Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Blog Post #8
In this video This is how we Dream Richard Miller, discusses the importance of writing with technology. He goes on to talk about how using technology to write, and how when you publish something it can be available for a long period of time. Whereas, when it is printed, it is so easily thrown in the garbage and not being able to be used again if needed. He also discusses how not only can you just write an article but you can combine your writing with pictures and videos such as interviews with other colleagues.
A couple of quotes that I pulled from the videos were “Ideas don’t belong to us individually, but they belong to us as a culture.”, and “as educators we must be in the business of sharing ideas freely.” I think these statements are interesting. Mr. Miller mention iTunes U, in the beginning of the second video, I think that with iTunes U educators are capable of sharing their information freely. I think iTunes U is a good idea for educators to take advantage of and encourage their students to access. It allows students to access other lessons from other professors around the country and might help them understand a topic they were not sure about to begin with.
I am going to try my best to encourage my students to take full advantage of the technology that is available to them. And I will try my best to incorporate as much as I can into my class while teaching.
I really enjoyed the blog by Carly Pugh. I think she had some really good ideas, and did come really close to what Dr. Miller had discussed. The ideas she gave were very well thought out and very well written. I would love to incorporate some of these ideas into my class room in the future. I think the idea of describing the kind of teacher you want to be would be a good video to do as a first video assignment, to go along with the “My Sentence” video.
I think many students are like Chipper in the ways of trying to redefine procrastination, and when they are dropping out of school and blaming it on their teachers just because they want to be taught instead of learning. I know that I have been guilty of wanting to be taught instead of learning on my own. But in taking this class I have found that I actually enjoy figuring things out and actually learning things on my own. I have taken what I have learned in this class and applied it to my everyday life.
Learn to change, Change to Learn
I think that students should be learning in the schools. That is what educators get paid to do, is to encourage students to learn in the classroom. I know that I was always taught to memorize for tests and if I did not know the answer the internet was my first stop. Google had quickly become one of my best friends. I want to be able to teach my students and help them learn, not just memorize information for a test to then quickly forget it. I want my students to be able to hold intelligent conversations with their classmates.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Project #10 PLN
I really wasn't sure what exactly a PLN was until I watched the videos assigned. I have found that a PLN is a great way to organize tools that I can use to help me further my education, as well as organizing the people that I can be connected with to help lead me and teach me to become a better educator. Somes tools/people that I have included in my PLN so far is the EDM310 Facebook page, Twitter, the EDM310 Blog site, as well as Google, Youtube, and USAOnline. From what I have done and learned so far, I am really going to like continuing in making my own PLN.
Blog Post #7
1.) The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler.
Call me weird, but I like attending class on campus and actually interacting with my professors and fellow students in the same room. When I started college, and started signing up for my classes,I tried to avoid the web-based classes. But the past few of semesters I have not been able to avoid them. One web-based class I had to take was Speech. When signing up for this class, I thought to myself "How can you take speech online?", and I found out that it was possible. I have also found that the reason I do not like these classes is because I actually have to take time out and make myself work. Leaving my house and going to class is so much easier because there are less distractions. Whereas if I stay at home, I get sidetracked with doing something else, or I want to take a nap all of a sudden. But when I started EDM310 I found that I can actually teach and learn things on my own.
The Networked Student video, informs us on how students can use these web-based classes to learn on their own. Students realize, in taking classes like that, that they are capable of teaching themselves and actually learning something. Students can become connected with people from all over the world, such as students like themselves, professors and experts, that they can interact with and ask questions and discuss things with. Not only can students be taught in the classroom, but they can then take the questions they have and do more research on those topics allowing them to explore things they never thought possible.
One question raised and asked in this video was "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?". To me, the teacher is there to lead and guide you on your learning journey. To help answer any questions you may have along the way. Teachers help students build a foundation to their learning. Learning does not stop once you leave the classroom, we can learn new stuff everywhere we go.
2.)What is a Personal Learning Environment? Well before this class and this video, A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment(or PLN) I was not really to sure. This video give you a good idea of what can be done with creating your own Personal Learning Environment. It is a great way to organize things that would help you with your classes or work. You can take your own PLE and either focus on one class like this 7th grader did for her science class; or you can do what I am going to do and create it for the purpose of connecting with websites and other teachers all around that can give me insight on how to be a good and influential educator.
C4T #2 Summary
I was assigned to Mr. Anthony Capps and Class blog St. Elmo Explorers.
The first blog post I commented on was Enjoy your Mardi Gras Break. Do not let the title trick you, though Mr. Capps wants his students to enjoy their break this post is informing his students what to be prepared for when they return to class. In this post Mr. Capps tells his students that after their break that they will begin working on writing their own multimedia book. He told them that they would have to do research, interview experts, and ask questions.
My comment to the blog post:
Hello,
My name is Kasey Mooney. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama.
I just want to say that this project sounds really interesting. It involves two of my favorite things: books and writing. I think this is a really good project for students to do to help with creative writing and thinking. I know that I will consider doing this project when I have my own class some day.I know getting all the information, interviews, experiments and drafts together will take a little time, along with putting it all together. So, what is the time span that you give the students to do this project? I would really like to hear more about this project.
The next blog post I comment on was Blog Comments, Movie Editing, Book Trailers, and Science. This post is talking about the different assignments that his students will be working on. He first discusses that they will be doing blog comments and that they would need to visit their sister school and post comment on the first three posts. He then goes on to give a science assignment, which caught my eye. The students are studying plant and animals cells, so in this assignment students are to pick a part of the cell and describe how it best matches with their personality.
My comment:
Hello! My name is Kasey Mooney. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I just want to say that the assignment you gave your students about picking and describing a part of a cell that best matches their personality is pretty interesting. I do not think that I would have ever thought of doing that. Thank you for this idea, I think I may use this activity when I begin teaching.
The first blog post I commented on was Enjoy your Mardi Gras Break. Do not let the title trick you, though Mr. Capps wants his students to enjoy their break this post is informing his students what to be prepared for when they return to class. In this post Mr. Capps tells his students that after their break that they will begin working on writing their own multimedia book. He told them that they would have to do research, interview experts, and ask questions.
My comment to the blog post:
Hello,
My name is Kasey Mooney. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama.
I just want to say that this project sounds really interesting. It involves two of my favorite things: books and writing. I think this is a really good project for students to do to help with creative writing and thinking. I know that I will consider doing this project when I have my own class some day.I know getting all the information, interviews, experiments and drafts together will take a little time, along with putting it all together. So, what is the time span that you give the students to do this project? I would really like to hear more about this project.
The next blog post I comment on was Blog Comments, Movie Editing, Book Trailers, and Science. This post is talking about the different assignments that his students will be working on. He first discusses that they will be doing blog comments and that they would need to visit their sister school and post comment on the first three posts. He then goes on to give a science assignment, which caught my eye. The students are studying plant and animals cells, so in this assignment students are to pick a part of the cell and describe how it best matches with their personality.
My comment:
Hello! My name is Kasey Mooney. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I just want to say that the assignment you gave your students about picking and describing a part of a cell that best matches their personality is pretty interesting. I do not think that I would have ever thought of doing that. Thank you for this idea, I think I may use this activity when I begin teaching.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Blog Post #6
Finally! My internet has finally stopped acting up long enough to get this post done.
I really enjoyed watching Randy Pausch’s video Achieving your Childhood Dreams. He made the lecture so entertaining and fun; something that I hope to bring to the table when I have my own class. I want my students know that they can have fun with learning.
Something that stuck out to me that Rand Pausch had mentioned was that when people ride you, or critique you that means they still care. It is when they stop that means they have given up. I want to push my students to do their best. It may take me being hard on them, but if I know that they are capable of better, I want to show them that they are capable of better. I want my students to be able to see the potential they have in themselves. I know that I have had teachers and professors who have pushed me and shown me that if I just apply myself a little more than I wanted then I can achieve more than I thought.
A quote Mr. Pausch had stated was, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted”. As soon as he said this, I wrote it down. I began to go over this quote in my head. I asked myself, “What does this mean to you?” To me this quote means no matter what happens, even if I had my mind and heart set on something, and it doesn’t necessarily happen I still got to have a learning experience. I get to learn something that I never would have if I never tried to achieve that goal or dream, and I get to say that at least I got a taste of a part of that dream and probably something way more out of it, even if I did not get to do the exact thing I wanted to do. And that is something I want my students to understand. For me an example would be that I always enjoyed singing when I was younger, but I never gave it a second thought until High School. In High School I took chorus, I found out that I had a teacher who believed in me and thought that I had a good voice. He pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. I never thought that I would stand in front of an audience and sing, but it happened. After high school, I wanted to sing more. I had even thought about doing a musical, or I even had the thought of Broadway but to me that was all just a big dream. But I continued to pursue it singing, and now I am leading worship at my church, and it is the most amazing thing that I could have ever done. Though I am not on Broadway, or starring in some local musical I am still doing what I love to do and would never change it for anything.
“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things”, is another quote that I took from Mr. Pausch. He is right when he makes this statement. I have only found that the brick walls that show up in my life only push me to get around them, over them, or even through them. I want to be able to instill in my future students that no matter what obstacles appear in your way, that if you want it bad enough you will find a way to achieve it.
I really enjoyed watching Randy Pausch’s video Achieving your Childhood Dreams. He made the lecture so entertaining and fun; something that I hope to bring to the table when I have my own class. I want my students know that they can have fun with learning.
Something that stuck out to me that Rand Pausch had mentioned was that when people ride you, or critique you that means they still care. It is when they stop that means they have given up. I want to push my students to do their best. It may take me being hard on them, but if I know that they are capable of better, I want to show them that they are capable of better. I want my students to be able to see the potential they have in themselves. I know that I have had teachers and professors who have pushed me and shown me that if I just apply myself a little more than I wanted then I can achieve more than I thought.
A quote Mr. Pausch had stated was, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted”. As soon as he said this, I wrote it down. I began to go over this quote in my head. I asked myself, “What does this mean to you?” To me this quote means no matter what happens, even if I had my mind and heart set on something, and it doesn’t necessarily happen I still got to have a learning experience. I get to learn something that I never would have if I never tried to achieve that goal or dream, and I get to say that at least I got a taste of a part of that dream and probably something way more out of it, even if I did not get to do the exact thing I wanted to do. And that is something I want my students to understand. For me an example would be that I always enjoyed singing when I was younger, but I never gave it a second thought until High School. In High School I took chorus, I found out that I had a teacher who believed in me and thought that I had a good voice. He pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. I never thought that I would stand in front of an audience and sing, but it happened. After high school, I wanted to sing more. I had even thought about doing a musical, or I even had the thought of Broadway but to me that was all just a big dream. But I continued to pursue it singing, and now I am leading worship at my church, and it is the most amazing thing that I could have ever done. Though I am not on Broadway, or starring in some local musical I am still doing what I love to do and would never change it for anything.
“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things”, is another quote that I took from Mr. Pausch. He is right when he makes this statement. I have only found that the brick walls that show up in my life only push me to get around them, over them, or even through them. I want to be able to instill in my future students that no matter what obstacles appear in your way, that if you want it bad enough you will find a way to achieve it.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
C4K Summary for February
C4K Summary for February
February 11th, 2012
I was assigned to Tess from Mrs. Ripp's class in Verona, Wisconsin. In Tess's post she mentioned that she had moved over the summer, so she is no longer in Mrs. Ripp's class. Tess's blog post is basically one to where she updates her old classmates and friends on how she is adapting to her move. She talks about how she is and optimist, and though she does not sing or dance she loves music.
My response to Tess was:
Hello Tess,
My name is Kasey, I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 at the University of South Alabama.
It seems you have adjusted well since you have moved.
Moving is never easy. You have to leave all your friends behind.
But hey, look at the bright side, you get to make a lot of new friends!
But I can tell, your old friends and classmates miss you by their comments.
Hope you make a lot more new friends, and the rest of your school year is a good one for you!
Kasey Mooney
For the week of February 13th-19th I was assigned to Quinn. Quinn is a big Cardinals fan. In a previous post Quinn made the statement "I want to be a successful baseball player".
My response to this post was:
Hey Quinn,
My name is Kasey, I am student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama! I think it is awesome that you have a passion for baseball! I am not a big sports person and do not really know a whole lot about them. But, I will watch a baseball game or basketball game every once in a while! I was looking around your blog, and I saw your Bio Poem. I noticed you mentioned you wanted to be a successful baseball player! Just keep pursuing that dream, who knows you may just become that successful baseball player you want to be. Don’t give up on your dreams!
February 26th, 2012
This was my response to the students in Anna's Amazing Learners from New Zealand:
Hello Students,
My name is Kasey Mooney. I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama in the US! I just wanted to say I really enjoyed that rainy day song. I really hope the rain went away for you all. If that song did not send it away, I do not know what would have, it was great. I love singing as well, so keep it up, I really enjoyed it!
I have come to really enjoy reading and commenting on these students blogs. It is very interesting to see what all they have to say about different things they are learning or thinking.
February 11th, 2012
I was assigned to Tess from Mrs. Ripp's class in Verona, Wisconsin. In Tess's post she mentioned that she had moved over the summer, so she is no longer in Mrs. Ripp's class. Tess's blog post is basically one to where she updates her old classmates and friends on how she is adapting to her move. She talks about how she is and optimist, and though she does not sing or dance she loves music.
My response to Tess was:
Hello Tess,
My name is Kasey, I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 at the University of South Alabama.
It seems you have adjusted well since you have moved.
Moving is never easy. You have to leave all your friends behind.
But hey, look at the bright side, you get to make a lot of new friends!
But I can tell, your old friends and classmates miss you by their comments.
Hope you make a lot more new friends, and the rest of your school year is a good one for you!
Kasey Mooney
For the week of February 13th-19th I was assigned to Quinn. Quinn is a big Cardinals fan. In a previous post Quinn made the statement "I want to be a successful baseball player".
My response to this post was:
Hey Quinn,
My name is Kasey, I am student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama! I think it is awesome that you have a passion for baseball! I am not a big sports person and do not really know a whole lot about them. But, I will watch a baseball game or basketball game every once in a while! I was looking around your blog, and I saw your Bio Poem. I noticed you mentioned you wanted to be a successful baseball player! Just keep pursuing that dream, who knows you may just become that successful baseball player you want to be. Don’t give up on your dreams!
February 26th, 2012
This was my response to the students in Anna's Amazing Learners from New Zealand:
Hello Students,
My name is Kasey Mooney. I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama in the US! I just wanted to say I really enjoyed that rainy day song. I really hope the rain went away for you all. If that song did not send it away, I do not know what would have, it was great. I love singing as well, so keep it up, I really enjoyed it!
I have come to really enjoy reading and commenting on these students blogs. It is very interesting to see what all they have to say about different things they are learning or thinking.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Blog Post #5
Dr Scott McLeod, who is he you ask? Well he is an Associate Professor, Educational Administration, Director, CASTLE at Iowa State University. CASTLE is the Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. It is used to help school administrators with their technology needs, they also help the educational leadership in university to help prepare administrators, teachers and faculty to become familiar with technology. Dr. Scott McLeod is also a blogger for DangerouslyIrrelevant where you can find the blog post Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
I really enjoyed Dr. Scott McLeod's blog post,Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?. The way he approached it, and writing with sarcasm really captures you. It really makes you think about what he is saying. I agree that students need a "leg up" on technology. Technology is becoming more and more demanding in our everyday life. The upcoming generations of students need to know how to use the technology that is being developed, because they are going to have to rely on it when they get older and have a career. Even though I think it is a good idea that this technology is used in the classroom, I do think that it needs to be closely monitored.
Travis Allen was just a senior in high school when he posted a video titled: The iSchool Initiative. The iSchool Initiative proposes that schools will no longer have to count on books, and paper and pencils. That just an iTouch product is all that will be needed. Travis Allen proposes that this device will save everyone from the school, to the students money. It is stated that just by the use of simple Apps teachers and parents will be able to keep up with the students grades and events. This device allows the storage of textbooks, workbooks, calendars, even the ability to record lectures and take notes. The recorded lectures and notes are also able to be sent to other students.
I will have to say that my thoughts have changed over the past few weeks, from viewing all of these videos and blog posts. The idea of more and more technology in the classroom is growing on me. I really do enjoy the old-fashion classroom, but my mind is being slowly changed. I think that this idea that Travis Allen has is a really good idea. I think students would enjoy class more since they would able to interact with their textbooks. For example, the science lesson that was shown in the video allowed you to be able to search through outer space. I think with a hands on tool such as this, students will be able to learn more and become more engaged in their lessons. Not to mention, the teachers would have direct access to their students grades and school work from anywhere. Something that was not mentioned in the video, but I think is great is the fact that students would no longer have to carry around HEAVY backpacks. I think this will help decrease the cases of bad backs in students.
I have never seen a virtual choir before, and I search music on YouTube all the time, until I saw Jennifer Chamber's post: Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir. I find it amazing that this people never met, and never once performed together. I know, from experience, that when you stick people together who have never sang together before can take a turn for the good or the worst. In high school my chorus teacher had 2-3 different chorus classes. And, because of the school schedule there was never anyway to get all the classes together before we performed out end of the semester concert. (Keeping 60+ students after-school would have been a big hassle, and no guarantee that all the students would be able to stay). So we were always put on stage together with never performing together, and the outcome of the concert varied. So, this virtual performance definitely blew my mind on the quality of the voices and the video!
Cell phones,Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Blogging... what do these things have in common? A faster way to communicate with our peers. These things allow us to work around one another's schedules. Many students have a problem with trying to meet up for group projects that are assigned. But that does not have to be the case anymore. Email, Skype, Facebook, texting, all these things have made it easier to do group projects. You can send ideas, and information through email. You can discuss the project via Skype or phone call. All this technology is being used by students, now. Kevin Roberts discusses the importance of this technology is his presentation Teaching in the 21st Century. He compares the difference between students being entertained and being engaged, and how the two are not the same. He states "entertainment is for enjoyment, and engagement is for learning." This presentation is a very good way to make teachers stop and think about how they will go about using technology to teach in their classrooms.
From the Reading Rockets page I chose to look through Reading 101. Reading 101 gives you different links to click on, for things you need to know when working with students who are learning to read. It informs you that students are different, and that they are going to learn differently. Under the link The Sounds of Speech, it tells you that the majority English speaking children could hear the difference between words that sound similar, but for some students it could be quiet confusing.
I have had experience with working with a child in learning how to read. I have a friend who has 4 boys and I was able to help her youngest with his reading. He was not getting good grades in reading, and he was a little slower when reading out loud. So I told my friend that I would work with him. In working with him, I found that helping him break down the words and sounding them out really helped him a lot. It took time and practice on his part, and patience on my part. But together he and I got through it. On his next reading test he brought home an "A" and he was extremely excited for that. I think these links under Reading 101 will be a major help to many teachers, and even parents. I know that I will be using these ideas in my classroom one day!
I really enjoyed Dr. Scott McLeod's blog post,Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?. The way he approached it, and writing with sarcasm really captures you. It really makes you think about what he is saying. I agree that students need a "leg up" on technology. Technology is becoming more and more demanding in our everyday life. The upcoming generations of students need to know how to use the technology that is being developed, because they are going to have to rely on it when they get older and have a career. Even though I think it is a good idea that this technology is used in the classroom, I do think that it needs to be closely monitored.
Travis Allen was just a senior in high school when he posted a video titled: The iSchool Initiative. The iSchool Initiative proposes that schools will no longer have to count on books, and paper and pencils. That just an iTouch product is all that will be needed. Travis Allen proposes that this device will save everyone from the school, to the students money. It is stated that just by the use of simple Apps teachers and parents will be able to keep up with the students grades and events. This device allows the storage of textbooks, workbooks, calendars, even the ability to record lectures and take notes. The recorded lectures and notes are also able to be sent to other students.
I will have to say that my thoughts have changed over the past few weeks, from viewing all of these videos and blog posts. The idea of more and more technology in the classroom is growing on me. I really do enjoy the old-fashion classroom, but my mind is being slowly changed. I think that this idea that Travis Allen has is a really good idea. I think students would enjoy class more since they would able to interact with their textbooks. For example, the science lesson that was shown in the video allowed you to be able to search through outer space. I think with a hands on tool such as this, students will be able to learn more and become more engaged in their lessons. Not to mention, the teachers would have direct access to their students grades and school work from anywhere. Something that was not mentioned in the video, but I think is great is the fact that students would no longer have to carry around HEAVY backpacks. I think this will help decrease the cases of bad backs in students.
I have never seen a virtual choir before, and I search music on YouTube all the time, until I saw Jennifer Chamber's post: Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir. I find it amazing that this people never met, and never once performed together. I know, from experience, that when you stick people together who have never sang together before can take a turn for the good or the worst. In high school my chorus teacher had 2-3 different chorus classes. And, because of the school schedule there was never anyway to get all the classes together before we performed out end of the semester concert. (Keeping 60+ students after-school would have been a big hassle, and no guarantee that all the students would be able to stay). So we were always put on stage together with never performing together, and the outcome of the concert varied. So, this virtual performance definitely blew my mind on the quality of the voices and the video!
Cell phones,Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Blogging... what do these things have in common? A faster way to communicate with our peers. These things allow us to work around one another's schedules. Many students have a problem with trying to meet up for group projects that are assigned. But that does not have to be the case anymore. Email, Skype, Facebook, texting, all these things have made it easier to do group projects. You can send ideas, and information through email. You can discuss the project via Skype or phone call. All this technology is being used by students, now. Kevin Roberts discusses the importance of this technology is his presentation Teaching in the 21st Century. He compares the difference between students being entertained and being engaged, and how the two are not the same. He states "entertainment is for enjoyment, and engagement is for learning." This presentation is a very good way to make teachers stop and think about how they will go about using technology to teach in their classrooms.
From the Reading Rockets page I chose to look through Reading 101. Reading 101 gives you different links to click on, for things you need to know when working with students who are learning to read. It informs you that students are different, and that they are going to learn differently. Under the link The Sounds of Speech, it tells you that the majority English speaking children could hear the difference between words that sound similar, but for some students it could be quiet confusing.
I have had experience with working with a child in learning how to read. I have a friend who has 4 boys and I was able to help her youngest with his reading. He was not getting good grades in reading, and he was a little slower when reading out loud. So I told my friend that I would work with him. In working with him, I found that helping him break down the words and sounding them out really helped him a lot. It took time and practice on his part, and patience on my part. But together he and I got through it. On his next reading test he brought home an "A" and he was extremely excited for that. I think these links under Reading 101 will be a major help to many teachers, and even parents. I know that I will be using these ideas in my classroom one day!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Blog Post #4
I found in the Langwitches blog post, 1st graders create their Own Read-Along audio book, very interesting. I think that the idea of the students recording their own voices to create an audio book for them to use in class is a great idea! It allows something new for students to engage in. It gives a whole new perspective to reading for students, especially first graders. I think that letting students experiment with this kind of technology is very rewarding. Not only are the students doing something new and interesting to them, they are learning how to use technology, and learning how to read all at them same time. I think that using podcasts in the classroom is a great way to make reading more fun and interesting for students! 
Langwitches blog post, Podcasting with First Graders, made me want to do a podcast myself. Just the way they students were described in how they acted when doing this project made things seem like so much fun. In my High School drama class, I was able to work with a group do something like this, except we used tape recorders. We had to incorporate music, and script into ours as well, but we did not have the technology the students have today. We had to pause the tape player get our music ready, press record and then inject our dialogue. You had to be really good to not have any paused in your tape. These students can actually take clips and piece them together and make their podcast sound a whole lot better. I noticed in the section of the post titled "recording" that it is made mention that students confidence levels rose. I think this kind of project is a good way to get students who are shy to interact more. In listening to their podcast, I can tell they enjoyed doing this project. They done a very good job!
I really enjoyed Langwitches blog post on,
Listening- Comprehension-Podcasting. It shows how a tool such as "Garageband" and/or the SMARTboard can be used to help students learn but have fun at the same time. The project they did with the story Purim, was a very good example of how to get students involved and allowing them the opportunity to learn. This project turned something that would normally be boring into something that was intriguing to the students. They not only were able to create a podcast, or use the SMARTboard, but they were able to manipulate sounds, they were able to develop listening skills to they could listen and comprehend just what was being spoken. They worked on their writing skills because they had to write a script.
In listening to the students podcast that they done for the project, I was very much impressed. These second graders spoke with such clarity, and excitement. I could really tell that they enjoyed this project. Even though I was not there when they were able to manipulate the sounds on the SMARTboards, or for the script writing, I think the students favorite part was probably speaking in Hebrew and doing this podcast! It sounds like they had a lot of fun! Queen Esther is one of my favorite women from the Bible, and hearing the story of her done in a short podcast in Hebrew was very exciting!
Langwitches blog post, Podcasting with First Graders, made me want to do a podcast myself. Just the way they students were described in how they acted when doing this project made things seem like so much fun. In my High School drama class, I was able to work with a group do something like this, except we used tape recorders. We had to incorporate music, and script into ours as well, but we did not have the technology the students have today. We had to pause the tape player get our music ready, press record and then inject our dialogue. You had to be really good to not have any paused in your tape. These students can actually take clips and piece them together and make their podcast sound a whole lot better. I noticed in the section of the post titled "recording" that it is made mention that students confidence levels rose. I think this kind of project is a good way to get students who are shy to interact more. In listening to their podcast, I can tell they enjoyed doing this project. They done a very good job!
Listening- Comprehension-Podcasting. It shows how a tool such as "Garageband" and/or the SMARTboard can be used to help students learn but have fun at the same time. The project they did with the story Purim, was a very good example of how to get students involved and allowing them the opportunity to learn. This project turned something that would normally be boring into something that was intriguing to the students. They not only were able to create a podcast, or use the SMARTboard, but they were able to manipulate sounds, they were able to develop listening skills to they could listen and comprehend just what was being spoken. They worked on their writing skills because they had to write a script.
In listening to the students podcast that they done for the project, I was very much impressed. These second graders spoke with such clarity, and excitement. I could really tell that they enjoyed this project. Even though I was not there when they were able to manipulate the sounds on the SMARTboards, or for the script writing, I think the students favorite part was probably speaking in Hebrew and doing this podcast! It sounds like they had a lot of fun! Queen Esther is one of my favorite women from the Bible, and hearing the story of her done in a short podcast in Hebrew was very exciting!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
C4T#1
I was assigned to Mrs. Angela Rand. In the first blog post I commented on, Mrs. Rand discussed her experiences with #PhdChat sessions. In her post she mentions that a lot of people who have their doctoral degrees and even those who are working on these degrees come to this forum to discuss different issues. The conversations and topics may vary throughout the month. Mrs. Rand made the statement, “Sometimes I find myself carrying on two or more conversations at once while keeping an eye on the main thematic conversation. It's fast-paced and sort of exhilarating to participate.”
As her blog post continues she goes on to talk about how she was conducting a study on the social media. She made mention that there are pros and cons to this kind of study. She discusses how in a personal meeting (face to face) attitudes and such can be determined through body language and such, but whereas body language cannot be determined through an online conversation. But one thing she mentions you can look at, to make sure of the things you may need to steer away from, is clues of things being left out, such as certain topics.
My response to Mrs. Rand’s post was this:
Hello! My name is Kasey Mooney and I am currently enrolled in EDM 310. I am still trying to get use to Twitter, and I have not really had an actual conversation on it. I also, have found that in any kind of online conversation whether it be Facebook, Twitter, forums or whatever, it is hard to analyze someone intentions and attitudes like you stated! I really enjoyed your blog post!
Mrs. Rand has not updated her blog in a while, so I had to go back and find another post to comment on. The second post I commented on, Mrs. Rand discussed a program she uses on the MAC. It is a program used to make concept maps and diagrams. His program is called Diagrammix. Here is here blog post:
“I made this concept map/diagram using Diagrammix. Charts like these help me to learn some basic verbal information and the playful display motivates me to look at the diagram. I also like making these kinds of charts and making the charts is a form of engaging actively with the content.
Diagrammix is a pretty powerful little program for MAC. Hopefully the next upgrade will include some more symbol templates but even now there are plenty of options and the colors and functions of the symbols are easy to change. The finished charts can be exported as pdf, jpg, or the proprietary format.”
My response to Mrs. Rand’s post was this:
My name is Kasey Mooney, I am an EDM310 student at the University of South Alabama.
I really like this program you have shown. I think this would be a really good tool to use to help demonstrate to students how to go about making a concept map, or a diagram. But, I do not own a MAC, do you know of any other programs like this one that can be used on other computers?
As her blog post continues she goes on to talk about how she was conducting a study on the social media. She made mention that there are pros and cons to this kind of study. She discusses how in a personal meeting (face to face) attitudes and such can be determined through body language and such, but whereas body language cannot be determined through an online conversation. But one thing she mentions you can look at, to make sure of the things you may need to steer away from, is clues of things being left out, such as certain topics.
My response to Mrs. Rand’s post was this:
Hello! My name is Kasey Mooney and I am currently enrolled in EDM 310. I am still trying to get use to Twitter, and I have not really had an actual conversation on it. I also, have found that in any kind of online conversation whether it be Facebook, Twitter, forums or whatever, it is hard to analyze someone intentions and attitudes like you stated! I really enjoyed your blog post!
Mrs. Rand has not updated her blog in a while, so I had to go back and find another post to comment on. The second post I commented on, Mrs. Rand discussed a program she uses on the MAC. It is a program used to make concept maps and diagrams. His program is called Diagrammix. Here is here blog post:
“I made this concept map/diagram using Diagrammix. Charts like these help me to learn some basic verbal information and the playful display motivates me to look at the diagram. I also like making these kinds of charts and making the charts is a form of engaging actively with the content.
Diagrammix is a pretty powerful little program for MAC. Hopefully the next upgrade will include some more symbol templates but even now there are plenty of options and the colors and functions of the symbols are easy to change. The finished charts can be exported as pdf, jpg, or the proprietary format.”
My response to Mrs. Rand’s post was this:
My name is Kasey Mooney, I am an EDM310 student at the University of South Alabama.
I really like this program you have shown. I think this would be a really good tool to use to help demonstrate to students how to go about making a concept map, or a diagram. But, I do not own a MAC, do you know of any other programs like this one that can be used on other computers?
Blog Post #3
The videos that were assigned to us to watch about peer editing, has helped me evaluate myself in the way that I go about editing my peers work. I think I have been a combination, at times, of the different kind of editors identified in the video: Writing Peer Review TOP 10 Mistakes. As a teacher I want to be able to encourage my students to do their best. I will make sure that I give plenty of positive feedback, but not to the point where they will not take my corrections. A balance of both encouragement and corrections are needed for students to do well. As for public and private corrections, I think it just depends on the errors and the person/student receiving the critique.
Technology in Special Education was a very enlightening video, on how technology can assist students with special needs. Many students learn different ways whether it be hands on activities, visual learning, or a mixture of both, and students with special needs are no different. They also need to find a way that helps them learn effectively. I feel that this video gives a little insight on how to help those students with special needs. This video shows that it can help students who have problems communicating, communicate better, along with helping others read better or even become excited about learning!
I really enjoyed seeing the excitement in the students in this video. Though others may see them as different because they learn differently, or need help with learning they are still people. And the technology that we are using today only helps them to accomplish things on their own, that people 10 years ago may not have been able to accomplish without the help of an aid. The excitement that I saw in their eyes really has inspired me to try and incorporate whatever I may need into my classroom in the future to help my students learn.
How the iPad works with Academics for Autism was a very encouraging video! It showed how the iPad can help a child with Autism be excited about learning, along with actually being engaged in the process. The parents of this child showed full support and encouragement as the child began counting, and reading the words, and writing. They made sure to give positive feedback to their son. I feel that the iPad can be a positive tool to use in the classrooms of special needs students.
In searching the education apps at Apple Store I found an app that I feel would help students with learning new words. The game is called Futaba (which is Japanese for “seedling”). It is a four player game in which the students sit around the iPad, and a picture is shown on the screen, the first student to match the picture to the correct word scores a point. I feel that this game will help allow students to interact with one another as well as learn to put words with a picture.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count was very interesting. It astonished me to see just how many people actually use social media. I knew that many people used it, but to see just how much society has grown to rely on it was shocking. We now use social media for everything, from texting, to email, to looking up information we need for a research paper. I know that I am a Google user; my friends call me the “Google Queen”. When I do not know something, I simply pull out my phone and “google it” like most people would. Technology has developed so much that we now have the internet at our fingertips, literally. It is almost accessible on just about every phone on the market, not to mention iPads, iPods, and laptops, all which are portable devices. We stay connected where ever we go.
As a student I can relate to this video: A Vision of Students Today. I know I have spent hundreds of dollars on books that I never even opened, to then sell back and not even get half of what I paid for it. I have also been guilty of texting on my phone, or looking at Facebook during a lecture. Going to a lecture class 3 days a week gets pretty boring after a while. Especially when there is over a hundred students in one classroom, and there is no personal interaction with the teacher or your peers. I like being able to interact with my teachers and them actually know my name.
I am not a fan of full blown classes being online, but I have found that I enjoy hybrid classes. I like being able to go to class and listen to a lecture and making sure I am on the right page, then going home and working at my own pace to get my work done. It takes a lot of stress off me when I am able to work at my own pace.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Blog Post #2
Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version is very informative on the numbers of those using technology. It cuts out every excuse of why a child does not have computer access when he states that “2 years ago 93% of 8-18 year olds in the United states had computers in their homes.” There is a definite demand for technology in today’s society, and it is only growing. With the increase in statistics, based on the statistics given in this video, there is definitely no telling how much more advanced technology will be in 10 years. As an educator, I know that I will need to be as prepared as possible. It is crazy to know that over a million searches are going on a minute on Google, and that over eleven million text messages are being sent out a minute. This society is becoming more and more dependent on technology,
Mr. Winkle Wakes is a video about a man who has been asleep for 100 years, to wake up and find that everything around him has changed. He finds that in an office there are now things that have been developed where you can communicate with people all over the world, and see them on a screen which would be the computer. He travels to a hospital to find that people’s lives are being saved by machines. He then travels to a classroom, where he finds that nothing has changed. In the video the comment is made that he likes school because it has not changed.
With technology increasing, and the latest gadgets in high demand, I feel that a good old fashion classroom is needed at times. It is a good asset to learning. I am all for technology, and using it to learn, but I feel that it makes things a little too easy now. When I was in Elementary School we did not have the smart boards like we do today, but I was still capable of learning. Yes, these things are great, but I still feel like lectures, and dry erase boards/chalk boards are also a good way of teaching! So I am with Mr. Winkle on this one for the most part!
The Importance of Creativityis a lecture video by Sir Ken Robinson. In this lecture he discusses the importance for creativity in the schools. He mentions that many find it important for at the core subjects such as math, science, history, but that the arts are found near the very bottom. As a lover of the arts, especially music, I find that it is important to have these areas of education available for students to take. In doing research for a speech last semester, I found that students in music classes are more likely to do better on their tests and in school than those who are no enrolled in music classes. The arts are a big way of allowing children to express themselves, and build confidence. I really do feel that creativity is an important factor for a child’s learning process.
A Vision for 21st Century Learning this is a video discussing how classes are today, and how they feel that they should be. The group that done this video is stating that they no longer want students to just memorize and have to listen to lectures; they want them to actually learn and experience things hands own. Like stated above in another comment on one of the other videos, I feel that the way things are being taught now are great, but I am not totally against technology. Yes, with technology being in high demand students are going to want to use it to learn. So, as an educator, I will do my best to have a balance of both in my classroom.
Harness Your Students’ Digital Smart is a video about a teacher who takes technology and teaches it to students. She teaches them how to use the technology correctly. It is a good idea to teach students this just because it will help them as they grow in the future. Just as discussed earlier, technology is growing. I like the statement she made about not knowing everything but learning as she went. I think this is something we all need to keep in mind.
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