Sunday, May 6, 2012

Progress Report on Final Project

A bunch of magnetic letters surrounding the words half way.
   
 My group has contacted each other through emails and face to face meetings. We are honing in on a great lesson we want to educate others on. Each of us will be involved collaboratively and we each have specific parts that we will teach. We have also been using different means of Google Docs to work on our projects.

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts - Special Post 12A

    Creativity and curiosity are two traits that we look for in individuals when they are young. Why? We look for it because that have the want to learn when they are curious. When young children start in school they also start to loose that creativity and curiosity. They are given structure and discipline in their place. In school we are taught to be model citizens that can benefit our society in the best ways possible. The question I wonder is it the best thing for students. Children are naturally curious beings, so why not let them be curious. Teachers and schools are not wanting to go above and beyond and find that balance that gives students the structure and discipline they need without taking away their creativity and curiosity.
A cartoon head that has the words vision, imagination, creativity, and innovation coming from it.
     I think all curriculum can be made interesting for students. As a teacher you most want to put in that little extra time and come up with ways to relate what you are teaching to your students. Students need to know how to sit and listen in a classroom; however if that is all they do then how much are you really helping them to grow and become educated. If we teach our students the material in a fun but structured environment and then have them use that creativity to show what they know then you help to form that curiosity that so many children have drained out of them. Teachers always have the ability to help mold and enlighten their students. I have ran into so many teacher in the past that only seem to be there for the pay check and that is not the right reason.   I met one teacher who actually had is class turn his room into an actual cell. The students had to get creative to do so. The ideas that the students created to represent different parts of the cell was jaw dropping. We only have to give them the opportunity to use their minds and they will.
      I am a very curious person when it comes to science as well as literature. These to areas have given me a curiosity that I still use today. I would have probably lost it if not for a few special teachers in my life. When it comes to creativity if it is something I am interested in I put for more creativity. I strive to be different. I do not want to be known as good teacher. I want to be know as a creative educator. I have been able to do so in the daycare that I work in. I plan to continue that once I have my degree. My class is know for having the best handmade decorations as well as the best student projects. That is not what I am most proud of though. I am proud of the fact that my classroom is used as a tool to teach my students.
Albert Einstein's picture with a quote from him beside the photo. It states, "Imagination is more important than knowledge".

Project 13

   I worked with Daphney McFadden for the final two projects. Daphney found this site called Vyew. This site allowed us to post our ideas and thoughts in a chat area only for us. We were also able to upload any files that we thought would be useful as well as use webcam. We also used Google Docs. Daphney and I were able collaboratively put our slide presentation together. By using the Google Docs we were both able to go in and add and fix mistakes that we noticed. I obtained a Geography book that helped us put together our material according to the Mobile Pacing Guide. For or Final project using Vyew we were able to contact one another with ideas as well as film everything on our own until it was time to put everything together.

Three people sitting around computers and laptops using collaborative learning.

Final Reflection

Final Project

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Blog Assignment 13

I wooden sign that has "No Tecknolegy" painted on it in white.

For this blog we had to go 24 hours without the use of technology.This assignment was very difficult I actually had to start over at one point. I feel as if in today's society we are so use to our world of technology and we do not really realize how much we really depend on it. We are surrounded by technology everywhere we go, whether it be cell phones, tv, laptops, or IPad. It made me truly thankful for technology and the help that it provides in my everyday life.
When I read  the requirements for this blog I wanted to scream. The first thought that I had was that I could not use my laptop. My second thought was my husband is not going to like this; he likes to call me several times throughout the day to check in. Like most young people I do not have a landline, so this meant that I had no communication with anyone for 24 hours unless I went to see them or they came to see me. I am so dependent on my cell phone and laptop for communication that it almost drove me mad. The first time I attempted the challenge I actually left my cell phone on. Leaving my phone on was a big mistake the temptation was too much and I finally gave in. The second time around I turned my phone off, as well as unplugged the XBox 360. I decided the best way to complete this challenge was to have my husband go through it with me. We use our XBox to watch movies on as well as play games. It is our way of us having some down time together after work. He did not like the fact I took it away. I had to give his cell phone to him though because his dad often calls him to help with his business.
I think the experience bettered me in a way. We had to find other activities to do instead of sitting on the couch, refusing to get up because we were glued to our laptops and tv. It made me realize that technology is a really useful tool at the same time we do not need to forget that there are so many other things to do. For example we sat in our backyard for two hours just playing with our dogs and talking. We also attempted to go to a few yard sales to look for baby items (there were not many yard sales that day). I do not think that I would want to make a “no technology” day every month. I do think that I will make an effort to spend more time focusing on other things besides technology. I just have to have my cell phone.
I really feel that this was a good challenge. I realized how important technology is to me. It made me realize that if I had a hard time completing this task then how are we as teachers suppose to expect students to learn without it. I could not complete any school assignments during this time. So many teachers think students do not need technology to learn. There are sites on the internet that help tutor students. Students also need technology to write these long research papers we assign. We want them to use technology to complete the assignments that we give them yet we do not use technology in the classroom.
As a society we need to just let go of the fact that we are not dependent on technology, and embrace the fact that it surrounds us everyday. I am so thankful for the tools that technology has given me. I will admit sometimes I get really frustrated with technology but overall I depend a great deal on it.

Final Report on PLN

My Final PLN Report

I am so thankful that I took EDM 310 and the things that it has taught me. One of the most important things that  I have learned from EDM 310 is about building my Personal Learning Network or PLN. I have come to add a lot of sites and teacher blogs on to my PLN. I am still using Symbloo and it is super easy to use. I have even introduced it to my dad and mother-in-law. My mother-in-law helps keep my father-in- laws business going as well as they have rental properties. Symbloo allows her to keep up with all the sites she needs in one place. I have learned that a PLN is not only useful to teachers and students, but to everyone else as well. I am continuously looking on Langwitches blog and reading her post. I am also always looking for good websites for me to get material for my class. I recently added a site called NASET, it stands for National Association of Special Education Teachers.
Two stick people one titled me and one titled you. The "me" stick figure has a question mark in its thought bubble. The "you" stick figure has a light bulb in its thought bubble. In between the to stick figures it has a heart and under the heart it says get connected.

Project 15

This project was filmed in two parts. For our project we used the Smart Board to present our project of 7th grade geography The World according to the Mobile Pacing Guide.

C4T #4

A girl holding her palms out with the words written on them, "You are beautiful no mater what they say".



Mr. Prater’s Post
  In the post titled, “Loving the Unlovable Student”, Mr. Prater notes a point in his teaching career when he truly became a better teacher. In this post he talks about, him receiving the rosters for his new class and that he notices that all of them are tenth grade and above, except he is teaching a 9th grade class. Mr. Prater automatically realizes that this class contain nothing but students that have failed. Mr. Prater eventually decides to embrace the experience and surround these students with encouragements and offer them a clean slate. In the end he comes out learning so much from the experience and is happy that he had it. Mr. Prater discovered that many of these students already had labeled themselves as failures so everyone else did as well. Mr. Prater opened a new door for these students by giving them a chance.

My Comment
I loved reading this article. I am going into secondary special education and the question I get asked most often is, "why?". I always give the same reply, "why not?". The students that you talked about in your article are the students that I will be teaching daily. I feel as if these students need a passionate and dedicated teacher just as much as any other student; if not more. These students will most likely not have much support at home and if they do then they can always use more. Teaching is a challenge no matter what subject or who your students are. Your assistant principal gave you the advice you needed most and now you are sharing it with many others.

Five students are standing in a line facing you and each one is holding out a letter. The students letters spell out the word, "LEARN".




Mr. Prater’s Post
  The title of this post was, “Motivate Students to Learn Without Rewards”. In this post Mr. Prater talks about how so many students will only complete a task if they know that they get something in return. The problem with this is most teachers use physical rewards. This type of reward does motivate students but it is only temporary. He goes on to discuss that we as teachers need tp think back to those teachers that truly made a difference in our lives and what they did. The answer from most of us would be they got to know us and actually cared that we would succeed in life. Mr. Prater also recommends that we always show excitement when it comes to learning. We should show excitement in what we are teaching, what our students teach us, and when they learn something new. Lastly we need to remember to challenge our students. If the challenge is to easy they will become bored. If the challenge is to difficult they will become frustrated. Mr. Prater really had some strong thoughts and ideas that we should all keep in mind as educators.

My Comment
  I really enjoyed this post, and I felt as if it was directly aimed towards me. Working in a daycare where most 2 year olds will only work for a reward can sometimes be draining, In the younger classes they are taught they get skittles if they go to the potty. In my class we have to break them of the skittle reward. If they do a task I ask the comment soon after is, "can I have a skittle". I truly want to motivate them without the rewards in a physical aspect and it truly makes my done when a student performs a task without wanting anything but praise in return.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Blog Assignment #12

     For this blog assignment we are suppose to come up with a project that Dr. Strange himself should have assigned. I chose my project based on something that I have wanted to do for a couple of years. This assignment finally made me put my fears aside and create a website. So here are the instructions for the assignment.

     In this assignment you will be required to create a website on a topic that you are passionate about in the field of education. You can find many different sites to use to begin creating a free website the one that I suggest is Weebly. This site has many different layouts that you may chose from and is simple to use. On your new website you must have the following pages. You need a home page that talks about what your website is about with a title. You must have pictures on your home page. You need to have a blog page. You may link it to an existing blog or create a new one. If it is a new blog page make sure you have at least one blog post up with photos. Last you need a contact page. The point of a contact page is so you can receive feedback from viewers. The most important thing to remember when creating your website is others will be able to view it.

     I have created my own website and it is still under construction. I plan to use it as I grow as an educator. I am so thankful for this blog assignment because I have now created, Dixon Zone. I can not wait to continue to build the site to get it where I want will take some time. That is why I feel that this project would be very rewarding to students it like a blog. It is something that you can continue to use and it can grow with you.
Little human figures are hammering, screwing, and lifting the word .com. It is a representation of someone creating a new website.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Global Blogging Challenge and C4K

James’ 1st Blog

This tells how 2 weeks with out your coffee, milk, or soda could provide clean water for a lifetime to someone in Africa

The first blog that I read by James was titled, Blood Water Mission. James teacher had given them a challenge to write on a global issue as well as one dealing with poverty. James wrote on the conditions of Africa’s drinking water. James informed his readers about the unsanitary conditions of Africa’s water. He talked about the thousands of adults and children that are affected by this. He went on to give information about a group called Blood Water Mission. This group takes donations to help lay pipes for water ways. The donations also go for other ways to help improve the water and dehydration of these people. I was very impressed by James blog he took a like of time in laying out and organizing his thoughts. James also made a wonderful power point on the issues in Africa.

My Comment
I gained a lot of information from your blog about the problems that Africa is facing with their water supplies. It is a problem that most people do not think about. Thank you for including the websites for me to visit as well that was really helpful. Do you want to go to Africa  when you get older to help build the waterways? Your power point was good. I would suggest on the powerpoint make each slide a little longer for viewing. I had a hard time reading all the information. Overall, the powerpoint was very eye appealing. I am actually attend the University of South Alabama and have a blog myself. I was wondering if I could post your powerpoint in a few weeks on my blog? If I post it it would allow my fellow classmates to also view it.

James’ 2nd Blog
This week students were given the assignment to add images to their blog. Students must then write where the image can from and why they chose it. James chose a picture from a site called Shutterstock. James recommended this site very highly for the use of finding images. The image that he chose was of USC football. James stated that he was highly inspired by football as a young child. He seemed to be inspired by the team effort that they put forth. He also felt that USC football reminded him to keep going.

My Comment
I really liked how you opened up your blog. I enjoyed the fact that you chose a photo that inspired you. I looked into the site shutterstock.com was very useful. I really liked the site and will use it in future blogging.

James’ 3rd Blog
For the third blog of James that I read I had to go back a little; however I found a interesting one. The blog was on James’ creating an avatar. James made his avatar resemble him exactly, he even stated it could be his twin. James felt that creating an avatar was a good idea. He also stated that he would enjoy making another avatar. James used Clay Yourself to create his avatar. I decided to create my own as well since James had so much fun with it.

My Comment
I am now going to have to go and make my own avatar. I liked how you really made your avatar look like you. I have noticed watching my husband and friends play Wii and XBox, that a lot of times with the use of avatars they will not resemble their owner. What do you think the benefits were to creating your avatar?

My avatar that I created to look like me.



Faaugia’s Post
    Faaugia is seven years old and lives in Auckland, New Zealand. She is in Year 3 at Pt England School. The webpage that the students have their blogs on was created so that friends, family, and the world could see their amazing work. Faaugia has many brothers and sisters and she also has a cat. She is a very bright girl. Some of Faaugia’s favorite things are pizza and the colors gold and purple. She enjoys singing and being with her friends.



My Comment
Hi Faaugia,
    My name is Constance Dixon and I live in Mobile, Al. I go to the University of School Alabama. I really enjoyed your video. I noticed that you have a lot of brothers and sisters. I am a only child and always wanted brothers and sisters. I really enjoyed learning about you. Being seven is so much fun. You get to do so much more. What is your favorite thing about being 7? Keep up the great work.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Blog Assignment 11

Little Kids...Big Potential 
Hands holding the earth


Mrs. Cassidy’s video, Little Kids...Big Potential is inspiring. She takes her first grade class and gives them the use of many different technological tools in order to learn. She has created an environment that her students enjoy being in. Mrs. Cassidy has been using technology in her classroom for about ten years and she is always improving its uses.
I learned many different ways to use technology in the classroom from her video. Some of the tools I already planned to use but Mrs. Cassidy gave me ideas on other uses for them. I know that blogs are a good tool to use inside your class. Blogging can allow my special education students to freely express themselves without the worries of what they look like or what their disability is. They can also receive encouragement from others, besides just teachers and parents. I also think that a class web page is a very important tool. It allows parents to stay updated on what their child is learning and their progress. It also allows students the ability to obtain the assignments and lectures that they have missed. I had never thought to use a class web page to do center time, until I saw Mrs. Cassidy’s video. Placing educational sites on the web page for students to use was a brilliant idea. The sites have already been seen by the teacher and have been checked for whether they are appropriate. Students now have a fun learning experience inside the classroom. Students also have access to these sites wherever there is a computer.
Mrs. Cassidy seems to have a good strong support system. This is very important when it comes to using technology in the classroom. The feelings of technology in the classroom is still in limbo; some teachers think it is great and others still can not get past paper and pencil being the main tools in a class. I think it was very wise for Mrs. Cassidy to go straight to those in her district that would have the most  authority on her using technology. In doing so she cut out the middleman. As educators we will always face obstacles. The best thing for us to do is try to face them head on and not make any more  obstacles for ourselves.
I really learned a lot from Mrs. Cassidy and her first graders. If first graders can use technology as well as these students; then there is no reason other students can not use technology. We as teachers should give them these opportunities.

Baby using a labtop.

Blog Assignment 10

To Teach Or To Educate? That is the question.
Since I first knew that I wanted to go into the field of education I knew I wanted to be different. I am continuously told that it not the smart, economically secure path to take. That is not why I  chose it. I am not entering the field of education for summer vacations and good insurance. I am entering to show the youth of today that no matter what, that they do matter. When we decide to enter into the College of Education we are responsible for not only ourselves any more. The College of Education is not called the College of Teaching, and I think there is a reason for that. I have chosen to become an educator not a teacher.
A clip from a dictionary blurring out all surrounding words except the word educate.

In the video, Do you Teach or do you Educate?, it shows the difference between the two. So many chose to only teach, and they wear the name teacher proudly. I can not be that person. My path into the education world will be much different from many of my peers. Most will have their own classroom and teach a certain subject all day. I will most likely be in those educators classrooms walking around helping those students that need that little extra guidance. My students will not just be A or B students. My students will be blind, deaf, in wheelchairs, autistic, LD, and much more. My students can not simply have a teacher to show them a math problem. These students will need me to guide them as well as the others responsible for educating them. Many of these students will need someone to take that extra time. Education does not end inside the classroom and special needs children need to know that more than anyone.
I can not say that I will have relay races and scavenger hunts using questions to help prepare students for test. I can not say I will have students play baseball to understand physics, or make edible cells to understand biology. I can say that I will guide these students to better understand the subject that they are learning. I will help them form their own identity and beliefs so that they may create their own future. I want my students to challenge the information that is given to them. I want them to ask is this the only way to solve this math problem or why are our laws so restricting when we have the Constitution? I want them to be curious and ask hundreds of questions. I may not be able to answer their questions; however I can guide them to the thoughts and ideas of others so that they may discover what they are looking for. I want them to form a hunger for the world around them and embrace education.


Danger: Pencils Ahead
John Spencer’s blog post gave me a lot to think about as a future educator. Don’t Let Them Take Pencils Home, is a story that is one we face daily in the world of education. I decided to really do some research about the effect that pencils have in education. The results I found were really intriguing to me. In Mr. Spencer’s post he was having a discussion with another teacher about the dangers of pencils going home with students. It was hard for me to understand why anyone would not want a child to have a pencil at home. Mr. Spencer seemed to have a problem understanding this too. In the end the other teacher was only worried about her test scores. Mr. Spencer was more worried about the learning of his students.
We are going to face challenges and problems when it comes to the way we educate students. What separates the good educators from the bad is how we face those challenges. Mr. Spencer looked at the pencil as more than just a tool for students to take test with. This is what I focused on when I decided to do some digging. I know this might seem a little strange where I am going with this post but this is what really inspired me. I went  to Google and typed in, “pencils and education” the results that came up were not what I expected. There was one article that really caught my eye, The secret of school success lies partly in the pencil case. It seemed strange to me how a pencil case could help with your success in school. A newspaper called The Independent which is located in London, were the ones responsible for the article. The beliefs of the article were that the types of writing tools students carried in a pencil case were essential. It gave examples how if a student did not have a pencil sharpener that it could be devastating. That too many colors could distract students from the real task. Erasers needed to be big and work because students otherwise would form sloppy handwriting. What really got me was the article even gave how students should have fingers positioned to write. My favorite comment was these exact words, “Wax crayons should be left at home in the cupboard.” This reminded me of the teacher that Mr. Spencer encountered. The reason for not wanting children to use crayons was because they would scribble with them causing their handwriting later to be messy. As an adult I  think back to preschool and kindergarten and  how coloring was my favorite activity. I remember getting so happy when I would get a big sticker because I stayed in the lines and colored neatly. So, it does not matter whether it is a pencil being used to play hangman and writing to pen pals or a crayon that is blunt and will cause messy writing there are teachers that always want to find blame for the way students are performing; instead of looking at what they could to to better educate students.
I looked for something that would truly point out that pencils were damaging test scores but I came up unsuccessful. I found a few places that mentioned that test taking scores on computers were slightly higher but nothing drastic. I feel as educators we sometimes rely on pencils as tools solely for completing work and test. What if, instead of making pencils only for test taking and writing long papers we embraced the pencil and had fun with it. Why not play hangman? Have students using vocabulary or spelling words get into groups and play the game. When I researched pencils and education I found that pencils were used more as a symbol of education. Many
edcators embraced them as a symbol of learning and providing resources for students.
A bell-curve made out of different colored pencils. Sculpted to make a statement about standardized test.

Pencils.com is a site that sells different school supplies and 3% of it sells go to partner charities to help schools out. They also have resources for parents, teachers, and students to do research as well as fun activities for inside the classroom. Harriete Estel Berman even created a giant bell-curve sculpture out of pencils to make a point about standardized test. She embraces the pencil and feels that it is a powerful tool that should be used for more than just testing. There are so many more sights that show the pencil as a symbol of education.

I feel as if Mr. Spencer had the right idea. We should not be looking for problems within the tools we are given to educate students instead we should find ways to better use the tools we are given, in order to increase the education of our students. We are the educators and we should be using whatever tools we are given whether it is pencils, crayons, or computers. Lets get our creative juices flowing and start educating our students and stop blaming the world around us for their lack of interest.
A pencil is shown and broken down in different parts to show the different types of people. It gives 6 different parts/types the Hanger-Ons, the Erasers, the Wood, the Sharp ones, the Ferrules, and the LEADers.



Monday, April 2, 2012

Blog Assignment 9

Mr. McClung’s Life Lessons For Teaching   
For our blog assignment 9 we were required to read two out of three of Mr. McClung’s blog post. His blogs are based on what he has learned from that year of teaching. I decided to read his first blog from 2009 and his third blog from 2011. I was really impressed with both of the blogs I read. He made some very interesting discoveries about himself and his students.
Year 1         

 In his first blog from the school year 2008-2009 he is writing as a young inexperienced teacher. He made many discoveries in this school year. There was a total of seven things that he really came away with from his first year. One of the biggest to me was learning to be flexible. With me currently being a K2 teacher I have learned this to be my personal Golden Rule. The mood and environment of your classroom does not only depend on your mood that day. The mood of your classroom is going to depend on your students mood and what is going on in their life. This can determine what all you can accomplish in a day. Another factor in being flexible is sometimes your students may not catch on to a lesson as quickly as you expected them to. When students do not catch on to something as quickly as you had hope sometime you have to revise your plan. Mr. McClung made the following statement and it is one I think all teachers should live by, “ No lesson is ever perfect.The lesson you teach and the one you plan are always different.” Students sometimes need flexibility and do not need to feel so pressured. As a teacher though sometimes we put too much stress on our self to stick to the plan.
     Another point that really stuck out to me was be reasonable.  Especially, when we are new teachers we want our students to be the best. They will be the best in your eyes because they are your students. In some cases we focus so much on schedule and wanting to prove our worth as well as our students’ that we expect to much from them. It has always been said that we are our own worst critic. Sometimes a student needs to know that you are on their team. It can be really disappointing when you have a student that does not do as well as you thought because they are kids and they can have rough times in their lives.We should set standards for our students but we should always be there supporting them and pushing them forward even if they do not always meet those standards.
    Listening to your students and communication go hand in hand. We do not always know our students situation and they may not always tell us. We can as teachers learn to listen and to respect what our teachers say. Sometime school can be the only safe place in a student’s life. If this is the case then as teachers we need to continue to make them feel as if they are safe. Communication between students and teachers forms respect for one another and allows us to understand what one another is trying to accomplish.
Year 3    

 In Mr. McClung’s blog post for the school year 2010-2011 he really encounters many new experiences one that teaches him many new lessons. My favorite thing that he gained from this school year was do not get too comfortable. As a teacher you want to constantly challenge yourself. As teachers we need to be the “movers and shakers” as McClung states. We have to get out of our comfy pajamas and try something new. Teachers are there to teach as well as motivate their students. We can not encourage and motivate the young people of today if we are not willing to keep doing and learning new things yourself.
     The other big point that I really got

On set of black keyboard keys their are a red set of letters that spell out the word learn.

from this blog was one that he got from another teacher. She had learned a piece of advice that she now passed on to McClung. The advice is, “don’t touch the keyboard”.The point of this advice is that in her previous job you never wanted to take over the task or keyboard while you were training a new employee. As teachers we can not take over a task when a student has difficulties; in taking over the task the student is not learning. Sometimes a student may struggle with an assignment our job is to find another way to explain in to the student in order for them to understand it as well as allow them the practice they need to master the skill.

    I was so impressed with Mr. McClung’s blogs. He has really taken the time to reflect on his year of teaching and to take what he learns to better himself as an educator. We are facing new challenges and experiences daily it is up to us to decide what we learn from them. As a teacher we need to be able to walk away from any experience learning something.

C4T#3 Assignment

A little boy is sitting in the principal's office and the principal makes the statement, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas is all well and good, but this happens to be Windmill Point Elementary School".

Teacher’s Blog     

    In an educational blog by Mike Prater he ask the question What Effective Principals Do. Most see principals as the big top dog in a school who is there to scare the students and you only see them when a student has really messed up. This is not the true role of a principal though. Mike goes on to hit three main jobs of a principal. The first is they ensure that the school is operating smoothly daily. The second is being competent in instructional and curriculum manners. The third is they lead the school in a collaborative and transformational manner. There is a lot more to these three task then most would realize.
    Principals ensure that the school is operating smoothly on the daily basis. This means they are responsible for making sure that their staff and students have a safe learning environment. If students and teachers do not feel safe and secure in their environment they can not effectively learn. Principals are also responsible for creating guideline for students and teachers to follow. This is a very important part of operating a school smoothly. Evaluating teachers and other staff members is another important task. This has to be done fairly and consistently. Evaluating teachers and staff is important so principals know what is going on in the classroom. It is also important for when a teacher may need to work on something specific to better equip their classroom.
    Principals must be competent in instructional and curriculum manners. They need to know the most up to date and best instructional process that benefits their school. As well as knowing the different instructional process principals have to make sure they are being followed by the teachers. Principals must also work with students in order to create effective assessments. Classroom engagement and learning is to be analyzed by them. This is done to assist the teachers in developing different instructional strategies.
    Principals should be leading their school in a collaborative and transformational manner. This is done by accomplishing many different task. One way is by setting an example. THis lets teachers know what is expected of them. Principals doing this also allows for teachers to be inspired by the goals and visions that their principal has for their school. Principals also need to let teachers know that they are a very important part of the school and each one of them has an important opinion and role. A big part of their time goes to working with their staff collaboratively to solve issues that can help improve the school.
    All of these are very important jobs and for a school to run correctly as well as effectively the principal must be willing to work at all of them. Teachers as well as students are looking toward their principal for guidance and leadership. Not doing so can end with teachers not receiving the help they need, students with severe behavioral problems, and even some very unhappy parents.

My Comment
I am currently attending the University of South Alabama and am taking EDM310. I was very impressed with your blog. I have encountered some very good principals that strive to know us as students. I have also had some very invisible principals. Ones that were hardly ever seen outside of the office and never dealt with any discipline problems. Principals are such an important part of our school system. For me being a future educator I know that I want a principal that has good leadership as well is there for their teachers and students. I have never fully taken the time to think about what all a principal should be taking the time to do. Reading your blog has opened my eyes to what their full job in tales as well as what I should be doing as a teacher to assist them.

Teacher Blog #2
    On March 23 Mike Prater write the blog titled, “No More Teaching”. In this blog he really focuses on the fact that technology is starting to make its way into the classroom, or at least needs to be. In this blog he makes the following statement; “Schools use to be a place where parents sent their kids to learn stuff. Now they are places where we facilitate learning.”.He makes this statement because kids are no longer just learning at school. Technology gives kids the opportunity to have limitless learning sources. They are provided with these sources in their everyday lives from their phones to the iPad.
    Prater goes on to give four things that would be beneficial inside the classroom to keep up with the technology as well as the students. One is we welcome technology and embrace it. Teachers need to learn to make adjustments to this new learning. If we are scared and do not except it then we will fall behind and it will hinder our students. Second, we actually have to form heartfelt and meaningful relationships with our students. In today’s society we are taught that you must earn respect to recieve it. That is the mindset of most of these kids. We are no longer receive respect just because we are teachers. As teachers we must also learn to return the respect given. Third, we must make the learning applicable to our students. We have to understand our students and make them interested in what is inside the classroom as well as outside. Students can tune us out easily; however we need to learn to keep them tuned in. Fourth, we have to remember to make learning fun. We need to get them involved in the learning as well as the teaching of the material. We became teachers because we love to learn and in order to get our students to learn we need to share that love.

My Comment
  I am a student in EDM310 and we are learning how to incorporate more technology in to the classroom. In the class I have seen first hand the amazing resources that technology can provide for us as teachers.I am also going in to Special Education and technology is so useful in this field. Students are equipped with this resources daily and enjoy using them. As a teacher we can not be afraid to use the resources instead we must embrace them. In doing this we will give the students an enriched learning environment.

Friday, March 30, 2012

C4K#2



Kid's Blog
    This site is for Mrs.T.G's 5th grade class. She refers to it as their share site. It is not only designed for students to blog, but to also keep parents and others updated on events going on in the school and the classroom. The site has videos and pictures of different assignments as well as projects that the students have been involved in. I was so impressed with this site. The site allows not only mom and dad to see what the kids are doing but other friends and family members as well. Mrs. T.G. even has an area for homework where students can see their daily homework assignments; which can be super helpful if you are sick.
    The kid that I was assigned posted a blog on February 22nd in the form of a letter. He wrote this blog to his parents giving them the reasons why they should go on a family vacation. The student actually looked into prices for different places that he was interested in such as Cancun and Yellowstone. He told his parents that he did not believe that it was too costly, and that it would be a good experience. Overall, the student had many good points most importantly though he just wanted for his family to all have fun together and create memories no matter where they went.


My Comment
I really enjoyed reading your letter to your parents. It sounds like you did a lot of research about the cost of different places you would like to go.Which place do you think you would like to go more than anywhere else? I never went on many family vacations because of the cost. Just remember some place may not be expensive to visit but you still have to have money to get there and food cost. Yellowstone could be a really good place to go. You could probably bring your own food and make it into a big camping trip. I hope you get to go on your family vacation and have lots of fun.


Class 12 Blog    
   The title of this blog is, Hello! I'm Flapper! Flapper. He is the new pet Goldfish in Class 12. He enjoys learning and is hoping that the students will teach him lots of new things. Flapper is not very fond of Mr. McLoughlin music and insist that it is boring. Flapper was really worried about the students in Class 12 liking him. As soon as Mr. McLoughlin showed him to the class and Flapper heard the students say. "awh" he felt much better.

My Comment
    I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I wanted to tell Class 12 that they are so lucky to have such a handsome. I know at the daycare that I work at our class loves their pet fish. They think it is great when they are allowed to feed him. Sometimes you just need a class pet to brighten up the room. Well I hope that Class 12 teaches you a lot Flapper.

A fish tank where the teacher fish is trying to teach his students. He turns to another fish and states,"Being a teacher is hard: My students have an attention span of about three seconds...".

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Project #11

Blog Post #8

Richard Miller
     In Richard Miller’s video, This is how we dream, he brought to life the change from a world of books to a world of media. Currently most of us still love books but when it comes to research and writing where is the first place we go. The first place we turn to is the web. It gives us the capability to read information, but as well, as listen to it, and get live updates by the second. We are living in a world of cultural media.
In one area Miller made a statement along the lines of the need to make learning or writing more beautifully enhanced as well as creative. The web gives us the tools to make learning and or writing more appealing to others. Today we are more drawn to things that are eye appealing not just a bunch of words. The want to see videos, hear the actual voice of the people that we are reading about, and the want of fast information only leads us to on place. Many of us who like viewing these things cannot even create them ourselves and this is where we have to stop being scared of the internet and start embracing it.
     A second point that really stuck out to me from Miller’s video was the fact that using the web is such a convenience. An example that he gave on this was when he was writing an article on the shooting of Virginia Tech. He discussed all the different time saving possibilities that he ran into. While writing this article he never had to make a trip to the library and dig through books. Miller was able to log on to the web and look up information in between other task that he had to do. He was also able to publish his work more quickly. The readers were even saved time by being able to go to the website that the article was one and read it at their convenience.
     We have so many options with web media and we need to embrace it full force. I am learning in EDM310 how to write with the different technologies of multimedia. I know that I still have a lot to learn and I am enjoying the learning experience. I want to be able to create different types of multimedia works that I can use inside my classroom. I also want to be able to teach my students the different uses and was to write using multimedia. I know with the ever-growing demand of technology that it will always be a learning experience.

Carly Pugh's Assignment 
     I was very inspired by Carly Pugh’s blog 12 assignment. I felt that it was a great way for students to not only discover what they felt was important but for others to see as well. It is not only a good project for learning technology and our world of multimedia; it is a good project for discovering ourselves. Therefore, the only way that I could think to actually give the deserved credit to her idea was create a play list myself. I decided that I would alter it a little bit on the instructions and use it for an example inside of an everyday classroom other then the one she gave. Therefore, here is the assignment to my class based off Carly Pugh’s amazing idea.
     My example:
   It is the first week of class and what better way to get to know your students then to have them make a play list of their life by using You Tube. In the assignment students will choose at least five videos that they feel, best describes their life. They must then give how they feel these videos describe them. Students must then also share with the class there videos. Here is my You Tube play list and why it describes me.
     My name is Constance Dixon and I am a huge animal lover. When it comes to my love for animals however there is no greater love then for the love of my pugs. They will make you laugh with their famous head tilt and will keep you up all night with their pug snoring (until you get use to it). My love for animals is great but my love for family is more. I am a first time expecting mom and I could not be more thrilled. I have not had a strong family base but my husband and both are going to make family our first priority. In today’s society, family tradition no longer seems important. Senses Fail’s music video Family Tradition describes to me what many families have become today and I fear that. I believe in a strong family support system with family traditions. A nurturing environment where kids can grow and have the love and support they need. I am working on getting a degree in Secondary Special Education. I learn so much from those with disabilities and special needs. Too many people count them out and they are just as much a person as you and me. I consider those with special needs or have disabilities as my equals and I know that I could learn so much from them. Some of them such as Hee Ah Lee can even out shine me in many areas. I have a couple of hobbies that I enjoy and one of them is baking. I have made some really yummy as well as nice looking baking project. I made a wedding cake for a friends and it turned out nice. Even though I have had some success in baking it was not always the case I have had some baking go terribly wrong. My next biggest hobby is horseback riding. I have a quarter horse named Cooper and he is a handful. I love riding him and taking care of him. He can be quite the handful we he wants to be. My life is not always action movie exciting but I still love every minute of it.

Students' Videos on EDM 310
     In the videos that were student made for EDM310 I was very impressed. These videos have actually covered to things that I had to overcome in EDM310. The first Video about Chipper and her procrastination was very true for me and probably many other students in EDM. I started this semester being on time if not early on every thing and then I started procrastinating on my work. I would get side tracked with other things going on in my life and always tell my self I can work on it tomorrow. It made me fall behind in my work and I struggled to keep up. I am not normally a procrastinator so it did not take me long to figure out that I need to adjust my work schedule when it came to class. In the second video about EDM310 for Dummies, it showed the stress that many students felt from this class. Students were overwhelmed not necessarily with the workload but not understanding it and having to figure it out on their own. I felt this way when I first saw all the projects and blogs we were suppose to be doing for the class. We do not have an actual EDM310 for Dummies book but we have amazing lab assistants that are always willing to help. To me having them there to help me through processes is better then a book.
When I have to think about a video that I might like to do for the class, I thought about making a commercial of EDM310. Make a video to try to get more students to take the class kind of like a sells pitch. In the video you could talk about your every day paper filled, teacher at the board classroom. In the second half of the video introduce the new technology, fun filled classroom that can be given with the help of EDM. The class has so many good qualities about it and I think that they should be noted.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
     In the video Learn to Change, Change to Learn you really receive an eye opener about the true nature of what many educators are feeling about the inside of a classroom. We are relying too much on burp back education that is not really preparing students at all for the world that they will face. Students are not receiving the hands on and real world education that they need to prepare themselves. WE as teachers should be providing that for them and yet most of us do not. We ourselves are too scared to actually learn this technology and learn the capabilities that it has. Most of us are still stuck on the dangers that come with it. Even though there are some dangers, there is more danger in not learning about the technologies of our world and teaching it to the students so they learn it in a right manner. Students are in more danger of us hiding it from them. We are not preparing them and showing them what can be done with this multimedia world. I feel that these educators are right it is a time for change and we are the start of it.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0
     In our assignment Scavenger Hunt 2.0, I actually enjoyed the different tools that I encounter. I enjoyed even more the fact that I knew what many of these tools were and had even used some of them. These tools I had never encountered before EDM310. Here are the results for my scavenger hunt:

1) Classroom 2.0 is the social network I decide to join. My request is still pending approval but just from the parts of the sight that I am able to view, I am excited about the possibilities that await. Classroom 2.0 is a social network that allows you to find colleagues and others that are also in the educational field. Post are made daily by the members sharing with one another the different questions and thoughts they have as well as interesting things that they have discovered on the web. It even offers groups that you can join. One of the groups that you can join is titled Cell Phones in Education. This sight allows you to discuss ideas as well as get ideas for your classroom. They even have a tool called Classroom 2.0 Live. This is where you can have discussions with other teachers and educators and even some times a teacher will be featured for you to talk to.

2) I found the create your own comic under related links. I had a lot of fun with this tool. I even created my own and did it on EDM310

3)Poll Every Where is a tool that can be used at any time and any place in order to create a poll of the topic of your choice.
A Poll of What is your favorite dog breed.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Progress Report #1 on Project #10 (My PLN)

Progress Report #1    
     My Personal Learning Network is slowly expanding. I am using the website Symbaloo to organize my PLN. So far I have included three different teacher's blogs to my PLN and the social networks that I most often use. I have added Reading Rocket to my PLN as well. I have been trying to find other websites, sources, and blogs that I feel could help me become a better teacher as well as learner. I never knew that a Personal Learning Network existed but I use mine daily. I hope to better improve my PLN over time.

My Sentence Project

Project 8

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Blog Assignment 7

Networked Students   
 In the video Networked Student,it talks about the connective learning that takes place inside some classrooms. This system better prepares students for 21st century learning. This is done by allowing the student to find most of his learning materials himself. This is done through blogs, educational sources, and other forums. In this particular video, the student even used his MP3 player to download lectures of some of the best professors available from Itunes. The student then creates a networking system in order to educate oneself in the topic. Students also create this networking system in order to create a place where other students can gain information.
A wooden wagon with a blue bird sitting on top saying,"Jump On!". In the wagon is on different types of social media such as You Tube, Flikr, Facebook and more.


     The question “Why does the networked student even need a teacher?” is asked during this video. The teacher is there in order to teach the student about how to use of this networking system. She gives the student the tools to know the correct sources to use. She also can help the student when they are stuck in a specific area.  Even with the student is mainly working alone a teacher is needed in order for guidance in the right direction. What I mean when I say this is throwing a student that cannot speak English in to an advanced English class would not profit many results.  More results will likely profit from a student who is assisted by a teacher while working at his or her own pace.
     I feel as if we need to prepare ourselves to become networking teachers; however, I am not fully prepared for this yet. I feel as if I have much to learn in the world of technology. My understanding of it is becoming much better. I feel as if I am not prepared to take on guiding students in this area. I would one day like to be able to have the confidence in order to teach a networked classroom. I think it would be a very interesting experience.

7th Grader's PLE
      In the video  Welcome to My PLE, a 7th grade student shows us her PLE (also known as a PLN). The student created her PLE for a science class that she is in that is paperless. The students has greatly expanded her PLE for social networking as well as her school assignments. Her PLE allows her quick reliable access to information that she can use for her educational research and learning needs. This student is using a website called Symbaloo to organize her PLE.      I am also using the site Symbaloo to organize my PLN. I have just recently started actually putting mine together. I have found it to be very useful in many ways. Like the student I am able to have all the different social networks here. More importantly websites that I have found to be helpful to me on my path of becoming an educator are also located her. PLN's are a very useful and important tool for students as well as educators to have it allows us to continue learning.

Project 9b Instructional Timeline

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Blog Assignment 6


       After watching Randy Pausch's , Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, I have learned so very valuable lessons that I can carry with me as I become a teacher. He devoted his life to bettering his students and educating them to his up most ability. Many people in this world do not take the time to really learn lessons throughout their life instead they just look at a situation and see the immediate offerings it has. If we as people can walk away from different experience learning one thing; the lessons we learn are continuous. In this video I pulled many life lessons from it. I had four key lessons that really stuck out to me from this video.
     "Brick walls are there to prove how bad we want something." Randy Pausch made this statement in his lecture and it is one that I felt everyone needs to remember. I have learned this statement indirectly through out my life but to hear someone put it into words was something that I need to hear. This statement applies to everyone. I feel as if it is one that should be taught to students inside every classroom. So many children today not only struggle at school but at home as well. As teacher's we need to teach them that there will be brick walls as well as bumps in the road but they can overcome them as long as they keep trying. So many teachers just do not encourage their students to keep trying. What if you had that one student in your classroom that had no support and that was why he made failing grades; because no one at home cared enough to teach him that his education is important? Would you make that effort to give that student the support that they need to believe in themselves. As students get older those brick walls scare them more and more and we need to be their as teachers to be their safety net and let them know that those brick walls are only there to keep those out that are not willing to try.
     Another lesson that I learned in this lecture was one that I believe Jon

Snoody made, "Wait long enough and people will surprise you". We do not always know what is happening in our students life and for some if could be a rough one. With ample amounts of support though they my be the one at the end of the year to surprise everyone, even them self. As teachers never giving up on a student can mean so much to them. Sometimes you have to believe that there is good in all people and that they are capable of anything. It may take time and it may feel like you will never see it but in the end remember people can surprise you. Things are not always done when we feel they should be but everything has its own time.
     As teachers we sometime have to set out and try something new. It might be a new method of explaining a problem, or it could be a new approach in encouraging students. At some point and time all good teachers are going to have to find a new way to accomplish something within their classroom. And the one thing that we must always remember with pioneering something new is something that Dr. Pausch learned in one of his pioneering adventures, "if you do something pioneering you will always get those arrows in the back". What he is stating here is that no matter what you are going to have those that do not want you to succeed and others that want to be Negative Nancy about everything. This can be very hard and frustrating but we have to learn to keep going and teach the best way we know how. We also need to be willing to watch and learn from other educators as well as to what they have found works and does not work in their classrooms. This piece of advice is not only for teacher but students as well. They need to be prepared that they are always going to come across those that doubt their abilities. They need to learn that they have to just keep on and push through it.
     The last lesson that I really came away with from this lecture was," if you are screwing up and nobody tells you it means they have given up on you". I do not want to be one of those teacher that gives up on their students. They have so much left to live for and learn. Sometime I know that they might believe I am being to hard on them but it will only be

because I wan t them to be successful in what they do. Being a K2 teacher I have been put in a lot of uncomfortable situations where people think that I am too mean to my students and that I do not care about them. This is far from the truth. I have encountered some very independent head-strong students.What makes me know that I am doing a good job is when they leave my room the following year and they still want to come and give me hugs or tell me "hello". The highlight of my day is when my students will tell me they love me. I know then that I am doing okay as a teacher. Kids need to know that they can depend on us and we need to show them that by teaching them to become a better and stronger person.