C4T 3

Post 1

For C4T 3, I was assigned to Jenna Bentley's blog. She is an educator who blogs about many different topics, much of which are on her passion for photography. In the first post that I commented on, Ms. Bentley talked about how she created a portfolio, which you can see by clicking here. She went on to talk about how she started participating in an online photo project called Daily Shoot. The Daily Shoot website gives you a different topic each day and you're supposed to go out and take a picture of your interpretation of that topic. It was created to encourage photographers to go out into the world and practice their skills everyday.

My Response:

Hi Ms. Bentley! My name is Samantha, and I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I have always been interested in photography as well. However, I am not any good at it. I looked at your portfolio.. Amazing! My favorite was the picture titled “colour.” I loved the lighting and reflection. It was simple yet still very eye-catching. The Daily Shoot Assignment is a brilliant idea! I definitely think that it will help spark your creativity and imagination. Keep up the good work, you’re doing a great job! Thanks for sharing.

Post 2

The next post that I read of Ms. Bentley's was titled "This I Believe." In this post she wrote about her experience as a basketball player. She recalls how she felt at one particular game. She talks about how when she got put in the game, she was so focused on the outcome of the game that she couldn't focus and made mistake after mistake. She eventually got pulled out of the game and her team lost by 10 points. She was so discouraged that she began to cry. A teammate attempted to comfort her by telling her that "A good player never has two bad games in a row. Show them what your made of next game." This seemed to really encourage her and she learned to only focus on the moment and that it's ok not to know.

My Response

This was a great essay! No criticism here except "loose" should be "lose" and then you said "can't never" - double negatives. Other than that, amazing! I felt like I was there; I shared your anticipation and anxiety and then felt comforted by your coach and teammate's words. I really like it when a writer uses a lot of expressive words and can make the reader feel like a part of the story. Great work, keep it up! Thanks for sharing.

Project 12 Skype Interview

Blog Assignment 9

"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung:

People, if you haven't read Mr. McClung's blog post already - READ IT! In this post, Mr. McClung shares with us what he learned during his first year of teaching. It gives great insight for future educators. Here's a brief rundown of his post:

How to Read the Crowd.

Here he states that your lessons aren't about you as the teacher, they are about your students. Your lessons need to be student-centered and let your audience drive your instruction.

Be Flexible.

Here he talks about how teachers tend to plan the "perfect" lesson; they know exactly how and what they want to say and when. He states that "the lesson you teach and the one you plan are always different." This is something we need to remember! You can plan you lessons to a certain extent, but allow for flexibility. Allow yourself to go-with-the-flow.

Communicate.

Now for communication, the best medicine as Mr. McClung calls it. He states that communication is the best way to resolve issues and establish strong relationships with your students and fellow teachers. So true!

Be Reasonable.

Mr. McClung talks about how we hold our students to certain expectations and how they don't always meet those expectations - and that's ok. Don't get upset and punish them for their mistakes, no one is perfect. Our job as an educator is to pick them up, brush them off and help them try again. It is extremely important that we as teachers remember this as it is critical for our students' success.

Don't be Afraid of Technology.

Technology is a must in today's society so don't be frightened by it. Jump in, learn it and use it to its full advantage. You can't run from it for forever!

Listen to Your Students.

My favorite.. "Listen to your students because you may be the only one that does." I think teachers have a tendency to forget that your students' needs are just as important as your actual students. You don't know where they come from, what their home life is like, or what they have been through. You need to respect them and let them know that you care, and in return, you will gain their respect.  

Never Stop Learning.

Mr. McClung says that we owe it to our students to never stop learning. We practically force them to learn, so why don't we? We live in a society that is ever-changing and requires us to continually learn. Don't ever stop!

C4K 4, 5 & 6

C4K 4

For C4K 4, I was assigned to a little girl name Sylvia. She is a Year 6 student in Miss Juanita Garden's class (Room 17) at Pt. England School in Auckland, New Zealand. In her most recent post, she talked about how her uncle took her and her brother to Swimarama, a waterpark. She said it had an indoor and an outdoor pool, diving boards, and a hydroslide. She talked about how she was scared to jump off the diving board and go down the hydroslide, but she still did them and screamed "WOOHOO!!" the entire time! She said the day she went to Swimarama was "the best day EVER!"

My Response: 

Hi Sylvia! My name is Samantha and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in the United States. I love your post about going to Swimarama! It sounds like you had a blast! Living on the Gulf Coast, there are several waterparks in the area. I haven't been to one in a few years, but after reading your post, I'm definitely going to have to go this summer! I love your writing by the way; you are very descriptive and painted a good picture for me. I almost felt like I was there with you. Keep up the good work! Nice to "meet" you!

C4K 5

For C4K 5, I was assigned to Tanielu's blog. He is a Year 8 student in Mrs. Lagitupu's class (Room 21) at Pt. England School. In the post that I commented on, Tanielu talked about his experience at Camp T.C. He shared with us about all the activities that he participated in with his group called "Responiblez." He also talked about how he competed in a swimming tournament in which he placed second. He was very excited about his positive experience, and it showed in his writing!

My Response:

Hi Tanielu! My name is Samantha, and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in the United States. I really enjoyed reading about your camp experience! I can definitely tell that you had a blast! Congratulations on placing 2nd in the swimming tournament! That's an awesome accomplishment! I hope to read more about your accomplishments in the future. Nice to "meet" you!

C4K 6

For C4K 6, I was assigned to a little girl name Theresa. She is a student in Ms. Engelhard's class. In her post she wrote "Sometimes you think that your parents are trying to be mean but no they just try to help you but you wont let them. Your parents love you and just want to be there for you and to take care of you. So maybe you should help them sometimes and be nice to them. P.S. They love you!!!!!!"

My Response:

Hi Theresa! My name is Samantha, and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in the United States. I like your post, you are very right! Your parents do love you and only want the best for you. I think we sometimes tend to forget that, but it is true! It is very nice of you to suggest helping them sometimes! What made you want to write this blog post? It's very sweet; I'm just curious. Nice to "meet" you!

Blog Assignment 8

This is How we Dream, Parts 1 & 2 by Richard Miller:

This video demonstrates the changes in which our world is experiencing. Since the beginning of time, the school systems have been based around the textbook, paper and pencil. However, since the world is shifting to mostly digital based documents, the educational system is experiencing that change as well.

As a result, we as future teachers have the responsibility of learning how to create all of these digital and web based documents. They are important for teaching curriculum and for teaching students how to be creative. For our students to be successful, they are going to need to learn how to write and share their ideas on the web as well. Teaching our students to share their ideas is going to be a very important part of our teaching process, which is one of the main points of this video. 

I know that I am not quite ready to write with multimedia yet. Although, I am slowly learning and becoming more and more familiar with all of this technology, thanks to EDM310. I plan to keep using the information I have learned in this class and hope to continue to learn more about all of it so I will be prepared to write multimedia when the time comes.

The Chipper Series & EDM310 for Dummies:

These two videos were pretty entertaining. Although I have never been a full-on procrastinator, this first video did make me realize the procrastinator that lives in me. This class has especially helped me with my time efficiency. It has also helped me manage my time more efficiently in my other classes as well. The second video made me laugh. I was definitely lost at the beginning of this class (and completely overwhelmed), but after I sat down and calendared everything out, it is much easier and has definitely helped me value my time and use it more effectively.

If I were to film a video for the upcoming EDM310 students, I would create one that somehow stresses time management and staying up-to-date with their work. I would definitely encourage them to explore all of the assigned websites ahead of time and put a lot of effort and creativity into their work. Completing each assignment helps to make the next one a little bit easier. The next group of EDM 310 students should know that they do not need to be intimidated, just ready to put in a lot of time and effort into this class and that it will pay off! 

Learn to Change, Change to Learn:

Like the first video, this one shows you how the educational system is behind on change. It is sickening to hear that the educational industry was ranked 55 out of 55 in level of IT intensiveness by the U.S. Department of Commerce and that it was below coal mining. That right there is enough to initiate some change. The educational system needs to TEACH students, not feed them facts to memorize. They need to steer clear of standardized testing and burp-back education. We need to teach kids to think critically and think for themselves. Teachers need to teach their students how to use all of this new and improving technology to their full advantage. There is no reason for the education industry to be ranked so low with the resources that have become available. 

The Secret Powers of Time by Philip Zambardo &

Drive - The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by David Pink:

There were several points that really stood out to me in the video "The Secret Powers of Time." One was the statement that boys use video games to create their own worlds and that if classrooms were more digital, they would be more interested in what was really being taught. I can see this as being very true. If we made an attempt to incorporate digital media into our lessons and curriculum, it could result in an increase in student learning and success rate. I think it would really excite students and help create a welcoming classroom environment. The part of the video that stated that only 20% of American families have sit down dinners together really bothered me. My mom always made us sit down together every night. It was our time to communicate and talk about our day as a family. I think it is a very important time for families to bond. In addition to this video, I've also read about a study that was performed and the results were that the children whose families ate together at night were slightly more successful with their grades and in school.

In the second video, it really showed me another side to how people are motivated. Some people are thought to be motivated by money, by material possessions. However, this video states taht people are driven by knowledge. I think people feed off of knowledge; once they learn one thing, they hunger for more, they become hungry for the next step. We as teachers have to fuel this hunger. We have to help our students create and seek knowledge in their own way.

Project 13 Smartboard Presentation

Peer Evaluation Results

1) On a scale of 1-10, please rank if the teachers' language and vocabulary was clear and age appropriate? All three participants gave each of us a 10.

2) On a scale of 1-10, please rank the overall presentation in comprehension level.
All three participants gave each of us a 10.

3) On a scale of 1-10, were students asked to participate in the activity?
All three participants gave each of us a 10.

4) On a scale of 1-10, rank the overall creativity of the activity.
All three participants gave each of us a 10.

5-8) Please comment on each person's overall performance.
Each of us was given a job well done.

9) What was the most prominent aspect of the lesson presented?
The students liked that our presentation was a multiple choice game, that it gave them a grade at the end, and they liked our enthusiasm. 

10) Please tell us if there is anything you would change or add to the presentation.
All three students said they would change nothing and that it was great.

Project 10 PLN Progress Post

I chose to use Symbaloo for my Personal Learning Network, and it seems to be going rather smoothly. The instructional video on their homepage helped me a lot. I really like the idea of having all the websites I visit on a regular basis in one central location. My PLN is definitely a work in progress, but so far, it has proven to be very time efficient and helps me to stay organized. I can't wait to finish it and continuously put it to the test! I can totally see how this could be beneficial to a student's learning.

Blog Assignment 7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture:

     I agree with Dr. Strange, this video was most definitely well worth the time. In the introduction part of Dr. Pausch's lecture, he shares with the audience that he is a cancer patient with only a few short months left to live. He not only gives this last lecture as a way to say his final words but also as an attempt to leave a meaningful message behind to his family, his colleagues, students and educators. He was very positive in his speaking and so uplifting that you could not help but keep watching. He had me crying by the end.

     In the following part of his lecture, he shared with the audience about his childhood dreams and accomplishments. He talked about all of his dreams and goals he achieved throughout his entire career. He went on to talk about the trials and "brick walls" that he had to overcome in order to reach those dreams. He said that those obstacles weren't there to stop him, but to prove to him what his dreams were worth.

     I think the most significant part of his lecture for future educators to take hold of is the passion and sincerity in his teaching. The way he lead his students is so inspiring. He was very driven by creativity, so much so that he had his students creating and designing things that had never been done before. He used project/group based learning to ignite enthusiasm and create a learning environment that students wanted to be a part of. From watching his video and seeing his excitement when talking about his students, you know they had to love his class. He continuously encouraged his students because he wanted them to reach their full potential. He wanted to help them overcome the "brick walls" to reach their dreams and goals the same way he did.

     As a future educator myself, I sincerely hope that I can be as inspiring to my students as Dr. Pausch was. I'm sure in the years to come, I will revert back to this video to keep my goals and teaching in check. Dr. Pausch saw the bright side in everything he did and encountered, even in his last days. He taught his students that the world is their playground and to always follow their dreams. I wrote one of his quotes on a notecard to keep in my binder.. "If you live your life right, your dreams will come to you." What a great way to think! I want to learn to find the brightness and joy in every situation that arises in my life the same way that he did.

C4T 2

For C4T 2, I was assigned to follow the Physical Education Teacher, Jarrod Robinson a.k.a. The PE Geek. Mr. Robinson is from Victoria, Australia and is trained in Information Technology. He takes great delight in aiming to engage students in his classes using web 2.0 tools. He states that the purpose of his blog is to "detail the different ways he is trialling these technologies in his classes."

His first post was a video on how to use TimeWarp 4.0. He gives a brief tutorial on how it could be used in a classroom.

My Response:

Hi Mr. Robinson. My name is Samantha, and I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. Although I am unfamiliar with TimeWarp 4.0, after watching your video I can see just how beneficial it could be in any classroom (especially in Physical Education) and/or on a sports field. I found the "tagging" part to be the most intriguing; I could see coaches using this to demonstrate plays, runs, stretches, etc. and teachers using it for just about anything. I will definitely become more familiar with this program. Thank you for sharing!

Mr. Robbo's second post was on the Instant Heart Rate application for the iphone. He just explains how it works and even shared an instructional video. It proved to be pretty accurate!

My Response:

Hi Mr. Robbo! I’m back for another post. Although I don’t own an iphone, I did just purchase the Samsung Galaxy today. It’s just another company’s version of the iphone. I’m definitely going to have to look to see if this app is available for my phone! It is a very cool app for a physical education teacher and for someone like me that loves to workout and run. Thank you for sharing, once again!