Blog post 15

Looking back on my first post I see I was more focused on having a welcoming environment! That is important, but now I would like to add to that! After learning about so many different tools this semester, I definitely plan to incorporate some! I will be an elementary special education teacher, and I would like for my class to have a blog! I believe the students could use this tool to expand on their writing skills. Special needs children are at times scared to say what is going on in their lives, but they do not mind to express it in writing. By the children writing about themselves I feel as if I can do a better job connecting with them, and can teach them accordingly. I would also like to inquire some Skype interviews with other classrooms across the world! I believe the students would find this intriguing! I would also like to set up a twitter for the classroom so the students, as well as parents, can keep up with homework assignments!
The final tool I would like to use most is green screen! I can picture the class learning about a certain culture or environment, and then doing a project on the green screen! This excites me! I cannot wait to have my own classroom to use all of these amazing tools! I'm sure by then there will be so much more technology, and I will definitely give it a try!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pzxIptOM5eQ

Project #13

July 16th Group
Our group chose to FaceTime with each other and use google docs to discuss our final projects. By using this technology we were able to work from our homes and get a lot accomplished. I would have to say FaceTime was the most useful tool because we could see our facial expression and realize "wait we aren't on the same page" or "yeah he or she really does understand". We also used email and text to discuss what time would be best to do the projects or where to meet. My group as a whole did a fantastic job on planning for the group projects and working together!

Final Report on my PLN

WOW! My Personal Learning Network has tremendously grown in just one semester! It has kept me very organized, and I am beyond thankful for that. My PLN helps me get started quick, one click and I am there! I see my PLN growing even after I am through with EDM310 because it has been so helpful. Through all of this technology, I have learned beyond what I ever thought I could at this point in school.

Blog post #14

Teachers Know 

In the article, Teachers Know if You've Done the E-Reading I learned about a new program CourseSmart that is being tested at Texas A&M. CourseSmart realizes when students are failing to read textbooks, or if a student even opens his or her book. I believe this program can be very helpful to both the student and the teacher. 

As a teacher I believe this tool would be helpful to me in many ways. If I see that a student is not getting much out of their textbook, I could focus more on teaching in a different style. It is very important for a teacher to know how each of their students learn best, and adapt to those needs. Some may say that's impossible, I say that it is my JOB as teacher and it will get done.

As a student I would not fret on weather or not the teacher could see if I read my assignment. I am gonna study or learn in the best way that works for me. In the article it mentions students trying to cheat the system, however if a student is still making good grades say by watching lessons on YouTube, why punish the student for not reading? A college student usually takes four to five classes a semester and could feel overwhelmed by reading every single thing assigned. 

Questions for teacher?

-If you see a student is not reading, yet still making good grades, would you punish them?

-If you as a teacher saw that your student learned better via YouTube lectures would you be willing to work the videos in your lesson plans more?

Questions for students?

-Has this program helped you or put you behind?

-Would you prefer an eBook to an actual text book?

My comment for this article?

I would DEFINITELY like to try this program out in my classroom. This would help me see how different students minds work, and how each one learns best. If I saw that my students were not learning well by reading text on their own, I would try something new until we as a classroom whole were successful!

C4T

Pondering Paige
This week I had Mrs Paige. In her post she praised all the hard work and dedication of the faculty here in the education building. She made a statement, "From K-12 to higher education issues, we are caring, thoughtful people who share our talents in diverse ways while simultaneously navigating our own complex lives. " What a true statement! These people go over and beyond and were finally recognized properly. Hats off to everyone mentioned!

In a Tolstoy Mood
In this post Mrs. Paige simply just post a quote by Leo Tolstoy. The quote was "“Music makes me forget my real situation. It transports me into a state which is not my own. Under the influence of music I really seem to feel what I do not feel, to understand what I do not understand, to have powers which I cannot have. Music seems to me to act like yawning or laughter; I have no desire to sleep, but I yawn when I see others yawn; with no reason to laugh, I laugh when I hear others laugh. And music transports me immediately into the condition of soul in which he who wrote the music found himself at that time. ~The Kreutzer Sonata”
― Leo Tolstoy
What an amazing quote! I am a big fan of music as well, because it can be so inspiring in any situation. For example the other day I was running a mile and a half and was gonna call it a day. I was on my last lap when a song came on that inspired me to keep going! I ended up running a whole two miles, simply because of a song that pushed me. We as future educators need to be that song to students. We have to be there to push and encourage them to do their best. If a student is struggling we have to be the song to them saying "keep trying, it will be worth it".

Project #16 FINAL PROJECT

Project #15 SMARTboard Instruction part2

Blog Post 13

Back to the Future
In Mr.Corsby's  blog Back to the Future he explains a project he did with his forth grade class. He seems to be more of a hands on teacher when it comes to teaching his students about technology, and I think that is GREAT! Mr. Corsby's class learned about the history and science of hot air balloons. After they gained this knowledge, they applied it to their blog. Students attached their hopes and dreams to the air balloon and watched it float up, up, and away.  How awesome is that? I bet everything the kids learned from that experience sticks with them the rest of their life, because I know it sure would with me! I believe hands on teaching is the best teaching, and Mr. Corsby clearly does an excellent job of it!
Another thing I absolutely love about Mr. Corsby is his passion to educate everyone! One of his students has cancer, and to keep in touch with her they video chat. This student is able to keep up with the class, and do her work online and through the blog! Thank goodness for technology, because without it this girl would not be able to keep up.

Paul Anderson
In the video Blended Learning Cycle Paul Anderson explains the five "E's" (engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate), which is a big part of the cycle. Blending takes parts of mobile, online, and classroom learning within the classroom. Another factor in the cycle is something Mr. Anderson refers to as "QUIVERS", which means: QU-question, Investigation, Video, Elaboration, Review, and Summary quiz. 
I believe by applying this to the class, a lot of material is covered and learned. 

C4K

Mrs. Chamberlain's Class
My student for this week was Dawn. The title of her post was Men. Dawn talked about how difficult men are, and how they need to do what women say. Well from a woman's point of view I say "RIGHT ON!" She also talked about how guys try and out do their friends in everything. It wouldn't be life if guys did not compete like that. Dawn also made a point that guys eat pretty much anything. A little tip to all, the way to a guys heart is through his stomach! :)

Ryley's Blog
My student for this week was Ryley. This student wrote about how Easter was his favorite holiday! He had the opportunity to go over seas for Easter, and sounded very excited! His writing is very good!

Progress Report on FINAL Project

The July 16th Group has worked extremely hard so far on our final project. We have met several times and put in a lot of extra hours! We believe it is going to turn out excellent! We should be finished by this Thursday!

Blog Post #12

Special Education (Collaborative) 
Directions: For this post you will explain how you can prevent bullying towards your students. Read Brian Earley's blog Think2Change. Did you find the signs in this blog useful? How So? Write in your blog what you learned, and what you plan to do to make a difference.

Blog Post 12
In Brian Earley's blog I learned some shocking statistics. Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year. Mr. Earley also stated in his blog that bullying is the leading causing death in children under 14. BULLYING IS SERIOUS, and with technology/social media becoming more depended on in schools it is critical that teachers know the signs of bullying. Here are some steps found in Mr. Earley's blog to help prevent bullying: 1. Be a good example of kindness and leadership, 2.LEARN THE SIGNS, 3. Create anti-bullying habits early, 4.Talk with and LISTEN to your students, and 5. Pay attention!!!
Reading this blog was eye opening! I knew bullying was serious, but not this serious. As teachers we play a key role in students lives, and it is very important to notice things like this. I would like to see all educators come together, "think2change", and put an end to bullying!

C4K

Harbor 7

My students name was Danielle. In her blog titled Snowing she talks about the pros and cons of it snowing in Vermont. Danielle talked about the severe snow storm a few years back, how the snow got up to 8 feet thick! She said with the snow being that thick it was harder to snow blow and shovel though. However, she did enjoy the snow days.

After reading this blog I am very thankful I live in Mobile, AL because the snow is just not for me. Other than a few grammar errors, Danielle did a good job

Easter and Good Friday

My student this week was Senolita from a Pt England School. The student describes what both Easter and Good Friday is to people of the Christian faith. This post was very thorough and well written!


Mrs. Goerend's 5th Grade Class
My student was Jayden. He wrote a blogpost  My Life Without the First Amendment. In his blog he explained how important the First Amendment  was to him. He said without this he would not have some of his family members, and he is very thankful for Mr. Luther King Jr.

Mr. Boylen's Class
My Student for this week was Mackenzie G. This is probably the best student blog I have read. She described herself, her interests, and her future plans. These type blogs are more that interest me because I love giving advice! Mackenzie made a comment in her blog that "her absolute dream colleges to attend would be Stanford or Princeton," but then goes on to say, "but that is unlikely". I am an encouraging person, and I say whatever you put your heart to can be accomplished!

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's Class
Ms. Cassidy's class uses technology in a variety of ways. She was given five computers, and she was determined to put them to use. These computers could not download programs, however they did have internet access. Ms. Cassidy's has a class room blog that the children enjoy writing in and viewing comments from their readers. Her children also use their Ninetendo DS to play educational games and I think that is a great way to keep them interested in learning. Another thing the children seemed to like were the Skype interviews; this aloud them to interact with other classrooms around the world. The students seem very interested in these techniques. I would definitely use the blogging tool in my classroom too. The children's writing skills improve daily, and they get feedback from around the world. This feedback is positive feedback, and it encourages the kids to keep up the good work. Which also gives them incentive to write more.  Using this technique will definitely benefit the child's writing and technology skills. I cannot wait to teach children this!

Blog Post #10

In John T. Spencer's blog Adventures in Pencil Integration he uses a cartoon that is Papermate vs Ticonderoga. The cartoon states that the pencil costs less but breaks all the time, where as Ticonderoga is the most expensive. Yes, pencils break all the time but they are cheap and can easily be replaced. Technology is expensive and not every school can afford it. I believe that we do not need to forget the use of the pencil because what if a bad hurricane comes and the power is out for months? There would be no internet connection, so the students would have to use pencils! Technology is a GREAT tool, but there always needs to be a back up plan when it fails; in this case it is the pencil. 

In Mr. Spencer's post Why Were Your Kids Playing Games he demonstrates a teacher and principal's confrontation. The principle seems to be strict, and has to have everything by the rule book. The teacher is trying a new method of teaching and the principle refers to it as "games". However, it is not games the teacher is making the students read and draw out their scenarios. the principle stated, "If you want to abandon slate-based learning, at least try the Jonestown Intervention worksheets. Or maybe fill out the packets of algorithms." 
 The teacher wants the kids to think outside the box and really learn something. I think that is great!

Dont Teach your kids this stuff. please?
In Dr. McLeod's blog he lists numerous of reason as to why people are so against technology, and at the end is states that he let's his child use it all. He also dares the audience to see who has the upper leg in a decade or two! His sarcasm was great and it made the blog interesting. Technology is a GREAT tool, and when used properly students will benefit tremendously!!
Dr. McLeod is a very important man, who seems to have MANY accomplishments.He has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work, including recognitions from the cable industry, Phi Delta Kappa, the National School Boards Association, and the Center for Digital Education. What a great, successful man!

Short Movie Project #11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fbmj7fxayBw

Project #14

Project #12

Blog Post #9

What I've Learned This Year (year 1)
In this post Mr. McClung  gave to me what was great advice, on what he learned during his first year of teaching! He was young, inexperienced, and did not know what to expect. Mr. McClung's first point was, how to read the crowd, it was here that he explained that at first he was too worried about what his superiors thought of him. By doing so, Mr. McClung said that he lost touch with his audience when delivering his lesson. He made a statement in this section that I agree with completely, "In order to be effective you have to be able to let your audience drive your instruction".
Mr. McClung's next point was BE FLEXIBLE! In this section of his post he explains how NO ONE and NO lesson plan is just absolutely perfect. We as teachers can try our best, and beat our self up over every mistake, but at the end of the day it still will not be perfect. Mr. McClung said, "When things go wrong simply work with it, and try to better the situation....and make sure you do it with a smile on your face!". What a positive guy! We have all had/have that teacher who HAS to have EVERY little thing absolutely perfect, but this guy UNDERSTANDS things go wrong and NO ONE is perfect! Oh what I would do to have a teacher as positive as him.
Another part of Mr. McClung's blog was Communicate and Be Reasonable. I agree COMPLETELY when he says that communication is the best medicine. There are not many problems in life that can be solved without communication. As for being reasonable, Mr. McClung states that teachers have very high standards for their students, BUT as teachers you do not need to set them too high.  Mr. McClung explains, "They are not perfect and neither are we," he also says, " Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." EVERY teacher needs to live by this. I am not saying baby your students, but there is a line between being rude and scolding for mistakes. Again, NO ONE IS PERFECT. Students of ALL ages need POSITIVE teachers. Where there is a positive environment, the students are willing to try harder.
Mr. McClung talks about the older generation being scared of technology, but then he explains it just takes time to learn. You are not going to learn everything your first try, but you should not be afraid. Technology is a huge, and growing part in our society today!
He also explains just how important it is to listen to your students. Mr. McClung states, "In order to build the respect that we all seek in a student teacher relationship, it is important to take interest in the lives of our students." Growing up in school I can remember EVERY single teacher who genuinely cared. They were the ones who listened, who sympathized, and who helped. Those were the classes I did best in, not the classes were the teacher put an assignment on the board and walked away. I believe every teacher should care about their student and his or her success.
Mr. McClung's last point was Never Stop Learning! He explains how we owe it to our students to soak up as much as we can. It is never too late to change our way of thinking, learning, and style.

I am SO glad I chose to read this blog. What terrific advice from just a first year teacher! Mr. McClung seems to be such a fantastic, positive, and understanding teacher. I wish more educators were like him, and I only hope I can be at least half the teacher he is.

What I've Learned This Year (volume 4)
In Mr. McClung's forth year of teaching he has learned two main things. First he began to "commit a junior high like sin" and worry about what his peers think of him, and by doing so this effected his mood. It sadly took him half of the year to realize this. Mr. McClung realized he needed to stick with what has gotten this far; which was "are the kids having fun". As long as he sticks to this, remember who he really works for, then he says he should never divert down the wrong path.
Another main thing Mr.McClung learned was to challenge himself  He realized he was relying on old lesson plans and getting repetitive. Let's be honest, we all have/had that teacher who does the same thing EVERY year and no one enjoys that! He began to get too comfortable and lazy with his lessons, and students want a teacher that is going to break out new material and make learning interesting! Mr. McClung has an opportunity to teach a different subject this year, and he plans to take this as a chance to get out of his funk and challenge himself.

Years later, and it sounds to me like Mr. McClung still has that wonderful drive in him! I am so very thankful for his blog, and his wonderful advice inside it!

C4T #3

Paula White

In Ms. Paula White's blog A Letter to Authors of Children's Books she stated that there is an iPod available for every child to check out, but the iPad is reserved for the teachers. However, the problem is the electronic books are too expensive. Ms. White explains how she is a bargain shopper, and does everything she can to find cheap e-books.  She wants the authors to lower their prices, and she guarantees that the author will get recognized more if they do this for just ONE of their books. Ms.White would really like the author's to consider lowering their price. 

I think that it is awesome that the school has the funds for that many iPods! I know of schools in Walker County that does not have access to technology like this. I agree with Ms. White in authors needing to lower their prices. It will benefit the children tremendously, because they will have that many more e-books to read.

School Right Before Winter Holiday Break

In this post Ms. White explains how her week has just been overwhelming. Everyone is coming in with treats, programs are lasting longer than they are suppose to, and she promised "play time" that hasn't made its way around yet. Through all of these events going on every thing seems to just magically fall into place.  Students she had from five years ago left her a "We Notice" surprise in her mailbox. A "We Notice" is someone saying thank you for noticing me, helping me, or others in some way. During play time one of her student requested to write on the computer and finally, the student gave Ms. White what she had been writing. It was a letter to the SPCA people. This student wanted to help raise money for them! How precious is that?! Ms. White even had a student request to stay in from recess to finish a test rather than wait until he comes back from the holiday break! 

I don't know personally how overwhelming teaching can be at times, but this post made me realize some things. No matter how long and crazy your day/week has been, I am sure there are "little things" that will stand out like these did to Ms. White, and make all the craziness better! I cannot wait to be a teacher!

C4T #2

Closing Thoughts
When I read Mr. Jelias blog post. I was very amazed at how one guy can have such a great attitude and positive outlook on things. This man was a middle school principle for three years. He is now taking a new job offer, and will no longer be blogging. It is kind of sad, because just through reading his one post I was very inspired. Mr. Jelias went into great detail throughout his post on 5 characteristics of an effective principle. His main points were: Vision, Strength, Humility, Spirit, and Patience.
He explained how one cannot simply just have a vision, but that you had to make the vision a reality.
When talking about strength Mr. Jelias talked about pushing forward. There will always be Nay- Sayers out there, and not every one will be on bored with you. Growing up my coaches always said to the team " If all of ya'll like me 100% of the time, I'm not doing something right!". This goes along with Mr. Jelias post, people may not be happy, but chances are if they all are then you are pushing them hard enough.  He talked about humility and reminded every one that you cannot do everything on your own and you probably would not want to. What really brought a smile to my face was when I read this: "A core belief of mine that I’ve shared before is, “We take our work very seriously, but never ourselves.” Have fun. Joke. Laugh a lot, especially at yourself. "

Wow. What a great attitude to have!  Another eye opener for me was when Mr. Jelias wrote about patience. He stated, "You won't always get it right, but be willing to reflect frequently and adjust as needed." Every student or hard worker out there needs to be reminded of this statement. No one is perfect, there will be bumps in the road, but in the end it is how you recover from your trials that will make you the great teacher you are.

Project 8

Project 9

My PLN Progress

So far my PLN is turning out pretty well. I now have numerous amounts of social networks that all help me learn more efficient ways to teach technology. I was hesitant about being so public with my every move at first, until I realized I am growing up and becoming a professional. Social media is not middle school drama any more. My PLN's have helped me in so many ways. I am very thankful for blogger because I can read teachers blogs and see the techniques they use in their classroom. By picking up their information, I learn what may work best in my classroom. On twitter I can search #education and tons of options come up. Everything I may need to know is simply at my fingertips. By using symbaloo I have all of my information simply one click away. I think it is a great way to stay organized. Through commenting on a teachers blog I received two free books in the mail from him. Mr. Prator enjoyed my comments and sent me books to help me out with my future. That is AWESOME to me! I hope to continue to learn more about PLN's, and find more people to follow. 

This Is My Sentence Video

Project 10

Finding the Right Tools

After a lot of research and blog reads I finally found some tools I can use in my classroom. I will be teaching special needs students in elementary.  Some argue that technology is not for special needs children because they are not capable of using it; however there is technology out there made just for them. In a blog iDevices in Special Education Classroom I learned there are many different features on iPads to help the disabled. There are built-in accessibility tools such as zoom and high contrast display make this a tool to support visually impaired. There are apps that are inexpensive and exciting to increase vocabulary, sight words, math facts, reading comprehension, organizational skills, and drawing skills.

On a different blog I learned that children with autism do better with pictures, by having an iPad they will visually learn better.  Also something interesting I discovered was the Model Me Kids, it teaches children social skills on the computer. It also helps them pay attention. Model Me Kids offers an array of engaging videos for school. Children with autism, nonverbal learning disorders, and other special education needs make perfect candidates for the videos, although all children can benefit from social skills reinforcement.

Blog Post #6

The Networked Student
In Wendy Drexler's video The Networked Student it shows step by step how a student in the 21st century learns. It explains how a student is in a American Psychology class does not even need a book, how his teacher hardly ever lectures, and how he only attends class three days a week, while the other two days are online.
The teacher encourages them to use valid websites and credibility. The student searches with various web tools. He understands that blogs are mostly opinions, other than facts; he can also choose to comment with his own opinion if he likes. He then makes his own blog that others such as his classmates, or anyone else around the world may comment on to help him out with more information. 

Technology is a HUGE factor today, you simply cannot learn without it in the 21st century. However, a teacher will ALWAYS be needed.  A teacher is the one who teaches the student how build networks and create opportunities. Lets just face it, we all get stuck at some point and need help, the teacher will be the one there to offer guidance. The teacher will teach the child how to  communicate properly and how to respectfully as for help. The teacher will also teach how to differentiate between good information and propaganda. A teacher helps a student organize all of this information, not because he or she has to, but because the teacher cares about the students success in life. After watching this video, I am more eager than ever to start teaching so I can prepare students for success! 

C4K

Roibersdale High
Justin Cometti, student at Roibersdale High, made a slide show presentation that had step by step instructions on how to make a slide show for his History project. It was very well laid out and explained well too.

Balestrin's Bunch
My student was Andrew M. and he wrote a blog called Two Birthdays. Andrew is a 2nd grader from Canada. He explained how he has two birthdays to go to. One is playing laser tag, and the other is at Gym world. He sounds pretty excited.

Little Voices, Little Scholars

This is a 2nd grade class blog, these children are from Auckland, New Zealand. These students have a class blog and are all very new to blogs. They are instructed to write stories then draw a picture to match their story. This in my opinion is a great way to challenge the child's imagination

Baldwin County High
In Kiley's blog Self Expression, she defines how she expresses herself. She chooses to express herself through decorating, hair color, and music. Kiley also likes quotes and drawing. She likes putting fun colors in her hair. I believe she is really brave to do that, and I am proud of her for not caring what others think about it.  She had some grammar errors and a few punctuation errors, but other than that I enjoyed reading her blog post. 

  

Blog Post # 5

Krissy Venosdale
On Krissy Venosdale's blog If I Built a School, was great. She explained her dream of building a wonderful school. She explained how creativity would ooze out of the walls, and how there would be a tree house in the library, and how students would have access to pretty much anything they would ever need. Ms. Venosdale dreams big, and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that. Reading about her dream school gave me chills, it sounded amazing! If no one ever dreamed before, not much would be accomplished today.

My dream school would be very similar to Krissy Venosdale's. The whole school would be neon, and welcoming. Each class would have desks, rolling chairs, and bean bags. To me not every one learns well in a desk; some learn best when they are most comfortable. My computer lab would have computers of all types for those who are not quite up to date. My lab would also have a group of assistants to help students get "up to date". My dream gym would have weights, bats, balls, nets, and any other equipment one may need for physical education. I would also make my doorways extra wide so those in a wheelchair can properly fit through. The library would have couches, bean bags, and books of all kinds, even electronic ones! I want my library to have a special room that children can go in so a recorder can help sound out words for the children. Most importantly my dream school would never be on a budget, it would always have enough money. When on budgets schools have to cut out important things children may need, and that would not be the case in my school. The children and their needs come first.

Eric Whitacre 
In Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir he shows an amazing use of the internet. I have honestly never seen anything like it. He showed a choir performance from people who have never met or practiced together before! At first I had no clue what was going on, and then I realized these people all did their own individual video and he pieced them all together. The things we can now do with technology is outstanding. I can only imagine what we will be able to do within the next ten years.

Kevin Roberts
In Kevin Roberts video (Dr. Strange edition) Teaching in the 21st Century he makes a lot of valid points. What does it mean to teach in the 21st century? Well to me teachers still have a very important role in the students life. Yes they have all this information at the tip of their fingers, but who will teach them how to properly use it? The answer is us. We will teach them how to determine what is true information, verse false information. To most all the questions asked in the video, I thought to myself "I would definitely Google that". Technology is taking over the classroom, no doubt; however we as teacher will always be needed to teach something. Whether it is on how to verify information, or how to turn on an iPad, teachers will always be needed.

Flipped Classroom
In Katie Gimbar's Why i Flipped My Classroom she explains how her students were all on different levels and she was spending too much time going over material, instead of teaching new material. That is why she flipped her classroom. She had information online where students can pause, rewind, and re-watch any thing they needed to, and as many times as they needed. The students could also post questions online to other students and the teacher. This can be very useful, and I will definitely look into applying this method in my classroom.

PROJECT #5

C4T #1

No Rewards
Mike Prater discusses in his blog No Rewards that he does not agree with physical rewards for learning. I however disagree with that because one of my favorite memories was competing against my classmates and wining a prize. Knowing there was a reward pushed me that much harder to learn something. He also points out that we should genuinely care for the students and I could not agree more with that. I feel that I am going to be the teacher that when someone walks up to me and ask how many children I have, I will say however many is that is in my class. I will love, care, and help my children anyway I can; not for the reward of knowing I did a good deed, but because you never know what someone is going through at home. Students need to know they are cared about.

Loving the Unlovable
I had chills by the end of this blog. This blog talked about how Mr. Prater saw his roster and realized that he had all repeat students in his class. That is quite the challenge to know that no one in your classroom does not want to be there. It could make teaching very difficult. Mr. Prater however, took the bull by the horns and ended up making a huge impact on most of his students. Loving a child can make a difference in their actions, and I hope that all teachers realize this sooner than later.

Blog Post #4

Read Along Audio

In the video Langwithches I strongly believe pod casting would be a great tool used in the classroom. It's great that these students are making their own read along books. I believe when a child hears something from a child's tone they understand better at times. If a child had trouble reading he or she could listen to the sound of the word(s) and eventually learn how to sound it out. This is a great process and it makes reading fun. I do not know many children would not enjoy reading in character. Pod casting can make the learning to read experience fun. If I have a student struggle with reading this is definitely something I will use. 

Blog Post #3

Peer Editing
This video Peer Editing takes us through 3 steps to ensure ourselves we are helping in the correct manner. The first step is to make sure you compliment the author. Tell the author what you think he or she did correctly. The second step is to make suggestions. Help the author make improvement or revisions to their work by offering your opinions. The third step is to help make corrections. There is also one important rule to peer editing, which is to stay positive! I learned that there is more to making peer reviews other than looking for mistakes and completing an assignment. The point of peer editing is to HELP another classmate understand the assignment more clearly and offer your opinions on how they could improve it in a friendly manner.

Assistive Technologies
After watching the assigned videos, I have a new understanding for the difficulty that visually and hearing impaired students have functioning in the classroom. It is very important that we as future educators understand the importance of the technologies available to make learning a fun experience for them.When I go out into the educational work force, especially since I am a special education major, I plan on finding a way to have access to every technology available to assist in the education of an impaired child.

Vickie Davis
During the video Harness Your Students, I found myself on the edge of my seat listening for what Vickie Davis had to say next. I wish I had a teacher like her in high school. She explains how the internet can help a student think on their own, and I never would have viewed it like that until watching this video. I am all for students thinking on their own and teachers making the students learn. So many student now days, think that everything should just be handed to them on paper, but not every child is capable of learning that way. Some students are visual learners and technology helps them.

Special Blog Post #1

Wolfram Alpha
Using Wolfram Alpa for the first time was extremely eye opening. Anything I looked up I had a result right in front of me. I believe this website will be useful and effective to students and teachers. It will be useful because unlike google, where you have to scroll and try to look and see if the webpage has the correct credentials to be trust worthy information, Wolfram Alpha has everything related to your search.
I used Wolfram Alpha to search for the population of Alabama and Tennessee. This website not  only showed me the population of each state, but the population growth as well.

Blog Post #2

Did You Know 3.0
As an American to see all the statistics from this video is beyond shocking. To know that so many people have cell phones and computers in their reach is pretty scary. I do not like the fact that young people are so up to date, because they expanding themselves to a whole new world when the have internet access. It is dangerous to me, and I believe kids need to be monitored at all times while using internet.  In reality though the world is turning to technology and cyber space more and more every day.
Like the video said the top jobs ten years from now do not exist yet and will use technologies that have yet to be invented. So in a way I guess it is a good thing for the younger generation to be up to date with the adult world, because the world is progressing daily and someone has got to know how to operate things. I am very interested to see what the future holds technology wise.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
After watching Mr. Winkle Wakes, I have two sides on this video as well. The first one being: Imagine being in a coma for twenty years and waking up to a whole new world. Can you imagine how much change there would be in twenty years? Especially when there are new generations of apple products pretty much daily! So in twenty years try to picture things... I cannot even begin to imagine the products that will be out. That being said thank goodness we have people who are smart enough to come up with these items.
When it comes to the school part of the video, I kinda have to disagree. School is not the same. There are ELEMENTARY schools with iPads now. What elementary kid needs to use an iPad to learn one plus one, or the colors of the rainbow? I do not agree with most technology in school that early, but I guess it is something that has to be done this day and time.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of  Creativity

 In the video Sir Ken Robinson presented he pointed out how teachers are "required" to teach. Teachers are expected to teach by the guidelines of the state. Sir Ken Robinson tries to explain how all children learn differently from one another and I could not agree more. Some children are hands on learners while others prefer to learn it on their own. He explains that creativity is becoming extinct.

I completely agree with Sir Ken Robinson. I am a very different learner myself, and it really depends on what subject it is if I prefer to be hands on or learn it on my own. I believe teachers should encourage children to do things the way that is most comfortable to them. If teachers can structure their teaching style to fit the need of each student, I believe the students would be more eager to learn.If teachers would step outside their comfort zone, and think outside the box children will also begin to think that way. 

Pinterest
As I created an account for pinterest and began to explore, I am still debating on whether or not I will find it helpful in the classroom. I did find a few videos to help explain Factoring in math that I thought was cute and will probably use it for my children. I like things broke down into song form because I learn faster that way. I do not believe I will let my students use pinterest because that is not getting them to think of creative ideas on their own. I do not want my students to rely on other peoples ideas I want them to have their own train of thought. Yeah this website is great for suggestions, but that is also taking away from the students in my opinion.  

Project #2 - Wordle

Blog Post #1

About Me
My name is Haley Thompson, I am twenty years old, and I am a junior transfer majoring in special education. I live in a small town in Mobile County called Chunchula. I am attending the University of South Alabama because I graduated from a junior college, where I also played softball, and felt that South was a good choice for my next chapter of life. I am majoring in special education, because I have a very big heart when it comes to children with special needs. I would go over and beyond to help these kids learn. While teaching, I also plan to coach volleyball and softball.
My passion in life is helping others in need, and who cannot do for themselves. I do not help people for the praise and compliments; I simply help them just to help them. A few other things I enjoy are sports, singing, and church activities. Something interesting one may want to know about me is that on December 8, 2011 my life was turned upside down. I was in a very tragic drunk driving accident, and lost my roommate of two years in it. For a while I questioned God and why he would take the life of the one who had her seatbelt on, yet keep the one who was ejected. I now understand that it is all a part of God's plan, and although I may not know the reason I am still here I know He has a big plan for me. I will continue to trust Him, and I plan on sharing my testimony with others to help save lives.

Future Classroom
When I become a teacher i want my future classroom to be very welcoming to the students when they walk in for the first time. I plan to have it very colorful with art work all around the walls. When I was growing up it was always a relief to me to walk into a classroom that did not feel so intimidating. My desk will be in groups of four because I will be doing mostly hands on group work. There will be a lot of communication skills being worked on since I am majoring in special education K-6, so I feel it would work out best being in groups. Children with special needs often feel intimidated around other children and that will not be the case in my classroom. I want the kids to learn to communicate without the fear of being made fun of. We will be doing a lot of "ice breaker" activities to help break down their fear. The children should never be scared to ask a teacher a question, so my number one rule will be "Never be afraid to ask a question, there is no such thing as a dumb question." At the end of the year I want my kids to be able to walk out of the classroom and say "Ms. Thompson was my favorite teacher, and I cannot wait until next year. She makes learning fun and really breaks it down to me where I can understand the material step by step." If the students can walk out and say that, I will know I have reached my goal as a teacher.

Dr. Pausch and Time Management
Dr. Pausch made some very good points in his video that stood out to me. Goals, priorities, and planning are very important when it comes to time management. We should always ask ourselves these questions: Why am I doing this, what is the goal, Why will I succeed, and what happens if I choose to not do this? If we asked ourselves these questions before everything we dreaded, I guarantee we would not dread it as much. The answers to these questions are what our personal future depends on. The statement "Failing to plan is planning to fail" hit me like a sack of bricks. That statement is so very true. We should plan each day, week, and semester. Yes your plans will change from time to time but that is completely okay because at least you have a plan. Also we should not focus on doing things right, but doing the right things.  If we spend too much time focusing on doing things right we will miss the opportunity of getting the right things done.

Test Post Number One

Test Post Number One