Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Progress Report for Final Project
My group started meeting on November 12 which was a Monday and we have been meeting every Monday and Wednesday since then. The Wednesday we return from Thanksgiving break we plan to record our video. In our video we are touching on two different topics. The first is what prospective students need to know before entering Dr. Strange's EDM 310 classroom. Next is what students will need to know and expect in the class. We plan on this video being 15-20 minutes long.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Blog Post #12
1. Watch this 8 minute and 48 second video of Chris Biffle demonstrating whole brain teaching. How To Begin Whole Brain Teaching: 1
2. Watch this six minute and 34 second video of an actual teacher using whole brain teaching in her first grade classroom. Whole Brain Teaching: 1st Grade Classroom
3. Write a blog post about what you think of whole brain teaching. Do you think it is silly, stupid, useful, helpful?
4. Get to know the creator of whole brain teaching Chris Biffle and write a paragraph about who he is.
You can follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisBiffle
Want to become certified in WBT? Follow this link to learn how!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whole Brain Teaching is a method that integrates an effective classroom management system with learning approaches that tap the way your brain learns best. This approach is amazingly effective, and fun for both the teacher and students.I think whole brain teaching is a wonderful concept to incorporate into the classroom. It works well with any subjects! It seems to help manage the classroom better than any management tips I have ever heard or ever observed. It might have seemed a little absurd when I was first introduced to this concept, but I quickly realized it was a must to incorporate into the classroom.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Blog Post #11
Mrs. Cassidy's Class
In Mrs. Cassidy's first grade classroom they use many approaches to technology. Some of these include: blogging, websites, Wiki, Skype, and even the students Nintendo DS'. Mrs. Cassidy set up blogs for all of her students. This allows them to work on their writing skills. She and the students particularly like this because it is not just Mrs. Cassidy reading their work, but the whole world! The students write usually about a sentence or so a day and they get feedback from lots of viewers. Their teacher set it up on their blogs so they can see how many people have visited their blog that day. Mrs. Cassidy sees this as a reinforcement for her students. This tool also allows them to be more focused on what they are writing. Another perk of using technology in her classroom is that the parents get to follow their children's progress. They do not get to post everything online, but most of their writing is online and their parents have access to see their child's progress in the classroom all while learning to use technology. The children have been taught by their teacher that safety is crucial while on the internet. They only go by their first names, no last names are displayed. Also, if their picture is up, their name will not be directly beside it. Before the students use technology, papers are sent home to the parents to explain what their children will be doing exactly. Some other items the students use are Wikis. This helps them ask questions to others about topics such as traditions and rituals from around the world.
In the Skype video with Dr. Strange, Mrs. Cassidy tells us that she got involved with technology because she was given five computers and that was enough to create a center, so she thought why not! She realizes that there are some teachers who still like the traditional way of teaching, but as she said, the students love it. It can become an issue when teachers do not like or care to learn about technology because it deprives their students of the world they live in. Like Mrs. Cassidy stated: "technology is apart of our world and it's not going away". I think Mrs. Cassidy has a great approach to technology and I think as long as we are using technology in the classroom there will not be much room for impediments. From what I can tell, technology is engaging to our students, not distracting. I think there are many benefits to having technology in the classroom. By allowing students to have their own blog, access to a class blog, or learn how to navigate a website is beneficial to them. Of course they would have to be taught what is right and wrong when it comes to browsing the internet. Nonetheless, technology might be strange to us, but it is not strange to them. This is their world and they have to be taught how to navigate it for future purposes!
Check out Mrs. Cassidy's First Graders here!
Check out the Skype conversation between Dr. Strange and Mrs. Cassidy here!
In Mrs. Cassidy's first grade classroom they use many approaches to technology. Some of these include: blogging, websites, Wiki, Skype, and even the students Nintendo DS'. Mrs. Cassidy set up blogs for all of her students. This allows them to work on their writing skills. She and the students particularly like this because it is not just Mrs. Cassidy reading their work, but the whole world! The students write usually about a sentence or so a day and they get feedback from lots of viewers. Their teacher set it up on their blogs so they can see how many people have visited their blog that day. Mrs. Cassidy sees this as a reinforcement for her students. This tool also allows them to be more focused on what they are writing. Another perk of using technology in her classroom is that the parents get to follow their children's progress. They do not get to post everything online, but most of their writing is online and their parents have access to see their child's progress in the classroom all while learning to use technology. The children have been taught by their teacher that safety is crucial while on the internet. They only go by their first names, no last names are displayed. Also, if their picture is up, their name will not be directly beside it. Before the students use technology, papers are sent home to the parents to explain what their children will be doing exactly. Some other items the students use are Wikis. This helps them ask questions to others about topics such as traditions and rituals from around the world.
In the Skype video with Dr. Strange, Mrs. Cassidy tells us that she got involved with technology because she was given five computers and that was enough to create a center, so she thought why not! She realizes that there are some teachers who still like the traditional way of teaching, but as she said, the students love it. It can become an issue when teachers do not like or care to learn about technology because it deprives their students of the world they live in. Like Mrs. Cassidy stated: "technology is apart of our world and it's not going away". I think Mrs. Cassidy has a great approach to technology and I think as long as we are using technology in the classroom there will not be much room for impediments. From what I can tell, technology is engaging to our students, not distracting. I think there are many benefits to having technology in the classroom. By allowing students to have their own blog, access to a class blog, or learn how to navigate a website is beneficial to them. Of course they would have to be taught what is right and wrong when it comes to browsing the internet. Nonetheless, technology might be strange to us, but it is not strange to them. This is their world and they have to be taught how to navigate it for future purposes!
Check out Mrs. Cassidy's First Graders here!
Check out the Skype conversation between Dr. Strange and Mrs. Cassidy here!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
C4K Post #8
September 25th
This is what Jazmyn wrote for her blog post:
Hi my name is jazmyn and i like to curl and to do girl guides.what is your favorite thing to do?I live in rocky mountin house we live by alot of moutins in canada.people love to do summer and spring and winter sports.what is your name?i have a dog and a fish they are two of my favorite animals.whats your favorite animals or pets?we have lots of wildlife here like birds and deer bears moose and owls.moose and owls are very rare.i also love marine animals.I love to read its my favorite thing to do after school. do you like to read?
Comment: Hi Jazmyn! My name is Kayla Parazine and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It is so neat that you live in Canada! I have visited there once. I went to Niagara Falls and it was beautiful. I just got married this summer so I stay really busy working, going to school, and being a wife!
October 30, 2012
Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli are in Ireland and I was to comment on the Potato Fest has Begun and this is what i left: Hi Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli! I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class and I have been assigned to comment on this specific post. I hope you are both having a great time in Ireland and learning lots! Your posts are very entertaining! Have a safe and great rest of the trip! Link to the site: here
Our First Eighth Grade Volleyball Game
Nicole wrote about her first volleyball game experience in the eighth grade. She is a very active young lady. She has been playing volleyball since the sixth grade and she also ran cross country. Her team did very well for their first game, they won! You can read her post here!
My Comment: Nicole, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I loved reading your post about your volleyball game! It sounds like you all are really good! You seem very athletic, keep it up! You are a beautiful writer, you are able to tell stories so well! I feel as if I was right there with you at your game! Congratulations on the win!
This is what Jazmyn wrote for her blog post:
Hi my name is jazmyn and i like to curl and to do girl guides.what is your favorite thing to do?I live in rocky mountin house we live by alot of moutins in canada.people love to do summer and spring and winter sports.what is your name?i have a dog and a fish they are two of my favorite animals.whats your favorite animals or pets?we have lots of wildlife here like birds and deer bears moose and owls.moose and owls are very rare.i also love marine animals.I love to read its my favorite thing to do after school. do you like to read?
Comment: Hi Jazmyn! My name is Kayla Parazine and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It is so neat that you live in Canada! I have visited there once. I went to Niagara Falls and it was beautiful. I just got married this summer so I stay really busy working, going to school, and being a wife!
October 30, 2012
Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli are in Ireland and I was to comment on the Potato Fest has Begun and this is what i left: Hi Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli! I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class and I have been assigned to comment on this specific post. I hope you are both having a great time in Ireland and learning lots! Your posts are very entertaining! Have a safe and great rest of the trip! Link to the site: here
Our First Eighth Grade Volleyball Game
Nicole wrote about her first volleyball game experience in the eighth grade. She is a very active young lady. She has been playing volleyball since the sixth grade and she also ran cross country. Her team did very well for their first game, they won! You can read her post here!
My Comment: Nicole, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I loved reading your post about your volleyball game! It sounds like you all are really good! You seem very athletic, keep it up! You are a beautiful writer, you are able to tell stories so well! I feel as if I was right there with you at your game! Congratulations on the win!
C4T Post #3
Student-created Political Parties
This is the follow up to the What My Students Believe about Politics post. For phase two students formed groups based on common ideas as discovered from isidewith.com. Students then created their own parties including name, slogan, logo, campaign platform, and 30 second commercial. They then premiered them this week in front of state representative along with a 2 minute stump speech. Overall they did a great job and I feel like the energy and interest in this project was the highest I have seen. Students definitely made an impression on the representatives. Check out their commercials and their party platforms are linked in the YouTube descriptions.
Honortarian Campaign Ad
My Comment: Hi Michael, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned to comment on your blog this week! I must say I love what you challenged your students to do. It is so important that they learn the importance of the election and what it is all about, it doesn't come around that often! I was never apart of anything such as this while I was in elementary school. Your students did awesome on their videos, very entertaining! You have inspired me for sure!
Stopping Students from "Cramming"
In this blog post, Michael touches on how his students are rushing to finish their final work in his classroom. They are suppose to do the assignment, receive feedback, then refine their work. However, the students are waiting until the last minute to submit their work. He is attempting two new changes to alleviate this issue. One is students will be required to initiate a re-assessment of a standard within two weeks of the first assessment or they forfeit the opportunity to re-assess. With a re-assessment attempt they will gain another two week window to continue to work on the assessment. By this he hopes to encourage students to begin re-assessment immediately and build in a habit of doing and receiving feedback and doing again and of course eliminate waiting until the end of the quarter to cram. The next approach is to to withhold grades from students. He thinks many teachers realize that as soon as a grade has been attached to any assignment students have been conditioned to view it as "done" and are not motivated to continue in it.
My Comment: Michael, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I can see your frustration through your words! I have to admit though, I was one of those students in high school. Like you said, if a grade was on it, it was pretty much done-zo for me. I didn't feel motivated to finish and I would become complacent with my grade and move on to something else. I think your approaches to this issue are solid. With holding the grades from the student could work! I would like to know how this worked out for you
This is the follow up to the What My Students Believe about Politics post. For phase two students formed groups based on common ideas as discovered from isidewith.com. Students then created their own parties including name, slogan, logo, campaign platform, and 30 second commercial. They then premiered them this week in front of state representative along with a 2 minute stump speech. Overall they did a great job and I feel like the energy and interest in this project was the highest I have seen. Students definitely made an impression on the representatives. Check out their commercials and their party platforms are linked in the YouTube descriptions.
Honortarian Campaign Ad
My Comment: Hi Michael, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned to comment on your blog this week! I must say I love what you challenged your students to do. It is so important that they learn the importance of the election and what it is all about, it doesn't come around that often! I was never apart of anything such as this while I was in elementary school. Your students did awesome on their videos, very entertaining! You have inspired me for sure!
Stopping Students from "Cramming"
In this blog post, Michael touches on how his students are rushing to finish their final work in his classroom. They are suppose to do the assignment, receive feedback, then refine their work. However, the students are waiting until the last minute to submit their work. He is attempting two new changes to alleviate this issue. One is students will be required to initiate a re-assessment of a standard within two weeks of the first assessment or they forfeit the opportunity to re-assess. With a re-assessment attempt they will gain another two week window to continue to work on the assessment. By this he hopes to encourage students to begin re-assessment immediately and build in a habit of doing and receiving feedback and doing again and of course eliminate waiting until the end of the quarter to cram. The next approach is to to withhold grades from students. He thinks many teachers realize that as soon as a grade has been attached to any assignment students have been conditioned to view it as "done" and are not motivated to continue in it.
My Comment: Michael, I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I can see your frustration through your words! I have to admit though, I was one of those students in high school. Like you said, if a grade was on it, it was pretty much done-zo for me. I didn't feel motivated to finish and I would become complacent with my grade and move on to something else. I think your approaches to this issue are solid. With holding the grades from the student could work! I would like to know how this worked out for you
Special Blog Assignment
A World Where Grades Will be Left Behind
In this article of USA TODAY, Mary Beth Marklein writes about an education that will be free and available to anyone that wants it. She describes it as being related to something like a whimsical playground: no one is late for class, failure is not an option, and a lesson looks a little something like Crazy Birds. Sebastian Thrun, a 45 year-old vice president of Google and Stanford research professor, states that "you want learning to be as much fun as it is to play a video game". Thrun is the founder of Udacity, the education company, after teaching a free-online artificial intelligence course that drew more than 160,000 students. This experience was so profound for him that he said he could no longer teach in a traditional Stanford classroom. Udacity is just one of the online start-ups he oversees. Thrun's vision is to develop a catalog of free online courses taught by star professors from around the world. Within Udacity special effects and videos of instructor's hands writing on white boards are being incorporated.
Sal Kahn, a friend of Thrun, has inspired a growing number of schools to 'flip' their classroom. This means having the students study videos at night then complete their homework in the classroom during the day. Basically, it is taking pencils, paper, pens completely out of the classroom and replacing them with a diverse type of technology. There are many schools in the North that have taken on this challenge. There are even some college's that want to make a college education as cheap as a cell phone bill!
Thrun's invention is neither the first or last high-tech invention to revolutionize education. When faced with the question "What will education look like in 30 years?" Thrun says that technology is enabling educators to personalize education and scale it up. In saying that, classes will involve more challenging quizzes to help students master a particular skill, grades wont exist, instruction will be free with the exception of related services.
I feel as if EDM is very similar to this approach. There is no paper in or out, just strictly technology, no grades are given, there were no huge fee's that had to be paid, and it is available to anyone and everyone. This article would not have made much sense to me if it were not for this class. The thought of having no paper, pencils, or books in a classroom sounds completely absurd. However, this class has completely changed my perspective. In saying that, I complete agree that a change in the way we approach education is needed. Technology is the future, and the future is now!
Sal Kahn, a friend of Thrun, has inspired a growing number of schools to 'flip' their classroom. This means having the students study videos at night then complete their homework in the classroom during the day. Basically, it is taking pencils, paper, pens completely out of the classroom and replacing them with a diverse type of technology. There are many schools in the North that have taken on this challenge. There are even some college's that want to make a college education as cheap as a cell phone bill!
Thrun's invention is neither the first or last high-tech invention to revolutionize education. When faced with the question "What will education look like in 30 years?" Thrun says that technology is enabling educators to personalize education and scale it up. In saying that, classes will involve more challenging quizzes to help students master a particular skill, grades wont exist, instruction will be free with the exception of related services.
I feel as if EDM is very similar to this approach. There is no paper in or out, just strictly technology, no grades are given, there were no huge fee's that had to be paid, and it is available to anyone and everyone. This article would not have made much sense to me if it were not for this class. The thought of having no paper, pencils, or books in a classroom sounds completely absurd. However, this class has completely changed my perspective. In saying that, I complete agree that a change in the way we approach education is needed. Technology is the future, and the future is now!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Blog Post #10
I'm a Papermate. I'm a Ticonderoga.
Honestly, I had never even heard of a Ticonderoga, so naturally I googled it. Apparently it is a more classy version of the standard Papermate wooden pencil. Judging from the picture, the 'hipsters' or people in the 'in' only use Ticonderoga's no matter how much they cost because they are apparently the best. When reading the comments on this post on John T. Spencer's blog I discovered that this goes deeper than just a preference of one's wooden pencil. He is using this cartoon to display the relationship between a PC and a Mac. The PC is the Papermate and the Mac is the Ticonderoga.
Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?
In this post by Mr. Spencer, I think he is trying to make a point of educational/learning games in the classroom using technology. There are obviously lots of opinons out there that people have about them. Mr. Spencer says that the games are used as a stimulation for the students to teach them everyday life skills, and he relates this to doctors and soldiers how they use this type of learning to perform their important daily skills. I think the principal in this conversation over-reacted about the games used in the classroom. Because the games are engaging and helping our students learn, there should be no reason to complain about them! They are not hurting, they are helping.
In another post by Mr. Spencer is Avoid Social Networking. This post is about interaction between teachers and students outside of the classroom. It seems as if Mr. Spencer is somewhat making fun of teachers who think this is unacceptable. For example, it is said in the conversation "If you see one of your students at the grocery store, just avoid eye contact like they dont exist". I think this is a hilarious statement. Even though we are outside of our classroom we should still be models for our students. Also, another point he is making is social-networking. Class blogs have become a huge fad lately. This way the students can express themselves and contact their instructor anytime they need.
Dont Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
First of all, I must say I love Dr. McLeods sarcasm in this post. The point he is trying to make here is that is is absolutely insane to not let your kids express themselves through technology. There are many parents and teachers, sadly, that are sheltering children from this. Honestly, I think it hinders their learning experience. Children should be allowed to express themselves with their classmates and teachers freely. If we do not allow them to do this, how will we know what their potential is? I think Dr. McLeod makes a great approach to this topic in the way he worded his post. It just sounds absolutely absurd to not allow our children/students the option to explore and learn with the technology that is available to them right now.
Who Is Dr. Scott McLeod?
There are lots of wonderful things to know about Dr. Scott McLeod. He currently serves as the Director of Innovation for Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8 in Iowa. However, he is currently on leave from his position as an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. Dr. McLeod also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). This is the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators. He was a co-creator of the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens). Dr. McLeod has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work. Some of these include recognitions from the cable industry, Phi Delta Kappa, the National School Boards Association, and the Center for Digital Education. He blogs regularly about technology leadership issues at Dangerously Irrelevant. He also just completed his first book, What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media.
Honestly, I had never even heard of a Ticonderoga, so naturally I googled it. Apparently it is a more classy version of the standard Papermate wooden pencil. Judging from the picture, the 'hipsters' or people in the 'in' only use Ticonderoga's no matter how much they cost because they are apparently the best. When reading the comments on this post on John T. Spencer's blog I discovered that this goes deeper than just a preference of one's wooden pencil. He is using this cartoon to display the relationship between a PC and a Mac. The PC is the Papermate and the Mac is the Ticonderoga.
Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?
In this post by Mr. Spencer, I think he is trying to make a point of educational/learning games in the classroom using technology. There are obviously lots of opinons out there that people have about them. Mr. Spencer says that the games are used as a stimulation for the students to teach them everyday life skills, and he relates this to doctors and soldiers how they use this type of learning to perform their important daily skills. I think the principal in this conversation over-reacted about the games used in the classroom. Because the games are engaging and helping our students learn, there should be no reason to complain about them! They are not hurting, they are helping.
In another post by Mr. Spencer is Avoid Social Networking. This post is about interaction between teachers and students outside of the classroom. It seems as if Mr. Spencer is somewhat making fun of teachers who think this is unacceptable. For example, it is said in the conversation "If you see one of your students at the grocery store, just avoid eye contact like they dont exist". I think this is a hilarious statement. Even though we are outside of our classroom we should still be models for our students. Also, another point he is making is social-networking. Class blogs have become a huge fad lately. This way the students can express themselves and contact their instructor anytime they need.
Dont Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
First of all, I must say I love Dr. McLeods sarcasm in this post. The point he is trying to make here is that is is absolutely insane to not let your kids express themselves through technology. There are many parents and teachers, sadly, that are sheltering children from this. Honestly, I think it hinders their learning experience. Children should be allowed to express themselves with their classmates and teachers freely. If we do not allow them to do this, how will we know what their potential is? I think Dr. McLeod makes a great approach to this topic in the way he worded his post. It just sounds absolutely absurd to not allow our children/students the option to explore and learn with the technology that is available to them right now.
Who Is Dr. Scott McLeod?
There are lots of wonderful things to know about Dr. Scott McLeod. He currently serves as the Director of Innovation for Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8 in Iowa. However, he is currently on leave from his position as an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. Dr. McLeod also is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). This is the nation’s only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators. He was a co-creator of the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens). Dr. McLeod has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work. Some of these include recognitions from the cable industry, Phi Delta Kappa, the National School Boards Association, and the Center for Digital Education. He blogs regularly about technology leadership issues at Dangerously Irrelevant. He also just completed his first book, What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Blog Post #9
Mr. McClung
"What I Have Learned this Year" (2008-09)
See this post here!
I especially loved this blog post! You can truly understand that he was a first year teacher. Mr. McClung posted lots of helpful tips for new, inexperienced teachers. Realizing that it is not all about me, the teacher, is crucial. We are there for the students and their learning, so the focus and energy should be on them, not ourselves. We have to realize that not everything is going to go smoothly, especially in education. Therefore, we have to find that flexible bone in our body! There is no need to get worked up over something that did not go as planned. We need to simply move on and come up with something else! Backup plans are key. Communication is important especially in the work place. Even though it might be tough, talk it out, it will be better in the end. We have to set reasonable goals for our students. Like Mr. McClung I could not stand coming to class. Sometimes I felt as if too much was demanded of me and I could never meet the expectations of my teacher. What our students have to say is important, so listening and getting to know our students better should be top priority. And lastly, we can never stop learning. Actually, we never should.
"What I Learned this Year- Volume 4"
Find this post here!
Mr. McClung found it hard trying to figure out who he was as an educator after his fourth year in teaching. He had a good standing reputation with his students, but he seemed to be placing importance on what his peers thought of him. He discovered that taking care of his students is what is important and that worrying about what others think of him has never resulted in anything positive. I think we can all learn from this. Like mentioned above in his previous post, our students are our main focus. Yes, it is easy to get caught up in things outside of class, in this case, peer acceptance. However, that carries over into our class and our students will suffer from our personal lives.
Mr. McClung has taught the same subject the past four years and he noticed himself becoming routine with what he was doing within the class. He was being dependent on old lesson plans and his creativity was slowly dwindling. Luckily, he was presented with the offer of teaching an AP course and he gladly accepted. He felt like this was a door opened for a fresh start. He mentioned that school was difficult for him as a child and he basically dreaded going to class. He knew that because of his lack of enthusiasm, his students would reap from that. He did not want his students to experience what he did in elementary school. This post really speaks volumes of how we as educators need to keep it fresh in our classrooms and be creative! We must remember our students futures are at stake.
"What I Have Learned this Year" (2008-09)
See this post here!
I especially loved this blog post! You can truly understand that he was a first year teacher. Mr. McClung posted lots of helpful tips for new, inexperienced teachers. Realizing that it is not all about me, the teacher, is crucial. We are there for the students and their learning, so the focus and energy should be on them, not ourselves. We have to realize that not everything is going to go smoothly, especially in education. Therefore, we have to find that flexible bone in our body! There is no need to get worked up over something that did not go as planned. We need to simply move on and come up with something else! Backup plans are key. Communication is important especially in the work place. Even though it might be tough, talk it out, it will be better in the end. We have to set reasonable goals for our students. Like Mr. McClung I could not stand coming to class. Sometimes I felt as if too much was demanded of me and I could never meet the expectations of my teacher. What our students have to say is important, so listening and getting to know our students better should be top priority. And lastly, we can never stop learning. Actually, we never should.
"What I Learned this Year- Volume 4"
Find this post here!
Mr. McClung found it hard trying to figure out who he was as an educator after his fourth year in teaching. He had a good standing reputation with his students, but he seemed to be placing importance on what his peers thought of him. He discovered that taking care of his students is what is important and that worrying about what others think of him has never resulted in anything positive. I think we can all learn from this. Like mentioned above in his previous post, our students are our main focus. Yes, it is easy to get caught up in things outside of class, in this case, peer acceptance. However, that carries over into our class and our students will suffer from our personal lives.
Mr. McClung has taught the same subject the past four years and he noticed himself becoming routine with what he was doing within the class. He was being dependent on old lesson plans and his creativity was slowly dwindling. Luckily, he was presented with the offer of teaching an AP course and he gladly accepted. He felt like this was a door opened for a fresh start. He mentioned that school was difficult for him as a child and he basically dreaded going to class. He knew that because of his lack of enthusiasm, his students would reap from that. He did not want his students to experience what he did in elementary school. This post really speaks volumes of how we as educators need to keep it fresh in our classrooms and be creative! We must remember our students futures are at stake.
Monday, October 22, 2012
PLN Progress
For my personal learning space, I have created a Symbaloo. I find that Symbaloo is the best tool for my learning space because it allows you to have all the websites you need right in front of you on one page. It is also convenient because you can group tiles together in certain categories (i.e. social networking, presentation websites, educational websites). It is free and you will always have it! Therefore, while I am learning new websites/tools in this class I can add them as I go along. When I become a teacher I will have them ready to use! It is a great organization tool, also.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Blog Post #8
Dr. Richard Miller: "This is how We Dream Part 1 & 2"
Dr. Richard E. Miller talks about how writing in the academy has changed and how writing in our culture has changed. This is the greatest change in human communication in human history. We now have the opportunity to communicate instantly, globally. Dr. Miller states that we need to be engaged in the work of literacy now. He considered writing as a solitary activity. However, incremental change is where we work now, it is not so much in libraries anymore. We carry our laptops and our desk is our workspace. We do not have to research at just our University libraries, but we have access to any library on the web. Dr. Miller had the opportunity to write about the shootings at Virginia Tech, and he wrote his whole piece without stepping foot into a library. This speaks volumes of how much we have access to on the Internet. It is now possible to collaborate using technology. We not only have to use text, but we also can use images and/or video.
We are working in this digital environment. We will approach a new material, material that is changing before our eyes. iTunes U is a great site to use for academic lectures and information. Dr. Miller states something that rings so true. He says that ideas do not belong to us individually but as a culture. And we as educators must be willing to share ideas freely. Not only can we look at the information given on the Internet, we can get behind it and go further into research and see how it is put together. That way we can put alternative information together and share it globally. Sometimes this may be presented as a challenge, however Dr. Miller states: “The largest restriction we put is on ourselves”.
When Dr. Miller speaks about foreseeing a time that students will not just use word processing but use the other methods he speaks about in his video, we are already here! The video was created a short four years ago and we have come so far. This class has definitely opened my eyes to the world of communicating through technology. Almost everyone is connected someway through this wonderful thing called the Internet. I can only imagine where our future classrooms will be at the time we arrive to teach them. I do not expect there to be many books in the classroom when I take my place as an educator
Watch the video here!
Comments for Carly
After reading Carly’s post and the comments following, I have come to the conclusion that having a teaching philosophy is key. Teachers need to be able to live out their philosophy into their classroom for their students to see. Carly’s creativity was very transparent, nonetheless in her post! I also think this is crucial to implement into the classroom. Carly had said in her post that instead of making her students to the same-ole-same-ole read a book then write an essay on it, allow them to research! Just like Dr. Miller stated in his videos about writing with multi-media, there are tons of ways for students to access information.
I think Carly nailed it when comparing her post/assignments to Dr. Richard Miller’s video. Everything she wants to incorporate into the classroom is what he was saying our classrooms would soon be like. Her ideas were so creative and gave me something to go off of as a student and a future educator!
The Chipper Series/EDM 310 for Dummies
Both of these videos were very creative and helpful! These types of videos are great for implementing into our future classrooms. They could be used for introducing a new concept in math, science, English, etc. Not only are they great for explaining more in depth, but they are also engaging for students. It is way more engaging/entertaining for students to visually watch something be explained than have it just be taught to them verbally by the teacher. Both videos were great for getting the creative juices flowing!
Learning to Change, Changing to Learn
It is startling to believe that Education was ranked number 55 on the level of IT intensiveness, under coal mining! Students are able to have a much more stimulating and rich environment outside of school than they are in school. Students are able to communicate very well through IM, Facebook, and texting; however, these things are banned from their school.
Because the time we live in is changing so rapidly, school just might become a place where students meet for group projects. They have so much access to data at their fingertips and are unknowingly learning how to do that themselves. They do not necessarily need to know facts to survive in their culture, they need to know how to access information. The times have completely changed. Even from my time being in high school not long ago, everything is much different now. Therefore, I have to learn to change, and change to learn so that way my students will be taught properly to survive in their thriving technological world.
Scavenger Hunt 2.0
1.) The tool I found similar to Facebook/Twitter was Classroom 2.0. This is a network for those who are interested in Web 2.0, Social Media, and Participative Technologies for the classroom. It is a free community-supported network. It is an online community for teachers, somewhat like Facebook, but strictly for teachers. They have their own blogs, they can post, and comment to other teachers also. I think this would be an awesome tool to have once I become a teacher. It would be nice to be able to interact with other teachers from all over and get ideas that they are using in their classroom with the Web 2.0.
2.) Prezi gives students and teachers a free license and it is called the Edu Enjoy Subscription. It allows you to have 500mb of storage space, all of your presentations will be private, and you get to use your own logo instead of Prezi's logo.
4.) Glogster Edu is a video tool that I have never used. It is free for students and teachers. Glogster EDU is the leading global education platform for the creative expression of knowledge and skills in the classroom and beyond. They empower educators and students with the technology to create GLOGS - online multimedia posters - with text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds, drawings, data attachments and more (edu.Glogster.com). This is a simple website to use. Even children that are four years of age are using this tool!
Dr. Richard E. Miller talks about how writing in the academy has changed and how writing in our culture has changed. This is the greatest change in human communication in human history. We now have the opportunity to communicate instantly, globally. Dr. Miller states that we need to be engaged in the work of literacy now. He considered writing as a solitary activity. However, incremental change is where we work now, it is not so much in libraries anymore. We carry our laptops and our desk is our workspace. We do not have to research at just our University libraries, but we have access to any library on the web. Dr. Miller had the opportunity to write about the shootings at Virginia Tech, and he wrote his whole piece without stepping foot into a library. This speaks volumes of how much we have access to on the Internet. It is now possible to collaborate using technology. We not only have to use text, but we also can use images and/or video.
We are working in this digital environment. We will approach a new material, material that is changing before our eyes. iTunes U is a great site to use for academic lectures and information. Dr. Miller states something that rings so true. He says that ideas do not belong to us individually but as a culture. And we as educators must be willing to share ideas freely. Not only can we look at the information given on the Internet, we can get behind it and go further into research and see how it is put together. That way we can put alternative information together and share it globally. Sometimes this may be presented as a challenge, however Dr. Miller states: “The largest restriction we put is on ourselves”.
When Dr. Miller speaks about foreseeing a time that students will not just use word processing but use the other methods he speaks about in his video, we are already here! The video was created a short four years ago and we have come so far. This class has definitely opened my eyes to the world of communicating through technology. Almost everyone is connected someway through this wonderful thing called the Internet. I can only imagine where our future classrooms will be at the time we arrive to teach them. I do not expect there to be many books in the classroom when I take my place as an educator
Watch the video here!
Comments for Carly
After reading Carly’s post and the comments following, I have come to the conclusion that having a teaching philosophy is key. Teachers need to be able to live out their philosophy into their classroom for their students to see. Carly’s creativity was very transparent, nonetheless in her post! I also think this is crucial to implement into the classroom. Carly had said in her post that instead of making her students to the same-ole-same-ole read a book then write an essay on it, allow them to research! Just like Dr. Miller stated in his videos about writing with multi-media, there are tons of ways for students to access information.
I think Carly nailed it when comparing her post/assignments to Dr. Richard Miller’s video. Everything she wants to incorporate into the classroom is what he was saying our classrooms would soon be like. Her ideas were so creative and gave me something to go off of as a student and a future educator!
The Chipper Series/EDM 310 for Dummies
Both of these videos were very creative and helpful! These types of videos are great for implementing into our future classrooms. They could be used for introducing a new concept in math, science, English, etc. Not only are they great for explaining more in depth, but they are also engaging for students. It is way more engaging/entertaining for students to visually watch something be explained than have it just be taught to them verbally by the teacher. Both videos were great for getting the creative juices flowing!
Learning to Change, Changing to Learn
It is startling to believe that Education was ranked number 55 on the level of IT intensiveness, under coal mining! Students are able to have a much more stimulating and rich environment outside of school than they are in school. Students are able to communicate very well through IM, Facebook, and texting; however, these things are banned from their school.
Because the time we live in is changing so rapidly, school just might become a place where students meet for group projects. They have so much access to data at their fingertips and are unknowingly learning how to do that themselves. They do not necessarily need to know facts to survive in their culture, they need to know how to access information. The times have completely changed. Even from my time being in high school not long ago, everything is much different now. Therefore, I have to learn to change, and change to learn so that way my students will be taught properly to survive in their thriving technological world.
Scavenger Hunt 2.0
1.) The tool I found similar to Facebook/Twitter was Classroom 2.0. This is a network for those who are interested in Web 2.0, Social Media, and Participative Technologies for the classroom. It is a free community-supported network. It is an online community for teachers, somewhat like Facebook, but strictly for teachers. They have their own blogs, they can post, and comment to other teachers also. I think this would be an awesome tool to have once I become a teacher. It would be nice to be able to interact with other teachers from all over and get ideas that they are using in their classroom with the Web 2.0.
2.) Prezi gives students and teachers a free license and it is called the Edu Enjoy Subscription. It allows you to have 500mb of storage space, all of your presentations will be private, and you get to use your own logo instead of Prezi's logo.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
C4T #2 Post
I was assigned to comment on Mark Hardeman. His blog is here, check it out! The first post I commented on of Marks was about the school he teaches at undergoing a recent accreditation process. They used the Middle State's Association's "Excellent by Design" protocol to drive their process. He was happy to report that their school has improved their planning ethic and were successful in using the process to set a vision for the future of ACS. Their school community collaborated to define what attributes they would like their students to exemplify. At the end of their process, they determined ACS graduates should be: Thinkers (Critical, Creative, Reflective, Independent), Responsible (Organized, Risk-takers, Open-Minded, Respectful of self, others and the world), Well-Rounded (balanced, inquisitive, adaptable, knowledgeable, effective communicator), and Leaders (Diligent, Motivated, Confident, Principled, Collaborative).
My response to his post was: "Hi Mark, my name is Kayla Parazine, a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It is so exciting to hear about the accomplishments happening within your school. It is encouraging to see all of the staff collaborating to make your school, and the students within it, a better place. I am interested into seeing how your mission will pan out, I will definitely be keeping in touch with your blog posts! Thank you for sharing!"
The next post I commented on was titled "Can Marshmallows Help Build Teams?". I quickly came to find out that they can, indeed, build teams. In his blog, Mark tells of how the summers can be used for a great time of reflection for teachers, however they also start thinking of the up coming school year. He wanted to incorprate an activity called The Marshmallow Challenge that has been made popular by Tom Wujek's Ted talk called, "Build a Tower, Build a Team". They performed this activity at one of their staff meetings and discovered that it led to great discussions and lots of fun. Some of the main points that these faculty members brought up during their debriefing was: manage your time, team building, it's okay to take risks, learn from our mistakes, set reachable goals, group size matters, high stakes can lead to decreased performance on creative tasks, and fun. You can check out Tom Wujek's Marshmallow Challenge website here. This site gives all of the material needed to conduct the challenge at your school.
To his post, I left this comment: Hi Mark, it is Kayla Parazine from EDM310 at the University of South Alabama, again. The Marshmallow Challenge sounds like such a great way to get things rolling! It seemed to spark many ideas. This is definately something I would like to try when I become and educator and have to attend staff meetings. Also, I see where some have commented saying that some have done this activity with students. I see how that could be very effective! Thanks for sharing.
My response to his post was: "Hi Mark, my name is Kayla Parazine, a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It is so exciting to hear about the accomplishments happening within your school. It is encouraging to see all of the staff collaborating to make your school, and the students within it, a better place. I am interested into seeing how your mission will pan out, I will definitely be keeping in touch with your blog posts! Thank you for sharing!"
The next post I commented on was titled "Can Marshmallows Help Build Teams?". I quickly came to find out that they can, indeed, build teams. In his blog, Mark tells of how the summers can be used for a great time of reflection for teachers, however they also start thinking of the up coming school year. He wanted to incorprate an activity called The Marshmallow Challenge that has been made popular by Tom Wujek's Ted talk called, "Build a Tower, Build a Team". They performed this activity at one of their staff meetings and discovered that it led to great discussions and lots of fun. Some of the main points that these faculty members brought up during their debriefing was: manage your time, team building, it's okay to take risks, learn from our mistakes, set reachable goals, group size matters, high stakes can lead to decreased performance on creative tasks, and fun. You can check out Tom Wujek's Marshmallow Challenge website here. This site gives all of the material needed to conduct the challenge at your school.
To his post, I left this comment: Hi Mark, it is Kayla Parazine from EDM310 at the University of South Alabama, again. The Marshmallow Challenge sounds like such a great way to get things rolling! It seemed to spark many ideas. This is definately something I would like to try when I become and educator and have to attend staff meetings. Also, I see where some have commented saying that some have done this activity with students. I see how that could be very effective! Thanks for sharing.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Blog Post #7
The Networked Student
This video/presentation was very interesting. I honestly have never heard of terms such as 'connectivism' or "a networked student". Since this is a true story, it is hard to believe that students now, in high school, are having hybrid classes. When I was in high school I could not imagine having to learn online at my house. It is very interesting to see how far advance some schools have become in just a few short years.
The teacher in this demonstration is teaching her students to get out on the web and make other connections with students, different websites, etc, on the particular subject they chose to study. The students have to build their own personal learning network. The teacher instructs them on how to find valid websites for their particular subject of study. These websites might include: Google Scholar or their school library database. Once they find peer reviewed articles, they will post to their personal URL where others share their different URL's also. This way the door is opened for them to go onto other websites others have found on the particular study. Then, they will share the sites they have found from others onto their own page. They then will search other blogs that others have written about the topic. The students must know that blogs are usually opinions not facts. Since they have done some research up to this point, they may even feel free to leave comments on the blogs of others stating their opinions. Whichever blogs the students choose to comment on, they can subscribe to them so that way when the person posts again, an e mail or notification will be sent to them. The next step is for them to create their own blog posting the information they have gathered so far. Not only do the students have access to the internet, they have ways to access information through their iPods/MP3 players. They can download podcasts from actual professors from Stanford, Cambridge, and Yale. Through processes such as these students may even stumble upon ways to contact the professors at the Universities and ask questions. Video conferences via Skype may even be an option. Through this long process, students will be able to show the world and other students their hard work. This is important because students that might be studying the same subject somewhere else will be able to access their page and view valid information.
With all of the technology students have access to in the 21st Century and learning processes such as the one mentioned above, why should the networked students have teachers? Well, who will teach them how to become networked students? The teacher of course! She plays a very important role in the lives/learning of the students. Teachers are there to steer them in the right direction, answer questions, model, ect. The teacher can only hope that the students will leave their classroom fully aware of how to navigate all that she/he has taught them so that way they can apply it to their students, maybe, one day.
Watch this informational video here!
Comparing a Student's PLE to my PLN
It is somewhat sad, honestly, that this 7th grader has knowledge of websites that I just recently learned about the past few years in college. Therefore, her learning environment is very much similar to my learning network. She seems so enthusiastic about learning. This goes to show that technology is very engaging for students, so hats off the to the teacher who encouraged this method in her classroom!
7th grader's PLE
This video/presentation was very interesting. I honestly have never heard of terms such as 'connectivism' or "a networked student". Since this is a true story, it is hard to believe that students now, in high school, are having hybrid classes. When I was in high school I could not imagine having to learn online at my house. It is very interesting to see how far advance some schools have become in just a few short years.
The teacher in this demonstration is teaching her students to get out on the web and make other connections with students, different websites, etc, on the particular subject they chose to study. The students have to build their own personal learning network. The teacher instructs them on how to find valid websites for their particular subject of study. These websites might include: Google Scholar or their school library database. Once they find peer reviewed articles, they will post to their personal URL where others share their different URL's also. This way the door is opened for them to go onto other websites others have found on the particular study. Then, they will share the sites they have found from others onto their own page. They then will search other blogs that others have written about the topic. The students must know that blogs are usually opinions not facts. Since they have done some research up to this point, they may even feel free to leave comments on the blogs of others stating their opinions. Whichever blogs the students choose to comment on, they can subscribe to them so that way when the person posts again, an e mail or notification will be sent to them. The next step is for them to create their own blog posting the information they have gathered so far. Not only do the students have access to the internet, they have ways to access information through their iPods/MP3 players. They can download podcasts from actual professors from Stanford, Cambridge, and Yale. Through processes such as these students may even stumble upon ways to contact the professors at the Universities and ask questions. Video conferences via Skype may even be an option. Through this long process, students will be able to show the world and other students their hard work. This is important because students that might be studying the same subject somewhere else will be able to access their page and view valid information.
With all of the technology students have access to in the 21st Century and learning processes such as the one mentioned above, why should the networked students have teachers? Well, who will teach them how to become networked students? The teacher of course! She plays a very important role in the lives/learning of the students. Teachers are there to steer them in the right direction, answer questions, model, ect. The teacher can only hope that the students will leave their classroom fully aware of how to navigate all that she/he has taught them so that way they can apply it to their students, maybe, one day.
Watch this informational video here!
Comparing a Student's PLE to my PLN
It is somewhat sad, honestly, that this 7th grader has knowledge of websites that I just recently learned about the past few years in college. Therefore, her learning environment is very much similar to my learning network. She seems so enthusiastic about learning. This goes to show that technology is very engaging for students, so hats off the to the teacher who encouraged this method in her classroom!
7th grader's PLE
Sunday, October 7, 2012
C4K Posts
C4K Post
Comment One:
The first student I commented on wrote in his blog about 'Dot Day'. This story was one that the teacher read to the classroom and they made a day out of it at school. The student explained in his blog the story. The story was about a little girl who could not draw and complained to her teacher. Her teacher drew two dots on a sheet of paper asking the girl to connect them then make something out of it. The little girl ended up finding a creative way to draw between the dots, and the teacher thought it was so great that she ended up leaving the picture on her desk. So the little girl did not feel left out that she could not draw anymore, the teacher helped her prove that she did have talent.
I left a comment explaining what a good story teller he was and that I hoped dot day was a lot of fun for him. I also explained that I felt much like the little girl in the story that could not draw and I hope to be able to make my students feel like the teacher did in the story one day. I left him with the questions of if he enjoyed dot day and can he draw?
Comment Two:
The next comment I left was for Lauren. She was posting a blog comment about important things in her life. The things most important to her was her faith, family, and basketball.
I was able to relate to her on faith and family. I told her these were two very important parts of my life also, so we had something in common! Very cool. Also, I encouraged her to stay strong in her faith, and that it was encouraging to see a girl her age stand up for something like that.
comment Three:
My final comment was for a student who blogged about a made up story about the McCreamy family. They told how they ate ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All of their names had something to do with ice cream.
I commented saying that they were a very good story teller and if I was apart of the story I would fit right in because I love ice cream! I left them a question asking if they liked ice cream and is that why they wrote a story concerning ice cream? Also I encouraged them to keep writing. You can read this comical story about the McCreamy family here. And leave taydel954 a comment!
Comment One:
The first student I commented on wrote in his blog about 'Dot Day'. This story was one that the teacher read to the classroom and they made a day out of it at school. The student explained in his blog the story. The story was about a little girl who could not draw and complained to her teacher. Her teacher drew two dots on a sheet of paper asking the girl to connect them then make something out of it. The little girl ended up finding a creative way to draw between the dots, and the teacher thought it was so great that she ended up leaving the picture on her desk. So the little girl did not feel left out that she could not draw anymore, the teacher helped her prove that she did have talent.
I left a comment explaining what a good story teller he was and that I hoped dot day was a lot of fun for him. I also explained that I felt much like the little girl in the story that could not draw and I hope to be able to make my students feel like the teacher did in the story one day. I left him with the questions of if he enjoyed dot day and can he draw?
Comment Two:
The next comment I left was for Lauren. She was posting a blog comment about important things in her life. The things most important to her was her faith, family, and basketball.
I was able to relate to her on faith and family. I told her these were two very important parts of my life also, so we had something in common! Very cool. Also, I encouraged her to stay strong in her faith, and that it was encouraging to see a girl her age stand up for something like that.
comment Three:
My final comment was for a student who blogged about a made up story about the McCreamy family. They told how they ate ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All of their names had something to do with ice cream.
I commented saying that they were a very good story teller and if I was apart of the story I would fit right in because I love ice cream! I left them a question asking if they liked ice cream and is that why they wrote a story concerning ice cream? Also I encouraged them to keep writing. You can read this comical story about the McCreamy family here. And leave taydel954 a comment!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Blog Post # 6
The Last Lecture- Achieving Your Childhood Dreams: Dr. Randy Pausch
Randy Pausch seems to be somewhat comical. I love his opening statements to this lecture. His approach to his chronic situation is phenomenal. I admire how he comes right out and tells the class all the facts and he is very accepting of what has happened to him. Like he said, ‘you can not change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand’. This lecture is about Dr. Pausch’s childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons on how to use what we have heard to achieve our dreams and enable the dreams of others.
The next part of Dr. Pausch’s lecture is about his child hood dreams. He goes through a list he had compiled of many different dreams he had as a child and then proceeds to tell how he accomplished them and some he did not. The most outstanding part of this portion of the lecture is about the brick walls he speaks of. He says ‘brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things’. Most of the time when I notice a ‘brick wall’ in my life, I turn and go the other way thinking that what ever I was trying to achieve was not suppose to happen. However, Randy Pausch says differently. I have a new perspective of obstacles, or brick walls as he says. If you want something bad enough, you should go after it. Just because there is something standing in your way does not mean there is not a way around it, you just have to find it. This is very inspiring and I could use this concept very easily when becoming a teacher. I am sure there are lots of bumps in the road on the way there and while being an educator. This is also a great concept to teach students.
Next, Dr. Pausch talks about helping enable the dreams of others. He touched on the class he taught at Carnegie Mellon University. What I took from him on teaching his class is that they were having fun while learning. Basically it was like they did not know they were learning at all. While in the middle of their projects they were actually learning the systems they were using without even knowing it. I find this very interesting and helpful. I think this is the way learning should be. I hope to portray this strategy in my classroom one day. I hope to be able to have my students so engaged that they forget the fact that they are actually learning, but they think they are just having fun. I also think that we might learn more while having fun!
In the last portion of his speech, Randy talks about lessons learned. The role of parents, mentors, and students help us achieve our dreams. One thing he said, and I have heard it before, is that our students will shape us. It is crazy to think that we learn more from them sometimes than they learn from us. Sometimes I think we need to be more like them in a sense. They are full of life, always having fun, and as Dr. Pausch says in his lecture, ‘you have to choose if you are an eyeore or a tigger’ and I think we should all be tiggers. Most of all we have to have fun, help others, show gratitude and do not complain. “It is not about trying to figure out how to achieve your dreams, its about how to lead your life” –Dr. Randy Pausch.
Watch this inspiring lecture here.
Randy Pausch seems to be somewhat comical. I love his opening statements to this lecture. His approach to his chronic situation is phenomenal. I admire how he comes right out and tells the class all the facts and he is very accepting of what has happened to him. Like he said, ‘you can not change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand’. This lecture is about Dr. Pausch’s childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons on how to use what we have heard to achieve our dreams and enable the dreams of others.
The next part of Dr. Pausch’s lecture is about his child hood dreams. He goes through a list he had compiled of many different dreams he had as a child and then proceeds to tell how he accomplished them and some he did not. The most outstanding part of this portion of the lecture is about the brick walls he speaks of. He says ‘brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things’. Most of the time when I notice a ‘brick wall’ in my life, I turn and go the other way thinking that what ever I was trying to achieve was not suppose to happen. However, Randy Pausch says differently. I have a new perspective of obstacles, or brick walls as he says. If you want something bad enough, you should go after it. Just because there is something standing in your way does not mean there is not a way around it, you just have to find it. This is very inspiring and I could use this concept very easily when becoming a teacher. I am sure there are lots of bumps in the road on the way there and while being an educator. This is also a great concept to teach students.
Next, Dr. Pausch talks about helping enable the dreams of others. He touched on the class he taught at Carnegie Mellon University. What I took from him on teaching his class is that they were having fun while learning. Basically it was like they did not know they were learning at all. While in the middle of their projects they were actually learning the systems they were using without even knowing it. I find this very interesting and helpful. I think this is the way learning should be. I hope to portray this strategy in my classroom one day. I hope to be able to have my students so engaged that they forget the fact that they are actually learning, but they think they are just having fun. I also think that we might learn more while having fun!
In the last portion of his speech, Randy talks about lessons learned. The role of parents, mentors, and students help us achieve our dreams. One thing he said, and I have heard it before, is that our students will shape us. It is crazy to think that we learn more from them sometimes than they learn from us. Sometimes I think we need to be more like them in a sense. They are full of life, always having fun, and as Dr. Pausch says in his lecture, ‘you have to choose if you are an eyeore or a tigger’ and I think we should all be tiggers. Most of all we have to have fun, help others, show gratitude and do not complain. “It is not about trying to figure out how to achieve your dreams, its about how to lead your life” –Dr. Randy Pausch.
Watch this inspiring lecture here.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
My Timeline: Time Toast Project 9a
In doing a timeline of myself, I could use this under many circumstances. For one, I could use in the classroom when I introduce myself as the teacher. Also, this could be used at any conference that I might have to attend and I want to give some background information about myself to let the audience know more about who I am. And lastly, I could use this in any class during my time here at South to introduce myself when giving a presentation.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)