Final Reflections

I can't believe that we have fit all of EDM 310 into this short summer semester. This has been a class where I have learned a lot about collaborating with people here and from anywhere in the world. We've done so much with technology and I know how important it will be in my career to always keep my knowledge of technology fresh. Not only have I been inspired to learn more about technology but I've also learned that, as teachers, we have to constantly be critiquing and criticizing ourselves so that we don't become complacent (Thanks, Martha!). EDM 310 has made me realize that I can be a good teacher if I put in the time and effort it takes to learn as much as you can. In the long run, my students will benefit from what I've gotten out of this class.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN EDM 310
Collaborating
My PLN has formed slowly but surely. A Personal Learning Network in an integral part of being an effective teacher. There are tons of examples out there of what others are doing in their classrooms, what works, what doesn't, and how you can improve your own lessons. There is no secret to being a good teacher. The teachers we consider "good" are sharing their experiences in their classrooms with the world. These teachers genuinely want kids everywhere to have great lessons to learn from.

One way people have been sharing their lessons and questions and problems is Twitter. I hope to become more and more involved on Twitter. Before this class I never thought of it as something you could use to learn from. However, now I know that you can find someone that can help you with anything. While I haven't experienced this myself, the countless reviews I've heard about using Twitter for your PLN have convinced me that one day, I will find myself using Twitter to answer any questions I may have when I become a teacher.

Finding Tools to Use in the Classroom
Teachers these days have so many resources to use in their classrooms. It's a shame that many aren't taking advantage of this just because they aren't aware of all the technology out there. I never imagined that there would be so many websites that would be helpful to educators and students. I want to be able to teach my class how to find anything they would ever need on the internet because I really believe that there will always be something or someone out there, willing to help.

I've gotten so many great tools from EDM 310 but I've also learned how to go about finding anything else I may ever need. I've learned that I should never let not knowing how to do something stop me from trying to figure it out. It will definitely be a challenge for me to push myself to be continuously finding new techniques to use in my class.

Being a Learner
In the end, being a teacher is really about being a learner. I realize you can't just say you're a learner and *poof* you become one. Being a learner is an everyday thing. In my head, I always compare being a doctor or a lawyer to being a teacher. This is why: when you are a doctor or a lawyer it's called a practice because you're never really finished learning everything you can. I think teaching is a practice too.

Since there is no requirement for teachers to be perpetual learners, we have to take it upon ourselves to make sure we can being the best teachers/learners that we can be. In doing so, we will be able to set an example for students and teach them how to be learners as well.

WHAT YOU SHOULD LEARN IN EDM 310


Go To Class
The reason it's so important to go to class in EDM 310 is not because it's required (because it isn't) or because it's fun everyday (it's only fun almost everyday). It's important to attend class because you actually learn things. I know we've all been in classes where you sit and listen and take notes and then you memorize everything and write it on the test. This class is not like that. This class is like a job where you go to work and learn how to do new things. You get to talk with the other students and help them or let them help you. You get to interact with the teachers and the "tutors" (Jamie Lynn and Anthony were great sources to learn from).

Do Your Work
I wish I could take this class again and again. I think every time I took it I would learn more. The more you put into your projects in EDM 310, the more you will get out of it. Like I said, we've all had class where you don't learn anything, and all you have to do it the bare minimum to pass. EDM 310 is an opportunity to learn as much as you possibly can that you WILL use when you are a teacher.

Don't Be Afraid
If you are afraid of failing or of asking questions or of not knowing what you are doing, you will not get everything you can out of EDM 310. A lot of things you don't know, no one else will know either. If you fail at something, that just means you get to try again.

Hindsight is 20/20
Not only did I learn a lot about technology and networking in EDM 310, but I also learned how to be a better teacher. If you take advantage of this class, I promise you will get so much out of it. Looking back, I wish I'd been able to take my own advice.

P.S. Dr. Strange, I hope you invite us back to see your future classes' final projects! I'm excited for your classes to be even more creative than our summer class was.

Teach Someone: SmartNotebook Interactives

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Final Project

Stephen and I created a wall on Wallwisher that students can post comments about EDM 310 on. To post a note, double click the wall and just start typing! There is no need to sign up for the site or anything. We wanted to use Wallwisher because it was something new and we thought it would be something no one else would use. Here is a link to the wall.

We also made a survey for our class and had a pretty good number of responses. (Thanks to everyone who completed the survey!) It was interesting to see what everyone liked about EDM 310.

Post 13

Alba Middle School Students' Video

The Mobile Press Register posted a video about Alba Middle School's students making a video. I really enjoy watching the process of students working together. I think that's one reason I want to be a teacher. Watching the videos of students collaborating makes me even more excited about teaching and doing things like this in my classroom.

Just Pray

The "Just Pray" video was very moving. I liked that the students went out and got clips of local people talking about the oil spill. I think for the students, making this video probably made them feel like they were doing something to raise awareness. Hopefully, they were able to continue to talk about the oil spill in their classroom and what they can do to help.

The Mean Oil Spill

This video of a spoof about the oil spill was great because it combined humor and concern for the Gulf. I liked that they personified the oil spill. Maybe they could relate that to literature in class and discuss how that is an effect that works in stories and poems a lot of times.

My comment to the students:

Hi, students! I'm also a student at USA. I loved your video! It's so neat that you've gotten recognition for doing this video and others! Watching this video made me want to take more of a part in helping with the oil spill. I think people don't think about how it will affect future generations so it's great that y'all have spoken up!

Comments for Kids 4 Update

I was really amazed that this video was made by some students. It made me realize that one of the coolest things about being a teacher is having students amaze you with what they can accomplish and create. These students made a wonderful, meaningful video and succeeded in getting it noticed. I'm terrified of giving blood and it made me want to go donate some just because of what a wonderful job they did with the video.

Post 12

Mr. McClung's Round Two

Mr. McClung's second year post was really great to read. It sounded like he had grown as a teacher and had some great advice to give again! I've been warned before that as a new teacher, you get shuffled around so you can't get too comfortable in your first year class.

He also mentions the survival mode. We learned about that in classroom management. I think it's great that he can admit he was there. In my classroom management class, everyone brushed it off like it wouldn't happen to them. Part of being a teacher is critiquing yourself when you need to. Even if it means admitting something you don't want to admit.

I think its great that Mr. McClung is able to review his whole year in a blog post. Even though some of what he says could be seen as common sense, its always good to review things like that. You have to constantly check yourself to make sure you are being the best you can be.

His posts have probably been so helpful to upcomming teachers. I know I'm going to reread his posts before and after my first year of teaching. However, nothing can compare to your own experience. I can't wait to start having my own experience with teaching!

ISTE Presentation

Wow! It makes me so excited to see kids that young collaborate and discuss what they are working on together! How great would it be if a teacher can get students to work like that in every subject?

The students looked so excited about constructing their shapes. I'm in Math 202 right now, geometry for elementary teachers. We are learning how to teach students all about shapes and 3D figures. If I had had a tool like this when I was learning geometry in school, it would have made a lot more sense to me. Fablab4teacher's YouTube channel was fun to look through. The videos that had students using the digital fabrication were really fun to watch.

The first video I watched after the ISTE Presentation wasImagine. Design. Create. Construct. The 3D feature that they are working on creating sounds so neat! There was another video of just the 3D fabricator working that I watched. I'm not sure what you could use it for but it was really cool!

I also watched Digital Fabrication through the eyes of a 5 year old boy which was really cute. I was surprised by how comfortable he seemed using the computer and even using the other machine that was new to him. Kids seem so fearless when they are using new things like that. They aren't afraid to mess up. That reminds of the pottery class that Martha was talking about on Tuesday. When given as many chance as needed people can create things that are above and beyond what they can do if they are afraid of messing up.

My Summary Response

Post 11

I think its great that Ms. Cassidy took an opportunity where she got something for her classroom and tried to learn everything she could about technology so that she could help her students. She seems like a really dedicated teacher. It was so awesome to see the six year olds using computer and talking about blogs and wikis.

Ms. Cassidy used her computers as a center and had her students collaborate and make projects and write in blogs. I liked how she used wikis to help her students find out what traditions and rituals are.

I'm glad she talked about the legal forms that she had to use so that the kids could be seen on the blogs. I've wondered about what measures teachers take to protect their students.

Her attitude about technology was great! I think she's right about the blogs and the fact that students get excited about writing if they have an audience. I liked that she set up a program for other students to comment on her students' blogs.

Comments for Kids 3 Update

Mr. McClung's class made salt dough and used it to make a topographical map of Arkansas. I loved this project. It was so messy and looked like lots of fun! I also really liked how he makes videos of his students working. I went back to watch some more of his class videos and was really impressed by how much the students seemed to like explain their projects on the video.

I asked Mr. McClung if he has ever tried using food coloring in the dough so the students could have different colors on their maps. Watching them do this project makes me want to try it at home. I saved his post so I can go back and read the instructions for how they made it. I think it would have been cool for them to make a video of how they made the dough too.

Post 10

Welcome to My PLE

This video by Wendy Drexler was really informative. My PLN is coming along slowly and I'm having a hard time figuring out where to keep all my information. The 7th grader in the video gave me lots of ideas. I think it is so neat that this student knows so much about networking and researching and reporting on her ideas.

One thing I really want to research and use is Evernote. It looks like a great place to keep track of all the information you get from websites. You can also use it later on to give credit to your sources. I am going to start using this website for every report I have to do. I love how you can access everything you find in one place and you don't have to keep track of everything. I think this would also be a great tool for the classroom in almost any grade.

Two Questions and My Sentence

I liked how short and to the point this video was. The second question, "Was I better today than yesterday?" made me think about what I'm am trying to do with my life right now. I am trying to graduate from college. As my classes continute to get harder, I hope I getting better everyday. I hope I am learning more and learning to try harder. I wish I felt like I was moving forward everyday. How great would it be if you could continue to improve in everything you did everyday? I think people don't just move in a straight line though. Sometimes I feel like I'm taking a step forward and then three steps back. It is a great goal to be able to move forward everyday.

To me, the main point of asking yourself that question everyday is to learn to evaluate yourself. That's what Dr. Strange asked us to do with the midterm. I believe the first step to improvement is HONESTLY evaluating what you need to improve.

It is so hard to think of a sentence. I feel like the reason I am having a hard time thinking of one is because I feel like my career sentence and my life sentence are two separate things. Maybe this isn't a good thing. My mom was recently helping her principal interview prospective teachers and one said that she didn't have a personal life. I understand that being a teacher isn't just a 9 to 5 job. You have to be invested in your students and in your work. However, I want to have a personal life. So, my career sentence is this: "I plan to help my students find and fulfill their sentences." My life sentence is this: "I am there to support my family and friends and live my life in a way I can be proud of."

Did I cheat by having two sentences?

Post 9

An Open Letter to Educators, Morgan Bayda's Response

I share Morgan Bayda's experience of sitting in a class and listening to a lecture. Its a shame that so many students have to pay to waste their time in classes like that. However, I'm not going to drop out of school just because I don't agree with the way some teachers go about teaching. Instead, I think its useful to think of class as only one part of your learning. It's up to the student to take his own education in his hands and take it as far as he wants to.

I'm not sure where I've heard this but someone told me that college degrees and becoming less and less relevant to getting a job. Obviously some jobs require college degrees but since more people have them now, you have to go beyond your degree to impress someone enough to get hired. I've said before that I believe a teacher's job is to encourage his or her students to want to learn. Students should want to expand their knowledge and they should be given the tools so that they will be able to do so.

ALEX and ACCESS

I've explored ALEX and ACCESS before. In fact, when I first learned about it, I suggested it to my mom who then used ALEX to help plan several lessons for her class. The ALEX website looks even more user friendly than the last time I visited it. From what I've seen the ALEX website seems so easy to use. I like how you can just check off what you need and for what grade and the site generates lessons for your room.

ALEX has such great tools for teachers. After you choose a lesson you can bookmark it or work on it in your own personal learning space. There are also links to grants, news about education, and links to more tools for the classroom. I also found the courses of study for Alabama. Right there you have easy access to what your students should be learning according to their grade.

ACCESS seems like the greatest idea for students who don't have classes they need or want available at their schools. ACCESS is just one more reason that teachers should be technologically literate. If there aren't teachers that can teach on ACCESS, these students couldn't use distance learning. Also, there should be teachers who can help students at their school.

The website's video on the main page had students talking about how they used ACCESS and how much it benefited them. I read through the FAQs and a lot of my questions about what ACCESS is and how it is used were answered. I wish I had had ACCESS in my high school. There might have been so many things I could have chosen from to take instead of classes like parenting and home design. Neither of which I feel like I use anything from now.

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