Monday, December 1, 2014

Blog Post #5 part 2

This quarter I have learned multiple ways to connect with my future students via technology. One of these ways is Twitter. Twitter is a fantastic source where you can hashtag and connect with other educators. I use Twitter on a weekly basis to connect with my peers and ask educators some questions. Edm 310 has taught me how important PLNs are . I believe I will make a separate Facebook account for my students. I will add my students to a group and post homework assignments to the group.

TWITTER
FACEBOOK

C4T #4

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Blog Post #14

For our blog post this week we were required to read Teaching can be a profession. This article contained some very good ideas on how the school systems can be changed for the better. It also provided some ideas that I was unsure about. I couldn't decide whether they would be useful, or destructive to school systems. Here are a few examples.

Picking from the best
This is a topic that suggests a new and improved approach on recruiting teachers in schools. There has been a study that says most graduates chosen to become teachers are not advanced in certain areas of teaching reading, or math procedures. Mr. Klein suggests that instead of just randomly picking new teachers from a graduating class, they need to pick the students who graduated at the top of their class.

I agree with this. I think that schools who want to make a difference in the way their students learn need to go the extra mile, and choose the top graduates. Working hard in college to become the best possible teacher always pays off in the long run. Because the students are so advanced in todays society, only teachers who are serious about their jobs should be hired into the school system.

Radical change
Mr. Shanker made an overview of all his ambitious ideas for a new and improved school system. He included new standards that teachers have to follow, and promoting teachers based on exams they take. He states that our schools won't get anywhere is teachers continue to work using their old ways.

I agree that schools today need to alter their teaching methods to improve. However, I don't believe that teachers should be advanced on how they answer an exam questionnaire. I think if their had to be something that would qualify teachers on advanced pay, it would be their in class teaching skills. If a teacher is able to teacher his or her students in the most affective ways then they should be able to qualify for an advance.

Senority Distraction
Seniority distraction, is a point that was made about how teachers are all treated the same, and are given the same rules no matter what the consequences are. For example, when there comes a time for a teacher to be layed off, the teacher who was most recently hired takes the plunge, even though that teacher may be the most well educated for the job. This also means that all teachers are paid the same in a school system. It doesn't matter if one teacher out shines the other, they still get paid the same.

I agree and disagree with this topic. I agree that all teachers should be paid the same. There will always be critics who want to put certain teachers down who don't deserve it. There is also no completely fair judge on how much more or less a teacher should be paid. However, when it is time to lay off a teacher, I don't believe the teacher layed off should be the most recent hired. The teacher who was most recently hired is often times the teacher who can bring the latest teaching methods and technology to the classroom. It is unfair for that teacher to be the first one chosen to leave the school system.

Monday, November 17, 2014

C4K Month of Novemeber

C4K #8
Natalier:STL Declaration of Independence
Summary
This blog post was actually really serious on her part, but I thought it was just really funny and cute. The blog post is a declaration for Mike Matheny, coach of the STL Cardnials baseball team. Natalier is very passionate about this team and really expresses how he feels. It was very enjoyable to read.
My comment
I really enjoyed reading this blog post.I think your passion for your team is incredible and i would love to sign your declaration.

C4K #9
Daniel P: What we do on an average school day
Summary
Daniel's blog post is about how there day goes in his classroom. They start at 8:15 am and go to about 2:45 in the afternoon.
My comment
I really enjoyed seeing how your day goes in school and compare it to when I was in school. Things are very different. One piece of advice I could give you is to enjoy every second of being in school because when you get to college you will wish you were back.

C4K #10

C4K #11
Noelle W:My amazing weekend
Summary
On Friday she watched two movies. The first movie was at the schools movie night where she got nachos and spent time with her friends. The second movie she watched was Pocahontas at her friends house. On Saturday she actually saw another movie. She went to the movie theater with her mom and saw Big Hero 6. She loved it. Then on Sunday she just stayed home and relaxed.
My comment
I loved hearing about your weekend. Surprisingly your weekend sounds just like mine and I am in college. It is always okay to stay a kid at heart. What is your favorite Disney movie? My favorite movie is The Little Mermaid.
NOELLE BLOG POST

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Project 12 part B

Project 12 Part B


Blog Post #13

Special education is very important in the school system. Without this program schools would be completely different. Special education programs and children use technology in many different ways.

Special education teachers are one of a kind. You really have to love what you are doing. That is not a job you could just go and do every day. It is a challenge for you and your students. You have to come up with many different ways to teach your special education students. Maybe because they can't communicate, or many other reasons.

There are many different ways that special needs children use technology.
In Introducing iPods into Special Education, teachers use the iPods for many things. They use the iPods for communication between teachers and students, parents, or siblings. They do this by leaving voice memos. The family members can listen to the voice memos and leave one in return to give back to the teacher. They also use the iPods to help students at home. They record sign language used to teach the lesson. This lets the students work at home and even review. They also read book and put the sign language on the iPods. These are just a couple of the ways they use an iPod in Special Education.

In Technology in Special Education, they show actual reactions of student when they are asked about technology. Most of these students use technology to help them communicate with their peers, their parents, and their teachers. The students feel that technology has made their life so much easier. One specific instance, a student has a vision disability. There is an app that makes all the words appear larger. You can really tell that technology has helped them for the better.

In Assistive Technology, many different assistive technologies are used. One is a Seven Level Communicator. They use this to make different choices, retell stories, and also tell what they want. A Partner Four is similar to a Seven Level Communicator, but it has four buttons instead of seven. The example she showed has yes, no, potty, and all done on the Partner Four. She shows videos called "We Sign", even though she only has one child who is deaf. All children need to know this so they can communicate with the deaf child. Higher Function was another tool used. This tool is for children who can't communicate at all. It uses tech speak and pictures for the student to choose what they want ot communicate. She uses two forms of buttons, a Step-by-Step and a Big Mack Switch. The Step-by-Step is used to answer question, along with the Big Mack Switch. One difference is the Big Mack Switch actually has a visual with it.

How special needs students benefit from technology

Sunday, November 9, 2014

C4T #3

Cathy Jo Nelson: Professional Thoughts

Cathy Jo Nelson Blog Site

So what do school libraries do today?

My comment
I realy loved watching this video. I really believe that librarys do matter especially this day in age. Kids these days are all about technology and that is great, but they also need to learn about books. There is a lot of technology in the library as well. Libraries are Important

Summary
This blog was a video explaining why librarians are important. It shows how librarys have not been noticed but they should be the focal point in school.


I did it again

My comment
I think it is great that you renewed your National Board Certification. I cannot wait until I get to say that I renewed one of my teaching certifications. I have always wanted to be a teacher and I cannot wait for the day that my dreams come true and I can call myself a teacher. Thank you for blogging and doing what you do.

Summary
This blog post was kind of an exciting one for me. It was about her getting her NBCT. That stands for mational board certification. Her certification is in Library Media. She also talks about some advice she would give and some key elements in a successful journey to becoming a national board teacher.

Blog Post 12

BLOG POST #12

Project 10

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Project #14

Blog Post #11

Back To the Future
Back to the future site
In this video I learned about different ways of learning and how to teach for your students and personal. He talks about different ways of teaching, he does a lot of hands on things with his students and kinda lets them teach them self like Dr.Strange does for his classroom. I like this video because he is vey excited for his students and what they are learning.
He talked about how his students use blogs and a flicker account for the lass room. I think that is pretty cool because it is the same stuff we are doing now.

Blended Learning Styles
In this video Paul talks about the Blended learning cycle and I like this video because I feel like I can relate to what he saying. He talks about what blended learning looks like. The three steps are 1.Online 2.Mobile 3.Classroom and then he talks about his 5 E's in the learning cycle. 1.Engage 2.Explore 3.Explain 4.Expand 5.Evaluate. He puts all of those together in his classroom to make a blended learning cycle. That might have to be put on the list of things to try in my classroom.

Sam Pane 4th Grade
Sam Pane seems like such an amazing teacher. He is very hands on with the children and knows what they like. He gets them very interested so they will work harder. In this video I learned that there are a lot of different ways to use technology in a classroom. The way he was using those super heros to make comic books about online safety was a great idea.

Project Based Learning
I like this video because I feel like that is something I can do with my classroom. I think it is more about blending classes rather than pbl. I plan on teaching 3rd grade so I have the same students all day so this really only works for 6th and up. They took three different subject and put them in the same classroom with three different teacher. This way they can use the information from each class in the others and they can also have more time for questions. I think it is a wonderful idea.

Roosevelt Elementary's PBL program
I loved this video because I will 100% be using PBL in my classroom. I know it might be hard on the teachers sometimes but the way that the students catch on and show you that they know something is great. I am not a huge fan of the standardized test I think that doesn't show someones knowledge. But if you put a task in front of them and tell them to figure it out then you will see more about their knowledge.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

C4K summary for Month of October

C4K #4

Sebastian:The Hardy Boys the House on the cliff

Summary

He choose the book because its a mystery novel. He read it because his mom got it for him and told him that the Hardy Boys was a famous series of book.

My comment

Hey Sebastian I actually have never read any of the books from that series. What is the book about? I just got done reading the Hunger Games series and it was really interesting and enjoyable to read.

Amber.M:Here I am

Summary

She is introducing herself and telling who she is. Amber is very family orieneted. She loves to do things with her family like going canoeing and tubing down the river. She is very close to her grandpaw.

My comment

It was very nice to get to know you Amber. I am also very close with my family and spend most of my time with them. Its always great to spend time with family. I can not wait to read more about you.

Sophie: All about me

Summary

Her blog is all about her. Her moms name is Rebecca, dad named Scott,and a sister named Tate. She also has a dog named Riley. Her favorite place is Florida.

My comment

I really enjoyed reading your blog post. Florida is also my favorite place because of Disney World. I am 22 and I still love to go and ride all of the rides. My favorite ride is space mountain. Do you like roller coaster?

Kishan: How to weave with looms

Summary

This blog post is about one type of weaving called looms. It was a very short blog and did not really explain how to do it.

My comment

Hey Kishan my name is Jessica Thompson. I am a student at the university of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your blog but I think you should have explained how to actually make them.



Project #12 Part A

P

Blog Post #10

Classroom Approach

The video First Graders in Mrs. Cassidy's Class perfectly shows how technology can be utilized in a classroom. Mrs. Cassidy describes her classroom and her approaches to learning through technology. Mrs. Cassidy's class is very tech savvy, and all of her students seem to really enjoy being that way. They write on blogs, play educational games found of their class webpage, make videos, and use wikis, skype, and even their Nintendo DS's in class. Their blogs serve as online portfolios of their work. The students extremely enjoy writing and getting comments on their blogs, and they know to always be safe. Their class webpage allows them to independently choose what to work on through choosing which educational games to play. They are helping themselves learn by choosing games. On their wikis, they can ask people questions to help them put together their projects. Making videos helps them work together in groups, and then they post the videos to their blogs for others to see. Skype brings in experts in certain fields to further explain a lesson, or it can bring in the students' buddies from across the world. The Nintendo DS is the last technological bit mentioned in this video, and the most interesting. While they are used for games, they can also be used to teach problem solving and sharing. What wonderful ways to embrace technology in the classroom!

Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2
Interview Part 3

Techniques I would use

After watching these videos, I want to teach a first grade class and use all of these approaches from Ms. Cassidy! Reality beckons however, and I know I truly could not handle teaching first graders. Instead, I am going to take Ms. Cassidy's classroom and apply to my future high school English classes! First and foremost, I am going to blog. My students are going to blog. We are all going to blog! I love this idea of using blogging as a writing portfolio for all to see as well as connecting my students to the world. Problem: I know all of my students won't be so enthusiastic about this whole blogging thing as I am. I foresee getting them to really put forth the effort to have a great blog might be a tough hurdle to leap. Hopefully, they will have exposed to blogging before they reach my class though so maybe they will enjoy it. Only the future can tell. Even if they are not enthused, hopefully I will have the skill to engage them and use their passions to develop some good bloggers. I will also definitely have a class webpage/blog where all homework and classwork can be found. Several of my college English classes have had blogs, and I have found them so useful. Problem: Getting the students to actually use the blog is going to arise at some point I assume. I really don't know how to face this problem, but maybe with time I would be able to figure it out. I also would enjoy using videos and Skype in my classroom. I would like to use videos as a part of projects and Skype as a tool to connect by class with the world. I don't see a major obstacle with this idea. Hopefully, I will have a large enough Network by the time I am a teacher to have many friends around the world to connect my classroom with. Well, really, I guess the major problem facing all of these ideas is the simple fact of whether or not technology is available inside of my classroom. In order to blog, use webpages, make videos, and use Skype, my classroom will have to have computers or iPads available. Hopefully, all schools will see the growing need to embrace technology by then, because if not, then I am going to have to do some crafty thinking to get my future students to where I want them to be! I know my future students would thrive just as Ms. Cassidy's and benefit so much if I could use these approaches. As Ms. Cassidy says, little kids big potential.

this is a picture of the earth with computers around it

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Blog Post #9

What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?Seven Essential for Project Based Learning
When I was in school, I dreaded doing any project. When asked why we had to do something, the answer was generally, "Because I said so," or "Because it's on the test." I had no motivation to do the work, because I felt as if it didn't benefit me. I would do enough to get a good grade, without worrying about learning the information. After reading this 7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning, I know that using PBL is a much more effective way to get students involved in projects and learning. The article gives some great advice for creating good, meaningful projects, that students will actually enjoy. For example, each project should have a driving question, it should include 21st century skills, and it should have a real audience, instead of just the teacher, among other things.

Project Based Learning for Teachers
This video gives an excellent summary of what Project Based Learning really is. After watching it, I learning that there are so many ways we can use technology in PBL. I knew of quite a lot from EDM 310, but this video showed a lot that I had never heard of before. This video stated that a driving question is very important, just like the article above.

Two Students Solve the Problem of Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap
After watching this video, I learning that not only can Project Based Learning help students to learn information, it can solve real world problems. While most people may not think watery ketchup is a big deal, I find it very impressive that two high school seniors engineered a cap to fix the problem, designed it on a COMPUTER, and 3-D printed it. If 2 boys can solve this problem, there is no telling what ideas other students can come up with and problems they can solve, all while doing a school project. This video is an excellent example of how PBL is a good way to get students excited about learning, and how the results can be fascinating.

Project Based Learning in PE
When I think of PE, I always picture playing sports, running a timed mile, and walking the track. However, this article made me realize that not only can you implement PBL into subjects such as math, science, history, and English, but you can also use it in PE. Along with doing physical activity in class, it is important to teach students how to stay healthy outside of school. This article explained a project where high school students create physical fitness PROGRAMS for middle schoolers. It would be very beneficial for teaching students what they should be doing to stay fit, as well as promoting teamwork and collaboration. Overall, this taught me that PBL can be used in virtually any subject.

10 Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration in Project Based Learning
This article shares many very useful websites that students and teachers can use for Project Based Learning. Some of them, such as Google Docs, we have learning about in EDM 310, but there were several that I had never heard of such as Note App, and Linoit. This post taught me that the possibilities are endless when it comes to technology you can use in PBL, and it also taught me about many of the sites I could use in my future classroom.

I think the main idea behind all of these articles and videos is that Project Based Learning is a wonderful thing, that teachers around the world should look into. Teachers and students can teach us so much about how to create meaningful PBL projects, how to get students excited, tools you can use to enrich your lessons, and so much more.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

C4T #2 Summary

Ohh! Guess What!

My Teacher is Dawn Dupriest. His blog post was named Blood Pressure. When your reading this post you really think its about blood pressure but he makes it turn into how it relates to teachers and students.Really what he is doing in his blog post is making a comparison for people who arent teachers or aware of the troubles teachers face. I think it is a good way to show what teachers go threw and makes it understandable for others.

My Comment

Hey my name is Jessica Thompson. I am a student at the University of South Alabama and a part of EDM310. I really enjoyed reading your Blog post. I never thought of having a refrence to things people could really realate to. It really was very interesting to see how it related. Thank you for sharing that with people.



Ohh! Guess What! Blog

Ohh! Guess What!

My teacher is Dawn Dupriest. His blog post was named Gaps. He is teaching an accelerated course and has some kids that are not where they should be academic wise to be in his class. He is asking teachers for their advice on how to get these students to learn and not just cheat off of someone elses paper.

My Comment

When i was in the 7th grade i had a very hard time with measurement as well. That was only because i never had a teacher take the time to sit down and actually explain it in a way i could understand. The way they taught me was reading out of the book the instructions they had. I beleive that if you just take the time to really go into detail about what you are teaching. I think the most important thing is to just be very active with your students and get them involved.

Project #9

Group 8 Project #9

Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

I remember being in middle school and having a phone with a camera on it made you the coolest person ever. When I got my phone in 8th grade, it had to have a camera on it. Now I have an iPhone and I use the camera at least weekly. Not only do I use the camera but I also use the internet and social media platforms. The data corresponds only to 18-24 year olds, but assuming that this data can apply to the younger generation, that means that the students I will teach will either own or have access to a cell phone. The rule of "No cell phones allowed" will need to be changed. Instead of banning cell phones, we, as teachers, need to find ways to incorporate cell phone usage into our lesson plan. With information at the tip of their fingers, we need to control the flow of information. Make sure that they are using their cell phones to benefit their experience in the classroom. Distractions are not far with apps so students will need to learn the time and place to use certain apps inside the classroom. However, you can easily argue if students can access the internet through a laptop or a tablet of some kind, why do they need their cellphones? Cell phones could be seen as just another distraction in the classroom.

Cell phones are good for mobility. Inside the classroom students will have access to computers, iPads, smartboards, each other..etc, but outside the classroom what do they use? Cell phones. Cell phones allow teachers to move the classroom outside of the classroom. Students can take notes, record audio, record videos, take pictures, research information all with the press of a button.

Assuming all my students will either have a smartphone or a tablet with a camera opens up so many doors. I could create a scavenger hunt for an art museum and let them take pictures with the answer. We could do an art project where they see just how much they change over a year by taking a picture of them every day for the whole school year. We can put together a time lapse of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.

Blog Post #8

In RANDY LAST LECTURE, there were a few points about teaching and learning that stood out to me. I thought Randy made a great point when he was talking about his football career as a boy. He stated that people who care about you are the ones who critique you the most. If your coach or teacher stops critiquing you then they have stopped caring about whether you succeed or not. This is something I should keep in mind when learning new things. When a teacher or coach critiques me I should know that they are doing it because they care. Randy also states that if you get angry with someone, don't stay mad, give them time. I realize when I become a teacher, I will have many days when my students and work may frustrate or overwhelm me. It will be important for me to remember Randy's lecture during those times. I will step back, take a breath, and give things time instead of getting upset.

Randy talks about when he gave his students a two week assignment, and they came back with amazing projects that blew him away. He then was unsure what to do because the student's work was so good, so he called his mentor and got advice. He was told to challenge his students even more than before. As a teacher I can learn from this. I will always know that my students are capable of more than I think, so it is important to keep challenging them. This way my students will not be restrained to only learn certain materials, they will go above and beyond to learn more and more. Throughout Randy's lecture he greatly refers to how his students impressed him through his teaching career. He used project based learning and gave his students lots of freedom when working on projects. I think that is what being a teacher is all about. Teachers are suppose to be impressed by their students and their work. It is so important as a teacher, to be proud of your students.Randy used project based learning and gave his students lots of freedom when working on projects. He explained that students learn the most when they are doing something fun. They can learn the most difficult things when they are unaware that they are actually learning.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Project #13

Group 8


Lesson Plan
Calendar
Rubric

For this assignment Julie, Makia, and I created a science lesson on the solar system. If you would like to check it out, the links are above!


Project #7 Part B

Blog Post #7

Strength and Weaknesses

A lot of planning goes into teaching and being a teacher, especially when it comes to projects. Project based learning uses projects to teach an effective lesson that helps the information stay. As a teacher, I will have to plan my own lessons and projects. A concern I have is planning effective lessons. I am scared that some lessons may not go as planned, and the overall message of the lesson may become lost. I will have to make sure I give myself plenty of time to go through the lesson or project a few times before teaching it. This concern is because of my lack of experience, a weakness I have because
I have not actually taught a class yet. I will have to also make sure I am good at managing my time. I hope that student teaching will help me with these concerns.

I feel my strength is that I catch on quickly, and that this will help me when I begin to teach. Because standards, curriculum, and technology are always changing, teachers must constantly adapt and change their lessons and ways of teaching. Teachers need to be up to date on the latest technologies. That is a skill I am currently working on thanks to a class I am taking, EDM310. Since joining the class I have discovered so many new resource tools that are free to use online. These tools can come in handy when teaching in the classroom.

Summary of what I have learned from the Videos

Video: How to make an audio QR Code
This video taught me how to record your voice. This tip is very helpful when becoming a teacher because as a teacher you can record yourself for your students to listen to. It also taught me how to turn the recording into a QR code by using the website www.qrcode-monkey.com.

Video: IPad Reading Center
This video was another helpful tool when becoming a teacher. It showed me how to teach kids to use technology. Students used iPads as a center. During the center they would record themselves reading and then listen to themselves and read along again. This technique taught the kids how to incorporate technology with reading.

Video: Poplet with Ginger Tuck
This video teacher taught me what a poplet is and why they are helpful. A poplet is an app that students use to create a visual form of a text. By using there iPad they take pictures of the book they are reading and also type the text they are reading. This teaches them how to use technology while learning how to read and spell.

Video: Alabama Virtual Library and Kindergarten Students
This video teaches students how to use Alabama Virtual Library though a iPad. Alabama Virtual Library is a search engine that allows you to search a key word and it will show you all the books, articles, movies, ext related to the keyword.

Video: Tammy Shirley Discovery Education Board Builder Moon Project
This video teaches students how to use Discovery Board Builder. The teacher shows you how to us it in the video and so does the student. This app is a great tool to use during a project.

Video: Mrs. Tassin's 2nd Grade students share Board Builder Project
This video was a great example of how students use Board Builder for there projects. This app is a great tool for students of all ages.

Video: Using iMovies and the Alabama Virtual in Kindergarten
This video amazed me. It showed me how technology is so advanced now that even Kindergarteners are using it. It amazed me that Kindergarteners are doing book trailers and I just did my first one a week ago. It amazes me. Not only are they using iMovies but they are also learning how to use AVL in kindergarten. I didn't learn what AVL was until a few years ago. This amazes me how much technology is advancing. It also makes me glad that I am in EDM310 so I can learn and teach myself more about technology.

Video: WE ALL BECOME LEARNERS
This video reassures me that we are all learners. We never stop learning. Students teach teachers. Teachers teach students. Students teach students. Teachers teach teachers. We are all learners.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Blog Post #6

After watching parts one and two of "Project Based Learning: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher," I learned that project based learning is a great way for students to learn, and it is not hard to place into your lessons. The projects Anthony mentioned sounded very engaging. I especially liked his idea about the culture projects. I love international studies, and I think it would be really fun to do something like that with my students and give them each different countries to study. In addition to the students enjoying their projects, he also said that the parents and administrators think he's doing a great job too. Even if you think things are going well, it's always great to get good feedback from important people.
In the first two videos, Anthony mentioned using iCurio as a resource in his classroom. This was further explained in iCurio: Conversations with Anthony. Anthony said that it allows students to search the web safely. The results from searches are all filtered and appropriate for children to use. iCurio has storage abilities, which I interpreted to be a lot like our ePorfolios or Google Drive. I think this would be helpful for students because it sounds very user-friendly considering it was made specifically for school children to use. I had never heard of iCurio, so this was an interesting video. I'd like to be able to personally see how it works!
Another resource I had never heard of was discussed in this video. Dr. Strange and Anthony talked about Discovery Education, which is good for finding images to go with Social Studies and Science lessons according to Anthony. He mentioned that a video is worth a million words, which I think is a really good point. In a classroom, especially to get the kids' attentions, I could see where it would be very worthwhile to find a video to go along with your lesson instead of just a basic image. Another good point he made about Discovery Ed is that it brings experts into the classroom. Because teachers actually don't know everything, I think it's awesome for kids to have a resource that allows them to search their topic and find documentaries and expert opinions and explanations about these topics. Watching this video taught me about the existence of this website and made me think about the possibilities that can help enhance my own future lessons.
"Strange Tips for Teachers" is a very interesting video in my opinion. Since Anthony was a new teacher at the time these videos were made, all of his and Dr. Strange's tips are especially relevant to us as students and future teachers. The most important things I learned involved learning about yourself and your students and remembering to have fun while learning. Dr. Strange and Anthony both brought up being flexible at one point, but for me that goes with learning about myself. I don't think that will be something I'll
Helpful Tips Clipart
learn until I experience it, but I'm kind of excited to find out just how flexible and creative I can learn to be whenever things don't go how they're supposed to. While talking about one of his tips, Anthony said something about several things motivating students. To me, this includes learning about your students. As a teacher I'll have to find out each of my student's personalities and what makes them want to learn so that I can cater to those needs.
While watching Use Tech Don't Teach It, I learned/confirmed that Anthony is definitely a huge advocate of technology in the classroom! The 3rd graders in this classroom barely have to be taught anything and still usually exceed the expectations of the project they were assigned. It is best to immerse students in technology and let them learn how to use it without being lectured on it. Teachers are usually still learning about technology everyday too. The use of technology in the classroom provides opportunities for kids to be creative and have a nearly endless amount of resources to do their research with. In addition, students can share their creations with the world via the internet, or even just with their classmates or family, which is really important to them. Children feel special when others are seeing what they've done and giving them positive feedback, and I feel like it's our job as teachers to let every student know they are special in some way or another.
The last video, "Additional Thoughts About Lessons" I learned that while planning a lesson you have to think about how it's going to fit into four different things: the school year, the unit, the week, and the day. There are standards that have to be met by the end of the school year, and when making a lesson plan, you have to ensure that it is meeting a standard and worth your time. At the end of your lesson, if the students haven't learned what they need to be able to move on to the next chapter, unit, or grade even, then in my opinion, that lesson isn't even worth teaching. Next, while making a lesson plan you have to be sure that it is being taught from the units in the textbooks that the state picks out for you. The plan has to fit in with everything else you're doing in class that week. If it's going to take longer than one day, you have to factor that in. Which comes to the last component, which is fitting it into the day. This is important because time is crucial when you only have less than seven hours to cover every topic you need to that day. For example, if all your lesson plans should take two hours, then you're going to run out of time. Time is something to keep in mind the whole time you're constructing a lesson plan

Dont Teach Tech use it Site


C4K Summary for Month September

Summary of Cezars Blog Post

Cezar did a slide show for his blog post. He talked about how he went to camp at Camp Benton at Kawau Island. He talked about each day that he spent at camp. The first day they had dinner and desert and then watched the movie Princess Bride. Then for the second day they did activities. The one activity they did that day was to help build there confidence. Finally the last day they were able to do a bunch of different sports. The camp sounded very fun for someone his age.

Cezar Blog Site

My Blog Post Comment

Hey Cezar, my name is Jessica. I really enjoyed watching your slide show. When I was a little kid I wish I could have gone to a camp and had as much fun as you did at your camp.

Summary of Hunters Blog

Hunter did a Poem explaining the kind of person he is. He loves dogs, cats, and games. He is the one kid his age that i think would like to see a shark. His poem was a little short so the main points was the things he love and something he would love to do.

My Blog Post Comment

Hey Hunter,
I really enjoyed reading your bio-poem. I believe we would get along great because I am also funny, smart, awesome, and sometimes a little boring. Being boring is not always a bad thing, it just means that you may be a little quiet and thats okay. The fact that you would like to see a shark is very scary. I am very afraid of sharks especially the great whites. Thank you for letting me read your bio-poem it was very enjoyable and insightful.

Hunters Blog Site

Summary of Hale. H

Hale blog post was called school change. She talked about what she would like to change about North Tama. Hale said she would like to have no homework in school. She thinks that if she does not have homework she can get closer to family and friends. I thought her blog post was a little unrealistic but it was something every kid wished for in school.

My Blog Post Comment

Hey Hale, my name is Jessica Thompson. I enjoyed reading your blog post it was very interesting because no homework is something I always wished for. I was a big fan of sports so I understand where you are coming from in that aspect.

Hale Blog Site

C4T Summary Post

First teacher Blog site

Blogging about the web 2.0

My teacher is Steven Anderson. His blog post was named Ensure success this school year. His blog post was really about how he is a teacher. Personally i really enjoyed reading his blog because it gave me some really good ideas about how to be in my classroom.

My Blog Post Comment

I really enjoyed the part called establish relationships. For my classroom i really want to be able to connect with my student i think that is very important. When you are a young student you most likely do not want to be in school so if a teacher could connect with a student it could make school ten times betterfor them.




Second Teacher Blog Site

Ohh! Guess What!

My Teacher is Dawn Dupriest. His blog post was named Blood Pressure. When your reading this post you really think its about blood pressure but he makes it turn into how it relates to teachers and students.Really what he is doing in his blog post is making a comparison for people who arent teachers or aware of the troubles teachers face. I think it is a good way to show what teachers go threw and makes it understandable for others.

My Blog Post Comment

Hey my name is Jessica Thompson. I am a student at the University of South Alabama and a part of EDM310. I really enjoyed reading your Blog post. I never thought of having a refrence to things people could really realate to. It really was very interesting to see how it related. Thank you for sharing that with people

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Project #3

My Sentence Video

My Sentence Is



My Passion Is



Blog Post #5

What are Personal Leaning Networks?

According to Google personal learning networks are:
(PLN's) are a cost-effective means for educators to grow professionally. Each PLN is crafted and personalized based on the professional interests and goals of an individual educator. This is a FREE means of professional development available 24/7 from anywhere

How can they help you as a teacher?
I do believe a PLN will effectively help me not only as a teacher, but now as a student. I have a difficult time keeping all my work organized and I think this will help me keep up with things so much better. Having a PLN will create a place for me to gather ideas for my future classroom, find people that have "been there and done that" where I can ask questions, or just like Michael Fawcett said in his video just become friends with your friends, friends and watch there conversations an learn from them. It may develop help with my professional development and knowledge.

How can you create your own PLN?
I would create mine by using twitter more effectively. Dr. Strange said that it helps him a lot, so I will give it another shot. I will also use my Facebook. I can create a certain group of people on my Facebook that are strictly educators or fellow classmates. I think the Symbaloo will be a useful tool that I will use also. In the video A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment seemed to be a easy way to have a PLN also, I think if she can do something of that nature I can to. She made it seem so easy. Pinterest is another social network that I would use. You can create a Particular section that you can pin just teacher ideas in. I find pinterest to be really helpful when finding ideas for projects or classroom activity.

Who will be the first additions to your PLN?

My family would be the first to be added to my PLN. I have a lot of family members that are fellow teachers near our area. I can use them for help or questions whenever I want to. I will also add any teachers that I come across in my time in school, like Dr. Strange or the lab assistants. My classmates will be someone good to have in my PLN because not only are they learning to but we are learning the same things, so we can help each other. I would also like to extend my PLN world to people that I do not know yet. People that may be across the world or in a different state. Getting to know other people and how they do things might help me understand different ways of learning and teaching.

This is a picture of lockers

PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORKS

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

C4T#1 Summary

Ooh! Guess What!

My Teacher is Dawn Dupriest. His blog post was named Blood Pressure. When your reading this post you really think its about blood pressure but he makes it turn into how it relates to teachers and students.Really what he is doing in his blog post is making a comparison for people who arent teachers or aware of the troubles teachers face. I think it is a good way to show what teachers go threw and makes it understandable for others.


This is a picture of a heart and heart monitor

My blog post comment

Hey my name is Jessica Thompson. I am a student at the University of South Alabama and a part of EDM310. I really enjoyed reading your Blog post. I never thought of having a refrence to things people could really realate to. It really was very interesting to see how it related. Thank you for sharing that with people.

Click here for blog site

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Project #15

#1 WolframAlpha: This search engine is used mainly for calculations. I played around with it for a little while and have been able to calculate many different algebra equations and things of that nature. It is also used for searching other information as well. I typed in the name "Jacob", and unlike many other search engines it gave me straight to the point facts about the name. The search for "Jacob" also showed me relevant graphs and charts. This search engine does not give you a bunch of different links for you to go through and find what you are looking for. It gives you a straight to the point answer to your questions and searches.
WolframAplha

#2 MONSTER: this search engine is used to help people find jobs in their area. I have actually used this website before and it is very useful. You just type in the job description you are looking for and in what area you are wanting to work and several job opportunities will come up. If you see some that you are interested in you just click on it and upload your resume. I did this for several different jobs and got several call backs within the next week. I would recommend this search engine for anyone looking for a job.

#3 INDEED: Indeed is a website for those looking to find employment in their area. You can post jobs if you need to hire someone, as well as search for jobs to apply for and hopefully become on employee. The way this works is you create a resume, upload the resume, and then search jobs in your area to send to future employers. I like this website because it keeps up to date on new jobs, as well as seperates the jobs you wish to apply for.

#4 WebMD: ever feel sick and just Google your symptoms to see what you have to avoid going to the doctor? Well, WebMD is used for exactly that. If you go to the website, it gives you a search tool to look up your symptoms, diseases, prescriptions, etc. It also provides you with news, how to live healthy, information on pregnancy, and other useful medical information.

#5 Care: Care is a website created to help parents find babysitters in their area. This website allows parents to create a descriptive profile explaining the background of children, hours needed, and pay rate. It gives the babysitters the chance to create a resume, have a background check completed, and talk to potential new families to babysit for. I like this website because I ahev personally used it to get in contact with families to babysit for, and have felt safe with the families I was set up with.

#6 Puppy Find: Puppy Find is exactly what the title of it says. It is a search engine used to find puppies. You can type in the kind of puppy you are searching for and also the area for which you live near to go and get your puppy. I have used this to buy the dog I now currently have, and I like it because it matches you with not only the specific breed you are looking for but also other similar dogs.

#7 MapQuest: i'm almost positive most of you have heard of this search engine. Before smart phones came out with a personal GPS system, search engines like MapQuest were very useful. If you were traveling from Mobile, Alabama to Atlanta, Georgia but had never made that trip then you could use MapQuest to print out your directions. You just type in where you're leaving from and then where you want to go and it'll map out different routes for you to take. Other than the fact that we have personal maps on our phones now, MapQuest is a very cool search engine to check out if you haven't already.

#8 Bing: this is a search engine that is identical to Google. It looks up anything and everything you wish to know. A lot of people actually prefer Bing as their search engine over Google. I personally do not. They do they same thing and I have always used Google and never had a problem. However, my overall opinion of Bing would have to be the same as Google since they both do the exact same thing.

This picture just says www.