C4T #3

Larry Ferlazzo

I was assigned to Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day for this C4T assignment - he posts a lot and he rarely approves comments. Sad day. He's been blogging more about the Colorado Fires, the upcoming elections and the health care reform. The first blog I was going to post on was part three of a series, so I decided to go back to the original blog, The Best Resources on The Summer Slide", because that is how I roll. It was very informative and creative. He offered some demographics on the 'summer slide'. If you aren't familiar with the term, it is the academic losses that many young people, especially in low-income communities, experience during the time they’re out of school. He discussed how he was going to create a lesson that was student-directed about 'summer slide', and he already presents them with demographics on the effects of the process. He also encourages students to read more over the summer and maybe seek out extra credit with their teachers before the end of the school year. Some of the resources he suggests for teachers are (and the one's I found most informative):

Free Books Block Summer Slide in Low-Income Students from USA Today

Summer Must Read for Kids. Any Book. from the New York Times

A Primer on Summer Reading Loss

Overall, I like his idea of turning this into a lesson for his students! I think students want to learn more when they know they might be the weakest link.

In How I am Helping My Students Try to Avoid the Summer Slide posted a few days later, Mr. Ferlazzo discusses his concerns with recent budget cuts limiting the number of students allowed to take summer school. Apparently, they have a lot of lower income students that view summer school as a advantage and not a disadvantage (I can't relate because all the summer school students I have taught have had to be there), but I am sure there are some students out there (especially ESL students). Because of the cuts, he's decided to create virtual classrooms to allow his students to avoid the 'summer slide'. I think this is wonderful - he's had to personally create these classrooms - there aren't a lot of teachers out there that would do this. He's even offering extra credit for students he's going to have next year to participate. He's also offered his colleagues a chance to be part of this. One of the coolest sites he's going to use is Zondle. It has a ton of learning games. It’s easy to set-up the class and have students enroll on their own. The only negative to it is that you have to either create or identify the learning activities you want them to use. It’s not that big of a deal — he just searched for things like “EFL,” “vocabulary,” etc. and found a bunch.

I think Mr. Ferlazzo is really using technology to it's fullest advantage, but I am seriously worried about this man's social life.

I also looked at his class blog, United States History Classes - it's very interesting.

Blog Post #10

Adventures in Pencil Intergration

Ha, ha, ha! I get it!



"MAC, I guess you are a little better at the creative stuff."

I do have to admit I love Justin Long.

Probably not the best cartoon to convince me to start using a MAC (mainly because I loathe 'Hipsters'), but it was very creative. The cartoon did peak my interest to investigate the history of MAC and the history of PC (Microsoft), maybe because I was taken back to the area of New York state during the French and Indian War (Ticonderoga reference). Who do you trust? Functionality or creativity? France or Great Britain? MAC or PC? Papermate or Ticonderoga? While I am most comfortable using a PC, I am willing and ready to learn how to use a Ticonderoga (a Mac). I think I am just scared of messing up. I am scared of not knowing. I can see the ease and convenience of it. I can see the countless opportunities. I am a hands-on learner, but I am afraid that I become somewhat overwhelmed in the differences between the two. I get to the lab, sit in front of a Mac, and I become dumb. While I don't have the money to purchase a new home computer right now, I can afford a class in introducing the Mac. It all comes down to my comfort level and being scared. I know my way around a PC, someone please teach me the basics of a Mac. It's a whole different world to me.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games

Before reading the rest of this blog, please watch Education Rethink: Anyone Can Teach.

Mr. Spencer is my guest speaker today. I am a teacher, why? He has done something I could never do. It's apparent in both Why Were Your Kids Playing Games? and The Con Academy. During my first year of teaching and the two and a half years that followed, I strove to make sure I had lesson plans complete, I incorporated the MCPSS Pacing Guide and the Alabama Course of Study into every lesson. Yes, I included my own activities and lessons (some from life's experiences), but I often found myself never stepping outside of the box and trying something new. I never found myself standing up for what I had found to work with my students to my principal or 'the man'. I never allowed my students to fully enjoy an entire class period to a fun, learning game, because I knew that I had to rigidly stick to those guidelines to reach our end of the year goal and 'rote memory assessments'. My students were always on pace to make high scores on their CRT's. They always went in prepared. What would have happened if I would have used other teaching styles? Would their scores have been the same if I had allowed them to be the teacher? Probably.

During my second year of teaching, my department head told me that I was going to be assigned a new class. Knowing that I had been on the bandwagon with Coach Donaldson at the school to broaden our history electives (he taught a class dedicated to the Holocaust and I wanted to teach a class just on WWII), she prefaced this new assignment with the fact that I didn't have to follow a pacing guide of any sorts. Enthusiasm and excitement were my initial emotions. I was jumping up and down, and I think I gave her a hug that lasted about two minutes (I was thinking we had gotten my WWII class approved). I quickly realized that she was not returning my hug with the same enthusiasm. I sat back down. I looked at her. She was always so sweet and chipper. She looked stern. I took a deep gulp and asked, "What new class am I teaching". She said in a whisper, "Remediation for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam: Social Studies". With all my excitement somewhere in my stomach, I signed the paperwork but not before I asked a few questions. I am 21, how in the hell am I going to teach 18, 19 and 20 (yes, I had two that turned 20 before graduation) year old's? Are y'all crazy? Are y'all insane? My 9th graders pass me love notes. Why me? This class is designed to help kids pass the history portion of the AHSGE and is based on state standards, how am I free to teach without standards? She said that's all part of the idea. These kids are older, they want to be here, they want to graduate or they wouldn't still be trying to pass this test. They couldn't learn the information during their core classes. I could experiment. I could do whatever it took to reach these kids - they were hoping my age would help me reach them. Guess what? I did. We did. That particular class was never an option for an administrator to observe me. We did everything. I didn't just have these kids for one semester or until they passed. They were stuck with me year round - that was partly my doing. Those that passed stayed to help me reach other students. We were all teachers - I was just their guide. We started with improving basic reading skills. We moved on to writing assignments. We watched movies. We used the computer lab once a week - that's more time than most of you will be allowed. We searched for every resource available for passing this test. My last shot in the dark (with 24 of the 32 original students already having passing scores) was breaking into groups and creating games. Any games. They could base their game off of Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, or a game that they came up with on their own. The only criteria was using facts relevant to state standards. Guess what? By the end of the summer following that school year, all 32 had passed and 30 walked with their class at graduation.

My point isn't that I created something that worked and did basically what I wanted. My point is that I would have never created this class, and if I ever got questioned about technique, I would have reverted back to past methods. Mr. Spencer doesn't do that. He puts the students first. His methods work for him. Rather it be a paperless classroom or a game of hangman, he will stick to his guns.

Don't Teach Your Kids this Stuff. Please.

Dr. Scott McLeod is an associate professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky, but he is taking a leave of absence beginning this week, July 1, to serve in Iowa as the Director of Innovation for Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8. He also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and was a co-creator of the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens). He is also responsible for writing Don't Teach Your Kids this Stuff. Please., a often true and sarcastic poem about the shift towards technology and it's use in schools. I really enjoyed his poem, but I think I am still somewhat in the middle. I am still wary of the use of some social media in the classroom, but I agree with everything else. I just feel that it should be up to the parents' discretion. I have numerous friends that do not allow their children to participate in Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. I think the students should be made aware of the benefits, but the decision to allow them to use it should remain with the parents. I feel like I am right their with him. My kids (not my daughter because she just turned six), I am learning with my kids. I think all parents owe that much to their kids. I also agree with Dr. McLeod in that technology should have a bigger and more influential role in today's classroom. We have already discussed that we may not see the jobs in our students' future, but it is our job to prepare them for it. I fully support that argument. I am just not an avid supporter of removing the teacher as a vessel of knowledge - the teacher still has more importance than just a 'filter'. I'm afraid I won't change that opinion, and I feel that a lot of the videos and blogs we have read have reinforced that notion.

The First time I will be Implementing What I have Learned this Summer in EDM310 (in a classroom setting)

Tanning Bed Safety

I will be teaching in HS 351 next Monday, and I decided to incorporate some of the new things I have learned thus far in EDM310. This isn't all of the lesson, but it will be my introduction. Feel free to take a look and comment as you see fit. I appreciate the feedback.

Project #14: SmartBoard Presentation Part I

We had a lot of fun making this video! I have to brag on my group...we had very few retakes! We have a large group and we all like to talk a lot. It seems to make our videos longer, so we have once again had to post it in two different videos on YouTube. Hope everyone likes our little extras...I had fun doing it!

I would also like to say that I couldn't wait for this project - SmartBoards were on their way in, when I was on my way out of the classroom. I never even got to play with them. I apologize to my group for constantly picking up the markers.

Act I



Act II

Blog Post #9

Love, Love, Love This Assignment! I read all three of his blogs, but I thought it would be fun to blog about what he's learned about from year one to year three - the greatest span.

Mr. Joe McClung

After reading Mr. McClung's blog on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, I was reminded of my first year teaching. I think he was extremely insightful, and I would also like to point out that every aspect he talked about involved building better relationships.

"I fell like that this year I have developed immensely in regards to this aspect of teaching. In order to be effective you have to be able to let your audience drive your instruction." - Joe McClung, At the Teacher's Desk

He quickly realized like most teachers that once you are in the classroom all alone that you are no longer in search of your grade - it is your job to become the evaluator. How do we do this? Make student-centered lessons. What else? Consistently check that our students are comprehending the material.

How does this relate to building better relationships?

Take a look at our group project Part 1 and Part 2 reflecting Rafe Esquith's book Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire. In our reflection for our project, we discuss building a better relationship with our students and designing lessons that appeal to our students. It is one way of building trust with our students without using fear tactics.

There's no point of being scared of doing this. Sure, we'll have the occasional administrator come and visit your classroom. Stop trying to impress with your knowledge. Get down on the students' level and relate the information to THEM!

Mr. McClung also discussed the importance of being flexible. I taught for four years - it took me two years to become more flexible in the classroom and in the school. I am afraid that I am still not very flexible at home.

"While I always plan to have that elusive perfect lesson, I don't let it get to me and I do not kill myself over my mistakes any more. When things go wrong, simply work with it and try to better the situation.....and make sure you do it with a smile on your face!" -Joe McClung, At the Teacher's Desk

Flexibility is important for two reasons:

1. The classroom is never going to be perfect, lessons will never be perfect, students will never be perfect, teachers will never be perfect. There is going to be things that you can't avoid. While structure is a great thing and helps build a better learning environment, there has to be room for change to better the learning environment. You have to plan, but you should also plan to allow time for things that may occur unexpectedly.

2. If you can't be flexible, then your learning environment will not be a fun place to learn and your job won't be fun. I learned that when I taught, and I am constantly reminding myself that at home.

How does this relate to building better relationships?

Like Mr. Esquith said in his book, his classroom was often a refuge for his students for a number of reasons. YOU WANT THAT! Your students will come into your classroom feeling safe. Your students will come to you for advice. Your students will come to you for help. Your students will feel comfortable with you, if they feel like you CAN work with them. Never make them feel like an option. Like your own biological children, they will become a priority (without you even realizing it. I have students to this day that email me, call me, and message me on Facebook, because they feel like they can. They feel like I have time for them. They won't ever interrupt my schedule - I took on that responsibility when they walked into my classroom. It feels amazing.

Bettering communication and listening to your students were also topics Mr. McClung said were key to having a successful first year of teaching - this is also true for life.

"I know that sounds obvious, but communication is one of the hardest skills to develop, so practice all you can and build those strong relationships with teachers and students." -Joe McClung, At the Teacher's Desk

Improving communication between other teachers and students is very important to your first year of teaching. Until this point in your teaching career, you are often only thinking about yourself, your papers, your presentations, your grades, etc. Now you must change your mentality. Do you listen to your peers? Maybe not. Now is the time. These people are no longer just your peers - they are the people you work in close contact with daily. They are the students that you teach daily - it's also your job to listen-up for questions, concerns, and problems going on in their life. If you don't really listen to your co-workers and students, you might miss out on that last-minute faculty meeting after work, the fact that John-Boy's mother just got diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, or that much need adult beverage to celebrate good scores on this semester's CRT's.

You should also be open to the idea of suggestion - just always remember that people being critical should be positive and constructive. It's also okay for you to let them know when you are offended. It's called COMMUNICATION!

How does this relate to building better relationships?

If people know that you are willing to listen and willing to take criticism, then they will feel like they can come to you in need! I think this is the building block of ALL relationships.

What do you think?

Another topic discussed in Mr. McClung's blog is being reasonable, and I think this is probably the thing that most first year teacher's over-look. We all have or all will come in on the first day and expect our students to be in their seats, books out, paper ready, pencils in hand, and two dozen apples on our desk to welcome us. We also have or will expect them to do ALL their homework that we assigned. Guess what? You are FRESH MEAT. They knew you were coming, and it's very possible (with technology) that they have done their research on the latest addition to the faculty. It happened to me - it actually stemmed from me getting a head coaching position at a very prestigious 6A high school in Birmingham, Alabama, but it led to them finding out more information about me as a teacher. I am serious. Go in our your first day with reasonable expectations and maintain those expectations throughout your career. It's okay to set the bar high, but you should not set it somewhere on Mars. They are students!

"While its fine to have lofty goals for our students, we set our students up for disappointment when a goal is not met and we scold them for not coming through."
-Joe McClung, At the Teacher's Desk

What to expect, when teaching for the first time:

1. They will not all be in there seats.

2. Most will not have all their supplies.

3. You might get one or two apples a year - you may or may not want to eat those apples.

4. Homework will not always be turned in! - After reading Should Teacher's Assign Homework and with some classroom knowledge, I have decided that teaching my students personal responsibility and time management, will be one of my greatest priorities when I return to teaching.

One of the best ways to establish REASON in your classroom and let your students know that you are reasonable, is by allowing them to help you create a set of classroom rules on the first day of class. It not only shows that you are reasonable but that you respect their opinions. Just make sure you set ground rules for this activity! I am still figuring out how I am going to incorporate my new time management goals and personal responsibility into this activity.

Apply this logic to every aspect of your classroom: the way YOU present a lesson, the answer to your STUDENTS' answer to essay question #3, and when Mr. New Teacher 2013 floats into your room for third block.

How does this relate to building better relationships?

Duh, do you want to have a relationship with a unreasonable person?

Last but not least, a fear of technology and continuous education are important to first year teachers. I think not being a afraid of technology and being life-long learners are part of building a better relationship with ourselves. It's also key to building better relationships with our co-workers and students. It can open so many doors:

"It's never too late to change your way of thinking, learning, or style. We do everything short of beg students to learn on a daily basis, but sadly some of us refuse to learn and grow as professional educators. We work in a learning environment, so why not soak up as much as you can? We owe it to our students." - Joe McClung, At the Teacher's Desk

1. It should be a commitment to ourselves to make ourselves the best teachers that we can be! Learning the latest technology, using the latest technology, and a desire to know more will put you on one one of the highest levels as a teacher. We can learn in so many different ways. We have discussed building our PLN's. The information is there. Why don't we use it? Make those relationships with others like us and beyond.

2. Being abreast of the latest technology and information can help you be a better vessel of knowledge with co-workers and maybe establish new relationships. Help each other! Share your knowledge.

3. Students? They will try to stump you, and they will succeed. Beat them to the punch. No more. They will respect you more! Respect is the foundation of any teacher/student relationship.

How does this relate to building better relationships?

It is building relationships!

Three years later...

After reading Mr. McClung's blog, Thursday, June 23, 2011: What I Learned this Year, I thought back to my third year teaching. I had many of his same thoughts. Throughout most of first and second years of teaching, we often still have the mentality of trying to please our college professors, parents, school teachers and coaches. It takes us a little while to realize that there are now people trying to please us! Several of the issues Mr. McClung discussed dealt with knowing our place as a new teacher and how various interruptions can cause a less than desirable learning environment for our students. I wish I would have had this kind of reflection as a new teacher.

First, I would like to discuss the problem of too many bosses.

"As a teacher I find myself doing quite a bit of people pleasing on a daily basis...however, the major issue with this is that it becomes very easy to get wrapped up in what people think of you. If you are not careful you can become completely consume with trying to please some many individuals that sometimes your own students get left out of the picture." -Joe McClung, From the Teacher's Desk

We are no longer graded by our professors, we have been out of high school for a long time, we know our parents will always love us despite our mistakes, and recreational sports really are for fun now! The only people we report to now are our school board, our principals, our department heads, and most importantly we report to our students! We shouldn't be bothered about what Miss Biology has to say about our explanation of where Einstein was on the day he developed the Theory of General Relativity in World History class. We also shouldn't concern ourselves with Mrs. Computer Science's latest date with Mr.P.E. If we concern ourselves with those that our not our superiors, then we forget forget what's most important...the students. They should always be our first priority!

"Our decision making process should always be student centered and not centered around pleasing adults." Joe McClung, From the Teacher's Desk

These teachers that care too much about personal lives and staying in the business of other teachers are often the source of barriers built by teachers that are in the profession of TEACHING! Mr. McClung also cited this as a problem for newer teachers. I never let these people get in the way of my optimistic attitude. Nobody should. It could stifle your excitement. If our students see the excitement we have for change, new programs, and learning, then they will also be excited. This will create a better learning environment for the students - the reason we entered this profession. This usually goes hand and hand with being somewhat of an outsider.

Being an outsider is okay! You won't be the teacher that sits in the back of the room during professional development days wishing you were laying by the pool, you won't be the teacher that comes in and shows a unrelated movie because you don't feel like teaching, you won't be the teacher that stands up and lectures for almost two hours to each class. You'll be the teacher that is excited to learn new things. You'll be the teacher that brings in new science experiments for your class. You'll be the teacher that engages your students to discuss instead of you only talking. Kids will come to your room ready to learn. Kids will want to be in your room. Kids will look forward to the next day in your class. You'll be the light in their day. You'll make a difference.

"This year I have really been fearful of turning into a teacher that has become very comfortable to the point of coasting through their daily work. I began to pick up new tasks that would challenge me and prevent me from developing routines."

-Joe McClung,From the Teacher's Desk

Most importantly, Mr. McClung discussed the importance of not becoming comfortable in your role as a teacher. This is true for every profession. I coached Junior Varsity Volleyball, Varsity Softball, and I was the Model United Nations coordinator. I also taught Remediation for the AHSGE:Social Studies. My extra involvement kept me busy as a teacher, and the coaching positions were permanent from year to year - it didn't leave a lot of room for much else. I always looked for little extras (i.e. Prom Chaperone, Selling programs or tickets at football games, Walking/Helping coordinate Relay for Life, etc.). I have ADHD something fierce. I get tired of the same routine, and it makes me get lazy. I have known this since I was in third grade. It's important as a teacher. It keeps us on our toes, and it makes the students know we care.

I plan to use some of Mr.McClung's suggestions and continue the ones I already used! He's full of knowledge and wisdom. PLN?

We also have to remember to STAY POSITIVE!

Blog Post #8

I would just like to say that there were parts to this blog assignment that I loved and parts that I disliked...very much. I am afraid it is a bit of a mess, because my logic is a mess with all of it. I don't know why it was so difficult. Bear with me...maybe some of it will make sense. I am rarely at such a loss for words - maybe it's just the end of midterms for all twelve hours I am taking this semester. Here's to hoping.

This is How We Dream



I think Richard Miller's point in these videos is to express the change that is already here and how educators can embrace the ease of having all the information at our fingertips - we just have to know how to use it. Being such a fan of the liberal arts, I appreciate a good old-fashioned book more than anything. I like to curl up in the couch or in my bed and flip through pages of adventures that I have never imagined. I have stated before that I have been somewhat adverse to the whole shift in technology. I own a PC, an iPod Touch, an iPhone 4S, an iPad, and a Nook, but I have never used any of these to their fullest potential until I took EDM 310. I guess I have always just liked having the latest technology but only using for what was in my personal comfort zone. But history does repeat itself, and I have found that my comfort zone has grown through broadening my horizons and trial and error. I think that Mr. Miller discussed a lot of important topics about are changing world and some stood out more than others.

First, he spoke of us as witnessing the 'greatest change in human communication in human history'. It's true. The teacher's desk has now become our laptops and digital notebooks. I carry mine wherever I go: class, computer lab, doctor's office, dentist office, to the gym, etc. I can learn and add to my knowledge base with the touch of my keyboard or screen. It's so easy. We can access knowledge without going to a campus library or skimming through thousands of books. We can communicate globally with any teacher, anywhere, at any time. We can collaborate through technology, with so many people, and have so many more tools. With today's technology we can include videos, images, sound, print documents, visual documents, sound documents, and anything published on the web.

Second, new research changes almost immediately before our eyes. This is important for two reasons. The first reason is that it's important for teachers and students to have current and accurate information for the best learning environment. It would do no good to have an English textbook that was based off of a MLA version from 1999 - with technology, we can provide our students with the most current information (that they will also need in higher education) to correctly document resource materials. The second reason it's important is that teachers need to stay one step ahead of there students. I learned this the hard way while teaching IB at Murphy High School - I got caught not being aware of a current event.

Third, we can 'push' ideas into our culture and learning communities. We can produce alternative options and publish them freely. It might take up to two years to have a work published in print. With the Web, we can do it now! We must always also remember that the earliest of efforts are fascinating - that goes for both teachers and students. We can learn from both and through trial and error.



Blog Post #12: Carly Pugh

What Dr. Miller meant by writing with multi-media?

Carly has used a collaboration of video, images and documents to produce her teaching philosophy.

I loved the Colin Firth video...Mr. Darcy.



The Chipper Series and EDM for Dummies



I loved these videos! The Chipper Series and EDM for Dummies are very entertaining. Very creative!

There are a few movies that I would like to create and be part of:

1. The proper way to conduct yourself in the EDM310 lab to create the most optimal learning environment for all students....maybe it would be called Today's Miss Manner's for EDM310

2. A video about other software you can download to help at home and include brief introductions of how to get started using each...maybe the title will be Alternative Ways to Succeed in EDM310 from Your Home Computer.

3. How to Create a High School Book Trailer


Learn to Change, Change to Learn
Learn to Change, Change to Learn



This video emphasizes opening all for our teachers and students. Schools should just be one tool for learning for the field of education as a whole. Students and teachers should be able to explore museums, community sites, websites and school to better our learning environment. We can't just have this steady regime of meeting objectives and taking standardized tests. We have to open these windows of opportunity to all involved. Although I still consider the teacher to be the best vessel of portraying knowledge to our students, I do think that teaching our students to use other tools to validate information is important for our technological future.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0

Web 20.11 is AWESOME! PLN? I think so.



My Comic:

1. I used Make Believe Comix



2. Was the site ANIMOTO?

"Educators can apply for a free Animoto Plus account for use in the classroom. Its powerful features can be used to create stunning presentations incorporating images, video clips, music and text."

3. I created this quiz with the tool link on how to make a poll. I used ProProfs

Who killed Abe Lincoln? » make online tests

I apologize for the disconnection...I just could bring it all together.

Project #11: A Short Video

A Short Video: Oh, the Places You'll Go

This was a lot of fun! Thanks to Elizabeth Brooks for helping with the funky computer I was using - it made me disappear a lot from the screen.

Project #12: A Book Trailer

The Hunger Games Book Trailer

I found it hard to do a book trailer for high school students and have pictures that would capture their attention, so I used pictures from our nation's capital, the ruins of a burned building in D.C., pictures from the first movie of the trilogy and pictures that were distributed from a Hunger Games fan site.

Please excuse the wrong name that I gave myself in the opening credits. I was Mrs. Watts until my recent divorce and that is apparent in the final credits (where I give myself my rightful name). It was already uploaded to YouTube when it was noticed.

Blog Post #7

A Networked Student



After watching A Networked Student , I was interested in learning more about the concept of Connectivism – maybe due to my Liberal Arts influence. According to Connectivism: A Learning Theory for Today's Learner, Connectivism is a learning theory for the digital age. Learning has changed over the last several decades. The theories of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism provide an effect view of learning in many environments. They fall short, however, when learning moves into informal, networked, technology-enabled arena.

Some principles of Connectivism are:

- The integration of cognition and emotions in meaning-making is important. Thinking and emotions influence each other. A theory of learning that only considers one dimension excludes a large part of how learning happens.

- Learning has an end goal - namely the increased ability to "do something". This increased competence might be in a practical sense (i.e. developing the ability to use a new software tool or learning how to skate) or in the ability to function more effectively in a knowledge era (self-awareness, personal information management, etc.). The "whole of learning" is not only gaining skill and understanding - actuation is a needed element. Principles of motivation and rapid decision making often determine whether or not a learner will actuate known principles.

- Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. A learner can exponentially improve their own learning by plugging into an existing network.

- Learning may reside in non-human appliances. Learning (in the sense that something is known, but not necessarily actuated) can rest in a community, a network, or a database.

- The capacity to know more is more critical that what is currently known. Knowing where to find information is more important than knowing information.

- Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate learning. Connection making provides far greater returns on effort than simply seeking to understand a single concept.

-Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.

-Learning happens in many different ways. Courses, email, communities, conversations, web search, email lists, reading blogs, etc. Courses are not the primary conduit for learning.

- Different approaches and personal skills are needed to learn effectively in today's society. For example, the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

-Organizational and personal learning are integrated tasks. Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network and continue to provide learning for the individual. Connectivism attempts to provide an understanding of how both learners and organizations learn.

-Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning.

-Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate impacting the decision.

-Learning is a knowledge creation process...not only knowledge consumption. Learning tools and design methodologies should seek to capitalize on this trait of learning.

Dr. Strange posed two questions:

1. Why does the ‘networked student’ even need a teacher?

2. Am I ready to be a networked teacher?

Why does the networked student even need a teacher?

I think the video offered an excellent explanation, and our answer is that she empowers their connection of learning, she helps the students learn how to use tools they have readily available, she teaches them how to build a PLN or a PLE, she helps them take advantage of opportunities, she offers guidance when the student gets stuck, she communicates how to properly ask for help or advice from experts, she helps students differentiate between good information and propaganda, she helps organize all the information, and she helps the student get excited about the finished product.

What I thought was the most profound statement in the video, was that they recognized that the teacher was also a student of Connectivism. I think it’s this statement that got me most interested in researching more about the concept. I found a very interesting site that explains and offers guidance to teachers as a student of Connectivism,MOOC. This site offers a lot of advice to teachers on an activity that is crucial to our role as the ‘filter’ – I hate the term, but it is a good descriptive title for the activity of ‘SENSEMAKING’. According to MOOC, sensemaking is an activity that individuals engage in daily in response to uncertainty, complex topics, or in changing settings. While I still feel that our role as a teacher still encompasses more than just being a ‘filter’, this is a concept that does require our knowledge of content area and being able to distinguish good information from false information.

While students today are more often aware of the technology that they are handed on a plate, we are still going to have students that simply lack motivation to use it to their full potential. I think that’s where our role as a teacher becomes more important. Yes, we are going to have students that are reluctant to any type of learning, don’t want to fully engage in their education, sleep during any type of instruction, are only their until they are old enough to withdraw, or want to do just the minimum of work to pass or stay on a sports’ team. How can we reach these students? What is they are reluctant to technology? What if they what to use it but are illiterate to the technological age? What if they don’t have full access to this cyber world? More importantly, what if it’s their parents that are reluctant to allowing them to use what schools have to offer?

Am I ready to be a ‘networked teacher’?




I think I am fully capable of becoming one of the best ‘networked teachers’. I am ready and willing to learn. I also accept that I am dumb to a lot of things I have available to better me, but I am continuously learning to better myself in this new age. I know the basics, and I am currently adding to my PLN on a daily basis. Bring it on!

I think an even better question to this shift in learning might be, are our school boards and schools ready to help us make this possible? Also, are the parents ready?

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment was an excellent video. I watched it a few weeks ago to help start my PLN. I thought it was very informative, and this student is working well-beyond her level of thinking.

How does her does her PLE differ from my PLN?




I am also using SYMBALOO to develop my PLN, but I started with Twitter and Facebook to gather teachers past and present. I have also included my high school website, all three schools’ websites that I have taught at, ALEX, and several content related sites. I think her bookmarks are more student based – offering more advice and educational information on her level.

Overall, we both have similar tools at our disposal. We just have different levels of information. We both have access to knowledge at our fingertips and room to be continuous learners.

Extra Assignment: Thomas Suarez: A 12-year-old App Developer

While watching the video Thomas Suarez: A 12-Year old App Developer , I was amazed at the accomplishments and drive of this 12-year old young man. He reminds me so much of my young cousin, Griffin. Griffin attends a very prestigious school in north Alabama called Randolph School . Griffin amazes me every visit home. He is constantly coming up with new ideas that I think are far-beyond his true age, and he still maintains a starting position on the varsity football, baseball, and hockey teams. He’s fifteen now, but he has always amazed me with his genius.

What did you learn from watching this video?



That students and kids today are moving at a much faster speed than we did – I already knew this because of my daughter. She shows me so much! Thomas Suarez has already developed several apps, and he currently wants to develop more (he even wants to expand into Droid). Most of us came home, did our homework, went to practice, played outside, and maybe ended the night with some TV or play some video game. He’s gone way beyond anything we ever tried. He asked himself, how did I get here? Who made these games for me to play? How can I do it?
What does this video tell us about how the world of learning is changing?
It made it very apparent that kids today are interested in stuff that involve so much more than running or playing, they are interested in technology, they are interested in bettering themselves, they are interested in fitting into this new age. Technology is here. Technology plays a role in their daily life.

While Thomas speaks of creating clubs for students that share his interests, I found myself asking if his childhood was being cut short. Yes, this interests him and it’s fun, but doesn’t he need more to be a successful individual? It made me think if the movie WALL-E. What happened to all those passengers after they became too reliant on technology? I am not saying that computers will take over the world. I am just saying that there can be too much of a good thing – we become complacent, sedentary, and lazy. I don’t think this is the answer either…what is the answer?

How does this video fit with the others assigned for Blog Post #7?

Throughout the Blog #7 assignment, we have learned more about have content is becoming secondary to technology in the classroom. Thomas is an example of a student using technology to its fullest potential. I have my issues with this, but it is apparent that it has some relevance. Yes, students have all this information easily accessible and teachers need to be constantly on their toes to stay abreast with their students. In in reality, we are still going to have students that need us to be trained as teachers have always been – we are also a vessel of information. That should never be forgotten! I hate to imagine students typing in ‘classroom teacher’ into Google 100 years from now.

Download the Bustin Jieber App! I have wanted to whack this kid over the head for so long!

C4T #2

I have been reading and commenting on John Mikulski's blog, A Classroom in the Cloud, this week. I love this blog! He is so informative and interesting.

Should Teachers Assign Homework

His blog begins with a discussion about eliminating cheating in the classroom. He had recently read about ways to eliminate cheating in the classroom - one of the suggestions was to stop giving homework. He believes that meaningful homework has a place in the classroom, and I couldn't agree more. I commented that homework had been the bain of my existence the entire time I was teaching (and also as a parent), and I always got my feelings hurt when students simply did not do their homework. In a recent assignment in EDM310, we read the importance of teaching our students time management and responsibility - I wish I would have thought about this more as a new teacher. I fully intend on doing this in the classroom. I see nothing wrong with giving students their assignments at the start of a chapter and having them turn it in prior to a test (and going over it as a review the day before a test). I included my plans in my first comment.

How Do We Fix the Outdated Education Model

I loved this blog! Mr. Mikulski used our 'outdated' classrooms as sort of a metaphor for everything that is 'outdated' in education. He included pictures of a modern classroom and compared it to a picture of a replica of Jimmy Carter's sixth grade classroom. Guess what? It hasn't changed much. Big surprise, right? In my comment to this blog, I wrote about the video we watched on 'flipping' the classroom. I fully intend on doing this, when I start teaching again.

I am now following Mr. Mikulski on Twitter. Part of my PLN?

My PLN Progress #1

I had no idea where to go with this. I am an avid Facebook user, and I thought I would start there, but I decided that I didn't really grasp the concept of Twitter. I thought maybe I should change directions and start there - maybe it would help me learn more about how to successfully use Twitter. After reading information that Dr. Strange provided us and watching several videos/podcasts about establishing a PLN, I started exploring a few different areas. I decided to being building by researching people in the History field of teaching and those involved in Technology. I found that Beth Still offers a huge avenue of teachers and programs that can help build our PLN. I have started following numerous suggestions that I found on her website. I have also included professors at the The University of Alabama and The University of South Alabama - some I have taken classes from and some I have not. Teachers from my high school, Virgil I. Grissom High School, Murphy High School, Alma Bryant High School, Shades Valley High School are all represented in my PLN - these schools are very important to me, because I either went to school there or taught there. I am going to use my Twitter account to keep up with the people that are a part of my PLN. I know I will never stop adding to my PLN, but my next step is to create lists in my account that will allow me to easily follow my PLN and get the most from it. WE ARE LIFE-LONG LEARNERS!

L.A.'sSymbaloo

Shouldn't this blog be part of our PLN?

Project #9b

My First Prezi: Who Was Not a Member of Hitler's Master Race

I would use this to introduce my class to our WWII Unit.

Copy of Who Was Not a Member of Hitler's Master Race on Prezi

THIS WAS NOT FUN! IT'S VERY COMPLICATED!

Blog #6

I Have had a Deathbed Conversion. I Bought a Macintosh.




After reading Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, I was both inspired and saddened. Following Mr. Pausch's advice, I will go ahead and announce the elephant in the room. Mr. Pausch's battle with pancreatic cancer truly is a loss to us all. He really knows how to reach a audience and make them feel close to him. I've enjoyed all the videos I have watched of him online in this course, and the videos that I have watched without being assigned. I don't think I can watch him without crying.

Following Our Dreams

Randy discussed the importance of following our dreams, but he also said that the dreams we don't accomplish are are the ones we learn from the most. He listed several of his childhood dreams. He accomplished many of his childhood dreams, but two of his dreams stood-out in his lecture. Although he was in obviously good physical health despite his cancer, he never quite met the physical requirements of playing in the NFL. The other dream he discussed and fulfilled was becoming an Disney Imagineer. He worked on the Virtual Reality Aladdin ride at Disney. He said that it was after this that he began questioning how he could help students/others accomplish their dreams. Tommy Burnett, a student, came to him wanting to join his academic team but also with a dream to work on the Star War's films. By creating a virtual reality course at Carnegie Mellon University, he helped Tommy and many other students reach their childhood dream.

Our students have dreams! It's our job as teachers to help them realize their dreams and help them strive to meet their dreams. It might be something as small as making a B in math, when they had barely passed the previous year. It might be getting accepted into an Ivy League college. Whatever their dream is, we need to help them figure out what they are. We need to emphasize the importance of trying to make these dreams come true. We also need to explain that all dreams may not be met, but show them how they can learn from what they don't reach.

But just having dreams aren't enough....What else can we do as parents, teachers, and mentors?

Where to Place the Bar (to strive to reach)

After his first project that he assigned his students, the students came back with work that was so excellent that Mr. Pausch had know idea of what to do next. He received work that was beyond his expectations, and he consulted his mentor about what to do next. He decided not to set a bar - there are no bars for the greatest expectations. They ended up putting on a show at the end of each year of all their work. It became an extremely popular class and gave the students a sense of pride and excitement.

Kids can do amazing things, and they often don't know their potential. Never allow them to think that mediocrity or just reaching the bar is enough. Extra Credit? Yes, it's extra points, but what else can they learn from doing an extra assignment, reading a book that supplements a lesson, etc. Show them the way to realize that this benefits them too.

But what else can we do?

The Dream Fulfillment Factory

Through teamwork and hard work, Randy and a colleague created Alice. It was a way of teaching children a concept through something fun and creative - they were creating games and movies but secretly learning to do computer programing. He calls this a headfake.

A good example of a way that we can help them learn a lesson in the classroom through something fun is a topic we have already discussed in EDM310, Peer Editing. Yes, it is a way for their writing to improve and they are completing an assignment, but they are also learning new ideas from other students, they are learning that other peoples' opinions do matter, and they are also learning what they can do to be a better student.

Is that enough? No.

Lessons Learned: Roles of Parents, Teachers, Mentors, and Students

If your kids wants to paint their bedroom, let them. Don't worry about resale value of the house. -Randy Pausch

We should leave a legacy for them. It's not enough to just give them a lecture, give them an assignment and hand them a red-inked grade. Why did we do it? Why is it important to us? Did we let them know their work meets the requirements but they can do better? Did we help them realize their dreams? Did we do EVERYTHING we could to help them reach their goals? Did we set a good example for them to follow?

These are all questions we should ask ourselves as parents, teachers, and mentors. If we aren't answering these questions with a positive response, then we aren't doing our job - it is OUR job.

I listened to Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams while driving to class on Monday, and I had a blow-out on the i110 bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was one of the scariest accidents that I have ever had. I finished the lecture on my way home that night, and the irony of the whole thing is that I know I am not doing what I can as a parent and a teacher. I plan to take his words to heart and use them everyday.

For more information on Randy, please take a look at Randy'sLecture.

And you can also find more information about how to support the Randy Memorial Bridge at Randy'sMemorialBridge.

Project #8 Part 2

Project #8, Part 1

Project 9a: My TimeToast Timeline

The Life of Lindsay Ann Parvin



This was a lot of fun! I can really use this in a history class!

Blog Post #5

The iSchool Initiative





Travis Allen's arguments are both motivational and compelling. His primary arguments for the iSchool Initiative economical, connectively, interdisciplinary, and futuristic. It's all very exciting, but I need to first explain my history with Apple. Over the course of my three years at USA during undergrad, I accumulated four iPod Shuffles. The iPod touch was available, but I refused to abandon my small, light-weight jukeboxes for this new-fangled contraption. After four years of college, a car that I had used since my sophomore year of high school, a 3.9 GPA, two full-time jobs, and numerous academic scholarships, my parents bought me a "new ride". It was just a newer model of my run-down VW Jetta, but I couldn't wait to get in and drive! After I got in the car and acclimated myself to the new settings, I adjusted everything and got ready to explore. I started to adjust my radio (I had yet to put my c.d.'s in the car, and I noticed a long cord coming from my middle compartment. I then looked to my right in the passenger seat, and I noticed a little extra surprise. My Dad had purchased a new iPod Touch. He was excited. He quickly exclaimed that I could put all my music on one device. Oh, the joy...I had something new learn. I responded the same way to my iPhone. I couldn't begin to understand why anyone would want to have their music interrupted with a phone call. This is still a problem for me, and I am quick to yell at anyone that interrupts Scarlet Begonias. I had a similar argument when I purchased my iPad. Why do I need a smaller laptop? I will admit that I have had mine since Christmas, and I haven’t really used it – I have recently learned the joys of this beautiful creation because of EDM310...iMovie? Yeah, that app ROCKS!

With all that being said and teaching experience, I can begin explaining the value I found in Travis Allen’s dreams for an iSchool. This is where I see the most value for technology in the classroom. The iSchool Initiative will financially benefit both the students and education systems – there will no longer be a need to purchase paper, writing utensils, ink, printers, etc. The money usually put towards purchasing these materials can be spent elsewhere. It will also allow the students to only carry a pound or so to school – no more aching bodies from all those books and notebooks. Very cost-effective! The iSchool Initiative will also allow for better connections to be made – connections can be made from teacher to student, student to teacher, parent to teacher, teacher to parent, and student to student! It would be one of the first successful attempts at really connecting the parent to teacher….no more missed phone calls, ‘misplaced’ notes home, lost report cards, etc. It will also offer a wider range of curriculum to students. Mr. Allen discussed many applications that could be used: An app entirely devoted to our presidents, an app for searching the stars, and I noticed a little girl learning basic mathematics in the second video. Teachers would also be able to include interdisciplinary lesson plans with ease with all these applications. We’ve already discussed earlier this year the importance of preparing our students for the future. We may not see the jobs they will working, but they will. We should prepare them for the future now!

Now, I wouldn’t be Lindsay Ann, if I didn’t find a counter-argument somewhere. Of course, I have one despite my enthusiasm stated above. With all the advancement in technology, the applications, and emphasis placed on independent learning, might we be on a path to eliminate some of the more important aspects of learning? The teacher? Social norms? That should also be addressed and never forgotten, but I am all for the iSchool Initiative!



Virtual Choir

Many thanks to Jennifer Chambers! I had never seen this. Although I have never posted to youTube until recently, I am an avid stalker of a few channels. The work they did was beautiful, and it was amazing that the members had never met. I think the amount of time, talent and technology that went into it is amazing, but I have some reservations about the use of it in education. I think the project is beneficial from a technology standpoint - it would be of great interest and value in media classes. However, I am not an advocate of this use of technology in the Arts. While it can be a learning tool and very enterprising for any group that could pull it off, I think that choir is a class that needs to meet in a live group setting. It's one of the Arts!




Teaching in the 21st Century

Wow! I have a headache. There was so much information in Mr. Robert's video that this should be a blog assignment all to its own.

Mr. Robert's suggests that our role as an educator is changing, and I am not sure I agree with his opinion. While his description of becoming a "filter" for our students seemed glorified with all the information he was throwing at us, I still think that our job description is more than merely a "filter" to our students. It appeared that our role as an actual educator of content material was lessened and that can never happen! A teacher has always been a guide. While we need to act as a moderator in what our students are learning, we can't forget what we are there to do. Some students can't learn independently. Some students need instruction. We must also provide the material - everything else is secondary.

I'm afraid that I did not agree with this video, and I found parts to be insulting. I understand the importance of preparing our students for there future, and technology is the future. I just don't agree with handing them an idea and letting them run with it. There's so much on the Internet that has not been "filtered" - much isn't true. We need to provide them with the facts...filter what else they find.



A Flipped Classroom?

I really enjoyed these videos and the concept of "flipping the classroom". I have used something similar in my classroom, and I learned it from my high school Geometry teacher, Adam Williamson. "Flipping the Classroom" isn't really new or all about technology, videos, websites, blogging, etc. While I may not have had the knowledge or use of technology to flip my classroom, I did it numerous times a semester when I had difficult material to teach. For example, when it came time to teach about the reasons for the Protestant Reformation, I sent home an assignment with the students to be signed by a parent that was aware of our studies. They had an intense note-taking assignment three days before starting the unit to be completed at home. I made it a test grade, so they were more willing to complete the assignment. When we started the unit in class, they had a good knowledge base of the material that we were learning about. We had more time for explanations and discussions about the material. While videos would have made this more teacher directed, they still benefited from the reinforcement and application. I never thought of a seating chart that would help me effectively reach students at different levels of understanding. This is a great idea! I will surely use this method! I am excited about this!

My Sentence Movie

Blog #4

Judy Scharf offer’s a very brief but detailed description of what a podcast entails, and I was pleasantly surprised at how direct she was. Although our class survey changed my self-definition of being technologically illiterate, I am familiar with the Podcasts I have downloaded for my iPod and iPad. I am afraid that it wasn’t until my recent return to school that I have used them for educational purposes. I have sadly only downloaded Podcasts from A Prairie Home Companion and some by more liberal poets. I enjoy listening to them on long drives (my kids hate this part of my iPod) and to decompress after a long workout. I recently downloaded several using iTunesU to help refresh some parts of history to help me on the Praxis. I plan on using Ms. Scharf’s link on how to use Audacity to help with my Podcast for EDM 310.





My group met today to work on Project #8 for EDM310. For Project #8, we have to create a Podcast using an assigned reading from Rafe Esquith’s book, Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire. We were free to take the project any route we wanted, but we had to use our assigned reading. After reading about how the first graders created their own read-along book using a Podcast, I felt so silly for feeling so inadequate today. If first graders can do it, we can do it. While I think my group may have taken the long road in creating our first Podcast (we should have sucked it up and just filmed ourselves, instead we created a Google Presentation with voice-overs), I think it will be beneficial for the end of this class. I loved that the first graders created their own read-along book! It replaces the monotony of books on c.d. – I often find my ADHD-self drifting off into dreamland while participating in these kind of activities. These children are creating their own work, and the teacher is using it to reinforce what they have learned. It’s also incredible that the kids are learning so quickly what intrigued me earlier today in the lab. I played with changing my voice several times – it was so much fun!



Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting was very interesting and insightful. Can we use this technique in EDM 310? Maybe if I use iMovie 70 times in one sitting, I can become more proficient in making a Podcast. Just kidding. It’s common knowledge that repetition is key to our students learning, and through this project the kids are getting to use THEIR creativity to help each other and their parents. I really liked that they edited their work using a SmartBoard in class. The SmartBoard wasn’t available to me the first time I took this class, and every classroom didn’t have one in the schools that I have taught. I am extremely excited about getting to learn this tool. I think it is something that would help me greatly in the classroom.