Last thoughts on EDM 310!

Here are some of the last thoughts I have about my EDM 310 class. I really enjoyed this class because it has helped me a lot with the use of computers, since I'm not that great with computers. I have also learned that there are several teaching tools out there for educators to use. For example, the use of ALEX and ACCESS these are wonderful sites to ensure teachers on the state standards they need to teach their classroom. Learning how to use Google Tools is another good thing that will better help me with organizing and finding new ways to teach old material. Using podcast was my first and I'm not sure just yet if I would use it again any time soon because in my opinion my voice does not sound that great to listen to due to my accent; however, it was fun working in a group on a topic we enjoy. I think that Mr. Tashbin is a great teacher because he will help you in any way he can. He will slow down and repeat things if necessary and shows you step by step how to do things on computers. Teaching more hands on is the best thing for me instead of just seeing it and writing it down.

Txting away ur education!

As I was reading Txting away ur education I agree that texting in the classroom should be eliminated. I do not text nor do I receive many text, so I might not relate to the whole fad on how texting is so great. I think that administrators need to crack down at the beginning of the school year not toward the end that I have seen recently. Not only letting the students know, but also the parents as well because it's the parents coming to the office saying their child's cellphone was taken away and they want it back. I have worked in the office at Burns Middle School and I believe that the parents are worse than their kids due to the fact they say their student texted them in class and they want to speak to them. I also think that it's true that students are not learning as much because of texting.

I am An Optimist!

After reading I am An Optimist by Mr. McClung I could relate to what he was saying about teachers putting a limit of success on their students. I however, have never been told by my teachers or parents that I would not amount to anything, but I have heard teachers getting on to students who disrupt the class say that is this what they want to do for the rest of their life be a trouble maker. I find that teachers who inspire their students that they can become anything they set their mind to are the teachers that the student will remember forever. One example would be myself because my high school Biology teacher really made me realize how much I love science. I also believe that I to am an optimist and that we as educators must see the positive in all of our students.

5 Brave Things

I feel that if we lived in a perfect little world that most of these brave things to do would be amazing, but we don't. I find that students need to have more field trips; however, just to take them whenever the teacher feels like it is not the way to go. I mean how many parents would let their child go on a field trip without their knowledge of where they are. The next brave thing of changing the school list would be a dream come true, but not a reality since most people cannot afford a laptop for their children. Also, the school would have to have a computer in every classroom for the students to bring a USB drive. I believe that having a "virtual note-taker" is a good idea because if students are absent due to being sick they can know exactly what they did in class that day and not have to miss out. Having the student do community service is a good idea, but you cannot force it to be a requirement because the students wont get to appreciate the rewards, they will be griping the whole time. I think that it would be a good field trip or an extra credit assignment for those who need it. In my opinion, the last brave thing of doing away with THE test is not going to happen. How would we evaluate what the individual student's have learned? Letting the students work together to find a solution to a problem or on a project is good; however, we have to know if each and every student has actually learned the material needed.

From the 3Rs to the 6Cs!

I agree with Dr. Strange that we as educators must move away from the 3Rs of Reading, Righting, and Rithmetic to the 6Cs. The 6Cs include Clouds, ClassSpace, Collaboration, Change, Creativity, and Curiosity. When he said Clouds I knew he meant that this is the information era through the Internet via satellite and this is true more and more people use the Internet for information rather books from the library. I also agree that teaching is Changing for the better and we as educators need to be the first ones to change our attitudes toward a more positive view. Teachers need to Collaborate with each other to gain knowledge of the ever changing times and they must allow their students to collaborate with each other as well via group projects. I found that Creativity and Curiosity are the main ingredients that teachers need to shape the minds of the younger generations, without these the students are not learning the material and not wanting to learn them either.

Dr. Strange's article No "burp back" Education!

After reading Dr. Strange's article on no "burp back" education I agree that we as educators need to do more than just drill facts into young student's minds. I know that we have to have certain exams to see what the students have learned throughout the year, but the type of exams that are giving need to be revamped. Learning facts and definitions is easily lost if the students do not go over them day after day; however, if they are given an option to learn the same material in a hands on or visual aspect they will retain the subject matter longer. So, in my opinion Dr. Strange hit the nail on the head when he feels that students need to THINK about an answer to a question not just regurgitate facts down on a piece of paper.

International Blog of Arab Students

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/students-respond-to-obama/

This blog on international students is from the Middle East. The New York Times asked the Arab students to blog about their responds to President Obama's speech in Cairo. The New York Times posted six students blogs five are female and one male. Having the Arab students to blog about their concerns on President Obama's speech is a wonderful idea and a way for Americans to see the reactions of other students from around the world.

TeachersFirst: Gated Blogs for the Classroom

As I searched the web for useful sites on this topic I came across one I thought was extremely helpful for first time bloggers. Here is the website http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/openingdoorsblog.cfm. It gives step by step instructions on how to set up a blog and it also gives examples of other teachers blogs as a reference. This website lets teachers know all the rules, guidelines, and concerns of using a blog with their students. Another thing this website offers is a link to Think.com, this link is designed for teachers to collaborate project ideas with each other. I found that the most useful thing about this website is the use of Gaggle. Gaggle is a safe email and blog tool for schools. Their content filters block objectionable content and creates complete control over who can post and view blogs.

GDrive is Google's Plan

After reading the article on Google's plans to make PCs history I find that it would have both pros and cons. First and for most is the idea of having a service of accessing your computer's information anywhere there is internet access and that's a plus. Another pro is the loss or crash of a hard drive because the data would be saved on "the cloud". A major con is the access Google has on personal information that you don't want anybody else to see. Also, the ability to give that information to the government and have your freedom of speech taken away. I personally don't like the idea of a GDrive because I like my own personal space and to let one company have that much control over our lives is just not right.

Technology is it changing the way we think?

I am not quite sure if technology is rewiring our brains. I would like to hope not, but it could be a possibility for those who stay on a computer 24/7. Having Google and other search engines helps us find information faster than the old way of flipping through book after book. I think that is a great advantage because your using less time and energy, but doing this you lose how to do basic steps in finding older methods of information gathering. Since I don't do twitter, facebook, or myspace I can't really relate if personally my brain is rewired in anyway due to these sites. However, I do believe that with new technology there are benefits and repercussions as well.

ACCESS Blog

ACCESS is a system that uses technology in the classrooms and access to online courses. It provides distance learning to a majority of Alabama high school students and it is able to bring courses that are not normally offered in certain schools. One of the major importance of ACCESS is that it brings opportunities of Advanced Dipolmas. You must have access to a computer and the internet. There are pros and cons to this programs just like everything else.

After viewing the ACCESS power point I find that ACCESS is useful in a technological advance classroom setting; however, in lower income schools ACCESS is not as reliable as ALEX. ACCESS saves the school board money, more teachers are able to teach a class via videoconfercing, and allows the teacher to grow professionally. ACCESS if used correctly is a great learning advantage to those who are able to obtain the resources neccesary.

ALEX Blog

For our first blog the class had to look at the website ALEX. I have never heard of ALEX before we started to talk about it in class. If you are like me and seeing this website for the first time it can really blow your mind just how much helpful information it gave for educators and students alike. They have received a number of achievement awards for their outstanding work. In my opinion there are several pros for using this site and I'm sure if you dug really hard you might find some cons, but there would not be many in my eyes. Guess what it is FREE to use you only need to log in to get to certain areas.

Once your at the home page there are several links to chose from. For example course of study, lesson plans, personal workspace, and professional learning just to name a few. It also provide a help button which shows you how to use this site and excellent questions and answers. After looking at the links it give helpful directions to new lesson plans to help better teach the students in a new and fun way to learn old and boring material. There are several subject to chose from both core classes and electives. Another helpful link it provides are web links to other sites so you don't have to go around wasting time searching the entire web. I think that the best thing about this site is that it give the Alabama State Standards for educators so that they know which standard their lesson plan follows.

EDM 310-101

Hey class welcome to my blog! My name is Courtney Parker.