Final Reflection

Skype Interview Project

Well, it's very late but it's here! I had a lot of issues with this project for some reason. I interviewed my cousin, Ginger Boyd, the first time. She is an elementary teacher in Slocomb. She has a class blog and tries to use as much technology with her kids as she can. It was a great interview, but you could not hear her for some reason. We also couldn't use Skype due to computer issues with my laptop as well as her laptop. We finagled a way, but fate was against me. So, I interviewed my brother Bill who  is a sixth grader at College Street Elementary. Even we had issues with Skype. I finally had a good recording so I went to the lab to upload it...once again fate would not have it. But, many thanks to Elizabeth, we got it to upload and thus I have completed all but one EDM assignment. Enjoy!

Blog Assignment 14

Technology and Education: Box of Tricks is SO KOOL. :) Jose Picardo has created a fabulous tool that educators should have. It has fascinating articles; I particularly enjoyed the ipad article. THAT is a long list of teacher technological resources. I noticed many programs that we downloaded for EDM 310 were on that list. I added the site to my symbaloo cube. I am also going to show my cousin who is an elementary teacher this site. She really enjoys using technology with her class, and this site would be a great tool for her.

Jose Picardo's Top ten tips... was a great video about what kind of technology educators should use in their classroom. His list made me think about what I have been exposed to in my classes. My French teachers have used music and youtube in many classes. It helps to listen to a native speaker because it helps learners like me articulate different sounds  that are common to that language. We also listened to music in one of my math classes when we took a test because it was calming and helped us concentrate more on the test and less on our nerves. For EDM, I have used everything mentioned on that list (Even if it didn't work entirely correctly). I think using a variety of the things on the list in class is a great idea. With that being said, I find it very odd that I used only one of the things listed in TWO technology classes in high school. Only one for two classes....Hopefully that has changed.

Final Project

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Final Report on PLN

Well I have been playing around with symbaloo. It is not my favorite, but there are many things that I like about it. The search box in the center is great because I can click on one of my cubes like facebook or the weather and the status pops up in the box. I created my own webmix and I am going to make another with links to teacher blogs and fun activities for the classroom. I am still using my ipad as well as my bookmark bar. I have even saved a few pages on delicious. However, I realize that it doesn't really matter what you use to create your PLN as long as you are collecting valuable and useful information to it frequently.
Speaking of which, here are some of the things I have saved to one or more of my PLN's. One of my favorite activities is Draw a Stickman that I found on a teacher's class blog. He had a lot of games that are great exercises for students (plus they are a lot of fun for anybody).Another spectacular site that we are supposed to blog about this week is Box of Tricks. This is a great place for teachers, students, and well, anybody interested in ways technology is impacting education. I have also saved Mrs. Yollis's class blog. Her blog contains fabulous tips for all about blogging. It is also the perfect example that blogging is great for kids, parents, and teachers. And of course I have added EDM 310 Class Blog.
PLN's are both new and old to me. I have made many in the past, but I never knew what they were called. It is like "head faking" :). I have created LOTS of PLN's this semester in several of my classes. Not all of them are just sites on the internet. My teachers, friends, and classmates are parts of several PLN's.

Comments for Teachers #4

Beth Kinttles's thoughts on technology is really that. Her post, Dreams do come true if you work at them, is about one young woman's journey to make displaced children from 28 countries feel at home and safe in the U.S. by playing soccer. The children are refugees and have all seen war and lived through horrific events that most people are fortunate enough never to be faced with. Luma called her soccer team Team Fugee, short for refugee. She was helping the kids find a sense of belonging, but she soon found out they had other needs that the public education system was failing to meet. The kids needed a school and a teacher willing to work with them. So Luma created the Fugee Academy. Her school is privately funded and she accepts no government funding. She just purchased 19 acres to build her dream school. However, it will take $5 million dollars to start building, but Luma knows they can raise that money in just a year.
Luma's story is truly inspiring and someday I expect to visit her school and see with my own eyes her dream come to life.

The second post I commented on was about Google Data Explorer. It is a really sophisticated tool that would benefit educators in all subjects. Basically, it is doing something similar to Wolfram Alpha. However, you can make your own data sets. I have played with a couple of different maps and graphs and it is really fun. I would love to see how it would work on SMARTboards. Let's see if I can get it to work later this week...

Special Assignment

Ok....I didn't get the metaphor. But, Dr. Strange has given many of us a chance to redeem ourselves. Thanks Dr. Strange. :)

Me going crazy. 

For starters, I missed the metaphor because I was thinking too literally. The video Are you an Educator or a Teacher? is what did me in. I was so stressed out about that video and trying to understand its message. (I get it now, by the way, thanks to Dr. Strange and Gina Phillips. Thanks!) Anyway, that video was part of the reason and I was headed towards a break in my mental and physical limit. I had many hospital visits the week after that. But, I am ok! So I was taking everything too seriously and simultaneously in self destruct mode. I definitely do not want a repeat of that experience. I also think that everyone else was going through a rough patch in the semester at that time. Maybe there was a trend?
What metaphors have I come into contact with this week? -Haha funny. Well there were many metaphors on Dr. Strange's post that I read; I still don't get the stork beak open and shut part though? I have also been reading my Bible at night and boy does Jesus love metaphors! When Jesus talks about eternal life he is not saying that you will not physically die, but that your spirit will live forever with God if you believe in Him. Another common metaphor that I hear in couple/breakup movies is "there are plenty of fish in the sea." Well I certainly hope so or else a lot of people would be hungry. Just kidding...but not really. It means that you will find somebody because there are so many people in this world it's almost impossible not to. One metaphor that I used a few weeks ago was "my head is killing me." I just had a headache, thank goodness.

So how would I educate my students about metaphors? Well here the waters get murky; I don't want to give too much away and upset some parents. I think I would do like Dr. Strange asked us to do this week. I would explain what a metaphor is and give a few examples maybe from a book or, ideally, a poem we are reading in class. I would then ask them to keep a log of what metaphors they have used, heard, or read. We would then have kind of like a show and tell. Only backwards. A tell-your metaphor-and show what it really means. We could make a game out of it too, like guess the metaphor meaning. I'm looking forward to this :)

Lastly, why do we use metaphors? Well if your five year old asks where did they come from, the conversation could get awkward quickly. Not to mention, it may be an overwhelming and much to mature idea for a youngster to deal with. (However, whatever you say please don't tell them they were in your tummy...that's just weird. You didn't eat them.) Metaphors also make things much easier to explain and make things comical and funny. They definitely help people flirt. They can also make things seem much darker. Basically, they have a way of materializing our thoughts and feelings to give them deep meaning. If you really think about it, metaphors are the paints and brushes for writers. Metaphors are one of the gears that makes not just our language, but all languages work.
I never really thought about how important they are. As a foreign language major, as well as an education major, I really see how key they are to all people from all cultures, in all religions, and in all tongues...Fascinating. :)

Blog Assignment 13

This blog assignment is the perfect example of our class motto: "I don't know; Let's find out." It all spurred off on a question a student asked. "How Much has China actually grown over the last three years?" Let's find out, shall we?

The red highlighted portion shows pop. from 2008-2011

The current population of China = 1.35 billion people (2010 est.). It is 1/5 of the world's total population! It has steadily grown over the past three years.

WOW. The U.S.A has 309 million people...India has 1.21 billion people. What a major difference! I knew the United States had a much smaller populous compared to India, China, and Africa. It still blows my mind. Now to Dr. Strange's questions:
1) Yes, I knew about WolframAlpha. I had used it back in high school for an assignment similar to the one above and something with math I think.
2) I think I have heard about Google Squared, however, I can't find it and cannot access it though the link. I found an article about it though and it is pretty interesting...Tech Crunch
3) The population of the United States is only 22.8% of China's population.
4) The Population of the United States is only 25.5% of India's population.
That is mind blowing.
5) The facts in Did You Know? 3.0 are right on target. I watched that video again and it gave me chills.
6) Yes. It will be useful for me when I want to find out statistics about the kinds of children in my class. It will be useful for my kids to see the world in a different view. I believe it will be a humbling experience for many of us to see that countries we consider "old world" are surpassing countries like our own. I am hoping that many of us will realize we need to become competitive with these other countries, because we are definitely not their competition, and we need to want to strive. Other than the chills, these figures make me feel like the future is in my hands and I need to direct it in the best direction.

Visitors :)

I just wanted to say that my blog is officially International! I recently had someone check out my post from Spain! How stellar is that?

Blog Assignment 11

So cute! Mrs. Cassidy's kids are awesome. I loved the video and see it as an extremely valuable tool to show parents, principals, and educators how technology can be used in the classroom. The kids were very polite and gave us some smart tips when it comes to technology. One great tip is to be nice when leaving a comment; don't be mean. Another key aspect that I love about the video is that the kids are telling you why using technology is great and what they are doing with it. When I become a teacher, I am going to post videos similar to this to show the progress the kids are making.
Something that blows my mind is that fist graders are doing this! Their reading and writing ability must be improving at a much faster rate because of blogging. I don't know if this is the case, but I don't see why it wouldn't be. I also think that the kids are more inspired to perform at their best because they have an audience. They are not just writing for their teacher; they are posting stories that is being viewed by people everywhere in the world. If that's not an incentive then what is?

This picture reminds me of Ms. Cassidy's  back yard!

"We have to keep learning." Yes Ms. Cassidy, you are absolutely right. As educators, we must keep learning for the sake of our kids. Just because we graduate from college with a B.S. or even a PhD we never stop learning and we should never want to stop. I really appreciate Ms. Cassidy's answer towards an EDM 310 student's cheating question. He asked "Will students be able to cheat on assignments easier by looking on past blogs?" Ms. Cassidy said that teachers should become more creative with assignments and that research and other works are becoming more collaborative.  

One of the impediments that I foresaw using technology in the classroom was the parents and the other teachers and principals. My cousin Ginger, said nearly the same thing as Ms. Cassidy. The parents are actually really excited about being able to keep up with what their kids are doing online. This makes me happy and more comfortable with talking to parents and students about accessing the internet. Maybe I should host a parents' night that teaches parents internet safety and how they can talk to their kids about technology as well? Sounds like a good idea to me! 

Project #15

Comments for Kids Summary (November)

Mrs. Yollis's class is awesome. I commented on Shane F's post, A Fun Halloween. His story was clever and funny. I also loved his adjectives to describe the pumpkin house. His character's ironic escape was funny too. Who knew that something as scary as a ghost could be scared away by part of a costume. :) Shane did a very good job and so did all of his classmates. I will follow Mrs. Yollis's example and have my students improve their writing ability while learning how to blog. This way they can get feedback from numerous people and also have a very fun assignment.

My second comment was to Josephine in Port England School in Auckland, New Zealand. She blogged about an immersion assembly titled Outta This World. There were five teams and each of their themes were about outer space. The assembly sounded like a lot of fun and an interesting way to learn about space. One group rapped about the planets and another did a star wars skit. I think this was a superb way to get kids involved with learning.

I had a great time seeing what kids are blogging about! :) this is something I want to continue in my classroom.

Luma's Story

This just couldn't wait for my C4T summary. This video is about a young woman who never expected to have dreams this big and this needs to be seen. As future educators, she should inspire us to be there for our kids and help us come to the realization that our kids are all going to be different. Some will have scars from the past and others will just need someone to believe in them. With that being said, please watch and enjoy the video.

Blog Assignment 12

Well I am a little out of order and behind schedule as the semester nears its close. However, I will finish everything and I will be satisfied knowing that I learned many things and did a little "head faking" this semester. Maybe I will have left behind something that others can use in the future; legacy is what this blog is about. I have looked at other student's blogs A LOT to find inspiration and sometimes just to get a clear idea of what I should blog about. I heavily believe that everyone can and should learn from the past in order to be prepared for and to be able to shape their future. Therefore, my idea for a blogging assignment is to read,explore, and learn about past students of EDM 310 through their blogs. This assignment would work best at the beginning of the semester. I believe this would help new EDM students feel more comfortable with the class, the future assignments, and their own ability. Here it is...

Pt. 1
1)  Go to the EDM 310 Blog and scroll down to the Student Blogs section. You will choose one student each from each of  the past three semesters.

2) Randomly select a name and go to their blog. They should have a post titled Final Reflection (if not, select another student from that semester.) Watch and/or read this post. Consider what they have learned and enjoyed from the class.

3) Write a paragraph for each student summarizing their final reflection (you should have written three paragraphs for this part of the assignment).

Pt. 2
1) Now write one more paragraph about some of the common things said in each video, write about what advice you took to heart and think will be helpful, and what you are looking forward to doing/learning this semester in EDM 310.

Progress Report on Final Project

For the final project, Lindsay and I are going to expand and elaborate on our Smartboard presentation. We are giving a lesson on the solar system at the 2nd grade level. We will  be giving basic facts about the sun, earth, and moon as well as describe the order of the planets (excluding Pluto). For our final project, we are going to elaborate on each of the planets. We will also discuss asteroids, meteors, comets, and perhaps even other galaxies. Those will be some pretty pictures :) Another topic we might cover would be satellites, probes, and space missions! I am looking forward to working on it.

C4K

Landen is a really cool 6th grader in Mrs. Gregory's class. He posts a lot of interesting science facts that impact everybody nearly everyday. The post I commented on was Ear Wax! Turns out that ear wax may be gross but it helps to protect our inner ear. Landen also tells how you can remove any unwanted ear wax.

I also commented on Jake's blog who is also a sixth grader in Mrs. Gregory's class. Jake has a lot of funny and interesting posts. I read many and commented on one about some of his posts. The post I commented on was him asking if he should blog about more than science. I told him that I enjoyed his science posts and I also gave some suggestions about new posts like posting video game trailers or talk about the history and significance of holidays that were coming up (like Halloween). I really enjoyed his posts!

Mrs. Gregory's Blog is really fun. I especially like her method to pick someone to comment on (and my nana would too ;)) It is a little slot machine that randomly turns to a name. However, she doesn't just have a 6th grade class to comment on so don't forget about her 7th grade class as well!

Mr. Avery's class blog is very tech fancy. His kids are doing all kinds of things with technology (even sharing)! I think the parents were thrilled with their children's progress and even learn quite a few things from them. I would love to try out the video time lapse with my family and friends. I also checked out the story bird site and i bet young families would love this. Not only would they be helping their kids to read but they would be creating something precious.

I love Mr. McCafferty's class blog. He has a lot of links to games that are fun, creative, and of course educational. The first post I was assigned to play was a golfing game with a duck. You have three levels that you can play. You get points, and whacky scenes, by answering the questions right. The questions involve place value and writing large numbers and being able to identify those numbers in numeral form. I played other games he had posted and they were very entertaining! I can't wait to show my little siblings. :)

Visiting Mrs. Yollis's Class Blog

Mrs. Yollis is the most famous person in EDM 310. I remember hearing about her the first day of EDM in the infamous commenting lesson. We also had to view a page in her blog to learn how to do HTML code. Now we visit her blog again to leave comments for her students!...and check out the rest of her blog. I clicked on many of the tabs and found that one, Educational Blogging Resource for Teachers, led to a wiki! I love this wiki. It has a ton of links on the side that completely justifies the fact that blogging helps kids learn and is also a lot of fun. But don't just take my word for it, click on the link and see :) The wiki, like her main blog, has a globe that keeps track of how many visits she gets and from where they come from. She has had over 72,000 visits! ♥ Isn't that cool? ★ I found out how to make these awesome symbols on Mrs. Yollis's HTML page. Another really neat thing about her blog was on the side under A Photo A Day. For 1 year people have posted a photo a day and now they are at 314 days and photos!
Mrs. Yollis's blog is a PLN in itself and I am definitely adding her blog to mine!

Comments for Teachers #3

Tom Schimmer's post, Nothing Fails Like Success, is great! He discusses why it is important to think about the results of success as well as the methods we implement in order to achieve it. His example is very clever. People who have the flu generally lose weight, so if you wanted to lose weight you could just contract the flu and viola! Obviously, this is not an ideal way to lose a few pounds. As for an educator, we must realize our students' learning abilities and strategies will be different. Some methods will be more successful than others. We also need to reflect upon our successes and failures in order to grow as educators. His message was great and by far my favorite blog this semester!

His other post, The System, is very inspirational and a great wake up call. He talks about how people will blame the "district" or the "system" like they are some kind of foreign entity unlike ourselves. However, we are the system! It is up to us to make a difference regardless of our social or work station. Even if we consider ourselves to be at the bottom of the social ladder or not have the highest ranking job title, we can still have an influence on people we know. It only takes a tiny little spark to ignite a great ravenous fire. In my comment I talked about how people just feel downtrodden and really just depressed. They feel like nothing they can do will change anything. History has proven them wrong and it will continue to do so.

Blog Assignment 10

Are you a Teacher or an Educator?" is a thought provoking video. I hadn't really thought of the difference between a teacher and an educator. Educator always sounded more sophisticated than teacher, but I knew they were synonymous. In all honesty, I'm struggling to see how they are different. I have been looking in dictionaries to try and find a distinct difference between the two and I cannot. Krissy's blog from the summer 2011 laid it out for me a little better. According to the video an educator inspires and enlightens, whereas a teacher is made out like they just hand out facts and expect students to believe it. I don't agree with this negative connotation of the word "teacher". And if it is going to be viewed negatively then shouldn't we all be saying "I am going to become an educator," versus saying, "I am going to become a teacher"? Maybe I'm taking this way out of context, but I don't see how two words can be synonymous and yet mean something very different. Please! Give me some criticism to help me see what I am missing.
I am an education major because I want to be an educator. Now, just to be clear, I want to inspire my students to learn for themselves and to come forth with new observations and ideas. I want to lead my students by my example. I want to show them that even though something may be hard to accomplish, it doesn't mean you can't have fun while attempting it. I want to guide them through their young stages of their educational journey and give them the tools they will need to continue growing their wealth of information and knowledge. I want to be positive with any and every subject so that my students will take on the same attitude as well. They are the future and I want a part in making it a bright one. This is why I want to be an educator.



Tom Johnson's post, Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home, made me laugh while making me feel like I shouldn't be laughing at all. I was even a tad aggravated after I read it because of Gertrude.
The post starts off with Gertrude, a fellow teacher of Tom's, who exclaims that he cannot let his students take their pencils home for the love of standardized tests. Apparently, studies haven found that children in low income areas that take pencils home score lower on standardized tests. This is absolutely bonkers to me and the point in which I stop laughing with the post. How do pencils have anything to do with scoring lower on tests?! But Gerturde doesn't stop there. She continues to say that kids aren't going to be accountable with their pencils at home and will just play "sick and twisted" games like hangman. At this point I go through comments and reread the post to make sure this isn't another sarcastic poem or something. Unfortunately, it's not. However, I found solace in a comment that was left by Lisa. She basically says that the same "pencil" argument could be made by substituting pencils with books. She is absolutely right.
Another excellent point Lisa makes is the similarities between what Ken Robinson says about killing creativity and Gertrude's attitude. Teachers should allow creativity to blossom within their classrooms. I believe that with creativity comes curiosity and the eagerness to learn. Why would teachers want to destroy that over a bubble test that doesn't truly reflect what a student has truly learned? Seriously, if all we cared about was a test score then wouldn't we teach our children how to take a test, how to fill in these bubbles, and how to watch the clock to see how much time you have left to bubble in how much you know about random facts you are supposed to regurgitate? Teaching is not about the tests, but about the students! And if students want to play games like hangman, write a fictional story, or draw fun little doodles with pencils or pens allow them to express themselves. They may not be learning about algebra or how to read music notes, but at least they are learning about themselves and each other.

Blog Assignment 9

Mr. McClung's post is a great journey. Once you read it, there is no wonder how he got the most influential edublog of the year award. At the Teacher's Desk is his summation of his first year of teaching. I can only imagine, for now, what it's like to be "thrown to the wolves". Not that the kids tried eating anyone, but I bet it was intimidating to stand and teach in front of them; especially by yourself and for the first time. You also have your own ideas about how things are going to go. You rush in thinking you're going to find the cure to cancer in a week until the first month flies by and your nose is still in the books figuring out what it is. Lesson plans are tough to keep on track, but I think it's even tougher to realize this is going to take longer than you thought. But that is only part of it. If your kids don't understand the material I think it's pretty obvious more time needs to be spent on that lesson. However, I can see how a novice teacher would begin to doubt themselves and their teaching ability. But Mr. McClung gives great advice, "Listen to your students." I believe this realization comes to many teachers, if not all, who are passionate about their kids' educational journey. When you do this the students truly have a sense that the teacher cares. This makes the extra time on lesson plans and everything worth it.

The second post I read was a well of knowledge. This post gave a more inside look at the inner workings and the foundation of the educational system as we know it; teachers and administration. I love his find your school mom tip. I think that is very good advice, especially when you are dealing with young adults who might be going through some really big emotional changes or if you are just going through a rut and need someone to talk to.  I can also imagine that fellow "grown ups" will have the maturity level of a sassy three year old. I believe it's something we all go through, but it's important to know what your real purpose at that school is. To teach and be there for the kids.
I really enjoyed Mr. McClung's post and I am sure he must have felt great writing them. I think this final reflection project will be fun and in a sense therapeutic. I know I have a great deal to consider and talk about in my reflection. Mr. McClung's posts have helped me to see that.

Tech Fancy Teacher's vs. Smartboard

Blog Assignment 8

Dr. Richard Miller is, in my opinion, a revolutionist in the realm of media, education, and technology. His ideas about sharing are exciting and also breaks a boundary that I had never thought of. I had always defined 'library' as a place where books, ideas, and messages were shared. I also knew that going to the library was like playing a game of chance; you didn't know if you're book was there or not. Books are mistakenly put in the wrong aisles and are basically lost forever within a text jungle. I have heard of people go so far as to steal them and burn them to hide ideas and sources for whatever reason. This isn't sharing and it's not efficient.
    However, I think more people are beginning to realize this and they are using the web to gain, search, and share ideas. I am not trying to bash libraries ( I love South's library) but I am questioning its effectiveness, as far as printed text goes, in this modern day. Dr. Miller's videos constantly made me think of wikis. Wikipedia has its faults, but it somewhat defines what he was talking about.
    His video isn't selling the next thing...it's foretelling us of the next best thing. This project cannot be accomplished by just one person. It will be a joint effort, a collaboration of students, teachers, and everyday people to make this dream reality. Will I be able to do this with my students? I certainly hope so. Will they be able to do it? Without a doubt, I know they will. Using the web to create audio and video reports and documents will be exciting. It will be a challenge, but none the less, a great way for the students to take something they already know and put it to educational purposes to teach not only themselves, but me, other teachers, their parents, and people all over the world.

Well Carly Pugh is definitely a leader behind writing with multi-media. Her post was exquisite and insightful. I am really excited about creating my own lesson plans and I have a few ideas already blossoming in my head (maybe that explains the big frizz). I love her idea for the class blog. It is a great way to show and tell others why we want to be an educator, but also a reminder and reaffirmation to ourselves of why this means so much.

I really lol'd the first time I saw EDM 310 for Dummies. I have felt that way only once from this class, but it didn't last long and I realized I needed to step back and approach the issue differently. I would love to be in a video like this and let loose my frustrations of the day. This video made me feel better about EDM 310 because I realized that I am not the first nor the last person to go through this class. It even showed me this class can be fun (even if you do go crazy in the process). The Chipper series is best described by walking around the elephant in the room. The elephant being EDM 310...or rather challenging ourselves to do the work for EDM 310. Anyway, Chipper can't handle the class so she goes through jobs, classes, and ideas that do not work out at all. The message behind these two videos is that EDM 310 is tough, but we've got to challenge ourselves and grow as educators. This class isn't something to get mad about and drop. It's here to help us prepare for our futures and the futures of our students.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn throws away almost the entire structure of school as we know it. One of the big arguments is including technology, i.e. cell phones, computers, and various websites, in the classroom. Obviously tools like twitter and blogs are helping teachers collaborate throughout the world. This would help the students to diversify and to learn about people and countries on a more personal level. I believe it would also give the students something fun to do at home and in class. And there are so many interesting videos on youtube that would bring a subject like science or history to life! I recently read a sixth grade student's blog and re researched the science behind a brain freeze. It was interesting, funny, and was something that he could easily recognize because of personal experience.
Another topic was getting out of the classroom. The classroom isn't seen as a fun, creative place for students. They are exposed to enriched environments out of school like at home or at the museum. I have to disagree with this argument. Elementary classrooms are some of the most exciting and enriching places I have seen. Museums are great too, but I remember feeling rushed and crowded. I know a lot of my peers felt bored because they couldn't find a connection with everything. You can't touch this or that and basically dilly dally along with the rest of the crowd. In classrooms, you can touch and feel.  I think going outside and taking field trips is great, but it's not enough. Teachers should create connections from subject to student and make the experience special. The classroom should be the place for learning and collaboration. It should reflect the kids and should inspire them as well. But most importantly, the kids and teacher should inspire each other. It shouldn't matter too much on the building but the people in it should matter most.

Movie Trailer Project 12

Progress Report Project #11

I started freaking out about this when I realized our report was due this week. I thought 'I need to have a cite setup with all of this info and I have to have a million things on it' until I realized that I don't need a cite with a lists of things I use to gather information. All of the videos helped me to realize this. Thank you PLN video makers!

I have a symbaloo but I don't use it. Instead I use my ipad as my PLN tool. It has everything I need to stay in contact with vital information pertaining to whatever subject I am dealing with. I always have quick access to twitter, facebook, dropbox, delicious, EDM 310 blog, my blog, skype, safari, WebMD, youtube, and if I don't have something then I can easily get from the app store. I actually just used my ipad to check my twitter feed and discovered an app called Algebra Touch thanks to William Chamberlain. I downloaded the free version in no time from the app store and viola! I now have a new educational and fun app thanks to my  PLN's.

I also use my bookmark bar A LOT. Without it I wouldn't be surfing the web; I would be knocked down by the waves.

Blog Assignment 7

Randy Pausch and his family .

   This time watching Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams made me laugh and cry and reflect on why I want to become a teacher. I have reflected on why I want to become a teacher (and why I use to not want to) in the past. I use to not want to be a teacher because I thought that I didn't have what it takes to make kids want to learn. I would think about my teachers in the past and realize all of the insanity they went through with kids and parents, creating lesson plans, grading mountains of scribble scrabble, and having to go to school for the rest of their career! All of this detracted me from teaching until I realized teaching was more than that. It's inspiration, motivation, caring for, leading and guiding our future. Being a teacher is more than a lot of work. It's not like any other job where you don't have to connect with the people you work with, do a bunch of desk work and then play on the computer for four hours, or decide to call in sick a couple of mornings just because it's not a good day for you. I would even go so far as to say teaching is not a job; it is a lifestyle.
Randy talked about many traits that I believe teachers should possess. One that really sticks to me is having faith in kids. So many schools, teachers, and even parents do not have faith in their kids. They don't give them freedom. They give them schedules, routines, and busy work which doesn't breed creativity; they suffocate it. Randy's parents allowed him to paint his room when he was younger. Any parent that I know would have thought they were crazy. However, Randy's room looked really fun and neat! In the video Randy looked really satisfied with his room and I could tell he must have been really proud of it especially as a kid. As a professor, he gave his students freedom to create their own world (with only two restrictions). His students blew him away every time a project was due. Freedom enables people to become, create, and believe in something beautiful. It unleashes their full potential and takes everyone, including themselves, by surprise. Kids need freedom in the classroom. I don't mean leave them unsupervised. Just let them branch out and discover their creative side. In return you always be surprised.
Speaking of potential, Randy received some really profound and wise advice. After he was blown away by the results of the first assignment Randy was at a lost of what to do next. His mentor, Andy Van Dam told him at the beginning of the next class to say to his students, "I know you can do better." Randy realized that he really didn't know his students' potential and neither did they. So instead of placing a "bar" for what he was expecting, he just let his students keep on advancing in their skills. What this means to me is don't ever expect less of your students. Even if they blow you away every time keep telling them to do better. Even if an athlete is the best at their sport do they stop training and practicing what they do? No, because they know and their coaches know they can do better. Teachers and their students should have this same mentality. Teachers are coaches and students are academic athletes.
The last thing I'm going to point out from Randy's lecture is probably one of the most important pieces of advice for me to remember when I am teaching. Brick walls are there for a reason which I feel ties beautiful to his quote "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." If we always had our way growing up, what would we have really gained? I know that I wouldn't be where I am today had there not have been a brick wall or two in my way. I wouldn't have the skills, the knowledge, or the appreciation for those who helped me overcome those hurdles. I would definitely not be a strong, persistent, and self confident person without those experiences from running into those brick walls in my life. My students are going to have the brick walls when learning. Some may not read as well or understand math as quickly as other students. But, those walls can be useful to have them and I experience trying new methods, having them assist their fellow classmates, receiving and giving positive criticism, and establishing a friendly environment where it is perfectly ok to ask questions. There will be brick walls in everyone's future, but they aren't going to keep me and my classes from achieving our goals in learning.

Thank you Randy Pausch. 

A history of our history Project 9b

Blog Assignment 6

Connectivism is extremely interesting. I never thought about learning through social networks until I enrolled in 310. Slowly, I am learning that valuable information gets "tweeted" nearly every minute. I am realizing that tweeting and blogging is helping me to increase my teaching skills and knowledge. One day I will use it to prepare my students to dive into learning. However, this connectivism gives me a new perspective on technology and students.
I know that when I become a teacher, it will be necessary to introduce my students to computers, the internet, different interesting sites, and hopefully fun and educational apps! The thought that my job as a teacher might become obsolete didn't really phase me until viewing this video. My thoughts were "I'm going to be an elementary teacher. They will always need people like me to perform those jobs." However, if students are self motivated enough to learn on their own and create things mentioned in the video the possibility of my thought just being wishful thinking is very high.
Although these fears are realistic to some teachers, and with good reason, I know that technologically literate teachers will be in high demand. I plan on being one of those most wanted teachers. Even as an elementary school teacher, it is vital for me to prepare my students to know how to learn on their own.

Wendy Drexler seems super passionate about connectivism. I could not find any recent blogs about it on her site so I do not know how it went. On the flip side of that comment, I know that several, maybe thousands, of people have heard of this fascinating and futuristic idea of learning and teaching. I also love the fact that she knits!

PLEs was such a cool video. I loved the different programs she used. I have already added the link to this video to delicious and will be scouting out programs like the student used for her PLE. The PLN thing was really starting to scare me, but now I feel encouraged . It also helps A LOT seeing it being easily used by a very smart seventh grader. I am very glad to have watched this video!

Tech Fancy Teacher's Podcast

Comments for Kids Summary (September)

Kids are proving to me that they like blogging.

All of my kid's blogs were really interesting. Kristina's Crazy blog was cool and pink. She had a lot of pictures to go with all of her blogs and did a great job writing about what her class was doing. Tamati's blog Where in the World is... helped me visualize where Sri Lanka and India are. Tamati highlighted the sports of these countries whicj included, hockey, football, and cricket. Elise, Cade, and Danielle did a great job making an interview video. Elise asked good questions, Cade did well answering her questions, and Danielle did fabulous capturing it all on camera. Devin is reading some fun and interesting books for school. Another person recommended Freckle Juice by Judie Blume and I seconded it to Devin. I think he will enjoy it.
All of the students have taken to their blogs very well and are beginning to make them reflect their own style and personality. I believe blogging is helping kids become comfortable with technology while teaching them valuable lessons about safety and manners as well as introducing them to people who live all over the world.

Four Generations Timeline

Comments for Teachers #2

I Teach in a Failing School and You Should Too by Tyler Rice was an enlightening post. Rice described his failing school and his students which needed a learning experience that was more than burping back facts. 90% of his students are ethnic minorities, come from undesirable homes, and definitely do not want to be in school. So Rice had to come up with a variety of ways to teach his students; rather, he had to inspire them to want to learn. He did so by giving them more freedom in the classroom and allowing them to explore what interested them. Rice has also had to explore in what interested him, teaching. Because of his predicament as a teacher in a failing school, Rice has become a lifelong learner and has really grown as an educator.
In my comment I wrote about my high school and my teachers. My teachers had walked out of a terrible situation and did not have many resources. But they pulled through and gave me an education that is priceless and unique. I truly believe sometimes it takes an extraordinary situation to bring out the best.

My Element Project is a very interesting approach to learn about the elements. Basically, his students will select an element and discuss how they are similar and different by describing the family, history, structure and  common uses. I commented on how it seems like a great way for students to identify with the subject material.  I believe it will help in interesting them and increase the appreciation for the subject. In another comment I saw a neat activity for students to do in groups or for individual study. Have them complete a periodic puzzle!

love it 

There was also a link for The Element Song. Very amusing and educational. Click it and see if you can sing along!!!

Blog Assignment 5

What are we without poetry? In some cases we are better off. However, Dr. McLeod's Blog is valuable due to the way it expresses many peoples' fear about technology, particularly the internet. His sarcasm throughout the poem is also important because it shows others' ignorance towards advancing our youth. I also appreciate how the poem was to teachers, parents, etc. This poem came across to me as a warning to these people. His ending, which was not sarcastic at all, claims he will have his kids on the internet and learning how to utilize it to their advantage.
Out of many of the comments, I agree with Katherine Perkins. She says, "the teacher or parent should talk with that child about the positives and negatives of the internet." Parents and teachers should be discussing these things with their children. This kind of discussion reminds me of sex ed. You were told what it was, the consequences of doing it, and why it's important to wait or use preventative measures. (Sadly, for many students this talk came to late or was the first time they had talked about it with an adult.) It also makes me think that just because we ignore technology doesn't mean it's not there or not happening. It's important to talk about it and LEARN from it. One way to do this is to learn from others in person or via socail networkings like facebook, twitter, and blogs! Technology may have a dark side, but the bright side far outweighs the dark. 
WHOA! Dr. McLeod is one of the co-creators of Did you know? 3.0. He is also a leading force behind technology in the classroom movements and was credited as one of the people who inspired Teaching in the 21st Century. His poem is probably a summation of experiences with people whose fears about technology prevent them from using it in a positive and helpful way.

WOW! That is the third time something has shocked me. I love this idea and that a high school student brought it to light. I think the ischool initiative by Travis Allen is great and has me thinking about investing in an ipad. The apps are great tools to use in the classrooms of kindergarten through college. I know many students who already use their ipads or pcs in class. They take notes and follow the lecture on these devices. I actually use my pc during organization meetings and for one of my classes. I believe ischool would be beneficial to schools and students for monetary, spacial, and technological reasons.
The other video by Travis Allen is inspirational. He is making a difference in the world today because of an idea he had back in high school. I really love how he held onto his idea. Now he has his own team, travels around the country, and is improving thousands of childrens' education, as well as improving the relationships between teachers and parents I'm sure. I am excited about ischool and I expect to work with it in the near future.

Guess what I'm listening to! A breath taking piece of art created in part by people with angelic voices and by technology. Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre is a beautiful example of the bright side of technology. The choir and director were not in the same location. However, due to technology, they were able to marry their voices to create a harmonious melody.
I wonder how much more difficult or easy it was in making this callaborative video versus traveling to a location and practicing and then having to record it. I know many hours of practicing is involved either way, but I imagine that not having to travel back and forth to a specific location only added to the choir's independent free time. I also think that the same amount of time was put into the technical work i.e. cleaning the voice recordings, combining different camera angles, and perfecting the video. However, I imagine that these things were easier to maintain because it could be done on just one computer.
This would be an interesting project to do with a classroom. Have everyone record themselves independently and then work together to combine the recordings into a sort of video collage. I will have to keep this in mind for the future!


Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts is eyeopening, as well as eye catching. The video asks many questions but I think the most important question is what does it mean to teach in the 21st century. What does it mean? I believe Roberts is telling us that teaching today doesn't mean teaching burp back facts. You can find those in books, on your smart phone, or your computer. I think he is telling us that teaching today means to teach children how to filter information and how to utilize the tools they use to gain information to their advantage in all aspects of life. Basically, teachers should not be teaching the same way they did 50 years ago.  However, teachers are still teaching the same way they used to teach hundreds of years ago. Even some of the material that is taught in schools, in my opinion, is irrelevant.
I realize as a future educator that my methods of teaching are not and should not be limited. Technology is being embraced by children half my age and younger now (I am only 19). They are using it to gain various tid bits of information, but is that information relevant? They are using it to create so many different things, but are they using the most efficient programs to do this? They are using technology, but do they really know how to use it for their best interest? This is my job to help them answer these questions. I am not saying to dissolve the old subjects like math, science, etc. I am saying that the way we teach these subjects should change.

Project 6

Blog Assignment 4

I love this!

Eagle's Nest Radio is sharktastic! I loved the music paired with each part of the broadcasts. I especially like the voice manipulation they use for the Vocabulary Vault. That is something I want to do in some video I make. The kids seemed really enthusiastic about interviewing each other and sound like real reporters. The shark facts were very informative, the explorers were quite convincing, and the road to Rome was a blast from the past! Rockin' Riddles was a great questionnaire and the beat was fun. The kids also did a good job focusing on both sides of history such as the negative view of Native Americans towards Columbus Day verses the view of most people. The fierce gladiator piece in the last recording taught me many things that I didn't know. I never realized gladiators went to a special school, nor did I realize people ate lunch after watching men and animals be slaughtered.I also learned that Cleopatra was not Egyptian but Greek! Who knew...I do now.
Eagle's Nest has filled me with inspiration when it comes to audio podcasts. I am actually looking forward to trying out my skills. At first, I was nervous about incorporating music. However, with thanks due to the Eagle's Nest I feel confident about using music and the podcast. THANK YOU EAGLE"S NEST!

I love the creative technique in Langwitches that makes kids enthusiastic about reading. I can hear the excitement in their voices as they read their scripts. The pictures revealed that the printed script helped children follow along with the story as well. The kids must have loved making the accompanying noises. I can imagine them giggling along with the recording as they read the printed script in class. Another component of this project that I thought was genius was how they used smartboards and the recordings; basically TECHNOLOGY.
I am absolutely sure that the kids gained multiple skills throughout this project and loved every second of the learning process. This project assisted with reading, communication, pronunciation, listening, comprehension, time lines, smart boards, and different programs that enhanced their learning experience. I always knew from babysitting that kids, even toddlers, love to record and watch themselves doing everything. They are proud of what they do and they want others to see them and be just as proud. I am extremely happy that someone figured that out and used it in the classroom. I will definitely remember this method to help kids read, write, and communicate when I become a teacher. I am very excited about this!!!!

I found Judy Scharf's Podcast Collection helpful and interesting. Her collection is on my bookmarks' bar. I know it will come in handy. The video that she posted, About Audacity, has me messing around with Audacity. I also loved her layout of the schedule and different guidelines to follow when trying this out with students. One point that really stuck out to me was number 7, "Invite the principal, department chairperson, or some other person to come in and see the presentations.  Students will be very proud of their work." This is similar to what I said about the Langwitches project. Children want someone to be proud of them. I guess I should say everyone wants someone to be proud of them. This inspires kids, and adults, to continue learning and trying new things out. I believe when I get into a classroom of my own and try out the Langwitches project with my pupils, they will truly learn something and gain the confidence to learn outside of the classroom. I imagine the parents and students will be extremely proud and happy. I know I will be! 

My Google Presentation

Blog Assignment 3

Remains of Enterprise High School after March 1, 2007.

     It's Not about the Technology by Kelly Hines made me think of my high school, EHS. On March 1, 2007, parts of my hometown were completely destroyed by an EF4 tornado. My high school was also destroyed and eight students lost their lives. However, in just a few weeks school resumed for the high school students in various locations of our mangled town. For three years following that horrific day, the high school students went to the junior college, an elementary school, the service station, trailers, and to the practice fields of our non existent high school building. We didn't have the resources to have smart boards, new computers, nice and new projectors, and many other up to date technologies. But we did have pencils, paper, and amazing teachers that pulled through a terrifying and scaring experience to give the BEST education anyone could ever want or ask for.
      Mrs. Hines' blog is absolutely true; I know because I have lived it. Would my high school experience had been better if all the latest technologies of that time had been available? I believe my education would have benefited if that had been the case. However, I would not trade a classroom full of technology for my amazing high school experience. My teachers taught me more than math or french. They taught me to learn for myself, to strive for the best, and to never forget where I come from. Can you teach that on a smartboard?
       If teachers and schools have the resources to provide technology then do it. However, make sure the quality of teaching does not decline as the value of technology increases. Practice what you teach, teachers! If you want your students to learn, do a little learning for yourselves!


      Mr. Fisch's blog post, Is It Ok to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher? was fascinating to me because of the literacy comparison. This is part of my comment to him, "I found your comment comparing illiteracy fascinating. In the past I considered myself to not be the best at computers. However, I was usually willing to work through whatever technological issue I was having and most of the time I was successful. This process was the same for me when I was learning to read and write. The more I tried and practiced the better I became at it. I cannot imagine anyone without the ability to read today even though there are many people who can't. Twenty years from now I am going to have the same thought with one adjustment. I cannot imagine anyone without the ability to use a computer today even though there are many people who can't."
      One other major topic that stayed with me was how parents and teachers excuse themselves from being technologically literate. Teachers do have a lot on their plates; families, students, parents, policies, grades, lesson plans, and the list goes on. However, teachers have a duty to their students who will one day run this country and influence the world. Teachers also owe it to themselves to be up to date. Technology can help in lesson plans, organization, and communicating with anyone associated with the classroom. If it is beneficial to the students and the teacher then why not utilize it in the classroom? If you want you're students to work smarter, not harder then do likewise. Like I said before, Practice what you teach, teachers!

       Wow. Once again, I am shocked and it's all because of technology. How many times will it continue to amaze me? According to this chart by Gary Hayes, the numbers just keep on going. It's almost unbelievable how many people are using social media technology hundreds of times a day. I've always heard and seen sitcoms about people who can't live without their smart phone or computer. Now I know the movies are not just exaggerated portrayals of people. These people are real and are out there somewhere blogging, tweeting, sharing, watching, recording, typing, and face-booking. They might even be doing all of those things at once!
     I realize many of these people have to constantly be checking and updating everything for their jobs; but, do they ever have time for anything else? What about cooking or fishing? Those are two of my favorite things to do. However, many of those numbers are coming from people who are younger than I am. In a couple of years, some of these youngsters will be my students. It seems to me that both student and teacher will have many things to show, teach, and learn from each other.

       A Vision of Students Today by Michael Wesch shows my generation's attitude toward school, yet it was made nearly four years ago. Four years ago, I was a sophomore in high school. I didn't have facebook, twitter, or email. Today I have three different email accounts, facebook, twitter, skype, windows live, three internet browsers, a smart phone, and a laptop. A lot has happened in four years... But what has changed in the class room since the 1960's? Really, nothing comes to my mind. I wrote book reports in high school that my mother had to write in elementary school. History, math, most sciences, and English have not changed a bit and neither has the teaching style. However, people and technology are changing.
        As a future teacher, the video proves to me that my students will need to be prepared to face their technological tomorrows. I need to teach in a fresh and creative way to show my students that the other subjects are just as important too. I know that technology, as well as my own creativity can help me give the best instruction to my pupils.

Comments for Teachers #1

   The first post I commented on of Mrs. Palmer's was Knowing is easier than implementing. Her post was about a business book, rather the first 25 pages of a book, called Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matter by Douglas Stone. Mrs. Palmer summarizes why some conversations are more difficult than others, why we avoid them, and what we think about when having a conversation. Basically there are three topics that come to mind when having a conversation; what happened, feelings, and identity. The what happened idea involves truth, blame, intentions, and conflicts. You or the other person want to be right and disregard the other person's side of the argument. The feelings conversation occurs when you let your feelings get in the way of thinking and acting rationally, or you are afraid of hurting the other person's feelings. Lastly, the identity idea happens when people worry about their image. Mrs. Palmer then discusses how by reading this book teachers, principals, and students can benefit from this positive way to communicate.
    In my comment, I told my personal experience of having difficult conversations. I talked about my team and   how the three topics were always part of our conversations. After a conflict many members let their feelings, as well as the feelings of others, get in the way of progressing. As the captain, every time I had a conversation I was aware that my image was at stake. I really enjoyed Mrs. Palmer's post about difficult conversations because I completely understand what it is like to have one.

Definitely on my "must read" list!

  As an elementary student I must have been an extremely optimistic nerd because I really loved reading. Book reports was an extension of the enjoyment of reading. Required readings were new adventures for me. Generally, I enjoyed every part of reading...except writing according to MLA. This is similar to what Mrs. Palmer's blog, Mrs. Palmer has changed my life, is about. In her blog she discusses using the method in The Book Whisperer to help her students get better at reading. The book's method is simple. Do not have assigned/required books and do not assign book reports. The book says that "skilling and drilling" our students is killing their love of reading. Implementing required texts, reports, tests, and programs that are supposed to help children read actually negatively affect children's view on reading. So, Mrs. Palmer did away with reports, but required the students to read 18 books. The students had freedom to choose what books they read according to genres set by Mrs. Palmer. They also had a reading period during class. Mrs. Palmer's students loved the experience and many still read and love it. The parents were also very appreciative and pleasantly surprised by their children's new love of reading.
          In my comment I brought up my siblings' experience with DEBILS. It is a program designed to help students read by targeting seven different ares in one minute. For more information visit DEBILS. The program did not help my siblings at all. In fact, it actually negatively affected their reading. They could speed read but they could not remember nor comprehend the material they read. My parents had to work with my siblings to try and reverse the effect of DEBILS. Hopefully, as a teacher I will remember Mrs. Palmer's blog and use the method in The Book Whisperer to create a love of reading in my students.

Blog Assignment 2

       Wow. That was the first thing to come to my mind after watching Did You Know? by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod. The video was just cold hard facts put to modern techno music. It had a very smart and technological feel, which just made everything I watched a little more frightening. Facts like China being the number one English speaking country in a few years and super computers being smarter than the entire human race by 2049 are alarming to me. Watching movies like The Matrix or Terminator might be the reason for my paranoia about the super computers. The other facts like the stuff we are learning now will be outdated in three years or educating people to fix problems we don't even know about yet is mind blowing. It makes the idea of going to school to learn something seem pointless if the information will only be good for a few years. As for problems we don't know about, I think, "great, I already know that I have to fix something that is not even broken yet." It just seems so overwhelming.
        So why does it scare me? It is probably the speed at which everything is improving so rapidly. I feel like I can't keep up. I feel like America can't keep up. What will happen to our country? With all the political and economic issues right now Canada is looking pretty good. However, EDM 310 gives me hope for our country and for our people. If we are teaching future teachers to strive to be technologically literate and to stay updated then that will pass on to their future pupils. Thus, future generations will be able to keep up. Besides, no one knows what the future truly holds except for the maker of it all. Therefore, these "facts" are really just predictions. I'm not saying they will not come true...just that people, countries, or even everything can change in the blink of an eye.

       Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman is an interesting take on what it is like for people who do not stay up to date with technology. It also shows the somewhat tragic side of a child's education, or rather lack of education. The video is about a man who has been asleep for one hundred years. He wakes to find the world very very different due to computers and other high tech machines. He cannot adjust to all of the changes and searches for a place to fit in. School turns out to be the perfect place for him. There are no computers, except for one that is really old, and basically no mention of the fast paced, technological world. Mr. Winkle may like school this way, but I think everyone else should see that school needs an adjustment.
       School, for me, was the way Mr. Winkle likes it. There were no computers, no smart boards, and no real mention of how the world was advancing. I use to not like computers just because I did not know how to use them. This only became worse in high school when I had to force myself to use computers for projects and papers. However, my understanding of the way computers work became better because of this. A lot of things in school could have been better if technology had been incorporated in the classrooms. Now that I'm in college I really do not see how anyone could make it through without knowing something about computers. I believe that technology should be taught about and used in elementary classrooms. By doing this, students will always be familiar with technology and will remain comfortable with it throughout their educational journey as well as their lives.

         My mother use to tell me, and still does, that you go to college to become one of three things; a doctor, a lawyer, or a teacher. My dad use to tell me to make good grades in school so that I could go to college to become one of these three things. Art, dancing, cooking, designing, and sewing were just hobbies. Mom told me that you do not make a living off of working your hobbies. But, in the world of today I am seeing so many people who have degrees struggle to provide for themselves and their families. Not only do I see struggle, I also see a lack of passion for what they do. It's like they forced their profession upon themselves. They ignored doing something that made them happy because they were told they would not make a living. This is partially what Sir Ken Robinson says about education in the video The Importance of Creativity.
         Mr. Robinson discusses how educational systems around the world are crushing the creative imagination of children. Schools are drilling mathematics, literacy, and science into the heads of students. But where art, music, and dance are concerned, schools do not stress their importance. Why are they not as important? Because academic ability and subjects that are considered more useful for work are more important. We associate success with how well you do academically in school. However, some of the most successful people in this world embrace their creativity and achieve greatness not from what they learned in school. His friend, Julian Lynn, is an amazing choreographer and very successful. She did not do well in school and people today would say she had ADHD. But, a doctor she had seen simply told her that she was a dancer and should enroll in a studio. Now she is a successful dancer and makes her living off of what she loves. This should be an example to everyone about the importance of art to children. Your child may not do well in school and grow up to be a doctor, lawyer, or teacher. However, they just might grow up to be the next Julian Lynn because of their talent and love of an art.

           I think it is wonderful that Cecilia Gault understands the importance of having a balance of the arts and sciences in the classroom. She also shows how children can impact technology and how they can use it to their advantage in her article on Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Blog. I believe children need a creative outlet. When I have my own students I want to create a relationship between them and their studies, technology, and the arts. I believe there are ways to incorporate all of these things into the curriculum. Most importantly, I think children need to interact and have discussions about math, art, computers, dance, sports, history, reading, etc. The teacher should not be talking the entire time of lecture. The students should be adding their input and asking questions. I want to lead and inspire my students to want to learn and explore their creative side.
        
          Camillia, Georgia looks a lot like my home town. However, there is a big difference. Vicki Davis has her students in that little town blogging and communicating with people all over the world as the video Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts clearly shows. My school did not have a class like that. Our technology class involved learning how to use excel, word, and powerpoint from a book. It was good to learn how to do that except for the fact that it was from a program that was four years outdated. We did not learn to blog or how to use avatar programs. Her students seem like they enjoy the class while learning to teach themselves.
           When I become a teacher, I would like to introduce my students to new programs and technologies. I want to have the students use these programs in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. Besides teaching them I want them to teach me. This will inspire both my students and myself to never quit learning.