My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

I really enjoyed this class and it was great getting to meet everyone! I can tell you are all going to be great educators and I look forward to seeing some of you as coworkers in the future. Who know, we might even see each other next semester! Have a great summer everyone!

What have I learned?

I have learned many things by taking this class. I've learned about podcasts used in the educational field, I had just known about iTunes used to download songs. Blogs being used in education, especially in elementary education was also very new to me. I knew how to do word documents and spreadsheets but had never tried a blog. I also learned about important resource websites that I have used a lot since. All in all I am glad I took this class and I am thankful for the knowledge I have aquired

ACCESS Labs

Throughout Alabama students are now able to access Advanced placement classes that are not offered at their school. How? By going to their ACCESS lab! During school hours instead of going to a normal elective course, students can choose to go to their access lab and take courses that they would otherwise not be able to without the help of their access lab. To learn about ACCESS you can read my other blog post click here. I went to Blount High school in Eight Mile, AL. There they have a lab set up in their library. The library is closed to all other students during this time so the students can concentrate on getting their work done, Students use this lab with "NovaNet" which is like ACCESS in the way that its set up, but instead of advanced placement classes, it offers students to earn back credits for classes they have failed in the past. This is called their "credit recovery" class. I find this to be a very important and beneficial way of using the lab because it is helping students work towards graduation and hopefully college after that. I witnessed students working hard and using this resource effectively. They seemed very eager to accomplish their goals of getting those credits back. There is a teacher present to help the students with any problems they have. I am glad NovaNet and ACCESS are available to our students.

Classroom Blogs

This week I read Jessica Kiser’s Blog. Having to do blogs every week really opened me up to new things I had not yet experienced, let alone heard about, in the educational field. I had not yet seen how blogs were used in the classroom especially an elementary class! I think blogs can be wonderful tools for not only the students but for the parents as well. They can get a feel for what their child is learning in class, see firsthand how the teacher interacts with the students (whether or not her instructions are clear and precise ect.) and also have interactions with the teacher themselves.

We also were able to find out about how different technologies are being used in the class. We found websites such as ALEX that is used for a teacher resource that we will be able to use in our future career. We also learned about ACCESS which is internet based and used within the high schools throughout Alabama to allow students access to advanced placement classes that are not offered at their particular school.

The most impressive resource that I had not yet heard about was Podcasts. Not only is iTunes for your entertainment, but it is also for your education! iTunesU is full of wonderful free podcasts, both audio and video format. They have podcasts you can use in your classroom to aid in your subject matter. There are also podcasts on new technology that others use in the classroom and these podcasts are designed to help familiarize the teacher on how to use the new technology, or give you new ideas on how to use it.

I think these blogs were a great learning experience. The only downfall I see is for students who do not have daily access to a computer and/or internet. Students from low income families would suffer from not having this learning experience or feel left out on an educational tool and less motivated. All in all I feel like blogs are a great way to get ideas for educational activities and resources and a great way to stay connected.

Edutopia

This week I watched two podcasts from Edutopia on iTunesU. The first was “The Edible Schoolyard.” This podcast was about students who spend their first period class gardening. They grow the plants, harvest them, and cook them. The teachers use every opportunity as a chance to educate the children. They work the compost and learn the steps of how it works by hand.

The second podcast I watched was “A Night in the Global Village”. This podcast was about students who go on a overnight field trip to experience life for third world country citizens. The students get divided up into different groups all having different living conditions based upon what country they are and each group is given one supply, ( all except the refugee group). They then have to barter to be able to “survive” the night while the refugees have to try to survive by begging without using english. Throughout the event the students learn by walking in the less fortunate’s shoes.

Both of these podcasts use different ways to teach the students and really make them think about things. They open up fun ways that invoke the students curiosity and their want to learn. I think by watching these videos it opens the teachers up to different ways  of teaching the students. Different ways that might aid in grabbing kids attention that otherwise would not be interested in learning.

I’m glad that I watched these podcasts and would love to watch the rest from Edutopia to get more ideas. I think teachers should be exposed to different teaching ways that could help their future students.

EDM 310 Podcasts

The first podcast I listened to was the "Technology used in the Classroom at the University of South Alabama ss0216".

Nicholas Martin sounds very personable and interesting to listen to.  The group first described the personal response clicker in a way that people can picture even if they have never seen one before. They sounded like they were really having a conversation instead of just reading. They also addressed some key questions that students  might have concerning the clicker. The next thing they discussed was the projector. Gretta Dailey who was leading the conversation on projectors said um way to much. The third thing they discussed was the Internet use in Universities. Sarah Dockery addressed key uses for the Internet besides research. She discussed Online courses that are very useful for people who may have scheduling conflicts with work ect. They also discussed Foliotek, which as a education major, tends to be a pain for everyone. And different problems people have with it.

The second podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Source Materials for High School Teachers on the World Wide Web Sp09JA0207" by Anne Gardner and Kimberly Hinojosa. They discussed all the useful tools available on the websites they discussed. They did not overly use the word "um" which is key in keeping peoples attention. The one thing I may suggest would be to sound more like they are discussing the sites rather than each doing their own part.

The third podcast I listened to was "Interview with Ms. Rand" by Jonas Cockson, Ms. Angela M. Rand, Anthony Capps, and Hannah Rogers. I really enjoyed the fresh sound of an interview rather than a discussion. It shows a different perspective in how things are helpful for students to use. Rather than just the students saying how much they use things such as networking sites, but also how members of the USA staff also feel they are very useful tools that aid in the students in learning. Keeping up with the technology the students education is kept interesting. The students didn't get as much talk time as Mrs. Rand, but that usually the case in an interview setting.

 

I would have listened to my own podcast as well, but it was not available. I do know after listening to others that mine might have sounded like reading and should have sounded more like a discussion.

Mathematics with Technology

This week i listened to the two "Mathematics with Technology" podcasts found under Maine Department of Education in iTunes U. The first one I listened to was episode one. At first the Speaker talks about the reasons teachers give for not wanting to use technology in their mathematics class room. Technology is one of the six critical principles for high quality learning. Tools provide alternative ways for the students to learn mathematics, and get immediate feedback. It engages them in a multi-sensory mathematic learning environment. She then gives a few resources to aid in using technology in the math classroom.

In the second podcast, episode two, thinking mathematically is what is missing in the mathematic learning environment. tools that give hand on experience and alternative ways help to encourage mathematical thinking but teachers still need to ask questions in the classroom to help guide and extend their learning. Teachers are told to challenge the students to learn by engaging them. Asking questions is a must in the classroom.

These podcasts can help teachers find resources and also be encouraged to use tools they find unnecessary but are extremely important to aid in the education of our students. These podcasts could be a little less monotone to make them easier to keep the listeners attention.

"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindset

During this week I watched the video podcast "Growth" vs. "Fixed" Minds by Stanford on iTunes U at Stanford University. This video discussed how many students believe their intelligence is a fixed amount. Other students believe that it can be developed and grow through learning and passion. Then there was a workshop developed to see the difference between teaching half the group study skills and the other half received both the study skills and the growth mindset lesson.

This workshop resulted in the students whom only received the study skills continued to decline. The students who received both the skills and the mindset lesson saw a significant rise in their grades. The growth mindset is very important because with out it, one cannot keep up with the world and how its changing. 

Another big reason one needs to have the growth mindset because without it one cannot possibly be a good mentor. I think it is important as educators to not only have this mindset, but also teach it to our students. This will aid in giving them a better education and a head start in life. Students need to be encouraged and know that if they work hard they will succeed. 

Video Podcasts

This week I watched video podcasts. First I watched two in the K-5 level. One was a science clip titled "Why doesn't the moon fall down?" and the next was also a science one titled "A Night in the Coral Reef". Both were very educational and were at the correct education level. I find these very helpful when teaching a subject. It used to be the teacher would find a video fast forward to the clip they wanted to show and then bring it to class. Now with much less hassle all one has to do is download the podcast.

The second two I watched were in the grades 9-12 category. They were also scientific and very informative and interesting.  Both "Galileo on the Moon" and "Frozen Frogs" caught my eye and I'm sure would do the same to a student in this age group. These podcasts are extremely useful and put things at the teachers fingertips allowing for more time for planning etc. I believe that podcasts will soon flourish in the educational community.

Educational Podcasts

The first podcast I listened to was the SmartBoard Lessons Podcast. In this podcast it has a man and a woman discussing a lesson used on the SmartBoard. By discussing the lesson they examine different utilities used by making this lesson. Another thing is they have listeners send in questions and comments to them. They answer the questions sent in and also discuss the different ways of doing things submitted by listeners.

The second podcast I listened to was Kidcast. This podcast helps teachers find new ideas to aid in using podcasts as a tool to learn. The teacher can use these ideas in the classroom as the students make their own podcasts about what they have learned. The podcast I listened to was about questions. Asking questions opens so many things up whether given by the teacher or by the student. Knowledge is found through asking questions so what better way to learn.

The third podcast I listened to was EdTechTalk. This one is great because it does not have a main topic, but rather a collective of multiple topics that pertain to the fields of education and technology. This podcast is enjoyable because it is a group of 4 people just having a conversation that happens to be all about education and technology tools in education. The Fourth podcast I listened to was MacBreak Weekly. This podcast was not as enjoyable as the others. It was slightly boring but did have a lot of information all about mac's and how to use them

The fifth podcast I found was This week in photography. It was actually a video podcast. They discuss the newest things in photography such as different lenses their new features and what they do as well as what they are used for. This podcast was very informational as well as entertaining by being a video. Lastly I listened to Spanishpod that can be accessed through itunes and Spanishpod.com It is a very effective and fun learning experience. They have different levels to meet anyones needs whether you're a newbie to Spanish or advanced and they even have video lessons. This was my favorite of all the podcasts. It kept my attention and taught in a fun non-boring way. I also found Chinesepod so I imagine if there is any language one would like to learn it is either out there or on its way!

EDM Podcasts

I listened to the "You Tube- For Education?" podcast by Joel Graham, Noelle Shipman, and Kimberly Kelly first. The first thing I noticed was a lot of um's used as airtime fillers. This makes me wanted to be very prepared with my notes for my podcast. Another thing that bothered me is when the voices sounded monotone and began to bore me.

I liked the second podcast I listened to was "My classes as South: How is technology used in them?" by Matthew Cline and Jill Revette. They had some pauses that seemed ill prepared not knowing where to go next. I think notes will be helpful in this area as well. The thing I liked about both podcasts was that they sounded like they were comfortable with each other, they did make it sound a little less scripted and a little conversational, thought at times it was easy to see they were struggling. I think practice and notes will be very helpful for me to do better on y podcast.

These podcasts can be accessed through itunes or by clicking here

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

During Randy Pausch's Last Lecture he speaks a lot about achieving childhood dreams. He talks about the brick walls we run into and how they are to show us how much we really want something. They weed out the people who don't want it bad enough. I think this is important, it wouldn't be called an achievement if it was given away.

Another thing that he said in this video is to listen. Listen to your feedback and grow from it. Mentors are there to help guide you into the direction you want to travel. Feedback from others about how easy you are to work with is very important. If you are hard to work with no one is going to want to help you accomplish your goals. Having something to bring to the table is also very helpful thing on your path to your dreams.

One quote that I really enjoyed Pausch say was, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted". I find this very encouraging. People are focused on the goals so much they for get about what happened to get them so far.

Throughout this video he talked about the "head fake" and how it is when people are learning something other than what they are thinking they are learning. This video itself was a head fake in that we weren't really learning how to achieve our childhood dreams but rather how to truly live your life to the fullest. This is an inspirational video that I think everyone should watch and grow from. Even when you're dream looks like the impossible, believe in it and push yourself to make it a reality.

International Class Blogs

The first site I found was for a group of year 5 and 6 students from New Zealand. Even though school os out for the year (it's their summer) there are still some interesting things on their blog. There is a link to their teacher blog as well as a link to the classes Novel Study blog. On the Novel Study blog there are many questions pertaining to the story, and then the students post comments to answer the questions. There is even a project done with another class 1000km away that could only be done through use of blogs and wikis. To access this blog click here


The second blog I found was based in Australia. The blog has different tabs for the subjects they use the blog for, one for the tasks they are required to carry out, and links they might need. It was made to help give parents more comunication access to their childrens class as well as help keep them involved in what their child does is school. The class seems to have an upbeat fun environment feel shown by the name of the blog as well as the goofy photos of the teacher and students. The school year has just started so not a lot is posted but it would be nice to refer to the blog in the future to see how they have progressed. To acess this blog click here

Class blogs throughout America

One class blog I found was Mrs. Myrmel's class at Bauer Elementary in Hudsonville, MI. It has class discussions of readings they have done in class including everyone's response. It also has descriptions of projects the class is doing as well as pictures. for instance the class has first grade writing partners that they had come and learn how to revise and make their stories better, the class has pictures of this event taking place. It has copies of the class newsletter for the parents to read. This blog  shows ex

periments and fun events the class has done. Another component I found helpful was the teacher first posted a blog containing information on what they were going to read in class, and later followed it up by posting the students responses to the story.

To see this blog for yourself click the following link: What's Happening in Room 8

I found Mr. C's Class Blog to be very proficient. It follows a 5th grade class in Noel, MO. This blog is very well constructed and not only shows information pertaining to the class, but throughout the entire school such as who made A honor roll, and clips from recent basketball games played by the students of the school. This blog also finds a way to connect the students to other cultures, by communicating to a class based in Australia as both read the same book. It has school clubs linked and even featured in posts that aid in getting more involved in extra curricular activities as well as making the students more aware of all the th

ings they can participate in. It has class projects incorporated and displayed on the blog along with links to specific subject blogs that the students use to discuss issues they learned about in class. This blog also had a very unique component; a live stream of class. One can click play and watch the class as the students learn. I think this blog is very educational in showing other teachers different methods that work and out-showed all the other blogs I have seen.

To view this blog click on the following link: Mr. C's Class Blog

I think these blogs help other teachers learn about what other classes throughout the country do, help the parents see some of the things their children are doing and helps them stay involved, and also helps encourage the students to love learning and work hard so they can show off what all they have accomplished via the class blog. I enjoyed viewing the blogs and will probably refer to them in the future in my own research to be the best teacher I can be.

Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide

ACCESS is an online learning program designed to give students equal opportunities throughout the state of Alabama. All schools are required to offer advanced diplomas for their students. ACCESS gives students the ability to take advanced classes required for this diploma no matter what school they attend.It also offers other courses and electives not offered at all schools. ACCESS has web-based learning and also uses videoconferencing. Video Conferencing offers the students the ability to see the teacher and interact with him/her along with other students from different schools.

With ACCESS students have more responsibility for their own education. Students take the course at school during regular hours. It also offers lab simulations that the student can use multiple times, changing the variables and getting different outcomes, in a relatively short time frame. It also allows students to work at their own pace. Different learning styles are supported through ACCESS improving the students learning. I believe this a vital tool in educational equality, the only pitfall is that not everyone knows about it and therefore does not have access to it.

Plagiarism has the obvious black and white area where one can tell something is plagiarized when it is directly copied word for word without any parenthesis nor citations.  The Gray area is what one must learn to keep oneself from plagiarizing. Paraphrasing, though not directly copying ones work word for word, should still be citied, or is considered plagiarism. Someone else's ideas should be credited to that person or else it is also plagiarism. A photo, graph or table copied from a source should be citied precisely.

To keep oneself from plagiarizing, try these following techniques. Make sure to cite everything correctly; author, source i.e. book, journal, page number, footnote, etc. One should be sure to take notes carefully. If interviewing make sure to note your own thoughts differently than those from the person you are interviewing.  One should be careful in writing their bibliography page. Another thing that a person must do is to keep ahold of all their drafts. If a student gets a copy of another's draft they could use it as their own and then the original author might be accused of plagiarizing.

The sites I found information on plagiarism can be found at the following links.

Is It Plagiarism Yet?

Safe Practices

Writing Tutorial Services

Bates Plagiarism

Copyright

Alabama Learning Exchange

ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange) has many tools to help educators. One can easily click on the "Courses of Study" link, click on any subject, and then select a grade level. There he/she will find different topics within selected grade and subject that they might need more information on in order to teach effectively. There are lesson plans that can be accessed from the subject section, or by clicking on the "Lesson Plans" link and selecting fields from the menu and then searching for what one needs. For even more education to help the educator become more proficient, the educator can click on the "Professional Learning" link for learning tools, latest educator news and the best practices.

ALEX also has tools for students. Students can click on the "Distance Learning" link and have access to AP classes, electives, and other courses that are not offered in their schools. There are also student web links offered under the "Web Link" link. 

If one has any problems with ALEX or just needs some help making lesson plans etc. There is a help link and a soon to be available "support round table".  ALEX is a wonderful resource tool and I believe having it available helps teachers educate better. The more resources and knowledge available, the better off we all are. 

To access ALEX click here

Web Accessibility

Many tools have been made to help people with disabilities access the internet and use computers as effectively as non-disabled people. People with vision disabilities might use a program that reads the page aloud, braille displays, and use the keyboard to select things instead of a mouse. People with low to no hand abilities, such as amputees or cerebral palsy suffers, use voice recognition software. This enables them to speak commands on what they would like typed or clicked on.

Laws have been put in place to make things accessible to people with disabilities. Everything must be readable by program designed for aiding these people. To not comply would be discriminatory. There are also instructional tools to help make a webpage that complies with with the set guidelines that help make accessible webpages. Wether as simple as making the screen larger and easier to read, or as complex as screen reader software for the totally blind, Tools are available for the needs of the disabled. 

About Me!

My name is Andrea Richards and I am 22 years old. I love to dance and have done so since I was 3. I also love to ski but it's hard to do so on a regular basis. I'm married and we daughter. I am currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at the University of South Alabama. I don't have a job, but school is work enough. We recently added a puppy into our family as well as a kitten about a month before. Well I guess you'll learn more about me in my presentation in class. Thanks for reading.