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?