EDM 310 REFLECTION

Coming in to EDM 310, I didn’t really know what to expect. Overall, I was extremely pleased with this course. I learned several things that I otherwise would probably not have had access to. For starters, the Google package is great. And the best this about that is it’s free. This is definitely something that I will continue to be able to used once this class is over. I especially enjoyed the “Google Presentations”. I thought that they were a great tool to get to know the other students with. I would just add that maybe in the future, the instructor could do one as well.
I think that the Blog portion of the class was also very informative and interesting. For future classes, I think there should be a requirement to have students follow two other blogs, just to get the class more involved. The topics that we blogged on were very good, and I would definitely recommend keeping them. My favorite was actually looking for teachers in the United States and abroad who were actively using blogs in their classrooms. As a future educator, I was truly excited.
While I did not care too much for the Podcast section of this class, I do see where it can be helpful in the classroom, making it a great tool to have. I can’t entirely say that I would rather have not done the Podcast section, because I did enjoy working with Audacity. I like the idea of learning something new. The fact that I ended this course with more information and knowledge that I began with reaffirms my opinion that this was and is a helpful course.

Twitter

When it comes to Twitter, I'm still on the fence. I first heard of Twitter while watching CNN. I became interested because News anchor Don Lemon said that I could ask questions, and he could answer me right away. So this got my attention. So, I registered. Once on Twitter.com, it was nothing like I thought it would be. I felt very much confused. I didn't feel like it (Twitter) fit me at all. Twitter has been compared to Facebook. It didn't take me long to catch on to Facebook, but I'm still struggling to understand Twitter. I understand the principal behind Twitter, but I don't find it user friendly at all. As a teacher, I do believe that Twitter, as I understand it, can be useful. I think that it would serve as a great tool for holding discussions among students outside of the classroom. In fact, I think that it could be used as a way of getting students to reach out and build relationships with each other. I'm not saying that I will never use Twitter, but the fact that I've forgotten my username and password says a lot.

Podcast Blog

I wish that I could say that I found this interesting, but it was just words to me. Unfortunately, it did not hold my attention for very long. I'm not sure if it was because the topics didn't really interest me, or what. I do feel that if I were more computer savvy, it could have possibly held my attention for longer. Mainly because I would have more of an understanding about podcasting. I'm not saying that it's a useless tool, it's just now how I would prefer to get my information.

One of the podcast that I viewed the KidCast podcast, episode #59. Pretty much anything dealing with kids can hold my attention. Students were talking about incorporating iPods in the classroom. I really enjoyed and found interesting what they had to say. They talked about actively engaging students in the classroom while using technology. They pointed out how passive students are even when teachers bring new technology; new ideas into the classroom. I guess we are still coming up with ways/ideas to make learning interesting, and that kind of what I took away from this podcast.

Teachers Using Weblogs in the Classroom (U.S.)

James Tubbs is from Wyoming, OH. He is a Fifth grade teacher at Wyoming Middle School. I think that his web page is in a word, AWESOME! I'm pretty sure that I love everything about his site. Even though it appears that's he more into Science than I will ever be, he had great info regarding history. I guess because I am a fan of vanity tags (I'm not vain), I'm really drawn to his; MRTCHR. His site is very interesting, I would recommend to all. http://misterteacher.blogspot.com


2. Check out the Killer Clips at animalplanet.com - Sink your teeth into some of the wildest video on the planet. Then get the Killer Clips widget and embed the videos into your website (see below).

Click here for 8 more bright ideas for the science classroom.

Posted by misterteacher at Tuesday, January 27, 2009 0 comments ShareThis

Teachers Using Weblogs in the Classroom (International)

Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog We are learning how to read and write! If you would like to talk to us, just click on the Yackpack below, holding the click down as you talk. If we are nearby, we'll answer you! by Kathy Cassidy

Mrs. Cassidy teaches a class of six year olds in Moose Jaw, Canada they are inviting the world into their classroom to help them learn. It could have been a situation where I'm just not getting this one, but I didn't really get this blog. I get how the teacher is incorporating the web with Language Arts, Social Studies and Reading. But unlike the "Seven Year-Old Bloggers" this one did not speak to me as loudly. I still say that it is a very good idea.

http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337

Teachers Using Weblogs in the Classroom (International)

According to an article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3804773.stm) in the BBC, children as young as seven in one British school are using weblogs as part of their normal routine, and are doing better than non-webloggers as a result. According to junior school teacher John Mills, "the children enjoy using the weblogs so much that they happily do extra work at home, even though they've not been given homework to do, and expand their weblogs far beyond the four pages that he suggests they aim for at the start. The school's weblogs project has been so successful that it has just been shortlisted for a New Statesman New Media Award, an annual event highlighting the best web development in the UK. I think that if the students are progressing and enjoying what they are doing while they are progressing, then I'm all for it. Weblogs is a great tool, and I think every school should make an effort to get involved.

Google Rumor

Except for in classrooms, I think that the Desktop is pretty much dead already. Most people are using laptops and cell phones to access the internet. If this G-Drive rumor is true, the next thing to bite the dust may be the laptop. The ability to access saved data from any machine is a great idea. My only hang up would be what has always been my hang up with computers; what if it breaks? I think that technology is great, but too much of a great thing can't be good. While I do think that the G-Drive is a good idea, I still think that people should have options and choices. There will be those that still like the way old things work. Change is good, but for some, change is hard and a little scary. As with anything else, this new concept has some great potential as well as a few downfalls.

Changing The Way We Think

After reading the article on "Changing the way we think", I still feel pretty much the same way that I did before reading the article. I realize that computers are where we are, and even more where we are headed, but I'm just not that crazy about it. The article mentions Facebook and Twitter. I actually tried to use Twitter, I gave up. Then came Facebook, because of my experience with Twitter, I was hesitant to use Facebook. I'm still struggling with Facebook, but this time, I'm going to try to hang in there. I think that it's great that we can get so much information from the internet, but I still enjoy reading a newspaper, or flipping through the pages of a magazine.

I think that the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS) is a wonderful tool. The best part about ACCESS is that it will provide courses to many low-income areas that otherwise would not be able to get/attend courses. I think that by providing these courses at the high school level, students would have less of a financial burden should they continue on to college. I love the idea of Videoconferencing. Having attended many Video Teleconferences, I can attest the the usefulness, and ease of the process.
Using technology, students everywhere have access to quality education. I can see it as a great way of ensuring all students get high quality courses. Web-based courses in my opinion are a thing of the future and I'm sure as Educators, they'll come in very handy. I know that we will only improve from here. I would definitely recommend this tool to fellow teachers.

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is an awesome tool for teachers. It comes with Courses of Study, Web Links, Lesson Plans, Personal Workspace, and information regarding Professional and Distance Learning. I would have to say that ALEX is a wonderful tool for teachers, both new and old, but especially for new teachers. I recently had to use it for making a lesson plan. But it's more than just a format for getting and or making a lesson plan, it also a good place to save some of your ideas for lesson plans for others to use. I really like the way that ALEX breaks down the Course of Study for each Subject at each grade level. As a first time visitor to the website, I was truly impressed and very pleased.

I believe that the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS) is a wonderful tool as well. I can see it as a great aid to get education to students everywhere. Web-based courses in my opinion are a thing of the future and I'm sure as Educators, they'll come in very handy. I think that the Professional Learning section is good also. It give you a source to go to for help with professional development. I would definitely reccomend this site to others.

Hello to All

I would like to welcome all readers to my blog.