuma has many features. They include: an instant cam, 25 lab tops, two flat screen TV's, a document reader, and the Tandberg. I asked Mrs. Litaker if she had any idea how much the ACCESS Lab costs and she replied anywhere from $50,000.00 to $80,000.00.
The ACCESS Lab has a limit of 25 students per class, but in Satsuma, the school got a grant to purchase 15 additional lab tops. These lab tops are now used in the ACCESS Lab so more students can benefit from this amazing technology. Mrs. Litaker told me that students that do poorly in a academic classroom setting usually do much better with the ACCESS classes. This seems like a great way to get students who are otherwise uninterested in class room activities to get involved and excel in academics.
The coolest part of the ACCESS Lab is the Tandberg. It is like the brains of the ACCESS system in a particular location. From this station, which I am pictured behind in one of the photos, you control what goes on with the lab and what the students are doing. The Tandberg allows instructors to make phone calls, play a DVD, it has the document camera, the instant camera, and it is equipped with a touchscreen.
There are a few issues that need to be worked out with the lab at Satsuma High. They simply do not have the instructors or the equipment to allow every student, freshman through senior, to utilize the ACCESS Lab. Next semester, Satsuma High School will try and implement that every student must have at least one half credit from an online course. Overall, it was a great visit, and an interesting trip. I expressed interest to Mrs. Litaker that I would enjoy becoming an ACCESS Lab instructor after I finish college. I am from a rural area and if I could bring this technology to small rural schools, the possibilities would be endless. Thank you Satsuma High School and Mrs. Litaker for taking the time to show me the newest and most innovative way to educate my future students.

Post #19: Technology Can Be Useful, Even In Mathematics

I listened to Maine's Department of Education's pod cast named "Mathematics with Technology" and it was kind of boring. It was relatively short, less than five minutes, and hosted by Judy Chandler a Technology Integration Specialist and Math teacher. She discussed why math teachers did not utilize technology in their classroom and why. Teachers are reluctant to use these new innovations because they feel they have to take time to learn to use the hardware and software, then take time out of their classroom time to teach it to their students. Math teachers are focused on having enough time to finish the text book and teach students what they must learn in order to pass to the next grade. They feel that time is limited and this overwhelms the teacher as well as the students.
What does technology bring to mathematics? It is essential to enhanced learning. It gives each student a high quality math education. It offers tools in media and gives examples of visual representation. Technology in a mathematics class encourages students to want to do better. It engages different students and offers advanced communication and collaboration with other students and instructors.
If I were a math teacher, this would be a great starting point to initialize technology in a mathematics class.

Post #18: "Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets

This pod cast, from Standford University News, was brief and to the point. It is a video cast of two women discussing how students use two very different mindsets to either grow or stay the same mentally. When a person learns a specific trade and not much more, this is known as a "fixed" mindset. One is not trying to understand more than they feel is necessary to successfully complete a job or task. This is how most of us are taught in school. We only want to do the bare minimum to get by. This is simply not enough if you really want to succeed at something, instead of just being good at something.
These women discussed an experiment that was tested at a local school in which students were introduced to an eight session workshop on how to improve one's study skills. Half of the students were simply given the study skills needed to complete a task, the other half were given the study skills and the growth mindset lesson. The second half were taught that their brains were like a muscle and that intelligence is something that can be improved. The first group of students had a steady decline in their grades at school. The second half showed a great improvement in their grades and overall attitude toward learning and life. The improvement was so great that other teachers at school began to recognize these students as participants in this workshop. This growth mindset was later applied to race car drivers. These drivers learned to admit their mistakes and overcome them. They greatly improved their ways of thinking on and off the track.
This discussion has affected the way I look at what and how a student perceives learning. It is simply not enough to learn how to do something. One must learn to utilize optimal performance in the way something is learned and the way a task is completed. This "fixed" learning closely resembles the dreaded "burp-back" education that educators, such as Dr. Strange, have profusely denounced. I want my students to be curious about learning and life. I don't want them to just feel smart, I want them to be smart, and to teach it to others.

Post #17: Pod Casts in Education

I watched two different Pod Casts from the 9-12 grade section and they were very interesting. The first one was "Galileo on the Moon." It was very short, less than a minute. It showed a clip from the 1969 walk on the moon. It illustrates one of the astronauts testing an experiment first tested by Galileo hundreds of years prior. The astronaut tests Galileo's theory on gravity fields and falling objects The theory test consisted of dropping a falcon feather and a hammer at the same time to see if they land on the moon's surface at the same time. The astronaut dropped the feather and the hammer and they landed at the same time on the surface of the moon. Would it have worked the same way on Earth? Absolutely not. This was a very interesting illustration.
The second pod cast I watched was "A Night in the Coral Reef." It was about a city of sea creatures. It was taped mostly at night to show the nocturnal fish feed. One example of the carnivorous creatures I found most interesting was the octopus. It was really cool watching how the octopus went about catching and eating it's prey. There were also other night feeders such as coral polyps, squirrel fish, and sea urchins. Most of these creatures feed on algae, grunts, or other small fish.
Both of these pod casts were fun and educational. They would be excellent in science classes. "Galileo on the Moon" would probably be suited for an older group of students such as high schoolers. But "A Night in the Coral Reef" could be used for older and younger classes alike. It would also be great in a science class. Both clips were short and to the point. They would hold the attention span of most school age children. If I taught science these pod casts would definitely be helpful.

Post #16: Pod Casts with a Purpose

I am very impressed with what I watched on the video pod casts. The Edible Schoolyard is awesome! What a great way to get students interested in learning. When I began watching the video, I admit I was a little skeptical. How is working in a garden going to teach these kids anything but how to sweat? Boy was I wrong. Not only does this wonderful program at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California teach students about gardening, but also about life. This program was started in 1994 by Ms. Alice as a way to improve school lunches. Since that time, it has morphed into something so much better. Edible Schoolyard is actually a Social Studies class for the middle-schoolers, but it teaches them science, math, and social skills.
I would really like to implement something similar to this program in our area. When I was a child, I was taught to work in the garden. Not only did it teach me to appreciate what I have, but it also taught me about working well with others, multi-tasking, and it was amazing to watch something I planted grow and be harvested. The lessons taught at MLK Middle School are invaluable. Most of it could never fully be grasped in a classroom setting. Edible Schoolyard gives all children a chance to learn and succeed at life.
A Night in the Global Village is a real eye opener. It is a 5 acre campsite in Arkansas, with different "camps" mimicking living conditions in South America, Africa, and the United States, to name a few. It lets middle and high school students experience life as someone living in poverty. It is called the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning. It teaches these kids to work together as a team in order to "survive" the night.
I am from a rural area and this would be a great way to illustrate to my students what doing without is all about. I could implement a program similar to this one on property I own, and let them work together to find solutions to problems most of them have never had to worry about in the past. My students could learn by "living the lesson." You can find out so much more information on these projects and similar ones on the Edutopia website.

Post # 15: Listening to Podcasts is "Interesting"

Wow, what can I say about pod casts? I listened to as much of it as I could stand. I could not imagine being a teenager and made to listen to this mindless dribble while in class, in front of a computer with so many interesting things on it. First of all, I have a slow connection and subscribing to six different pod casts took alot of time. Not only did it take a long time to download each one, I had a very hard time finding most of the pod casts. This not only makes me lose interest in the pod casts, it makes me lose my patience.
The first podcast, Smartboard Lessons, was easy enough to find. It drew my attention immediately because of the "Simpsons" characters on the screen. I kept running into problems subscribing to this particular pod cast, so I listened to episode #147 for 10 minutes. It was awful. It sounded like a very bad local morning FM radio show. It took Ben and Joan well over nine minutes to say anything about education; by this time I had lost interest with the entire thing and began a new search for something better. I found some improvement with the next pod cast.
Kidcast, hosted by Dan, was definitely educational, but he bored me to tears. I listened to the last installment on the pod cast, #56, "Questions Make the World Go Round." Ugh!!! He talked very monotonously and although I know he talked about a really interesting subject, I could not get past how boring Dan was making the presentation. I began looking for other pod casts on the list, since only one of the pod casts could be found in the Listener Also Subscribes box. I found MacBreak Weekly and listened to the last cast, #109, posted on October 7. I noticed this cast had paid sponsor recognition which the previous pod casts did not have. It was also over an hour long. It took this lot of what sounded to be educated men at least 15 minutes to get off the subject of bad jokes and another pod cast, This Week in Photography, only to talk about CNN and AT&T verses Verizon. They also promoted the iPhone and commented on the stock market. I just did not find anything they talked about interesting or educational. It mainly sounded like another way to promote Apple products. And why not? I personally like their products, but hearing about it for an hour got a little boring. Now on to my next victim.
This Week in Photography at least stuck to the subject and stayed on track. I listened to the last cast posted, "Printing for Photographers." The host had a call in guest with some pretty interesting things for photographers to try while printing pictures and answered phone calls and emails from listeners. Like the other pod casts, I was bored to death. After listening to the pod casts I realized that maybe it isn't the pod casts that are boring, but the subjects that are discussed on these pod casts.
I wanted to find an interesting pod cast and I did. I really like GrammarGirl and Man and Wife. The subjects of these pod casts are totally different, from using proper grammar in everyday speech and writing papers for school, to relationship and sexual questions. At least I could stay alert through these pod casts. I did learn what not to do with my pod cast next week: try to stay on the subject, at least for the majority of the cast, and make it interesting!!! You may not talk about what most people want to hear, but you can make it as fun as possible. That is what I am going to try. Please Dr. Strange, don't make me listen to anymore educational pod casts!

Dr. Strange's Pic's

 
 
 
 

Blog Post # 14: Randy Pausch: A Moving & Educational Talk

Everyone can learn something from Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. Whether you are a parent, teacher, student, young, or old Dr. Pausch's lecture on achieving childhood dreams is very interesting. He not only wanted to attain his own dreams, but he wanted to help others attain their dreams too. In order to succeed, one must have fundamentals and be willing to work hard. There are many obstacles that stand in the way of reaching our goals. Dr. Pausch refers to these as brick walls. He goes on to explain how these brick walls are there for a reason; they are there for us to overcome.
Dr. Pausch was inspired to go to graduate school while at Brown University by Andy van Dam. Professor van Dam told him: "if you are going to sale something worthwhile it might as well be education." So Dr. Pausch began to wonder how he could enable others' dreams as a professor and began the Building Virtual Worlds. It is comprised of fifty students from all departments working on revolving teams of four to work on five projects a semester with two weeks to complete the project. He was completely surprised and blown away by how outstanding the work of the students was. Dr. Pausch was then advised to encourage his students to do even better and work harder on the next project. They did just that. It was such a hit he had parents coming to class.
Then came ETC, or Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon. This idea is result of Dr. Pausch and Don Mannelli collaborating artists with technologists. It is two programs working together. This project also consisted of students participating in small group projects completed in a certain amount of time. This of course freed the instructors and the students of the confinements of normal institutional learning. They referred to it as "edutainment." ETC has gone worldwide including projects in Australia and Korea.
This led to the ALICE project in which Dr. Pausch refers to himself as the Mad Hatter. This project initiated ways to teach--to show someone how to do something when they think they are learning something else. Kids learn by having fun. It involved video gamish technology for teaching. How cool is that? If most kids are playing a video game, they would not think they could possibly learn anything constructive from them. Dr. Pausch has changed the way teachers teach and students learn. He instructs his fellow educators, students, and parents alike to never give up, listen to feedback, positive and negative, show gratitude, be prepared, and don't complain, only work harder. Great advice from such a great leader, educator, husband, and father.

Post #13: iPods Do Wonders for Education

The use of iPods in the classroom has come a long way. A few years ago if you asked a teacher to use a technical device, other than a computer while teaching, they would probably tell you you were crazy. This new innovation is changing the way we learn and interact with students and teachers forever. An interesting take on how iPods and other technological advances are being made by educators can be seen on Project LIVE. Project LIVE, or Learning through Instructional Video in Education, is getting everyone in on the act. They are using videos, blogs, iPods, e-mail, and a host of other advancements to instruct, communicate, and learn. What they are doing is making sure everyone,students, parents, and teachers,have access to this project has a way of learning new things through different technological means.
Duke University seems to have been at the forefront of handing over iPods to students for educational purposes.

Post # 12: Presentation in class.

This is a presentation of my family's summer vacation this year. Hope you all enjoy it!

Post #11: Dr. Christie is Serious About Technology in the Classroom

Dr. Alice Christie's website is chalk-full of great ideas and countless ways to get started on your way to becoming an technologically literate teacher! There are links, resources and examples of uses for technology on the website. The sky is the limit, but as an educator and adult in charge of a number of minors at one time, one must use caution when exploring the Internet in and out of the classroom. Dr. Alice Christie's Internet Safety Guide is one aspect I, as a teacher, would use quite often. The Internet offers students of all ages so many opportunities to reach other people all over the world through websites, cell phones, blogs, and messaging. Teachers, as well as students, must be aware of how to maneuver through this ever changing world of technology.
On her website, Dr. Christie examines the positive and negative uses for blogs, UTube, networking, etc. She helps educators find websites and blogs that are appropriate for children in Kindergarten through the 12th grade. She touches on what Cyber crime is and how to report it, and the perils and pitfalls of blogging, and social networking. Overall, I believe that technology and the knowledge and instruction for safety when using this information is vital to our childrens' future. But, we as parents and educators must be aware of the dangers out there, and how to protect our children against them.

Post #10: Why Wikipedia?

Why would anyone use Wikipedia as a reliable source of reference when anyone can alter what it states? I am really surprised to see such big names involved in altering information like Wikipedia. The problem isn't that information is changed from incorrect to correct, it is the information that is changed. I'm glad to see Virgil Griffith's WikiScanner keep up with who makes changes to what information and when. One has to remember that there may be a lot of unreliable sources on the internet and Wikipedia is one of them.

Post #9: Thoughts on Fischbowl's "180 Days?"

The blog entitled 180 Days? is really insightful. The post asks the question: "How many days of school are students actually learning and the teacher actually teaching?" If you think about it, there are a lot of days during the year that are wasted on other things besides learning. How can this problem be eliminated? Can this problem be eliminated? Mr. Fisch presented these questions to teachers at the school where he is an educator, and opened the floor to suggestions and comments. Not everyone was thrilled by Mr. Fisch's suggestions. I agree that something needs to be done about these so called "wasted days," but what? A longer school year, less testing, less extracurricular activities? Not very good answers to an already exhausted staff and student body.
I also watched a powerpoint presentation by Mr. Fisch that really put the wasted days into perspective. It estimated that sixty out of one-hundred, eighty days of school are not used to educate. Some of the days are allocated to testing, and absences, both student and teacher. Other days were the first and last day of classes, others for parties and events. but the question still exists: "What are we to do about it?" No one really has the answer, but the post proves an interesting point.

Post # 8: Thoughts on Technologically Illiterate Teachers

I think Mr. Fisch is definitely on to something. The fact that the post seems rather harsh only drives the issue home with me. Teachers must be aware of new advances in the world of technology. Educators that have been in the field for years have different degrees of technological knowledge and experience. The state does not mind sending teachers to workshops on the latest method of teaching, or a new teaching initiative, so why can't these teachers attend scheduled workshops on computers and the capacity to utilize this technology in a classroom setting?
The idea that computers is not going away is evident in the college classroom where new teachers are learning all they can about this innovative teaching tool. Many educators probably feel overwhelmed by all of this computer mumbo jumbo, but the best way to help these illiterate teachers is to minimize the amount of knowledge thrown at them at a time. If you can break the process of basic skills to advanced skills and programs down into small increments, the information can probably be learned effectively. Overall, the only way for teachers to know what they are teaching is to teach the teachers. It is never too late to learn.

New Articles

Ms. Averitt has located two very interesting articles about RSS Feeds and Podcasting. I have posted them under Syllabus and Handouts, but I am going to also put the links from here.the abc's of RSS Feeds

Post # 7: International Blogs Are Innovative and Exciting

Searching for international classrooms was a little harder than I thought. It doesn't seem to be that many people from other countries using blogs in the classroom. I did find one interesting blog: Ms. Lawson's Classroom Blog She teaches grades 8 through 12 at Seycove Secondary School in Vancouver, British Colombia. Subjects taught by Ms. Lawson include mathematics and woodworking. She says she set the blog up to simply be an "extension of the classroom." Parents, other teachers, and students can keep up with class assignments, homework, and projects, especially in woodworking classes. Ms. Lawson has links for parents that may be useful to them. She also has a "leave a comment" box for anyone and everyone that has suggestions for any aspect of the class or assignments. This is a great way to keep everyone involved in Ms. Lawson's classes!

The second international blog was a little harder to find. It is Sandaig Otters Weblog of Sandaig Primary School in Glasgow, Scotland. This blog is a little different because it is not a class effort, but an entire school effort. It has headings for every class and teacher grades Primary 1 through primary 7. I suppose that is similar to the U.S's K through 6th grades. It has newsletters, pictures, and classroom assignments posted to the blog. In addition, the school also has its own radio station. The name of the station is Radio Sandaig and it features, podcasts, music, and announcements. The main difference between this blog and others I have viewed is that is doesn't have a special place for parents. Overall, it is a very creative blog!!

Blog #6: Cool Classroom Blogs

In my search for classroom blogs, I came across Mr. Mansour's Classroom Blog. Mr. Mansour teaches math and science to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Jesuit Middle School of Omaha. The classes have a website with a link to the class blog. Mr. Mansour, students, and their parents can post messages and keep up with class notes and progress. There is even a survey for parents and links to cool scientific websites where everyone can watch or take part in different experiments. Mr. Mansour has created a fun, informative, innovative way of improving his classroom and communication with parents and the public.

Another great blog is Mrs. Cobb's Leaping Into 5th Grade Blog. Mrs. Cobb teaches 5th grade at Landis Elementary School in Logansport, Indiana. Mrs. Cobb has each student post to the blog on certain days. The information is then available for viewing and commenting by students and parents, as well as anyone else. It is really interesting to see how proficiently a fifth grader can use the computer. There is also a link to the class website, which is unbelievable!! Most class work and all other projects are posted for for everyone to see. Both of these teachers put alot of time and energy into their classes and it shows when you see the blogs and websites.

Post #5: "Did you know?" Thoughts

Mr. Fisch and the people involved in XPLANE seem to be thinking in a direction many people do not consider. The world is changing very much very quickly and as educators, we must keep up or be lost in the shuffle. I like the idea that "Did you know?" doesn't consider the fact that India and China are catching up or passing the United States in most areas of technology and education as a negative thing, but embraces the fact that, like us, most of the world wants to be an intricate part of the changes taking place globally. It seems to me as an educator, but more importantly as a parent, that I must learn as much about the Internet and its intricacies as possible and start using this wonderful tool for more than entertainmnet purposes. Also, I must instill within my son a hunger for knowledge through technology as not only a way to entertain and play games, but as a way of communication and education worldwide.
I believe the United State needs to seriously evaluate the teaching methods and the subject matter taught in order to lead our young people in the direction of the rest of the first world countries. We are on the right track, but keeping up with this ever changing, evolving technology must be taken seriously. Not only do we as parents and educators have to keep up with the technology, learn to use it, and teach it to our kids, but we must also make sure that we teach these children the discipline to make sure that this learning tool is used properly and effectively to keep up with the rest of the world.

Blog Post #4: Thoughts on ACCESS

ACCESS, or Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide, is a new technology that allows students to participate in online or distance learning classes that would not be offered to them otherwise. It has so many courses to choose from. From Economics to Mandarin Chinese, ACCESS has something to offer any student that wants, or needs one of these amazing classes. The classes can be web-based or video conferencing. It allows students the opportunity to learn at their own pace while interacting with students at different schools. It allows teachers to reach out to students all over the state that otherwise could never have the experience of some of these classes. ACCESS also allows teachers to work more closely with students on a one on one basis rather than in a normal classroom setting. It is a way for an individual student to have more control over their academic success. It also allows students to have more of a say in what they are taught and how they learn.
I am completely blown away by this new and innovative technology. I would love to be an "E-teacher!" It is probably one of the most valuable assets to education today. What a great way for students in low-income schools to get the best education Alabama has to offer by utilizing ACCESS. I hope that the Alabama Department of Education generates the funds to offer ACCESS to all Alabama schools very soon. I wish this type of "technical learning" was available to me when I was in high school. But, even though it was not, I am very happy to see that there are many, many children in Alabama that can experience such amazing advances in and out of the classroom. ACCESS will and has changed education forever.

Blog #3: Thoughts on ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange)

ALEX, or Alabama Learning Exchange, is a web-based interactive resource tool that is utilized by teachers as well as students and parents. ALEX lists different courses of study from English to Physical Education to Driver and Traffic Safety. When you click on one of the subjects it then narrows the search to include a certain grade level of education, and lists specific subjects under the specified heading. For example, if you clicked on science, the grades and different subjects such as biology or zoology will be listed. ALEX also has many web-links to other areas that could be helpful to educators, parents, or students that include the Alabama Department of Education Initiatives, Special Education, and Library Media/Information Literacy. Not only does it offer lesson plans for educators in all subjects, it also allows the students and teachers to use distance learning in the instance that advanced classes and electives are limited at a certain institution of learning. This distance learning is called ACCESS, or Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide. You can learn much, much more about either of these programs and other ways to enhance you or your child's learning experience, or as an educator learn new and innovative ways to enhance your teaching skills.
I am very glad that I am aware of all the great options available to teachers through ALEX. It will be a great way to interact with different educators about lesson plans and a good way to make sure that you, as an educator, is on the same page with other teachers in the state. I hope to utilize the web-site and as manyof the options for learning and educating as pertains to my field.

My first "real" blog

Hello Everyone!!

Welcome to Brandy Wimberly's EDM 310 Blog. I am really excited about the class and this project. I have only been to two classes and I am already doing things on the computer that I never thought I had a reason to try or learn to do. As some of you might have guessed, my skills on the computer are limited. When I graduated high school (in the 20th century) none of this technology was even conceivable, now it is hard to imagine life without all the technical advances. As one can see by viewing my profile, I have already been to college once and now I am back for more. I would love to continue my education from a Bachelor's Degree to a Master's Degree.
I love to read, so naturally I really enjoy english and language arts. I want to be able to utilize the things I learn in this class in my own classroom. My goal is to not only make an A in this class, and every other class I have this semester, but to trully learn something that enriches my life as well as my career.

My First Post

This is just a test run to see if I can actually do this. Hopefully, this class will enable me to be more computer literate. Now to add a picture.