Final Project #16

Hochiminh's Group Journey through EDM 310

     Our group was named Hochiminh because Annie Nguyen was a member of our group who is from Hochiminh in Vietnam. We had the option to create a Prezi Presentation or iBook for our final project, and my group decided to create an iBook. This project was a reflection and journey through EDM 310 as a group. Our iBook consisted of an autobiography of each group member, our sentence videos, passion videos, book trailers, favorite blog posts, photos of each member, annotated photos, and a reflection of technology tools to use in the classroom. We picked our main assignments in EDM 310 to display in our iBook to give an accurate description of what EDM 310 is really all about.
     I enjoyed the idea of this final project, but since only one member of our group had a Mac, it was a little difficult to collaborate on this project like I would have liked to. I think it would have been just as beneficial if we would have done this project individually. That way there would be no disagreements about the arrangement of the material, the layout of the project, and the issue of only some members of the group participating in the project. I think this project would be easier to do on an individual assignment rather than a group assignment. Overall, I enjoyed the idea of reflecting on all of our work through EDM 310 and putting it into a presentation or book format. I am not going to say I wish I could take EDM 310 again, but I am going to say that I enjoyed learning many new technological tools throughout this course.

Blog Assignment #15

Blog Assignment #15 Final Reflection from Savannah Price on Vimeo.

C4K Summary for April

Sarah
Sarah is in Miss Ouano's class in Pt. England School, in New Zealand. On Wednesday, April 2, Sarah posted a video to her blog titled, "My Own Music and Movie."  In this video, she designed characters, created a background scenario, and used text to show what the girls in the movie were saying. One girl was being bullied by two other girls.  When another girl saw this, she went over to the girl and asked her if she wanted to play.  It made the girl happy that she had found a new friend. I am glad that Sarah did a video about bullying because things like this happen all the time in schools. If children are able to know how to deal with situations like this, they can become stronger and have more self confidence as they grow up.

Emmanuel
On Wednesday, April 16, Emmanuel posted to his blog about the life cycle of a butterfly. He included a picture with words on a chart about the complete life cycle of the butterfly. The chart explained the life cycle very well, and I was impressed with the work Emmanuel and his team did on this project. Emmanuel also embedded a movie to his blog that was titled, "Life Cycle of a Butterfly". This video was created by Emmanuel and his team members. It looks like the team created their own pictures to use for this video about the butterfly life cycle. I enjoyed watching the video although it was kind of hard to understand Emmanuel speaking at times. It is really amazing to me that students are creating their own images and making them into a movie through YouTube or Vimeo. I think it is great that these students are learning at such a young age. When other children around the world see this video, they will be motivated to do this on their own if they have not already done so.

C4T Comments and Summaries #4

First Comment

"Mr. Jeff Utecht,

My name is Savannah Price, and I am a student in EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. In this class, we are assigned to a teacher’s blog to comment on every two weeks. This week, I was assigned to you!

Let me just start off by saying that I really like the layout of your blog site! You seem like you are a family man, as well as a great educational role model.

I really enjoyed this blog post. My cousin plays MLB, so I can definitely relate to the excitement felt when arriving at the baseball field. I’m sure that was a wonderful experience for you to be a part of spring training. I really enjoyed reading this post, and I look forward to reading and commenting on another post in the future.

Good luck to you and your career in the field of education!"

First Summary
I really enjoyed reading Jeff Utecht's most recent blog post about baseball practice. I have a cousin that plays Major League Baseball, and I have been fortunate enough to attend some MLB games. There is definitely a rush felt when you walk into a MLB stadium.  It is amazing to see the different types of people there from all over the country to support their favorite team. Mr. Utecht wrote this blog post on March 31, 2014. He was attending the spring training of all baseball athletes. While he was there, he said that it was neat to see the differences in the single A players versus the triple A.  He also got to experience the spring training games with his mother, father, and wife who also have a love for the game. Jeff said that his father drilled him daily about baseball, and if they weren't talking about it, they were practicing. Baseball was his life, and what a great experience for Jeff Utecht to be able to go to MLB spring training with his father.

Second Comment
"Mr. Utecht,
My name is Savannah Price, and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. We are assigned a teacher blog to comment on every other week, and this week I was assigned to you!

I have never heard of Flipboard. I really enjoyed reading your post and learning about this technology tool. I believe that it is very useful in the classroom with its ease of sharing and the way that you can personalize your own Flipboards. I agree that textbooks are becoming obsolete, and eventually all books will be available as an e-book.
I’m glad that I had the chance to read your blog post, and I look forward to possibly teaching with Flipboards in my future as a teacher."

Second Summary
On March 25, Mr. Utecht posted to his blog about the use of Flipboards. I really enjoyed reading this post because I have never heard of Flipboards. He posted a video about them to his blog as well. What a neat concept. It is basically your own virtual magazine that you can create and share with peers, teachers, and anyone! I like how easy it is to share things, it can be installed on any device, has an easy layout, and you can connect with many different accounts. I also like the idea that teachers can have their own magazines and flip through the magazine on their device while sharing it with the class. Students are also able to create their own content and questions on Flipboard, and then share that information with the class. Flipboard really seems like a great teaching tool to use in the classroom as well as a great way to get every student involved in the topic at hand. I hope that I will be able to use an app like this in the future when I become a teacher.

Blog Assignment #13

Observe The Live Cam's at San Diego Zoo. 

What do you see? 

Do you think this is a good way to teach elementary students about different animals and their habitats? 

Which elementary grade would benefit the most from live viewing and why?

How can you incorporate live cam viewing in the classroom, and how can you make this an enjoyable experience for the students?

**Use this link to get started exploring the apes, koalas, pandas, polar bears, elephants, and condor cams! http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/video-more

     I really enjoyed watching the elephant cam. As I was watching this live cam, I watched the elephant walk, drink, eat, and play around his habitat.  This is an awesome experience for those that are not able to actually go to the San Deigo Zoo.  It is amazing to me that this video is placed in the elephant's habitat, and you can watch the elephant roam as long as you want to. I have actually visited the San Diego Zoo, and I did not know that they had live cam viewing available. It really becomes a personal experience as you watch these amazing animals in their habitats. 

     I believe this is a wonderful way to teach elementary students about different animals.  As a teacher, I would spend a complete lesson on the development of these animals and their habitats. As I explored the website, I found that not only is there live viewing, but there is an elephant blog link and an elephant facts link. This is true for all of the live cams. This would be a neat project for the students to do collaboratively.  I think kindergarten-4th grade would benefit the most from this project because children at the younger age seem to be most engaged in the actions of animals. 

     In the classroom, I can see live viewing being taught in multiple ways.  At first, I would show the students how to access the site, and what there is available to explore on the site.  I would then let them use the iPads or desktop computers to explore the site on their own.  This would allow the students to discover different things about different animals. I think it would be beneficial to put the students in groups as well.  In the group, the students can work together and each group would be assigned a different cam to view.  I noticed that in some of the cams the animals are not very active, so, as a teacher, I may have to modify the project and some groups may have to watch the same animal live cam.  While in groups, the students can write down three facts they observe and share them with the class.  Each group of students could also search the blog and fact link about the animal.  Depending on the grade, the groups could then create a Google Slide or PowerPoint presentation.  Students could also share there knowledge of the animal by creating a video or book about the animal assigned to their group.

     I believe the possibilities are endless with live cam viewing.  This type of viewing really engages the student to be their own teacher.  The students can also see that technology is all around our world today just by viewing the animals at the San Diego Zoo. Science, history, and technology are 3 subjects that can be incorporated into this one project.  By watching these animals in their own habitats, the students can also compare and contrast the differences of each animal.  Live cam viewing is a great way for students to learn about different animals, and I hope that this viewing will still be available when I become an elementary teacher. 

Project #12 SMARTBoard Instruction Part B Collaborative Video Lesson

SMARTBoard Project Part B from Savannah Price on Vimeo.

Edm310

Blog Assignment #12

What assistive technologies are available to you as a teacher?

     As I watched "Assistive Technologies for Vision and Hearing Impaired Children," I believe that assitive technologies can enhance learning, remove barriers, push boundaries, give hope, and challenge the way we think.  Imagine trying to learn in an environment that looks blurred or a classroom that is silent. For most of us it is hard to image. Many students have to deal with being blind, deaf, or both every day of their life. With assitive technologies, every student can feel confident in themselves. With text to speech devices, speech to text devices, sensory aids, note takers, screen magnifiers, iPhones, iPads, and talking calculators, every child with a vision or hearing disability will be able to perform the same educational functions as one who is not hearing or vision impaired. When teaching students who are vision and hearing impaired, the learning must be personal.  Do you have what it takes to teach with assistive technologies?

     I have never heard of the Mountbatten Assistive Technology for the Blind.  This machine allows for the student to type braille while the machine produces the braille, and then, it vocally says what is being written in braille. This machine can save files, receive files, and send files. This machine can also mimic the braille that is being written and transform it into text for those teachers and students that do not know braille. This machine is a great tool to have in a classroom because it engages the blind student with the rest of the class.  This way, the students do not feel left out of what is going on in the classroom. Like I said, I have never heard of this device, and I am not sure if it is available to students in Mobile or Baldwin County.  If it isn't, it is definitely an educational tool that teachers should look into for their vision impaired students.
     Professor Art Karshmer has developed a device for the visually impaired student to be able to perform math skills just like the sight students. Professor Karshmer has developed this system that allows the student to be able to add numbers by placing them above one another just like the sight students write them. It is very hard for a student to understand math by braille, so this device allows the students to put a numbered block in the correct space, and scan that block so they can hear the number that is on the block. I believe math is a hard subject for many students in general, and I think the visual impaired student will be able to understand math a whole lot better by using this device. Again, I do not know if this device is available in the Mobile and Baldwin County School systems, but if it is not, I believe it would be a great tool for teachers to look into for those with visual impairments.
     In this video, "iPad Usage for the Blind,"Wesley Majarus is blind, and he talks about the use of iPads to help those students who are visually impaired.  I know that Baldwin County has iPads for their students as well as some classrooms in the Mobile County School System. I know that iPads are available to teachers now, and when I become a teacher, I will definitely use them to their full advantage to help those students who are visually impaired. Mr. Majarus shows us that by using the voice over on setting of the iPad, you know exactly where you are and what you are doing. iBooks is another very important app for the blind. The iPad has endless opportunities for those that are blind, and I will take full advantage of the iPad when I become a teacher.
     I plan on getting my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education, and then advancing to get my Masters in in a program that works with students that have disabilities like the hearing and vision impaired, or those with learning disabilities such as ADHD.  By watching these videos, it has made me more interested in working with students who have disabilities.  When I get to that point in my career, I want to be able to supply these children with some of the devices I have learned about through watching these videos.  It is absolutely amazing how students with visual or hearing disabilities can learn just as well as those that are not visually or hearing impaired.  I hope to one day be able to make a difference in these students lives by becoming a personal teacher and mentor.    

Blog Assignment #11

Collaborative Blog Assignment

Our collaborative blog post was inspired by the following videos.
Blended Learning Cycle
Making Thinking Visible
Sam Pane's Super Digital Citizen
Project Based Learning
Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program

Project #10

Interview Movie with Ralph Rogers from Savannah Price on Vimeo.

SMARTBoard Project #12 Part A

SMARTboard Tools from Savannah Price on Vimeo.

Edm310

C4K Summary for March

Efa-Lata
On Friday, March 14, 2014, Efa-Lata posted her swimming story to her class blog called, "Little Voices, Little Scholars".  It is amazing to me how the children in this class, in New Zealand, already know how to post a picture that they drew and a video to their blog.  That is awesome that students are learning this at such a young age, and I have just now learned to do that this year.  In Efa-Lata's video, she tells us what a day is like at her swimming lessons. She said that she splashes in the water, listens to the teacher, and blows bubbles.  Efa-Lata seemed like she was excited to go to swimming lessons that day.

Anthony 
Anthony is a student who has been blogging for 4 years. He attends Pt. England School in New Zealand. On March 21, 2014, he posted about cyclones to his blog.  He explains that a cyclone is sort of like a tornado. He woke up at 2am that weekend, and they watched the waves as the cyclone came through the city.  I can not image watching waves bust through the city. Anthony said that there were also trees and rubbish everywhere. I guess this would be like when Katrina hit Mobile, or the Christmas tornado that came through midtown 2 years ago.  I am also amazed that people actually still tried to surf the waves in a cyclone storm. Anthony did not seem to concerned about the cyclone.  He said that it was not as bad as they made it out to be on the news which is a good thing.

Kris
Kris also attends Pt. England School in new Zealand. On Decemeber 5, 2013, Kris posted a Google slide presentation to his blog about stained glass windows. I like how he added his actual stained glass window design to his presentation. Kris detailed his presentation with a slide focusing on each of the following elements: a picture of his stained glass, number, geometry, and measurement. I think Kris did a good job developing this presentation, and I enjoyed learning about the different elements of stained glass.

C4T Summaries and Comments #3

First Comment
"Ms. She, 

I am a student at the University of South Alabama in a EDM310. We are assigned a teacher to comment on for two weeks, and this week I was assigned to you! I enjoyed reading your blog post. That is amazing that Tatiana was able to figure out how to take your picture without you specifically teaching how to do it. That just goes to show you that you never know who is watching you, just like you have said in this post. I am very impressed with the students of this time period, and I know that technology in the students is advancing everyday! Again, I enjoyed reading your blog, and good luck to you in your teaching career."

First Summary 
     I commented on Jenny's Learning Environment Blog.  On this blog, Jenny records her reflections, experiences, and anything that she finds interesting while doing her job.  Her latest post was on Saturday, July 20, 2013.  She titled this blog "You Got Snapped." In this post, Jenny said that she had been teaching her students how to use their class blog. She discussed how to be cyber smart, and showed the students how to comment on their friends posts. One of her students shouted out that she had been "snapped." Jenny asked the student what she meant, and she said that she had taken a picture of her teacher, Jenny.  Jenny was so surprised that her student had figured that out on her own. The moral of this story is that Jenny showed her class how to do something, and the student went out of her way to find out more things with the technology she was introduced to.  Jenny also talks about a few other incidents where the student went beyond the instructions to find out more about the technology that is available to them. I think that it is awesome that the students were able to go beyond the instructions and do things on their own. This shows you that you never know who is watching, and students are becoming smarter and smarter everyday in the technology world.

Second Comment
"Mrs. She,

I am student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. We are assigned a teacher to comment on a blog post, and I was assigned to you. I commented on your most recent post about being "snapped". I am required to comment on one more of your posts, so I chose this one too. 

I think that is awesome that you have iPads in your classroom. I agree with your initial reaction. I think I would have reacted the same way. What an exciting time for your class to experience with such a meaningful piece of technology! I agree with the use of iPad apps for learning purposes as well. I believe that it really engages the student, and it helps them to learn on their own while working on an iPad. I think using it as a tool of discipline is also a great idea. 

Overall, It looks like the use of iPads in your classroom is working well! I enjoyed reading your post, and good luck with all of your future endeavors."

Second Summary
     On June 25, 2012, Mrs. She's classroom received iPads.  My initial reaction to this would have been exactly like hers. I would have been excited to be chosen as the classroom to experience with this wonderful technological advance! I think iPads can be used in numerous ways in the classroom. If I had iPads in my classroom, I would definitely upload educational apps to review sight words and math problems, for example. I think it would also benefit the classroom to use the iPads as a discipline opportunity. For example, if a student is extra good one day, let him or her play on the iPad another time that day. If another student is not listening throughout the day, make it his or her punishment that they are not allowed to play on the iPad for the day.  I think this could be a very beneficial discipline technique. Overall, I think the use of iPads in the classroom are a great way to engage the students to learn as individuals as well as with their peers. 

Blog Assignment #10

What can we learn from Sir Ken Robinson?

     After watching the video, "Bring On the Learning Revolution", I was very interested in Sir Ken's video. He really put education, teaching, and learning into a different perspective. I agree with his talk in that education is constantly changing. We, as teachers, must also constantly change with the times. I constantly hear people talk negatively. I am sometimes guilty of that as well.  Sir Ken Robinson said that he often hears many people think they are not good for anything as well.  This is a common problem in our society. Many parents and teachers push their children and students to become someone they are not.  We can learn from Sir Ken Robinson that everyone has talents. Everyone is good at something, and everyone has something that they enjoy doing.  This is a very hard concept for some people to understand.  When I become a teacher, I will definitely try to help every student find their talent and use it to the best of their ability.

     Sir Ken Robinson explains that there are some people in the world that enjoy what they do, and some people who don't.  I agree with Sir Ken Robinson when he said that if you enjoy what you are doing, then the time will go by much quicker.  Talent is about passion, and time takes a different course if you love what you do. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, the time will seem to drag.  If you do something that you love, an hour seems to only be 5 minutes.  This even happens to me. Whenever I am doing something that I am not very interested in, the time does seem to drag.  To be happy in life, one must enjoy what they are doing.  To enjoy what you are doing, you must find your talents.  There are many people who go through their life without using their talents.  It is a struggle sometimes to find your talents, but you have to remember that humans are diverse and your talent is different than anyone else's.  Many people are constantly waiting for the weekend.  I can not tell you how many times I hear people say that they can not wait for the weekend to be here.  I am guilty of this as well. Sometimes, weekly activities seem to just get overwhelming and the weekend is relaxation.  If you find time during your week to share your talents and do things that you like, then the week would not be so bad.  I understand that we, as humans, have to endure life as it comes, and sometimes we do not enjoy everything we do at every moment.  That is fine, but if you fill your life with some things that you enjoy, then it will definitely be more fun.  Life is to short to not enjoy the ride.

     Sir Ken Robinson makes it clear that human resources have to be found.  He says that they are not on the surface.  We can learn many things from this concept.  As humans, we must go deeper into ourselves to develop our talents and create our lives. We need to push ourselves to become the best we can be.  I like how Sir Ken said that we need revolution in education rather than reform.  This is a great way to look at education in today's world.  I agree that we do not need to change education. We need to build upon what is already established, and transform it into something else.  As humans, we get into a groove of doing the same thing every day, and it is easy to take things in life for granted.  Education seems to be taken for granted in some ways as well.  Humans involved in education get so used to what they are doing and teaching, that it becomes like a fast food restaurant; just doing the same thing over and over again with no nourishing.  If we have a revolution for education and change it to an agricultural model, we can continue to add to it to help it flourish rather than change it. Just as you nourish an agriculture field, we need to nourish education and personalize it to the students you are teaching. I think that Sir Ken Robinson has a great view on an educational revolution. I hope all those involved in the field will take time to listen to this talk and continue to grow and nourish the children as well as the subject. "Tread softly because everyday children are spreading their dreams beneath our feet."

Project #15

In this Project Based Learning Lesson Plan, the students will create a book of drawings using Kid Pix Software.  This lesson is for a kindergarten class.  They will be taught the importance of the moon as well as what it is made of, how long it will take to travel there, how they should prepare to go on their trip to the moon, and how they will feel when they arrive at the moon.  Once we have had a discussion about the moon as a class, the students will work in groups of four to develop drawings and make them into a book.  At the end of the week, the group will present their book to the class. This lesson incorporates technology as well as creativity in the kindergarten student.

Project Overview

Project Calendar

Project Rubric

Project Essentials Checklist

Blog Assignment #9

What can we learn from Ms. Cassidy?

Ms. Cassidy is an elementary teacher. Her class is very involved in using technology to learn. In "Little People...Big Potential", Ms. Cassidy's students talk about everything they do with technology to help them learn.  The students love posting to their blogs, and their favorite part about blogging is that they get comments from people they know and often people they do not know.  Their class blog is known as their online portfolio where they keep all assignments done in their class.  The key to writing a quality blog post, according to Ms. Cassidy's class is that you should never say "bad stuff."  You should always be positive when writing a blog post.  The students also use web pages to find things on the internet, practice sight words, and continue to help themselves learn.  The class also uses Wikis when they want to learn about traditions or rituals, for example.  They are able to ask people from around the world what a ritual is, and the others post different things they do to show how they practice rituals in their country as well as traditions. Videos are also made by the students about things they learn, as well as the use of Skype.  The students were able to talk to a geologist about rocks.  What an awesome lesson that is! Nintendo DS's are also used for the students to help them read words, problem solve, and practice sharing skills.

I really enjoyed listening to the interviews with Ms. Cassidy.  She has some great ways to incorporate technology into learning.  She said that her technological advancement started about 10 years ago when computers were introduced into her classroom.  She took this as an educational opportunity to teach the children through online learning and programs.  She began blogging, developing web pages, and establishing professional development.  Ms. Cassidy explains that she has had great support from the administration at her school, and they are excited at the way she has began teaching her students.

I agree with Ms. Cassidy when she said that technology is never going away.  We have to continue to change with the world today.  I believe blogging is the best way to get students involved for many reasons. Just like Ms. Cassidy said, students have an audience when they blog.  This really enhances their learning because they have someone who actually will read their blog that they do not even know rather than only the teacher reading their assignment.  I believe that this helps out with social emotions as well as school emotions.  I will try to use class blogs when I become a teacher because I think it is a great way for students to collaborate with others around the world and develop relationships.  It is really neat that the students have a cluster map on their class blog to actually see where the people are that comment on their posts.

I think privacy could be an issue with blogging, as well as students looking at non educational websites.  I would handle this aspect of it just like Ms. Cassidy does.  She said that she has to teach the children to only click on things in the middle of the website and not the things that are blinking and flashing on the sides. She said that she explains to them that we only look at educational things.  Also, I would explain to my children to only comment positively on blogs because we do not want anyone to have hurt feelings just like Ms. Cassidy said she always explains to her children.  We have to let the students experience the world because technology is always growing.  We also have to teach them the good and bad aspects of everything they do along with using the internet and blogs properly.  Some people may worry about cheating when giving students access to the internet.  Ms. Cassidy explains that it is called collaborating because we are using the resources available to add to our own ideas to create lessons.  Because of technology, we are have to switch the way in which we use information we find.  If we teach our students the importance of it, we will not have privacy issues or any issues relating to improper site searching and cheating.

I think I will try to develop my own online learning network when I become a teacher and use Ms. Cassidy's advice.  She said that to begin a positive technological environment, you must begin collaborating on your own personal learning network.  I will try to get more involved with Twitter and Blogger with teachers in hopes of piggy backing from what they have taught.  I can then use their ideas as well as my own to develop an educational lesson.

 

Project #14

     For this project, I decided to do a lesson plan on Square Dancing.  I used the PBL Essential Elements Checklist as a guide.  In this lesson, I decided to let the children use the internet as a tool for research.  I will have the students research a little history about square dancing and share it with their group and class. The students will then practice each move and learn the introductory calls.  After that, each group will make up their own dance using real calls, and they will video their groups performance.  In the second week, one group will perform each day.  Once we are finished, we will have a class discussion of the overall achievement and performance of the students.
     I believe that this lesson will be a good way to incorporate self performance as well as group performance.  This lesson will enable the students to learn how to work with each other in a group assignment.  Physical activity will be involved in the lesson by actually performing the dance. History will be involved in the lesson because the students will research the history of square dancing, and math will also be involved in this lesson because the students will be required to count the dance by eights.  Technology is also being incorporated into this lesson because the students are required to research facts about square dancing on the internet, and they are also required to use some form of recording to record the video of their performance and share it with the class.  I think it is very important to be able to incorporate more than one subject into your lesson because it allows the student to think critically while still having fun!

Project Overview Lesson Plan

Project Calendar

Project/Group Rubric

Project #9

Blog Assignment #8

21st Century Learning and Communicating Tools

     I hope that one day I will be teaching an elementary grade between kindergarten and third grade.  I know that technology will be in full force, even more than it is now, and I hope to use some of the learning and communicating tools that I have found while researching the internet for this blog post.
     When I watched Katie Gimbar's video on, "Why I flipped My Classroom,", I realized that I will probably try to do this when I become a teacher.  I feel that by flipping a classroom, it is easier for each student to work at their own pace and level.  Many teachers have to teach at the middle level and hope the students
from the bottom come up.  Then, the students at the top become bored and cannot accurately perform activities and achieve their goals.  With flipping the classroom, the students can pre-load the information outside of class.  This way, the students can develop questions to bring to the next class session. By having the information on a video, the student is able to pause, rewind, and even reflect on what they have just watched.  Some students are able to listen to a lecture one time, and absorb the information. Others need to hear it multiple times to get the right concept.  Either way of learning is fine, and by providing the lectures online, the students can then work at their own pace.  I agree with this teaching style to a certain extent.  I will definitely use this in my classroom for the older age children because it gives the student a since of responsibility to actually do the work themselves while also helping them by working at their own pace.
     Another learning tool I found useful is SMART Board.  I believe that the SMART Board is an excellent learning tool for the classroom.  Some of my high school teachers just starting using a SMART Board when I was a senior.  Now, in college, teachers are using them much more frequently. My Math 201 teacher strictly uses a SMART Board.  I believe this is a great way to engage the class. He writes examples as well as notes on the SMART Board.  Then, after class, the notes that were taken are saved as he writes, and he posts the notes on Sakai.  He writes it as if he was writing note cards which makes studying the notes much easier.
     SMART Boards can be extremely useful in elementary grades as well.  At the elementary age, students love to be involved in the lesson, and the SMART Board offers a wide range of options for the students to get involved. The SMART Board also offers a wide range of opportunities for teachers.  For example, SMART Board offers the 10.8 SMART Notebook feature.  This allows the teachers to easily share lesson plans and collaborate ideas. I believe the SMART Board is a great way to teach in the classroom.  It allows the student to be involved in the lecture by coming up to the board and using their finger or an electronic marker to write the answer.  It is wonderful that the lessons and whatever is written on the board can be saved for future reference.  I will definitely use the SMART Board in my classroom when I become a teacher if the opportunity is available.
     I enjoyed searching the web for different communicating and learning tools for this blog post.  There are so many options with technology today, and it just continues to grow.  

C4T Comments and Summaries #2

My First Comment
"Terie,
     I am a student at the University of South Alabama in EDM 310. We are assigned a teacher to comment on every couple of weeks, and I was assigned to you!
     I really enjoyed reading your post. I have been very interested in laptops lately. I have been pondering as to if I should keep my iPad or go to a Mac or another laptop. By reading the pros and cons on the Acer Chromebook, it has helped with my decision making. 
     The pros you have stated would also be pros I would enjoy with this Acer. Lightweight is a huge plus for me. Having students use a lightweight device is a lot more comfortable for the student. 
     The cons are also a big concern to me. The no installing software is an issue for me. I really enjoy using iTunes and other softwares, so this would be an issue for me. 
     I really enjoyed reading your blog, and thank you for the wonderful information on the Acer Chromebook. I believe that this would be a good option to use in an educational or classroom setting. 
     I look forward to reading some more blogs in the future if I am assigned to you."


My First Summary
On Sunday, January 19, 2014 Terie Engelbrecht posted to peoplegogy blog that she recently got an Acer Chromebook. Terie is addicted to Google, and the Chromebook is strictly a Google laptop. She said that the pros of this laptop are that it is lightweight and portable. Some cons are that they do not allow any installing or downloading unless it is Google. You can not use iTunes on this laptop. I would not want to use this laptop for myself, but I think it would be a good one to use for educational purposes in a classroom setting.

My Second Comment
"Dr. Will, my name is Savannah Price, and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your post about edcamps. This sounds like a great opportunity for teachers to discuss different ways they are teaching in the classroom. I think I will definitely try to attend one of these events if I am able to when I become a teacher. I enjoyed your blog, and thank you for working towards the technological opportunities for education."

My Second Summary
Monday, March 3, 2014, Dr. Will posted to the peoplegogy blog about Edcamps. He explains that these are unconferenced get togethers where teachers socialize, discuss, and connect with each other about what is going on in each others classrooms.  Dr. Will attended his first unconference in Jackson, MS on March 1st.  Dr. Will enjoyed this unconference because he said that it made him feel like he was part of something bigger.  He believes it is important to use technology to transform education.  In this post, Dr. Will thanks all of the sponsors who donated "door prizes and swag."  This entire blog was actually created out of Dr. will's mission to explore and share educational applications of web 2.0 tools.

Project #13

Project Overview


Project Calendar

Project #8 Book Trailer

My Sentence Videos

My Sentence Is...

My Sentence from Savannah Price on Vimeo.

My Passion Is...

My Passion from Savannah Price on Vimeo.

Blog Assignment #7

Teaching and Learning from Randy Pausch

      Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnigie Mellon University. He delivered a famous "Last Lecture."  Randy was diagnosed with reoccurring pancreatic cancer.  Pausch described how he achieved his childhood dreams, while also working hard to achieve obstacles and live generously. He said, "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” This was a very inspirational lecture. It really put life in perspective. 
     Randy starts off by telling about his life. He describes that he was just diagnosed as to have only one more month of healthy living. He does not want to start of talking about cancer, his wife, his kids, or spirituality and religion. Randy talks about achieving childhood dreams. He explains how
we can enable the dreams of ourselves and others.
     Randy's first dream was to experience zero gravity. He experienced it, and realized that it was nothing as special as it seemed. His second dream was football. At 9 years old, Randy realized fundamentals. He talks about how his coach drilled him all of one practice. He realized that was a
good thing, and he was told that when no one is telling you anything, you are doing badly. That means that they have given up on you. That's a bad thing.  Randy always wanted to be in the World Book Encyclopedia. He says that Wikipedia is a fine source of information now because he know where sources came from!

     We learn quite a bit from Randy Pausch about teaching. He taught his lecture in a way as though he was just having small talk with a friend. He engaged the audience with his teaching. I liked how he told funny stories and serious stories. This really kept me engaged in the lecture. He told inspirational stories to make an impact on the listeners life. I really enjoyed how he was such an inspiration and kept my attention through the entire lecture. Randy tells us to dream big and never give up. When I have a classroom, one day, I will always tell my students to never give up. That will be the number one rule I have. Some other important teaching tools Randy said was that you should always tell the truth and show gratitude. What awesome advice from someone who, you would think, has many reasons to be made at the world. Yet, he is extremely happy with the world and the life he had been given.
     Randy Pausch also has a great view on how to learn.  Randy's cancer went into remission, but in
2007 it came back. Randy then learned and realized there was nothing he could do about it. He quickly learned that life wasn't all about what he wanted. Now, it was time to make a difference in the
world through his life experiences. It is very important to live everyday as it is your last, according to Randy Pausch. It was absolutely amazing to me how inspirational Randy was in his lecture. What an awesome lecture to hear because it has really made me appreciate my life, and helped me understand more about how those with a terminal illness may react.
     It is so inspiring to hear Pausch say that he is lucky. You may thing, "how can a man with terminal cancer be lucky?"  I thought that too.  Randy said that it is much better to have cancer than be hit by a bus because this way he can achieve his childhood dreams and do everything he has ever wanted with his wife and family before he passes. Randy said that he was able to have conversations with his wife that he never would have had if he'd not being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The "Last Lecture" is a truly inspirational lecture, and I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to watch the lecture or read the book. Randy Pausch has left such an amazing legacy for many people, and I was truly inspired by his story.

C4K Summary for February

Comment for Kids

Kaylea's Blog
On February 3, 2014,  Kaylea posted a comic review to her blog. She created her comic strip by using Toon Doo. She liked using Toon Doo better than Make Belief Comix because it was colorful. She
tried making a comic in Make Belief Comix, and since it was a free site, she did not have to log
in. The only thing about this site was that it was not very colorful. I did not know anything about
creating comic strips, so by reading Kaylea's blog, I learned which sites to use if I ever want to create my own comic strip such as Kaylea and the other students of Mrs. Reuter's class.

Nova the Soccer Girl
On January 8, 2014, Nova the soccer girl posted a poem to her class blog called, "L.A.X."  Nova is in third grade at Hong Kong International School in Mrs. Little's class. Her poem was about being famous. She said that she would love to have the paparazzi pick her up in a limo everyday, but
instead, she walks out her door to the bus. Nova used onomatopoeias in her poem. I like how she said
"flash, flash, flash," to describe the paparazzi. It is amazing how technology is advancing everyday and that students in third grade are posting assignments on blogs.

Jojo
On February 12, 2014, Jojo posted a blog about film vs. text.  She is a student in Mrs. Miller's class in
Baldwin County.  She said that she liked the movie because it was easier to understand to watch it rather than read it. She didn't know if the film had any similarities to the text because she was absent for the text. She only read the story. I believe that reading a book and watching a movie are the best ways to full understand a story completely.

Tatiana
On February 3, 2014, Tatiana posted a poem to her class blog. Tatiana is a student in seventh grade at Bode Middle School in St. Joseph, Missouri.  She used figurative language to describe color like the meadow mist. Figurative language helps give the poem a more real life image. Tatiana's poem vividly described the meadow with a lot of colors. Tatiana did a good job using figurative language in her poem.

Blog Assignment # 6

Personal Learning Networks

A personal learning network is a set of people or tools that you call upon for help to collaborate and consult with. You can also ask for other assistance. PLN can help a teacher in many ways. They can help by allowing the teacher to consult with other teachers about lessons. Teachers can relate their
lesson to other lessons and build upon them to best suite the class that they teach.

PLN are created by different tools. You can use Twitter as a starter. You can use Twitter to come up with a list of people that are in your same field and create a network with them as educators.  By reading the C4T blogs we are assigned to, as well as the C4K blogs we are assigned too, we can
become aware of different teachers who may be able to be part of our own PLN.

By listening to a seventh grader's view on a personal learning network, we can see how you can find information online and organize it on one page. This makes it easier, and helps the children stay
organized. All of her information collected on websites is kept on the PLN. This student has her
research and educational sites at the bottom of her network.  The top of her online network consists
of her social media environment. By having a PLN, it enables the student to have her own freedom in everything she does online. This is a great tool for the students to learn how to be organized and
productive. It requires a lot of time management. This is because since everything is in one place, you can get very distracted with Facebook while you should be doing a science experiment. You have to
be dedicated to what you are doing at the time. Other than that, this is a great way to have students be their own boss and keep up with their own work and assignments.

Stephen Anderson says that a PLN is just a way of extending your network of people to communicate with other educators across the world.  With a PLN, you do not have to feel like you know
everything. The PLN is a way of having someone else to talk to and collaborate with about certain
topics. "It really helps to have a PLN to extend a teacher's learning beyond the four walls of the school," according to Stephen Anderson.

I have never created a personal learning network. I believe it would be very beneficial to have all of my sites to visit in one area, except it could be hard to keep focused on school work if I
have Facebook available right in front of me. I think it is just as easy for me to create bookmarks on Google Chrome.  I have stared using the Google Chrome app on my iPad for EDM310, and it has been very helpful to just have all the websites I need right there. In a list, I would say my PLN
consists of Facebook, Pinterest, Google, and Blogger.  Like I said, I am not into technology as fast as it is approaching our world, but I have began to broaden my horizons. I hope that by the end of this semester I will have created a thorough PLN for myself to add to and continue using.

Blog Assignment #5

Conversations with Anthony Capps 

Project based learning really engages children in the overall aspect of a topic. In Anthony Capps video 1 and video 2, he discusses some projects he has done with his third grade class about PBL. Ideas about project based learning are constantly evolving. Capps explains that the goal of PBL is one that has an authentic audience, student interest, involves the community, and most importantly is driven by content standards given by the state.

One project Capps had his students do was write a letter to Joe Bonner. The students wrote what they thought about women being allowed to be in combat in war. By doing this, students had to find female figures that show female success in history to use the info to incorporate into their letters.
They found these figures by using iCurio.  Capps said his third grade class was really interested in this because many of the students had parents in combat. Only eight were sent to the the congress
man's office, and the students actually critiqued each other's letters. They picked the ones to sendoff. Capps said that this actually made the grading process easier as well because he was able to use
the students critiques to grade by.

Anthony Capps believes that iCurio is an online tool that allows students to safely search the web for
subjects that fit along with the state standards.  You do log in to use this, but then use it as a search
engine. This also has a place to organize the information they find online. You do not have to worry about seeing something online and forgetting where it was located. iCurio allows you to drop that
information in a folder and come back to it later to finish the project. This tool also has a feature that
will read the text off of a website to you. This is a great tool for students to learn and become familiar with for educational purposes.

From all of these videos with Anthony Capps, he discusses the importance of project based learning. I agree with him in the goal of the PBL. I also agree with him in that the best way to teach technology is to use it. By exposing the students to project based learning and different ways to use technology,
they are able to better understand and learn the concept. I am a much better learner when I actually get to do something myself. It helps me to learn the material when I can actually perform the hands on activity. Students are becoming more technologically advanced every day, and the more they use the technology, the more they will understand. Students will begin teaching teachers.

Project #3 Presentation

C4T Summary Posts and Comments

My first C4T Comment: "I am a student the University of South Alabama, and I am enrolled in EDM 310. We are assigned a teacher to comment on, and I was assigned to you. The Manaiakalani Film Festival seems like a very fun event. The students seem to really enjoy this festival. I am amazed at the confidence these children have while speaking in front of all the other students. These students are very talented in the arts.
Keep up the good work with this film festival!"


First Summary of C4T
The Manaiakalani teacher blog is about "living local learning global." November 13, 2013 marked

the sixth year of the Manaiakalani Film Festival. 3,000 students visited this festival that expanded to two theaters over a 12 hour span. These students came from schools around the town to visit and partake in this event. It is a very elaborate learning festival for children to engage in film making. Some students even partake in this festival by showcasing in movies. It is very remarkable to see how  much courage these children have to get up in front of the audience and perform. I think this is a very neat festival for children to attend, and I hope that Manaiakalani will be able to continue this festival for years too come. 






My second C4T Comment:

"My name is Savannah Price, and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I have commented on your later post, and for my EDM 310 class I am assigned to comment on another one of your posts. I think it is awesome that Pt. England has "gone Google". It is really amazing to me that the students in the elementary grades know so much about the internet and technology. It is awesome that these young students are able to teach their parents about such things as Google. Google Docs is a great tool to help students enhance their learning on their own, and collaborate with other students and teachers. Technology has come so far, and I know it will just continue to keep advancing. Congratulations to all of the students and teachers who have taken the time to learn about the technology of Google, and good luck with technology in the future!"


Second Summary of of C4T

On Wednesday, October 16, 2013, Manaiakalani posted a Google video. This video talks about how
Manaiakalani advances with Google. A team of Google experts came to Pt. England School to make
a video with them and their learners. These young people really received an amazing experience
because they got to work with these experts, and their video was published on YouTube. Everyone
had the privilege to learn how certain people have to work together to create a film.  The Google education helps children and teachers work collaboratively. The teachers have seen that students with access to the internet are able to manage their own learning. I think it is awesome how the students of Manaiakalani have enhanced learning through this Google experience. 

Blog Assignment #4

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher? 

Some may think that asking questions is not effective. That is not true. By asking questions to the students, we effectively can assess the knowledge of the students. According to Ben Johnson,  the goal of a question is not just to ask the students if they "understand." If we do this, then it just becomes a yes or no answer, and then we are not getting a true assessment of the students. So, how do you ask a question in the right way? Ben Johnson says that, as a teacher, we should ask a question, pause for three seconds, and then say a students name in order to get an effective response. This way, the children will all be thinking of an answer because it is totally random with whom the teacher calls on. I agree with this total physical response because I believe that having each child thinking they may be called on will make them listen better overall. 

According to Washington University's Teaching Center in St. Louis, you must keep in mind the course goal while asking questions, aim for specific questions, and respond effectively. A teacher should never interrupt the student in their response. This will only lead to the student not wanting to answer questions because they know they will get interrupted. You should also show interest in all students' answers, and always develop a response to keep the students thinking. This helps in their critical thinking skills as well as keeps the student intrigued in the lesson. 

There are three ways to ask better questions in the classroom according to Maryellen Weimer, PhD Teaching Professor Blog. She believes that the key to asking effective questions is to prepare, play, and preserve good questions. I agree with her that questions should be prepared. I think they should be prepared because that way we can go ahead and prepare for some answers the students may give. I also believe preparing is important because we can review content and make sure it relates to the current topic. By playing with the questions, we see that students' answers can lead to other questions and answers which can present a good conversation for the class.

I believe open ended questions are a better approach to asking questions in a classroom because it leaves the student to come up with a variety of responses and provide more information just as  Joanne Chelsey stated in her YouTube video, "Asking Better Questions in the Classroom Pt. 1."

I believe it is very important to know how to effectively ask questions in the classroom to be an effective teacher!

Blog Assignment #3

Peer Editing

After viewing the two videos and the slideshow, I have realized that peer editing is a critical part of blogging and everyday writing. After reviewing the blogs of each of my group members, I saw some great positives that they have written. The format of each of their blogs makes them very easy to follow. By keeping the different sections separated, it keeps the clarity of the blogs. I don't see any grammatical errors in their posts. Grammar is part of everyday life, and there should not be any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. If there is a lot of errors in a post, the reader or the other blogger may not believe in the author of the post or the actual post.

In Writing Peer Reviews, we see that there are common mistakes made by peer reviewers. We do not need to be a Pick Patty. This means that we point out every single detail. When peer reviewing, do not generalize over the entire blog. While giving a good review, we should strongly suggest changes and editing, but never tell the author they must do something. It is the author's paper, therefore, it is their ultimate responsibility as to what they blog and how they blog. To edit effectively, we must give a detailed review on the material in a respectful and caring way. I believe that it is best to offer suggestions privately through email rather than publicly on the blog post. This is because I do not want to embarrass the author or make them feel like their blog is not good. I would rather a peer review suggestion through email because it keeps the suggestion private as well as being a more professional suggestion.

Blog Assignment #2

Mr. Dancealot video 
The central message of this video is to teach the basics of the Foxtrot, Waltz, Swing, and Tango. Professor Dancealot will not let the students participate in this class while he is teaching. He only lectures and expects the children to understand it. The message I got from this video is that students do not learn unless they are able to practice the actual dance moves during class. The author makes a case for conclusion by stating that the final will be next week, and it is open notes. When the students get to the final exam, the professor makes them preform the moves he has taught. It shows that the students do not do well when they have never practiced something before. I do not agree with his conclusion and the way he went about teaching this class. It is not right of him to expect the students to perform a final exam when they have never had a chance to practice the material. Everyone should be given adequate amount of time to learn the material.

Teaching in the 21st Century
Roberts says that teaching in the 21st century means that teachers are only filters. In today's world, teaching consists of Facebook, Google, Blogs, Twitter, YouTube, and many more media outlets. Students must learn to network, link, upload, and comment. Plagiarism, copywriting, and professionalism are all concepts students must understand. Students need to learn how to collaborate with things such as Skype. Students must justify, explain, and evaluate. Below, is an outline of how this may be accomplished.

TEACHING IN THE 21st CENTURY OUTLINE
A. Be familiar with what is out there (understand social media outlets)
     1. Facebook
     2. Twitter
     3. YouTube
     4. Skype
B. Start Small (learn each website step by step)
     1. Create one account at a time
     2. Understand your first account
     3. Create your second account
     4. Explain, justify, and evaluate each site and account
C. Collaborate
     1. Work with others
     2. Collaborate on Skype
     3. Search video lessons (be prepared to learn by watching a video online)
D. Take a risk
     1. Don't be afraid to post to a blog or any account.
     2. Search the terms and conditions of the site before working with it
E. Understand the differences between entertaining and engaging
     1. Entertaining
         a. Enjoyment
         b. Passive
         c. Creativity of others
     2. Engaging
         a. Active
         b. Long-term
         c. Creativity of the participant

I feel that Roberts way of describing teaching is somewhat true. I do agree that technology is advancing and will always continue advancing. I do not agree that everyone needs to know how to do every kind of social media there is, and that everyone needs to know how to create blogs and links. People got along just fine before all of the internet and social media sites were created. Yes, I think a good knowledge of certain sites and technological ways is necessary, but not to the extreme as Roberts described in the video.

The Networked Student
I do understand the concept of this video, although I do not agree. I really do not like the way of teaching when the teacher is only there to help you develop onto technology. I would rather the teacher take each task step by step instead of saying, "Here is the information, and now you go explore." I would rather have a structure to the course, instead of just being thrown out there with materials to explore on my own about something I have no clue about. In this type of class, the teacher is there only to help with organization of the mountains of information, turning web searches into scavenger hunts, and develop a modeler. I understand how this is helpful and beneficial to the student, but I do not like this way of learning.

Harness your Students Digital Smarts
Davis's thesis is, "It is important to teach children how to accomplish curriculum by collaborating effectively and teaching students ways to effectively use technology."

I was very interested in Ms. Vicki Davis's way of teaching. I agree with her thesis. It is really neat how the students are able to teach the teacher through a program by finding out new ways the program works and functions. Ms. Davis did walk around her classroom and teach the students different ways to perform different functions which I did like about her teaching style. She did let the students figure out how to do some things on there own, but she also gave them a guide as to how to start the projects.

Flipping Classrooms
I have never heard of flipping the classroom. This is a new concept to me. I think this teaching strategy will be useful for me as a teacher because I will be able to do more activities in the class and hands on activities rather than just lecturing. This provides more thinking on the students part as they must watch the lesson at home the night before and come with questions to class the next day. We are really able to see who is understanding what as the teacher when they come with questions from the video assignment. This will be a useful teaching tool when I become a teacher.