Friday, February 26, 2010

Comments 4 Teachers Assignment 1

Hi! My name is Jessica Eaton and I'm a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama in the United States. I'm majoring in elementary education. You mentioned working full time for Mathletics? What exactly does that entail? I'm very interested to learn more about it. You also mentioned teachers' use of technology...that's the core purpose of the class I am enrolled in right now; we're learning how to use certain technology and how it will be beneficial in our future classrooms. I want to thank you for sharing your thoughts. I will be summarizing my visits to your blog in a post to my own blog on or before March 21, 2010. Here are the links to my own blog and our class blog:

http://edm310.blogspot.com/

http://eatonjessicaedm310.blogspot.com/

Hi! My name is Jessica Eaton, and I'm a student majoring in elementary education. I attend the University of South Alabama. I really like the creativity of your ideas you shared. I'm sure it allowed the students to have fun, and provided an outlet for them as well. I also like how you gave ideas for the use of technology such as digital photographs and podcasts. In my EDM310 class, we're learning the importance of technology in the classroom. Thanks for sharing such great ideas!

Mr. McMahon,

Congratulations! I'm sure you're quite stressed with worrying about income and whatnot, but I'm very happy for you that your mathletics program has been successful. I look forward to hearing more about your new position.

Jessica Eaton
University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama

These were the three comments I left for the teacher I was assigned, Mr. McMahon. He is an Expact Educator in Asia. Unfortunately, he did not check his blog regularly, so I never got a reply to my comments. However, some of the things he talked about in his posts were very fascinating. For example, he has created an organized math program called "Mathletics." As you can tell from my first comment, I was eager to learn more about this program. In the second post, he provided students with some craft ideas for Christmas time! I thought this was great because it provided the students with an outlet and allowed them to just have some fun for the holiday. In the last post, I had just found out that Mr. McMahon had received a promotion! I am very excited for him and hope to have a reply to comments very soon.

Mr. McMahon's Blog

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Blog Assignment Week 7


Richard Miller: This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2

My initial thought about the videos was that this type of communication would be very convenient for most students. Most of us are taking many classes and work part time. One is generally able to watch videos faster than we can read a selection based on the same topic. I love today's new technology, but it seems somewhat intimidating to me. I'm not so sure I like the idea of not having something tangible that I can hold while studying, however. The first video mentioned that even newspapers were beginning to spread the news more through videos online than actual print.

While all of this use of technology is exciting, I differ from most of my peers because I liked things the way they were, to be honest. I prefer an actual text book to an ebook, for example. I mentioned that sharing information via the internet is very convenient for most students, but I'm a small exception. I live in a very small town and am not yet able to even get dsl where I live! Most find this crazy, but it's true. I do all of my online school work between my classes at the University and try my best to get it all done before the weekend, so I won't have to go to a place with wifi. This is sometimes very hard to do with my work schedule.

Another thought I had about these videos was that if we go from reading and writing to watching and listening, couldn't this hinder students' reading and writing skills? Even with today's technology, we will always need good reading and writing skills, and it seems that this type of communication would not promote these core skills. The internet is an amazing tool, but I'm not so sure we're ready to start relying on it quite so much. Both of the videos by Richard Miller did have good aspects, though and showed a great use of resources.

Windy Drexler: Then Networked Student

Wow! The video was very imformative. I'm a bit nervous to think of how technologically literate our students will be. They will be able to connect and learn from people from all over the world. This type of learning is called connectivism, and I'm unsure yet if I'm a supporter. I can definitely see where one could learn many things by connecting with people from different states and even different countries, but the student in the video didn't even have a text book! I realize I sound somewhat "old-fashioned," but I actually like the standard way most students learn and go to school.

The student in the video only went three days a week and did most of his work online. It seems like he was already in college in a way. What if students aren't ready for this? One would have to be very eager to learn and a very diligent student in order to benefit from this. While there are several students that may be described in this way, some need to be pushed a bit more. I'm just wondering if this type of network learning would give a high school student just too much freedom. Some students would probably never do the work and not make any attempt to learn new things or talk to new people.

I honestly don't know if I'm prepared to teach the networked student. I think this type of learning can either be very beneficial or very inefficient. It just depends on the type of student, and as everyone knows, there are many types in the classroom. I can see this being a good form of learning for colleges and even for high school students in their free time. I'm just not so sure that I would support it as the PRIMARY form of learning for anyone below the college level.

Toward A New Future of Whatever by Michael Wesch

I really enjoyed the video by Michael Wesch. I liked how he mentioned major figures in history. I found it very funny when he spoke of how he looked up the history of the word, "whatever." He talked about the "MTV generation." I can relate to this because I've been watching MTV for quite a while! I love how he went through a history of how things on tv and in the world have changed. I could relate to most of the shows and quotes that he mentioned. My generation is known as the "Me" generation, and I understand exactly what he meant when he spoke of how the generation is narcissistic.

Personal Learning Network

For my personal learning network, I started out by obtaining a twitter account. I wasn't exactly sure how to go about all of this networking stuff because I had definitely never done it before. I first added Dr. Strange and looked to see who he was following. When I saw Mr. Chamberlain, I then added him because I knew his name from the earlier assignments Dr. Strange had us do. I also added Karl Fisch and Nicholas Provenzano. On Mr. Provenzano's profile it states that he "brings nerdy ideas to nerdy teachers," so I definitely thought he would be someone interesting to follow. I'm continually adding more and more people that are interested in education and learning stuff that I can't learn about teaching just from sitting in the classroom at USA.




Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Blog Assignment Week 6


Dr. Alice Christie's Website

The part of the website that I found to be most beneficial to teachers was the part concerning educational technology. In EDM310, we are learning how to use new technology and how it can benefit us later as teachers. In today's fast-paced world, it is almost mandatory that teachers and students become familiar with technology. I am also learning, however, that it can be very fun! In this particular section of the website, Dr. Alice Christie has different links for teachers to explore. Each of them concern an area of technology. She even has one link explaining the importance of internet safety.

Some other links Dr. Christie included were ones concerning podcasting, multimedia, and internet tools/resources. Because I don't exactly consider myself "computer literate" yet, though I am working on it, I find all of the links useful. In a few years, when I am done with EDM310 and find that I want to implement some of the technology I learned in the class, I might not be able to remember everything I learned. This website might help to jar my memory and allow me to use some of the tools I actually learned in class.

iTunes University

When Dr. Strange mentioned using iTunes to help everyone keep up with the course material, I was instantly very interested. I live an hour away and commute everyday to school. While taking 15 hours worth of classes here at the University, I also work 20 hours a week at USA Mitchell Cancer Institute. I am a very busy person. I own an ipod touch and downloaded the podcast for the class as soon as I was able to. Now, while making my long trek to and from school, I am able to keep my assignments straight and never miss a beat.

Since I am going to be an elementary school teacher, I'm not sure how much use I will get out of iTunes University later in life. However, for those who might be going into secondary education, I can see where the application would be very useful. I'm sure more students are doing well in class because of the weekly reminder, and that's always a relief for a teacher. It is also beneficial to people who might not be able to afford a college education. According to CNN, though they will not receive the tangiable degree that one attending the University would, many people are downloading the free podcasts just to gain new knowledge. This is extremely refreshing news!

CNN's Take On iTunes University




Using iPods for Instruction

Most college students own some type of iPod. I have an iTouch, and I absolutely love it!! I never thought teachers might use this type of technology as a form of teaching, however. I've already written about how useful iTunes University can be. At Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, it is expected of students to use their iPods as an aid in several of their classes. One teacher even used a photo iPod to enhance his Functional Anatomy of the Human Brain class this past fall. His iPod housed over 500 images and showed the students how to correctly pronounce each structure of the brain. I imagine that most of his students were engaged in learning because of his use of technology.


I've not yet had a teacher at South Alabama to use such technology in the classroom. Most lectures simply consist of professors reading off powerpoint slides and little class participation is encouraged. We are becoming teachers ourselves and must continue to be eager to learn. I believe this type of technology might help to keep certain students' attention for longer periods of time in class. Because of this, technology might even improve students' grades as well!


Duke University's Use of iPods as Instruction


Monday, February 8, 2010

Blog Assignment Week 5


Wikipedia As a Source of Information

After reading the NPR article and blog and listening to the podcast concerning the reliability of the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, I now understand why it is that teachers in the past have always requested that I not use it as a source for any paper. Absolutely ANYONE can add to or make adjustments to any topic on the website. In fact, the blog stated that Wal-Mart, the Church of Scientology, and the Catholic Church had all made adjustments to any topic concerning them. They weren't the only ones either; both the Republican party and the Democratic party had also made adjustments. It is very easy to see that anything on the website may be biased and in some cases even fictional.

Though the information on the website may tend to be a bit biased, it can be useful in some cases. For a curious student who understands that the information is coming from a variety of sources, it can be a quick and easy way to look of different topics of interest. As long as the student understands that it is not a good source for a research paper or anything else to do with school, then there is no harm in the student just exploring the website for fun. Also, there are are large variety of topics included in the website; such things may not be found elsewhere. The website should be used by people with a good understanding of the sources and an open mind.

"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

I definitely enjoyed reading Mr. McClung's blogpost. One of the most useful things I learned was that as a teacher, I will need to be flexible. I am very much a perfectionist and sometimes get upset when things don't go just as I had initially planned them. He wrote that we need to stay positive and not get down when things don't go perfectly right. He also wrote that as teachers we must be reasonable. I am in the Honors Program at the University of South Alabama, and I hold very high expectations for myself. As I said before, I am a perfectionist and work hard to achieve everything I do. I dislike when I don't earn an A or a very high grade because I know what I am capable of if I just work hard. This will be a trial for me in teaching because I know that I will set high standards for my students; though this is good in some ways, I must remember to be reasonable and not get agitated when every student doesn't do as well as I had hoped for him or her.

I found Mr. McClung's last statement to be of most importance. "Never stop learning!" Though we expect children to want to learn, we sometimes lose interest in it. This reminds me of when I first stepped foot in Dr. Strange's class. I was intimidated by the thought of using such technology, since I had never even been a huge fan of computers. However, because I did stick with it, I'm excited about all that I am learning. I can't wait to implement new things in my classroom in the future!!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Blog Assignment Week 4


Langwitches Blog: The Magic of Learning

I chose to review this website in preparation for the making of my podcast. One article on the webpage was entitled "Long Distance Storytelling." The writer described how her 5-year-old niece lives in Brazil, and she is therefore not able to see her often. She could only communicate with her through skype. She wanted to be able to read to her niece, so she recorded a book that her mom used to read to her and her siblings. Her hope was that she could connect with her niece via a podcast.

I'm going to be honest now. I did not initially like the idea of a podcast. I, like many students, am a visual learner. I like to be able to read words and see things written out in order to better understand them. Until I read this article, I thought podcasts would be somewhat pointless in teaching children because so many of them need visual examples. However, I now see how podcasts can be used in many ways to connect with loved ones or to share information with people overseas. I am sure the writer's niece was very excited to be able to hear her aunt read her a story, since she never got to see her aunt much. Because I have learned the value of things such as podcasts, I will go into my EDM310 project with a bit more enthusiasm and with a positive attitude. I am very excited!