Additional Assignment #5

For this assignment we were asked to read four posts on John Spencer's blog. http://pencilintegration.blogspot.com/

I really enjoyed reading the four posts. He uses pencils in many different metaphors. He uses them to describe computers, children and teaching. My favorite post was "Sketchy Portraits: 8th grade Identity and Pencils.” This post is about the change going on with the students. I laughed at this post because I have a middle school child now and I know what he is talking about. I also thought the paragraph about elementary kids and boundaries was funny. I used to teach 1st grade and that paragraph brought back lots of memories. His writing is very interesting and I encourage people to follow his blog.

I did miss the computer point in the first assignment, but when I reread it I understood it better. His writing can be a little confusing with the metaphor approach.  His posts are good representations of what we all soon will be dealing with, and hopefully we can all find a way to develop student/teacher relationships that encourage learning the way Mr. Spencer has with his own classroom. 

Blogpost #13

ALEX-Alabama Learning Exchange

We were asked to review this website. ALEX has many different websites available to teachers,students, and administrators in the state of Alabama. It has links to the description of the course of study expected of students grade k-12. It has links to lesson plans in all subject areas. It also has the option to upload your own lesson plans to share. It has links for quality internet content for the K-12 Classroom. It also has a section on how to write grants, so that teachers can get money for their classrooms. It has a link to the Alabama Department of Education Program Websites for teachers to find professional development opportunities, teaching and learning tools, and the latest news. It has a link called Podcast Treasury. It has useful podcasts in a variety of subjects. It has one more link called ALEXville, and this link brings you to MORE useful information. If you click on the globe it brings you to the ALEX blog. If you click on the individual houses it brings you to more websites.
ALEX is full of information for teachers. I will definitely add this to my PLN.

We also had to review the ACCESS Distance Learning website. 


Let me just say WOW! Never new this existed and what a great opportunity for students to earn extra course work or take classes not offered at their particular high school.The students are able to take classes via the web.

This is what I cut and pasted from the website.

WHAT ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE ACCESS DISTANCE LEARNING PLAN?
The ACCESS DL plan provides Alabama students with access to quality instruction and coursework by blending:
• Rigorous Web-based and Interactive Videoconferencing (IVC) courses taught by Alabama certified and highly qualified teachers
• A technical infrastructure to deliver approved Web-based courses and connect IVC labs via a statewide network
• Three regional support centers to hire, train, evaluate, and support e-teachers
• Statewide coordination, scheduling, and support for distance learning
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF ACCESS?
The goal of ACCESS is to continue to meet objectives of the ACCESS plan, expanding the availability of ACCESS Distance Learning to all public high schools in the state.
- Provide access to advanced diploma courses.
- Provide access to additional course offerings.
- Provide access to Advanced Placement and dual enrollment/dual credit courses.
- Provide access to remediation and supplemental resources.
- Leverage existing resources and distance learning offerings.
- Provide teachers with additional multimedia and tools to enhance instruction.
- Provide access to courses and resources through the Alabama Supercomputer Authority statewide network infrastructure assuring quality of service delivery.
- Utilize outside evaluation to assess weaknesses and strengths of the program in order to make appropriate adjustments to the implementation of the objectives of ACCESS.

Project #15: Book Trailer "A Guest is a Guest" by John Himmelman

Project #15: Book Trailer "The Hoppameleon" by Paul Geraghty

Final Project Update

Image via Wikipedia

I am in a group with Ellie Irish-Jones and Courtney Bellais.  We are going to do a rap video about EDM310, to the beat of the song "I Love College." We will sing about all the fun stuff we enjoyed in EDM310. 

Form Results Project #6

I forgot to ask for the first and last name of the people I surveyed. Thankfully,I asked for contact information. By doing this, I had emails and phone numbers to contact people wanting to join my club. I had 14 students to fill out my form. I liked this Google form. It helps to calculate outcomes really quick.
It was interesting to see what type of genre everyone is interested in reading. Romance won and Realistic Fiction no one said they liked it.
Meeting date could possibly be on Thursday or Saturday, it was a tie. 

Blog Post #12

Students at Kearns High School in Utah check out their new iPods

 http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50618043-76/students-ipods-kearns-ipod.html.csp
This article is  about the kick off of iSchool Initiative in a Utah school. I think this should be part of a blog post for next Spring.
I want to follow this high school and see their progress. I plan on adding them to my PLN.

Blogpost #11

Image via Wikipedia
I really enjoyed this video. I am so excited about getting into a classroom and using Ms. Cassidy's computer center idea. I also liked how she said you should use the computer for what you are most interested in. I would love to do a yearbook video for the entire school year at whatever school I am at. I think that would be cool and we could also raise money for the school with the end of the year video. I have Windows Live Movie Maker on my PC and didn't even know it until today. I plan on using it to make my Book Trailer for class. I played with it for about 3 hours today, trying it out. My kids think it is "AWESOME!"
The questions the students asked were interesting and very good questions. I liked how Ms. Cassidy gave the Phys. ED student ideas of how to use phone texting to cancel and reschedule practices. We all know that most teenagers have cell phones, so why not use the technology for this purpose. I also liked the topic on cheating. I really liked how she emphasized the difference between collaborating and cheating. If you put it in your own words it is collaborating. 
She also discussed protecting children.  I really liked her idea of not tagging photos with names and only using first names. I would probably just let them make up fake names; favorite super-hero, movie star, or character names. She also discussed appropriate blogging comments. Only comment nice stuff and do not ever say anything mean. I know that little girls are caddy by the 4th grade, sometimes earlier. Encourage positive comments all the time. I am so excited to incorporate all the things I am learning about in the class and the interview with Ms. Cassidy just made me even more excited.

C4K #3-#7

I did not realize that we had to create a single blog for each additional "comments 4 kids." I already commented and posted something about blog #3. It was on Christopher Columbus. Check it out. http://solanololaedm310.blogspot.com/2010/10/c4k-3-assignment.html

#4 C4K was a child named Nicole in New Zealand. She restarted her blog page and wrote about why she chose the theme of her background for her blog page. I commented and told her that the one she chose was the first one I chose. It had dandelions on the page. I told her that I did not know the names of those flowers until I googled them. I just know as a child (and as an adult) I like to blow those flowers and watch them float in the air.


#5 I did not realize there was a double blog post on this assignment. I only commented on Shaw Shaw and missed Alan B. I did go back and comment on Alan B's blog. He was having a bad morning because his little brother woke up at 5:30am scared and he couldn't go back to sleep. I just told him I wake up at 2am all the time and cannot go back to sleep until around 4 am.  Then I am tired the rest of the day because my oldest child is in middle school and he gets up at 5:30am. I usually am tired the rest of the day.
I liked Shaw Shaw's thoughts on oppressed women. I read most of the comments (that other students of EDM310 posted) and I was interested in what Amani Alloul had to say "The primary goal of Middle Eastern women is to get married and serve their husbands." I wonder if she truly believes this now that she has had the "privilege" to receive an education. I had the opportunity to interact with women like Amani this past Spring while going to the gym. It was an all woman's gym. They would come in with their head wraps on and full body coverings then immediately strip down to work out. One lady was so delightful and cheery. She cut loose in the gym dancing and getting into the workouts. It was interesting to see this side of her and I wondered if her life was different at home. I never had the opportunity to get to know her because the gym shut down shortly after I joined.

#6
I am something that comes out at night.

I am up high in the sky.
You can see me.

I am not on fire like the other things you see in the sky.

What am I?

#7 What would you name this picture? Alba Shunkshark was asking us to help her name her picture that she took on the USS Alabama Battleship. She is a student at Alba Middle School here in Mobile, Alabama. I told her she took a great picture and she should name it "How many circles?"

Teach Someone Project #14

I decided to do a demonstration on how to create a Google document. Many people including myself, forgot to add the first two columns that say first and last name. I really enjoyed using screenjelly.

Summary of C4T #3

I was assigned to Kelly Hines a forth grade teacher in Washington, North Carolina. Her blog is called Keeping Kids First.

http://keepingkidsfirst.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/reflections-on-a-lecture/
The first post I read was her reflections on a lecture she attended. I agreed with her #1 point about meeting the child’s individual needs and making them feel valid. Children need to know that they have made a difference. We need to make sure every child is feeling a sense of accomplishment everyday when they leave our classroom. The #2 comment was funny. She asked the students if they heard of a friendly letter. And the students responded with alphabet letters that they thought to be friendly. We always have to be on a look out for these types of answers to questions we ask.


I also agreed with point #3. This is what I wrote....I think technology is the way and I am wondering when our schools here in Alabama will catch up. They have started to install smartboards, but after watching a video that Dr. Strange had us watch for our upcoming demo on smartboards, I noticed children had a laptop that corresponded with the smartboard to make the lesson taught interactive. Well, I can say the schools my children are at are so excited about their new expensive smartboards, but the interactive laptops are not in the classrooms. So, now I just view the smartboard as a very expensive chalkboard. Children can come up to the smartboard to answer a question just as well as they could answer the same question written out on a chalkboard. So, where is the technological advancement if you have a smartboard without all the tools needed to make it fun and interactive for the children?

http://keepingkidsfirst.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/the-sum-of-the-parts/

In my second post, I told her that I am still not sure I am understanding PLNs. I really do not understand nor do I have enough time to follow so many blogs and twitters. I could relate to her loss of her PLN in a different way, because I lost my PLN related Mom's group. This is what I wrote....
I used to attend meetings and get together with other stay at home mothers. We would discuss the pressures of raising children and also study bible scripture that helped us get over the daily struggles of motherhood. Our children are grown and school age so, we do not see each other much anymore. It is sad when I see a mother in the hallway at school, and we just say “Hello, how are you?” Answer with “fine,” then move on. We used to sit and talk and now life is too busy for that. Just the other day one mother contacted me on facebook. She left me a note about being able to catch glimpses of my life through facebook. It makes me sad to know that we are too busy to sit and have a cup of coffee and talk about life.