Thanks!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

Thank you so much for a great opportunity to get to know each and everyone in my class. I have enjoyed our time together and I hope that we have classes together in the future. Good Luck and Merry Christmas!!

Thank you Dr. Strange and I hope we all get AAAAA's!!!!!!!!!!!

What I learned..

Wow... where do I being. I thought I was so good with computers and technology until I got into this class and realized I really did not know that much about technology. I learned so much in this class. I learned to do spreadsheets, blog, set up a google page and search for different sites to put on my google page, and all about podcasts. This was a very fulfilling class and I am glad i took it so I can carry it on with me as I go through school. This was a very educational class that I think everyone should be required.

Outlook on Our Blogs

There are many pros and cons of blogging. This was my first time learning about blogging and it is very interesting, but also alot of work. I looked over one of my class mates blog and its alot of work.

Blogging is very time consuming and I do not see me being able to have that much time in my classroom to be able to blog all the time.

I would like to have a blog eventually when I have my clas though, so parents are able to access it and be able to view what their children are learning and having like a weekly calendar put up showing what we will be studying and going over that week and different projects we will be doing.

Blogging is a lot of fun once you learn to do it. And I hope I get even better at it so I will be able to set me up a new page for my parents to view.

International Talk

I got in touch with a second grade teacher in Chicago. We chatted about all the different ways of teaching and how we do things different. She tried to warn me not to go into Elem. education unless I really like it because it was really hard. The school she teaches at is a low income area and most of the parents at her school do not really care if their kids are in school or not. Which is sad because all parents should want their kids in school. And how the crime is so much greater up there. She taught me a few good techniques for when I have a classroom of my own. She told me i needed to reach out to my parents of all my students and let them know that I am here for them whenever they have questions or concerns and let the parents be apart of the learning process. So, that was a great tip. I am glad I got in touch with her. Now I will be able to go through school and have a friend I can email and see her opinion on things also.

Class Podcasat

Well of course all of our podcast were not great, but I do think we all did a very good job. That was my first time doing a podcast and when I listened to it again, it sounded so funny. I sounded so different and you could tell in my voice I was nervous. In our podcast my group consisted of Brooke, Kellie, and myself. We did outs on ACCESS and ALEX. We were not perfect and we did have a little too much reading. You could tell when we were talking that we weren't really having a conversation we were just stating facts about the program. So, I think we should have made it a little more communicating through one another and getting others opinions.
The second one that I really like was the Randy Pausch podcast. They did a very good job and they kept their conversation going and kept it interesting. His lecture was already amazing and then being able to hear what other people say about it and how it inspired them to do certain things is inspirational. They did a great job.
And I know this is kind of rude, but the others were real boring. You really could not get into what they were talking about. It just seemed like a bunch of talk and not making any sense. That is just my opinion though.

Overall, everyone did do a good job for their first podcast. I think we all were a little nervous. But it helps alot being over a mic instead of on televisin or something.

"Growth vs "Fixed" Minds

This was a podcast done from a Stanford University psychologist. This was a great podcast. I think people are really like that. You know you set your mind to something and you can do that something, but some people set their minds that they aren't going to do something and they end up not doing it.
I think it was amazing how the students had no clue they were in the program, but the teachers knew exactly by the way they acted and how there minds were.

In one point it made which struck me as surprising at first was that people with a fixed mindset often have had lots of praise. It makes the point that just telling your child they are clever, or wonderful, or whatever, sets up a belief system in them which can become fixed and she recommends instead praising children for their effort, for what they’ve learned. This is a key point really - that when you have a mindset about loving learning you can grow, but when you have a mindset where you think talents are fixed then you get stuck.

If this is what will help out students then why are we not all doing this.

Podcast

As I was searching through different podcasts I came across a teacher from Texas that did a podcast with her students. The students were in groups of four and they each had a topic they had to research and do a presentation about. The teacher explained that they would have to research their topic and they had to know they topic well enough to be able to speak about it and debate it.

Some of the children had great topics such as politics and the reasoning behind democrats and republicans. I guess with the election near they were comparing the electors.

I also came across another podcast that was speaking about what infrared light was and how fire fighters can find people lost in the woods. It was very cool and interesting. It was talking about how the cool and hot send off different lights and just very interesting.

"The Edible Schoolyard, in collaboration with Martin Luther King Junior Middle School, provides urban public school students with a one-acre organic garden and a kitchen classroom. Using food systems as a unifying concept, students learn how to grow, harvest, and prepare nutritious seasonal produce. Experiences in the kitchen and garden foster a better understanding of how the natural world sustains us, and promote the environmental and social well being of our school community.
Children learn about the connection between what they eat and where it comes from, with the goal of fostering environmental stewardship and revolutionizing the school lunch program."

"A growing movement has emerged to transform school lunch into a vibrant expression of education for sustainability. The Center for Ecoliteracy has launched the Rethinking School Lunch initiative as part of the national effort to restore the connection of farms to communities, meals to culture, and health to environment"

A Night in the Global Village is a video that documents Heifer International's Global Village project that simulates lifestyle typical of developing countries. At Heifer International’s Global Village, in Perryville, Arkansas, Colorado middle school students experience firsthand the living conditions typical of developing countries.

After listening to the different podcast they were all very informative and very interesting. Some seemed to be more informative than others and some it seemed as if they were just having a conversation.

My favorite one was the Kid cast because it gave the students the opportunity to do presentations and to me that makes me think that they enjoy it more. I think its a great idea for students to be able to podcast. It is a different way of learning and being able to brainstorm with one another.

Another one I listened to that was interesting was the Photography. It was four men talking about photography and the techniques of it and pointing out great ways to do things and tips on how to get a good photo. This was interesting because it didn't seem like a speech, it seems very informative and interesting.

All of the podcast were interesting. I think being able to podcast and then go and listen to the conversations you have is amazing. Some people sound really good and other you can tell are very nervous, but its a good way of learning how to make speeches.

Access Lab

I visited the Access lab at Daphne High School. I met with Mr. Rohe who told us all the pros and cons of this new program. Access is a great new program that is set up in only a few high schools in Alabama right now, but by 2009 all high schools in Alabama will have it. Unfortunately we could not sit in on a class because of the schedule, but we did get some one on one time with the teacher to really see how he feels about this new technology.

It was a great program to develop, but with everything there are always problems. Having different schedules at all different schools, glitches in the systems, and trying to schedule all different schools all on the same time. ACCESS is a great program and I really hope they can fix the problems because this gives students the opportunity to advance themselves in higher classes and not be limited to only what that school offers.

Randy Paush

This lecture was so uplifting, inspirational, caring, and funny. His lecture has changed so many peoples lives and now I know why. Randy Pausch was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer, but that did not get him down. He spoke in his last lecture about his childhood dreams and what would you do if you only had six months to live and how would you live your life. Pausch wanted to live each day to the fullest and in his lectures he spoke of his dreams and how he had to overcome many obstacles.

I learned a lot from his last lecture. In our world today we take everything for granted, even our lives. It makes you sit back and really think about all you have and what if something was to happen to you what would you do. He did not dwell on his cancer, he spoke up and he inspired millions of people to follow their dreams and do not take anything for granted.

IPODS at Duke University

Duke University has come up with a new experiment with their students using the Ipods. An Ipod ranges to about 300 dollars and all new freshman coming into Duke University that are registered for certain classes will receive an ipod. [1]
"Students also will be able to use the devices to download course content, recorded lectures, foreign language lessons, audio books and music from a special Duke website modeled after iTunes. The school will supply voice recorders for some classes, enabling students to record notes while working in the field."
I also read on this website that before they give these ipods out they download the Duke fight song. I think this is a great idea, but at the same time it can be very distracting. The ipods might be a great advantage also because if one student missed classed they can forward the lecture to them and while studying or doing homework you can pause the lecture, rewind, and fast forward. I wish they would do that experiment here. I think it would help out alot of students!
To read more about Duke University using Ipods you can go to this website:
1. http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2004/07/64282

My Presentation

Dr. Alice Christie

Oh My Gosh. I loved Dr. Alice Christie's website. I am so glad I was able to explore this website. As I was looking into it, there are so many ways you can learn about technology and other resources. As I was exploring I came across this link called: Language Arts Comes Alive as Middle School Learners Become Information Produces." This quote was on the very first page and it is very true,
" I hear, and I forget
I see, and I remember
I do, and I understand."
I love this quote because it us true. The more we actually do, the more we can understand.

As a student becoming a teacher, this website is very useful. She explains certain ways to do projects , how to handle students, how to make everything a bit more interesting for the students. I know when I am a teacher I will use her website as a great source to help find projects or just how to simply handle a situations for the students to better understand. I would recommend each and every teacher to just explore her website and I promise it will not be a waste of time. She is a brilliant teacher and I hope to accomplish as much as she did.

Wikipedia

Wow. When I read this article I had no clue that Wikipedia was not a resourceful page. I did notice anytime you search for something online wikipedia is the first website that will pop up. In one of the articles its said, "Wikipedia calls itself "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit," which is another way of saying it is not fact-checked. Or spin-checked, for that matter." I knew it was free, but did not know you could edit what it said. I am really disappointed in this because I know I have used Wikipedia in many of my researches and now to this that it could have been false, its very disturbing.

I will never be able to trust Wikipedia again. Because you have to imagine how much harm it has done already. They say they made a scanner now that can detect what as been edited, but what if that machine misses something and we are misinformed. I will no longer trust nor use Wikipedia in any of my researches.

November-Why Wireless?

At Arapahoe High School they have accessed wireless internet for their students, teachers, and parents to access. In this blog a teacher at the high school had to write in the newsletter why they think having wireless internet for their students is a good thing and what the students can benefit from having the access. As a college student I think that's a great idea. Having your own computer you can keep notes on your computer to remind you of homework, or notes to study.
In high school you would have to worry about those few kids that are still immature and would probably take advantage of this and do some stupid things, but you do have that certain amount of students who this will help benefit them in the long run. I think having wireless internet for the student and teachers to access on their personal computers is a great idea.

Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

Well, I think both ways. It is okay sometimes and sometimes its not. There are a lot of great teacher out there today that do not have any computer skills and do a great job at teaching. But at the same time, there are teachers who need to learn because in our society today everything is on computers and play stations. Our students have to learn to use this systems because they are used everyday in life.
There are many generations today that are smart and very successful and they did not have computers when they were growing up. So what do you think they are doing today? They are still successful. It is not that hard to understand the basics of technology. Give a teacher a computer and give her a couple of hours and eventually she will figure out how to use it.
So, I believe all teachers should know how to be literate in the technology field, but if they are not they must have a better technique in teaching.

International Websites

INTERNATIONAL WEBSITES


Mrs. Mc's is a teacher in Australia. Her blog page is so creative and interesting. What I loved about her creativity is she had a box on her desk that her students or parents could write her and discretely leave her messages of any concerns or just wanted to simply see how everything is going. I think that is a great idea, because at times students might have a problem, but might be too embarrassed to say anything about it aloud. Mrs. Mcs class stays very busy and its real cool to see the way schools in Australia work and the different locations they travel to for feild trips. This is a picture of the box that she keeps on her desk. You can visit her website at:

http://mrsmcsclass.blogspot.com/









The second website I found is Mrs. Kathy Cassidy's first grade class in Moose Jaw, Canada. On her blog she explains how her children are learning to read and write. She has set up a blog for each of her students to help them read and write. On her blog she shows how the letter they are working on and she helps them to learn the word by bringing in an object that starts with the letter they are currently working on. This is picture of all the objects that start with the letter F. You can check out her website at:
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337

How others use blogs!

My first blog that I found online was Mr. Cosands 5th grade class at Kennedy Elementary School in Medford, Oregon. This website was set up for the students and their parents to keep up with what is going on in their classroom. On their blog they have it set up where you can view their calendar for upcoming events and see the projects they are working on. They call themselves the DreamExtreme Class. This year on their blog they have contacted a school in Arkansas where they will keep in touch with those students and share ideas about the presidential election. This is a great idea for parents who are always curious at what their kids are going at school. Mr. Cosands also posted this classroom syllabus and what he expects of each child. You can check out this website at:
http://www.dreamextreme.us/Welcome.html

As I was searching for another blog I really wanted to find a blog from a high school, but when I came across this one I had to tell you about it. This blog is from a first grade teacher, Mrs. Phillips. She has designed her blog to be so interesting and just by the look of it you want to explore. On the side of her blog she posts a picture of herself and shares a little bit of history about herself to her students and parents. In Mrs. Phillips class she posts a blog everyday for her parents to read about what their children did that day in class and she also posts all of her students art work. On her blog she explains to her parents and other teachers that she will post a newsletter every other day so if they can not check it everyday they should at least try to check it once a week. Being a first grade teacher her page is set up so great. The students first week of school she did a couple of experiments to help the students get to know each other; such as, how many girls and how many boys, how many have brothers and sisters, when is their birthday, and so forth.
The excitement of their first day of school is all on her website, from developing reading groups to losing teeth. This gives me a great idea on how to set up my classroom and think about helping my students get to know a little bit more of each other. I would recommend everyone to check out this site. The website is:
http://mrsphillipsatmarktwain.blogspot.com

Did You Know?

This is an ever changing world. How we live, work, and communicate with each other. It's amazing how Albert Einstein knew that technology would always change before it even did. I work at a bank and we have computers that add everything up for us and money counters that can count the money, know the difference in each bill and can detect fraudulent bills. And now no more getting lost in the mall, all you have to do is call whoever your with on their cell phone. It seems that technology is just going to keep increasing in life and before you know it we will be doing everything online and over the phone. You see one out of eight couples that are married met online.

The statistics are amazing and in a couple of years they will change dramatically with how the economy works today. It is awesome for students now who have full time jobs and families all they have to do is access the internet and can receive their college degree. I have a two year old and I can only imagine how technology will be when she is in college.

ACCESS

The Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS) is a new program that has been set up in many high schools to help students receive a higher education. Like college students we can take online classes, and now in high school, the students are able to access a higher course online. This gives the students the opportunity to take advanced placement courses that are not offered at their school.
I think this is great because in high school the curriculum is very limited and now because of ACCESS the students can actually go online and receive higher level courses. This will in the long run better prepare them for college and their career.

ALEX

The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is an online library available in Alabama. This website is designed for teachers and administrators so they can access information from their own computers instead of going to the library. This is a great program that is very easy to use. It shows where other teachers can find web links that are suitable for the lessons, lesson plans, personal workspace, professional learning, and distance learning. Starting out as a new teacher, I believe this website will come to help out a lot. You can view other teachers lessons plans to learn how you want to structure your own and get lots of ideas for activities and projects.

ALEX also has a course of study, you can click on which subject you would like to concentrate on and view the different techniques to go over. I can't wait until I begin teaching, I know this website will be one of my favorites. It will help guide me through my years of teaching!

Welcome!!

Hello! My name is Allison Davis. I am 22 years old and from Gulf Shores, AL. I have a full time job and I am a single mother. I have a beautiful little girl who will turn two on August 31. So, I have to say I stay real busy and it gets real tiring, but I know that I want to finish my education so I can give my daughter a better life. Teaching is a big part of my family. My mom and dad both graduated from USA with their Education degree and many more of my family members are teachers also. So, I have big shoes to fill. I am so excited about school and I can't wait until the day that I have my own class. So, Good Luck to everyone this year and hopefully we all make A's!!!

Allison Davis