Project 10

My PLN




  I have been building my PLN for the past few weeks using Twitter. At first, I had a hard time making comments because I didn't feel like I knew enough about technology. I didn't want to make comments for fear of sounding stupid. Instead I would look at the different comments and just read what they had to say. As my knowledge of technology has grown through Edm310 and reading twitter, I will now make some comments. I have found several people who have been very supportive and encouraging. When I find a tweet that I think will be useful for future references, I will save it to my favorites. This past week there was a tweet about some of the best children's books. I used that list to choose my book for my trailer. As I comment on blogs for teachers and kids, I will add them to the people I am following. I will continue to build my PLN.

Blog Post 9

Version 4 Post (2011-2012)

In this post, Mr. McClung decided he didn't want this end of the year post to be the same as all the others. Instead, he would share the two themes that continued to nag him. In his first theme, You Gotta Dance With Who You Brought to the Dance, he brought out how he had struggled with peer acceptance. In the past this had not been a factor. But for some reason this year he agonized over who he was as a teacher and what his colleagues thought about him. Somewhere along the way he discovered that what his colleagues thought was not nearly as important as what his students thought. So his #1 rule was making sure that his students were having fun. After all, aren't they the ones that truly matter? Instead of changing dance partners in the middle of the dance, continue to dance with the one that made you want to dance in the first place. The second theme was Challenge Yourself.  During the course of the past couple of years, Mr. McClung had taught the same subjects. He had fallen into the same old routine and realized that his creativity was quickly disappearing. He also noticed that he had become comfortable and lazy. Even worse, he realized that his students weren't enjoying his class. At the same time he was offered a new teaching position. He knew that this opportunity couldn't have come at a better time. He realized that sometimes if we aren't careful, we can become creatures of habit. As he embarked on this new journey, he understood what had taken place and chose to use this opportunity to start over.

What I Learned This Year (2009-2010)

In this post Mr. McClung had been teaching for 2 years. This year he had to experience several challenging changes. Through these changes, he learned how to ADAPT.  During his second year of teaching, Mr. McClung was faced with several first time experiences such as: teaching Jr. High, teaching social studies and history, teaching at a large school district, and teaching 3 different subjects. He had to leave his comfort zone (teaching science in the 6th grade) and adapt to a whole new environment. This was a huge difference in many ways. But the most important difference was the fact that Jr. High students loved their independence. Because he had experience in science and was comfortable with the material, he was able to provide a fun and enjoyable learning environment in science. Unfortunately, because he wasn't comfortable teaching history he wasn't able to provide the same environment in history. In return, the students were not learning very much and certainly was not having fun. So, Mr. McClung decided he needed to make a change. He started looking for different teaching styles that would fit both him as a teacher and his students. After implementing the new teaching style, both him and his students were happy. Another lesson he learned was to Find Your School Mom. Mr. McClung found other teachers who had more experience to guide him in the correct way of doing things. He referred to them as "school moms". They were there to guide him and give him sound advice when he didn't know what to do. He encouraged all first time teachers to find someone and adopt them as their school mom. The next lesson that he learned was to Check Your Ego at the Door. Since he had already established his #1 rule (make learning fun), he knew that he'd have to create embarrassing moments for himself. Which meant he had better check his ego at the door. There were also the lessons of The Path Least Traveled and Don't Be a Control Freak. In the lesson of the path least traveled, Mr. McClung wanted to teach the students how to become "independent thinkers". Often this concept goes untaught because teachers are so busy being "Control Freaks". They don't want the students to think for themselves. Instead the teachers want to control every little detail that goes on within the classroom. In his post he talked about sharing classroom duties with the students so that they created a win-win situation. The students learned responsibility and independence while it also eliminated some of the pressure for him.  Another lesson he learned was Scope and Sequence. In this lesson he noticed that the subjects he liked the most were the ones he spent more time and depth on. The subjects he liked least, he spent less time and depth on. In turn the students were not learning key information. During this time he received adversity from his colleagues. The advice given to him from another colleague was to "shut it down". Fortunately he realized that his students were the most important thing. If he chose to "shut it down", the students were the ones who lose. Lastly, he learned the lesson that It's What You Learn After You Know It All That Matters. During this lesson he realized that although he was progressing, he still needed to make improvements. He warns not to get the "BIG head" because something always comes along to humble us. We can always use advice of the more experienced. Our work is never done, we should always be learning and growing. 

I am glad that Mr. McClung made these end of the year posts. I am especially glad that he was willing to share them with us. There are many valuable lessons to learn from his experience. I am sure that I will be facing some of the exact dilemmas in my future teaching career. I believe that there are many teachers who care too much about what other teachers think and forget about what the students think. I have experienced this before when I have been a substitute teacher. I hope that once I get my teaching degree that I will always do what is best for my students. After all, it is about making students want to learn. I hope that I can be bold enough to stand up for myself and my students if the need should arise. I can also understand how teachers can become lazy and too comfortable being in the same grade and teaching the same subject for so long. I know now that as I begin teaching that I need to be cautious about letting this happen to me. We are crazy if we think that it can't happen to us. We need to challenge ourselves to grow and learn every single year. In Mr. McClung post ADAPT, he explained how he had to adapt to many different situations. I know as I enter into the classroom there will be plenty of opportunities for me to ADAPT. Heck, I'm still having to ADAPT in Edm310. Adapting is a part of life. The sooner we learn that the better off we will be. I have also learned through substitute teaching how important it is to connect with those who are more experienced . These people as he referred to are "school moms". These "school moms" can be so influential during our first years as a teacher. We just need to make sure that we choose our mentors carefully. I am looking forward to becoming a teacher. The thing I love the most about small children is the fact that you can act just as crazy as they do and it doesn't seem to matter. We all laugh together and move on. Thank you Mr. McClung for sharing with us. Hopefully your experiences will help us to become better teachers. Maybe by some chance, we will not make the same mistakes because he was willing to share.  

Project 12

Project #9b

Learning about Nouns on Prezi

Comments 4 Teachers #2

I am driven by two main philosophies, know more today about the world than yesterday. And lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.

-Neil Degrasse Tyson

I’d like to think that this is the underpinning of modern public education. Some days, I witness that everywhere.

Too often, I see people who are motivated to achieve for the purpose of getting more for themselves.

Learn and work for others. That’s education.

Posted on September 30, 2012 (1 Comment)

In my post I introduced myself. I explained that my assignment was to to comment on the post today and again in two weeks. I told him that I agreed with his quote. I explained that I wanted to get my teaching degree because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the students. I told him that I knew how children had to face so many difficulties that were way beyond their understanding. I stated that I was  passionate about my students knowing that someone cared.

I knew exactly what I had to do. It might cost me my job, my career, and my reputation, but following your heart doesn’t really make allowances for such paltry concerns.

-Terry Fallis in Up and Down

How easy it is to mistake what’s easy for what’s right.

At the end of the day or the end of my life, I will be that which I believe. I hold my heart in  highest priority. Why do we shy from that?

It is often the hardest steps that are most worth making.

Blog Post #8

This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2

In Richard E. Miller's presentation, he discusses how our methods of writing has changed. It has changed how we write, where we write, how we research, and where we publish. He first talks about how we write. We use to write with pencils and paper, but now we use computers and programs. Next, he talked about where we write. We use to write in libraries because that was where all the books were. Now we can write practically anywhere because we have laptops. He also spoke on how research has changed. Where we use to use books, we can now find any information we need within seconds using the web. Last, he spoke on where we publish. In the past we published everything by print. Most of this information was trashed at some point or another. When we needed that information again, we couldn't find it. Now information is published both in print and on the web. If the material on print is thrown away, we can find in on the web. It is easy to access. Miller stresses that this is a "increment change" and not a "fundamental change".

In part 2 of the presentation, Miller talks about how fast information changes. It can be difficult to keep up with how fast it changed and all the information available. He also shares that he believes that academic information should be shared with the world freely. That these ideas should not belong to individuals. When people started using iTunes to share academic lectures, many people were surprised by how successful and popular it was. When using the web there are no limits. The only limits are the ones we place on ourselves. He also admits that there are problems with the use of the web.  Two problems that he mentions specifically are access and educational system availability. He stated that they were currently working on composing a digital material. He finished with saying that there are still some things that he can't imagine.

I like what Mr. Miller had to say. How we communicate through writing has definitely changed. I believe that it has changed in a good way. I like that I can write at home, using my computer to find information easily and within seconds. I also like the idea that information can be published in print and on the web. I like to have a physical copy, but if I can't find it, I can also locate it on the web. I believe that it is important to share information with the world freely. I have used other's information and ideas to complete several of my assignments. I couldn't have used that information, if they had not shared that information or I had to pay to use it. I would also agree with Mr. Miller that there are no limits when it comes to working with the web. Unfortunately, that is also a BIG problem. People can access and write anything they want. Sometimes it can be very difficult to determine whether the information is valid or not. Even more difficult to keep students from accessing material that can be very harmful. The web is like everything else. When it is used correctly, it has many benefits.

Blog Post #12 by Carly Pugh

In Carly's post, she talks about an assignment that she thinks Dr. Strange should assign to his EDM310 class. In this assignment, Carly wants the students to create a YouTube playlist that contains 5 of the 10 topics that she provided. The assignment must also contain at least 10 videos. The playlist should reflect our teaching philosophies and what we have learned in our EDM310 class. She also included her playlist as an example and a visual tool. Carly assignment is an example of how modern technology can assist in education. There are so many resources available on the web. It shows that technology can capture the attention of our current technological generation.

I really like Carly's assignment. It makes you really think about what exactly is my teaching philosophy. It also gets you to use technology to find information to incorporate in your playlist. This assignment is similar to what Miller believes. They both use technology to share information with others. It is a collaboration of images and videos. It shows how technology is being used to in the classroom to teach the students. We are presenting information in a new and exciting way to the students. The students are important in the assignment because it will be about them and it will be created by them.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

The Chipper Series is a video of a girl who doesn't like to put forth any effort. She doesn't like the EDM310 class. She thinks that her personal life comes before her assignments and  Dr. Strange should teach her instead of having to teach herself. She continues to carry these twisted ideas into other areas of her life that always result in failure. At the end, she finally realizes that there are no shortcuts in life and the best way to succeed is to put your best effort forward.

In the EDM 310 for Dummies video, the students are advertising a book called EDM310 for Dummies. This book has all the important information to complete EDM310 without becoming stressed. The students were able to get the assignments completed and enjoy learning in the class.

I think that the two videos were trying to teach us that we will get out of our class and life what we put into it. The habits that we create now will also be habits that carry over into our personal lives. By now we should all know what to expect in our EDM310 class. If we will only start our work early, we should have plenty of time to get our assignments completed. I only wish there really was a book called EDM310 for Dummies. I would like to do a podcast in my classroom with my students.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

In the video Learn to Change, Change to Learn, the speakers talk about how the world has changed but the classroom has stayed the same. The video states how students are using technology everywhere but in the schools. One speaker said "technology is not a choice". A new environment has been created. In this new environment, technology is crucial if you want to be successful in college and life.  The teacher and classroom is no longer the main source of learning.  Students are learning more from technology and their outside environment. Unfortunately, today's education focuses on standardized test. These tests have no significant barrings on today's jobs. Today's jobs don't require decision making that standardized test promote. To be successful in today's job market, students need to be learning key ingredients such as: finding information from the web, determining validity of information from the web, problem solving, and collaboration. In order for technology to be taught in the classroom, teachers also need to be trained. They need to know how to use and teach technology in the classroom.

I agree with everything that was said in this video. Students today are learning more through technology outside of the classroom. Unfortunately this is very sad. I also believe that technology is no longer a choice. And I also agree that if teachers are expected to teach technology, then they should be trained. Most importantly, I agree that the focus is on standardized testing. We need to teach these students the skills that are necessary for them to be successful in life. Each school should be required to have a project based class.




Discovery Education Web 2.0 for 2011

In this assignment, I was suppose to go on a Scavenger Hunt at WEB 2.0 Tools.  I was to complete 3 of the 5 tasks listed.

#1.  Edmodo.com is a the tool that I found that is similar to Twitter/Facebook. This tool allows me to communicate with my students, parents, and other teachers. It also allows me to use mini-lessons in my classroom. I can create quizzes and a calendar with this tool. It also has a grade book. All of these functions will be useful in my classroom.

#3  I also made a comic strip using makebeliefcomix.com.

#4 Slide Share This tool can be used to create smart board presentations in the classroom. I plan to teach K-6 classes. I know the smart board is used for their reading program. I can create fun and interesting presentations that my students will love.

Project #8

Blog Post #7

TheNetworked Student

Wendy Drexler's video shows how connectivism is used in the classroom. In connectivism the focus is not on the tools the students use, but the connections they make.  The students attend class three days a week while working online the other two.  No textbooks are used for this class. The purpose of this class is to empower the students to develop connections for their own PLN (personal learning network).  First, they search for different blogs and websites that has important information they can benefit from. Once they find these blogs and websites, they have to determine whether it is a good or bad source of information. When the source is determined valid, the students can now add it to their own PLN.  Later the students share what they have learned with others. This allows students to connect with a network of people all over the world. These connections allow them to share their opinions and ideas with each other.

The questioned was asked "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" The video suggests that the teacher is there to show the student how to build their own PLN. They can do this by helping the students to concern good information from bad information; being present if the students are having trouble and needs assistance; helping students to search for and organize information; and teaching the students how to communicate properly.

Although I understand the purpose of connectivism, I still have mixed feelings about all of it. I believe that it is important to empower the students to learn and find information for themselves. This is important for them to learn for many different reasons other than just education. In some ways I think that making these connections are useless, but then I think of the different connections that have been used in this class and what I have learned from them. Through this class and it's connections, I have learned many useful things that I can apply to my classroom. Although I may not use them all, I am now better able to discern what information I want to incorporate and what I don't. The point is, I now have the information in the event that I need or want it.

A 7th Grade's Personal Learning Environment

This video is about how a student created her own PLE (personal learning environment) for her science class. She started by locating information online that she thought would be beneficial in her science class. She was able to take all the information she found and pull it together all on one page. She had her class items listed at the bottom of her page.Each day she would begin the class by finding out what the day's assignments were. There were many different ways she used her PLE.  One example was the different classroom pets that she learned about so she could handle the pets in class. She could easily pull up the reports of the  different animals she learned about. If she wanted to use them later, she had the websites where she got the information so that she could give the proper credit. The student expressed that she really liked the freedom of choosing how and when she completed the assignments.

I like the idea of students using a PLE in their classes. It would be a great way to organize information easily and neatly. Students wouldn't have to worry about losing papers or leaving work at school. Something I deal with all the time with my children. This can be very beneficial with teachers also. I would have to say that my PLN is a work in progress. The 7th grader's PLE seemed much more organized than mine. Hopefully that will change by the end of the semester.

Blog Post 6

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

In the video, Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, he talked about three areas of his life that made him into the man that he was. Even though he was told that he had only three to six months left, he still had something to share with others. While his focus could have been on himself, he used the precious time that he had to inspire and enable others. Most importantly he was leaving a legacy for his children.

In the beginning of the video, Randy talked about his own childhood dreams. Of those five dreams, he achieved three of them. Even though he didn't achieve the dream of playing in the NFL or  becoming Captain Kirk, he learned valuable lessons from those experiences. As he stated, "experience is what you get when you didn't get what you want." Through those failed experiences he learned about fundamentals, hard work, determination, and leadership. These characteristics played a significant role in shaping him into the man that he was. When his dream of becoming Captain Kirk changed to meeting Captain Kirk, it showed us how are dreams can change. Even though he was able to achieve three of his dreams, they didn't come without "brick walls".  The point is not that he had brick walls, because we all do, the point is he didn't allow those brick walls to stop him from achieving his dreams. It shows us, if you want something really badly, you won't let those brick walls stop you from reaching your dreams.

Another point of his message was about enabling the dreams of others. At one point he speaks of his boss who pulls him aside to tell him in a rather nice way that his attitude could greatly limit his ability to impact others. Later someone tells him to consider the advice a good thing because when someone won't tell you that you are messing up, it means that they have given up on you. This made a difference in the way he looked at this situation. As teachers we should always look for ways to help our students to become better. We all need to be held accountable. As in the video, Pausch states the way in which we do that can have a huge impact on how someone will respond. If we are truly trying to enable others to follow their dreams, then we need to be careful how we say things. Another point that he made was when we are trying to enable others, we should also be careful that we don't set limits for them. Each person has to determine for themselves what their limits will be. We are there to encourage them to be all that they can be. Some key lessons he tried to teach to his class was the importance of focusing on others, learning to work in groups, and accepting self-reflection.  These lessons were what really mattered. It wasn't about test scores. It was about taking what he had taught you and applying it to all aspects of your life.

His final focus was on the lessons that he had learned. As mentors, parents, friends, and colleagues, we all have roles to play. We have to decide what role that will be. How we chose to fulfill that role will determine the impact we have on others. Some of the lessons that he learned was: respect authority while questioning it, teachers can learn from students, never lose your child-like wonder, and loyalty is a two-way street. These are all lessons that we can take and apply to our own lives. It is so important that we pass on the lessons we learn. The greatest role I have is the role of a parent. I have a responsibility to teach my children important life lessons. These lessons will mold them into the person they will grow up to be. Even if they don't apply those lessons, I know that I fulfilled my part by teaching them. This has to be done not just in words but more importantly in actions.

Randy Pausch learned that "moments change our life". I wonder if he figured that out before he was told he had cancer. As sad as it is, we often have to face drastic measures before we understand how precious life is. At the end of his last lecture, Randy wanted the audience to know two things: the lecture was not " how to achieve your dreams but how to lead your life" and secondly the talk "was for his kids not the audience". He felt that it was important to teach them to tell the truth, show gratitude, look for the good in everybody, and to never give up. Randy Pausch left a legacy for all the world ,but most importantly for his children.

Who do you want to be Eeyore or Tiger?

Project #9

US Presidents During My Lifetime

Comments for Kids in September

C4K #1

My assignment was a class in Gulf Shores. The teacher's name is Mr. Capps. This blog did not have individual student blogs, so I commented to the class as a whole. The blog I commented on was Write Now, Alexander, Who Use to Be Rich Last Sunday. In the blog each student was suppose to write a story, about a situation, in which they wanted to buy something. Next, the students had to count out how much money they had. Then, they were suppose to figure out how much money they needed in order to purchase the item.   At the time of my post, no comments had been posted.

I started out saying hello to Mr. Capps and the whole class. I explained that I also live in Alabama. I asked if anyone had heard of the small town I live in or the town my children attend school at. I commented on the pictures that were on the blog. I also asked the students about their favorite thing about math. Lastly, I told them that I was looking forward to hearing from them.

C4K #2

In my second C4K assignment, I was assigned to Atze, an eight grader, in Mrs. Krebs class. In his blog, Atze had a picture that contained artifacts that belonged to his family. He included a hat that belonged to his gramps, a trumpet that belonged to Pake Atze, a picture of the Platz, and a pill box that belonged to his great grandmother.

I thanked him for sharing his family's history. Next, I expressed the importance of knowing our family's history. Last, I asked him if the Platz in his blog was the Platz in Germany. I googled Plaatz because I didn't know what it was.  I also asked him if his family was from Germany. At the end, I told him to keep up the good work.

Atze replied that it was in Freisland, Holland.

I replied back and asked him if his family was from Holland. I also asked him if he had been to Holland, I stated that I thought about wind mills and wooden shoes when I thought about Holland.

C4K #3

In this assignment, I was assigned to Jake. He is a 4th grader at.   In his first blog post he talked about how much he admired his mom. She is a heart doctor. She also takes care of him.

In my response, I told Jake that his mom was a special lady. I thought that her favorite job was taking care of him. I shared with him that I was a mom of 3. I told him to be sure to tell her he loved her every day. I closed by asking him what he.  

I commented on Jake's new comment. He described playing soccer and the sound of the leaves crunching and the smell of the air and grass. He expressed his love for soccer.

I responded by telling him that I enjoyed hearing about his love for soccer. I especially like hearing him use descriptive words in his writing. I explained how using descriptive words helped the reader to visualize what he was saying. I shared how I love this time of year. The weather of fall and the color of the leaves are my favorite. I asked him how long he had been playing soccer. Then I encouraged him to continue blogging. Finally, I  asked him if he had any tips on blogging for me.

I didn't get a reply.