C4K Posts for the Month of November

C4K #8

I commented on "The Runner's Nightmare" by Zoey F. This post was a great story. She wrote about how a girl named Lily loved to run. In this story, Lily moved to a new school. She made two great friends Sam and Sarah. She talked about going to a dance and how much fun she had. Then Lily had a track meet, but her mom wasn't there. After her track meet she wakes up in a hospital. She realizes that her legs have been amputated due to a wreck while she was in on the bus. This is sad for a 13 year old to go through, but her friends were very supportive. She went back to school and everyone was glad that she had returned. I told Zoey that I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange's class, EDM310. I told her that I enjoyed reading this story and how lucky Lily was to have supportive friends during this time in her life. It is scary to think that this could happen to anyone. I was glad that Lily didn't just give up, but did return to school. I asked Zoey F. if she watched the Olympics this summer and if she had seen Oscar Pistorius that had a double-below knee amputee. Even after his legs were amputated he still ran track. I ended my comment by telling her that I thought her story had a good lesson in it. That we shouldn't take for granted what we have, because it can be gone in a blink of an eye.

C4K #9

I commented on "IBMcClean02's" blog post about the French Revolution. He explained that the world would be much different today if the French Revolution hadn't happened. I told him that even though the world isn't perfect today are we glad that things happened like they did. He had several links in his blog to help tell about the information he was writing about. I told him that I was a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I told him that we are making links in our blog post too! I told him that I think that he did a great job and shared some good information.

C4K #10

I commented on "The State Capitol" by Ms. Yim. They went to the State Capitol on a field trip. They were allowed to take their iPads for the trip. They took video and pictures during their visit to the capitol and recorded their visit with the Governor of Alabama. I told them that my name is Amanda Rice and I am in Dr. Strange's class EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I told them that I watch their video of the trip to the State Capitol. I said that it looked like they had fun on their trip and I think it was a great idea that they were allowed to take their iPads. I told them that I had never visited the capitol of Alabama, but I enjoyed seeing it through watching the video that they made.

Project #15 "Smartboard Lesson"

Final Project #16

Final Project Progress Report

I am in the group “January Jags.” The members include: Molly Reynolds, Amber Clukey, Keiko Ito, and myself, Amanda Rice. We have been working very hard to prepare our final project. Hopefully this will be a helpful video for new EDM310 students. We have met several times to plan and record the video clips. We haven’t put it together yet, but we will as soon as we shoot our final video on Tuesday. The group that I am in is working well together and I am enjoying getting to know them. We have made it fun working on this project together. It's like taking a road trip. It has been a long ride, but it will be worth it when we get to the end. I hope everyone will enjoy it!

Blog Post #13

Back to the Future

In the video "Back to the Future", by Brian Crosby, I learned some interesting ideas for my future classroom. Mr. Crosby did several science projects that were fun for the students and then blogged about them. They also embedded video showing their projects. The videos were then viewed and commented on by many people around the world. This is a great idea to allow students to interact with people from all over and not just from their surrounding area.

In this video Mr. Crosby talked about how his fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes have mostly students of poverty. Most of his students didn't know their city, state, or country. Only a few knew their own address or phone number. He said students are disconnected and teachers shouldn't narrow the curriculum. Since these students haven’t been many places, blogging can help them be more globally aware. Giving them the world as their audience through blogging is a great way to help them with these problems. He said that, “Good education is the birthright of every child.”

A Vision of Students Today

In the video, "A Vision of Students Today" by Michael Wesch, it shows situations students face while going to college. It cost a lot to go to school. Some of the cost could be avoided with technology. The class sizes are larger than normal, and some students feel like they are lost in the crowd. If the teacher could come up with ways to use the technology to teach the classes, then it would be a much more productive way to teach. Students already use technology in their everyday lives, so incorporating it into the curriculum would be beneficial.

I believe that this is what EDM310 is teaching us as future teachers. Not only is this something that a college professor or a University president should hear, but as future teachers, we all need this message. All students no matter what their age should understand the importance of what they are learning and how it relates to their life. When a student doesn't feel like the subject applies to their life or what’s going on around them, they don’t usually care. If we use technology to reach them where they are in their life, then they will get more out of it and learn more.

I am a single mother of two girls. I have a hard time trying to juggle home life and school. Like the girl from the video in the picture above, I am a multitasker, because I have to be! I have some help paying for my classes, but I try my best because I cannot afford to take the same class twice. It’s hard to be a student and a mom, and sometimes I wonder how the class I’m taking will pertain to my future career. If more classes were like EDM310, giving us many tools to use and meeting us where we already are by using technology, it would be great. I’m not meaning the long grueling hours or the stress, but mainly just the use of technology instead of using costly books. Having more classes online helps me a lot too because I drive an hour to school each day. The occasional meeting in class is good, but driving everyday can be costly! This is why I think that colleges should take these types of students' concerns into consideration and teach using more up-to-date styles of technology than the old ways of teaching.

Blog Post #12

A Blog Post Dr. Strange Should Have Created

This is a set of instructions, like Dr. Strange gives us each week, for our Blog Post assignments. I was assigned Mr. Richard Byrne as a C4T in October. I actually got a little ahead and did my C4T a week early that week. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a cute program. I liked it so well that I also tweeted about it. That is why I chose this as an assignment that Dr. Strange should give to EDM310 students. While looking for the post I commented on, I discovered that Mr. Byrne has found some other interesting free technology ideas for teachers. This is how I decided to add the task of finding two more programs and writing about them. Maybe while the students are looking for these programs, they will see many ideas that they could use in their future classrooms.

1. Read the post and watch the video from "Richard Byrne's" blog post about "ScootPad." Create an account for ScootPad and sign up as a student to be able to check out the program as a student would do. Write your reaction about this program and if you would use this in your future classroom.

2. On Mr. Byrne website "Free Technology for Teachers," find two other programs that would work well in any grade K-5. Try the program out and post what you think the appropriate grade level would be. Post the link of the program and write about why you think it would be a good program to use. Send Mr. Richard Byrne a thank you tweet @rmbyrne and #EDM310.

ScootPad

I watched the video from "Richard Byrne's" blog post about "ScootPad." This is a good program to use when I become a teacher. I liked the idea of the reward system for an incentive for students with high scores. Either parents or teachers can reward students for their accomplishments. Parents can be involved with the teacher and students. I created an account and set up two unit lessons. One was in reading and one in math. I made up a student and went back in the program to try it out. I thought it was a great way for students to get extra practice for what they are already learning about in class. I think that I would use this program in my future classroom.

"Teach Your Monster to Read"

I found a good program to use on "Free Technology for Teachers" called "Teach Your Monster to Read." This is another cute program to use. I think this would be a good tool to use in grades K-1. This is a program that teaches the sounds of letters. A student can create a monster and a narrator tells a story. After they hear the story, it becomes interactive, and they win prizes for their accuracy. Teachers can log in at any time to check the progress of their students. This would make a great center idea or a "Fun Friday" game. This is an easy program to sign up on, and it's free.

Math Landing

I found another good program to use on "Free Technology for Teachers" called "Math Landing." Since math is my favorite subject and I want to teach fourth grade, I checked out a fraction game called "Bridge Builders." This particular game is for fourth graders. There are other games that you can find on "Math Landing." These could be for any grade K-6. The fraction game I found was using different size fraction bars to build a bridge so the lizard could cross the empty space. The student is required to build the bridge using the parts that the instructions say to use. For example, it would say to use 4 equal parts to make the bridge and the student would have to use four equal 1/4 parts. In my opinion, this would make learning fractions more fun for the students. I would like to use this type of program in my future classroom.

Summary Post C4T Teacher #3

Post #1

In "Unfiltered and Unfinished-My Musings" by Scott Kemp, he post quotes. This quote was from Terry Fails in Up and Down. It basically said that he knew what he had to do. It may cost him everything, but when you follow your heart, you shouldn't allow the small insignificant things stop you from doing what you know is right. He also wrote some brief thoughts along with this quote. He said that we don't always do what is right because we do what is easy. We know what's right in our hearts so why don't we do what's right? I posted a comment on his Mr. Kemp's post telling him that I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange's EDM310 and that I agreed with the quote. I said that it is hard to do what's right and that we like to take the easy road instead sometimes. We know what's right in our heart and should always stick to it and not let the small worthless things stop us. I also told him that I would strive to always do what is right when I become a teacher. I will not try to take the easy road out of doing what is right. I will try to not let the little things that don't even matter discourage me from doing what is right. I thanked him for posting this quote!

Post #2

In "Unfiltered and Unfinished-My Musings" by Scott Kemp, he post quotes. The quote I commented on was from, Junot Diaz. It basically said that without getting lost first, how can you find something new? He asked a question below it about how can we get "lost" and find something new. If we are lost our eyes should be open. He also asked how universal curriculum hindered or supported this. I told him that I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I said that I agree that we need to get "lost" sometimes to find something new. I compared when I lived in Okinawa, Japan and learning new places by going down unfamiliar roads to education. Sometime you have to go down unfamiliar roads to learn something new to teach. I told him that I think universal curriculum hinders this because administrators don't like change usually. I told him that I think that teachers should be given a more flexible guideline to be able to branch out on.

C4K Posts for the Month of October

C4K #3
In Ms. Dunlop's class, I commented on"Braedan's post". Braedan is a fourth grade student. He wrote his post about his trip to Florida. On this trip his i-touch was dead and he didn't seem to have a great ride there. He went to a hotel and luckily he was able to have some fun swimming. I told him that I was a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strang's EDM310 class. I also told him that I live in the panhandle of Florida. Braden didn't seem to have much fun on this trip other than the swimming, so I commented on that. Being that his i-touch was dead for the trip to Florida, I told him that I hope he was able to charge it, for the rest of his trip.

C4K #4
I commented on"A New Type of Learning"written by John on "The USHRS Blog". He explained how his first week in US History class went surprisingly unexpected. This hasn't completely changed his outlook on school, but he is optimistic about this class. The class this year will be more technologically centered. Not only will he connect with other students, but students will also connect with the teacher. Students will have a chance to figure out information on their own. He seems to be excited about this style of learning. I told him that I was a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class and that I enjoyed reading his post. I also mentioned we are learning to be the type of teacher he had described. I told him, that knowing students will get more out of a class like this, is encouraging.

C4K #5
I commented on "The Living Branch" by Angela. This is her first draft of this story. She wrote about a "living branch" on a living tree and how it goes through the different seasons. She was very descriptive about how the branch felt going through the seasons. The branch thought the summer was very hot and then it enjoyed the cool breezes of fall. Angela wrote about how harsh the winter was on the branch and how it wondered if it would survive and live another year. In the comment I left for her, I told her that I was a student at the University of South Alabama and in Dr. Strange's class, EDM310. I also told her that fall is the season that I enjoy most. I told her this was a good first draft.

C4K #6
I commented on "Quiana's post". She is a student from Alberta, Canada. She said in her post that she like to do gymnastics. She said that she lived in the Rocky Mountains in Rocky province. I told her that I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange's class, EDM310 and that I live in Florida. I told her that was about an hour away from Mobile, Alabama where I go to school. I asked her if she had ever been to the United States. I told her that I had never been to Canada, but hope to go there one day. I told her that I had two daughters who also enjoyed doing gymnastics. I asked her if she watched the Olympics this summer, like my girls enjoyed doing. I visited her favorite links and found that she had posted the song "Beautiful," by Christina Aguilera. I told that I had seen that she posted that song and I like that song too.

C4K #7 Special Edition

I commented on "We Finally Viewed the Original!" by Dr.Paige Vitulli and Dr. Susan Santoli on their blog, "Eyes on Ireland." This post is about them finally getting to view a painting that is only allowed limited exposure to light. They did however get a chance to take a picture of it without using a flash. I told Dr. Vitulli that I am a student at the University of South Alabama in EDM310 and that I commented on her page at the beginning of the semester. I told her that I was glad they were enjoying Ireland. I also mentioned that I never knew that some paintings had certain viewing hours for limited light exposure. I told her that the picture they were allowed to take without using flash was awesome. I could only imagine how it may look in person. She asked a question below the picture of the painting, asking if something in your life that you have read, seen, or heard has changed you as a person. I told her that I have had a few things that have happened like that to me. I couldn't think of one example at the moment, but I know that it has happened.

Blog Post #11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class

In the video,"Little Kids...Big Potential," by Kathy Cassidy, first grade students share how they learn by using technology. They use blogs, a web page, wikis, videos, and Nintendo DS games to learn in their class. These students enjoy this way of learning.

Ms. Cassidy, a first grade teacher in Canada, uses technology in her classroom. In the "Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy," she talks about how ten years ago she received five computers that did not have programs on them. She had to figure out a way to use them and decided to use the internet. She had great support from a technology coordinator who was looking for someone to try this style of learning. Even though he may have not been looking for first graders, it has worked.

The children enjoy writing on their classroom blog for the world to see. Ms. Cassidy uses "Class Blogmeister," and it shows how many people visit the blog and where they are from. The students get excited knowing that people from all over the world are reading what they write.

Parents seem to enjoy being able to see the students' work on the blog. On the first day of school Ms. Cassidy sends home a permission slip explaining what they will do in this class and gets permission for them to participate in this style of learning. Students are protected by only using their first names.

Like Ms. Cassidy said, technology isn't going anywhere. Using technology is a way of life for students, so they should be able to keep using it in schools, as well as at home. She mentioned that the students should be guided on how to use the internet in a positive way. The students are also taught to be nice to each other in their comments. She also recommends PLNs (Personal Learning Networks). She said that Twitter and other types of PLNs are very useful.

In my future classroom I hope that I can use blogs and Skype. I think writing a blog would be a great way to teach students to write and make it fun for them, knowing that the world is their audience. Skype would be a neat way to connect to students around the world to see what they are learning and share what we have done in our class. This takes show and tell to a whole new level. I will remind the students to stay positive and nice in their comments that they leave for each other. I will inform the parents and try to protect the students, much like the ways Ms. Cassidy mentioned. I think the students will have fun using technology to learn in my future classroom.

Special Blog Assignment

A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind"

In the USA Today article, "A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind" by Mary Beth Marklein, Google's Vice President and Stanford research professor Sebastian Thrun talks about Udacity. Udacity is his education company in Palo Alto, California, that is seeking to make a radical change in education. This change includes a fun, game-like learning style, which is free and has no grades. The courses are online and are taught by great professors across the world.

Udacity is a high-tech experiment, like many others, to take education to new levels. His friend, Sal Kahn, inspired something that we already have learned about this semester, how to "flip" the classroom. Other schools are also teaching game-playing curriculum at a cost as low as a cell phone bill.

Thrun said that technology has enabled educators to personalize education and make it better. At Udacity there are no more "one-size-fits-all" classes. The education will be tailored to fit the individual student. For example: a student can decide how much more or less instruction they may need to show that they understand a certain skill. He also said that grades will not exist, because he believes that grades are "the failure of the education system." The courses will be free, but there may be certification and exam fees that will be conducted separately from the learning process.

Even though this new way of learning may take off and be great, Thrun doesn't think that regular school will be going anywhere. He used the analogy of how movies didn't completely replace live theater, but movies can reach a larger crowd for a lower price. This is like the internet; it can reach more people than a school, located in just one spot, for a much lower price. He said that his vision offers "a message of hope, of aspiration--not of destruction."

My reaction to this article is mixed. Even though this concept sounds good, I have a few questions that concern me about this new way of learning. I like the idea that it will be mostly free, but somewhere in this process, money will have to be involved. Where will it come from? I also like the fact that there are no grades and individuals work at their own pace. The question I have about this is, where does the motivation come from? Some students are not self-motivated. If there are no grades, what makes them strive to do their best? I think the game-style curriculum will make it fun for learning, but real jobs are not always just playing games. I am interested to see Udacity's progress in the future.

This is an article that is celebrating USA Today's 30th anniversary. Along with Sebastian Thrun, they made a video of other visionaries, asking them to talk about how they think the world will be in "The Next 30 Years." I am excited about my future in teaching with technology and all the changes that will be made over the next 30 years.

Blog Post #10

Papermate vs. Ticonderoga

In the blog "Adventures in Pencil Integration" by John T. Spencer, the picture shows two characters who represent two different types of pencils: papermate and ticonderoga. In addition I think that they represent different styles of learning as well. The papermate character represents the old way of using paper and pencil in schools. The Ticonderoga represents the new style of learning through using technology. The old style, using only pencil and paper, is a cheap and out of date way of learning. Like the papermate says, he cost less, but always breaks. The Ticonderoga is more expensive, but it’s a one time buy. In my opinion, this is saying that investing in technology to teach and learn is more efficient and beneficial, than just using traditional pencil and paper style of learning.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?

"Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?" by John Spencer is a blog post about a conversation between a teacher and his principal. The principal tells him they need to talk. The principal is so stuck on his policies that he doesn't bend the rules for anything, even if it’s beneficial to someone else. For example, when he was meeting with the teacher, the principal won't close the door because of his open door policy.

The principal seems to be stuck in his way so much that he questions this teacher about playing games with the students. The “game,” as the principal refers to it, was having the students draw what they read about. The teacher argues his point by using examples of soldiers and surgeons using games and simulations as a part of their training. The principal doesn't agree with this analogy because the students aren't surgeons or soldiers, yet he compares it to the “Hang Man Fiasco of 1895.” What the principal doesn't understand in this conversation is that the students are engaged in learning by doing a project that seems to be a game. It is a fun way of learning for these students. They will eventually get more out of this way of learning than possibly the boring, out of date, pencil and paper style of learning the principal likes.

Taking what he has talked about with the principal, he decides he will continue to use “games”, which are fun ways of learning for the students, but will call it something different. The children will benefit more from this style of learning. This type of scenario is how I view of district level administration. They are not as connected to the classroom, yet they make rules and regulations for them. In theory what they come up with would work in a perfect classroom, with perfect students, and in a perfect world. This is not the case in most classrooms. Sometimes you have to accept change in order to accomplish more!

Are Pencils Making Us Narcissistic

I read the post "Are Pencils Making Us Narcissistic" by John Spencer which discusses how pen pal networks and plogs need to be viewed as education tools and not how someone who doesn't like change perceives them. The principal in this discussion is still reluctant to change.

Mr. Tom Brown is talking to the principal, and the principal warns him not use pen pal networks, plogs or the newspaper he created in his teaching. The principal said it’s making students self-centered. Tom then argued that mirrors make students more self-centered than “Pencils” do. Middle school age students tend to only think about themselves anyways. Whether they have “Pencils” or mirrors, it’s a stage that they go through.

The principal's only knowledge of what he is trying to stop is something that he read on how pencils are making people narcissistic. Once again this is an example of someone not in the situation and just in an office wanting to change something because of what they read. The teacher agrees to ask the students their opinion and change some of the descriptions to help the students, mainly the principal, feel better about it.

Mr. Brown ends with how it’s not a problem with the technology, but it’s what tone of voice is used. This is very true. I have said many times that you cannot hear the tone of voice using text messaging or blogs or other forms of writing. When a person reads it, they read it how they think it was intended. It may have been intended to sound different than how the person interpreted when they read it. With this being said, using different words to explain something may create a better environment for students.

Don’t teach your kids this stuff. Please?

“Don’t teach your kids this stuff. Please?” by Scott McLeod, is a great example of someone not wanting to change. In my opinion, the person is asking the schools and everyone involved in the students’ lives to not allow them to use anything to learn other than pencil and paper. Keeping them sheltered now doesn't mean they wont get into anything bad. One day these students will be out on-their-own and if they are not taught rules about technology, then they are more likely to get themselves in trouble. Teaching technology and guidelines for it today will help prepare students for the future. Even if people tried to shelter students from technology, they will access it somewhere. If they don’t have leadership of it now, how will they know what’s right or wrong in using it. Teachers are using technology to teach and it works, so why stop?