Additional Assignment 3

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Educational Paradigms
I have never watched a video with RSAnimate this was really fun to watch and also very interesting!  I definitely agree with him when he says that schools can not continue to model themselves from the past.  The educational system that we are modeling our educational system on now was created years and years ago and is becoming outdated.  Mr. Robinson's views on ADHD are so true.  I feel like every child you meet now days has ADHD and is on some type of medication, I believe that it is an epidemic!  With all of the stimulation that our children have today it is hard for them to focus on the boring teacher at school and that is why our way of educating has to change too.  We have got to find a way to get our student's attention.  This is our job as educators!  I think that his thoughts on the education system running like a factory are great.   We do do this to our children, not everyone learns well in a group and what makes us think that they can learn with 24 other children their same age!  I had never thought about this until this video but it is almost like our education limits our learning and our knowledge.  Robinson says in his video that we are constantly told that there is one answer, we are always told not to work with each other (that is cheating) and it is these ideas that limit us.  We are constantly given limits in what we can know and what we should know at a certain age...this is ridiculous...why are we limiting our children and what they can and can't do based on their age and grade level?  He really makes you think about these things.  Like I said, I really liked this presentation.  If I were to do a presentation like this I would be the narrator.

Blog Post 10

An Open Letter to Educators

In this blog post Morgan is comparing some of her lecture classes with her computer class, which is similar to our EDM 310 class. I do this same thing occasionally. It is so interesting to me how one class can make learning so interesting and fun that it doesn't even feel like I am being forced to do an assignment; I want to because it is really something that I have never done before and it is fun. While on the other hand, I have these hour long lecture classes that I dread going to and like Morgan have to force my self to literally stay awake but also how do you stay focused when you have a monotone professor talking about something he really doesn't even want to be talking about...give me a break! I think that most students feel this way!

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home
I think that this post was great to remind teachers and people in general that in life we need to focus not on the problem but on finding a solution for the problem. It is much easier to talk about the problem over and over again than it is to find a solution to the problem...this is the problem!

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

Two great Questions! I think that it is really great to do self evaluations, it
allows you to think about what you are doing and what is really important to you. The question "Am I better today than yesterday" is a great one to ask. If you did something today that you did not excel at or that you were not particularly proud of...there is alway tomorrow to do better. I like the idea of having a sentence to live by.  My sentence to live by is "NEVER GIVE UP!"  I think that you can do anything if you really want to and like Randy Pausch said in his final lecture...if you give up on something than you really did not want it bad enough.

Project 12- Skype Interview

Additional Assignment 2

1. What do you think? If learners are motivated, can they teach themselves?
I think that this video proves that if anyone wants to learn they can. In this video it says if there is an interest then education happens and I think that this is a very true statement.
2. If those motivated learners are kids, can they teach themselves?
Yes, in the video there were multiple examples of kids teaching themselves all sorts of information without any help.
3. What conditions are necessary for kids to teach themselves? For anyone to teach him or herself?
The only thing that is necessary for anyone to teach themselves is interest and a computer
4. What role do computers and internet access play in the process?
The computers played a very important role in the learning of these children because that is where they received all of the information but it was neat to see this happen because none of the children had ever seen a computer before but they played with it and figured out how to use it
5. What role does motivation, a desire to learn?
Motivation played a key role in this video because it was the children's desire to learn how to use the computer that sparked it all. If they had not wanted to learn how to use the computer that had been placed in their town then they would not have learned anything from this experiment.
6. What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process?
The questions were given to the children in English, which none of them new how to speak. The children used the computer to translate the question to their native language and then they were able to explore and learn all about the specific question. The question gave them a starting point and then from there the possibilities were endless!
7. How do you motivate someone to learn?
I first try to get them interested and excited about a certain subject and then go from there
8. How are you motivated to learn?
I am motivated to learn when there is a certain something that I am curious about or confused about
9. Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?
I do not think that a non motivated person can learn because they do not have that desire and interest so therefore they probably will not be able to retain the information that it taught to them
10. Do you teach yourself? When? Why?
Yes, all the time, it is almost a way of survival I feel like
11. What role does a teacher (either answer generally or use a specific example) play in your learning?
I think that a great example of a teacher that has sparked my interest to learn is Dr. Strange. I would have never explored and used technology in this way if he had not given me a starting point and specific things to take a look at but it is great and I have really enjoyed broadening my horizons when it comes to technology.
12. What is the most important idea,question or emotional response you take away with you as a result of watching this video?
It is really amazing to watch these children learn so much on their own and it is sad that everyone does not have the opportunity to learn. In so many cities across the world the desire and interest is there but the resources are not. Also, it upsets me to see this and then know how much we take it for granted.
13. What other questions or issues are raised by this video that should be considered and discussed by aspiring teachers?
I think that a main issue that should be discussed by teachers is the question "Would you go into one of these places that is a very undesirable teaching spot and teach if there was an interest and desire by the students? It is a tough question to answer I think.

Blog Post 9

In Mr. Clung's blog post "What I've Learned This Year" I really enjoyed all the useful knowledge he discussed about the important characteristics that a teacher must have to be successful. It is extremely helpful to have a first time teacher discuss everything that they have learned in their first year and things that they realized were more important than others. I definitely agree with him when he says that teachers must be able to communicate well with others, be flexible and reasonable in their expectations, and be able to listen. I think that the most important of these is the listening one. If you are able to listen to your students and figure out what they need and how they learn and their likes and dislikes you should have a wonderful year because after all you are there for them. I really enjoyed all the insight he gave in this post, as it will be very useful in the future!

Project 9b

Blog Post 8

This is How We Dream





In this video it is very evident to me that I am not ready to write using multimedia nor am I ready to teach students how to do this. I do however think that I will be one day. It is already very clear to me that I will not make a good teacher unless I am able to do this and I am up for the challenge. Children in schools now are already exposed to so much more technology than I was when I was in school. I think that the possibilities that we have with technology are endless and the different ways that it can be used in schools excites me and makes me look forward to learning more about how to use this great resource we have!

EDM 310 for Dummies and The Chipper Series

I love how this video was made as an infomercial, how clever. The video definitely showed how I felt about the class at first. This class can be very overwhelming if you don't keep up with your work, but if you do and you work on learning how to do each of the assignments you can really learn a whole lot about using technology. I have loved learning about different things that are available to us such as Google Docs and Forms. I would have never known how easy it could be to take a survey and gather the results if I had not learned about Forms.
The Chipper Series was funny to me. I think that it was a great way to get the point across about turning your work in on time.

Critiques of Smartboards
In the two articles that we read about the uselessness of smartboards they were both saying pretty much the same things. These interactive whiteboards do not bring enough to the classroom to justify spending thousands of dollars on them. I think that this is true unless you have a teacher that truly embraces the technology and spends lots of time coming up with lessons that allow the students to use the smartboards to their full potential. In the website Teachers Love Smartboards there is so much information about using a smartboard. This site has lesson plans divided in to grades and subjects and different games that can be played. All of the information on this site really shows how useful and educational smartboards can be in the classroom.

Project 11

Project 10

I have been slowly developing my PLN. I have started using Symbaloo to keep everything organized. I have watched A 7th Graders PLN to try to better understand what mine should involve. I have been using Facebook for years so I have added it to my PLN. I have also added the teacher's blogs that I have been assigned to follow. I have added a few miscellaneous sites that I just enjoy browsing. I hope to develop my PLN much further as the semester goes on but for right now this is what I have. As I continue I am hoping to find many more teachers to follow with useful information and tips for the teaching world. I am also going to begin looking for different artists that I can follow because I love art and painting.

Blog Post 7

This video was amazing!  Randy Pausch's lecture begins with him telling us about some of his childhood dreams and what he learned from those dreams whether or not he was able to acheive them.  Each of his childhood dreams taught him something. 
I really liked how he talked about "head fake learning."  He used the example of playing football, when you sign a child up to play football, you don't really care about them learning to play football, you want them to learn other more important things, such as teamwork, sportsmanship, and perserverence.  To me this is a great teaching method to use in a classroom, allow students to do an activity that is fun but have it teach them something more important through the process of it. 
Randy also talked about how you have to keep on trying even if you encounter obstacles along the way.  He discusses this by using the image of a brick wall and he tells the listeners that brick walls are there for us to prove how badly we want something, not to stop us.  They only stop those that don't want it bad enough.  This is a great lesson.  Keep on trying no matter how many times you get stopped along the way.
He also talked about how as a person you should try to find the best in everyone.  No matter how mad, annoying, or stupid a person is, you should always try to find and focus on what makes them a great person.  He also says the if you wait long enough people will surprise and impress you.  I think that this is such a great point to make because I think as humans we often make judgements about someone before we really know who they are and if you just wait a little bit longer you might find that they are really not that bad of a person.
Towards the end of his talk he says one thing that I really believe and try really hard to always remember.  He said "when you do the right things, good things always happen.  This is extremely important for us to remember, when you do what is right you will always come out on top eventually.
He also tells us to always listen to feedback and cherish and use it.  Another thing that he says is always be prepared, luck is where preparation meets opportunity!  I loved this lecture and was able to gain so much from it about life.  Randy Pausch was a man that lived his life to the fullest and was not going to let his illness get in the way.  I also love the way he used "head fakes" when giving this lecture.  He talked about always going after childhood dreams, helping others achieve their childhood dreams, and little lessons that he had learned in his life, but that was not what the lecture was about.  His lecture was about how to live your life, but he threw in another head fake because it was not for us...it was for his three children.

Summary Post C4T Teacher #2

I was assigned to read Dorothy Burt's blog Manaiakalani. The first post that I read was about a meeting that she held and in this meeting the objective was to teach the parent's of these students how to use the computer, internet, and all the technology that comes with it. Instead of her standing up in the front of the assembly and lecturing these adults how to use technology, she had the students teach them. This to me was a great approach because after all they know how to use it best. It also allows the parents to see how well they know how to navigate and use all of these great resources. At the beginning of this meeting she said a prayer and this prayer was very interesting to me because it asked for the parents to be open to learning about this topic and to not have preconceived ideas about the use of computers; what a great way to start a meeting concerning this topic. It is so true that a lot of older people have this preconceived idea that they cannot use a computer and this prayer seems to have helped just open their minds about the whole issue.
The second post of Mrs. Burt's that I read was a survey that she had done of all seven of the schools, which varied in age group, about how much internet access they have outside of school. She did this after a holiday when the students would have not been going to school for some period of time. In asking several questions her main goal was to see how many of the students had access to the internet, what they looked at while they were on the internet, how long they were able to stay on the internet, and how often they were able to access it. She then concluded from her responses that the older students were able to access the internet the most but that they were looking at social networking sites and gaming sites the most. She was somewhat disappointed that they did not look at different blogs and school related sites.

Mrs. Dorothy Burt's complete Blog

Project 9a (Timetoast Timeline)

Blog Post 6

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler
In this video we learn about the Networked Student.  This student is taking a class in American Psycology.  He does not have a book and is only using his computer to take the class.  He has an instructor who is there to give him guidance but other than that he is on his own.  I think that parts of this are great and I think that parts of it are not.  I agree that everyone should learn to be an independent learner, but this is harder for some people as they need for guidance and instruction.  I think that the student can broaden what they learn in a class if they are an independent learner but some topics are so big that the students need a more direct focus, which is where the teacher would come in.  I do think that this is how much of the learning in schools will take place in the future. 

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment
I am amazed at what they are doing.  It is hard for me to believe that a 7th grader is doing all of this.  When I think back to when I was in the 7th grade, I was not doing anything even close to this.  I think that this is really cool.  This student's science class was completely paperless and she checked on the computer every morning to see what she needed to do for the day in this class, I think that having this kind of responsibility is great for students at this age.  It makes the child responsible for their own learning.  I do wonder about the freedom that she said they have to browse anything on the internet...I hope that there are some restrictions in place. 

C4K #1 Summary

We were assigned to read the blog of a student in Mr. Chamberlain's class at Noel Junior High School.  This was neat because they are doing the same thing that we are doing in Dr. Stange's EDM class.  My student's name is Dustin.  They were assigned to create an "About Me" post and a "Learning Manifesto" post.  In the about me post I learned that Dustin wants to either be a fireman or a tow truck driver (that is what his grandfather does).  In his learning manifesto, Dustin wrote that he was going to try to pay attention in class, do his work on time, and have a good attitude towards school.  I liked Dustin's goals for his school year because they are the same as some of my goals.