My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

We did it! The light at the end of the tunnel wasn't a train after all! This class was fun and I learned a lot. Thanks for all of y'all's help on different assignments. Hopefully, I'll see y'all around soon. Have a great Christmas Break!

What I learned in EDM 310!

I've learned many thing in EDM 310, some dealt with technology while some did not (BTH and SNS!). As far as technology goes, I think that the main thing that I've learned about is blogging. I see blogging as a wonderful classroom tool but I do not think that I'll blog about my personal life. I have several friends who blog about their daily lives and it is interesting to read. I just don't know that I'll be that brave to write about my personal encounters.
I've also learned about podcasts and about the wonderful, FREE, educational podcasts available. I see these podcasts being a wonderful way to reinforce different classroom ideas and subject matter, especially in Science class. The animated Science clips really help to explain many scientific concepts.
I really don't think that there is anything in this class that I wanted to learn about but didn't. I'm sure that there is more stuff that we could cover but I learned a lot and I'm glad I did.

Electronic Contact

For my electronic contact, I emailed my cousin, Somer Leathers, who teaches in Georgia. Somer and I don't get to talk very often so emailing her was a fun thing to do. I've also never really asked her about her classroom so I learned a lot about someone who I've known for my whole life. I also learned to see Somer as not just "Som-Som", the older cousin, but Ms. Leathers, the teacher. Here are the emails that we sent:

My first email to Somer:

Somer,
For my EDM 310 Class, I have to email a teacher and see how that teacher uses technology in the classroom. Instead of searching online for a teacher from a state other than Alabama, I thought about you since you're in Georgia! Anyway, I would love to hear ways that you use technology, how you integrate technology in your classroom and maybe even so ways that you wish you could use technology more. Let's just try to stay on topic and NOT discuss what we'll be doing during Christmas!

Keller

Somer's reply:

I use technology a lot in my classroom. We use educational programs
> that we have bought to work on letters and number facts. We use those
> programs in the classroom every day during our center time and then
> at the end of a session (before lunch and before leaving). I also
> use the internet in my room for my kids to work on their letters and
> number also. We use starfall.com the most during these times. During
> our alphabet time, we get on the internet 3 days a week and learn
> things in a different way that we have been learning them in the room.
> Also, because of our Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA), we use the
> internet to learn about world topics. We look at CNN or newspaper
> articles on line to see what is going on in our area. I wish I could
> use technology more in my room. My kids have picked up on things off
> computer games and websites that I couldn't teach them.
>
> Hope that helps and answers your questions. If you need more, just let
> me know.
>
> Somer :-)

My reply:
>
Cool! Remind me which grades you have and what school you're at, the district, etc. I have to include all of that in my report. I looked at starfall.com. It looks like tons of educational fun! What is the Georgia Alternate Assessment?

Keller

Somer's reply:

I teach severe/profound special education. I have K-5. The school is
> Cherokee Elementary in Polk County Georgia.
> The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) is for those students who can't
> take the CRCT (that is like the SAT in Alabama) The
> GAA is on grade level work in English and Math for K-2, and English,
> Math, Science, and SS for 3-5. Teachers have a big portfolio with
> different evidences - observations, worksheets, captioned photos, data
> sheets, etc - that show kids who are not on grade level working on
> grade level things. It's a lot of work.
> Somer :-)

My second-to-last email to Somer:

Okay! Thanks so much for your help! I'll see you at Christmas!

Keller

My last email to Somer:

My report on this electronic contact will be posted on my EDM 310 blog at http://leatherskedm310fall08.blogspot.com/

Feel free to check it out!

Keller

I think that starfall.com is a great website. I was talking to my mother today and she said that she uses starfall.com a lot in her classroom too! Now, I've learned another great resource for my own classroom someday!
I felt it necessary to include a link to the report on my blog because I know that if someone were doing a report on me and my job, I would want to know what they said. Since Somer and I are first-cousins and have a lot in common, I think she would probably want to know what I wrote.
I am impressed that her students get online three days a week to research current events. I love/hate that she wants to be able to use technology more in her classroom I love that she uses technology and wants to incorporate more technology but I hate that she isn't able to use more technology at the current time. When Somer mentioned her students using computer games to learn criteria, I thought about Randy Pausch and the "head fake". Gee! Maybe I did learn (and remember) something this semester after all!

What I Think of Blogs in the Classroom Now...

I chose to read Bridget Thompson-Hall's EDM 310 Blog. Bridget is in my class and we are always having to help each other out with assignments. Bridget and I are also both from rural areas in Alabama and our respective hometowns are relatively close to one another. I, like Bridget, was very new to blogging when I started this class and although I had heard of blogging and have friends who blog religiously about their lives, I had never thought of using blogs in an educational setting.
I covered my views of classroom blogging in my podcast earlier this year but I really think that blogs have the potential to be great tools. In the classroom, blogs can be used in many constructive ways. As always though, there are always pros and cons to a tool and blogs are no exception. I see blogs as a great way for parents to keep in touch with what the students are doing. If a parent can log on and see what the assignments are for the week and what the students are learning about, that will save them from having to dig through their child's backpack for a note from school that may not have ever really made it into the backpack. Notes should still be sent home, since not all parents have Internet access. Also, students could use classroom blogging time to perfect creative writing skills in a "grown up" sort of way. Students could also spend time typing their spelling words. If a student has to type the word "cat", they must think "c", "a", "t" and put the letters together in the correct way. Typing spelling words is a way to spice up practicing words. Student may blog about things they like or dislike about school, such as they wish they had more bathroom breaks or times to go get water from the water fountain or that they really like when they get to act out their reading stories. Students could blog about things they are learning our in Social Studies or Science and maybe even type some Math Rules like writing out in words, "Two times two is equal to four."
However, in order for this wonderful classroom blogging to be able to work, the students must have Internet access. Many students will have Internet access at home but some may not. While the public library will probably have Internet access, the student must have a way to get to the library. If a student rides the bus straight home from school and Mama doesn't get home from work until 5:30 or so, then there is no time to go to the library. If the teacher wants the students to blog in class, which I think would be preferred so that the students could be well monitored, the teacher must be able to find time to allow the students to blog. Finding time for one more activity in the classroom is difficult but since the blogging could be integrated with other subjects, perhaps finding time to squeeze in some blogging would not be too difficult.
I have found blogging to be enjoyable but it is difficult to remember to blog. Since blogging must be done from a computer, it's not something that can be done on the go. Some homework can be taken and completed easily between college classes but blogging isn't like that. Also, if students do much of their homework on the bus ride home, then blogging must wait until later and probably will end up being forgotten. I do like blogging and I do think that in the appropriate classroom with students who are mature, blogging can dramatically reinforce classroom objectives.

Duke University- Center for Documentary Studies

I watched "Broken", a short documentary about HIV in South Africa. "Broken" shows a young girl being raped by her father and being denied help from her family since her family thinks she is lying about the incident. The main goal of this film is to stop the assaults that go on every day in South Africa and the assaults that increase the numbers of HIV/AIDS patients in South Africa. This was a very disturbing film but I feel that the things that tend to be most disturbing in life are the thing that need the most attention. The events that occur in this video are horrific and only show a glimpse of the horror that some children must endure. This behavior needs to stop and this film helps shed light on a very dark subject.
I also listened to "The South in Black and White". I prefer video pod casts to strictly audio pod casts and I really wish that there was some video footage to accompany this podcast. Duke University is holding a series of programs in a historic black church dealing with racism and southern culture and the influences of the two on the world. The programs will cover ideas, music, storytelling, and other things that contribute to Southern culture. The Duke lacrosse team cross burning was referenced several times in this podcast and seemed to be awkward. I really do wish though that this podcast had some video clips of the historic church and maybe some samples of the music and stories that this program would include.
I found both of these pod casts to be interesting but I do not know that either one would be appropriate in an elementary school classroom. However, I do think that as an individual and part of not only the community of the South but also the global community, both pod casts are beneficial to me and the enrichment of my own personal knowledge.

ACCESS Lab at Satsuma High School

Today, Crystal, Joye, and I visited the ACCESS Lab at Satsuma High School in Satsuma, Alabama. The facilitator of this lab is Ms. Jennifer Phillips. She was very friendly and ready to answer any of the many questions that we asked.From what Ms. Phillips said, we were not the first group of eager observers to ooh and ahh over the lab.

Currently, students take their classes online, much like a collegiate online course. They do not utilize live web feeds at this time. Next semester, however; classes will be taught from the Satsuma High School ACCESS Lab. Right now, the lab is used during all four class blocks with classes including English 12, Creative Writing, Latin, German, and Environmental Science. Not all of the students who are in the lab at the same time are taking the same course. In the lab block that we visited, students were taking Creative Writing and Latin, among other courses. The students who take the language courses must use a microphone attached to their computer in order to complete their coursework.Students are assigned a computer with a number for the entire school year. That is the only ACCESS computer that they will use.

Some students only take one class via ACCESS but there is one student who is taking three classes through the ACCESS lab. Students may work at their own pace, somewhat, since the online teacher has set firm deadlines that are strictly enforced. Students may do their coursework from school or at home during non-school hours. Students may not do their tests or quizzes from home. Students have a only one log-in chance to complete a quiz so they must be sure that they have adequate time left in class to finish the quiz. Most of the online tests can be taken over the course of a day or two with multiple log-in times allowed.
Starting next year, all incoming freshmen will be required to take one class through the ACCESS lab before they graduate. Student reception is varied, with some students thoroughly enjoying the program and others not being so keen on the lab. Student grades vary from A to E currently in the Satsuma lab. Ms. Phillips said that the reason for the worse grades is due to a lack of student motivation. Students can only be told so much to do their work. Whether or not they actually do their work is up to the individual student. Ms. Phillips did say that overall, ACCESS is a success at Satsuma and that students' grades in their ACCESS classes closely correspond with their grades in the regular classroom.
In order to become an ACCESS teacher, one must be a certified teacher and be hired by ACCESS, not by the school or school district and earn about three hundred dollars per student enrolled in their ACCESS class. ACCESS facilitators must be at least school aides and many librarians and library aides are ACCESS facilitators. At Satsuma High School, some ACCESS blocks are taught in the ACCESS lab and some are taught in the library. Ms. Phillips has been the facilitator at Satsuma High School since about the third week of this semester. The facilitator's main job is being sure that students behave and that the grades are turned in to the school counselor's office for progress reports and report cards. There is also a "rolling lab" that classroom teachers may check-out of the ACCESS lab to use in their regular classes.
All in all, I think that ACCESS is a great program and I can see where in many areas, it has the potential to be very successful. Not only does it offer a wide array of classes to students in areas that those classes would not normally be taught but it also allows students to have more of a choice in the classes that they take. When students are given choices, they will more than likely respond better to the course material. The students at Satsuma High School seemed to be enjoying their time in their class and appear to be well on their way to join the world of collegiate online classes. I'm not sure that I, as an elementary education major, could use ACCESS as much but perhaps for some of the music class, ACCESS would be useful. I know that funding is tight and that music teachers are rare. If there was an ACCESS teacher who taught general music, chorus, or maybe even some sort of instrument, students could learn even more skills. Music is a passion of mine and I would love to see many students touched by music. I think ACCESS could help achieve this goal.

Our very own pod casts!

Wow! We did it, y'all! We made our own pod casts! Yay for us! I am so proud of all of us for doing something new. I find that doing something new, even if it may be easier, is always harder than doing a more difficult version of something that we already do. Doing the pod casts really wasn't that hard. It was just a new thing for us to do.
With that being said, there is always room for improvement. With the pod cast that my group did, I think we could have practiced a bit more so that we were more comfortable with what we were talking about. I know that my absence from class the week before due to a horrendous migraine did not help matters any. It took Joy, Rachael, and me some time to really get the nervousness out and to feel confident talking about blogging. Again, another pro of blogging is that you can kind of hide behind your computer and not worry so much about having to try to conceal a very thick Southern accent.
I know that my own accent is very thick but I think I may have met my match in Bridget. The more that I listen to pod casts though, I think an accent makes the pod casts unique and helps to connect the voice with a person. Go ahead and say "y'all", Bridget. :D Bridget, Susan, and Angela talked about ACCESS and I think that the coolest part about their pod cast is that Susan actually attended class held by ACCESS.
Over all, I think that most of the pod casts could have benefited by being a bit more rehearsed and having the group members more comfortable with themselves, each other, and the topics at hand. However, I think that for the first time pod casting, we did pretty well!

Mathematics with Technology

This week, I listened to two podcasts hosted by Judy Chandler that dealt with Mathematics and Technology in everyday classroom settings. Judy Chandler is a math mentor trainer, technology integration specialist and a math teacher. She says that when she talks to most math teachers about using technology in their classrooms, they say that they do not have enough time to integrate technology into their lessons, that they need to finish the book before the final exam, that their students are doing well enough without using technology, or that they just don't understand the importance of using technology in their mathematics classrooms.Students have many conventional tools that they use in the math class but these conventional tools may not bring the topic as alive as using technological tools would. Implementing technology-centered mathematics lessons takes less time that teachers realize and may actually provide better use of class time. Also, Judy Chandler says that she has found that more lessons may be covered in less time with this technological approach to mathematics. In the second podcast, Ms. Chandler says that students should think mathematically and not just learn the rules and algorithms of mathematics. They should understand the "why" of mathematics. Technology can help students visualize the solutions to some math problems and help students see practical applications for their mathematics lessons. If students can think of math critically and by using questions, they can "learn how to learn" and can grasp the concepts more easily. Ms. Chandler ends both episodes of her Mathematics PodCasts by sharing this website http://www.noteshare.ACTEM.org/noteshare. She also gives us the public password, ACTEM, for this site. Ms. Chandler says that there are many helpful math and technology tools on this website.
Podcasts like this can be of help to me as a teacher because they help me to see other teachers' opinions. Ms. Chandler is a math teacher and talks with other math teachers and she has found that they do not have the same views on things. Maybe the way that my school does something is different from how another school does something. Neither way may be right nor wrong but I won't know of a different method unless I hear about it from someone and these podcasts provide ways to get new ideas from other teachers.
Also, podcasts about technology are more and more important in today's society since more and more people are becoming heavily dependent on technology. Without using technology, students may find the concepts boring or out-of-date. Also, since technology can help bring the subject alive, students find it easier to comprehend. Again, if my school doesn't use technology very much, I may not be fully aware of what sorts of resources are available to me for use in my classroom. Podcasts like this one, though, provide not only reasons why I should use technology but also websites to view in order to improve upon my use of technology in my classroom.

"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets

I watched the podcast produced by Stanford University entitled, " 'Growth' vs. 'Fixed' Mindsets in Learning". In this podcast, the argument is made that some students have the idea that their intelligence is "fixed" or that they can't improve their intelligence with practice. Some students think opposite of this. They think that their minds are expandable and can "grow". The beliefs that students have about their abilities tend to influence which activities they participate in and how they participate.
A study was done which involved students attending workshops that dealt with the "growth" idea and study skills and another set of workshops dealing with only the study skills. The students who attended just the study skills workshops did not really improve much in the classroom but the students who attended the study skills workshops and received the idea that their minds can grow did improve in the classroom. Students learned to compare their brains to a muscle that gets stronger with use. The skills the students learned in the growth mindset workshops caused such an improvement in the students' schoolwork that their teachers were able to tell a difference. The presenter of this information in the podcast then relates all of this information to race car driving and life in the business world. With both of these scenarios, people must learn to change and adapt and accept new ideas. Students with the growth mindset are able to flourish in these situations but students with the fixed mindset just feel inferior.
I can see this information being helpful in the classroom because if a student has the "fixed" mindset, they are not going to succeed and may eventually fall behind the other students. As a teacher, I should be continually on the lookout for which types of mindsets are in my class and how to help the students with the fixed mindsets see that their mind isn't just an unchanging object. I need to be able to encourage students to do better and to expand their minds. I also need to provide opportunities for them to stretch their brains and make their brains work without them really realizing that they are growing their brains. There are many ways that their brains can be stretched and strengthened and I will have to be able to employ several methods to help my class's brains grow and grow.

Accessibility for All

I am so glad that Mr. Sullivan took the time to educate us about not only the blind that may very well be in our future classrooms but also how to accommodate those students. I was not aware that there are so many different kinds of software to help visually impaired people in so many ways. I really liked the piece that was like a regular keyboard but was a blind person's computer. The fact that it is portable is very nice since I know that I use my own laptop very often. The software that spoke the website to the user was not as enjoyable to me. I assume that it could be loaded onto a laptop as well and then could be portable just like the other piece of equipment. Knowing that these technological resources and the agency that he works for are available is a tool that all teachers should have.

WGBH Podcasts.

I listened to the podcasts from the K-5 Section and I found some pretty neat videos on solar eclipses and the moon. I listened to "Solar Eclipses" first. It was hosted by Susan Stolovy of the SIRTF Science Center and produced by NASA/ JPL Caltech. Susan talked kind of fast which made it hard to understand her. The video defined the terms "umbra" and "penumbra". An umbra is the area inside a full solar eclipse and the penumbra is the area inside a partial solar eclipse. There was an animation to demonstrate how a solar eclipse takes place but it didn't last very long. It took a lot of attention to really make sense of the video. The video did point out that the moon is four hundred times smaller than Earth but that it is four hundred times closer to the sun than Earth is. If these proportions were different, there would not be a solar eclipse ever because the moon would either be too big and block the sun completely or the moon would be too close and would block the sun completely. This podcast was okay but I liked "Total Eclipse Animation" by NOVA "Eclipse of the Century" better. This video discussed most of the same principles and ideas but also had some new facts, such as the stages of the eclipse and that the solar atmosphere that is seen during a solar eclipse is known as the corona. This podcast also had some animation to help demonstrate the concept. With the two videos combined, I think students could probably grasp the concept. I like that these videos were not very long. Each video was just over a minute long. I also watched a third video, "Why Doesn't the Moon Fall Down?", produced by NASA/ JPL Caltech. It was hosted by Doris Daou of the SIRTF Science Center. I learned some new things from this video! The moon is actually always falling toward Earth but because of the rate and direction of the fall, the moon will never hit Earth. The moon is never falling down in the same direction because the moon spinning quickly about its axis causes the moon to fall in a path that ends up rotating around Earth. If the moon spun any faster, it would spin out of control and out of its path around Earth. If it spun any slower, it would fall into Earth due to Earth's gravitational pull. This explains the moon's orbit around Earth.
I really like the video and audio podcasts much better than the podcasts that are just audio. These could very well be of use in a classroom because having a short video that gets right to the point of an issue and illustrates it well is beneficial. The animation of difficult topics really brings the topic alive for students and helps them put the facts that they know into play.
Also, since these videos were all short and the three of them combined didn't take up much more than five minutes (if even that long), they could easily be integrated into a day of class. Lengthy videos or videos that require a teacher to "find the spot" of interest in them are hard to fit into an already busy day. I know that I had teachers who battled often with the VCR or DVD player, trying to find where we left off with a long video or where the information was on the video that we needed for that day. The short time span of the video is also good since most children do not have very long attention spans. Long videos also provide one of the best opportunities for sneaking in a nap and that is never a good thing for the teacher or the student.
I really do think that podcasts like this will definitely be beneficial and readily useful in a classroom.

Alabama Virtual Library

The Alabama Virtual Library is a resource that is free to residents of the state of Alabama and made possible by the legislature of Alabama. Any resident of the state of Alabama may receive a card from their local public library. The card is good for three years and may be renewed at the same library or if the user has moved, at their new local library for another three years. An Alabama Virtual Library Card allows users to access numerous newspaper articles, journals, databases, and magazines from a computer.
Since this service is available to all residents and is free to all, it ensures that people may educate themselves on almost any topic that they chose. All they have to do is visit their local library. This is a great service that the state of Alabama provides for its citizens.
I attended public school in the state of Alabama and I had an Alabama Virtual Library Card. My classmates and I constantly were using the Alabama Virtual Library for research papers, science fair projects, etc. We were able to have access to materials that I know our school system could never afford. The website was very user friendly and provided my classmates and I with wonderful resources. I am sure that by now my card has expired but I just may go get it renewed the next time I have a chance.

More Podcasts!

I liked these podcasts better than the previous podcasts. Since these are available as video, I found it easier to stay focused on what topics.
The Edible Schoolyard is in California and is a garden that students cultivate while learning basic skills. Ecoliteracy is the main theme of this podcast. Ecoliteracy is using the environment to learn. This concept reminded me of the monks of the Middle Ages and how they knew so much about science and math. These students are also learning much about science and math through agriculture. Students were also having to apply the skills that are usually taught in the classroom and that application of skills reinforces the need for the skills. The teachers on the video were able to explain the water cycle, multiplication, and even social studies all while using the garden. They explained the water cycle using the dew that is on plants in the early morning. They taught multiplication and fractions as they made pumpkin pies from pumpkins they had grown. The students were told that the recipe called for one and a half cups of an ingredient and then asked what that would be if they doubled the recipe. Since the variety of pumpkin that they were about to cook was a French variety, they also were able to tie in social studies. The students in the podcast were middle school students. A garden of this sort not only teaches knowledge that is usually in a textbook but also pride, self-worth, and the fact that they are needed. All of the students were so proud of what they had accomplished and realized that they all had a job to do in the success of the garden. This concept of using a garden to teach skills also reminds me of a project that my fourth grade class did. We hatched chickens from "yard eggs" in an incubator in our classroom. We would break an egg every few weeks to be able to track the development of the chick. We learned about the development of animals and we also were able to get a real sense of time due to the fact that we had to wait a certain amount of time for the chicks to hatch. We, like the students in the video, also were able to gain some personal knowledge when some of the chicks died after hatching. We learned how to handle emotions and death. I truly believe that learning in such an environment is an ideal situation and one that leaves a lasting impression on a student.
The second podcast was also in video form.This video takes place on Heifer Ranch in Colorado. The students that visit this ranch take part in a Global Village experiment. The students are randomly assigned in groups to a country and then must live as people in that country live for twenty four hours. The students are given limited supplies and very primitive living conditions. No group is given all of the supplies that they will need. This forces the groups to barter and trade with each other for the necessities. These students are able to get a first hand account of what it is like to truly be hungry, to desperately need something that someone else has, and to be forced to beg for basic goods. Students said that they feel that they learned a lot during their experience but that they still may not have gotten the complete experience since they knew that the next day would be a normal day with food, running water, electricity, etc. This experience seems like a a good experience for some children but I just do not know that I would have enjoyed, as a middle school child, being in the wilderness for twenty four hours with limited supplies and having to beg to have my needs met. I don't know that I would particularly like this now or even being outside for twenty four hours with all of the supplies that I would need. This kids really stepped outside of their comfort zones and did well to think of the good that comes from empathy rather than sympathy.
I think that podcasts like this could be of use to me as a teacher since they involve other children. Children are nosy and love to know what other children are up to. Being able to see that children in other areas can learn in other ways could possibly prompt students to take a look at the world around them and see how they can learn from everyday objects. I am from a rural area and I know that if the children in my area could see that the daily tasks that many of them have to do have a practical application, they would not only enjoy their chores a bit better but also be reinforcing the skills that they learn in the classroom without even realizing it.
With the Global Village podcast, since it raises awareness for world events and needs, I think that other podcasts along the same lines would be beneficial when we do different canned food drives and other events to help the less fortunate. Many children simply do not understand the need to do charity work. Many schools and organizations will reward the class or group who does the most charity work or donates the most cans. Then, children will do whatever they can to outdo each other and win the award. I think that if children were able to see the reason why they do the charity work, then they would be more apt to participate in activities to help those in need when they are adults.
I also think that since these podcasts are in a video format, these would be more useful in a classroom than just audio podcasts. Since some children are visual learners, some are auditory learners, and others may have attention problems, a video with audio may meet the needs of the majority of the class. I found it hard to pay attention to the podcasts that were just audio and wished that they had some sort of video, graphic, or something to look at. I do like the fact that the podcasts deal with children and have interviews from children on them so that students can see that this relates to them.

Podcasts!

I am late with the post that I should have done last week. I had a horrible migraine Wednesday and Thursday and looking at the computer screen or listening to the podcasts would not have been a wise thing to do since light and sound only make my migraines worse. :(
I started off by listening to the SmartBoard Lessons Pocast, Episode 147: Student Interaction. It is hosted by Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger. This podcast started off kind of off the topic. For about the first three and a half minutes, the hosts discussed Ben's cold and joked around. They discussed Ben's huge ego and his goal of the two hosts one day hosting a morning radio show. They then moved on with discussing some housekeeping issues and contact information for themselves. Ben and Joan then did some more ego boosting. This is already about five minutes into the podcast and they really haven't said anything about the topic of the day. Joan finally started to share some websites that she found or heard about that were interesting but Ben kept interrupting her and being sarcastic. By now, I had already lost interest in this podcast. They were just being silly and wasting time. At almost directly the seven minute mark, Joan eventually tells everyone of a tool (or toy) that does apply to the SmartBoard. There is a website that allows visitors to access a screen that looks like a piece of bubble wrap and then proceed to "pop" the bubbles. I have been to this site a few years ago and it can be addicting if there is truly nothing else for one to be doing. Joan talked about how this can be used on a SmartBoard and how instead of having to reload the site, one can just click on Fresh Sheet and get a new piece of virtual bubble wrap. This is not an educational tool at all unless maybe you count the bubbles. It would be a fun alternative to counting blocks or another object. You could count the bubbles as you pop them. Joan didn't make this connection. I just thought that maybe the bubble wrap could be integrated into the classroom setting. After the bubble wrap segment, they again started with their nonsense yet kept reminding themselves that they were on an educational program and should be discussing how to use a SmartBoard in an educational setting. This podcast is a good example of what not to do on a podcast. Be focused and get to the point within the first ten minutes.
The next podcast that I listened to was Kidcast #56- Questions Make The World Go Round. It is hosted by Dan Schmit. He was doing the podcast from the Thatcher School in California. The Thatcher School is a private, residential high school during the school year and is a conference center for teachers for one month during the summer. The school hosts Teach the Teachers Collaborative which is a series of workshops. With the school being in the almost wilderness, it provides a setting that allows teachers to be out of their usual environment and really think about the topics that they are learning and focus. Mr. Schmit had been working with some science teachers about ways to mix science and technology. One way that the two could work together would be to do podcasts about topics of study. Mr. Schmit said that the teachers had alot of questions for him and he had alot of questions for them. This led him to think about questions. He said that questions make good podcasts. Instead of podcasts just being a way for students to get information about a topic or assignment, students could use podcasts as a way of asking questions with the goal of really getting an answer or reaching a conclusion. Schmit shared "The Question Game". In the Question Game, players may only speak in question form. Questions have to be relative to previous questions. If teachers would record these questions as a podcast, they could then have students and others review them and find the "best question". I don't like the idea of finding the "best question". I don't really believe that any question is any better than another question. Anyway, the game is just a way to get students thinking and asking questions and getting outside sources to comment also. Schmit also talked about asking questions in a pyramid sort of form. Start with very basic questions (who, what, when, where, why). Then move to deeper questions that deal with understanding a topic (If this, then...). Next, ask questions that concern the application of the topic (Is this an example of... OR Is this not an example of...). The fourth group of questions that need to be asked are questions of analysis. These questions will be used to research the topic more in depth. This sounded like the kind of questions that are used to begin a science fair project. The final set of questions that should be asked are questioning the evaluation of the topic (Is this really true? Is this the only case?) If these questions are asked in a podcast the podcast is more fun for the students to do and it also makes the thought process more fun. Schmit said to start with the evaluation question as a jumping off point and then to go back through the other steps starting with the basic questions so that the class will end up with the evaluation question. This podcast was much better than the other podcast. It was short and simple. Schmit also talked briefly about a podcast competition that was being held so that KidCast could have a library of examples of their tools. Schmit did a very good job podcasting. Maybe that's why he wrote a book on podcasting in the classroom.
EdTechTalk was the next podcast that I listened to. EdTechTalk had many teachers all talking with many guests. The topic of this session was Voice Thread. I still have no idea was Voice Thread is after listening to the first ten minutes of this podcast. The hosts kept talking about different books they were reading about the brain. They did have some interesting points about the brain, such as brains working better while the body is moving about and brains work better when the body is comfortable. One speaker said that she tried to teach her class some history facts while they marched around the room and that the students remembered the facts better than they usually would do. Another speaker said that she allows her students to do their work at their desks, on a bean bag chair, etc. so that they are comfortable. This podcast was very confusing and distracting since the main speaker kept randomly speaking to people as they joined the chat room that was the hub of this podcast. She kept thanking them for joining the chat room so that they could help her with the podcast. Also, the sound of her keyboard clicking was very, very distracting. The main speaker, I never caught her name, kept saying how much she loved Voice Thread and how her kids in her classroom already know what Voice Thread is in the third week of school. I am glad that her kids know what Voice Thread is because after nine minutes of this podcast about Voice Thread, I had and still have no clue what Voice Thread is. The presenter seemed to be doing a billion things at one time and was very distracted. After ten minutes of the podcast, the special guests are finally introduced. The special guests are the two creators of Voice Thread. After over ten minutes of this distracted mess, I didn't even care to learn what Voice Thread is.
The last podcast I listened to was This Week in Photography, 051:Three's a Crowd. The title said it was hosted by Alex Lindsay and Scott Bourne. Only Scott hosted this podcast. He did have some guests with him, Steve Simon, Ron Brinkman, and some man named just Aaron. They talked for a while about some new forms of cameras that are available and some retouching software. There is software now that can take a photograph and make facial features "prettier". The guys had a great time with this and joked a lot about what "prettier" really is. They were funny but did have a good point, what is "prettier?". They also talked some about Microsoft's photo software but none of them had ever tried it. They are all Mac users and were very adamant in their loyalty to the Mac system. I wish that they had tried it so that they could have given some real life examples about problems and capabilities of the program. They said that they wanted others to try it and give them feedback. They did a pretty good job with their podcast. I just wish that they would try the software themselves so that they could describe it better than just giving the specifications of it that are on the box.
These podcasts did show some good points and bad points of podcasting and some dos and don'ts of podcasting. These podcasts show the benefits of being well prepared and focused instead of doing several things at once or just kind of winging it. These podcasts also showed the toll that background noise can take on a podcast and how it can distract the listener. I hope that we don't make these same mistakes in our own podcasts.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Wow. Originally, I thought this was going to be a very sad, sappy lecture given that it truly was Pausch's last lecture ever. Everyone who attended the lecture knew that Pausch was battling cancer and that Pausch would likely lose his battle. Pausch opens the lecture by addressing just that. He had cancer. He had been invited to give a last lecture. By Pausch outright address what was on everyone's mind, he lightened the mood a bit. He also challenged people to know what you can change and what you can't change and to go from there.
When Pausch talked about his time at ETC, he talked about field trips to Pixar and the real life application of the programs, such as helping the fire department. Students learn more and learn easier when they can not only have fun but also see a real life application to their studies. I know that this is true in my own studies. If I can see a way that I can really use what I am learning, I learn it quicker, easier, and more willfully.
Pausch also talked about "Alice", a program to help children use technology. Children can create their own movies and video games. This program not only teaches computer programming skills, which is in higher demand everyday, but also makes students work some with storytelling and creative writing. "Alice" is a "head fake", meaning that it causes students to learn without realizing they are learning. Pausch says that students will "have fun while learning something hard".
Pausch later talks about creativity and life tips. Teachers should also teach some form of life tips in addition to their coursework. He says to give kids freedom. He uses an illustration about painting a bedroom and how he was allowed to paint his bedroom how he wished when he was a child. He painted an elevator on one wall, a submarine, things he would like to have or was interested in. Let children be creative and give them freedom to create how they want.
Perhaps the greatest bits of knowledge that Pausch gives to others are to keep your arrogance in check, truly sell education like a salesman would do, never lose childlike wonder, and to help others. However, the theme that underscores all of Randy Pausch's last lecture is to have fun!

The Traill International School uses a blog to update everyone about upcoming school events. This seems to work fairly well and the students must enjoy the blog because the school has a post about joining the after school bloggers club. With an international school having many students, from many backgrounds, a blog seems to be a good way for everyone to keep in touch. This blog even has a post from a former teacher who is now teaching elsewhere. This blog is excellent!http://traillschoolblogs.com/

The Shu Ren International School blog is similar in structure to the Traill International School blog. The Shu Ren blog is also used by teachers and administrators to keep students and parents updated on events at the school. This blog has several pictures which I think are nice. This school is in California and works with students in Mandarin and English. The blog is in English though. Perhaps later, the blog can be in Mandarin and English.http://shurenschool.wordpress.com/

Grandview Library uses blogs to encourage their students to write. These blogs are mainly just students writing about themselves. Students are advised to proof their work before posting and not all students do so. The reading is still enjoyable and the best part is that the students are writing. Students are not allowed to use their real names or post any pictures for their own safety and privacy but their are still graphics on the site to make it inviting to children. I have not been able to post any of the pictures because they won't allow me to, so I can't put an example of the cute pictures. I like this idea of blogging as a way of getting children to write. http://063dblog.learnerblogs.org/
http://www.deerlake.leon.k12.fl.us/Student%20Monthly%20Blog/Student%20Blog%201%2028%2008.pdf This blog is from Deerlake Middle School. It is basically a way for students to sound-off about changes they want with their school and some helpful tips for their peers. I really like this because the best way to know what to change about your school is to ask the students and this has the students actually responding to questions. I like the health and fitness tips on the blog. Most students in middle school are self-conscious and this segment is a great way for students to learn reliable information about their health. I also like the helpful hint at the bottom of the page about procrastination because everyone has issues with procrastination. This blog doesn't have any pictures or graphics on it but with middle school students, graphics may not really be necessary.

ACCESS

ACCESS, according to the PowerPoint presentation about ACCESS on the state of Alabama website, "provides high-quality classroom courses and teachers via technology." The state of Alabama outlines the vision, mission, and goal of the ACCESS program. The vision is that "the state of Alabama will provide equal access to high quality instruction to improve student achievement through distance learning opportunities." The mission is "to provide an infrastructure that delivers high quality learning opportunities for all citizens" and the goal is "to provide additional educational offerings for all Alabama public high school students."
ACCESS works by two-way videoconferencing, meaning that students may interact with the teacher in real time, or by being a web-based class, meaning that students must go online to view the class materials. Depending on the school and the class, either method may be used. ACCESS appears to be a wonderful opportunity because it forces the student to become more self-sufficient and rely on themselves and their own ambition even more since the classroom teacher isn't in the room with them. ACCESS could possibly make students more prepared for the college environment since student would already be used to getting information for themselves. There are always some issues when technology is involved because technology doesn't always work the way it is intended to work, however; the negatives of using technology in this way are outweighed by the benefits of bringing higher levels of learning to rural or poor schools and making students better prepared for the future.

ALEX

ALEX is an acronym for Alabama Learning Exchange. The ALEX website is really a database for teachers in the state of Alabama that allows them to share useful tips with each other. The ALEX website has links that allow teachers to view the courses of study and lesson plans, search the web for helpful websites and websites that can aid professional development, and provides links to ACCESS learning as well as other helpful tools for teachers.
Everything on the ALEX website is broken down very well and makes it easy to search for exactly what is needed. The courses of study and the lesson plans are divided by grade level and by subject. There is also an ALEX search engine to search the ALEX site and it also allows you to set limits on what is needed to make searches more efficient. The ALEX website is a great resource for any teacher to have since it puts all necessary information right at the push of a button.
I see ALEX to be very useful in a classroom since it has the potential to answer any question that may arise in the teaching field. Everyone needs an example at some point in time and I think that the sample lesson plans are a wonderful item. I tend to do most work later in the evening and if I were to have a question, I would not be able to contact an individual because of the late hour. With ALEX, I can look up the answer to my question and continue working without having to bother anyone.

My Presentation!

Okay, I feel like I have been talking about myself way too much already and now I have to write about my presentation which is, again, about me. I really hope that Google doesn't decide to crash during presentations like it did last night during class.
I've been thinking about some topics for my presentation and since we have to have at least 12 slides, I think I may need to come up with at least 12 different topics. I think I may do a slide for each member of my family and then my hobbies. Then my presentation will be about the things I love and the things I love make me who I am! So, the 12 things I love are :

1. My parents
2. My Mimi
3. My Mamaw
4. My boyfriend, Grey Davis
5. My puppy, Remington Beauregard
6. My guinea pig, Victoria Rose
7. My other (and older) puppy, Maymie Virginia
8. My sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta
9. The Blue Angels
10. Football
11. Dance
12. Singing

I can't wait to get started on this presentation. It is common knowledge that people love to talk about themselves so just remember that as I tend to get long-winded when I talk about the things I love!

Keller

Hey y'all! I'm Keller. I've never done a blog before so we'll see how this goes. I've never realized how hard it is to write about myself until this very moment. I'm an elementary education major. My mother is an elementary special needs teacher, both of my first cousins are elementary teachers, my aunt is a teacher, and most of my distant cousins are teachers. I guess some things are just inherited. I'm an only child and my parents and I are extremely close. I grew up in Grove Hill, Alabama. I love being in Mobile for school but Grove Hill is home. I chose South originally because I was a biomedical sciences major with plans of going to medical school. I did well in my biomedical sciences classes and had several years of volunteer experience at a local hospital. When it came down to it though, my heart really wasn't in it. I liked the idea of having a great title and making lots of money but I did not like the idea of being away from my future family so much. After some thinking, I realized what I was meant to do so now I'm an elementary education major. My family, my boyfriend, and my sorority sisters have been there for me through all of this deliberation and I am forever grateful for the many times they all have heard me sheepishly say, "So...I've been thinking and...".
Speaking of my sorority, I'm an Alpha Gamma Delta and I absolutely love it! My sisters are my heart. I can not stand being away from them and I truly do not know what I will do when I have to leave them. If any of you ladies are interested in sorority life, feel free to talk to me about it. I was not Greek for an entire year of college and going Greek was one of the best decisions I made. There is a popular quote in sorority life that says, "From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it." Sororities are so much more than a bunch of giggling, half-grown girls acting silly. Alpha Gamma Delta raises money for the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation. The Foundation, in turn, provides leadership opportunities, scholarships, and SIS grants to the sisters. The Foundation also devotes a huge portion of its time and funding to diabetes research and education, especially in the area of juvenile diabetes.
Okay, this is enough about me. I have to leave some surprises for my presentation!