Comments for Kids (C4K) Summary Post

Comment #1
Damara's Blog

I first commented on Damara's blog. She's a sixth grader and lives in Canada. She wrote about how she went on a ski field trip with her school to Asessippi. She said that this was her first time to go skiing, she had a lot of fun, but it was painful because her friend crashed into her on the bunny slope. I commented on how cool it was that she got to go on a ski field trip with her school, told her where I lived in the southeastern U.S., and said how we rarely get snow. I also told her that I've been skiing before so I understand what she means when she says it can be painful, and I encouraged her to try it again.

Comment #2
Gina Marie's Blog

This student is a 5th grader in Mr. St. Pierre's class at Terryville Elementary in New York. Her blog post was about how (in a previous post) she had difficulty in breathing on Valentine's Day, but she went to the doctor and found out she had a bronchospasm and had to be put on a nebulizer. I commented by introducing myself, where I was from, and that I wanted to be a math teacher. Then I told her that I've had trouble breathing in the past but have never had to be put on a nebulizer like her and it looked very scary. She had a picture of herself with the nebulizer on her face on her blog, so I told her that she reminded me of Darth Vader on Star Wars! Haha! I also asked her if she had to go to school with the nebulizer or was even able to go to school at all. I hoped she got to feeling better soon.

I just looked tonight and saw that she responded back to my comment! I'm so excited! This is my first response from a comment that I've posted on anyone's blog and it feels so good. She was so nice. She  answered my question that she was able to go to school and just had to use the nebulizer before she went to bed.  She also said that she really appreciated my comments and that she thinks that I'll be a good math teacher based on my writing and my personality through my writing. That is so cool. I don't even know this girl and she is such an inspiration to me. She also answered my question that she was able to go to school and just had to use the nebulizer before she went to bed.

Comment #3
Nathan's Blog

Nathan is in Grade 5 at Pt. England School in New Zealand. He blogged about a camping trip that he went on with his dad at Point England Reserve. He said they slept in a tent and went floundering on top of the cliff and cooked the fish they caught earlier that day. I first introduced myself and told him where I went to school and then I told him that it's so cool that he's from New Zealand. I told him I've been to Australia before and loved it there but never to NZ. I also said that the camping trip sounded really fun and that catching and cooking your own food seemed pretty cool too. I told him I'm not really a "camping girl" so I've never slept in a tent before or caught a meal I was going to cook and eat later, but I had been camping in a RV at the lake and LOVED that.

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

I believe that through experience and continuous learning I will be prepared to be a teacher of a networked student, and right now I have the motivation and the drive to want to be this type of teacher. I think this video reinforces the idea that the definition of a teacher is changing. I love how the 21st century teacher is more of a mediator and/or guide the the techno-savvy world. Without us, these kids wouldn't know how to use the technology around them. So even though the argument can be made that teachers could become extinct, I think that a teacher should always be in a child's life to just be as simple as a role model and mentor.

I want to work in an inner-city school and I really don't think that I'll be faced with the idea of a "networked student." My role in the classroom will not only be a guide, mentor, and educator, but also a disciplinarian. I know that a lot of kids coming from low income families don't have the technology at home to be able to explore all the fabulous "extras" in our society, such as blogs, Ipads, etc. Some of the kids need to just learn the basics of a computer like Microsoft Word and how to research basic information. Also, if kids are struggling with basic educational concepts (math, reading, graduation exams) then that would be the central focus during the school day, and not the technology promotion.

However, I do think that I could utilize the technology to help these kids learn better. I just know that a lot of schools are behind the times and the buildings and the administration still live in the 1970s, regardless if they have computers and smartboards in the school or not. The teachers/administration won't let the kids use the technology (new computers, smartboards, Ipods) because they are afraid they will steal or damage them. I know a middle school in Mobile that won't let the kids take their textbooks home because they never bring them back at the end of the school year and will never pay for them.

I know I'm probably getting off subject but when I watched this video, these are the things that came to mind. I believe that all teachers should be open to this concept of the networked student and teach kids how to learn through technology. Even if I'm the only math teacher at my school that is open and willing to use this technology then I will try my best to do that. However, I think that in reality, I won't have the option to be a teacher for a networked student.

Welcome to my PLE (Personal Learning Environment)

After watching this video, my opinion about me not being a teacher that would really be able to utilize technology, etc. in the classroom has become conflicted. I think that is so cool that this girl has a paperless science class and can do everything on-line. Using symbaloo to arrange all her links/websites seem so efficient and fun. I think that doing this would make a child WANT to learn. As she said in the video, "It's not a matter of when you're going to do your work; it's a matter of when and how you are going to do it." She also said that although it can be a distraction, you have an inclination to be responsible. You have so much freedom researching and doing your schoolwork this way; I think the idea is brilliant. I definitely want to utilize this type of learning environment in my classroom. This would give my students a feeling of accomplishment after they have created a glogster or a blog or researched an entire project on their own. I think this is a great way to teach kids.

This also made me realize that I need to have a better PLE for myself. I could utilize internet tools so much more efficiently than I'm doing and not only would it be fun, but it would make my life so much easier too.

Teachers Love SMART Boards

I found this website/blog all about teachers using smartboards in the classroom, and how to use them, and how they promote them, etc. I read the most recent post about how animation is a great function of the smartboard. It said that it can grab a student's attention; animation is fun; and it can convey a concept to a student that words, still pictures, and audio cannot. I totally agree with this, however I have to agree with the two critiques on smartboards: Why I Hate Interactive Smartboards and Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative. However, I must say first that I don't have any experience with smartboards and haven't seen them in action beyond all the basics so my opinions are just logic talking.

I think that smartboards can and usually are a waste of money. And I don't think that they are ever utilized to their potential. They are bought for the schools to show the community that they are living in the 21st century, but most teachers don't have the desire or the training to use them. I think there are more cost effective options. Also, I think that creating a lesson for a smartboard or trying to figure out a lesson in your course of study to use with a smartboard could be more headache for a teacher than it's worth. And aren't smartboards supposed to be a fun and efficient use of time. I would rather have my students learn through more hands-on approaches and I think the only way I know that a smartboard is used hands-on is when kids play games on them. Yes, they would be educational games, but kids play enough "educational" games on the computer.

I love what Michael Staton said about smartboards on the first critique. He said that we need to start re-imagining what's possible! Let's stop trying to "look good" and start spending money and focusing the attention on what really matters which is making sure the student learns.

The History of Math Instructional Timetoast

My Timetoast

Blog Post #5

Resources used in creating a podcast

100 Ways to Use Your Ipod to Learn and Study Better

I knew there were a lot of podcasts and resources for iPods out there, but I never realized there was so much. I first started realizing it when I watched the iSchool movie made by the high school student. There are so many learning resources for students of all ages. The items of interest to me are the ESL podcasts and Pod city guides. I have a minor in Spanish from Auburn but I’m still not as proficient as I would like to be, so this would be a great thing to listen to while I’m exercising or driving. I also love to travel, so the city guides podcast would be another helpful tool to me when I’m in a new city. Learning about all the new learning resources out there really makes me want to use my iPod and take advantage of the techno world.

The benefits of podcasting

When I become a math teacher I will be teaching students who have grown up with technology their entire lives. It makes sense for podcasts to be a useful tool in teaching in the classroom because it is a form of technology that they are accustomed to. I think this would be a good way to engage students actively in their learning and for them to be excited about what I would be teaching. Not only is this a fun way for students to learn and teachers to teach, students will still be learning the higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy in the process.  At the end of the day, if students are still able to master the concepts of comprehension, synthesis, and evaluation, then this form of technology has done its job.  Podcasting also lets students be creative. Creativity can be stifled very easily but that puts the kids at a disadvantage for their future. Finally, this is a great way for parents to see what their kids are doing in school. I think that parent involvement and interaction is a necessity for a child’s success in school.

Vodcasting is a form of video podcasting and that is the form of podcasting that my group used on our project. We went around a school and made a video of the types of technology used in the classroom.

Eagles Nest Radio and Class Blog

I thought this third grade blog was phenomenal. I never imagined that third graders were capable of doing so much. I think this podcast idea for this age group is a great idea because it reminded me of the shows I used to watch on APT (Alabama Public Television). I remember this show called Reading Rainbow where different kids would each talk about a certain book they had read, but they wouldn't give away the end because they wanted the viewer to read the book for themselves.  One of they boys did that same technique for the Poetry segment of the podcast. I also enjoyed the Vocabulary Vault. Listening to this podcast affirms that these kids are learning not only technology but Bloom's Taxonomy at this young age.

Blog Post #4

Image via CrunchBase1.) Dr. McLeod's Dangerously Irrelevant blog post is so creative, clever, and witty. I commented on his post and told him how I liked his creativity on how he expressed his point almost as much as I liked and agree with his point. I totally agree with what Dr. McLeod is saying and hope that more teachers and especially upcoming teachers like myself will agree too. Students MUST learn and explore and use all the technology that is available to them for them to get a leg up in this crazy, demanding world of ours. As teachers and school administrators and state politicians, if we don't allow that to happen then we will FAIL our next generation. I think it will be funny to see how in the next 20 years how these kids who are being taught now with so much technology compare to kids and adults who know nothing or have made a choice to not learn it and therefore know nothing. Dr. McLeod commented on the EDM 310 class blog how someone else commented that kids will know more than adults. That's really something I never thought about but it's so true. I was a skeptic at first as to how much I really needed to be involved in technology because I used to think it was all for computer geeks who didn't have any free time. Now, I am using and continue to use it in my daily life and to stay up to date with the changing world around me.

Dr. McLeod's poem made the point that a lot of people think that the Internet is too dangerous for kids. No one can argue that there are sexual predators and that there are dangers. But I believe that children should be able to explore it and use it regardless. I think that Facebook shouldn't be blocked in school libraries. However, more and more sites are being blocked year by year. I couldn't even access my own blog at a local middle school in Mobile County because the server wouldn't allow it. These decisions are being made by administrators who are trying to protect when they are ultimately harming. They obviously know nothing about the success of everything they're banning because the probably don't use blogs, Facebook, twitter, etc. themselves.

Dr. McLeod is a professor at Iowa State University in the Educational Administration program. He is the Director of CASTLE, which is the nation's only academic center for educating school administrators on technology. He has a Ph.D as well as a law degree. He writes about technology issues on his Dangerously Irrelevant blog.

2.) The video made by Travis Allen is so intimidating simply because a 17 year old high school student came up with an idea that is just so obvious, and he made a video look amazing with graphics and music, and I'm a 22 year old college student and don't know how to do that. I already feel behind my time. Needless to say, he makes the point that schools should use have iSchool by using an iTouch to save money per student, to be green and protect the environment, to open communication between teachers, students, and parents, and hold students accountable for the first time. Everyone will know what the student does at all times with the power of this hand-held device. With the apps already available, such as iHomework, graphing calculator, USA presidents, the periodic table, E-mail, and calendar, it already is a feasible option that could make school so much more efficient and make learning more fun. He has an iSchool initiative and he encourages all teachers, administrators, and anyone interested to jump on board with it.

I am totally on board with this idea. I want an iTouch for myself because I had no clue that it could do the things it could do. It would make my school/work life so much easier. I can only imagine how the students would love this so much more than textbooks, as well as it would help them without them even knowing. I know that engaging parents into the life of a child's schoolwork can be difficult so this could definitely bridge the gap with that problem. However, I think there are still a lot of loose-ends that would need to be tied up for this to totally become reality. How would the school prevent student's from stealing the iTouch, especially if they couldn't be locked up in the classroom when the child leaves because they would be needed for homework. Also, how will it bridge the gap and create open communication between parents, teachers, and students if the parents can't afford to buy one for themselves. Some parents don't even have computers for their children at home still. And those are the parents that probably don't care about the child's progress in school anyways, and need to be engaged with the teacher and student, and therefore could benefit from this resource the most.

3.) The technique used in the Lost Generation video was absolutely BRILLIANT! It was so clever and awesome how by simply reversing what was just said, the speaker made everything go from positive to negative without changing a word. I think this idea can be paralleled to how we look at things in our own life and our own ways of self-talk. We can do whatever we set our minds to and change the world, just like this video said. It's just a matter of saying it and declaring it. We must choose to go down a different path in life if we want to be successful, just like the choice was made to reverse the poem. I will not be a part of the Lost Generation--the people who are just morally lost and sad, lethargic and unresponsive. I will be a part of a changing society of active citizens, excited about life and not sitting still and accepting something just because I've been told that or that's "how it's supposed to be."

4.) I am simply amazed and honestly at a loss for words. Every new video I watch I am simply stunned and learn more and more. I didn't even know that collaborating voices through YouTube was possible. This song is gorgeous and it gave me chill bumps just watching and listening. I have it on repeat right now as I write this. This makes me want to learn how to put a bunch of voices together for a rap song and make a video for that! 

5.) The Teaching in the 21st century really made me think about how we are supposed to teach kids has changed drastically since I was in school and I'm only 22 years old. I've only been out of high school 4 years and I feel like I'm a part of another cultural dimension. That being said, I think a LOT of teachers are behind the times and need to ask themselves the same question that I was asked. I also think that a lot of teachers don't care to learn anymore and that's the main problem of why we won't be able to advance. Teachers need a different mindset. I feel like the ideas expressed are very different than what most people believe but after watching this, could definitely be persuaded otherwise. Teaching in the 21st century means to engage students, regardless if technology is being used or not. I think technology is a bonus as well as a necessity that should be used. Creativity, problem solving, etc. will stem from engaging and not entertaining the student.

My Sentence Movie

JBAT'S Crazy Hair Google Presentation

Comments for Teachers (C4T) #1 Teacher Tom

Teacher Tom is a preschool teacher at a cooperative preschool in Seattle, Washington.  He works with children from age two until age five. His cooperative school atmosphere allows him to engage closely with the parents and gives a sense of community. His school and his teaching methods are an unfamiliar, yet enjoyable learning experience for me.


The Boy Who Painted Dragons
By Teacher Tom
Post 1


This post talks about teaching preschoolers about dragons because it is approaching the Chinese New Year. He says that most children are frightened of these creatures, focus on their fangs when looking at pictures of them, and only associate them with fear. The children were asked to paint dragons and reading books about dragons sparked a discussion. Teacher Tom wanted to teach the kids the metaphor of how dragons are similar to themselves.  He said that a lot of the boys in his class are exploring their masculinity and wanted to show them that they too can be dragons and exude the powerful characteristics of dragons but for good and not evil. He wasn't sure if the kids really grasped the concept but he was okay with it. At least he got them thinking.

I posted my comment and told him that I thought his post was very informative and insightful. I would've never thought of a dragon metaphor, much less to teach it to children at such a young age. I said that what I remember of preschool is taking naps, learning vocabulary, and learning the days of the week. I commented how his teaching style is very unique and creative and posted links to both my blog and the class blog.


Scattering
by Teacher Tom
Post 2


This post is about children's behavior while playing. He gives the story of two twin boys that are two years old and knock over a bucket of counting bears. Instead of giving them "directional statements" such as, "Pick those up!" or "Don't do that!", he decides to tell them a non-directional statement such as, "The bears are on the floor." He then goes on to say he tells them that the bears are on the floor and they should be on the table.  The boys eventually understand that the bears should be picked up and with the help of Teacher Tom himself, they successfully pick up the bears, with Tom narrating along the way. He says that since this episode with the boys, he has had other instances with kids doing the same thing, and not necessarily with the same results. Kids at this age are biologically programmed to behave like this to get attention, but he needs to focus on the behavior he wants to see, rather than what actually happened and what he'd rather not see.  That is an approach that I've never heard of, and it makes sense to a degree. He wants to teach kids to do the right thing because they chose to do it, not because an authority figure told them to do so. I love that idea and totally agree with it.

I commented on this post by saying how I've never really enjoyed working with kids at this age because I would never have enough patience or know how to react to their behavior.  I tell him his post was very informative and told him what I learned from it. I hope to take his advice and not use directional statements when I have my own children someday. I close by saying it just takes a lot of patience and time--two things Teacher Tom mentioned as well. 


Teacher Tom is very enlightening and brings new ideas to normal daily activities with kids. I really appreciate his insight and will continue to follow his blog/posts.