Blog Assignment 13

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Global Blogging Challenge and C4K

James’ 1st Blog

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?

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.

Blog Assignment 11

Little Kids...Big Potential 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.