Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Final Reflection

Porky Pig That's <br />All Folks
Wow, what an educational journey. Eight weeks ago I walked into EDM 310 with only one goal in mind; pass this class in order to enter pre-candidacy. However, I'm here today, having gained more than I could ever imagine. Not only did I learn a great deal about technology, I learned even more about myself. I have met a lot of wonderful people and have established a network of veteran teachers and future teachers in which to collaborate. I have become technologically literate by being taught one seemingly simple concept, exploration.

To Be Or Not To Be
On day one of EDM 310, Dr. Strange posed the question, should all teachers be technologically literate. My immediate response was of course not. After all, I have had some “good” teachers and they knew absolutely nothing about technology. Open mouth, insert foot; the keyword was good not great. After eight weeks of following teachers who were technologically literate, my entire mindset changed. Because of great teachers like Randy Paush, Karl Fisch, Ms. Cassidy, Vicki Davis and Dr. Strange one can easily see the benefits of incorporating technology into the classroom. Students are far more advanced, engaged, and equipped for success when technology becomes a component of instruction.

Accomplishments
Okay, so what have I learned? I entered this class with very little computer experience. I knew the basics such as PowerPoint, Word, Email, and Facebook. However, I'm leaving this class being more equipped to lead a 21st century classroom. How often does one really leave a classroom smarter than when they entered? I have learned to create presentations, surveys, and forms using Google. I like Google because it gives you the ability to share your information with others with just the click of a button. I have learned about blogs and podcasts and their many classroom benefits. Students are taught reading, writing, and collaboration in a fun-filled way. I have learned to add links and pictures to my blog, embed movies from various sites, develop a personal learning network in which to share ideas, Skype with people worldwide, create movies using imovie and provide students with important dates in history using timetoast.

Advice For Future Students
To future EDM 310 students, procrastination is not an option, take advantage of the computer lab and plan to spend the required amount of time working on class projects. There is meaning behind every project. Find the meaning and add substance to your work. This is definitely NOT a bird course. Also, check the class blog daily and watch the tutorials. If possible, purchase a Mac, your life will be so much easier. Avoid getting behind; it’s almost impossible to catch up. If you’re unsure of something, Google it and don’t stop until you’ve found what you’re looking for. In this class there really is no excuse for ignorance, don’t allow intimidation to get the best of you. There is an answer for everything. Finally, surround yourself with people smarter than you and become a powerhouse!

Special Thanks
To Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange, you have made such an impact on my life. I value your tenacity and passion for teaching. You have given me a model in which to go by and have certainly set the bar for my future instructors. I have never gotten so much out of one class, amazing. Thank you for your patience and always being accessible. I could not have made it without your assistance and/or words of advice. Because of you all, I have embarked upon a more meaningful educational journey in which my future students will reap the benefits. This is definitely not good-bye, but look out as I continue to learn about the vast world of technology! One day in the distant future, I hope to be on the Comments 4 Kids list. See you later and God bless!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Final Project - Blogging & Glogster!



Collaborating with Ms. Case to setup a blog for The Learning Studio was an amazing experience. Click on the above video to see how Ms. Case responds to technology. Where was she when I was in school (smile)? Special thanks to my friend Sandra, for putting me in contact with Ms. Case and Anthony for acting as the Camera Man. To access Ms. Case's blog, click on the following link: The Learning Studio

Glogster - A Few of Our Favorite Things!

Screenshot edm 3 10 glogster created with hillery, gina, and rachel

Hillery, Rachel, and I also opted to complete a Glogster as part of our final project. To view our entire Glogster, click on the above picture. You may also access our Glogster by clicking on the following link: EDM 310 Favorites

Gina's Final EDM 310 Thoughts



Please press the play button to hear my final thoughts. (Move the cursor around and her eyes will follow...hilarious)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Comments 4 Kids - Alba Middle School



My Comment:

Absolutely Amazing. I am very grateful to know that there are young people in the school standing up for prayer and acknowledging God as our source of refuge. The quality of your video was wonderful, and it is obvious that you all put a lot of hard work into it. I pray that your message reaches millions. Awesome work young people!


Alba Middle School Students Deepwater Horizon Video

Click the following link to view video: Click Here

My Comment:

Alba Middle School Rocks! I am currently a student at the University of South Alabama and I love all of the things that you can do on an Apple Computer; they are so user friendly. I think what you are doing is amazing. This is definitely a great coping mechanism for your students. Not only are they creating fabulous projects with technology, but they are dealing with the issues of life in a safe and meaningful environment. I hope that these students will treasure these projects for years to come. Keep up the great work!

The Mean Oil Spill
To view video, click the following link. Mean Oil Spill

My Comment:

Nice job, all. What a great way to get the word out about the effects of the oil spill. This is definitely something that affects all of us. I can't wait to see more of your productions.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Blog Post 13 - Comments 4 Classmates

(See below for my responses to classmates' blog posts)

Jessica Hassell's SmartBoard Revolution
Great presentation you guys! If I had to choose between listening to a teacher lecture about triangles or learning through the use of the Smartboard, I would choose the SMARTBOARD everytime. You all definitely nailed it when you showed the lack of student interest during the lecture segment, innovation is the way, kudos to you!

Samuel Gates' Cassidy Response
I was really impressed with the knowledge that Ms. Cassidy's students possessed concerning technology. They certainly seemed to enjoy the process as well as the outcome of their projects. I agree with your idea of posting homework assignments to your class blog. I think that this is a wonderful way to communicate with your students. A class blog would also be a great way to involve the parents of your students, allowing them to stay current on classroom events . Great suggestions!

Della Ervin's Cassidy Response
Della you are so right! These young students are amazing. Not only is Ms. Cassidy teaching them about technology, she's also teaching them to collaborate, explore the unknown, ,and respect individual ideas. She's teaching them how to be successful adults in first grade. Her passion for teaching is clearly visible. In this type of environment, learning has to take place. Enjoyed reading your post, best of luck to you!

Updated PLN

Gina's Personal Learning Network

Screenshot of my personal learning network

You may click on the above image to view those who are currently apart of my Personal Learning Network. This is only the beginning. I certainly intend to add others.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

EDM 310 Skype Interview

Screenshot of Skype Interview Title Screen

For those of you who are a bit apprehensive about EDM 310, here is the Inside Scoop. Check it out and let me know your thoughts...enjoy!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Blog Post 12

clipart of a man looking at himself through a magnifying glass

“…never get too comfortable, change is good and ultimately it makes us better teachers.” I absolutely love the way that Mr. McClung has once again risen to the occasion. He sees the need, makes the necessary adjustments and continues to excel. I believe that flexibility is definitely a required attribute for personal success. As a future educator, I appreciate Mr. McClung’s transparency. He shares his educational journey as a teacher and is not afraid to share his mistakes and/or accomplishments. Below you will find the following nuggets of information that I have taken from Mr. McClung’s second year reflection. I definitely believe that his second year blog post has a great amount of depth. Through his experiences, Mr. McClung continues to excel as an educator. To read more about his journey, click on the following link: Mr. McClung's Second Year Experience

Notable Nuggets For Future Educators:
1. Teach students to be independent thinkers
2. Find a school mom (develop a relationship with someone who knows the school
routine and allow them to mentor you)
3. A teacher is essentially a salesman who has to sell what their teaching to
the students; do whatever it takes to teach the curriculum
4. Don’t be a control freak, allow students to take ownership for their own
classroom experience
5. Bring your BEST effort to your students, in spite of workplace adversity

M-Cubed: ISTE Presentation Video Responses



I really enjoyed learning about digital fabrication through the eyes of these young students. Digital fabrication enables student to create and design images through the use of 2-D and 3-D fabricators. Studies show that many students suffer greatly in the areas of math and science. However, through the development of fabrication laboratories in schools across the country, students are now able to construct and design 2-D and 3-D manipulatives, both a science and math concept.

This technological advancement allows students to become comfortable building upon their background knowledge of math and science in an enjoyable environment. In a previous post, I quoted Paush as saying, “the best way to teach someone something is to have them think they’re learning something else.” These children are learning incredibly complex mathematical concepts and taking risks that they wouldn’t ordinarily take in a “traditional” classroom. The look of anticipation and excitement on the face of these students is timeless. How often do you see children actively engaged in learning and largely in control of their own learning experience?

I would love to use these fabricators in my classroom, but I would definitely need to explore the process. I think for me, I’ve taken away from these videos that children love to be in control of their own learning, and given the opportunity, they will excel our expectations. Therefore, set reasonable boundaries and allow students the freedom they need to learn and develop. I definitely see engineers in the making!

Links to Explore
The Classroom Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab)
The Principle of Least Change
Digital Fabrication: Through the Eyes of a Five-Year-Old Boy

Monday, July 12, 2010

Comments 4 Kids # 4 - The Goodman Job

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Kelowna Secondary School's video project entitled The Goodman Job. I love the fact that this school has a Media Arts and Video Production Program for their students. These young people are being groomed to produce movies on such a high level that their work looks absolutely amazing. To view this video, click on the below video:

My response to The Goodman Job:

Hi! I'm Gina, a student from Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class. What a nice execution from beginning to end. I thought that your music choices were fantastic. I also think that the black & white conversion really set the tone of your movie. The Goodman Job was so well done that I felt like I was watching a professional movie. Also, the title of your video was a nice play on words. Thank you for sharing your techniques in making this video. Truly a job well done, can't wait to watch the sequel - keep up the great work!

Blog Post 11

Wow these little kids certainly do have BIG potential. I mean where can they go from here, but UP!! It is so amazing to hear and see the results of Ms. Cassidy’s technology journey which began only after being given 5 computers for her classroom. Also, one of the tidbits of information that I took from the Skype discussion and many of the other educational sites that I have visited is that a teacher can get grant money for just about any “worthy” project.

I certainly agree with Dr. Strange. The children of Ms. Cassidy’s classroom are being taught the basic academic subjects through the use of one medium, technology. These techniques certainly speak to the auditory, visual,and kinesthetic learners. Say goodbye to mundane teaching! I also like that their blog is used as a means for the parents to access their child’s portfolio. This allows parents to stay current on the progress their child has made and gives them immediate access to their child’s work.

I think that Ms. Cassidy has done a great job in protecting the identity and privacy of her students. As a future teacher, this has been my greatest concern. It seems like she strives to keep the lines of communication open with her parents and informs them of her intentions at the start of the year.

I would certainly like to incorporate many if not all of Ms. Cassidy’s technology techniques. I love the idea of the classroom blog. I believe that the children would attempt to do their best work because they feel like people from around the world would be visiting our blog. I would certainly teach them to create and edit classroom videos, work with Smartboards, establish a PLN, research areas of interest on the web, and Skype with other classes from around the world. I think that it is important to teach our students to use, value, and appreciate technology. As stated by Ms. Cassidy, if we don’t teach our students to use technology, we are certainly handicapping them.

Wordle 101 - Teach Someone Project

Screenshot of Wordle tutorial title screen Wordle 101 by Gina Pace

Click on the above picture to view my tutorial on Wordle.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Blog Post 10


I actually watched the above video a few weeks ago and attempted to use symbaloo to establish my PLN. I loved the vibrant colors and this particular 7th grader made it "seem" user-friendly. However, when I attempted to organize my PLN using this website, it was not as user-friendly as I expected. After speaking with a few classmates, I opted to use netvibes. Netvibes allows me to track the sites that I have selected in real-time. I might attempt to use symbaloo in the future. However, it will not be the near future. It still amazes me to see young people who are so tech savvy.

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.


My Sentence: I change lives one day at a time through my compassion, ambition, and love for Jesus.

My Motivation: Even as a child, I knew that one day I would become a teacher. By understanding who I am, I am confident that my footsteps are ordered by Jesus. Everyday I strive for excellence and encourage those around me to do the same. I believe that I am in this world for a purpose and with a purpose. Therefore, I live in a sense of expectancy. I understand that it is never about me, but it is always about Jesus. So, as I live life, I live each day to the fullest. As a future educator, I conduct myself as an educator. I walk as an educator, I talk as an educator, and I dream as an educator. Yes, I anticipate the day that I hear my name called and I walk across the stage to receive my diploma. However, the diploma will only confirm what I already know about myself.

Was I Better Today Than Yesterday?
Definitely, because of my yesterday, I am determined to make my today greater. I am in no way perfect, but I do strive for perfection.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

First Smartboard Presentation

Smartboard presentation title screen which reads Alphabet Review by Hillery, Rachel, and Gina

Please click on the above picture to view the Smartboard Presentation created by Hillery, Rachel, and myself.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Blog Post 9

Old-fashioned paper and quill set

An Open Letter to Educators By: Morgan Bayda

Morgan's post definitely seems to speak to the minds and hearts of many students. It is heartbreaking to see that lecturing has become a world-wide epidemic among many teachers. In many cases, education has become just another obstacle for students and sadly, many do drop-out. We lecture and we lecture and we wonder why students just aren’t getting “IT”. It is because the world as we knew it has changed.

The world has become more diverse and the wheel has been reinvented. Knowledge of technology and establishing a PLN in which to collaborate and share ideas is not only “relevant” but necessary in this information age. I love Brown’s quote - information is not only “free”. It has been liberated! While taking my EDM 310 class, a hunger for knowledge has been ignited and I certainly feel liberated. You can become as educated and informed as you choose to be. There are absolutely NO LIMITS.

I am however hoping that Dan Brown did not drop out of college. In today’s society, a college degree is still a very valuable asset. As stated by Dan, a strong education isn’t just important, it is essential. In my opinion, Institutional Education is still the springboard for socioeconomic success. Perhaps Brown could become the conduit for revolutionizing institutional education in the information age. He seems to be very creative and has lots of great ideas. What would education become if Dan Brown channeled this same energy into revolutionizing institutional education?


ALABAMA LEARNING EXCHANGE
Alabama Learning Exchange Logo
ALEX is an acronym for Alabama Learning Exchange. This interactive website provides teachers access to thousands of lesson plans created and posted by teachers for grades K-12. Parents may also access this database to help students reach and maintain school standards. ALEX Lesson plans are created in compliance with the Alabama state standards for all subject areas. However, teachers in other states can customize the lesson plans to fit their school’s standards.

The ALEX database is very user friendly. One of the features that I most liked was the web links tab. This section provided the names of several sites that would be useful to classroom teachers such as: New York Times Learning Network, The Educators Network, and Highlights’ TeacherNet. There is also a section where visitors can listen to and/or create Podcasts.

I do find ALEX to be an extremely useful tool. As a future educator, this site will become a part of my PLN. ALEX allows you to collaborate and share experiences and lesson ideas with veteran teachers across the state of Alabama. I still plan to collaborate with other educators around the world, but it is always nice to know what is going on in one’s own neighborhood.

Comments 4 Kids # 3

Cipart of 5 Children playing, picture reads C 4 Kids

I really enjoyed reading about strategies that McClung uses in his classroom to become a better educator. He solicits feedback from his students and then makes adjustments accordingly. To learn more about his techniques, click on the following link: Lessons Learned by Mr. McClung

My response to McClung's Lessons Learned:

Mr. McClung what a great idea! I’ve never had a teacher request feedback on their performance. I think that this assignment not only teaches students how to give constructive feedback, but it also allows you to make the necessary adjustments to become a better teacher. I’m sure that your students have taken a sense of ownership and community within the classroom because you have given them a voice. Average teacher...I think NOT. In my book, you get an A+!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Comments 4 Teachers (Part 2)

On July 5, I began to follow teachernz.edublogs.org
This is a wonderful blog for educators who are interested in learning how to incorporate technology into the curriculum. Some of the blog posts that I found interesting were: Twitter at Southwell, Paperless Day, and 3-D Printer. Please see below for my responses on selected blog posts.

July 5, 2010 - Paperless Day
Hi my name is Gina Pace and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. As a class assignment, I will be following your blog with the expectation of gaining lots of insight as a future educator. I would like to begin by saying that the Earth Day projects were amazing! I have a friend who is a kindergarten teacher and her entire school is transitioning to paperless instruction. I am sending her a link to your blog! She is sure to be fascinated by the work that you all have done. You have shown me just how creative our students can be; the possibilities are endless.

I enjoyed seeing how engaged the students were, their expressions were priceless. I do not believe that they could even imagine how much they learned in a single day. I hope that this is something that you will continue for years to come. Also, thank you for including the link with the projects that were made at various schools. As a future teacher, it’s nice to have such great resources available to me. On July 15, I will be summarizing my visits to your blog. Please feel free to visit my blog and post any comments or suggestions that you may have. I am also including a link to our class blog

July 9th, 2010 - 3-D Printer
Absolutely amazing! I look forward to the day that I officially have my own classroom. I cannot wait to see all of the student creations being completed with gadgets like the 3D printer. Kinesthetic and visual learners will have a ball with an instrument like this. Very 21st century!

July 14, 2010 - Twitter at Southwell
I’d like to say thank you for such informative posts regarding twitter. I never understood the value of twitter before reading the random links posted on your blog. If used responsibly, twitter can be a great resource to connect educators around the world. I also enjoyed reading the valuable ways to incorporate twitter in the classroom. Thank you for sharing.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Blog Post 8

Young male reading a book upside down entitled Guys Read
What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

In Mr. McClung’s post, he shares his experience as a first-year teacher. Mr. McClung writes about his classroom instruction transitioned from being teacher-centered to more student-centered. McClung initially thought that he had to impress his “superiors” and as a result, he was unable to connect with his students. McClung soon realized that he was making a huge mistake and found that if he wanted to make a difference in the lives of his students, his instruction would have to become more student-centered.

McClung later writes that it is extremely important to communicate with students and faculty in order to build strong relationships. I completely agree with McClung, without communication people are left to make their own assumptions which in turn becomes their reality. Communication is definitely important.

I did find one statement to be disturbing; McClung writes that “we build our expectations too high for students.” I believe that we should have high expectations for our students while providing the tools and the information necessary for their achievement. Society has already set expectations for our children, some good and some not so good; we are doing a disservice to our students if we expect nothing more than excellence. I have opted out of teaching a watered-down curriculum.

Lastly, McClung leaves valuable advice for current and future teachers:

1. Listen to your students, this shows that you truly care
2. Don’t be afraid of technology, technology has unlimited benefits
3. As professional educators, never stop learning; we owe it to our students