My PLN

Over the course of this semester, I have developed a much greater network than I ever anticipated. For starters, I developed a blog which I have never done before. I received interaction from people all over the world, that I have never even met before. I also began to interact with teachers all across the world in our Comments 4 Kids project. That was so so amazing to me. I really enjoyed it when the teachers responded back to me about the excitement from their students.

I do have a Twitter, and I have not used it too much, but I must say that it has been a much greater experience than I thought it would be. Twitter is a huge network, filled with lots of great information. I want to continue to keep in touch with the "At the Teacher's Desk" blog, and I really want to watch the updated "Did You Know's" as they come out.

I enjoyed interacting with Kaia's father and Kaia herself. What a wonderful way to communicate, and what a phenomenal job he is doing with his daughter.

I want to continue to develop my personal learning network. I want to continue to use my Professional Blog as I broaden my network horizon. The things I have learned in this class are very interesting, and I believe will help me in my teaching profession.

Comments 4 Kids

Comments 4 Kids was so fun!! It was one of my favorite assignments all semester. Looking at the students' work from all ages always put a smile on my face. I really enjoyed commenting on the kindergarten student's assignments. This is such an awesome way to interact with other students, and as well as teachers. As a future teacher, this is an awesome way to get ideas from other teachers for your students in your classroom. I have said from the beginning that I think this would benefit students a lot because if they are doing work for other people to see, it is most of the time important to them, therefore it encourages learning. If a student knows they are going to be doing work to be put in a file folder to never be seen again, there is a good chance they could care less about it. Blogging and Comments 4 Kids is a good way to have other students get excited about other students work! I LOVED this assignment!

Overview of the Semester

I have gained so much knowledge this semester. It is next to impossible to list them all in this one post. And the interesting part is that we didn't learn everything!! I learned how to do things in a different way than what I already knew. Powerpoint is not the only way to create presentations. Google Docs can be accessed anywhere and I continue to use them frequently. Learning how to do html modifiers was something that I also learned. This is something that a lot of people that I know do not know how to do. I learned how to create a class blog that I will incorporate in my classroom when I am a teacher, and I also created a professional blog that I will continue to use and post things that I learn. I really like the professional blog, because that is something that I can take to every classroom that I walk into. I can introduce parents to it, and other teachers. I enjoyed Comments 4 Kids also. It was so fun to read the work of other students of all ages and interact with them as well as the teachers! This is something I want to use in my classroom with my students. I think it gives students a sense of pride in their own work when other people find meaning in it! I watched several videos and listened to several podcast on technology literatacy. I honestly had no idea this stuff was out there on the internet. This is all so helpful! I loved the post "At the Teacher's Desk" , it was so informative, and I actually have it saved in my favorites tab so I can access it regularly. All of this information is so helpful, and it is going to make teaching much more enjoyable. One thing that I learned day after day was that no matter what I did NOT know how to do, there is a world of tools on the web to learn from. Not only that, but as you learn, you teach other people!

I can't think of anything that I did not learn - honestly. I did not even expect to learn as much as I did so it certainly exceeded my expectations! I don't think there is one thing that I am going to purposely forget after this class is over. Any time I want to know something or anytime I learn something, I am going to think about my PLN, and how I need to keep it updated! There were some things that did excite me, and there were some things that seemed tedious. It was hard for me to figure some things out by myself, so I enjoyed when Dr. Strange would explain step by step to us, because once I accomplished the learning part it became very easy to continue to do it on a daily basis.

Intellectually challenging? Oh yes! I can not explain how many times I started an assignment and thought, "there is no way I am going to learn this," but after it was over, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I don't know if this was intellectually challenging or not but it was hard to step out and put my opinions and thoughts out there to other posts. It is so easy to read something and form your own opinion but because of whatever reason to just keep it to yourself when it comes to the internet. However, once I started, it is a very good way to learn, especially when it formulates a conversation so that new ideas can come about.

As far as me getting bored with the course, I'm not so sure that I was bored, because there was so much to learn. Sometimes I did not want to learn. Sometimes I did not want to pursue more knowledge, but no matter what, every single time I completed something else, I was excited. The things that I have learned in this class has sparked many conversations with my family and friends and it has been quite interesting to get their opinions. So, to say that I was bored would be a false statement. I could say that I became lazy at times.

The only thing that I would change about this course is that I would either make it a strictly online class, or I would allow more "lab" time in the classroom. I really enjoyed the days when Dr. Strange would allow class time to do some of our work because it gave us a hands on opportunity to ask him questions. Other than that, I really enjoyed the class.

Am I technology literate? Good question. Do you ever become FULLY technology literate? I feel like I have learned so much, but I also feel like I have a lot to learn, so I don't know if I could fit into a definition of technology literacy. I want to expand my knowledge and to continue to learn as I teach others.

I want to continue my technology learning network after this class. I will be honest and say that it will be a challenge to continue to do it everyday, but I want to learn to make it a part of my daily ritual especially when I become a teacher. I want to continue to find new websites to put on my RSS feed so that I can become updated regularly. Speaking of my RSS feed, I LOVE using this. I have all kinds of things on there, and it is so easy to have it updated on one page so that you don't have to go to all of the websites to see if there is something new.

After this class, I want to continue to learn, and take the things that Dr. Strange has taught me and expand on them to become a better teacher! Because just like Doug Johnson says, technology isn't going to make a bad teacher a good one, but it can make a good teacher a better one. I want to be a better teacher because of my ability to search out for new information.

Thanks Dr. Strange, for teaching us what we otherwise probably wouldn't have ever thought about seeking after!

Innovation - Education - Technology

Doug Johnson published two articles containing 7 Stupid Mistakes Teachers Make with Technology, and 7 brilliant things teachers do with technology. As I read over this, some of them were quite comical because I could imagine some that a lot of teachers make these EXACT mistakes everyday, not knowing that they are making the mistakes.

Some of my favorites were: #2. Treating a school computer like a home computer. This is such a true statement. I must say though that it is very easy to forget that things are visible on the web and especially if you are on a server network. I know that I have a company email at my office and I have to continually remind myself to keep it business streaming only because you just never know who could be watching! School computers should be used just for that purpose only. I could only imagine the hilarious things an IT tech guy encounters from trying to clean up personal issues on a business computer.

The new rules of the classroom was so enlightening! There is no possible way to just pick one for my favorite. I loved how it transformed the classroom mindset from the teacher having all of the knowledge to the classroom being a circle of knowledge where EVERYONE can share information and EVERYONE can be teachers at some point. This should completely transform the mind of a teacher to encourage a world-wide (literally) network in their classroom.

To sum it all up, Doug Johnson says this, "Technology won't make a poor teacher a good one. But it can make a good teacher a better one." Simply said, technology is not here to save the world from stupidity, but it can push you along the way to new information!

At the Teacher's Desk

I absolutely love this website. While I was reading through this post I made note to put this in my favorites tab on my laptop and follow it on my professional blog. This will come in handy when I have a classroom of my own.

I enjoyed reading different post from different educators and technology "literate" people. One of my favorites was Mr. Chamberlain's post about controlling and commenting on blogs. It is so true that your blog should always be fresh and updated because that will attract readers to come back. I have several blogs that I follow and sometimes they don't regularly post to them, and it is quite annoying, especially when I am looking for something new on their page! This post was really helpful.

I could really tell that this blog kept up with other "new" updates because there was always something new. The post that the teacher sent out for help for a new website and teachers from all over the world that she had never even spoken to responded to help her out. This was so cool to me because as a teacher trying to be technology literate, sometimes the teacher next door will not have the answer. This was a neat idea that I know will come in handy.

Not only was their ideas but there is loads of information about the latest teacher news (i.e. pencils being banned), that can always intrigue a thought.

Like I said, I really enjoy this blog, and I will continue to follow it, and I will make this useful in my classroom - to learn from it, and hopefully to contribute to it one day!

Use Your Smart Board!

Below is a presentation that I did in class. Smart Boards are sweeping classrooms across America, and I did some research for different uses in the classroom! Click on the links, and play the games...and LEARN how to interact and use your smartboards!

A New Future of Whatever

I must say that when I first started watching this video and saw that it was 33 minutes long, I didn't think this possibly could be interesting - however, I was proven wrong. Mr. Wesch certainly captured my attention! I have never thought of media the way it was presented here. The first thing that caught my interest was when he said that "media mediates conversations." It took a few minutes for that to process in my head, but once it clicked, I certainly agreed. My mind first went to the headlines on popular home pages such as MSN, Fox News, etc. All of the celebrity scandals, or the latest gossip about Jon and Kate is the topic of conversation at my workplace. It's the perfect conversation starter - such as "did you hear on the news about _________?" When media changes, the conversation steers to such change. It's quite amazing if you think about it!

Secondly, I really like the point that he made about the future of whatever. The way people respond to media is quite astonishing. While watching the videos about the free hugs (still one of my favorites out of the whole semester), and the one about the make a stand with a statement on your hand video, I sat back and thought to myself, media really does mediate communication and conversation. If it weren't true, YouTube wouldn't have the response that it does on a daily basis.

I really enjoyed watching this video, and Mr. Wesch's creativity of putting together the visuals with his presentation really put it into a perspective that could be understood by everyone.

So, if media mediates conversation, then I am certainly convinced that media in a classroom can enhance learning

Putting Students Work Online

The video of the class singing "Landslide"
The importance of a class blog to me is very high. Most parents are at work all day long, and they can have access to their child's class blog to keep up with what they are learning and what is going on. One of my coworker's child goes to a private school, and every week she gets the school announcements as a recording online. I thought that was very neat because instead of her having to hunt her son down to get the latest calendar, she gets in in her inbox every Monday. Also, when an emergency happens or any new news, they notify her through a voice email. I know it is very comforting to her as a parent to know what is going on at her child's school.

When I have a classroom, I want to have a class blog for more than one reason. First, I want to have it for the parents to keep up with the students' work and assignments. Secondly, for the student. I plan to be in secondary education, so I think it could teach the child responsibility to have to look online for their assignments if they miss a day of class. That way they will know where it is, what it is, and they can submit it to me through email if they want.

I still cannot get over how amazing that video was. I know this had to make their parents proud!

ACCESS: Distant Learning???

ACCESS is a sight designed to provide distant learning to every student. The site is designed to give teachers an ability to attend online workshops to equip themselves with the knowledge of distant learning. The goal is to provide students with electives and other courses to take online through distant education.

This is a very neat program. However, while I was reading the 12 objectives that the plan wants to implement, I asked myself over and over again, "when will this actually happen?" I know right now they have courses that are web-enhanced in the public schools, and students do a majority of the work on-line in computer labs, but distant learning? Would they be required to come to school or would it be work outside of the classroom?

I know as a college student, online classes are not for me. I prefer coming to class and doing things hands on, rather than having to do it all at home. It seems as though it takes much more responsibility to keep up with everything at home rather than coming to class a few days a week. However, maybe this is a way to prepare high school students for college. If so, I think that would help tremendously.

I wonder if in the long run if this is a way to cut down on actual classrooms. I just can't help but wonder how that would turn out????

ALEX: A very INFORMATIVE site!

ALEX is a website designed for parents, teachers, and really anyone who needs to teach the subject at hand. It has wonderful resources all for free. They have lesson plans, teaching materials, ideas and so much more. It is a very helpful sight that I think every teacher should keep tabbed on their favorites toolbar to regularly visit.

I think it is very interesting how it is available to parents as well, so that they can get in on the action. Sometimes parents need a little bit of direction at home to help students get in the right direction. And for teachers, it is a very helpful sight to perhaps change up the lesson plans a little bit and to give the classroom a little extra spice!

I definitely want to use this tool, and I WILL be bookmarking it on my computer!

Dear Kaia:

While I was reading these different stories about this little girl, it brought a smile to my face! It is so neat to read about different ways parents incorporate technology with their children. That little girl was so little, and the pictures that she took were fantastic! The best part about it was that each picture meant so much to her for different reasons. Children love to play with technology, but something I have seen first hand is that a lot of parents feel they don't have the "time" to deal with the children's creations!

This was really neat that he let his little girl put her pictures up and then followed up to see what people had to say. I bet it fed lots of energy to the little girl to go out and continue to keep taking photos, and putting them up on her blog!

This shows that even as a teacher, technology can be incorporated into a classroom. It might take a little bit longer with the younger children, but they will take more appreciation in it, and be eager to learn and do more

Info on the NML Project

While researching the New Media Literacies, I found out that the staff of this program had a goal of equipping students to be educated to be literate in the multimedia world and to raise the understanding of it to other people. This is quite interesting, because without people willing to teach this kind of information, nobody would really know what to do to. Some of these things I have never even heard of, so had I not read about them on here, I would be completely clueless.

I think it is a good project that they are working on. I think that by teaching students, the New Media Literacies, project could spread worldwide. As they teach students, those students could teach other people. And the network would grow and increase in knowledge.

New Media Literacies

Watching the staff of the New Media Literaciesand their ideas of being connected in the media definitely got me thinking.

They all made some very good points, especially with the skills that they all shared. I do not necessarily think they are ALL necessary to be effective citizens, artists and workers. I think with a good few of them, it makes you a pretty rounded person, but they definitely aren't necessary.

I do use some of them, like negotiation, judgement (not a degrading kind), multitasking, visualization, appropiation, and collective intelligence. I think all of these things combined help to keep me focused and on task. Otherwise...there is just no telling! However, I don't think about these things all the time, its's kind of a natural thing that I operate in.

I guess if I thought about it more while working and putting things together, and put together some of the things that I do not really know about, I could be maybe more effective, but I don't really think it's REQUIRED for success in the media.

Why Does the Networked Student Need a Teacher?

21st Century Student? Is there a need for a teacher for a networked student? Am I prepared to be a networked teacher? Ms. Drexler provided a very interesting way of describing exactly what a networking student does.

I have to say that I do think that teachers will always be necessary. I do not think that lectures should be extinct, nor classroom time should be diminished. However, I do like the idea of the student learning research on a different level. I like the idea of teaching students to find valuable information on the web, versus trusting the first sight that you come across. "Digging Deeper" is a great way to teach students to be successful later on in life.

I do think there should be more to a teacher than teaching a student how to network. This is pretty much a personal opinion, but I enjoy having classroom lectures sometimes, and I enjoy discussions because they help me retain more information and understand it on a different level - especially if I could relate to it. I think taking those times in the classroom and applying it to research or networking could be beneficial.

This kind of relates back to the video that we watched a few weeks ago - textbooks are bought and not read, lots of money is paid for a class that students receive nothing from - but that does not mean that it should all be extinct. The method could change, but the principal could stay the same, in my opinion.

I am ready to be a teacher who teaches my students to dive in for information, and to keep diving after one little nugget. I want to teach them to succeed after the hour in the classroom that they have.

This is How We Dream Part 1 & 2

It is very clear that Richard Miller had a love for books. He loved to read, and for the rest of his life he wanted to work with books. However, he found out real quick that books are quickly going obsolete. When a book is no longer being published and it can be bought for fifty nine cents on Amazon, it is a sign that it's time to do something else.

What he did was find ways to use books and technology at the same time! Being able to do research without ever having to leave your home is so convenient, and the world is at your fingertips!

One thing that I found intriguing from what he said on Part 2 was that as we are learning, we should teach that ideas are not to be kept to the individual, but they are to be shared as a culture! Everyone can use them, everyone should benefit!

Not only can books so quickly be found online, but putting projects together has advanced greatly. From forming movies with still images, to using video as a part of a presentation, writing media is endless!

If books are quickly diminishing to virtual books, then it is equally important to teach students how to access this; otherwise they will have nothing to grow off of in the future!

Duke University's use of iPods

Not being afraid of technology is quite intriguing to me. So many times it is so easy to continue to do things the way that they have "always been done" in fear of failure.

Duke University has enhanced their teaching in the classroom with the use of iPods. Many students already are familiar with the use of iPods and laptops, and this just makes things more interesting to actually use an iPod in class.

Duke University has a quite interesting way of bringing technology into the hands of their students. In 2004, every new student received an iPod at the beginning of the year. It later moved into all undergraduate students enrolled in the university receiving iPods. This was a free service to the students, and when I read about this, I thought, "hmm, how cool would it be if South Alabama did that!" It wouldn't even necessarily have to be free, it could be included in the students' tuition package. It would be so beneficial especially if iTunes U is coming available to our campus very soon. It would make things much easier if the school provided them for the students rather than depending on the student to find the means of getting one themselves. And if the school provided them they would all meet the criteria, etc.

When I read about the different ways that things can be taught in a classroom, it just gets my mind a rollin' about how flexible and how much of a variety could actually change the whole course of a student's education!!!

Alice Christy's Information

This website was SO interesting! Alice Christie has TONS of information for teachers to use in the classroom. Stuff like this is so encouraging to me as a future educator because I honestly had no idea teachers took time to post stuff like this for other people! There is so many new ideas and so many creative things to use in the classroom, that a teacher should never be at a loss of ideas!

I found the photo essays to be quite interesting. I have never even heard of someone using photos to portray information. That actually seems quite fun and challenging all at the same time. I would like to do that in my classroom one day to see how creative my students can get.

Websites like this are quite helpful when it comes to introducing technology into the classroom at different levels!

iTunes University

Wow! I have never even heard of iTunes U until this semester. It is very interesting to know that students can access FREE videos and learning tools all on their iPod. As an educator, it could be helpful as well to use in the classroom as a teaching tool. What better way to get up-to-date information than on the internet - immediately! Gone are the days of checking out documentaries from the library. iTunes U is the place to go! And the fact that you can put it as an app on your iPhone is unremarkable

There are a lot of schools and universities enrolled in iTunes U. However, there are a lot that are not registered either. I wonder why? I have never heard of it, and even if South Alabama was registered, I would have no idea about it because none of our teachers use it at all. Just like everything else, I think that teachers and students could benefit greatly from internet sources in the classroom. It also allows the students to always have access to it as opposed to just being able to see something in the classroom. It could encourage students to learn further about the material and to think deeper.

Mr. McClung's Thoughts

I was very impressed with the thoughts that Mr. McClung shared with us. Sometimes while I am sitting in my education classes listening to the instructors tell us the things that we need to know to be a great teacher, it interests me so much that I think I can remember all of it and be the greatest teacher with absolutely no experience at all! Even when I talk to current teachers about how overwhelming it is and how challenging their jobs can be, something inside of me gets excited.

However, this summer I had to do some observation in some classrooms, and all of that excitement was stripped from me in an instant! The moment I walked in the school, I stopped and stood there for a second and thought "what have I gotten myself into?"

So reading this information was very helpful for more than one reason. I appreciate his thoughts so much because it is not from a teacher who has been in a classroom for 30 years. He is posting thoughts about his first year teaching, and that is fresh. One of his suggestions was to continue learning...looks like he is off to a great start!!!!

WIRED??

After reading these articles, it was VERY clear to me why my professors DISCOURAGE Widipedia for any source of research for class material. I do not understand why this is website that is advertised as an on-line encyclopedia is filled with information that could be edited by anyone. Without the scanner, it is impossible to know if what you are reading is true or false.

I don't think Wikipedia really can be trusted in any circumstance. If you have to do work to find out if information is correct, why not just go straight to the source anyway???

And I personally think it is ridiculous for anyone to change information and delete facts to confuse people from the truth.

Randy Pausch's Lecture

I have not been able to load this fully and watch it. For some reason I get to a certain spot and it will not go any further...every single time. I have been trying to watch this video for a week and it is still giving me problems! As soon as I can get it loaded and watch it, I will post my comments here.

Practice

A Walk in My Shoes

This is a presentation about myself that I had to do in class. You can check it out below if you would like!

Is it Okay to be a Technology Illiterate Teacher?

Is it okay? I honestly have mixed feelings about this. I believe that teachers need to be educated up to speed, and that some form of technology needs to be implemented in the classroom, but I can't help but throw the opinion out there that technology does not determine knowledge. As a prospective teacher, I plan to use the skills I am learning an continue to learn new skills as they come about to teach my students, but I can't agree with the opinion that if teachers do not to that, then they aren't effective teachers.

I do not think that the statement comparing tech illiterate teachers to someone who cannot read being the same thing. Sure, the class may be a lot more exciting if the teacher implemented technology, but if not, it doesn't mean the student won't learn. Some of the most knowledgeable professors here at South don't know a thing about computers, and will tell you that technology is important and encourage us to learn about it, but their opinion is that they are too far in to this to learn something different. I prefer a teacher who implements technology as little as Powerpoint because it opens up my mind to see what I'm hearing. Sometimes it makes it a little harder to learn their material without technology, but it can be done.

I want to be technology literate, and I want to move ahead of the speed of my students, and have my students teach me and for the learning process to continue, but if I chose not to, I would hope that my job wouldn't be in jeopardy because of someone else's definition of literate.

Who sets the standard? Is it okay to be tech ILLiterate, sure...as long as you are effective.

A Vision of Students Today

When I was watching that video, I couldn't help but laugh just a little bit because I could relate to the different facts that the students were holding up. It seems as though all of that was true, I see people Facebook their way through class, I buy hundred dollar textbooks that I never open, etc..and it is proof that most of our learning comes from doing. So is a classroom necessary?

This is my reflection. While watching the video, part of me sided with the students. But then part of me couldn't help but wonder if getting a college degree with out stepping in a classroom made sense. I can 100% say that I learn better from doing, as this class is a prime example - but can everything be learned "hands-on?" I am gonna say no...I am a history major, I cannot go back to the Industrial Revolution and be with Andrew Carnegie in the steele industry, or walk with Booker T through his fight for African American education. That's why I have to read books about him and show my knowledge through a paper and get a better understanding than a chalkboard method.

Don't misunderstand me...technology is my friend, without it I'm not sure how I would function. I'm thankful for word processors instead of typewriters, and high speed rather than dial-up, but I do not think that EVERYTHING can be done on the web, and I do not think that classroom knowledge is a bad thing. A little re-vamping, yes, but extinction, absolutely not!

It's Not About the Technology

I have to say that i agree with what Ms. Hines was saying. I am all about technology and the latest invention of a faster, cooler way to get things done! I mean, think about it - blogging is much easier than turning in a hard copy of an assignment every week, not to mention how much faster it is to get an assignment done. However, if we did not learn in our classroom the purpose of what we were doing, and catch up with technology and realize how far we really are "behind" then learning how to blog would be a ridiculous lesson because it would serve no purpose.

I agree that in order to be an effective teacher, the teacher must be a constant learner. This technology stuff is growing faster than the speed of light it seems like, and beinb comfortable with "Windows 95" version just won't cut it in this day. On the flipside, having every piece of technology available does absolutely no good unless you are EDUCATED on how to use and consistently use it effectively.

I want to be a learning teacher. I want to learn from my students. And from learning from them, I want to effectively teach in a way that they will learn so that my job clearly isn't a waste of time!

Videocast Observation!

While I was watching the video cast and thinking about how I would improve it, my first thought would be for the atmosphere to be a little bit more relaxed. It was very obvious that the setting was very tense, and the speakers were very nervy nervous (2 of them lightened up after they started speaking). I think if it would have been a not-so-rehearsed setting and more of a conversational atmosphere, it could have been more intersesting. A good way of proving your point to someone is being confident in your "point" as it is being presented.

I have never published my own video cast so criticizing to make it better really probably isn't appropriate (haha), I would like to make the podcast more interesting for the listener! Learning about all of this seems fun so let's hop on the road to technology!!!

I decided to look over the langwitches website, and I have to say that I really enjoyed the organization of how to publish a good podcast. I think that organization is the key, because just like the website said "you are the voice in someone eles's iPod" and it is important to have a clear voice that can be heard very thoroughly. Sometimes when I get carried away, I talk really fast and I am the only one who understands me at some points, so this is something that I want to take in to consideration when I am publishing a podcast. Staying on task is another thing that is important - being organized and having a goal to meet will help keep me on task. Discussion and conversation is important for other's opinions but just like I said earlier, you have to be confident in the point that you are presenting in order to win people over with it.

Podcasting, from what I have observed, is a lot like public speaking. Nervousness can turn a crowd off to tuning into what you have to say. Being confident and knowledgeable in the material is important. I learned a lot of valuable lessons in reading over this material, and look forward to learning more tips along the way!

Mr. Needleman

After watching the video about Mr. Needleman's curriculum, I think it is very interesting how he pulls the interest of children to learning to read and write in a way that is a much more creative and fun environment. I'm sure it takes a lot of patience to capture the imaginative minds of second graders and edit it into a video, but I'm sure he has lots of fun doing it!

It's probably the funnest part of the day for those kids!!! I'm sure it would be for me if I was in second grade!!!

Planet Podcast!

I personally have never really experienced the world of podcasts. I have downloaded a few inspirational speakers podcasts, but I have never explored into what is available on this web of free information. As a prospective teacher, I found this really interesting. This is free information at your fingertips! Seriously, more information than an instruction guide could hold!!!

I watched several different podcasts. The SmartBoard Lessons really interested me for several reasons. One because there are SmartBoards in the classrooms at South, and I have been wondering what they do and how they work. Secondly, I'm sure they will be arriving in the classrooms that I will soon to be teaching in, and to have such a wonderful tool, it would be ridiculous not to use it to it's capacity. I really thought it was neat how the two hosts of the show met on their lunch break via video chat/Twitter, and put this podcast together. The presentation was very clear, and it was very easy to understand. I think that is important especially in the ones that do not contain video.

I did watch another SmartBoard Lesson where the hosts actually had the SmartBoard hooked up to the computer, and were showing different ways to use it - this thing puts a dry erase board to shame!!!!

KidCast - vodcasting. I like how the host gave several perspectives on the pros and cons of doing this in the classroom. I think that this would be so neat to incorporate this in the classroom. If the school has technology to do the video casting, I think the students could learn tremendously. They wouldn't just be presenting this to the classroom, but they would have to use organizational skills to present themselves to the whole web! However, even if vodcasting is not an option, podcasting is still something that children should definitely be interested in. Just like one of the guys on the SmartBoard lesson said - kids are carrying itouch's around which is like a mini-computer. These kids are ready for technology, and I'm interested in learning how to teach them!

I am so new to this podcasting, and honestly creating one is kind of overwhelming! However, at the rate that this technology is increasing, I can't afford to be up to speed! There is too much that I'm missing out on at Planet Podcast! Let's get this show on the road!!!!!

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Just as Dr. Strange said, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are not the tools that we need to learn to be successful in the world of "technology", so the same is for pencils, crayons, and construction paper.

If you think about the people around us, children are teaching adults how to do things on computers. The age is getting younger and younger. Elementary school-age kids are getting laptops and cell phones. Pre-schoolers are getting i-pods...that was never even heard of when I was a kid!

I think it is important for the classroom to be technologically savvy. I do not think it should take the place of an actual teacher, but for these wonderful tools to be used to aid in learning and to make it fun...and to keep the students up to speed with the rest of the world - I'm all for it!!! Children are all about computers, and probably know more about them than some of us do...so why not put them to use in the classroom and let their learning soar????

Schools Killing Creativity

This video was a very big eye opener for me. I completely agree with what Mr. Robinson was saying. I remember in my elementary years of us having art, music, etc and that was my favorite time of the day. I enjoyed doing crafts, and using my imagination to create something that no one else could. I enjoyed participating in the school plays and thought it was really fun.

Are we, as educators, killing the human mind? I was astounded by his final quote about if all humans perished, that insects and the rest of the population would flourish. Do we kill "each other" by our view of what a "structured" education should be? I am not saying that the essential parts of education are not important - math, science, history - all of these things are HUGE in education. But I wonder why art, music, dance, etc, are at the bottom of the list.

Everyone remembers School House Rock, right? That was MUSIC!! It wasn't about the wind blowing through the trees or some other deep thought - it was simple songs to help you remember key things in the classroom! How many of us remembered one of those songs on a test? I remember my teacher giving us little poems to help us remember the order of the planets, or the order to do the math problems (remember Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally?)

Being who you are sometimes doesn't fit in to the "puzzle" of society. Just like Mr. Robinson said, at this day in age, if you gather information or have to do something different to "think", then they try to put you on medicine, or send you through counseling so that you fit in to what the world views as a "normal" human. What about looking a little bit deeper and finding out about who that person is? Just like the little girl, her possibilities were endless!!! (I am not degrading counselors, pychologists, or any type of therapy - I am working towards a career in that field myself...but I believe that these type of people can help bring the person into being who they want rather than making them meet the status quo)

I want to be an effective teacher, who can educate students to use their minds - in every aspect...not just 1+1=2.

Did You Know 3.0??? and Mr. Winkle Wakes

Wow!!!!!! That video was absolutely shocking!!!

While I was watching this video, it made me feel like the world was running on a treadmill and the speed was increasing faster than the world on it! Within one blink of an eye, things are changing so rapidly and just as inventions are being invented to outsmart the human brain - technology is growing so fast the human mind cannot comprehend it.

I know that in my "world," I like to take things "one day at a time" in order to stay sane! I do plan for the things that are ahead, and I do have goals that I am working to reach - but my philosophy is that I can't get to tomorrow without getting through today. However, technology works the COMPLETE opposite. It seems as though technology looks 10 years ahead to better our world today...and it's only getting faster.

Did I know? I had no idea.

Mr. Winkle? Waking up from just 100 years ago to see where technology has taken us could be quite frightening. As I was watching this video, and it got to the hospital part, I was thinking to myself "thank God they have advanced!!!" However, when it got to the classroom setting, I was quite puzzled. Education is an important factor in creating smart "inventors", correct? I completely agree with the traditional classroom, with lectures and focusing on student learning, but if the world outside the classroom is moving at a much faster rate than the classroom itself, then are we fulfilling our purpose? Just like in the "Did You Know" video, in just one year information learned is outdated.

I think that the classroom should not be left behind in the updating process. If we are moving to a world at our fingertip society, then the classroom needs to portray that as well. A laptop should not be shoved under the cabinet never to be seen in a classroom...if so, then we are sheltering the students from the madness going on everyday.

I couldn't help but wonder exactly how Mr. Winkle would feel if he came back in another 100 years. It would possibly send him in to brain overload, because of the rate technology is increasing now...there is absolutely NO telling where we will be in ten years. If it took 38 years to reach 50 million people with a radio, but only 2 years to reach the same number of people on Facebook...then how quick will the next social network take????

Mr. Winkle, beware!

Welcome!!!!!!

I have to say that I have several friends that have an online blog, and I think they are very interesting to read; however, I have never ventured out beyond Facebook, so this is all new to me!!!!

My name is Sabrina McAnally. I'm a junior at the University of South Alabama majoring in Secondary Education/Social Science. Most people think I'm crazy for wanting to work with teenagers on a daily basis, but I'm quite excited about it! I think I can handle the challenging task and make it fun for all of us!

I work at Capital Insurance & Financial Services as an insurance agent. Basically, I sell automobile insurance, car warranties, motor club contracts, etc. I consider it a one-stop-shop because we are constantly adding things to present to our customers.

I enjoy fitness and health, which I never thought I would get a grip on, ha! I run local races here in Mobile just for fun - nothing competitive. Running is a huge stress relief for me, but sometimes it can stress me out as well! Putting on my Nike's and hitting the concrete is a great feeling because in that moment, nothing else matters but you and the air around you! I have a love/hate relationship with the gym, mainly because it kicks my tail, yet benefits me at the same time! I love to find new healthy ways to eat, and learning about nutrition is a NEVER-ENDING process!

When I am not at work or school, I enjoy relaxing in my apartment, going to the beach, shopping (I love sales!), cooking, spending time with my friends, and whatever else comes along they way! I enjoy traveling (short-term), and I'm currently planning a trip to Orlando in October!

I believe there is always something new to learn, always a way to reach your goals, and there is never, never, NEVER a dull moment in life! Believe in yourself, and it will get you far!!!!