Blog Assignment #14

We were told not to use script to read from, so please ignore all of the "um"s!!

Project 13

This blog assignment is to write a summary of how our groups for projects 15 and 16 collaborated other than meeting in person.

For project 15, my group communicated by email and text messaging. This was easy for me because I had everyone's cell numbers. For the other group members, they had to send out emails or ask me to ask the other members through text. It would've been much more helpful if we all had each others numbers. Starting project 16, I created a blank document in our Google Docs and shared it with everyone. This is how we gave ideas and split up the work. We still used text messaging and email, but the Google Docs helped us keep track of what we were doing in the project more.

I think it was very easy to communicate with each other using these resources. We occasionally called each other like on days we were meeting to see where others were if they were running late. All the new technology is great for having new ways of communicating without inconveniencing anyone.

Project #16

C4T #4

Comment 1

This week I am assigned to the blog At the Teacher's Desk. If you are in EDM 310 you might remember this as being the blog for our blog assignment #9 where we read Joe McClung's blogs about his first 3 years of teaching. I am commenting on the post Exemplar of Students Work with Video. This was posted by Myles Webb, a teacher at Melville Intermediate School in Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand.

This blog post is about a student made video in Mr. Webb's class. The students' assignment was to make a video of what they had been assigned to help out with around the school. These two students' job was to feed MIS worms with discarded/leftover food. They are the "MIS worm agents". One of the students in the video is legally blind, but they still allowed him to participate in this activity. I really enjoyed his presence. His energy and liveliness made the video so amazing.
My comment:
"Hello Mr. Webb! My name is Carly Willoughby, and I'm a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I will be posting a summary of your blog post onto my blog. This video is priceless! This is one of the reasons I want to become an elementary teacher. I want to be able to help students learn what is important like taking care of the earth by doing their "environmental jobs". I also love that you gave Carlton an opportunity to be in a video even though he has a handicap. I will be incorporating everyone in my classes as much as I can so everyone gets the same chance to participate in the fun activities. Carlton was the talker in this video, and without him I don't think it would seem as alive as it was. His presence was needed. I am so glad that you shared this video with me! I really enjoyed it. I hope you and your students have a great rest of the school year! Sincerely, Carly Willoughby"

Comment #2

There was no new post on my assigned blog this week. So I commented on the blog post before the one I commented on last time. This post is Reflections on #EdCampStL 2012 by William Chamberlain. He lives in Noel, Missouri and works in the McDonald County R-1 school district. His blog post was about his experience at EdCamp. I didn't know what this was, so of course I went to handy, dandy, GOOGLE! I found the website Introduction to Edcamp: A New Conference Model Built on Collaboration and it informed me that it is a conference where educators come together and share their new ideas. In Mr. Chamberlain's post he stated that it is a place to form professional relationships and learn from one another. He says, "The more people you meet, the better your experience will be."

My comment:

"Hello Mr. Chamberlain! My name is Carly Willoughby and I'm a student at the University of South Alabama. I will be publishing a summary of your blog post on my blog tonight.
I understand why you say going to something with people you know might be a barrier. When you go to an event with friends, you tend to stay secluded with them and attend the same events as them even if you are interested in different things. I believe that is why it is a good thing to go somewhere and meet new people who are at the same sessions as you because then you will make a new friend in that area. This will contribute to what you say about meeting people and making new relationships where you can share and learn from each other.
This was a very informative post. Thank you for sharing it with me. I will keep these tips in mind when I attend conferences.
Sincerely,
Carly Willoughby"

Blog Assignment #13

For this weeks blog assignment Dr. Strange asked us to go 24 hours without technology. This means everything that runs on batteries or electricity. I knew this would be a challenge for me because I use my cell phone, laptop, iPod Touch, and TV everyday. During this 24 hour period I couldn't go without texting. This isn't because of texting, it's because I am in a long distance relationship with my fiance, and I haven't gone 24 hours without talking to him before. I also live on campus so I don't have a land line I could call him from.

While I couldn't use technology, It was hard to not be bored. I went to the movies with my roommate to see The Lucky One. I also read a book, and worked on some homework. I didn't like not being able to listen to music. If I don't have the TV on I have music playing on either my iPod or my laptop. So it was a quiet 24 hours.

Final Report on PLN

I haven't updated my PLN with anything except my C4T links. I think these will help me in the future by giving me advice and ways to integrate certain topics in my classroom.I have been added on Google+ by one of the teachers from my C4K. I have added her to my PLN also because she seemed to be very excited about having students from around the world take notice of her students' blogs.

Project #15

Progress Report on Final Project

Our group has decided to make a video showing how the tools and concepts we have learned in EDM 310 can be used in the classroom. We will show this by role play as teachers and students. Each of us will use one concept and use it in our "classroom" and have our "students" demonstrate how our future students could use it and benefit from it.

C4K Summary for April

C4K #8

We are dong a world blog now in class for the C4K posts. This post is from the same kid as C4K #8. This week he has posted a picture of a sunset. That is why this post is named Sun Set. It's a very pretty picture.
My comment:
"Hello again! This picture of the sun setting is very beautiful! Did you find this picture on the internet or do you know who took it? I wonder where that picture was taken. It looks like a very nice place to visit. I rarely get to watch the sun set because I'm always doing something inside. Maybe this weekend I will take the time to slow down and enjoy watching the sun set somewhere peaceful. Thank you for posting this picture and inspiring me to slow down and enjoy life! Keep up the great blogging!"

C4K #9

This week my kid posted a picture of a land fill. This student knows what a landfill could do to the earth. They state that the problem with them is that they just get bigger and bigger, and that it's not good for the environment. They think using cloth bags instead of plastic bags at the grocery store will help eliminate some of the waste in landfills. "One person can start and just tell another and it will just get bigger and bigger until every one uses cloth bags." This is a very big statement from a young student. Maybe they will be able to help the earth in a major way when they grow up.
My comment:
"This post is very inspiring to help save the earth. Hopefully no one wants to hurt our planet, but not many people think about the fact that plastic bags don't decompose. This is a big factor in why the landfills get bigger and bigger. The things we pile up on top of each other don't go away. I like that you are wanting to help save the earth. Maybe one day you will be able to do something big for our planet that will bring us one step closer to making everything good for the environment. Keep up the good work! You are a great blogger!"

C4K #10

This week I have been assigned to the blog Little Voices, Little Scholars. This blog is by Mrs. Jenny She. She is a second grade teacher at Pt. England School in Auckland, New Zealand. This blog is made for her class of mostly age 6 students. The blog post I have commented on is Charles Wrote a Story about his Easter Egg. This post shows a picture of the Easter egg Charles drew using the Kid Pix program. He recorded his story using video format. His story is that he has many Easter eggs. They are beautiful to look at and yummy to eat.

My comment:
"Hello Charles! My name is Carly Willoughby, and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I will be publishing a summary of your post on my blog today. Please feel free to visit and comment! Your Easter egg looks really cool. It's very colorful, and blue is one of my favorite colors. Your story is very well written. Did you see and eat a lot of beautiful eggs on Easter? I did. It's one of my favorite holidays! Thank you for sharing your story with me, and keep up the great work!"

Blog Assignment #11

For this assignment Dr. Strange had us watch the videos Little Kids...Bit Potential and Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy. The first video was put together by Ms. Cassidy using her first grade students and what they have learned in her class. This class seems very similar to what we are doing in EDM 310. She is teaching her students how to blog and use the internet for sources for the classroom. The students in the video tell how blogging has taught them to be more careful with their writing skills. They like blogging more than writing in notebooks because people from all over the world can see them and comment on them. One of the students said that you never ever say mean stuff in comments because you might hurt someones feelings. Always say nice things. They know how to get to games where they learn about subjects or the alphabet. They can even access their blogs at home. They also learned how to make videos about learning and Skype to talk to other classes and teachers. They also use Nintendo DS to play games for learning.
The second video is a Skype interview with Ms. Cassidy by Dr. Strange. She started using technology in her classroom 10 years ago because she was given 5 computers in her classroom. She learned how to make webpages and blogs to help the students study on the computers. She's had a classroom blog for 5 years. She said the parents like to be able to see their child's work easily. She uses the blogs as an online portfolio for the students that is easier to see than having to set up an appointment with the teacher. The parents can just go online whenever they have an opportunity to see their child's progress. Ms. Cassidy says the world would go on without blogging, but the one thing the students get when blogging that they don't get with a pencil and paper is an audience. The students get writing, video, and media training all in one in her class. They are learning to communicate with students around the world rather than just the students they see in the classroom. Ms. Cassidy's answer to "do you think every teacher needs to be technology literate?" she said absolutely! She said just knowing word processors isn't technology literate. That's not enough to know for teaching students how to use technology in the classroom. I like how she said that getting information off other people's blogs isn't cheating, it's collaborating.

I would use the blogging in my classroom as a substitute for writing papers. That would give the students some time using technology, but not so much that technology is taking over the classroom. I still think they need to have some work sheets because writing by hand is really important too. I think the only downfall to students using the internet at school is trying to get them focused on what they are supposed to be working on. I know when I took computer classes I would pull up games and play them while the teacher wasn't looking instead of doing my work. I have a feeling students now know how to use a computer for games before they even get into a classroom.

Blog Assignment #10

1. The video Do You Teach or Do You Educate? does a good job of explaining the difference between a teacher and an educator. According to this video, a teacher just shows or explains how to do something, gives information or instructs, and causes someone to learn or understand something. An educator is someone who gives intellectual, moral, and spiritual instruction. They are a mentor and a guide. I found this quote in the video very inspiring: "Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave." from Peter Brougham.
I intend to educate rather than teach by being everything a student needs. I will guide them to a place they feel comfortable in the world. I will be a mentor to them by giving them advice on how to be themselves and to do the right thing in any situation. This quote by Martin Luther King is true in every way: "Intelligence plus character ... that is the goal of true education."

2. In the blog post Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home, Mr. Spencer tells his dialog between him and the "School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist" about why students shouldn't take pencils home. Her reasoning is that it results in lower test scores. Mr. Spencer retaliates this statement by saying that the results were yielded from only bubble –in multiple choice tests. This doesn’t really measure authentic learning. They argue back and forth about who is right, and in the end Mr. Spencer comes on top by saying he has talked to the students and their parents about using effective studying strategies at home with paper and pencil. These strategies are made fun or interesting for the students so they will want to do them.
I really like the message of this blog post. It shows that some teachers care about the students actually learning and not just about the test scores. Of course if students truly learn, their test scores should reflect that level of academic achievement. Mr. Spencer took what he knew about his students and their parents and made something useful for them to make studying more enjoyable and easier to do. Just because students know how to use pencils for fun and games doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t have fun and learn at the same time. I really enjoyed this post. I learning a lifelong message from it: don’t underestimate the power of an overlooked item.

Blog Assignment #9

On Joe McClung's blog post What I've learned This Year (2008-2009) he writes about his experiences in his classroom his first year of being a teacher. One of the things he learned his first year is to be more student centered. He learned that being a teacher wasn't about him, it was about how the students came out of his class. Did they come out learning all they could from Mr McClung? This is a question I need to keep in mind when I become a teacher. I need not worry about me and how will I be at the end of the school year, but rather what will my students have learned from me throughout the year.

He also told about how he learned to be flexible. He started teaching by trying to stay exactly to his lesson plan. He says, "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT". I'm assuming these are all capitalized because he found out that it's really important to know. I will make sure I keep this in mind too. I'm a perfectionist. I get very irritated when things don't go as planned. Of course having a fiance who likes to be spontaneous, (a planners worst nightmare!) I have learned flexibility. But I thought having my own classroom would give me the structure I wanted ... I guess I thought wrong! My composition teacher my first year of college told me that when he first started teaching that he had a plan for the class that he wanted to stick to, but now he knows that the best way for students to learn is to let them take the discussion in the classroom where they needed. That's how they learned the most.

He tells us that he learned about communication. That it is the best way to resolve any issue in the work place. It is also the way to build relationships with co-workers and students. I find this fact very obvious, but none-the-less I am great at communicating and will keep this in mind too for my future.

Being reasonable is his next thing he talks about. Don't set the students up for failure by having unreasonable expectations for them, and don't scold them if they don't reach the expectations. He says, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." This is something I won't have to work hard for. I like to think I am very good at encouraging people to do their best and helping them back up if they fail.

This is one point I believe Dr. Strange is very pleased about hearing: don't be afraid of technology. I hope to use many of the technology skills learned in EDM 310 in my future classroom. I like technology, and I'm not afraid to use it!

His last two points on this post are listen to your students and never stop learning. I'm putting these two together because, to me, they are the most obvious, but I do appreciate him listing them because they may not be obvious to everyone.

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In Mr. McClung's blog post What I Learned This Year (2010-2011) he states that this was his first year of being head coach, coaching cross country, and being a computer applications teacher. So it's his third year of being a teacher, but it still holds a lot of "firsts". Hmmm ... this sounds like a hint of some sort that not all teachers do the same thing in the same place year after year.

His first thing he learned is know who your boss is. He says teachers need to focus on the students and not trying to please co-workers. The students are the main priority and they need all of their teachers attention. He says that teachers should never let the emotions of personal or professional life affect how they interact with their students. This shouldn't be a struggle for me because being in a classroom makes me happy. I love being able to help students and that will distract me (until the last bell of the day rings) from anything happening outside of the classroom. I can't say that I will always keep my emotions in check. Everyone makes mistakes. I just hope I can try my hardest to.

His next tip is don't expect other to be as excited about change as you are. He says that he found out during this school year that his optimism came to be a fault of his. He says he really enjoys the professional development sessions because he looks forward to see what new stuff are being presented. He catches sight of the pessimists who sit in the corner and don't really care about what's being presented and don't really think it'll change anything. He said they once might have been just like him, all excited, and somewhere down the road they lost the fire that drove them to be excited. But he didn't let them get him down. I will probably start off all excited about new things, and then lose my fire too. I'm not one for change. I like routines, but if I have to change what I like to become a teacher, then so be it!

Don't be afraid to be an outsider. First off I have to say that I've been an outsider most of my life. I don't fit in with any one crowd, so I hang out with several different ones. I spend most of my time alone, but that doesn't bother me. I would like to be like Mr. McClung and focus more time on my students than trying to make friends with adults.

His next tip is to never touch the keyboard. His "classroom mom" told him she worked at an airline, and one of the things they made sure they didn't do when training someone was touch the keyboard. If the person training typed something in, that's something the trainee missed out on learning. This is something I learned working in a fast food restaurant. The very first day of my senior year in high school I started my second job at a local fast food restaurant. The person who was training me was someone I had known for years. Instead of telling me what to push and letting me learn where things were on the touch screen, she got annoyed at how long it took me to find buttons and she started pushing them for me. So when I had to train my replacement before I left, I knew how to train her. Let her do the pushing. If she didn't know where something was, I'd look at where she was at and tell her what to push until she got to the screen she needed. I will definitely be able to do the same in my classroom.

His last tip on this post is don't get comfortable. "While routines are good in the sense they allow me to be more effective, they can also be bad because they can foster apathy." I love that he said this because I need to hear it. I love having a routine, but I don't want it to become my teaching career for me. I will do like he did and volunteer for different activities and attend professional development sessions.

C4T #3

Comment 1

My teacher for this post is Tom Schimmer. He is from Penticton, British Columbia (Canada). After spending several years as a teacher, he then became an administrator. He has also been a vice-principal and a district principal. All of this combined, he has spent 20 years in the education system. He is the author of Ten Things that Matter from Assessment to Grading. He is now an independent education consultant.
Mr. Schimmer has been posting several blog posts on the idea of "implementation plans and why some are successful and why some are not". This week I have commented on the post Implement THAT! (Part 6) – The Acceptance of a New Idea. This is his first audio podcast.
This podcast is about leadership for the acceptance of a new idea. He uses something from the book Virus of the Mind by Richard Brodie to help us visualize how ideas spread. They spread like viruses by penetrating a weak spot, duplicating itself, and spreading. This sounds like something not good, but it is used in positive ways also. There are four stages to accepting a new idea: marginalization (people don't really pay attention), ridicule, criticism, and acceptance. But the idea isn't the one doing the moving, it's the people moving in relation to the idea. He gives guidelines for leaders for each of these stages. At marginalization the leader needs to keep the new idea up front and center. At ridicule the leader needs to respond with respect. At criticism the leader doesn't need to match the level of intensity as the people. This will only cite confrontation. At acceptance the leader needs to support, support, support.
My comment:
"Mr. Schimmer, My name is Carly Willoughby, and I'm a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I will be posting a summary of your podcast on my blog. This is the first blog post I have been to that is an audio podcast. It is more personal this way because I can listen to you, but I have ADD and wish I had something to read along with it. It's like when I'm in church; if I don't have something to look at and read along with the pastor, I get side tracked by what's in front of me and end up not paying any attention to what's being said. On the topic of your podcast, I really liked what you had to say. Most people don't know how to accept a new idea. They decide to respond in ridicule, making fun of it and the people who came up with it. This is the stage I see the most for new ideas. I like how you said that an idea doesn't move in stages, but rather the people move in relation to the idea. This caught my attention because I usually think that it's the idea that moves into different categories (new, gaining interest, popular, etc.), but it's really the people who are in different categories. I also love that you gave guidelines for the leaders for each stage. I really enjoyed this podcast! Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of listening to it! Sincerely, Carly Willoughby"

Comment 2

In Mr. Schimmer's most recent post Implement THAT! (Part 7) – Take YOU off the table, he talks about challenges for new ideas. The biggest challenge is the way they are being brought forward. The problem wasn't the idea, it was the messenger. This is where "take YOU off the table" comes from. There are two ways to make issues with a new idea: discredit someones experience and put people on the defensive. When a leader hears someone else give their experience, they need to just realize they are sharing a new idea with them. Don't tell them they are wrong. Find common ground and discuss how they are different. New ideas already put older ideas on the defensive, but getting personal doesn't open people's minds. One thing Mr. Schimmer said was, "telling people they are wrong doesn't make you right." I love this quote because my fiance and I always argue over who is right. I will argue with him until he proves me wrong or vice versa. Sometimes we come to find out we are both wrong, and that makes us feel like jerks. We thought we were right because we thought the other was wrong. These ideas can kill great ideas. He said these ideas reminds him of a quote, "if you have to be an ass to get things done, then you're not a leader, you're just an ass."
My comment:
"Hello Mr. Schimmer! I will be publishing my post about your blogs on my blog as soon as I publish this comment if you would like to take a look at it. I listened to this podcast twice so I could really pay attention to what you were saying, and I have to agree that sometimes I don't like a new idea because of the way they are being brought forward. I don't like pushy people, so if someone tries to push me to look at their new stuff, I tend to not care about it. I have to say my favorite part of your podcast was when you said, "telling people they are wrong doesn't make you right." I love this quote because my fiance and I always argue over who is right. I will argue with him until he proves me wrong or vice versa. Sometimes we come to find out we are both wrong, and that makes us feel like jerks. We thought we were right because we thought the other was wrong. I will most likely think about this quote the next time we start arguing over something. Thank you again for your wonderful podcast! Your blog is being added to my PLN (personal learning network) so I can follow your posts and find new things to think about in the future. Carly Willoughby"

C4K Summary for March

C4K #5

On the blog Miriam Lord 100 Word Challenge, the students have to write a story using only 100 words, plus the extra words the teacher requires them to place in their story. This weeks words were, "the weather changed for the worst". Zara wrote about a girl named Amnesia who lives in Hawaii where there was a very active volcano. She was planning her birthday party and had invited all of her friends. One day when she came home, her mom told her that her that her party had to be cancelled because the weather had changed for the worst ... the volcano was about to blow!

My Comment:
"My name is Carly Willoughby, and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I will be posting a summary of this post on my blog. This is a very interesting story. It also sounds scary! I've never been near a volcano, so I can only imagine what it would be like to live near one that was about to erupt. The end of the story makes me want more. What happened to the girl and her family? Did they get away from the volcano before it erupted? How were they able to celebrate her birthday instead of the party? This was a great story to illustrate the subject of "the weather has changed for the worst". Thank you for allowing me to read such a great story written in 100 words. I enjoyed it! I always love a good suspenseful story."

C4K #6

This week I commented on the same blog Miriam Lord 100 Word Challenge, but this time the words were white, spiders, carefully, pushed, and fifty. Zahra wrote about a girl named Amy who went camping with her parents. Her dad had to go to work so she and her mom were left sleeping in the tent. When Amy woke up, she saw she was surrounded by "fifty little spiders which looked like white cotton buds". She carefully woke up her mom, and they called her dad to come get them.
My comment:
"Hi Zahra! My name is Carly Willoughby, and I'm a student at the University of South Alabama. I love how you tell the story from Amy's point-of-view. It feels a little more personal. I love to go camping, but I hate bugs! Especially spiders. If I find one in my house, I have to get someone else to kill it for me because I'm too freaked out to go near it! This is a really good story and most people could say they feel the same way about spiders. Thank you for allowing me to read your great story! Continue doing great work in school!"

C4K #7

My C4K this week has posted a list of things about him. He likes to play Call of Duty on the Wii. He lives in Vermont. He likes RC trucks and buggies.

My comment:
"Hello! My name is Carly Willoughby, and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I will be commenting on your blog for the next 3 weeks for my EDM 310 class and making a summary of your post on my blog. My little brother plays Call of Duty on his xBox. My boyfriend doesn't have the game, but he loves to play it when he visits his friends' houses. I've played it a couple of times, but I don't like the blood and killing. That's not my kind of game. I like racing games. I haven't been to Vermont. The farthest North I have been is Washington D.C. Have you ever been to New York City? That's somewhere I really want to visit, but it's too far away from Alabama. I don't have the money to take that trip right now. I look forward to commenting on your blog! Keep up the blogging!"

Project #14

Blog Assignment #8

1. In the video This Is How We Dream, Part 1, Mr. Miller explains how he has seen incremental changes in how we view documents and find information. We can simply pull up Google and type what we want information on, and it appears within seconds. He explained that he was asked to write an article on the one-year anniversary of the killings at Virginia Tech, and he was able to do so without taking one step into a library. He was able to find all the information he needed on that day on the internet. He also described how we can go online and follow presidential elections, news broadcasts, and other live media forms on the internet.
In the video This Is How We Dream, Part 2, Mr. Miller says that he foresees that students will no longer compose just Word documents, but will also compose with digital processors. They will get in the multimedia part of composing and add to the vastly growing knowledge on the internet. This is part of the fundamental changes on how we find information.

2. In Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12, she created this assignment to create a playlist on YouTube that has videos describing what kind of teacher we would like to be, giving tips for managing the classroom, describing what a good teacher and a bad teacher does, shows tutorials on programs we would like to use in the classroom, and many other useful videos for our teaching career.
Here is my playlist. It includes the video Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things which shows how people who have changed our world weren't always the smartest in their class, so to speak. They weren't handed fame or fortune, they had to work hard and earn it. This is a message I will be teaching my students every day in my classroom. I want them to work hard and reach their full potential.
Another few videos in my playlist are Smart Board - Elementary Education, Whole Group Kindergarten Reading Lesson Smartboard, and Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education. These videos use technology in the classroom and show how they can be useful. The smartboard is something I hope to have in my classroom. I will make great use out of it.
One of my favorite videos in this playlist is How To Maintain Classroom Discipline - Good And Bad Methods Training Educational Video. This video was made in 1947, yet everything they say still holds in the classroom today. Although there are more problems teachers have to deal with now, these behavior problems are something every teacher everywhere has to know how to handle. If I teach the older elementary grades, I might show this video in class and have the class reflect on it. I would ask them to tell me what they thought about how the teacher handled the disciplinary problems in the first half of the video, then the same about the second half. This might give me some insight on how the students feel they should be treated.
This was a fun activity. It got me thinking more about what I want for my future classroom and what kind of teacher I would like to be.

3. The primary message in The Chipper Series is to be on time with your assignments. I’ve had to deal with this struggle personally. My name is Carly, and I AM A PROCRASTINATOR! This video tells how procrastinating won’t get you a good grade in this class. Chipper is a student who constantly puts off doing her work. She even says that she can see the future, and she has already done her work. Therefore, the future is the present, so the work is already done, which really makes no sense at all. If I were to participate in a video, I could easily be in this video. Like I said, I am a procrastinator.
In the video EDM 310 for Dummies, two students get so frustrated because they don’t understand how to use some of the medias in the class. I haven’t had to deal with this because Dr. Strange’s instructions have been very clear to me. However, I have a friend in the class who doesn’t understand them as easily as I do. She will ask me to explain it to her, and if she still doesn’t understand, she will go to the lab and ask the lab assistants for help.

Project #11

C4T #2

Comment 1

This week I have been assigned to Henrietta Miller's blog Classroom Chronicles. Mrs. Miller is a 5th grade teacher at a private girls school in Sydney, Australia. I commented on her blog Comunicating from Camp. In this blog she tells about her recent camping trip with her school's 5th and 6th grade students. They take this trip to Galston Gorge every year. She says, "It is an opportunity for students to leave home comforts behind and try new things. To get out of their comfort zone and make new friends. To learn to work together as a team, to trust each other when trying new activities and to have fun testing themselves physically within a safe environment." They kept contact with the parents through technology by Tweeting and sending pictures when they had the opportunity.
My comment:
"Hello Mrs. Miller. I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I will be summarizing your post on my blog. I have been camping quite a few times in my life. Once a year from 7th grade to 12th grade with my church youth group, and several times with my family. My step-dad grew up camping, so naturally he took us. About 4 years ago my parents and I went to Tennessee and I was only allowed to use my phone to say good morning and goodnight to my boyfriend. I was so mad at them for not letting me use it on this trip, but I understand now why they did it. I am constantly on my phone, and they didn't want me to miss out on visiting places. I looked at the pictures on the class blog, and this looked like a very fun trip! I know not many girls like to go outdoors and camp, but it gives them a different scenery and atmosphere. Keeping the parents updated via pictures was a great way to have them involved in the trip and technologically. Thank you for sharing this experience with me! I enjoyed reading about it and seeing the pictures."

Comment 2

Henrietta Miller's latest blog post Questions? is about ... you guessed it, questions! Specifically when teachers ask questions in the classroom. She tells that she read an article last year about a teacher who used a pack of cards with the student's names on them to call out who will answer a question. She admits she has used this and many other forms of randomly choosing students. What this activity does however, is put students in the spotlight and might embarrass them if they don't know how to answer the question or how to put their thoughts into words. She found a new questioning strategy. This strategy involves asking the question, counting to 10, then having the students turn to a partner and have them discuss their answers to each other. The teacher then calls on a student to give their partner's answer.
My Comment:
"I never thought about the fact that students stop thinking about the answer once other students raise their hands first to answer. I suppose this makes them feel defeated, like they don't have a chance to answer because they couldn't think of the answer as fast as the other students. This isn't a good feeling for students to have. I think that the wait time questioning strategy would help eliminate this problem with the students. I will definitely keep this in mind when I get my own classroom. Maybe you could make a weekly question and have the students write down their answer and put them in a bowl or box, and each day you choose a few, read them, and have the students discuss how they agree or disagree with those answers. Then there would be no chance of the student being embarrassed because no one knows who wrote the answers."

Project #12

Project #10

I have started my PLN by using Symbaloo.com and putting my social networks and other personal websites on the top row. I put the class blog, gmail, and my blog on the row beneath the Google search box. I also added my C4T blogs and some of my classmate's blogs.
I believe this site could really help my stay organized and have all of the helpful websites be at my finger tips. I hope to fill up every square with something helpful very soon.

Blog Assignment #7

1. The video Networked Studnet reminds me a lot of what I've done in almost all of my classes. We have to use the internet to research topics and get information. Whether it's to write a paper, make a report, make a project, or just to study, these sources on the internet help us to learn more about our topic. In the video, his topic was American Psychology. He was able to find resources of information and people to interview.
The question was asked, "why does the networked student even need a teacher?" Well this is because the teacher "teaches him to build his network and take advantage of learning opportunities. She offers guidance when he gets stuck, shows him how to communicate properly, and asks respectfully for help from experts. She shows him how to differentiate between good information and propaganda, how to vet a recourse, how to turn a web search into a scavenger hunt, and get excited when he finds that pearl of content. She helps him organize those mountains of information." She is a TEACHER, so she teaches the networked student how to be an independent learner.

2. The 7th grader's video Welcome to my PLE! is showing us her personal learning environment. This is a page where she keeps all the links she can use to help her in her science class. She has her class blog, informational websites, and social networks on there. It is very similar to our PLN (personal learning network). The only difference is that hers is used for class assignments, and ours is used to help aid us in our teaching career.

Blog Assignment #6

I thought this was a great picture to use for this blog because in his lecture he said he is a "tigger". He always has fun, and this is how I will think of him. He made a lot of jokes and has a great outlook on life.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture was very inspiring and taught a lot of good life lessons. He talked about his childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and how to achieve your childhood dreams. A lot of the things he talked about had some good teaching techniques.
The first teaching technique I got out of this lecture was, "brick walls are there to let us prove how badly we want things." He mentioned this line several times trough-out this lecture. I have never thought about this before, but now that I have, I think it is so true! He goes on to say that brick walls are there to stop the "other" people. It only allows the ones who are willing to take the time and effort to climb over it to achieve that goal.
Another teaching technique I learned in this lecture is to have fun! As a student, I know how important it is to have fun while learning. Let's face it, if we don't have fun or at least enjoy what we are learning, do we really learn it? Now as a teacher, I will have to figure out how to make my classroom have fun. Whether it's incorporating a game in history, or a craft in math. I need to get some creative ideas so I become a teacher like him and teach students that learning can be fun.
An underlined technique I caught was that failure is okay. No one likes to fail, but it will happen at some point in time to everyone. So embrace it and move on, or try harder and get more experience. Mr. Pausch didn't get into the college he applied to for a graduate program, but he didn't give up. He got a mentor of his to talk to the admissions and got a second chance.
He had a technique called "head fake" where he made the students think they were learning one thing, but in fact were learning something different. This is a technique I will possibly use in my classroom.
I really liked this lecture. It wasn't boring, and it was very easy to watch. He had interesting things to talk about that didn't stray from the topics he had outlined. This man really knew how to give a lecture. He also knew how to incorporate hands on learning for students. His building virtual worlds assignment was astonishing. I could never in a million years imagine being able to come up with some of the things his students did. He must have been a great teacher. I hope one day I will be as great as he was.

C4K Summary for February

C4K #1

Sosaia is a fifth grade student at Point England School in New Zealand. His most recent blog was posted on February 7th. It was about his trip to Tonga. I looked on Google Maps to see where Tonga was, and as you can see in my picture, it's a very tiny island just north of New Zealand. I gathered in his post that he went to see family because when him and his family landed, he saw is auntie and uncle. He said at the beginning of his post that he was cold on the way to the airport, but in Tonga he got in the ocean. He did say it was a "bit cold" when he went swimming, but it sounds like it was a nice vacation.
My comment:
"Hi Sosaia! I am a student at the University of South Alabama in the United States. I am doing a blog post on comments for kids around the world. I was lucky enough to be assigned to your blog this week! Your trip to Tonga sounds like it was fun. I have never been on an airplane before. Was it scary? I looked up Tonga on a map to find out where it was because I have never heard of it. Traveling to see family is always a fun thing to do. Did you go on this trip for Christmas? It was nice visiting your blog. You are doing a better job at blogging than I am! You can view my summary of this on my blog at http://willoughbycarlyedm310.blogspot.com/ It will be posted by March 4th. Enjoy blogging and good luck in school!!"

C4K #2

Hannah is a fourth grade student at Leopold Primary in Victoria, Australia. I commented on her blog 2011 Edublog Awards. She gave a link to the Edublog Awards website, and it "is a community based incentive started in 2004 in response to community concerns relating to how schools, districts and educational institutions were blocking access of learner and teacher blog sites for educational purposes. The purpose of the Edublog awards is promote and demonstrate the educational values of these social media." This was quoted from Edublog's Website. Hannah's post is her nominations for the Edublog Awards.
My comment:
"Hello Hannah! I am a student at the University of South Alabama in the United States. I have been assigned to comment on your blog for this week. I will be publishing a summary of your post on my blog in the first week of March. My blog is Carly Willoughby's EDM310 Blog. I have never heard of the Edublog Awards before, so I used your link to visit their website. It sounds like a very good way to inspire students to do a good job on their blogs. Does it motivate you to make a good blog so you will be nominated? I might have my future students use this website to nominate their fellow classmates. Your blog is very organized and all of your links look really good. You use color and size to show your headings. Keep up the good blogging and good luck in school!!"

C4K #3

This week I commented on Royce's blog Amazing Things You Find in Nature. This blog was very well written. There were tons of pictures with illustrations. He had taken pictures of quail and deer in his back yard! I couldn't imagine seeing either of those animals near my dorm room or my house back home. He also posted pictures of a "math leaf". This was interesting because I have never seen that before either. It was a leaf with different colors as it's "numerator and denominator". This blog was very interesting to read and I enjoyed commenting on it.
My comment:
"Hello Royce! I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I will be summarizing your post on my EDM 310 class blog. I enjoyed seeing pictures of animals other than cats and dogs I have as pets. I am from the city so I never see animals. I will occasionally see a ground squirrel when I go visit my grandparents' house. I bet you enjoy being able to learn about those different creatures as they appear in your back yard. That leaf is pretty cool. I've never heard of a fraction leaf before so you have taught me something new! I hope I will be able to use things like that in my future classroom to get my students excited about learning in an outside environment. Check out My Blog and comment anytime! Keep working hard and enjoy school! Sincerely, Carly Willoughby"

C4K #4

"Cookie" is a fifth grade student in Iowa, and their blog post Why kids should get cell phones is exactly what it says it is about. They bring up some excellent points. They did their research and said, "According to www.missingindiakids.com, 2,185 kids get lost a day." This is a substantial amount, and they said if kids who got lost have a cell phone, they could call for help. They also say that a child could call 911 if they see an accident or a robbery and could save lives. This is a very valid point. Their final point was that it could be used to keep in contact with friends, family, and emergency services.
My comment:
"Hello! I am Carly Willoughby, and I'm a student at the University of South Alabama. I will be summarizing this blog post on my blog tonight. You did a great job giving points for why you think kids should have cell phones. They would be able to call 911, get help if they get lost, or connect with friends. These are great points! I personally don't think kids should have a cell phone unless they have to go somewhere by themselves. However, if kids do get cell phones, I believe there should be some limits. Like it should cut off at a certain time at night so the kid doesn't get woken up by it and not get sleep. If it has internet access there should be a parental guide so they could not access something he/she doesn't need to be looking at. I think the parents/guardians should closely monitor the cell phone to make sure the kid isn't doing anything they shouldn't be or talking to people they don't know. All of these things could lead to dangerous results. I believe that is why many kids do not have cell phones. Your post has got me thinking more about allowing my future children to have a limited cell phone in case of emergencies. Thank you for bringing up these good points. Keep up the good work on your blog, and good luck in school!"

Project #8

Blog Assignment #5

2. Travis Allen's video The iSchool Initiative is a big eye opener to what could be in our future. He tells about how the iTouch can be used to keep up with class assignments, do research, calculate math problems, read a book, and so many other things we do in a classroom. If this was modified specifically for classroom use, every student could have a portable device that held everything they would ever need to learn. In the video he shows how this device could be used to keep the teacher, student, and his/her parents connected so everyone knows what is going on. Teachers could easily see who has done their assignments. Parents could see their child's assignments and see if they have done them.
I can tell there is a big difference in classrooms now from when I was in elementary school, I can only imagine what it will be like when I will be the teacher.

3. I personally loved the video Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'. I was in my church choir for 4 1/2 years and in showchoir in my high school one year. I know how tough it can be to get everyone to cooperate while standing together. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to organize this video. I did hear some coughs and throats being cleared that you wouldn't hear as much if they were in person. Since they were recorded it did have a "technology" sound to it.
This would be a great way to get people from all over the world to come together. I would definitely encourage my students to get involved in something like this. They could learn to congregate with different kinds of people while doing something they love. Overall though this choir sounded amazing, and I would love to be a part of it!

5. The Reading Rockets website is a good source for teachers and parents alike. It gives some classroom strategies for teachers to try out in their classrooms. I saw there was an ad for a spring writing contest. This could be something to get the students to enter and have fun doing it. For parents, it has the same links as it has for teachers. It has the ABC's of teaching reading that can be used in the classroom or at home. It gives some ways to help the students who struggle in reading. Overall, this website could be very beneficial to a student.

Blog Assignment #4

1. In Podcasting with First Grade the teacher explains how she helped students create a podcast on Vacation under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne. She said, "The idea was to pretend that we were interviewing Jack and Annie, the two main characters, about their latest adventure that had taken them to Pompeii." So they came up with questions and answers to be said while being recorded. She rotated the students so each one had a turn.
I would love to give my future students the opportunity to make a podcast. This might make them appreciate reading more if they get to do a fun activity along with it. They will also learn more by interacting with it instead of just reading. One thing the teacher said in her post was, "I could tell a drastic improvement among students in their confidence level and voice expression as we progressed in the book." I know this is the thing that teachers look most forward to with their students. I hope I will be able to help improve my students' confidence levels just like this teacher did.

2. I watched the video The benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom and learned a little about podcasting that I didn't know before. I learned that it is not only a good way to help students catch up on work outside of class, but also a good tool to use in the classroom when reading a story or book. A podcast can be recorded ahead of time so students can listen along to the story and have someone read it with the emotion it needs to make it more exciting. This could be a good project idea for students to do in groups (like we are doing). Parents are also benefited by podcasting. They can listen to what their child has been learning in school.

3. The files on the webpage Podcast Collection posted by Judy Scharf are very helpful handouts for a teacher to assign a podcast project in a classroom. For elementary level these might need to be altered or the information already typed in for the student (depending on which grade it is for). Mrs. Scharf gives several tips and very detailed instructions to how to make this project a success.
I have saved this webpage to my Favorites on my computer. I hope to use this in my future classroom to help my students do a podcast.

Project #9a

Project #6

Blog Assignment #3

1. a) In the video Technology in Special Education, it shows us how technology has improved the learning abilities in special needs children. Some students who can't talk can now use their computers to type what they want to say instead of having to point out every individual letter. Children with reading disabilities can now be read to through an iPod instead of being separated from everyone so a person could read to them. Technology is making a giant leap for special needs children. They are able to do a lot more individual work because of it.
I will definitely be using technology to help my students progress. I will be using anything in anyway I can to help them. This video was amazing to watch because it showed me that technology really can make a difference in some children's lives.

b) I chose the app Jungle Fractions. It is for the iPad only. I chose this app because it would have been handy to have over Christmas break while I was home. My mom was having trouble helping my little brother with fraction problems. If we had this app, we could have learned how to work through the problems we were having. (Also it would help if I had an iPad. The app won't work without it!)
When I become a teacher (and a parent), I will use apps like the ones in How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism to help my students and children to learn as much as they can. Watching this boy be able to sit down and (for all he knows!) play a game and learn something from it is amazing to me. It inspires me to make sure I know all the possibilities there are to help kids learn.

2.

3. A Vision of Students Today shows (on average) how many hours students need in a day to accommodate everything they have to do and what they want to do. That is 26.5. Obviously we don't have that. The way they do everything in a day is by multitasking. This could take some time away from studying that needs to be done. In a way technology has really helped students to be able to do research and type up papers, but it has also hurt them in the fact that they are more worried about what their friends on Facebook are doing. Two of the signs on the video said, "I Facebook through most of my classes," and, "I bring my laptop to class, but I'm not working on class stuff." This causes a problem for the professors on how do they keep their students' attention so they will learn. I've had people tell me that most professors don't care whether a student passes their class or not, but they didn't become an educator just so they can teach the same material semester after semester.
Watching this video through a future educator's eyes, I see some issues with allowing laptops in class, but there are some benefits. If the professor uses technology to teach rather than lectures and a chalkboard, students will be more interested. I had a professor last semester who used a power point to lecture, yet we used online material outside of class. Also, when he needed to explain something further, he would draw an example on the dry erase board. He knew how to keep most students' attention. When I become a teacher I plan on incorporating several different strategies to keep my students interested. Because I know how tough it is to sit through a boring lecture everyday of class and not get anything out of it.

C4T #1

Comment 1

I was assigned to Miguel Guhlin's blog Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org and I commented on the blog Exploring #! Crunchbang Linux. In this blog, Mr. Guhlin described his experience of trying out the CrunchBang version of the Linux system. "CrunchBang is a Debian GNU/Linux based distribution offering a great blend of speed, style and substance. Using the nimble Openbox window manager, it is highly customizable and provides a modern, full-featured GNU/Linux system without sacrificing performance." This is a quote from his blog of the description of Crunchbang. He continues to talk about some difficulties he had while trying out the system and how he was able to overcome these difficulties. He said that he hasn't decided if he wants to keep using this system or if he wants to switch back to his previous system, but that he does "like the minimalist theme."
My comment:
"Hello, my name is Carly Willoughby. I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I have been assigned to your blogs for my EDM 310 class. On 2/12/12 I will be publishing a summary of this blog and my comment on my blog- http://www.willoughbycarlyedm310.blogspot.com
This is our class blog- http://edm310.blogspot.com
I have heard of the Linux system once from my dad. So either this isn't very popular with college students, or I don't have very many friends who are technology literate. I just have the Windows 7 system that came with my laptop. This system sounds so much more complicated than anything I'm use to. I suppose I could always just give it a try and if I don't like it take it off of my computer."

Comment 2

In Mr. Guhlin's blog #FlippedClassroom Webinar Reminder #tcea2012, he posted a slideshow showing and telling about "flipping the classroom". I didn't know what this was so I had to do some research. I Googled it and came upon How the Flipped Classroom Is Radically Transforming Learning and this explained to me that "flipping the classroom" is making the classroom more technology based.. This will keep the students up-to-date on what we've been doing if they have to miss class, and can help the parents to know what their children are doing and could help them on homework. It was very interesting, and I hope to be able to do this in my classroom
My comment:
"Hello again Mr Guhlin! Before I read this post, I had no idea what "flipping the classroom" meant. Your slideshow gave me a little insight, but I still wasn't completely sure what this was. I did a search for it and found How the Flipped Classroom Is Radically Transforming Learning through Google. This explained to me that it is a way of making the classrooms more technology based. I found this very interesting and would like to incorporate this in my future classroom. I don't just want to be a lecturer, I want to be someone who inspires children to be all they can be and reach their potential in life.
I will be publishing my post, with the summary of your two blogs I have commented on, tonight on My Blog"

Project #5

Blog Assignment #2

1. In Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version, I learned a few things about the world of technology that I did not know before. Like how India has more K-12 Honors students than the United States has K-12 students. I believe the point of this video is to make us aware how the technological world has advanced, and that it's only going to keep growing. We, as future educators, are going to be teaching in a world more technologically advanced than it is today. We make fun of the teachers who don't even have a cell phone, but that's how they grew up. When we become teachers, we might be those who get made fun of because we don't have the latest technology fab. This video opened my mind to how fast the world is becoming more reliant on technology.
This video is very knowledgeable, but some of the screenshots need to be up for longer. I couldn't finish reading quite a few of them before it went on to the next fact.

2. I believe Mr. Winkle in Mr. Winkle Wakes showed us something that none of us have noticed. Or at least I haven't noticed it. He showed us that no matter how technologically advanced the world becomes, the schools will still be just a place of lecture and boredom.
We, as future educators, need to be the change in this. Everything we are learning in EDM 310 will help us bring technology into the classrooms and make learning more fun for the students. By incorporating things like making a book trailer instead of doing a poster board with picture clippings on it, kids will be more enthusiastic about completing their projects. I plan on being a technologically literate teacher, do you?

3. In The Importance of Creativity Ken Robinson gives great illustrations on why we need creativity and how the schools kill it. He tells how everyone is born creative and most people slowly grow out of it. The reason he said this happens is because most creative things come from mistakes. He says, "if you're not wrong, you won't be creative." If an artist is painting and makes a mistake, it might turn into something he didn't plan on but is very creative and therefore successful. In school we are scolded for being wrong and that makes us scared to be wrong. So if we do something wrong, we don't look at is as being creative.
He tells a story about Gillian Lynne and how when she was a child her teacher told her mom that she had a learning disorder. He goes on to say that in today's world that would automatically be diagnosed as ADHD and she would be given medication and told to calm down and behave. If this had happened to her, we wouldn't have some of the great operas of all times. Her teacher told her mom that she didn't have a learning disorder, she was a dancer. She had to move to think. This is a form of creativity that I don't understand, but it's out there in hundreds of people. If we medicate everyone who can't sit still in a classroom, how will we know if they were meant for something greater?

4. In A Vision for 21st Century Learning it states, "students come in as raw material, move from one grade to the next, and leave crammed full of facts." They sit and listen to lectures, memorize facts, and read text books. One of the main arguments from this video is that this way of learning does not coincide with our world full of technology. There is technology just waiting to be used in a way to make learning fun for students. The video says that computers already have a central role in the daily lives of children via video games and internet. Why don't we use this to our advantage and teach the children in a fun way? Another main argument is that technology literacy is critical for today's work environment. If we don't teach them now how to use technology in a way that is relevant to how they will be used in the working world, then how will they be able to get a job in the future? The video reveals in the end a way to use video games as a way for children to learn about different cultures and be able to explore the world. I think this would be a great way to integrate technology, but I don't think it would be very successful to replace books with "video game learning." They might learn something out of the game, but it's nothing compared to the knowledge they can gain from a book.

5. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts is about a teacher who teaches students how to use computers effectively by connecting to other students around the world. Vicki Davis believes that it's hard for every student to learn in a paper and pencil only class. She teaches in a way that accommodates to what the students in the classroom need. So she may teach the curriculum completely different ways each year. She teaches the students to be comfortable with technology. One thing she does that I might use in my classroom is not defining everything. She expects her students to look up a word and learn it on their own if they don't know what it means. She allows the students to teach her how to do some things. I think she is a great role model for educators. She is teaching in a new way and everyone could learn something from her.

Project #2

Blog Assignment #1

Introduction

My name is Carly Willoughby. I am a full time student and I live on campus at South Alabama. I am from Prattville, AL. I lived there my whole life and that’s why I decided to move to Mobile for college. I needed new scenery. I have passed all of the requirements to become a substitute teacher for Mobile County; I am just waiting for my card to come in the mail. That will be my job this semester. I want to be an elementary teacher because I want to get kids excited to learn at a young age. My preferred grade is 1st.

I am engaged to my high school sweetheart, Chris. We have been together since August 2007. We plan on getting married on our 6-year anniversary in 2013. He is currently working full time in Montgomery and will be moving down here in the fall to go back to school. I see him every 3 weeks or less. It’s hard, but this long distance has made us appreciate each other more and realize not to take little things for granted.

In my free time I like to do cross stitch needle points. My mom taught me how to do that when I was little and it has been enjoyable to me ever since. I also like cars. I am in love with my Honda Civic. I am planning on lowering it and putting a couple of parts on it over spring break for Import Alliance in the spring. Yes, this is some of Chris’s doing; but hey, when you love someone you have to learn to get along with their passion. It just so happens that I enjoy doing car stuff with him. Lucky him! I hope to be able to travel some between graduation and having kids. I want to go EVERYWHERE!!! I have never left the south before, so I want to go see the world before we settle down.

Time Management

In Randy Pausch on Time Management, Dr. Pausch explains ways to achieve goals by managing time. I liked this video because I love to make lists. I make a list for everything from grocery shopping to what I need to pack when I go on trips. They help me to stay organized and not forget anything. One thing he said we needed to ask ourselves is, "why am I doing this thing on my to-do list?" That's a question I never thought about asking myself. "Why do I need to pack 5 shirts if I only need 2 sets of clothes for this trip?" He makes a valid point that if we have too many things on our to-do list, that will be misusing our time. I loved when he said, "good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment." This quote is going to stick with me for the rest of my life because it is extremely true. It's like when a baby wants to touch the stove and the mom says no. Well one day the baby decides to touch the stove and they get burnt. They had bad judgment and experienced what happens when they touch a hot stove and learned not to do it again. This is a video that I learned a good bit about time management from. I recommend this video to anyone who needs a quick lesson on how to better their time management skills.
I have never heard of Randy Pausch before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this video.