Blog Assignment #6

The Networked Student

The Networked Student

Connected learning is the way that many children are gathering information in 2011. To be informed is...to have the answers. That is not always so when children are browsing and connecting. Teachers are not obsolete regardless of the learning level of the child. It would be great for a child to out network a teacher but a teacher's opinion and guidance is still necessary when it comes to browsing.

I feel as though I am very connected and have the ability to gain knowledge on my own. However, many times I still feel lost and have the need for technical advice. I actually prefer when my teacher has a concrete opinion on certain websites. The label of a teacher is still necessary and I am fully prepared to take on the networked student.

Personally, I fear nothing, so this matter is easy for me. I know that I am ready to teach a tech savvy student. If I don't have the answer, I will have it very soon and it will be substantial. My guidance, as a teacher, is completely necessary for each student regardless of his or her standing on a technological level.

A 7th Grader's PLE

This student is extraordinary in her fields of learning as far as I am concerned. She has access to real live scientists which gives her the ability to back up the facts she is not sure about. I have found many times that I can come up with approximations and a PLN like this can give hard facts to reach a final answer.

Personal learning environments are very instrumental to anyone's learning. This video shows one students access to an unlimited number of sources. If I could call the president and ask him to be in my PLN because I need him to answer all of my political needs then the answers are endless. I hope my PLN looks similar to this one after a few years of networking because I definitely need historians to answers tons of my questions.

The Innovative Educator
Innovative Educator Link
Link Opposing Innovative Educator

I pretty much chose the first site that comes up in a google search. It was the most relevant to many things I have done so far this semester. Smartboard lessons need to be relevant to the topic that is being taught and that idea is stated clearly in this post. If you are doing an animation like this blogger than your animation needs to correlate with what you are trying to accomplish.

On the other side of things smartboard only seems to be a cool piece of technology that sits in the front of the classroom to attempt to get children involved. This piece of equipment is very expensive and may not be totally necessary if the teacher doesn't like it. Both ideas are solid but can I delve a little further into this machine and figure out something to get the most out of it.

I stand a little for both sides. Yep! this is a very expensive machine and how can I use it to interest my students as well as get an amount of worth out of it. Sure, we can do anything on it that we can do for a lot cheaper on other machines but isn't this a start towards something bigger. Each innovation leads to something better and someone is constantly trying to outdo the competitor and I foresee that this machine will be taken over by a better machine similar to its kind. With anything we use, if it is not relevant then the kids still aren't going to get it.

Why I hate Interactive Whiteboards
Link to Interactive Whiteboards

Well, I don't think I need a contrasting website to contrast one's view on the whiteboard. Even if the machine sucks, someone needs to figure out how to use it better. It's all about what we are plugging into it. If I don't use my white board properly, then I am not going to like it and I am not properly informed. If I do like it, I have asked all necessary questions to make sure that it is used only to benefit all who view it. It's just like anything I use, if I am not putting the effort in to create things then it IS a waste of money.

TimeToast Timeline Instructional Project # 9b

Summary Post C4K 1, 2 and 3

This is my first summary of a 5th grade student's blog from Canada. I read a few of the students blogs and I was very impressed with what they are doing. Not only are they connected but they seem to write much better than I did when I was in the 5th grade. I enjoyed everything I read and I was assigned to HT5025's post about his/her late arrival because of snow. I was very excited to see that this student was happy that he/she went to school and had fun that day. That is what learning is about! I speak from experience when I say that I learn a lot more when I am having fun and it also helps me to engage better as well. Here is a link to Mr. L's 5th grade class' blog post.
Mr. L's 5th Grade Blog

On February 15th I read the book about Fantastic Mr. Fox without reading the book. Kayla and Sylvia made a podcast about the book and they pose questions regarding the book and answer them so that we can have idea of what the book is about. They taught a great lesson through their podcast and I think this is an awesome way to get students involved and interacting throughout the world. I am thousands of miles away and still got a chance to watch the podcast given from Korero Pt. England School in New Zealand. These two students are in the 6th grade and are far beyond the level I was at in 6th grade. Of course, computers weren't as effective in 1993 either and I think they will continue to become more important as we move into the future.
KPE Episode 339 By Sylvia and Kayla

Today is February 22nd and this was my final post for the month to C4K. I was assigned to Te Rina a 9 year old at Pt. England School in New Zealand. I enjoyed reading her post except for the fact that she got bit by a spider. After she recovered from her bite she went on to become a superhero and saved people's lives. I am so glad to see so many wonderful student blogs from this school. They have done a great job and if you would like to visit Te Rina's page I am going to put it at the end of my post.
Te Rina's Page

Blog Assignment #5

Podcasting in the Classroom

Link to Podcasting in the Classroom

This video was excellent for the future podcaster. This classroom podcast not only helped me but I can see how the students are far more engaged as well. I am a future social studies teacher so this was very relevant for me since Mr. Dell was doing a podcast for his social studies class. I think when students are speaking things into existence instead of reading them can be very instrumental in their remembrance of the material. The fact that their podcasts were available to their parents was awesome for them to be able to interact with their child's studies. Podbean.com is available for teachers to use to aid them in making podcasts in the classroom.

I saw kids that were totally engaged in their work instead of wandering off into space which can often happen during social studies. During one podcast, Mr. Dell had other teachers read from a book that was part of a lesson. The kids could then hear tone of voice which brings a book to life instead of words just jumbled up on a page. It takes an amount of discipline for a child to be fully engaged into a book and I think this is a wonderful process by which they will enjoy their future readings. Reading is still very relevant but this can help them understand the material better. Podcasting is great learning tool and should be incorporated as needed to reach a higher level of learning.

Education Podcast Network of EPN
Here's a Link to EPN

The Education Podcast Network can be similar to your PLN. This website allows teachers from all over to access podcasts and information involved in them as a way to incorporate it into their class. This is a great way for teachers to get involved outside the classroom and do some studying and learning to get things moving in the world of podcasting. Since podcasting has become very important for teaching lessons to absent or sick students, this is a great way for us to come up with better ideas than we would normally have.

Teachers can collaborate on this website through joint planning to get more ideas. Information that this normally not readily available can be reached at this spot. I have bookmarked this page so that I can use their ideas and hopefully make them my own. This is also a nice tool to be able to interact with other teachers who may have more information and a better knowledge in the area of podcasting.

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection
Link to Judy's Collection

Judy has posted a lesson on how to do podcasts and some ideas that you may need in order to use this special piece of the internet. I wish I would have seen this before I did my podcast a few weeks ago. It gives a lot of information that is very useful before starting a project. She gives a great lesson on how to start the podcast and what sites to get to know such as audacity.com and iTunes. I probably would have had some better ideas before I jumped right into casting. I will use some of her tutorials before my next podcast and this looks like a great interactivity for the students.

TimeToast Timeline Project #9

Podcast Project #8

Podcast Project by Kenneth Nelson and Jennifer Hackney

We interviewed Raymond Hunt and Mr. Fry from Denton Middle School about the pros and cons of technology in the classroom.

Click the image below to listen to our podcast

Blog Assignment #4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

Link To Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff

Dr. Scott McLeod created this post and is a professor at Iowa State University. He blogs regularly at dangerouslyirrelevant.org and is the Director of the UCEA which is dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators. You can find his bio at http://scottmcleod.net/bio/

This blog discusses the cons of technology within our children's grasp. The author argues that we should not allow kids to have computers or cell phones to collaborate due to cyber bullying, sexting, cheating etc. These are all concerns that parents should have, but if we can occupy their minds with something else for the majority of their days this can be limited. We can also monitor the usage of technology or do what the author say's and remove these gadgets. I agree that if they have access to such gadgets that they may engage in these evil doings.

We are the adults and have a better feel for responsibility when it comes to these sorts of things. If the child abuses these gifts then he or she should no longer be able to have them. Moderation is a factor with anything that we do and we need to constantly remind them that technology is a gift and privilege and should not be abused. Integration of these gadgets is more of a sound idea at home and in the classroom. No we cannot control everything, but we can prepare mentally and physically in advance to limit their usage only for good.



I enjoy feedback and love to debate. So, if you have anything you would like to add to my comments, you are more than welcome. Remember that you are on MY blog and these are MY opinions.

The iSchool Initiative


The iSchool seems like a great way to cut back and I understand his concerns with growing classrooms. We will never know what will happen with this sort of thing unless we try it out first. Obviously the word initiative in this video's title explains that. It is new and I am sure the kinks will have to be worked out in order to be successful in the classroom. I do not necessarily think this Phone should take over the learning process, but be implemented and used as a way to save a little bit of school cash. It sounds like a great idea, but do not let this take full priority as a means of learning.

The process by which this is undertaken may take some time and very well may waste precious time learning how to do all of the tasks he poses. I certainly do not think all students know how to use an iphone. But, whether this already exists or is actually happening I think it's certainly worth trying. How do we know if something works or not? Someone tells us and we believe them or we learn through experience.

The Lost Generation


I was definitely more focused on how this was read forward and backward. An awesome way to change something from negative to positive. When you listen to it read forward, it is all negative, but then she reads from the end back toward the beginning; it is all positive and it was definitely well thought out.

She writes how society tells us that family is becoming less important and she that her work will take priority. She will be divorced in twenty years and the people of her era are destroying the environment. These are just some of the things she is worried about but she is hopeful that she, as well as everyone else, can reverse its path.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Link to Virtual Choir

What a group a singers! There is one huge screen and tiny picture in picture views of 185 people in the virtual choir. I am almost speechless and ready to end my post. You just have to watch it for yourself. It looks like something you would see in a movie dated 100 years in the future. This is a great view of what could certainly happen to classrooms or any venue for that matter. The people were all chillin' in their rooms at home singing to a webcam. This is a great depiction of what we may see in the future.

Teaching In the 21st Century


I never had my teacher discuss credit cards with me, nor did I ever ask them. Some of the questions are a little off the wall but I can see where the problem solving issue comes in. I understand the author's idea that we need to be engaged within their technology and help them solve problems that a computer cannot help them face. They can get an answer wherever and whenever they want but can they decide on which credit card to get if they don't know which one is best. Sending them to the proper sites that are reliable sources of information is very important. Regardless of the things they are learning in the classroom they are still going home and using their computer and/or cell phone. So is he asking me if I have an obligation as an educator to pose these questions to my students? Problem solving through the computer is very important simply because if they click a button they are going to believe whatever they read or hear. Educating as a filter between the student and their device is very important today since I seem to continue seeing 8 year olds running around with iphones.

Computers are no longer used as just a form of entertainment. They can be used properly to engage students within the classroom and can be used within lessons as long as they are relevant. I understand we are trying to get rid of burp back education and move toward analyzation, reflection and creation of work but this can only be achieved through a new wave of teaching. A mass of new teachers throwing out new ideas would be fabulous too.

This is My Sentence

Presentation Project #5

Blog Assignment #3

A Vision of Students Today


This clip gives a perspective that I normally would not look at. My class experience has been lain out in this clip. Especially since I pay hundreds of dollars for books that I never open and then resell them at twenty percent of cost one semester later. The time our instructors spend trying to relate something to us could easily be chopped in half by using some sort of technology to get it through. I spend a lot more time using my computer than I do watching television. The use of computers, email, cell phones and other gadgets could be used to gain a better focus in class time. Children as well as adults relate things much faster and easier when technology is integrated.

The fun factor always creates a better learning environment. I've read more books and magazines online than I have ever read in my life. The facts are simply written in this clip, to spend more time with technology integration and the will to learn becomes much greater. A student that is normally quiet in class because of nerves may be able to ask more questions through typing. It opens many new avenues we did not know we could cross. If we do not know the answer in class, we generally stay quiet but if we are on an open network we can easily express our thoughts and gain knowledge faster than ever before.

It's Not About the Technology
Link To Kelly Hines Blog

Things I have read, via the internet, continue to amaze me. Yes, we have come to the conclusion that technology is an important venue for the 21st century student. This blog by Ms. Hines say's something a little different. She took time to express that we need to be better teachers as well as use the expensive tools that are given to us. There are many ways in which we can change the focus of the student in order to get them to learn but if we are not learning new ways to do that, then our students may never learn. Just because we "teach" does not mean we cannot learn as well.
Without learning, nothing has truly been taught. First, we must update and upgrade our techniques in the classroom and then we can use our technology savvy brains to integrate lessons that actually have meaning for the student. All of this sounds good, but the day will come when we get home from a rough day at school and say "I've taught them the same thing over and over again and they just aren't getting it". That is the time we remind ourselves of this post and change the way we teach and learn.

Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
Fischbowl Blog

Mr. Fisch has a major and relevant concern. His environment is loaded with educators that do not know or care to use technology as a means of teaching. It becomes even more disturbing when he say's that the teachers are confident in the fact that they are not technologically illiterate. For this, I will force myself into technology and continue to challenge myself so that no one ever writes a blog like this about me. I feel his frustration and his quotes are very accurate about the 21st century. I will put them in my own words and you can take them any way you wish. --Computers have been around for about 30 years and if you do not have any computer sense then you should not be qualified to be an educator. It used to be acceptable not to be literate but as time went on, you had to have the ability to read in order to get a job. As time goes by in the 21st century, we need to be able use a computer in order to get a job. Not knowing how to use a computer in the 21st century is like being illiterate in the early 20th century--.

Being able to use a computer should be a personality trait by now, especially for teachers. It is the way in which the world communicates and through communication is how we incorporate our disciplines. Technology isn't everything but it is everywhere around us and if we can't use it then we lose our communication skills. If everyone is using these devices, then we need to use them as well in order to be able to teach from them. Technology is not an addiction but a way in which we can incorporate ideas in the classroom.

Social Media Count

Ah! Once again, I love numbers. Maybe I should be in Math instead of History. I cannot seem to put my finger on these numbers though. They keep getting bigger and bigger. People are really focused on getting accounts set up and following friends to chat it up. Communication is going on all over the world and we need to be proactive in the e-community. This is a bit off of the subject of numbers but I watched some old videos on our blog from New Zealand. The children interviewed Dr. Strange and he later responded to their questions. Dr. Strange did not get back to them right away because he said he was busy teaching his college students how to do the same thing they were doing: blogging, podcasts and videos etc. Okay, maybe you don't feel as far behind as I do but there are elementary students in New Zealand learning the same thing I am learning. Or maybe, they are just ahead of the game or is it a combination of both. Anyhow, back to subject, the numbers speak for themselves and I do not have anything else to say. Thanks again for letting me waste your time with this one. I'll just leave the address here at the bottom so you can watch Kaia and Room 10 for yourself.
Kaia and Room 10

Summary C4T #1

Dr. Baggett was the teacher who created the posts that I commented on. I did not see this assignment as only an assignment. I truly appreciated the two posts that I viewed. Her first post was intriguing and it was a true work of art. It was a short video of the faces of her favorite female artists. Each face moved gradually into the next face and the transfer was flawless. I felt somewhat of a 3D effect as I watched the faces move in and out. I truly saw the art and beauty of these women as they transitioned in this piece.

Dr. Baggett's second post was an inner feeling that she gets while listening to music. Music changes the way she feels and I felt the same way. There were ten rainy day songs and I liked two in particular: Led Zeppelin and Tim McGraw. I always enjoy listening to Led Zeppelin because the lead singers voice always relaxes me, I do not even have to hear the words for it to lift me up and make me feel better. And Tim McGraw is always good to listen to on any day. I don't like country music but Tim's music has always grabbed my attention.

Overall, I enjoyed both posts by Dr. Baggett and I will probably return to her page to read posts in the future.
Dr. Baggett's Blog