Smartboard Project

Blog Post 13

Back to the Future

Brian Crosby’s video “Back to the Future” starts out by telling his audience about his fourth grade class and how most of the students don’t even know what country they live in at the beginning of the school year. He explains that he teaches students of poverty; and they do not have the schema of the world. Crosby wants his students to have creativity and concepts of thinking outside the box. Each student in Mr. Crosby’s classroom has a laptop with their own blog where they complete all their assignments. He explains that most assignments are connected like the “High Hopes Balloon Project”. The students used science, history, language arts, and technology with this project. Students use interactive experiments, then embed videos onto their blogs, and finally explain what and why things happen in the experiment on their blogs. Therefore, student and experts around the world see the blogs and leave comments for the students which make them active learners.



Mr. Crosby’s poverty students become active learners through technology. I like that he empowers students to be a learner, not just students that are capable of being taught. I think this is very important for any student at any level of education because learning is motivational, empowers your intelligence, and guarantees your success for your future. At the end of the video, he quotes a high school teacher, “the basics (education learning) need to be motivational…. and every student has the birthright to an education no matter what their home life is.” This is important to me because I believe that all children rich or poor deserve the best education that will prepare them for a successful future. I think Mr. Crosby does that in his classroom because he takes low income student and connects them to the schema of the world. Therefore, he is giving the students the best education with all the tools that are available to him.

A Vision of Students Today

This video, “A Vision of Students Today”, is a product of the Kansas State University. This video has no words just text. It starts off very slow in a university classroom with the writing on the walls that ironically say, “If these walls could talk… what would they say?” Then, it moves to the back of the desk which has written, “If students learn what they do…. what are they learning sitting here?” Of course, walls and desks cannot talk but students can. They asked the students, “ What is it like being a student today?” Many students had things to say like the size of their large classrooms, a small number of professors know the students names, buying hundreds of dollars in textbooks that they don’t even open, the price of the debt they will have when they complete college, the price of their technology tools, how offend they use technology, and so on.

This video really connects to me because I am a student in college. I have mutual feelings with the students in the video. And I feel their pain. In this class EDM 310, we are learning about the technology in our future classrooms and teaching students how to be successful with the technology tools. I think that the university should use some of those concepts that we are learning about. Most professors just lecture, half of the class shows up, and then the half of the ones that showed up are truly paying attention to the professor. I think universities need to use some of the active learning concepts that are out there for students and classrooms. At the end of the video, student held up signs that said things like war, ethics, poverty, inequality, and more. I don’t see how this really has anything to do with the question that they originally asked the students. However, I might have missed something, but I do not see how that fits into this topic that they originally chose.

Progress Report on the Final Project

Progress Report on the Final Project
I am in an awesome group named Team YELL. I have great group members who have all stepped up to do their parts. For the final project, we decided to do an IBook. I saw a rough draft of it this week and it is coming along great! We are still waiting to learn about one of the parts of the assignment, so that is still missing. However, I think it is coming along great. I must add again that luckily I have amazing group members.

Blog Post 12

Tools for Your Future Classroom

As we are coming to the end of EDM 310, make a list of all the "technology tools" that you will use in your future classroom. This can be programs that you liked, videos, blog pages, etc. Within the list put a link to it, and a description of why you liked it and why you would use it in your classroom.

1.Blogger- I enjoyed blogger. It was an easy program to set up and use. The teacher can have a classroom blog to inform parents of what their child is learning in class for the week, and view up coming events in the classroom or school. If a child is absent from school, the parents can easily get the assignment and the worksheets. If the parents have a question about something, they can leave a comment and the teacher can get back with them. Students can also have blogs. I have experienced in EDM 310 that students as young as first grade have had blogs. I think this is a great alternative to the same ole pencil and paper assignment.

2. David Wees's Blog- 21st Century Educator This blog post was about math apps you could use on a Smartboard or on an Ipad. I think this is a great tool to have because there are so many lessons that you could use the apps for. I think it is a fun way for students to get involved with learning.

3. Wordle- We used Wordle for our first project in EDM 310. I thought it was an interesting way to show all of your characteristics that you have as a person. You are able to design and create it the way you want. I think this would be a great project to do with your students on the first week of school to really get to know one and other in the classroom. You can even make the students create one on something or someone they learned about in class.

4. Prezi- A Prezi is a twist on a PowerPoint presentation. All of my educational career, I have seen and have been taught off of a PowerPoint presentation. So when EDM introduced us to a Prezi I was amazed at how cool and different it was. I liked how easy it was to use and to create. Also, I liked how it saved all of your Prezis on your account. So you don't have to save it to your junk-drive.

5. Diane Dahl's Blog- For the Love of Teaching In her blog post, Mrs. Dahl's talks about a thinking stem and how to make your students use a higher level of thinking. She gives examples on her page on how to do that in math and in other subjects. Diane Dalh's also gives a thinking stem guide which is a great tool for teachers to get their students thinking on a higher level. I think this will help students be successful in their futures.

C4K November Summary

C4K#8 This week I was assigned to Ms. Spencer's class in Alberta, Canada. The student's blog that I was assigned to was The Active Achiever. His name is Spencer and he enjoys dirt biking. His spelling was a little off from our English. But I assume this is because he is from Canada. His post was similar to a Prezi but it wasn't a Prezi. It had many pictures and information on it.

My comment to him explained who I was and why I was on his blog. I asked him what he used to create his post because it looked fun and interesting for students to use.

C4K#9 This week I was assigned to Mr. Selisker's class. The student's blog that I was assigned to was Jason R. He is a fourth grader who lives in California. His post was about James and the Giant Peach. He summarized the beginning of the story for his audience.

I commented on his post explaining who I was and why I was on his blog. I told him what a great job his was doing. And I asked him what was the assignment that he was given. So, I can use it in my future classroom.

C4K#10 This week I was assigned to Mr. Cometti's World History student named ibAshleyP. Her post was an informative post about Marie Antoinette. She had several pictures with links and sources. Her information was very detailed.

My comment to her explained who I was and why I was on her blog. I told him that I enjoyed her informative post on Marie Antoinette. Also, I learned a few things about her as well. I told her to keep up the good work.

Blog Post 11

Little Kids... Big Potential

Little Kids...Big Potential is a video created by Mrs. Cassidy's first grade class. They are teaching the world about how they use technology in their classrooms for learning. The student's use their blogs and other's blogs to learn about different subject topics. They say they like them because they get better at their writing every time they post something new. They use webpages and wikis to find and learn about things on the internet. The class even made their own wiki about the alphabet. They create and share videos about what they have learned in school. Skype is used by Mrs. Cassidy's class to talk to people educationally around the world. Each student uses their Nintendo DS to learn, problem solve, and practice sharing.

Skype with Mrs. Cassidy

In the February 2010, EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama was able to Skype with Mrs. Cassidy about technology and why she uses it in her classroom. She explains that she got involved with technology about ten years ago when she was given five computers in their classroom. She tells us about her support system she has with the technology and how her students love it. The technology that she uses in her classroom keeps growing and developing along with the technology.

I enjoyed these videos because it shows that elementary school students even as young as first grade can use technology to learn. I think that children blogging and using the internet to learn is a great tool for students. It will help them be successful in their futures. I liked Mrs. Cassidy's approach to technology because it is grade appropriate. Some of the other video that I have watched I did not really agree with for that reason. I thought they were too hard for students of elementary level but not Mrs. Cassidy's approach. Blogging in the classroom both from the teacher and the students is important because for one it is a great tool for the parents to see what their children are doing and learning about. I would definitely using blogging in my classroom. Secondly, like Mrs. Cassidy said it is a portfolio of the children's work they can always have. Skyping with experts is also a great tool for teaching your students because they can hear the testimony from someone personal experiences. Just like what Dr. Strange did for us on his Skype with Ms. Cassidy I really liked the Nintendo DS because the students were using so many developmental skills like learning, problem solving, and sharing which are all important for personal growth as a student and as a successful person. Plus out of all the technology for the classroom videos that I have watched for EDM 310, I have never heard of using a Nintendo DS in the classroom.

C4T November summary

C4T #3 I am following David Wees blog, DW 21st Century Educator. Wees is a mathematics teacher and learning specialist for technology at Stratford Hall. In his post, he gave his followers a list of math apps that he has collected over the years.

My comment to him explained who I was and what I was learning in EDM 310. I informed him how I think math is important for students at all ages in their educational journey. I told him that he provided his followers with a great teaching tool. And I thanked him for
that.

C4T #3 post #2 Mr. Wees post this week was about math activities for the measurement unit. He had some great ideas for students to interactively work and learn together. His activities were: "How long is a minute?", "What day of the week will your birthday be on next year?", "How many times will my heart beat in an hour?", "How long is a foot?", and "How heavy are things?". All of these activities have instructions for you to use.

I comment and told him that I liked the first activity the best. This activity is "How long is a minute?". You break your students into pairs, one student has a timer and the other person tells the person with the timer when to stop when they think it has been a minute. Then, they switch and collect the data. I like this activity because it is simple and sometimes a minute feels long and other times it feels short. So, I think it would be fun for the students.

Special Blog Post

The Next 30 Years?

\As USA Today celebrates their 30th anniversary, they interviewed some of the greatest visionaries. This article,"A World Where Grades Would be Left Behind", is about Sebastian Thrun who is Google's vice president and a professor at Stanford. The article discusses Thrun’s plan to revolutionize education in the next 30 years. Education will change by no more one size fits all classes, it will respond to you, and there will be no failing students will be about to take as much time as they need to master a skill or concept. The instruction will be free but there will be a fee for certifications and exams. He describes this as a different form of education that will be able to accommodate large crowds and will have low prices. He explains how things are already changing in education like the “flipped classroom”, curriculum built around game-playing, and how some online college education is as affordable as a cellphone bill.

I think some of Sebastian Thrun’s ideas are great like the instruction will be free and education will respond to you. I like those ideas because I am a college student. And my tuition at the university keeps going up and up and up. My tuition and other school related fees each semester are easily 5,000. This is my junior year so you can roughly see how much I have spent in my college education. But I disagree with one major plan of Thrun’s, I do not like the idea of there will be no failing and students can take as much time as they need to master a skill or concept. I think there should be some guide lines to this because students can decide to take up to as long as they want. In this case, tests and assignments will have to be changed due to cheating among students.And I think grades are important in education because if not all students would be "ranked" the same and we all know all students are different. I think Thrun’s form of education would be beneficial in many ways but it still has some issues that need to be worked out.

C4K Summary October

These are my summaries for C4K for the month of October

C4K #3 This week I was assigned Jakob from Mrs. Haggerty, Mrs. Braford, Mrs. Clevette, and Mrs. Mckenzie's class. In Jakob's blog he talks about his quality of life. He explains what quality of life was and then how he has quality of life at his school. He says he feels safe, secure, and comfortable at school. Jakob tells how his teachers are better, it is easier to get around the school, and how he gets a longer lunch break.

I commented on his post; and I explained who I was. I told him I thought he was doing an awesome job. I explained that I wanted to be a future and that hopefully I could use blogging in my classroom like he was doing.

C4K #4 This week I was assigned Mike G. Waltney's 10-12 grade fully online girls Episcopal School in Oregon. The post I read on global issues was about in-sourcing and outsourcing jobs. The explained the pros and cons of each side.

My comment for their post was I explained who I was and why I was on their blog. I complemented them for their post and told them what a good job they did. Also, I told them how I liked how they put their sources at the end of their post. So as a reader, you can check to make sure their sources are reliable.

C4K#5 This week I was assigned Slapshot. On his post, he explained who he was and how he was an innovative learner, who loves technology. Slapshot is in sixth grade at Hillcrest Elementary in BC, Canada. He loves playing and practicing hockey, and hanging with friends and family.

My comment for his post was that I explained who I was and why I was on his blog. I told him how I thought it was interesting that he had a blog, how he was an innovated learner, and he loved technology. I also told him to keep up the good work.

C4K#6 This week I was assigned to Mrs. Peterson's student named Henry. As normal, I explained who I was and why I was on his blog. His post was on the book The Outsiders. He had to do a characterization on the character Darry. Henry describes Darry, had a quote from him and his actions, and another character's point of view of him. In my comment, I explained what a great job he did. And that I thought this was a great alternative to the pen and paper assignment.

C4k#7 This week was a special edition, I was assigned to Dr. Paige Vitulli and Dr. Susan Santolli. Their post I commented on was National Gallery of Ireland. The post explained what the gallery had to offer like Irish and European paintings, sculptures, prints, and more. They talked about the artist they knew and didn't know and what they learning about each. In my comment, I explained who I was and why I was on their blog. I told them how I enjoyed their post and the pictures they posted.

Blog Post #10

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

I am going to be completely honest I really did not understand this cartoon when I first looked at it. Then, I read the comments and Mr. Spencer explained it. The cartoon is mocking the old commercials about Mac vs. PC. I'm a Papermate is the cheaper and more of the economic purchase like a PC. But it might not be the best choice in the long run. I'm a Ticonderoga is representing a Mac. I think this is a very clever metaphor. And once I got it I enjoyed it. I think this metaphor is very realistic.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?

This post is about Mr. Spencer getting called into the principal's office because the principal thought the children were not learning. While in the principal's office, the principal tells Mr. Spencer that he can not have the kids play games and he has to teach. Mr. Spencer explains that he was using advanced simulation with his students just like the doctors use in learning how to operate. Then, the principal says that they weren't in a hospital. They need to focus on having their students pass the memorization style tests so they need to practice those skills. Then, he suggested worksheets and algorithms to Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer's solution is " we'll create an algorithm factory and integrate it into our conflict-oriented reading and writing project (A.K.A The Factory Game).

I enjoyed this post I thought it was hilarious. Mr. Spencer made it sound like the principal was stuck in his old ways by using the slate-based learning. Mr. Spencer seems to try and think outside the box and have his students learn and have fun. It seems like this is important to him which is a good quality to have as a teacher. I really enjoy his writing style in his posts.

I chose to read Mr. Spencer's post Remembering Pencil Quests? . In this post, Mr. Spencer is in his sophomore year as a student and his teacher set him and his classmates on a pencil quest. The students seem to like the adventure that they got to go on with the pencil quest. Mr. Spencer explains that his teacher was the pioneer since they were doing something different. He tells us that how his students now are excited about their plogs and pen pal networks.

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

Mr. Scott McLeod wears several "hats". He is the founder of UCEA Center of Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), host of the website, Dangerously Irrelevant, and director of Innovation at the Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency. Through his professions you can see that he favors technology.

McLeod's post makes fun of parents and educator that are technological illiterate. He favors technology in a classroom and at home. You can tell that he thinks that children with technology have a better chance of being successful over children that do not have experience with technology. When I was reading through the comments,I found that people thought that he was against technology.

Project #11