Blog Assignment # 15

End of Term Self-Reflection

Project #10: PLN Final Report

Throughout the term, I have broadened my personal learning network from one in which devoted myself to studying in solitude to one in which I have a collaborative educational network with others. I have created a blog, on which I have logged all of my progress throughout the term. I have accounts for YouTube, Skype, TimeToast, Twitter, and Facebook. I have visited the blogs of fellow classmates, educators, and younger students. I have created numerous videos which I have posted on both my blog and YouTube and searched YouTube for material for this course. I have utilized the various documents available on Google Docs. One utilization would include creating and distributing a questionnaire and correlating the data. I have directed a lesson using a Smartboard, lead interviews via Skpe, and co-hosted a discussion which was put onto i-tunes. I have created a number of multimedia documents. For my final project, I lead a case study on educational handheld video games. My partner and I researched educational handheld devices and games available from LeapFrog, V-tech, and Nintendo DS via their respective official sites. I purchased handheld devices and educational games from ebay and gave them to several children to play.

Final Project: Educational Handheld Video Games

      In today's technological society, it is not uncommon to see young children absorbed in video games. Everything from the PlayStation 3 and the Wii to the Nitendo DS and the V-Reader has been introducing  the youth of day to the technology of tomorrow. But what is the overall consequences of this influx of technological capabilities being introduced to our children? What is the influence of the contents of the games being played by these children? Can these video games educate children beyond the spectrum of technology?
     With the obvious willingness of young children to "play" over "studying" in their daily routine, it is no wonder why the two have been incorporated over the years. Educational toys and games have been a parental ideal for years. With the focus of children already being glued to the screens of televisions and portable game players, why not sneak something educational in front of them? V-tech, Leap Frog, and Nintendo are leading in the revolution that is educational handheld video games. Drawing children in with their entertaining concepts, these games are geared so that children are not only learning but also desire to do so. 

 Case Study on Educational Handheld Video Games
     We carefully selected a group of children between the ages of 3-9 with various levels of exposer to video games, and educational video games, to participate in a three week study on the how effective educational handheld video games can be as an educational tool. The children's exposer to educational video games were put into three categories: play educational video games, play non-educational video games, and don't play video games. The children and their parents were interview about education, video games, and educational video games. Then, the children were either given a Nintendo DS or a Nintendo DSi. They also received educational video games which corresponded with their age and educational level.

     The parents and their children were instructed to follow the following three-week work schedule as if it were an assignment set home by the child's teacher as homework.
Week 1: Play a science, a reading, and a math game for at least 30 mins each everyday. You may spend as much time on an individual game as you want as long as each game played for at least 30 mins.
Week 2: Play a science, a reading, and a math game for at least 30 mins everyday. You may spend as much time on an individual game as you want as long as each game eventually played.
(At the end of this week, the children were taken to the store to get two additional games each of their choosing, whether it was educational or not.)
Week 3:  Play at least 30 mins everyday. You may spend as much time on any of the five games as you want. You are not required to play all of the games everyday.

(The parents of the children shown agreed to have their photos and/or videos and that of their children put online.)

-Results
The parents said that they saw an increase in their children's willingness to not only do this "homework" assignment but also their actual homework. Four parents saw a dramatic increase in their children's mathematical skills and problem solving skills. Five saw a raise in their children's vocabulary, reading skills, and reading comprehension. Four saw a growth in their children's understanding of scientific concepts (such as taxonomy, photosynthesis, astronomy, meteorology, and anthropology). The children grew more comfortable with the handheld video games and enjoyed learning with the educational games. Even when they were not required to and had other options, the children continued to play the educational video games. When taken to get two more games, two children chose to get an educational game. One child chose to get two additional educational games (a history game and a trivia game). The parents agreed that the idea was an innovative way for children and students alike to learn. The parents said that they would not have a problem if their children were to actually be instructed to play the educational video games for their homework. The children all agreed that the games made learning fun and that they would not mind being instructed to play the educational games as homework for school. One parent reported that he allowed his child to play one of the math games to help her prepare for a math test. He was proud to report that his daughter got a 100% on the test.

C4K assignment review

C4K#8: Nagrom
Nagrom posted a photograph and said that the particular photo was chosen due to the lines which go in various directions. Nagrom asked what the photograph should be titled.
I commented on how I like how the picture is supra-realistic. While the photograph is of something commonly found in daily life, it has an abstract and symbolic feel to it. I said that the beauty of the photograph is in how it can be interpreted differently by various viewers. I said that if and when the photograph is named it should be named in such a way that the title does not sway the way the photo is viewed.
C4K #9: Jacob
He discussed how each class in his school is setting up and running booths for the school's fair day. He said his class is going to have two booths: nail painting and mock-tails. He went on to say that mock-tails are non-alcoholic cocktails. His class will be serving two types of mock-tails: sunrise and summertime.
I left the following comment. "I remember fair day from when I was little... but we never had mock-tails. That sound really interesting though. I guess it was good that your class did two stands. If not, all the boys would have been stuck painting nails. :)"
C4K #10: Chase
He listed his projected Super Bowl winner. I commented that while i don't follow football my brothers and father love it. My older brother thinks the Patriots are going to win. As a devoted fan, my father still says the Dolphins are going to win the Super Bowl.
C4K #11: Jessica
In Jessica's Thanksgiving post, she told how she was visiting her grandmother's house. She says that she is their with her mother, father, and shepherd collie (Checkers).
I commented that I think that Thanksgiving is a great time of year. I said that is it so for more than just the food. It is great due to it's ability to bring families together.
Special C4K: Yasmine
Yasmine posted about what she thought was the best recess ever. She said that best she could remember was on a day that she was playing gymnastics with a group of her friends. They split themselves into two groups. While one worked on agility (through jumping from monkey bar to another) and flexibility, the second group worked on their stunts: back-hand springs, flips.
I commented that although it has been quit some time I remember enjoying the freedom of recess. I also commented that I would have liked to have a similarly enthusiastic group of friends to play with. I ended up playing with my older brother and his friends everyday. This included the mundane job of pretending to be a captured princess for my brother and his friends to rescue. It wasn't as fun as some may think it sounds.

Blog Assignment #13

I. Blog Assignment #13
  A. ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange)
ALEX is a project resource which is designed to catalog and distribute a variety of educational material and information to  educators, students,  and parents. It includes everything from lesson plans and interactive activities to Web links. It includes a variety of podcasts which cover everything from the arts and sciences to professional development. It also offers a plethora of information about other educational programs in action in Alabama. As a future educator, I feel that this program could be utilized as an assistive tool throughout my professional career. I could use it as a collaborate tool to see how others my teach a certain lesson. It could as serve as a tool to help build my teaching capabilities through its professional development information. It also serves as a hub for educator collaboration. 

  B. ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide) 
The idea behind the distant learning program is to allow all students access to all available course opportunities made available to other students which they may not have access to in their own school. For example, a student who is required to take Physics to graduate with honors may not have a Physics teacher at his or her school. The distant learning program allows that student to take Physics with another teacher who works at another school.
II. Additional Assignment #5

Adventures in Pencil Integration
Just Teach Them to Solve for X 
This post is metaphoric for the students using computers in education. One person is discussing how the process may be confusing for students; therefore, the old fashioned, straight forward way of teaching should be continued. The others states that it is with progress that confusion will arise. But, once they work through the confusion of working the computers, the students will be able to understand the material much better.
Sketchy Portraits: 8th Grade Identity and Pencils
In this post, the "pencil" is metaphorically used to describe the identity of Eighth graders. They are not in a permanent state. They are caught in the middle of constant alterations. They are growing and changing. They are misunderstood and underestimated. They are up for interpretation and perceived differently by those around them. While externally they all may seem all the same and easily put under one title or classification, they vary greatly. Their potential is sadly limited by what those around them will allow them to do.
He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils
This post introduces the idea that if students take courses which use "pencils" the students will be focusing on the "pencils." The idea is not a new one. There are plenty of people out there who believe that teaching with computers takes focus off of the learning material and puts it on the computers. But this not all together true. While the students might be drawn in by the computers, the focus is on learning. The computers are merely used as an educational tool. Like a camera, computers are not a means to its own end. It takes input to get something out of it.
The Medium Shapes the Learning
The concept that technology in a universal aid in education is an over estimation of the capacity of every element of academia to remain effective when converted into technological terms. If certain things are transferred into a technologically based style, their purpose (and in some cases, their relevance)  are also altered.

Project #15

When looking at another society or culture, a good place to start is always the religion and language. One can learn a lot about a culture from its religion. One can see what is important to the culture, what is the base of the culture, and how the culture was built in relation to other cultures.
Here, I have an introduction to the traditional Hawaiian religion and language.
Traditional Hawaiian Language 

Hawaiian alphabet

A a	E e	I i	O o	U u	Ā ā	Ē ē	Ī ī	Ō ō
'ā	'ē	'ī	'ō	'ū	'ā kō	'ē kō	'ī kō	'ō kō
Ū ū	H h	K k	L l	M m	N n	P p	W w	'
'ū kō	hē	kē	lā	mū	nū	pī	wē/vē	'okina

Hawaiian pronunciation

Vowels can be long or short. Long vowels are usually written with a macron (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū), but if no macron is available, a circumflex (â, ê, î, ô, û) can be used instead.

The letter combination kiu is pronounced [ƫiu]

The letter W is pronounced [w] or [v] after a, [v] after i or e and [w] after o or u.

The Hawaiian language uses two diacritical markings. The ‘okina is a glottal stop, similar to the sound between the syllables of "oh-oh." In print, the correct mark for designating an ‘okina is the single open quote mark. The kahako is a macron, which lengthens and adds stress to the marked vowel. For example 'pau,' depending on placement of ‘okina and kahako, can mean completed, smudge, moist or ski

Traditional Hawaiian Religion: Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses
This is a basic introduction to the lineage of the Gods and Goddesses worshiped according to the traditional Hawaiian religion. Because there are over 40,000 Gods, Goddesses, Demi-Gods, and Demi-Goddesses, this does not include all worshiped in Hawaii. This video introduces the viewer to the 4 main Gods (Kane, Kanaloa, Ku, and Lono) and their wives and the lineage to the Mother Goddess who leads to the birth of the infamous Pele and her 7 sisters.

For a English-Hawaiian translator click here

Additional Assignment #4

My sentence is...

Final Project Report

I. Topic: Educational Video Games: concentration on handhelds
II. Partner: Katherine Kirby

III. Objectives of our project:
-Introduce video games as an educational tool
-Characterize educational video games by brand, price, and academic merit

-Illustrate advantages of educational handheld video games

-Demonstrate the ability and willingness of students to utilize these tools

IV. Project Duties:

-Research educational handheld video games: brand, price, academic merit (Kirby and New)
-Interview and record parents and educators (Kirby and New)

-Interview and record a student who has and regularly utilizes educational handheld video games (New)

-Interview and record a student who regularly plays non-academic based handheld video games (New)

-Interview and record a student who is unfamiliar with video games (Kirby)
-Edit and analyze the data and videos (Kirby and New)

Blog Assignment #12

Watch Deaf students at the high school. Write a post which discusses the topic introduced by these students. Also, post how technology can assist in merging hearing impaired students into classrooms.

The students in this video are deaf. The common perception that hearing impaired (HI) students (or similarly handicapped students) have to be taught differently and separately is becoming an outdated idea. These students show that they are not so different from their hearing classmates. They demonstrate that they have the same learning capacity as the other students. The one thing separating them from the other students is merely their inability to hear. Originally, the commonly accepted idea was that the deaf were unteachable due to teachers being unable to communicate with them. Later, the deaf were made to attend separate schools from the hearing. In these schools for the hearing impaired, they are taught by educators who either are also deaf or are fluent in sign language. To date, deaf students either attend these special schools or have interpreters assist them in public schools. With technology, more and more deaf students are being able to attend public schools. This technology goes further than the advances made in hear-aids and cochlear implants. Students with hearing-aids used to have to sit in desks that allow for the best view of the teacher, but even that doesn't account for the acoustics of the classroom differing from that of their home environment. An assistive listening system allows a HI student to hear the teacher clearly and breaks background noise. There are also TDD (telecommunication devices for the deaf) which allow for communication in caption/text. HI students can use devices that convert the teachers live lesson into closed caption. Teachers and fellow students could utilize a video dictionary to learn to communicate with the HI in sign language.With these devices, a word or sentence can be typed into the device and a video will interpret the word or sentence into the selected sign language. In the age of video lectures and Skype, the HI can see their instructor or the person they are communicating with. Each party could communicate through sign. With the increase in technology, we will see an increase in assistive technology for the hearing impaired.

C4T #4 Assignment Review

I was assigned Ms. Galloway a.k.a The Thinking Chick.
Magic Wand
She posted about things that have become obsolete to date and things that could be obsolete in 2020 (according to a list she referenced). She talked about how technology allows us to communicate without being in person, without being in the same general area, and without being bounded to a land line etc. She also commented on the list of things that was to be obsolete by 2020. She says that while some of these things may be possible to replace with technology schools are typically slow to transition into new technology. For example, just because we can use a computer to write doesn't mean we don't still find pencils and paper in classrooms.
I commented on how I agree that just because technology is available doesn't mean it is being utilized in schools. I agreed it would be nice to see the innovative educational tool, but the tools listed to be obsolete might still have a place in schools.

C4K #3-7 assignment review

C4K #3
I was assigned Heremaia, who posted a video of a sea shanty for Talk like a Pirate Day.
I commented: Yargh, Heremaia. I rather liked your sea shanty. Oh, to be a pirate on the high seas. I think your work with Hyperstudio looks great also.
C4K #4
I was assigned Taite Turbo, who posted the following for his About Me post.
HI my name is Taite i live  in  hobart  and I’m 12 years old. I like to rollerblade Ive been rollerblading  for 1 year. I ride motorbike a 125cc and a 110cc ive tryed a 250cc it was awesome . tahts about it so yeah bye!!
I commented: I would just like to say that you sound like a pretty exciting kid. I would be to afraid to ride on motorbike. I just learnt how to ride a bicycle last week. But I have been roller blading since I was little.
C4K #5
I was assigned Shayne, who posted the following. "last week we watched cars to check how much friend ship lighting McQueen has at the start i gave him 3/10 but at the end i gave him 9/10 . ween it started he cold himself a one man show . in the middle he made a promise to mater and at the end he keep the promise and my best friend in the school Adrian Blake"
I commented on how I like how the Disney productions typically include a moral lesson which can be taken from them.
C4K #6
I was assigned Holden S., who posted "Optimists see the glass as half full, pessimists see the glass as half empty, realists see it as half a glass of water." in his Life post.
I commented: I love lateral thinking. You have clearly taped your lateral side whether you know it or not- lateral nerd joke :). I have even started a collection with my friends that I hope to publish one day. My favorite that I made up is “You must appreciate rain to deserve rainbows.”
C4K #7
I was assigned Vienna, who posted I want to be a teacher in my future because I love kids and I can teach them about red ribben week and if I have drugs around the kids they will start doing it too . Red ribben week is something to let you know that you should not have drugs. At the primaray school they have red ribben all around the school. Somethings that you should not have that is acohol. Acohol is dangerouse to little kids under 21. The other thing that you should not have is drugs because some drugs kill you or might get edicting. You also should not have sigerets because they are bad for your lungs you could get a disease. So do not have drugs when you are young or old.
I commented: I also wanted to be a teacher since I was little. When I was in high school a was able to work with a youth program which went to a lot of schools telling students about how terrible drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes can be. We also talked about how peer pressure may change your mind about how bad these things are because others are talking about how it isn’t that bad. But it is important to always remember that these things are bad and try to stay away from them and help others stay away from them too

Project #14

ABC's in American Sign Language (ASL)
Click here for an ASL video dictionary.
Note: I intentionally made the video without audio.

Blog Assignment #11

1. Ms. Cassidy's 1st grade class
This video shows how these students are learning early how to use technology in the educational career. They are learning how to outsource for information through using their website, wiki, and skype. I also like how they are using the Nitendo DS as an educational tool. My little sister, Skye, has every version of the DS to date. The latest that she has is the DSI. With each DS, she is able to do different things. Nitendo has a wide variety of educational games for youngsters and adults alike. Skye has games which build her math, reading, and writing skills. She also enjoys using the build in software to make and edit videos and pictures. She is also able to connect with others through her DSI. I think it is great to incorporate technology readily available to kids in their education. While most kids don't have a personal laptop to study with, they do have game systems and handheld system at their disposal. Why not make play time productive?

2. Skype discussion with Ms. Cassidy
In this discussion, Ms. Cassidy discussed how she actually got into using technology in her classroom and how it has grown throughout the years. I think it is smart to incorporate technology education in the education of children from at the start of their educational career. This allows them to grow with the technology. They are the technology generation. It is available to them; it would be negligent for educators not to use the best tools available for their students. Though I am planning to teach on the high school level and teach members of the military, I think the incorporation of technology would be similarly beneficial for those I will teach. I would encourage my students to outsource for information and utilize the technology available to them. When I teach the military as opposed to teaching on the high school level, the technological incorporation will obviously be different. The military is obviously made readily available to the most up to date technology. (Fun fact: Skype was originally developed for military use) They will have to use it in the future; so, it would be reckless for me to not make my students comfortable with technology. The same can be said for students on any level. This is a technology based age. People will encounter technology throughout their life. They will need to learn to utilize technology and become comfortable with technology sometime. Why wait? Students can benefit greatly from having these technology as a part of their education. Why deprive them of the advantage?

Project #13: Smartboard Instruction

How to take derivatives of functions.

Additional Assignment #3

It hit me when he discussed how students are surrounded by distractions, brought on by a growth of culture and technology, and are then punished for being distracted. Then, students are quickly stigmatized as being ADHD. From there, there are special classes and a lot of medication. Of course children are going to be hyper, they are little kids who are being expected to sit still and quiet. Their energy can't be be kept bottled up like that and not expect them to burst every now and then. With all of that medication in their systems, they become little zombies. They don't just stop being interested in playing and talking at school. They lose all of the charm of being young. They lose their spontaneity and creativity. If the idea of education was to create empty shells in which to pour information that educators know, then job well done people. But that isn't quite what it was meant to be.
Secondly, he discussed how the educational institution functions and is constructed as a factory would. Why do students get bunched together by "manufacturing date"? Students of the same age are not always on the same wavelength intellectually as one another. When it became overly apparent that students of the same class are not on the same page, why was the only option to make students hold up their learning while the others catchup? Then again, there is the unspoken second option of pushing students along. Yeah, we don't like to talk about it, but we all know it is the skeleton in the closets of many. In this underground option, either expectations are lowered for everyone  to meet a level obtainable to those falling behind or there is a straight up "cannot fail this student" ultimatum stapled to these students. But students aren't blind to the fact that there are people getting grades for nonexistent work or undeserving work.  And do you think students respond to this with awe? Of course not! They steadily get comfortable with doing less and less and expecting more and more for their work (or lack there of). Can you blame the students? In the long run, no. The educational institution brought this on itself.
Students are not perfect. (Don't fool yourself; teachers aren't either.) They might get distracted or might not get the material the first time. But don't respond with radical moves. As an educator, suck it up and work with your students. If they don't meet standards, don't just ignore it. There is most likely a reason that material is in the curriculum other than to serve as a filler. Don't be scared to hold a student back. You aren't doing them any favors by passing them along. We don't shy away from letting students skip grades when they are considered to be at a more advanced level. So, it is obvious that we recognize that students of the same class aren't always on the same intellectual level. If you are a teacher, teach your students. It is a simple idea that would save everyone a lot of fustration in the long run.

Blog Assignment #10

1. An open letter to educators
I think many people don't realize how the generation and distribution of information has evolved over the years. As discussed in the video, it was originally the elite few with the knowledge and information that we so commonly toss around in daily conversation today. Where people once had to be Aristocrats to receive a higher education, people of all background can easily access information for free from the internet. Anyone can also attend a college or university. But do I think the fact that information is readily available online makes a formal educational institution expendable? Of course not. Just because the information is there doesn't mean people are accessing it or even know where to go to find it (or for that matter what they are looking for). That is like saying that there is a lake somewhere in the desert. Maybe people don't realize they might want water. Maybe people don't know it is out there just because they can't see it. Maybe they know they are thirsty but don't know what they need to remedy their thirst. Maybe they don't know where to look for it. So maybe schools just give students a list of ideas, facts, etc. And maybe the student prefer to go online for additional information as opposed to in their books. But at least the school introduced the student to the information. Now the student knows what they want/ what they are looking for. And in many cases the school even shows the student where to go to find it. So, instead of leaving the students in the middle of a desert, the educational institution is leading the students to the water (but it still can't make them drink).
Morgan Bayda and Dan Brown discussed class settings in which they were feed facts to memorize, were discouraged from social intercourse with their fellow students and their professors, and felt the educational institution was failing to teach them. While I can understand where they may be coming from, I have never personally experienced such a setting. Whether in a class of 20 or a class of 200, I never felt like was simply being taught at. I will admit to being the type of student who would ask questions, make comments, etc.  And I will also confess that My questions, comments, etc. have never been met with a denied response. Maybe I just got the luck of the draw, but my teachers, educators, professors (whatever they could be labeled as) were always in a state of informative conversation with their students. I have had teachers who encouraged students to explore a subject/ topic/ idea further. I have had some who want to hear more from the students than their students hear from him or her. I have an American Lit professor who gets his 40 students to put the desks in a big circle and basically have us discuss readings, ideas, etc with each other. He says that he knows what he thinks of it and doesn't just want us to think just like him. He wants us to be collaborative and form opinions of our own. So there might be better places for gathering information. But the internet won't teach you how to talk with people and bounce ideas off of one another. It won't teach you how to think for yourself.  In the end, it doesn't make a difference if the information is coming from the internet, books, professors, etc. What matters is if you can interpret the information for yourself, if you can do something with that information, and if you can generate ideas, information, etc. of your own.

2. Don't let them take pencils home
This post it very interesting. It shows how desperate people are to find third-party excuses for why students' test scores are low. If the students are showing up for school regularly and the teachers are reporting for work  daily, there must be a third-party reason for why students are getting low test scores, for why students aren't getting the material. Instead of searching for who or what to blame for this problem, a search should be mounted for solutions. Maybe instead of looking externally, we should look at our teachers and our students. Just because the schools have students in their seats and teachers at the head of each classroom doesn't mean that real teaching and real learning is going on. Is the material getting across to the students?

3.Two Questions that can change your life
Question One: What is your sentence?
I think it would be good to focus oneself on a sentence. As opposed to simply doing a lot of things, one could strive to do one thing well. Personally, I can say that I have done a lot of things and that I can do a lot of things. But their is nothing that I really exceed at. But I honestly don't want to be known as a great cook or a wonderful teacher. If I could have any one sentence by the end of life, I would want it to be that I loved my family.
Question Two: Were you better today than you were yesterday?
This is a question of progress. If one is striving to do something or be something/ someone, doing and being the same as always before won't make that goal any closer. One must make alterations and improvements to better oneself as time goes. This is not a one step process. One needs to figure out what or who is hindering one's progression. Is there something one does that holds oneself back? Can one reach the goal in the position one is in? This may sound like an obsession over personal faults. But the point is to make improvements.

Blog Assignment #9

In Mr. McClung's "What I've learned this year" post, he offered a variety of suggestions of how to improve one's teaching experience. His suggestions are a collaborative response to what he learned from his experience as a first year educator. He listed the following as lessons learned: how to read a crowd, be flexible, communicate, be reasonable, don'e be afraid of technology, listen to your students, and never stop learning. He went on to further explain each of the lesson as far as how they can be difficult to remember at times and how each can improve the teaching experience. I personally think that he has handed a great opportunity to future educators. Instead of taking the "I went through it, so should they" attitude, Mr. McClung has given vital tools for easing future educators into the their career field. Some of the lessons will benefit not only the educator but also the students. Many educators have a difficulty finding their grove when beginning their teaching career. This time is difficult on the students as well. If the educator is incapable of communicating with the students for example, the students education will suffer due the educators inexperience. I know that I will learn from his experiences and keep his lessons/ suggestions in mind when I am an educator. I know that I will benefit from some of these lessons more that others due to the particulars of the educational field that I aim to enter into. Not only am I going to be facing the difficulties of teaching Mathematics that most other teachers in the field face everyday but also I am going to have to deal with the difficulties dealt every educator who must teach around cultural differences, such as gender roles and language barriers. The beauty of these lessons is that they can be taken differently by every future educator and moderated for the teaching field and educational surroundings he or she will be setting out to teach in.

Project #12: Recorded Skype Interview

BCT/AIT Interview
I conducted a interview of SGT New and PFC Gilchrist to extract information about BCT and AIT.

Project #11: Short Movie

Social Experiment 2010
This is for all of you who feel the need to tell the world your every move, to "meet" strangers online, and socialize out of person. There are still people out there. They fill the halls. They swarm the streets. They wonder aimlessly through the world. You should meet them. They should meet you.

Blog Assignment #8

1. This is how we dream

These two videos show how it is possible to utilize text, images, and audio when sharing information. With eBooks and other online educational sources, the use of images and audio along with text can be found to enhance the delivery of a message. As educators of this day and age, we should do more than share our words and documented factoids with our students. We must learn to utilize multimedia to bring our students to a level of understanding that may have been out of reach with just the words of an educator. I also believe that  students will begin to grow with the technology of the age. With this growth, I believe that the students will become increasingly more capable with technology. They will not simply write in print. They will share their words with the world. They will utilize multimedia to fill in the gaps when sharing with the world. Just in case text alone is not getting across to my readers, I will so kind as give an example. Opposed to simply saying that there once was a dog... and let that be the end of it. I could share the text and this adorable picture. (Yeah, I bet you were wondering why there was a picture of a puppy up there.)

2. Chipper and EDM310 for Dummies

Both of these videos utilize creativity when trying to get a message across to the viewers. They use real life progression as a means of bring the message across to the viewer in terms that he or she may relate to, understand, and remember. The Chipper video shows how procrastination and denying personal educational responsibility can lead a student astray. In the end, it is made clear that all Chipper needed to get through it was to work harder and be more dedicated to her work. The second video shows how frustrating it can be if one is trying to go through the course with no foreknowledge of which will be called for in the class. The students had to apply themselves and learn about the various tools utilized throughout the course. Both of these videos exemplify how difficult it can be if one expects everything to come naturally to him or her in this course. The student must work hard and be dedicated to learning and applying him/herself to make it through not just EDM310 but also school in general.

3. Critiques of Smartboards
Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative and Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards argue against the instilation and use of Smartboards (in case you couldn't tell by their titles). They both argue that the Smartboard is just a tech version of "stand-and-deliver instruction." The educational tool does not make delivering the lessons any easier for the teacher. It doesn't make learning the lessons any easier for the students. And the functions it preforms are not innovative or unique among other technological devices or educational tools. It may cost more and give people something to try and figure out for a while. If one really thinks about it, the Smartboard is just the unnecessary technological offspring of tools and devices that work just fine and are still functional in the classroom.
Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom argues for the use of such tools in the classroom. It not only lists a variety of  brands and tells what these devices can do but also highlights special situations in which these devices can enhance the teaching-learning progress of the classroom. For example, because the Smartboard does not require the instructor to use a pen these instructors have free hands to do other things. In the case of teach deaf students, the teacher will be able to communicate with the students without a pen hindering the lecture.

Blog Assignment #7

Dr. Pausch introduces a number of ideas in his lecture that can be applied not only in a classroom but also in life. He introduces the idea that dreams are not goals which should be followed in a sense of chasing after it and letting it take you where it will. Instead dreams, or goals, are something in which should provoke you to not put yourself in a box and to prevent yourself from getting comfortable with what you have where you are doing what you are doing with what you have. As educators, we should be a doorway which opens up to a new world of opportunities and possibilities for our students. He discusses a concept of "head-fake." This is seen when his students learn a distinct set of skills while doing their various projects that they will be able to apply to more significant pieces of work later in life. The idea is that there is more than one way to prepare a student, or person for that matter, for the future. We can prepare or students to perform a wide variety of difficult tasks by having them perform a few simple tasks which require the same skill set. Education does not have to be a means to its own end. It is more like a growing tool in which the student will be called on to use later on in life. He introduced a lot of technology to his students through projects etc. Students were able to connect with a number of the press while in zero gravity. His students were also able to create virtual worlds and various programs. They were able to acquire a number of skills while performing engaging tasks that kept the students both entertained and enlightened. Educators should take from this that students can learn under a variety of conditions other than hitting the books and mindlessly memorizing intellectual tid-bits. Educators can be more like an imaginative encourager than an intellectual enforcer. As educators, we shouldn't push our students to do as always has been done. We should push our students to think outside-of-the-box and to try to create new worlds of ideas and possibilities. We should embody creativity and wonder in our students. From there, our students can reach further intellectual bounds than we could have ever set for them ourselves. We are not here to feed our students what we know for them to take in and be just as we are. We are here to offer what we know for them to take in and add to as they go along. When our students are the future, we should be preparing them for the future not for what is or what has been. We should be opening their eyes and setting them out to find what is out there to build on, extend, make better, and perfect. And in the end, we have to hope that they pass the torch on to the next generation to continue this work in progress.

Additional Assignment #2

This video shows that there a fault in today's thinking that places in which education is low is so because the people can not learn or are unwilling to learn. The idea that these people would be more difficult to teach is also a fault in today's thinking. This video shows not only children learning but also children learning at their own expense. These children are not being pushed to learn as many children are in other countries. They are not getting a worldly reward for there initiative. These children are taking it upon themselves to learn. They are teaching themselves and each other. They are making improvements on their own without the guided instruction of a formal teacher. These children are self-made students. They are motivated by the lack of external motivation. For these children, learning is not learning as many children of privileged countries see it. For these children, learning is exploration, trial-and-error, and fun. These children are a special type of student which learns by its own means. But these children are learning without boundaries or guidance. As noted before, these students are not being lead by a formal teacher. They are not being instructed through their learning experience. If they want to do something, they must figure it out on their own. They must wonder aimlessly through a maze of trial-and-error before they get something right. And when they do get something right, we can only hope that they are able to figure out what they did and why it is right. This individual study is good to an extent. There are limits what a student under these conditions can learn. These students will need a formal instructor if they want to learn beyond the boundaries of their learning environment. A formal instructor will be needed to focus the students and guide them through their studies. Yes, these students are learning on their own. But should they have to learn on their own? Should they have to be frustrated throughout the learning process? Frustration would deter these highly motivated students. They should have instructors made available to them. They are capable of learning. They are willing to learn. They are most certainly motivated to learn. These countries are full of eager students longing for education. Why don't these countries have teachers?

Project 9b (Instructional) Timeline

Road th the Digital Camera
For a direct link, click here.
For additional information, click either the dots or the bubbles.

Project #10 PLN 1st post

It wasn't until the beginning of this term that I started to network. I never facebook, twitter, or IM. To be honest, I was more worried about putting informations about myself online than about working along or working with technology. Once I started to work my way through the various assignments, I began to not only expand my networking capabilities but also expand my networking comfort zone. It all started by creating a blog which to put my assignments on. From there, I have posted about myself on my blog and posted my various assignments on my blog. I have also commented on blogs of fellow EDM310 students, of instructors, and of younger students. Through my google account, I have created a questionnaire, which I sent to the entire EDM310 class, and a slideshow about my life up to this point. I have uploaded a video on youtube. I have also created accounts for twitter, skype, and timetoast. Using timetoast, I have created a personal timeline which outlined the origins of my family and an instructional timeline which outlines the history of the camera. For a person who just months ago was content with not being known, I am surprised to find myself looking forward to what is coming up in the course.

Project 9a (Individual) Timeline

Where did all of the New people come from?

For direct link click here.

For more information, click the bubbles.

C4T#3 Assignment Review

I was assigned to comment on Dr. Strange's blog which is conveniently titled "Dr. Strange's Strange Thoughts."
On Sept. 28th, Dr. Strange posted about how "Quiet" the lab was that day. He went on to discuss how the students were quietly working on their assignments and were getting help from the lab assistants when needed. He compared how calm and collected his students were while performing their tasks to how nervous and afraid his students felt at the beginning of the term. I commented that I too felt a bit apprehensive at the beginning of the term. I went on to say that it wasn't for the reasons he stated in his blog post. I was not worried about performing tasks on my own or working with technology. I was anxious about putting my work online. I  do not socialize via facebook or twitter. I barely socialize in person. The idea of having information about myself online, where anyone and everyone could see it, is what truly made me worried. But as the term has progressed, I am finding that I am growing more comfortable about putting myself out there. I did just comment on my personal fear, didn't I? I think that shows true progress.
On Oct. 7th, Dr. Strange posted about his experience with the iPad. He discusses his initial reasoning for getting it and his original plans for it. He went on to say that as time went on his wife, Connie, (who is not far from being technologically illiterate) slowing took over his iPad. She uses it to look up recipes while in the kitchen, to keep up with the latest golf scores, to check her email, and for various forms of entertainment. I commented that, while I don't own an iPad from Apple, I own an IdeaPad from Lenovo. I discussed the various conveniences of owning such a light weight, user friendly tablet such as the IdeaPad or iPad. I even mentioned that my grandparents joke about taking my IdeaPad just like his wife did with his iPad.

Blog Assignment #6

1. The Networked Student
Under this concept, a student will be prepared to use networking as a resource for information. The student will research topics and share the findings with others. The student will still need a teacher guidance, just in a different fashion. The teacher will show the student how to build these networks. The student would not be able to begin on his or her intellectual journey without a start line. The teacher will also be needed to assist throughout the process as well. The student will need help navigating through the sea of resources and differentiation between the reliable ones and the hogwash. Also, the teacher will be able to keep the student on track and heading in the correct direction. The student will know if he or she has gone far enough without a teacher pushing him or her to keep going. The teacher will also be needed to regulate what the student is doing. If the student isn't being as proficient as he or she  needs to be, it would help to have a teacher to show him or her what still needs to be done. Even though the subject base will not be completely coming from the teacher, the networked student will still need a teacher to get the most of the course being pursued.
2. A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
I think that the concept behind this student's PLE (or PLN) is freeing. The way in which it works allows a student the freedom to take an assignment and venture in any direction the students desires. The traditional learning style limits the information available for a student to that which can be found in a particular textbook assigned the student. This information may be outdated by the time that the textbook is made available for the student. Students of this sort of PLE is allowed to research a topic from various resources. A student can research the subject as a broad topic or as a specific topic. A student can ensure the data is up to date by utilizing various resources. These can include sites, articles, and experts. This particular student was able to contact an expert on the topic and get the expert to make corrects to the student's information. Not only does this PLE alter how a student gets information on a subject. It also allows a student to access assignment schedules, collaborate with others, and complete assignments all in one place. A student can access all this at anytime, from anywhere. The assignments can all be done without a pencil and paper. The student can keep all work done together in one place for future reference. The student can also make his or her work available for others to reference.While working on an assignment, a student can work at his or her own pace. The instructor can monitor a student's productivity along the way to ensure the work is being done. This student is able to go online and see exactly what is to be done that day. If this student misses school, he or she can still access this information and keep up with the rest of the class. This student is allowed the freedom of not only working at a personally comfortable pace but also, in some instances, choosing what to do next. If a student is given a list of assignments, he or she can prioritize the assignments as he or she wants to. This student could do these assignments in any order desired as long as the student respects the individual due dates of the assignments. I personally feel that the description of the PLE of this students correlates with any description I might give of my own. I too have free access to my network and freedom the prioritizes my assignments. I have constant access to my network. My assignments are together in one place where others may access them. The assignments are directed by the instructor. But I, and my fellow students, are able to take them as far as we want or limit them to particular boundaries. The only obvious difference offered is that I am in college while this student is in the 7th grade.
3. The Machine is Changing Us
This video basically breaks down the psychological progression of generations not just as it pertains to education but as it is seen collectively in society. The video explains that the narcissism and self-interest is a product of our technology and its abuse. It also explains the relevance of the psychology of this new generation. People develop ideas of social norms and cultural outlines through assimilation. The most prevalent idea of assimilation is through learning these things through interpreting our interactions with others. For example, if one recognizes that people walk away when addressed in a certain matter, one will alter how they address others. Now, assimilation is built off of third-party relationships and non-temporal interactions. As opposed to talking to a person face-to-face, in which the conversation is temporal, people connect via facebook messages and texts. In a real life situation, we can not edit what we say or do. With the way interactions are made today, scripts are heard as opposed to true words straight from the minds of people. When people can go over what they said numerous times and edit or resay what they said before it is ever heard, the human effect of interacting and conversing with others is lost. When people begin to feel only comfortable connecting with others through technology, are they really connecting.
I am taking Life Sci II this term with about 20 other people. We meet three times a week and talk before the beginning of each class. Although we have been meeting like this for over a month, we know nothing about eachother for the most part. I only talk to the five guys who sit around me during each class. They do the same. When one of these guys (who always takes his notes via his labtop) accidentally deleted all of his notes the day before our online quiz, his only option to retrieve the information was to contact his fellow classmates. The following is a copy of the mass email he sent to all of the student of the Life Sci II course using the email contact given on the ecompanion site.
"Ben needs help. im looking for the people i sit around so if you dont recognize who this is, the pepsi guy, then please disregard this email. if you do recognize me, Ben the pepsi guy, then please help me out my computer deleted my recordings in class when i tried to upload them. if you could please give me a call at (cell number removed) and help me fill in the blanks of my ch34 notes.
thanks, 
Ben the pepsi guy"

So why did he have to say "pepsi guy"? The people who sit around him only know him as "pepsi guy" because he drinks pepsi during every class. When I first read the email, I did not recognize the email the message was sent from or the name Ben. I only recognized "pepsi guy." Those in the class who don't sit around him would not have recognized anything in the email. When I called to help him replace his notes, he did not recognize my number or my name. He addressed me as "jersey girl" because those around me address me as such do to the way I talk. After the whole ordeal was over, I realized how awkward the entire situation was. He did not feel comfortable coming up to us in person. He could not email only those who sat around him, because he could not recognize any of the names corresponding to the email addresses.  And even when we talked on the phone, we continued to ignore the fact the the other had a name and continued to address the other by their adopted Life Sci II nickname.

If human interactions have brought us to this level in 2010, how will people interact 20 years from know? Forget knowing their classmates' names, will they ever see their class mates in person? And as a teacher, will we ever meet our students?