Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Summary C4K- November/December
Well, we have completed our C4K assignments, but hopefully some of us can still go back and check up on some of these kids and their blogs. As we saw with Jasmine, these comments are important and meaningful and they deserve to get them. Maybe some of us can try to keep up the comments for the kids sake!
This past month I have been introduced to Mrs. Yollis' 3rd grade class where they commented on Mrs. Yollis' question about being an expert. They had to post about a skill they were good at and had worked hard to learn. I responded to the assignment myself stating immediately that I was NO expert. I do like to sew though and I am getting better and better at it. Next, I met Abigail who is a 5th grader studying French immersion at her school. The whole blog was in French! At first I thought I couldn't respond, but lucky us Google translates! So I figured out that she had a project to build a model bridge and she named the bridge "Poptart", which was the title of her post. She did a good job but thought it needed to be a little stronger. Again, it was all written in French so I may have missed something. The opportunity she has to study two languages is one that I envy for myself and my children.
I explored Cary Academy in North Carolina next and got to read Sam's Trimester Writing Assignment. H wrote a wonderful story about Ramses and Egyptian history. He is a very talented writer and wants to pursue his writing as a goal for the next 2 trimesters. In addition he enjoys reading and wants to read new books and improve his ability to work in groups. Finally, from Ms. Naugles 5th period math class I read Dairon's blog posts. I think Ms. Naugles math class sounds like one of the best math classes ever! All of the projects Dairon wrote about were using food! For this post, he did a pumpkin project and they counted the seeds in groups of ten. Dairon's pumpkin had about 100 seeds. I wonder what the class average was?
These comments for kids have been fun, entertaining, inspiring, and educational. I have enjoyed the assignment and will do my best to keep commenting on kids blogs whenever I have the opportunity. I may need someone to comment on my class blogs one day.
This past month I have been introduced to Mrs. Yollis' 3rd grade class where they commented on Mrs. Yollis' question about being an expert. They had to post about a skill they were good at and had worked hard to learn. I responded to the assignment myself stating immediately that I was NO expert. I do like to sew though and I am getting better and better at it. Next, I met Abigail who is a 5th grader studying French immersion at her school. The whole blog was in French! At first I thought I couldn't respond, but lucky us Google translates! So I figured out that she had a project to build a model bridge and she named the bridge "Poptart", which was the title of her post. She did a good job but thought it needed to be a little stronger. Again, it was all written in French so I may have missed something. The opportunity she has to study two languages is one that I envy for myself and my children. I explored Cary Academy in North Carolina next and got to read Sam's Trimester Writing Assignment. H wrote a wonderful story about Ramses and Egyptian history. He is a very talented writer and wants to pursue his writing as a goal for the next 2 trimesters. In addition he enjoys reading and wants to read new books and improve his ability to work in groups. Finally, from Ms. Naugles 5th period math class I read Dairon's blog posts. I think Ms. Naugles math class sounds like one of the best math classes ever! All of the projects Dairon wrote about were using food! For this post, he did a pumpkin project and they counted the seeds in groups of ten. Dairon's pumpkin had about 100 seeds. I wonder what the class average was?
These comments for kids have been fun, entertaining, inspiring, and educational. I have enjoyed the assignment and will do my best to keep commenting on kids blogs whenever I have the opportunity. I may need someone to comment on my class blogs one day.
C4T Summary- Teacher #4
My C4T teacher this time was Joe Bower from Alberta, Canada. His blog is entitled "For the Love of Learning" and he states "I teach grade 6 students in Red Deer, Alberta; I haven't "graded" in 6 years, yet I assess everyday." The purpose of his blog is to challenge the traditional concept of "school" and pursue more progressive ideas to enhance learning and make it more enjoyable and worthwhile for everyone.
In the first post I read, Mr. Bower wrote about getting rid of his teacher's desk. This is a concept I had seen before from other teachers but it was nice to get an understanding of why doing this is important for really changing the way your classroom works. If anything is a standard of traditional "school" it is the image of the teacher in the front sitting behind the desk with everyone facing him- the center of attention. One of the key ideas of moving away from this, or "unschooling school" as Mr. Bowers puts it is to push the focus of the class on the students more than the teacher.
In his latest post, Mr. Bowers gives his impression on the book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Friere. Friere uses the analogy of a bank to describe the current school system. The teachers deposit information into receptacles. Learning is a passive process with this model and the only action is done by the teacher. I feel that most teachers would prefer for the action to be done by the student. This requires us to change the student/teacher relationship. Friere lists 10 attitudes and practices about teachers and students that describe the majority of our educational experiences as children. From this list we can see that things haven't changed much in education. Because of teachers like Mr. Bowers there are at least some people making an effort to improve the way we view education. The best thing I think we as aspiring teachers can do is to aspire to be as Friere suggests "simultaneously students and teachers" with our class.
In the first post I read, Mr. Bower wrote about getting rid of his teacher's desk. This is a concept I had seen before from other teachers but it was nice to get an understanding of why doing this is important for really changing the way your classroom works. If anything is a standard of traditional "school" it is the image of the teacher in the front sitting behind the desk with everyone facing him- the center of attention. One of the key ideas of moving away from this, or "unschooling school" as Mr. Bowers puts it is to push the focus of the class on the students more than the teacher.
In his latest post, Mr. Bowers gives his impression on the book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Friere. Friere uses the analogy of a bank to describe the current school system. The teachers deposit information into receptacles. Learning is a passive process with this model and the only action is done by the teacher. I feel that most teachers would prefer for the action to be done by the student. This requires us to change the student/teacher relationship. Friere lists 10 attitudes and practices about teachers and students that describe the majority of our educational experiences as children. From this list we can see that things haven't changed much in education. Because of teachers like Mr. Bowers there are at least some people making an effort to improve the way we view education. The best thing I think we as aspiring teachers can do is to aspire to be as Friere suggests "simultaneously students and teachers" with our class.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Blog Post #13- Alabama's Technology Initiatives
I have used ALEX in the past for lesson plan ideas and it is a very valuable resource. I can say that in the past four years the ALEX website has been upgraded and improved substantially. However, I could find no reviews that accessed the impact the resource has had on student achievement directly. I did review the IMPACT survey that accessed the levels of technology use in the classroom. The percentages of technology use today had increased slightly since the last survey, however, there is no real way to connect that increase directly to the availability of ALEX.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Additional Assignment 5- Pencil Integration
Tom Johnson, or should I say John Spencer is a lover of metaphors. Where I appreciate the usefulness of metaphors in our language, I am not sure I could read or write with them to the degree that Mr. Spencer (Johnson) does. I am more of a "say what you mean" type of person but I think my preference is more a result of not having the degree of talent in my writing as Mr. Spencer.
Here are 4 of the latest posts from his blog:
As you can see there is a recurring theme here: pencils. Not pencils, really because thats the metaphor. Anyway, we all know by now that Mr. Spencer is discussing how computers can and do influence your students and your classroom, and how the tools or "medium" you choose can have a severe affect on the learning that occurs. Today we have access to an immeasurable amount of tools, however using them all may not be the right decision. Even with computer access, sometimes we need to remember that there is a brain inside our heads that works. The teacher and his or her class should not be defined by the computer. It should be used as a tool to facilitate learning. We have a multitude of issues in a classroom that cannot be addressed by the computer. In Mr. Spencer's case, he is an 8th grade teacher dealing with the identity crisis of the middle school "tween". As Mr. Spencer describes to his audience stories about his adventures in pencil integration, we get much more of a story of a teacher that loves his job and his students and tries to pass on a little of his knowledge so that maybe someone else can learn from his experience.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Blog Post #12
To Tweet or Not to Tweet???
1. Read the article "Teachers Embracing Social Media In the Classroom" by Ned Smith. Post your thoughts on how the use of social media in schools can be a valuable learning tool
.
2. Read this post: http://edupln.com/profiles/blogs/how-one-tweet-changed-a by Irene Tortolini. Discuss your view on Twitter before being introduced to the PLN verses how you view Twitter now.
3. Watch the following video: "Twitter in the Classroom". Post your thoughts on using Twitter to connect classrooms.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. In the first article, "Teachers Embracing Social Media in the Classroom", Ned Smith addresses the question the is becoming more and more relevant to our schools- should kids have to "power down" while at school or can the use of the internet via mobile device be accepted and structured for use in the classroom? Social media sites such as facebook and twitter, along with other sites like YouTube consume an ever growing portion of our children's time. In addition, it is becoming a useful tool for educators in developing professional learning networks to connect people and ideas globally. If we expect our educators to use these tools, shouldn't we engage our kids in them as well and take the opportunity presented to teach them how to use them responsibly and effectively? Facebook in the classroom may seem far fetched for some, but social media can have its place in classes. In addition to being a tool that students are excited about and enjoy using, it can open up world's of opportunity for both the teacher and the student that just wouldn't be possible otherwise.
2. I can identify with Irene's pre-Twitter attitude. I don't have time, don't care what others are saying, and just don't want to be involved. I also did not know what a PLN was or how useful it would be to me as an educator. Facebook was easy to get going with. Twitter on the other hand requires a little more understanding to make the most of it. From reading this post, along with many others, I have begun to educate myself on the usefulness of Twitter, just as Ms. Tortolini did(yes, it is Tortolini!) . I have to say that I haven't found that life changing tweet just yet, but I sure am looking for it! I have begun to develop my own PLN and as Ms. Tortolini explained, the latest and greatest minds are all at work updating this huge database of knowledge right at our fingertips. All you have to do is find the right people, watch what they are saying, throw in some comments of your own, and before you know it, you are in the middle of a huge thinktank! I see Twitter now more as a professional tool rather than social. It does that too, but for me I will be reading those tweets and retweets much more often.
3. I thought this video did an excellent job illustrating exactly how Twitter can be applied to the classroom. These students are able to Tweet while in class, at school, and maintain a learning network with classmates to share information. I think enabling students to communicate in this fashion prepares them more for what they can expect outside of school, teaches collaboration, and also social responsibility. I saw a short but powerful video that showed a father giving his 6 or 8 year old son the keys to his car to go driving. Would anyone do that? Of course not. Why then do we allow kids to project themselves on social networks and other media without any guidance or instruction? By integrating these popular tools into our schools, we then provide ourselves with the opportunity to teach the students how to use them responsibly. I don't know if Twitter is right for all schools or all classes, but I do think we will see a place for this and other social networking modes in our schools sooner rather than later.
1. Read the article "Teachers Embracing Social Media In the Classroom" by Ned Smith. Post your thoughts on how the use of social media in schools can be a valuable learning tool.
2. Read this post: http://edupln.com/profiles/blogs/how-one-tweet-changed-a by Irene Tortolini. Discuss your view on Twitter before being introduced to the PLN verses how you view Twitter now.
3. Watch the following video: "Twitter in the Classroom". Post your thoughts on using Twitter to connect classrooms.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. In the first article, "Teachers Embracing Social Media in the Classroom", Ned Smith addresses the question the is becoming more and more relevant to our schools- should kids have to "power down" while at school or can the use of the internet via mobile device be accepted and structured for use in the classroom? Social media sites such as facebook and twitter, along with other sites like YouTube consume an ever growing portion of our children's time. In addition, it is becoming a useful tool for educators in developing professional learning networks to connect people and ideas globally. If we expect our educators to use these tools, shouldn't we engage our kids in them as well and take the opportunity presented to teach them how to use them responsibly and effectively? Facebook in the classroom may seem far fetched for some, but social media can have its place in classes. In addition to being a tool that students are excited about and enjoy using, it can open up world's of opportunity for both the teacher and the student that just wouldn't be possible otherwise.
2. I can identify with Irene's pre-Twitter attitude. I don't have time, don't care what others are saying, and just don't want to be involved. I also did not know what a PLN was or how useful it would be to me as an educator. Facebook was easy to get going with. Twitter on the other hand requires a little more understanding to make the most of it. From reading this post, along with many others, I have begun to educate myself on the usefulness of Twitter, just as Ms. Tortolini did(yes, it is Tortolini!) . I have to say that I haven't found that life changing tweet just yet, but I sure am looking for it! I have begun to develop my own PLN and as Ms. Tortolini explained, the latest and greatest minds are all at work updating this huge database of knowledge right at our fingertips. All you have to do is find the right people, watch what they are saying, throw in some comments of your own, and before you know it, you are in the middle of a huge thinktank! I see Twitter now more as a professional tool rather than social. It does that too, but for me I will be reading those tweets and retweets much more often.
3. I thought this video did an excellent job illustrating exactly how Twitter can be applied to the classroom. These students are able to Tweet while in class, at school, and maintain a learning network with classmates to share information. I think enabling students to communicate in this fashion prepares them more for what they can expect outside of school, teaches collaboration, and also social responsibility. I saw a short but powerful video that showed a father giving his 6 or 8 year old son the keys to his car to go driving. Would anyone do that? Of course not. Why then do we allow kids to project themselves on social networks and other media without any guidance or instruction? By integrating these popular tools into our schools, we then provide ourselves with the opportunity to teach the students how to use them responsibly. I don't know if Twitter is right for all schools or all classes, but I do think we will see a place for this and other social networking modes in our schools sooner rather than later.
Progress Report- Final Project
Google Forms- Response Summary
Summary- Health Survey
This summary was intended to provide a picture of how our EDM 310 class perceives their overall health. I received 18 of 25 survey responses from my classmates. Sixty-seven percent of the class fell between the ages of 18 and 24. First I collected data relating to exercise habits. Thirteen of eighteen people in my subgroup exercise at least once a week. That exercise consisted mostly of walking, followed by swimming and biking, then yoga/pilates.
1. What is your age? | |
2. How often do you exercise on average? | |||||||||
3. Check what types of activities you are interested in. | |||||||||
4. Do you currently smoke? | |||||||||
5. Have you ever smoked in the past? | |||||||||
6. Do any of the following appear in your family history? | |
7. How often do you see a doctor? | |||||||||
8. Have you ever had your cholesterol level checked? | |
9. How would you rate your average level of stress? | ||||||||||||
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10. How would you rate your overall health? | ||||
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The class also responded to a few questions regarding smoking, cholesterol, stress and family history. It was interesting to me that of the 18 people, 50% had smoked in the past and 50% had not ever smoked. Of that 50%, only 3 people claimed to be current smokers. Also 56% of the subgroup sees a physician only once a year, but only 33% had ever checked their cholesterol levels. Cancer was the most prominent health issue reported in family histories. Stress also plays an important role in an individuals health, and 50% of the group claimed to have moderate to extreme stress levels.
As for the class' overall perception of their health, it seems that most considered themselves to be just shy of excellent. Considering the age of the subgroup, that is to be expected. Based on my survey, I would conclude that we seem to have a healthy group of students that participates in exercise and does not smoke for the most part. My primary recommendation from this data would be for people to request cholesterol screening at their annual doctor's visits. Early screening can be crucial to prevent potential problems in the future. Thank you to all of my classmates who took the time to respond to my survey!
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