Project #7

This is My Sentence..




This is my Passion..

Blog Assignment #5

Langwitches blog Podcasting With the First Grade really opened my eyes to how great of an idea this was that he did. He began reading to them Vacation under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne. The purpose of the podcast was to let the students act as though they were interviewing the main characters Jack and Annie. I thought this was very useful in many ways. It not only allowed them to be creative, but also encouraged them to pay more attention to the book so they could know about the characters and what to ask them.The blog told about how shy and quiet students were coming out of their shells during the pod cast. I liked how it also encouraged them to speak to other students and be creative. They also were very attentive with the videoing Langswitch claims. I thought it was amazing that first graders were so into pod casting and also editing the podcast. When I am a future teacher, I want to do a podcast with my students because I feel like it not only helps incorporate technology but social skills.

Langwitches blog Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting was very interesting to read. It was impressive that children who did not speak Hebrew learned how to speak a sentence of it. I thought it was a great idea to give each a student a sentence and then to add everyone's together to tell the story. It was a good way for everyone to contribute and work together. I liked how they did not put them in order so the students had to pay attention and learn where to put their sentence. I also liked how they could play, pause, or edit there sentence because this incorporated the use of a smartboard. It taught them numerous things and uses of different technology tools just by recording a sentence. The project was not about producing a podcast but about teaching the students how to collaborate,listen, and speak a new language. I think that this was a great activity.

Joe Dale's blog post The Benefits of PodCasting in the Classroom was very informal. It provided numerous benefits to prove how useful podcasting is: its an effective way of interacting with students outside of the classroom,its a form of learning students of today are familiar with and therefore makes it relevant to them, it allows for differentiation and project based learning,students can access the higher order thinking skills in Bloom's taxonomy, it promotes creativity and innovation, it can offer distance learning opportunities for absent students,the process of creating and uploading audio files is easy,students can record role plays in character making their learning more memorable, and parents can see and hear what their children are doing at school. I liked how he put students in the video showing first hand how they are benefiting and using it. The podcasting allows students to learn and go back to rewatch what they learned whenever they need or want too, which I really liked most. Joe also included two useful links into the blog to visit. He provided links that help you podcast using GarageBand and links that show you how to podcast.

Project #3 Presentation

C4T #1

Post #1: Angela Maiera's blog post the Best Ways to Let People Know They Matter was a pleasure to read. I like her Choose2Matter call of action. I believe whether your students are young or old, everyone needs to know that they matter. Especially with younger children, I believe this action of letting people know they matter should be enforced. Young children need to be encouraged and let known that they are special and matter because they are still growing up and developing. It is extra important to enforce that to them at a young age, so they have good self worth and value when they are older. I like the steps that she shared to follow: " You See Them, You Listen Earnestly, You Ask Meaningful Questions, You Believe They Can, You Dwell in Possibility, You Celebrate Them, You Do Small Things With Great Love, You Show Up, and You Choose2Matter ." All of these, I agree, will help someone know they matter. They provide the person with attention and respect to let them know you are interested in their life and they matter. 

My comment: Hello, my name is Brittany Allemand. I am a student at the university of South Alabama, and I'm in the class EDM 310. I have been assigned your blog, and I hope you will visit mine and let me know your opinions on my posts. I enjoyed this post and I agree with the points that you posted that let people know they matter. Being an elementary teacher, I believe that letting the children know they matter is extremely important. Your post was great and helpful, thanks!

                                                         

Post #2: Angela Maiera's most recent blog post " Two Days I'll Never Forget" was such an inspiring blog post. The post had me wanting to read more. The post was about her enforcing her Choose2Matter program with a group of sophomores at S.T.E.M academy. She told about how she asked the students how many thought they could change the world. The results were shocking. Only six out of three hundred students thought they could change the world. She then showed how she used the steps she discussed in the earlier post about how to let people know they matter, and she said the children started to sit up and listen to the speech after she told them they were geniuses and the world needed their contributions. After words of encouragement, the students began to form groups for suicide prevention, cancer patients, animal abuse, and other important issues in the world. After just one day they began tweeting inspirational quotes and trying to make a difference in the world. It was shocking how much just words of encouragement and letting them know they were needed and mattered lit the fire inside them and changed their view. On the last day she was at the school, they then asked the students again if they could change the world, and almost every student in the room stood. I really enjoyed her blog,and it made me a believer of just how much a simple "You matter" can mean to a student.


My Comment: Wow. This is a very inspiring blog post. I am the student from South Alabama that was assigned to your blog, and I am very thankful to be able to read such a great post. I would love to incorporate this program into my school whenever I am a future teacher. Glad we have someone out there that wants to incorporate such a positive program into the schools.

   **   Visit her blog!

Blog Post #4

When I graduate in a couple years with my degree in elementary education, I want to be well prepared and trained in technology. I believe that in a couple years classrooms will be filled with more smart boards, computers, or iPads than books, pencils, and paper. After reading this blog post assignment, I immediately turned to the internet and technology to help me research a good topic. After looking around on Google and numerous websites, one technology tool stood out to me the most. I learned about an eportfolio tool for young elementary students to create. They can create a whole portfolio with tabs for all subjects, like math social studies, and science. The website I visited, tech4learning.com,showed an example of a third graders portfolio and how it could look. They had tabs for all subjects, and videos and pictures of her work. I really enjoyed this tool because it said it was a good way to show a child's progress, which is just as important as their products. The portfolios provide a collection of the students work, drawings, reflections, and numerous other things. I really like how the website described the portfolio and its use:"Because portfolios include a collection of performances that demonstrate growth and include student reflections, they provide additional assessment information beyond what can be gleaned from a traditional letter grade." I really like this technology tool and feel as though it will be useful to us as future teachers in EDM 310. You can visit the website above for an overview of what the portofolio is and does. I feel as though this will help the students work computer and other technology tools also. They will learn how to build a preview of all their work.


Chasity Heubach
To no surprise, I began my research on 21st Century Learning tools with the help of Google. I found many tools for learning that would be very helpful to elementary school teachers. Two tools in particular stood out to me. One was a resource called Smart Lab. This is a learning lab that uses technology to inspire hands on learning for students of all ages. While reviewing the usefulness of the Smart Lab technology, I discovered a program called STEM. This program is a comprehensive system with a focus on science,technology, engineering, and mathematics. The STEM website discusses how the program will help improve "an understanding of scientific and mathematical principals, a working knowledge of computer hardware and software, and problem solving skills". The smart lab learning labs aid in the STEM process. The site for smart lab claims that "SmartLabs are fully-integrated classroom systems that include hardware, software, scientific and media equipment, hands-on construction kits and flexible furniture systems. The Smartlab program, I my opinion would be a great thing to introduce in elementary schools throughout the nation. 
Another tool I discovered in my research, and the one I am most excited about, is the program Pixie. Pixie is a system designed to help integrate technology into the elementary classrooms. It is a project based learning system that will, according to the website, help children of all learning styles develop the skills to navigate their way through 21st century technology. I found that another great thing about this program is it aids the teacher in meeting the Common Core Standards.Pixie allows students to create as well as share their own work which instills a sense of pride, resulting in a will to learn. The pixie program in my opinion in a highly motivating program and would be a perfect addition to any elementary classroom. I also believe this would be a good tool to help teachers evaluate a students progress, which would help in eliminating testing in classrooms. The children produce their own work to better show they understand a subject. 
Both the Smartlab and the Pixie programs are excellent tools to better prepare students for 21st century learning and I look forward to one day being able to introduce these programs to students of my own. 

Edheads - Grace Hofer 
Technology will be used in many if not all classrooms before we know it. Trying to find websites that would be great for teaching and for students learning was an adventure. As I came across some that just seemed okay, I came across Edheads which I think is fantastic. This website can be used for fun or for teaching which I love. Edheads offers games and activities that involve mathematics and sciences to promote critical thinking in the user. To tell you the truth, after I discovered this website, I spent about an hour playing around on it before remembering that I was working on an assignment for this class. Once arriving to Edheads, you have the opportunity to pick an activity that you would like to do. Some of these activities are designing a cell phone, to weather activities, to virtual surgeries. After selecting which activity you would like to do, it becomes like a computer game. You are assigned to do different tasks as the game walks you through each step. Doing one of these games, it asked why might you do a step. You are then given about five options to chose the answer. I liked this because it offers not only a fun environment, but a learning one as well. Because Edheads offers the user to do a few activities to do virtual surgeries and such, if I used this site for my students, I would offer it to older students. However, I think any age could learn something from this site. When I was playing around on it I even learned something. I picked this website because of the amount of learning experience it can offer to any user. It gives the learning experience in a way that the users feel like they are just playing a game. The game environment will have a better chance of having students enjoy learning I believe. I think this is a great site to use in a teaching/learning field. I enjoyed it so much that I will probably revisit the page to explore some more of the activities it offers.

Blog Post #3

The video What is Peer Editing? and the slideshow Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial teaches you almost everything you need to know in order to do a good peer review. They give numerous helpful tips and let you know the three most important steps to include in your peer edit: compliment, suggestion, and correction. People can sometimes take comments the wrong way which is why you should compliment the things they did right also. You need to compliment the work, and not just point out the errors. A simple compliment as " I really loved your topic" can change the whole tone of your post. Secondly, it is important to make suggestions. This means make suggestions to the writer on how to improve or make their writing better. For example, a suggestion would be " If you change your wording in the last sentence, it would make the sentence more clear." Lastly, make corrections on their work.These corrections could be about numerous difference things like punctuation, grammar, or spelling. Some good tips the slideshow provided was to be specific, positive, and to follow the three steps of complimenting,suggesting, and correcting. Be specific when you are peer editing so the writer knows exactly what to correct and how to make the writing better. Make sure to be positive when editing, so the writer knows you are trying to help and not embarrass them or say bad things about their writing. For a laugh and a few ways to see how not to peer edit check out the video Writing Peer Review Ten Mistakes. Also, It shows one person who is defensive which is another reason to stay positive!

When I am peer editing a writers work, I like to comment on the post. I feel as though it is more effective and it is easier to just scroll up and down to see the comments an corrections on the same page. I usually do not find many mistakes in the peer edits I have done, so I feel like a short comment is efficient. However, if a peer did have a post that was a complete mess, I would probably email them so I did not correct the whole post for everyone to see. I understand that people would not like everyone to see all the comments. I always try to say something good about the peers writing then make the corrections, so they realize I am not just interested in bringing up their errors.

Blog Post assignment #2

Mr. Dancealot

       This video demonstrates exactly what I do not want to do when I become a teacher. During the entire video, you could see the confused and puzzled looks on all the students faces. He did not demonstrate well how to do any of the dances. For starters, he demonstrated how to do the dances without a partner and behind a desk where you could not even see his feet. Mr. Dancealot then told the student to sit down when he tried to get up and see over the desk that blocked everyone's view. He read straight from the power point and did not elaborate on anything. He should have broken the class up into partners and let them practice and learn hands on. For the final exam, he did not even bother to stay in the room with the students. He simply recorded the exam and never stayed to offer help or answer any questions. He did not care about the process or if they learned how to do it, just if they could preform for the final. A lot of teachers have his mentality. They teach and just expect memorization instead of learning the process, this reminded me of one of the motos for this class "No burp back education". He definitely did not follow this moto. He should have demonstrated and got out from behind the desk. He should have taken them to the dance room and shown them the dances and gave them practices there before the exam. This video did a good job of showing the confusion your students could experience if you don't take the time to explain and demonstrate. It's not always best to present the material and expect the students to memorize it.

The Networked Student

        To view this video by Wendy Drexler titled the Networked student, Click here. The networked student video informs us how to learn with a method called connectivism. This method claims that learning takes places through a large network of many diverse connections and ties. The teacher shows her class how to create a blog online and connect with their classmates and professionals all around the world. This video pretty much describes what we are doing in EDM 310. The students search the web for answers and write about things that they have found or need to discuss. The video informs us about a huge networking system that connects people in a helpful way that promotes learning. The huge network is made possible by the technology we have. This network helps students read other information from students and teachers around the world. Even though the blogs are opinions and not facts, the students can comment and get or give more information. The student can email professors and have video conferences, promoting one on one learning with each other. The networking site can open numerous doors for learning and numerous ways it can occur.
        Why does the networked student even need a teacher? There are several valid answers to that question. Teachers are there to promote learning and to help their students. Although her students may not have a textbook or lecture sections, she is still needed there for guidance. The students need to know how to navigate through the blogs and how to create it. She is there to show them how to build this 21st century learning network and how to learn from it. She is there to provide help when the students get lost or stuck on something online. She shows them how to properly communicate with other people and how to get useful information from them. She shows him how to pick which information is useful and which is just fluff or false. She shows him how to search properly and efficiently. Without the teachers guidance the students would not know how to build or navigate this blog.
        I agree with this video and what it is promoting. I believe that all students need to take a course with connectivism. The 21st century is filled with technology and less of textbooks and lectures. Students need to open the door of learning through technology and communicating with people. Even though I will only be an elementary teacher, I would still want to incorporate technology use in my classes. The 21st century student needs to be skilled in learning through technology. I believe this is important because the process is just as important as the material. Students need to learn how to do something and not just memorize information. This networking blog will help you search and find answers. It will also help you learn through other people and not just through a book with pages.

Teaching in the 21st century: Grace Hofer

The way Kevin Roberts presented his thoughts was a great way to challenge people. Roberts is correct that technology is changing and the younger generations will be more capable of using technology than we have been. The video makes you question of what the teachers job is if any information can be found at anytime by the students. The purpose of teachers is to teach students how to use these technological tools so they can know how to do it on their own. For example, what if you went up to a kid who has never even seen a computer in their life and told them to find out the population of a city. They would have no clue how to even begin. This is where teachers would come in, to show the kid how one would even begin to find information and how to arrive to the conclusion. This should challenge students who plan to one day teach to become familiar with all different types of technology and how to use them. If one does not know how to work a device, how are they expected to teach someone else how to use it? The next generation may be very familiar with devices the past generation may of known nothing about. Teachers and future teachers need to be on top of all knowledge about these devices the future generation will know, so we can teach them something they do not know. 




Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts: ChasityHeubach

What Vicki Davis has done to encourage her students to learn is remarkable. She has not only taught them technological skills that they will be able to use long after leaving her class, she has taught them how to learn through teaching themselves. She explains that most class rooms "use only paper and only pencils" and because of that only certain students will succeed. She says that she is teaching her students to learn how to learn. She seems to have given her students a sense of responsibility for their own success, rather than allow them to be fully reliant on her to flood them with information. She gives them resources to find answers for themselves. In the video she talks about how she gives definitions and lets them research the answer. She has found a way to motivate students to want to learn by allowing them the freedom to discover the ways of learning best suited for them. I think her example of teaching is one every teacher should follow. The best way to learn, is to do. I also noticed in her video that she actually has more class participation than a typical teacher would. By typical teacher, I mean one who has strict rules and guidelines that the students must follow and if they get of that straight and narrow path they are scorned. I can not begin to tell you how many teachers, especially in college, that I have encountered who force their views of a subject onto their students. And if your ideas don't match theirs you fail. That is not what teaching is about. Teaching is about giving a student the opportunity to develop their own ideas and learn for themselves. Ms. Davis has really inspired me and they way I would like to teach. 
 Check out Ms. Davis video here. http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis-video

Blog Post Assignment #1

Krissy Venosdale is a GiftedEd teacher for grades 3-6. Here blog, Venspired, is very inspiring, and I feel like I can connect with her since I will be getting a degree in elementary education. I'd love to be a student in her classroom. Her post "If I Built a School" was perfect. She would make her classroom so welcoming and free for the children. I love how she said creativity would ooze from every pore in the building. I also loved how she would make the environment so comfy and relaxed ,so the children could learn freely and easily. I agree with how she would have laptops, desktops, tablets, IPads, and even cellphones in her school. There would be no regulations because the students would earn her respect and trust to use them at the proper times. She gave the students the opportunity to create trust and not just rules to where they could never earn it. Her ideas are a lot similar to how I would want to build my school if I had that option. I throughly enjoyed Sugata Mitra: A School in the Clouds. I thought his research helped prove his idea on how a SOLE-Self Organized Learning Environment would do good in the 21st century. I found it amazing how children who had never used a computer before learned how to use it without instruction. I believe that if that was possible, then children today with good teachers and a nice school could learn how to do a lot with technology. I liked how he incorporated encouragement into this school also. It was amazing that with just encouragement from someone else the children learned more, even without a teacher and instruction. Before viewing this video, I would have never been convinced on this idea of an SOLE that he presents. After this video though and all of his research, he proves his idea well. I support his plan and feel as thought it will be successful in schools.

What I want my students to know

I want my student to know many things in my classroom. I don't want my classroom to just be a place of studying and memorizing facts for a test. I don't want the children to feel like all I want them to know is what material they will be tested on, or what I teach. Yes, I want my students to know that learning new material is an important goal. I want them to pay attention and to know that I expect them to learn and give their all in my class and towards the academics. However, I want my students to know that I am here to teach them, but also that my classroom is a place they can feel safe. I want them to know that I am here during tough times and that they can come into my classroom and feel comfortable. I want my students to know that I am going to give my job as their teacher my all, and im also here for them. I want my student to know that I expect their best effort and that my classroom will always be a safe, comfortable place.

What I want my students to be able to do

I want my students to be able to learn in my class. I want them to come in and sit down comfortably, with no worries but learning the new material being presented. I want them to know that my classroom is always suited to accommodate them and that they are highly respected and expected a lot from. I want them to be able to know what I expect and what they should expect from themselves. Mostly, I want them to learn to the best of their abilities and know that they can do anything they set their mind too.

What method I will teach my children with

My method of teaching my children will be a combination of things. I want to incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic ways into my teaching. Not all children will learn as fast or in the same way as others. I want to present information in multiple ways so it can be learned an easier, and it will be able to sink in in multiple ways.

Tools I will use in my classroom

I want to use up to date technology tools in my classroom. I want to use a smart board, laptops, and up to date programs. I want to use tools that help the students know how to work technology also. I want to use tools that incorporate learning in multiple ways.

What role my students will play in my classroom

My students will all play an equal role in my classroom. One child will not be better or expected more from than the other. They will be able to participate in the learning process in multiple ways. I want them to be able to learn and help others learn. They will be expected to give presentations and show that they understand new things that I teach. The learning environment will be comfortable and they will know that they can ask anything.

Practice Blog Post- Who am i? Why do i want to be an educator? What are my passions?

I am from a very small town two hours North of Mobile, called Gilbertown. I have lived there since I was five years old and attended kindergarten through my first semester of my sophomore year in college there. It has always been my home, until I recently moved to mobile in January for my first semester of college at South Alabama. I decided to attend USA because the education program seemed very well organized, and I enjoy being in the city of Mobile. I have always been interested in being a teacher, and I knew from a young age this was always what I wanted to pursue. I want to be in the field of education because I love to be around children and to teach things, that's my passion. I've always worked babysitting jobs and been around children a lot, and I enjoy teaching and helping them. I have many interest other than being around kids and teaching though, I enjoy shopping, traveling, and being with friends and family. My family is very close even though most of my family lives in New Orleans, LA. My family has always put a strong emphasis on education, and I thoroughly enjoy going to school and doing well in school. My brother just recently graduated from Tulane and received his degree and certificate in law. My sis is a graduate of Southern Miss and has a degree in Bio Medical Sciences. My mom works at a local bank, and my dad is a manager over oil rigs overseas. I strive to do the best I can in anything I do. Succeeding is very important to me. I am good at learning new things fast and at school mostly. People also tell me I am good at being there for them or being a friend. One thing i guess i could work on or do better is learning to become more independent.
In the future, I plan to have a degree in elementary education and work at a public school close to my home town.I want to be close to my mother and father. I also have dreams of opening up a daycare in my town or nearby. I love to be around children and want to travel overseas and actually adopt a child one day. My passions are just to make a difference in someone life, whether that be teaching or adopting a child in the future. I want to help people and succeed in all my dreams.

My first test post

This is my test blog. I accidently deleted my first one the other day!