Sunday, April 29, 2012

Blog post 13

E-Media Fast

gone fishing


I thought this project was going to end in me not being able to complete it. I thought that it was going to be the most difficult thing because I'm on my phone constantly talking to my girlfriend from Ohio or looking up something to do with sports. Well I was wrong! Saturday I made plans with friends to go fishing. We set out at Four in the morning and stayed out all day deep sea fishing. We made use to get out of the range of cell phones so no one could distract us. It was a perfect day. The fishing were biting like crazy and we had a blast. We had alcohol and food and no one to distract us with gossip from Facebook or call us to inform us that we was doing something wrong. We came in from a day on the water and cooked the fish we caught. I woke up that next morning to 45 text messages and 10 missed calls. This assignment proved to me that people spend to much time using technology. We rely to much on technology these days. Go outside and do something productive. Technology is good to learn stuff and what not but it is causing more and more obesity. No one can take the time to go outside and do something with out being face deep in a phone. We need to just shut down every cell phone television and internet tower for one day and see what happens. Everyone would go into a panic and run around like a chicken with there head cut off. WE RELY TO MUCH ON TECHNOLOGY AND NEED TO PUT AN END TO IT!!!!!!!!

Final PLN project.

I used Symbaloo and it worked great for me. I have access to all the top websites I go to on a day to day bases. It has Facebook and all my social sites to The South homepage and my Gmail. This would be extremely helpful for me as a teacher to help me keep my stuff organized. I still have a lot of titles open, but I will run into plenty of sites that I will find helpful and put them on their. I showed my mom my final PLN and she feel in love with it and is now trying to get other teacher like her to use it and stay organized. Hopeful the other teachers will find it like she does and use it to and not push it to the side and say technology is not for them.

C4T #4

Our iPad Apps
Mathew Needleman Made the Ipad a lot easier for teachers. He took and made different sections for the different teachers and put the apps for that teacher in the section. I think its a great idea and makes the Ipad easier for teacher to learn how to use it.




Adobe Creative Suite 6 Announced

Mathew talked about how Adobe made an announcement about its updates to Creative suite. It includes a lot of cool tools like photoshop, after effects, and dreamweaver. I have never used these programs and told him that I would have be interested it in now after all the good things he talked about. He said he would post more after playing with the programs so looked forward to his review of them.

Project #15 Smartboard Instruction Part 2

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Blog Post 12

When Should Kids Get Cell Phones?


e trade baby



How old was you when you got your first cell phone? At what age do you think a kid should be given a cell phone? Watch this video and write a brief paragraph or two in own words about what the video says. Also put your own opinions in you paragraphs. Also put whether pr not kids should be allowed to have cell phones in school.

C4K for April

Shawn's Blog

Shawn talked about a glog which I have not idea what that is. Can anyone explain it to me?

Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog

Mrs. Cassidy's blog basically showed all the stuff the class does in the classroom. It showed the Easter project they did and a assignment on mass and measurements. I told her I like her blog and the style of blog she had. It really impressed me.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Little Kids...Big Potential

children around computer


Mrs. Cassidy had a great idea with making technology such a big role in the classroom for 1st graders. Even better is that she got the parents involved. Which allowed them to know what the students were studying and helps them help them at home. This also helps the parents monitor their work at home. The blogs was a great idea because this helps with writing and language skills. Also the student were able to connect with people from around the world. I think the blog was the best thing for them to do because it not only helps with technology skills but also with social skills, along with the school skills I already mentioned. As much as a great idea this all is, I don't think I would be able to use this as a physical education teacher. I mean I could but who would enjoy a class where you can run around and let off some steam mixed with projects and computer work. That wouldn't be a practical thing I could use in a PE class. I would how ever encourage other teachers to use this assignment.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Blog Post 10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate
drawing of man pointing

This video made me think of my past teachers throughout my education. It was made up of a simple uestion. Do you want to teach or be and educator? As I though about my past teachers had a few that educated me and the rest just taught me. They forced material and lessons in your face and didn't care if you learned it or not. Never made it interesting for you in hope that you would enjoy and learn the lesson just put it in you face expected to learn. For the teachers who did educate me I learned a lot more and enjoyed learning. Those teachers and the love of sports is what made me want to be and teacher.
I wanted to be a teacher so that I could use sports to help change kids life like it did mine. I was wild when I was young and in constant trouble. When I started playing sports in middle school I was more involved in that then causing trouble. The coaches I had cared about me and educated me about sports and life. Before the video I just wanted to teach my future students Now after I want to be like my old coaches and educate my future students.



Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home
I read this post and was confused at first then soon found out that he was talking about technology, (which I should have known since this class is all about technology in schools).I couldn't help but to think that the academic specialist was crazy for thinking that test school is all the matter. Yes with news laws test scores do mean a lot more but the students learning should mean a lot more. You could have good test takers that don't learn and thing and horrible test takers that learn everything. I was shocked to see how many people actually thought he was talking about pencil. HElLO PEOPLE, he was using a hidden message. He was talking about not everyone having technology, and not being exposed to it in his school district. How some people think that technology lowers test scores. When really technology educates us more about the world around us, other countries and help generate more creativity. Student need to be introduced to technology more in school,and that is what this post talks about.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Blog Post 9

I decide to write about Mr. McClung's first year. In this blog post he talks about how he transitioned from a student teacher to a real teacher. He first talks about how he got so worried with what the supervisors would think of him that he for got about the real thing that mattered, the students. The students are what teachers should be focused about, not what the supervisors think or trying to impress them. In the end if the students are learning isn't that all that matters? He also went on to talk about flexiablity and that "there is no perfect lesson plan". Also communication between teachers and students is key. As a future educator I want my students to be able to trust me and not fear me. Another key point he brought up was that we Don't need to be Afraid of Technology. No one is an expert at it so don't be afraid to try it in the classroom. These were the main points I got out of this post of his.




I also decided to write about his last year. To my surprise he was more focus on teh students then he was after the first year. I did not think that he would or could be more focus on the students but he was. "Our decision making process should always be student centered and not centered around pleasing adults". That statement says a lot, because all teachers should have that philosophy. He also talks about not getting comfortable is another key point he talked about. If you get to a point where you are comfortable then you don't grow as an educator and you lack a certain spark that gets students to want to learn. Another huge topic was that you let the students do the work on their own. Don't do the work from them, that causes them to never learn the skill and you to fail as a teacher. You may think you are helping them but your not. I was shocked to see that not only did he had the same views after his first year but how much they had grew. We should all take a lesson from Mr. McClung because he know the trick to becoming a great teacher at such a young career.

C4T #3

Post Conference Personal/Professional Reflection
In this post Matt talked about this graph he made to help him with what he wants to do in life. He wrote down what he knows how to do, what he can do and what he wants to do. This way he know what he needs to work in in the future. He did this to be able to see what he can already do and to know he doesn't have to work on that and he can focus more on what the want to do.


iPhoneography: Unleash Creativity
In this post mat talks about how he went out and bought a camera and how he liked it but on his recent trip he caught himself reaching for his Iphone to take the pictures. He found that the Iphone was easier to handle as well as faster. Also he liked being about to send the pictures straight to his Ipad back at his hotel. The apps on his Ipad was easier for editing for him and he liked that a lot. The apps also made it easier to post his pictures on social media sites. This just shows how technology makes things so much easier.

C4K for March

My poem by Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn is from Simon Mcloughlin's 4th grade class in the UK. In the blog that I read she wrote a poem that was about Justin Bieber. She took each letter of his name and wrote about him using a that letter. I was very creative and I enjoyed reading it. Their was a few spelling errors and I told her to work on that but over all it was a great poem.


Shawn's Blog
Shawn wrote about a possible 3rd and 4th Ghostbusters movie. I would love for that to happen because I loved the first two.

Project #14

Sunday, March 25, 2012

blog post #8

This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2

Part 1
In this video Richard Miller talks about how the modern language has changed over the years due to the advancement in technology. Before you would have to go down to the local library and due your research there. Now you can just sit at your computer in your house and have everything you need at your finger tips. Richard Miller first talks about books then moves into the digital idea of books. Books can be destroyed and end up in the trash while digital books will never go away and you can always look at them as long as you have internet access. Nothing has changed with books or print media just the way we can access them.

Part 2
In this video the topic is moved from not just how items are printed but how the internet can enhance them. You can write something on the internet and with in months it can be turned into videos or embedded in blogs and start conversations and debates about it. Before it would take much longer to turn something into a video and if not everyone had read it you would have to find it and go read it to have a conversation about it. Now with a few swipes of your finger you can have it right there in front of you.

Both videos showed me that with the advancement with technology and we need to learn to adapt to it not fight it. Encyclopedia Britannica learn this and has now stopped production of hard back books and will focus on the internet version. Technology is just going to improve the way we look at things with a little help from our imaginations. The possibilities are can only be stopped with what effort you put forth.

Blog Post #12 by Carly Pugh
For someone to come up with and idea that would turn into a assignment for Dr, Strange is amazing. I know that I could never do it. Dr. Miller and Carly had very similar ideas when it comes to multimedia it seemed to me. When I become a teacher I want to be able to use assignments to show the understanding and advancement of the internet.

EDM310 for Dummies.
I watched this video and I remember when I have felt like that at times in this class. The only difference is I did smash the keyboard and had to buy a new one. At the beginning I was so frustrated and wanted to quit at times. Its so much work to cram into a one day thing. That's what this class as thought me is to spread out my assignments and take advantage of all the time I have.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I like this video a lot. It talks about how the technology only betters education. Say you are teaching a class and you don't know every single detail about it. Go the the computer and use skype to connect to someone who does know every detail and let that person and the class have a video chat. The kids are getting all the details and learning about technology all together at one time. As the video said we have to learn that "Technology is not a choice". Technology is here to stay and we need to learn to live with it.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0

Puzzle Maker
I have never made a word search. I looked at it and found out the you can put how big you want it. Also you can decide you want people to be able to print it off or now. You can decide if you want words to use the same letters or not. It was very interesting.

Project # 12

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Project # 11

blog post 7

The Networked Student
After watching the video I have mixed feelings about the whole idea. I was impressed about just how much technology was used and how he could connect to others about the same topic. It's amazing just to think about technology can get in you in contact with someone of the smartest people in specific topics. Then I thought about it and what does the teacher really do? The teacher doesn't in my mind teach anything.

With this way of learning you could put anyone in the room with the student to watch him for his network. You wouldn't have to go to college to be a teacher because your not teaching anything. All the teacher is doing it being a so called baby sitter and watching him do his work. The student is learning everything on his on with the help other strangers. I would much rather have a teacher lecture me then tell me to go find the stuff on the internet and tell her/him what I find.

The technology on the other hand is incredible. To know that you can connect to someone that knows everything about a specific topic and that i could connect to him and learn form him is amazing. This really a nation wide or maybe even world wide study group. You don't have to learn your house just get on the computer and communicate to whoever it is that you are talking to and you can learn like that. So idk what to think of this idea. On one hand the technology is great but the teachers aren't teaching so will there be a place for teachers in the future if we can teach ourselves with technology?

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
I watched this video and i enjoyed every bit of it. I was amazed on how well her PLN was. I knew that I wanted mine to be as organized has her's. I tired to make mine similar to her's and will have to put a lot more time into it. I think that the PLN is a great way to have all the access to all your favorite sites, or sites you use the most in one spot. This video help my tremendously.

PLN Project # 10

For my PLN I have decided to use Symbaloo. I like Symbaloo because you can have access to all your favorite site in one place. I have not done much with it yet, but I will soon add all my favorite sites and have them in one place instead of having to try and remember them if I can't think of what they are called. Some of the sites include: facebook, gmail, espn, and many more.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Blog Post 6

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture



Randy Pausch gave his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon College on Achieving your childhood dreams. This was his last lecture because soon after he died of liver cancer. Although his lecture was over an hour long it was very entertaining and I got a lot out of the video. He talks about what he calls a "Brick Wall" which is what causes people to stop from obtaining their goals. Brick walls show just how much determination and dedication one person has to reaching a goal they have set for them self. And as a PE teacher and possibly football coach I would use this little example to show my students that there are other ways to get your goals or activities done. "When your screwing up and no one is saying anything to you anymore that means they gave up on you." This stuck out to me in a big way because so many teachers give up on their students and do not push them anymore. I don't want to be one of those teachers. I want my kids to be able to turn to me and know that I'm going to tell them what they are doing is wrong or right and how to fix it.

Randy talks about how it is important not to place a bar on your class. I agree with this completely. If you place a bar and the students know where that bar is they will only work to meet the bar and not over it. They will just do enough to slide by and not have to put forth an effort. If you don't place a bar on them and just tell them stuff like I know you can do better, and such then they will push them selves to do better on the next assignment. Encouraging your students to do better each time will allow them to see what they are actually capable of doing.

Let your student's creativity shine and don't put it down. Creativity is the most important part of a student because it lets them express themselves. Plus creativity is what most students use to solve problems. With my students I would encourage creativity to allow them to see how creativity they can be and for me to show them that they have pushed their creativity beyond what they could have imagined.

Goals are what makes you into the person you are. I would express this to my students in the fact that its not what the goal is, but they journey you take to obtaining that goal. Live your life to the fullest and never let anything "brick walls" get in your way. If my students learn that what you learn and the experiences you have on their journeys is what makes them into the person they will be. Randy Pausch talked about all this items and more but these are the ones that stuck out to me and as a future teacher I'm going to make sure I get this ideas across to my students.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Project #9b

C4T#2

Should kids’ grades call the shots on who teaches and who goes home?
Brian Crosby posted about in some school districts they are going to a way of evaluation based of the students scores. I think it is a great idea but you can't base the whole evaluation on that. You could have a great teacher with terrible test takers, compared to a terrible teacher with great test takers. Who is the better teacher? You can't compare or evaluate fully on test scores.


Digital Learning Day
In this post Brian talks about digital day and post a video that shows the technology he uses in his class and how effective it is. I like this post because it shows just how effective technology in the classroom is

Sunday, March 4, 2012

C4K Summary for Febuary

Lauren in Mr. Amidan's class
This was a video about the customary system. It was very creative and i had fun watching it. I liked how they went out to different sites and showed you how everything was made up. Like how a mile is 5,280 feet. That is a cool way to make learning fun.


Pryianka in Mrs. Ripps class
In this blog Pryianka talks about her dream vacation. Her dream vacation would be Hawaii. Being from Wisconsin she rarely gets to see a beach or anything in tropical weather. She also talks about how she has never been to an island and how she would go on a cruise while in Hawaii. It was a great blog.

Madison in Mrs Hubener Class
Madison wrote about a site called, Sum Dog. It is a website that has several games that helps you with Math. I found that the site was a great way to get kids excited about school. You can play the games and challenge your friends. This is so cool because it not only gets you excited but also your classmates, and you know how kids talk about how to beat games to one another so its also another way to get kids to help each other in math. I found her post very informative.

Pipi Ako
The class from New Zealand was covering sunflowers and showed a few of the drawings.

Mr. Salsich's Class
Mr Salsich's Class was discussing mass proprieties which involves density and buoyancy. They had some fun experiments which included a boat build and an egg experiment. These are some great ways to learn about why things float and sink. I wrote in my comment that I would have loved experiments like this because I was never truly thought what makes things float or sink because I never could clearly understand density and buoyancy. A class like this would have help me understand it a lot better

Project # 8 Podcast

Sunday, February 26, 2012

blog post 5

Don’t teach your kids this stuff. Please?
In this blog post Scott McLeod, the director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), talks about how everyone has different reasons on why people should not let their children use technology. He argues that technology is in the best interested for the younger generations. The future is with technology so to not let your children use it is not helping them but holding them back. Parental controls were made for you to CONTROL what your kid does with technology, whether that be with internet using or site blockage, you can control it. So don't just say technology is to much for my kid to handle at his age, but embrace it and help your kid gain knowledge and be ready for the future.

The iSchool initiative (Mobile Learning)

Travis Allen has changed the future for schools. Not only did he come up with an amazing idea, but he showed how it can be implicated in schools today. The ischool should be used in schools all across the nation. The future is with technology, so why not embrace it now? He showed that not only does it help with the advancement of technology but also saves money. So take out the fact that some people hate technology and will never change for it and add the fact that it saves money, and you have everyone's attention then. In this difficult time with lack of jobs and a struggling economy the one thing we need to do save money. The money we would save is tremendous and we could put that money to better use.
I was blown away by the video. I couldn't not believe that so much could be done with just one item. That one item is only one you would need. No more back problems from so much weight on your back or the "hey can i borrow pen and paper". The only problem I have with this is what about the people who can not look at something small for a long period of time with out getting a headache? Would they use a Ipad? What if that gave them headaches too?

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
This is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life. I don't know if I should be amazed or freaked out. To think that you can be connected to that many people around the world at tone time is cool but scary at the same time.

Teaching in the 21st Century
I think that Kevin Roberts is putting to much emphasis on technology teaching us in the future. The teacher will still do a great deal of teaching, but use technology to aid her not the other way around. Technology can't teach you how to fix a car or what to do if you connecting flight is cancelled. That comes from hands on experience and common sense. Technology can change the way we live our lives, but it can't take away from what a teacher can teach us.

Reading Rockets
I like this site due to the fact that it has a area for teachers, parents, librarians and principals. He sections has is certain items to help with that person helping teaching a child read or to help someone struggling to read better. I like how it has a section that shows you the fundamentals of teaching someone how to read.
This site has a area for anyone who is teaching someone how to read. That is very important that no one is excluded because not everyone can use the same tips to help someone learn to read or to help someone who is struggling with reading. The games are probably the best part due to the hands one experience you get from it. This is a great site to use.

My family timeline

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Blog Post 4

I have choose to do my three summaries on: Podcasting with 1st graders, Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom, and Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting. These three interested me the most.

Podcasting with 1st Graders
I like this post because I would have never thought about doing podcast with 1st graders. Knowing that the 1st graders enjoy it changes my opinion completely. They were interested in reading, not having to force them to read makes a huge difference. I would have always thought that they would not enjoy it. By doing podcast with them it not only gets them to want to read but also helps them with:listening, speaking, presenting, comprehension, storytelling, performance, voice acting, oral fluency,media, and technology. Having a first grader learn that much is terrific for their future.

Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom
This video really opened my eyes to just how effective podcasting can be. I would have never thought about recording a lecture, so that a student can go back and listen to it if they want. Nor would I have ever thought about if a student was sick that the student could listen to a podcast and not fall behind in class and have to be held back. It also can be used as a project as we are doing in our class. This enhances their creativity. Although these are great for student learning, parents can use podcast to know what the children are doing in school. This is important because parental interaction with the school is important for the student's success.

Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting
I like this post because it shows how you can use podcasting to help students learn how to edit. The more a student can learn at a young age the better. This post shows how podcasting helps with learning the subject English. How to correct mistake and put sentences together to tell a story. Knowing that kids younger then me are doing this is encouraging because I always struggled in English. I wish this would have been around when I was in 2nd grade.


I thought this blog was going to be dull and not important at all. I found out that I did not know as much as I thought and that the assignment helped me learn more about how podcast are a great tool in student education. I learned not only how podcast are helpful to students, but that parents can also benefit from them. If we can get more teachers to use podcast as a way for students to re-listen to the lecture that would be amazing because then the parents can also listen and aid their children if they need help. I am now all for podcast being used in the classroom.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Blog Post 3

Technology in Special Education
I found the video very informative. I would have never thought that technology could have such a huge effect on special education students. I assumed that the technology would be over their comprehensive level. It does help on a level that teachers can now understand kids that can't or won't talk to them. They can use a laptop and write out words and sentences just by clicking on a letter that they want to use. Also students can listen to audio books on an MP3 player which allows teachers or teacher aids to not have to read to that student and enables them to help others student.
I think that a good way to help special education students would be to use a smart board. I could make a power point on the lesson for that day and have them watch that. Then I could also use the smart board by letting them get up and participate in using the smart board. I would also have laptops with reading and math programs that would teach them on their level. I would also have MP3 players with audio books on them,an allow the students that need it listen to a book. Then after they get done with the book have them take a quiz on the book. That way right after they get done the material from the book is fresh on their mind.

How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism
I found the app Scene Speak and I enjoyed it a lot. You can upload photos and have the students tap the photo on the screen and it tell them what that photo is. You could use this with students who are unable or to shy to talk to you. You ask them a question and have them tap the picture that is the right answer. This in return gives them a better opportunity to learn.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count
At first I didn't know what to think about what I was looking at. I was in shock yet I was amazed by the pace at which those numbers where rising. I then thought about it and realized that I everyone is in one way or another using technology. No matter what you are doing it most likely involves technology. To future educators that means that we have to find a way to incorporate technology into the classroom.
One way to do this would be to Skype with someone who is very knowledgeable on the subject that you are teaching. An example would be if you are teaching about a current author, find out a way to Skype with the author and have that person talk to the class about a book of theirs you are reading. Also get computers into the classroom. Instead of having to using paper to turn in assignments, go green have all the assignments turned in online. Let the students use laptops to take notes if they like to do that. Have assignments outside the classroom that allows students to use social media outlets. Make plans and have a way a way the students enjoy their education with technology.

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
Teachers are teaching about stuff that is not relevant to students lives nor will it be relevant in the future. This is due to the rapid change in technology. Educators can not keep up with the change, nor do they have the funding to keep up with it. Students graduating from college in the next few years are walking into a world with jobs that they know nothing about. Educators need to be flexible with keeping up with the changes. Nothing is ever the same and they and we as future educators need to learn how to roll with the flow.
Students lives basically revolve around technology. Whether it is television or social media or whatever students revolve around it. It's a way to let off stress and relax from the constant stress from school. Teachers need to learn how to incorporate technology in the classroom to give students a way to get interested in the lesson. The more the teachers do to get a student interested in the lesson the better the student will do in the class.

Project # 5

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

C4T #1

Touchscreen” Slam & the Cyborgs

The blog talks about how technology is all around us and sometimes it is hard to have face to face interaction when you can just go to a computer or phone or tablet and text or im or tweet someone. In Bill Genereux class he has a thing called cyborg and human mode. In human mode no technology is allowed. While in Cyborg mode you can use as much technology as you want. He does this to make sure the students interact with each other that way they do not spend all their time stuck in a computer screen and that they do not lose that way of life.

Who is Ed Parkour?

This blog talks about the sport of Parkour and how it relates to education. Parkour is the sport of traversing environmental obstacles by running, climbing, or leaping rapidly and efficiently. If you participate in parkour you are referred to as a traceurs. This blog takes the term traceur and ask the question are you a Education traceurs. As in can you take on obstacles and task and get around them with no problem at all. Can you deal with the political issues and the children themselves and still be able to get them to learn and teach them what need to be taught. Are you a Education Traceur or could you become one? I think that I would panic under to much pressure at times, but at other times i think i could be a Education Traceur. As a future educator I will have to find out when I am actually in the the classroom teaching.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

blog post 2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version

The video was composed of several slides pressing issues that included the future of technology and the future in which education is headed. The first few slides showed the education differences in the United States and in India. It also showed that the world is trying to learn the English language, while we as United States citizens are not that interested in learning other languages. The slides that followed focused more on technology and how it is effecting education. Technology is constantly evolving and everyone is always having to learn something new to keep up with it. The slides explained that with the consistent evolution of technology that the jobs that students will be applying for in the future have yet to be created. How can we as educators teach students if what they will be doing in the future is not even created yet?

I agree with what the author had to say in the slides. The world is changing everyday. In today's society you have to stay up on the latest technology. If you don't you will fall so far behind and have no idea what is going on. As future educators we need to learn this lesson sooner then later. We have to stay on top of all the latest technology advances to be able to teach our students to be able to succeed in life.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

This movie points out that technology is here and it is used in everyday life. It also points out that in some schools technology is not used at all. technology is part of everyone's life in one way or another. No matter how you look at it no one can go one day with out the use of technology in one way or another.

I agree with what the author says during the video but Mr Winkle needs to get with the current times. Schools can't stay the same with a pen and paper. Schools have to incorporate technology into the classroom. Technology is around and its not going anywhere but up, and by that i mean that it's just going to grow and evolve more. Schools can continue to just have pen and paper but all that is really doing it hurting the kids in the long run.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

In the video Ken Robinson explains that kids are naturally creative. Kids are naturally creative and school take away from that. School focus on you four core subjects: Math, language, Science, and History. He explains that schools need to allow kids to be more creative and focus on the classes that allow that. Yes your core classes are good for you, but everyone needs to be creative.

I was caught off guard by everything i saw. I would have never thought that creativity was so important to life. I was in band for seven years and i would have never combined that would who I am now. Yes its a big part of my life but i was about to be me in band and did not worry about if i was wrong or right. I sat and played music and it calmed me down. If i messed up and just restarted and fixed my mistake. So i completely understand how schools need to focus on how to get kids to be more creative.

A Vision for 21st Century Learning

The main argument of the short video is that we need to take the current way of teaching out and use technology to help the students learn. Use computers and other technological devices to teach the students. I agree with this argument. The more we get into a technological way of learning the better of the students will be after they get out of school.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

The video was about a teacher, Vicki Davis, who was turning the classroom and learning environment upside down. She was using technology to get the students more interested in the lesson. She was teaching them how to use the technology to look up items and etc. She wanted to get the students more involved with the lesson and which in turn would get the students to help one another. The more technology the kids can use the better off they will be in the future with the consent evolution of technology.

This video made me understand more about how technology helps students. It showed me that not only do the teacher teach them but that the students can teach the teacher and also help struggling friends. Technology is all around us and we need to show students how to use it and understand the pros and cons of it. It we as future educators don't do that then we are just throwing them to the wolfs, as the saying goes, when they get out of school and into the real world.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Blog Post 1

Part 1


Hi I'm Alex Mayfield. I am from Bayou La Batre, Alabama which is located in the southern region of Mobile County about 30 minutes away. I was born and raised there and have never lived anywhere else. I spend most of my time outside in the woods hunting or on the gulf fishing and shrimping. My family is big in the shrimping industry, it started with my grandpa and then my uncles got involved and its has trickled its way to me. My main interest though would have to be sports and music. If I am not outside on the water or in the woods I either listen to music driving around the local beach or out playing football, baseball, or basketball. My grandpa and I love Alabama football. Every Saturday it is me and him at his house watching the game. No matter what we are watching the Alabama game. When they won there second national title in three years just recently we was so excited and happy. If I could i would sit on the water all day with a pole in my hand listen to country music all day long. I also can play many musical instruments including: tuba, saxophone, trumpet, baritone, and trombone. I'm still working on how to play the gutiar.

As I said I am a huge Alabama Crimson Tide fan. I had always planned on going there for college. But as it has turned out, South gave me more money and I did not have the money to go to Tuscaloosa for school. So instead I am here in the Physical Education Major. I first started out in computer technology's. With in the first two months i had flunked out and realized that I could not program a computer the one important thing you have to do in that major. So i dropped it and realized that i have a huge passion for sports and what would be a better career for me then to coach sports. So I changed majors to be a PE teacher and to coach sports. With the dream to hopefully one day be able to move up to the University level.

Part 2


Randy Pausch explains that Americans over all are very bad with time time management, but great with money and focus with money. He has four questions to ask when doing a task. They are Why am i doing this? What is the goal? Why will i succeed? The last one What happens if i chose not to do it? You do not need to focus on doing the right things but focus on doing what is right. Experience is the most valuable thing to have. If you do not set up a plan for whatever it is your doing you are setting yourself up for failure. If the task is to big break it down into smaller task.