C4T Summary Post 2

Post 1

Get Your Google Earth Going
By: Lisa Thumann
http://thumannresources.com

This post was about using Google Earth in the class room. She gave many examples such as: Google Lit Trips, Investigating Earthquakes Using Real Time Data, Google Historical Voyages and Events, Real World Math, Sally Ride Science Content for Google Earth, Google Earth Lessons, Google Earth Classroom Resources, GoAPES Wiki, and many more. All of these offer a virtual experience for students. It's almost like taking a fieldtrip without leaving the classroom.

Post 2
No post since Get Your Google Earth Going

Project 9a- Timeline

PODCAST

Program for distant learning for high school students called ACCESS

Click here to listen.

Blog Assignment 4

Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

I really enjoyed this post. I know that everyone worries about what kids will encounter on the internet, but should this stop us from allowing them to grow and learn. Yes, a child can learn without computers, but will they be learning what is going to prepare them for their future. Can you teach them the things they will need to know without involving technology?

Dr. McLeod is an Associate Professor in the Educational Administration Program at Iowa State University. He is the co-creator of the video, Did You Know (Shift Happens). He is the director of CASTLE, the only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators.


The iSchool Initiative

I think the idea is a little far fetched. I see how it would save money, but how can you insure your students are following along in class. I know that even when kids have books on their desks and pencils in their hand they can still be drifting off into their own little world, but I could see students finding a way to have games on there iTouch or listening to music. I just see it being too easy to get distracted. The guy in the video had everything being done on the iTouch, what about writing? Are we not going to need to write anymore?

Let’s say this does start becoming the way that teachers teach in class. What grade would it start with? I’m sure elementary school children would not be learning this way. Or maybe, I just do not have the kind of expectations I should for these kids. I mean I guess it is true I have seen 6 year olds running around with iPhones, so why couldn’t they learn from an iTouch? It’s just seems so unreal to me. I enjoy taking notes and following along in a book. That’s not to say that I don’t feel that technology should be incorporated in the classroom, but I don’t think there should be no writing or books.


The Lost Generation

This was so neat!! It took me a little while to realize that what it said one way it said the opposite the other way. It’s sad to think that our families don’t come first, work is the most important thing, money makes us happy, and in thirty years we will be celebrating our ten-year anniversary of our divorce. I know, I want to be the exact opposite. I want my life to be life that you read from bottom to top.


Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir- ‘Lux Aurumque’

I’m not much into music, so unfortunately I don’t believe I understand why this is so different or impressive. I mean for the people to never actually meet one another must be difficult to sing in sync, but then again I’m really not sure how that all works.


Teaching In the 21st Century

This video really caught my attention when it pointed out that teachers are no longer the main source of knowledge. I remember growing up and thinking that my teachers had all the answers, but now we head straight to the internet to find everything we need. Are teachers going to be as involved in learning in the future, or are we going to be being taught by computers? Makes you think…. What will we be teaching in the 21st Century?

C4T Summary Post 1

Post 1

My Thoughts and Predictions on Grading Parents
By: Lee Kolbert
http://www.leekolbert.com/

This post was about Lee’s predictions on how parents would be graded. She mentioned the extra work it would bring on teachers, but also mentioned to job opportunities it would create if it were actually passes by representatives. She said that parents would receive or lose points based on their interaction with their children and their children’s school. For example, they would receive 5 points for responding to emails or phone calls, and they may lose 5 points for doing their child’s homework.


Post 2

Protecting Reputations Online: A Lesson to Share and Then Create
By: Lee Kolbert
http://www.leekolbert.com/

This post was about Lee making it very evident that what you post online can stick with you forever. She posted a video along with her post she felt we should make students watch so they will think twice before they post something that can ruin their reputation. She also mentioned making middle and high school students watch the video then form groups to make their own similar video.

My Google Presentation

Blog Assignment 3

A Vision of Students Today

I felt this video was very accurate. The main thing that differs for me is the work hours. I work about 8 hours a day rather than 2. Yet, at the same time I am only taking 2 classes rather than a full load. It is hard to find time to fit everything in. According to the video we use twenty-six and a half hours of a twenty-four hour day. That definitely would tend to catch up with a person.

One thing that really caught my attention was how only eighteen percent of teachers know students by name. I know for me if a teacher doesn’t know my name I am more willing to be lazy in a class. If the teacher takes time t o get to know my name and face I feel more liable. I get a guilty feeling if I miss class or am late on an assignment rather than not really worrying when a teacher has no clue if I’m there or not.


It’s Not about the Technology

I completely agree that if there is not good teaching then no matter how much technology you put in the classroom it won’t be effective. We should be being taught to incorporate these things into our teaching skills now. It seems that in the future using technology in the classroom is going to be a must. How do we better prepare ourselves, and how do the teachers who have been teaching for numerous years prepare themselves?

I feel that not only is it important to have good teachers, but it is important to have consistent teaching throughout each school. It is hard for a student to spend all year learning one teacher and then the next learning another. Teachers should build on technology just as they do on math, reading, science, ect.


Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I like how Mr. Fisch compared not being able to read or write to being technologically illiterate. I have never looked at it that way, but these days it is very true. How can we expect the students we are teaching to be able to become successful in the future if we are not preparing them? We know that technology is not slowing down, so how can we feel good as teachers if we are “not good at computers”?

Once again I sit here and think how I can incorporate these things into my field of Physical Education. Is it necessary for me to be technologically literate? Do I need to worry about all of the issues that this presents? It is seriously becoming clearer to me that it is really important. I want students to get the most out of their education so I don’t think it should stop in the P.E. classes. We should include technology as much as possible.

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?

This video brought to my attention so many things that I was unaware of. I probably wouldn’t have researched these particular things on my own, but it is definitely very interesting. I think these kinds of facts would be fun to use in the classroom. Maybe they would be good to use as the fun fact of the day or maybe turned into trivia for students to research.

It honestly is scary to think how quickly things are changing. It’s almost like technology is moving faster than we can keep up. I mean the students that start a technical degree pretty much are wasting the first two years of school learning things that will be outdated by the time they graduate. I personally think it is time to start allowing students to put more time into their actually major rather than spending two years spending time in “basic” classes. Imagine how much more we could practice and learn the skills we need to be successful if we didn’t spend so much time on something that probably will not help us in the future.


Mr. Winkle Wakes

I honestly think it is sad that education is so behind. It’s quite frustrating the lack of funding that is put into bettering education. How are we expected to provide the best for our future students when things haven’t changed in 100 years? I’m sure this was not meant literally, but is very obvious that there is a lack of progression in the use of technology in schools.

Now, I have thought about what I or other aspiring teachers like me could do to change this. I have noticed already in EDM310 that there are many teachers out there right now that are trying to improve this by one introducing blogging into the classroom. My field (Physical Education) is definitely not the most technological field, but I still want my students to get the most I have to offer them. So, I could see myself including blogging in my lesson plan. Each time I introduce a new exercise or sport I would have them blog about their experience and how it helped them become more aware of the importance of physical activity. I really think that would allow them to always have something to look back on and remember what they enjoyed and learned without it just being “another” day at P.E.


The Importance of Creativity

I really enjoyed this video. Sir Ken Robinson made some really great points. I feel like I personally can relate to what he said about how we as teachers have made it so bad for students to be wrong. I know for me, that I do not like to be wrong. So, sometimes I am afraid to put myself out there because I don’t want to be told I am wrong or feel embarrassed.

Sir Robinson also brought up how we make the arts seem less important. I think for me I could see how that would be easy to do. What do you do with a child that is not good at what you are teaching, but is really good at something we as teachers are not allowed to spend a lot of time on? Again my field is not quite the same as others, but if I have a child that is always picked last I want to be able to find something that they excel in so they do not have to always feel that they do not belong. I really am glad that I had the opportunity to see this video, I have a feeling it will be on my mind for quite some time.


Cecelia Gault (Young Student in Finland) Interviews Sir Ken Robinson

Once again I really enjoyed hearing what Sir Ken Robinson had to say. He makes so much sense when he speaks, you would think that he could convince everyone to make changes in education right away. He makes me want to look at how I am approaching education differently and I don’t know all that much about him. He is just really hitting home with me.

The fact that he thinks we can teach creativity makes me really think. I want to know what his ideas are and how he would teach someone to be more creative. I know the way I have been taught is you either are or you are not. I would love to have someone teach me to be more creative, and in that I want to be able to teach my students to be more creative as well.


Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts

As this does not really pertain to my field I really admire what this teacher is providing for her students. They will know more about technology after that class than I know right now at this moment which is going to be very important for their futures. I would have loved to have someone put that kind of time and effort into preparing me for my future.

I want to be able to have my students balance their life and choices. I know that technology is very important, but so is their physical health. I want to provide them with the knowledge they need to be successful in both aspects. Today we already have games where you actually physically move around to control them. Seems like a good idea to include in the classroom someday.

Blog Assignment 1

My full name is Ashley Nicole Cousins. I was born in Metarie, La on October 9, 1987. I only lived there until I turned two years old, then I moved to Mobile, Al with my mom. My mom and I moved around a couple of times until she met my future step-dad whom I call "dad". They got married on May 1, 1992. We then moved to a house in Semmes, Al where my parents still live to this day. About a year and a half later my mom had my sister and that was the completion to our family of four.

I decided to come to the University of South Alabama because it was close to home and my dad is an employee at the university. I was a cheerleader my first three years that I attended, but it became very hard to manage school, working, and cheerleading. I then became the assistant cheerleading coach. I absolutely loved that experience, but unfortunately it didn't pay the bills. I am currently working at company called Strachan Services where I am the outside sales person. It is allowing me to get get some valuable experience and also make some important contacts.

My reason for taking EDM310 is because someday I would love to be a teacher. I am studying to teach Physical Education. I love kids and think that being active is very important for our youth's health not only now, but also in the future. They need to create good habits while they are young to help insure a healthy adulthood. I know I am going to love teaching, but my true passion is coaching. I started coaching at Planet Gymnastics when I was fourteen. I coached our team gymnasts, it was truly amazing. I did that all the way up to the time I started coaching cheerleading here at the university. I feel as far as skills go I am ready to take on anything, but I still have much to learn about the facts.

Practice Post

My first post.