Goodbye EDM 310 and Thanks

Goodbye to all my classmates!! and Good Luck !!!

Thanks Ms Averitt for all your help!!!

My Summary of EDM 310 Fall 2009

1. The first thing that I learned is that I have a lot to learn when it comes to technology. I also have come to realize that I must continue to learn even after I become a teacher in order to keep up with the fast pace of the technology. In the beginning of this class I really didn't know what to expect from the class. I had no idea what blogging was, I had no idea that so many people blogged. There are countless blog sites out there on every topic under the sun, this is an excellent way to share ideas and bring people closer together.

I learned how to put together a powerpoint presentation. I never used powerpoint before and I worried about it,it wasn't that hard after I got started. This is definitely a very useful tool that I can use in the classroom. As for Google documents I didn't really get much out of this, I realize it is free and it is good to know about because it is accessible to everyone. I have used Excel before but I needed a refresher on how to use it again. I don't know if Excel is useful for a grade book, most school systems have software programs that teachers enter grades into.

I must of been living under a rock, because I had not heard of podcasts or videocasts until we had to listen to them on iTunes. I didn't know iTunes had anything free either. iTunes University is a great tool for students, I was amazed at how many universities are already using it.I can see iTunes University growing and reaching more and more universities in the future and maybe even high schools too.

I can honestly say that I have never been on the Internet reading posts or watched as many videos as I did this semester. I can honestly say that I always felt that the Internet was full of garbage and useless information. I have come to realize that you have to really search and you can find lots of useful sites , but you have to really be careful to make sure that they are reliable.

I hope that one day that all school will offer students equal access to technology so that every student will be prepared for the future.

2. I would of liked to learn more about Smartboards, the Mobile County Public Schools have them now.
I think that it would be a good idea to introduce it in EDM 310 since we are going to be student teaching soon.

3. I can't think of anything that I didn't want to learn, I'm not a big fan of blogging although I do think that it is useful and is a good way of sharing ideas.

4. I cannot say that I got excited about anything in particular.

5. I was not intellectually challenged, I felt a little overwhelmed with all the projects in the beginning but that's about it.

6. I got a little bored listening to the podcasts from iTunes that we had to subscribe to for one of our first blog assignments. The podcasts were too technical just boring.

7. If I could change anything it would be the amount of blogging assignments we had to do, in the beginning it was OK, but it got old after a while.

8. I am not technologically literate. I would rate myself at "Some". I do know that I have a lot to learn and that I must continue to keep learning as much as I can.

9. I need to learn so much, I can start by reading and researching on the Internet. I can also learn from my peers and students. I must try new things when I become a teacher and experiment in order to learn. I definitely will go to workshops when available and search out whatever resources available to me since I know that technology is changing at a fast rate.

My Favorites from the Three Lists and Why

I read through Doug Johnson lists and I picked the ones that I felt were important and useful for me as a teacher. From the 7 Stupid Mistakes list I chose #6 Ignore kids intrinsic interest in technology- that would be a huge mistake. Today kids know more than we do about what is out there. Kids today have been raised using technology unlike some of us who are older. Using technology is a great way to motivate them and keep them interested in the classroom. I also chose #7 Technology will go away in schools- big mistake. The use of technology is just beginning in our schools, we haven't even begun to see all the ways it will be used. A teacher who ignores it is doing themselves and their students an injustice.

From the 7 Brilliant Things Teachers Do with Technology I chose #1 Empower kids with technology. Using technology in the classroom is a way give the kids control over what they are learning. Many kids know a lot and having them bring their knowledge to the classroom gives them a feeling that they have a say in what the class is doing. Students can gain a lot of self esteem and become more motivated to achieve if technology is used correctly by the teacher.
I also chose #7 Delight in the discovery, the newness and the fun technology holds
-school needs to be fun sometimes. Why should we expect kids to be motivated to learn if there is no fun in learning? Technology is the answer to that, there are very few kids that don't like computers or trying new things like cameras, cellphones, ipods. Using technology in the classroom to enhance learning and integrating it into the curriculum will make old lessons new and more interesting to the kids.

I also read the New Classroom Rules list and a few I did not get them they seemed more like jokes to me. I did pick a few that I felt were of use and mad sense. I chose #14 Raise your hand if you need help, don't wait for the teacher, get help from your neighbors and post your question to your PLN. I always tell my daughter don't just sit there ask for help if you need it. It is simple but it needs to be emphasized, now there are many ways to find help. The teacher isn't the only one to answer your questions , there are so many resources out there. The last rule that I chose is #15 Know what you are suppose to be learning, why, what you will do with the knowledge. I believe that it is important to know why you are doing something, instead of just doing it because someone told you to. I think that if you explain to your students why something is important and how it is useful to them then they will be more motivated to learn. I believe that the information you are learning has to have meaning for you to actually learn it, otherwise students are just memorizing facts and forgetting them as soon as they take a test.

At The Teachers Desk Comments

I like Mr Chamberlain blogs , he really comes up with a lot of great ideas for his classroom. I can tell that he takes his profession seriously and puts a lot of thought and time into teaching. I looked around at his posts and enjoyed reading them a lot. "How to get (and keep)More Visitors" was good it gave ideas of how to keep people reading your blog. He gave tips like don't change your address and use descriptive titles so people can find your topics to read.I also read "Using Technology for Effective Communication" in this post he talked about the different ways he communicates with parents. Mr C uses facebook and gives out his phone number.Mr C has a facebook account set up for his parents only, no students and so far it has worked great.

On "Teaching 2.0" I found Dr Strange from USA. Mr C posted a Dr Strange's video that describes what Dr Strange is teaching in our EDM class, twitter, iGoogle, blogging, etc. Mr C made a point to say that he thought that this video would make an excellent tool for in-service training for teachers at his school. Another post I liked was "Always Evolving, Always Changing" in this blog he points out what we have been talking a lot about in this class. We need to keep up with the fast pace of technology. Mr C talked about the need for teachers to learn, adapt and evolve in order to stay up to date with the changes.The last post I will comment on is "Something that Matters" it is just a very short post about graffiti he saw that he believes a student wrote on the wall. It said " I wanna do something that matters" and it got him wondering why students don't do things that they love or matter to them. He made a point that people are possibly driven by money and not by what is important to them.

My Reaction to Michael Wesch's Video about the Future of "Whatever"

This video made so many points that I had to back it up and watch some parts over again. I was really amazed at the idea that media is controlling how we communicate and it has become a language.The new media is disengaging us from people instead of bringing us together. I agree, I use to work in a department store and I hated it when customers came in and talked on their phone the entire time I waited on them, they didn't talk to me they pointed and spoke very little. I see this a lot everywhere I go, people walk around talking or texting and they are not paying attention to the person who they are with. I am an older college student and I have noticed that a lot of college age students can't put their phones down to listen to a professor for an hour. The use of the word "whatever" is indicative of the attitude of people, I don't care and new media is a reflection of that too.

Nowadays you can get on your computer and write e-mails, blogs and say things that you would not dare say to a persons face.Typing on a computer or looking into a web cam is not the same experience as looking into someones face and speaking. I am sure that there are millions of people who have sent a message or written things that they wish that they could take back, but once you send it its gone and there is no turning back. This type of communication can be edited and changed to give a false impression. I think as a teacher it is a good idea to talk about all of these things with students so that they will think about what they are engaging in. I think that it is important to let the students know that communication is a shared experience and that the new media is not always a shared experience.

I do think that people are all looking for someone to connect with , but at the same time they are not connecting they are disengaging instead. the new media is disconnecting us from the ones we are closest to.

CommentKids: My comment to MrsG Student Zebin K

I read Zebin K's blog and he talked about his interest in sports. He said that he liked football, tennis and baseball. I told him that I also like sports and that I liked to watch them on TV. I also mentioned that when I was younger I was the youngest of 3 brothers so I had to play if they need an extra person. Zebin K asked in his blog if we played soccer, volleyball or rugby because he has not played any of these sports. I told him that I played volleyball in middle school but soccer and rugby were too hard and dangerous for me. I didn't tell him but I am definitely too old to play either of those now.

PS 22 Landslide Video Post

First of all "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac is one of my favorite songs so I enjoyed the video a lot. You can tell in the PS 22 Video really enjoyed themselves and that they were well prepared. By doing these videos and posting them on blogs the children can watch themselves and critique themselves. Also they gain a lot of self esteem and pride making the video. I watched the other videos PS 22 choir had posted and they were all great. The singers were not nervous, they were very relaxed. The production process also teaches the children how to create and how to use technology.






Mr Chamberlains class posted their Dear Kaia: Voicethread and Video on his blog. The voicethread was a great way to reach out and connect the classroom long distance. The students all participated in the video and gave it a personal touch. A post like that gives others ideas on how they too can reach out and enhance their classroom experience using technology. This too is a good tool for others to learn from by posting it to a blog.







Dr Stranges EDM posting of South Alabama student's podcasts is a great way for the class to work cooperatively. Often students do not like to work in groups , this gives students experience
researching a subject and creating a script to be taped. I know that I dreaded doing this project, but once we started talking and recording it wasn't that difficult. I have watched others class podcasts and I look forward to watching our podcasts. By watching the others podcasts you can learn what to do and what not to do.

I also liked what I saw on Mr Kaechele Technology class blog. His students are doing a lot of the same things we are doing in our EDM 310 class but they are 8th graders. They are way ahead of the game or should I say way ahead of me. They are using Google Reader, Google Documents, Skype and Flickr and podcasting. They are posting their videos on their classblog. The students are able to share what they are learning with others and learn at the same time. I think that these students are learning so much and are very fortunate to have this experience in school.