Blog Post 9

What I Have Learned This Year



In this blog a first year elementary school teacher shares what he feels are the top seven things he has learned in his first year as a teacher.

How to Read the Crowd - Mr. McClung says "let your audience drive your instruction" Teachers should have student centered lessons. Don't forget it's not about you the teacher and how intelligent you sound teaching your lesson. It is about how much the students actually learn. 

Be Flexible - "No lesson is always perfect. The lesson you teach and the one you plan are always different." He reminds us that things don't always go as we plan them.  Don't beat yourself up when you make mistakes. Learn from them and continue on. 

Communicate - Communication is the best way to resolve any issue in the workplace. Practice and build communication skills throughout your career as a teacher. Build a good communicate system with other teachers. 

Be Reasonable - Remember that the expectations you are setting as a teacher are for children.  Don't set them too high and be disappointed when the student fails. Do not scold a child for failing. Mr. McClung says it is our job as a teacher to pick the student up when they fail and help them recover and move on. 

Don't Be Afraid of Technology - Technology is everywhere and we should use it in the classroom. Don't ecpect to learn everything in one day, but don't be scared to learn at all. 

Listen to Your Students -  Mr. McClung made a good point, you as a teacher may be the only one who truly listens to a student. Listen to what they have to say and get to know your students. 

Never Stop Learning - We are not too old to learn. We are asking our students to learn everyday they come to class. Why can't we learn too. Learn from your workplace and well as your mistakes. 

I enjoyed reading Mr. McClung's blog. You can tell form his blog post that he really has a passion for teaching and his students. These are the kind of teachers we need in today's world, especially in an elementary school. Mr. McClung  made very good points and I hope I am able to follow his seven guidelines when I become a teacher. 

Blog Post 8

This Is How We Dream

Richard E Miller's videos This is How We Dream Part I and Part II, show a reality of just how much can be produced using just the internet, no pen or paper. DR. Miller discusses several pieces of his work that he has created using the internet. He demonstrates how you can create an article with more then words. In his articles he includes video as well as audio. His articles are very informative and he makes them interesting for his students or any other viewers to watch.

I feel Dr. Miller made a good point when he said many lectures are being posted on the internet without being post-edited. This statement is true. You can put a lecture on the internet for a student to listen to or even watch, but if it is as boring and plain as reading it from a book it hasn't served it's purpose. The technology is available today to add audio and video to our lectures or any other article we post online. We should be using our resources and making the best of our work.

I cannot say I am prepared to write with multimedia, but I hope that by the time I am in my own classroom and have my own students I am able to write successfully without using pen and paper. I have learned several new skills in EDM310 and hope to learn many more. I hope I learn enough so I can be a good teacher to my students.

Carly Pugh's Blog Post #12

Carly did an excellent job in her #12 blog post. She used the ideas Dr. Miller shared in his videos and created a very interesting and informative article. You were able to use her links to view the videos she was describing. This allows you to form your own opinion on the video, not just take her word on something. I think she created a great assignment. I feel encouraged to explore You Tube more and find videos that can be helpful to me and my future career as a teacher.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

Both of these videos give you a true prospective of how EDM310 can make you feel. EDM310 is different then any other course I have ever taken. I entered the class thinking it wouldn't be so hard and I really didn't have to spend 16 hours a week on my assignments. I was wrong. I procrastinated just as Chipper did. Procrastinating is not the way to do your work. I also felt crazy and overwhelmed with the assignments we were assigned. But fortunately, just like in EDM 310 for Dummies I am learning to use the resources I have available to help me and am beginning to understand more and more about the internet. And I am actually enjoying completing my assignments.

I think an interesting video to make would be on the importance of coming to the lab for help. In the video a student could be at home trying to do their work and not be able to complete the assignment because they are unsure of what they are required to do. Then the student goes to the lab and a lab assistant helps them and explains the steps in the assignment to them. Going to the lab has helped me and I feel if other people saw how helpful the lab assistants can be they would probably go more often.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

Wow, these are actual teachers who feel the way we teach in the classroom should change. These teachers see that it's not just about what is learned in the classroom, but what is learned outside the classroom as well. The 21st century student is already accustomed to technology. Why can't we as teachers allow them to use what they are comfortable with and already know to teach them more? The point one teach made was we only have a classroom connection when we could have a community connection. This is so true. Allowing our students to use technology will provide them with outside sources and connect them to the rest of the world. Another point made was how the jobs our students are going to be preforming when they are grown are going to require them to be able to find and communicate information, not just repeat the information they have spent their whole school career memorizing. I agree completely. If our students cannot find information on their own and don't know how to communicate it to others, how are they going to make it in the workplace? It is our job as future teachers to make sure our students are prepared to work outside of the classroom. This requires us as teachers to know how and accept that we need more then just a pen and a piece of paper. We need technology and we need to learn to use it correctly and effectively.

Podcast: Chapter 3 Group 1

C4T #2

I read the live blog with Daniel Pink. The students asked each other as well ad Mr. Pink questions. Most of the questions were requarding Pink's book. The students had some very interesting questions as well as comments. The students seem to be very concerned with what they can do now to better their future. I have not read Daniel Pink's book, but after reading this class's blog I plan to read it.

The second blog post I read form this blog wasTransparent Algebra: Take Two. Karl Fisch is an Algebra teacher and uses blogging to post and plan his assignments for his class. He created a second blog TransparentAlgebra. In his blog he posts his assignments by day. He is hoping to get feedback as well as figure out what lessons he needs to edit. In the his day 5 lesson, Mr. Fisch gives his students a homework assignment which they most post to their own blogs. He is using blogging in an Algebra class. This shows me the reality that technology can be used all types of classes and in every classroom.

I enjoyed viewing "The Fischbowl". The first blog post I read which was a live blog was interesting. I did not know there was such a thing as a live blog. Now I do and I hope one day to be able to participate in one myself. And the second blog post I read I really enjoyed. I love math and to know that technology can be used during math class is awesome. This teacher requiring his Algebra students to blog helps me better understand the point that Dr. Strange is trying to make: technology is much needed in a classroom and a new way of teaching is necessary for the 21st century student.

Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

First let me start by saying I truly enjoyed watching this lecture. I never once caught myself not paying attention or wishing it would end soon. Pausch is a great speaker and his lecture was by far the best video I have ever been assigned to watch for any type of assignment. Pausch was very enthusiastic during his lecture. He was very passionate about the material he was discussing and you could really tell he enjoyed speaking on his topic. I find Pausch's attitude during this lecture to be surprising, considering he had been given the news one month earlier that he would only be alive for six more months. This amazes me and at the same time inspires me.

Randy Pausch's lecture was all about how to achieve your childhood dreams, or rather how he achieved his. Pausch explains to us his six childhood dreams and how he was able to achieve his actual dream or something close enough to it that it meant more to him then the dream itself. Achieving his dreams was not an easy, I'm going to do it all in one day task. In the process of achieving all six of his childhood dreams, Pausch hit what he called brick walls. He says" Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things." I love this statement! Pausch never gave up, not even on one of his dreams. He was determined to accomplish what he set out to do and he did just that. No matter what the obstacle was, Pausch found a way to overcome it. I think of my everyday life and how many brick walls I have hit and have just given up. Pausch's lecture has encouraged me, especially as a future teacher to look at the brick walls as opportunities rather then just a spot to give up.

One of Randy Pausch's dreams was to be Captain Kirk. He says looking back at this dream he questioned why he would want to be Captain Kirk. Compared to the other people on the ship Captain Kirk didn't have very many skills and wasn't the smartest. He had cool gadgets, but not many skills. But then Pausch says that Captain Kirk had a very important, very valuable skill. Captain Kirk was a leader, he had the skill of leadership. Throughout his lecture Pausch talks about several of his leaders and how they pushed him and helped him become who he was in life. Leadership is very important, especially if we plan to be teachers, we must learn to lead in a way that is encouraging and not destructive.

Another good point Pausch makes is to teach someone to be self reflective. He says this is one of the most important things you can do for a student. When someone gives you feedback take it and value it. Rather it be constructive criticism or just plan criticism take it and use it. Evaluate yourself and use the feedback of others to help you better yourself and your work.

I took several important points from Pausch's video that I hope I am able to use when I teach my future students, but one of the most important bits of information is the way Pausch taught. He taught indirectly or as he called it using "head fakes". He says the best way to teach someone something is when they think they are learning something else. Make it fun, let them believe it is all about what they are enjoying doing, not all the important factors they are truly being taught. I feel this is so important. Make learning fun in your teaching. Let the students know it is okay to have fun while at the same time they are learning. I hope when I become a teacher I do just this. I hope I encourage my students to enjoy their assignments while at the same time teaching them the information they truly need to know.

Blog Post 6

Networked Student

This video really gives me a better understanding of how much you can use the internet for learning. It shows how a student doesn't need a textbook to do his/her work, all they need is the internet. They can search and find important information on almost any subject. One link usually leads to another and another and it just keeps going. The internet is full of helpful information and is becoming more and more useful everyday.

Even though Wendy Drexler's video shows how a student learns on their own using the internet and no book , it does ask the question "Why does a networked student need a teacher?" Then the video goes on to explain that the teacher is needed to help the student along when they get lost. When he or she isn't sure which resource to use. The teacher is the one who get the student started in the right direction.

I have to say that being a teacher in the 21st century is not going to be everything I pictured, just using pen and paper. I have a lot to learn to be able to teach a networked student. This class has taught me quite a few things so far and I hope it teaches me so much more. I really hope that I can learn and prepare myself for all I need to know to be a networked teacher.

A 7th Grader's PLE

Wow this 7th grade student sure does know a lot about how to use the internet for school. Her PLE is very organized and to me very impressive. She does use some of the same websites we have used in EDM 310, but she has so many more she uses. I hope to become familiar with many more and create a PLN that is as organized and useful as hers is.

Critiques of Smartboards

I myself still have not learned enough about interactive whiteboards to use them, but after reading several comments about them I do know that the opinions that teachers have vary greatly. Some teachers think they are amazing and are very useful, while others think they cost way too much money and are not any more effective in teaching then a regular whiteboard.

In the first 4 blog post I read all 3 teachers were against IWBs. They said they cost too much money and for the amount you spend on one IWB you could buy several more or or any other interactive, portable device. They say that IWBs take too much time to learn how to use them effectively. They also argue the point that anything that can be done on a IWB can be done using other computer programs that they already have in their classrooms.

In the last blog I read, InteractiveWhiteboards, the teachers love their interactive whiteboards. Several teachers comments and each one of them said that their IWB was very useful. That it doesn't require them to write as much and that the student find the lessons to be more interesting. They also stated that IWBs give you more flexibility and more opportunities then a regular whiteboard.

Blog Post 5

Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog

The Eagle Nest Radio is podcasts made by third grade students. They have one on Ancient Rome and one all about sharks. Both of their podcasts were awesome. The third grades made their podcasts interesting by using different music that related to the themes of each podcast. They also changed the tone and pitch of their voices and had a different student do each section, this also made the podcast interesting and exciting.Each of the podcasts the third grades recorded were full of facts regarding their subjects. They all put a lot of time and effort into their work and I have to say they did a great job.

Langwitches

The Langwitches blog is all about a class of first grade students who created their own podcast. This class also created a booklet to go along with their audio so each student could follow along. I think the booklet was an excellent idea. I feel having a booklet to follow along in will help to hold the attention span of the little listeners. Just as the third graders did in their podcast, the first graders had different students read each part. This gives character to the podcast. I feel these students did a great job and I would enjoy listening to more of their work.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

This video by Joe Dale is all about how podcasting is a good study tool to use in the classroom. Podcasts are easy to record and upload. Once uploaded a podcast is available anytime from anywhere. This is helpful if a child needs help on their homework a parent can listen to the podcast and understand what the child is learning in class. Another benefit of podcasting in the classroom is that if a student is out sick they will not miss out on the information and fall behind in class.

Podcasts are a different way of learning other then the traditional lecture or book reading. Using a podcast instead of a lecture will help keep the student's attention for a longer period of time. Also having the students produce a podcast is a way to make the child's work memorable. They will be more excited about making a podcast then writing a two page essay. I truly feel like podcasting is a good way to teach students in our day in time.

Blog Post 4

Scott McLeod, JD., Ph.D

Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor in the Education Administration program at Iowa State University. He is also the Director of the UCEA Center for Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. Mr. McLeod also is the co-creator of the video series "Did You Know?" At Big Think, he blogs regularly about technology leadership issues at Dangerously Irrelevant.

In Scott McLeod's blog post "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?", he uses a humorous approach to explaining the importance of allowing our children to use technology in the classroom. He states all the bad things there are on the internet for our children to see and how using a computer everyday is bad, but then at the end he says he is teaching his children all of it and says "can't wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two". Mr. McLeod is right, there is a lot of bad stuff on the internet, but there is so much more stuff to help our children. If our children aren't allowed to use the internet to learn are they really learning? We live in a technology advanced world and our children need to know how to use technology or they will not be able to keep up with the rest of the world.

The iSchool Initiative

In his video, Travis Allen a high school senior, talks about how a regular school should become an iSchool. He says we can replace all the paper, pencils and pens, text books and any other supplies we need in class with just one ipad or iphone. He shows several different examples of what is offered on the ipad, such as a calculator, a Wikipedia, and several other links to find educational related information. He says students would still be able to take notes and research without using paper and pencils. Travis also talks about how the teachers and students, as well as the parents, would be able to all stay connected at anytime from any place. Going from a regular school to an iSchool would also help the environment. We would be saving several trees by eliminating all the paper we have to use.

I have to admit that Travis has some good points. I don't know that I am completely for taking all books and paper out of the classroom, but I do feel like we should use more technology in our schools. Ipads are very advanced and you can perform almost any task needed just with a touch of a few buttons, but I'm not sure that all children are responsible enough to learn how to use them and keep up with them. I know its easier to keep up with one ipad then 7 different textbooks, but I still think there will be some students who will not learn as effectively this way. I think maybe we should start out slow and see how this idea works. If it works the way many people think it will, then great we get rid of books and paper, but it needs to be a process not just an all at once change.

You Can't Be My Teacher

In the video,, Darren Cannell is using her son to show the importance of using the internet in the classroom to teach. He is still a small child and already understands that we should be using more then just text books to teach our children. Is it possible to prepare a child for the world in which we live if we only use text books to teach?

No,it is not possible. We live in a very technology advanced world. If we continue to use only text books to teach our children and never teach them how to use the internet they will never succeed in the way others who have learned to use technology do. Yes, there are bad things on the web, but if we supervise and teach children how to use computers appropriately we should not have to worry at all. The good of technology defiantly outweighs the bad and we as future teachers need to realize that. Text books aren't enough anymore. Children need to be talk using different forms of technology and computers are just the beginning.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

For those of you who do not know what Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir is, it is a group of 185 people from 12 different countries, who have never met yet they preform together. That's right they perform beautiful music together just using the internet.

Wow is about the best word I have to describe this. I never would have thought it to be possible to perform with 184 people I have never met, but after watching this video I see it is very possible. All they used was their computers and the internet and they were able to come together and make beautiful music. This is amazing. I am learning more and more each day of what is possible just be using the internet.

Teaching in the 21st Century

While watching the video Teaching in the 21st Century, by Mathmadesimple, I began to think about the assignments I was given during my school career. As every student is, I was required to do a research paper, but I was not required to use the internet or any other form of technology to do it. We could use the computer, but most commonly we use books to do our research. What if we were required to use the internet then? I feel if more teachers required and allowed their student to use resources other then books to do their assignments students would do better and be more intrigued about their work.

This video had some good points, especially comparing entertaining with engaging. Yes, the internet can be fun and there are many entertaining sites to go to on the internet, but it can also be educational. Shouldn't the work we ask our students to do be at least a little bit fun? If we assigned work on the internet rather then with pen and paper, do you think the students would be more eager to research and do their best? I do. I feel like if we give our students the chance to use their skills in an area such as technology instead of just saying"here write me a paper" they will do better and learn more.

To teach in the 21st century means allowing our students to use the technology we have available. Our world is always changing and so should the way we teach our students. I do not feel I was prepared for the world in which we live just by doing the assignments required in school. I don't want my students to feel this way. I would hope that the assignments and the way in which I teach will help my students prepare themselves for the world. The only way to do this is to use more technology and allow them to do things differently then the way most of us have been taught.

My Sentence Video

Presentation Project

teacher comment one & two - summary

The "Learning is Messy"blog by Brian Crosby had many good points. The author was commenting on a tweet by Mr. Hamilton the Department of Education's Press Secretary. He talks about how he feels about school visits from Mr. Duncan and how when he visits various schools he isn't getting a true vision of what really goes on in the school or how the teachers truly feel about their school. He also states that when a school does poorly on a test the school should be supported before being punished. He also believes that the teachers themselves have the most knowledgeable information about what goes on in the schools and what might help improve them.

Today I read another post by elementary school teacher Brian Crosby Learning is Messy. In his post he was commenting on the "Education Nation Blog"by John Deasy. Mr. Crosby stated how he felt that if someone was going to give input on today's education and how to improve our schools, that it should be an actual educator or they should at least take the comments of teachers, parents and students.

I agree completely with Mr. Crosby. If the teacher is the one who is in the classroom year round with their students, then surely their input has to mean something. Teachers are the ones who know what does and does not work in a classroom.

Blog Post 2

Did You Know

The video Did You Know was a very interesting video. I find it amazing how much technology is changing everyday. Due to the advancement of technology jobs are changing and increasing. Before seeing this video, I knew technology effected the world, but not to such degree as this video points out. I find it shocking that so many people use online dating services as well as how many jobs one individual will have before they have even reached the age of forty. So to answer the question, Did You Know?, No I did not know. The number of facts Fisch and McCloud address in their video is extremely surprising.

Watching this video also makes me realize just how behind America is compared to other countries. Should America be as advanced as other countries? Do we need to start realizing just how much technology is going to effect us and how important it is in our lives?

Mr. Winkle Wakes

In Needleman's video Mr. Winkle Wakes he shows how technology has changed in the world over 100 years. When Mr. Winkle awakes he doesn't recongize anything. All the technology is new to him and he does not like it. He goes to a school to find that the school hasn't changed. They aren't using technology like the rest of the world. Mr. Winkle likes the fact that the schools are the same as he remembers. Is this what is going to happen in our schools? Are we forever going to be behind the rest of the world because we are scared to change the way we teach? I know there may be other reasons why technology isn't advanced in the schools as far as it is in other places, but is the main reason because educators don't like change?

We as future teachers need to understand that the world is changing. If we don't teach our children how to use technology in the classroom, is what we teach them really going to help them ? I am not completely against the "burp-back" way of teaching, but I do feel we need to use more technology in the classroom and teach the children how to use the internet as a resource to help them.

The Importance of Creativity

This video by Sir Ken Robinson is defiantly an eye-opener. I have never thought of creativity the way he does. Mr. Robinson states that creativity is individual, original ideas. He says children are more creative then adults because they aren't afraid to be wrong. I have to agree. We as adults have been criticized for being wrong or suggesting ideas with which others did not agree so now we go with what the world tells us. We keep our ideas in the back of our head instead of letting them be known. If we do not let our children express their ideas they will be the same way we are.

Education today does not focus enough on the arts. Before watching Mr. Robinson's video I did understand the complete importance of the art classes. I didn't see the influence these classes could have on a child. I never thought that maybe a child who isn't so good in math may be awesome in music. Creativity is very important and should be encouraged in our children. I hope as a teacher I am able to help my students bring their ideas out instead of keeping them held in.

Cecelia Gault's Interview with Sir Ken Robinson

In this interview Sir Ken Robinson again talks about how important the arts are in education. Our education system does not place arts as high as they do science or math. Mr. Robinson states that there needs to be a better balance between the arts and the other subjects. I agree that there needs to be more emphasis put on the arts so that the students will be encouraged to use their creativity skills.

This article also states how smaller, poorer countries are more advanced then America schools. Why is this statement true? Why as a country are we not using the technology we have to advance our schools as well as our students? Mr. Robinson said we need to use technology more in the classroom and also have a stronger link between the school and the community. I feel if we use the technology we have available to us that this we help us to become more aware and involved in community activities.



Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I this video we learn about what all Vicki Davis is doing in her classroom to change the way her students learn. She does all of her teaching through different forms of technology. She doesn't teach the students everything she wants them to know. She allows them to look it up online and research until they find what it is they need. This form of teaching allows the students to think on their own and be more creative about the way they do their schoolwork.

Ms. Vicki Davis allows her students to teach her as well as others new information using technology. I liked the way she said she is "turning education upside down." I believe her way is working. Her students seem eager to learn. They are able and required to use technology to work along side students from all around the world. This helps them to learn about other cultures. I am really expressed with what Ms. Davis has accomplished in her classroom and hope to one day all my students to experience some of the same activities her students are able to.

Blog Assignment 1

All About Me

Hi my name is Krissy Mennicucci. I am 26 years old and I am majoring in Elementary Education. I was born in Foley, AL and have lived in Elsanor my entire life. For those of you who do not know where Elsanor is, it is a small town outside of Robertsdale. When people ask where I am from I usually just say Robertsdale. I am married and I have three wonderful children: an eleven year old stepson, a five year old son and a two year old daughter. I love my children very much. My life revolves around them and I spend every second I get with them. Enjoying time with my family is what I like best. We love to go to the park or spend a day at the beach. I love music. I listen to almost every radio station available, it all depends on the mood I am in at the moment. I chose to attend USA because of the feedback I have heard from other students who have graduated from USA in the education field. I hope my time at USA is very successful and rewarding.

Many people ask me why I am going to school to become a teacher when the economy in Alabama is in the shape it is in and the number of teacher jobs available are far and few. My dream to become an elementary education teacher started when I was in the second grade. I hated school during my kindergarten and first grade years. It wasn't until I was in second grade when I began to enjoy school. Seeing the difference my teacher made in me, made me decide I wanted to make a difference in another child's life. I have worked with children in the past and I love the feeling I get when I see them smile or when I teach them something new. If I make a difference in one child's life through teaching, I will feel like I have achieved my goal in life.

Time Management

I found Dr. Pausch's video on time management to be very helpful. He states that planning and list making are important parts of time management. Just because you have a plan doesn't mean you have to always stick to the plan. Plans and lists can change, but you can only change a plan if you have one. A plan or a list will help keep you focused and help you manage your time more effectively. Listening to his video helps me better understand how important it is to manage my time wisely and to be a doer not a procrastinator.