HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)

EDM 310 and Blogging in the Classroom

I have reviewed many of my fellow classmates blogs including, Keller Leathers, Marlena Marsh, Joye Wiggins, Jill Revette, Bridgete Thompson-Hall, Kimberly Pierce, Matthew Cline, and Ashley Corley. From reviewing these blogs I believe that we have all learned a lot about blogging. I belive that most of us are fairly new to blogs. This semester has really opened our eyes to the possibilities of the benefits to blogging.
I think that we all agree that blogging in the classroom can be a really effective resource! This goes for all age groups, from elementary to high school. They can be used to keep parents informed about what is going on in the classroom, post students homework, showcase students works, publish student writings, and much more. We have all reviewed classroom blogs that use them for the purposes that I have just mentioned. I think this class has really allowed us to see how many ways we can use this resource in the classroom.
From listening to my classmates and reading through their blogs I believe that most of us plan to use this resource. I think that we all agree that this is a wonderful tool. Best of all it is free and provides an intimate connection between the classroom and parents at home as well as many other viewers. Best of all students can also correspond with students here in the U.S. and international students as well!!
I believe that as future educators it is our responsibility to introduce technology to our students and keep them up to date in the fast growing world of technology. Blogging is one way that we can do this. I think that my classmates would agree with me. It seems that we all agree that blogging is a wonderful tool!!!!!!!!!!!

Duke University - Documentary Studies

The Duke University podcast that I listened to was, Looking Back: 9/11 Across America: An Acoustic Exhibit Presenting American Voices in the Aftermath of Attack. This podcast is a collection of different people all over America sharing their experiences during and after the 9/11 attacks. I think everyone remembers where they were when they heard about the plane crashes and what they felt then and for a long time after. This is a collection of those stories. This was one of the scariest times for Americans. Everything that we knew changed, we weren't untouchable. It also brought us together. Several people talked about how everyone reached out to each other even in areas not directly affected. The attacks brought about a since of pride in Americans. Many of the people in this documentary talked about how they didn't understand exactly what it meant to be an American until the attacks. They also talk about their feelings about going to war. 

I also watched Broken, a film about families and HIV in Africa. I am not really sure how I felt about this film. I came away disgusted and confused. It was obviously not a documentary but maybe a reenactment of a father raping his daughter and the mother not believing it. In the end an African child says, "Stop hurting us, Stop abusing us, Stop forcing yourselves on us!! We are the children, We are the future!!!" I think that the message was wonderful but again I am not sure how I felt about the film!!

I am not sure exactly how these podcasts would really help me as an elementary educator. They are a little too mature for elementary school age children!! 

EDM 310 Podcasts

Well, I will start by saying that I think everyone did a wonderful job on their group podcasts. I know that it is difficult to get with a group and work together when we all have such busy schedules, so overall I think that everyone did great considering!! Now for the critiques!

I will start with my group, which included myself, Kimberly Pierce, and Ashley Corley. Our topic was, Blogs that we found being used in the classroom. I will start by saying that I know that we were nervous at least I know I was and the first group was a tough act to follow. I know that we could have definitely been more conversational and less like reading. I think that it is obvious from listening that we read straight from a script and makes the podcast less interesting. I know that I personally was not very expressive. Overall, I feel that it was definitely a great learning experience!! Subscribe on iTunes or LISTEN HERE.

The second podcast that I listened to was about how blogs can be used in the classroom and some of the pros and cons that come from the use of those blogs. This group consisted of Keller Leathers, Rachel Beaty, and Joy Wiggins. I think that it is safe to say that everyone was impressed with the job that these girls did. I will say that it started off sounding like a script was being read but once the girls got comfortable their podcast became much more conversational. Other than a few simple mistakes I felt that for their first time at podcasting they did an exceptional job! Subscribe on iTunes or LISTEN HERE.

The third group that I listened to discussed ACCESS and ALEX, two new programs of the Alabama Department of Education. The ladies in this group were Susan Smith, Bridgette Thompson Hall, and Angela Minish. I think that these ladies definitely provided some wonderful information about these two programs and were very knowledgeable about the topic. Like most of the other groups they could have been more conversational but overall I feel that they did a great job!

Subscribe on iTunes or LISTEN HERE

The final group that I listened to was Jennifer Harris, Alison Hawes and Amelia Perkins. They discussed how technology is used in their classes at the University of South Alabama. This group seemed to have a good time during their podcast. There were lots of laughs and giggles. I think I even heard Dr. Strange laugh once or twice. I thought these ladies did a great job of connecting with each other. At first it was a little hard to follow and there were a few pauses but as a whole they did pretty good.

Subscribe on iTunes or LISTEN HERE.

Mathematics with Technology

These podcasts hosted by Judy Chandler are intended to inform other teachers about the ways that technology can be used in unison with everyday math instruction to enhance students learning. Ms. Chandler is a mathematics teacher, technology integration specialist, and math mentor/trainer for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative. She is trying to convince teachers of the benefits associated with using technology to benefit students. Using technology allows the students to use math skills that are being learned in class as well as teaching them how to integrate those skills in their everyday life. The opportunities that technology can provide to students in the classroom are endless!
Ms. Chandler provides information on several free resources that are available to teachers in addition to some wonderful ways that technology can benefit their students. I believe that technology is an important teaching tool, especially in today's world! It would be a disservice to our students if we do not give them as many tools as possible to aid in their learning experience!!

"Growth" vs "Fixed" Minds

This video podcast from Stanford University discusses the difference of the mindsets of today's students. Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology and author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is being interviewed and starts of by distinguishing the two types of mindsets commonly seen among students. The first mindset she talks about is the "fixed" mindset in which a student believes that intelligence is a fixed trait. With this particular mindset students worry about how they will be viewed by their peers in respect to how intelligent they may appear. Other students believe that intelligence is something that is developed through studying, passion, and education.
Ms. Dweck and her colleagues decided do a study in which they held an eight session workshop. Half of the students that attended the workshop learned study skills and the growth mindset and the other half of the students were just taught study skills. According to Ms. Dweck, the students that were taught the growth mindset soared well above the students that were just taught basic study skills. She also said that teachers could pick out the students that had been taught about the growth mindset. Carol Dweck also discussed how the growth mindset can be utilized in race car driving as well as in a professional environment.
I agree that students should be encouraged in a classroom. I believe that confidence is an important tool for students. I feel very strongly that it is up to educators to help empower students at an early age with confidence. All students need to be aware of their potential and not allowed to believe that they are any less than another student. Knowledge is achievable by all students that are willing to open up and accept what is being offered to them. Confidence is key to an exceptional learning environment and opens the door to a growth mindset!!
View this video.

WGBH Podcasts

Well, I checked out many different podcasts from all grade levels. The first thing that I noticed was that many of them were available at each level. I guess that is appropriate considering that the things we learn are stepping stones that we build upon throughout our entire education. I mean, my second grader is covering the same thing in science that I am learning in Biology 102 right now. How cool is that!! Anyway, I found all of the video podcasts very interesting and informative.

The first podcast that I watched was Why Doesn't the Moon Fall Down. I found this interesting because it explained that the moon is always falling down due to the gravitational pull of the Earth. However, it is so far away from the Earth and falling at such a fast rate of speed that it is constantly falling in a different direction and therefore orbits the Earth. If it was to fall any faster it would actually fly out into outer space and if it were to fall any slower it would in fact fall into the Earth. I liked the animations that were used to give the viewer a visual of the information that was given. I felt that it helped get the concept across to the viewer.

The second podcast that I watched was Infrared: More Than the Eye Can See . Dr. Michelle Thaler explained that everything produces light through temperature. However, all light is not visible light. Light that is not visible is infrared light. Infrared radiation is the measure of

temperature produced by an object. I found it very interesting that infrared light can pass through some objects that visible light can not pass through. Dr. Thaler demonstrated this by putting her arms in a black garbage bag and when the infrared detector was turned on you could clearly see her arms. She also demonstrated that infrared light can not pass through some objects that visible light can pass through such as glass. She gave the audience many different visual demonstrations to back up the information she was providing. I felt that this made the podcast very interesting and easy to follow. Dr. Thaler is an astronomer that is interested in infrared light because she hopes that it will help find new planets in the solar system that do not produce visible light. They now have a Space Infrared Telescope Facility to help them in their endeavors.

Another podcast that I found interesting was Booming Sands. This podcast was about the acoustic phenomenon that happens in 30 different sand dune areas all over the world. It is not fully understood what causes this beautiful acoustical sound but there is a research team from the California Institute of Technology that has made it their mission to find out. So far they believe that it is caused by the height of the slope, change in the surface tension, the grains of sand being the same size, and the degree of mobility of the top loose layer compared to the hard packed layer underneath. Again the visual and sound effects were wonderful bonuses that really helped.

I watched many others that I found very interesting. I think that this would definitely aid in teaching children about the topic that is being covered. The first great thing is that it is free. Second, most classes have a computer in the classroom and this makes it easier for the teacher to access the videos unlike trying to get a t.v. and dvd. Third, it is very interesting and draws the students attention. I will definitely check into using podcasts in my classroom to help demonstrate topics being covered in class.

The Edible School Yard and The Night in the Global Village

Wow!! Words can not explain either of these projects! What wonderful activities to get the children thinking and learning!


The Edible School Yard

The first video podcast that I watched was The Edible School Yard. I was totally blown away and the first thing that came to mind was something that Randy Pausch talked about in his last lecture. He had a term that he used "head fake", which is basically when you gain a skill that you don't even know that you are learning. In this case these children are learning so much but they are having a great time doing it and probably won't even truly grasp the entirety of what they have learned for years to come. The Edible School Yard consists of a 1+ acre garden and kitchen classroom which are basically learning labs where students at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California learn many subjects. Social Studies, Math, Science, and lessons in life are just a few things that are covered. The garden classes teach the principles of Ecology, the origins of food, and respect for all living systems. The students have to learn to work together. They plant beds, amend soil, turn compost, and harvest what they have grown.


In the kitchen, students prepare and eat dishes from the produce they have grown.Daily educational opportunities are designed to integrate culture, history, language, ecology, biology, and other related subject areas into the preparation of the food. The students really seem to enjoy growing, harvesting, preparing, and eating the produce. They also gain a wonderful sense of pride from taking part in the entire process!

The Night in the Global Village

This project which includes students from the Rocky Mountain Expeditionary School in Denver, Colorado was an amazing first hand experience to raise the students awareness on issues like poverty and hunger that is unfortunately a reality in many other countries. The project is made possible by the Global Gateway Program. Students were taken to the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. This is a 5 acre property owned by Heifer International which is a non-profit organization that donates livestock to impoverished families. On the 5 acre property there are areas that are setup to represent living conditions that would be found in places such as Guatemala, Thailand, Zambia, Appalachia, and even a refugee camp. Students are split up into groups and then told where they are going to live for the night and the resources that are readily available to them. No group has everything that would be needed to survive so they are forced to barter with neighboring countries to get everything they need. In addition to the hard conditions one member from each group must also carry around a water balloon in a pouch that represents a baby and another member loses a limb. The refugees had it hardest of all, for they started out with nothing, including not being able to speak at all or build a fire. At times all of the students seemed to experience frustrations about their living conditions. The following day the students got to talk with each other and the adults about the experiences. I think it was an eye opener for all of them to actually experience, even if only for a night, what many experience on a daily basis.

Each of these video podcasts were awesome. What a wonderful way to enforce things that the students are learning. There is no better way for children to learn than to actually experience it for themselves. I would love to be able to give these opportunities to my students. I think that it would be a learning experience that would stay with them for the rest of their lives!!! TRULY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Accessibility For All

Mr. Sullivan's presentation about disabilities and how they can affect us as educators was full of helpful information. It was nice to hear some of the laws that are in affect to help and protect people with disabilities. I also enjoyed learning about the software and the equipment that is available to aid people with disabilities and make their lives easier. I found it very interesting that people that use the audio can actually understand what is being said at such a fast rate of speed. It was unbelievable!!!!!!

The information that was presented will help me understand the laws that are in place as well as help me to better understand the resources that are available to help make educating students with disabilities easier. Thank you Mr. Sullivan!!!

Check out Accessibility For All

Alabama Virtual Library

The Alabama Virtual Library, also known as AVL is a wonderful resource for Alabama students, teachers, and citizens. The AVL is online access to library and information resources. Basically it is a website that can be accessed at school or even at home if you obtain a virtual library card. The site has many databases where you can research magazines, journals, and newspaper articles. When searching these databases you can narrow your search by age group, topic, specific database, or particular magazine or journal. Funding for the Alabama Virtual Library is provided by the Alabama Legislature so this a free resource for all.
What a great resource for teachers and students. As an educator you can issue cards to your students so that they can access the AVL. I am sure that as an educator this will be one of many resources that I use in my classroom. Check it out here

WHAT TIME IS IT REALLY????????????????

Podcasts

SmartBoard Lessons was pretty catchy. It starts out with some upbeat music and utilizes various other sound effects. This podcast is hosted by Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger. They both seem to work well together, although I have to admit that at times Mr. Hazzard was very annoying.There were moments when he talked over his co-host and I missed what she was trying to say completely. However, he made some very persuasive arguments about the topic. Otherwise, I did gain some valuable information. SmartBoard Lessons podcast provides lesson ideas and helpful resources that can be found on the web. Their main focus though is the use of interactive white boards in the classroom. They also answered questions from listeners that sent emails.
Kidcast is hosted by Dan Schmit and is a companion to the book that he wrote titled, Podcasting in the Classroom. He is the only host and from what I gathered from listening to episode #53- Podcasting and Fieldtrips, he does his show from a script or at least a detailed outline.
ConnectLearning is hosted by David Warlick. These podcasts unlike the previous two that I have mentioned is more of an interview. I listened to episode 90 and 91. During these two episodes Mr. Warlick was at the North Carolina School Media Association Conference. Basically educators came together and talked about the ways that they thought pocasting could be used in the classroom. This was totally unedited and very informal. The topics that he covers as he travels to different conferences are usually education and teaching in the 21st century classroom.
EdTechtalk is hosted by Maria Knee. She is a kindergarten teacher in Deerfield, NH. Ms. Knee has guests join her to talk about different topics of interests and they are able to share with listeners their thoughts on the subject. The interesting thing about this podcast is that listeners can skype in to comment or ask questions. They can also participate from a chat room. I found that very interesting!
MacBreak Weekly is more of a roundtable discussion. Something more like you would experience with Meet the Press. There are several hosts and also have guests that join them. The topic of this podcast is the latest Mac news, such as new products, software, stock information,and much more.
The last podcast, This Week in Photography, is hosted by Alex Lindsay and Scott Bourne. They also feature guests that come on and talk about (you guessed it) everything photography.Topics cover technology, new products, techniques, and the latest photography news.
There are many podcasts that cover an array of topics. You can find one on just about any subject. I think that this would be a great tool to use in the classroom, especially middle school and high school. There are endless possibilities with technology. There are so many resources that are available to teachers, parents, and students!!!!!What an exciting time to be an educator!!!!

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Wow!! What a truly inspiring lecture! Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University gave the last lecture before a packed auditorium of his colleagues and students but unlike those that preceded him this was truly his last lecture. He made clear the things that he was not going to address in his speech, which included cancer, his family, and religion. However, he did go on to tell about his childhood dreams, which he managed to accomplish in his own rite, but not without some setbacks. In response to these setbacks he repeated several times throughout this lecture that "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how bad we want things." I think that he just shows that if you want something bad enough and you work hard enough to get it, nothing is out of reach. What a great thing to teach our children!!

Another thing that he went on to address in his speech was enabling the dreams of others. He believed that was more rewarding than fulfilling his own dreams. He believed in giving his students freedom to explore their ideas as well as not setting the bar. He also gave his students feedback and encouraged them to not make excuses. He wanted them to learn from the advice they were given.

Mr. Pausch also believed that you should have fun while learning. He had a term "head fake" which is basically when you gain other skills through doing a task without even realizing it. He also took his classes on field-trips. This allowed them to see things that they were learning being utilized in the field. I truly believe that he enjoyed what he did and loved sharing his enthusiasm with his students. It is refreshing to see an instructor that loved what he did!

His entire speech was filled with life lessons that he had learned from others and through experience. It was very inspiring and for me very emotional. Here is a man with the odds against him and he still manages to inspire others with a wonderful sense of humor. In the end he asked the audience if they had figured out the "head fake", which he responded, "this talk is not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life!" In the end he also revealed that the speech was really for his children, just another "head fake"!

What a beautiful thing for him to leave for his kids!!!!!

International Class Blogs

Well, as I said in last weeks post I found a great blog from a first grade class in Canada. The teacher, Kathy Cassidy, posts videos of the class applying different concepts that they are learning in the classroom. Also they have a chat pack where you can chat with the class live if they are near the computer. In addition to all of these great features there is also a class roster. When you click on a child's name it navigates you to their own blogs. Each child makes posts to there own blogs!! I really enjoyed reading the children's posts. What a wonderful way to keep parents involved with what's going on in the classroom as well as teaching the children a wide variety of skills that will be useful from now well into adulthood. I found this blog particularly interesting because of its wonderful features and because this is the age group that I think I want to teach. I have included a picture of a few of the children coloring on the first day of school(below). Also seen here the class is watching a pheasant being released into the wild(above)!! You can check out Ms. Cassidy's 1st grade blog here! Another international class blog that I found was a class of 8 and 9 year olds in Rotorua, New Zealand. This class is the first to go digital in their school and they look like they are having a great time on their digital journey. Some of the students work is displayed on the site as well as their own posts about different topics. They also correspond with other classes all over the world via their blog and also use live feeds to see and talk to each other. All of the blogs I visited had really great features and what a great way to correspond with other children around the world. Some children will never have the opportunity to travel to other places and meet people from other cultures. These blogs provide these great experiences right in the classroom! I could not get any pictures from this blog but check it out!!

BLOGS USED IN THE CLASSROOM

The first blog that I found was really neat, but not here in the United States. I will include a link here so that anyone interested in checking it out can do so. The blog is from a first grade class in Canada. The teachers name is Kathy Cassidy and I thought that there were some really neat features on their blog, but I will not go into detail since it does not fit the criteria for this assignment. However, you should definetly check it out!!

Another blog I found that was being used in the classroom was Mrs. Putnam's 5th grade blog at Salem Elementary School(pictured above). It appears that the blog is mainly used s a tool for the students and parents to keep up to date with current assignments and things going on in the classroom. It doesn't seem as if the students are very interactive with the blog. Only the teacher seems to post to this particular site.

The class pictured above is Mrs. Myrmel's 3rd grade class. This teacher mainly uses her class blog to let everyone know what is going on in the classroom. The teacher did have the class post comments to the blog telling everyone about what they did over the summer. The class is learning quite a bit about the Monarch butterflies life cycle and has even tagged and released one that was raised in the classroom. I thought that was very neat!! I really enjoyed looking at these blogs. As a parent I would love to have access to a blog in my child's classroom. What a great way to be involved in your child's education!!!

ACCESS

Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide also known as ACCESS, is a wonderful resource for high school students in Alabama. Students can now take many different courses including: core, advanced, honors, AP, dual credit, elective, remediation, and supplemental courses via the Internet. This allows students, no matter where they attend school, to access courses that in the past weren't always readily available. The courses are taught on the web, as well as interactive video conferencing. A blended approach is also utilized to address students varying learning styles. Not only will this help high school students with their current learning objectives but it will also prepare them for college as well. They will learn how to navigate the web and the computer with ease.
Not only will the students benefit from this new distance learning program but the teachers will also gain extended resources and will have the opportunity to provide feedback for course improvement. I think that this opens the door to many new and wonderful opportunities for students and teachers here in Alabama. I do not think that this is a resource that I will utilize as a teacher since it is geared toward the high school age group and I will be teaching at an elementary level.

ALEX

ALEX or the Alabama Learning Exchange is a wonderful website for teachers. It is a free resource that allows teachers to search by subject, grade level, and topic. After finding what you are looking for you can easily find lesson plans for that topic. The lesson plans are very detailed. The objective of the lesson plan is stated. The time that it will take to complete the lesson is given. Also, the materials needed for the lesson are listed as well as other resources that may be useful and the things that you need to prepare for the lesson. The procedures to carry out the lesson plan are provided in great detail. Basically it breaks everything that you need down into easy to follow instructions. The website also provides links to other sites that prove useful for the teacher or the student relating to each lesson plan. Another thing that I really liked was that as a member you can create you own workspace where lesson plans can be stored and you can submit your own if you like. You can also submit variations to lesson plans if you find something that works better for you and would like to share it with others.

I found this website very easy to navigate and the information provided very useful. As a parent I immediately searched for lesson plans relating to topics that my second grader is currently learning. I intend to use some of them to help my daughter at home. I think that this is not only a wonderful resource for teachers but anyone that may work with children or that have children of their own. I feel that I would definitely utilize this website in the classroom. What a wonderful resource!!!!

My Google Presentation

My first project will of course include my daughter! She is the biggest part of my life! Everything I do is for her in some way. It will include my many duties as a mother, such as being room mom, team mom, rolling reader, etc... I will also include my involvement in the PTA. I have been a board member now for 2 years at Baylie's school and truly enjoy being involved and encouraging other parents to become involved as well. I will definitely include some of my favorite photographs. I love taking pictures of lots of different things. I may include my family since they are such a big part of my life. That is all I have for now. I am still thinking about what all I will put in the slides. Funny that the project is about me but I think of my daughter mainly and the other people that are such important parts of my life! Bye for now!!!!

A Little Bit About Me

Hello All! Welcome to my blog! Well I guess the biggest thing I can tell you about myself is that I am a mom! It is truly the most wonderful thing that I have ever done! My daughter's name is Baylie and she is 7 years old(pictured above)! She is beautiful, smart, funny, and just overflowing with energy! Words could never explain what a reward it is to have her in my life! She is also the reason that I decided to go into elementary education ( I was an anesthesia major)! I love to see the world from her perspective. As we get older we forget how amazing the world around us really is and how its the simple things in life that are really important! I can't thank her enough for reminding me of that!!!!

I am truly just a big kid myself and enjoy spending time with family and friends! I love animals and often feel as if I understand them more than people (I always wanted to be a vet but didn't think I would make enough money to support us... if you know what I mean)! I love to travel and see new things. Probably one of my most favorite things to do is take photographs! I especially like to take pictures of my daughter of course but I also like odd things like bridges, historical buildings, and landscapes; just to name a few! Well I guess that is a little glimpse of me! I look forward to getting to know you all!!