Final Post

PLN Final

After looking back at my PLN that I created earlier this semester I do not feel that my PLN has changed too much. I still have the typical Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Skype. I also have started using many of the Google options much more because I have found how useful they can be. Now I think about not only what I can do my homework on, but how I can implement google docs or google sites with my homework. iGoogle has been a great find for me because everything that I use is right there when I pull up the internet. As I have gotten closer to finishing my degree and closer to my first job I have thought about how I can use my PLN to aid in my teaching and make my job easier. I have also thought about becoming on of those sports fans that blogs about their favorite teams. I have always wanted to be a sports writer and this seems like an easy logical option. This will also give me a chance to reach out to others from all across the country and potentially create new relationships. I look forward to the seeing what other things I can add to my PLN that will benefit me in the future.

Final Project

C4T#4 Summary

I was assigned to comment on a blog by a teacher in Sydney called "Classroom Chronicles."

The first post that I commented on was titled, "Thinking in the Classroom."  In this post she discussed how her students have begun blogging and using a class blog to open their minds and get the students to think for themselves.  Over the past summer she had attended a conference in New Zealand where a speaker talked about using smart phones and other technologies in the classroom.  Through her blog she asked her students and their parents to comment and give their opinion to this idea.  She listed a few of the comments that both teachers, students, and parents have given and they were all valid points.  She concludes by asking what we think can be done with this teaching tool.  Should we continue to ban them?  If not how can we use them while making sure the students are not youtubing or texting their friends?

I responded by saying:
"I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.  This is a great idea and more teachers should be open to using ipads and other technologies as well because it can be such a great teaching tool.  However, I do understand where people come from when saying that those that cannot afford an ipad will not see the benefits.  That is why I feel that if a school is open to the idea of using these devices for teaching then they (the school) must be the buyer and provide them for their students.  This way every students has access to one.  When should these devices be used?  Well like everything in the world there is a time and place for everything.  These devices should be kept away until the time when they were needed.  And personally I feel that if it was ok to have smartphones and ipads that it will continue to be a problem, but not to the degree that it is now."


The second post that I commented on was the bloggers' personal picks for the 2010 Edublogs awards. The awarded areas that edublogs recognize are: Best Individual Blog, Best New Blog, Best Class Blog, Best Student Blog, Best Resource Sharing Blog, Most Influential Blog, Best Teacher Blog, Best Librarian Blog, Best Educational Blog, Best Educational Wiki, Best Educational Podcast, and Lifetime Achievement.

I commented with:
"Thanks for sharing these great blogs. I have not looked at all of these blogs (YET!), but of the ones that I have looked at I can see why you have nominated these are your personal picks. These are all great places to find lots of useful information for teachers."

C4K #8-# Summary

C4K #8:

I was assigned to comment on a student from Bryant HS named Rikimaru's blog. In the blog post they took a picture of some big guns on a ship and made the picture in black and white. The student ask what we would name the picture. I responded with:

"Hello,
I am also a student from the University of South Alabama. This picture is awesome! I like taking photographs on the side sort of as a hobby. Black and white pictures are my favorite simply because of the cool effects it creates. As for a name for your photo I would say, "A Look From the Past." I just get the sense that because it is black and white it is old and way back in history.

Great job!!!"

C4K #9:

I responded to a post by a girl name Nicole. In her post she blogged about a book that she recently read called "Welcome to the Club" by Martyn Godfrey. In the story the main character is asked to help this new nerdy person around school. The new student gets the main character in trouble, but in the end they become great friends.

I responded with:
"Hey Nicole,

I am a student from the University of South Alabama where I am learning how blogging and other types of technology are used in the classroom. In the class we are assigned to comment on students' blogs from all over the world, which I think is really cool. The book you read sounds like an event that happened in my life. I was asked to help a new student out if they needed help. The problem was is that I thought they were really odd and we would not get along. Surprisingly we became the best of friends and still are years later."

C4K#10:

In this post the students were asked by their teacher to complete an assignment through a blog post answer the three questions specified. Two were serious question related to the class. The final question however was just a simple question asking what they were thankful for to get the students to respond.

"Hello Kacie,

I am a student from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It has been a long time since I have learned polynomials, but your response is very clear and easy for me to understand. I also totally agree with you. I am always thankful for the great friends I have!"

C4K #11:

I commented on a student named Melissa's blog. She posted about how her school had canceled for the day because it had started snowing. I responded with:

"Hello Mellisa,

I am a student from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I am 22 years old and all through school I can remember only one day that we got off for snow. That one day was last year. The crazy about it was that only about an inch and a half of snow and they canceled school. It really did make me laugh considering it was so little yet there were so many accidents. It continues to amaze me how drastically different across the world."

Yasmine's Blog Post:

She blogged about a picture of her feeding a horse and all the adventures should went on that day. However, she forgot to post the picture into the blog so we only had the text to comment on.

"I am also attending the University of South Alabama. We can't see the picture, but from the way you talk about the experience it is very obvious that you had a great time. It is always nice when you can get out and take a few minutes from the busy world to 'stop and smell the roses'"

Blog Post #13

ALEX stands for the Alabama Learning Exchange where teachers or even students can go and find very helpful and useful information. For teachers they even have lesson plans for subjects of all sorts. The program was started by the Alabama Department of Education as a way for teachers to share different types of educational materials and information all at one location.
Teachers are able to communicate with one another through the site. The site not only offers lesson plans, but also there are links to interactive resources for the classroom. Under the courses of study portion of the site the subjects are broken down from arts education to physical education to driver education and many other courses. Under each division there are smaller, more specific subjects. The site even has material for all levels of students. Each course has available web resources, lesson plans, and a section for podcasts that can be used. The site has a section for teachers title personal workspace where they can have their own space to share their own personal ideas and teaching plans.
Personally I really like that program and I am completely astonished at all the available material to the public for FREE! Now that I know this site exist I am bookmarking it on my computer for use when I have finished my degree and get a job of my own.

Project #15

Progress Report for Project 15

For project 15 I am working in a group with Len Jenkins and Jameson Branch.  We will create a video explaining how we will each use technology in our classrooms.  By having a group discussion we will be able to give feedback to one another and other ideas that they give us that we can incorporate into our classes.

Project #6

In my results for project #6 I learned many surprising things. I sent a form asking questions concerning the parking situation at the University of South Alabama and if they thought a parking complex would be a good idea as some students have voiced interest in.

I found out that 18 of 22 of the responses I received were from females. 82% (or 18) of those that responded were part of the Junior class. This was an interesting stat in my opinion because I am actually part of the Senior class where there was not a single responder. By far the most surprising thing I learned in doing this summary is that all but 3 of the 22 responders have housing on campus. I also live on campus and thought that this number would have been much higher.

Not surprisingly however many of the students park in the south parking zone. On a scaled answer from 1 to 10 the majority (82%) of students say that parking in their zone was a 4 or higher (10 being the worst). 64% of students (or 14 of 22) think the University should construct a new parking garage, but when asked where the garage should be located no two people had the same location in mind. Being that parking is a problem and it is free at the Mitchell Center I was surprised when only 8 students (36%) said they did utilize this facility.

As seen through my form analysis students think that parking is a problem and a new garage would be appreciated. However, no one agrees on where a garage needs to be placed to help ease the pains of parking at South.

Response Summary

Blog Post #12

Assignment: Look at this list of blogs on the topic of technology in the music classroom. Look at several of these blogs. Pick one of these blogs and find one article to give comments on. I recommend looking for a blog post that gives a few programs that can be used to aid in the teaching of music in the classroom.

http://www.onlinedegrees.org/top-15-music-education-blogs/

Now I am completing my created assignment:

I choose an article from the blog be a techie. In this article the author Carlos Broos talks about some of the programs and new technologies that he used over the summer of 2010. The first product on this list is the ipad. He uses this in the classroom as well as meeting and conferences to take notes and show videos. He uses a website created by Dr. Joseph M. Pisano called Music Personal Learning Networking where music educators can share different ideas to implement in their classes. He list several more programs and sites that he used and how they can be used by teachers to make their jobs easier and a better teacher.

Blog Post #11

First of all let me say that these kids totally amaze me. They are talking... like adults! I would have never guessed that these kids are 1st graders. It made me laugh when one child said that they wrote in their books, but they really like writing in their blogs. Another thing is that these kids are from Canada.

Should the U.S. re-think the way they look at education. This video makes it seem like these kids are far beyond American first graders. How many American first graders can create a wiki or even know what a wiki is. These kids are learning how to direct videos, teamwork on projects, and how to put their ideas together to make videos. Does anyone else find this a little crazy? And what is this... they are using their Nintendo DS' to learn? Is that possible? Would schools in the U.S. even consider the thought of using "video games" in their classrooms for education? More than likely not. In the interview with Ms. Cassidy I really like the part where she talked about how she has had several principals and they have all allowed her to continue the program. It really makes me happy to see that there are several principals out there that will listen to their teachers.

Project #14

C4K #3-7 Summary

I have really found that these comments on kids blogs are actually fun. I enjoy how the teachers seem to comment on every one of the students' post. In C4K #3 I watched a video that a student put together. I have forgotten how wild and crazy children's imaginations can be. In post #4 I was assigned to a student that posted about her dog. She even posted a picture of her dog. This student is in the 6th grade and I was shocked at how well the student wrote. The post was very well written and honestly much better than my writing at her age. C4K #5 the student posted on how they wanted to start using sites such as glogster to start following some of her favorite bands. This post made me happy because I felt like because of the student blogging and using technology in the classroom she was able to come across sites like glogster. In post #6 the student post what some of her favorite things were. I commented by telling some of my favorite things. Post #7 was a class blog where the teacher had posted the study guide for one of their upcoming test. I told him that being a student as well it was very much appreciated when study guides and other important materials were posted online.

C4T #3 Summary

Post #1:

In Lisa's post she blogs about easybib and how it has been added to the applications on Google Marketplace. She gives a few reasons why easybib is so great and especially now since you can now sign on through google. She has also embeded a youtube video showing what easybib can do. I commented by saying:

"Great post Lisa! I am glad to see that there are educators out there that like easybib. I have used it in the past and really liked the site. However, some professors are against students using easybib on assignments. I feel that by having it added to the Google Marketplace it says something about the site."

Post #2:

In the second post she talks about how the week before she was supposed to give a session on a tool that she had been using, she found out that the tool was about to be shut down. She ask if this has ever happened to anyone and what they did in that situation. I responded with:


"Hey Lisa,
Another great post Lisa! This post has really made me come to a major realization. What would I do if some of the important sites I used suddenly shut down? This semester I have used dropbox and other tools quite a bit. Obviously this has never happened to me before, but it is really something I should start thinking about. People really do need a Plan B in emergency situations.
Thank you for possibly saving my life from a possibly major technological situation."

Blog Post #10

Response to "An Open Letter to Educators" by Morgan Bayda:

I totally agree with the comments by Dan Brown in his video as well as Morgan's article. I too find it incredibly hard to stay awake, much less give the instructor any of my attention. Classes today are so... expected. 99% of the classes today are basically the same. Students show up, teacher talks, students take notes, and then class is dismissed. The teachers do almost all of the talking and I feel that this is mainly because the students are so busy taking notes that they do not have time to think about what they are 'learning.' Students are allowed to ask questions or come up with their own thoughts because there is so much required material that must be covered. I feel that classrooms should be sort of like an open forum where students are able to interact with each other and gather thoughts. Thanks to technology the instructor could even create a website where students can ask questions or continue discussions online outside of the classroom. School is also hindering my education because the subjects have been taught the same way for decades. Granted that some subjects cannot be taught in a different way, but teachers can find something to spark students interest. I completely understand and agree with Dan Brown. I have no problem with people quiting school because in some cases the education can far exceed that in the school. Students today aren't given near enough opportunities to open their minds to... the world!


Response to "Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home" by Tom Johnson:

This was a really interesting post and I am also hard to find it very hard to comment on. The one main thing that I have realized is that teachers and administration need to realize that we all expand our knowledge even when 'playing hangman.' Learning comes in many forms and many individuals do not realize that they are indeed learning something.

Response to "Two Questions That Can Change Your Life" by Daniel Pink:

I really liked this video and it has made me think more than most post that we have looked at this summer. It took me quite a while to come up with my sentence, but I did come up with one. "He made the best out of every situation and life." I say that because it is true. I don't have the best life and I'm not perfect, but I try my hardest to do well in all that I do.

Skype Interview

TimeToast Project: Instructional Timeline

Blog Post #9

In blog post #9 we were supposed to summarize Mr. McClung's article, "What I've Learned This Year.":

Mr. McClung explains what he learned after his first year of teaching at an elementary school in Missouri.
First, he explains that while in school getting his degree he lost track of what his job was as the one given lectures or instructions. He began worrying more about what his fellow peers/teachers thought about him instead of what the students were getting from him. I feel that this is for the most part correct, but unlike Mr. McClung I feel that many teachers do not realize this after just one year.
Next, he talks about how he realized that he was trying to teach the perfect lecture and forgot about him most important role as a teacher. He explains that teachers must learn to become flexible with their students because often they will not understand everything you cover and after re-teaching some of the material you will lose track of the 'perfect plans.' I feel that this can be worked around if teachers have a general outline of the things that need to be gone over for a particular day. If this material is not covered on that day then I will make sure to plan the next day around what was missed so there is no material missed.
The next point he talks about is communication. Personally I have learned that by communicating with someone about problems make things so much easier in the long run. It may not be easier at the time, but by talking things over it really does make things go smoothly as Mr. McClung has pointed out.
Mr. McClung's next point is one that I feel we get from college professors and take it with us back to grade school as teachers. Some teachers really do make their standards too high while some remember those days when they were students and recall the situations students' faced in school. By being 'reasonable' as McClung puts it you will have a much more positive reaction from students and they will be much more productive in your classroom.
The next point is one that I have really learned a lot about this semester thanks to this class. Teachers must learn to use technology and not be afraid of it. It has been created for us to use and benefit our students so that they may learn in easier/more exciting ways compared to a text book.
Being in college with over 100 students in classrooms it becomes much harder to know each student personally, but McClung talks about how good teachers listen to their students. By having their classmates or teacher there for them when they need to be heard it makes students feel important and cared about. It also makes students more likely to talk about personal problems in those particular situations.
McClung closes with what I consider to be him most important point of the entire article. As teachers we never stop learning. There are so many things he learned in his first of teaching and I am not a full-time or even part-time teacher yet, but in thinking like a teacher I feel that I have learned many great things that some teachers never realized. By learning from other teachers and reading articles like Mr. McClung's I have learned how to be a much better teacher than I could have ever imagined. By looking at other's experiences I have learned what the many pitfalls are and how they can be avoided so to Mr. McClung and the many others sharing their reflections I say, "Thank you."

Project #11

Blog Post #8

Response to Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2:

Mr. Miller's first major point that really made me begin to think is when he talks about growing up with books. I never really thought about it before, but I always imagined growing up that I, as well as my children, would use all though school. Growing up I never dreamed that most of my homework would be completed on these things called computers. It never crossed my mind that I would not use a book to gather the necessary information needed for a research paper. Mr. Miller explains that he composed a paper after the Virginia Tech shootings without stepping foot in a library. This really made me start thinking about what all is really out there on the web.

Another great point he makes is that teachers must understand that technology is a phenomenal tool that they must learn to use. Therefore, teachers must work with each other and share ideas over the web. Sharing ideas makes EVERYONE'S life easier. It is also cheaper to post ideas through blogs or other websites, than to travel to conferences where the same material could be covered. This is also where Skype could be implemented. By sharing these thoughts between one another it would greatly improve the quality of teachers out there today.

One point that Mr. Miller does not directly discuss, but he crossed my mind while watching this videos is the idea that as the population grows each day. The number of students in schools gets larger and larger and the number of teachers to teach these children is getting smaller and smaller. This creates a larger number of students per classroom and the quality of teaching can only go down. How can teachers today keep track of all these students? Hmm.... I wonder?! Maybe by using computers to complete class assignments things might be easier and overall better. If only teachers knew how things could be different for the better.

That being said I feel that personally I am prepared to teach students by using the multimedia/technological sources. I also feel that my students will be more than capable of using them as well. The future generations will be able to completely blow the minds of my generation when we become teachers because they will understand how to do so much more than we do now.

2.

I think it would be really cool to come up with a video like this, but I do not have any ideas to throw out there. Given some serious time (weeks) to think about it I know I could come up with something. Nonetheless, it would be a really cool project.

3.

I understand that if there are smartboards and they have problems they will encounter, but overall they are cheaper than books. The article I have found that counters the original blog post by Michael Staton is listed below. This article makes contains many bullet points FOR the use of smartboards. Some of the most important of these points being that they accommodate many learning styles and they are "a colorful tool. Research indicates that students respond to displays where color is employed." All reasons, in my opinion, that smartboards should be used in schools.

Additional Assignment #2

1. Yes, I feel that if someone is motivated enough they can teach themselves or search for information so that they can learn.
2. Yes, I do not feel that age has anything to do with if one is motivated or not. For example, in the video the children not only taught themselves how to use the computer, but within two weeks they were playing a game on disney.com.
3.  I feel that kids can learn in any sort of conditions.  You just have to grab their attention and spark their interest for them to be teachable by someone.  This also holds true for themselves, they just need to become interested.
4.  Computers can be a great teaching tool for teaching as we have seen.  The internet opens up so many doors for its users.  If a question comes about all that has to be done is google search and the answer will be found as well as new question yet to be answered.
5. Motivation is how our knowledge expands.  Without having motivation we don't learn anything and we have no desire to expand our minds.  We must have desire to do something and learn all we can about it so we thus are motivated to learn.  The two really go hand in hand.
6.  By being presented with a problem the student then becomes motivated to answer that question.  They then take the question and research it through google.  Like I said before this not only may answer the quesiton, but also creates many more questions that students wish to answer.  Simply the question opens up the mind of the student by using technology to find answers and more information.
7.  Like I said before, to motivate someone to learn you must find something that sparks their interest.  One student found interest in the Hindu religion and created a report on it.  As long as they are interested the students will find new things to learn.
8.  I am motivated to learn by not being good at something.  If I struggle to understand something I find myself motivated to find out more and grasp whatever the topic is.  I also am motivated when something that I already know a fair amount about or find myself interested in has changed or been updated or has somehow reached the news (such as sports).
9.  These people can learn, but it is much more difficult and they will learn tremendously less than students that do want to learn.  These students may have difficulty learning because they could have disorders, but many times they have found nothing that sparks their interest and thus do not want to learn.
10.  Everyone teaches themselves in some form or fashion.  I teach myself how to play selections of trumpet concertos or how to attach files to an email.  We teach ourselves something new everyday in many various ways.  We may not realize it, but our inner teacher comes out to teach ourselves something daily.
11.  Teachers play a major role in my learning.  Without teachers to teach us new things and to expand our minds and introduce us to many different things we would not find near as many things that sparked our interest and motivate us to learn more.
12.  Technology cannot replace the teacher, but technology can work with the teacher in educating the students.
13.  What about American children?  If the same studies documented in the video were done in the U.S. would the same results be concluded or would there be drastic differences?  I say this because we have technology around us compared to children of India that do not.

PLN 1st post

My PLN is slowly coming together.  I have the usual sites such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Skype.  I also have several school websites in my PLN.  Lately I have begun using igoogle, google documents and gmail to connect with my fellow classmates rather than Facebook.  When I started this class I didn't really look to the internet as much as I do now to work on my assignments.  Since we have started doing the C4_ comments I feel that I have began to reach out to other people by commenting when I need help or have questions.  My PLN has grown so much recently and I cannot wait to see how it will continue to grow with time.

Individual Timeline

C4T#2 Summary

Post #1

My teachers post was about a program she had recently found a free program that can edit pictures. Being a teacher she knows that some students do not like to be photographed and when they do get photographed the picture can not be used because they are in it. This program makes it easy for teachers (or anyone) to edit pictures and remove unwanted things from the original.

"Thanks Ann! This is such a great find because it is so versatile and can be used for any photograph. I am in the process of getting my music education degree, and I am also in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 course. I know how frustrating it can be when you can't photograph a student for a class picture since my mom is a retired kindergarten teacher. It may not be perfect, but it is still free and free is always good."

Post #2

The 2nd post was about her discovery of bookmarking pages in pdf files. She explained, in detail a step-by-step description of how to bookmark these pages. She also explains how she also discovered how to easily open a new page while keeping the original page open as well.

"Thanks again for another great post Mrs. Carnevale. I get so annoyed at having to search through page after page when dealing with a pdf file. I knew that bookmarks are available online, but it never crossed my mind to use bookmarks for pdf files. You have made my life so much easier and I will be sharing this breakthrough with my fellow classmates.

Aaron
Student at the University of South Alabama"

Blog Post #7

Response to Randy Paush's "Last Lecture":

Since I have began college I have had to watch this lecture for one of my classes each year. Every time I watch the lecture I find new things to think about. I feel that through his speech he makes his one 75 minute lecture fun and keeps the audiences focus consistently on his speech. Not only is he an amazing public speaker, but he also uses many great teaching techniques thorough his speech. While giving his speech he also talks about different teaching techniques that he uses in his classroom.

I really enjoy Randy's speech because he is such a great speaker which helps. He seems very confident with his lecture and knows where he is going with every topic which keeps our (the listeners) attention. He also brings humor in and out of his lecture which can be a great technique when trying to keep the students attention.

Randy uses technology in several great ways with his lecture. First of all he begins his speech with a short introduction followed by his first major point and an outline over the projector. Personally I feel that having an outline to go along with at the beginning of a lecture keeps me from getting totally lost. He also puts pictures on the projector so that the listeners can stay interested and also get a better understanding of topics (i.e. childhood, pictures from events along the way).

The biggest point he makes in his speech is his 'head fake'. By getting his audience to focus on one thing he indirectly gets his listeners to learn or think about something else. By learning how to use this teaching technique you can teach students so much more. Using Randy as an example he gave this lecture to his audience. However, he in fact 'head faked' everyone. He ended by saying that people have been asking if he is leaving anything for his children. The 'head fake' was that the speech was written for his children.

By watching this speech a teacher can pick up several teaching techniques that can be, when used in the proper ways, very effective with students. From Randy's speech we gather the uses of technology can be greatly helpful. He used technology to show the listeners his outline as well as photographs and graphics to aid in his lecture.

Blog Post #6

Response to "The Networked Student" by Wendy Drexler:

First of all I thought this video was one of the coolest that we have seen thus far this semester. To answer the question of whether I am ready to teach a networking student? Well... I am not entirely sure. Since I am a student now and I consider myself to be somewhat computer savvy I can easily teach these networking students.

Being a music education major I feel that we (music majors) can be considered more networking students' than most students of other majors. I say this because we use use technology to complete many of our assignments. When the video says that the students uses social networks to "connect with other people to strengthen the learning process." Well I recently had a first hand experience of this. After a guest artist came to perform at USA. After the concert I was talking to one of the band members and we are now talking through email and facebook. He has helped me enter a whole new world of art and music and maybe one day a potential employer.

I also already use many types of search engines when completely my personal assignments. My fellow classmates do not go to the extent as to share our links with one another, but we do talk about the the things we do find. We also use itunes and other forms of media other than audio in my classes just like the 21st century student.

The video does explain many interesting ways that students can use technology, but in many different ways we are already living in this age. People need to wake up and realize that the future really is now and that is not just a saying. It is really easy to do all of this if one knows what they are doing with the computer. There aren't very many courses at South that work quite like this students' class, but teachers need to begin setting their curriculum around technology because it how the world works these days.

Response to "Welcome to My PLE"

One thing that I realize is that when the students mentioned having the 'freedom' to do the assignments through the internet. So does this student mean that they enjoy doing their homework since they have the freedom to conduct their research online and many interesting methods to gather facts. I feel that whether it is a 7th grader or a college student there really is not that much of a difference in their PLE. At least for me personally it is much of the same as the student discussed in the video.

Response to "The Machine is Changing Us"

There really is rapid change happening. For example, look on tv and you find more and more shows that give people self-fulfillment and the new media is changing us in many ways. We are getting bored or "meh" with the now and we are using youtube and facebook to change everything around us. I really have never thought about how much youtube and these other outlets have changed how we view and receive things. Especially i.e. choosing which school to go to, but people are truly much more open because it is so much easier to explain things and open up to a camera rather than face-to-face with a real person. Another example of this opening of people today? The "Free Hugs Man!"

Project #8

Podcast

Blog Post #5

The first podcast I choose to watch was "Eagles' Nest Radio: Episode #3":

I was shocked at how young this students were. These students were 3rd graders creating podcast. I have to ask, "Why can't many of the teachers do this when 3rd graders can?" In this particular podcast the students of this class gave us a very informative and interesting podcast on the Ancient Romans. The students discussed their listeners about many cool facts such as Cleopatra is in fact from Greece and not Rome. They also talked about things that were constructed by the ancient Romans and many of the inventions they created such as aqueducts and amphitheaters. Not only has the class posted podcast about the Ancient Romans, but they have also made podcast about famous explorers through time and a podcast with shark facts.

Podcast viewed #2, "Langwitches":

This was a link to a website devoted to sharing articles about podcasting in the classroom. The most recent article was posted by, I'm assuming, another teacher about a class of 4th graders she was asked to talk concerning podcasts. The class then began putting their ideas together on a smart board and they students were asked to create their own story out of the ideas mentioned. After turning them in the class would vote on their favorite to use in their podcast. I thought this was a really interesting way to use podcast in the classroom and could be done with students at any grade level. Then the students were able to take different jobs to put the podcast together and produce it.

Podcast viewed #3, "The Educational Podcast Network, Ace Kids":

This website's purpose is to help students and teachers come together from all over the world and share their work that they do through podcasting. I choose to listen to some elementary school students work. I understood that these podcast were from 2005 , but I had not realized until after I had started listening to the podcast that these students were in fact from Australia. I was not only amazed at the great work that did with their podcast, but I was very impressed with the professionalism that the students portrayed when speaking. They cited their sources and even thanked people that helped them create the podcast. I thought about several podcast ideas I could do with my class. For example, in one of their first podcasts they researched and discussed the history of their city and what it was like. They used several sound effects in each of their podcasts to make them even more interesting and used music in each podcast to keep things from getting boring.

Blog Post #4

Response to "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?" by Scott McLeod:

I agree and disagree with this post on many levels. In starts off by saying do not teach our children to read. Well first of all we cannot do that for obvious reasons. We have to teach our youth how to be literate otherwise our future will be... who knows? The article then discusses how we should not teach our children how to connect, no social networking or blogging or twitter. I agree in saying that the youth today are given way too much access to the world through the internet though social networks. There are many things that should be blocked from our youth, but there really is nothing we can do. However, as we have seen in our class there are many great things that can come from the internet and networking with other people. Cell phones are a hot button people with many people and I do not like kids having them today, because kids do not need a cell phone. I see a cell phone as a big responsibility and kids today are often not ready for that responsibility. However, cell phones can be a great tool in the end. I feel like the article makes valid points, but the reality is that there is nothing that can be done about any of it.

Dr. Scott McLeod is the director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE).

Response to "The iSchool Initiative"

My thoughts on this ischool ideas is neither negative nor positive. First of all I disagree with the idea entirely for one reason. If it happens and schools do not spend the money on books or paper then what will happen to these companies. These companies rely on schools for much of their business. If this iSchool idea did become a reality the economy would be completely thrown for a whirl. Many businesses would go bankrupt because schools would not be spending the money. And more than likely if schools were not spending money then they would get a lot less in their budgets to spend on the things that they do need to buy like food or teacher's paychecks.

Also I think about people that cannot learn through this single method. Through my personal expiereince I have found ways that I can learn and ways that do not work for me. They may work for me, but may not work for the person sitting next to me. I have found that I have some interesting methods to help me when I am preparing for a test or preparing music for a recital. We are all different and learn differently so having to use an iSchool to take notes, complete homework assignments, and talk with my teacher. Yes the idea is easier in many ways, but for the majority of people this will not work for them compared to the 'difficult' methods we use today.

Response to "The Lost Generation":

First of all I this has to be one of the coolest videos I have ever seen! The problem is that I personally feel like part of what was stated in this video is already true in today's society. I feel like a lot of people have their priorities out of order already. Looking around society today some people think to be successful you must be wealthy and have a steady income. Everybody does anything for an extra buck so they are away from the sit down family dinners. This is just one of several points that was made in this video that I feel is true today, but then again as it is read backwards I feel that the youth of today is exactly like it says. The youth of this 'Lost Generation' has many great things to look forward to and is highly under appreciated by the older generations because they are "going against the grains" with new ideas such as the iSchool idea.

Response to the "Virtual Choir" by Eric Whitacre:

Being a music major and a big fan of the music of Eric Whitacre I have already heard of this project from it's beginning stages. I thought that he has realized and opened a completely new world for not only music and performances, but for education in general. By creating this project Eric has shown how not only musical performance can be created outside of the usual concert hall, but that it can be fairly simple to bring people from all over the world together, teach these 'pupils' the necessary materials, and conclude with a great performance.

Presentation - All About Aaron Fiveash

C4T#1 Summary

My teachers most recent blog discusses and gives tips on things to check on when making a podcast, interview, or any other audio recording. There were five points total that he made. Of the points mentioned they were as simple as remembering to charge the battery to your camera or as complex as making sure not to talk when the interviewer is talking so the speaker can be heard clearly. I have never thought about how difficult it could be to make a 'perfect' recording while trying to be the least bit artistic or completely natural.

Thanks for the tips! They seem like such simple things, but when trying to do any type of interview or audio recording there are so many other things going on or running through your brain. I know I always overlook some minute detail.

The second blog post that I commented on was about podcast and audio editing software with some really interesting articles and links. Considering on what if podcast are an option in my classroom these may become a huge help in the future. He also gives links to helps, guides, and tutorials on programs that I use already such as Garage Band and Audacity. He also talks about a new audio editor called Myna by Aviary. He closes by giving an article that gives hard conclusive evidence to how podcast actually do help in the classroom. I commented on this post by saying:

Once again I come to your blog and find more great and useful information. I really enjoy all the links and references that you give to many different programs. For example, I use Audacity on a weekly basis and I understand how the programs works, but the link for the tutorial has been a great help. Thanks for all the great information in this post!

Blog Post #3

Response to "A Vision of Students Today" by Michael Wesch:

Watching the video by Michael Wesch to me is not entirely all facts. Yes it is a project done by students through surveys and group discussion I'm assuming, but I have several problems with the research compiled. First, all the students are from the same university. To me it would be best if several students from many universities came together on the project because not all schools are the same. Looking at some of the signs they shown I have to disagree with the majority of them. I do know send 500 emails a year or read 49% of my books. I do not sit in class on facebook or even spend 3.5 hours on it a day and I know for a fact I do not eat for 2 hours a day. Yes I could see some exceptions, but those days are very rare these days.

As far as adding anything further to this research I can only think of a few more aspects that could be added. I know, speaking personally, I try to spend as much time with my family as possible. Family was not mentioned at all. I spend at the least an hour a week with my parents and completely and totally away from school work. My family lives about 45 minutes away so it is hard to see them, but some students see their families more than I do. Also, going out on other events are not included such as dates or musical concerts. Other students are involved in different things. Personally I felt the study was interesting, but not entirely accurate in many different ways.

Response to "It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines:

Once again I find myself totally re-thinking my what I have previously concluded about education today. I agree with Kelly that teachers are not in the 21st century when the students they teach are. I feel like many teachers today have a bad case of tunnel vision. They were taught a certain way all through school, their colleagues teach the same way, and that is the only way to teach. If they would simply take a step back and view teaching from an 'outsiders' prospective they would see that it really does not have to be this way. That is why all educators must live in the now and use the technological resources around them.

I view being an educator along the lines of being a doctor or a scientist. The field is changing everyday, new information is being acknowledged so to be a great doctor they must learn these things and educate themselves so they acquires this knowledge. They can then teach or perform this information later for their peers or students. However, with everything previously being said teachers need to remember where their roots are. The basic principles of anything never change, 2 + 2 will always = 4, but how this can be taught and what can be used to teach this can/will/do everyday. Teachers must not rely on technology in the classroom, but use it in a way their students can easily relate to. This makes it easier for them to understand or find ways to understand.

Response to "Is It OK to be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?" by Karl Fisch:

I feel like the article creates many valid points. In our class we have focused so intently on getting teachers to open up and use technology in the classroom, but Mr. Fisch brings us back to reality. Technology is a key to the future in the classroom, but not THE key. Teachers should find ways to implement computers and online activities into the classroom, but technology is not the answer to everything.

Not only that, but I feel that the first step that needs to be taken to get teachers to use technology is by the administration. I feel that many teachers, especially outside the college level, do not use computers because they do not know how to use them. Teachers today are required to take a computer class for their degrees, but what about those older generation teachers. They more than likely do not know how to use a computer. They must learn how to use these technologies before they can expect their students to be able to do it.

Response to "Social Media Count" by Gary Hayes:

The first thing that I think about when seeing these stats is that I can these stats did not even exist just a few years ago. The internet for starts, but think about facebook, twitter, youtube, and x box all did not exist 10 years ago. What will things be like in another 10 years from now... what about 20 years from now. Apple just came out with the ipad so what is next the ipalm? As far as in the field of education I feel like more and more classes will become used online since we use computers so much today. Who knows, maybe 100 years from now we may not even has schools or universities anymore. I honestly am scared at where education is going for my child and my grandchildren.

Blog Post #2

Response to "Did You Know?" 3.0 by Karl Fisch:

I was not sure what to expect when I started watching this video. At the end of the video I could not believe some of the statistics that I read. I caught myself having to back the video up on a few occasions to read the facts again due to disbelief. I now feel like Americans have this image of how things really are, but the truth is that far from this image. For example, the fact that 25% of India's population with the highest IQ is greater than the total population of the entire United States. Meaning India has more honors students than Americans have students. The very next fact in the video is that the top 10 jobs in demand this year did not exist just six years earlier.

The final question that we are left is, "What have we learned?" Well... What have we learned? I feel like the world is growing at such a rapid rate around us and we cannot keep up. Americans feel that with our ipads and touchscreen cell phones that we are at the "top of the world." Well this video proves that in fact, WE ARE NOT! Our knowledge is growing, but we have such a long way to go. There is so much out there that we have yet to discover. Many people do not realize how advance our world will be just a few short years down the road. We are preparing for a future that we really do not know what that future will be.

Response to "Mr. Winkle Wakes" by Matthew Needleman:

This video was brief and to the point which I find to be great when trying to make a point to many people. No one wants to sit and watch a half hour long video when the topic can be stated in just a few sentences. I feel that the video is a totally accurate view of the real world in every way.

After watching the video and giving it some thought I am truly shocked at how behind the education world is technologically. The world is rapidly changing around us, but in the classroom where we are shaping our future, things have not really changed. School, at its foundation, is still done the way it has been since the beginning. Yes, there are a few exceptions, but nothing close to the technological advances in almost all other areas.

Response to "Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity":

I feel like from the very beginning he sets the audience on their toes when stating that we must prepare our children for retirement 60 years from now, but we do not even know what life will be like five years from now. It really puts into perspective how rapid the world moves especially as technology advances. I really enjoy the humor throughout the speech, but honestly without the humor he would have many peoples attention. I know that he had my full attention and really had me thinking through the entirety.

Being that I am a music education major I can really relate and completely what he means when he discusses the arts in schools. I have never thought about the arts in this way before and I am totally shocked at how true this speech is. In schools today the arts programs are the first to go because they are 'not as important' as other areas such as math and reading. I feel like the world tries to be too much like each other and kids these days are not given the chance to be their true selves.

Response to "Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts":

I feel like she does a great job of incorporating technology into her classroom and her teaching. She helps the students become familiar with google and other computer programs. She explains that with technology she does not have to define every little word or topic that is discussed. If the student does not understand something they learn that the answer is at their fingertips or 'just a click away.'

I also feel that she does a great job of getting the students to be themselves. Getting them out of the classroom and connected to the world. She proves that by using technology great minds can come together from all over the world and not just the great minds in that particular classroom. She really opens up the students socially, but also opens up their minds to different cultures or ideas to any topic which in today's world is a must to be successful.

Wordle

Blog Post #1

Well, obviously my name is Aaron Fiveash. I was born in Mobile, Alabama, but I have grown up across the state line in a small but growing town called Lucedale, Mississippi. While in Lucedale I attended George County High School and then found my way to USA. Growing up I found that I found a growing interest in food and cooking, music, and teaching. My father has been a pharmacist with Wal-Mart for over 20 years and my mother before becoming a full-time mom, was a kindergarten teacher for almost 10 years. My mom's background makes it easy to understand why my concentration is in education. However, getting my degree in music education is something I enjoy now, but never dreamed I would be doing just a few years ago. I started back in the 6th grade playing the saxophone, but mid-way through high school I picked up the trumpet and for the first year or so I taught myself how to play. Basically I went from not caring at all to making music my life in about two years. I would say it is a drastic change!

I feel like being an educator is the right field for me because I enjoy taking a single individual or a large group of people and watching them grow over time in some form or fashion. In music it can be very obvious as progression is made which is also great for me because I can become very impatient sometimes, but then again how can't become impatient when you are trying to improve some skill.