Final Blog

Overall, I really enjoyed this class. I thought that it was made very easy and therefore difficult to fail. I'm glad this was made a summer class, because I do not see how this could have been stretched to a full term class because the work is simple and self-explanatory. I like that about the class, because I like to feel like I am teaching myself and do not need much help. I liked doing the different blogging assignments, because I do feel as though that kept my attention more than if I was just shown these educational tools and told to write a paper. Doing work online made this class enjoyable and therefore not stress-inducing which is a nice break from other classes and work. I would have liked to have brushed up on my Spreadsheet skills, and we did not have time to do that. That was the only thing that I can think of to add to the class. I don't see anything to take out to make this class more beneficial; I think it was just right. This class had a small workload, but the information was understood. I didn't think I would need this class at first, because I considered myself technology efficient; however, this class opened new doors for me that I didn't know existed (like Google tools and how easily technology could be implemented in the classroom). I think this is a very relevant class for teachers because many of my former teachers did not know anything about technology. They had a hard time using Word, let alone setting up a podcast!

Podcasts

“Using Games as Educational Tools”
I think that video games can most certainly be and should be used as educational tools. I say “should be” because it is important that information in classrooms be presented as relevant to the students. A good point was made that children are surrounded by video games. I thought the statistic about Halo was particularly interesting because although going to the movies and playing video games are activities for all age groups, many children make up the bulk of the participants, so the fact that Halo took away from the movie crowd speaks volumes about what children are doing in their spare time more so than earlier generations. Technology is ever-changing and always embraced by the youth of each generation, so it only makes sense for education to keep up with the latest technology. This might mean that traditional classroom games take a back seat to video games. A point in the podcast about competition in the classroom resonates well with me. I do believe that it fuels the desire to work harder. When learning is made into a game, some children might want to participate more so than they would have in its conventional forms, and when they see that there are others participating, they are going to want to stand out. I do think that games should be an extra, not a staple, to the curriculum. Children do need to learn the good old-fashioned reading and writing method so that when they enter the “real world” where their 9-5 does not revolve around video games, they know how to not only cope, but to thrive.


“‘Burp Back Education’ How Can it be Eliminated?”
I do think that in most cases, burp-back education should be eliminated. However, it is not always a negative thing. The group mentioned a scenario in which a teacher gave a spelling lesson that was burp-back. In my years as an elementary school student, we had spelling every year, with a new lesson every week. At most, there were 30 new challenging words every week. Burp-back education to me means anything that is simply memorized and regurgitated. My teachers made me write the words endlessly over the course of the week, and now that seems to be very burp-back-esque, but I did know how to spell them around test time. Although I am very fond of spelling and other such grammar mechanics, there is more technology increasing in availability to fix those errors, so are those teachers really at fault for placing more emphasis on subjects in which burp-back education would not suffice (as it did for spelling)? No. They could have went the extra mile, not taken the easy route, been more creative and actually helped us to apply concepts so that when we saw an unfamiliar word we would be able to spell it based on language of origin, etc. (without millions of spelling lists). The group was spot-on with saying that attention is the key to help eliminate burp-back education. The spelling words written five times each did not keep my attention. Had there been a game (which there sometimes was) or an interactive seminar on the origin of root words, I might have bothered exerting some focus. Maybe there shouldn’t have been so many spelling tests. Heck, it would’ve saved a few trees. Maybe my cognitive ability to construct new words and deconstruct unfamiliar words should have been tested versus fact memorization. This is the underlying problem of burp-back . . . TESTS! Conventional tests (pick A, B, C, or none of the above; choose True or False) simply measure how well you memorize and recollect information that you have buried. Projects seem to be a better assessment of how well you can APPLY concepts.

"Txting away ur education"

Frankly, I think it's stupid that students can not have a cell phone or other electronic devices at GRADUATION. It's their special day, and they should be able to choose how to spend that day. Actually, I don't think students should be required to have their electronic equipment tucked away except for during tests, etc. as long as it is not distracting other students' learning environment. Some students work better listening to music. If a student studies with music at home, playing that same music while working helps them to recall the information. Also, if a relative is sick or if something happens to the students' transportation (or lunch money, whatever) there should be no problem with the student receiving a text in class versus the old-fashioned way of disrupting the classroom to page the student and then have the student down to the office to handle the situation, which only adds to the student missing out on more of the lecture. While I do agree with the points made in the article about how distracting a text can be and that text language is being incorporated with essay writing, I do not think that it is a device that should be confiscated. A teacher can only teach a student who is willing to learn, and if they can multi-task, then they should be rewarded (not punished), and if they can't focus with the cell phone, then they should develop the self-knowledge necessary to take out the distraction. Having their personal property sieged for twenty-four hours really does not teach them the lesson that administration is hoping for, it only agitates the student and fosters a more hostile learning environment.

"At the Teacher's Desk: I am an Optimist"

I agree with the few case-by-case incidents that the author has mentioned. I do believe that we should not “stifle” student dreams. Education today is a political and racist invention that demeans many students it claims to serve. A lot of the forerunners spreading this negativity are the teachers. So I do not think we do not give teachers enough credit. In fact, I think in many cases we give teachers too much credit. Highly qualified teachers in minority schools are scarce, and many teachers that are they reinforce negative stereotypes. This is hurting the children more than helping. I do agree with the author’s statement that teachers feel the need to tell children what is best for them, and that this is a problem. Teachers do “put a price limit on what the customer can buy” and limit education for children simply because they don’t think the kids are capable of understanding, etc. This is one of the core issues behind the problems that I have presented within this blog. Many teachers limit “minority” and “high-poverty” students because they don’t think that these children will amount to much, or that the children’s parents are apathetic. I too believe that there are teachers out there trying to counter this example, and I hope that it is not a waste of time to remain positive.

"Keeping Kids First" Blogs

Those ideas are nice in theory. However, it is very impractical verging on harsh to require students to have headset-mics and X amount of community service hours when some children do not have the resources to have these items. Perhaps in a rich school district, this would be a very practical “brave” list, but in many school communities unrealistic. I do like the idea about not giving “THE test.” That is very interesting. The non-descript field trip form would never pass the school board, because many parents and school officials do not respond well to situations in which they feel they have no control or in situations that are left up to the teacher to decide. I’m not going to post what I would do “if I were brave,” because I am brave. This article seems to be more like what you would do if you were invincible. In that case, I would do away with the traditional aspects of schooling much like the author argued—no line leaders, etc. I would not shut students up and tell them what I or the school board think they should know, but what they ought to know to live effectively in today’s society. Children have imaginative minds, and I think the world would be a better place if we would listen to and validate their opinions.

I like the article about why the author loves teaching. A few of the reasons she named are the reasons I would like to teach. Children are honest about their feelings and when they love you, you know that you have done something right. The most meaningful things in life are the simplest and commonsensical items that most adults over look. I think I would love to teach because I love to be around children. Seeing the world through a child who is too young to know much pain and meanness in the world centers you on what is truly important and helps you find joy in the little things that make life complete.

I like all the unique things that are going on at the author’s school. I think the Holiday Hall parties are a great idea that would foster camaraderie among students as they see it modeled by their teachers. Also, schools should always be about the children and not about anything else. In my school, I would like to see such practices as well as a love for substitute teachers.

Dr. Strange's "6Cs"

I completely agree with Dr. Strange’s concept of the “6Cs.” I think the five other points fit nicely inside the point about CHANGE. The CLOUD concept reminded me greatly of the G-drive article we did. Now that you can access your personal computer via the internet or have it stored on more conveniently portable devices, information is in all places at all times. I think that ClassSPACE and Collaboration really go hand in hand and are very innovative ideas. I would have loved to been able to do a science lesson with children around the world. By means of collaboration, ClassSPACE is possible. By themselves, creativity and curiosity is a CHANGE because for many years, school was simply fact memorization and scolding if you forgot the fact. Because information is available at all times at any given place, curiosity and creativity will take precedence over memorization skills. Curiosity and creativity reflect a higher intellectual ability than mere memorization. I think quite a few of these points have already began implementation in the classroom setting.

Dr. Strange's article, "No 'Burp Back' Education!"

In some cases, I disagree with Dr. Strange's stance on "Burp Back" Education. The fact of the matter is that in college there are many idiotic courses that, in theory, I really don't need to help me become a better teacher. For example, the only purpose it seems for me to learn about obscure authors is just so that I can say I did. Why would I need to teach my third graders about authors whose names have fallen off the face of the earth? However, the University of South Alabama seems to think that this a crucial course that I must take in order to be able to teach nine-year-olds. Frankly, I appreciate burp back education in this course, if I absolutely must take it, because I do not intend on wasting brain matter over this stuff that does not interest me. I agree that nothing is learned in a "burp back" class, but in this situation, it doesn't really matter. In classes that do matter, there shouldn't be any "burp back" education. Plus, I think there is one benefit to "burp back" classes (besides the one I just mentioned): it teaches students that in classes, and in life, you get out of it what you put into it. If a student has the desire to learn, say if in the example above, I was an English major, that I should have the self-discipline to study the book and use the resources made available. On the other side, there could stand to be less "burp back" classes, because it is hard for me to believe that anything learned is truly a waste, so if tests were more valid, it would, of course, benefit the student most regardless of the irrelevance to the student's major.

International teachers use blogs in classrooms

http://e3eclat.blogspot.com/
Mr. Lietze teaches a group of students (E3) who are in Year 6 (fifth grade) at Bethlehem College Primary in Tauranga, New Zealand. Mr. Lietze’s classroom blog is one of the best blogs I’ve seen yet! It is loaded with interesting links; there are even links to click on Christian music videos. He has a daily Bible verse and daily word definition in addition to unique blog posts. Some posts were like the U.S. teachers’ posts: entertaining slideshows of activities. He also has videos that supplement his curriculum. He posts graphics to help explain homework assignments, and each student has a link on the blog to their blog. It seems as though Mr. Lietze assigns the children each a responsibility for their blogs. There were different individual projects, but their were also slideshows of classroom activities that included all the children. Each student blog was different from the other. The children also used their blog to help raise money for their classroom pet, Bluey, a blue tongued lizard. Mr. Lietze inspires his children to creatively use blogs and has shown a blog’s educational potential.

http://ourblog.globalstudent.org.au/
Ms. C and Ms. R upload posts to their blog entitled the Learning Studio for Grades 5 and 6 in country Victoria, Australia. This blog seemed to be the least incorporated into learning plans. The blog appeared to exist as merely something students could go to for extra resources. Some posts included “amazing skill” which taught the children about the pavement art drawn by Julian Beever. Other posts were to encourage students to play educational games (links were available) and to use “endangered” words in daily conversation.

USA teachers use blogs in classrooms

http://www.missfrandsensclass.blogspot.com/
Ms. Sara Frandsen has a class blog in Carol Stream, Illinois. The page is very entertaining. She has links to educational websites for her children to explore, and posts animated slideshows of activities they have done in class. The slideshows are highly structured and have music and plenty of graphics. The wording she uses to introduce a blog is on a very elementary level, which gave me the impression that the blog is incorporated into her daily lesson plans. She has "listen now" buttons at every blog so that if a word was too difficult for her second-graders, they could have the blog read to them so that they can understand. The blog also seems to serve as a connection for parents. By keeping parents informed of the day-to-day happenings, Ms. Frandsen is allowing for parents to be a part of the educational process. Ms. Frandsen also helps children learn about and appreciate technology by having them record themselves for a blog assignment. The children have been reading non-fictional books about various animals and Ms. Frandsen collected pictures of each group's animal and put together slideshows for each group. Every picture in the slideshow also features a child reading facts about the animal. The class blog also has “friends” which include other teachers at the school who also blog to enhance their lesson plans. I would have never thought that blogs could be so useful in an elementary classroom setting!

http://www.mrsheatonsclass1.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Heaton’s blog was my favorite. She teaches science, math, and writing at Mossy Oaks Elementary School in Beaufort, South Carolina. Her blog style seems to be very similar to Ms. Frandsen’s in that she too creates slideshows of classroom activities. One of my favorite things that she does is the “picture stories.” As an assignment, the children put together a storybook about worms. They drew pictures illustrating the story and voiced the background. Some students added music. The picture stories were very fascinating. It seems as though the children do many picture story assignments. There were seven or eight blog posts each with a picture of a different community. Children were instructed to draw a picture of a community that could help combat pollution. The children then gave a summary about their solution underneath the pictures in the blog. Her blog is very popular with her students (outside the classroom assignments) and their parents. The parents even commented on some of her blog posts about how much they appreciate her going the “extra mile” to put together such a blog with slideshows so that they feel as if they were there.

Article Link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/28/AR2009042802280.html

This link discusses a tool (Google Public Data) that is going to be available in an attempt to help make government information more accessbile to the public. The E-Government Act of 2002 was supposed to make this information available electronically, but many sites are poorly organized, so people still do not have access to the information.

Changing the way we think

I could see a gray area between my position on the article and Nick Carr’s beliefs. I do believe that the internet has changed the way I think, but in my experience, it has been more positive. I have learned how to find answers easier than before. For example, when I search on Google, I have to dumb down what I am looking for. For example, I saw a movie and thought one of the supporting characters looked vaguely familiar (I thought her hair was blonde and it was brunette in this movie), and I want to see what other movies she has played a blonde in. I would first probably search the movie I just saw (since I don’t know her name), then find the character, then find the actress’s name, then Google the actress’s real name. Google then displays a variety of links that has that particular name inserted somewhere on the page. Now, these links could be from celebrity spottings, to what the actress likes to do in her free time, to what movies the actress has played in. This collection of randomness has made me think when I am looking for an answer. I do not look for the exact answer, but answers “relating to” my answer, or “related links.” This has proven to be a very academically-sound research method, in my personal experience. However, on the down side, like Carr believes, I now become more random in my thought process, and less able to concentrate for very long because (in my opinion) my brain is thinking like Google. My brain is thinking of a million different things relating to the real answer I’m looking for, instead of just whole-heartedly concentrating.


I do think humans are all about convenience. Think of many modern inventions, and you can see that many are just improvements upon past ideas. It can therefore be assumed that humans are going to take the easy, faster route as opposed to the long—er, more in-depth—route. Like the article says, no I would not read a humungous novel in history (something that bores me) that is more like 5,000 books put together, when I can get the main idea with much less (like status updates on Facebook). I do not need to ask my friends how their day was anymore, they just post on their Facebook. Although that seems anti-social or lazy (as in the book scenario), it just saves time and doesn’t waste much effort.

Google plans to make PCs history

Ok…no, no, no! After just the first line, I could tell I wasn’t going to like this article! I guess the media isn’t really a reliable source of information, but I’m going to cite it anyway…I don’t know much about computer viruses/hackers/what-not, but I do know that there is way too much going on in the news about people just hacking into a personal computer as is. I do not need my computer’s information more susceptible to misuse! The article says, “A user’s personal files and operating system could be stored on Google’s own servers and accessed via the internet.” What if there were to be some sort of glitch, and another person got a hold (accidentally) of my information? In the wrong hands, personal information could be very dangerous. Many people store account information via the internet. They manage their financial accounts, etc. Should Google have a glitch and accidentally give out this information, the results could be detrimental. Aside from the possible negative outcomes, storing your information online might beneficial, like the article states, in “the cloud” to be free from computer crashes and other memory loss. Despite the negativity, I am sure the G-drive will become popular and might give PCs a run for the money, being that, like the article said, PCs would become cheaper as they would become merely just internet connections versus huge storage facilities. I will not be buying into this “G-drive” for as long as it does not eradicate PCs.

ACCESS

By definition, ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide) provides high-quality courses and teachers via technology. Not only can ACCESS be used as an enhancement to high school curriculum (such as the offering of additional AP and Dual Enrollment courses), but it also provides access to remediation and supplemental resources. ACCESS provides teachers with additional multimedia and technology to further improve upon students’ basic understanding of material.


These programs can be delivered by videoconferencing and/or Internet based instruction. Because the video-conferencing style is comparable to traditional instructional methods, ACCESS is a great idea to advance education methods with technology, while not losing site of the goal to educate all children equally. Also, children will be able to interact with students from other schools thus allowing the child to improve not only socially but academically as well because they can help each other. Since videoconferencing with ACCESS allows for team-teaching between schools, there should be less of an education gap among all students so that no child is left behind.


Although my high school offered many of the courses on ACCESS, there were some AP courses that I wish I could have taken. Having ACCESS would have meant having a possibility for me to take such courses and receive credit if my school could not offer them. Many studies have proven that students learn best when they are interested. By offering a web-enhanced learning experience, schoolwork that was once dull and monotonous (as sitting in lecture classes all day can be) becomes relevant, as the media is a huge part of teenagers’ lives. Since students must be more active in the learning environment, ACCESS helps to foster self-discipline, which is a key to success not only in the high school arena, but also in the college experience. Therefore, ACCESS can instill in more students a desire to further their education.

ALEX

In my opinion, the Alabama Learning Exchange is a great resource for not only educators, but also for parents. Each course of study on the website is organized by standard in a table that is easy to understand and includes links to websites and lesson plans relating to each standard. It serves as not only a valuable tool to help teachers enrich the curriculum, but also as a way to ensure that teachers are aware of the Alabama Content Standards.

ALEX has lesson plans for virtually every course of study, which include attachments like PowerPoint presentations. I found a math PowerPoint that was more or less a classroom exercise, good practice for students needing help and parents who wish to help. Not only does ALEX have links to further your education and leadership as a teacher, but it also has a link for educators to make their ALEX account, which would allow them a space to create and share lesson plans and web pages. This tool also has relevant links such as access to library media and links to pages that help teachers educate themselves so that they can better serve their students. It also provides a link of Tips and Tricks that provides tutorials in programs teachers may commonly use like Excel, Word, etc., as well as Google Tools.


As a teacher, ALEX will help me to present extra material to my students so that they can have a clear understanding the material presented. By creating and sharing my lesson plans on ALEX, I will be able to get feedback on what does and does not work in a classroom setting. I am sure, as an educator, I will be referring to ALEX many times.

First Blog

Welcome to my blog!!