Farewell

To Dr. Strange, thank you for your patience and guidance, it has indeed been a pleasure. To my fellow classmates, I have enjoyed meeting all of you, listening to your presentations, laughing at your jokes, and seeing a part of your lives. Thank you for sharing. To the ladies on my side of the room, thank you for all of your help and it was a treat to meet all of you and to learn a little about you. To Cade and Ryan, it was great to work with you and to meet you and thank you for sharing your knowledge with the OG. I have made some new friends and gained some new perspectives on communication. This is the second class I've been in that had everyone so involved together, and it has been fun and informative. Everyone, may you live long and prosper. I won't say goodbye, but, till we meet again, Happy Trails. And to paraphrase a comment made to me by a fellow classmate: 'Now I know what's it like to be in a room full of a bunch of 20 year old know-it-alls. Ha!!

My Reflections of the Class

I have gained so much knowledge in such a short period of time and this knowledge base will be with me until. As I walked in the door for the first time, I pondered the thought of 'just what is this class about'? And we're off to a fast start, I'm hearing terms that are foreign to me. Terms such as Delicious, Firefox and others all thrown at the class, also terms such as blog, video casts, and technological illiteracy. At the mention of technological illiteracy I think this is me. But no more, my knowledge base of the means of communication has drastically changed. After being introduced to blogging I saw a whole new world, adults and children sharing thoughts and knowledge.
At the beginning I was taught many things about Google and the applications that are available, not just spreadsheets and forms, but iGoogle home page with its RSS feeds to any website, blog, ect. I need. There is also Google Reader, another convenient forum of all the blogs and news feeds that I follow. I had looked at Google Earth before we used it in class, but it is interesting to look at your own neighborhood from on high, and I left my personal tag on one of the surveyor satellites on the moon. If you're bored, can you find it?
After watching and commenting of quite a few podcasts, it was time for me to present one. With directions from Doc Strange, I presented my first podcast, and I was seeing a new avenue of communication, one where I could post a video on YouTube and leave it for the whole world to see. Two sites I was glad to see were ACCESS and the Alabama Learning Exchange , both sites are geared toward connecting classrooms and the indexing and sharing of educational material. If Alabama could connect all of its classrooms, we would see a great change in out state, and as a future educator, what better thing to work toward.
One of the items we discussed in class was Foliotek, and even though we as students will not see much of it, I took the time to see exactly what Foliotek is. It is a system that allows our educators and administrators to see us individually and collectively as students and this system allows them to make assessments about us and the school system.
Now, do I consider myself a professional, certainly I do. Every different field I've worked in, I've always tried to do my best, to learn as much as I could in the field and be on time. I am certain nothing will change in my endeavors to become a math teacher.
As to the future of our schools, with the help and input of the ACCESS and Alabama Learning Exchange I hope Alabamas school system has a very bright future. I know that rural areas tend to not get as much funding as bigger school systems, but with Skyping and blogging and the sharing of the learning experience, I hope that the mixing of two different cultures, well off and not so well off, can grow up together in a learning environment that is lacking in social order, but rich in intellectual harmony.
You know, after some reflection, I really don't know if there is anything else I would have wanted to learn in this class. There is so much at my disposal now so that I have many tools available to me to become familiar with in the future. Dr. Stranges class has been a constant stream on information of communication. Not just local, no, global communication that can be fast paced and fun, as well as being informative. I won't say I was 'intellectually challenged', but the class was intellectually stimulating the entire time. Every system and application was new to me and each required its own time to learn. I have spent hours on the keyboard learning new things, so, I can't say I was excited, but, it was all fun from the beginning. I really like my new knowledge base. As far as changing the course in some way, I really don't know, maybe spend no time on Twitter, or barely mention it, and spend more time on connecting with another class somewhere. I remember we as a class, had a hard time with the anonymous survey, so spend a little more time on the basics of Google forms and their uses, just a little more time to see if it's worth having your students be faster at using Google apps. Don't use class time on Google Earth, it's somewhat entertaining, but it's really only useful to see where your assigned blog class is located, not much more for your class.
The question is put to me, "Am I Technologically Literate at the moment?", and the answer is a resounding "YES I Am". There are many avenues available to me now, both as a student and as a future educator. I look forward to the months ahead at the College of Education, and to the future career of molding young minds. There has been so much to say about this class, but, it too, must end. Adieu.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Personal Learning Network

My PLN has been with me since I was in my early twenties, the Saraland Public Library and Public Broadcasting Stations. At the library I started reading Newsweek , Time Magazine , Psychology Today , and Soldier of Fortune Magazine when I could find it. SOF gives an in depth look at the men and women in our military and a behind the scenes look at what they do and the things they endure.
I have been watching PBS for a long time now, all the nature shows and shows of nature and how it impacts our planet. Independent Lens is a show I watch now and then and on their website you can read articles as diverse as Womens' Empowerment, to Sesame Street turns 40. POVis a show which POV stands for Point of View, a source for documentaries and independent films. If you make a documentary film, just submit it to POV and if they deem it worthy, they will present it on their show. News Hour with Jim Lehrer is another show I watch from time to time and they have a RSS feed for students which can be found here which I've added to my Google reader. Well, you add to that iTunes and At The Teachers Desk and that's about it for now. There are other blogs and websites with just a little difference on the title of 'At The Teachers Desk' and I read some of these to get a glimpse of what the near future holds for me as an educator. For now, I am going to watch, listen and learn from the professinals from around the world. That's the cool part, around the world! I am sure I will add to my PLN in the near future and learn much from it.

New Classroom Rules

I only found one list, so first I'll start with #1, going to class online is the future anyway, why not start now. Number 3 is leaving your seat often, which I've had a few teachers that encouraged this behavior and it's fun to participate in this manner. On #6, 'don't talk unless asking for help', that's me. Remember you should always be polite, don't cheat and always follow your instructors instructions.
The last two rules are the ones I think will have the biggest impact of me, but it won't take much to get used to. Being able to ask questions in your PLN and collaborating the answer with your teacher and classmates will certainly increase the children's willingness to learn. And know what you're learning and why and how will you use it to teach your children to learn, and where will that knowledge take you? Hopefully into a vast new world of teaching and learning. If you would like to read the list from Education Innovationthenclick here.

Seven Brillant Things Teachers Do With Technology

Mr. Doug Johnson has a very comical outlook on life and it shows in his writing style, especially his use of goofy metaphors. But he is absolutely correct in his assessments and uses of technology in the classroom. It is imperative that one always empower children to do what they do best and to try their best at the subjects that are harder. Using the resources at hand to make something you need is my forte, I wanted an remote controlled air-boat and the body cost around $80. I built my own out of blue-core foam and hot glue, and it cost about $4.
About statement #3, parents who care can be found at any income level, but sometimes you do have to prod them along to get them motivated. Statement #4 is a fine example of Room 10 at PT New England School and of Mr. Chamberlines class blog. Putting children in touch with the world is the only way to raise a child anyway. Now #5 sure was an eye opener for me, to quote, Mr. Johnson say "One of the best signs of intelligent people is that they tend to willingly admit when they don't know something" and that's me! Does that mean that I am intelligent?, go figure. And now for #7, and I have always been a big fan of technology. When I was growing up I believed on day I would have my own jet-pack and I'm still waiting. If you would like to read Mr. Johnsons list then click here.

Seven Stupid Mistakes

This was a delightful read, full of the stupidity of humankind. Sometimes I wonder, "Will it ever go away?". Answer: Caveman:NO, Fifth grader:NO. For the really stupid, and you are out there, there is not much you can do about them or those set in their ways. Hopefully you will be able to recognize people that will listen to positive input. You should also learn how to talk to these types of people without apparently insulting them, something that can be easy to do with those whom can not take criticism, even positive criticism.
Of the list, #2 is a given but I feel this would be an easy mistake for most people. Then you have #3, and any young person should be supervised, especially if they are not your children. If they are not yours, how do you know what their behavioral patterns are at home? As stated, porn can be easy to find if you try long enough. Then there is #4, I still can not believe people still believe this, nothing on the internet is private and never has been. And #6, just ignoring kids creative output and talents is just plain wrong, if you do this, then you are just here for the paycheck. And finally #7, I just can not comprehend this train of thought, it has never been justified and it still is not. If you would like to read Mr. Johnsons' list thenclick here.

Video Podcasting In The Classroom

Click hereto view my classroom project with 3 classmates. I have not been able to upload the video to here. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Comments 4kids

This was a great project right from the beginning. I told most everyone I know about this and my Mom said "I'm so happy for you to get to do this". I'm glad I got to do it also, because where else would I blog with a third grade class in another country? I know I would not have done this by choice.
The class is called Room 10 at PT New England School. Even though I did not comment on any others I was not assigned to, I did visit a few of them. There were class trips and projects, such as their response to our class visiting them, and I commented and a few of the young boys who have a fondness for dinosaurs.
The best blog to me was the one when the class was in music and sang the Stevie Nicks classic "Landslide", and imagine getting invited to go up on stage and sing with Stevie, I sure hope they get to. If you would like to visit Room 10s blog thenclick here.

Project 11

This is a collaborative project with two of my fellow classmates, Ryan Rogers and Cade Somers. It is a video about the decline of the printed word, i.e. newspapers.

At The Teachers Desk

It has been a little while since I visited this blog and these people have been busy. The very first blog got my interest and I had no idea the male of the species was in such turmoil. Maybe if this info was more main stream knowledge something could be done. A few of the other blogs I read were Teaching 2.0, which is Dr. Stranges post of the importance of technology in the classroom. The blog Pencils and Crayons was a hoot, at first I thought 'are these people serious?'.
'Why I blog' by Mr. McClung was an inspirational piece of his thoughts and ambitions and the reason he blogs, to share ideas and innovations with others of the learning and teaching profession. On the blog 'Empowering Lifeskills' I visited Gever Tulleys' list of the seven things he has done or had done to him. That list brought back a lot of memories for me, except I was the one that pulled the trigger, not the other way around.
I visited Room 25s blog site, their teacher has said if they get 2,500 hits they will have no more homework. I put in a hit, so should you.
I also visited the blog of Willunga Primary School, a school in South Australia, it is 132 years old and they have a big blog site with lots of information and sharing of stories of the students.
The last blog I saw was Room 9, who has had 40,000 visitors since their blog was started. That is amazing, and their site is very large with many things to read and see.
'At The Teachers Deck' is a wonderful blog site with many collaborators who are all empowered to do their best to see to the education of out young people. As an up and coming teacher I am glad to see so much sharing of ideas, and to see the emotion and caring in so many educators. Reminds me of a few teachers I had will growing up. This site and others like it are going to change the world of education and learning and I know that these sites are very important in the collaboration of ideas. Thank You. If you would like to visit 'At The Teachers Deck'click here.

The New Future of Whatver

I love watching videos like this one, it was a portrait of about one half of my life. I was a teenager a long time before the MTV generation. I remember the first 'whatever', it was used as a way for the people I saw to pass the decision making onto someone else, no one wanted to take the responsibility of the decision upon themselves.
The second 'whatever' was a joke to me, someone young and knows everything, telling me 'whatever', I would just stand there in sadness, knowing that person did not have a clue and would probably be serving me french fries in a few years. So sad, and luckily I did not grow up around people of that attitude.
When Dr. Wesch talked about the writing skills and verbal abuse perpetrated on the comments on some web sites, especially you-tube, I felt his attitude, having seen this myself. I think of the ignorance of all of these people, young and old, and wonder if the light will ever shine inside their heads?
Well, all you can do is hope that this young generation of children will have a better perspective of the global consciousness. If you would like to see Dr. Weschs video thenclick here

HALLOWEEN WAS FUN