Update on Final PLN

I have so many great resources to include in PLN. Teachers from C4T and a host of other teachers I have included on my Twitter account. I also have Facebook, Paws,Twitter, My Space, and the University of South Alabama Home page added. When I first stated using Symbaloo, I couldn't remember to add things to my PLN, but after not being able to find something I just use or someone I talk to, last week on Twitter, I decided that using it would be helpful. Now its not just for educational purposes, I use my PLN for everything.

Project#15

Instead of doing Math on the SmartBoard, we decided to use handwriting because it will benefit both the students and the teacher like using it for role. I hope you enjoy!

C4T

Free Technology  for Teachers 

Richard Byrne blog is very beneficial he has links for free downloads, step by step directions to creating a blog. His blog page is a one stop shop for any teacher that needs to find anything about technology. The last post I commenting on was very helping for me because I have been searching high and low for a audio editing app for my final project in EDM310, I clicked on his blog and there where step by step directions to downloading and using an app call myna. I downloaded the app and I can complete my final project.  

Comment 1
My name is Cedric Lett a student in EDM310 at the University Of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your post. Sometimes its hard to understand why some people/parents don't understand what we consider common, but if you take a step back you will understand that  technology has come a long way and what common to  you is not so common to our parents. My mom had two strokes, and although she is a very educated woman, there are things she will never understand the same.  Thanks for taking that time to find something that could help you educate your step father on how the virus got there. This post is a inspiration to me, so know I plan to find ways to teach my mom to understand things a little better.

Comment 2
My name is Cedric Lett a student in edm310.Thanks so much for this post, I have been searching high and low for a free app, that I can use to complete my final project for my EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your blog post, as well as reviewing you entire blog. Your blog was very helpful to me and will be to any educator that visits your blog.  Please feel free to visit my blog.  http://lettcedricedm310.blogspot.com/

Blog#13

 Engage in an E-Media Fast

I started the process, at the beginning of this week, because I knew it would be hard for me to do. I was thinking 24 hours with no; phone, television , or laptop. I will go ahead and prepare to do all three tries. On Tuesday, I left my phone at home and went to my first class, that was a  long hour and fifteen minutes. I know I am suppose to be in class and paying attention to what the teacher is teaching, but most of the time, I play on my phone until the lecture is over and then complete my class work with no problem. Today after not having my phone, I don't have to study the material as much, because I listened in class. When I got home from class on Tuesday, the the first thing I picked up was my phone.  I clicked on Facebook and remembered I am working on my blog post 13 and I can't use the phone.( Start over two) I decided to start over right at this point, so now its Tuesday 3p.m. home alone, so I started working on my homework and cleaning the house. The second try ended quickly, while cleaning my house, I wasn't thinking and turned the radio on. (Last and final try) 5p.m. on Tuesday, I was done cleaning and doing my homework. The rest of the evening, I went  to a movie and came home and went to sleep. The next day  my group members had to meet at an elementary school, to do project fifteen. Preparing for the project we had to use the smart board and laptop. I couldn't find the school, so I had to use my phone and call my group member to get directions.

I think that my students would have a culture shock coming into a classroom with no computers, Tv, or other technology that are common in most classrooms. Students enjoy being engaged and 
 with students today a dry erase board just isn't enough to keep students engaged for a long period of time.
After completing this assignment, I realized without the use of technology it's hard to get through  a normal day. Thinking back on how people lived in the old days, I would have said," I could not have made it", but that is only because I have grown accustomed to the use, of my everyday technology. When talking about everyday technology, I think about things we use that is considered technology and don't realize that we are using them. After finishing my third try, I've decided to try this again, once school is on break for the summer. I may have to lock myself in my room, but I will not let technology defeat me.

updated video for blog#12

Progress on Collaboration and Project #15

Progress on Collaboration and Project #15

 

We are group Educators of the Future and we have been chatting through Google chat via email/video and mic. We have collaborated about projects #15 and so far we have decided to do a mathematics lesson for kindergartners. On the SMARTboard, we will use funbrain.com and it has all kinds of math arcade games for SMARTboards. There is a game called bumble numbers that kids can play that has three flowers with addition problems on them and the bee has to hit the cloud to blow the wind to catch the answers from the little flowers and put the correct number in the correct flower. There are other games as well we plan to use.

Blog#12

Interview different parents, from different levels of schools; elementary, middle and high school and ask them all the same three questions.

What technology is used in your house to help your son or daughter with homework projects?

Home many hours a day does your son or daughter spend on homework?

Explain to me your definition of a blog. Do you think blogging is beneficial in the school system today?

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts - Special Post #12A.

1. Do schools in the United States systematically destroy (or inhibit) the development of curiosity and/or creativity in students? If yes, why does that happen? If no, how do you counter the argument of Sir Ken Robinson that schools do undermine the development of creativity in students?
Yes, Because students are taught to go to school for twelve years and then pass the standardize tests that are drilled into them for an entire year. If we keep on with this process we give the students no room to explore are to think because everything is done for them.

2. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the curiosity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?
Yes I think that a curriculum can be developed to increase the curiosity of students. The key component will be teachers that enjoy teaching and keep the students engaged.

3. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the creativity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?Yes, Once teachers start working to their full potential they will find was to incorporate activities that will increase students creativity.  

4. Can a teacher's actions increase the curiosity of students? If so, what would be those actions?
 Yes, I understand that a teacher can only do so much, but you have to get to know your students and find way to keep them searching for more.

5. Can a teacher's actions increase the creativity of students? If so, what would be those actions? Yes, talking to teachers today most of them are afraid of using the new smart boards are to even introduce their students to blogging.

6. What would help you become more creative? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process? Assignments that are centered around my major. Challenge me, I never blogged before I enrolled into edm310, this class has challenged me in some many ways.

7. What would help you become more curious? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process? Being able to explore new things. Introducing something new in class, like blogging.

C4K4

 week1

Joesph Kony

March 29th, 2012 by paynea600

Joeseph Kony is one of the most evil people in the world. He is the number one wanted person on the international courts list. Kony has been taking innocent children in Africa and forced them to kill, even their parents. If this happened one time in America it would be on the cover of every newspaper and magizine imaginable, but this has been going on for years. Africa has a very weak government so they can basically do whatever they want. We have brought this to the attention of the president numerous times but the President says we shouldent get involved. If you would like to learn more about this topic, pease watch the link below. Thank You.

My comment
 ce311431 // Apr 1, 2012 at 1:51 am

Hello
My name is Cedric Lett a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. Payne your right, Kony is a very bad person. The things that he is making those kids do wouldn’t be tolerated anywhere else. Great job adding the site so that people who didn’t already know of Kony could view the site. Your definitely on the right track when it comes to blogging keep up the good work. I will comment on your post weekly.

 Week 2

One of the things I like…

April 4th, 2012 by paynea600 

One of the things I like to do is to skateboard. I enjoy doing this with my friends. Below are some pictures of my favorite skate spots. I hope that you can try this sport and enjoy it for yourself.

 My Comment

I am Cedric Lett a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I also liked skateboarding when I was younger. Skateboarding is a fun, healthy and enjoyable hobby. I really like the pics you posted. I haven’t been on a skateboard in a while, but after looking at you’re post, I think I might give it a try again, very soon. Keep up the good work.

 week 3

 My Religion…

April 5th, 2012 by paynea600

This is my week five post on my religion. I am Christian, and I go to Calvary Christian school. We have Chapel every friday morning from 8:00 to 9:00. I have grown much closer to God in my whole life here. I hope that everyone can learn about God because God is the Alpha and the Omega the prince of Peace. Below I have some pictures of Churches that I got from http://www.picfindr.com/app/?search=.

My Comment

Payne
This is my last comment on your blog, Overall I feel that your doing a great job with posting every week, adding pictures and links to your posts. I didn’t attend a christian school, but I grew up in the church. I enjoy getting to know God on a daily basis. It’s great that you have such a great relationship with God and keep that, because it will take you a long way in life. Once again my name is Cedric a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama.
Keep up the great work……

I enjoyed commenting on Payne's blog. He posted a blog post every week. Payne sent me a thank you note for commenting on his blog. 

Blog#11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

       Ms. Cassidy is a third grade teacher that has introduced new technology in her class by using blogging. The most important part of the interview was when she talked about the rules that she taught her students. Ms. Cassidy said that as educators you have to teach the students (How To), meaning that computers weren't just given to the student, she taught them how to use it. Ms Cassidy explained that she wasn't always familiar with the latest  technology, she had to learn how to use everything before she introduced the information to her students.

     I plan to be much like Ms. Cassidy in my classroom, by keeping up with the latest technology to keep my students fully engaged in learning at all times. Although I believe that every teacher have their own style of teaching, there are thousands of things you can learn from other teachers. I agree with Ms. Cassidy when she stated that you have to change your lesson plan to keep up with today's technology. Most of your students will most likely be able to cut a computer on and off, use Facebook, twitter and Google search. I believe that Ms. Cassidy's statement about teaching the students what to search for how to search are simple ways of educating the student. Others may disagree that the use of technology will not make students pay more attention to lesson plans and participate more in class. Ms Cassidy's approach will be frowned on by many teachers, because of  different devices she allows the students to use in a class room setting. I believe that the disregard of the use of technology is a example of why the public school system is so far behind. Technology is going to consistently change and as educators we must consistently learn and change to keep up.

    The one thing I disagreed with was the use of the Nintendo DS in the class room. My disagreement could have come from a lack of understanding of how it would be monitored, the usefulness of educational games, the content of the games and so on. When I send my tweet to Ms. Cassidy I plan to get a better understanding of how she incorporates the use of the DS to be educational and helpful in her lesson plans.  

Blog#10

 

Do you Teach or Do you Educate?

   Do you Teach or Do you Educate is a video that will make you think? In the video, you will see a comparison to teaching and educating. Although there are similarities, the video finds terms that will make them seem very different. In the video, you will see that teaching is simply defined as, to show how. To educate means to empower, inspire and utterly take educating to the next level. The video gives me the impression that you can just educate students on how to use tools that are giving to them, and they will learn.

      As a teacher I plan to do both, to teach and to educate. After viewing the video, I was trying to understand the difference in the two. I will teach students the importance of learning. I think that teaching is very important, when it comes to teaching students how to read and how to solve simple math problems. Teaching a student to read takes time and isn't something that you can just give them the tools to figure out. After my students have mastered the basics, then, I will educate them on using the latest technology blogs. So as a teacher I don't think  you can do one without the other and be successful.

                                   Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!

     I enjoyed reading Tom Johnson's post Don't Let Them take the Pencils Home. Tom has a sarcastic way of showing just how passionate he is about teaching. I was chosen to comment on one of his post for C4T, at first I was a little confused, but after reading it a couple of times he had me caught up in enjoyment. In this post, Tom was focused more on the solution than the problem. He wanted to give the students a chance to do whatever they wanted with the pencils. Tom is also showing that he trusts his students, because after talking to the students and the parents, he believed that there was no need to hold them accountable for what they did at home. Gertrude was bias to the students taking the pencils home, because of something that was read, stating that pencils will lower test scores for students.

           I think  you can look at the post two different ways as entertainment and educational. Most people think that Tom Johnson post as simply entertainment, because of the way they are worded. I think the choices of words are used to get the reader's attention. The posts are funny, but informative. I don't believe that pencils will lower a student's tests scores, but if you change the object from being a pencil to a cell phone, then maybe the argument wouldn't be funny. I think the post is not just about pencils, at this moment like most of his post, it has a hidden meaning.  He wants not to just focus on the problems, but find a solution for the problems.