My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

Hey class! I'm so excited that Christmas break is finally here! This has been the worst semester of my college career and I am more than ready for a good long break! I'm sure yall are all in agreement. Thanks Kelli and Jennifer for sitting next to me and helping me figure stuff out when I got really aggrivated. See you all around!

What Did I Learn?

Throughout the course of this class I learned patience. This class was incredibly difficult to convince myself to come to because it was "experimental." I feel as though we could have learned so much to help us with computer skills that would have been beneficial to our teaching careers; yet, I feel as though we did trial and error all class period every time we met. I believe that this class would have been much more successful if the students would have known what we were in for from the beginning. I felt as though the course we went through was not at all the one we registered for.
On a better note, now I might not have to pay someone to create a website for me if I ever have a need for one. Also, I am much more familiar with "blogging" than I was when I started this course.

Top 10 Blog

The blog I went to was Hobo Teacher and it was basically an extremely bitter teacher whining about all of his/her problems to the world. I believe that when you go into the teaching world you know what you're getting into and if you don't want to be a part of it then you shouldn't be a teacher. I think that teachers that are unhappy in their profession would find a haven in this blog site. Overall I think this blog is pretty much worthless. It doesn't serve to build my knowledge in any area and it just leaves me feeling bitter towards the education system instead of excited about teaching.

iTunes University

iTunes University is an educational branch off of the iTunes store. It uses the same services that an iPod gets from iTunes in an educational light, such as the ability to download audio and video files from schools across the country. It's my guess that schools like Duke University are using the services that iTunes University provides as a means for their experimental program.

Much of the material posted using iTunes U can be shared with a specific college, alumni, surrounding community, colleges across the world, and even people that just love to learn. More than half of the nation's Top 500 schools are already in on this movement that seems to be catching on rapidly.

I think this is a really neat way to learn. It is generally the same thing that Duke University is doing with its students using the iPods, but on a much larger scale. I truly believe this could enhance the learning experience for many students, but it is very much unrealistic at this day and time considering the cost of materials (ie. iPods).

Duke University

Duke is relying on i pods not only to play popular music, but also to download lectures and books. They give out a number of i pods to incoming freshman that already hold the academic calendar and freshman orientation material. The school has okayed it with apple to have a sort of special site for its students to go to. At this site, students can download language lessons, audio books, lectures, and of course music.

The school is making an attempt to think creatively about educational processes. Duke notices the huge impact i pods have made in the world of music and the staff is hoping i pods will have the same impacts on their students and education. This is an experimental program and only the incoming freshman were given the i pods. Upperclassmen were loaned i pods for the duration of the course that required it.

If I were to use i pods in the classroom, I would do very much the same things Duke University is doing. I would download lectures, foreign languages, and even books. There's just one huge downfall . . . teachers can't afford to supply a classroom of students with i pods. So, even though this is a nice idea for an upscale college with money to throw around, it is more than unrealistic for an elementary education teacher.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is probably one of the biggest jokes out there in the internet world. Anyone can edit the information on the site; therefore, anyone can change words for or against themselves, their companies, or others. It's amazing that anyone would trust wikipedia encyclopedia to have good reliable information because the description they give of their site acts as a disclaimer or an excuse for the lack of truthful information. In my opinion, wikipedia should never be trusted unless someone is trying to come up with a paper of really inaccurate information or unless the information is almost identical to the information from a legitimate site.

It Might Come In Handy . . .

So, I actually think that this whole deal with designing our own web pages might be really beneficial. I'm in the process of planning a wedding and for my sake it seems as though designing my own web page will be a huge help to me. I'll be able to create links to every site that has anything to do with my wedding, from the place where I got my dress to my cake maker and caterer. I think this might be a big help to me. I'll know for sure when we learn a little more about this and I develop my site some more.

Three of the Many Things I Can't Live Without

My child!!! My little puppy Ren is the best
little dog a girl could ask for. She is most
definately spoiled, but just look at that face . . . you can't help but love her.




My little sister!!! She is without a doubt my
best friend! I love her more than any thing.
She's so precious to me. I hope everyone
gets the priviledge of having such an amazing person in his or her life.


My wonderful fiance!!! Isn't he cute?! He is
one of the most influintial people in my life.
He is so sure of who we are as a couple. It
really is a blessing to have such an amazing man in my life.

Only Nature Make Pictures This Awesome

I was on a bus, with a ton of friends
from high school, and we were on our
way home from Sandusky, Ohio. I
look out the window and see one of the
most beautiful skylines ever. You know
I had to take a picture. . .

Beautiful Beach, Beautiful Girl

Check out those amazing
photography skills. haha.
This is my little sister! She
is beautiful!!! We love the
beach and love taking
pictures. I think she has
serious model potential . . .

High School Graduation

This is me and a few of
my friends at one of our
senior events. It was
a luau held at our
high school,
Mary G. Montgomery.

Picasa 2 Pictures

Disney World












A Little Girl

A Cultural Revolution: Agree or Disagree?

A Cultural Revolution and the previous article we reviewed go hand in hand. Most Americans either love or hate this change that is taking place. It is amazing that someone could have predicted these changes and the severity of them 12 years ago, but it was done. I will say that I believe that for as long as people have the option to read and write they will do it regaurdless of technology. Some might not, but most of us will at some point or another. I don't think society would be very willing to switch to only listening and watching. Somebody will have something to say, otherwise there would be nothing to listen to. In my opinion it was somewhat "out there" to predict this change, but then again it's kind of a risk to predict much of anything because life is unpredictable.

Also, I very much blame all of this change on the predictions and the anticipation for the change. I feel that this made those capable of carrying technology farther feel obligation to do so. Now, many Americans that worried this would happen and wrote papers and so on are looking back thinking, "what has society turned into?"

I still worry for my children and grandchildren because I've seen so much change in the short twenty years I've lived and I hope that at some point things slow down. If we aren't given the time to catch up before new technological advancements are being thrown in our laps, how are we going to give any guidance to our children and our students? What keeps me at peace about all of this is knowing that at some point things will have to slow down, or possibly even come to an abrupt stop. All I can do is hope and pray for one of these things to happen so that people can be given a chance to relearn what life is really all about.

My Picture in Sepia Tone on Picasa2

 

My Picture in Black and White

 

Professor Seymour Papert

He is considered the world's expert on how technology can be used to learn. I guess, we can all blame him for this "computers in the classroom" stuff. Professor Papert is accountable for being the first person to get computers in the hands of every student in a state (I'm guessing Maine, which is where he taught at a University). Click here for more information.

This man is one of the original people studying artificial intelligance. Seymour Papert used mathematics to discover ways in which children could use technology to learn more in depth. He has written books and created philosophies. Professor really wants to see people exceed and take technology to the next level. He's been there with it from the beginning.

Paper's Future

This article brought on a mix of emotions. But here's my perspective. We can't stop the world and how it's changing. I don't like it one bit and yet I am part of this "intelligent" generation that's taking the world to the "next level." I think that society is getting ahead of it's self in a power struggle to be the first to do this or that. People are wasting so much time being tied up in all of this junk that they think will make the world a "better place."

Call me crazy, but I want the simple life, the life my grandparents had. I want to live on self sustaining land and spend the weekends with my family and friends. I don't need to be the world's next greatest anything except for what matters . . . wife, mother, daughter, teacher. I don't like the thought of my future grandchildren being more technologically advanced at the age of five than I have ever been or will ever be. It's all way over my head and I know there's nothing I can do to stop it or slow it down. The only thing I can do is try to keep up. But I can promise everyone of you that I won't be found supporting the change.

More Teachers Using Blogs

Man these things are hard to find . . . But I'm glad to see that if teachers really are using blogs in their classrooms, the blogs are hard to find. That goes to show that these sites can be well secured if need be.

I found a blog by Mrs. Harwood who seems to be maybe a high school teacher. Her school, location, and pictures are not avaliable. She uses blogs to assign work to her students so that they can build a writing portfolio. Mrs. Harwood'sclassroom blogs can be found by clicking on her name. Her students have pals they communicate with internationally through blogspot and her students work on projects together for their blog postings. It's pretty neat . . . worth checking out.

I think I might have hit the "motherload." I found a site that has a huge list of teachers using blogs. Most of them aren't so much used to educate the students, but more to educate society about the school, the classroom, the students, and so on.
I found one that seemed really neat. It was a young teacher from New Zeland, and she is a newcomer to the blogging world, but she has embraced it and used it to her advantage. She seems really excited about the way the world is changing so rapidly. Ms. Rachel Boyd taught her class of 6-7 year olds how to make a movie/video, how to work with blogs, and other remarkable things. You can find her at this site, and the picture at the top right is of Ms. Rachel Boyd.

Teachers Using Blogs in the Classroom

At Richards Elementary School in Whitefish Bay, WI the fourth grade students have started using blogs as part of their curriculum. The site lets students, parents, and community see a calendar of upcoming events to prepare for and look forward to. The teacher has posted friendly reminders, newsletters, links to websites of their "keypals" which is the equivalent of "penpals" when we were that age. This particular teacher posts assignments and updates her posts on a daily basis. She also has a link to a more personal classroom blog that really just has to do with her students and not so much the parents and community.

Adding Links and Pictures

First we will review the methods for creating a link. Our link will be to The Fischbowl , a blog for technology training used at Arapahoe High School in Littleton, CO. Here is a picture from Arapahoe High School

ACCESS

This website is about a program that contributes $85,000 to enable high school students in the state of Alabama to get a better education in the classroom and to get even more education through distance learning in online courses, the option to take advanced classes, more advanced techology, and teachers who know what they're doing.

There are three regions that cover all of Alabama and they are, Madison City Schools for northern Alabama, The University of Alabama for middle Alabama, and Troy University for southern Alabama. By the third expansion to ACCESS, every county in Alabama will have access to ACCESS. This program offers everything from foreign languages to mathematics.

I think that maybe the Alabama Department of Education is stepping up a little. Seems like maybe they're tired of not be very high in the area of intelligence, so they're making it more of a possibility for students to succeed.

Another Post on ALEX

As a teacher, I think I will use this website to get ideas on how to teach difficult topics to my class and to interact with other teachers. And this site has lesson plans for every subject you can imagine. I'm excited about using ALEX in the future. As long as it keeps us updated with the advances in teaching techniques that work and what not.

I might also use this website to show parents my lesson plans(since we can post our own), and get feedback from them and know what they think there children should be learning. This site could really be a way for teachers to stay on their A-game and do what they should be doing to raise up the next generation in an appropriate manner.

ALEX

Well goodness, ALEX is a haven for teachers. I'll probably use this website once I start teaching. It enables teachers to search lesson plans, different ways to teach their students, subject matter. It even gives teachers a way to interact with one another through sharing these materials with other teachers. The ALEX website is perfect for teachers because it will probably answer any question you have or solve any problem from as far as teaching goes.

You Tube Video

So that video was pretty intense. Wow! I don't even really know what to say. I mean, it's widely known that China is much "smarter" and technologically advanced, but who knew that such a small percentage of China is so much more intelligent than all Americans put together. It's amazing that the America's focus is on so many things that aren't relevant to our lives. And it kind of sucks to know that everything we're learning, as a human race, will be "outdated" before we even get to start teaching children. Very scary since we're all education majors. . .

ABOUT ME

My name is Rachael and I am a sophomore at South. I am Majoring in Elementary Education. I work at NouVeau Salon and Day Spa as a salon coordinator, which is really just a fancy name for receptionist. I love children, small animals(I have a seven pound puppy named Ren), shopping, going to the beach, and hanging out with friends and family. I am engaged to Bentley Staggers and we are to be married on May 31 of 2008! I live a pretty busy life, but I pride myself on being able to stay focused and still have fun.

Education Majors

I am going to go ahead and throw this out there for all education majors. I would strongly advise you not to take Juarez for your EDF courses. She is a new teacher that has no idea what she's doing. I had to drop her class after the first day!