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I am an elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. I decided to go into this field after changing my major two times. I felt this is where my calling is to help students achieve more than they think they can.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

farewell for now

I do not like goodbye's so instead I will say hello to a new beginning.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Interview project 15

My final Blog

From the start of this semester to the end we have learned and used a lot of technology. This post is a summary of some of the tools we have learned to use throughout the semester.
The first question asks to think about the things we have learned and and how they will be useful when I become a teacher. One of the first things we did in this class was to start a blog. This blog is where we posted a lot of different things like videos, pictures, text post, and other things. I have enjoyed blogging on my fellow classmates blog, different student's blog from all around the world, and teacher's blogs. This has become something that I found very useful because I got to see how things were done different from person to person. Another thing we have used is google docs this is an extremely important tool in my opinion that I have learned. I was able to create a presentation about myself and then had to show it to the class I was in. This is a good thing that will be useful in my classroom because it will allow students to get to know their fellow classmates. Google docs is useful in other ways as well like you can create a spreadsheet which we used to do a questionaire. Google docs can do everything that microsoft can do except it is free and I think that it is more useful. ItunesU is very helpful because it will help me to learn more about different ways to teach and also share updated information to my students. Podcast are another way my students can get involved in the classroom. We had to watch several podcast and one that really stuck out was PS22 this is a videocast that the students were singing on. It was very powerful and made me realize the importance of students posting their work. I found that it allows the students to get feedback on their work and that can help the moral of the class. Google earth I really enjoyed and thought was a good way to let students learn about different places. Comments for kids was interesting because it showed me how students are becoming more technology involved and how they are doing different things. Comments for teachers helped me see how important developing my PLN early is and also helped me develop one. I did not see the real importance with twitter and maybe that is because I have not fully learned how to use it but I do plan on learning more about it. Skype I enjoyed using but also found it had that it had one major issue if the connection was not good then the video would freeze up and also sometimes the conversation and the movement of the person's lips when talking would not match up.
The second question we were asked if there was something that we did not learn but would have liked to learn. In all honesty I learned a lot this semester more than I thought I would have ever learned. If there is something out there that I did not learn I would be surprised. I would have like to learn more about google docs because I think there are things that I can do with google docs that I did not learn that would be helpful in my teaching field.
The third question asked if there was something that we learned that I wish I had not. Honestly I think I will use everything I learned and see no point in forgetting any thing I learned. I am greatful for everything I learned in this class and hope to continue learning more after this class.
The fourth question asked if I found this class excited us. I found it to be somewhat exctiing because I did not know what to expect and I was ready to learn something new and I liked the fact that it was not going to be taught like any of my other classes I have taken.
The fifth question asked if I found anything to be intellectually challenging. I found the professional blog to be intellectually challenging because I was not sure how to start it out and there were things that I found hard to put into words but I really liked the fact we were assigned to create one because it made me think about things that we will have to know for the future.
He then asked if we were bored at anytime in this class. I will say the blogs I found to be a bit redundant. Personally I might not have so many things to blog about but still require all the assignments and find another way besides blogging about it.
Question seven asked if we would change anything about this course. I do not think that anything needs to be changed minus what I said in the previous question. I would have liked the assignments to have been a little easier to keep up with like how they are organized becuase I like to make checklist to make sure I have completed every thing I need and I found this to be a little difficult. Overall I would not change anything in the course I learned a lot in this course.
Am I technology literate? I would have to say yes more so than I was before I started this class. I would not say I am great but I would most certainly say I am on the good level.
The last question that was asked is how will I maintain my technological literacy between now and the time I graduate. I plan to continue to use google docs for sure, I will also contiue to use all the tools that I have learned and hope to find new tools as well. I firmly believe that I will never be done learning.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Teaching how to Skype project 8

My Cruise Trip

Project 8 Teaching someone using technology


I had to help my partner on one of our projects I showed her how to post a link to her blog. This was helpful to her because it taught her something new for future assignments and also if she wanted to use it in a classroom. I also taught my mom how to use twitter because she is completely against using facebook but some of her co-workers had a twitter account. I showed her how to set one up and also how to find people on it.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Substansive Project and blog



here is a link to our blog as well.

Skype


I must admit before I had never used skype and I really did not know much about it. Then it was mentioned at the begining of the semester in this class and that we would have different teachers who might skype in. That made me start researching what skype was exactly. Now I use skype on a weekly basis sometimes. I skype with my boyfriend who is in the army and is stationed in Afghanistan. Sometimes it is cheaper for us to talk that way then by phone. I also skype with my bestfriend who is also taking this class. It makes it easy when we have questions on certain assignments or need an outsiders view for this class. I have enjoyed my skype use and I plan on expanding how I use it even more.

assignment for april 18

For this assignment we are supposed to pick a topic that relates to EDM310. The topic I have chosen is blogging. I am going into elementary education and I think that blogging is a great way to get students involved in the areas that I am teaching. I learned a lot this semester about blogging before I was not really interested in it but now I think it is a really good tool for education.
Comments for kids is a good example of how blogging is useful. Over the semester we have been assigned to several student's blogs and had to post a comment on their page. I thought this was very interesting and made me rethink about blogging. I found it amazing how students so young were able to create post on their blog and I also enjoyed reading about some of their activities that they have done that day. Not only do they post to their blogs but they also post video cast and use voicethread for their blog.
After this sememster I plan to continue learning more ways to use blogs in my classroom. I also plan to use everything else I have learned in this class but the blogging just stuck out to me the most. It also allows students to get their work out for others to see and comment on.

Comments for Kids make-up weeks 4,5,6,&7


The first post I was assinged to was on a student named Takai. In his video he introduces himself and then talks about each person in his family and what there name is. He also states he is in the third grade.
The second post I was assigned to was a student named Gloria she talks about how she made butter in class. She talks about some of the steps they had to do to make it.
The third post was a video done by Kavaliku it was the first post the student did for the year. He states that he is in the thrid grade and his birthday is on Christmas day.
The fourth post I commented on Muamua she states that she is seven years old and also names each person in her family.
The final post I was assigned to was Sela's video. She talks about how they went outside to do fitness. She used great detail in her description of that days events.
After doing all five of these post and watching all of them I have learned a little bit about their culture which is Māori. One thing I liked was the fact there is a website that gives you different ways to greet them. I thought that was really neat.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

My Timeline

assignment for 4/25/10

After watching the seventh graders PLE I realized that mine could use some major work. Her PLE included evernote which I had never heard of, her facebook, her science class blog, and her email. She had so much information I could not believe it. I really liked evernote it lets you save things that you like and even your ideas. What I really like about it is the fact you can access it from any computer that would be very handy for me since I have trouble remembering things.
Two Questions that can change your life
After watching this video I really sat back and thought about it. I mean I never really thought about having a sentence that stuck out for what I am doing. I do know that I am here for a purpose and that is to help younger kids strive for more in life. As a future teacher I feel like I have that power to enlighten kids to want to do more in life. The second question asks was I better today than yesterday. This also is a question I have never asked myself. I would like to think in some aspects yes because I am constantly open to new ideas and wanting to learn more. Now that I have heard this question I will strive to think about it everyday so that I can make an effort to do better.

Project 7

Here is a link to my audacity file.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Comments for Kids

For week four 2/2/10-2/9/10: I was assigned to comment on AJ's blog. He talks about how he is going to get information about how to become a disc jokey and that he would be posting information as he got it. I thought this was very interesting and that it seemed like he was really interested in that topic.

For week five 2/8/10-2/14/10: I was assinged to a student named Anna and her post was about the Egypt Game Final assesment. She talks about how they had to do a drama thing in English one day and how she really enjoyed it. She talks about how doing that made her feel like she was really playing the Egypt game. She also talks about certain topics that she thought would be useful for their final test.

For week six 2/15/10-2/21/10: I was assigned to comment on room 9. I really enjoyed looking around on their page and think that they have really cool ideas. They don't just have a blog they have added their on flare to it or so it seems.

For week seven 2/22/10-2/28/10: I had to comment on two post by different students. On the first post the student wrote a poem talking about trust. I thought the student did a very good job and I really enjoyed reading the poem. The second post was another poem and this student did a good job as well. This student used a lot of description to talk about the property he/she was on. I was really amazed after reading both poems at how talented these students were.

comments for teachers weeks 13 and 14


week 13 I posted a comment on Beth Still's post. This post was about how she was stressed for time and that she was trying to get everything together and how they were reorganizing some of the online classes she was doing. My comment to here was this: Jenny Turner Says:
April 8th, 2010 at 6:02 p
Hello my name is Jenny Turner and I am a student taking EDM 310 and will be following your blog for a few weeks. I have enjoyed reading your blog and think that you have the right idea when it comes to getting your priorities in order. My blog URL is http://turnerjennyedm310.blogspot.com/ and my class blog URL is http://www.edm310.blogspot.com/

Week 14 I posted a comment on her post that was about how myspace changed lives. This was a very interesting post that I really agree with. This was my comment to her: Hello there my name is Jenny Turner and I am in EDM310 at South Alabama. I enjoyed reading this post about your experience with myspace. I have had a few experiences similar using facebook. I have had friends from when I was in elementary school that have found me on facebook and we have reconnected.

Comments for teachers week 7,8,& 9

I was assigned to comment on Paul McMahon's blog he is a math teacher who is doing amazing work with other schools who have not caught up to the 21st century. Here is the first comment I left him.
Hey there my name is Jenny Turner and I am in EDM 310 at South Alabama. A late congrats are in order. I think it is great you are trying to help other schools trying to catch up to the 21st century.

The second comment I made was on a post about using different ways for Christmas ideas. Hello this is Jenny Turner with EDM 310 again. I really enjoyed reading this blog and found it very interesting. You use some creative ideas for the students and I think that they will be very useful

The last post I commented on was about how he had so much going on in his life and that now he is full-time with his job but it has not decreased his work in the Asian regions. I think this is great and the work is does is amazing. My name is Jenny Turner and I am in EDM310 at South Alabama. It seems like you have your hands full these days. I think it is amazing that you are able to do it all. I also think it is great you did not loose what you were doing in the Asian regions and that you were able to get even more involved.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Why it is important for children to post their work

I must say I was a little worried at first about students posting their work on the internet but after being in this class I have learned it is very vaulable and is a positive influnce for students. Posting their work allows other people to respond and give them motivation and for some students that is just what they need.
My first example is the video I just watched I really hit me and showed that students can do amazing things and that everyone should know what they are capable of.

My next example is Dear Kia this young girl really inspired me and the pictures she took were very pretty. click here to go to her blog

My last example is comments for kids. We were assigned to comment on different blogs and some had video's of what they did and some talked about different things they were doing that day. The one I commented on was on a boy named Isaac he tells about his weekend. click here to see the video Isaac posted

Dear Kia


This assignment was to watch and read about a young girl named Kia she is three years old. I was amazed at how a child so young could grasp the concept of what she learned and then was able to use it. I think this is amazing and the fact that her father is allowing everyone to see it was even better. This has shown me how technology has advanced and that how children at any age almost can use it in some form. She was able to take pictures and then in one video she told what she had taken pictures of.
I was very inspired by all of the things that her family had taught her and made me realize that as a future teacher I could really use this to help students. I realize that I will have students who will like to have the option to learn about things in a way that is not typical of teaching like going out and taking pictures of nature and then having the students talk about what they learned and then sharing it with the world by having a blog. For the fact we live in such a world now that media is a big part students are quick to become uninterested in the typical textbook teaching and that we as future educators need to learn other ways to keep students interested and I think that what Kia's father is teaching her and how he is teaching her is a good example and I hope that I will be able to use some of those ways in my classroom.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

comment for kids week 14


This was a post about the band the killers done by Mr. Clung. I thought it was very interesting that he had different bands and information about them and thought it was a great idea for the kids.

comments for kids week 13


This week I was assigned to Sesalina's blog she did a video also and talks about going to camp. She talks about the rules and that she will abide by all the rules and that she will not have any issues with her friends.

Comments for kids week 12


This week I was assigned to Isaac he posted a video about his weekend in this video he said that he was playing a game with his dad and that he won the game and then his dad ordered the family pizza.

Friday, April 16, 2010

My PLN

My personal learning networks are skype which I have used to talk to one of my classmates about homework assignments and projects that I did not understand. I also plan to continue using this as I continue with school and after I graduate. I also use twitter, I have just gotten used to twitter but plan to follow other elementary education majors and other teachers or soon to be teachers. I like timetoast which I had never heard of but think that it will be a great tool for my students to use. We could work on different subjects and to learn about each student. Delicious will be very helpful when I find lesson plans that I like I will be able to bookmark them for the future. As an elementary education major I am not sure if I will be able to use google earth but I would like to use it if possible.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

comments for teachers week 10 and 12


For this assignment we were required to post on a teachers blog for a period of three weeks I have included my comments that I left the teacher. On each post I had to comment on it was something different but yet very interesting and I felt she informed me more than I thought would be possible. On one post she talks about the updated version of gmail and that is something I am not very used to using except for this class and I learned so much more about it. The second post was about a cell phone and all the different things it could do. I liked this post because I have been struggling with getting a more updated phone than my blackberry yet I am so used to using my blackberry I was not sure. She talked about the different things that it could do and all the new things that were available on it. The last post I commented on was one about new additions that had been added to google docs. This was very helpful because google docs is something used so frequently in this class and has also became one of my favorite things to use. Overall I learned a lot from just the three post that I read and commented on.
The first comment I made to her blog:Hello my name is Jenny I am taking EDM310 at South Alabama and my teacher has asked to read and comment on certain post. I think that you post about Gmail is very interesting and also very imformative. I myself just got a gmail account for this class and I have to admit that I really did not know much about it until then. After reading your post I found that I have learned more about using gmail than I ever thought I would. Here is a link to our class blog and also my personal blog: http://turnerjennyedm310.blogspot.com/, class blog:http://www.edm310.blogspot.com/



My second comment:Hey it is Jenny again I think that this is a great pitch I love learning about all the new cell phone technology. I have to say I am pretty stuck on my blackberry though but now it seems that they have so many new cell phones out that can do more than my blackberry or the internet explore is more advance that I am considering getting a different phone but it is hard to change when I have been so used to the same type of phone for so long. The way you listed all the things that your phone can do has made me reconsider because we are in a new age and need to keep up with technology.
My final comment for the weeks assigned: Jenny and I am in EDM310 and we have to learn all about new technology and google docs was a new one for me. My teacher told us about it and at first I was against it since all I have ever used is microsoft but since learning about google docs it is all I want to use now because it seems to be so much easier to use. Thank you for posting about the new things that have been added to google docs I think that you made it very easy to understand and also helps inform people like myself who do not always know the new features that have been added.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

My Survey

This is a link to see my spread sheet results

Summary complete responses



What is your age range?
18-20 4 40%
21-24 5 50%
25-28 0 0%
29-+ 1 10%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
Do you have a job?
yes 7 70%
no 3 30%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
How many hours a week do you work?
15 or less 6 60%
16 -30 3 30%
full time 1 10%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
Do you think that teachers think about students and whether they have a job and or children when they assign homework and other assignments?
yes 0 0%
no 2 20%
maybe 8 80%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

Please explain your response to the question above.
sometimes i feel as though teacher forget that we DO have to pay bills along with getting our education.It's not really their problem, but they should still keep the workload reasonable.It depends on the teacher. Many do not or at least do not seem to.There are times when it seems like that teachers do not take into considerations about the students' outside life, but there are times that teachers do take into considerations but only if the students talk to the teachers.this class is a great example...wayyyy too many repetitive assignments. (eg. comments 4 kids, classmates, and teachers)Each...Number of daily responses

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

homework assignment for 3/28/2010


After reading Morgan's post I felt like I could relate in several ways to how she felt. There are some of my classes in which it is very hard for me to stay awake and pay attention becuase of the ways they are taught. Through my EDM310 class I have learned a lot and think that most of what I have learned will be very helpful and I will be able to use them to help get my students involved because I find using some of these ways of technology keep my attention so I would hope that they would keep my student's attention and keep them involved.
The author also opens the post with a video done by Dan Brown and he talks about how he dropped out of school because "his schooling was interfering with his education" I guess the point he was trying to make was that he did not agree with how the school was trying to educate him. This video hit a few good points one of my favorites was the last one about how the world is changing and if you do not decide to change with it the world will decide it does not need you anymore. This point validates why we have to take this class and also why teachers need to stay up to date with the way things are changing instead of being stubborn and not wanting to change with it.

comments for kids week 9 and 10

On this class blog Mrs. Yollis talks about the different things her class does and will be doing. One thing I thought was really interesting was they entered an internation blog challenge. I think that is a really good idea.

Week 10 class blog was about St. Patrick's Day and what we thought it was.

comments for kids week 8




I was asked to comment on day 113 of a kindergarten class blog. It was very interesting they talked about what they did during their day and the new friend they made. It snowed and they had a picture of it on that post.

Monday, March 29, 2010

homework for 3/12/10

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)
When you first go to the website you have eight different topics you can click on like course study, lesson plans, and podcast treasury are just some of them. When clicking on lesson plans I was given an option to create my own lesson plan or I could search ALEX for lesson plans. To search you can use the author's name, school, Title, or they give you the option to search by the subject material. The other link I clicked on to view was the podcast treasury I found this to be very interesting. It contained subjects like arts, mathematics, social studies, teacher created, and much more. It also gives you other links other than ALEX to find podcast.
Until now I had never heard of this site but I think it is a very useful site and I will be sure to remember this when I become a teacher and even before then while I am going through my teaching courses.


Alabama Connecting Classroom Educators and Students Statewide (ACCESS)
This site is full of links and resources that can be useful for students and teachers. One thing I liked about this site is the fact that it offers online courses your school might not offer and the students are able to enroll in them and take them and also recieve credit for taking them.
I think this site will come in very useful like ALEX when I become a teacher and I will also be telling my students about ACCESS so that they can go and explore this site. I think it will be important for them to start looking early since I will be teaching elementary school children I will be introducing them to this site early.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture


This lecture starts out by Randy Pausch introducing himself. He has been told he has liver cancer and will only live for a few more months. For this reason he decided to give what is titled "Last Lecture". In this lecture he gives advice and also inspiration to everyone I think who was there for that lecture but not only to them now this is a lecture that is very well known and I think that anyone who reads this will be inspired.
When he starts his lecture he talks about some of his childhood dreams and then he tells how he accomplished them. The way I felt while listening to his lecture was that he was a very persistant person who tried to accomplish everything he set out to do. That inspired me to not give up on anything that I can accomplish it if I just set forth an effort and do not give up.
He is an amazing man and I think that everyone should watch this video because everyone could learn something from him. After watching his video I was in a state of shock to think that this man could have done all of this and that I sit here and complain about little things in life that I am having issues with. I now have decided that I am going to buy his book and read it. I want to learn more about him because he made such an impact on me and I think that his book will be just as amazing as his lecture. I hope that I can have at least some impact like he did on everyone who has heard him speak.

homework 2/28


This is How We Dream Part 1 and Part 2
Dr. Miller talks about how things have changed so much since when he was growing up. He talks about how people do not really go to the library anymore or read books. Almost everything can be found online and can be made more interesting by the use of videos or by adding audio. He even gives tips on how to do perform these functions.
He talks about how everything is being shared one example was itunes U and if you think about it that isn't a bad idea because of the fact that we are getting ideas from everyone and being able to compare ideas with sharing. I think it is a good idea to have everything available at one click if you think about it when you look around in a college classroom almost every student has a computer and always on it whether it be taking notes or making notation in a calender of upcoming assignments.
The one thing I did not agree with was Dr. Miller said that one day we will not be using word processors. I think that is something that we will contiue to need but I do think they will enhance it so much that it will be able to do almost everything and will eventually be completely online. I am not sure if I am prepared for all of this but I do think my students will be able to do this and I also think that they will probably be more advanced in technology because of how things advance.





The Networked Student
This video probably got my attention more than most. I really thought it was very informative and helped me understand a lot more about PLN's and other forms of networking before watching this video I really didn't understand the point of networking besides facebook and myspace and other things like that but now I can see that there are other forms of networking and that they can be really helpful in the classroom. Networking can be used to connect with other students in other areas who are studying the same material you are and comparing information it can also be used to find links for topics you are doing research on. There are so many possiblities that networking can be used for.
I liked how this video really explained how to use PLN's and why they are important. The way the video does this in a way that makes it easy to understand how to use them and also why they are so useful and important.
I must say at the end of the video when the question was asked then "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" I was kind of taken back because I am an Elementary Education major and this would mean that there is no need for any teachers if the answer was there is no need for them. The answer was though to help the student when they came to a problem or if they needed help with anything else so this means even though it is all dont online teachers are still needed. As a future teacher I think with a little practice I will be able to help students with PLN's and any other type of networking.


Michael Wesch
It was really hard to get into this video and he was not a bad speaker and he was funny I just found it hard to get into. He talks about how in the past what they thought the MTV boom. He talks about the different words that moved from show to show and how it caught on so easily. This still goes on now and is very noticable and he talks about that as well.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

homework for 2/21/2010

Part one of the assignemnt for this week was to go to Dr. Alice Christie's website and find something that I think would be helpful to me as a teacher. I found the GPS and geocoaching to be very informative and interesting and think that I would be able to use that in my classroom.
This is an idea that gets kids involved in the lesson and takes it from being a teacher centered environment to an environment that focus' on the children. This site also shows you how to incorporate it for each level of children like your elementary school, middle school, and high school. This is helpful because it isn't just one level of children that can use it but instead it is made for every level.


The second assignment was to discover iTunes University and learn all about it. This was a podcast on itunes that is totally free and includes universities from all over the country. I found this tool to be very helpful for when I become a teacher.
This tool gives students another method of learning plus lets them see different points of views on different topics. It allows them to expand their views of thinking.

What I have learned this year

This blog is by Mr. McClung and is called What I have learned this year. This blog is about a teacher entering his firs year of teaching and the new things he expierenced and learned over the year. He learned that to be an effective teacher you have to learn to let the crowd drive your instruction. He also learned that you have to be flexible in making your lesson plans and that you are going to make mistakes it does not have to be perfect. He also talks about using technology and that you should not be afraid of it. You need to be able to communicate well with others because it will be the building block of the future.
I think that he is very wise in what he says and I think I could use his first year of expierence to help me learn more before I begin teaching so that I am a little better prepared for when it comes time for me to be a first year teacher.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Wikipedia 2/14/2010

For this assignment we were told to read the NPR blog on Wikipedia and also listen to the podcast about this blog. This article is about using Wikipedia and whether it is a useful. The problem with using Wikipedia which is an online encyclopedia that can be changed by anyone. So that means that the information you are hoping to find on that website is not always accurate.
This particular article was about an e-voting machine vendor called Diebold, the page had fifteen deleted paragraphs. For the fact that anyone can go and edit the articles at anytime shows that Wikipedia could not ever be a completely credible source.

The benefits of podcasting in the classroom assignment 2/7/10

For this assignment we were supposed to watch podcast that informed us on how they are useful the one I chose was done by Mr. Dale he talks about podcasting in the classroom. This podcast was almost ten minutes long and talked about the benefits of using them in the classroom by showing the audience how it can be used and how it can benefit the class as a whole.
I think that podcasting can be helpful in a classroom to a certain extent because yes it can show the children how things work and also keep their attention which is something that can be hard to do sometimes. Podcasting can also help encourage students to become more active in the lesson for class.

Social Media Counts

Gary's Social media counts I found to be interesting in some ways because it shows how many people actually use technology for so many different reasons. At the same time I am not completely sure I understand the importance of this blog since I do not think the numbers are completely accurate.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Monday, February 1, 2010

podcast for 1/31/2010

SmartBoard Lessons
I had never listened to or been introduced to a podcast before so I was a little uneasy as to how I would feel about it. This particular one was done as if you were listening to a radio show. The two host talk about how to get students interested in a particular subject and also how to wrap up the school year by using movies. This podcast was not very organized in my opinion.


KidCast
In this one the guy stays on task and he talks about the difference between podcasting and video casting. He claims that video casting is not the next step that leads to podcasting. He also claims that you do not have to have a video cast to become a great podcaster. Audio casting is he believes is easier than video casting for students. He also thinks that students should know how to do video casts because there are going to be certain times and places where they would work better than a podcast.

ConnectLearning
In this one the guy goes around asking librarians how they feel about podcast and if they think it helps them out with their jobs. They think that it can help make their job easier and also get students more interested in reading.

EdTechtalk
This podcast was not put together in my opinion very well at all. The group of women did not stay on topic at all and I was not able to hear them very well. The went from one topic to a completely different topic which I did not care for at all.

MacBreakWeekly and This Week in Photography
These two seemed to be the same in format. They helped me somewhat understand since I was not completely familar with everything.

Friday, January 22, 2010

homework assignment for 1/24/2010

A Vision of Students Today
This video was an eye opener because it shows people how much students go through each day and that it is not as easy as some think. I think one of the points the director was trying to get across is that technology can help with some of student's and the world's everyday problems but with technology comes along a lot of issues as well. It is a nice idea thinking that techonolgy could solve every issue but in my opinion it is not advanced enough and people are not ready to completely depend on it as well.
When you take some of the signs the students were holding up one was "I stay on facebook in class" this is one issue that can cause a problem when it comes to students in class and them not paying attention. Other issues that I think technology is an issue is because if we just depend on it and it completely crashes then what are we to do. I think the over all point of the video was to prove that technology is a good source and that it can solve a lot of issues and also that students go through a lot during each day.



It's not about the Technology
This author is discussing how technology goes hand in hand with teaching and how to be a successful teacher we need to be technology savvy. As I agree with this in a lot of ways and in some ways I do not agree with like blogging and twitter things like this these are things that people do for social networking and go along with things like facebook and myspace. I do think that understanding and being able to keep up with the latest things in technology is very important. I also think that computers should be used in schools.
I think that teachers should also be kept up to date on how to use computers as much as possible so that they are able to teach their students. This will be one of the hardest things since students are constantly learning new things and always advancing in the technology world more so than their elders.



Is it ok to be Technologically Illiterate?
The author of this blog and post is trying to get across one point that teachers and people who work in the school should be technologically literate. This post lists several different things that talk about how you need to be able to understand and have to ablilty to use technology in everyday use.
As I agree with the author that teachers and people who work in the school should be technologically literate I do not agree with the harshness of his tone. He states at one point that some should look for alternative employment and in my opinion I do not agree with that. I think that instead of making people feel like they cannot do something or that they should look for another job that the school should help them and offer training for the workers who are not as techonology savvy as others.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Harness Your Kids' Digital Smarts

I found this video to be engaging. This video has a primary focus on one teacher, Viki Davis. This teacher is highlighted because she is a pioneer in the education field. She is using technology as a teaching tool instead of a the conservative pencil and paper method; she is reaching out to students in a way they can relate to, like a teacher should.



I agree with this theory. Obviously technology is changing in a rate that we can not even imagine. And as future educators we should embrace this new technology, incorporate it into our methods of teaching, and give our future students an education that they can enjoy and remember instead of dread and forget.

Mr Winkle Wakes

Mr. Winkle Wakes is a take on rip van winkle- a man who wakes up after 100 year snooze and everything is different. The Mr. Winkle in this video passes by buildings that are higher than they were before. He becomes overwhelmed by today's technology and falls ill. When he gets to the hospital, he is surrounded by machines that beep, causing more anxiety. Finally Mr. Winkle wanders into a school, where nothing has changed, there he becomes relaxed---more at home.

I agree with this message. I believe that the old methods of teaching are not working anymore; our students are bored, we should be more aggressive and let go of our comfort zones. And if we are not careful and embrace this technology we will end up like Mr. Winkle---afraid to move forward.

Schools Kill Creativity?

The talk given by Ken Robinson, was extremely interesting. The talk was centered around how schools generally kill students creativity. That people who do not learn in an acceptable way will be forced to be ostracized in society and also school, and how we the teachers, also do this--we do not accommodate to their needs. We teach in one way and one way only.

I agree with this theory, every kid is different and hardwired differently, and learns differently. As teachers, we should accommodate to this, and embrace the fact that this kid is different and not ostracize he/she for it.

Did You Know 3.0?

The video "Did You Know 3.0?", by Karl Fisch is original and truthful. The style of the video was original by taking the song "Right here, Right now" by Fatboy Slim. The video then transitions into slides: containing factual information, an example of this would be China becoming the number one English speaking nation in the world. The video also shares information about how technology is evolving at a rapid pace. And if we don't learn this technology we will not be able to be prosperous in this technological advanced world.

To me, as a future teacher and as human being, it is important for me to learn this technology, not only for my future students, but also so I do not get left behind as well.