Emily Nadeau's EDM310 Blog
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Project #16 Final
At the beginning of this course I was terrified! During this course I was stressed! Now that it's over I am really thankful for this course. Dr. Strange gave us the opportunity to be creative and expand our learning by how much effort we put into this course. For the future students reading this, you may get extremely frustrated with this class and might break down but if you explore more than what is expected you will really enjoy this class. I have learned that technology is not just our phones and Facebook, but it gives us a way to enhance our learning. Good Luck to everyone, thank you again Dr. Strange and a HUGE thank you to all the lab assassinates!! :)
Project #13 Collaboration
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Final Report On My PLN
Google has been my main focus these past few weeks working on our final projects our group has communicated threw many of Google's features. For Project 13 we had to create a lesson without meeting face to face. Google Hangout was the best communication tool we used other than text. Google Docs also helped us a tremendous amount because we all could type on the same page and know what we were going to do. The tools that I have learned from this class I have been able to apply in my other classes, and people ask how I know how to do all this. I like to learn new things but I never would have known about any of these if it wasn't for this class. My PLN has just began but it's far from being over. Over this corse I have signed up at many websites to receive emails about new tools. I'm excited to use these tools in my classroom one day.
Blog Post #13
For this blog post we were not allowed to use any type of technology for 24 hours. We were allowed to use only a house phone and see a movie only in theaters, everything else was banned. If it was powered by electricity or batteries, we were not allowed to use it. This assignment was extremely hard for me. My phone is like my security blanket, without having it the feeling is just miserable. My boyfriend goes to Auburn and there was absolutely no way that I could not talk to him for a whole day. My cellphone was broken a few weeks ago and kept freezing. I immediately took it to AT&T and got a new phone. All my school work is done on the computer, if I didn't do it for a day I would fall behind. Even at my daycare that I work at, we use computers to clock in, and walkie talkies for the playground. Technologies are such a HUGE part of our society today that if the power went out for a whole day I honestly think that the world would go crazy. We have been accustom to cellphones, computers, and cameras that without them we cannot function. Hopefully we won't have to face a no technology day again!
C4T #4 April
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Blog Post #12
This website is also great for teachers because they can set up a classroom account which will allow them to; manage and review students work and also enables them to share stories between the classroom and home. The teacher may also set a time limit for the students. When the students logout they are suggested to share their work with their parents. Teachers and parents can order the book that the child creates.
For my blog post assignment this is what I would do.
1. Create an account, the best part about this is it's free.
2. Make a book that you would read in your classroom that would cover a certain subject ex. math, history, science.
Make sure you put time into it, you can use pictures and information from the internet. These books are also printable for you to use in the classroom so do something your interested in.
3. You must have at least 14 pages.
4. Post your book on your blog for others to read.
Progress Report on Final Project.
For the final project my group, Scholars United, includes; Amanda Warner, Keeley Bryan, Travis Snyder, and myself. We are working on creating a video to illustrate the benefits of using various types of technologies in the classroom. Each of us will pick a subject that we will teach in the future, and pick which technologies will best enhance their lesson plan. We have selected our subjects and different types of technologies that will enhance our students learning. Our project is centered around the idea of motivating educators to incorporate technology in their classrooms, and to make known the connection between technology and student comprehension. So far we have used; Google Docs, Google Hangout, e-mails, text messages, and our class time to communicate through this project.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts- Special Post #12A.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
C4K Summary for April
On April 2, she blogged about how excited she is to go to the nature room. She describes it as a science lab where they will build bottle rockets, have a spa day, and even dissect a sheep's brain. I responded by telling her how brave she is if she dissects a sheep's brain because I could never dissect anything. She said that she will post about her experiences in the nature room later this week. I cannot wait to read about what she learned and made. I asked her if she would tell me what she did and didn't like so I have some ideas when I teach. Very excited to read her response!
- This week is spirit week at Alicia's school and today, Tuesday, April 10, is Hawaiian day. She describes her outfit that she actually bought when she was in Hawaii. She explains that it's a family tradition to go to Hawaii for vacations. She asked for wacky ideas for spirit week. I was so excited to read this post because I have always wanted to visit Hawaii, and jealous that she has been. Spirit Week in high school was my favorite because it was also homecoming. I replied with many ideas that she could use for her spirit week that I used for mine. I cannot wait to read her reply on how the rest of the week went.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Blog Post #11
Monday, April 2, 2012
Blog Post #10
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Blog Post #9
C4T #3 March
My second C4T was to Ms. Jenny She. Her blog is dedicated to record her experiences, reflections, learnings, and anything that matters to teaching. Her latest post was about photography and the beauty of the simple things in life like flowers. A quote that she wrote has stuck with me the rest of the day,"The happiest people don't have everything, they just make the best of everything." She went for a walk and took pictures with her iPhone of some flowers she saw. Beauty isn't always the biggest most elaborate things, the small things make the picture complete. I responded by telling her my passion for photography and how pictures last a lifetime. I really enjoyed her reminder about making the best out of everything.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
C4K Summary for March
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.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Project #12 Book Trailer
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Project #11 Short Movie
Blog Post #8
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.
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.
3.) Find a tool to make-your-own comic strip. Create a comic and post a picture of it in your blog.
Make your own slideshow with music at Animoto.
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.
Alpha Omicron Pi on PhotoPeachSunday, March 11, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Project #10 PLN
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.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
C4T #2
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.
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.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Post #7
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.
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.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
C4K Summary for February
- 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.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Post #6
Brick walls are there for a reason they push you to work harder for your goal and show your dedication. When you have someone telling you that you cannot do something work harder at it and prove them wrong. You will not get everything you want but when you work hard enough for it others see that and they help you achieve your goal. Students who stay in on the weekend to read and work more than required usually end up with a better grade because they push themselves. Teachers who stay late after class or up late at night working on projects, lectures, or extra assignments usually love what they are doing more helping to educate kids. When we reach a point where we think we can’t go any further keep trying. When you’re at a stop sign you don’t stay there forever you pause and keep moving forward.
Where does complaining really get you? No where if anything it pushes you further from what you planed to achieve. Pausch explains that at times we can complain but when you have said it once push yourself to work harder. Cherish feedback that you receive both positive and negative. “When you start screwing up and nobody says anything to you that’s when they have given up on you,” stated Pausch’s little league football coach. I find that quote completely true we should always help people become the best they can be. When a student does not understand how to multiply the teacher doesn’t give up no matter how frustrated she may get, she works with them longer and tries different ways of explaining it.
When you screw up sometimes the hardest thing to do is apologize. We should apologize more often nobody is perfect and we need the help of others to survive. When you meet somebody you don’t like give them time to impress you, we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Think of your co-workers or your classmates, you judge them how you think they are by the way they look. Everyone has bad days but we should look for the positive in everyone, it makes you feel better when you know you can go in with a positive attitude.
Pausch found that when you don’t give students a bar for them to meet they exceed the expectations. This was one of my favorite things he talked about and I completely agree. By saying, “That was good but I know you can do better” we work harder for that strong positive feedback. When you are given it on your first task you try less and less because you already did your best. It is weird how our brain works and how we crave for that positive assurance. We all have room to improve ourselves and I know after watching this video I have tried to follow his ways of teaching. During this video I laughed and I cried. It is amazing how the little things in life are the ones we remember and cherish forever. I strongly encourage everyone to watch this video. Think about the way you say things and the tone in your voice it’s a small thing but it makes a huge difference. I really did enjoy watching this video and I hope that you take the time to watch it as well. Trust me it did not seem like an hour at all.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Blog Post #5
Who is Scott McLeod? He is a creator, and is expanding our education of how we teach. Dr. McLeod put issues into a new perspective that creates you to think about what he is really trying to say. He is also an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. Founding Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work. One of his blog post,"Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff" was an extremely sarcastic post about why children shouldn't use technology (computers) in school. Dr. McLeod is very intelligent and continues to further our education about technology and how it's helping our students learn.
- Travis Allen made a video when he was seventeen ISchool Initiative about how technology should belong in school and all of its advantages. He named this project ISchool. His thoughts about ISchool are students will no longer need books, paper, and even pens. Allen explains some of the Apps that the IPad already has for school use. Some include U.S. Constitution, World Wiki, Chemical Touch, USA Presidents, Star Walk and basics such as calendar and calculator. These Apps are very interesting and give students a ton of information that would not fit into books. The Internet has so much information that would not be accessible threw a book. With technology and YouTube we can visualize and understand things better. I agree with the cost of school being outrageous Allen stated that today the cost of one student is $600; the cost of one student in ISchool would be $150. The financial problem that the schools are facing today is very troubling. I have mixed feelings about all future education being taught strictly by technology. What if the service is slow and you cannot connect to the Internet? How would you then teach your class? I do like the use of technology it really enhances the learning but I don’t want to solidly rely on technology.
I watched Lux Aurumqueand what we can do with technology is absolutely astonishing. This video is made up of 185 people who have never met singing Lux Aurumque. The way Eric Whitacres collaborated this video is just amazing. It’s a mixture of art and technology. In today’s world we cannot do anything without the assistance of Internet. Our life literally revolves around technology, without it we feel empty and disconnected. I myself live on my phone it has become my security blanket. This video right away gave me chills, the music the people and the way it all fell perfectly together. It takes art, learning and every subject to a whole new level. I feel overwhelmed by all the new technology and how it all works. Are children in the future going to experience playing outside or will it be taught? I do love the assistance of technology but again I do not think we should solidly rely on it.
- Kevin Roberts Teaching 21st Century Studentsvideo makes you think about the future generation. Technology offers a lot of great tools and sources. We are using a lot more technology in the classroom than ever before. Roberts explains that that teacher’s are no longer the source of information but the filter. This ten minute video has some good points but it seems to last forever. If this video were shown in a classroom students would drift off after five minutes. He is expressing that we will no longer be teachers and educators but helping students find how to learn. I do not like that way of teaching. I know we will forever use technology but we should keep it as a tool not as the teacher. Soon students will stay at home and teach themselves by Google. I want to become a teacher to teach students to see them understand it and help them create new ideas. We can do so much with technology I am afraid that too much might be a bad thing. Whatever we do now to change the way we teach and learn the upcoming generation will not know any difference. Just like the way we were taught using a white board and books, today’s students use SmartBoards and Google. The main goal is for students to excel their learning and keep creating.
- The Reading Rocketwebsite has a lot of great reading resources for students, parents, teachers, and principals. It has lots of great ideas for teachers to use in the classroom. Parents can also visit the site and find activities to do at home with their children. I really liked this website and found so many great ideas that I can use in the classroom. One of the activities I found very useful for a classroom is Shared Reading. First you discuss what you think the book is about and students can write down questions or comments they think it’s about. As you read the book aloud students throughout the book can make predictions about what’s going to happen. When you finish you can have the students individually rewrite the story using their own comments and answers to the question. I really like this idea; students have to use their listing and comprehension skills. If students have questions or didn’t understand a part in the book independent reading would be a great idea.