Blog Post 15: Final Reflection

Final Project 16

Blog Post 14

So after reading the suggestions in the Internet Resources for Education and watching Top Ten Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom I found that using the internet to view videos and stream music would be things I would use in my classroom. I loved the idea of using the websites that create interactive games for your students using your curriculum information. I have always found using the smartboard as an easy and effective way to use technology in your classroom and it is an easy way to include your students. Blogging also is a great way to include students in a hands on way of learning about different topics and technologies. I plan on using all these technologies in my future classroom and hope to help my future students learn about to technology effectively.

Final Update On PLN

I have really enjoyed using Symbaloo and have added so many personal links to my PLN. I use it for personal purposes and for my school work. Having all my links in one place has been a big help in effectively completing my school work.

C4T 4

#4:1
I commented on the blog post The PE Geek: fitnessMeter and I said that I found the app very interesting and found it exciting that even in the physical education classroom technology can be utilized.
 4:2
I commented on the blog post Some Simple GPS Ideas and I said that I had geocahed before and I enjoyed the post.

Blog Post 13

So for this blog post I decided to do Option 1. I went to Wolfram Alpha and searched for the population of China. Incredibly the population since 1970 has grown in the billions and it is the largest population in a country on the Earth.

When you compare China's population to India's population,  China's reproduction rate is much higher. India is the second most populated country and is in competition with China.

Now comparing both of these populations to the U.S.'s population which is the third largest population and has grown by 100 million people in the last 30 years. By comparing these populations it is surprising that the U.S. has not grown more considering the amount of space we have in middle America. I believe China is a leader because of the lack of birth control and they have been there for centuries establishing their roots. 

C4K 12

I commented on the post Shanika: Alien Snot and commented that I thought it looked fun to make "alien snot" and I hoped she always has a lot of fun.

Project 15: Smartboard Instruction Part 2

Final Project Progress Report

We have not finalized what exactly we are going to do for our final project. We are still in the brainstorming stage.

Blog Post 12

My assignment is to watch Randy Pausch's; A Final Farewell watch this video and share some of your favorite things he has shared in terms of using technology in your teaching and in your life. Share at least a paragraph of your thoughts and feelings. Think about how you can use some of his theories and ideas in your classroom.

C4K 11

C4K #11
Looking around Mrs. Yollis' Class Blog I was very impressed at the number of helpful links and the high amount of visitors to the blog. There are about 25,000 more views than the EDM blog which is very interesting considering it consists mainly of posts by elementary students. I'm sure many people have visited this site and found it as interesting as I did. This blog has won many awards for its quality posts. I really enjoyed how much she involves her students and their parents. I loved that she partnered with a class from Australia and Skyped them. Overall this blog was very impressive and I enjoyed exploring it. I commented on the post 288 Skyping with Connecticut and found the post very interesting and enjoyed exploring their blog.

Blog Post 11

As I watched the video Little Kids...Big Potential I was amazed at how much technology the students were involved in. I was most impressed by their use of their blogs and their class' website. I would use this most in my classroom to get my students more comfortable writing and spelling. Some students may not be as familiar with technology which may require some extra coaching. Students will benefit highly from having experience at an early age with technology as I did. I began typing lessons at 7 and now I am a fast and efficient typist. This has helped me in college because I can type my paper twice as fast as some students. Overall I think any technology is important to introduce to young children to get them comfortable with the technology.

C4K for October

C4K #6
I commented on this class wiki Kids With a View and told Krishant that I enjoy watching football games.

C4K #7
I commented on two posts this week, first was Leslie's Awesome Life in Science in which she wrote a post about growing pains. I commented and told Leslie that I too had growing pains as a child and teenager because I grew 4 inches in middle school! The second post was Carly's Blog in which she wrote a post on why people get freckles. I enjoyed her post very much because I never really understood that having freckles and not being able to tan had something to do with one another.

C4K #8
I commented on Kayla's Blog and she described what she liked to do at school and I told her I enjoyed her blog and good luck.

C4K #9
I commented on Eiffel Tower by Sohel and told her that I enjoyed her Eiffel Tower drawing and good luck in her class.

C4K #10
I commented on Freedom in Research and shared that I too enjoyed having freedom in learning. It helps when you dont enjoy something and you have the freedom to explore it.

Blog Post 10

When I watched the video Do you Teach or Do you Educate? I was empowered to be an educator rather than a teacher because I look forward to helping my students become better learners and people. In my journey to become an educator I have learned from so many different educators. Some more focused on just teaching the material and others are passionate about the subject and the students and how they are learning and feeling.
Students need a leader who wants them to become a better learner overall and someone to lead them in the right path. I personally hope that when I get a job as a teacher I can educate my students in the proper way and help them on their path.

When I read the post Dont Let Them Take Pencils Home I immediately began reading the comments to see who got the post and who didn't. I personally loved the post and the emphasis on trying to solve a problem instead of just pointing out the negatives of the issue. I'm a person who enjoys to be a problem solver and I'm hoping to take that with me while I begin my education career.

C4T3

C4T3 #1
I commented on Planning and Sharing with Social Media and I shared with the author how much I enjoyed the post. She talks about her upcoming field trip with her students and her plans to use social media to document the entire trip. She plans to use twitter and instagram, also her blog and audio boo. Its so exciting that she is using technology to share with the parents of her students. 

C4T3 #2
I commented on the post AIS Leaders Conference and I enjoyed the information she provided
and said that I looked forward to future blog posts.

Blog Post 9

When I read Mr. McClung's post What I learned this year (2008-2009) I was encouraged that he felt very nervous about his lesson plans in his first year because I have a feeling that will plague me as a first year teacher when it happens and to keep my lessons student focused. He stressed listening to your students and communication with your coworkers. I also feel that technology is important to your teaching experience. 

In the second post What I learned this year (2009-2010) he struggled with figuring out how to teach social studies and history in a unboring way. I felt for him because I know teaching history must be hard to make interesting and fun. He also worked to help his students become better at holding discussions and sharing their thoughts and opinions. I agree that you have to show passion for what you are teaching so that the kids will want to learn.

Project 13a

Short Movie Project 11: Book Review

Project 12: Book Trailer

Blog Post 8

       When I watched This Is How We Dream Part 1 & 2 I was very interested in his views on technology and writing with multimedia. Often all my writing is done on my laptop and Sometimes I may publish my writings but often I keep them to myself. He describes many ways to write with multimedia and how it can be helpful in our world. When you write with multimedia it can be published on the internet forever where as a pamphlet may be thrown away after you have read it. This is helpful for people who want to keep spreading and publishing their multimedia writings. I find this very helpful in the classroom because you or your students can go back and look at previous classes blog posts and  search for articles that have been previously published.
        Technology makes many things possible and using it in the classroom is helpful in so many ways. Children can learn different ways to use technology from their teacher and also many teachers from around the world. Student can learn from there peers around the world and they will always be learning something new about using writing multimedia to share their ideas about multimedia with other people. Their ideas will be forever published on the internet so if one day they decide to become a teacher or just want to share it with their children, they can look it up with a few clicks of the mouse and you can bring up their multimedia.
        If we don't embrace technology we will be holding back our future leaders from the information that they need to become successful. Our future is determined by the youth and if we as teachers don't take teaching multimedia into our own hands we will doom the future in some ways. I hope to effectively use technology in my classroom in the future and will keep this information I have acquired for a long time.
        When I read Blog Post 12 by Carly Pugh I was very impressed by her assignment and the effort that she put in when creating her assignment. She provided many helpful links and videos to improve your teaching philosophy and pinpointing your teaching style. I have bookmarked this post as it will be very helpful in the future as I become a teacher.
        When I watched The Chipper Series I enjoyed the message in the video and thought it was a well thought out video. I only wish I could produce such a creative video. If I were to create a video I believe I would really enjoy book reviews for my students and viewers. I really enjoy reading new and interesting books and sharing my ideas and opinions with people on the various books I read and would love to hear feedback from other readers. Also when I watched EDM 310 for Dummies I also enjoyed the messaged and have experienced the same craziness they described but I eventually have figured it out.
        When I watched Learn to Change, Change to Learn I agreed very much with the message in this video. Student need the technology to be better learners and they need all different types of technology to learn in different ways.

Blog Post #7

As I watched Randy Pausch's Last Lecture I found it so interesting while he was talking about his childhood dreams. He achieved his first dream of being weightless in space while he was at Carnegie. His second childhood dream was to play in the NFL. He played little league and learned a lot from it. Football helped him achieve his goals later in life, and he notes that football helped him learn about teamwork and the appreciation of hard work.

His third dream was to be in the World Book Encyclopedia. In which he created an article on virtual reality. His fourth dream was to be Captain Kirk, and what he learned from looking up to him is that leadership is very important. He got to meet William Shatner when he visited Carnegie and their virtual reality set up, in which they built a virtual reality of the Star Trek set for William Shatner which was great because he got to meet his childhood idol.

His fifth dream was to win stuffed animals, in which he showed some pictures of him winning many big stuffed animals, and he also gave some of the bears away. His sixth and final dream was to be an imagineer at Disney.  After graduating from college he applied at Disney to be an imagineer and graciously got denied.
But after time he got integrated with the alladin project and he achieved his dream.

I found this lecture very interesting because he discussed different dreams and lessons that came from them. I found his ideas and experiences very interesting and inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture and recommend it everyone.

Summary Post- Project #10 PLN

My PLN was created on Symbaloo and I found it quite useful. It definitely takes time to connect to as many people and things as you want to but I believe it will be very useful in my learning experience. I connected my twitter, facebook, youtube, added a link to USA's homepage. I am slowly adding more links and connections.

C4T2

C4T2 #1
I commented on the post Kids Motivating other Kids to Blog which she was talking about how her former students came to talk about blogging to her current students. They had a discussion and the students were asking and answering questions. I commented and said that I enjoyed her post and found it interesting that the kids were so ready to interact with each other.

C4T2 #2
I commented on the post Finding My Voice and shared that I also love to write and it allows me to be creative in a different way. I really enjoyed this blog and will be following it.

Instructional Timeline

Blog Post 6

When I watched the video Networked Student I was surprised how many connections a student can use over the internet to learn and discover new information. I believe that a networked student still needs a teacher for guidance and to help with questions and provide any useful information from experience. Teachers are important to the learning process.

I think being a teacher of a networked student would be very interesting because the students have their own chances to learn information outside of the classroom, which can be good for discussion. Students with access to that much information can even teach the teacher something! With a flow of information that constant there will never be lag time in your classroom discussions which makes for a much better classroom experience.

In the video Welcome to My PLE a seventh grade student showed the audience her Personal Learning Environment (PLE) and described how her classroom environment is and how it works. My personal learning network is similar to her PLE in which it is mainly on the computer and the internet which benefits me greatly because  like my classmates I have a busy schedule and with my PLN I can get my classwork done when I have the time. 

Project 7: C4K

C4K #1
In the firs blog post My Result for the M.I. Test Lesley describes her results for the Multiple Intelligences tests. I commented on her blog post and wished her luck on her improvements.

C4K #2
The second blog post was Our Champions where she describes their school's rugby team. She is very proud of her team and it was quality  blog post. I commented on her blog post and told her it was a very nice post. 

C4K #3 
The first post by Kalim I encountered was The Beep Test  where he described that in the UK you have to get to a 6 level and he only got to 3.6. I told him I had also done the test and only got to the 3rd level but I encouraged him to keep trying. 

C4K #4
I commented on the post for a school who is starting a blog in our area and it is very exciting that we are moving forward with technology. 

C4K #5
I tried to comment on the post  Shweta's About Me Post where she described herself very nicely. She had a virtually error free post and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Sadly there was something wrong with the certain post and I couldn't post a comment.  












  

Podcast: Project 8

Project 5: Google Presentation

Blog Post 5

In the post Dont teach your kids this stuff...please?  Dr. Mcleod writes about technology and how important it is to get a leg up in teaching your students about it. My position is that I am completely supportive of moving forward in technology and continuing to educate our students on how important technology is to our life. The sooner you learn an important skill the more fluent you become.

In the video The iSchool Initiative Travis Allen describes a school where there are no books or paper just using the iTouch from Apple to conduct tests, assignments, notes, study guides and many other paper focused activities. I'm somewhat skeptical about this initiative because in Alabama our budgets are at an all time low and if you work in an impoverished school how will the students be able to pay for the iTouch. There is always the threat of breaking or someone stealing it. Also in some cases pen and paper is a great way to get your ideas out. You may also be able to draw on the device but there really is nothing comparable to drawing and shading with a pencil. Overall I think its an interesting idea but it may take a while for it to become a bug free initiative.

In the video Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir he created a choir with many people all over the world to create a virtual choir. This is impressive because it is difficult to conduct a choir in person and Eric did it virtually. I am very impressed with this video and enjoyed it very much. I think this is a great use of the internet because it brings a big group of people together.

In the video Teaching in the 21st Century Roberts argues a valid point. If we as teachers don't give our students the right tools and techniques for the internet and all its add ons, then where will they learn the right techniques? We must take it upon ourselves to educate our students successfully.

Project 9a: Timetoast Timeline

My Sentence Video

Blog Post 4

Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog

During this podcast the students provided useful information about the Roman Empire and showed great skill in creating a quality podcast. I liked that the students put music behind the narration it provided an impressive quality. The students conducted themselves well and had excellent annunciation. They kept the podcast interesting by giving opinions and interesting facts all about the Roman Empire.

Langwitches

As I listened to this podcast I was very impressed by the professionalism of the children during the reading. In the blog post the author describes how they made the script for the progress and it was a great idea to help the reader follow along. The author describes in great detail how to create a quality blog post and gives some great tips.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

This vodcast was very educational to a first time podcaster, the author outlines effective ways of creating a quality podcast/vodcast. Also the author outlines great advantages of making a podcast. You can record a lecture and post it so your students can use it as a review or you can create a lesson on how to make a podcast. He gives some great ideas on creating your first podcast.

-Meredith

Project 3 : C4T : The Thinking Stick

C4T #1

When I read the blog, Sometimes You Need To Throw Out The Container With The Leftovers, I agreed strongly with the blogger. Sometimes you need to evaluate your teaching ways because even though change is hard it is necessary. Even though I am not yet a teacher in a classroom, I am constantly being taught new things. There are so many new ways to teach and to be taught that we have to flip our ways of thinking about teaching in general. His opinions and ideas were very interesting and informative.

Comment #1

I commented on this blog post and shared with the blogger that I enjoyed reading his blog post and i agreed with his ideas about teaching.

C4T #2
In the blog post 5 Gmail Tips for Teachers the author gives some helpful tips on dealing with gmail. I recommend checking it out, it helped me a lot. This author has some interesting ideas when I read some of his previous blog posts.

Blog Post 3

 Peer Editing

Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial

For C4C #2 I commented on Kelly Ficarelli's Blog on the Project #3 post in which I found no grammatical errors and a very interesting post. She shared her opinion on the assigned blog honestly and creatively, in which she highlighted some high points in the blog post. She distributed great clarity in her post. If i were to give any negative criticisms I would do it privately by email because I prefer to be discrete and to not make the author uncomfortable. Otherwise I found no errors so I commented on her post and gave her my honest opinion, in which I enjoyed the post. 

Its Not About the Technology

In this blog post Ms. Hines offers a great point on technology and its role in the classroom. She states that to use it effectively the teacher also needs to be a learner. Technology is always changing and as I have observed the younger generation is often some of the first people to master it. Which means as teachers to keep up with our students learning abilities we need to be as fluent in technology as our students our. 

Also she stresses to focus on the  students learning without having to pound the information in the child's brain over and over again with no results. Another good point she makes is that when the technology is not utilized it is wasted money. Which is a disappointment for the children whom are excited about new and different ways to learn and would likely enjoy using said technology thoroughly. 

Is it Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? 

Mr. Fisch's post was very powerful to me, he argued that today in the 21st century teachers need to be technologically literate to be successfully teaching their students.  I completely agree that if the teachers do not take responsibility for providing a technological environment for their students they may never be exposed and become technologically illiterate themselves. As a future teacher I need to be exposed to technology in every way possible to ensure that I am using my states tax dollars successfully teaching our future leaders. 

Reflecting on my own learning experience, I was taught since first grade that it is important to know how to use a computer, I was a successfully fast typer by middle school and have proficiently used a computer since fifth grade. The longer you wait to learn something the harder it becomes to learn so in turn the sooner our students learn the more proficient they will be with the technology.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count 

This ever changing social media count is not surprising to me personally being someone who has been involved in social media for a good amount of time. Technology moves so fast and it has a daily effect on how fast it moves into our lives and our classrooms. Who knows? In 100 years teachers may not be needed as technology progresses. In the last 10 years technology has come so far it is astounding.

If you would have asked me that I could use a portable phone like a computer 10 years ago I would not have believed you. That was an idea of the future, and look where we are, the future! I cant imagine how far we will come in the next 10-20 years with technology but as I prepare for my career as a teacher I'm attempting to prepare myself for the ever changing technology in our environment.

A Vision of Students Today

In this video there are some startling numbers which are quite true in my own life. There are rarely enough hours in the day to complete all my tasks, such as having a part time, high stress job, being a full time student with plenty of homework, and keeping up with social relationships and household chores, oh and sleep. I somewhat agree that the technology we invent can sometimes hold us back from learning, but I don't believe the laptop was made to help students to not pay attention in class, it's intended purpose is for a person on the go who needs access to the internet.

Also I don't believe social networks were made for the same reason, but as many different things in our environment are misused from time to time but for the most part are used for the intended reason. Technology can harm and help our daily tasks and for the most part is a useful and important part of my life. 

-Meredith

Blog Post 2

Did you know?
In this video it explains that the technology in our environment is ever changing and and the staggering numbers are very surprising. The amount of technology has risen so much in the last 10 years and it steadily rising. I believe that technology is good for everyone and it helps everyone in so many aspects of our lives. It effects our schooling, work, social interactions, and everyday life. I know I use the internet multiple times a day on many different devices and appreciate how much it helps me complete many tasks.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
In this video it is showing Mr. Winkle is surprised how much the world has changed and how many different technologies there are. Mr. Winkle is confused by all the machines in the workplace and in the hospital but is comforted when he goes into a school and the technology is being neglected. I believe that the video is trying to show that technology should be utilized in the classroom much more and it should not be neglected when it can be used to help the students learn in a different way. I agree with this video in that technology should be used in the classroom to help the students learn in a different way.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
In this video Mr. Robinson is explaining that many children are not being exposed to creative ways of learning. He argues that creativity is important to a child's development and that being creative is beneficial to their overall learning experience. I agree with his argument, I know that being creative in dance and art helped me, I suffer from ADD, become more focused in my studies and get better grades. Having a creative outlet is helpful because it focuses your creative energy into an activity so when you need to concentrate on another activity your creativity does not spill over into the activity you are currently working on.

Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
In this video the student Cecelia interviews Mr. Robinson, she asks him about his views on education. For me to have students like Cecelia who are so creative and interested in learning is a dream come true. Catering to such driven children is challenging but also rewarding. For students like Cecelia you need to provide a challenging and ever evolving learning environment which stimulates their creativity.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students Digital Smarts
In this video it shows a teacher who is using technology in her classroom effectively by empowering students to take part in each others learning experience. She teaches them effective ways of writing blog, and connecting with students across the world. I admire this teacher for her work because she is teaching students not to be afraid of new technology and to be knowledgeable about all the technologies they will need in the future.

-Meredith :)

Project 2 : Wordle

Blog Assignment 1

About Me

So my name is Meredith, I am named after my grandmother's maiden name. My last name is Fondren which is hebrew for blacksmith. I'm twenty years old and I live with my mother. My parents are divorced for over a year now and my father has remarried. I have two dogs, Hilde, who is a miniature schnauzer, and Milo, who is a shi zhu. I'm an only child so my dogs are my siblings. I'm in a long term relationship with a wonderful man named Justin. I am going to USA so I can live at home and be close to my family and friends. I have become a very fitness focused person, I love to workout and I also love to read. 

Randy Pausch on Time Management

What I learned from Dr. Pausch's video is that a plan is crucial to having good time and task management. Making a to-do list helps you realize how many things you need to accomplish and helps you to not procrastinate.

-Meredith :)

Practice Post

testing testing