EDM Fall 2009 Semester

1.It's the end of the semester, and it's time to reflect on all I have learned. This has been a great course, and I think I have learned more in this class than any other.One thing I have learned is that blogging is great way to share ideas, and communicate with others. I didn't know anything about blogs before this class, and know I've found it to be an amazing tool. I feel like my professional blog will be useful in the future when I'm applying for a teaching position. Also, I think that I will have my students set up their own personal blogs because I know how much they can learn from having one. Wikis are pretty cool. I like that members of the wiki can add information to any topic. I'm not sure that I would use it though because it charges a fee. The presentations that we did in class were interesting. However, I'm not a big fan of talking about myself, Project 2, so I didn't really enjoy putting it together. I did enjoy hearing others give their presentations, and I feel that this will be useful in my classroom. It will help the students develop their public speaking skills.
Google Docs is amazing! I didn't realize how many ways you could use Google until this class. This will definitely be used in my classroom, and it I love that it is multifunctional. The Google spreadsheet and forms is another great tool to use in the class. Picasa is a great tool for pictures. I found this very useful when I was making my google presentation. The podcasts and videocasts were probably my favorite projects in the class. I really enjoyed getting to learn how to do those, and I was in a great group. I think these can be the most effective in the classroom because it's something that will get your attention.
Youtube was nothing new to me because I watch videos on it all the time. I think it's a great way to communicate with others because so many people watch Youtube.
I think my favorite post that I read was Mr. McClung's first year of teaching. It was very encouraging, and is helpful to all of those who are going into the teaching profession.
My PLN is still very small, but I have hope that it will continue to grow in the future. Twitter is really great, and I just created an account.
Comment4Kids is another thing that I enjoyed doing. It's great that these children are getting the opportunity to post their work online.
I use itunes all the time to download music, but I had never taken the time to look at itunes U. This is great for students who want to know what is going on in the classroom, and offers all kind of information. This is definitely the wave of the future. As far as accessibility issues; I do believe that some students just can't afford a computer/internet. That will definitely be a problem in the future if everything is placed on the computer. At this point, I'm not sure what the answer is.
We didn't cover much about Google Earth, but I do think that is great especially for a geography course. Delicious is kind of like a factoid site. It will have just about anything you ask for, and will organize the information.
Access and Alex will be something that I use for my classroom. It offers great activites and lesson plans. I also like how Access gives students the opportunity to take courses online. Foliotek wasn't very exciting. I understand why the state requires it, but it seems like they could come up with a better way. I'm glad Dr.Strange let us do it in class because it can be confusing sometimes.
Since I've taken this course; being technologically literate has become very important to me. I think the schools of the future will involve sitting at a computer, and taking your courses online. There will be fewer hours spent in the classroom. As far as my "intellectual trail", I think it's exciting that people can google you,and automatically see your blogs.

2. I learned a lot in this class, but I would like to learn more about Twitter and Picasa. Also, I wish that we had covered more on how to develop a PLN.

3. There's nothing that I would want to forget about in this class. All of it will help us be better teachers!

4. Yes, I think what made me really excited was seeing how Kaia's blog became such a big hit. It really showed me how many opportunities can open up when you use technology.

5.I thought making the podcast/project 11 was "intellectually challenging". It made us think outside of the box, and it wasn't something I had done before.

6. Some days were kind of boring. It was mainly because I don't like sitting in a chair for long periods of time. Maybe if we were moving around a bit more that would solve the problem. It would be really cool if this class became an online course.

7. I would change the amount of projects we do. This last month I felt like we were in warp speed trying to get everything done. It's not that I don't like the projects; it's just I wish we could have more time to focus on each one. I guess what I'm saying is compared to quantity vs. quality. I would rather have fewer projects so that I can put more time into making them better. That way I don't have to worry about rushing to get the next project done. Just my two cents(=.

8. I would say, at this point, that I have a good amount of knowledge about technology. I have definitely learned a lot!

9. I'm going to keep trying to build my PLN. Also, I will make sure that I keep up with all the new technology out there.
Click here to view the questions.

New Classroom Rules...

The Education Innovation website has offered some new rules to apply in the classroom. Here are my two favorites on the list.

1. "Leave your seat only when necessary, which should be often to go collaborate with others or demonstrate something to the class." -Education Innovation
I like this rule because it's important for students to work with each other. I think we learn so much more when we all put our minds together. It's so boring to just sit, and listen to lectures all the time. Projects/activities are more effective tools for learning then just memorizing a bunch of facts. Not only does it help students to learn the material, but it also helps develop social skills.

2. "Know what you're supposed to be learning, why, and what you will do with the knowledge." -Education Innovation
Students have a tendency to just study the material for a test, and then completely forget all the information after the course is over. Instead of doing the work just for a grade; actually go a step further to get all you can out of the class. It doesn't benefit you at all if you shove the material in a corner; never to be used again.

Click here to view the Education Innovation website.

Seven Stupid/Brilliant Things Teachers Do With Technology

Mr.Doug Johnson wrote a list of seven stupid mistakes, and seven smart ideas that are used in the classroom. Many of his points are valid, and very true. I picked two of what I thought to be the most important from each of the lists.

I'll start out with the Seven Stupid Mistakes...

1."Not supervising computer-using students." I picked this as one of the most important mistakes when dealing with technology because it's necessary for the teacher to keep up with what the students are doing online. Teachers can't assume that a filter/blocker will automatically keep students from viewing inappropriate content. I know when I was in high school that their were some students who knew how to hack into the system. It's very easy for students to get around the internet filters which can cause all kinds of problems. Teachers need to be aware of the student's activities on the internet.

2. "Thinking technology in schools will go away." I know some people wish this was true, but it's not. Whether you like it or not; technology is here to stay. There's no sense in trying to resist it because in the end it will only make things more difficult. Instead, try to view technology as your friend, and realize how useful it can be. Trying to shut technology out of the classroom is an injustice to our students.

Click here to view "Seven Stupid Mistakes Teachers Make with Technology".

Seven Brilliant Things.....

1. "Accept the role of a co-learner." It's so important that teachers remain opened to learning new ideas. Even if you are not a teacher; you should never stop learning. There is not one person who knows it all. If you don't know something then use it as a chance for you and your students to find out that information.

2. "Empower kids with technology." Teach your students how to use technology. Such a simple statement seems to be so hard for some people. If the teachers aren't showing the students; then who will? It's gotten to a point that it's hard to function in the world without the knowledge of technology. You can't expect your students to succeed if you don't give them the proper tools to use.

Click here to view "Seven Brilliant Things Teachers Do With Technology".

The Teacher's Desk

This blog allows teachers to contribute their experiences and opinions for everyone to see. It's really great how several of the teachers have posted about things going on in their classrooms or new ideas. This is the place to bring new ideas to the table, and a good way for teachers to communicate with each other.

One post that I noticed was from Mr.Chamberlain. He was explaining ways to get more people to view your website. One class didn't have to do homework if they got 2,500 viewers to look at their class blogs. I thought that it was great how he was giving the students advice on how to get people around the world interested in their blogs. He then proceeded to post that information on The Teacher's Desk. This is very useful information that anyone can keep in mind when blogging.

Another thing that caught my attention is the list of blogs from all the collaborators. It's really cool how interconnected all of these blogs are. It's like everybody knows each other. For example, I clicked on the 2BC class blog. On their blog it shows all the people they follow, and one of them was Mr. McClung's class blog. It's crazy how small the world has become.
Overall, it's great that this professional blog is set up so that everyone can contribute.

Click here to view the At The Teacher's Desk Blog.

Michael Wesch: "A New Future of Whatever."

Mr Wesch's comments about the youth today are completely true. I do come from a very "It's all about ME!" generation. I thought it was interesting how he talked about the different definitions of "whatever". To be honest,I've been guilty in the past of using "whatever" to describe my apathy towards things.I didn't realize how negative this was until I watched this video.

Another point he made was that people feel that the only way they can have a voice is through the media. He used the example of students in a classroom versus people standing in line auditioning for American Idol. The ones wanting to be on American idol were a lot more excited than those in the classroom. I think this is because students don't feel like their voice can be heard in the class. Where as, people believe that being on AI gives them the opportunity to be heard.

Using today's technology gives everyone an opportunity to have a voice. This seems to be missing in our schools which is why our students are not engaged. As a future teacher, I want my students to feel that their thoughts and ideas do matter. Hopefully, I can guide them in the direction of the last definition of "whatever"-"Let's do whatever it takes!"
Click here to view Mr. Wesch's video.

Anthony Capp's Post

This post just goes to show how things are changing so quickly.The world expects people to use creative ways of communicating through the use of technology. It is no longer good enough to just write your thoughts down on a piece of paper. Presentation is everything now. With this in mind, I agree that we need to be preparing our student's for this technological world. We are cheating our students if we do not prepare them. It will be our responsibility to guide them, and show them the way.
Click Here to view Anthony Capp's blog.

The Importance of Blogging....

One thing I've learned in this class is how important it is too share your thoughts, and work to the world. It allows people to communicate, and sometimes brings up opportunities that might not happen if we were not interactive on the Web. The PS22 Chorus, in New York City, experienced this as their group put up a video of them singing "Landslide" on YouTube. Guess who saw it? That's right....Stevie Nicks, one of the band members of Fleetwood Mac. She invited them to Madison Square Garden to perform with Fleetwood Mac. Isn't that amazing!!!???

So many doors open when you start developing your personal networks, and blogging website. For example, Room 18 Pt England School posted their podcast for a teaching position. Their teacher is on maternity leave so they decided to do a commercial calling for all teachers who would be interested in the position. This was a great way for the students to see first hand how networking can have such an awesome impact.Click Here to view Room 18 Pt England school's website.

Mr. McClung is another example of how blogging can be a learning experience for both the poster and the reader. It gives hope to students who are nervous about teaching, and for teachers who are stressing out over the classroom. Reading his experiences give some wisdom and incite for other teachers. Click here to view Mr. McClung's blog.

Another great example is Kaia's blog. Who would have guessed that this 3 year old child would have such an impact on the world??? So many people have visited her site and seen her pictures. It just goes to show another opportunity to learn from the ideas and work of others on the Web.Click Here to view Kaia's blog.

You never know what can happen when you allow technology into your life. You might just get invited to Madison Square Garden to perform with Fleetwood Mac like the PS22 choir did......