Comments 4 Kids

I was assigned to read Chelsey's friendly letter. She wrote a letter to another school to tell them about her school's football team and school rituals. The letter was well written and concise. She clearly stated her topic, and described her story well. I hope that she was excited to see some feedback from somewhere else in the world... :)

Personal Learning Network

I have a wide range of things that I use in my Personal Learning Network (PLN). I use several websites to get ideas about classroom activitis and creative crafts for children.
I teach Sunday School, so several of these listed I use currently in my Sunday School Class.
ebibleteacher.com has a blog. They post helpful websites for Sunday School teachers to make teaching the bible easier.
I am friends with Pam Halbrook on facebook. She is a retired teacher from the Pascagoula School District, but is also a wonderful resource when writing papers and doing research. Sometimes I'll ask her just to proof a paper for me, and other times I'll ask her opinion about how a certain project I'm working on is going. She gives me feedback quickly and I value her opinion and trust her editing skills.
Another friend of mine on facebook is Elizabeth McCullough. She graduated from USA several years ago, but is tons of help when it comes to picking classes, writing papers, or just plain stressing out. She also helps me a lot with my Sunday School lessons. She is able to word things better than I can to help my Sunday School Class better understand the topic we are discussing.
I also consult another website about blogging in general. It gives you ideas to use for a classroom blog and I'm sure I'll use it often when I have my own class. It shows different tools available for blogs and tells teachers how to utilize one in their own classroom.
The last part of my PLN is a group on facebook called "Elementary Teacher Resources". The group is composed of teachers and aspiring teachers from all over the nation. These teachers are supportive of one another, they offer up classroom management strategies, unit ideas, decorating tips for the classroom, etc. These people post photos of activities they do with their classes, the post photos of their rooms. This group is hugely beneficial to all who are members.

Comments 4 Kids

This week I was assigned Danwag's blog. He spoke of his love for Chevy trucks, especially ones that were lifted and you could take "muddin"! Interestingly enough I used to have a jeep that I'd take mudding all the time. So we've been writing back and forth for a few days. I love this assignment. I think that Comments 4 Kids is one of my favorite assignments I've done. It allows kids to realize that once they type something online, ANYONE in the world can see it. Therefore, they should be careful what they publish, but also be proud of their work. They should spell check, grammar check, and make sure their writing is clear enough for others to understand the point they are trying to make.

Alabama Connecting Classrooms

ACCESS is a tool used for Alabama Educators in high school settings. It is a resource for schools that aren't able to provide their students with the courses that they'd like to offer. This is a way for high school students to learn on-line, the way many college courses are set up. There are classes that are totally online and include face-to-face lecture over the internet, virtual field trips, online tests, etc. This is a way for rural school districts with low enrollment to offer classes that higher funded schools are able to offer without having to increase their own payroll accounts.
I feel that this tool will open doors for students that may not otherwise be opened. This will allow a student that attends a school in a district that can't afford AP classes, or something similar, to still participate in those types of classes. It will allow schools to participate in learning in a way that they have never been able to participate. I think that the course offerings of most schools in the state will increase. Just because a school doesn't have the money or staff to teach classes like astronomy, or Russian, does not mean that they can't still offer the courses through a situation like this. This will revolutionize the way learning in high school has been done for so many years. I think that more states will move in this direction soon as well.

Alex

I think that this website is incredible. This website was created for teachers to use as a resource in their teaching. Each state has specific objectives that must be met for each subject area and grade. This website creates links for teachers to use in their teaching. Not only are the objectives listed, but there are lesson plans that go along with each. I was curious to see how these translated across state lines. For any given state, you can find a corresponding objective listed in the Alabama objectives. As a future teacher, I will make a note of this website and refer back to it often. I glanced over several of the lesson plans. Some are easy to understand, others aren't written as concisely but the point is gotten across.

Another thing that I loved was that the website was broken down into not only subject areas, but grade levels. There is no sorting through garbage that you don't need or that doesn't apply. It is all clearly labeled as K, 1, 2, 3, etc. You can click on your course of study, click on the grade you will be teaching, and viola, answers to all your questions.

Comments 4 Kids

I visited Mr. Goerend's class blog. I was able to read different days that children had imagined. The first student I commented on was Owen. He had told a story about "Walk Like a Monkey Day" after his friend woke up with a hunched back. His story was creative and imaginitive. I enjoyed reading about his day. The next student I commented on was Macy. She told a cute story about Dressing up like a farmer day. The next student I commented on did not leave a name, but his holiday was called "Sprint like a Cheetah day." I thought his story about running late was something that I could totally relate to which is why I chose to comment on it. The next student was Jenna. She created "Dress up like a clown day" where you can wear silly clothes and wigs and too-big shoes and dress like a clown! I also like that she changed her font and text color. Ian wrote a story about walk like a sloth day! This idea was wonderful. I am always running late for things and I think we should all walk like sloths!
I think this is a good idea for our class. I think it will not only help students with understanding that writing is for your readers not for yourself, and also build confidence about their writing. Knowing that someone other than my teacher is going to read/grade things always makes me put more effort into my own writing and I'm sure it does the same thing for students.

Kaia

I was amazed at the interaction that took place between Kaia and the school in rural Missouri. The amount of learning that transpired first between father and daughter, and then between parent and classroom from opposite sides of the globe was amazing. I hope that education is moving in this direction. I think that children learn more when they see the things they are taught put into application. I feel that the students that took place in the skype were probably unaware of how "life-changing" that type of communication can be. I'm sure they didn't realize how incredible it was to be video chatting with a father on the other side of the world in real time. To not only have their questions answered but to actually see the person that was answering them. It puts a new spin on google. I wonder if skype has thought of creating networks to allow people to chat others that are (self-proclaimed) experts in their field, or that live in cultures that are foreign to themselves. This would be an amazing thing to look into. Perhaps companies like skype could create learning networks specifically for K-12 schools with "experts" for students to converse with. Anyway, this was a fun blog for me. Thanks for allowing me to see it!

Wendy

This video emphasized the importance of a Personal Learning Network. It showed how it had real world application. The student was able to form his own curriculum for the class based on networking he'd done online, instead of actually going to class and listening to lectures. The video wasn't so bad, visually. I don't think I'm ready to be a networking student. I enjoy going to class and learning with friends. I enjoy the student/teacher relationship as well. I think that there are parts of networking that could enhance my learning experience, but I wouldn't like to make it my only way of learning.

Richard Miller

I feel that these videos were extremely difficult to watch. It was hard to follow and pay attention to his words when there was so much going on onscreen. I wish he would have been visible (physically) on the screen and not just audible. I didn't think that things that were being shown on screen related well to what the words were saying. I also didn't like how his voice was so incredibly monotone. He used no inflection in his monologue thus making it more boring.
With that said, he makes a strong point about reading and writing not holding their place in society as they once did. I don't think that they are not important, but they aren't held in the same regard that they once were. I think that teachers should put as much pressure on students to be great writers as they once did. I think that writing is the most influential tool in communication and just because a student does not like to write, does not mean that he shouldn't be good at it.
I feel that one of the main reasons reading and writing are not as "important" as they once were is because many times writing and reading are used as punishment in schools. I was recently volunteering in a 5th grade class in Pascagoula and students that could not behave were handed page long "motivators" to copy by hand. This was their punishment. Also students that could not keep quiet were forced to sit silently in the corner and read their text book and then write summaries of the chapters. If teachers would stop making these things bad, then kids opinions would change about them.

Duke University

I went searching online for a topic I knew nothing about and quickly stumbled upon a site that broke it down. I was told to search for academic uses for the iPhone and iPod and especially the Duke University study. Well, I found what I was looking for and was amazed at what the study found. Basically, Duke University provided a certain number of students with a free iPod to be used for classes. They were preloaded with podcasts, lectures, songs, etc., for the classes that were participating in the study. There were student and faculty focus groups created to report on the usage of the iPods. The findings were amazing. The university found that the most used tool on the iPods was the recording capability. Students used the record feature to replay lectures, record interviews, and collect field data. The students also used the iPods to watch preloaded vodcasts, replay definitions, and enhance their study experiences. The students found that they were more likely to put more time into their studies when they were more portable. I know that I would rather listen to a lecture while walking on the treadmill at the gym, than while sitting in my living room in my comfy chair with sleep tempting me. Students were able to watch orientation videos, videos on student life, etc. All in all, the study seemed to be a success.
I would have loved to have been in that class. How cool would it be to have your study tools at your finger tips! Knowing what I know now about iTunesU, an iPod would not make studying easier, it would make learning more enjoyable. And having my school provide the iPod to me free of charge would make the enhance the experience that much more. I think that as a future teacher of a public K-12 school, it would be ridiculous for me to expect my students to all be able to purchase an iPod and allow me to load all the needed material for the year onto it. But I also know that nothing is impossible, and perhaps with more studies such as this one, grants will be made available for just that purpose!

iTunesU

I've never owned and iPod or iPhone, so I've had little to no use for iTunes. I didn't know how to use it or have it downloaded to my computer before this class. But after watching this video and slideshow, I was intrigued. I went into iTunes and just started searching for things that piqued my interest. I searched everything from specific artists to plants to 'how a generator works'. I never realized there was so much information out there for the taking! From now on, when needing to research a topic I don't know much about, or even one I know a lot about, I will definitely check iTunesU before checking anywhere else.
As a teacher, I feel that I will use this tool. I could use it to assist in teaching science, history, math, any subject really. I could have students watch a particular vodcast or listen to a podcast and have them write responses about what they learned. They could also research other topics on iTunes and use the information to help present reports or write research papers.
I always assumed that iTunes was strictly for downloading music for your mp3 player, and boy was I wrong. I underestimated it's abilities, and have been missing out on lots of learning!

Alice Christie

Before reading and exploring this website I thought I knew all there was to know about google earth (GE). Not that I consider myself an expert, I just didn't realize what all this program could actually do. Not only did i discover new tools that I was unaware of, but I was amazed at all the applications these tools had for classroom use! To top it off, the way that the instructor was able to explain ideas and tools that GE could offer was fantastic.
Some of my favorite tools include the panoramia layer. This layer allows you to click on photos that individuals who have visited that area have posted. In other words, you can get a good look at the city. Another tool that I liked was the measurement tool. My mind started going crazy with all the math applications for classroom use this tool could offer.
I think for practical application, I'd like for students to click on photos in the panoramia layer and then write a reflection paragraph on their favorite one from a particular area. The measurement tool would allow me to instruct my students to chose their favorite route from point A to point B and tell me the distances between national parks (or gas stations, or K-12 schools) along the way. There are so many more things that can be done with GE besides just find your house and look around your neighborhood. I will definitely use this tool in my classroom.

New Teacher Blog

This new teacher offered a lot of things to expect and not to expect. As a human, we all fear what we do not know. And graduating with a degree in education does mean you know how to teach a classroom. You may have all the essential skills, information, resources, tools, etc., but if you've never actually had a classroom of children sit and absorb information you are giving them, then you do not know what to expect. I like that he spoke about there is no such thing as a perfect lesson. I like knowing that no matter how much time and effort you put into the actual plan, chances are, something will not work just as it was planned. That is life. I like that he explains it though, because many times in college courses that prepare you for teaching, no one actually tells you this. I like that he emphasized communication with peers. Having other teachers as allies can only be beneficial to you as a new teacher. There are somethings that more experienced teachers have learned over the years that you may not learn for 5 or 10 years, unless they share those experiences with you. What better way to start a new career than to start it with friends who not only do the same thing as you, but love it the same way you do. I also like that he included "Never stop learning!" This is important in life, but especially as a teacher. In order you teach, you must be willing to learn.

Wikipedia

I had an opinion about wikipedia before reading these blogs. I was under the impression that the majority of the contributers to this site were just everyday average joes who may or may not be considered an expert. But after further research, and realizing that people don't edit what they nothing about, I decided that wikipedia may not be bad ALL the time. I feel that after reading the information one was looking for on wikipedia and looking at all the references listed, that perhaps there are occasions when it would be an acceptable form of research. Maybe if the teacher of a particular class wanted her class to complete an assignment they could use wikipedia only after looking into the contributers to that article. Once the contributers were deemed "expert" the material would be acceptable.