Project #14 Smartboard Instruction

Blog Assignment 8

Dr. Richard Miller

After watching these videos, This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2, it is more apparent to me that the world is going digital. Just a decade ago, most everyone was writing with a pen and paper and had to make the effort to go somewhere to get information, usually a library. Now all of that is just one click away, whether it be typing something up for class or looking up important events online.

All subjects and news is are online for people to view. People can now see illustrated movies and slideshows that go along with what they are reading or researching. It amazes me how close someone can get to a subject while still being so far away. While your reading on the subject, you get to see actual footage and maybe even recreations of the event, without having to imagine it in your head.

Carly Pugh Blog Post 12

Carly sure does come as close to what Dr. Miller was saying as you could in her Blog Post #12. I would go as far as to say she nailed it directly on the head. She produces a video that goes along with what she talks about. It is always refreshing to have a little visual aid to what your are reading.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

The first thing I noticed about The Chipper Series is that Chipper and Dr. Strange only have one set of clothes in their closets. With all joking aside, I did see in this video a strong message about how the practices and procedures being implemented right now are the same that will be expected of us once we become independent in life and as we start our careers.

EDM for Dummies helps so everyone that yes this class can be tough. Everyone is going through the same thing as you, so you are not alone, but as long as you can take the time to sit and understand what is taking place, you should have no problems.

One idea I have for a video would be comparing the old style of learning to the new style being introduced to us in this class. It would show a little over emphasis of how boring the old way is compared to how exciting hands on learning with technology can be.The over emphasis would just help get the idea across, maybe going from one student falling to sleep the old way, then showing the new student jumping for joy with the new way.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

I still feel strong to my idea of the classroom should be integrated. I do not want a classroom that has nothing but the old style, nor do I want a classroom that is completely catered to the technological world. I want a comfortable blend of the two. Do I know what the best blend is right now? No, I do not think anyone does, at least not the perfect blend. I want there to be a perfect classroom smoothie, to where I can throw the old ways I know in with the new style so that as many people are happy with it as possible.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0

MakeBeliefsComix

Animoto

Animoto is the video tool I found. To sum the whole tool up, it lets you have complete control of your video from backgrounds to effects and more. You can integrate your own music library and much more. Seems like a very fun tool to use.

Poll Everywhere

Make a live audience poll at Poll Everywhere

Project 8 Podcast

PLN Progress

At this current moment, my PLN is made up of follow students and past professors. Many of them I have kept in contact with over the years. I was developing my own PLN without even realizing it. I am in the process of adding websites and other contacts. I have always used Facebook as a great connection as well as emails and phone calls. Twitter and Skype is now beginning to become a part of it as well.

Blog Assignment #7

The Networked Student 

The video by Wendy Drexler, The Networked Student, can open one's eyes to what the world has turned into. I believe this is a great resource for a student to use. It should be made as an option for all, notice I said option. I personally do not feel it necessary to have a network for every section of learning. I support anyone that feels it benefits them, I feel I have learned effectively enough through out the years without this resource, and I think I can continue to to learn without having this resource.

Now with that being said, I do not want to discourage my students from having a PLN of their own. I will say that I do have a PLN, but I have it there for when I need it and it really kinda developed on its own. I will certainly suggest all my future students to develop one. This all may sound quite contradicting, but I suppose what I'm trying to make a point of is I will never require a student to setup a PLN.

The reasoning may come from a selfish train of thought. When the question is asked why does a networked student even need a teacher, it is answered by saying the teacher helps a networked  student manage his or her PLN and help when a student gets stuck. Nowhere in the answer did I hear that the teacher actually teaches the particular subject they are suppose to. You can call me selfish, but when I get my own classroom and my own students, I want them to come to me when they need help with history. It kind of defeats the purpose of my four years in college to be qualified to teach social sciences if I make my students establish a PLN for the purpose of learning from others and I'm just there to teach them how to run a PLN. Maybe it is just a very closed mind or selfish view on the subject, but to remember I do want to leave the option of a PLN out there for my students. Please comment on my view to let me know.

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment

I watched the video A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment, and it seems like a great way to stay organized. Everything one would need for the their particular class is right in front of them. The PLN I have developing is mainly between me and other people, such as students and professors. Whereas hers was mostly with other websites.

TimeToast Timeline Instruction Project #9b

My Sentence

C4T Summary Post 2

I was assigned Mr. Arvind S. Grover for our second C4T assignments. He is the Dean of Faculty at Grace Church School in New York City.

The first post I commented on was a video posting about racism. This talk by Jay Smooth is not really explaining the idea of racism nor is it about being racist versus not being racist, but it is explaining how to talk about race without worrying is someone thinks you are a racist. There are ways to discussing race and not worrying whether or not you sound racist. The whole point to his talk is to help people realize there is a huge in between space when it comes to being racist or not.

I was extremely impressed with the second post I read. He explained that at their school, which is now K-8, they are expanding to add a high school. Their plan is to add a new 9th grade class each where until the first 9th graders there graduate in 2016. This is planned to start in the fall of this year. He explained that he wanted to recruit faculty from Educon, which is a great conference full of great educators. He is instituting rules for the high that really going to improve the learning community at this school.

C4K Summary Post 1

The first student I was assigned just began playing cricket. He talked about how hard it was to learn, but it was a very fun sport. He hopes to keep on getting the opportunity to play.

My second student discussed how he got to go fishing with his grandfather. He loves to be outside and go fishing. On this particular trip, he got to land the biggest fish of his life. It was a 27 inch northern pike. It was quite a battler for him to land it since it was so big and he was so small, but in the end he came out the victor. It is a moment he will always treasure.


My third student posted about his new years' resolutions. He made the resolutions of making good grades and studying harder. He described that these two particular ones were going great. Unfortunately, he had made a resolution of saving more money, but that one was not going near as well as the other. I commented telling him, not to be too disappointed that I also have trouble with money saving, but that at least he is doing well in school.

My forth and final student made a post about the history of the vikings. She talked about the immense variety of weapons they used and how they went into battle. They would march into battle with one line of soldiers with shields and the rest behind them would lop bows and spears at the enemy. She also went on to talk about the  beserkers that were in the viking armies. I found this very intriguing since our group is named the Psychotic Salmon Beserkers. I was excited to learn what our team mascot was all about.

Blog Assignment 6

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture 


This is a video of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. This was a truly remarkable event that took place. In this video we learn a lot about Randy dating all the way back to his childhood dreams. How he accomplished nearly all of them except for playing professional football, which he sees as an even greater thing and learn a lot of life lessons from his first football coach.

The teaching method that sticks out most to me is his "head fake" method. He finds this to be the most important tool that can be used in teaching. Randy used this method in every environment he taught in. There were even "head fakes" in his last lecture. By getting students to participate in something fun and entertaining, he lays underlining skills and techniques that they are learning and do not even realize they are.

Another method that I saw Dr. Pausch use was letting students do what they want. That is a very loose way of saying it, but it is basically what he did. In a virtual reality class he taught, he let the students make any world they wanted to with only two rules of no shooting violence or pornography. This gives students incredible freedom to be expressive. Students are not restricted with rules or obligations to follow precise instructions. This method also lets them be creative and use their ideas, which a majority of students want to do.

These two previous mentioned teaching techniques and methods are by far my favorite. I want to involve my students in activities involving history that make it fun for them and yet deliver a educational message. I have an idea of letting my students act out plays of historical events. Maybe even letting them rewrite how they would had it happen if they had been there. All this being inspired by the marvelous words spoken by Dr. Randy Pausch.