Sunday, October 30, 2011

Blog Post #10


Do You Teach or Do You Educate?
educator"


I watched this video "Do You Teach or Do You Educate?" I found this video to be quite inspiring. I really enjoyed it and I feel like I got a lot out of it. It really shows the difference between being a teacher and being an educator. They showed us the true definitions of them both in a powerful way. Being an educator is what I will strive to become. There is so much more meaning in being an educator than a teacher. I think that developing personal relationships with students would be a good start in becoming not just a teacher but an educator. I think that if students know that you are there for them throughout it all changes the meanings of all things. They will strive to become a better student and person. Students look up to their educators as a role model which just that makes you not just a teacher. Students will always be growing and looking for new answers not only about school but life as well. I think going the extra mile in every situation sets apart the teachers from the educators.

I know that when I first started thinking of becoming a teacher I knew I loved children, and I wanted to make a difference in each one of their lives. I also wanted to become a teacher for elementary students because I want to help them start off their lives with the basic skills they will need and use for the rest of their lives. If someone were to ask me now why I wanted to become a teacher my answer would be slightly different. Not only would I say a teacher is not what I strive to be but an educator is what I will become. This made me realize that my goal as becoming an educator only gets more important.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

I was in a state of confusion about the pencils at first. I read and reread this post to figure out what was really going on. I read one persons comment about replacing the pencils with computers. This is when everything became clear to me and things started to make sense. Mr. Johnson did a fabulous job creating this post.

This post was very fascinating. I really like how Mr. Johnson stayed positive throughout this conversation. I think that reading this gave me a better idea on school, test taking, and computers in general. I thought it was really cool how Mr. Johnson is so encouraging on children learning from playing games and not worrying too much on how they misuse these important aspects. His attitude toward learning is so inspiring. I hope and will strive to keep and remain a positive mind frame throughout my educational career.

C4T #3 Summary

male teacher sitting at desk


For the past two weeks I have been assigned to comment on the blog of Mr. Kevin McLaughlin for our C4T assignment. I thought that Mr. McLaughlin brought up some interesting topics that I found rather fascinating. He made me think in a way which was different than I normally think. So needless to say I am found of Mr. McLaughlin. The first post I read of his was called "Switching off the interactive white boards for good". While reading this he talked about how these interactive boards are becoming a thing of the past and useless for the classroom. He mainly says this because teachers have all the opportunities to use this board in their classes but chose not to. He even asked his students what they thought of the boards and the replies they came up with were disappointing to me. They said that they never get used and, they became bored waiting for a turn. I became very disappointed while reading this post. I told him how we recently touched on the basics on the smart board and how we talked highly of this board. I really like the smart board and find it very beneficial. However, I guess it has been out for awhile and better things have come out which is to be expected in todays time. I just still like the smart board and I have not given up on it.

The next post I commented on talked about keeping education alive. He used references about how the bridges in India grow from generation to generation. This is a lot like the education system which keeps growing and changing throughout generations. He suggests that it is time to destroy the bridge of education now and start all over from scratch. He says that if it is not done it will fall and he wants to be there when it does. I found this post to be cool for the way he wrote it in comparison to a bridge that grows from generation to generation. I feel like I disagree to an extent with starting all the way over from scratch. I feel like the education system does need to change with the times, but wiping it out all together seems kind of intense.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Blog Post #9

Mr. Joe McClung. What I've Learned This Year.

May 27, 2009
learning tree

This was Mr. McClung first year as an elementary teacher. He wrote in his blog, to tell all those who read, about the experiences he has had and all the useful things that he has learned in his first year of teaching. The very first thing we read on his post states "An important decision I made this year is: Stay Positive". I thought that was an awesome piece of advice he learned and started off to share with us.

He talks about how it is important to know how to read the crowd. He basically says that it is so important to always keep the students in mind. It is so easy to get caught up in trying to be the perfect teacher with the perfect lesson that you lose track of the most important thing the students. He says that we must always remember who we are trying to help, and why we do what we do.

Another part I thought that was interesting and important was to always listen to your students. He talks about how for some students you may be the only one who does listen to them. I think that this section in his post was so beneficial to me. Students look up to their teachers and they should never forget that. Teachers should always be willing to help their students with any problem they face. They should let the students know that they are always there to help. I think that anyone can simply learn new things by just listening to their students.

June 23, 2011
This was the most recent year Mr. McClung finished up. He has started many new and exciting tasks in his year three. He is now a head coach and is teaching computer applications. He says that many things have changed for him in his professional career, so there is plenty of new things he has learned.

One thing he talks about is getting excited about change. He talks about going to professional development sessions and how he really enjoys the new materials that are being thrown at them. He says that he likes to be optimistic and knowing that these new things will work. However, in this recent year he has begun to notice others who seem to care less about any of the new information that is being given to them. He notices that these people are very different from himself. He tells us readers to not let others get you down. He says that if your excited then be excited. I thought that this part in his post was important. There will always be other people who have different views as you do. They will disagree with the subject matter 100% while you agree with in 100%. Even now in school we encounter people are just are different from you. I felt that Mr. McClung taught me a very valuable lesson. A lesson that I will always remember. He taught me to never let others bring you down.

I really enjoyed reading about Mr. McClung's teaching experiences. He seems like he is doing a really good job being a teacher. I thought that the things he shared will become useful for me in years to come! Thank you Mr. McClung!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Blog Post #8

This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2 By Richard Miller
laptop showing multimedia



This presentation that Mr. Miller sets up was interesting. He talks about how anything and everything can now be done on a computer. Who needs paper and pencils now a days? Is a question that is brought up. He touches on the subject of libraries, and how they are becoming more and more less needed. Anyone can find any information they wish simply via internet. Search engines such as google make surfing the web so easy and convenient. He tells us how he was asked to write an article on ,at the time, the upcoming one year mark since the tragic Virgina Tech incident. He says that throughout his whole article he never once stepped foot in a library. He found all of his information on the web.

At this point in time it seems as we are reaching the most advanced way of doing all things. I like the idea of writing in all multimedia. I think that it is very convenient. However, a few things have me concerned regarding this matter. I wonder if all things will be transferred to typing in multimedia will basic writing skills become obsolete? I find that writing is so beneficial for everyone no matter what the circumstance are. We will always need to handwrite. I like the whole thing about multimedia, but penmanship must not be left out no matter how convenient things may become.

Am I prepared to write with multimedia? I think that I am on the right path to fully being prepared in doing so. I know that I am currently learning the best way I can for the future of teaching education. Which includes all of the things that come along with that as well. I like the idea of it!



Carly Pugh Blog Post #12

I thought that Carly had a great idea. It showed that she really put in a lot of time to create this good project idea. It is a awesome way to think in a whole different way. It is even cooler to watch and find videos on youtube that support the way that you think personally. The whole idea was to create your own playlist of videos that you thought were inspiring and viewed things the same way as you do. She gives you a guideline of what type of videos to look for. Once you find the ones you enjoy save them and keeping adding more.

I found Carly's post to be very useful. The idea she had was really great. The links that she shared with us were really good videos. This project idea was well thought out and helpful. I think that it is very Dr. Strange worthy. Good Job Carly!

EDM310 Is Different

This video was a neat way to get a point across. The video shows that EDM310 can be very difficult and time consuming. It takes time and patience. It states how students will procrastinate making the work on themselves even more difficult. Deadlines are important and will always be a conductor in everything we do from here on out. The work we do in EDM310 is for our own beneficial learning. It all will prepare us to be great educators. We have to decide what we want to make out of this. We can make it hard on ourselves or easy. This videos showed me that when things get hard Dr. Strange will not turn us away no matter how crazy we sound. This shows me that he is here to help and teach us on our journey as educators.

In this video EDM310 for Dummies, it shows how these students are tired and confused. They are ready to give up and not ever look back. It talks about the many difficulties this course comes with. However, after introducing the EDM310 for Dummies book their attitudes are completely transformed. We have all the access to everything we need for this course. We have a guided instruction manual and a lot of lab assistance who are here to help. The easy thing to do would be freak out and go crazy. However, if we follow our guidelines we will be just as satisfied as the girls at the end of the video.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

This was a good video. I was just really surprised to see that education was ranked so low. I mean I would of thought that education would of been one of the top rankings because it is so important to be educated in todays times. Like coal mining is really more important that educations? Really? The overall video relays the message on how things need to be changed in the classroom. The suggest the technology is the answer. We really do need to accept this useful tool and to use it to it's full advantage. Education should be one of the most important thing. Not the last.
learning for growth words

Short Movie Project # 11

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Project 9b

PLN Part 1

I think that having a PLN will be very useful. It seems like a really great way to stay organized and keep everything in order on one page. For my PLN I am currently working on mine using symbaloo. I have started developing my PLN to make things more efficient for myself. I look forward to continuing it to make it better. I watched the video A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment. This gave me a better idea and she made things look really simple to navigate through.

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch



Randy Pausch's last lecture is very inspiring. In his last months of his life, due to cancer, he presents his last lecture. I cannot even image how hard living your life knowing that your time is running out would really be. However, he remains so positive of the cards that are being dealt to him. I really admire him so much for giving this lecture in his unfortunate circumstances. In this lecture he talks about his childhood dreams and the lessons he learned from being a professor.

He starts by listing his childhood dreams that has had an affect on his life. Each of his dreams taught me a whole different lesson. He talks about dreaming of being in the NFL and his love for football. He played football and one of his coaches taught Randy and myself a valuable lesson that has never left my mind. He said that if you are messing up and people stop correcting you then you know they have given up on you. So, it is so important to always keep trying and always be accepting of constructive criticism. Although he did not make it to the NFL he states this quote. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted". Which I thought this was perfect because it just taught him more experience.

He also talks about his adventure he sets out in becoming an Imagineer at Disney Land. He says that when he visited as a child he knew he just didn't want to attend he wanted to create the things there. So as he grew older and received his PHD he applied and got turned down. Which brings up his inspiring theory of the brick wall. He states "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things." This is so true and tells the lesson anyone can do anything depending on how much you want it. Randy did get to work at Disney, so that goes to show how determined he really is. He knows what he wants and he makes it happen. This is such a good quality to have and I yet again admire him for this.

While Randy Pausch was a professor he created a course called Building Virtual Worlds. The course used high technology such as what was used at Disney to create virtual worlds. This course immediately become a success. His whole idea was for students childhood dreams to become a reality. This course grew so much attention and was viewed by so many people from all over. It gave the students the excitement to put on the show to make those who viewed it excited. It created a bonding amongst the students that was really cool. This course only led to more and exciting things. He really went full force for the things he enjoyed.

Randy truly has done some amazing things in his life. This video has taught me so many valuable lessons just by him talking about his life lessons. We all have dreams, and it is so important to never forget the dreams we want to achieve and to have fun while doing so. He says that "loyalty is a two way street" that was something that stuck out to me. It is so true and something that I hadn't really thought about much before. The advice in his lecture he gives out is truly outstanding. This video of Randy's last lecture was inspiring and I enjoyed every minute of it. It really puts things into a new perspective. We should all live like we are dying. "It's not about achieving your dreams it's about leading your life."

C4T # 2

heart


The teacher I was assigned to this go round was Ms. Kathy Cassidy. Her blog is called Primary Preoccupation (thoughts from a grade one teacher). I am really glad I got the opportunity to have Ms. Cassidy as the teacher I commented on. She is very nice, and made comments on the things I commented on her post. I really like the way she is creative and comes up with creative activities.

The first post I commented on was her post called Passion Based Learning. She is starting on an adventure to teach her students in passion based learning approach. She talks about how she usually is a risk taker, but this approach she was a bit nervous. She states that she will keep her readers filled in thorough out the year on how it goes. I commented on this saying that I thought it was a neat approach. Also that I admired the she was a risk taker and looks out for the betterment of her students.

The next post I chose to comment on was a post called Let Them Use Cake. This post is another reason why I like to read her blog so much. She created an activity for her students that was inspiring to me. They are on the unit of patterns, so she gave her students a card that said I wonder on it. They were to write on the card things they wondered about for making patterns. The next day she gave them the experience to create their wonders into learning. She brought in all sorts of things the listed on their wonder cards and let them test their wonders out. This was a very neat idea. I still will continue to visit Ms. Cassidy's blog!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

C4K Summary

kids

The first student I was assigned to was Mui. Mui is from Pt England in room 21. She posted on her blog about a fun day they had at school called Silly Sports Day. She was so excited and you could really tell from her awesome descriptive writing skills. She wrote about all of the fun games they played that day, and how each class in her grade were in competition. I commented on her post telling her the games they played seem like a lot of fun, and that I would love to try them sometime. I also commented about her great descriptive writing. She wrote back telling me thank you. She seemed like a really sweet girl.

I also commented St. Elmo's Explorers class blog on a video they constructed. They each had to make a portrait of themselves. They were all so amazing they all showed their uniqueness in creativity. Their teacher had them say in the video one way they are like everyone else and one way they are different. I commented on Hunter's response he said he was alike because he was awesome and he was different because he was Hunter. I commented telling him that all of us are different in our own ways, and that I loved his portrait he made of himself.

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student
By: Wendy Drexler
Globe with Students


Wendy Drexler really spent time and thought out this process on her video. I really liked how she planned and produced her video. I thought that she was thinking outside of the box, which was very creative to me. I felt that it was in a simple way to get her information across. Some of the information was kind of confusing to me in a way. Which is to be expected, I thought, because some of this is new to me. However, she did make me feel better by making the video the way she did.

She states things in her video things that we are currently learning now in EDM 310. The students will comment on blog post and use their iPods and Skype to enhance their learning. This makes me feel better because I know that I am being prepared to successfully fulfill my duties later in life as an educator. The things that seem unclear to me now will become easier in time.

I would have to say that I am not yet ready to teach networked students. I do think that I will be ready as I continue my education. Although it may seem like the children will not even need a teacher, I think they will always need someone to seek answers from and be there for them for help and guidance.

A Seventh Grader's Personal Learning Environment
This was very impressive! This 7th graders really seems to know her stuff. I thought it was very fascinating. She seemed to really enjoy the way she does her school work. All of the things that she has put together all looked very neat and orderly. Which helps students stay on top of assignments when things are organized. I really thought the way she does her learning and work is the way to go.

She stated that she learned all of this information while in 7th grade. Which is reassuring because she is still in seventh grade meaning that the way she does things is easy to figure out. She also says that she likes doing things this way better, so she can chose to do her work on her own time. I really like how this gives them the independence to do their own work when they want and how they want to.
My PLN has not been fully completed, but I know that I will use the advice from this 7th grader to complete mine.
ple setup