~Final Reflection~

This is my final reflection for EDM310. In this video, I share some of the things I learned, liked, desliked, wish I would have learned more about, and some of the things I will take with me in my future classroom. It's been a long ride, and I am FINALLY FINISHED! Hope you Enjoy! :)

Final Report on PLN

Wow! I can not believe how many things I have added to my PLN since the last post. Before this class, I was just a google kinda girl. If it had to be looked up, I googled it. That was my #1 website. Now, with the help of my PLN, I not only have Google, but have things such as USA Online, the EDM310 Class Blog and blog of teachers that I have discovered through the C4T assignments. I have found many blogs through EDM, but have found some through Twitte, which I also never used until this class. I also have links for facebook, all 3 of my emails, and twitter. I had to include some crafting blogs because that is always a passion for me. I have a few online shopping sites because retail therapy is the best therapy. I have also included a YouTube link because I often find myself searching for a video of some sort, for learning purposes and entertainment, who doesn't love YouTube? What I like most about my PLN is how Symbaloo allows me to organize everything by color code and choose a really cute background. I am all about the *Girly* look. I have never hears of a Personal Learning Network before this class but definitely feel like this is something that I will continue to use.

Porject # 16 FINAL PROJECT

Hey guys! This is my groups final project. It has been fun this semester in EDM310. Good Luck to everyone as they follow their Educational Journey!

Group Members:
Abby Jordan
Kevin White
Alicia Robertson

Special Metaphor Assignment Blog Post #14

For our last blog post, Dr. Strange decided to have us do a special assignment dealing with metaphors. Apparently, alot of our class did not realize Tom Johnsons Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home was in fact a metaphor. Since so many classmates, including myslef, did not catch on, Dr. Strange wanted us to go back and look at this article again and answer a few questions.

Here are the questionsalong with my answers....

1. Why did you miss the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post, or, if you "hit the nail on the head", why do you think you understood the metaphor and why do you think that others in the class missed the metaphor?
Well, for me, I just think I took the post to literally. I thought he really was talking about pencils. I am not one to catch on to things like 'metaphors' that easily. Now that I have went back and reread this replacing pencils with computers, it makes perfect sense!
2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them?
My list is so long now that I have actually had to think about and record them.
~all that glitters is not gold
~the apple does not fall far from the tree
~back to the bump and grind
~to touch base
~the better half
~as big as a house
~at the crack of dawn
~toot my own horn
~get my foot in the door
~the golden child
~hit the jackpot
~make a mountain out of a molehill
~nip it in the bud

These are just to name a few that I caught. I never realized how often I use or hear metaphors in every day language!

3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors?
Point out metaphors as you read to your children. With practice, they will begin to identify them. Encourage your children to use metaphors as they write. Point out the ones they use naturally and call them metaphors by name.

4. Why do we use metaphors?
I think people use metaphors first off out of pure habit. It is what we are used to rather we know it or not. Metaphors "dress up" our sentences and give a whole new spin to our thoughts. Good metaphors also expand our ways of thinking about things, and in so doing suggest new ideas.

Comments for Teachers # 4

This time around I have been assigned to a teacher named Mathew Needleman and his class blog Creating Lifelong Learners. Mathew Needleman is a teacher of grades K-5, literacy coach, Apple Distinguished Educator, and author of this blog. He is the founder of nearly twenty popular educational destinations on the internet, has been integrating digital film making in the elementary classroom for over a decade, and currently producing mobile applications for improving literacy. He holds a masters degree in Educational Leadership and Policy and a California Administrative Credential. Through this blog, He hopes to offer practical tips for elementary teachers on teaching traditional and new media literacies, valuing students and their cultures, appealing to different learning modalities, and integrating technology in the curriculum with an emphasis on video production.

The first post I looked at dealt with an article he had found where schools, such as one in Auburn, Maine, are giving Ipads to all kindergarteners. He basically just talked about his feeling on this and wanted to know how everyone else felt about it?

I think it is GREAT that a school system has enough money to be able to buy this awesome device for so many students. However, kindergarteners....really? I simply think that if a school is going to spend that much money they might as well get the most bang for their bucks! I think the this device would be better used in the hands of a moderately older child. I think this would give younger children something to look forward to when going in that grade level. Growing up in the era of green chalkboards, I feel it is somewhat a privilege that children so young are being able to use all the different tools of technology.


The second post of Mathew's that I commented on he was giving advice to surviving standardized tests. Apparently, his school will begin testing next week. His advice was short, sweet, and to the point.

1. Don’t work too fast and furious.

2. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

3. Don’t get punk’d.

It was great that he included #3. I remember taking these test when I was younger and thinking why in the world would these people want to trick me this way. HaHa! It is important to just slow down and read those questions carefully.

It has been great getting to check out different teacher's blogs this semester. I like that it gave us ideas and examples of different teaching formats as well as different ways in which teachers can use blogging to enhance their classroom experience. :)

C4K # 7,8,9,& 10

Comments for Kids # 7

Our assignment this week was a little different. Instead of commenting on a child's blog, we were assigned to comment on a particular post on Mr.McClungs blog. I was assigned to Lessons Learned Lesson 3-Saturday School. It was a very short post that talked about how because of the amount of snow days the children had, they would be attending class on Saturday to help cut out the amount of days added on at the end of the school year. I think this was a great idea! I would much rather suffer it out on a Saturday because when it's time for summer, I am ready to soak up the sun as much as possible! I liked Mr.McClungs attitude...he told the kids to "live it up because you only go to school on Saturday once a year." My take on that is he was telling the kids to suck it up and get over it, there's no use in whining because noone will be listening! I love this guy!

Comments for Kids # 8

For this weeks post, I was assgined to comment on a student named Jassy. She was a year 6/7 student attending International Baccalaureate School in Adelaide Hills, South Australia. SHe was new to the whole blogging thing but had grasped it pretty well from what I seen. Her latest blog was about the Japan Tsunami and her feelings about it. She had created three very well written poems to express her feelings and posted them on her blog. This is my favorite of all three....

J Japan
A A Nation in mourning
P People missing some even killed
A All over the news
N Nuclear plant explosion
E Earthquake then tsunami
S Struggling to keep going
E Extreme damage

T Terrible tsunami that created
S such devastation
U Unbelievable destruction
N Nothing left but the rubble
A A time of sadness
M Many sad, hurt and homeless
I Impossible to imagine

She is very talented when it comes to poetry. I hope she continues to express her feelings about different things through poetry because I feel that is self therapeutic.

Comments for Kids # 9

Once again Dr. Strange has up doing something a little different for this weeks comment for kids assignment. Instead of commenting on a specific childs blog, he had us take a look at Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog. Mrs. Yollis is really an inspiration to all future and current teachers. She has managed to integrate technology in such a positive way inside her classroom. These 3rd graders are doing the same thing that many of us college students are just learning. My favorite thing about Mrs. Yollis' blog in how she incoorporates family and friends with her students. I love that she has a "Family Blogging Month" in order to incourage more participation from the students family. How exciting it must be to be able to see a comment from a grandparent out of town.

There are way to many GREAT things to mention when talking about Mrs. Yollis blog but I feel obligated to publicly Thank her for having an HTML post. I have referred to her blog numerous times this semster for html help and that has truely been a BIG life-saver.

All in all, I think that Mrs. Yollis blog is a great way to show us, future teachers, that we must keep up and know how to properly use technology in order to maintain the same level as our students.

Comments for Kids # 10

For my last comments for kids assignment this semester I had the joy of commenting for Hannah, a third grader in Mrs. Yollis' class in California. On her most recent post, she told all about the celebration of Seezdah-Bedar. This is a holiday celebrated by Iranians. Seezdah-Bedar is celebrated on the thirteenth day after Norouz, the Persian New Year. On this day families leave their houses and head for parks, gardens, or country sides and enjoy their day together with a picnic. By having a joyous and laughter filled day outdoors, Iranians believe that they can keep bad luck away! From the pictures Hannah posted, it looked like a fun, but crowded day at the park. Her blog is really GREAT because her post are so good. Mrs. Yollis has done a fine job in teaching her students what blogging is all about. I sure hope Hannah continues to teach as well as express her thoughts through the use of her blog.

I plan to keep up the Commenting for Kids when I have my own classroom one day. I think it would be great for my students to see and compare their blogs to others of their age. I also feel blogging can be used as a GREAT learning tool because I have witnessed and learned from elementary students all around the world this semester......

Blog Post # 13

Hey guys! For this weeks blog post, we were assigned to the Alex website. This stands for Alabama Learning Exchange.

There slogan is "Quality for Every Facet of Learning". Their goal is for Alabama's students to reap the benefits of Alabama educators sharing their wealth of expertise and knowledge with colleagues. I had never heard of this before now and am really thankful that Dr. Strange had this on our agenda. This website is a GREAT teaching tool that I am sure I will use one day in my future classroom.

Alex strives to provide only the best resources to meet the unique needs of teachers, administrators, parents, and students. Alabama Learning Exchange is a communal database of lesson plans created and posted by teachers. The database is searchable by traditional subject areas as well as 21st century areas that include technology education, and information literacy. You can search these areas to fit the needs of any grade levels. Most of the lesson plans, weblinks, and interactive activities are already connected to the Alabama Courses of Study.

This website is many things all rolled into one. Here, you can locate the Alabama Courses of Study for every grade and subject and find lesson plans and web links that relate to them. They also offer you a search tab just in case you can not find something you are looking for. They have a tab called the Gallery360. This is more or less your technology tab. Here you can see some of the top downloads as well as directions for podcasting, and featured content. ALEX is also linked with Thinkfinity. By going here, you can check out what happened today in history, different discussions, educational news, and blogs by various people. Last but not least, they have included something called ALEXville. How cute is this? This allows you to visit different areas to communicate with your colleagues, keep up with the latest ALEX news,and follow various ALEX Professional Learning Communities.

Overall, I can't see how anyone would not find ALEX a useful tool in their career. It's good to know that the state if Alabama has created something like this as a helpful guidance for their teachers.

We were also instructed to check out ACCESS, or Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide. After reviewing this website, I feel like it is basically a course that is very similar to what we are doing in EDM310. It provides distant learning to high school students. Most all subjects are offered through rigorous Web-based and Interactive Videoconferencing (IVC) courses taught by Alabama certified and highly qualified teachers.

Where was this at when I was in high school? This is an AWESOME way to prepare high school students with what an online college course will be like for them.

Project # 15 First Gift USA Video

For this project, my group which included Kevin, ALicia, and myself, decided to create a First Gift USA video. I will post the video after I receive permission from the judges.......

Progress Report on Final Project

I can't believe that I have almost survived this semester! We only have a couple of weeks left and I will be through until fall. With that being said, there is still a FINAL PROJECT that must be turned in. I have my group and we are meeting during classtime to go over our ideas and decide on just what it is we want to do. It's so wierd. For the first project ever, Dr. Strange has not given us any direct instruction but instead left it completely up to us and our creativity and I am having a hard time. I almost think that if he had just told us what he was looking for or gave us a few different things to choose from it would have been much easier. There is sooooo much out there and so many things that we have learned this semester it will be hard to narrow it down to just one thing. That being said, I am sure once Kevin, Alicia, and myself get together there is no telling what we will come up with. Stay tuned.......

Blog Post # 12

This just might be my favorite blog post yet. Instead of the usual, this time we are getting the chance to come up with a blog post that Dr. Strange could have used instead of some that he did. It's always nice to have a break in the every week cycle. It gives us a chance to show our creativity while giving us a break from what I'll call the reality of EDM310.

So.....If I was to assign a blog post what would I choose?

Well, I think it would be cool to pick out one picture from the internet that best describes yourself and your view on teaching and technology and tell why that picture is a good representation of yourself. You could even make things slightly more difficult and have students pick 3 pictures, one desribing themselves at the beginning of this class, on that would describe them now, and one that represents what their hopes are for the future.

I know that blog post are supposed to be an educational tool that we are using to get insight from several different people. However, if we do not truely know ourselves, then how can we grow as a teacher?

With that I leave you this quote...

Quality begins on the inside... and then works its way out. ~Bob Moawad



This would be my picture....

I chose this picture because I feel like the world really is at my fingertips when using modern forms of technology!

Project # 14

Teach Someone Something

It took me a while to figure out just what I wanted to do for this project. Our choices were endless so that always makes things more difficult for me to decide. I thought about all the things that I have learned in this class this semester. Because I was using screenjelly, and that only lets me record for 3 minutes, I decided to go with teaching you guys how to make a Wordle. To me, a Wordle is a fun and colorful way to spruce up any blog post. I had never done a Wordle before EDM310 and I'm sure several people are like me when it came to our Wordle project so why not? I know that this can be a useful tool to use now throughout our college journey as well as later in our future classrooms. So sit back and enjoy as I teach you the instructions to creating your very own Wordle!

Blog Post #11

Mrs. Cassidy's 1st Grade Class & Technology


Mrs. Cssidy is surely a teacher that we can look up too. I love how she started her journey with technology when she was given 5 computers on her classroom. Instead of letting them sit there and collect dust, she self taught herself how to utilize this and make it something great for her students. Out of all the technology tools I saw her children using, I likes the flip camera recording and the Nintendo DS the best, ...well not really the best but maybe something I had not thought of before. Every child I know likes to take pictures and record movies, so what better way to help the students learn? I also would have never thought to put a Nintendo type item inside my classroom, but when I think Nintendo, I don't think about 'Learning games' but rather fun games. The game she had them playing was not only fun for them but taught them different tools such as spelling and problem solving. This is something that most children get to use at home and are already familiar with. The students that do not have these types of toys, will feel privledged when getting to use them and the students who have them at home will be able to help guide the others on how to use them. We have said it time and time again in this classroom......A teacher must keep up with the latest technology and be able to relate to a child with what they are familiar with. We, as teachers, must never stop learning because when we stop learning our students in a way, quit learning too. I think the biggest mountain to climb when coming to the use of technology inside the classroom, is convincing administrators and parents that this is a great way to teach and that the kids are really learning. I believe the best way to show this is through a class blog. This way the parents and administrators have access anytime to view what exactly is going on inside the classroom and some of the students work. I feel that when teaching through the use of technology you will not only be able to physically see this, but you will see a difference with the attitude of the students. I sit here and think how different a class would have been for me if I had been able to learn through this hands on technology.

Special Assignment......Mr. McClung's World

Mr. McClung's World
For the purpose of this assignment, Dr. Strange wanted us to take a closer look into a blog created by an 8th Grade History Teacher, Mr McClungs World .
1. What do you know (or have you found out) about Mr. McClung that is reflected in the way he has constructed his class blog?
After reading many of the tabs on his blog, I can tell that he is a very organized person. His classroom is managed in a very structured way. I am sure because of these two things, he is allowed more time to actually "teach" the students and this also allows him more freedom on how he teaches.
2. Comment on what you would say about Mr. McClung as an educator.
I wish I could observe in Mr. McClung's room. His class sounds fun and entertaining but yet still focuses on the main goal, getting the kids to not only learn the material, but be excited about learning it!
3. I asked above that you read Mr. McClung's "rules" and think about them. What do they say about Mr. McClung, his teaching, and his connection with his students? What is your reaction to these rules (and guides) as a student and as an aspiring teacher?
As a teacher, I think that his rules could be greatly used in my own classroom. Seems to me like he has his class under control and that he does not expect to much. He is simply teaching them how to communicate respectfully which is a great asset to have but many people lack. I can't quite imagine how it would be to be a student in his classroom because I never remember having a class that sounded like this much fun in school.
4. What was the first thing under Everyone needs? Why do you suppose that is the first requirement?
The first thing that they ask every 8th grade student to have is a daily planner. I think this is also a great idea. I remember having these in elementary so that we were able to keep up with homework assignments. I assume if every child has a planner, and use it properly, then they have no excuse about not knowing when something is going to happen and can always be prepared for it. Not only is this a great idea because it teaches the student responsibility and organization skills, but is also great for the parents.
5. Note the penalties for being late (under Homework). Compare them with my penalties for being late. Comment.
I think his rules for being late are appropiate. This is a life lesson that he is teaching. You have to learn to be responsible and take account for your actions or suffer the consequences. This is something you are faced with throughout your lifetime. A teacher gives an assignment and expects it to be done when asked. If you choose to be late, then you must face consequences otherwise noone would ever turn anything in on time.
6. Read carefully his paragraph about what he hopes to accomplish with his blog. Comment and apply to your own aspirations as a teacher.
Mr. McClung states that his classroom blog will be the vehicle that drives majority of the technology in his classroom. It will serve as a daily newsletter that will keep parents, students, and teachers informed about the current happenings in class including: experiments, projects, deadlines, assignments, and of course school news. Lastly, the class blog will host a variety of resources that are available to parents, teachers, and students that will be further explained throughout the school year.
I LOVE IT! I mean a vehicle that drives the technology? What a GREAT metaphor. A blog allows everyone from students to parents to keep up to date on what is happening in his classroom. It is a great tool that when utilized correctly can become an asset to his classroom environment. before this class, I have never thought anything about a child being able to "blog" but now I totally love the idea and plan on using this is my future classroom.
7. I asked you to review at least two Useful Links in depth after reviewing all of them. Which two did you review in depth? Describe each of the two. How might each be used? Why do you think each made Mr. McClung's list.
A~ KNowledge Mastery - This linked me to a website called Gateway Mastery. It is a program that offers seminars and tool kits to help teachers effectively run their classrooms. After reading through their webpage, I am assuming this is the same type of teaching the Mr. McClung uses in his classroom.
B~ The second web page that I chose to click on was VoiceThread. I have heard of this, but never actually used it before or really even knew exactly what it was. What a cool thing! Automatically I was thinking of way to use this one day in my classroom.
8. Under Internet Safety I asked you to read carefully the rules Mr. McClung sets forth for safely using the internet. Comment on these rules. Are there any you would add or subtract.
I think his set of rules is a good, standard set to follow. I like how he created an email to use on sites that require you to add an email address. I have noticed that alot of blogs that we have been assigned to comment on you have to leave an email address and I wish this was something that I had though about doing. I would probably change the rule that said to tell a parent to tell the nearest adult around you at the time of the incident. As a teacher, it is our job to look after these children at school and if something like this happens, I want to know so that I can correct the problem.
9. In the C4K part of this blog I asked that you look carefully at one of the categories under which you assigned post was filed. What did you find? Select one of the posts in the category and review it for me.
My assigned category was lessons learned. When reviewing other weekd from this category I learned that this past week, Mr. McClung addressed Dr. Stange EDM310 class because of the amount of traffic they had received from all of us. It's great to know that as we are out there commenting, at least one teacher and class is reading these comments and ackowledging us!
10. Mr. McClung uses Edublog as his blog host. In some ways it may seem more "advanced." But Blogger has many abilities that we have not covered in EDM310. This leads to this question: Is there anything (or things) that Mr. McClung can do with his blog that you would like to do in Blogger?
I like the map that states where everyone is from that visits my blog. I am sure you can do this, but not really sure how. I also like how he has categories so that you can check specific things out without having to scroll all the way through his blog. I like the tabs at the top. I am sure these are all easy things to accomplish and I plan on doing so when I am blogging enough to use them!
11. In what ways does Mr. McClung make his blog useful to parents, teachers, administrators, students like you, and others?
Well, his blog is mainly for his students. This blog creates an easy, up-to-date way of keeping up with what is going on in the classroom. It allows you to easily access what happened if you are absent. It is also great for parents because it allows them to know what is going on with their children while they are in this class. It't great that administrators at his school and around the world can see how much of a difference technology can make in hopes of adapting more technology inside the classrooms. For me, as a future teacher, it is an example and gives me guidance on some of the things I would like seen done inside my very own classroom.
12. How does Mr. McClung's 8th grade blog differs from other blogs you have visited including other 8th grade blogs? Why the differences do you think?
Mr. McClungs blog is updated daily. That is a BIG DEAL when you are using it for the types of things he does. It is also very well layed out and organized. This allows people that are not very computer efficient to be able to figure their way thoughtout his blog too(a must for some parents!)
I think when comparing Mr. McClungs comes out on top because he is an advid technology user andd he strives to get more technology inside more classrooms.
13. Add any additional comments you think would be useful in analyzing Mr. McClung's World in depth.
Although it wasn't asked of us, I think everyone should have checked out the student work tab. It was nice just to see some of the things his students are doing and what they think about different things going on inside the classroom. It would have been great to have been able to pick one and comment on because I am sure it would have made that students day to know someone else seen it and cared and that all their hard work paid off!

Blog Post #10

Morgan Bayda

WoW! This blog summed up so many of my very own feelings. Morgan just completed her teaching degree in the Spring of 2010. This blog post of hers talked about her feelings of the way in which some classes are taught. She found a video by Dan Brown, a college drop out who focused on the "waste" of going to class. Although he dropped out of school, I think he also made some very valuable key points. Just like her, I also feel cheated out of my time and money after sitting in a lecture class. I sit through class trying to focus on what is being taught, or should I say read off to me from an overhead projector, and think about all the other things I could be doing. I try taking notes, if I can remain awake long enough to, and don't think about them again until right before a test. I remember these notes, take the test, and by the following week, have completely forgotten what it was I supposedly learned. I too buy $100 text books that seem to never be used or at least not used enough to feel I got my $100 worth. So many professors are not teaching but simply going over facts. At the beginning of EDM310, I felt completely overwhelmed. I thought there is no way that I am going to figure all this out. I now find it easier than ever to do things that I didn't even know how to do before this class. Because we live in a technology driven world, I find it easier to learn from hands on experience though the use of technology. Teachers have got to learn to keep up to date with the world around them and can not ever quit learning themselves. The day a teacher quits learning, is the day a student quits learning. As a future teacher, I am making a promise to myself not to ever quit learning and to try and always keep up with the latest use of technology. We are never going to go back in time.......might as well make the most of the time we have now!


Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home by Tom Johnson

All I can say about this post is that it is really sad that our students academic achievment is measured by standardized test. I hope that sometime in the very near future that society changes the way they look at how much a child is learning. Some children are just not good test takers....doesn't mean they don't know the material. I think as both a teacher and a student that this is a very unfair policy. Teachers have to be so focused on their class passing state standardized test, that they are not allowed enough time to truely teach their kids. As a future teacher, I sure hope there are some changes that take place, but until then I will try to find a good balance that allows my students the education they deserve while maintaining good test scores on state test.

Comments for Teachers # 3

The Concrete Classroom

The teacher blog that I was assigned to this time was called the Concrete Classroom. It was designed by a man named Micheal Kaechele from Michigan. He is a middle school technology teacher that loves hands on projects. In his most recent blog, his favorite one to date, he had some really awesome news! He has just accepted a job offer for a history position at Kent Innovations High. This is a brand new, project based school that will start next fall. This school integrates the curriculum of the four core subjects into student centered projects. It also works with local businesses to give students real problems to solve.Mr. Kaechele is super excited to be given the oppurtunity to help create such an amazing program. His blog was first designed to relate to his middle school teaching position but he will now be using it as a means of updating his followers on how this new project is coming along. What an awesome thing to be a part of. I can not wait to see his future updates on how things are coming along.....


I was so happy that my teacher had made another post since last weekd assignment. This time, he was talking about this article he had read by M.E. Steele Pierce. He loved the way she described how empowering edcamps are by giving teachers control and choice in regards to their professional development. In short, he believes that the administrators have a lack of trust in their educators and unability to give up their control of content. He suggested that every school simply try out this form of teaching just for a day or maybe even a week. He believes that the things you learn from your students are endless. He feels that this way, students are allowed to show what they are truely passionate about. I agree with him that it would be pretty neat to just try this form of learning out. I remember being that child in science class thinking how did this lady become a teacher. Lots of time I feel like if the teacher is bored at what she is teaching, the child will also be bored. One way to spruce up old forms of teaching is by letting our teachers take control and teach in the way that excites them. This way they are doing something that they feel passionate about and I am sure that would show in not only the students grades, but their attitudes. I think that freedom just maybe the key to success. Would you take this step to try this form of learning out in your classroom?

Project # 12 Skype Interview

This is my Skype interview For project #12. I skyped with Michelle Gibson a friend of mine from high school and we discussed plans for our upcoming 10 year high school reunion.

Blog Post #9

What I've Learned This Year by Mr. McClung

This weeks mentor for our blog assignment was Mr. McClung. He was a new teacher who had just completed his first year of teaching. Going into his first classroom he was young and inexperienced but in only a year, he learned things that some teachers take a lifetime to figure out. He gave pieces of advice which I felt would help me to be more successful in my future classroom. His advice was simple but meaningful.
1. Learn to read your crowd
2. Be flexible
3. Communicate
4. Be reasonable ( something thats hard to do sometimes)
5. Don't be afraid of technology
6. Listen to your students
7. NEVER STOP LEARNING

I think that so many times teachers just give up. It is important not to ever give up because your attitude will effect your students. Our world is constantly changing therefor we can never allow ourselves to stop learning. If, as teachers, we do this, we are neglecting our students of the learning environment that they deserve. I believe that all of his advice goes hand in hand with each other. First off we have to know our students and learn how to properly communicate with them and their parents. By doing so we learn how to become flexible with their needs and reasonable with the things we expect of them. We have to learn to listen to our students so that we can understand where their coming from. Not being afraid of technology is sometimes hard, but just like Mr. McClung said, we just have to keep on trying until we figure it out. Lastly and most importantly we can never stop learning. Not only should we follow this for our students, but for ourselves. So many times in life people become set in their routines so much that they do not realize on the oppurtunities that they are missing out on. I hope so much that as a teacher I too can live by these seven simple words of wisdom!

C4K Summary #'s 4,5,6

Comments for Kids #4

The first blog I commented on was Tyla, a year 7 student at Pt England School in Auckland, New Zealand. Her most recent blog post was a short MTV video she did with two fellow classmates. They sang Long Ago by the Herbs. Throughout the video you were able to see pictures of all their fellow classmates, a picture from "long ago" and a more recent one. I told her to cherish these memories and that these were the best years of her life! All three girls were so pretty and were very vocally talented. It's great to see children this young knowing how to express themselves through the use of modern technology!


Comments for Kids #5

The next blog was created by a 12 year old girl named Pharrah. She was a new student at Pt England School and in Year 8. She enjoyed playing on the log at the playground and talking walks on the weekend with her cousin. When I commented, I simply told her that I knew she was nervous about starting at a new school, but was sure she would make lots of new friends. I told her to remember to study and keep up the good work. I love how children so young are blogging and it so so neat to be able to talk with students from all around the world!


Comments for Kids # 6

The last kid's blog that I commented on belonged to Thomas V in Mrs. Phare's fourth period class. It was short and sweet and to the point. Thomas talked about peanuts, where they originated from, what society they were native to as well as when and where peanut butter was first sold. I told him to remember to study hard and keep up the good work.

Overall, I love getting the chance to look at and enjoy these childrens blogs. I love the fact that they know how to blog and they are able to show there creativity through there blogs. I think it is a great idea and should be a creative learning tool used in every classroom! :)

Blog Post # 8

This is How We Dream Parts 1 & 2 by Richard E. Miller

I believe these two videos gave a great representation of how our world has changed and is changing every moment. This is a man who posesses an imagination with no limits. He allows us to stop and think about just how much change has happened over the years. I love how he calls these changes "incremental changes" and that is just what they are.

Our work space has changed. We are now living in a digital environment. We work more with our laptops than on paper. I love the internet and couldn't imagine life without it. It does allow us to communicate instantly, globally, and gives us the ability to share knowledge infinitely. I believe he hit it right on when he said "the only limits and restrictions we have are largely the ones we place on ourselves." The internet if full of possibilities. Now several people can have access to the same thing at the same time.

As a future educator I hope that I can live up to the expectations which are laid upon me. I plan to take full advantage of the internet and all of its special tools just like Mr. Miller spoke about in his presentation. I want to allow my creativity to be a learning device in the eyes of children.

We can. We Should.

The next two videos I was assigned to watch was done by former EDM310 students. They were pretty good and got me to thinking....if I made a movie for this class, what would I do. This is what I came up with.

I think if I could do any movie for EDM310 it would be a interview-sort movie where I asked several memebers of this class different questions or if they had suggestions for future students of this class. I remember how overwhelmed I felt at the beginning of class and would have loved to have seen a movie with helpful hints and suggestions or to have heard personally from other students that felt they were overwhelmed in the beginning to. Just something that could uplift the spirits of future EDM310 students!

The only thing that would make this video better.....is if the book really did exsist! I would definitely have paid good $$$ for it!


As for The Chipper Series, I believe this was a cute short movie that basically talked about life and the choices we make. Everything we do is our choice. We may not always pick the right one and when that happens their are consequences, but it was still OUR CHOICE!

Learning to Change, Changing to Learn



"Every turned off device is potentially a turned off child," this was definitely the most profound statement in this video. It is so true. Children today are being taught by everything around them, not just school. They are more involved with technology and technology should be more involved with them. We, as future teacher, have to reach out to their level which may be out of our comfort zone and teach them in ways that hold their attention and can be easily understood. I love 21st century literacies but they are completely different from the ways in which I was taught in grammer school. We, as future teachers have to step up and learn to change the ways in which school used to be taught and bring it up to date with the children of todays society.

RSA Animate-The Secret Powers of Time

This video is talking about how children today are not very future oriented and we as teachers need to help them better prepare themselves for the future. By doing so, we have to make learning fun and interesting and keep them excited about their learning experiences. I know this won't be easy, but I simply can't wait!

RSA Animate- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

This video focuses on how money motivates our society. They did a test where the better you did the more $$$ you got and were very surprised by the results. Money is a huge motivator, especially in the workplace. Although money is nice, without having the desire and passion for what you do you will never be happy with your career.

Project # 13 Smart Board Instruction

This is a video of our Smart Board lesson. We did our lesson for 2nd grade and taught about animal habitiats. I felt it was a great experience and was happy to have been given the chance to experiment with Smart Boards. This Project was definitly a learning experience and made me that much more excited for being able to teach with such a great interactive tool in my future. I hope you enjoy!
Group Members: Abby Jordan & Alicia Robertson



Our form was returned by Krista Edwards and this is what she had to say.....

Krista wants to work with high school age children. She plans on using Smart Boards for a variety if different things inside her classroom. Most importantly, she wants to be able to use smart boards as an interaction tool among her students. She also wants to use it as a means for testing her childrens knowledge and for helping her out weekly with lesson plans. I liked that the form gave me the oppurtunity to see how others was going to use smart boards in their classroom and possibly giving me ideas on how to use it in mine! :)

Project 9-B Instructional Timetoast

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

A History to Mobile Mardi Gras

Progress Report on Project #10 My PLN Network

What is a PLN? Well, from what I gather a PLN is an easier way to keep up with the tools in which you learn from and use on a daily basis. I am very new to the PLN, well let's face it, I have never even heard of it before, but so far it seems like a really awesome tool to have in my back pocket. I signed up for Symbaloo. I'm not sure really why I picked this one other than the fact that I liked the way it looked better than Netvibes. I have taken the tour and am trying to figure out just how to use this for my advantage. So far, I have changed my background, played around with my little boxes and put them in the order that I wanted, and have learned how to screw it all up....all in about 10 minnutes. So, I am spending my time right now figuring out how to make it go back to like I had it. I do like the fact that it has webmixes so that you can have one for different subjects. I also thought it was a neat idea to add Education Discover to the list. Guess that is all for now. Stay tuned to find out more about my journey through this new technology ( well, new to me anyways! ) :^)

Blog Post # 7

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams



Wow! This video truley makes you think. First off, to know that someone who knows they are facing a near future of unhealthiness and possible death to be so positive in a lecture is amazing. makes me think about my life and how blessed I am right now and how there is someone always worse off than me. Dr Randy Pausch should be an inspiration to all of us. This video, his last leture, was the longest video yet that we have had to watch as an assignment for this class. Although lengthy, at the end you felt like you were listening to someone you knew personally.

I think he made several great points throughout his speech. He truly believes that everyone should follow their childhood dreams and anable others to follow theirs in order to live a happy fulfilling life. As a future educator, I hope that I to will enable children to know that their childhood dreams are not out of reach. Just because one dream is not reached does not mean that you did not get anything out of it. My favorite line of Dr. Pausch was "experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." This is a lesson that I will now carry with me forever.

He talked alot about brick walls. Alot of times in life when we are striving to accomplish something we run into what seems like this dreadful brick wall. I love how he turned something which can be viewed so negatively into something positive. Most importantly, not to let these brick walls discourage us, instead know that they give us a chance to show our dedication to what we want and just how bad we want it. This is also a life lesson that I plan to carry on to my future students.

I love the fact that the final part of his speech he through a curve ball. He said at the beginning that he was not going to talk about his wife or children, yet at the end was thoughtful enough not to have everyone focus their attention on him, but to sing Happy Birthday to his wife. What a GREAT birthday present! He showed how much love he had for his wife with just those few seconds of this lecture. I also loved the fact that he had not onw, but two head fakes. The first being that this talk was not about how to achieve your dreams, but how to lead your life. If you live your life the right way, everything else will seem to fall into place. His second head fake and my personal favorite part of the video, was that this last lecture was not for us, but for his three precious children.

All in all I would recommend everyone to take the time to watch Dr. Pausch as he talks about achieveing your dreams, enabling other to achieve theirs, and lessons learned along the way. He gave several great tips to help everyone out along the way which I just would not feel right without leaving for you, so here they are....

*The key to success is FREEDOM
*Don't complain, instead work harder
*Never do away with child-like wonder
*Help others
*Loyalty is a two way street
*Never give up
*Get a feedback loop & listen to it
*Show gratitude
*Decide rather you are a Tigger or a Eeyore
*Be good at something, it makes you valuable
*Find the best in everybody
*Be prepared

Most importantly...... HAVE FUN!!!

Project # 11 Lots of Dots

Comments for Teachers Summary #2

The first teacher blog I visited was Speaking of History. This blog was created by an 8th Grade History teacher in Missouri named Eric Langhorst. His most recent blog post was stating that today, February 25, he would be speaking at the 2011 Missouri Council for Social Studies Conference in Kansas City. His topic was how history teachers can use social media to collaborate and enrich their curriculum. He gave a list of links related to the presentation and included his Prezi that he would be sharing at the conference. I think it is great that he isstanding up for the use of technology in the classroom and thought alot of his ideas were really cool and would help the learning process for all his students.

MSTA 2010 Building A Personal Learning Network

View more presentations from South Valley Jr. High School / Park University.

The second post I commented on was a presentation he created about PLN's. I found it especially useful so I added it above for everyone to check out. I myself was very unfamiliar with a PLN or what it provided until just here recently. I am glad that there are people out there like Mr. Langhorst that remains knowledgeable about these things and blog about it so that it helps others out who are just like me!

Summary C4K comments 1,2, & 3

O.K. So the beginning of this summary isn't going to be very well written. I thought that after doing all three I would have no problems with going back to them, reviewing, and coming to write a summary about them all at once. Boy was I wrong! I remember going to Ms. Naugle's class blog and counting down to my number. I remember the blog being about Math and was very well written. I commented and proceded to check that off my list for the week. BIG MISTAKE! Obviously I should have come to my blog and went ahead and summarized that week and continued doing so until I was finished with all three weeks. I have looked back and can not find my comment anywhere. Sorry for the mishap on C4K # 1, but i can assure you all that I have learned my lesson....the hard way at that!

The second blog I checked out several podcast made up by various students on one teachers blog. I was assigned episode 336 which was a podcast by two beautiful little girls Senolita and Mary. They read a book called Ollie's Bubble Brother by Julie Mitchell. I think my favorite part is how I was able to check if I thought their podcast was cool, interesting, or if my class or group listened. I told them my first experience with podcasting was just recently with our project for Dr. Strange. I also told them that is was great that they were already getting some experience with podcasting because it would be a valuable tool in their educational journey.

The third student I looked at and commented on was a girl name Ane. She was a Year 5 student at Pt England School in Auckland, NZ. She had not blogged very much, only adding a picture of herself and stating that she had been up to some great stuff in previous years. I introduced myself and told her how great I thought blogging was. I let her know it was a way to let other people know your thoughts and feelings on different things happening to you. I told her to keep up the good work and to remember to make learning fun!

All in all I think I am going to really enjoy Comments-4-kids because it gives us a chance to reach out to children all over the world. Not only that, but as a child I loved receiving a letter in the mailbox and commenting on a blog is just the current version of that!

Blog Post 6

Why does a networked student even need a teacher?

I think that it is absolutely crucial that the networked student has not just a teacher, but a teacher who knows their stuff when it comes to todays technology. The internet is full of countless learning possibilities, but just like the video stated, you have to learn how to weed through what you find and pick out what is most useful to yourself.

Teachers are responsible for helping to convey this information, otherwise the student may never know about some of the tools available that will make their educational journey easier. Without having an up-to-date on technology teacher, lots of children will never be given the oppurtunity to be exposed to this type of learning. My mother and father only know the basics when it comes to using the computer and would have never been able to teach me the things I have learned about the internet, it's funny because I find myslef teaching them about social networking, emailing, and blogging.

I will admit that there are many things that I was not familiar with until taking this class and am happy that I have been exposed to many of these great tools. I am excited that I now have the knowledge and can successfully pass this along to my future students.


Welcome to My PLE

This video was about a seventh graders personal learning environment, and boy did she have it all together. I loved how she had one page that arranged all the tools that she used throughout the day and for her class. It is sad to say that a seventh graders PLE looks and is better than mine, a sophmore in college. That just goes to show the difference and the ever changing learning structure being taught to children today. I wish I would have had the oppurtunity and been taught about some of these tools when I was in seventh grade, sure would have made my life easier. But for now, after watching this short clip, I realize that I need to step up my PLN and definitely expose myself to more outside resources so that I can be prepared to teach my future students through the use of technology. Oh yea, I love paperless classes.....never a need for a pencil and is so great for the environment!

Smart Boards....Useful or Wasteful

After reading the two negative articles about smart boards I was shocked. I have just recently learned what a smart board was and am currently learning how to use them effectively. I am super excited and hope and pray I have one of these in my future classroom. The possibilities are endless with the proper knowledge of how to use them. I think they allow students to have fun while learning and give a change of scenery from the old style, note-taking, overhead projectors. As a matter of fact a Smart Board is like an overhead projector on steriods. It has so many more features!Today's children are becoming more and more technically inclined and the smart boards help by allowing the teacher to get the information across to their students on the students level. I found this website especially useful and gave great tips to using the smart boards inside the classroom, take a look at
Teachers Love Smart Boards I also found a blog created by Angie, a teacher in Oregon and profound user of the smart board. You can access her blog at Smart Board Blog, I recommend everyone go check it out, she offers alot of valuable websites and ideas.

Blog Post 5

Podcast~ according to iPodder a podcast is no different than a webcast, a show that is broadcast over the web and is broken up into parts or episodes. Most podcasts are similar to news radio programs and deliver information on a regular basis, while some podcasts are comedy shows or even special music broadcasts. Podcasts are most popular on Apple's iPod and iPhone devices, hence the name podcast, but a podcast can be enjoyed from a number of different sources and can even be listened to directly on a computer.

That being said, this last week was the first time ever I have had any experience with podcast. I personally believe that it is a unique way of teaching and can be much better than just pencil and paper. I guess thats because I am a millenial, a person born after 1980 with no knowledge of life without computer or technology. At least that's what Joe Dale said in his article of The benefits of podcasting in the classroom. I strongly agree with so many of his beliefs. Poscast is a form of learning students of today are familiar with and therefore makes it relevant to them and it does promote creativity and innovation. I checked out a few other sites on podcasting such as The Education Podcasting Network. Now this was an intresting site. I could have been on there for hours watching and listening to other peoples thoughts. I loved the fact that it had a How Do I section as well as the breakdown of podcast. They were catagorized by level of school, student & class podcast, as well as individual subjects. How cool is that! I wouldn't have to spend all day searching for a podcast about a particular subject. A sight like this allows us, as educators, to share knowledge, insights, and passions for teaching. Just for fun, because I don't own an iPod, I check out 100 ways to use you Ipod to learn & study better. There was so much that I didn't know was possible on this site. I narrowed my list down to my 3 favorites of uses for the Ipod to help with learning. I loved that you could now get Spark Notes on it. Where was this at when I was in high school? I also loved the Teach kids valuable lessons with free Sesame Street Ipod videos. What kid doesn't like Sesame Street and now there is a way to incorporate valuable lessons into a childs tv program? That a definite plus in my book. There was also a Brain Quest, a game for children in grades 1-7. As a parent, teacher, aunt or anyone involved with children this is a fun and educational game that can help to keep children occupied while sitting in the doctors office or wheeling through the grocery store.

All in all I learned alot about podcasting and can not wait to use this form of technology in my classroom one day!

Project 9~A "Our Life as Husband & Wife"

My Sentence Video

Blog Post 4

Scott McLeod Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Educational Administration program at Iowa State University. He is also Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education or CASTLE. He created the country’s first graduate program designed to prepare technology-savvy school leaders.He regularly blogs about different technology issues going on in todays society.

WoW! What a unique way to catch someones attention. At first I thought this guy was crazy and definitely out of date. I could not understand why Dr. Strange would want any of us to waste our time reading such a negative post about technology. As I continued reading it, I realized that he was being very sarcastic. Yes, I agree. There is the possibility for children to run into bad internet behavior and that is why children should always be supervised when using modern technology. In a perfect world this behavior would be non-exsisting. However, since it's out there, our only option is not to shelter them, but to monitor them closely and try our hardest to make sure they never have to cross this path.


The iSchool Initiative
Oh.My.Gosh. I am stunned. I have an Iphone and did not know all the things it would do. He showed us applications that are already available that could be a tremendous help in school. Some I am looking for to download now! My favorite was Formulae, a math app that had every formula possible on it....Where was this App when I was in school?

This just goes to show us how great technology can be. His argument was the school of the future would be so much cheaper through the use of any type of Apple I touch platform. There would be no need for books, paper, copy machines, or pencils. Children would have limited internet access. Teachers, parents, and students could easily view their test, grades, assignments, and lunch menus. Therewould be no need for expensive graphing calculators either. This would save everyone a ton of money! I am super excited just thinking about what an I-School would be like. Let's Go Green!

The Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed
This video was super cool. I am usually just watching comedy videos or how to's on you tube. I am so glad that through these assignments I have broadened my YouTube followings. I sure hope for the sake of my life and my future childrens life that we do do something about this era. I can not imagine a world where we celebrate divorce and money is more important than family. I loved how the creator of this video spoke along with the words. I also thought it was really neast how she revearsed the words through the second part of her video. I love the creativeness that was put in and although the video was very simple, it really was heart felt.


Virtual Choir by Eric Whitacre
WoW! I don't even think there are words to describe how incredible this video is. It isn't that it surprises me that something like this could be done, but to actually see it is amazing! This video is just another great example of how the internet can be used. How else could you get 12 countried and 185 people all together to sing this song. Amazing, absolutely amazing!


Teaching in the 21st Century
This video is so true. Information is readily available to todays children. I completely agree that teachers are no longer the soul responsible party for what children learn. The possibilities are endless with the inernet. It is our job as an educator to "filter" the knowledge that can be obtained through the use of a computer and to teach children how to properly find and use the information they are looking for. I am not saying that a teachers job is not as important anymore, I actually believe the opposite. A teacher who teaches the proper use and technique of the internet is laying the foundation for that childs life. In today's time, everyone has some dependability on a computer. Every person in today's society needs to have knowledge of how to properly work a computer and the internet. Someone has to be there to teach this, so why not? I hope that in my future classroom I will be looked back upon as laying a solid foundation in the lives of so many children.

Project 5 ~ Love Makes the World Go Round~

Blog Post 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
WoW! Did this video hit it right on the dot or what? There were so many parts of this video that I have personally experienced in my time here at South. I hate buying over-priced books, especially ones that you never use or don't use enough to justify the price. I hate being in a classroom that has so many students you are nothing but a number to the teacher. I think it is unfair to not be able to recieve the attention that you deserve for the money that you are spending. Being in college and managing your time is hard at 18 I'm sure, but even harder at 27. I now have to worry about family, work, and bills, along with my heavy class load and maintaining good grades. Sometimes I am glad that I waited to go back to school because I am not sure that at 18 I would have been mature enough to effectively do this. I no longer worry about what I am wearing to the latest club, instead I concentrate on when I can slip into my p.j.'s and crawl into bed.

If I could add or change anything to this video I would have to change the paper that said "I'll be $20,000 in debt when I finish to $45,000. I would probably also ass a piece of paper after this that said and I won't make but about $26,000 a year. I would also talk about parking on campus, because it's awful here!


"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
This post was awesome. I love the fact that Kelly knows and voices the difference between learning and teaching. This brings me back to the burp back teacher. If a child is nt actually learning, are you really teaching? I also love how as an educator she admits that a successful educator is always learning themselves. That is so true. A teacher has to remain up to date on the latest technology and trends in order to provide the education that our children so much deserve.

Technology is all around us. I agree with her,with the proper tools and learning can be fun and creative. However, not knowing how to properly use these tools can harm the whole educational experience.


Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
What can I say? I am glad to know that I am not the only one that feels this way. I agree with Mr. Fisch, being technologically illiterate today as a teacher is like being unable to read or write 30 years ago. The world is constantly changing. The use of technology is not going to go anywhere. Instead it will always be changing and hopefully improving our way of living. Computers in todays society are not a privilege but more like a necessity. They are a useful tool to use in the classroom for the teachers as well as the students. I hope to use his insight as a reminder to me in my classroom one day and remember that anyone should be embarrassed to publicly admit to being coomputer illiterate. ;)


Gary Hayes Social Media Count
These numbers were changing so quick that it was almost hard to keep up with it. That just goes to show us that the world is full of technology. I honestly can not figure out what I did before I had a computer, I-Phone, Facebook, and You-Tube. Yes, I do believe that my life was simpler when my Mom would page me and I had to stop at a pay phone to call her back. However, I wouldn't trade that for my everyday use of technology for nothing in the world. It allows us to do so much from the comfort of our home.

As far as the role in which these number will play on my future career, it's simple. This is proof that as an educator I must stay up to date on the latest technology and know how to properly deliver the intended messages to my students. It is NEVER going away!

Comments for Teachers Summary # 1

This post will be a summary of a few of the ideas from the teacher blog that I was assigned to follow. I am following a teacher named Caren Carrillo. She is currently going back to school and working on her second set of graduate classes. During this post, she talked about how her master level teacher basically bullied her for asking questions and sharing her opinions. She was unsure how to handle the situation because the teacher made her feel so uncomfortable that she considered dropping the course. This led her to reflect on herself as a teacher and how she made her own children feel. Her theory is that a teacher should always make a child feel comfortable and feel good about learning. I commented back simply agreeing with what she already said. It is sad that a student, no matter the age, would ever feel uncomfortable or singled out because they ask questions or voice their opinions. At the very least, this shows that the student is paying attention to the material being taught and attempting to learn it. As far as the teacher goes, if it is a required course, my advice was to make good of a negative situation and learn from that teachers mistakes and in return become a better teacher herself.


The second blog post that I commented about was quite intresting. During this post, Caren talked about how a Florida lawmaker was trying to have a law passed where teachers would grade parents. This grade would show up on their childrens report cards in the form of satisfactory, unsatisfactory, or needs improvement. Throughout her post she weighed the pros and cons of this bill. Would it really be fair to grade all parents? I agree with Caren that students should not always be held accountable for the actions that are taking place. Her example was children being on time to school. An elementary child can not help if they do not make it to school on time. It is the responsibility of their parent to wake them, help them to get ready, feed them breakfast, and make sure they arrive on time. I agree, a child can not help if they are late. However, I do not see where grading a parent would make any difference. If they are lazy and uncaring now, a grade is not going to make any difference. She also talked about feeding the child a good, healthy breakfast. This is hard for so many parents. In today's economy there are so many parents that work daylight to dusk just trying to make ends meet. Not every Mom has the chance to be a housewife. As horrible as it sounds, I do not see anything wrong with a child grabbing a pop tart as they are heading out the door to catch the bus. I guess because my mother always left early for work and thats what I did, and I made it through school just fine. So, as intresting as parent grades sounds, I just think in the long run it would be a flop. It would create more stress on the teachers and administrators because of the extra paperwork and that one parent who shows acts out because they do not agree with the grade.

Blog Post 2

Did You Know?
Wow! What can I say? This was definitely an informative video. I am not sure rather to be amazed by the power of technology or afraid for the future. This video list facts about the progression of several different areas of current technology. The numbers, while very interesting, were a bit scary for me. It makes me wonder what we did before computers, internet, and google?
I also realized that although we may live in "the land of the free," we surely don't live in the land of the smart. I am and have always been proud to be an American. I think it is great to live in a country that allows us so much freedom. That being said, I never realized just how far behind we were in education compareed to the rest of the world.
As for me and this video, I think I'll leave my glass half full and just say while we may not be the brightest, compared to some we sure have it made! :)

Mr Winkle Wakes
After watching this I just want to know how Mr. Winkle was able to sleep for 100 years when I can't seem to get good sleep for just one night? Literally speaking though this sort of thing happens every night when we close our eyes. Technology, along with its uses, changes constantly. Sometimes, especially here lately in Dr. Strange's class, I too feel like I have been asleep for 100 years! HaHa!

The Importance of Creativity
Creativity is such a valuable asset in todays education. In this video, Ken Robinson talks about the need for creativity in the classroom. I totally agree with him in the fact that lots of times, children are afraid of speaking up because of the fear of being wrong. Children should never be afraid to participate in any activity.
Furthermore, I to feel like some schools now days are not giving children the appropiate tools that will allow them to express their individuality.Core subjects such as Math and Science are being pushed on the kids while art, music, and theatre just gets forgot about. Teachers focus their complete attention on providing a "burp back" education in order to meet state standards. It's all really sad. These same teachers could use creativity as a means of teaching this information to the children and not only will the children be learning , but they will also be building self confidence.
Cecelia Gault's Interview
Once again I am filled with sadness for our country. Our children are our future and they have the right to obtain the best education possible. I think the current problem with technology being taught in todays classroom is the fact that not enough teachers are educated enough to teach it. Just like Sir Ken Robinson talking about how computers was not around when he was younger. There is so much new technology available daily that it seems almost impossible for all teachers to be able to keep up to date with it all. That being said, I believe that more teachers should be exposed to these newer programs in hopes of giving the best we have to offer to these children. Alot of these programs, like Smartboards, help to create a fun learning environment. America's children should be given the best there is to offer when coming to their education.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video was about a teacher is Southern Georgia who helped bring her students in contact with other students all over the world. I think what she is doing is GREAT! I can't think of one good reason we shouldn't broden our childrens knowledge of technology. I wish that we would have had, or at the very least known about different internet programs used today when I was in school. There is certainly a positive impact that these tools can provide for children as long as they are properly monitored by adults.