Additional Assignment 3

Changing Educational Paradigms

We were assigned this video, and asked a series of questions. Here are my responses.

Wow! Yet another thing to get us thinking. I suggest any and all watch it!

Time to answer the questions. The first question, "What did I find most important?" There were so many interesting key points that it is hard to choose, but I think taking the children off of ADD and ADHD medicine is highly important. Sure, it does calm the kids down, giving them the time to focus on what they "should" be learning. (I put "should" in quotations because the lessons being taught are deemed more/less important depending on the school board.-It's a matter of opinion!) But it is like Ken Robinson said, "These medicines are anesthetizing our children." That means we are deadening their senses. Does that make sense? We are shutting off their sensors, which we all need and use in order to learn. I think it is time we present the material in a attention grasping way. We need to be able to create lessons that can capture our students' attention. That is the educator's challenge!

 I was asked if there was anything I disagreed with in this presentation. Hmm? I really don't think so. I really can understand and sympathize Sir Ken Robinson's stand on this issue. He really seems to have a grasp on the whole education thing and that he can see the problems and knows where he would like to see education in the future.

I think that this would have been an awesome project to have been able to be a part of. If I was as lucky to be able to create, or help create, something of this nature I would literally feel relieved. I think art is one of the best ways to express yourself. So, to answer the next question, "If you had to do a presentation with others like this, what role on your team would you like most to play?" I would have to play the role of artist/ designer. I love to dabble in art projects. I completed Art I-Art IV in high school, and had art my 8th grade year. So hand me the paint brush, and let's make some cool ideas come to life!

Smart Board Project

We decided to go with a review for mathematics, and had a Jeopardy game theme. Hope you enjoy it.  

Blog Post 10

An Open Letter To Educators

I find it difficult to stay engaged in class after sitting there for so long. The way information is being taught doesn’t relate to how today’s world is. I can’t even begin to count how many courses I take that I have absolutely no interaction between classmates. It is even sadder to think that I don’t have much interaction with some instructors. Come to think of it, the majority of the education system is sad. We go to school, sit, memorize facts, as Dan Brown says, and regurgitate it back on a test. The school system isn’t about learning for the long term, it is a matter of memorizing it long enough to spit in out on a test. Not enough teachers encourage experience and hands on learning.
I applaud Dan Brown for taking the initiative to drop out to learn. I am not sure how that will turn out for him, but I wish him the best of luck; but it is a foot in the right direction, so kudos to you. Taking the initiative to learn, is the best way to learn. I have shared my feelings in a comment on this post, written by Morgan Bayda.

Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home
     Where do I begin? Tom Johnson was very kind to share a conversation between him and Javi. I loved, loved, loved the fact that Tom focused on the solution instead of the problem. I was baffled, to say the least, on Javi's stand point. (Keep in consideration the justification was taking pencils home lowered test scores of children in low-income neighborhoods.) Javi was against the practice of letting students take home pencils. Really? I kid you not. If we are going to go as far as prohibiting pencils from leaving the classroom, because children, as the post describes, use them to play a "sick and twisted game" such as Hangman, we should prohibit the taking home of books. The student, or student's parents, could just as easily use them (the books) to fix a wobbly table by placing it underneath the shorter leg. Can we say "Get real!"

     Also, this reminded me of  the assignment: "Ken Robinson Says School Kills Creativity" that we were instructed to complete. Maybe the kid is an artist; maybe he wants to draw when he gets home. If he lives in a low-income neighborhood, where all too many times after school activities consist of drug and violence dabbling, the kid could become involved in such activities because no one wanted to allow him to bring a pencil home and draw, possibly create masterpieces, and occupy his time. Tisk tisk, I say, to anyone who supports this outlandish proposal. This prohibition can clearly kill any and all creativity a student could obtain. On a more positive note, Dr. Strange has struck again. 

He has given us another assignment to analyze ourselves.  

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life                This video was very short, but very powerful. "A great man is a sentence." Enough said! Sure, it sounds a bit crazy, but after watching the video, it makes perfect sense. So, what are these questions? The first, "What is your sentence?" This gives you motivation in life, and is something you can use to navigate your life, [the answer, that is.] The second question, "Was I better today than yesterday?" This allows you to analyze your sentence, and lets you know whether your sentence is still applicable. A man can be summed up in a brief sentence. How do you want to be remembered? If you can answer this, you have your sentence. So, as part of our instructions, we are to develop a sentence about ourselves. That's a "tuffy!" If I was to sum myself up in one sentence, it would say, "She is always considerate of others, and strives to put others first."

My Skype Interview

I used Skype to interview my friend Nicolas.

Blog Post 9

What I've Learned This Year By: Mr. McClung

     Mr. McClung explains what he has learned in his first year of being a teacher. The first lesson was "How to Read the Audience." I am glad that I read this, because I will surely keep this in mind during my own endeavor as a teacher. Teaching should always revolve around the students, and I feel that this has been a concern teachers have forgotten about. When McClung suggested that you need to let your audience drive your instruction, I applauded him in my mind. Not enough teachers think this way. 

     His second lesson was "Be Flexible." I found it ironic when I read his rant on a perfect lesson plan does not exist. He explains he used to beat himself up, and how he had to force himself to just get over it. I found it ironic because just last night I was talking to my friend Scott. Nothing important, just a what-if subject. He had suggested that he hates to plan things. He said that half of the time things don't work out the way things are planned, and that things will always fall into place, at some point, regardless if you have plans or not. It is odd that I heard this the night before I read the article by McClung. Note to self: if things don't work out, or aren't working out, then the things of concern are not finished playing out. In other words, don't sweat it. 

     Lesson number three: Communicate. I find it very reassuring that someone out there knows that communication skills are one of the harder skills to develop. I can testify that I used to be an introvert. It took years out of high school, interacting with people I had never met before, watching others socialize (for many years) before I decided to "break out of my bubble" and get outside of my comfort level. I admit, at times, I'm still a bit shy, but for the most part, I try to be the outgoing person, and even if it means just going out of my way to introduce myself, I know I have put in the effort. Social networking is how the world operates. And as teachers, it is important to encourage communication, by leading by example, and emphasize the importance of it, as well.  

     Lesson number four: Be Reasonable. Although that none of these lessons are more important then one another, in all actuality, this needs to be heavily stressed. Students get highly discouraged when they don't succeed at something and their teacher scolds them. Don't children need reassurance that they can succeed, and that it just takes a little more effort. Too many teachers do not take this into consideration, and I think that  is one of the causes for unsuccessful students, and dare I say drop outs.

     Next lesson: Don't Be Afraid of Technology: McClung suggests that technology is essential to living. I concur with McClung. Technology is where the world is going, and it is incorporated into EVERYTHING we do. We, as teachers, need to prepare our students to do well in the world. If the world is every changing and technology is becoming the basis of life as we know it, then we must include this into the classroom.

     Listen to Your Students. Need I say more? It is sad to think that a child's only safe-haven is the classroom. But that is reality. Some students have no one to talk to, no one who really cares. A child needs to have someone to talk to. A well known fact is that it is often the case that a teacher spends more time with the student then their parent does. Teachers should be more than just an educator. They should be someone who a child can confide in and trust. 

     Never Stop Learning: McClung states that we are in a learning environment, and that we should "soak up as much as we can." I can't agree more. We only damper our students' learning if we, ourselves, refuse to learn. The more we know, the more we can share.

My Favorite Teacher

We had an assignment to create a video of our favorite teacher. This was a difficult choice to make. At first, I was thinking about my drafting teacher, that I took in high school. Then, my old chemistry teacher from freshman year of college came to mind. Then, it hit  me! Who said the teacher had to work in a school? My favorite teacher is my dad. He has taught me so much throughout life, it was hard to narrow it down. I chose my dad's passions, in which he shared his love with me. Please watch this video. It shows my dad's second love, bowling, his first love, cars. Please keep in mind, that his "loves" in which I refer to do not reflect his putting life before family. He has always been there for me and my family. I hope you enjoy it.

Timeline of Facebook

Timeline of Facebook (click me)
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Blog Post 8

This is How We Dream

     This video was, at first, somewhat confusing. However, Richard Miller was able to tie all of the loose ends together and even though I may not fully understand it, I have been able to grasp some of his concept. 

     To start, he discussed how writing has changed. We went from just a world of books. Books are what we learn out of, what we record ideas and factual content in, and where we do our research. Me, particularly, do not care for books. Yes, I think they come one handy when I am working on homework, homework for all my classes except EDM310, for we are a virtual class, in a sense. But the world has changed, as Miller has suggested in his video. The way we research and learn is on the web. The majority of written assignments due in schools today are to be typed. Hence, we are a technology based world. And classes like EDM310, we are a class to do work solely on the web. 

     Speaking of EDM310 being a web based course, I think it is becoming evident that Miller may have influenced this course. Our assignments in this course are fully accessible. Dr. Strange has mentioned numerous times that we are leaving an intellectual trail. He has made us fully aware, or at least those who read the class blog, that we will be searched, our ideas will be read, and we should keep that in mind when making our posts. As well as expressing our own thoughts.

     It is interesting to look at how much is available online, and at our disposal. We use other's thoughts, to form our own. And with them being available online, it is easier to access each other's thoughts. It would make formulating conclusions and our own ideas more difficult without the use of the web. I said difficult, not impossible, because obviously enough, we, as a human race, have been using the hard copy system for longer then the virtual system. It just takes the travel time out of the equation. I like that Miller suggests that ideas do not belong to an individual. We should share our thoughts and ideas with the entirety of the world. Sharing our thoughts can enable others to have thoughts, build upon our thoughts, and possibly even improve the world in which we live. It happens all the time. We should overcome our stupidity of being selfish. It is only slowing down the improvement and advances of the world. Share your thoughts and ideas with the world.. Especially those aspiring to be teachers. We must share our enthusiasm to dream and think with our students, for it will encourage them to do the same!
Chipper
     The message: you must follow your heart before you realize what the best course for you is. As chipper showed, although her priorities were a bit mixed up, no matter what aspect of interest she pursued, she came back for her education to get her master's degree in Education. She showed that procrastination, mixed-up priorities, and carelessness can get you no where in life. To get the things that you want, you must try your best, in a timely manner, handle priorities of importance first, and care about how you handle your professionalism. I think that this was a great project. From what we were told on the first day of class, this seems to have some personal experience, or maybe it all is. If I could be involved in a project, I would like to take a life lesson, that I learned the hard way, and share someone my story, in hopes to spare someone else the same hardship or mistake.
EDM310 for Dummies

     What a comical infomercial! It is funny to see Jamie Lynn portray a student of EDM310, although the temperament may have been a bit skewed. It showed factual content: students do get frustrated with the  class assignments. Students also get confused with some assignments. It is even funnier how the "EDM310 for Dummies" book is available to all students. It is called the Instruction Manual, people! It goes to show that if you take the time to read the assignments, and instructions, the frustration level drops tremendously.

 Why Smart Boards are a Dumb Initiative

This article is mainly discussing the opposition of the Smart Board. It is argued that even though it is a more appealing media for projecting ideas to the class, it only helps test scores by 1%. (Or at least that is the statistic provided in the article.) The author of the article says that the Smart Board is an acceptable way to spend money to try and help students stay engaged, but thinks that the money should be spent elsewhere. None-the-less, even though this author is a gadget-goo-roo, they are opposing Smart Boards for their lack of educational improvement and the fact that they are less cost-efficient.

   Why I Hate Interactive White Boards
      Bill Ferriter feels very adamant that interactive white boards(IWB) are a waste of financial resources. He argues that IWBs are discouraging the collaboration among students. He goes to quote Sylvia Martinez, who says, "You can't buy change. It is a process, not a purchase. The right shopping list won't change education." (I know Dr. Strange might want to give me a failing grade for my next statement, but to justify, I can sympathize with this statement, so hear me out.)
     In EDM310, we have an interactive white board. Frankly, I have seen it used twice. I come in the lab twice a week, at least, and to say the least, it has not helped me in the slightest. I have visited my old high school, spoken to one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Mallon. He is the drafting teacher at Theodore High School. He said that the Smart Boards are cool, but after visiting with him on a few occasions, I never saw him use it. And I visited during school hours. Maybe if I were to witness the capabilities of this new technology, I could come to the conclusion that they are valuable to the education process.

During research, I cam across an article that is in rebuttal to these two particular articles discussed above: 

The Interactive White Board Revolution 

This website offers testimonials of teachers around the world, and you will see the various ways that these teachers utilize their interactive white boards. Some, like Katie, show the various ways an IWB can be used. For one project, a news program, they can use the IWB to write, produce, edit, and film the entire production. That is kind of cool. I dare take back my opinion [above] about how i agreed with Mr. Fassiter. But it does take training, as it discusses further into this webpage, in order to be able to fully utilize its capabilities. But technology has yet to be widely accepted by all, and this piece of technology will suffer the same attitude. And what I mean about that is, people will be hesitant to using the Smart Boards, just like some people are hesitant to get computers, get cell phones, etc. Technology being accepted, is a matter of opinion. I think when people see the various attributes an IWB has, people will be more open to using one. 

Additional Assignment 2

 How Kids Teach Themselves

     

     If learners are motivated, they can teach themselves. There must be interest before any initiative is taken. And this is regardless of age. Although, with age comes accessibility, but if the resources are available, kids, too, can teach themselves. In order for kids to teach themselves, interest and a computer is all that is needed. They do not necessarily need a person beside them. In fact, the video, in which these questions have been asked about, explains that they learn when there is no educator or adult present. And in addition, they begin to teach and "show off" to their peers what they have just done or learned. I think when applying the question to a person in general, the only thing needed is interest. The computer and the Internet can be the primary source of information, especially in a place where books are scarce. With the computer, comes Internet. With the Internet, comes resources. With resources, comes knowledge. With interest in reading the knowledge, comes learning. I think that without motivation, learning will take longer, if it even happens at all. 

     With the use of a problem, a question, or multiples of either, a person is intrigued to learn more, to dig deeper into the information they are finding. Even in today, in America, scientists must be presented with a problem before solutions can be found. Sure, scientists have done an immense amount of learning thus far, but would they know that to help kill cancer cells, they would need to create a poison, or chemotherapy? Maybe they would have stumbled across it one day. For it is true that great findings happen by mistakes made while trying to find something completely different. They were most likely presented with the question "How do we stop the division of cancer cells?" [This is an assumption made by me, and not factual content.] 

     How do you motivate someone to learn? Hmm... I would say that by showing interest in what the other person is learning, and asking if they could explain it or show how to do something they have just learned, they will feel joyous in their ability to show their new-found knowledge. How am I motivated to learn? Good question. When I don't understand something, I begin to learn. I ask questions. I hate not knowing something I should. One of my biggest fears: to fall behind, in anything. I hate being last, and hate if everyone else can arrive at an answer when I am left in a state of confusion. It is so bad that I have had nightmares about it. So to answer the question, I would say I am motivated to learn by fear, a fear of not knowing. Although motivation to learn plays a key factor in the actual process of learning, I do feel that it is possible to learn when not motivated. Hello! It happens everyday in school. Kids go to school, learn information that they think is boring, and retain it, to some extent, of course. Eventually, they will forget about it. I shall take a personal example. I do not find history to be interesting, in the slightest. (Sorry if you are a (aspiring) history teacher reading this. I just mean it is not one of my interests.) However, just last night I was with some friends. We were just getting back from the University of South Alabama's (Go Jags!) football game. 
Image via WikipediaWe were discussing who discovered America. [How we got on this subject, I am not sure, but random conversations are not unusual with us.] When someone suggested Columbus, I had mentally recalled Amerigo Vespucci. Although the debate is still ongoing about who really discovered America (according to some websites), that is not the point. I had recalled that America was named after Vespucci, and that there is speculation that he discovered America. I had retained the information even though I was not interested in the subject.   

     When trying to teach myself, I like to ask questions. Ask my parents, the Internet, anyone I know that is more knowledgeable in the subject. I do this to use my resources. Then when I have some information, I ask myself questions to further the learning process.  Teachers are there to speed up the learning process. They cut out the need to ask questions. But then again, they discourage self learning. What I am taking away with me after watching this video is that it is important to encourage others to be self learners. Not only should we encourage, we should teach them HOW to be self learners.

Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

     Pausch mentioned how "Experience is what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted." How true is this? VERY!!! All too many times when fortunate things happen to us, we tend to take it for granted. It isn't till it is gone, or even when things were out of reach, that we really take the time to analyze what it meant to us, and how to benefit from the loss, or lack-thereof.

     Pausch also mentioned that we learn fundamentals as kids, when being submerged into the life of sports; the fundamentals he speaks of are teamwork, perseverance, sportsmanship. But these fundamentals are found elsewhere, outside of the sport scene. You just have to know where to find such lessons. I did not play sports, on a team. But I did play the game during gym. I don't know if it was due to the way I was raised, or just absorbing my surroundings and lessons in school (I bet it was a mixture of the two) but I was able to gain these fundamentals. Maybe more-so than those who did play sports. It's funny, really. I can remember, back in middle school and high school, we would have group assignments. If we got to pick our own groups, the jocks would always seek me as a group member. Was it because they thought I would be a valuable asset to their team? Duh! But they took it further. They thought that because I was so much of a team player, that I would be the team. In layman's terms, they thought they wouldn't have to do anything. In middle school, I played along. At that age, children will do anything to make friends, wait I should have said "friends", because in all actuality, they aren't your friends... they can turn out to be, but at that time, you are just a means to an end, or should I say A. But in high school, things change. Every one is looking for a favor... I would assume the bulk of the projects, but refused to do it all. Maybe because it is fear of them slacking, and causing me to have an incomplete assignment. But then, I knew that I had control. I supported my team, rode them hard, and demanded results. Which leads me to Pausch's next technique...
     Leadership! I don't recall him saying much about leadership, although he did talk about how he led this team to victory which enabled him of achieving his experiencing zero gravity. And all I can say is one, to experience zero gravity, that's way cool. And two, it goes to show that with hard work, and being led, or rather leading a team or even your own way, you can achieve greatness. Sure, what greatness is to some, is nonsense to others, but it is all about how you interpret your success stories, and what meanings you make of them. I achieve good grades on 90% of my assignments, since day 1. Some would think that because it is very common for me to do good in school, making an A would be insignificant. I beg to differ! Yeah, I have seen A's before, but each time I get one, it is because I have learned something new. I have been able to demonstrate my understanding for something. And most importantly, it looks great for my GPA. Ha ha, I joke on the latter, but seriously, it never gets old. Anyone can get lucky and make an A every once in a while. A broken clock gets the time right at least twice in a day. But it takes being wrong sometimes, which I am, to make succeeding on the next task important to me. A leader needs to be able to use a defeat to constructively prepare for the next task. Is a team going to practice harder each time they meet when they win consecutively? If they have no leader, no they won't. However, if they have someone riding their tales, you bet  your bottom they will try harder, and give it 110%! But it takes imagination of the leader to expect greatness. They have to be able to see, or imagine what they could achieve before they can make others want it!

     How do you enable others to achieve their dreams? Good question! Pausch said he was unsure as to what to expect, and that the best advice he was given was to expect more then what his students had done. Already blown away, but he was certain this would work. His mentor told him that it would be "a disservice to the students to place the bar [of expectation] anywhere." I can concur with Pausch that his mentor gave the best advice. To have someone overachieve is mind blowing. But to have them think they can do better only inspires them. Since it is football season, let's look at it this way. The University of Alabama's (roll tide to you Alabama fans reading this page) coach, Nick Saban, has led the Crimson to victorious perfect season last year. Did he set the bar of expectation anywhere? I don't know, but he always demanded more of his players.  He made them try harder than the previous week, and in turn another win under their belts. By always asking for better, constructively, performance will always exceed any expectations. HOWEVER: DO NOT go about it in such a manner as to tell someone the work they had done was minuscule and that they did terrible. Encourage, and they will exceed!
     As the video comes to a close, I caught something. Yes, after starting this video at 5:30 in the morning, a Saturday morning none-the-less, I managed to stay awake and absorb the ending of this video. Pausch said that the best gift an educator can give is to encourage students to be self-reflective... Hmm, was Dr. Strange intrigued by this man, and is he following this man? I think I am on to something. I didn't think of it until I watched this video, but Pausch is 100% correct! The worst criticism one can receive is from one's self. It is like advice. We can give other's advice on any topic we think we are an expert in, well maybe not expert, but you get where I am going. On the other hand, we can give advice all day long, but the hardest thing to do is take your own advice. We are always harder on ourselves then we are on others. I am not sure as to why this is accurate, but I believe it is true.
     His words of wisdom are expressed in the latter of the movie. 1-Never lose the child wonder! Translation: do not grow up and lose who you were. Let your inner child run wild and free. Letting them "die" will allow you to lose some of yourself. 2-Help others. The fact of the matter is, loyalty is a 2 way street. Yes, we should do nice things for others out of the goodness of our hears, but the ones who really deserve it, will remember that act of kindness and will return the favor. 3-Spoken like a true philosphe: NEVER GIVE UP! Perseverance is key to any dream you wish to make true! I found this quote to be quite comical: "The best gold is at the bottom of barrels of crap." The list of words of wisdom can go on for a while longer. But throughout the video, he mentions headfakes. And the whole time, I am sitting here thinking, "What in the world is a headfake?" The video talked about childhood dreams, helping others achieve their dreams, etc. But his overall message wasn't what I just mentioned. His headfake, [ahh, it all makes sense to me now] is how to lead your life and this video or presentation, whatever you want to call it, wasn't for me to watch. It was for his kids. Kudos to you Dr. Pausch. Great video!!!

TimeLine

Personal Timeline
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1st Progress Report for PLN

I started my PLN in the beginning of September. I am still trying to grasp the concept. With each additional assignment in the class, I understand it a little more.
     Currently, I am following a few people on Twitter. I have been utilizing the Delicious website. I have a few bookmarked pages there.
     I have not made any direct contact with anyone I am following. It may not be much, but I am off to a start.
     It may look empty-ish, but keep in mind is a work in progress.

C4T#2 Summary

Harmful Effects of Algorithms
Mr. Bower wrote a post on his blog condemning the use of algorithms in schools. He argued that the tricks being taught to students are confusing the students because they do not understand the "why things work." He used the example how he told his students that his grandfather is 94 years old. He asked his students how old his grandfather was during World War II, in the year 1944. He said none of his students could give him the answer. He mentioned how they were trying to use different algorithms and spit out different rules, but the lack of understanding prevented them from solving the problem.
I agreed with Mr. Bower. I am currently learning different algorithms, myself, in my math class (aimed for elementary teachers). I notice how some of my class mates are have trouble understanding them, and I am pretty sure they can add and subtract.      
When I Become A Teacher        

Mr. Bower wrote about how teachers are, for the most part, people with good intentions. However, he says that teachers let people OUTSIDE of the classroom dictate what they teach IN the classroom. More importantly, he says that by allowing this to happen means teachers are compromising themselves, as well as their students!
I commented how in MCPSS, teachers are faced with layoffs each and every year. Who can blame teachers for not taking a stand against board members? One act of rebel actions, and there job is "conveniently" on the chopping block. I agree that teachers are usually people with good intentions, but FEAR always prevails over good intentions.