Final Reflection

Project 13

My Team (Jabawalkie) recorded and posted our final project. We used all the slides and scripts that I referred to in the first report. However, we did change some word selection but the majority of of the information stayed the same. We rehearsed our  scripts using Skype. Skype allowed us to improve our eye contact and posture. It also helped in improving our verbal delivery. Google drive and talk also played a big role in both of our projects 15 and 16. We created and edited both of our project using Google drive and talk.

Final Project 16

Final report on PLN

This is my final report on my PLN. The first report I made on this tool I stated I was going to try to utilize it more. That is exactly what I have been doing. I used it to construct my first Skype interview this past week. It has been very beneficial throughout the semester. Although, it is not exactly like the seventh's grader's PLE, I have made it to fit my preference.

C4T #4

The teacher I was assigned for my C4T 4 assignment was Mr. Brian Nichols. He is the Executive Director of School Leadership in the Newport News Public School System. He has obtained that position for the past 2 and a half years. He has been working in the Newport News Public School System since 1998. He specializes in Leadership Development, Educational Technology, and Mobile Learning.

In blog 1, Brian Nichols tells about how he had the honor and privilege to attend the Edscape Conference. The conference was created by Eric Sheninger. It offers over 60 breakout sessions ,annually, featuring progressive educators in the education profession. He talks about how he collaborated with some professionals who he admired and followed on twitter, facebook, and etc. I left a comment on his blog telling him I have followed some of the professionals he referred to in his blog. Also, I told him I have been learning the value of collaboration in EDM 310.

In blog 2, Mr. Nichols explained how the words compliance and engagement are commonly misused. He gives the definitions of the two and explained how they are different. I commented by agreeing that some people do misuse the two words. Also, I told him how I define the two words.

C4K Summary (November)

Post number 8

I was assigned a student name Taylor. She designed a blog pertaining to animals and the surrounding of her landscape. I commented by telling her I enjoyed reading her blog and I thought it was real creative.


Post number 9

The next student  blog I was assigned to comment on was David. David blog presented details about Lego Star Wars character Captain Rex. He explained that if you have not read the lego series, his blog may spoil it for you.

I commented by telling David he did a good job on mission part 1. I also told him to keep me posted on what happens in part 2.

Post number 10

The last student I was assigned was Drew. Drew posted a blog that involved French Revolution hero Maximillen Robespierre. He said if he could choose one person to be his personal assistant for a week it would be Robespierre. He explained how he would get him to perform various political duties to improve society.

I commented by telling him those were very interesting topics he brought up. I ended by telling him to keep up the Good work!

Blog Post 13

Brian Crosby Back To the Future











In, Back To the Future, Mr. Crosby used some very interesting teaching methods. He utilized different technology tools to obtain the students attention and to enrich their learning experience. I think that is very critical in educating in the 21st century.

I really admired how he gave the background information of the students at the beginning of the video. That really gave the public an idea of what he accomplished with the teaching methods and approaches that he used. That also showed that the approaches he used  should be considered for implementing in the classrooms. Overall, I was truly impressed with Mr. Crosby.


A Vision of Students Today

The message that the video, A Vision of Students Today, is sending to teachers and Presidents of colleges and universities is "Change"!  A change in the classroom, in the learning process, and overall in the education profession. The students in the video gave valid points on the failures of the current educational system. They are not interested in it, do not believe in it, and think it is time for it to go. It does not benefit them now or in the future.

So, how can we fix this as students, professors, presidents, and etc. I think the message in the video is calling for a revitalization of the education system with the use of technology. The main reason is that it provides more effective educational teaching methods and it better prepares students for future opportunities. Also, from the students perspective you get to work at your own pace and not have to deal with time constraints or conflicts that goes with balancing school and work life. The reason I brought that issue to the forefront because in the video I saw a couple of signs pertaining to working while attending school. I know personally that is a task all by itself. Although I consider my priorities to be in order, I have been doing that for the last three years and find it to be overwhelming at times. In conclusion, I think the educational process is going to be something that both sides(the students and the educators) are going to have to examine in the future and decide which direction to go.

Smartboard Project 15

Progress Report on Final Project

My team (Jabawalkie) decided to make a video for future students of EDM 310. The scripts and slides are all in place. We are in the progress of filming the movie to complete the assignment. We have been communicating through Google docs and Google talk.

Blog Post 12

Blog Post 12 (Specialty Assignment)

This particular assignment required that the students create an assignment, pertaining to their specialty area, that should have been implemented in EDM 310. My specialty area is Health Education. Oftentimes, when I tell someone I attend the University of South Alabama and my major is Health Education I get some very interesting questions.

Examples

1. "Are you going to be a P.E. Teacher or something?"

2. "Is that some type of medical or doctor related profession?"

3. "What can you do with a Health Education degree?"

The assignment I created involves finding a technology based learning tool that presents information that helps the public to become more knowledgeable about the Health Education profession. The information should show or explain the contributions that Health Educators/Specialists make in society. The information should also show the type of work that Health Educators/Specialist do and where they can be found. I think this is a good project for Health Ed. majors because the questions I referred to I do not get them all from the average "John Doe" or "Jane Doe". I get some of them from highly educated professionals. I personally find that kind of disturbing because Health is all around us! View the You Tube video I found as an example.

   

    

Blog Post 11

Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy

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After watching Ms. Cassidy Skype interview, I concluded that she took a very open approach to using technology in the classroom. I think that type of approach is vital in getting and using technology in the classrooms.

The techniques that she uses in her classroom I would also use in my classroom. The information she shared about the use of the class blog really caught my attention. She says that blogs are good for improving writing skills. I agreed one-hundred percent! She also said it provides a better audiences for the students. In reference to the audience technique, I really saw the difference that the blog post made on the audience when I was assigned a C4K assignment. This particular C4K assignment involved a student who was taken a technology based comparative U.S. Government class in high school. I was amazed to see the types of comments she was getting from different people regarding certain political issues.

The other perspective that I agreed with Ms. Cassidy on was the starting point of technology. She answered Dr. Strange's question by saying you should start off with what you are interested in. Also, the efficiency and interest of the students should play a major role in where you start off with using technology in the classroom.

The last issue that I will discuss that Ms. Cassidy explained in her Skyping interview was how cheating affect technology. She stated that professors need to find better ways to present information so that specific issue could be avoided. She also clearly explained the difference between collaboration and cheating.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed watching her interview. It really opened my eyes to a lot of issues pertaining to technology in the classroom.

C4T #3

The teacher I was assigned was Bill Ferriter. He is a national board-certified teacher who teaches sixth -grade language arts and social studies in the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, North Carolina.The first post I commented on was "Are Current #ed. policies Turning Schools into Brain power Wastelands?" I responded by saying that was a very interesting topic he discussed in his post.

The second post I commented on was "How Gritty Are Today's Learners?" In the post, he examines the intensity and consistently level of today's learners. I commented by saying today's learners are less grittier than past generation learners.

C4K Summary (October)

Post number 3

The student I was assigned for post number 3 was Becca. Becca post described what she was seeing in the hallways of her school. At the end of her post, she ask the question "How do you think your quality of life would differ if you didn't go to this school?"

I commented on her post by responding to her question. I told her although I did not go to that specific school, I experienced certain situations that she described in her post. Also, I told her to stay encouraged and I was looking forward to hearing from her soon.

Post number 4

The student I was assigned for post number 4 was Courtneyanni. She commented on the first debate between the two presidential candidates. She explained how she saw Gov. Romney stay on the offensive side of the argument and forced Pres. Obama to be on the defensive side. As a result, she felt that Gov. Romney won the debate.

I started off by telling her that I wish I had a technology based government class in high school. In reference to her blog I gave her details of what I thought that contributed to the results of the debate. In conclusion, I told her to keep up the good work and to keep expressing her opinion, analysis, and etc.

Post number 5

The student I was assigned for post number 5 was Juan Ignacio Castro. His post involved describing a celebrity. He ask the question "Can you guess who I'm talking about?"

I responded by saying Will Smith. I think that was the most reasonable answers I could give at the time.

Post number 6

The student I was assigned for post number 6 was Brad. In his post, he described a character name Johnny in the book titled the Outsiders. He described Johnny as being a dynamic character.

 I responded by telling him I enjoyed reading his blog post, although I did not read the outsiders series.

Post number 7

The C4K assignment number 7 was a special edition assignment. We were assigned to a specific section of Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli blog post. The direct link I was assigned to was "A Bit About Ireland." It was very informative.

I responded by telling them that the information they shared was very informative. I also commented by saying the detail about Ireland that caught my attention the most was the obesity rate.

Special Blog Assignment

A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind




In this USA Today article , A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind, Professor Sebestian Thrun explained and discussed the future of teaching and learning in the education profession. The type of teaching and learning he sees for the future involves using a high tech experiment he created called Udacity. The Udacity experiment was created to revolutionize education.

 In the USA Today article, Professor Thrun claimed that the Udacity method will be free and available to anyone who wants to learn. He also claimed in this type of learning students will no longer be tardy, and failure will not be an option. Other details of the method involves the removal of grades which has been "the failure of the education system", according to Professor Thrun. Also, better classroom capacity control will be accessible. In Professor Thrun words, "there will be no more one-size fits all."

I agree that it will revolutionize education and prepare students to use technology as a learning tool. As a result, it will better prepare students for jobs and careers in the future. Also, the world is becoming more technology centered and I think the students will benefit from the Udacity method.

On the other side of the argument, I do not know if all the students will be able to grasp that type of learning. Also, the resources that are required for this method will be expansive and the issues he referred to in his blog  will still remain. Whether in a traditional or technology based teaching method there is still going to be people not performing to their fullest potential, turning in assignments late and etc.

Nevertheless, I applaud his effort on creating the program. I really admired his creativity and I will like to see the experiment implemented to see the affect that it will have on the education profession.    

Blog Post 10

Adventures in Pencil Integration

I'm a Papermate. I'm a Ticonderoga




This particular image symbolizes many different issues in today's education process. You could look at it from many different perspectives. Nevertheless, the issue that I really think the image represents is the difference between the traditional learning process and the technology based learning process. The Papermate image represents the traditional "burp back" method of learning. This method cost less but does not get the job done. The Ticonderoga image represents the technology based learning method. It is the more expensive one out of the two. However, it is up to date and is preferred more by the students.


Why Were Your Kids Playing Games




First, I would like to start off by saying Mr. Spencer is a very creative writer and person. In his blog, Why Were Your Kids Playing Games, he gave a detail example on how the current education profession has overemphasized a systematic way of educating. In his post, the principal made a big deal about him bringing a more creative style of teaching to the classroom. The principal was so use to educating a certain way until he refused to accept or acknowledge a different teaching method. This problem still remains today.


I Banned Pencils Today




After I read Mr. Spencer blog ,Why Were Your Kids Playing Games, I was eager to read another one of his blog post. The blog post that caught my attention the most was, I Banned Pencils Today. I was very interested in finding out how he performed that task. In the beginning of his blog, he stated that he saw a need for all types of media in his classroom. However, one day in math class he banned the use of paper and pencil and ask the students to solve a math problem without it. The students struggled for a while until they relied on their brain! Each student answered the question and shared the information among themselves. This technique taught the students to realize the amount of power they had in their brain alone.



Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?




Dr.  Scott Mcleod is the founding director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (Castle). The nation 's only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators. We were assigned to read his blog post Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
It was a sarcastic way of expressing his viewpoints on technology based instructional learning and exposing opposing views from opposition. After viewed his blog post, I agreed with him on some aspects of his argument. On the other side of his argument, I felt the people that he was referring to in his blog had valid points also.

I agreed with Dr. Mcleod in regard of technology based learning better preparing students for the future. However, there are still some flaws with it. Safety, content, and reliability are some issues I have with it.

In conclusion, I think there are some pro's and con's about his argument . Nevertheless, I was very impressed with his creative thinking and writing style.

Project 11

Blog Post 9

Mr. Joe McClung What I've Learned This Year (2008-2009)







The first post by Mr. McClung that I viewed was "What I've learned This Year" (2008-2009). In this blog, he described his first year of teaching. I was really interested in reading this one! The main reason is because I think the first year is very critical in acquiring experience, expectations, and information. It is also the first step in establishing a career. The other reason I was very anxious in reading this post because I wanted to get his perspective on his first year of teaching. Many educators say that the first year, by far, is the most difficult.

The topics that Mr. McClung discussed in his blog really got my attention. The first and I think the most important was "How to Read the Crowd." He described how he developed a mindset that was detrimental to the education profession. He explained how he thought the teaching process was all about the teacher. As a result, he forget about his real audience the students. He also stated that this particular train of thought has become a common theme among educators.

The other topic that Mr. McClung discussed was "Don't be Afraid of Technology." He commented by saying many grown adults everywhere are afraid of technology. I used to be one of them he is referring to. Before I took technology classes similar to EDM 310, I thought technology was useless. I thought it was unsafe, unreliable, and overall a bad idea to bring to the education profession. However, as I learned how to use the tools of technology more efficiently, I had a change of thought! Mr. McClung followed that statement by saying that "Technology is our friend and it is essential to living in today's society." He also made me feel more comfortable about working with technology in the future when he said "We can not expect to master computer skills the first time we attempt them." That is what Dr. Strange has been trying to drill into our brain. He often says "we are life long learners especially when it is pertaining to technology because it is always changing."

Mr. Joe McClung What I've Learned This Year (2011-2012) Volume 4





Mr. McClung in volume 4 of What I've Learned This Year (2011-2012) took a different approach in writing this blog post. Nevertheless, it was still effective. He only talks about two topics. The first topic was "You Gotta Dance with Who You Brought to the Dance." He explained how he got over concerned with how his peers viewed him. As a result, he forget who opinion really counted. It was not his peers, but his students. Also, it was not his peers he came to the education profession to help or teach but again the students. It is very important to put a difference between the two, in order, to be a productive or effective educator. Oftentimes, many educators are trying to gain a self image that their peers approve instead of an image that their students approve.


The other topic that Mr. McClung discussed is the process of challenging yourself as an educator. Many educators reach a certain level and do not try to progress past that certain level. As a result, Mr. McClung explained how that can lead to laziness, on the teacher behalf, and non-effective teaching methods. Also, he explained how by not challenging yourself  as an educator causes the students to lose interest in the classroom.
 

Book Trailer Project 12

Smartboard Project 14

PLN Project 10

This is my first PLN. I used symbaloo to construct it. I am going to try to use it more extensively as the semester progress. I really want to add more websites and make it similar to the Seventh Grader's PLE.

Blog Post 8

This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2











In part 1 of This Is How We Dream, Mr. Miller elaborated on the traditional teaching method. When he was in school, the education process consisted of teachers instructing lessons from paperback books. Students took notes, exams, and wrote papers with regular writing utensils. Mr. Miller dreamed and prepared himself for a career that would involve books, paper,pens etc. Nevertheless, time brought about a change! The first change Mr. Miller discuss is the incremental change. The incremental change changed the work space. The work space became the laptop and not the traditional classroom.

In part 2, Miller expounded on the new work space. He referred to it as the new digital era. He also explained how it work. Teachers are now able to download different materials, lectures, and lessons. It also pushes ideas to our culture.

In conclusion, I found it amazing how the transition of writing, reading, and the overall education process has changed. What really grabbed my attention is when he explained how the information that is being obtained from this transition is not been shared. I thought about that also. Many people are too busy competing with each other about ways they think would be best to do certain procedures or operations.They forget about working together to achieve more. That is also true about the education field , but as educators we have one goal and that is to educate our students to our full potential.


Carly Pugh Post 12

I think Carly comes real close to Dr. Miller's hopes for writing with multi-media. The video was very creative and interesting. I enjoyed her playlist, topics, and overall her perspective on creating this assignment. It was very beneficial. Assignments similar to Carly Post, in my opinion, brings the learning experience alive.


EDM is Different

The chipper series reflect the skills that Dr. Strange  wants his students to acquire from EDM 310. The video also gives scenarios on the benefit of having those skills. Last but not least, it emphasizes the value of an education.

In EDM for dummies a reaction of two typical students are portrayed at the beginning. At the end of the video, technology skills that were obtained from taking EDM 310 were discuss. The two students looked refreshed after taking the class.


Learn to Change, Change to Learn

The arguments made in Learn to Change,Change to Learn are valid. Teaching and learning in the 21st century is based on technology. Technology provides more opportunity for global connection and job security. That is correct.

However, I have a couple of questions. Are we going to depend on it alone? Is it going to effect all the students the same? I think these are vital questions that need to be answered before we really put all of our eggs into technology based education.


Scavenger Hunt

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=467896091C821741

C4T #2

The teacher I was assigned to was Mr. Arvind S. Grover. He is the Dean of Faculty at the Grace Church School in New York. The first post I commented on showed all the learning sources or occupations that Mr. Grover had over the past year. In my comment I told him I was interested in knowing exactly what he learned from each source in more detail.

The second post that I commented on from Mr. Grover was "Meetings are not work.Work is Work." He added a link to a web-page that contained modern meetings standards. It examined techniques that would make meetings more efficient and less strenuous. I commented by telling him thanks for the advice and also that I was looking forward to use some of the strategies in the future.

Blog Post 7

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler

I love the idea of network learning! It is an exciting learning experience for the students. It is also effective as for as communicating goes. You can connect with people around the world. It gives the students an opportunity to actually apply what they have learned in comparison to traditional teaching methods. That is vital for educating in the 21st century.

However, I do have some concerns about network learning. According to the video, network learning could be for any subject, topic, or issue. I agree to a certain extent. That is the first concern I have with network learning. Certain subjects, issues, topics, require different criteria. Some may require personal objectives that I think network learning is a little to broad or open for. For an example, in  a subject  like health education you may have to do assessments on the personal health history of students. Sometimes that may be a little emotional on the student's behalf  to discuss specific issues, such as that, over the net.

The next concern I have with network learning is that all educators are not big fans of the new technology movement. According to the video, teachers are responsible for guiding students in implementing, utilizing, and acquiring network learning skills and techniques. Can we say that about all educators? The answer is no. As a result, that is going to lead to an on-going conflict in the education profession in the 21st century. Many educators are going to say network learning is necessary. Others are going to say it is not.

In conclusion, I think network learning is a great idea! However, there is going to be major issues pertaining to it. That is why I think it is going to be hard to  implement it in certain school systems and districts.

A 7th Graders PLE












I really enjoyed the personal learning environment video. It was well organized, creative, and informative. As a surprise ,to me, it was all done by technology. I was amazed.

My PLE is very different. The main reason why is that I do not consider myself a technology guy. Although, I have basic technology skills I am still learning the more advance ones. However, I am looking forward to creating a PLE similar to the 7th grader's.

Project 8 Podcast Assignment

Blog Post 6

Randy Pausch Last Lecture

After I watched Dr. Pausch last lecture, I confirmed that he is an inspiration to the whole world. In this video he talks about life lessons along with educational lessons.  I will discuss some of them.

The first lesson that I will discuss by Dr. Pausch is the"head fake" lesson. He defines it as learning indirectly. He expounds on that idea by saying it is the best way to teach someone because it gives someone the indication that they are learning something that they know. In reality, they are learning something opposite of what they think they know. I can see myself using this skill in my teaching method. Oftentimes, when people do not learn certain material, it is not necessary that they do not have the ability to learn it. It is mainly because they do not put the effort to learn the material because they do not like it or for some other reason. That is a major issue among  younger adults, youths, younger children and overall, generally speaking, people period. I think the "head fake" method will improve situations similar to this one.

The second lesson that I will discuss pertaining to Dr. Pausch is the fundamental lesson. He acquired this method also from one of his old football coaches. He stated that his coach would often tell the team that in order to master more advance skills you have to master the fundamentals first. In "other words" if you do not get the fundamentals down the fancy stuff is not going to work. In the education profession, some educators have forsaken fundamental value all together. They have moved on to more advanced methods that are not efficient. That has caused problems in the education profession. In order to get back on the right track, fundamental value will have to be taught in education. For an example, I would put emphasis on fundamentals by providing basic learning concepts in my teaching method.

The last lesson or idea I will discuss by Dr. Pausch is the self-reflect lesson. We have all been guilty of not doing or giving our best performance when we know someone is not analyzing our work closely. Dr. Pausch said many people or more likely to put their best effort when they know it is going to reflect their image, work, or etc. That is why he required it in his class. That is why I would use it as a technique in my classroom.

Although, Dr. Pausch had an life-ending health problem. He did not let that dictate how or what he did in his lifetime. He was a good-spirited, high energy type of person. That is what I admired most about him. As,  I stated earlier he serves as an inspiration to the world. I will surely use some of his teaching techniques in improving my learning and teaching skills. I will also suggest to people who are having problems teaching, learning, or motivating themselves to view Dr. Pausch  last lecture.

C4K Summary (September)

Post number 1

The first student I was assigned was Faafetai. Faafetai explained in her blog how she used play dough to solve fractions in her math class. She started by rolling the play dough into a giant roll. Next, she cut them into sections. After that, she took away and added sections, as needed, to solve math problems.

I commented on her blog by telling her I was impressed on how she use her creativity to learn math. I also told her I enjoyed playing with play dough also but I never used it in a math class. In  the conclusion, I encouraged her to keep up the good work.

Post number 2

The second post was different than the first post. I was assigned to Mr. Capps 3rd grade class blog. It summarized and showed students using the close to 100 method. This method has taken off in the classroom. I commented on his blog by stating that the method looks energetic and engaging for the students. I also told him good luck with installing it in the rest of the classes.

Time Toast project 9a

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My Sentence Project 6

Blog Post 5

The iPhone Initiative

In this video, Travis Allen argues that the iPhone initiative is the solution to the American education crisis. I agree in some aspects of his argument. In other aspects I feel that it is not.

The iPhone initiative would save money and time. It would be the most familiar method  to students being that they are millenial. ( People born after the year of 1980 and have never experienced life without technology or personal computers.) As a result of that, it would also probably be the most preferred method of learning by the students.These are all valid points.

On the other side of the argument, I would have to question the effectiveness of this method. I believe that all kids can learn! However, all kids are not the same! Many of them learn material in many different ways. Some of them may perform better using the iPhone initiative. Others may perform better with the traditional pencil and paper method. I think personally, we need to find a way to get on even ground. Technology similar to the iPhone initiative, I feel is necessary  in the classroom to a certain extent. Nevertheless, I do not think we should do away with all of the traditional methods and depend on it alone for educating.

 Virtual Choir

I was really impressed with the assembling of the virtual choir through technology. It was a very good use of the internet. I always had an idea that a performance similar to this one could be achieved through technology but I never knew how it was going to be done. As technology advances, I will be looking forward to seeing more performances similar to this one. I also plan to obtain more details about them by researching the production process.

Teaching in the 21st Century

Mr. Roberts feel that teaching in the 21st century revolves around technology. He is correct. What I confirmed from this video is that I need to be technology efficient. However, I still think some classes, courses, lessons, and etc. are taught better hands on. Examples include Physical Education, Health Education, Literature and etc. The reason I listed Physical education is because it is the education of, about, and through the physical. Videos that experts of physical fitness provide are beneficial but I think personally to start  to become physical fit or physical educated you have to have that hands on training or knowledge first hand. I feel the same way about Health Education . The only other suggestion I would like to make in reference to Health Education is that it is more of a personal process. The six components of Health : are Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual, Emotional, and Environmental. I like the website journals that are provided through technology. (Some examples are myplate.gov and mypyramid.gov.) However, they only provide a certain amount of information. That brings me to Literature. Literature is the art of written work and can, in some circumstances, refer exclusively to published sources. It is also presented in many different ways. As a result, some of it requires interpretation methods and sometime an interpreter. Google, WikiPedia, Opposing viewpoint are all vital and beneficial technology resources. I enjoy using them! Nevertheless, you can only get a certain amount of information and sometime the information  is not reliable.The poetry side of Literature  also requires interpretation. People in general interpret or understand material in many different ways. For example, how I understand something may not be the same way someone else understand it. That is where the interpreter comes in. Can I use technology or the internet as a quality,reliable resource  to solve that problem?  There is where I stand in teaching in the 21st century.


Flipping the classroom

Flipping the classroom is defined, by Ms. Munafo, as an innovative approach to classroom instructing that allows direct instruction to take place at home. She explains in further detail how this approach leads to better preparation and saves time for applying learning skills. Ms. Katie Gimbar explains why she flipped her classroom in her video. She gave examples on how it has changed her approach in addressing her class. This approach if used correctly can lead to effective educating. I could see myself using this technique because it identifies the need of the student.

Project 5 Presentation

Blog Post 4

The Benefits of Podcasting in the classroom by Joe Dale introduce me to podcasting. I neither knew what podcasting consisted of nor did I ever experienced it as a learning tool. Only thing I heard about podcasting was that it was used for teaching in the classroom. In reference to the video, I was informed that podcasting is an effective way of interacting with students outside the traditional classroom setting. It is also defined as a "radio" broadcast that is put on the internet in a special format that can be downloaded to an ipod for "anytime-anyplace" listening.

Now I will discuss some benefits of podcasting that I learned from the video. The first benefit of podcasting is that it is a learning format that many students are familiar with. At this present time, students are millenial meaning they were born after 1980 and have never experience life without technology or personal computers. So, podcasting is the current students first preference of choice concerning a learning technique. The second benefit of podcasting is that it promotes creativity and innovation. There have been claims that traditional methods of teaching limit the student capability of being creative. So podcasting solves that problem. The third benefit of podcasting is that it prevents kids from missing assignments due to sickness, emergency, and etc. If a student is sick they can pick up missing assignments off the internet or if a teacher put assignment on the internet students can keep track of them without physically coming to class. The last benefit of podcasting that I will discuss is that it is a way parents can see and hear what their children are doing. Oftentimes when teachers have to communicate with parents and parents have to communicate with teachers, information concerning the child is sometimes inaccurate. By podcasting you are able to pull up the information right then and there. In conclusion,  I would like to give podcasting a new name: the multi-tool for educating. It serves many purposes and it is something the education profession is using to promote effective learning.

C4T #1

In Andrea Hernandez blog she expressed her enthusiasm about the Daily 5 plan. She provided a video of Stephanie, the fourth and fifth grade language art teacher, who is presenting and implementing the Daily 5 program. Hernandez stated her goal for this year is to coach and help support Stephanie in implementing the program.

The Daily 5 program is a research based method of structuring literacy instruction that promote independent reading and writing for elementary age students. I commented on her blog telling her that I was preparing to become an educator also, and that was my first time hearing about the Daily 5 Plan. I ask for information, details, and updates on the overall progress of the program. Last but not least, I stated that it will be very beneficial in the future for the education profession.

Blog Post 3

What is peer editing? 

In the peer-editing video I was informed thoroughly on the process of peer-editing. I was introduce to peer-editing in the six-grade, but I never really understood the process. At that time, I thought peer-editing was just grading one of your classmate papers or writing what you thought about it. Basically, what I mean is doing what you wanted to do regardless what guidelines required.

As I got older, I understood it a little bit better. I was re-introduce to it once in high school, ninth grade, and again in college in my freshmen year. I still did not know exactly what peer-editing was. What is peer-editing explains in a way to the extent anybody could understand it. I know now exactly what is peer-editing , working with some one your own age to help improve his/her writing. I know the three steps of peer-editing, 1. Complimenting, 2. Suggesting, 3. Correcting. Last but not least, I know the golden rules of peer-editing 1. Stay positive, 2. Be specific, 3. Complete all three steps. 

Technology in Special Education.

As I watched the video on Technology in Special Education I was amazed. First, I would like to congratulate        the first person who install technology in special education classrooms. I never thought that technology would have made it to the special ed. classroom at this present time. The first reason why is because of some of the severe disabilities that some of the kids have. I thought many educators would not have been willing to work with them with using technology. The other reason why is that I thought it would have got a negative reaction from the students when it was presented to them. My assumptions was wrong! I never would have expected to get this much excitement from both sides. The educators are excited as well as the students.

This new form of learning has been more interesting and more effective than the old traditional way of educating. Some of the students commented on the technology and explain how  it has made it easier for them to learn. The ones I think are benefiting the most are the visual learners and the non-verbal students. Reason why is that visual learners can see things better and the non-verbal students finally have a way to express themselves. Overall, it is empowering the students and I am looking forward to see the next level it will take the students in the future.

How the ipad works with Academics for Autism

The app I would probably use for my classroom would be the Alphabet App. I would use it for language development for non-verbal students and for the ones who are having trouble communicating. I have had that   experience personally. I can imagine what they are going through. For an example, how you want to express yourself but do not have the proper mechanics to perform that task. I think the alphabet app would be vital for scenarios similar to this one. It would help the student communicate, which would lead to efficient educating. It would also give the students a sense of acceptance without any sort of discouragement.

Harness Your Students Digital Smarts

In Vicki Davis Video I think she is making the learning environment comfortable for the students. I love her comment "every child can learn." I think she has found the way to do just that with the use of technology.

As she has made them comfortable in the learning environment and the overall learning process they have become willing to learn. They are maximizing their potential to the fullest extent. That is what educating should be about. Another observation that I got from the video is that she is taking them on an experience of a life time. Majority of the students are from the southern Georgia region. With the exception of the trip they had with her, they have probably not been out the state of Georgia. She have allowed them to learn and experience trends with different people throughout the world. That in itself is exciting and empowering for students and she did it all through intellectual technology.

wordle project

Blog Post 2

Did You Know


       As I watch the films on Did you know by Dr. Strange, Karl Fisch, and Scott Mcleod, I thought about some assumptions that people use to make. People use to assume that a certain group of people was smarter than another group of people. The films prove that some of them were wrong. They also prove that some of them were true. Now I would like to go into more detail about the films. All the assumptions that people made were made possible or originated through the evolvement of technology.

       Technology have made it easier for a certain group of people to learn another foreign culture. For an example, I read in the films that china will soon become the number one English speaking country. I know that there are a lot of chinese people who are citizens of the U.S., going back to their native people teaching English, but English is still not a language you learn in a short period of time. China is the number one country in advancing technology and they are putting it to use. There technology advances has made it possible for them to learn English firsthand through different technology tools. That is what made it possible for them to become the number one English speaking country. So with scenarios like this one people will assume that China is the smartest country in the world. Or they would assume that the U.S. is not smarter than China. Are they correct or uncorrect ? I do not know. However, Did you know provide statistical evidence pertaining to issues similar to this one by discussing technology advances and comparing them among countries. In conclusion, the information was real enlighten and made me think from a different point of view.

Mr. Winkle Wakes


       Mr. Winkle Wakes shows how technology has advanced rapidly in every other profession except education. It looks like it is reluctant to change. He takes a look in the class room and find that the students are still uninterested in the old educational process. In comparison to what he seen in the hospitals, I can conclude that he feel that technologies advances could be very beneficial to the profession of education. Also, that it is an urgent need. I agree one-hundred percent.

        Nevertheless, I think there has been some progress with classes similar to Edm 310. If the educators could install more of a process like Edm 310 we are on the verge of proven Mr. Winkle that education is also capable of changing.

Ken Robinson on Creativity

       Mr. Robinson makes a valid point that creativity has moved out of the schools. It was not necessarily a certain school he was referring to but more of the process. Many school districts and systems have adopted a one sided way of educating and has closed the gap for creativity.  That is what he is explaining in the video.

        Education as a whole is going to have to move away from the traditional way of doing things. He states that education is designed to take and prepare children for the future. He could have not been more correct. With the advancement of technology the traditional way is going to fail to do that as time progress. Also with advancing technology, creativity is going to be vital for the education process. It is not going to slow down anytime soon and the video of Mr. Robinson was his call for reformation for the educational process now.

In light of Mr. Winkles Wakes

       As I watched the glass film I thought about the changes technology going to have on society as whole. Eventually, we are going to reach that level, everything is going to be ran by glass and computers. It is going to be a limited need for human capability because computers will be able to do it all. The human will only have to be technology knowledgeable and efficient.

       The use of tablets in the classroom makes it even more important for educators to obtain these skills. No more books, paper supplies, or anything of that sort. This is what bring me to my main concern. Some people have been preparing and are accepting this type of change. Others have not acknowledge or even accepted that there is a change taking place. I was one of them until I heard about classes similar to Edm 310 and other new techniques that are being use to educate. Where will their place in society be?

Blog Post 1

About Me

       My name is Samuel Anderson. I was born on January 16, 1989 in Mobile, Alabama. I have lived in Mobile all of my life. I am one of four boys of my mother Bernice Anderson Agee. I enjoy leisure activities and sports such as fishing, basketball, and football. I also enjoy reading, studying, and analyzing different scholastic and health related material.


       My journey at the University of South Alabama begin in the spring of 2010. It actually took longer than what I expected. I always desired to further my education but I did not know what, when, where, and how I was going to do it. Out of the five question, I could only answer one at the time and that was who. I knew I wanted to do it one day. That is what cause the delay. The second question out of the five that I answered was what. As I thought about my interest, life, and my passion I came up with Health Education. The reason I chose to major in education  in general is that I have always admired the entire educational process. For an example, how someone could learn an entire cycle of something by following directions. The reason I chose to specialize in Health education is that health conditions all of the world are on a steady decline and I think by educating people on some basic health concepts would prevent some of the health disparities in today's society.


       In conclusion, I would like to briefly discuss my most important concern about being in a educational profession. It is technology! Technology advances are being made it seems like every second. It has become almost a requirement in the classroom and has changed the traditional way of educating. At this present moment I know that I am not as technology efficient as I need to be. However, I am looking forward to progressing in EDM 310.


Randy Pausch on Time Management


     As I watch Dr. Pausch lecture on time management, I revisited my high school days. Dr. Pausch reinforce some techniques that one of my high school teacher install in me. They both explained the benefits of planning and time management. Dr. Pausch stated that americans put more emphasis on things such as status, prestige, and money. In reference to time, those things are more important. My high school teacher put it this way "time is the most valuable asset that someone could have." Also just as Dr. Pausch explain how having a plan is the basis of achieving goals in life, My high school teacher also pointed that out to my attention. He required that we have a ten-year plan as an assignment in his class. However, I did pick up some helpful advice on prioritizing from Dr. Pausch. Oftentimes, I have things I do not like to do last on the priority list. By watching Dr. Pausch time management lecture I discovered that I should have them first on the priority list so I can get them out of the way.

     In conclusion, this was my first time watching or even hearing about Dr. Pausch. As I browse through some of his other lecture videos I found him to be a very unique individual. If someone is having a time management issue, I would strongly suggest Dr. Pausch Time management lecture.


Penn State Time Management Exercise


     As I read the passages in Penn State time management video, I found three ways I could improve my time-management skills. The three ways are being more specific when writing down task, using a plannar or calendar on a regular basis, and focusing on one task at a time. First, by specifying and writing down task in detail would make me remember a lot more. Second, by using a plannar or calendar on a regular basis would allow me to know when I have to do those tasks. Third, by focusing on one task at a time would eliminate me trying to do too much. Sometimes when I try to focus on more than one task, it gets overbearing and I do not complete some of them. I plan on incorporating all of these ideas into my time management plan.

Test number 2

Test number 1

Samuel Anderson