tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88751811430267742602024-03-05T00:40:05.247-06:00Alexa Howie's EDM 310 Class BlogAlexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-63885512014674147652011-05-08T23:53:00.004-05:002011-05-09T01:51:02.811-05:00Final Reflection VideoThis is my Final Reflection Video. I'm sad to say goodbye to EDM310, but I'm looking forward to the road ahead. This was such a great class and I'll never forget the lessons I learned from it.<br />
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<iframe width="540" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rnFgdKgjaZY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-23731421665793744592011-05-04T16:50:00.002-05:002011-05-04T16:56:03.927-05:00Final Project<div style="text-align: left;">Here it is!! This is our final project. Brandon, Brittni, and I worked so hard on our documentary. I'm so pleased with how it turned out and I was so privileged to work with these two wonderful people for our projects. Thanks guys for a great semester!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now Showing:</div><div style="text-align: center;">The USA Show Choir - A Documentary</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<iframe width="540" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RRQSoOWoFbk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-91426713550792958052011-05-02T16:29:00.001-05:002011-05-02T16:30:42.098-05:00Final Project Trailer<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KlcuWk8y7_I" width="540"></iframe><br />
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Unfortunately, we are having some technical difficulties with our footage. My group created this movie trailer to hold you offer until we work out the kinks in our footage. I hope you enjoy!Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-80076567609254328502011-05-01T20:19:00.000-05:002011-05-01T20:19:25.140-05:00C4T#4 Summary Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLIILq8DrLmlsX6pi9MARzHQgoYGpr35uaGAB3Lpp15Eh76QNK7ejdHimAMUak_nGKMm1fPIBzf_FZTcRg8epGuClN5Jph7rO6ebty8VJJX6E5_ieOlpi4stL4SF8cIVBQWsqw5aNiUiK/s1600/imageprojectgif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In my opinion, this chart accurately depicts Project Based Learning, which Tyler Rice is learning about and discussing." border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLIILq8DrLmlsX6pi9MARzHQgoYGpr35uaGAB3Lpp15Eh76QNK7ejdHimAMUak_nGKMm1fPIBzf_FZTcRg8epGuClN5Jph7rO6ebty8VJJX6E5_ieOlpi4stL4SF8cIVBQWsqw5aNiUiK/s320/imageprojectgif.gif" title="Source: www.worksheetlibrary.com" width="320" /></a></div><br />
For C4T #4, I was assigned to Tyler Rice. He is a science teacher at a high school on a major Indian Reservation in Washington. The two posts that I read were about PBL, Project Based Learning. Project Based Learning is an instructional approach that increases student motivation and interest. Tyler is very ardent about Project Based Learning. He is trying to use it to better his school, but his posts are serving to inspire others to learn about the concepts included in Project Based Learning. I am one of the people he has inspired. I admire him for continuing to learn. His willingness to learn, even when he is a teacher, will improve his school. Also, he has inspired me to make sure I use Project Based Learning in my classroom.<br />
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<b>Blog Post #1: PBL Challenge-Balancing Content vs. Project</b><br />
In Mr. Rice's first post, he talks about his school's struggle to balance content and the project. The method they currently use, causes the instructors to be involved so much that they are more of the conductors of the project than the students are. The end result may not fully represent what the student or students have learned. Adopting the PBL method will motivate students and allow the balance between content and project to exist. The assignment has to be challenging, engaging, and relevant to the student. This method also allows for a lot of review. The students' peers or teacher could review what they have. With PBL, students will be doing thorough research and creating quality projects.<br />
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In my response, I told Mr. Rice that I enjoyed his post. I agreed that PBL sounds like a great method for the classroom. In his post, he had given an example project that his students did. I told him that the project sounded so interesting and I wish I could have done one like that in my class.<br />
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<b>Blog Post #2: What We're Learning About Project Based Learning</b><br />
In this post, Mr. Rice tells readers that his school has had much success with PBL. He tells readers that when teachers assign projects they must incorporate one out of three criteria he lists. They are:<br />
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<ul><li>a significant and relevant (to students) problem for students to investigate and create a solution for;</li>
<li>a clear role for students to play in a situation or simulation that causes them to think like an expert;</li>
<li>significant student choice about how to attack a project</li>
</ul>He also talks about the importance of having an audience for the project presentation. Students tend to be more motivated when they have an audience. One of the most important things to include in a project is feedback. Having review sessions with peers, teachers, or themselves will help students create quality work. He asked his audience for their thoughts.<br />
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In my response, I offered my thoughts on his post as a student. Obviously, I couldn't respond as a teacher. Maybe my insight could help in the future. I agreed that the list of criteria is important to a project. If the project follows that criteria and has an audience, students tend to make work they are very proud of. They are more motivated to make a project that is the best it can possibly be. I told Mr. Rice about a group project I had had in middle school that reminded me of the projects his school strives for. We had to build a city with any materials we chose. We could create the buildings and services provided in the city. When the project was turned in, we would present it to the class. I feel that this project could be classified as PBL because we had to research cities and services, be creative, and present the finished product to the class.<br />
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</b>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-37400807084998623922011-05-01T15:42:00.001-05:002011-05-01T15:57:00.663-05:00Project 10: PLN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgro1RKNvTHOmHAhrbVT1jehJNRpLWflGMT3oDZsfA-fr2beiFggqSPsOxwVcb4ACoMkleUcKdDuIskbxXvtTIwB9zv8jwrBNXhpufcyrWLc4oGcGyPRPTrGsJNl6vorzuWHSFjdw1eA4Xe/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-05-01+at+3.36.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This is my PLN. I used symbaloo and I'm very pleased with how it turned out." border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgro1RKNvTHOmHAhrbVT1jehJNRpLWflGMT3oDZsfA-fr2beiFggqSPsOxwVcb4ACoMkleUcKdDuIskbxXvtTIwB9zv8jwrBNXhpufcyrWLc4oGcGyPRPTrGsJNl6vorzuWHSFjdw1eA4Xe/s320/Screen+shot+2011-05-01+at+3.36.43+PM.png" title="Source: Alexa Howie's PLN from symbaloo.com" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So here is my PLN in all it's glory. It took a long time to create this, but I couldn't be more pleased. Since I didn't write a progress report earlier in the semester, this post will serve as the story of my journey. When I started, I felt confused. I wasn't sure how I would finish or be able to fill the whole screen. Boy, was I wrong. It wasn't that hard getting into the project once I figured out what I was doing. I had more resources to put on my PLN then I thought. I even color-coded them after arranging each application a certain way.<br />
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All of the websites or applications that had to do with my college education had a red background and were put into the top left corner. The last of these was my EDM310 blog. This served as a transition into the blogs I discovered through this class. I put them in the top center of the screen. Three of them are colored green because I see myself checking them in my future career. The three blogs are Justin Tarte's <i>Life of an Educator</i>, <i>Mr. McClung's World</i>, and the <i>EDM310 Alumni Blog</i>. These were not the only blogs present on my PLN. I put Mr. McClung's post,<i> What I Learned This Year</i>, in brown. It is in brown because it was an extremely important post to me. I see myself looking at it now and in the future.<br />
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All of the items in blue are either social networking sites that can be used as tools, the websites I use for my email, or video sites that I can use personally or professionally. On the right side of my PLN, I have all tools or websites I can use for my classroom. Here are a few examples: Discovery Kids, National Geographic, BrainPop, FunBrain, and schooltube. All of the applications are either pink, green, or orange. Some of them are white, but that is because I couldn't change the colors. Pink applications are websites that I can pull stuff from to use in my classroom, whether it be videos or articles. Orange applications can be used by both myself and the children. Green applications are ways to connect with other teachers and share things to use in our classrooms. Three of the applications on the right side are game websites. Coincidentally, they were all white, even though I wanted them to be orange. These applications will be used by the kids whether in school or at home. They have fun educational games that foster an interest in learning.<br />
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On the left side of the screen, I have tools that I will use. I have things such as Wordle, Picasa, Glogster, Blogger, and Google Search. I can use these for my future classroom, my current education, or personal reasons.<br />
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Overall, I'm very pleased with my PLN. When I was done, I searched for other educational Webmixes. Having a PLN with Symbaloo is very helpful because not only do I have my own PLN, but I can look at other educator's PLNs.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-30944765894109094902011-05-01T12:03:00.001-05:002011-05-01T12:39:56.895-05:00Special Metaphor Assignment (Blog Post #14)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK-zY2Ao197zKTUJHkvrXjT6PeG9E4jML5LUkcv8Hp6FaRJeeErafr-JFbvi06o56_bEIecBLfEZDs58W5Q2e4Gda_VOXvwuOHFh2yB4Zlr12H-toeNVXKok947b5H_V-5wMuFGPCl22O/s1600/metaphor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img alt="Here are a few examples of common metaphors. We may not realize it, but we use metaphors a lot when we speak." TITLE="Source: http://viviheartsnguyenpoetry.blogspot.com/2011/04/poetry-terms-metaphor.html" border="0" height="320" width="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK-zY2Ao197zKTUJHkvrXjT6PeG9E4jML5LUkcv8Hp6FaRJeeErafr-JFbvi06o56_bEIecBLfEZDs58W5Q2e4Gda_VOXvwuOHFh2yB4Zlr12H-toeNVXKok947b5H_V-5wMuFGPCl22O/s320/metaphor.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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1. When I read Tom Johnson's post, I realized there was more than what appeared on the surface. It couldn't really be about pencils. Besides seeing the pencils as computers or technology, I saw other hidden meanings. I kind of even created a metaphor in my blog post by saying teachers need to give students a little bit of the reigns when it comes to their education. I think I was able to see past the surface because of the excellent schooling I have had in the past. I have had some really amazing English teachers that strived to make their students the best they can be. Students learned that metaphors were important to writing. We also learned that you may have to look closer into what you're reading to see a metaphor. That is why I think some people in class didn't see the metaphor. A lot of students just want to read something straight forward and only see the literal meaning on the surface. It's not ignorance, it's just they don't realize. I've been looking at other people's post about missing the metaphor and they all seem to say it wasn't taught well in their school. I can see their point. When I started taking my math class for elementary teachers, I saw how flawed the education system can be. Students weren't getting a good foundation in math, so that when they got to the much harder levels they felt it was almost impossible to perform well. I think this can be said for all other subjects. The students that missed this metaphor probably weren't taught to look deeper into what they read or they were taught so quickly that everything was forgotten. Another explanation could be: burp back teaching. Oh no! They might have had to learn about them so quickly and then only had a few questions on their next test. By the time it was all over they had forgotten it all and moved on to the next topic in class.<br />
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2. I have encountered a lot of metaphors that I appear on the image I chose for this post. I have heard people referred to as chickens, guardian angels, and class clowns. I have even heard life and a friend's emotions being compared to a roller coaster. I hope that people who may miss metaphors are starting to realize how much they're used everyday. <br />
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3. We need to teach students how important metaphors are. To help them grasp the concept better, we have to provide fun activities. Depending on their age, we can read fun colorful books that have metaphors in them. We can assign a class project, where even the teacher participates. Each person participating gets a medium sized piece of poster board. We would split the poster board in half by drawing a line in the middle with a marker. Then on one half, write the word metaphor and the definition. On the other half, write an example of a metaphor and illustrate it. This could be a fun activity for them. I'm sure if you searched in the right places you could find plenty of lessons or activities that involve metaphors. We can even do what Dr. Strange asked of us. Tell students to keep a log of metaphors they hear. Then, they can tell their class the favorite one they heard. This could lead to a great class discussion.<br />
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4. I believe we use metaphors because it adds color to our dialogue. They also broaden our way of thinking. We don't just see something one anymore. Also, we can clearly picture what we're thinking or reading about. I found an example of a metaphor online. It was "time is a river". Like I first said, this phrase would add color to our dialogue. Instead of saying time is really long, we compare it to a long winding river. Second, this metaphor broadens our way of thinking. We don't just see time as time and the river as the river. We don't see time as just being really long, either. We see the river of time with people swimming in it. Some let the river take them slowly to their destination, the end. Some people may be swimming quicker to end and others may be fighting against the currents to go their past. Do you see how that one little statement caused all of that thought and vision? Last, the metaphor gave us a way to view something that may have otherwise been difficult to see. When you think about time, what do you see? You may have just said a river or some other metaphor in your mind. Slow down, you're a few steps ahead! Pretend there isn't any metaphors. You can't measure or view time. Yeah, you can see a clock, but time is more a concept then a thing. Now introduce metaphors, you now have a way to clearly see that concept that you couldn't see before.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-66469578237170171622011-04-27T20:02:00.000-05:002011-04-27T20:02:18.618-05:00Project 14: Teach Someone SomethingI have been fighting with my computer and Google Docs for a few weeks. If you go back and notice, my original project 14 didn't show up and neither did another post. Google Docs also deleted my project and kept deleting the work I did to fix it. I finally gave up and recorded a new project. The idea behind my project was to teach my mom, other current teachers, and future teachers how to create a classroom blog. My mom was sick from a bug going around through her school, so unfortunately I couldn't record myself teaching her. With this video, my mom and other teachers could view this. <br />
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<iframe src="http://www.screenr.com/embed/8fi" width="540" height="329" frameborder="0"></iframe>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-20020870334642062082011-04-27T16:04:00.003-05:002011-04-27T16:06:50.939-05:00Project 15: Book Trailer Slowed Down<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="550" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/27BNONLDL4E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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I decided to slow down my initial book trailer because the words went off of the screen a little too fast. Since book trailers are designed with younger children as the audience, teachers have to remember that it may be difficult for students to keep up with words that disappear fast.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-59549933923942398712011-04-24T19:55:00.001-05:002011-04-24T20:53:38.325-05:00C4K #7, 8, 9, and 10 Summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcaV1ZMuI1nDNuCQe2cUUOnjGFvuRnlZolcKHor7FSi3M9o-90nnzAHkMBMd38rrP0DngooRMjYCSmX-Z8cWuxlgKDBrheqZ6jWPAs7RmgAWCMrv776nlRwR1PjBop4USVhgs_ieCsdjv/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I thought this picture fit perfectly for Comments 4 Kids because of the big C4K next to the young boy on a computer." border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcaV1ZMuI1nDNuCQe2cUUOnjGFvuRnlZolcKHor7FSi3M9o-90nnzAHkMBMd38rrP0DngooRMjYCSmX-Z8cWuxlgKDBrheqZ6jWPAs7RmgAWCMrv776nlRwR1PjBop4USVhgs_ieCsdjv/s320/images.jpg" title="Source: http://c4kindia.blogspot.com" width="306" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>C4K #7: Tres Cosas Jueves</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For my seventh comment for kids, I was assigned to the blog post, Tres Cosas Jueves, in Mr. McClung's World. According to the post, students were taking a break from their normal lessons to learn about a current event. Their current event was a debate about a newly passed bill taking place in Wisconsin. Accompanying the paragraph about their current event lesson was a CNN video about the debate. I told the class that I thought it was great they were learning about current events. I talked about how important I thought current events were. They shouldn't let their learning experience stop at school! Searching for and reading about current events at home is actually a lot of fun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>C4K #8: Charlotte T.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next, I was assigned to Charlotte. Her class had just performed a dance to "Rockin' Around the Clock" in a school event. She had so much fun learning all the dance moves. She described the dance moves and their costumes. I checked the class blog to watch the video of their performance. They looked so great! They danced great and they all looked so nice in their 50's costumes. I was sure to tell Charlotte how great they did. I also told her that I could relate to her story. When I was in eighth grade, we had a few weeks to learn a special dance to show our whole school. It was a lot of fun!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>C4K #9: Mrs. Yollis' Class Blog</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When looking through Mrs. Yollis' Class Blog, I saw so many excellent posts. I commented on the blog post about the book the class was reading, <i>Ramona Quimby, Age 8</i>. I liked reading this post because it reminded me of my love for reading by myself and in a classroom. Reading a book in class was always the high point of my school day. In this particular blog post, they talked about chapter 3 of the story. Chapter three is about a fad in Ramona's school. At the end of the post, I was asked if I knew about a fad when I was growing up. I told Mrs. Yollis' class about the Pokemon fad that was present in my elementary school. Coincidentally, Pokemon has become very popular again. I told the class how great the entire blog and individual blog post was. Also, I talked about how I really enjoyed reading. I told them how reading in class was one of my favorite things about school.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>C4K #10: Hannah</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For my last comment, I was assigned to Hannah. In her blog post she talked about a really interesting Iranian celebration, Seezdah-Bedar. I had never heard of this celebration before, so I really enjoyed reading her post. She included pictures from her fun day at the park and a painting that depicts Seezdah-Bedar. Seezdah-Bedar is celebrated thirteen days after the Persian New Year. Basically, families get to spend all day out in the sun at parks or any other outdoor setting. The children play together, while the adults play cards or talk. They also got to eat a lot of good food and deserts. A big tradition that takes place during Seezdah-Bedar is the throwing of Sabzeh, sprouted wheat or lentils, into a flowing stream. Traditionally, it is thrown at the end of the picnic. They throw this into the flowing stream because it symbolizes sickness and problems. Doesn't this sound like such an amazing celebration? Hannah made her blog post very interactive by asking questions at the end. She asked if readers had heard of or celebrated Seezdah-Bedar, what they think of her tradition, and if readers have a tradition of their own that takes place outside. I told Hannah how great her post was. I had never heard of Seezdah-Bedar, but it sounded so interesting. I told her that Easter is a holiday that many people spend outside. My family would often have a picnic lunch with a bunch of people. The adults would spend time together, while the children searched for eggs or played together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-24813529127656473702011-04-24T15:37:00.005-05:002011-04-24T19:48:43.852-05:00Blog Assignment 13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MbAEKzb4Ks8pjwYeT4k2hwOfV4Oz7Wr0GQHHlqptRcozoNvz37TmBaw1wrMdCTdKdFYWmSyFyhPsl-c1sGjF7F4kxLvemGbyY8GcvufKk-O0bYdIuQeqQDX3TQHSCsO6lLVgijYLCyBI/s1600/Digital-Teaching-Tools.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img alt="I thought that both of these websites were valuable teaching tools, so I chose a picture that described or mentioned teaching tools." TITLE="Source: http://digitalteachingtools.wikispaces.com/" border="0" height="294" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MbAEKzb4Ks8pjwYeT4k2hwOfV4Oz7Wr0GQHHlqptRcozoNvz37TmBaw1wrMdCTdKdFYWmSyFyhPsl-c1sGjF7F4kxLvemGbyY8GcvufKk-O0bYdIuQeqQDX3TQHSCsO6lLVgijYLCyBI/s320/Digital-Teaching-Tools.gif" /></a></div><br />
<b>ALEX</b><br />
ALEX, Alabama Learning Exchange, is a useful website for teachers. When you visit the page, you view a little introduction where what seems to be sun expands and shines in front of the word ALEX. You could think of it as a symbol of the resources you'll find when visiting ALEX. It's going to sound cheesy, but it's like ALEX is the light that will bring effective tools to improve your classroom. After viewing the introduction, visitors are brought to the home page with eight links. A visitor's clickable options are as follows: "Courses of Study", "Web Links", "Lesson Plans", "Search", "Personal Workspace", "Professional Learning", "Podcast Treasury", and "ALEXville". No matter which option you click, you will be provided with countless helpful resources. <br />
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Basically, ALEX is a website where teachers share lesson plans or other learning materials that they have used in their classroom before, found on the internet or in their school, or created on ALEX. Clicking on "Personal Workspace" allows teachers to create lesson plans and other learning materials to share. "Courses of Study" allows you to search through shared files by subject and grade level. "Lesson Plans" allows you to search only for shared lesson plans by subject and grade level. "Web Links" acts as a portal to beneficial web resources for teachers, administration, and students on other websites. "Podcast Treasury" provides podcasts published by teachers and organizations, such as the Exploreum. "Professional Learning" contains valuable information on grant opportunities, ALEX training opportunities, professional development opportunities, and how to best use internet tools in your classroom. They even had a section about Google, which we already know is very valuable. "Search" is a way for teachers to search through the entire ALEX database. Last, but not least, "ALEXville" is a type of professional learning community. It has news on local educational projects, news provided by ALEXville, and what seems to be a type of forum style community for teachers to join. <br />
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When I first started browsing ALEX, I was very impressed. I knew immediately that this would be a tool essential to my first few years of teaching. Also, it acted as a great conversation starter with my mom. I told her about our assignment and she discussed ALEX with me. She told me how beneficial it was to her in the beginning. The only reason she hasn't visited it in a while is because she is in her "groove". She told me that once some teachers have been teaching for a few years, they tend to start using the same learning materials. They slightly modify them each year, but they have a set plan. She isn't saying she'll never use ALEX again, but as of now she has a set plan. When she needs something new, she'll visit ALEX and search elsewhere. Like my mother, I definitely see myself using ALEX my first few years. I can even share it with people who are unaware of this beneficial site.<br />
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<b>ACCESS Distance Learning</b><br />
ACCESS, an acronym for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide, is a learning initiative created by Bob Riley's Task Force on Distance Learning on November 1, 2004. This learning initiative is available to all Alabama public high school students. As stated on the website, Access provides "equal access to high quality instruction, an infrastructure that delivers quality learning opportunities, and greater equity for all Alabama public high school students through 21st century technology". <br />
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In the "Courses" section, the website offers information on graduation exams, Advanced Placement exams, and instructions for online courses. In the "Educators" section, administrators, teachers, and counselors can find ways to expand their school's course offerings and teach for ACCESS. ACCESS's "Resources" section has links to test prep, homework help, and other resources like ALEX. The "Student" section provides information for students and parents about the ACCESS program, exams, and courses. <br />
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To be honest, it took me a lot longer to figure out ACCESS compared to ALEX. I knew that I was looking at a tool for teachers, but I was also looking at a resource for students and parents. Some of the information is still being worked on, according to the website, but what is already there is quite valuable. I also thought it was wonderful that ACCESS contained information on ISTE, something I was introduced to by Beth Still.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-64592714388537669322011-04-17T23:57:00.012-05:002011-10-28T13:46:30.204-05:00Blog Assignment 12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn41jBeoyg8Q-rO6yls5Y10OPEFAHz5sWY6PnvG-sj094JWR-0nkTYN1dLfU7iq-iPhwTheJ_Wtd6qT2k-kPsw2CS8skMjikNYsW1TebzrLKtn_MCPDiq5XVkSVbOiCIIET0HRuDRa77zz/s1600/its_your_choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It's Your Choice! As cheesy as the picture is, I thought it fit with the theme of this assignment." TITLE="Source: http://blogs.misd.k12.wa.us/d-instruction/" border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn41jBeoyg8Q-rO6yls5Y10OPEFAHz5sWY6PnvG-sj094JWR-0nkTYN1dLfU7iq-iPhwTheJ_Wtd6qT2k-kPsw2CS8skMjikNYsW1TebzrLKtn_MCPDiq5XVkSVbOiCIIET0HRuDRa77zz/s320/its_your_choice.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />
<b>Choose Your Own Assignment</b><br />
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For those of you who have read my recent C4T Summary, my assignment will sound very familiar. The teacher I was previously assigned to was Justin Tarte. His blog is called <a href="http://www.blogger.com/justintarte.blogspot.com">Life of an Educator</a>. Justin's blog was very inspirational. His words moved me and caused me to read more of his posts. Not only can he be an inspiration to current and future teachers, but he provides such valuable resources and highlights other useful blogs. I intend to visit Justin's blog often. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/justintarte.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-am-educational-blogger.htm" l="">I am an Educational Blogger...</a> was a particular post that stood out to me and will also be apart of my assignment.<br />
In Justin's post, he talks about his introduction to blogging and he talks about how important blogging has been to him. He lists all the ways that blogging has changed his life. My assignment is to list or write 1-2 paragraphs about how blogging has changed your life and how it can change your career. It's easier for Justin to talk about blogging pertaining to his career because he actually gets to do it, but students should already be able to see how it will change their future career by the assignments they have been completing. I think this assignment would be great for the middle or end of the semester. I think I speak for a majority of the students when I say, we didn't know just how much we would get from this class. We knew what blogging was and some of us might have even blogged before, but we didn't know the potential of these technological tools for our future classroom. If you were to assign this towards the middle of the semester it would be after the first few assignments. At this point students would have started realizing how powerful the technological tools were. If you were to assign it towards the end, then students could complete this assignment with full knowledge of everything in this class. It could really show what they learned. You could even broaden the topic. Instead of blogging, someone could talk about Google Docs or Twitter.<br />
For my completion of this assignment, I will list how blogging has changed my life and will change my future career.<br />
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Even though I was just recently introduced to blogging, it has made such an impact in my life. Here is how:<br />
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<ul><li>I have found a way to interact with some of my peers.</li>
<li>I have met so many knowledgable teachers, that have inspired and taught me.</li>
<li>As I blog more, I will hopefully inspire future teachers or other people around the world. </li>
<li>I feel that blogging has helped me improve my writing skills and find my true writing style.</li>
<li>My blogging has started to make an impact on others. </li>
<li>I have helped my mother and her classroom by teaching her about classroom blogging. </li>
<li>A classroom blog would help my future students improve their writing skills.</li>
<li>Classroom blogging would allow my classroom to connect with other classrooms around the world.</li>
<li>I could find thousands of creative projects for my classroom from teachers who share ideas on their blogs.</li>
<li>My students could learn life lessons, such as respect and positive statements, from writing quality comments.</li>
<li>Blogging could be a creative outlet for my students and myself.</li>
</ul>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-58440546824374058562011-04-17T23:55:00.005-05:002011-04-17T23:56:42.557-05:00Project 15: Book Trailer<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="540" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GzYV_pbW-Kw" frameborder="0"allowfullscreen></iframe>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-68167289141567899982011-04-17T21:59:00.002-05:002011-04-17T22:06:59.905-05:00Final Project Progress Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwdHXs3yZaJoU7jm23VciWbe-4Qx23hD5CKV8atHkUdtfoVH3-Z3N4EQvMfJrLO1xk67ocAzKm5cy8r_WDoopNNLR7l2R8FprbaVYlm2qXHa3cT3MqxvCmTxzP3i5x8cAIUq0YEvg7vIe/s1600/under-construction-logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img alt="Since we are not done with our project yet, we thought an Under Construction sign would be fitting." TITLE="Source: www.editonhudson.com/extra.html" border="0" height="320" width="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwdHXs3yZaJoU7jm23VciWbe-4Qx23hD5CKV8atHkUdtfoVH3-Z3N4EQvMfJrLO1xk67ocAzKm5cy8r_WDoopNNLR7l2R8FprbaVYlm2qXHa3cT3MqxvCmTxzP3i5x8cAIUq0YEvg7vIe/s320/under-construction-logo.gif" /></a></div><br />
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The group for our final project is Brandon Caten, Brittni Sasser, and myself. We will be creating an original documentary about the USA Show Choir's perfomance at St. Elmo Elementary School. Brandon, as director of the USA Show Choir, was asked to help coordinate a performance at a PTA meeting. The Show Choir, including Brandon, will be singing and dancing to two very inspirational songs. Brittni and I will be recording their practices and interviewing Brandon, some students from Show Choir, and Anthony Capps. We will combine the footage we have with the footage of the actual performance to make a very interesting documentary. We chose this for our project because this will make a great impact on the children at the event. I know they will be so inspired by what they see. The USA Show Choir has already started practicing for this exciting event. In their practices, we have found ways to incorporate technology. It's so great that we are already using some things that we learned from this class.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-46807042570745121422011-04-10T23:37:00.001-05:002011-04-10T23:37:56.103-05:00Special Assignment: Mr. McClung's WorldAlexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-1092412434677551622011-04-10T22:52:00.005-05:002011-04-13T23:50:38.325-05:00Blog Assignment 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpsNu2MfS_1aaGMrVpYlmskQYnOo6JcxXxTRZEdy-t-jx7uzWYltItH3qf5M1-t6BHpv-8K19e1ApQmJOpzPLroMpALKRVgxPxGdUW1xPqE0eWZPA2IE4RSvpU-tfNpzjsH-kdJV1iQUh/s1600/Nintendo-in-the-classroom-249x167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img alt="This School Supplies list that includes a Nintendo DS shows how technology is being incorporated into schools more and more." TITLE="Source: www.sync-blog.com" border="0" height="167" width="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpsNu2MfS_1aaGMrVpYlmskQYnOo6JcxXxTRZEdy-t-jx7uzWYltItH3qf5M1-t6BHpv-8K19e1ApQmJOpzPLroMpALKRVgxPxGdUW1xPqE0eWZPA2IE4RSvpU-tfNpzjsH-kdJV1iQUh/s320/Nintendo-in-the-classroom-249x167.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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I love how Ms. Cassidy incorporates technology into the classroom. Honestly, I would like to use technology in every way she does. Through her classroom video and other assignments from EDM 310, I have seen the benefits that come from the bits of technology she uses. The first thing that I would like to include in my class is blogging. As many of the children said, it helps them write better. In my ideal classroom, I would have a class blog website. It would include my blog and an individual blog page for each student. The children's parents and the rest of the community could see all the great things that we are doing in my classroom. For example, when I was in elementary school we were required to buy a composition book to put a daily journal entry in. The entry was either discussing a topic of the teacher's choice or free writing. We would have to include an illustration. Since I will be introducing blogging to the classroom, my students can basically do what I did in my composition book using their blog. <br />
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I don't see myself running into a lot of problems. Right now, I could only think of two. There could be those days, like Sunday for me, where technology just fails. For example, computers could freeze or all of the projects you created could disappear. Moments like these could be teaching moments for the children. I could teach patience and a positive attitude until the problem is fixed. Also, I could teach children sharing. When the student is having a difficult problem with their computer, they can share with another student. This would be called cooperative learning. The only other problem that could possibly arise is cheating. There is an easy solution to this, that Ms. Cassidy talked about in her Skype interview. It is up to the teacher to ask for the content in a different way each year. I could assign the same video to watch, book to read, etc. I just have to ask my questions in different ways or ask for different things. <br />
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As I stated earlier, I see the techniques Ms. Cassidy uses to be very beneficial to her classroom. For this reason, I think it would be beneficial to my classroom. I already discussed this a bit, but blogging helps children write better. I expect students to work hard, but I don't expect them to be perfect. Blogging allows children to get positive feedback. Their parents, peers, or I could say how they could have written the sentence better (ie: grammar or spelling mistakes). The techniques Ms. Cassidy uses also teach valuable life skills, like sharing, communication, and collaboration. I had a DS and Nintendogs when I was little, but I never thought that they could be used as a learning tool. I would love to incorporate the games children love, like Ms. Cassidy did. They had to work together to make their puppy happy, but they also had to share the DS system in their groups. Another tool that used communication and collaboration skills was their wiki. I feel like I could go on for days about how great all of these tools are. I must say I learned about a lot of things that I could incorporate into my classroom.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-10981237908323536672011-04-10T22:52:00.000-05:002011-04-10T22:52:00.652-05:00Project 14: Teach Someone SomethingAlexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-9905852327114362852011-04-03T23:33:00.006-05:002011-05-01T17:53:02.851-05:00C4T#3 Summary Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwQrMqOzesO-aOtU6F7q9p3EUgkUGz8lGJLf-hMmn8u2uwtJkuqlfznDeYG5uDeO8ibKCJAqLuwRRN_PYL-sf1kcU9dDEv6mN_pXzOLkDRnGOenwyQgm4hVWUtfQn-2B4iimVxS3ocgF-/s1600/blogging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Instead of Shakespeare's well know line To be or not to be, this photo shows teachers hesitation with blogging by having him say to blog or not to blog?" border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwQrMqOzesO-aOtU6F7q9p3EUgkUGz8lGJLf-hMmn8u2uwtJkuqlfznDeYG5uDeO8ibKCJAqLuwRRN_PYL-sf1kcU9dDEv6mN_pXzOLkDRnGOenwyQgm4hVWUtfQn-2B4iimVxS3ocgF-/s320/blogging.jpg" title="Source: webmaths.wordpress.com" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> The teacher I was assigned to was Justin Tarte. He is a high school teacher in Missouri. Mr. Tarte is very passionate about his job and anyone can see that in what he writes. One of the blog posts I commented on affected me as much as Mr. McClung's, "What I've Learned This Year". I was so glad that I was assigned to Mr. Tarte and I can't wait to read more of his posts in the future.<br />
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<b>Blog Post 1: Let's Make A Difference</b><br />
In this post Mr. Tarte lists ten ways a teacher make a difference in their school and classroom. The list consists of things that a teacher can do without being held back in any way. Mr. Tarte realizes that many people are hesitant about blogging and using Twitter because of certain situations. This is why he created a list that no matter what situation you are in you can make a difference. I found the list so inspirational. It included such things as "Praise a student for demonstrating an act of courage or high character to another student" and "Say 'hello' to as many students as possible and ask them how they are doing".<br />
I replied by saying that this was a great list that anyone could perform. We must remember that every little thing we do counts. Students will often look up to their teacher like they look up to their parents. We need to show that we care and respect them by doing things on this list. We can also create great relationships with coworkers by some of the things on Mr. Tarte's list.<br />
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<b>Blog Post 2: I am an Educational Blogger...</b><br />
This was another great post by Mr. Tarte. In this post he discussed his introduction to blogging and the benefits he has attained thus far. His list is very similar to mine. To summarize his list, I would say educational blogging causes a teacher to inspire another teacher, improve their classroom, and become the best teacher they want to be. I hope to be a teacher like Mr. Tarte one day. His words have inspired me and caused me to reflect.<br />
I told him that in my comment. I want to be in the shoes of the teachers' I have met in this class. They inspire each and everyone of the students in EDM 310 and so many others around the world. I hope to one day be like that. Maybe Dr. Strange will even assign my blog post to one of his students and I'll inspire this student just like Mr. Tarte has inspired me. I also told Mr. Tarte about my experience with blogging. At first, I was curious of what I would gain from blogging. I never expected this. I have enjoyed it so much and it has made me learn a lot.<br />
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<b>I chose the picture for my blog because it is sometimes a struggle for teachers to start blogging. They are very hesitant because they are unaware of the benefits. </b>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-17954901561355313652011-04-03T23:32:00.008-05:002011-04-04T01:19:02.691-05:00Blog Assignment 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>An Open Letter To Educators</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Morgan's blog post on Dan Brown's video was very interesting. Also, it was very thought provoking and caused me to form three different comparisons. I compared Morgan's experience to mine, Morgan's experience to Dan's experience, and my experience to Dan's. After analyzing the comparisons I made, I realized that my experience and thoughts were very similar to Morgan's. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> As Morgan puts it, I often feel cheated in our educational system. Like I said in my comment, I didn't fully realize this feeling of being cheated until setting foot in Dr. Strange's class. It's like the feeling was always there, but never fully present until Dr. Strange showed us what we have been enduring. I compare it to some kind of trance we are put into by the "institutionalized" school. Dr. Strange woke me up from that trance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Another thing Morgan and I agree on is the fact that we wouldn't resort to the extremes that Dan did. I see that some parts of our education system are flawed, but I would never fully give up on it. Yes, these flaws are hurting our education but not all teachers are like that. I promise! The teachers I "meet" everyday in this class are living proof. Dr. Strange is living proof! You have to look close, but the teachers are there. These teachers that are so unlike the "past teachers" are lighting the spark in the next generation of new teachers or leaders. The new generation is going to step out and never make a student feel the need to do what Dan did. I feel so strongly about this. I will never allow it to go that far. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Honestly, this class is showing me how to become a better teacher because it is showing me the best way to educate. There is no memorizing to simply forget, there is just learning. I love it and I know so many other students love it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b>This blog post was really enjoyable to read. It was also different compared to what I've been reading. I liked finding the meaning hidden in the dialogue. Even though these two educators were faced with a peculiar problem, there argument in there discussion is so important to our careers. We need to engage students. By interesting them, we give them a little bit of the reigns. In my opinion, giving the children a little bit of the reigns is a good thing. The students know we are the educator and they are the student, but the reigns symbolizes them wanting to actively participate in what will shape their future. Students accepting the "reigns" will often find ways of learning on their own, without even realizing it. In this age, doing different things often results in a learning experience. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmdDESRXAA7nJn7xp4OdpVaZQidB4rljVtnBzy_XjSxBNcixUWOY05JcLWV_RyF8-51UfkB2XMJ2YoOB1eFKsal_bYPmw3YImDoXLpyEj7yYp8wEpSuKE5V7aulTvlCZTQ3wa0LuvEJ6X/s1600/pencils2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I thought a picture of pencils would fit perfectly with my paragraph on Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home." TITLE="Source: showblogs.syfy.com" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmdDESRXAA7nJn7xp4OdpVaZQidB4rljVtnBzy_XjSxBNcixUWOY05JcLWV_RyF8-51UfkB2XMJ2YoOB1eFKsal_bYPmw3YImDoXLpyEj7yYp8wEpSuKE5V7aulTvlCZTQ3wa0LuvEJ6X/s320/pencils2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><br />
</b>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-84947077017604633682011-03-27T23:42:00.003-05:002011-03-28T01:06:57.199-05:00Blog Assignment 9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT96nV6oIY59GAKQeQhMfLjhG6wXLYR0N83nt8avhHqwpiSeackaKc-DAGQeFmWKzTWkqhYUtYQZnVYbK9SPiS9LWrI1hu1sWVdk7KJCIlxMA3hWld1Y3dSumT1FyoYiZo9O8aiFC4ZNp-/s1600/first+year+teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This is the cover of an advice book for first year teachers." border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT96nV6oIY59GAKQeQhMfLjhG6wXLYR0N83nt8avhHqwpiSeackaKc-DAGQeFmWKzTWkqhYUtYQZnVYbK9SPiS9LWrI1hu1sWVdk7KJCIlxMA3hWld1Y3dSumT1FyoYiZo9O8aiFC4ZNp-/s320/first+year+teacher.jpg" title="Source: books.simonandschuster.com" width="184" /></a></div><br />
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"An important decision I made this year is stay positive". This thought, contained in the picture for Mr. McClung's blog post, is just one of the many things I learned while reading <i>What I've Learned This Year</i>. In this blog post, Mr. McClung talks about his learning experience during his first year of teaching. Mr. McClung seems to imply, that teaching is not everything we think it will be when we're still in college. Even though we learned a lot in college, we will continue to learn our first year and beyond. Mr. McClung discusses seven key points that new teachers should learn. <br />
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<ol><li>From their experiences in college, education majors may develop a mindset of impressing superiors and fellow teachers. This can cause first year teachers to forget that their audience isn't the latter, but a room full of children. Not only is their an age difference in the two audiences, but there is also a comprehension difference. Lessons needed to be designed for an audience of children. Teachers need to remember that their main goal is for the students to understand. We must build our lessons around the students. Also, they must play a big part in the lesson. Meaning, students should be able to tell their teachers if they need something explained again or slower.</li>
<li>Teachers can't be preoccupied with making everything perfect. It is very unlikely to have a perfect lesson that goes exactly the way a teacher has planned. Lesson plans can change because students need more explanation or practice. Another reason lesson plans can change is because of some mistake on the teacher's part. Teachers can't let themselves feel bad about any mistakes. They must smile, maybe even laugh at themselves, and then keep on going. </li>
<li>Communication is key to any job, but especially teaching. Teachers should practice this important skill with their students and their fellow teachers. In regards to fellow teachers, communication shouldn't only be used when there is some form of conflict. Communication is an effective way of building great relationships with fellow teachers.</li>
<li>Teachers should have high expectations for their students, but they should never forget to be reasonable. Again, a teacher should be worried about their superiors or their fellow teachers. They should be concerned with their students. Teachers must remember that children aren't perfect and can make mistakes often. Some children will live up to the standards or expectations that teachers set, but for those that don't teachers should never falter to encourage them. </li>
<li>Teachers shouldn't be afraid of new technology. They should embrace it as a technological tool for their classroom. To use it in the classroom, teachers must be willing to learn how to use this technology.</li>
<li>Besides communication, listening is another useful and effective skill. Listening strengthens respect and the student/teacher relationship. Listening to students shows that the teacher truly cares about the students' lives. </li>
<li>Since teachers want their students to learn, they should be open to learning themselves. It's never too late to learn. If teachers let themselves learn, they could find something that is really beneficial for their students.</li>
</ol><div>I could not get enough of this blog post. Like I told Mr. McClung, I'm keeping this blog post close to my heart forever. I will even read it the night before my first day of work. This post is so important and I think that every new teacher should read it. It sure helped me, so I know it would be extremely beneficial to others.<br />
I think that all of the key points discussed in Mr. McClung's post can be connected. I feel like (if I hadn't read this post) before starting work I would feel that everything had to be perfect. That is a big problem I already have. I get so focused, ahead of time, on making everything perfect that I end up getting too swept up in things. This just creates a huge, cluttered mess that is far from perfect. I think a new teacher's focus should shift from perfection to educating students as best you can. I don't mean just taking a lax approach, as that sentence may make it sound. Teachers need to take their thirst for learning and transfer it to their students. I feel like I have said that so many times, so I'm sorry for the case of deja vu. I just feel strongly about it. My thoughts are becoming one cluttered mess in my mind, so to save readers from getting so lost I'm going to list my thoughts.<br />
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<ul><li>Teachers can't focus on perfection. They have to focus on their students' comprehension of the material. </li>
<li>Growing up, we have always been told not to worry about what others think. I feel this applies to our future teaching careers. I am not saying disregard the thoughts of your principal or rudely ignore the opinions of fellow teachers. I mean don't build your teaching around the latter. Don't worry about impressing people of your age, worry about delivering this material in a way that your students fully understand it. I believe this thought of mine is a combination of first and second key point.</li>
<li>Communication and listening gets you so far. Both of these life skills can fix conflict and built or strengthen important relationships in your future. When we start our teaching career, we will depend on our use of these skills to create united teaching staff that can overcome any conflict. We will also use these skills to develop a respecting and friendly student-teacher relationship. For some teachers, they want their students to fear them. This establishes the idea that the teacher has total power and shouldn't be disobeyed. This isn't the type of teacher I want to be. I want to have respect going from both ends. I respect my students and in turn they respect me. They will follow the rules not because of fear, but because they respect me and want to do the right thing. They won't only see me as their teacher or a person of authority, but someone who really cares about their life. I feel that effective use of communication and listening will establish the classroom I see in my dreams. Of course, I'm not picturing or focusing on perfection.</li>
<li>Another thing I want to touch on is technology. Mr. McClung is right. We shouldn't fear technology! I feel EDM 310 has put on the right path to technological literacy. I don't want to become someone of an older generation who has no idea what is going on technology wise. I also don't want to be that person that fears learning about new technology. It's a fact: teachers should want to learn. This means we can't shy away from technology, like some do. This is hypocritical. EDM 310 has shown me the potential of the current technology for classrooms. I fully intend to use everything I can, but I can only imagine what new technology could be invented in the years ahead of me. I'm going to want to learn to use it, just as I want to learn to use the technology of today. All teachers should feel this way.</li>
</ul><div>Overall, this was a very thought provoking post for me. I feel like I could write so much more about what I read. I'm going to keep the message in this post close to my heart for the rest of my life, especially as I prepare for my classroom.</div></div>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-17074270749346237342011-03-27T20:54:00.001-05:002011-03-27T21:02:25.003-05:00C4K #4,5, and 6 Summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAsrjrmvUobk_g0pKnV5vj5KwmZEDs2WNzSCmV4TKDkJUa1C9Wqyu-sQsyP66gmMVipLGMuC0zcMiYo7GVg454NEOc9B7pQH-qBcDmMFI7BrTbKwUBx1YoBdKKCjXhM_vZqbI5F82uTqU/s1600/children+blogging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img alt="I found this picture on Google images. It's a girl with her back to the audience, facing a computer. It appears she is typing a blog or some other thing that involves talking about herself. Two other children are on the other side of the picture facing her." TITLE="Source: b3ginn3r.tk" border="0" height="187" width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAsrjrmvUobk_g0pKnV5vj5KwmZEDs2WNzSCmV4TKDkJUa1C9Wqyu-sQsyP66gmMVipLGMuC0zcMiYo7GVg454NEOc9B7pQH-qBcDmMFI7BrTbKwUBx1YoBdKKCjXhM_vZqbI5F82uTqU/s320/children+blogging.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<b>C4K #4: Alexander</b><br />
The fourth children's blog post I read was Alexander's post introducing himself. After reading it, I knew a few fun facts about him. His favorite dinner food is chicken and he likes to eat apples for lunch. He likes to play games and garden. I love his attitude on life. Reading his post, as well as the others, just reminds me why I want to work with children. I was pleasantly surprised to see him respond to my comment.<br />
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In my comment, I told Alexander that I liked to eat chicken for dinner, too. He had mentioned that he liked to make food, so I asked him what kind of food he liked to make. I told him that I liked to garden, like he did. I just wish I could make my plants live longer than they do. I told him maybe he could give me some good tips on how to make my garden survive longer.<br />
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<b>C4K #5: Aneisha</b><br />
I read all of Aneisha's blog posts and she seems to be a really great writer. Her descriptions paint vivid pictures of what she is writing about. In the post I read, she described her experience at a game she went to with her family during holiday. From what I read it seemed to be like touch football. I could be wrong though. After the game, her and her aunt ate peaches on the way home.<br />
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I told Aneisha that she wrote a great post and it sounded like she had a lot of fun. I wish I could have seen the game. I bet it would have been interesting and really fun to watch. She made the peaches sound so good. I told her that I like to eat peaches and other kinds of fruit. Her blog was so interesting and I'm sure as she continues to blog it will get even better!<br />
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<b>C4K #6: Isiah</b><br />
The topic of Isiah's blog post was very important and something that future teachers could possibly face: bullying. Isiah realized that bullying takes place in a lot of settings. He talked about how bad it was and some means to stopping or preventing it. He thinks that if someone witnesses bullying they should stop it or find an adult to stop it. He has such an optimistic view, one that I hope comes true. He believes that bullying will stop if everyone tries to stop it. I completely agree with him.<br />
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I told Isiah that his post was great and he has the right attitude on bullying. I agreed that bullying was wrong and hoped that he didn't have to deal with bullying. Like I said earlier, I agree with Isiah's idea of everyone stopping bullying.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-80037204232732688592011-03-26T15:06:00.002-05:002011-03-26T15:06:47.443-05:00Project 12: Skype Interview<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VjlIfZ84Vt4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-84092882194477564142011-03-22T11:31:00.000-05:002011-03-22T11:31:11.507-05:00The Importance of Google DocsBefore taking EDM 310, I didn't know anything about Google Docs. I'm so glad that it is the main thing we use in this class. I have learned how convenient and easy it is use for all aspects of my life, especially other classes. In my Math 201 class, each student must teach a mini lecture one day in the semester. Normally, I would make a presentation using the software on my MacBook Pro, but I didn't know if my teacher or I could convert it to a readable file for her computer. I didn't want anything to go wrong and I really wanted to play around with the Presentation feature on Google Docs again. I thought it would be cool to share my finished product. Some of the information isn't lengthy because I just put basic notes on the slides and then talked a majority of the time. The project was really fun and made me feel like a teacher. I got to choose worksheets and examples for the class. I think the presentation I made with Google Docs was a great accompaniment. <br />
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<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/present/embed?id=dgc3gt6x_19hqmf2kdm&interval=30" frameborder="0" width="410" height="342"></iframe>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-33567562192147093692011-03-22T11:22:00.000-05:002011-03-22T11:22:22.320-05:00Updated Google PresentationAfter posting my original presentation, I realized that there were a few spelling errors I missed and some of the facts presented had changed. It's funny how things change so quickly. Both my dad and I got a new job, so I changed the presentation to reflect that and any spelling changes. So without further ado, here is my updated Google Presentation.<br />
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<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/present/embed?id=dgc3gt6x_0khs3msgd&interval=30" frameborder="0" width="410" height="342"></iframe>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-73396340600054456762011-03-14T00:01:00.001-05:002011-03-14T00:42:58.598-05:00Blog Assignment 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4ECrd57UPUEIMJzEss3N2MB0zLtPNOocwI9vJQxxsO_tbJ1d4ehdtbbpHQEgRvWDDBZOrSsm-nH8IjcMDrehX-lfM88JF2_Zng5T8sQ7asu57OwUM959dMGW9diaLXw2ICkond-285qI/s1600/learning1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We need to use technology, like presented in the picture to help children retain knowledge. Here is an good example: a boy taking a quiz on his computer." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4ECrd57UPUEIMJzEss3N2MB0zLtPNOocwI9vJQxxsO_tbJ1d4ehdtbbpHQEgRvWDDBZOrSsm-nH8IjcMDrehX-lfM88JF2_Zng5T8sQ7asu57OwUM959dMGW9diaLXw2ICkond-285qI/s320/learning1.jpg" title="Source:jodeelunainnovations.com" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>This is How We Dream Part 1 and 2</b><br />
This was a really great video. I loved the visual accompaniments. For me, this put everything that Richard Miller was saying into perspective. Miller's thoughts, presented in this video were thought inspiring. I saw the change in our workspace that he presented in the beginning of the video. You grow up with books, any publications or contributions you make to society will be books. Libraries and paper were our confined workplace. We could only work where we have the materials to do so. This has all changed with the invention of things such as Google Docs, where you're workplace is wherever you are. The one restriction is you need a computer. In this age, I don't think you need to worry much about computer shortages. Like Miller stated, "Now, our workplace is the desktop". He later stated, "We don't have to step one foot in the library".<br />
The title of the video confused me at first. "This is How We Dream?" That was my exact thought process. I wasn't sure if this was going to be a video with a psychological aspect, which wouldn't have exactly fit the class. These dreams, that Miller is presenting, are the openminded people of society's dreams for our technological future. We already see such great changes being made with the new technological tools presented to us. Even with these, we haven't seen technology's full potential in our classroom. I agree with Miller when he says we don't have the proper resources to do what he sees in our future. We can't do what we will be able to do, after becoming more openminded, in the future. This thought is blowing my mind and I can't possibly put what I'm thinking into a sentence that makes sense. Please forgive me if you can't follow what I'm saying. The resources we need are inspirational teachers and places to foster our creativity. As future teachers, we need to become these inspirational teachers that Miller says we need to be.<br />
I have to say that at this second I am not ready to write with multimedia. I am somewhat prepared, but there are so many technological tools that I haven't been introduced to or learned how to use. I think once I get done with EDM 310, I will be closer to the goal that Miller has established in my heart, but the rest is up to me to find. I have to want this, I do want this. My yearn for this future he speaks of will reach my students, then they will be able to do incredible things. This is my promise.<br />
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<b>The Chipper Series and EDM 310 for Dummies</b><br />
When class first started, I watched these videos. They were so cute, yet so true. It was also kind of eye opening. At the beginning of the class, I said I would never become Chipper, but I'm starting to see that if I don't fix what I've done I will become her. Although, I wouldn't do what she ends up doing. EDM310 for Dummies was funny and I think if that book was to become real, it would help a lot of people.<br />
As for video ideas, I think it would be cool to make updated versions of these videos. We could also make more videos that show how to master this class and what could happen to you if you don't perform like your supposed to do. For example, we could do a video of that school scenario Dr. Strange talked about on the first day of class.<br />
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<b>Learn to Change, Change to Learn</b><br />
It is very beneficial to watch this video. I'm so glad that Christie Odom suggested it. It raises such great arguments for us, future teachers. I was a little surprised to see that education ranked 55th in the US Department of Commerce's study. I say "a little" because we see that classrooms are basic "pen and paper" learning environments. Only in the recent past have we seen a slight change. After being in this class for a while, the fact that education ranked so low isn't much of a surprise. The "little" surprise comes from the fact that we are below such things as coal mining.<br />
As I was watching the video, I made a list of all of the statements that stood out to me. Without looking at the list, I remember three things:<br />
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<ul><li>"A turned off device is a turned off child."</li>
<li>We need to connect students to opportunities.</li>
<li>Learning isn't just memorizing.</li>
</ul>For the last two points, I don't remember the exact quotes, but the message stood out to me. The speakers in the video recognize that technology is a big part of student's lives now. We learn best with technology, so forcing us to turn off the things that could help us sets restrictions that shut us down. This turns students off to learning. Another point is connecting students to opportunities. Teachers can't just set restrictions by prohibiting the use of technology. Restrictions are set for students because they are restricted to the classroom. To fight this restriction, teachers need to take students outside of the classroom for field experience. They also need to open doors for students. For example, a student is particularly knowledgeable in science and interested in engineering. A teacher could find someone for the student to talk to. The last point should have stuck out to everyone in EDM310. Learning is not "<b>burp back</b>". It's also not <b>memorizing</b>. After hearing that point, I heard Dr. Strange's voice in my head. My mind traveled back in time to his presentation of "burp back" teaching, probably because I was volunteered for the demonstration.<br />
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<b>The Secret Powers of Time and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates You</b><br />
Both of these videos were very interesting and aesthetically pleasing. I enjoyed the little whiteboard cartoons being drawn on the screen as the lecture was playing. They helped hammer the points into my mind. I also showed the videos to other people, who really enjoyed them.<br />
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The Secret Powers of Time is a lecture by Philip Zambardo. He talks about six time zones. At first, I thought he was going to say the time zones, that we all know. Really, he was talking about the two past, present, and future time zones.<br />
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<ul><li>Past Positive</li>
<li>Past Negative</li>
<li>Present Hedonistic</li>
<li>Present Fatalist</li>
<li>Future Oriented</li>
<li>Future Transcendent</li>
</ul>Past Positive and Negative are the easiest to time zones to define. A person either is nostalgic, Past Positive, or regretful and happy with the past, Past Negative. A lot of people are classified as Present Hedonistic. These people are interested in immediate pleasure and avoiding pain. People classified as Present Fatalistic believe that their future already has a fate. There is no need to plan. Usually, they believe that their future is fated for the worst. Future Oriented people are planners and goal makers. While, people classified as Future Transcendent believe true life begins after death.<br />
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The title of Dan Pink's video was very true. The results of the experiment presented were surprising, at least to me. When challenges require mechanical skill to be completed, rewards such as money make people perform better. When challenges require cognitive skills, money doesn't work. We can picture this scenario in a classroom, replacing money with another incentive comparable to money. When teachers challenge students to use cognitive skills, we need to step aside and let them command what is done. They need to be in charge. Teachers give the instruction, the raw knowledge needed to perform, but then step aside to let the students take the wheel.Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875181143026774260.post-52362471316574605042011-03-13T23:23:00.003-05:002011-03-13T23:31:32.601-05:00Project 13: SmartBoard Instruction<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4SzzXcDuUne" title="Youtube video player" width="540"></iframe><br />
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This is the video of our for the Smartboard Project. I think we did a really great job. We worked well together and helped each other master the technology needed for this project. I'm so proud of our final product and I enjoyed the time we spent preparing for this project. With the experiences we had, I think we are really prepared to use the Smartboard in our classrooms. <br />
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After looking over the results of the survey, this is what we found. <br />
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<ul><li>Our presentation was rated 9.2 out of 10 when it came to being helpful.</li>
<li>Our audience enjoyed seeing how we put the SmartBoard into action with our material. They also enjoyed the subject matter of our project.</li>
<li>Our audience members felt that they had learned something new and/or useful by the end of the presentation.</li>
<li>The SmartBoard was rated 9 out of 10 for usefulness in their future classroom.</li>
</ul>Alexa Howiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273937447713527549noreply@blogger.com0