Blog Post#14

Final Reflection
In this last blog, I did a video about my reflection on the Summer semester 2012 in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class. This class has really taught me a lot about technology and teaching. It has really emphasized that a teacher should be technologically literate.

At the beginning of the semester, I wasn't sure if I had made the right decision of taking EDM 310 in the Summer. I had previously taken the course in Fall 2011, but I felt like it was the wrong time to take that class. I didn't really have time and I wasn't mentally prepared for what was expected of me. Now, in the Summer 2012 semester, I'm very prepared. I learned how to manage my time wisely and really get engaged into the assignments. I really learned to like the work and often wished that I had more time to really enjoy our assignments. Most Summer courses are fast paced and I understand that.

My group really helped me and encouraged me to work hard and stay determined. Some of their positive feedback had rubbed off on me and kept me going through this class. Like I mentioned in the beginning of the course, I wasn't sure if I had made the right decision. But with a little time and effort, I realized that my decision was the best choice. I worked really well with the class being so fast paced. I felt like it forced me to stay on top of my game. I was really looking at the big picture this time around and realized that what I wanted was success and that meant that I would get there no matter how hard it seemed to be. Within a few weeks I became adjusted to how the class worked and it actually started to get easy. I really enjoyed this class and hope to use some of the tools that I learned in my future classroom. In my final reflection video, I will talk more about what I learned or didn't learn in this class.

Project#13 Collaboration

     My group and I had decided to use Google+ and chat. We hadn't decided on a certain date and time, so when I was asked that day, I already had very important tasks to complete in my other class. I wasn't able to be included in the video during that time because I had class that night followed by an online quiz that had to be completed before midnight. I really like EDM 310, but if your not careful one of the downfalls to this class is that you can possibly spend less time on another class. Although I wasn't able to participate in the online collaboration my group told me all about it.
     They collaborated using SMS Messaging, e-mail, and Google Docs. I was able to receive the pictures through Google Docs. This video showed me that there is another option for being in a group when one is really busy and may not have the time to meet in person. I'm glad that Dr. Strange assigned this project because it was an eyeopener. I now know that I can meet up with my group, talk to my teachers or family and friends without stepping out of the door. I have Skype, but I don't really use it that much. Now, I think that I really wanna explore Google+ and Skype and gain more experience with those programs.

C4T Summary#4

Dorothy Burt: Embedding a 1:1 Programme is about how her Maniaiakalani school offers netbooks to students at a younger age. She takes a moment to stop and reflect on the progress halfway through the year. But there are some underlying issues. For one, it is becoming more difficult to write a blank report about their progress at the school. Her school has year 1 students who are using the netbooks, but the question about what to do with their year 2 students is still up in the air. To top that off, they even year year 9 students who are currently in their third year. Her school really needs help with finding a solution to help their students by 2013. By 2013 they will also have new teachers and students. Most of those new teachers will be in year 1 with the netbooks.
After reading her post, I though it would be nice to give her some encouragement. I don't really know that answers to these questions, but I understand the cards that she and her school has been dealt. I was amazed to see that her school allowed their students the use of netbooks at such a young age. In opinion, the younger the better. They are more acceptable to change versus an older crowd who is used to learning in the traditional manner.

The Second that I read had this video featuring Joshua Iosefo in year 13 at Mt. Roskill Grammar. In this poem he portrays Pasifika and Moari in Brown Brothers. The video was amazing and I enjoyed listening about the passion, and struggles of his people from a teen's perspective. You have to watch this video!!

Blog Post#13

A Vision of Students Today is a video that was created by Michael Wesch with the help of students at Kansas State University. This video gives a breif look into what it is like to be a student today. It covers how much time students spend completing day to day tasks, issues that they have to deal with in their schools and at home, and about the changes that they will experience not only in school but in their lifetime.

Once I watched this video, I decided that I would like to tell from my point of view what it is like to be a student at the University of South Alabama. A full time student consist of twelve credit hours.The tuition and fees is $3102 for each semester and $7250 for tuition and fees and room and board for in-state students. I can only have loans to attend college. My parents are currently paying a $500 monthly bill to pay off my loans. Most students register for admissions online. There are 14,000 currently enrolled students. Aproximately 1600 freshman will arrive in the Fall of 2012. By the Spring of 2013 the number of freshmans will decrease. By your junior year, you will only know a handful of students that you met your freshman year. The average class has twenty-three students. Some classes may have up to fifty or more students. Most professors lecture from a smartboard while a select few still use the chalkboard to teach their students. Students must maintain a C in the class if they want to pass. Almost every student has had to re-take a class or failed. South offers blended courses. Most students still prefer lectured based classes. In some classes I bring my laptop or recorder. Some professors allow me to use my phone during class. Today, professors stil have to take the class attendance. I attend the same classes twice a week. Most of the classes that I take are two hours long. The crime level has decreased since my freshman year. A guy was murdered last Summer and I lived directly upstairs from that dorm room. I try not to go out late at night by myself. I always have to let someone know where I am just incase something happens to me. Even though I stay next to the police station on campus, I still see bad things going on right next to it. I have two jobs. I usually take thirteen credit hours in the Fall and Spring. To graduate on time I have to take fifthteen classes. Most students graduate in their fifth and sixth year of college. That is only to earn a Bachelor's Degree. Through all of this I have to study and complete homework. Some of my professors expect me to spend atleast 16 hours a week completing only their work, but I'm losing focus on my other classes. At the end of the semester I will make an A,B, and C.
How will you teach me in the 21st century? is a video done by Melinda Kraft at the Full Sail University. She is completing her Master's Degree their in Media Design and Technology. This video asks teachers whether they are using the many techniques that are available to help their students learn in the 21st century in order to prepare them for the world? During her video, she listed that students should know how to use technology, have communication skills, understand the impact of media, and interact globally.
If i had to create this movie, What would I want my students to know that their resources are limitless, to be able to do without a pencil and paper in the classroom, to have experienced the many forms of tehcnology, and relect on their creativity and progress for the that year. Students' resources have no limit because the internet provides them with all of the information that they will ever need. New information is added everyday. I want them to feel comfortable without the use of a pencial or pen. I want them to feel that pencil and paper is optional instead of a must have in class. I want my students to have experienced many forms of technology to broaden their use and let them feel encouraged when learning and using different devices. Students will have to reflect on their creativity because that is what sets them apart from everyone else. They have to record their progress to about their strengths, weaknesses, and how to improve those skills.
At the Teacher's Desk blog by Mr. Miles Webb who teaches in Brazil left a wonderful blog and movie which involved two of his students. One of the students by the name of Carlton is legally blind. And it is amazing to see him and his classmate working together to show their responsibilities in the video. I also enjoyed the jokes.
After watching the video my reaction is that with a little time and patience, any kind of student as able take technology and put it to good and educational use. Seeing Carlton demonstrate on how he helps the environment shows that not only does Mr. Webb teach his students about a subject, but he teaches them about the world. Before watching the video, I never thought about recording students doing their everyday responsibilities and making it fun and creative. This is a great method if I want to motivate my students. They could watch this video and feel encouraged enough to do those same things in their own class and feel like they are doing the right thing when they complete important tasks.
Jenny She is a teacher in Auckland, New Zealand. She is a driven teacher who is loved the use of technology. she teaches year two students at the Pt. England School in Auckland. She also uses web two tools to integrate learning into her classroom programs. Her class in room six has recently received their very own iPads to learn through the use of technology. I'm very excited for her students because that they will definitely be in engaged in learning the material.

Project #15 Part Two


PLN Progress
I have been the PLN for about a year now and I must say that it is very beneficial.With the PLN, I am able to save links to my favorite websites. I can also discover new interesting sites as well by searching for them through Symbaloo. Symbaloo makes it easier for me when I'm trying to find a website for class or for my own personal reasons. Symbaloo is now my default page on my Google Chrome search engine. I will continue to use this PLN throughout my entire time here at South. I would even like to use it once I've graduated from college.

Final Project Progress

Our final project is the iBook. I'm in group five with Lacie, Lindsay, and Brittany. I must say that I am happy with my group thus far. We have completed numerous projects prior to this one so we are very comfortable with making communication and figuring out what works best for us. So far, we have created a title to our iBook. At first, we really didn't have a clue of how to copy and paste our own picture onto the book, but thanks to our helpful lab assistants, we were able to complete the task. Our topic is What to Expect When Taking EDm 310, which is similar to the what to expect when expecting a pregnancy book. We decided that we would each have a section of our own to dedicate information about ourselves in chapter one. Then, in chapter two, we will include all of our group projects and videos. Since our information is saved to the assigned MAC in the computer lab, we will each come to the lab and fill in our information for the project. There is only one problem. Due to the past incident, I would recommend that each person in the group save their information onto a removable disk/jump drive because our safe files are not really being kept safe. On Monday, my group and I discovered that our work was deleted from the computer. Luckily, Lindsay had already save her information onto her own jump drive for back up. Another issue about making the iBook is that none of the online work can be embedded into the iBook. In order to add it, I have to save everything onto my jump drive. There is also another issue that we encountered. The MAC that we used would not accept Lindsay's jump drive so we had to move onto another computer which is for the next group. Without a jump drive I have to search for the saved information. These documents could be in any one of the MAC computers in the lab or even worse, on our laptops at home. On Thursday morning, my group and I will meet to complete the rest our final project. I hope that we will be able to complete everything that day. I know that the iBook is new to our instructor and students, but I hope that it gets better.

Blog Post#12

About Me (Revised)

     I decided to make my Blog Post assignment a revision of Blog Post#1 About Me. In this assignment, I will give some brief information about myself while incorparting my college major. This could be done by using pictures, timelines, Google Presentations, and multimedia such as YouTube. I want this assignment to be educational, fun, and creative.

My name is Shaniqua Washington and I am twenty-one years old. I'm from Moss Point Mississippi. Look! There's my house!  This is where I grew up. I lived with my mother, father, and my big brother and sister. Growing up in Moss Point was great. We traveled every Summer. This is where I began to love the outdoors. My most favorite place is the beach since we live along the Gulf Coast. Everyone goes there whether its for the July 4th Firework Show, to exercise, or just come there to relaxe and soak up the sun.

Left:Chance, Right:Tramond Jr.

      I also like to take walks around the park and watch people feed the ducks at the pond at IG Levi Park. Sometimes, I will take my two nephews out there to feed the ducks and play at the playground. I love to spend time with
them. They're really funny and energetic.
Here's another look into  my life through a Google Presentation.

                                                                                                                            

I recently took a trip to Houston, Texas. My uncle Kevin, which my mother's brother, had a wedding there. I was so excited to see my family because we all hadn't been together like this in years. So my mother, sister, and her boyfriend and I traveled eight hours to Houston. On the way there, it rained a lot and that worried my mom. Thankfully, she had help driving there. Once we arrived, to the LaQuinta Inn, most of my family was there. This really felt like a family reunion. Many of them had traveled from Oklahoma, some other parts of Texas, but mostly from Louisiana because that's where my mother's side of the family is from.

                                                

My mother is from Patterson, Louisiana and so is my brother and dad's father "Paw Paw" and his family are all from this same place. As a Social Science Education major, Louisiana is one of those places that sparks my interest because there is so much History there. I really wanted to know about my family's History and culture so I began by simply asking my mother questions about our family. One question was, "What are we?" Up until asking this question, I knew that I was African American but I honestly thought that was too broad. Due to the complexion of my skin, I know that I am not just African American. My mother told me that we are Creole and I really didn't know what that meant, but after talking to Mamo (Grandmother), this meant that we possibly have French, Spanish, African, and even some Native American in our family. I could believe that because of how my great-grandparents looked. The funny thing about being Creole is that your skin tone can range someone white with blonde haired blue eyes, all the way to someone with dark skin. In my opinion, I think that its mostly the culture which makes us Creole or Cajun people.  

 It is the celebration of Mardi Gras in which we faithfully attend every year whether we are in Louisiana or in Mobile, Alabama. I love the Zydeco music which is creole music where people dance at a fast pace. 

  

The craw-fish boils are also significant because it brings everyone together to eat, talk, dance, and have a great time together. Most of all I love their language and how they keep certain traditions alive. Whenever I'm with my Louisiana family, I always feel like I'm a home. As they say in French, "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez" which means "Let the good times roll!"

Blog Post#11

Ms. Cassidy
Ms. Cassidy
Ms. Cassidy's approach to the use of technology in the classroom with her first graders is very helpful for future teachers like myself. After watching her video, I was amazed to see first grade students using laptop computers, writing blogs and working on smart boards. I never thought that children this young would be capable of doing such things. My thoughts about younger children and the use of technology has shifted. It also made me happy to hear the reference to the Alabama EDM-310 students. That acknowledgement to us means that the number of technologically literate students is constantly growing.

I would like to use some of the techniques that Ms. Cassidy uses for her students in the future for my students as well. She talked about protecting her students and that is very important. I would like to use the method of asking for the parent's permission through a consent form that also protected their child's privacy and what they were allowed to see. By first getting the parent's permission, allows my students to do work online. Without their permission, I would not allow them to use the internet until I have received a signed consent form. In the process of protecting the students she only includes the student's first name without their picture. I like this technique because no one really knows who that person is except for the teacher. I want to allow my students to have the use of blogging. Giving them the opportunity to voice themselves and view comments helps them in many ways. They learn how to work independently. They can read comments to help them understand what another person wrote on their blog or ask questions.

The benefits that I intend on getting is that it will first keep my students interested and engaged into their work. My students will have the ability to build their own network with people who have the same interest as themselves. Students will become more creative with their assignments because there will not be one set way of completing them. They will learn how to teach themselves instead of depending on a lecture everyday.

Blog Post#10

Pencil Integration

      After reviewing the cartoon, I wasn't sure about the meaning. Immediately after reading the guy with glasses statement that says, "I'm a papermate I cost less, but break all the time." I thought that maybe it had something to do with technology, but I still felt like it was questionable. To do some further research, I tried to read some of the comments that were posted below the picture to see if anyone else had the same issue that I had as well. They all introduced themselves and pretty much asked the same question, but there was no response. Next, I searched the EDM 310 Blog page and there was my answer. It had finally made more sense to me that they were both metaphors for something. Papermate was used as a metaphor for a PC, and Ticonderoga was a metaphor for a MAC. The cartoons resemble the two men who star in series of Apple ads. John Hodgeman stars as the PC and Justin Long as a MAC (Apple Series) . 

     After taking the course of EDM 310 and after the use of my friend's MAC laptop and iPad, I would agree that these devices are very expensive, but the quality is much better than a PC. I have only owned PC's and I have to constantly update keep them more than if I had a MAC. I personally would like to purchase one of my own, but the downfall is that I cannot afford it. The great thing about this problem is that there is a solution. Best Buy offers a six month pay period for Apple products that are over $150. I think that this is the best route for me, because I'm a student and I already work at the Faculty Club on campus and at Sonic-Drive In on the weekends, therefore I have a few extra dollars to spend. Making smaller payments would be the easiest for me. I'm currently looking into purchasing a new iPod because I already have an Android ASUS Tablet and its wonderful. I'm able to use it as a Tablet or transform it into a mini laptop. I also researched the monthly cost of having an iPhone with various cellular phone companies. They were really expensive when compared to my Andriod phone from NET10 which only costs my $55 per month with unlimited access so the iPod would be the best Apple device  that's convenient for me.

     Once I read Why are kids playing games? and other blog posts by Mr. Spencer, I have to agree with him because he makes some valid points about why he chooses not to use pencils in the classroom. Children honestly don't care about paper and pencils, most would rather be engaged in some type of social network. Lets face it, most students use technology. I don't understand why would a superintendent or principal want to limit their teachers and use the memorization method to meet standardized test scores. Students are not learning or engaged in their work. They're only doing what is necessary to get by. 

     When I was in high school, my school stressed the issue of test scores to the point where we even had pep rallies for it which I thought was insane. Students would be threatened to not graduate from high school if they didn't pass and 15% of my classmates had this issue. They were constantly taking these tests over and over and still, they failed. I think this is because no one ever took the time to see what problem the students had with the test. There was a misunderstanding and they were not being heard. Students were told to try again. I was one of the luckier students who passed them the first time, but once it was over, I didn't remember any of the information. Even today while I'm currently in college, the same lessons we reviewed in high school are forgotten. I think that having an engaged student while also learning is something that every teacher, principal, or superintendent should strive for. We are trained to evolve with our environment, why not try to evolve with our students?

     Don't teach your kids this stuff. was interesting to say the least. Mr. McLeod is not being negative in this poem. In my opinion, he is honest. While he is able to teach his students and keep them updated with the latest technology, others will be left to eat his dust. This means that his students will have more experience than those without it. They will be able to compete for certain jobs and careers. Students with more technological experience like myself, with the help of Dr. Strange, will know how to make learning a great experience. I love to learn and I want to at least give my students the same opportunity.

     If students are not taught how to take their technology devices to the next level, then they are left only with the ability to complete simple day to day tasks. They will only know about Facebook and Twitter but not know how to take that social network and make it into a place where they meet other educators and get advice or new and creative ideas. They won't have a clue of what great use Skype could be. The tools are all here, but without experience and assistance the process will be more difficult a decade from now.

C4T#3

I enjoyed reading Michael Fawcett's blog called Many Varieties. Even though most of his posts were short, there was still some substance. The first blog that I read was called Tears. One of his year five students spent a day off for Arbor Day and returned for lunch time. Mr. Fawcett wasn't available to talk to him so he decided to contact his student over Twitter. As he was asking his student about his day planting, and the student told him that he'll make a doc of it. This deeply moved Mr. Fawcett because this students was nine years old. I'm gussing that he must have felt like he had finally accomplished something. Even if it was only one student, he had made a change in how to communicate with his students and receive information or documents. I'm amazed that at nine years old, he knows how to make a doc. Most people who are my age don't even know how much about it.

The next blog that I read was about a new GMail app from Google. The is only available for an iPhone, but it seems to be really cool. Users are now able to share drawings, doodles, and hand drawn maps to others. The app allows the user to use brushes, sizes, and colors. Google is constantly growing. At first I was a bit skeptical of using Google as a default for everything. Now, my mind has changed. Its very beneficial to me because I have access to the world in many forms like Google Drive/Docs, Google Maps, and Google Scholar. I just hope that they keep making the use of technology interesting, convenient, and fun.

Blog Post#9

What I've Learned This Year (2008-2009/2010-2011)
I read two to blog post by Joe McClung, junior high school teacher whom has been a teacher for three years. At the end of every year, he does posts reflections on what he learned for that year. In his first year he was very inexperienced and learned a lot about himself as a person and teacher. He developed a mindset that was all about the teacher and loss touch with presenting a lesson. He realized that the lesson is supposed to be student centered. When the lesson is not student centered, the students do not understand the lesson. Joe seems to be very organized and had to learn that he should not beat himself up when his lesson plans for the day didn't go as planned. He was taking too much control of how he taught the class. He reflected on the mistakes that teachers make about their students. They tend to set very high expectations and when a student fails they scold them for failing. Instead of making the situation worse, teachers should encourage them to do better the next time. He mentioned that teacher should not be afraid of technology and learning computer skills. Teachers should be learning as well if they wanna make their students more advanced.
In his third year he became more established. It was his first time working at the same school for more than one year. He became a coach and basically more involved in school than the years before. When he began to take on these different roles he noticed an issue that decision making should be student centered and not for pleasing adults. He found himself worried about what other adults thought about him and had to learn that it is not about them at all. McClung is an optimist at everything he does. It bothered him to see that not all teachers were as enthusiastic about certain things as he was. He didn't want their negativity to bring down his joyful spirit so he became an outsider. He began to get along with the students more and enjoyed their company more than the other teachers. He learned that teachers often work for the students and they never learn skills that way so it is best to let them do the hard work because it will soon pay off. Getting comfortable was another issue that he addressed in his blog. As a solution to this problem, he developed new and more challenging tasks to prevent him from having routines. This year he also joined committees.
At the end of this post, he left the audience with the question, is this an achievable goal to not be a passive educator but movers and shakers for change in their schools? After reading this question, I thought to myself is this possible and I believe that it is  so. Throughout this blog McClung has addressed the issues and possible solutions from his own experiences. His blogs have provided me with advice on how to overcome those issues that teachers will have. I have known about some of the issues that he talks about. For the first time, I feel like they are noticed by someone. It goes to show that there are some caring teachers out there who are honest with themselves and strives to make their schools a much better place. I wanna become that type of teacher who does those same things as Joe McClung.

Project#14 Part 1

Smartboard Video Pt. 1

Smartboard Video Pt. 2

Blog Post#8

This Is How We dream Parts 1 and 2
He has really great ideas about writing with multimedia. My favorite idea was in Part 2 where he explains how he and a coworker created a university at the automobile industry in which they work for. I agree that educators should be able to discuss ideas such as this freely over the internet. This can encourage teachers to learn how to  use new and various programs. It also allows them the access to millions of information and answers questions about certain in their fields. I think that it would be great to create our own alternatives to top websites such as blogs, and education systems that are available online.
With some more experience in due time, I think that I will be prepared to write with multimedia. I'm already using some of the basic programs such as YouTube and Microsoft Word as tools to write with multimedia. Having some type of background with this will only make it easier to learn how to use other programs that are for more advanced. With some training, and help from others whether it's in a classroom or a site from across the world, I will possibly be more than prepared to write with multimedia in a professional sense. EDM 310 is providing me with this information as a college student which shows that I don't need a degree to accomplish this task.
My students will be able to do this if they are first willing to be patient and second willing to learn something new. They may find that writing with multimedia will be interesting, fun, and very beneficial. As an educator, I will need some experience on how to write with multimedia if I want my students to learn about it. Although they have me I really want to realize that I am not their only source. I want to give them the freedom to learn how to do others things that I didn't cover with them in class and teach me things as well.

Carly Pugh
Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12 is very much like Dr. Millers's "This Is How We Dream" videos. They have hopes and examples of how to write with multimedia. I think that her idea to create a playlist that gives tips to teachers and inspirations on how to become their favorite educator is great. This opens the door to another endless possibility of how a teacher can use the sources that they have and make use of it to help others.
 Carly and Dr. Millers's vision to create and write with multimedia show that teachers are able to present and support ideas that they really want to put into action. This motivates me to become an educator that does make a positive difference in other's lives. Watching and reading blogs about future and present educators such as these two people just reinforces why I wanted to become a teacher in the first  place.

EDM-310 Videos
I would like to create a video about time management. I chose this topic because I have had problems with getting my work complete on time for may reasons that are irrelevant. There is no excuse to have my work in late or not all. EDM 310 is teaching me how to not procrastinate and use my time wisely. It is my responsibility to get my work in my the deadline. I am currently trying to catch up on my work and possibly never get behind although I know that things can come up which can delay my work.
In my video I would give examples of how not to be with time management and what would happen as the consequences. Hopefully, this video would inspire students to do better with managing their time with work, school, and their personal lives because it is so easy to fall behind. Watching the Chipper  Series really made me realize that I have had some issues with management. EDM 310 for dummies is a funny illustration of the frustrations that a student can encounter with EDM 310. It also provides the different sources that will help students overcome those frustrations and grow to like what it is that they're doing in this course. I would also like to include some of these ideas into my video as well..

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
It is surprising to know that education is number 55 on the level of IT Intensiveness by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce which is below coal mining. I can agree that in the past few years students have done more outside of school because they are not allowed to use them in school.  What I really wanted to see is students and their opinions of how to change their learning methods. I have been watching numerous of videos about the teachers opinions but what about the students? Don't they have a say so in this? This video does give information about the issues with education but I would have also like to hear it from a student's perspective.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0
Google Drive, which is also known as Google Docs a provides a social platform for teachers to collaborate. With Google Drive, I am able to share to my information with the whole class. My students have the ability to share their work with me. I can create documents, spreadsheets, forms, drawings, and presentations. This is very beneficial as a teacher because I can instantly see my student's progress if they were asked to write a short essay. I would like to use this in my class because it saves space and can be uploaded from any place. My students would have the opportunity to upload their work from home or even the library. I believe that more access to technology is better. Students will be able to become familiar with Google Docs and never have to worry about searching for the program in their desktop. Just one click, and their own their way to an enhanced way of learning.

Essence Music Festival 2011 on PhotoPeach



Can You Guess? on PhotoPeach

Project#11

Book Trailer Project#12

PLN Progress#1

After watching the videos about building a PLN, I realized that there is so much to explore. A PLN doesn't have to be used for personal reasons but for businesses, students, and teachers. A business is able to save different websites in which they collaborate with. Students can use it to research information from a wide range of sources. Teachers could use it to organize their information for class sessions and online assignments. Whats great is that there could be a variety of reasons why someone would choose to use a PLN.

Prezi

Teacher Appreciation Week on Prezi

C4T#2

Learning is Messy Blog-Learning is Messy
     I left the first comment under Brian's blog . The topic was called Well Said. In this blog he added quotes from letter sent to President Obama about how sorry that state of education has been from Mary Broderick. When she wrote this letter to Obama, she made some valid points like the fact that students are becoming numb to learning due to the stress on testing. Today, teachers are becoming more focused on tests than actually teaching their students to meet requirements. I can agree with these letters. If they stop hiring people at the district level who's only there for one purpose and that is to raise test scores, then students would have time to focus on what's more important. I graduated from Moss Point High in MS in 2009 and this was the case for four years. Teachers taught around the test instead of teaching students and giving them the enjoyment of learning. Instead, students are forced to learn the materials that may possibly be one the test, and if they don't pass, then they are haunted by this failure and the fear of not being able to pass onto the next grade level.
     For the next topic, I read What Happened to My Pedagogy? and in this blog post he expressed how his once excited class was able to use technology with more time. The students were highly motivated and it even influenced him to write more information about his class's progress. Now that there is not enough time to complete these things he once loved to do with his students, there has been less blogging about the class and motivation towards doing it. He has to squeeze time in and that only makes it hard to do certain policies. Not only is that a problem, but since the internet is more public at the school, he doesn't feel that safe about letting his students look around and search for things online. He has decided to speak about these issues because there are teachers in which he has collaborated with who seem to have those same problems and something has to be done. I sympathize with Brian because he only wants the best for his students. I can tell that he cares them because he's still trying even though its hard and certain policies wont allow him to do things like he did once before. I just hope that things will get better for him and those teachers who are going through the same things. I often overlook these type of issues because I haven't experienced them yet, but I am thankful to have read this post because we often forget about what's under the surface of being a teacher.

Blog Post#7

The Networked Student

   A Networked Student is a video that begins with a student who attend the 21st Century High School. He is studying American Psychology and has to do a research project. Every week, he attends three classes and spends two days online. His teacher almost never lectures and the class has no need for textbooks. She is a student of connectivism. She believes in the theory that learning occurs as a social network of many diverse connections and ties. She has made it possible through various tools of technology.

     "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" was asked during this video. Well, a teacher has to show her students how to build this network. She encourages them to take advantage of learning opportunities. When a student needs assistance, their teacher is there to help them. The teacher illustrates how to communicate with others properly and lets the class know that it is okay to ask for help from experts online. With all of this information, a teacher is needed to help their students organize all of this information.
     I thought that this video was very useful for many reasons. As a future History teacher, I could use these tools to help my students. I have taken it upon myself to make notes from the video. As another option, I could share the video to my blog so that anyone could be able to access this video. Not only have I learned how to further my education through technology, but that my students will have a chance to learn with me. Just like the teacher at 21st Century High School, I want to teach in hopes that my students will take and use these learning opportunities towards others things. Learning how to network online can be more useful in the future for our jobs, social networks sites, and even research.



Welcome to my PLE!

     A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (PLE), is a video about a seventh grade girl in Science class and how she use's a PLE to help her with her assignments. She practices networking in her class by first looking up information online. Once she has decided what type of websites she wants, she adds them to her personal page. With a PLE, she is able to save sites to her homework, Google Docs, and bookmarking sites like Delicious. She also uses a note taking program that lets her keep track of bits of text and pictures to later give them credibility. With a PLE, she has freedom to be creative with how she does her work and when she does it. Since her Science class is paperless, she is able to keep everything organized without having to worry about the use of a pencil.
     My reaction to this video is that once again, I have learned something new that I will use. I have decided to use Symbaloo because of its convenience. I don't have to worry about clicking back and forth from one tab to the next. A PLE allows me to stay updated with blogs, e-mails, and even social network sites. It is a better way of organizing and storing websites that I visit daily. It is better than the usual bookmark link that is added to my internet browser. With Symbaloo, I never have to worry about saving different sites to my computer for later. The tiles are also more than enough. If I'm not able to find the site that I'm trying to search, I can simply create my own tile by adding in the URL. I also have the option to delete those unwanted or unused tiles. I like that I'm able to save and organize business and pleasure at the same time.

Blog Post#6

     After watching the video by Randy Pausch called "Last Lecture Achieving Your Childhood Dreams", I thought that is was very inspirational. If you haven't watched it yet, then you should. At first glance, I noticed that this video was a hour and sixteen minutes long and I did feel intimidated. I wasn't sure if I could last that long just watching and listening to someone lecture. So I finally went for it, hoping that it wouldn't be dry. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the video. I was interested in his topics because they left me with some very important messages.
     At the beginning of the video, I must say that I admired Mr. Pausch. Like he stated, he wanted everyone to notice the elephant in the room. I was saddened to know that he had ten tumors in his liver and that his life expectancy was from three to six months. Instead of focusing on his personal or life threatening issues, he was quite happy with his life. He has a lot of humor and even showed the audience that he was really in a good shape by doing push-ups. Even then, that was a lesson in its self. He is losing his life, but he chooses to turn things around and be merry. This reminds me of myself. I have had hard some hard times in my life that may have been worse for some, but not as hard to others. No matter what has tried to take or keep me down, I still find happiness. I still smile because I know that there is a bigger picture. I wasn't raised to dwell on negative things, but to figure out how to make them better.
     First, he started with the topic about childhood dreams. Everyone has had one at some time in their lives. During this segment, there was one quote that stuck with me. "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things. From my point of view, this quote said to me that sometimes you will not have your way and even get rejection, but they are here to make you better, work harder. Secondly, he wanted to express how he enabled the dreams of others to come true while being at Carnegie Mellon University. I was amazed to see how a teacher who once started with a class of fifty students in his course became a huge hit at the school. He allowed his students be creative just as long as they didn't use violence or porn in their projects. Last, there were lessons learned. He left the audience with tips on how to get help from others and to never give up. In order to be successful in whatever it is that we want to do, we cannot do it all alone. I'm pretty sure that everyone can thank someone for taking that extra step to help them. Maybe they saw the potential and thought they could possibly be the one who would open up the doors for you.
     When I become a History teacher, I will definitely use some of his ideas on teaching and learning. He allowed his students to be themselves by letting complete their projects with creativity. I will remember that by allowing creativity to my students will allow them to enjoy what they are learning. He mentioned how teachers can also learn from their students. I want to build a relationship with my students and make that bond stronger over time. I want them to feel like I'm trustworthy and am and will be a person just like them. Like my students, I will make mistakes and learn from them. We should grow together as a class. I don't want them to feel like they are inferior to me. I want them to talk to me and tell me what's going on. I want them to feel comfortable with me, but also understand that there should still be a level of respect towards me. This video also inspires me to leave my students with encouraging quotes and that learning can be fun. I hope to also have a class without paper that is based on the use of technology. Mr. Pausch's video was a pleasure to watch. I was deeply moved by his struggles and successes. He wasn't able to control his illness, but he was able to control how we wanted to leave this earth and did just that. With hard work and determination, anything is possible.

Project #8

Podcasts

Project #9A

Blog Post#5

Travis Allen

Travis Allen and ISchool & Zeitgiest Young Minds Entry
In these two videos, Travis Allen is a high student that at the age of eighteen found a solution to education problems in the United States has brought a change in how we learn technology today. He presents the ISchool Apps that will help students learn in class without having to take notes on paper. Everything is supposedly in these different applications. Students will be able to check their e-mails, view the periodic table, study different planets, takes notes, and read books online. Teachers will be able to record lesson plans, view lunch menus, calendars, track grades and assignments. He is presenting a new form of learning, mobile learning.
My take on this is that its a great idea but does he really have everything figured out? It seems like there may be a few glitches.I was wondering what grade levels will this ISchool cover? I learned about the planets in elementary school and the periodic table in junior high.  In this video, he never mentioned if students will be able to take their devices home or not. If they are not allowed to take home their work, then they will need another source to unlock important information.  If they have a computer at home then that's fine or use the library instead. Wouldn't the students still have to write down notes if they aren't able to reach a computer? If something like this does actually happen will there be a need for teachers? My answer is yes because the ISchool obviously does not cover information that a teacher may be better at explaining. iSchool Initiative & ZeitgeistYoung Minds

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
     Eric Whitacre's virtual choir is a video that illustrates how a choir sings to a song through the internet.
This is amazing to see a virtual choir. I didn't think that something like this was possible. At first glance, I thought this was a class that just recorded themselves for an assignment and posted it on youtube. Then, I realized that there were over a hundred people singing at once. I would love to know how he made this happen and if it is real.Virtual Choir

Teaching in the 21st century
To teach in the 21st century, Roberts believes that teachers are not the main source of knowledge anymore. Today there are so many online resources that are available through cell phones, computers, and ipads. Learning is changing, and teachers have to find a way to blend their own skills with the like of technology. I am proud to say that some teachers are doing just that. Roberts sees teaching in the future to be revamped and revised by many possibilities. I think that in order to stay updated with learning technology, teachers will have to be willing to learn and use new resources that are out there. In the past, I have noticed that for some, its easy to get set in their ways of teaching and some of their methods bring great results. But will these old school ways of teaching make it in the next ten to twenty years? I believe that there will still be some form of the traditional teaching and learning skills but they will be far more advance in technology through various devices. Teaching in the 21st Century

Dr. Lodge McCammon's Fizz
      Dr. Lodge McCammon is a contemporary media specialist from Friday Institute of Raleigh, North Carolina. The video begins with an issue that he must address. The problem is that there are too many lectures in the classroom which is not engaging for students. Lecturing is insufficient, not engaging, and a one shot deal.   Teachers then expect students to with the same lecture, to apply themselves in a way that is not engaging as an individual. To solve the issue he started a program called FIZZ to train teachers in the classroom. This idea is also called "Flipping the Classroom". A FIZZ Video Lecture allows students to view videos multiple times and it creates classroom time. As a result it creates a differentiating learning where students are applying their work while being engaged and excited about it.
     As a teacher, I would be able to use this type of learning because I already have some experience with taking online courses. The only thing that I wouldn't do is use only online work for my students. I also want to blend a lecture in which they can follow with me online. I believe that this idea could possibly help those students who aren't so good with online classes and help them follow along with rest of the class.
     Flipping the Classroom 4th Grade STEM involves Ms. Maufano from Hilburn Academy STEM Elementary School. She further explains the method of flipping the classroom by Dr. Lodge in which she uses for her 4th grade class. I think that her video is more helpful because it explains how a teacher could flip their classroom and why. I would also like to use her methods because its very organized and precise.

Blog Post#4

The Benefits of Podcasting In the Classroom 

     The benefits of podcasting in the classroom is a video that can be watched on YouTube The Benefits of Podcasting In the Classroom explains the importance of using a podcast through different examples. Using a podcast is beneficial to students who may miss a week of school. If their teacher has the in class assignments posted online for the absent student, then they wil be able to follow along with the class. There is no need for make-up homework in this case. Most students today are familar with some use of technology. By learning how to use a podcast only furthers their knowledge of technology. They are able to illustrate what they have learned in their own creative way, while using a tool that is more relevant to them. Parents can also see their children's progress in the class and view their work. More parents are working and don't get the time to check on their child's work to make sure they are doing their best in class. With podcasting, parents can now view their kid's work right from their work desk.

     As a college student, I have only came across two classes that have actually used podcasts. The first course was EDM 310. I appreciate it because I learned so much in one semester. With the help of student workers in Dr. Strange's class, I was able to see how easy and fun making a podcast could be. I want to be a History someday, and I would love to use a podcast in my classroom. The other class that used a podcast was the Introduction to Politics class. I used it to view lessons online, that I may have missed in class. It also helped me study for the class.

     The Practical Principal with Melinda Miller and Scott Elias is a blog that teaches others how to use syndication and feedburner. Feeds allow websites to further expand their information. They allow people to use subscriptions, news reader, and emails. This is beneficial because it allows users to stay updated with their favorite blogs or websites.
     After reading the Practical Principal, I am inspired to make and view blogs on my own time. I never really used a podcast unless it was for a class. With my tablet, I am able to download Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and find information in a new way instead of using Google or YouTube which are my go to search engines. I think that the use of a podcast for news would be better for me than using a newspaper or magazine. I don't have to struggle with going to the store to purchase a newspaper. I can just subscribe to the website and read. How great is that?

     Podcast With First Grade is by Langwitches Blog where I watched Priceless Education. In this video it gives the importance of having a non-traditional way of teaching and learning. You may think that passing a Spanish test shows that you know another language, but talking to students using programs like Skype to actually see their expressions helps first graders learn at an early age. Most are familiar with teachers sharing their lesson plan with the classroom and school, but now teachers are able to let the world view their lesson plans through blogs. What about reading a book about a country to learn facts? Well, today students can make their own books about a country that is filled with vivid facts.
     Education is priceless. What I get from this video is that there are other options to teaching and learning. Some of the traditional methods may get students by, but with a good use of technology, their knowledge will be taken a step further than a simple lecture. Students are engaged in their work. They finally have a say so in how they want to complete their assignments. This means that more students will find interest in topics they may not have thought of before. They are able to do more than what's expected of them. I am one of those students. Thanks to EDM 310, I have those same abilities that are displayed in this video.

This is my sentence

C4T#1

Lee Kolbert A GeekyMomma's Blog "How Long Will It Take to Read War and Peace?" ran across a reading test that calculates how fast you can read. Lee Kolbert's reading rate was 369 wpm, which is 48% faster than the national reading level. The test also gives a few comprehension questions are reading the passage. If the reading gets any of the questions incorrect, then they have to retake the assessment. Once the questions are answered correctly, the next page gives a chart of the national reading level and place where the reader who took the test resides. I landed at 12% slower than the national level. That is equivalent to an eighth grader. Another interesting fact about this test is its ability to tell the tester how long it would take them to read War and Peace. It would take me 44 hours and 17 minutes to complete this book. The last page views a chart of many books I would be able to read on different ereader devices. On an  average, I will be able to read 2.9 books. I feel comfortable being able to read three books before having to recharge. At first, I felt a little discouraged when I read my score, but I felt relieved to know that I am able to read three books on an ereader before having to recharge. The quiz gives me the courage to not be overwhelmed with books that I think are out of my league. Overall I would like to improve my reading rate, but I also wanna make sure that I am able to comprehend what I am reading at a level that I feel comfortable with.
     A Great Prize Opportunity blog post explains how she is taking part in a contest for teachers. It allows them to showcase their ideas and techniques on how to attract female students into math, engineering or computing where men mostly major in these areas. I think that this is a great idea. It also encourages teachers and gives them new techniques on how to increase more female participation. I am one of those female students who need work in math and would love to learn more about computing and engineering, therefore I appreciate those who created this contest. I am happy that she is becoming a judge and that teachers are being acknowledged for their ideas.

Project #5 Google Presentation

Blog Post #3

     In the Peer Editing video, a peer is someone who is your own age, while editing is making changes, suggestions, or comments to writing. The video states that there are three important steps to peer editing. Step number one is compliments. There are certain rules to follow and one should also remember to stay positive. You don't want to make others feel uncomfortable about their work. Step number two is suggestions. Suggestions could be made about word choice, details, sentences, topic and organization. Third step is corrections. This could be checking for punctuation, grammar, and sentences. There are also certain editing marks to let the writer know that they need to edit their work. I find this video very helpful because it reminds me of what I need to look for while I am reading and completing comments for classmates.
     Peer Edit With Perfection tutorial explains how working with your classmates can be fun and helpful. Most peer editing are done by people who may be in the same age or in the same class. Staying positive is very important. You wanna think about you would feel if someone critiqued your own work. You have to keep in mind no one is here to harm you but to help and give you assistance. Giving compliments encourages the writer to work harder. If I had to use a compliment, I would say, "Great job!" to the writer for putting forth the effort. I think that everyone needs suggestions and that is very crucial when using peer editing.
     Top 10 Mistakes of Peer Editing is a video that involves the participation of students in the 4th and 5th grade. The video was adorable. I think that there should be more videos with younger students expressing topics that they have learned in the classroom. Picky Patty reveals how one should not peer edit. She is not being positive. Whatever William, makes it hard for someone to help him when he doesn't care about the work. You have to be open to changes. Social Sammy loves to talk. He should be more focused on the assignment and be a better partner in his group. Jean the generalizer has to be specific about what changes need to made on the paper. This could done by using editing marks so that the writer would be able to know where the mistake was made. Mean Margaret is rude to her partner and she should always remain nice. Loud Larry is so loud that he disturbs the whole class. This could be solved by keeping an inside voice to where only the person he's talking to is able to hear and understand what he is saying. This video illustrates what not to do and makes the viewer think about better methods to use when they are peer editing. I have taken note of these issues and will try to apply them to my work everyday.


Technology in Special Education
     Technology in Special Education is a video that shows the importance of the use of technology in a special education class. The video illustrates how technology promotes participation. Technology is useful for students who have non-verbal, and have physical and cognitive limitations. Students are able to work with teachers and their classmates without having to leave the room like Corbin who once had to read in the hallway with assistance during silent reading. Now he is able to read a book offered on the IPod Touch. Without technology, it makes speaking harder for someone like Kris who uses a computer to express what he is saying. Without technology, it makes learning harder for teachers and students
     Before watching this movie, I didn't think that students in special education used technology for many reasons. One reason is that I never knew anyone in special education, or what methods teachers had to offer their students. Now I know that technology is made for everyone, and it should be. After watching this video, I was pleased to know that as a teacher, I too can help any kind of student in my classroom. I am longer limited to just one way of teaching. This is useful because everyone learns differently. They take in information differently and with technology, I am able to understand them. This also keeps special needs students from feeling inferior to other students, but feel and know they are equally educated. I could use technology to help my students read, listen, and learn while captivating their attention.

iPad for Autism
     This video is very inspirational not only to teach children with autism on an iPad or tablet, but this can teach and entertain all children. I was moved to see how patient and encouraging this two parents were towards their son who has autism. As an aunt to seven, six, and one year old, I too can teach them how to learn certain skills on my tablet instead of just letting them play only video games which is something they love.
     With the use of an iPad I would download the app How Rocket Learned to Read. It offers my students 40 pages of interactive learning. I will begin with the first option of learning to read by letting my students follow the highlighted words that are being read aloud. Once my students are comfortable, I would make the work a little harder by letting them read at their own pace and help them sound the words out. As they follow along with the story, I will also make it known that they can tap and swipe certain pages for sounds. This will keep them engaged in what they are learning. I will also encourage and give them praise.

Harness your digital smarts
     This video is about a teacher by the name of Vickie Davis who teaches at a school in southern Georgia. She teaches her students how to become students who are able to work independently while also learning with them. They make blogs, use virtual worlds, and research all online. Students have the ability to learn without the use of a pen and paper. This makes it where more students are able to succeed instead of just one type of student who is comfortable with traditional learning.
     Vicki Davis's learning and teaching strategy is a lot like EDM-310. Sometimes you have to see things from another point of view to understand why EDM-310 is setup the way it is, and this video helps me to understand the purpose of this class. She encourages her students to be creative with their work like Dr. Strange does with his class. Sometimes, the assignments that are given to us are meant for us to do further research on our own and learn instead of being told what to do every step of the way. Not only can our teachers keep us updated on different apps and blogs, but the students are allowed to do the same. I feel like we are working with each other together instead of using the burp back method.

Project #2

   

Blog Post#2

Did You Know?
The Did You Know video by Dr. Strange, is a modified version from the original model by Karl Fisch and Scott Mcleod. First, I thought that the video could use some more work. The topics at the top of the page were not readable at times. I would also suggest having more than one background to the video. The gray and white just seemed less appealing than if it had been more brighter colors to keep the reader interested. Some of the slides could have been set to last a few seconds longer. I wasn't able read some of them without pausing the video.
Overall I was still impressed with the video's information. After watching it, I realized that technology is growing and the world we live in today is constantly changing. It seems to me that within the next decade or so, the United States will not be the top country for education. Places like India and China will be dominate. I was blown away when I read that more Chinese people will speak English than those living in the U.S. I was amazed to know that India has more K-12 Honor students than the U.S. There goes to show that the competition is closer to us than we think. We often got caught up in the latest new fad while other countries are working harder than us although there are many factors to why the United State's rank may be dropping. As a future educator, I have to make sure that my students are actually learning and becoming successful as the children in India and China. I want to be able to make a difference and still prove that Americans are intelligent as well as other countries.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkles awakes after one hundred years to see that the world around him has changed. He soon made his way to an office where technology had improved since his time. People were communicating business over their computers. Mr. Winkles really disliked this place so he became ill and left. He then went to a hospital where they used different machines to better people's health. He realized that the hospital was not a place for him so he left again. Mr. Winkles arrived at a school and entered a classroom where the teacher lectured while the students took notes. He was very familiar with school. He even noticed a laptop in the back of the classroom that had never been used but only to collect dust.

Technology has changed most businesses and people's everyday lives, but education seems to be left behind. This video encourages others such as teachers and students to make use of their sources in order to further our education. Although people like Mr. Winkle do not like to cope with change, we should stop being closed minded and be open to it. Using technology in a classroom setting can make learning more interesting for students and teaches them different ways to remember information.

Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Ken Robinson's lecture about the importance of creativity was very entertaining in his jokes and very educational. I never knew that people in the past used the more important subjects of math such as math and English to help them get jobs, while arts remained at the bottom of the list because they thought no one could make money from being an artist, dancer, or musician.

I totally agreed with Robinson about losing arts and gaining more knowledge resulting in most people not being able to stay on beat to music because they have lost that creative side.
Times have changed since the past thirty years and they will continue. We know that today some the most unpopular careers to choose are now becoming one the most needed. No matter what, education will always be around therefore someone or something has to teach our generation. Creativity should be used more in school and colleges. There a lot of teachers today that are for creativity and hearing what their students have to say.

Classroom Disruption
Classroom Disruption is a video on YouTube that involves two different classrooms. The first classroom has a typical and traditional setting. The teacher arrives and lectures while the student follows along in their books are at least try to. This teacher is set in his ways. He is very rude to students and will only help them after class. The second classroom is filled with positive energy. The students are excited and engaged in their work. They use technology as a learning tool instead of listening to a teacher talk through the whole class period. The teacher is helpful and patient. He pays close attention to his students and even recognizes who they are.

If I were to chose between the classes, it would be classroom number two. I would rather take a class that is interesting and allows me to use different sources to find information. I have mostly taken classes like that of classroom number two, so I would feel more comfortable in that setting. Today, most classes are a blended course with technology while still meeting up for class sessions. I would like to teach classroom number two because I believe it suits the style of teaching that I would like to teach. In order to teach the class, I would first need to take some classes of my own. While taking my own classes, I could also gain knowledge from my students. To make the class better, I would first let students have freedom in the classroom. This means that I will allow them to be creative and think outside the box. I want to see their personalities through their work. No one thinks exactly the same and it doesn't make a student a wrong if they think differently from others. It may take time to shift my students away from the old fashioned way of learning, but I would ensure that they would enjoy it while learning at the same time. I would use videos, pod-casts, I Pad, or any other device in the classroom. I would also allow my students to create videos, and interact with other students from other schools through chats and Skype.

BlogPost#1

     Hello! As a student at the University of South Alabama, I am pleased to be apart of EDM 310. I believe that this course will teach me how to further my education on the use of technology. Words cannot explain how excited I am. I finally have a class where I am able to be creative with my assignments while using my favorite device which is my tablet.
     I am currently a junior at the University of South Alabama which is located in Mobile, Alabama. My major is Secondary Education and minor in Social Sciences. I chose this major because I truly love History. It was the one class that I was most interested in during middle and high school. Learning the past is very important to me. When I know information about a previous event such as asking a classmate about a teacher that I am currently enrolled in, will prepare me for what is expected of me.
     I was born in Pascagoula, MS but I live in Moss Point, MS. This town is a lot smaller than Mobile in size. As a child, I grew up with parents who worked hard to provide for their family, but my most favorite time spent with my family was family vacations. I have traveled so much as a kid. Those times are  most valuable to me because I learned a lot about those places that I have visited while learning more about my family members.
     Although I'm majoring to be a History teacher, my long term goal is to become a professor. I first chose to become a high school or junior high school teacher because I want to get experience with younger students. I think that education is precious. Students need to be prepared for college during their junior high and high school years. It is sad to say that most are not prepared for college. I was one of those students who had to teach themselves how to study correctly and be passionate about my work after a trial and error freshman semester. I want to make sure that I can do everything possible to better prepare my students for their future while teaching them how to educate themselves at the same time.


I didn't know much about the speaker prior to watching this video, but after watching the video by Randy Pausch on time management, I was left with some key notes. I learned that Dr. Pausch was a Carnegie Mellon professor who died from pancreatic cancer. He was most famous for his lectures in which he important steps to students on how to be successful. I first learned that in order to change plans, first one has to make them. As a college student, this information is useful. I have to make plans all the time with my classes, work, and personal life. I never realized how often I make plans because I've been going through the motions for a long time. I feel more prepared when I make plans versus winging it.
     When Mr. Pausch mentioned how to deal with stress and procrastination, I immediately knew that I needed to listen to what he had to say about it. I am so familar with stress and procrastination. When I was a freshman, I procrastinated a lot because I didn't know how to manage my time wisely. And just like Mr. Paucsh said, "Experience does come with time." Over time, I learned different methods of how to manage my time. I haven't perfected managing my time but I have made better decisions on what I need to do first and then go from there. Sometimes, I tend to procrastinate. I do this the most when I have been over worked and simply need a break. This is especially with college. I will start off at a good and steady pace. Once  I have worked too hard, I tend to slow down. I don't think that this is a major problem, just as long as I can pick up the pace once more. I find that this kind of method is good and works for me. It may get a little stressful, but it is good stress that drives me to work harder and to do my very best.

Practice Post

Practice Post

Blog Post 15 Final Reflection

Blog Post 14

When I first viewed Jose Picardo's educational blog, I immediately became interested. I like how the page is set up. It gives the reader a choice to pick which blog they would like to view. These different links include a title and a picture that goes along with it. I wouldn't mind learning how to create this onto my blog page as well. The A-Z Internet Resources for Education is a great tool to have for current teachers and future teachers. He provides a list of significant internet sources to find social networks sites and search engines. He also adds a brief description of these different sources which is  beneficial to finding the exact type of information that is needed.

After watching The Top Ten Tips For Using Technology In The Classroom, I thought that this would be another visual resource to answer the question of why technology is needed in the classroom. I did not realize that using music in the classroom could be put to some advantage. That would surely catch my attention during a long grueling power point about the earth's glaciers. I have learned about teleconferencing tools such as Skype in a previous project thanks to EDM 310. I think that interactive exercises will be fun and very helpful for students. Knowing how to better my pupils's strengths and weaknesses can improve the class's progress and understanding.

Blog Post 12

Blog Post Assignment 12 Due 11/13

• Watch both videos and post your reactions to them. 

After watching both videos, I have realized that the workforce is constantly changing. I didn't know that four generations are currently working together. This shows a variety of how jobs will be done because they are able to find out how to complete their tasks in four different ways. I am a part of the Millennial group. Who will be after me? I think that we will be able to manage things better than we have the past because of our many resources. Finding solutions will be faster and more accurate. We will eventually adapt to changes and become familiar with them.
The future of work is constantly growing. When the video: The Future of Work says that it is transparent, I think about touch screens that are used for cell phones, I Pads,  and mp3 players. I can remember from a few years ago when I was at my family's reunion. I had a cousin from Miami who presented me with a brochure of touch screen bars at nightclubs in which he offers. I was so amazed because it was something that I had never heard of. Looking back, I realize that the job he was investing in was only a start towards the future of technology.
In the future, more people will work from their homes. I can't help but wonder if I will be teaching my students over Skype? The possibilities are endless to what we will be capable of doing. People who are graduating with a degree is raising. Competition for jobs will be higher than ever. I think that we (teachers) will be needed in the future due the growth of education over the past ten years.

Project 11

Project 10

Using PLN with Symbaloo.com is really helpful. I am now able to use added and existing tiles that link me to my favorite websites for free. Before I began to develope my PLN, I first followed the instructions through youtube videos and the tour on Symbaloo. Once I understood how this program worked, I was so ready to build my own. I used some of the existing tiles such as Google and Facebook while also adding new websites that I also use everyday, into new tiles. By using Symbaloo, I found this useful site called Teacher Tube where there are thousands of videos for those like myself who want to be and are current teachers. Teacher LED is also another site that I found which is dedicated to help teachers learn how to use whiteboards in the classroom. Symbaloo is a very useful PLN because I no longer have to goolge everything first. Now I have everything at my finger tips with one click. I hope that my resources will grow from using this type of PLN.
http://www.symbaloo.com/profile/shaniquawashington7