Monday, November 29, 2010

Final Report : PLN

My PLN

Facebook
Gmail
Google
USA Webpage
USA Online
Aol
Blogger
Twitter
Weather.com
Youtube
Blogsites

The main additions to my PLN is mostly just following different people and their blog sites. By reading others blogs it always gives me something new to learn and information that I can hopefully use in the future.

C4T # 4

I Tossed My Teachers Desk

In this post Mr. Joe Bower explains why he decided to take his desk out of the classroom and how he will know when it was a successful decision.
I commented that I do not remember ever being in a classroom without a teachers desk when I was growing up. I also liked when he said he will know it was a success if when he sits down by a student and they act like nothing changed. I told him how I remembered always being nervous when my teachers sat by me or came and watched me do my work.


Pedagogy of the Oppressed

In this post Mr. Bower is reading Paulo Freire's book The Pedagogy of the Oppressed. He explains the concern of what Friere calls the banking concept in education and how teachers need to change the way they are teaching.
I commented that I can relate to the banking concept because the majority of my proffessors just lecture through a powerpoint presentation, and as students we just memorize the facts the night before the test and then forget them the next day.

C4K # 8-11 and Yasmine Assignment

Food Chain

In this post the class posted pictures of themselves making food chains because they were learning about animals and what they eat.
I commented that I thought it was good to learn all the different species and what they eat. Also I liked that they were all working together in the pictures.


Scribbler of Dreams

In this post Erin is writing a reading response in her journal about the book Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson. She gives the summary of what she has read so far, what she wants and expects to happen next, and who she would recommend the book to.
I commented that her post was well written and thorough. Also, that I liked how she was thinking critically about the book when she wrote her response.


The Massive Planets

In this post the class created a Kerpoof picture to help them remember the order of the planets.
I commented that I enjoyed their Kerpoof picture and that I thought it could really help students remember the order of all the planets.


A Weird Ride

In this post Maggie talks about her experience on a roller coaster ride and explains how it felt.
I commented that her post was very descriptive because it made me feel right there in the action and that I also love riding roller coasters.


Fun in Tunisia

In this post she shows a picture of her riding a horse in Tunisia.
I commented that it is great that she enjoys horses. Also that I remembered riding a horse when I was younger and that hopefully I would get the chance to ride again.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Project # 15

Blog Assignment 13

ALEX is a website that can help any educator learn and share knowledge in their classrooms. The website has won some awards such as 2007 Honorable Mention, and the 2008 and 2009 Digital Education Achievement Award. It has a lot of different links you can look at that can be of good use such as Courses of Study, Web Links, Lesson Plans, Personal Workplace, Professional Learning, Podcast Treasury, and ALEXville.

I think this website could really help me when I become a teacher. Once I click on the Physical Education tab I can find plenty of activities to do for my students if I ever run out of ideas. I can also watch podcast to help me stay up to date with new ideas. I think this is a great website and I will definitely keep it in mind later when I become a teacher.

Additional Assignment # 5

Just Teach Them to Solve for X

In this post he explains the use of metaphors. In his Math class he was having his students draw pictures and then having them explain it with metaphors. During this, another teacher came in and was arguing that using metaphors was basically pointless and it was only going to make it more confusing for the kids. The funny part was, the teacher was using metaphors to get his point across.


Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils

In this post he is helping another teacher understand why her middle school students are acting like they are and misbehaving. To do this he uses a metaphor to explain how their life is turning gray instead of just always being black and white before. Things are changing in there life and they want to be treated like adults and kids at the same time. He tells the other teacher that she is living life in ink because she only see life in one permanent way, but he is living it in pencil because he can see both sides.


He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils

In this post he explains how he runs his classroom and how he allows freedom as long as the students are doing what is right, and also how he is strict if they are not. He also gives another example of a student that was acting out in other classes but was not in his. The other teachers said it was because he had all the resources and computers(Pencils) in his room. After the other teachers shamed both him and the student in the meeting the kid says I don't like your class just because of the "pencils." This shows how much respect and trust he has with his students and I hope some day I will have the same.


The Medium Shapes the Learning

In this post he talks about using new tools and technology to teach our lessons. His main focus was to show people that he "simply wants us to recognize that whatever tools we choose will reshape learning in ways that we often fail to recognize."

Friday, November 12, 2010

Project # 6 Google Form Results

Summary See complete responses

Who won the 2009 BCS national championship in college football?

Florida Gators 4 17%
Texas Longhorns 1 4%
Alabama Crimson Tide 17 74%
Oklahoma Sooners 0 0%


The University of South Alabama is in the Sunbelt Conference?

True 15 68%
False 7 32%


The Auburn Tigers head coach is?

Nick Saban 2 9%
Urban Meyer 7 30%
Gene Chizik 14 61%


The SEC stands for what conference?

southeastern conference, south eastern confrence, Southeastern Conference,South Eastern Confrence, South East Conference,dont know,south eastern conference,Southeastern Conference,south eastern conference,Sout...

Which is Mississippi State's mascot?

Rebel 5 22%
Gators 1 4%
Tigers 1 4%
Bulldogs 15 65%


The University of Alabama is located in Birmingham, Alabama?

True 4 18%
False 18 82%


How many national championships does the University of Alabama have?

5 7 30%
10 2 9%
13 14 61%


The colors of the Tennessee Volunteers are Orange and White?

True 21 95%
False 1 5%


How many football teams are there in the SEC?

12 5 10 20 15 10 3 6 13 12 12 15 10 20 8 8 no clue 22 no clue 21 8 12


Joey Jones is the head coach for which football team?

Ole Miss Rebels 3 13%
Troy Trojans 2 9%
South Alabama Jaguars 16 70%
Alabama Crimson Tide 0 0%


I was pleased with the results I had on my questionnaire that I shared with other students in EDM 310. Since I am on the USA football team and I also want to be a coach one day my questionnaire was on college football. It is easy to tell that people love the game of football and that everybody is aware of what is going on around it.
For the most part everybody answered all the questions pretty well. Even though it is funny most of the students know more about other college football teams around the south than they do South Alabama's football team, from what I could see. Overall I enjoyed this project and I think it was a success.

Progress on Final Project

I have gotten in touch with my group and we have planned a time to meet next week on our final project. I am sure it will be fun and we will do a great job.

Blog Assignment 12

Since all of you are in the field of education, you should all get some experience communicating with younger students and using the program Skype. In this post you will get in touch with a future student in EDM 310 that I have shared with you. Then you will conduct an interview with them on what to expect from this class and any advice you want to leave with them.
Here is an example video that I made while working on another Skype project. I hope that this helps out.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Blog Assignment 11

Ms. Cassidy

I really enjoyed both videos with Ms. Cassidy. It was amazing to see those young first graders working on laptops and writing blogs. When I was in first grade I do not even think I knew how to turn on a computer much less use the internet and write blogs. I liked that she is using technology with her students and that she has a class blog set up for them. I agree with her that it really gives them a central hub to go to and know what sites to look at and learn from.
Out of all the techniques I would probably use the student blog sites because it really looks like they enjoy it. I also think that when they see all the page views and people looking at their blogs that it will inspire them to keep working and learning. I think the biggest impediment would be that they might go to different sites that are not of use in the classrooms. The only way I think to stop that is what Ms. Cassidy said just to talk and educate them on what to do and what to look for.
I think the benefits would be endless by using any technology with younger kids. The older they get the more they should be learning or even creating in the future. Like the video said "Little Kids...Big Potential."

C4K # 3-7

Digger Comes To School

In this post Henry drew a picture of a noisy digger digging a big hole in the ground outside of his school.
I commented that it was a very well drawn picture and that I could tell he had a lot of talent.


Holidays Are Here

In this post Beth is excited to tell everyone that her school is on a two week break and that she is going on vacation to Bali for the second time. She also asks where are our favorite vacation spots.
I commented that I was glad that she is having a fun holiday break. I also told her that my favorite vacation destination was in Gulf Shores, Alabama since I have not been outside the United States.


Paul Revere...Journal 3

In this post Tanner was pretending he was writing in a journal about Paul Revere. Tanner writes "I was home at the time when I heard commotion, I ran outside and seen Paul Revere on his horse yelling a message it sounded like ”The British Are Coming”. Before this day Paul told Robert Newman to put up two lanterns if the British were coming by sea and one if the British were coming by land. I turned to look to see if I could see any lights, I could the British were coming by land! Paul was later captured."
I commented that I enjoyed his post because it was exciting and I felt like I was really there in the action.


My Favorite Sport

In this post Dylan says his favorite sport is football and he has been playing for 3 years. His brothers talked him into playing.
I commented that football is also my favorite sport and that I am on the football team at the University of South Alabama.


My Biome Project

In this post Dylan E. made a picture of animals in the tundra and he is going to teach it to the second graders.
I commented that his picture can really help to learn about the tundra.

C4T # 3

Photo Magic

In this post Ann Carnevale talks about a new online tool called WebInPaint, that can remove pieces of and image without leaving a big black spot in it. She also gave an example of a before and after picture that she used the tool on.
I commented that not only can this be used in the classroom but also for any personal pictures that u want to save. I also told here that I planed on using WebInPaint in the future.

Computer Centers:Take 2

In this post Ms Carnevale talks about "how to get students to use classroom computers as a center for meaningful learning." She gives steps to take to help the teachers achieve this like, how to manage the rotation of students using the computers, what activities to teach and learn, and how to make cards to tape on the desktop that gives instructions on how to save and print.
I commented that I was glad she shared this with us and that it can help a lot of teachers. I also liked how she gave us some example pictures of how to set up the instruction cards and put them on the desktops.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Blog Assignment 10

Morgan Bayda and Dan Brown's An Open Letter To Educators

Ms. Bayda's post and Dan Brown's video both were very interesting and I can definitely relate to them. I also find it very miserable and exhausting to sit through all these lecture classes that last hours. It is extremely hard to stay focused for the entire time. The school systems really need to start understanding that the world is changing and new technology is always being developed and learn to adapt with it. I am definitely in favor of using all the technology possible in the classroom if that is what is necessary for students to learn and stay focused.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

I really liked this post because it shows how a lot of people look at the test scores and research without really even thinking about it critically. I like how he focused on how to solve the problem. It was a great post.

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

Whats my sentence?

Since I want to be a coach in the future I would have to say my sentence is "I will do everything in my power to help young children grow into well rounded and successful adults and to help them achieve their goals."

Was I better today than yesterday?

I think that to get better everyday should be the goal for everyone, but I am not sure that everyone can get better every single day because everyone has bad days. Overall, I do think I am getting better than I was in the past. This is a question that I do need to start asking myself everyday if I want to be great at what I do.

Additional Assignment #3

What do you think is the most important thing Sir Ken Robinson says in this presentation?

The most important part I think is just the overall question how do we educate our children? I think this will always be wondering through peoples mines.

Is there anything you disagree with in this presentation?

I think everything he says in the video is really well thought out and I agree with everything he says.

How congruent are Sir Ken Robinson's positions with those which you are being taught in the College of Education.

I believe it is pretty different because growing up through school I have always thought or been told that we get smarter and think more critical as we age and learn. In his video he states otherwise that we are more divergent learners and critical thinkers as we are younger and it gets worse as we age.

What can you do to address the issues Sir Robinson raises?

Just continue to try and learn and discover. Always keep your mind open to new opportunities to learn.

What do you think of the presentation? If you had to do a presentation with others like this, what role on your team would you like most to play?

I think it was an excellent presentation. I loved the way he used the art and drew it in as the speech went along. I would like to be the artist because I enjoy drawing and being creative. Although I am not sure I could do as good of a job as the artist did in the video

Monday, October 18, 2010

Blog Assignment 9

What I've Learned This Year

In this post Mr. McClung talks about what he learned his first year as an elementary teacher in Noel, Missouri. He gives a lot of great insight for what to expect for all future educators. Some of the great things he learned and shared in his post was to read the crowd, be flexible, communicate, be reasonable, don't be afraid of technology, listen to your students, and lastly never stop learning. The one that really interest me was to listen to your student because I think building relationships with your students is the most important aspect of being a teacher. I hope in my future I can earn all my students trust and be able to be a good role model to them.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Blog Assignment 8

This Is How We Dream

Richard Miller's two videos were about using technology in classrooms. In his first video he talks about having to write an article about the shooting at the University of Virginia Tech a few years ago. He explains how he never had to step foot into a library because he did all his research using the internet.
In the second video Mr. Miller explains how easily articles and information can be changed on the internet, unlike books that has been printed and published they can not be changed. He also talks about a certain software that allows you to imagine ideas and then to create them online.
I think the more I learn I will be better prepared to write with multimedia. I also think that future students will be able to do this because of the way our generation picks up and adapts to new technology today, it will only get better.

The Chipper Series and EDM 310 For Dummies

Both of the videos basically gave ways to help you get through EDM 310 by working hard and using good time management techniques. My idea of creating a video would just to make a short instructional video on all the tools and equipment we use in our class for future students to look at for advice.

Critiques of Smartboards

After reading these to articles I definitely can agree with some points of their arguments. I really liked the quote by Sylvia Martinez “You can’t buy change. It’s a process, not a purchase. The right shopping list won’t change education.” Even though I can see where the authors of these two articles are coming from, I still think that it can be useful. In both of there articles they both said the Smartboard keeps the kids interested during class. That right there is enough to make me want to use a Smartboard because I would much rather have kids a little interested in my class than a sleep in the back of the classroom. Here is a blog that explains the other side of these articles arguments Teachers Love Smartboards"

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Additional Assignment #2

1. Yes, I definitely think learners can teach themselves just about anything if they are motivated.

2. Yes, I also think kids can teach themselves certain things, but kids always need a little guidance.

3. I think they just have to be motivated and want to learn.

4. I think the internet plays a major role in this because you can find just about anything you want to know if you just sit down and research it.

5. I think motivation is the key because without it people would have no focus on what they are doing.

6. I think their are always going to be questions, but you can not always consider them a problem. You just have to keep working until you get it right.

7. Always encourage them.

8. I am motivated because I want to be good at what I do and I want a good job.

9. I do not think people who are not motivated can learn too much.

10. I do teach myself as much as I can until I do not understand something, then I ask for help.

11. When I get stuck or need advice that is when a teacher plays a role in my learning.

12. That everyone can learn if given the opportunity and right materials.

13. What else can we do to further help less privileged kids around the world?

Friday, October 8, 2010

Blog Assignment 7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

I thought this was a really inspirational speech from the beginning. From the start he told people he had cancer and he only had about six months to live, but he said do not pity me. He even talked about how great of shaped he was in and started doing push ups. Dr. Pausch made a lot of good points throughout his last lecture for everyone to listen to.
He first began by telling about each of his childhood dreams and then went on to show how he achieved all of them, or at least achieved more important things from them. He got to do such things like: ride on the "vomit comet" and experience zero gravity, meet his boyhood idol Captain Kirk, was an author of an article in The World Book Encyclopedia, and also be a Disney Imagineer. He shows that you should never give up on your childhood dreams.
He also wanted to be able to enable the childhood dreams of others. With this being said he got to work with a lot of different companies and industries but ultimately ended up as a professor at Carnegie Mellon. Being a professor was the perfect way to enable the childhood dreams of others. At Carnegie Mellon he started a new class called Building Virtual Worlds where they all had different projects to create. These virtual projects became so big they had to create a show at the end to show all of the great games and projects to the entire campus.
At the end of Dr. Pausch's speech he drove home a lot of great motivating points to help us along with our dreams. Some of these are, brick walls let us show our dedication, never bail or give up on your dreams no matter how unrealistic it seems, cherish feedback and use it, show gratitude, do not complain, work hard, and find the best in everybody. I think Randy Pausch's last lecture could help and inspire a lot of people.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

C4T # 2

Week 1 Reflections Jr. High

In this post Dr. Chamberlain wrote about his first week teaching his class and what he thinks he needs to work on. Some of his work including planning better, working on co-teaching, and creating relationships with his new students.
I commented that I thought it was great that he was trying to make relationships with students because I think that is very important for teachers.

Reflections on My First Week of Teaching EDUC 210 Technology for Teachers

In this post Dr. Chamberlain has required his EDUC 210 students to write a reflections from each weeks readings and class discussions. He also gives a model for the students by writing his reflections of the first class
I commented that it was good to see that he is looking for what needs to be changed and working to do so.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Blog Assignment 6

The Networked Student

I really liked this video and how it was set up. The way they had the pictures set up and organized to go along with the narrator was cool and it kept me interested the entire time. It seems so simple to do but it was very creative and it turned out great.
This video did a great job of showing how you can use technology in and out of the classrooms. It was amazing, because before this class and video I would have never thought of looking up lectures or blogs from great college professors from around the world. This video just shows how much you can learn from technology not just teachers.
When the question was asked "why does the networked student even need a teacher" I was kinda wondering the same thing for a while because you can learn so much on your own. Having a teacher their would keep the kids motivated to keep learning and to keep exploring. Also I think the teachers can help guide the students if they need help or to show them whats a good credible site and what is not.

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment

This was a great video and was really put together well. I think this is a great way for student to stay organized. I liked the way she had hers organized because she had all of her personal accounts up top and all her school work along the bottom row. I also agree that by using technology instead of paper and pens makes everything look a lot better and neater. I think this was a great video of a PLN and everyone should consider creating their own.

The Machine is Changing Us

I really enjoy the video by Dr. Wesch. I liked how he inserted clips from tv shows and other sites to help get his information across. It was very interesting and he made a lot of great points. I liked how he started off the video by using the word "Whatever" and telling us how it was used over the different time periods. At the end of the movie when he changes the way it is used to, "I care, Lets do whatever it takes..by whatever means necessary" really leaves a powerful message and was a great way to finish.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Podcast

C4K # 1& 2

About Me

In this post Courtney wrote a little bit about herself. In this I found that she is real family oriented and also she loves her pets, mainly her horses.
I commented that her post was really well written and that I also love pets too.

Learning Manifesto

In this post Courtney wrote about her learning manifesto, which are ways she can be successful in her classes, such as being organized, turning assignments in on time, and practicing.
I commented that these were all great ways to be successful in class, but mostly being organized because that will keep her ahead in class.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Blog Assignment 5

Eagle Nest Radio and Class Blog

I really enjoyed this podcast. All the kids were very well spoken throughout the podcast and had a lot of great information about Ancient Rome. The music was a great addition to the podcast, it was well related to the tone and attitude of each student.

Langwitches Blog

In this blog a group of 4th graders got to learn about and create a podcast. I liked the way that they had steps and organized their process. They all came up with ideas, and then they voted on the favorite one. They made time to practice and then they all got to work and did separate segments of the story. I thought this was a well put together podcast and I also learned some things about the planets in our solar system.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

This video did a great job of showing the benefits of using podcasting. I liked how they used the podcasting for reading stories and playing different roles on them. I think that is a great way to get kids to remember a lesson or a story because a lot of times kids do not like to read. I also like that it gives kids that are sick a chance to keep up with class and watch lectures online, but I am not sure sick kids will actually want to watch and listen if they are not feeling well.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Blog Assignment 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please

I really liked this post because he really caught me off guard when I first started reading it, but then I figured out he was being sarcastic to get his point across. I agree with Dr. Mcleod that we should let our kids explore through technology to learn. It will only hold our kids back and give them a disadvantage in life if we ban them from all the great uses of the internet.
Dr. Mcleod is an Associate Professor at Iowa State. He is also the director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. He also was a co-creator of the video, Did You Know?, that we watched earlier in this class.

The iSchool Initiative

I thought this was an incredible video not only by a seventeen year old high school student, but also the whole concept. I do not have an iPhone so I really do not know all it has to offer, but he does a great job of breaking down each app and how each one could be used to help not only teach students but how to save lots of money.
This was a well put together presentation, and I had no idea schools around the world were already using the iSchool Initiative program. I think all schools should definitely consider switching to this program. I think it would be great because of the low economic times and also very effective with students and teachers.

Lost Generation

When the video started running and she started reading the sentences it started making me feel depressed. I also hear people saying these negative things about our generation and it bothers me. I do not think that these bad things will happen and I think that anyone who watches this video will be encouraged to not let it happen.
It was very cool how the video was set up. It really was uplifting after hearing her read the sentences in reverse. I wonder how long it took them to figure out and order all the sentences in that way. It was very unique.

Eric Whitaker's Virtual Choir

I get amazed by each new video I watch for this class. This was incredible how they got all these people from around the world to sing and sound so great together through the internet. I was in Men's Choir in high school and I know how hard it was to get all of us to stay on the same note and have the right melody, so to see this was very interesting.

Additional Assignment #1

I have had many projects and papers that I needed to research information on the internet, and it would take forever to find all the information because you would have to look through several different websites. With Google Squared and Wolfram Alpha it is much simpler to search because it gives you basically all you need to know about your search on that one page. I never knew either of these resources existed or it would have saved me a lot of time.
As far as the Did You Know? post, my opinion has changed a little bit because as I said I always just listened to what others were saying and the statistics they were giving. Now that I have researched a little bit it is much clearer and some of the statistics are not as shocking as I had first thought.
Pitcairn Islands Map

In the Food for Thought post, "The Stable Boy and the Ipad," it is amazing how someone like this young illiterate Columbian kid could pick up a new invention like the Ipad and start working it without any instructions at all.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Blog Assignment 3

A Vision of Students Today

When I watched this video it did remind me a lot of my experience as a college student so far. Most of the facts the students raised up I can completely agree with or relate to, such as "I buy 100 dollar textbooks that I never open", or I have seen students pay for classes and never show up, and the most important one is that "I am a multi-tasker..(I have to be)".
Some things that I did not see on the video and that I would add to it is, for athletes having to practice so many hours a day. Also I see many students working out or running around campus, I would also include those in my experience.

It's Not About the Technology

I thought this was an outstanding post. I agree with everything Ms. Hines said about how the future is not all about how much technology we have, but it is about people learning and understanding how to use the technology. There is no reason for schools to waste great amounts of money on computers and other types of technology, when the teachers either do not know how to use it or just prefer not to waste their time using it.
By all teachers learning the basics of all these new technological systems and how to use them to benefit the classrooms, the possibilities and rewards will be endless.

Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

In the post by Karl Fisch he is basically saying "If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write." I also agree that all teachers should be somewhat technologically literate, but I also think the amount of knowledge can be fluctuated because each teacher is teaching different studies. Each teacher should always be willing to learn more about technology, but what they learn can vary in each class.

Gary Hayes' Social Media Count

This was an amazing post. To see all the numbers rising so quickly was mind blowing. Mr. Hayes's media count really shows how much technology is being used out there already and gives us an idea of how much we have to be ready for and expect in the near future.
As future teachers, we all should start learning as much as we can and keep up with all the rapid improvements in technology in order to teach our kids at the best of our ability.

C4T #1

Multiple Intelligence

In this video Caren Carrillo explains how children have all types of different ways to learn,such as verbal, logical, visual, kinesthetic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and naturalist. She also gives ways on how to use different technology to help each student learn in their unique way.
I commented that this was a great way for someone to learn to use technology to help each kid reach their potential.


Classroom Management: Commercial Breaks and Attention Spans

In this article Ms. Carrillo explains how "A weird unintended consequence of TV is that we are conditioned to pay attention for 10-15 minutes, get a break, and start again." Using this idea she set up a class structure for her kids where she breaks down a 50 min period into several segments to help keep all of the students attention.
I commented that I could relate to having trouble paying attention the entire time in a classroom and that I attend on trying her class structure in my future classrooms.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?

The video "Did You Know" was extremely eye opening to me. I mean I have always known that technology was advancing around me, but just because people or teachers were saying it. Actually seeing this video with all the great and interesting facts about technology and how it is changing was just amazing to me. This really hit home when the video showed how long it took for radio, tv, and the internet to reach a market audience of 50 million, which was very rapid.
It is hard to comprehend that the amount of text messages sent and received daily exceed the total population of the PLANET! When the first text message was sent only in 1992. This video should show how everybody in all careers should stay updated on the rapid changes in technology and how important it is to our future.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

The video "Mr. Winkle Wakes" was a little confusing to me. In some ways I can completely understand and relate to him because I am not the most technologically advanced person either. I was completely overwhelmed last week when I walked into EDM 310 for the first time because even though I can work my phone and my computer, I have never had to learn or use some of the programs and equipment we are suppose to use in this class.
On the other hand I do not think that schools today could possibly still be the same as it was a 100 years ago. Most schools around the world today have advanced in some way or another in technology because most schools have computers, projectors, or even just a calculator of some sort. The good thing about this video though is it shows how easy it is to get behind in our world of technology today and that we must keep learning everyday.

Schools Kill Creativity

Ken Robinson gives a great speech in this video about how schools are only teaching a certain curriculum that is basically just based on academic achievements. Teachers in schools today are stressing the classes like math, history, language arts, and science and are irrelevant to the fact that other classes such as art and dance are vital to creating well-rounded kids. By doing this schools are punishing the kids who are not exactly the best at academics, but have other great talents and that are very creative.
By teaching these main classes only, teachers are preparing everyone for the same things in the future. This leaves no room for a child to be creative and possibly grow up to do something unique with their talent. I think this was a great speech given by Mr. Robinson and more schools around the world should listen and learn from this video.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

In this video Vicki Davis shows how the traditional style of teaching, standing in the front of the class lecturing for an hour, is not always the best way of helping all kids reach their potential. I think Mrs. Davis said it right when she said "Every student can learn..the trouble is when they only have paper and pencils, then only certain types of children are going to succeed." I completely agree with this statement, instead of limiting the students to one way of learning let all children have an opportunity to succeed in different ways, such as in her class or like our EDM 310 class.
I respect Mrs. Davis because of what she is doing and it seems like all of her students do as well. Every student in the video looked like they were enjoying what they were working on and most importantly they were enjoying learning. I think more classes should be taught this way all over the world because it will make us a much more intelligent civilization because of how technology is being created every day.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Blog Assignment 1

My name is Ryne Baxter. I grew up in Citronelle, Alabama, but went to high school at St. Paul's Episcopal School here in Mobile. I am 21 and the youngest of three kids, I have a brother and sister. My brother is 31 and my sister 24 and they both also attended South Alabama for a brief time throughout their college education.
I have played sports my entire life and that is one of the reasons I chose to attend South Alabama. I am currently on the Jaguar football team and play tight end. I am majoring in Physical Education because I want to be active in kids lives and help them grow to become healthy and knowledgeable people. I also hope to become a coach when I graduate, either in football or baseball. I have always respected my coaches and I have learned to become a better person because of them, and that is also what I hope to be able to accomplish for kids in the future.