For the first C4K in March, I responded to a 4th grade boy named Brandon from the UK. He wrote a short story about wasps at Christmas, using lots of personification. His teacher commented and said for him to slow down, and for him to read what he writes. I told Brandon that I agree with his teacher and I too still have that problem sometimes. I suggested reading his stories aloud, you might sound silly but you always find things you miss.
My final C4K for March starts the blog challenge. I'm assigned to Miss. Alicia, who's in the 12th grade here in the United States. In her latest post, she talks about how excited she is about seeing the Hunger Games, and also wrote a short poem. I replied by saying that, I too am excited about seeing the Hunger Games and I wish I new more about it to understand her poem. I also informed her that I will be commenting on her blog for the next few weeks and I'm excited about reading her blog post.
I had no idea what a book trailer was or what it even did. On February 1, 2012, Cassie Skidmore and Emily Jeanminette worked with me on our first book trailer. We had a lot of fun putting it together and getting to know each other. We made a book trailer for Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole.
Since I enjoyed making a book trailer with my group I wanted to make sure that I could make one by myself. I can see where book trailers would be helpful in the classroom, especially for students to make them. I decided to make my own creation on, Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. This is one of my favorite books because the book lets you imagination run wild.
For Dr. Vitulli's EDM301 class we have an upcoming puppetry assignment where we have to make our own puppet and make a puppet show. The puppet show is about opposites and is a kindergarten lesson. The children can watch the video, then re-watch and identify the different opposites throughout the video. Cassie Skidmore asked Alison Stacey and I if we would be in her group and I gladly said yes. We each created very unique puppets and made a short video, a parody to Paula Abdul's Opposite's Attract video.
I had already read to my K4 class earlier in the week and wanted to create my own short movie. I read The Marvelous Toy by one of my favorite children's author Tom Paxton. This book, as some may know, has a song that goes along with it here's the YouTube link for the Marvelous Toy Song. I love reading to my kids, and as you can see they are very good listeners and love books. I read at least two books a day to them during snack time. They are learning how to read and after I read this to the class some of them read the book themselves, with little of my help. I love seeing them get excited about learning new things and I know that teaching is where I need to be to help students excel.
Richard Miller is an English professor at Rutgers School of Arts and Science. He has published several articles that, "concern's developing aphilosophy of consciousness that promotes transformative teaching and writing practices." He has spoke around the world on how literacy is being redefined by Web 2.0 technologies. In his videos This Is How We Dream part 1 and 2, he informs us how writing has changed in professions and culture. He shares the importance of reading and how we research, write, and publish information. He talks about two different kinds of changes that he believes are taking place, incremental change, and fundamental change.
In part one he describes incremental change, this is where we are working now. We no longer depend on pens and paper to write our papers, we use word processing. Our work space becomes our desktop, we can research the faster from the web than the library. He tells about an article he wrote in response on the one year anniversary of the killings of Virginia Tech. He never stepped foot into a library because all the information he needed was online. I myself in the twenty years I have been alive have never had to go to the library to find information. I have always found all my information online. Another incremental change that he shares with us is collaboration. We can now collaborate using this networking technology and to compose not simply with text; but to compose with images, film, sound, and whatever you find on the web.
Part two talks about fundamental change. Ideas don't belong to us individually, they belong to us as a culture. We as educators must share our ideas freely. The limits and restrictions are the ones we place on ourselves. YouTube is an amazing program that helps us visualize others ideas and pushes new ideas into our culture. He states that these changes need to be beautiful and compelling so it inspires curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.
Working together makes learning a lot easier and I don't think we should be afraid to ask questions. I have enjoyed working in project groups because I always learn how to do something new. I think I am prepared to write with multimedia, I don't realize it but I use it more than I think I do. My students will defiantly know how, young minds love to create and catch on faster. The change has already happened and will progress faster within the next few months.
Carly did an outstanding job in her blog post 12. Right away I can tell she is going to be a great teacher by her dedication to the post. The links were amazing to watch and really made me think about how the small things we do make a huge difference. I agree that multimedia will help enormously in the classroom. It allows children to create so many projects and by having fun you learn a lot more. I cannot thank Carly enough for sharing her idea about creating a playlist. I will for sure keep this in mind in my classroom.
The Chipper Series was very interesting. I unfortunately have a slight problem with procrastination. I like to start things early but it takes me forever to finish some. I know that in this class and every class all work must be turned in on time. I must say I have done a really good job with planning time for school work with my busy social life. I like to get things done in a timely manner and I like to relax knowing that I have completed everything. I have thought several times if teaching is actually for me and I know walking into any elementary school that teaching and inspiring is what I love to do.
EDM310 for Dummies video does a perfect job showing the emotions that students have felt about this class, me being one of them. It's hard to realize at the time how much we have actually learned and continue to learn from this class. So many of these projects and assignments can be used in other classes as well. This class feels like there is so much to do and like it's never going to end but I am so thankful for everything I have learned. Teaching isn't about using every single piece of technology to teach it's about enhancing the learning threw technology. By making my own projects, reading others blog, and finding my own information, has given me the confidence and encouragement to teach what I have learned.
After watching these two videos I would most likely make a video on the importance of learning by doing. Creating a video that demonstrates how making our own projects, and learning new tools has helped me understan
d how they work in a classroom. I have watched so many videos about how to teach and be creative and I can now put them to use.
I agree with a lot of things talked about in this video. I myself have grown up in the technology age and wouldn't know what to do without my cell phone. Like they mentioned in the video all electronic devices are banned from the school. We don't write notes to the person sitting across from us we simply text them. Social networking is very important to not just students but to everyone. It gives us the easy accuses to fast communication around the world. School is just one of the many places that students learn. We learn from all of our surroundings and the places that we visit. I think that social networking has also played a huge role in the change of education. I myself am always on my phone and the internet looking for new ideas and new places to visit. As teachers we should accept this change and continue to expand from it like so many already have. You don't have to use every piece of technology just know some and use it to the best you can.
Scavenger Hunt 2.0
This assignment was created by Justin Cometti. First I watched the introduction video for Discovery Education Web 2.0 for 2011. Next I visited the home page of Discovery Education here they have so many great tools to use in the classroom and at home. Anyone can use this site; administrators, teachers, parents, and students.
1.) Locate a tool that is similar to Twitter/Facebook and provides a social platform for teachers, parents, and students. Create an account as a Teacher and write a paragraph or two about how you could use this site in your class room.
ThinkQuest helps students produce a blog which they can create and edit projects. They can also create games and communicate with people all around the world, just like Facebook and Twitter. What I like about this website is that a student can start a project and work with others around the world. Some of the projects are like a more enhanced PowerPoint. You can search thousands of projects that have already been created for more ideas. I think that given the opportunity to work with students around the world will give students the excitement to want to do projects, which leads to more knowledge. The ThinkQuest also has a competition which; engages students to solve a problem using their technology, critical thinking, and communication skills. I think this is another great way to motivate kids by offering rewards for amazing projects they create. These are their prizes:
1st and 2nd place team members receive a laptop computer and a trip toThinkQuest Live, a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.
3rd place team members receive a laptop computer.
The ten schools or organizations that register the most Competition participants will receive $5,000 USD for educational purposes.
All teams that submit entries will be eligible to receive certificates of participation.
Teams that finish in the top 10% will be eligible to receive certificates of distinction.
Students who are 18 and over and whose teams finish in the top 10% are eligible to apply for an internship.
I think that it's a great incentive to motivate children to have fun with technology and also further their knowledge.
3.) Find a tool to make-your-own comic strip. Create a comic and post a picture of it in your blog.
It did not give me the HTML code so here is the link to my comic strip, click here.
4.) Find a video tool that you have never used. Summarize some it's special features.
I have played on this website all day long and I created two videos. I first played around with Animoto. This is very easy and fun. I created this one about the highlights of summer 2011. With the free version you are only given basic features. The more you pay the more tools you are allowed to use.
The second one I made with PhotoPeach. This one is also very simple and you also have to pay to accuse more features. I think I enjoyed this one more because it gave me more options than Animoto did. Both are great for getting students to demonstrate a topic. Here is the one I made with PhotoPeach some of the events this year in AOII. Zoom your mouse in to see the pictures close up or you can zoom out to see more than one.
Before EDM310 I had never heard of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). With my MacBook my Safari organizes all of my top sites. I can organize the sites and delete the ones I no longer need. I did not realize how convenient viewing the sites made it easier to work. My homepage is iGoogle and this also helps me organize my work. I was surprised to find all the tools that Google has to offer. Before this class I only used Google to serf the web now I use it to create documents and presentations for not only this class but others as well. I like how I can open all my work from any computer using Google.
A Network that has inspired me is Blogger. With Blogger I am constantly viewing teachers, students, and other classmates blog. Their ideas and topics have furthered my desire to teach. Facebook was the only social network that I was aware of, but now I love to blog and tweet. Twitter has given me access to other educators and sites that I now constantly view. I have found many informational videos as well threw YouTube that has changed my mind about technology. Facebook is great to keep in touch with friends but I find that Twitter is faster and easier to communicate.
My PLN is just beginning now that I have experienced technology networks. In my documents I have a folder for each of my classes. EDM by far has the most websites saved that I have enjoyed reading and plan to use. I have explored many websites threw the use of this class and I plan on furthering my use of technology and my networks. Having this type of technology helps students and teachers connect to one another around the world. It creates an easy way to ask questions and new ideas of teaching and learning. I'm excited to extend my PLN and promote the effectiveness that is has to offer.
His latest post was about his excitement about teaching chemistry. His school does not offer mandatory curriculum therefore he is free to experiment. He is teaching his students from the Operation Primary Physical Science (OPPS) curriculum. I wish him the best of luck for this is his first time teaching chemistry! He has lots of ideas for the students to be very hands on this semester. This is Mr. Noschese blog.
This is the comment I left for Mr. Frank Noschese
Hello Mr. Noschese, I, like Erica, am also a student at the University of South Alabama majoring in education also in EDM310. I find it strange that your school does not have a mandatory curriculum for chemistry. I glanced at the topics you are planning on teaching from the OPPS curriculum and it looks like your students will enjoy learning about them. Atoms is a very cool topic to study and it’s amazing that you only have 11 students in your class. It’s a lot easier for students to learn material with a small class rather than having an average of 30 like I did in my high school. Science is such an interesting subject to learn if you have a teacher who presents the information in a fun way. It seems to me like you are doing just that! I like how you will be doing a lot of hands on projects, it makes understanding science so much easier. Good luck to you and your students! I look forward to read how this semester went for you!
Mr. Noschese newest post expresses his thoughts challenging Silicon Valley's formal reasoning skills. Analytical thinking that cannot be cultivated by pausing and rewinding video or playing Math Blasters. He addresses the transitions from concrete to formal reasoning. He also states that interactive engagement courses outperformed traditional courses in learning. He explains Karplus learning cycle and the stages; Exploration, Invention, and Application, to further develop students reasoning skills. This post was extremely detailed and he provided all the links where he received his information.
My response:
Mr. Noschese, I’m a student at the University of South Alabama inspired to become an elementary teacher. I enjoyed reading your post and it made me think a lot about the way I will teach in my class. I am not completely tech savvy but I do find that technology increases my learning. I’m a full time student with a part time job, I have an extremely busy schedule and half of my classes are online. I strongly dislike the online classes because I feel like I am not learning anything just simply doing busy work. I understand topics better when I am around people and can have conversations. I agree that some online programs give students the freedom to create and figure out topics themselves, but not every subject should be taught from a computer. When students are creating projects and they have to find all the information themselves that’s when they learn the most. By creating fun projects and games it makes learning enjoyable. Traditional learning can be extremely boring sometimes. It’s hard to focus when your constantly listing to a teacher talk about something you can care less about. By interacting, we engage ourselves in the subject and want to know more. I know from experience that finding my own information to create a project, furthers my knowledge about the topic. Since K5 I have always received instructions for homework and questions to study for the test, constantly receiving instructions. I have mixed feelings about this technology teaching. I know that when we find the best way to incorporate technology into the classroom students will be more engaged.Thank you for posting this topic, it has made me think a lot about the use of technology in a class.
After watching The Networked Student I strongly disagree with their idea of the role of the teacher. Students today are using technology as a tool for learning and social networking. We are being taught now as future educators we will only be helping students find sources on the internet for them to educate themselves. I want to become a teacher to teach students, to encourage them to learn and fulfill their dreams. I do not want to walk around the room and tell them what site to go to learn math, science, history, and english. The internet gives us full access to everything we want to know. We can watch videos online so we can further our understanding how things work or other instructions. I love having all the answers I need with just a few clicks. Having all the answers a few clicks away could also be a problem. Will students actually learn the material or will they simply copy and paste? It really is amazing all the tools and programs that we can access to create projects to show our learning. I think incorporating technology in our teaching is fantastic. It allows students to find new sources, pictures, and create a project that they are proud of. While students create projects it really helps them understand what they are learning. When children are having fun and exciting about projects they don't realize how much they are actually learning rather than just reading a book.
As a future educator I need to be open to new ideas of teaching and communicating. I have mixed feelings about how technology is the center focus. I myself love the computer and find new sites that are great for teaching and learning. I don't want to become a teacher to simply guide the internet. Teachers put thousands of hours making lessons plans and coming up with new ideas to teach. While having all the subjects online I think this will cut down on the planning. I want to always be hands on with my students. Having the computer makes it easier for visual learners like myself to understand. It is hard to understand what I will actually be doing in the future but I know that I want to help children learn and inspire others no matter how high the ropes are.
After watching A 7th Grader's PLN it really made me think about how strong technology really is. It amazed me how you can organize links and i noticed on hers that anything associated with school was on the bottom. I loved how she created a biology report using technology. With every subject especially science we can find so many videos, post, pictures, and games that help us further our knowledge. I do like technology and everything it has to offer, but again I don't think that we should fully rely on it. I really did enjoy watching this video a lot.
My first C4K in February was to a boy named Barien. He is in Mrs. Diaz 5th grade class in California. She has told them several times about the importance about not telling all their information on the internet. They are not allowed to use their real names, tell their age, where they live, school name, or anything personal. I commented on his most recent blog about how much he loves his school. I told him that I am glad he loves his school, friends, and teachers. Barien said that in his school they feel like a family. I encouraged him to stay positive about school and to never give up. He seems really excited about school. I can't wait to read his reply.
For my second C4K I was assigned to a girl named Sydney in Mrs. Hubener's 5th grade class in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. Sydney wrote many things down that she enjoys doing. I think they did a lesson on poems that day and created one about themselves. Her first line read, "I am cute and I am happy and silly". I loved that this was her first line it shows her personality very well. Throughout her writing she said many fun things she likes to do and eat. I also read her teachers blog, she is extremely organized with what is going on in her classroom. I look forward to reading her reply!
My third C4K was Erick, a 7th grade student in Ms. Sedgwick's computer class in Winnetka, California. His last post was of a chart about how much he thinks items are worth during Christmas. I read some of his other post like papers he has written and he seems to really like school and soccer. He enjoys hanging out with his friends and playing video games. I told him about our class and how we are learning to blog as well. I hope he enjoys school and continues to learn. From the impression I received from his page he has a lot of potential to succeed. I was not able to post directly to his blog but I posted on the class blog as a whole. Hopefully he will reply.
My final C4K was a 5th grade student in Iowa. The names were not given only initials "FK" I am pretty sure it's a girl. Her most recent post was, "I Wrote This to My Parents and Now They Want to Go on A Cruise". I really enjoyed reading her post because I love going on family vacations. She explains in her note that her and her siblings would be really good and get along with each other. How going on another cruise will bring them closer together and make more memories. I really liked how she loves her family. Many of her post include her family and lots of candy. I encouraged her to always be close to her family and to enjoy every vacation and make the best of everyday with them. Her Blog was very cute and girlie with pinks, purples, and lime green. I am really looking forward to her reply.
My final C4K for March starts the blog challenge. I'm assigned to Miss. Alicia, who's in the 12th grade here in the United States. In her latest post, she talks about how excited she is about seeing the Hunger Games, and also wrote a short poem. I replied by saying that, I too am excited about seeing the Hunger Games and I wish I new more about it to understand her poem. I also informed her that I will be commenting on her blog for the next few weeks and I'm excited about reading her blog post. 
My final C4K for March starts the blog challenge. I'm assigned to Miss. Alicia, who's in the 12th grade here in the United States. In her latest post, she talks about how excited she is about seeing the Hunger Games, and also wrote a short poem. I replied by saying that, I too am excited about seeing the Hunger Games and I wish I new more about it to understand her poem. I also informed her that I will be commenting on her blog for the next few weeks and I'm excited about reading her blog post. 
