C4K Summary for November

November 8th, 2012- I was assigned to comment on Cade K's blog post

Cade wrote a paragraph about a book he read called Hoot The book is about a child that moved from Montana to Florida and doesn't fit in. He is being bullied now that he has moved to a new place. The end of the book is about the child saving owls. Cade enjoyed the book and thought it was pretty good.

My comment: Hi Cade, This book seems very interesting and had a very good moral. The details you shared with me left me wanting to read it myself. In my opinion that makes you a very good writer! I will add Hoot to my list of books to read. Keep up the good work! Kayla Walker University of South Alabama EDM 310 Student

Novemeber 15th, 2012- Audrey's blog post was my weekly assignment.
“I Need Help With My History Homework…” “Help out a younger student with an essay about world history, but make up a few things that may not have actually happened.”
I helped my younger brother – who is in eighth grade – to study for his history test tomorrow. The chapter he was studying was Hinduism and Buddhism. He proceeded to recite all that he knew about the chapter while I interjected with questions and occasionally some additional information.
Some of the things that I told him that were not true include: Buddha did not actually found the ideas of Buddhism. I told him that while Buddha was in his palace during his childhood, that his uncle used to tell him his thoughts on human suffering, letting go of human desires, and all of the other ideas that Buddhism is based on. My story told that Buddha just repeated all of those things. I also lied and said that Buddha did not sit under a tree without eating for forty-something days. Arguing that a humans cannot go without food for that long. Instead of telling him that Buddha was a wise man, I said that Buddha was actually an inspiring clothing designer – one of the first of his day. The fib goes that Buddha did have a a strong connection with the ideas of karma and the ideas of the Earth but he represented his thoughts through fashion. Saying Buddha invented the circle scarf (to represent karma) and the idea of using animal print and floral print on clothes – to take patterns found in nature and repeat them was a way to honor nature. Another few tidbits I told that were not true were that Galileo was named after his mother’s favorite fictional character and that the word karma means circle or infinity in Arabic. None of what I said is true.
It is always stressed in my history class to “question the author”. My younger brother trusts me. He believed every word I said to be true because it was his big sister telling him. Do you consider every word that your teacher says to be true? your textbook? It is very easy to twist the truth when your audience does not question you. That is why it is important, especially with history, to consider the authors’ motives. “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” Buddha once said that. Or did he?

My Comment: Hi Audrey, It was such a pleasure to read your blog post. You are such a bright and intelligent person. I never would have thought of this topic, but it is definitely something to consider. I have had many situations where I have heard people tell me facts that sounded incorrect. The truth is everyone doesn’t know everything and we should never assume they are right all the time. What a great lesson and eye opener for your readers. I also think it is wonderful that you help your little brother. I can remember helping my sister with homework, and she has always encouraged me to become an educator. Great job Audrey! Keep up the good work! Kayla Walker University of South Alabama EDM 310 Student

November 18th, 2012- I was assigned to comment on Nelson's Naviagtors Blog post
The State house video was assigned for me to comment on for this week. The video showed how the students used technology to create a video with lots of informative facts. They incorporated many images and music to go along with the video. My favorite touch was the kid's voices in the video.

 

My Comment- Hi, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed watching your videos posted above. I can tell that you worked very hard using the technology you were given in the classroom. Even though I watched all four videos, I am commenting on The State House. My favorite thing about this video is that you are reading the facts and information in your on voices. It is a little boring to read the facts, but I like how each of you read a little information in the video. The music and images really made the video very enjoyable. I had no clue the Governor’s mansion has a pool in the shape of Alabama. That is very cool! I enjoyed seeing what you did with technology to create these videos. Keep up the good work! Kayla Walker

Final PLN Report

I am currently still working on my PLN using the tool symbaloo. My PLN is basically personalized for my needs in my life. I have social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. I also have added  blogger, EDM class blog, and USA's website set for my convenience on my PLN. I have worked on making my learning network to fit my needs for my classes and the websites I visit the most. Not only has my PLN helped me with EDM 310, but I have also been using it for my other classes this semester. I am very thankful that I learned how to create a PLN for myself and as my homepage.

Blog Post # 13

Back to the Future - Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby is a fourth grade teacher that will roll over to teach his current students throughout the fifth and sixth grade. That is something I haven't heard of before, but seems very interesting because the student and teacher relationships are probably far better than having a different teacher each year. More than 90% of Mr. Crosby's students are second language learners. These students are at risk because they qualify for free lunch, which means that they are exposed to poverty. What fascinated me most in this video is when Mr. Crosby mentioned most students answered basic questions incorrectly. For example, which country do you live in , what is your telephone number, and your address? These students have been at this school since Kindergarten and have yet to learn basic knowledge that is at their level in their education. This saddens me as a future educator to know that I will one day possibly have a student that has lacked a proper education. Is this due to the neglect of technology in the classroom or a teacher that failed to give his or her all? One of my favorite parts of the video was watching the students involved in the interactive hot air balloon experiment. You could see the amazement in the eyes of the children, and to watch them have fun while learning was great! Mr. Crosby has introduced the students to blogging which improved their self confidence and writing skills. Seeing how he incorporated technology into the everyday subjects being taught in the classroom was very informative. I agree that educators should give their students the very best education available, and give students the skills they need to succeed in society. I can't wait to have my own classroom and successfully have a class blog along with students that are blogging.

A Vision of Students Today




The video above was created by Michael Wesch along with 200 students at Kansas State University. A vision of students today was such an eye opener even though I am a full time college student. The question is asked if these walls could talk ? What would they say? Well the students give many facts that really opened my eyes to my life and how I am affected as a student. Of course the walls cannot talk, but the students can even though there are many students paying for the course that are not attending on a regular basis. The average accumulated debt is 20,000 before graduation. The truth is students pay hundreds of dollars for textbooks they may or may not ever open. The facts are that students are learning in a way that has been the same for a very long time. The fact one student presented said only 26% of my readings are relevant to my life.

Why is it that assignments are rarely carried over into our lives? I have yet to figure this out because isn't college there for us to have a future career in society. Our class work and assignments should all be given with the hopes that it will help us in the real world. Why do we pay such high tuition to be assigned busy work that will end up with a grade and mean nothing more? 21st century educators must change the way teachers have been teaching in the past. Society is moving a full speed ahead and technology needs to be brought into every classroom. The textbooks students spend so much money on could be a thing of the past and the money could be used for technology like iPads. As a future educator this video was very scary for me, because I am currently in the same situation as most of the students at Kansas State. My goal is to be the best educator I can be given the skills I have gained from EDM 310. Many assignments I thought were busy work actually taught me so much in the end.

C4T # 4 Summary

Last week, I was assigned to comment on Allanah King's blog post.  This post was entitled Home School Partnership- iPad Night. Basically Mrs. King held an iPad night for parents, because knowing what their children are doing in school is very important to them. The iPad is a tool that the children are using and the parents had this informative night for them to learn as well. Mrs. King allowed forty parents to come join the iPad night at this particular venue. The night was very succesful in sharing apps, ideas, and instructions on the iPad and allowed many parents to understand exactly how technology is effecting their child.

My Comment:

Hi Allanah,
I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your blog post and reading about the iPad night. I think it was an excellent way to get parents involved and using their iPads and technology with their children. We are learning in my class about how to bring technology into the classroom. I think one of the most important steps is getting the parents involved and on board. Thanks for allowing me to have the opportunity to read your blog post.
Kayla Walker

Final Project Progress Report

I am working alongside my classmate Josh Adkison on our Final project for EDM 310. We have chosen to enter the Made At The USA Contest. We have discussed our ideas through emailing and texting, and will be meeting sometime next week to create our video before the due date on December 2nd, 2012.

The topic we have chosen to create our video on is USA Athletics. Basically, we want to incorporate the major changes, improvements, and benefits resulting from the athletics programs offered at USA. I am completely confident that our video will be an excellent representation for USA's 50th anniversary. I can't wait for it to be completed, so others can see one of the many components that makes up the University of South Alabama.

Blog Post # 12

Blog post # 12 was assigned for the student to create their very own assignment. It can be anything you would have liked to have received as your first blog post. I plan on being an elementary teacher so I didn't really choose a specific subject to apply this assignment towards. I feel like at the beginning of EDM 310 I was a little confused at the main goal of the course. However, now it so clear to me and has changed my way of thinking. My assignment is similar to the video blog post Dr. Strange has assigned. I feel like this video is a great example for all new EDM 310 students because it is very straight forward and to the point. 
The instructions for Blog post # 1 1. Watch this video

2. Explain how you feel about this video and what does it mean to you. Do you think you can conform to this style of teaching as a 21st century educator? Give your opinion on how students can benefit from technology. Highlight and summarize the video.

3. Follow the guidelines Writing a Quality Blog Post

Blog Post # 1

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video on New Brunswick Public Education. It is fantastic to see the door being closed to the old and outdated education students have received for years. The comparisons used in the video really hit home with me. I didn't realize how long ago it was when I did actually get up to change the TV channel. Or when was the last time you seen a payphone? Lets face it a long time ago right! I wonder what 21st century classrooms would look like if these changes all take place. If students have no textbooks then there will be no lockers. Will students have desk? Who knows because paper and pencils being obsolete may include other aspects of schools as well.

Everyone is constantly saying the world is changing around us, but this video really brought that concept into perception. For some reason I am probably like every other student walking into EDM 310 but I never dreamed of teaching in such a way. I thought pens and paper would be everywhere in my classroom. I don't mind learning more about 21st century teaching and all of the technology available. It is just very new and a lot to absorb at one time. I am curious about how to incorporate all students which come from all works of life into one technology savvy classroom. I love the flipped classroom idea but what if all of my students don't have a computer at home. I want to think that everyone does but the fact is that may not be the case. I want to be a 21st century educator thanks to this video and what it has taught me.

C4K for October

October 1st
Briana-Cari a student in Ms. Dunlop's class was my assigned C4K for the week. She posted about how smart and nice Ms. Dunlop is as her teacher. Ms. Dunlop is always willing to help her and that is why she admires her.

My Comment: Briana-Cari, I’m very happy to see that you enjoy Ms. Dunlop being your teacher. I can remember my fourth grade teacher Ms. Kerley. I admired her enough to choose to become an elementary teacher as well. Keep up the great work on your blog. Kayla Walker 

October 11th
Annelise, a student in an online AP US Government course was my assigned C4K. She posted about AP Government ruling her daily thoughts. She spoke of how AP government has influenced her life through the class, news, and family's conversation. She explained about how she was interested in politics and how her family very opinionated. I think at any age opinions can be formed, and it is great for young adults to be interested in politics.

My Comment: Hi Annelise, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I am so thrilled to see that you are enjoying your online AP US Government course. It is wonderful to see that you are carrying your knowledge outside of the classroom. There are very few people in the younger generations that care about politics. Since your family is very broad on the political spectrum it allows you to see many styles and personalities. I’m sure! I really enjoyed reading your blog post, and keep up the good work! Kayla Walker

October 16th Jake K was my assigned child for C4K and he was such a joy to read and comment on his post. He wrote a paragraph of informative facts on Thomas Jefferson. All of his facts were on point and some I never knew. Did you know Thomas Jefferson hated to speak for a crowd? Well it's true. He left a link that led to more information on Mr. Jefferson our third president. I also really liked the image he added of Thomas Jefferson on a coin. He did a wonderful job!

My Comment: Hi Jake, I enjoyed reading your post about Thomas Jefferson. All of the facts that you mentioned were very informative. I had no clue that Thomas Jefferson did not like to speak in public that is very interesting. When I was in the fifth grade I had to learn a song to name all of the presidents in order. President Bush was our current president when I was in the fifth grade. Can you believe I still remember the song ? Also, the picture of Thomas Jefferson and the link contained a lot of good information. Keep up the good work Jake! Kayla Walker University of South Alabama EDM 310 student

October 25th I was assigned Loreli, which is a very smart and creative student. She created a slideshow video of the Rocky Mountains. I loved all of the animals that she incorporated from the mountains. The music she added on the slideshow was very appropriate and made me want to take a trip!

My Comment: Hi Loreli, I am so happy to have had the opportunity to read your blog. The slideshow you created was fantastic. The fact that you incorporated music was great, because it tied the slideshow and the images together. The images of the landscape of the Rocky Mountains and the animals were very informative. Have you ever been to the Rocky Mountains ? Kayla Walker University of South Alabama EDM 310 Student

Blog Post # 11

In this video Little Kids Big Potential, watching the kids work with technology was very exciting. All semester I have been told about technology in the classroom, but actually seeing kids work together with technology was great! The students had blogs, wikis, and were working with Skype. They knew more than your average adult does about the computer. Mrs. Cassidy set up blogs for all of her students and they write on their blogs everyday. In the video the students said their writing gets better every time they write. One of the perks to students having blogs and their teacher having a class blog is the interaction with parents. The students post their daily work on their blog and then parents can see exactly what their child is doing. They can see homework assignments and feel involved in their child's education. I think this convenience allows parents to be open to their children's work being on the internet. At the beginning of the year a paper is sent home for parents to sign before their child can even access the computers at school. Then once the students are on the computer they will not have their last names exposed with their first name. The students pictures are also not matched up with the child's name. These features are for the child's safety on the internet. Safety is a the main priority of the teacher and parent because the children love for others to see their work. I love the idea of having each student with a blog to write on everyday.

I really enjoyed watching the Skype video with Dr. Strange and Mrs. Cassidy. She is such an inspiration to all the future educators looking forward to technology in the classroom. How did Mrs. Cassidy start with technology in her classroom? Ten years ago she was given five computers and that was enough to make a center in her class. She thought this was a great place to start and lets just see what happens. There are so many benefits for technology in the classroom because this is the children's world now. They need to know how to live in a changing world. I think Mrs. Cassidy is a great teacher and I loved seeing everything she does for her students.

Check out the Skype conversation with Mrs. Cassidy HERE.

C4T Post # 3

Why are some people moaners?

Well this article was written by Ali Handscomb on her blog called Leadership in Practice. Basically this post was directed towards people who are negative and complain often. Why do some people act like this? I have the slightest clue. I have a friend that acts this way and her attitude makes me miserable. I guess it is partly because as humans we most often like certainty rather than chaos. Some people are simply not made for working within a climate of constant change, whilst for others it is the breath of life. Ali could not have said it better because not everyone can handle changes in life. A life that would be easy for one person may overwhelm another person. I try to look at life by the rule "don't judge someone until you have walked in their shoes". That rule often helps me to not judge someone when they show a negative attitude.

My comment: I know people in my life that are completely negative about any situation. Positive atmospheres are always great to be in, but the reality is that we are all going to be put in negative situations at some point. I agree that it has everything to do with how we react to things rather than acting in a certain way. Why do people give up? That is a question I am not sure how to answer, because I have such a "go getter" type attitude. How someone can just give up on life, a class, a person, or anything is mind blowing to me. No matter what situation it all depends on the amount of effort that is put forth. As a future educator I have decided that I will make my students dig deep to strive for an A. I will not spoon feed a child, because they need the skills to work on their own and succeed. Students can not always have the answer right in front of them because that will cause students to fail in real life situations. I really enjoyed reading your blog post! Kayla Walker University of South Alabama EDM 310 Student

Transforming is not the same as saving money

This post was directed towards people such as JK Rowling, Steve Jobs, and Spielberg. Each of these people have their own unique stories, and are all well known for their accomplishments. I based my comment around this statement "To transform requires new thinking, the capacity to change and ultimately loss". I feel like each of these individuals to risks and chances in the decisions they made every day. Without taking risks one will never know the full potential that they have. I agree that transforming is not always for the goal of saving money.

My comment: Hi, My name is Kayla Walker, I am a student at the University of South Alabama in EDM 310. I enjoyed reading your blog post Transforming is not the same as saving money. I agree with you by reading about JK Rowling and Steve Jobs in particular the transformations in their life were definitely not cost cutting in a any way. By changing shape, appearance, and form that allowed each person to stand out in their own way. Without some sort of transformation they would have never flourished in their own way. To transform requires new thinking, the capacity to change and ultimately loss. This reminds me of artist that painted with such simple concepts. The reason they are famous is because they decided to call their idea art. That is a form of transformation in which led them to become famous artists. With change failure and loss will come, but success can also follow. Your blog post caused me to think a little bit which I appreciate. Kayla Walker

I would highly recommend that you check out Ali Handscomb's Blog

Special Blog Post Assignment

A world where grades don't matter, is a USA Today article written by Mary Beth Marklein. In celebration of USA TODAY's 30th anniversary a few of USA's greatest visionaries were interviewed to talk about the world of tomorrow. Mary Beth Marklein wrote about Sebastian Thrun, a Google Vice President who has founded an education company called Udacity. Mr. Thrun plans to revolutionize education through Udacity which is his education company in California.
Udacity is a completely different type of education, because learning will be free and available to anyone interested in operating like a whimsical style playground. Never be late for class again, failure no longer being an option, and a lesson plan similar to Angry Birds. Does this sound like an educational system for you? Sebastian Thrun says learning should be as much fun as it is to play a video game. Udacity was created after teaching a free-online artificial intelligence course that drew more than 160,000 students. He had such an experience that he decided he could no longer teach in a traditional Stanford classroom. Udacity is his idea of having an online catalog full of free online courses taught by professors from around the world. Special effects and videos are also being incorporated into Udacity.

Sal Kahn is a friend of Mr. Thrun who is a huge supporter of the "flipped classroom". He has inspired a number of schools across the country to "flip" their classrooms. When you flip a classroom it allows the students to watch video lectures at night, and discuss and complete homework during the following day. It reduces unnecessary lecture time in the classrooms, which gives students the time they need on each lesson. It's amazing that New Charter University and UniversityNow are working to make an online education as affordable as a cell phone bill. Also, Charter schools have created a curriculum based on game playing.

How exactly will education look like in 30 years? Honestly nobody knows! Thanks to technology enabling educators the future is looking very promising. Silicon Valley entrepreneurs is also personalizing education and scaling it up. Classes involving a sequence of increasingly more challenging exercises and quizzes aimed at helping students master a particular concept or skill. Instead of the same skills taught over and over that will never carry over into the real world. Thrun is planning a funeral for brick and mortar schools. Instruction will be free, but related services may involve a fee. Honestly that sounds a lot better than the rising tuition rates we are currently facing.

Before EDM 310 I would have been completely confused when reading this article. I have never before been in a class with no pencils, paper, or grades. At first I was very skeptical and honestly nervous because I like my work right in front of me neatly organized. Thanks to my PLN and Google Docs I have been very pleased with the course. Technology is changing around us and educators are taking advantage of a new updated way of learning and educating others. My way of thinking has completely changed thanks to Dr. Strange and Edm instruction. I do not completely agree with Mr. Thrun and his vision for a failure free education. In my opinion we all fail at some point in our life, and my failures have made me stronger and the person that I am today. I also enjoy meeting with my instructors rather than online courses. Through online courses that I have taken I often felt alone with little help. The Wednesdays that I meet with my classmates and Dr. Strange always help me to feel like I am aware of what is going on in the course. The email, facebook, twitter, and the class blog are excellent and informative ways to communicate through online assignments in EDM 310. Technology in classrooms are a MUST and flipped classrooms are so effective from what I have seen so far. I cannot wait to be an educator that leaves the past with the paper and pencils. I do agree that grades are discouraging and just really don't always show the effort put into the course. EDM 310 will be a grade that I worked a lot harder for than most A's I have received in the past. So therefore I plan on grades not being the most important factor in my future classroom.

Green Screen Project

Project # 14

Blog Post # 10

I have been staring at this cartoon on and off today, and I think I have come to a conclusion. The Papermate to the left is the old outdated learning. He cost less but breaks all the time is a way of saying higher education costs more and lasts longer. Papermate is less quality than 21st century learning and with a little more money he could easily be a thing of the past. The Ticonderoga represents the new updated way of learning and teaching. By saying she is the most expensive purchase any hipster will make is an example of outdated education versus new education. Yes, the outdated way of learning is cheaper, but it is less effective than 21st century learning. I think the cartoon is meant to grab the reader's attention and focus in on giving our students a better quality education.

Part 2 Why Were Your Kids Playing Games? This post is about Mr.Spencer and a talk he had with the principal at his school. Basically the principal accuses Mr. Spencer of playing games in the classroom instead of teaching. He begins to explain that the students were engaged in this interactive activity. The principal will not have it he says the focus is helping the students pass the rote memorization test, so the main focus is memorization skills. Well Mr. Spencer believes interactive activities for students is a fantastic way for students to learn while having fun! In my opinion anyone that feels like games and fun interactive activities are not made for the classroom should not be a teacher or belong in education. While having fun students will not just learn new skills, but also everyday life skills and how they are applied in different situations. The problem solving skills are fantastic to teach because like I have said before students need to be able to fend for themselves. Students should not be spoon fed because they need to know how to help themselves and do simple problem solving skills on their own. I think Mr. Spencer is an excellent teacher and is doing a great job with his mind set in his classroom!

I also read the post Remember Pencil Quests?, and I agree that the old way of learning is nothing more than outdated. He starts off by explaining the game Pencil Quests that he remembered playing in school. The game was basically about following a predetermined map and using your pencil. The pencil was the only tool for being social in this particular activity. Isn't that sad? I agree that when I think back to some of the mediocre games and activities I played in school that they were the least bit interactive. The 21st century allows a new way of learning for students and an exciting place in the classroom for any teacher. If you let technology into the classroom, the students will only flourish and grow as a whole. Students need to have that opportunity to socialize with their classmates whether it be blogging or social networks. The classroom is full of endless opportunities if you are willing to open up to new ideas and leave the past in the past.

Part 4 Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? By Scott Mcleod I could not agree more with Mr. Mcleod's poem about technology in the classroom. Why would we want such an evil tool influencing our students? It's called technology and it's changing around us daily whether we want it to or not. As educators why would we want to hold our students back from learning and interacting through technology. Well Mr. Mcleod hit the nail on the head, he basically states that porn, cyberbullying,sexting, and many more dangers are out there. Well I can remember in elementary school being so excited to take my accelerated reader test on the computer, because it was so much fun and way better than boring test on paper. It actually encouraged me to read so that I could take my test on the computer. That is actually really sad to be excited to take a test just because it is on a computer. I understand parents concerns about the internet, but this is educational and students will thrive when introduced to such and engaging way of learning. Why hold students back from their full potential?

Who is Scott Mcleod?
Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., serves as the Director of Innovation for Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8 in Iowa. He is also the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education known as CASTLE. The co editor of the popular series Did You Know?(Shift Happens). Scott Mcleod is also an expert on K-12 school technology leadership issues. Mr. Mcleod is an inspiration for advocating technology and education, and I enjoyed reading his blog post.