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.

Make a live audience poll at Poll Everywhere