Final Report on PLN

After some work on my PLN I now use Symbaloo, Sticky Notes, and Internet Explorer to hold all my websites, bookmarks, and important reminders.

C4T #4

Mrs. Morris's Blog
Mrs. Kathleen Morris is primary 4th grade teacher at Leopold School in Australia. On her blog she shares resources, blogs, practical ideas, thoughts, global collaboration, and technology integration. I've had the opportunity to comment on two of her blogs.
Internet Safety Posters
This post she gave 3 posters for anyone to download and print out. The first one was 10 internet tips for students, the second was 10 internet tips for teachers, and the last one was 10 internet tips for parents. I told her one of my favorites was the "YAPPY" rule which means never give out Your full name, Address, Phone number, Passwords, Your plans. She said she had originally got that from a Garfield cartoon; I thought it was such a cute way to remember an important tip! Also, another tip that stuck out to me was do not allow your student or child to spend all of their free time inside on the computer, get them to play outside. Many parents forget that their children should play outside or do some sort of physical activity and also many parents don't spend one-on-one time with them either they just let them do whatever they want to get them out of their hair. That's unacceptable!
Developing Blogging Skills
In this post Mrs. Morris tells her readers she wants to start a blogging scope and sequence but she doesn't want her bloggers to be limited to what they can do and blog. She loves the idea of her students blogging because she knows it's a good way for them to express themselves and learn how to write. Since she's had teachers ask her what they should teach next she made a rubric that covers all 3 levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each level has a higher more advanced skill the student can achieve. It also covers everything from just participation to comments and digital citizenship. I commented on it telling her I saved the rubric to hopefully use one day in my classroom. Also, that I think she is my favorite teacher I've been assigned to all semester. Mrs. Morris offers such good advice and everything she posts is actually something realistic that another teacher can use. She won a lot of awards last year and I can immediately understand why.

C4Ks for November

Jake K.
Jake K. is a 5th grader in Mr. Hagedorn's class in Chicago. He wrote about Thomas Jefferson and gave some interesting facts such as he did not like speaking in public so he would write private letters. I commented back telling him I liked that he posted a picture of him on a coin and that we had just discussed him in my history class.

Jake R.
Jake R. is a 5th grader in Mr. Billy Spicer's class in Chicago. Jake wrote about the presidental election; he was hoping Romney would win. He didn't think Obama was a good president and his class was going to do a mock election. I commented back asking him how his mock election went and that I had wanted Romney to win as well.

Project #15

Progress Report on Project #16

For Project 16, my group decided to make a 1-2 minute commercial for The University of South Alabama's 50th year anniversary. The commercial will be entered into a contest to win 3 mini iPads for my members. The commercial must incorporate the theme "Made at the USA". My group members have met several times and we have taken pictures and recorded scenes. We're all very anxious to finish it because we feel our idea will be the winner!

Blog #12

For this blog assignment it was left up to the students' discretion to create an assignment that coincides with our specialty and then do it. My specialty is to teach special education and special need students. The assignment I designed is to have students research online and find techniques to help special needs students better learn. The students can use one or more than one website but they must list it and also list any other information you may have learned.

Teaching Special Education & Learning Disabilites
This website says it’s a good idea to have the primary objective be finding the students’ weaknesses and strengths for the first two weeks of school and after that it will still be an ongoing process throughout the year. I thoroughly agree with this idea! If you’re able to identify your students’ problems at an early stage then you, as a teacher, can better equip yourself, your classroom, and your lessons to help them gain as much knowledge as possible. It would already be known these students have disabilities because we are discussing special education classrooms and students so finding out what works best for an individual student would be called their Individualized education plan (IEP).Learning your students’ challenges can help you create techniques to teach them.

 If a student is getting tired or overwhelmed easily then a way of helping them succeed is to add small breaks into the class and rewards for the child trying.
 If you have a student with auditory problems then include a systematic study of phonics also when lecturing also give them a printed lecture for them to read and be able to keep up.
 For a student with visual problems give them their school work with large print with fewer problems on the page and if they have trouble keeping their place while reading allow them use a reading aid such as a durable ruler or an object that was durable and colorful so they will keep up with it.
 Allows give support to reinforce the student’s efforts to help motivate them to gain more skills.
 Whether they are special needs students or regular students there is always a visual learner and an auditory learner so using graphs, pictures, and other visuals that go along with that you are saying can benefit both.
 Some students have a hard time staying focused so keeping the child close to you and the board and keeping them interactive by asking questions.

Technology is now becoming more common in special education classrooms because it allows students to complete their work easier and also helps them communicate more effectively.
 Students with poor handwriting skills could use a computer to type their work.
 Students who have visual problems can use a computer to see the words larger and closer.
 Students who have trouble communicating verbally can use software that can be downloaded to a computer that speaks for you once you type in what you want to say.
 If a child would rather listen to a recording on a computer so they can go back and replay it over and over to thoroughly comprehend it technology would play a key part.

Special needs students need the extra attention, care, and time to be able to effectively learn. As a special education teacher it is best to keep parents involved and supportive because the school system may not be as enthusiastic or as up-to-date. This website offers several links on the left side that may be of use and gives extra information on more disorders, parents rights, parents’ guide, etc.

C4T #3

Education Rethink
"Redesigning Space"
Mr. Spencer asked his ELL students to design or redesign space to see how they think. He recently asked them to redesign the classroom space and some of them had way off the wall ideas that were just impossible and others came up with more realistic ideas. Space matters when it comes to learning. The more comfortable you feel you seem to learn better and learn more. When he drove home that afternoon he saw an abandoned warehouse and thought if they could redesign that space for the community. I commented back telling him hopefully he could redesign his classroom little by little to make it more homey-like. When I become a teacher I want to have my students feel at home and feel free to express themselves in a positive way.

"Should schools be more boring?"
This post was one of my favorites! He discussed as he was sitting in an airport watching people on their cell phones, he had written half of a fantasy novel, and CNN was blabbering about some propaganda he began to think about school and when he was sitting in math class he would doodle. He says that boredom was often the beginning of creativity for him and wanted others opinions. I commented back telling him I agreed with him and that I wished students would make more of their down time while in class. As a teacher, I hope that my lectures aren't as boring but students need to be able to express themselves.

C4Ks for October

Rhett's Blog
Rhett is a 7th grader in Mrs. Peterson's class. In the post that I commented on he wrote about a story he came up with. In the story he witnesses a robbery and then men that robbed the store saw him and caught him. They put him in a bag and told him he was going to be held for ransom! I commented on it, telling him he did a great job with such a detailed story and that he has a very active imagination! He left me curious to know what was going to happen next.

Lauren's Blog
Lauren wrote on the USHRS Blog with her topic on "Interviews vs. Conversations". Her group in her class was assigned to interview people throughout her community. She says the task seemed very daunting and nerve racking. The group members came up with 3 questions to ask. As she began to prepare to interview her person she thought it would be easier to do it in a more conversational like way. She says her feelings became less nervous and more comfortable with the casual interview. I commented back telling her the more experience she gets speaking in front of others and to strangers her public speaking skills will get better.

Vitulli & Santoli's Blog
These two teachers, Vitulli & Santoli, set out to Ireland to partake in a conference. While in Ireland they visited many popular places and one of them being St. Patrick College. In this blog they posted a picture of a statue that is located on the college's campus. The statue is in memory of Fr Eamonn Cowan, he was a Chaplin of the college for many years before passing away. I commented to the teachers, asking if they knew what it was made of. I also tried to find additional informatio on the statue since they knew of very little and had asked if anyone could find something else. I didn't have any luck in my search though.

Blog #11

Skype Interview with Mrs. Cassidy
Mrs. Cassidy discusses how she became introduced to technology in her classroom. She started 10 years ago with the blogging and the video she began 2 years ago. Every year she tries to incorporate something new. Mrs. Cassidy says she always pushes the envelope and has a great amount of support to encourage her along. Mrs. Cassidy admits that she's been at her school with several new principles; none of them have ever discouraged her but some have been more interested than others. The parents seem to like seeing their child's work online so they can view it at home. The students' blog reflects their writing. The students love the technology and it's part of their world.

As for students who are learning to become teachers she comments that they should learn the technology now while they are still in school because as they get closer to teaching thier free time becomes less and less. Life will go on without blogs but students get excited when they see others reading their blog across the world. When students get comments back from people about what they're writing on, they become more confident.

The children are learning video, audio, and media with this technology. She says being technology literate means knowing what's going on in the current time not just using spreadsheets and word processor. Students should develop their own social network by any means possible.

She says to use what you're interested in such as video, photography, etc. and you can connect to a network that involves that. Dr. Strange brings up PLNs and he started using Twitter not long ago and now he has connected to several different influential people. Over time the people you connect with will help you use something new to teach you how the world is evolving.

Mrs. Cassidy has her students blog once a week in the computer lab but last year she had her students use blogging for reading lessons and other students can blog from home and when they do that they seem to blog more often. It just depends on the year and the amount of students she has in her class. She brings up blogging can even be useful for a physical education class because if the gym is full or they can't use it the teacher can upload their videos to the blog.

When I have my own classroom I do see myself using blogger as a resource for reading and writing. Also, I want my students' parents to stay involved and watch their child's blog for new posts. These posts will reflect their writing and we can see how they are changing and learning new ways to write. For reading I want them to read books or articles and then summarize or write their opinions about it. Having my students summarize or post their ideas will show parents and myself if they are understanding the material and what they are thinking about the books they are reading. I hope my students' parents will motivate and support their children and myself as far as using the internet to teach. I'm sure I will have those stubborn, over-protective parents that are very fearful for their child's safety and so I must reassure them we have their best interest at mind. Their child's personal information will not be shown and we will use only first names and could give them fake play names to go by as well.

Special Blog Post

A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind
Thurn, the Vice President for Google and educator for Stanford University has begun to revolutionize education in the classroom. Many critics say our school system is stuck in the past and needs to be remodeled. This past January he taught a free online artificial-intelligence class and it drew hundreds of thousands of students. That class was so amazing he didn't want to teach an ordinary traditional classroom. Thurn has come up with Udacity, it's an education company. Udacity is strictly on-line classes and they're free!! These online classes are taught by star professors around the world. Thurn has a staff of producers, editors, designers, camera men, etc. to help him turn his videos into something intriguing, entertaining, and exciting so students will want to learn.

Unlike an ordinary traditional college, Udacity can have hundreds of thousands of students sign up and all the classes are online and it's FREE!!! These classes will teach students a particular skill or concept, but if the student wants a certification or wants to take an exam they must pay a small fee.
At the end of the article he mentions he's not trying to do away with tradition schools he just wants to give a message of hope. He compares his education company to movies. As films grew they were able to reach the masses and in doing this they were able to lower the price for the audience.
I believe Thurn has a good idea but I question how is he going to afford to make these videos for the online classes with no tuition? Yes, there is a small fee for exams and certification but I'm sure not everyone will pay to get those services. Also, I wonder with all these small charter schools and online schools popping up over night they have no reputation so will careers and other colleges such as graduate schools recognize them as something legitimate? For students who really have no means monetarily to go to college or further their education these schools can benefit them more than not learning anything at all. Most students I know want to go to graduate school or get a masters and I don't see someone going to Udacity and furthering that "degree" at a traditional college to a master or doctorate degree. Also, I agree with the critics that our school system should be remodeled. I think traditional colleges should "flip" some of their classes to make them more interesting and have students wanting to wake up and go to class because it puts them in a better mood. My EDM 310 class has been by far the most hands-on class I've had in college and I absolutely love going to that class even if it is a night time class. I find myself engaged and I remember things that are said or done better than any other class. This is how more college classes should be whether they're online or in a classroom.

Blog #10

I'm a Papermate. I'm a Ticonderoga.

Mr. Spencer posted this picture in his blog to mock the "I'm a PC and I'm a Mac" commericials. In the cartoon the heavy set guy is the uncool cheap Papermate while the skinny hippy kid is the Ticonderoga, an expensive product. Ticonderoga makes a more expensive pencil while Papermate's aren't nearly as costly. I believe if you read in between the lines Spencer is comparing the PC and Mac as well. PCs tend to be more like the Papermate pencil, they're cheaper and yes they do tend to catch viruses and break easier and more often than a Mac. The Mac easily sides with the Ticonderoga because they are very expensive, Macs seem to the new trend not only for hipsters but for older people also and from what I've gathered the viruses that attack PCs don't hender the Macs because they are made differently. Now I don't think Mr. Spencer is picking a certain computer over another and I don't think he's saying incorporate either in a classroom; he's only making a mockery. From the template and lay out of his blog I see pencils everywhere so I'm only guessing he's into the traditional pencil and paper education.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games? In this particular post Mr. Spencer gives the readers a dialogue between his boss and himself. They discuss what his boss thinks was a game Mr. Spencer's class was doing and Mr. Spencer tries to educate him on what was really going on. His boss doesn't approve of any educating that looks, smells, and sounds like a game. He wants all his teachers including Mr. Spencer to teach for the test. Test scores are important to some degree but they are not why educators teach. I hope the conversation Mr. Spencer posted isn't real because in this day and age I would hope principals and advisors aren't still set on teaching for the test and not allowing educators to teach in their style. Dr. Strange is my EDM 310 teacher and one of his many mottos is to get rid of the "burp back" education. We as teachers teach to educate our students for the life they have before them not to have them memorize definitions, equations, and biographies for a test. The government is set on numbers and test scores to see if teachers are doing their job and to have no child left behind but it's practically impossible to get disabled children to learn at the same speed and level as a child without disabilities. It's unfair to children of both backgrounds to be asked to learn in such an environment. Regardless, if a teacher has a style of teaching that benefits the children and the children like it and learn something while doing it then let the teacher teach! Like the saying "tomato, tomatoe".

Are Pencils Making Us Narcissistic?
After reading this post all I can think is, "Really?" I cannot believe that conversation existed. I don't think pencils make students narcissistic. That idea seems a bit ridiculous. Mr. Spencer shares a conversation between a principal and a teacher named Mr. Brown; the principal says he had just read an article about pencils making society narcissistic. As students get older they naturally become more self-centered, I feel like it's apart of nature. Later in the conversation Mr. Brown says perhaps it's our words that change our mindsets like using the word audience instead of community. I feel there's nothing wrong with students, children, or people in general writing and sharing their ideas and opinions. Writing doesn't make one become self-centered or narcissistic. I quote from Mr. Brown "I'm pretty sure self-centeredness is a social and psychological rather than a technological issue. Blame humanity on that one." This is exactly what I think. I just can't believe this conversation was even had.

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
This blog by Mr. McLeod was hilarious (once I got to the bottom)! He tells teachers, administration, parents, and board members not to teach their children to read the web, blog, communicate using social media, make videos, use hyperlinks, PLNs, etc. He's sarcastically saying this kind of stuff is non-sense, it promotes children watching porn and meeting strangers. That all this technology is going to cause sexting, cheating, and other bad things. McLeod ends it with this
"don't do any of it, please
really
'cause I'm doing all of it with my kids
can't wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two
can you?"
This last sentence cracks me up, I like McLeod's sarcastic sense of humor. Using these types of technology methods does not say all those bad things will happen. Of course, it can happen but it's not a guarantee that it will. Parents see shows like Dateline NBC "How to Catch a Predator" and it scares them into not letting their children use the internet or allow them to use social networks because they're afraid that it's going to happen to them. As long as the teacher, guardian,or parent monitors their childrens' use it should be fine. If a parent is still on the fence about the use of such then do some research on it or install a tracker on your child's computer to make sure they're staying on track. Most students are already using social media, tablets, computers, blogs, and making videos for YouTube at home so allowing the students to use these type of things in class will further their knowledge and skills.

Project #11

Project #14 Smartboard Presentation