Blog Post #15

Final Reflection

Final Project

PLN Final Report

I have found that a PLN is of great use for managing and getting around the internet. I really like that I can go to one page and have all my information right there for me to access. My PLN has grown vastly over this summer semester by me adding sites and deleting ones I rarely use. I think the PLN project was definitely one of the many things that were beneficial to me from this course. I will continue to develop it to meet my needs as my courses and tasks change throughout the years to come. My PLN is definitely something that I will continue to use for the rest of my college career as well as my professional teaching career.

C4T Summary #4

The teacher I was assigned to follow was Ms. Andrea Hernandez. He first post was about ways that children can take an image, along with a set of verbs and write a poem pertaining to how they see the image. Ms.Hernandez used a program called PicLit in her classroom. This program seemed to be a good activity for getting children to apply their individual views to one particular item.
The next post I commented on pertaining to Ms.Hernandez's blog was about change and the risks that come with it. She seemed to be more on the side of leaving things as they are, or just simply "making do" with what you have. I completely agree that sometime people try to take a great thing and do to much to it, like sequels in movies that were great to begin with but are ruined by the second one. However, I believe that there is always room for improvement. This doesn't necessarily mean i believe in making change for the sake of making change but I believe in making change for the sake of a better or improved outcome of the original product.

Blog Post #14

For post fourteen, I decided to go an entire day without technology. On Saturday July 9th, I spent my entire day without a phone or any type of electronic device. I notified certain people the night before of my activity and why they would not be able to reach me on my cell phone the following day.  I thought it would be easy to make it through a day but simple things that I used to take for granted became very noticeable early in the day. I tried to go fishing in the morning to spend some time doing something that did not have any temptations for my phone. Then I went golfing and finished my day playing tennis. The thing that hurt me the most I think was not being able to check my eBay (since I check it several times a day, everyday). 

I was able to complete this task by keeping myself occupied throughout the day. I feel like if I were to have stayed at my house all day that I wouldn't have achieved this goal. I think my computer, cell phone, and xbox would have been my biggest weaknesses had I not kept myself busy. I realize that if i used technology this much today that the children I teach will use it twice as much. It will be an everyday part of their lives and would be foolish not to incorporate the things they are already familiar with into the classroom. All and all this was a much harder activity than I anticipated.

Blog Post #13

I really liked the tips given in the video. I plan to use most of them in my classroom, especially Smart board and blogs. I do not think I will use social networks in school because most schools forbid you to be friends with your students on Facebook. I like the tip of using teleconferencing and plan to do so in my class to gain new perspectives on subject matter around the world. Another tip I plan to use is interactive exercises in the classroom. There were many times that I had to do an activity on the internet in high school growing up and they always helped me recall things faster and more accurately.
I was familiar with all of the types of technology being integrated into the class room. The only reason for that is being a student in this class. Before this class I knew what a blog was but not how to make one or manage it. I had never herd of Google docs before. I had also never herd of Dropbox or Kahn Academy. Lastly I had never herd of a wiki and did not know how to use skype. Thanks to this class I have learned more about technology and will be a better teacher for it.

Final Project Progress Report

I and my group have brainstormed several idea but have not yet landed on one in particular. We will be meeting several times within the next two weeks to put together a story board. After this we will be acting out the video and posting it.

Project #15

Blog Post #12

Watch the video and notice some of the tools in it that we use in EDM 310.
Write a quality Blog post on why you think these tools are effective of ineffective in the world of teaching today.

Smartboard Project

Project #14

How To Place A Bid On eBay.

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's Skype Interview
This interview was very beneficial to my ideas of using technology in the classroom. I liked the way she described how she protects her students from the bad things on the internet. This is a big fear of adults when finding out their child will be doing a large amount of work on the internet. I thought the idea of having children make wikis was a great idea to show students how people of different background treat different situations. I think this would be great in decreasing racial acceptance problems in children. They could learn that all humans are the same and no one person is different based on their appearance. I look forward to using some of the methods that Ms. Cassidy used in her video in my own classroom one day.

Special Assignment #2

Part 1 & 2
The Kahn Academy is a site that allows children to look up videos on different sets of curriculum and learn. Most of this curriculum has to do with math, science and numbers. It started with Mr. Kahn making a YouTube video for his cousins on math and quickly grew into a non profit company. This is great because they do not have to say can you repeat that, they can just rewind the video. Kahn Academy is also a fantastic tool for teachers that I plan to use in my curriculum. It allows teachers to test students and see what the child is excelling in and what they are struggling at. It allows them to see what concepts they understand and what one they have trouble with. This allows the teacher with a greater understanding of the child's learning capabilities.
iTunes U is a form of iTunes that has lectures and teachings from schools and colleges all across the globe. There are lectures on almost every subject imaginable and the subject is taught by some of the world leading professors. You can literally listen to an entire Psychology class from a teacher at MIT as if you were sitting in the front row.
TED is a non profit organization devoted to spreading great idea from many well known speakers across the internet. There are many videos on the site that display great ideas that people are trying to incorporate into our every day world.

Part 3
For the Kahn Academy I watched the lecture on Trig Functions. This video covered the ways to find the adjacent and opposite sides of a right angle.
Next on iTunes U I watched a MIT Psychology Lecture 1 on love in the human brain.
This lecture covered the ways that the brain reacts when you see something you love. It talked about different stimuli and what parts of the brain go off when you love someone.
Lastly on TED I watched Robert Hammond talk about his project of Building a park in the sky. This project talks about taking the old abandoned railroad and making it into a park. He talks about money raised and the amount of architectural value in the project.


Part 4
I feel like I would use the Kahn Academy more than any of these resources when I begin teaching. This program allows you to keep up with your students in ways that many teachers wish they could. It will really help me in assessing which students are having trouble in which areas and how they need to be addressed.
I really liked the range of lectures on iTunes U. I will definitely relate to this for my teaching skills and learn ways of covering material in a more in depth way. I plan on listening to other professors and their views and teaching styles in hopes of improving mine. I also find this useful for student assignments to listen to certain lectures pertaining to their individual subject.
I think TED is a great site that I plan to use to increase my knowledge of events happening in the world today. One Idea can always spring from another and with this site being full of ideas I plan to incorporate it into my classroom frequently. I am looking forward to encouraging my students to watch videos on this site making them think about how to improve the world we live in and make a difference.

Part 5
This assignment has surprised me about the Kahn Academy. I had never herd of this site and think it is a great tool that I plan to use probably for the rest of my teaching career. There are several times in college that I could have really used this site and wish I had known about it sooner. I have already used iTunes U several times in college and it was not so surprising for me. TED actually surprised me by the amount of ways that people are thinking of change in the world. It is amazing what the human brain can come up with and to visit this site and some of the videos really shows you all the ways that improvement in the world today is possible.

C4T Summary #3

Mr. John is a seventh and eighth grade teacher in rural New York. His latest post was one that I was quite fond of called It Must Be Nice. The blog included all of the things that Mr.John had to do on his computer while watching his kids draw on his driveway with chalk. It entitled many things he had to do to wrap up the school year as well as all the things he was preparing for a summer book club. As he is finishing his vast number of things to do, a neighbor walks by asking his if he was done with school and he replies "almost, this is my last week". The neighbor replies "It must be nice to only work nine months out of the year".  Mr. John thinks to himself how it would be nice if he know anything about it. I really enjoyed this post because it showed how there is more to being a teacher than meets the eye.

The second post I commented on made by Mr. John was centered around using Edmodo in the classroom. Edmodo is educational social networking site that incorporates books and allows students to discuss them. Mr. John describes how he plans to use the site program for a summer reading course to encourage reading outside of school. Mr. John is big on making sure the use of the site is successful and and he is not just using technology just for the sake of using it. As he experiments with this product this summer, he plans to keep updating his blog on his progress.

Blog Post #10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?
When I graduated high school, the last place I ever thought I would be is in the teaching field. I used to wonder why would anyone ever want to go back to school. Now I know how good it feels to teach someone something and make an impact on their life. I intend to be an educator that inspires his students to do more and go the extra mile. I intend on being the educator that students come to for advice pertaining to anything inside or outside of school. I want to give kids the tools and skills necessary to achieve their goals.
Inside the classroom I plan to educate children on the subject matter and show them how to incorporate it into every day life. I will make kids eager to get to my class and start on projects and other activities planned. I want to encourage kids when they are struggling and show them that hard work and perseverance  will pay off.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Then Take the Pencils Home!
It seems to me almost like the post is trying to say that people should become more accustom to technology in the classroom for these tests. I liked when the teacher referred to students using pencils for pen pals and stuff, to me this relates to twitter and Facebook by contacting one another. It is kind of crazy to take away pencils seeing that it is one of the most used things by children in a classroom. However, I do think that the examples about the use of a pencil on this post are in every way related to the use of technology. Standardized test scores that have to be filled in with a pencil mark can be taken on a computer and you have your scores instantly plus the teacher doesn't have to waste paper. I do understand the overall concept that just because you can use a pencil to do other things than work doesn't mean that you will. In relation to kids using computers for school work and not as a distraction like most teachers think.

Project #12 Skype Interview

Skype Interview

Blog Post #9

What I've learned this year.
Mr. McClung had some great tips that everyone as a first year teacher could use. He talked about several things in his post involving the way you teach your students. He spoke about reading making sure your lessons are students centered on content and to be flexible in your lessons.  He said not to worry so much about the delivery of what you are teaching but instead to make sure the students are comprehending what is being taught.
He also mentioned things in the work place with other faculty members that I think would be very helpful. Communication was a big part that helps in building rapport with other teachers. He also spoke on technology and how it would be useful in the room. Finally he spoke on making sure you listen to your students and never stop learning. This is something that teachers should continue to use and have follow them for the rest of their career.

Blog Post #8

This Is How We Dream Parts 1 & 2
This video is true in so many ways. I like the fact that many people do not go looking for information in encyclopedias anymore but instead they use search engines. This fact will only increase over time as technology becomes more institutionalized in the american home. The time saving factor is also something to think about when attempting to look up information in a book. Which library has the book? Which book has the information? These questions can be answered by using what, a search engine in a library computer. Its funny how people do not see this as an issue when all they have to do is find the book on the internet to gain the information rather than driving to the local library.
Another factor to consider as a publisher is how long that a book will last and how often it is shared when it is a printed copy. People have already swapped over to using a kindle or some other type of e-reader by now and can share ebooks on there. This way the book never dies and is always accessible to people when they need it, besides that its cheaper than printing it!

Blog Post #12
Learn to change, Change to Learn is an absolutely great video that I recommend EVERYONE watch!




Carly's post really got me thinking about idea and things I would like to use in the class room. I have put three videos in this post that show ways to use technology in the classroom and keep kids involved. I really think that as teachers we should invest in our children's future, more so in our countries future since we are teaching the ones that will follow our generation in developing the world. I feel like we should try to instill the desire to learn in the class room and give students the best experience possible.

EDM310 for Dummies
I really enjoyed both videos. The procrastination video was really a good way of showing that EDM 310 makes you do things to prepare you for not only your carrer but or life as well. In this video I liked that all of the other jobs did not work out and eventually led back to teaching.
I also liked the video for EDM310 for dummies. This was a humerus video that makes people think about what all really goes into this class. I like the ending of the video where once everything is figured out and people see what needs to be done in the class they enjoy it. From reading classmates blog posts to doing assignments, they all force you to learn more about technology and how to use it.

Learn to change, Change to learn
I am not changing what i wrote at the top of this post because I looked up this video about 30 minutes before I found out i had to watch it. I obviously enjoyed the video, otherwise I wouldn't have stressed to the class to watch it. I really liked the way that the teachers went after education today and how that we need to engage our students more. All of their points of view on the topic of students checking their Facebook and twitter is right on target. I also like the question raised of about why sites like these are banned from school.

PLN Report

My PLN is coming along nicely. I seem to put more and more into it every week and it is really developing into something useful. I am trying to put Twitter to more use but have trouble finding the time or making the habit to check it. I have really enjoyed corelating with other teachers and seeing their outlooks and strategies on teaching. I feel like my PLN along with this class will greatly affect my methods of teaching. I have already developed useful ways of smartboard in other classes and know for a fact i will want one in my classroom if I am so fortunate. I look forward to finding out more each week and building on what I have learned already.

C4T #2

Read Across America Day
The teachers blog I have been following is that of Ms. Kelly Hines. Ms. Hines has made some very impressive strides in technology with her class. She is giving her students the opportunity to engage in conversations with students across the country by reading stories via webcam. I feel like she is a good role model of the teacher I aspire to one day become. She is really involving her students and giving them skills in areas that will one day benefit them in ways they couldn't imagine.

The Sum of the Parts
I feel like this particular post by Ms. Hines goes hand in hand with some of the things that Randy Pausch said in his video. It is not always the big picture such as teaching the subject matter and giving students a grade and passing them on. EVERY teacher should want to be that one that makes a lasting impression on their students. To this day every student has a teacher that gave them some type of information or encouragement that has stuck with them. Doing the little things is how we achieve this. I'm not saying talk about life lessons all period and throw away subject matter, but what I am saying is when you are spending time with your students try to give them that push and drive to go on a do something more. This blog post discussed also talks about being away from your PLN for some time can actually be a good thing because it gives you time to gain your own perspective on things instead of constantly taking the view of others.

Short Movie

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch Last Lecture
All I can say is wow! This lecture was definitely something that is encourages people to continue after their dreams. I really like how Randy talks about the importance perseverance, and how necessary it is when trying to achieve those dreams.  He talks about never losing the childhood wonder. He is a brilliant man and I learned a ton just from his video alone.

This video shows how early that people began to dream of making a difference with technology. Even is some of the pictures you can see the attempts at virtual reality and the things they were using to create it. It really shows how much technology has evolved since then. Something like the Aladdin ride with a helmet seems like a lot in todays world where we just use glasses for 3D and virtual effects. Just one dream that Randy Pausch achieved.


I really enjoyed his talk about his dream of being in the NFL. I completely agree that there are lessons learned in sports that cannot be learned anywhere else. On the field players learn teamwork, how important the little things are, and persistence, which is stressed over and over again by Mr. Pausch. I like that he talks about the coach constantly correcting him at practice and compares this to other people criticizing your work. If someone is just letting you mess up without telling you then they have just given up on you.


I realize how many times I have said the work persistent in this post but Mr. Pausch's persistence absolutely amazes me. From the fact that he changed to a journalist just to ride the plane with his team, to him telling the Dean that he would leave his job without pay to go become an imagineer. I also liked the idea of either being a Tigger or an Eeyore, and that he was always happy and enjoying himself. It seems like no matter how big or difficult the wall, he always seemed to find a way over it. As he talks about all of his challenges in life he shows that with hard work any dream within reason can be achieved. 

TimeToast Timeline B

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler
I really liked the information in this video and how is creates a different style of learning. There is so much more for students to learn when people from all over the world are commenting on a blog. This collaboration between students makes them want to get on their blog and see what others have said. This communication is not something that you can receive from a book and simply "burping back answers", as Dr. Strange says.

I like how in the end of the video it shows what all skills the teacher has covered. With her method of teaching, even skills outside of the ones required for her class are taught to students. This is an encouragement to no just be a history teacher teaching history or an english teacher teaching english. Instead, provide your student with skills that will stick with them along with knowledge that impacts their lives and a potential to change the world.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
This video was surprisingly shocking to me in the fact that a 7th grader could put a project together that well. I like her teachers idea of making them become "certified" before they can hold an animal during class. In my high school and middle school children could take laptop classes if they wanted to but they were mainly presentation projects every day. I like that this teacher has a variety of things going on in the class and gives the students responsibility to do their work and not be on facebook.


Why to use or not use an IWB
I like all four of the critiques on IWB's. I can see both sides to this argument but would most definitely use one in my classroom. I can absolutely see how that it is a great deal of money and if they are not used to their full potential are no better than a regular old whiteboard. However, when these things are used to their full potential it creates many more possibilities for your class and a much better learning environment. I looked at Dr. Mary Ann Bell's page at http://teachers.net/gazette/JAN02/mabell.html. She shows a total of 13 different reason for use of an interactive whiteboard in class and how much it engages students. She speaks about the reasons students respond better to these boards as opposed to traditional ones by it having more colors, creating interactive opportunities, and being an attractive piece of equipment for kids.

Special Assignment #1

I had never heard of Wolfram Alpha of Google Squared. The United states percentage of population is 22.89% of China's and 25.54% of India's. These numbers are continuously growing every day. I like both of these tools and find them extremely useful. They definitely help in finding exact answers at anytime and I am sure i will incorporate them into my classroom.

Blog Post #5

The Eagles Nest Radio Podcast
I really enjoyed the children's podcast. I find if funny that they did the podcast in the form of a radio network. I really enjoyed the music transitions and the fun facts about Rome. The kids facts were very knowledgable and I learned a great deal just from listening to them. This is a great form of research and interaction between the students.

100 Ways to Use your iPod to Learn and Study Better
This movie just added onto the iSchool initiative. It showed the many applicable resources in Apple's app store that can help tremendously with school. I really enjoyed the iPod in the classroom app. It seemed like a great idea for putting technology into the classroom. Technology opens so many resources to our children, it is our job to utilize them and provide a better education than we had.

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
Podcasting in the classroom could open doors to online education that people probably never thought was possible. Such as video examples of problems or assignments. Another great thing would be the video of the class period, in the case that a student was absent and asked the ever so popular question"What did I miss?". This is also great to help in collaborating with other teachers across the country about subject matter, tips, and strategies to use with students in the classroom.

TimeToast Timeline A

Podcast #8

Blog Post #4

Dont Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
I think the poem written by Dr. McLeaod made many interesting points. When you start reading the poem you begin to think almost that he is serious about not using technology. It almost makes you hesitant to let you children get on the internet when he brings up the hackers, cyber bullying and porn. One thing people of this generation should understand is that as thing evolve and change their is a danger and risk that comes with it. There have been tons of plane crashes and thousands of people still fly every day. We should encourage our students to engage in technology or the world will leave them behind.

Dr. McLeod is currently an educational professor at Iowa State University. He created the video we watched earlier in the year call "Did You Know".He, like Dr. Strange, believes in a profound use of technology in class. Dr. McLeod is also the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education.

The iSchool Initiative
The iSchool Initiative is one of the best ideas I have seen in a long time. If the state invested in this idea they would have the money to make the public school system better, instead of having to lay teachers off due to lack of funds. As I read some of the comments on this video, talk of the iPad would make this idea even more popular. The idea of not having to carry around printed books or even a backpack for that matter is incredible.

I feel like this should definitely be initiated into all schools. Anything from emailing students assignments to studying to just taking notes is all in the iSchool Initiative. Kudos to the guy from Georgia for coming up with this. I have a feeling that this will one day become a big success.

You Can't Be My Teacher
This video has a good point behind it even though it is a little silly. Yes, we are trying to prepare students to succeed in the world. One problem a lot of teachers can't seem to wrap their mind around is that we are preparing them for their world, not ours of today and not the world of yesterday. As an educator, when you pass a student from your class do you want them to be prepared for just the next grade level or more?

Sometimes teacher's tend to forget that during school time students almost spend more time with you than their own family! This means you are having a large impact as well as influence on their life. Do the best in the time that you have with them and prepare them for their future and not just the requirements of the next grade.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
I was stunned at how good this sounded. For this to be a virtual performance was outstanding. I did notice that not everyone started their notes at the same time due to the speed of their internet which is something to work on. Aside from that, I think it would be a great way to incorporate online choir classes.

This really makes you think about electives that used to be considered impossible without face to face contact possible. Maybe even sport electives could become online based with a video feed going back and fourth for communication. The advancements in technology that I am learning about in this class shock me more and more every day.

Teaching in the 21st Century 
This video really shows how obsolete teachers can become in the 21st century without accepting technology. Like the video says, we should be the filter on how to utilize resources such as google. We should also not focus so much on facts and dates that can be easily found but rather skills that need to be acquired through experience.

Teachers should strive to make their students create content and connect it with the outside world. Having student collaborate using Skype and other sources is a good way of communication. Managing computers in the classroom would be just as easy as doing so with a pencil and paper. The object is to get the student engaged and and active in the participation of a class rather than just saying remember this and say it back to me in a week.

Project #6

C4T Summary

I was assigned to Connected Principals and read a post called "A School Without Walls". I honestly do not think I will ever read a better post than this one. The writer spoke about the methods of teaching changing with the world around it. He mentioned that we should go out into the world and show student first hand how to make an impact on the world.

The second post I read was titled "Reflection vs Retrospection". The writer Akevy Greenblatt talked about looking back on yourself in the past to see how far you have come. He mentions to take what has happened and gain a new perspective to achieve a better form of teaching in the future. When you look in the mirror you want to see someone who has persevered and made a difference in teaching to better prepare students for the future.

Blog Post #3

A Vision of Students Today

The video done by Michael Wesch was somewhat informative. I feel like it just hit me differently than it would most people. About 95% of my friends that are in college and graduated from a public school constantly complain about how hard college is. I however have never had one college class as difficult as some of my high school classes, and most definitely have never had as hard a semester as my senior year in high school. I feel very blessed that my parents sent me to a college preparatory school. 

One difference about college that I believe aids in making it so overwhelming is the fact that teachers really do not know half of their students names. I think that is why Faulkner State Community College uses the slogan "My name is Sarah and my instructors know it". This promotes students to go there thinking they will get more one on one time with their instructor. The video also talks about how much we use electronic devices daily, sounding very similar to the questionnaire we did in class. The better technology in classrooms will obviously be found in the bigger schools due to more funding. It really all depends on what type of learning you are more geared toward. Overall I wouldn't change anything about the movie, it had informative facts and was entertaining.

It’s Not About the Technology

I like how Ms. Hines uses both instances of teachers but be learners, and how technology is useless without good teaching. As a teacher, the only way to get better at your profession is to be a sponge and continually absorb all of the information around you. This will not only benefit you but it will also impact your students as well.

People always say the best way to see if you really know something is to teach it to someone else. When doing this, you realize what your gray areas are that you really need to brush up on and what your expertise is. With the ever evolving technology in classrooms teachers will have to adapt to the changes. However, simply sitting on a podium showing slides on powerpoint dose not make you a good teacher. The object of the incorporation of new technology into the classroom is to get student more involved. Thus creating a better and more profound learning experience.

Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I absolutely loved Karl Fisch’s post and the examples used. First, the comparison of students parents saying “they were never good in math either”. This is almost like an excuse for their child to do bad in the class and not understand it. This makes the child think “Oh, well my parents couldn’t do it either and they turned out okay”. Thus creating a sense that they do not have to try to learn in the class.

Second, i was provoked by the idea that technology to teachers today is as reading and writing was 30 years ago. I agree with this statement to an extent. Yes, you will be extremely hindered in today world if you do not know your way around a computer, but you will not be incapable of teaching. Just the level of education you will be providing will be lower than that of a computer savvy educator.

Social Media Count

The social media counter created by Gary Hayes is just another example of the relevance of technology in today’s life. One thing that struck me as intriguing on this counter is the hours of video uploaded to YouTube. It made me think back to the first video of EDM310 called “Did You Know 3.0”. The part about China Building a wire capable of handling some trillion bytes per second seamed amazing but pointless to me at the time. 

Watching the counter as I type this blog makes me realize the use of this wire. Also makes me appreciate the fact the it will be continually getting faster and capable of handling more. Apart from YouTube, the advertisements and global messaging alone show the revenue produced by technology. That alone should be a reason to lean about technology and ways to further improve it.

Blog Post #2

Did You Know 3.0
The video "Did You Know 3.0" by Karl Fisch literally took me by surprise. Many of the statistics that I saw really made me think about the world today and how much it is changing. The speed of technology is growing everyday such as the high speed cable being built in china that is expected to double for the next 20 years! Another portion of the video that i found interesting was that by the time a student reaches their third year of study, all of the information learned in the first year would be outdated.

I showed my little brother (who just graduated high school) this video and he was just as shocked as I was. Anything and everything you want to know in todays world, you simply Google it. It seems crazy to think back to what America used to be like. If you wanted to send a message you had to have a man on a horse deliver it. Now with Myspace and Facebook, it takes less than a second.  I really liked this video and recommend it to anyone that has not seen it.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
I really like the comparison in this video of what is used in the world today versus what is being taught in the classroom. I understand that students need the basics in high school, but by the time 10th grade is reached students classes should be more focused on material relevant to what they aspire to be. For instance, no doctor or dentist needs to know about English literature involving the Canterbury Tales and such. They should be more focused on their field and the technology in it.

I have however noticed teachers making strives to incorporate technology into the classroom. I had a class this past week where a teacher used a Smart Board. It was the first time i have ever seen a projector that displayed on a touch screen.  I have also noticed teachers using Ipads to give lectures from, and instead of teaching from Powerpoint. Sadly, i have only noticed this change in college, not so much in the local high schools. I really agree with the point of the video and getting technology into the students hands.

The Importance of Creativity
I really enjoyed hearing Ken Robinson speak. He has a great theory on creativity and this theory should be modeled by all of todays educators. When a teacher becomes angry with a student and passes them off for misbehaving, they could be passing off the next Shakespeare of this world. Its hard to let a child reach their full potential if a teacher is hindering their creativity.

I like the story of the dancer that just could not sit still. Fidgeting for this little girl lead her to a successful career in music, dance, and playwriting. Every student is different and sometime i think teachers forget that. They feel like if they teach something in a class and a few people understand it then everyone should. I hope that teachers of today will use more of Sir Robinson's methods and install confidence and creativity in their students.

Cecelia Gault Interview
This interview raised some great questions that had some fantastic answers from Sir Robinson. One point of the interview that stuck out to me was the "balance of curriculum" comment made by Sir Robinson. In America, for someone to make a career in music or the arts is almost looked at as the same  probability of becoming a professional athlete. People try to focus on math and science in order to get a good job in todays economy. Thus, students loose their sense of creativity and drive to do something different as they grow older.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video is a prime example of teachers incorporating technology into todays classrooms. Ms. Davis has her class connected with student from all over the world. Another thing that impresses me is the location of their school. Many of these student have probably never used this type of technology and never would if it were not for a teacher like Ms. Davis.

For many student living in small towns such as the one in Georgia grow up thinking they will just get a job in their local town after high school. I really believe that when a student is introduced and connected to the world as this class has been that they gain confidence. With this confidence they feel as though they can go out into the world and make a difference.

Wordle Project #2

Wordle About me

About Me Blog Post #1

My name is Heath Morris and I am 21 years old. I have lived in Mobile Alabama all of my life. I graduated from St. Paul's Episcopal School and played baseball my freshman for Mississippi College. I love being outdoors, on the water, or anything competitive. I am double majoring in elementary education as well as special education. I discovered that I wanted to become a teacher about a year ago when i was in nursing school. I worked as a Nursing Assistant at Mobile Infirmary for close to a year while is was in school. I spent time and had hands on experiences with many patients in my time there. I always enjoyed instructing as well as informing them about hospital policies, procedures,  and medications.

One night while at work I talked with a patient who had been a nurse all her life but wished she had been a 6th grade science teacher. She went on to say that she wished she would have just done what would have made her happy instead of thinking about her pay check at the end of the week. I have always wanted to coach baseball and teach but I have always been reluctant to do it because of the money. In this conversation I realized that while you are spending your short time on this earth, you should do what makes you happy.

Practice Post

My First Post