My EDM 310 Blogs Assignments are Now Complete

I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas Holiday and a safe New Years.

Teacher Project

Mrs. Joan New has worked in classrooms for almost twenty years and just recently went to work in the office of the ESE Department. Joan said that using blogs and her teachers using blogs was on her to do list. Her county has a program called "Blackboard Community" basically allowing each of her teachers to have a web site. Joan does think that it is very important for teachers to keep up with technology. Joan said that study after study indicates that today's students, technology is so common to them (computers). Which will require teachers to use some different styles of teaching. Joan said that most of her students were visual learners. Using technology should help students gain skills needed for the next level.

Notes To Future Students

This can be one of the best classes you take. The work is not that hard you just have to stay on top of your weekly blogs. The class blog is the most important blog. The video classes can get you out of trouble if you don't understand something Dr. Strange went over in class. If you have a problem talk to Dr. Strange he is a very good coach. Remember to practice, practice, and practice some more it is the only way to learn something. Good Luck!!!!

What I would Have Liked To Learn But Did Not

I believe that I learned all that I could have. There is nothing I would have changed. I believe Dr. Strange is a great teacher because he doesn't claim to know everything about computers.(Trust me he knows more than most) If something came up and he was not sure he would say "I don't know lets find out" I like that because no one knows everything. Besides computers and technology is always changing. I liked the group project that we did I would have like to do more with that than we did. The class was very useful to me and a must for future teacher.

What I Learned In EDM 310

I learned how to create, edit, and maintain blogs. I learned how to use google and all googles different gadgets. How to create different kinds of spreadsheets, how to calculate interest rates and set up budgets and convert money. I also learned about I-Tunes and all the free stuff they offer. I learned about ALEX. I learned that technology should not be feared. I learned how to cut, copy, and paste. Sounds simple but before this class I had no idea how to do that. I learned how to install a picture and how to link something together on a blog. I have never felt comfortable using a computer until now. This class has help me understand more about using computers than I could have ever imaged. I feel this class is one of the most important classes to me that I have taken so far. To have had Dr. Strange as a teacher was also a blessing. To see someone love what they do gave me hope that one day I could be as passionate as he is.

Plusses and Minuses of Blogs in Classrooms

I absolutely love blogs in classrooms for all grade levels. I think blogs are a great way to communicate with parents and any other classes about what is happening in children's classrooms. My own experiences with EDM 310 blogs helped me with lessons and to keep up with due dates. I feel we are much more comfortable with blogs than when class first started. I never new about blogs before this class. As a P.E teacher I hope to be able to use blogs for my students. I believe the only minus would be the extra time of writing martial and transferring it to the blog but that shouldn't be that hard. I read another blog from one of my classmates (Christina) and I enjoyed her ideas the best. I feel that Christina will be a super great Special ED teacher. Many of her blogs were similar to my own. I think that Christina will be very successful as a Special ED teacher. Christina is the kind of person that know matter what she will make a different in someones life she is a special lady.

Documantary Studies

I think these classes are important for students to learn about things they don't understand. I would hope that these classes were not slanted in one way are another. But discussed the facts about the topics chosen. I don't believe sugar coating topics helps any one group of people. These projects can help people cope with difficulties in society. I'm not sure were these classes fit into education for me. But I'm sure some colleges would find a place for these classes like Duke University has.
How about more hands on aproach when teaching educational classes. We all know that we learn by doing what ever it is we are trying to learn. Help students problem slove so they learn how to acomplish tasks. Why do teachers educate with burp back lessons? Most students would learn if some presure was place on them.

Podcast Suggestions for Improvements

     Some improvements that me and my team could have made would be to discuss more about certain aspects of the lecture in greater detail. I believe we could have chooses one are two points and went more in depth about our own experiences while watching the lecture. I could have researched Randy Pauch's life more in order to understand him. There were lectures I could have listened to in order to find out who he was and what he stood for. I think limiting the time was difficult for us because we could have done a series of podcast about this lecture.

     Some of the other podcast did not seem as friendly as others I listened to. There were many facts about topics which was interesting but it did not seem to flow that well. I think we could have shared facts in a more personal way in order to connect with listeners. I think we could have brought more of our own experiences into the podcast so to invite listeners to feel apart of the conversation. I think all the podcasts I listened to could have made them selves more personal in order to invite listeners to feel apart of the podcasts.

     I know many students were concerned about a five minute time limit. I believe the time limit should have been ten to fifteen minutes longer. We really thought that five minutes was a long time but with the topics we had to choose from five minutes was not enough time. So longer time limits and more than one podcast about certain topics would be my suggestion for future classes.  

Maine Department of Education

I believe that these podcast are the future for helping teachers explore new ways of helping students get the educational skills needed in today's market place. The computer skills for most children mainly my on two children six and fifteen are highly advanced. I believe most children learn by doing the task a hand trial and error. Computers are no different, I know my children can do things on a computer that Dr. Strange is teaching in a college classroom.
So children I believe will find learning alot more fun because of computers. Teachers may find that letting children learn on computers will not limit children. Because most of us have had a teacher in front of the classroom teaching a lesson that you understood so you just checked out mentally. I think that with computers some children could almost always be engaged with learning. The student could learn as fast as he or she could master the skill and be on to the next skill with out any down time.
For teachers in the classroom I believe that this tool can and will be beneficial to them. I also think as a teacher something like this could help improve test scores. With all the testing that takes place in schools today this would help students and teachers have some fun learning again. I have been classes where teachers have taught me without me even knowing that I was learning the skill because they were so creative. Would computers help these kinds of teachers, I think so. But I do not want to see computers and computer on line classes take the place of real classrooms and creative teachers.

"Growth vs. Fixed" Minds

I enjoyed listening to "Growth vs. Fixed" minds. I do agree with what was said about students who want to look smart and believe that they are as smart as they will ever be. Some students do believe they will not get any smarter. These students do not understand that the more they learn the smarter the brain will become.
Students who have a growth mind set may or may not understand that the mind is like a muscle. The more you use it the smarter you become. No one knows everything so when you make a mistake its about how you respond to it. Students with a growth mind set understand that just because you make a mistake you can learn from it not just give up. You can grow smarter if you never stop trying. This video can help educators and parents understand how to guide there students.
The simple fact that teachers could recognize the students that were in the program was very impressive. The students themselves had no idea they were in this program. I think that students that are having trouble would do well to be placed in a program like this one. As a teacher I hope to learn more about the "Growth vs. Fixed" minds. I think it would be beneficial to implement this program in Mobile schools.

Access Lab @ Daphne High School

The access classroom at Daphne High school was set up very nice. I was surprised by the up to date technology that the access lab offered. I met with Joseph Roh who was in charge of the IB program. Mr. Roh had inherited the access lab from someone else that wrote the grant to get the lab started. Mr. Roh had some favorable things to say about the lab but also stated there were many logistical problems with the lab. The IVC part of Access / the video part was not being used this semester and may not be used for second semester. The only part of Access that was being used was web classes. Mr. Roh stated that only classes that were not offered to students could be used for IVC. So if a student wants to take chemistry II and there is not a teacher or class offered the student could use Access to join in with other classes. A teacher from Daphne could take his or her class in the IVC lab and other students could join in at other schools. So a teacher can have class in the Access lab and link with a high school anywhere in the state provided that the school has a access lab. The teachers may only have a total of thirty students in a lab. Mr. Roh said that one of his teachers was curious about how he was gonna give test using IVC. This presents a problem of how to get the test back to the instructor. The access lab will be o.k Mr. Roh stated if the state alots a teacher to be in charge of the classroom. Someone who can handle scheduling classes the technical problems that come up and handling updates. One way for it to fail is to add the access lab to a teacher who may already have four or five things to deal with in a day. Then ex spect the teacher to run it like someone who is total devoted only to the lab. It seems like a great idea but at the cost of $85,000 to $95,000 a school why not put in new computers in steed. In 2009 the state has mandated that all freshman from this point forward be required to take a least one on line class. Daphne usually have some where around 300 to 400 new freshmen a year. Daphne has about 30 lab top computers and around 30 regular computers. They are on the block system as are most high school meaning 4 blocks aday. Do the math with these few computers how will this get done? Mr. Roh stated that often time the government example No Child Left Behind and local state governments put these mandates in place without providing any money to carry them out and schools are left holding the bag. Mr. Roh stated that they would somehow find the money but it would be a struggal. So in my opinion the access lab is a great idea, but maybe instead of always coming up with the next big idea we should concrete on making what we have now work and figure out how to pay for these ideas before we implement programs on schools that may be able to pay for them or may not.

Why Doesn't The Moon Fall?

The Video was very interesting to me. Why doesn't the moon fall? Well it is falling.
The moon is falling at just the right speed that it stays in orbit around the earth. If
the moon was to speed up it would fly out into space. If it was to slow down the earths
gravity would pull it into the planet. So speed and gravity help control the moons fall.
I think that these videos would help teachers who teach these subjects. For me they do
no good I will be teaching P.E. So I do think that these videos can help students
understand subject matter. Plus its just fun to watch and learn something different.

Learning Outside the Classroom

The Edible Schoolyard wow, I thought this idea was great. I love the idea of involving children in growing what they eat. How many children think that food comes from the supermarket? This teaching technique gets children involved so they can see and learn how to grow food that they eat every day. After the children how grown the food they get to eat it which adds more hands on for the children. I would love to put my girls in a class like this one because I think it is so important for children to know these things and to be able to use there hands to create something like food that one day could be very useful to them.
I would be in favor of having this type of program at certain schools were students could sign up to learn how to grow food. I think it would help some troubled children have a outlet to create something positive to one day help themselves and others. To watch this video click here The Edible Schoolyard.
A Night in the Global Village, What a idea to open the eyes of children to under developed countries who live in poverty. The children had to work together probably for the first time ever. That task along is hard enough but throw in very little food or water and things get hard fast. The children were in these conditions for a afternoon and night. One of the children said that during the night he know he was going to be able to eat the next morning. The differents was that if it had been real he may not have eaten the next morning. I beleive that events like this one can help children relize that if they choose they can make a differents. Out of this program I believe one are more of these children will give money or time to help people either in our country or other countries.
I would show this video to my students and talk about people in our country and other countries who live in poverty. I think talking about it is great. To have a program like this one locally would be even better. To watch this video click here A Night in the Global Village.

Different Approaches for PodCasting

The first podcast I listened to was Kids Cast Learning and Teaching with PodCasting. This pod cast will help teachers and kids get started with podcasting. Dan Schmit suggested talking in questions and brain storming with questions. The first set of questions should cover the who, what, why, when, how. Another suggestion was "what is the big idea" of the podcast that you wanted to talk about. Make sure listeners understand the topic. Make sure you do your homework and when you ask a question you know the answer. I think that this site helped me the most understand the bones of podcasting.
The second podcast that I listened to was SmartBoard Lesson Pod Cast. Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger were informative but the podcast was more laid back. It seem to me that they were old friends just talking about nothing. The podcast I listened to was lesson 146. The two just keep going back and forth.
The next podcast I listened to was MacBreak Weekly PodCast 109. There were many speakers which I did enjoy. There was variety in the conversation between the speakers. The topic that they were talking about was interesting to me. Each one had something a little different to say from each other. It seem to me they know alot of facts about they topic of the day. They also seem to be having fun and it came across on the podcast. This was another one of my favorites.
Ed Tech Weekly was very professional it make have been the best podcast I listened to. Right from the start I could tell the differences from all the other podcast I listened to. Everyone introduced themselves which I liked. They gave the day and date and one of the speakers kept on the topic. They had follow up martial about there last podcast. They gave out alot of information. Each person had something that was very vital to the podcast to add. I really learned how I would do a podcast from listened to this one. This podcast helped me put podcasting all together so I could know what I would want when I start my podcasting program.

Randy Pausch

I like the last lecture Randy Pausch did. I thought the key points were very important to him and he nailed them. I felt that he was at ease presenting the lecture. For a man who was dieing he seem to be taking it very well.
Some of the principals he talked about were right on the money. I know for myself I agreed with the fundamentals of hard work. Some other points he made were about brick walls. Brick walls are made to keep out people who don't want it as bad as people who do. I like the idea about not placing bars on students. Tell students what you want done and let them go far it. You may not always get what you want but you do get what you deserve. One more idea I got out of the lecture was to enjoy everyday
like it was your last. Slow down and smell the roses. Create goals for yourself but don't take anything for granted.

I Tunes U

I believe Apple is on the cutting edge when it comes to technology. I tunes U is a great advancement for the future and will
only get better. It would be nice when I had to miss a class lecture to be able to up link that lecture to my ipod or iphone.
The tradition ways of learning through burp back teaching is slowly being replaced by technology. Why not be opened minded
to this tool. For me the more I can hear the martial the better I learn it.
This is great for alumni or people from different generations who want to understand about the advancement of education.
I know there is martial in classes I took two years ago I would like to be able to up link so I could recall information I have
forgotten. One of the biggest selling points about I tunes U is that you have 24/7 access to education files and its free. So I
like the idea and I have had I tunes for several years and never new about education learning programs. I am glad to have learned
about I tunes U. To read more click I Tunes U

Growth in Classroom Ipod Use

Duke University has seen a increase in ipod use in there classrooms. The ipods help enhance classroom martial, lectures,
and assignments. After reading about the use of ipods I can see how this could help students in college and high schools.
I would love to be able to hear some of my professors lectures so that I could review before exams. I'm not sure all professors
would be in flavor of being recorded.
Teaching P.E. ipods could be used to store rules for many different games. The students would be able to hear about games
that they may have for gotta how to play. It could be like a library for games or fitness tips. Ipods in the classrooms could be
a great tool for teachers to reward good behavior. So I am in flavor of ipods for students who are responsible and trustworthy.
To read more about the Duke University's use of ipods in classrooms click ipod

My presentation

Dr. Alice

Dr. Alice's site was very informative about using technology in the classroom. The way the site was set up was smooth and
a ton of information. I choose the web design, the overall project style was very easy to understand. The sub topics were clear
and information under them was very helpful.
The step by step instruction was the nicest thing. It was just like being in a classroom while the teacher was teaching. This is a site that I will use to help my students. I think this site is a great tool for teachers. Again one more tool to put in the tool belt
of teachers.

Wikipedia

I do not agree with an open encyclopedia web site. I don't think that someone or someone in a company should be able to
change something that has been posted. I like the wikipedia scanner because now we can find out who is changing what.
I am not sure why you would want to leave a door open on a web page so martial could be changed. Maybe it is marketing so
the owners and operators can make money.
This is a source I would never recommend to my students or anyone. I would never use it for a source. As a matter of fact
I think it is a waste of time to even look at this site. I would never take a resource on a paper from my students that used this
site. I wish them luck on cleaning up wikipedia.

Why Wireless? (November)

I could see I guess how a school going wireless might help some students experience more. Of course, there should be
limitations on what kind of sites may be viewed. The students who have laptops could keep up better with Stuff. I really don't believe it makes that much of a difference to students. My concern about students
using laptops with wireless communication would be checking e-mails and sending messages to each other. Who I really
believe would enjoy wireless more would be the teachers. I think more computers in classrooms would make a bigger
difference. Even as technology is exploding all families may not have the means to own a portable p.c. That's why I think money
would be better spent on computers for every classroom.
I guess it would depend on the kind of school that educators and parents wanted. I am all in favor of technology and using
it in classrooms. On the other hand, there has to be balance to what we do in our schools. Computers are not teachers but
I believe some teachers would use it like that. A little bit of knowledge is worse than not having any.

It Is Not Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher

I do agree with the blog that today's teachers and staff need to be able to use computers. I think that younger teachers are
better at using computers because they grew up with them. Newer teachers have to take classes that requires learning about
how computers work. For the older teachers I hope most of them are trying to take advantage of learning about computers.
I am not sure which state this person writing the blog has taken this information from. I don't think that most teachers or staff
could program a computer but I would like to think they were trying to use all of the tools to their advantage.
I do not agree with the statement about if a teacher today is not technologically literate and is unwilling to make the effort
to learn more is equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read. Give me a break.
It either works or it doesn't and if it works he or she is doing what they are paid to do. Just
because that teacher doesn't want to continue to learn about computers doesn't make them a failure. I would agree that there
are resources available on computers to help kids learn but if the teacher gets the job done it's done.

Internation Teachers using Blogs

Mrs. Cassidy's first grade class in Canada use a classroom blog to post just about everything. The first graders can do podcast
they also have other students in other countries they can blog with. My little girl is in the first grade and I would love for her to
start using this kind of technology. Unfortunately just about all she does is take test. I think she would have a better
understanding of the world. Mrs. Cassidy's students can show there grandparents what they are doing in school no matter where
they live. I am going to involve my first grader in helping me do my blogs and understanding how blog work. To go to Mrs.
Cassidy's classroom blog Click here
Mr. Coyle's eight grade humanities class is in New Delhi, India. Mr. Coyle's classroom blog looks like a Wall Street blog, all
business. His students can access there blogs, and get assignments. Mr. Coyle also had some of his lectures posted on the class
blog. This class blog did not do it for me. I did not like the strictly business format of the blog. Personally I think kids would
like to use a blog that is kid friendly not so much adult friendly. I know all teacher have there own way of doing things but for
me I like to let kids be kids. Kids can have fun while they learn to use technology. To go to Mr. Coyle's eight grade humanities
class blog Click here

Teachers and Parents using blogs in classrooms

Miss Dudiak second grade class in Frederick Country, Md. uses a blog to describe many of there activities throught out the
week. A lot of there words are misspelled but it allows the students to understand a computer. Miss Dudiak said that some
of the quiet students come alive online. It gives the students another form of expression and for the teacher there is very little
effort to maintain the blog. The blog helps to continue a discussion even after school is over. To read more about how Miss
Dudiak uses her blog go to Click here.
In St. Petersburg, Joyce Schubert can log on to her daughter fifth grade class blog and find out what she is doing and thinking.
Mrs. Schubert loves knowing about her daughters time in class. The daily writings in her daughters blog helps Mrs. Schubert
understand what she is thinking. These blogs can serve as outlets for children to express themselves. The way technology is
advancing teachers and students must explore and use the different tools on computers. To read more about the way parents
are using blogs go to Click here.

Technology Boom

The video about our future was shocking to me. Google stock would be a great investment for the future. It is troublesome
to think that what I am learning now will be outdated in two years or so. Technology is growing so fast that I really have a hard
time understanding it. It seems like people in other countries are catching up with us. As technology keeps advancing the world
is getting smaller and that may be a good thing. Maybe one day technology can bring us all together as one world!!

(Access) plan for the furture

I believe this plan can and will be great if the objectives are met by the state of Alabama. To be able to provide classes to
students that are not usually offered can expand the goals of children. This could help teachers who are in one location of the
state or country to work with kids in another part of the state or country. I think I would be in favor of and out of state teacher
working in the system because Alabama teachers fill jobs first. It seems that teachers could have more employment
opportunities. The support help has to enormous for this plan to continue to grow. As a student I am in favor of any plan that
helps children in Alabama gain education heights.

(ALEX)

(ALEX) stands for the Alabama Learning Exchange. I would suggest that kids use the physical education part of (ALEX)
to increase their knowledge about health and fitness. All teachers, parents, and kids can access the library so they could
get material about exercises and games. I would use (ALEX) to download lesson plans and ideas about physical education.
This program would help me a lot being a new teacher. The resources seem to be unlimited on all educational programs.
I think that (ALEX) is one more tool that teachers can put in their tool belt.

About Me!!

Hi, my name is Brian and I have been married for seventeen year to the best women God ever created. She has given me two
lovely girls. The oldest is fifteen and attends Murphy High School. The youngest is six and attends E.R. Dickson. I plan to teach P.E. and coach football in high school and hopefully coach in college. I have lots of hobbies but the main
hobby is weight lifting. Last Aug. I won the Mr. Mobile bodybuilding championship. I hope to gain a better understanding about
using computers from this class. I also hope to complete my degree in the fall of 2009, God willing...

Welcome Readers!

I hope you enjoy reading my blog.