In Closing...

Instead of saying "good bye," I decided to just say "thank you." Thank you to my classmates for enduring this course with me (haha!), thank you to my readers for providing me with critical feedback and advice, and thank you to Dr. Strange for showing me many things in the technology world that will assist and enhance my teaching profession. You truly are a wonderful role model for the perfect technology literate teacher. So thank you, all.

Unfortunately, I will have to say "good bye" to everyone in Mobile; as much as I would love to continue our intellectual journey together - and possibly even work in the same schools! - my life is taking me on a different path: I will be moving to Enterprise May 7th and starting Troy University in the fall. So farewell, South Alabama...

My Updated PLN

As this semester is coming to a close, I am updating my existing PLN to include everything I have learned since the last PLN post. I will include my previous links and sites, too:

iGoogle has assisted me in Dr. Strange's class AND in my other classes and personal life. Some of the projects I have done in EDM 310 using Google Docs, Presentations, and Forms I have shared with people I know just because I was proud of them - and I used Google Docs to display them!

Google Earth is a wonderful resource to use to keep up with important geological places: places of interest and places for educational purposes.

Timetoast allows you to create time lines to keep up with important events in your life or events in history - this is a wonderful tool for projects!

Vocaroo has helped me record voice threads to embed in blogs. This is a very valuable tool for someone who may not be able to read yet or has vision problems; this ensures that everyone has equal opportunities.

Skype is particularly useful for collaboration outside of email and text. It's almost as if the person is right there in the room with you.

I learned how to use iTunes and iTunes University for the first time, and I realized how valuable podcasts are to students. YouTube offers many educational tools accessible to anyone.

Wikipedia is not always the best resource to use, and I learned exactly why thanks to some blogs that I read...

Blogging was a chore for me for a while, but now I see how important it is: all I have to do is go back to reference what I wrote for myself about many different things such as new technologies, teaching methods, etc. So I have become my own reference in a way! After reading blogs from other teachers and watching videos about their techniques, I have learned to turn to them as references, too.
Vicki Davis
Ken Robinson
Karl Fisch
Richard Miller
Kelly Hines
Kathy Cassidy - and her students,
Bill Ferriter
Dianne Krauss
Candace Follis
Dr. John Strange
EDM 310 Alumni Blog

and my personal favorites (including the kids' blogs, too!):
Randy Pausch
Dr. Alice Christie and
Michael Wesch (II)

From reading these blogs, I have come across many different websites that I can use when I have my own classroom, and I need ideas, tools, or lessons:
Flavors.me
Wolfram|Alpha for Educators
Math Worksheet Generator - even though I will be an English teacher.
The Secret Life of Scientists
Skype for Educators
BBC Podcasts
Symbaloo


All of these references have helped me understand different aspects, techniques, technologies used, and issues of teaching today - as well as helped me develop my own opinions and preferences on each subject. I believe that is the most important aspect of a PLN: developing your own teaching methods and persona. I really have "amused myself to death." Hopefully I will be able to put all of these references in a PLE I create through Symbaloo. I'll post a link to my Alumni Blog as soon as I've finished!

An Overview of EDM 310

As part of my "final blog post," I will be reviewing EDM 310 and what it taught me through the tools I've learned to use and the skills I've acquired that will assist me in my teaching career.

1. BLOGS: Obviously, blogging was a very important aspect of EDM. Throughout the semester, I've read other students' blogs (Comments4Classmates), educators' blogs (Comments4Teachers), and students' blogs (Comments4Kids), and all of them have given me so much insight as to what I should expect, what I should learn, and what I should be. My own personal blog has been my main means of communicating what I've learned and my main place of displaying all of the projects I've done. I joined an EDM 310 Alumni Blog which I will continue to read, contribute to, and learn from for the rest of my career. This will be a wonderful addition to my PLN.

2. PRESENTATIONS: From viewing those created by my classmates, to viewing those suggested by Dr. Strange, to creating my own, presentations have become an important medium of communicating information easily and effectively. Using Google Docs is the easiest way to create a presentation - alone and in collaboration with another person! - and I will most definitely be using this in my classroom.

3. GOOGLE DOCS and SPREADSHEETS: As I have said MANY times before, Google has been the most useful resource I've learned about so far; before this class, I had no idea that Google was anything other than a search engine. Using Google, I learned how to create documents, presentations, and spread sheet forms to communicate and share information.

4. PICASA: For someone who loves taking and sharing pictures, Picasa has been a very useful tool to help manage and edit my pictures. Even though I still have a lot to learn about how to use and what I can do with Picasa, the things I've learned so far are a significant improvement from what I could do before.

5. PODCASTS and VIDEOCASTS: Just like Google Docs/presentations, pod/videocasts - especially those found on iTunes University - are an incredibly easy and effective way to share information and teach lessons, as I discussed in my blog post about podcasts in the educational world. I have even created my own!

6. YOUTUBE: My friend Rachael and I actually did our podcast project on the value of YouTube in education (here's the link again). There are so many things that can be found on YouTube, and there is no limit as to what can be taught on and learned from material found on this website.

7. PLNs: From creating my own throughout the semester to reading those from others, I have expanded my references and knowledge basis exponentially. EDM 310 has brought me many tools and skills that I can use in the classroom, and a PLN is my way of keeping up with all of them and sharing them with other teachers and students. In my most recent blog assignment, I learned about Symbaloo, and I can't wait to get started on my "professional-grade" PLN using this bookmarking site.

8. Comments4Kids: Reading and commenting on kids' blogs has been my favorite part of EDM 310. I have learned how important it is that kids share what they're learning and how they think because this makes teaching that much more effective. They are enabling others to learn from them as well. I will most definitely encourage my students to blog.

9. ACCESSIBILITY: When writing my blogs, Dr. Strange taught us to consider the needs of others and also to give credit to those when appropriate. This is done through the use of html tags to label pictures and cite sources. I didn't know anything about html before, and this is a great start!

10. WHO I AM AS A PROFESSIONAL: This is a pretty hefty question to ask to be answered in such a small summary; however, this question made me think of the last blog post I wrote about "my sentence." This defines who you are as a professional and how others see you as a professional. Hopefully, these two aspects are about the same. How you motivate others is how they will see you and how they will construct your sentence. See my post about this issue to learn more.

11. DELICIOUS: This is a bookmarking site used to help keep up with links. I used this site when creating my podcast with Rachael Locklin to share helpful YouTube videos that we could discuss. The great thing about this is that you can access your sites from any computer. I guess it's kind of like a PLN!

12. GOOGLE EARTH: I've played with Google Earth before, but I never knew you could create tours of places. I used this to create a tour of my residencies around Mobile since I moved here. In using it this way, I can keep up with where I've lived, adding more places as I move. This would be very interesting to my future generations because they can see where I've lived and how things have changed over the decades.

13. TIMETOAST TIMELINES: Since my family literally knows almost nothing of their past, I started a timeline of my life including dates, names, and milestones that may be of value and interest to my future generations. Hopefully this will be the start of a long history for my family, and I will be encouraging my students to do the same thing. Creating a history for your future is a very important aspect of personal identity.

14. THE FUTURE OF SCHOOLS: This issue was really put into perspective when I watched "Mr. Winkle Wakes." I believe that schools do benefit from traditional instruction, and I had a hard time seeing past this at the beginning of this semester, but throughout the course, I have realized just how much technology can enhance education. For the most part, technology has grown into more than just an "add-on" - it's a "way of life." (Karl Fisch)

15. TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY: As an educator of these future students using all of these technology tools, it's very important to know about them, use them, and teach them. Rachael and I both agreed on this on many levels, and we did our substantive presentation on this issue. To get a better idea on where we stand, watch our presentation.


Of all these things that I learned this semester, I didn't think there was room to learn much more - but of course this is never the issue: learning is a life-long journey, and there will always be much more to learn. However, I do believe that it is nearly impossible to fit anything more into one semester! One tool that I wish I could have learned more about is the Symbaloo PLE website. I'm doing some research myself, and hopefully I'll have a fully developed - or at least up to date - PLE to share on my Alumni Blog.

Also, of all the things that I learned this semester, I can honestly say that I wouldn't take anything away. What's the point of expanding if you wish to subtract?

I believe it's very clear which tools "excited" me as an educator: reading the kids' blogs gave me insight to what I will be doing in the future, and iGoogle gave me many ideas and abilities for creating lessons and sharing information. Aren't these two of the most important aspects of teaching?

Many of these tools were challenging for me to learn because before I started this class, my knowledge basis of technology was embarrassingly small. Now that I have a great understanding of these tools, I feel very confident that I will be able to teach others how to use them as I implement them into my teaching.

Since there was always so much to do and so much to learn, I was never bored with EDM 310 - there is no time for boredom with Dr. Strange, that's for sure!

Since there was no room for boredom, I don't think that there is room to add anything in one semester of EDM 310. This brings me to the issue of expanding the course across two semesters: more instruction on certain things and additions of other things (Symbaloo?) would really benefit MOST students. I don't suggest taking away anything from this class.

Using all of these tools has severely improved my point of view on technology while expanding my knowledge. I like to think that I am technology literate, even though I have plenty of things to learn to be "caught up." I feel confident in what I do know to teach students of today.

By participating in my Alumni Blog, I will be in touch with the same material I've learned in EDM 310, and I will be able to keep learning just as I have in this class. Since my perspective on technology has changed significantly, my mindset and hunger to learn about more has improved as well. I use whatever I can whenever I can. This commercial really summarizes the potential for the capacity of technology use. I just saw it on television, and I was amazed at how relevant it was to this particular blog post!

I hope to be able to keep expanding my technology education so I can effectively teach my students and encourage them to use these beneficial tools in their education just as I have.

PLE and Motivation

This seventh grader used Symbaloo to create her PLE. I looked into this website, and there are many options available: this is completely customizable, and I'm working on creating my own. This seems like the easiest way to keep up with all the important websites included in a PLN - all in one really accessible place. I still have a lot of organizing to do (I'm still learning about this website!), but I will post a link to it soon. My PLN is basically just a list of websites; I would like to have them all organized according to topic and reference using this website.

Daniel Pink created a very motivational video about two questions that - no doubt - change lives everyday. "What is your sentence?" and "Am I better today than I was yesterday?" These questions helped me to try and identify who I am to myself and how others see me. My "sentence" is basically this: what I am and how I motivate/help others. As a future educator, this defines my entire person - if my "sentence" isn't motivating or inspirational, what am I accomplishing as a teacher? So is it really my place to create my own sentence? I don't believe so. My job is this: to be the best that I can - better than I was yesterday - so that I do my job as efficiently and wonderfully as I can so that others see me as a valuable asset to their education and advancement. Then they create my sentence for me. BUT, since it doesn't really seem to work that way just yet (since I'm not quite a teacher yet), and for the sake of this assignment, I suppose I can come up with something that perhaps other people would agree with (or is that the point entirely?)...

For now:
"She uses her passion for English to expand her knowledge basis to be a better person and educator than she was yesterday."

...so hopefully when I finish my education and have a class of my own, I can use what I've learned to create motivation that lasts in my students, and they would say about me that...

"She used her passion for English to inspire her students to articulate their ideas and appreciate the works of great authors while creating their own."

I now see the point that "everyone reserves the right to change their sentence" - because really, if you really are striving to be a better person than you were yesterday, shouldn't your sentence change, too?

Skype

I used Skype to collaborate with Rachael Locklin recently about our interview that we would be doing together the following week. We discussed our topic and the questions and answers very thoroughly. This would have been difficult had we only used email or instant messaging.

Immediately after final exams next week, I'll be packing my things and moving to Enterprise to get married and start my life. Good for me, right? Not so good for my mother, though. She was devastated when it hit her that I would be leaving very soon. Lucky for her, I just learned how to use Skype, so today I went to her house to set her up an account so we'll have a better way to keep in touch after I move. She was THRILLED.

Needless to say, I'll be using Skype everyday in my near future!

My Skype username is jess.f.lynn.

Substantive Presentation

Since Google Docs has been the most useful technology tool I've learned about this semester, I decided to create a presentation for my substantive project. Rachael Lockin and I explored the subject of technology literate teachers vs. illiterate teachers:

Vocaroo Voice Thread was so easy!

I'm not even going to lie - I've been putting off the Vocaroo project for a while now! I was so surprised at how easy it was to do! Sure, the main reason I put it off for so long was because I didn't have a microphone, but when I finally got my hands on one, I was very surprised to learn how easy and useful it really is.

I left Tracy Alms a voice thread comment on her blog about Google.

This is a more personal way to leave comments, I think, and I definitely see myself using this feature in the future.

Comments4Teachers: Candace Follis

Mrs. Follis is a second-year high school teacher of English. Her blog The Follis Files is specifically aimed at new teachers. I admire her outlook on teaching; she believes that "it should be relatively authentic, it should be as student centered as is appropriate for material but still beneficial to students, and that we should have high expectations to the extent that students are appropriately challenged."

My favorite post by Mrs. Follis was her post about how her experience as a waitress has helped her in her teaching career. As an experienced waitress myself, I am excited to realize just how much my work will help me in the classroom in the future; I always knew that it takes special attention to successfully wait tables (so everyone is satisfied!), and now I really see how this ties into teaching: you have to make sure every student is accommodated for, too. YOU are there for THEM.

Her post about her favorite things surprised me: they're some of the things Dr. Strange has taught me to use! Mrs. Follis seems to really rely on her PLN, too. I will definitely add her to mine: she offers a lot of insight for new teachers, and the fact that she's an English teacher makes her more appealing and helpful to me, too!

Comments4Teachers: Bill Ferriter

I subscribed to Bill Ferriter's blog The Tempered Radical a couple of weeks ago; I receive alerts on my iGoogle home page every time he makes a new post. He is a 6th grade language arts teacher in North Carolina, and he is NOT very fond of interactive white boards; he believes that "Willy-nilly spending on silver bullets is literally sinking American schools." (That is a quote from his most recent post...) It's interesting to hear the other side of the story concerning SMART Boards - because everyone seems to be crazy about them, and he has certainly helped me see the downsides to spending the money on the "really expensive overhead projectors." Mr. Ferriter honestly believes that IWBs are not all that they are cracked up to be; everything that they "accomplish" can be done more efficiently and less expensively with practical tools than with a SMART Board. I'd have to say that I agree...

Another post I found to be very interesting was the one where Mr. Ferriter debated on whether or not school is relevant for students. He argued that, "the standardized preparation that students receive in our factory-model of education leaves them woefully underprepared to be noteworthy contributors when the enter the work world, where innovation and risk-taking are rewarded." What kind of life is this type of learning preparing these students for?

"What can we be proud of about American education? What should we criticize? What are you convinced we need to keep? What could we pitch tomorrow? Let's do a bit of dreaming about what should be."

Mr. Ferriter makes very good points that I have not really considered - especially about the whiteboards. He makes it a point to make his instruction as relevant and cost-efficient as possible, and I'm sure his students adore him and his honest, genuine, understanding instruction. I especially liked reading his posts about his life and personal teaching styles: he is an adoptive father with a noteworthy outlook on parenting, and he is an understanding teacher to his students.

Kids write my favorite blogs!

Here is an update to some more blogs written by kids that I have been reading lately:

Iron is a seven-year-old in Mrs. Tuala's class in New Zealand. Iron recited her "Mihi in Maori," and she did such a beautiful job! I wasn't really sure what a "Mihi in Maori" was, so I looked it up. "Mihi" actually means "tongue," and "Maori" is a culture. I found an amazing website that helped me better understand what this is. The Mihi is the story:

"Ko ___ te maunga" means: ____ is my mountain.
"Ko ___ te awa" means: ____ is my river.
"Ko ___ te iwi" means: ____ is my tribe.
"Ko ___ te kura" means: ____ is my school.
"Ko ___ te tumuaki" means: ____ is my principal.

This is certainly a wonderful thing for Iron to understand, and she did such a beautiful job learning and reciting hers! I'm proud of her!


Esrah is in Mrs. Barks's Room 10 class. He made a wonderful animation about his life at home and at school. I was really amazed at what this kid can do! I don't even know how to do animation. Hopefully Esrah will be posting more of his work soon. I watched some of the other animations from students in his class, and they were all equally impressive!


Miracle is in Room 16. Miracle made an animation about the Treaty of Waitangi that helped people live in peace. It really makes me wish I had learned how to do animation when I was their age! They are all so creative, and I know this teaching approach will help these students retain everything they've learned so far!

Comments4Teachers: Dianne Krauss

Dianne Krauss is an instructional technology specialist for professional development, assistance and support for the faculty in the Wissahickon School District; she posts many useful links on her blog "A Whole New Dianne" to help teachers use technology in their classrooms and in their everyday lives. Her blog posts (always titled, "Look what I found: date") include links to new gadgets and tools for the technology world - tools that enable, tools that supplement, and tools that teach. I've noticed that most of her blogs contain links to Wolfram|Alpha for Educators: this website includes links to lessons, demonstrations, resources, classroom assignments, and products on various subjects and services such as webMathematica and other technology topics. "Our long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone."

A wonderful link that she included in one her posts is a website designed to help anyone to create their OWN website. Flavors.me could be useful for teachers to create their own websites for their classrooms to help students and parents keep up with important information: deadlines, school activities, etc.

There are also lots of relevant links for specific study-oriented teachers (i.e. secondary educators): math teachers would really benefit from a website that would allow them to create their own practice worksheets to target exactly what they taught in class; science teachers could use videos from real scientists in the field of study they're teaching to supplement their lessons with real-life examples; teachers could contact other educators via Skype whom they believe could have more answers and insight on a topic to benefit their students. BBC has a website full of podcasts that may appeal to world history or civics teachers of 7-14-year-olds: it's like a news channel for children!

By following Dianne Krauss, I have come across TONS of new tools I can use in my future classroom to make sure that my students are getting the most out of the lessons I teach them; Mrs. Krauss will definitely be a valuable addition to my PLN.

Timetoast Timeline

I used Timetoast to create the most useful timeline I've ever made. I chose to do my timeline on my life so it would be easy for me to keep up with my constantly-changing life. I certainly plan to continue adding important details and dates to this timeline - one that will be easy to share with friends and new members of my family. I only wish my mother or grandmother had some sort of timeline for me to enjoy. This is such a wonderful way to keep up with all the important milestones in life - and an easy way to do school projects!


Enjoy!

Google Earth Project: Mobile Residencies

Since I have lived all over Mobile County for the past 18 years or so, I decided to use Google Earth to create a tour of my residencies. This will help me remember my life in Mobile after I move to Enterprise next month, and it will help me share a piece of my personal history with Mobile natives and new friends alike. Enjoy!



In order, these are the places I've lived (the stops in the tour):
Sunway Lane, Eight Mile
Middle Ring Road, Mobile
Winner Drive, Grand Bay
Gunn Road, Theodore (don't remember exact house)
Becky Lane, Mobile
Root Drive, Semmes
Patillo Road, Mt. Vernon
March Road, Irvington (don't remember exact house)
Red Roof Inn, Tillman's Corner
Natchez Highway, Wilmer
Dorm, University of South Alabama
Greentree Apartments, Mobile
The Grove, University of South Alabama (Not built yet in the picture)
Cimarron Ridge Apartments, Mobile
Jackson Crossing Apartments, Enterprise (Not built yet in the picture)

Survey Says!

I created a survey using a Google Docs Form, asking EDM 310 students about their opinions on some things about the class. 30 people responded, and this is what they had to say.

The questions I asked and the responses I was given are as follows:

Were you excited about taking EDM 310 initially?

I couldn't wait!		2	7%
It was required - no preference.		18	62%
I had nooo idea what I was getting myself into!		9	31%

Has EDM 310 met or exceeded your expectations so far?

This is exactly what I expected.		4	14%
I had no idea it would be this intense!		20	69%
No sweat. Easy stuff.		5	17%

How often do you attend required lab meetings and lectures?

I haven't missed one.		17	59%
They're required?!		1	3%
I go when I wake up on time.		0	0%
I've only missed a couple.		11	38%

What is/are your favorite part(s) about this class so far?

Writing blogs		9	31%
Reading blogs written by kids		13	45%
Creating my PLN for future reference		0	0%
Reading my classmates' blogs		1	3%
Projects! Presentations, podcasts, surveys!		1	3%
Skyping with people I've read about		2	7%
Working with my group members		2	7%
No exams!!		20	69%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.


Do you like filling out surveys posted?

I don't mind them.		24	83%
I don't see the point.		4	14%
What surveys?		0	0%
I couldn't wait to make my own!		1	3%

How about the blogs?

I look forward to doing mine every week.		5	17%
It's just another thing to do.		14	48%
I can't wait to get this over with.		10	34%
What blogs?		0	0%

What have you learned the most about so far?

Blogging		20	69%
iGoogle/Google Docs		17	59%
Skype		2	7%
Podcasts		12	41%
Delicious		0	0%
iTunes/iTunes University		3	10%
Personal Learning Network		13	45%
Other		1	3%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.


Which ones do you feel would be most useful to you in the future?

Blogging		17	59%
iGoogle/Google Docs		16	55%
Skype		9	31%
Podcasts		11	38%
Delicious		3	10%
iTunes/iTunes University		7	24%
Personal Learning Network		6	21%
Other		4	14%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

Dr. Strange mentioned how the lab meetings may not be required anymore. How do you feel about this?

I'll probably still come anyway.		18	62%
I don't understand why attendance is required anyway...		4	14%
Do it! Do it! Do it!		4	14%
I need more personal time for homework anyway.		3	10%

Using this scale, how strongly would you recommend this class to someone else?

1 -	Not at all!	2	7%
2		2	7%
3		1	3%
4		1	3%
5		5	17%
6		5	17%
7		6	21%
8		4	14%
9		2	7%
10 -	Prescribe to everyone.	1	3%

The recent debate about the expected time/workload for this class seems to be a touchy subject. How do you feel about it?
(These answers can be viewed here, and published comments about this question can viewed on my blog here.)

Using Google Docs for Teaching

Rachael Locklin and I created this presentation to teach our entire class about Down syndrome. We used Google docs to create a presentation that is easy to create, easy to follow, and easy to share.

A closer look at this blogger...

At the beginning of this semester, I was taught how to use Google docs to create presentations; for one of my projects, I used this feature of Google to create a presentation filled with pictures of me and my life. I decided to wait to post it to my blog so I could include a slide of my new niece, Kelsey: she was born March 3, 2010, at 5:25AM, weighing 6lbs, 14oz, 21in. Be sure not to miss that slide!

Also, since my class presentation, I added a slide of my engagement! Jeremy proposed to me on February 12 - the first day it has snowed in Mobile for 13 years; he actually wrote the proposal IN the snow. It was a very special weekend for me: the snow, Valentine's Day, and our 2-year anniversary.

Enjoy!

EDM 310 Workload = Touchy subject!

Dr. Strange is encouraging us to start a discussion for this week's blog post, and one issue I have been particularly interested in concerning our EDM 310 class...is the issue of the time expected to be spent doing work for this class. I did my survey on this issue (which can be taken here and results viewed here), and this was actually the last question I asked in it. The responses I got were vague and even vulgar. Now, I'm curious to see how people will respond when their names will be displayed...



So, my official question (as I asked in my survey) is "The recent debate about the expected time/workload for this class seems to be a touchy subject. How do you feel about it?"

My response to this question when I am asked is simply this:

I believe that this class would be easier to manage if it were split between two semesters as a series: some students are not as computer-savvy coming into this class as some, and these students would get more out of this class if they were allowed more time for instruction in and working on the projects and lessons. Certainly some people do not find the work hard, and these people very well can do the class in one semester; this is fine - just because some can and others cannot does not mean that those who are not as advanced are incompetent and don't deserve the same opportunities the others are given (because this was actually a response I got on my survey! How insensitive and arrogant!).

Once again, I'm curious to see how people will respond when their name appears with their answer...

It's all about CHANGE!

Technology-Illiterate Teachers like The Zax?
After watching this video posted on Dr. Strange's blog, I read some of the comments posted; I was amazed at how some people believed that teachers are like the two Zaxes. These characters were unnecessarily stubborn beyond reconciliation, and I don't believe that any teacher would be so set in his/her ways to the point of absolute refusal to change with the times - especially if it concerns the well-being and education of their students = their MAIN duty as a teacher! This idea is simply absurd, and if any teacher is considered a "Zax," perhaps they should reevaluate their profession...
"I'll stay here not budging; I can, and I will if it makes you and me and the whole world stand still." The world didn't stand still. The Zax got nothing accomplished in their stubbornness...


Won by a Landslide!
The children from PS 22 did such a wonderful job on their rendition of the song "Landslide." I've heard many versions before, and this one was definitely the most inspiring - the most beautiful.

To relate the lyrics to teaching (and to the Zax video), teachers should realize that change is good! Change indicates progress and improvements (in most cases, anyway); teachers shouldn't be "afraid of changes," because if they "build [their] lives around [students]," they would be changing with them: supplementing, encouraging, and improving their lives and their education.

The fact that these children allowed their work to be posted online, they allowed others to be inspired. Even the artist of the song originally was touched! This brought them to a concert in Madison Square Garden: a reward for their hard work and a chance to expand their inspiration to an entirely new, different audience. Posting work in public domains offers lessons for anyone in search of them. This is exactly what Kaia, Ms. Cassidy's students in Canada, and Mrs. McCafferty's class have been doing. I have learned so much from them and from many others brave enough to share their inspiration with the world!

More kids, more comments!

Just like Little Kaia, these kids have given me insight as to what it's like for younger people to experience the world; Kaia showed me her perspective on nature, and these kids showed me their perspectives on games, zoos, and electronics.

Lavinia is in Room 6 (10-12 year olds) of St. Pius X. She wrote about her day at school, particularly her game of "King Ball." I'm not sure what that is, but it definitely sounds like dodge ball. Lavinia is so good at it, either way: she never got out. I wish I was that good when I played. It has been a long time...

Jenna F. of Mrs. Goerend's class wrote a persuasive essay about animals in zoos. She is very persuasive indeed! I love how she used specific examples and even quotes to prove her point. She is in sixth grade, and she is becoming a wonderful writer!

Michala of Mrs. Shelter's seventh grade class understands the pros and cons of electronics! This is very important in realizing what the best way of communication can be at the appropriate time.


It's always so interesting to me to read how kids of different ages see and think about different things. Reading their blogs give me a taste of what I'll be dealing with one day when I have my own classroom.

What a beautiful inspiration!

I just read an amazing story about a beautiful little girl named Kaia: she lives in Qatar, and her father took her outside to truly experience the world - whether "beautiful" or not. Kaia took her own pictures of her surroundings, showing just how beautiful the otherwise-perceived "ugliness" can truly be. Lucky for the world, Kaia shared her pictures and experiences on her blog, and I highly recommend that everyone take a look - and be inspired as I was when I saw them. At only three years old (!), Kaia has been an inspiration to me as a future mother and aspiring educator. I can only hope that others will be able to see the world as Little Kaia can. The inspiration doesn't stop there...

Kaia's father actually got in contact via Skype with Mr. Chamberlain's class in Missouri to answer any questions they had about Qatar - or anything they couldn't experience for themselves all the way in Missouri. Not only is this a huge step in the utilization of technology for these students, but they were able to fully appreciate all they wanted to know by their second-hand experience with Mr. Raisdana (who gives his own account of the matter here): a legitimate experience which cannot be fully found by reading books alone. These students will never forget this experience (they even responded with their own thanks!), and hopefully it will open doors to more communication and knowledge-searches.

There's nothing like a genuine experience to generate genuine interest.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
The theme for this lecture was "what would you teach if you were teaching your last lecture?" Dr. Pausch chose to teach how to enable the dreams of others and how to learn from these lessons of life. He stresses the importance of having specific dreams, and throughout his life, he met many brick walls in his pursuance of his dreams. He characterized this brick wall throughout the lecture as being a definite obstacle - for those who were unwilling to surpass it; they're presented to stop the people who don't want to pass them badly enough; these brick walls show your dedication and allows you to prove just how badly you want something. Dr. Pausch undoubtedly faced many - and still is today, but he says that "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."

Dr. Pausch says that the best way to get anyone to learn is through a "head fake": teach hidden values as an indirect lesson. Hard work, sportsmanship, perseverance, and teamwork aren't taught directly - but playing football is the best way to teach them. The best way to teach these values is to make them think they're learning something else: something fun. Also, give feedback. The best gift an educator can give is to teach the students how to be self-reflective. This way, students can receive their feedback, interpret it, listen to it, cherish it, and USE it. Results may not be immediate, but "if you wait long enough, people will surprise and impress you."

Sometimes NOT achieving your goals is just as influential: it's all about what you learn from the experience - "because that's what you get when you don't get what you want." It's important to remember who helped you get to where you are now: teachers, parents, friends, colleagues, and students deserve their credit in your success. The best way to get the most out of what you're experiencing is just to HAVE FUN. "Never lose the child-like wonder" because with children, there are no boundaries; they see no limits, and Dr. Pausch even points out that the biggest disservice you can do to a student is to set a bar or boundary anywhere for them. Also, help others, be good at something, don't bail, show gratitude, don't complain, work harder, and find the best in everybody - no matter how long it takes.

This was probably the most inspirational, relevant lecture I've ever heard. It was full of personal, touching examples, and Dr. Pausch really knew how to utilize them. It actually brought tears to my eyes when he brought out the birthday cake for his wife and had the entire audience sing to her. This was his way of showing how important it is to focus on others, not yourself. I learned a lot from this lecture - because of the head fake he implemented! This lecture was not about how to achieve your dreams; it was about how to lead your life: "Lead it the right way, and Karma will take care of the rest. Your dreams will come to you."

I was especially touched when he revealed the biggest head fake: this lecture wasn't for anyone in the audience... it was for his children.

I would recommend this video to anyone. It definitely IS worth the time.

My PLN

As I have said in most of my previous blogs, I have learned so much so far this semester in this class - more than I ever could have imagined! - and I owe it all to my educators. Not until recently did I realize that everyone who has helped me in this educational journey is part of my personal learning network. I have learned how to use Google as more than just a search engine, and I believe that has been the most helpful resource I have learned to use thusfar. Google Docs has assisted me in Dr. Strange's class AND in my other classes and personal life. Some of the projects I have done in EDM 310 I have shared with people I know just because I was proud of them - and I used Google Docs to display them! I learned how to use iTunes and iTunes University for the first time, and I realized how valuable podcasts are to students. YouTube offers many educational tools accessible to anyone. Wikipedia is not always the best resource to use, and I learned exactly why thanks to some blogs that I read...

Blogging was a chore for me for a while, but now I see how important it is: all I have to do is go back to reference what I wrote for myself about many different things such as new technologies, teaching methods, etc. So I have become my own reference in a way! After reading blogs from other teachers and watching videos about their techniques, I have learned to turn to them as references, too. Vicki Davis, Ken Robinson, Karl Fisch, Richard Miller, Kelly Hines, Kathy Cassidy - and her students, Bill Ferriter, and my personal favorites Dr. Alice Christie and Michael Wesch (II) have all helped me understand different aspects, techniques, technologies used, and issues of teaching today - as well as helped me develop my own opinions and preferences on each subject. I believe that is the most important aspect of a PLN: developing your own teaching methods and persona. I really have "amused myself to death."

I love kids' blogs!

Throughout this semester, I've been reading and commenting on students' blogs from all over the world. I love hearing what these kids are up to, what they're learning, how they're doing in school, what they like to do, and how they are the best they can be. They are extremely intelligent, and a lot of times, they seem to know more about blogging and technology than I did before this class! It is true when people say that teachers can learn as much from their students as they teach them! As a future educator, I'm trying to get caught up with the technology that students are using that will help them become easier and more effective learners. I definitely wasn't technology literate before I started this class, but I like to think that I've made fantastic progress. With these kids as my inspiration, I hope to learn even more!

Micheal from Ms. Deyenberg's 5th grade class
I really enjoy reading Micheal's blogs! He really likes PE and going to the gym to play. From what I read, I don't think he likes social studies very much. I don't blame him: I don't, either! He did a really cool science project, and he always does well on his science and spelling tests. Apparently, he had a sleepover at his school, and I really enjoyed looking at all the pictures on his teacher's blog. I will definitely keep reading his blog posts. He does such a great job!

Dalton from Ms. Cassidy's class
Dalton is just learning how to read and write. I love reading his blogs and watching the videos he's in that Ms. Cassidy makes. I've written about these videos in some of my other blog posts. I have definitely learned a lot from them. Dalton and his classmates have a wonderful teacher! He seems to like writing about snow! After I read his post about toast, I made myself some. I can tell how much he's learned since he started his blog, and I can't wait to see how he does in the future!

Mrs. McCafferty's class is learning about the ocean!
I know this is a very intelligent class because they are learning some very interesting and detailed things about the ocean. It is amazing how much Mrs. McCafferty has used technology and hands-on activities to help her kids learn. I watched a video of them playing an ongoing game, and they were all very interested and interactive. I'm sure they will all continue to play this game after the school year ends. Field trips, games, blogs... What creative ways to keep students interested!

Rachel G from Mrs. Kolbert's class
Rachel only has two blog posts, but she seems very outspoken: she wanted to represent her class in saying good bye to Mrs. Brehm - whom I suppose was the principal because her next post was about their new principal Mr. Slack. The rest of Mrs. Kolbert's students write blogs pretty often, so maybe Rachel moved? Or maybe she doesn't really like blogging. :) Either way, Mrs. Kolbert's students are all really smart and interesting! They do a wonderful job at writing about important and current topics like the Olympics.


These are all really smart kids, and I hope to be able to be a role model to my future students just as these teachers are to their students!

Amuse yourself to death

This Is How We Dream: Part 1 and Part 2.
Richard Miller created two very interesting videos about the incremental and fundamental changes of writing, creating, publishing, researching, and collaboration. Some of these things I never even noticed because they just seemed to have just become a way of life; I would never dream to go back to the days where the Internet wasn't the first choice of a means of research - and yet I didn't notice the instant change. That's just an interesting concept that these videos made me realize...

Mr. Miller points out in Part 1 how the basic means of knowledge acquisition have changed while simultaneously making the viewer aware of how important it is to embrace these changes if they haven't already become part of everyday life: the computer is the new desktop - no longer pen and paper; instead of going to a library to do research and learn what you can with the books present in that particular library, you can use the web to access an infinite database of ever-changing, instantly-updating publications online - rather than searching fruitlessly for the same information in print... Collaborate with instructors, classmates, family members - whoever you can imagine! - with pictures and film instantly, rather than with text or letters. I never noticed these as instant changes, and perhaps this is what Mr. Miller means when he says that these are "incremental - not fundamental changes."

However, in Part 2, Mr. Miller points out that the changes in publication are, in fact, fundamental: the problem with the old humanities is that you can't make work visible. Ideas and knowledge do not belong to an individual - they belong to a culture. So in order to make these ideas visible, inspiration and technology create the New Humanities that inspire learning spaces and learning teachers to be curious, be creative, and be collaborative. Although I know some would argue that ideas don't belong to an individual, I believe that if all ideas were displayed for everyone, everyone could be inspired by them; this would create even more ideas as ideas are stemmed from the original - the possibilities would be endless! The only problem with this lies in the "who gets paid for this invention?" question...


Does the Networked Student Even Need a Teacher?
This video helped me understand more about a PLN - about how to do it, what I can use, and why I should have one. Not only does the student have a wide variety of useful sources, but he is creating an important tool for learning and further researching for himself and for anyone else who wishes to use his insight.

So if this student is creating his own learning tools, doing his own research, and learning on his own, why does he need a teacher? Without proper instruction and etiquette, the student could not successfully build his personal learning network into something reliable and useful. Some other things that the author points out are also very important duties for the teacher to fulfill for the student: the teacher shows the student how to build the network and how to take advantage of the opportunities, offers guidance wherever needed, shows the student how to ask respectfully for help from experts, helps the student differentiate between reliable sources and propaganda, and shows the student ultimately how to organize and use all the information he just acquired.

Simply explained: if it weren't for Dr. Strange, I never would have even been able to create this blog I constantly write in! Most students are not self-taught, even if the directions ARE right in front of them. When it comes to computers, I'm certainly not... I'm still learning, though.


Michael Wesch: The Machine is (Changing) Us
This video is - hands down! - my favorite video I've watched thus far. Even though this video was only 33 minutes long, it still took me well over an hour to watch the entire thing: I kept pausing to write what I thought was important, what I wanted to write about in my own blog, and what inspired me the most. After finally finishing it, I read back over my notes, and I realized that my notes alone are sufficient in showing how I felt about the video - PLUS! It gives the highlights if you don't have 33 minutes to watch it yourself. Bookmark that link because it's definitely worth it. Not only is this an amazing last-minute source for my podcast project, but it helps me see YouTube in a different light. YouTube provoking self-awareness? I would have never guessed... There was so much information, so many different insights... Very informative and entertaining!

My notes from watching this video:
Ban books because no one wants to read them? OR ... Amuse yourself to death!:
Truth would be concealed vs. truth would be drowned in irrelevance.
Why the media?:
Lonely. One in a million. Try not to get lost in anonymity. No sense of significance. One-way conversations through the television: you have to be on tv to have a voice.
MTV Generation: short attention span, materialistic, narcissistic, not easily impressed.
"I feel stupid and contagious. Here we are, now entertain us." Nirvana
The search for identity and recognition. No, create your own.
You know yourself through your interactions with others.
99.9% of YouTube videos are irrelevant to you.
"I'm talking to you, but I don't know who you are."
The medium shapes the possibilities of personality shown: you have different "versions" of yourself around certain groups, but when you're facing the YouTube community, who are you?
You will see yourself later. Will it be the same person you thought you were?
Anonymity + physical distance + rare and ephemeral dialogue = hatred as a public performance OR freedom to experience humanity without fear or anxiety.
From "I don't care. Whatever." to "I'll do whatever it takes."

So what I got out of this video was ultimately the influence the media/YouTube has on humanity isn't just mindless entertainment, self-promotion for recognition, etc. YouTube provides the individual with the means to connect to the audience without constraint of social anxiety. Which "version" of yourself do you use on YouTube? YouTube doesn't distance us from each other - it connects us. Hopefully one day we will be able to turn the "I don't care. Whatever." to "I'll do whatever it takes."

iTunes and iPods for Educational Purposes

Dr. Christie makes technology easy for teachers!
Dr. Alice Christie compiled very important aspects of teaching from her forty-years' worth of experience into one website. From exploring her website, I found many items of technology that I never would have imagined to use in the classroom - like GPS systems! Is there really a better way to teach students latitude and longitude than by using a GPS and going on a scavenger hunt? That sounds like something that I would like to do as a college student! Imagine how much fun that could be for a middle-schooler!

If teachers created their own websites for their classrooms- much like a blogging system, I've finally learned - communicating with students and parents outside of the classroom would be so simple. Upcoming projects, field trips, meetings, and important deadlines could be posted for parents to keep up with and organize into their schedules; this website could display daily assignments and requirements for them for easy reference: much easier than trying to keep up with homework sheets. Dr. Christie makes this creation process a breeze; she even shows examples of good and bad websites.

These are just some of the many resources Dr. Christie posted on her website. I will most definitely use her website as a reference when I start my teaching career. This is the easiest things I've come across thus far.


iTunes University
...provides podcasts of lectures for college students to use to accompany their knowledge from classroom lectures - or in some cases, replace them. I read an article about this on the New Science website. Statistically, students who listened to the podcast lectures did better on a comprehension test than the students who instead attended the lecture teaching the material in a classroom. Although the podcast learners only scored average C's, the lecture-attendees had averages in the D's. Motivation was probably the case for these overall low grades, but the results still revealed the advantage that podcasts have over lectures. The question now is one of whether or not podcasts can replace professors.

Class attendance may be affected if the lectures can be downloaded on iTunes University, but perhaps this is a good thing: sometimes it's difficult to attend class, and it may be easier and more beneficial to listen to the podcasts at a time more convenient to the student - when the student can pay more attention them and study in an environment most suiting for them personally. Reviewing difficult points in the lecture is now possible, making note-taking more efficient and making the likelihood of missing something very important very unlikely. Making these podcasts available to students whenever and wherever enables students to use their free time - in traffic, in a waiting room, while eating dinner, etc. - more wisely...especially if that "free time" isn't at the scheduled class time.


...so iTunes on iPods?
iPods are apparently not just for entertainment anymore; teachers and professors can use iPods for engaging their students in lectures and other learning experiences. Education World explains how iPods have a specific education function, offering lesson plans, activities, and downloadable material for enhancing students' experiences.

Just as I mentioned above, the iTunes University can be a very important tool in helping college students succeed at their own pace and at their own convenience. Since iTunes are available on iPods (I assume? I don't own an iPod...), this enables the student to take their lessons wherever they go.

Allowing students to use their iPods is very beneficial; requiring them to have them, however, could create some problems. iPods are expensive - which is why I don't have one - and could be very complicated for some students. I don't know how to use them, but I would be willing to learn if I ever decide to buy one. They should be a supplement for students who wish to use them, not a requirement for the students who don't. Duke University offers iPods to students enrolled in classes that specially benefit from their use. Several case studies prove their effectiveness to the learning experience, and I believe that since they are offered to students - instead of just being another added expense to the students - they are willing to use them. They really can be "a pocketful of learning" if approached the right way.

Wikipedia: Fact or Whatever-you-want-it-to-be?

Almost all of my college professors have made it clear that "outside sources" for papers should be reliable - which means no Wikipedia sources. "Anyone can write something on Wikipedia," they all say. It was never very clear to me why anyone would go out of their way to write something NOT true in an online encyclopedia until I read this article...

NPR: Who's Been Messin' with My Wikipedia Entry?
"Corporations like Diebold, Raytheon, Pfizer, Exxon Mobil and Wal-Mart. Not to mention the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, members of Congress, the CIA, the Church of Scientology and the Catholic Church. They all made changes of some kind to entries that included references or information about them."

It is now that I realize why it may NOT be a good idea to turn to Wikipedia as a source. The information may be true to an extent, but if people are editing entries about opposing forces, the information presented may be biased. What would someone say about me on Wikipedia? If I don't like it, I have every right to go in and change it if it's not accurate - but if someone else comes along and decides "that's not what she did," they may feel like they have the right to change it, also. I'm not sure what the rules are for editing Wikipedia, but if it can be done, that's a problem. Reliability just turned into "what this person thought about it."

If you think you have found a good, accurate article on Wikipedia, perhaps you should check to see WHO wrote it before considering granting it as "reliable." I read in NPR's article about the Scanner that Tracks Who's Changing What on Wikipedia. This scanner allows the reader to trace the IP address of the editors, exposing the editor of the articles. You wouldn't expect to turn in a paper without citing your sources, so why should you expect to use a collaborative website's information without first examining its sources?

Mr. McClung had some wonderful insight on teaching - things that he learned in his first year, published in his blog At the Teacher's Desk. The part that really stuck out to me was when he said, "Technology is our friend and is essential to living in our microwave society of today. We should not become overwhelmed by technology and simply give up before we start." I love the microwave analogy. Mr. McClung may have had a different interpretation, but I took it to mean that technology is just as essential in living today as a microwave is - it makes everything easier and faster, just like a microwave does for cooking.

Moving on... 21st Century Learning

This post by [the Langwitches?] gave a lot of insight for teachers of the 21st Century. Sure, there is the big debate on technology in the classroom that we have been studying for a while - and yet I still can't seem to form a solid opinion of my own. I agree with this post that the goal of teachers is "to equip and enable others to collaborate, connect, communicate, and create," but is this also what the author[s?] believes what makes "21st Century Learners"? Blogging - one of the most commonly pushed forms of the listed C's in classrooms that I've noticed - seems to be what most "technologically literate" teachers are teaching their students. I personally am not too fond of blogging, and I don't necessarily feel like I'm TOO much better off now than I was before just because I've acquired this "skill." Maybe I'm just really not convinced enough... Technology is important, but really how much class time can be allotted to teaching blogging instead of something that will be crucial in helping the students pass their CRT's? Curriculum is probably the issue there, but the point is still clear. Plus, most schools don't have funding for these programs!

I have a feeling that I will not be hearing very good feedback on this post, but I just haven't found my middle ground yet. I'm just not convinced... but the discussion description in Tracy Weber's post "21st Century Classroom or 21st Century Learning" helped put everything into perspective...

21st Century Classroom or 21st Century Learning- Tracy Weber

"Purpose: To encourage educators to plan their classrooms from a learning perspective rather than from a tools perspective. Don’t buy the tool and then figure out how to use it. Instead, figure out what learning should look like, and then focus on obtaining the tools to create that vision."

This analogy made more sense to me than anything that I've read so far concerning this issue... and I really don't think I could possibly have said it better myself - nor can I really even elaborate on it any further...

Smart Kids and Podcasts

A BABY using an iPhone?!
Don't believe me?

It is really astounding that a toddler can figure out how to use such advanced technology. Sure, it IS just a phone, but it obviously does more than most phones can do. I wanted an iPhone, but I settled for something a few steps below that advancement: the LG Vu. I don't really like it too much, but I'm STILL figuring out new things about it - even almost after a year of using it. I do wonder, though, WHY would these parents let their toddler play with such an expensive piece of technology? To keep him quiet in the doctor's office? I used to let my baby sister play with my old phone to keep her occupied, and I know that's not really a good idea...

It's really scary realizing that this little boy will have already learned SOOO much more by the time he starts kindergarten; how will his teacher be able to keep up? There are many other toddlers just like him, I'm sure, and this will certainly be a challenge to at least keep up with future students and their uncanny technological knowledge. I still don't even think I'm ready for an iPhone myself...


Kathy Cassidy: Media Literacy
See how media literate these first-graders are...

Media literacy is evaluating, navigating, creating, and responding. These first-grade students show you exactly what it means to understand each of these important aspects of being media literate. Being media literate today certainly is more elaborate than being media literate a decade ago - and it will still be more advanced a decade from now. I think being "media literate" when I was in first grade would constitute as having knowledge about how to use the library; I never would have dreamed being able to do the things these children are doing at this age, and I can only imagine what being "media literate" will be like in years to follow...


Kathy Cassidy: Little Kids...Big Potential
Look at how talented these children are!

Mrs. Cassidy really does do an amazing job of keeping these children active in her classroom. They are learning things in first grade that I'm learning as a junior in college! Usually when I think about technology in the classroom, I believe that it really should be used at a minimum and only as an aid for the teacher... Mrs. Cassidy's work has truly been an inspiration. My point of view is really changing on this subject, and these children are the living proof that this works. I actually hope that I can get some comments from these wonderful children on MY blog!

...and I think it's terribly cute how the little boy says, "Always don't say mean things" when leaving comments. SO cute! He certainly has been very helpful for me!

PODCASTS

KidCast: Episode 62: "Some Thoughts on Video Podcasting"
This is an audio podcast about video podcasting. The speaker is advocating the use of video over audio podcasts for an enhanced educational experience. It seemed quite informal and unrehearsed. I suppose this is to make the "lesson" more like "conversation." Some of the reasons he suggests using videocasts is so the viewers will get more out of the message; by using video, the viewers will be able to see expressions, emotions, visual aids, faces, and hand gestures to better convey the intended message. Sure, audio podcasts would be better-suited for those who are commuting and who cannot really afford to take their focus away from staying in between the yellow and white lines - but yet can still learn something new, as if listening to the radio.

The speaker says that if "a picture is worth a thousand words, then a videos are worth a million."


Teaching With SMART Board: Episode 65: "Animation"
This podcast - much like the last - sounds a lot like a radio station talk show. In this episode, the two hosts are demonstrating how to use animation in the lesson plans used on the SMART Board. Their technique is quite bizarre: there are many random noises used at really irrelevant times. The turkey noise I heard at the beginning was unexpected and awkward. Their audience should presumably be teachers - since they're really the only ones who would be using animation in the SMART Board lesson plans - and yet their production would have been appealing to a child. I'm not sure why they were talking about the zoo at the beginning, but they definitely made up a word when talking about the dinosaur exhibit, describing them as "animatronic" dinosaurs. I don't think I like this technique of podcasting...


EdTech Talk: Teachers Teaching Teachers: Episode 158: "Getting Schooled on Gaming"
This podcast was much more formal: it was a collaboration of teachers from different gaming experiences - all discussing whether or not gaming could be useful in the classroom or as a homework aid. Where does gaming belong in the curriculum? The teachers do believe that gaming brings out strength in students and that this "social media" is important in students' education. Educational games make learning even the most undesired material more fun and easy - like "chocolate-covered broccoli, as the host points out - and even the non-educational games spark interests and qualities into kids that a textbook just simply could not do: just playing games improves coordination and awareness, and since most games have a creativity aspect, the students are learning by what they're creating. This creativity necessity has been addressed in my previous blog posts, and I believe that the advocates for creativity in the classroom would also strongly agree with this podcast. This podcast has definitely had to have been the most influential and interesting podcast I've watched thus far.


Connect Learning: David Warlick: Episode 96: "Blah, Blah, Blah"
I chose this podcast over the others because of its title: it somehow seemed more interesting than the "Three-Hour Workshop..." This also sounds like a radio show at the beginning of the podcast (the speaker says "y'all" a LOT - which is really strange to hear out of an educator at a meeting or on a podcast with other educators...); the talk show morphs into a business meeting, which is much more pleasant and informing than the former.

They are looking for "more social information experiences in terms of student performance/performance as teachers." They agree that most students already have an understanding and experience with using technologies of today - that learning about them may not be the case for the students, but for the teachers. Students can keep up with their classes via blogs and emails, and this is much more efficient. This is certainly true because I've never personally written a blog before, and now I do it every week. I've also gotten into the habit of checking the university website eCompanion for my homework, classroom announcements, projects, and grade postings. If I didn't know how to use this technology, I definitely wouldn't be able to make it through the rest of my college years...


MacBreak Weekly: Episode 173: "Two Words: Dance Belt"
This podcast seems to be more like a news cast: very informative, talking about national issues and viewpoints. The focus of this cast for December 29, 2009, was the surprising lack of service for the iPhone in New York. As one of the major cities in the country, customers were astounded that AT&T - one of the leading cell phone companies in the country - would be unprepared without thorough coverage areas to include this major city. AT&T argued that it wasn't because of the lack of towers servicing NY, but that there had been significant and damaging internet fraud actions...? That was the "safe" answer, as the two hosts decided. I did not listen to the entire hour-long cast, but I still enjoyed this style of podcast over the talk-show style.


This Week in Photography: Episode 126: "Racism in Photography - Don't Blink!"
Although this podcast is like the talk-show style that I have decided that I didn't like, this podcast (and probably all the other episodes in this series) addresses more interesting subject for me.

In this discussion, there is an issue with a camera in that the camera doesn't take very good pictures of people with various facial features or skin colors. A racist camera? The blame was put on a lack of sufficient sample testing on certain types of skin color or facial arrangements/proportions. Dynamic color ranges (dark tones against a light background) create a light disaster. I didn't know that people in the television broadcasting business actually don't use white shirts - dull grey shirts actually look white in contrast to the other bright/dark colors of skin and background colors.

For those people who know a lot about photography and shooting techniques, this podcast series would be very interesting for you to devote some time into listening.