Friday, April 29, 2011
EDM310 Rap - Project 16
EDM 310 Rap
By Justin Hyde and Brandin Brosh
LYRICS:
Imma Be
This one goe s out to Dr. Strange and the EDM crew,
‘Cause this wouldn’t be possible with out you.
Working hard 9 hours a week
I could do EDM310 in my sleep
Sometimes I see Dr. Strange when I blink
Yeah, I know what you think/
It is a bit scary
His beard is so hairy
When it comes to technology He knows what to do
If he taught me, I promise he can teach you
At the beginning I didn’t have a clue
Now I blog, tweet, and use Symballoo
Technology and education
feed it to our kids like medication
Today’s school system is like probation.
Most teachers won’t let kids think critically
They run their classrooms so politically.
If you go against the norm you brew up a storm
And other Teachers will start to stare and scorn.
This semester in EDM310
I learned so much I can’t even begin
A lab that is open at all times.
ask any question that blows your mind
More lab assistants than you can count
They will answer your questions without a doubt
EDM310.blogspot.com
It’s where you can find the class blog
It’s got all the information you’ll need to help you succeed
When you’re there you will see that we are going green
That’s all thanks to technology
‘Cause it’s the 21st century.
I don’t know, let’s find out
Don’t worry, we’re gonna get this figured out
Make sure you bring your brain
Don’t forget to turn it on/
This journey is gonna be a lot of fun
C4K C4C C4T,
Whatever it may be,
You better get it done weekly if you want a good grade like me.
The one class it’s impossible to procrastinate
if you do your work will be late.
Dr. Strange ain’t gonna let that skate
So there is no need to try and debate
Education and technology is a MUST
If you’re not with it
You better jump on the bus
Technology is the key to the future
Let your voice be heard
Don’t let ‘em mute ya.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Blog Post 14 (Special Assignment)
1. Why did you miss the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post, or, if you "hit the nail on the head", why do you think you understood the metaphor and why do you think that others in the class missed the metaphor? Everyone was probably doing the same thing I was and this is just reading the post and trying to write about it as quickly as possible instead of truely trying to find the meaning in this metaphor.
2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them? There are several metaphors I hear at work all the time. One is "Time flies by, when your having fun"
3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors? By breaking down the metaphors piece by piece and then show them what this metaphor means and why and what context they could be used in.
4. Why do we use metaphors? I think people use metaphors because they can be fun and also because it is a catchy way of saying things.
2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them? There are several metaphors I hear at work all the time. One is "Time flies by, when your having fun"
3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors? By breaking down the metaphors piece by piece and then show them what this metaphor means and why and what context they could be used in.
4. Why do we use metaphors? I think people use metaphors because they can be fun and also because it is a catchy way of saying things.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Final Report on PLN
For my personal learning network I started a Symbaloo. I have found this website to be extremely useful. When I open my computer up I have all my favorite websites and also the websites that I will need for school at the click of a button. It saves me time from having to search from website to website. A reason I like Symbaloo is that it is super easy to you and keeps me completely organized. I not only have all three of my emails on there but I also have the website for my online classes saved. This website allows me to navigate quickly and get my work done faster.
Monday, April 25, 2011
C4T #4 Liz B. Davis
For the month of April I was assigned to comment on Liz B. Davis's blog called THE POWER OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY. Her blog had a wide variety of educational videos and blog post. For my first comment I chose to comment on her blog post that had to do with a young man in her class writing a speech "Who are you? Who are you really?". This is what I had to say:
Hi,
I am Justin Hyde and I am also student in Dr.Stranges EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama."Who are you?" can be made up of many different things. To me it is somewhat how I act, how I feel, and who I want to be. This is how I come up with the best answer for this question.
Comment number two on Liz Davis's blog was on a post about wishing people were not afraid of failing. The name of this post was "Dare some mighty things..." and it had to do with not being afraid of failing. This is what I had to say:
Hi Liz,
My name is Justin Hyde and I am currently a student in Dr. Stange’s EDM310 course at the University of South Alabama. I think everyone needs some form of motivation every once in awhile. Also I think everyone should be less afraid of failing. I grandma once told me "you will never know unless you try." These are great words of wisdom.
Hi,
I am Justin Hyde and I am also student in Dr.Stranges EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama."Who are you?" can be made up of many different things. To me it is somewhat how I act, how I feel, and who I want to be. This is how I come up with the best answer for this question.
Comment number two on Liz Davis's blog was on a post about wishing people were not afraid of failing. The name of this post was "Dare some mighty things..." and it had to do with not being afraid of failing. This is what I had to say:
Hi Liz,
My name is Justin Hyde and I am currently a student in Dr. Stange’s EDM310 course at the University of South Alabama. I think everyone needs some form of motivation every once in awhile. Also I think everyone should be less afraid of failing. I grandma once told me "you will never know unless you try." These are great words of wisdom.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Comments For Kids 7, 8, 9, & 10
For my comments for kids seven I was assigned to comment on Mr. McClungs blog. The specific post I was assigned was called "Just Like Riding a Bike". This post was basically about having time off and having to get back into the same old pattern. This is what I had to say:
Hi Mr. McClung. My name is Justin Hyde and I am currently a student in Dr. Stange’s EDM310 course at the University of South Alabama. I love this post because I think everyone can relate to this. I was recently out of school for 10 days due to spring break and I was definitely ready to get back to school. It’s so hard when you lose your pace though and it feels like you have to get back in the swing of things all over again. It’s tough! Good thing summer is coming up, but come August I will have to learn to ride my bike all over again!
For my comments for kids eight I was assigned to comment on Ms. Thompson's sixth grade class in Adelaide, Australia. The student in the class I was assigned to comment on was Erin. Erin's blog post was about Persuasive Writing and she wrote about animal cruelty. This is what I had to say:
Hi Erin,
My name is Justin Hyde. I attend the University of South Alabama and I am in Dr. Stranges EDM 310 class. I thought you did a very nice job in this writing assignment and you gave great details that supported your argument. I could tell that you really feel strong about fighting for the fair treatment of animals.I do also agree that animals should be kept in those small cages either. Once again I think you did very well on your paper.
For my comments for kids nine I was assigned to comment on Mrs. Yollis class blog. The blog I was assigned to comment on was family blogging month, this is where the parent and family comment on the classes blog posts. This is what I said:
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
My name is Justin Hyde. I am a student at University South Alabama. I am in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class. I really like the way that you have set up your blog. I think that it is very interesting that you have set aside a month to get families involved in class. Good luck and I hope you have many great comments to come.
I will be writing about your blog in a few weeks. You can see my blog here.
Thanks,
Justin Hyde
For my comments for kids ten I was assigned to comment on Hannah's Hacienda most recent blog post. This happened to be on an Iranian celebration called Seezdah-Bedar. This is what I had to say:
Hi Hannah,
My name is Justin Hyde and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class. I thought your last blog post about Seezdeh-Bedar was very interesting. This is a tradition that I have never heard of and I have a question. Is this tradition only celebrated on the 13th day or for 13 days? Also you looked like you were having a great time with your friends at the park. Great post thank you.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Blog Post 13
The Alabama Learning Exchange, also known as ALEX, is a great reference that more teachers should take advantage of. This link was developed to help teachers know the requirements that should be taught on that grade level. The teacher just chooses the grade and subject to receive the Alabama State teaching requirements. Web Resources is a link to other resources, which are directed toward teachers. The website was very simple to navigate through and had tons of useful information for teachers. They even have written out lesson plans for teachers. I think personally in the near future if I was teaching and needed ideas I could find this website very useful.
The Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide also known as ACCESS program’s goal is to make sure that each and every child has an equal opportunity learning. This is a website invented to allow parents the information to make sure there high school kid has all the necessary tools to further their education.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Progress Report on Final Project
For my final project I have partnered up with classmate Brandin Brosh. We together came up with the creative final project that involves us both singing about what we have learned in EDM 310. I am really excited about this project. We just started but everything has bee going great so far.
Blog Post 12
After reading this article has it changed your way in thinking about how schools in the United States are constructed? Did you have any other thoughts about the speech?
Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
Last month, Erica Goldson graduated as valedictorian of Coxsackie-Athens High School. Instead of using her graduation speech to celebrate the triumph of her victory, the school, and the teachers that made it happen, she channeled her inner Ivan Illich and de-constructed the logic of a valedictorian and the whole educational system. In doing so, is now one of my heroes.
Erica originally posted her full speech on Sign of the Times, and without need for editing or cutting, here's the speech in its entirety:
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. … Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim … is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but
only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
This speech took a lot of confidence to get in front of her entire class, classes family, teachers, and administration and bash the school systems we know today. I can honestly say though that she has some very valid points in her speech. One of these points is the fact that kids are not taught life lessons and ways to cope with situations they will face in life. They make you study for tests that you cram information so you can make a good grade and then you forget everything you just studied so you can cram more information for the next test. Children are just put through a institutionalized system. They are not truly being able to critically think and use there full potential. Another point she puts emphases on in her speech is to ask questions. Do not just believe everything they tell you. Ask questions and critically think about what you are being told. Analysis this data and question it. This is what I got from one of my now favorite speeches.
Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
Last month, Erica Goldson graduated as valedictorian of Coxsackie-Athens High School. Instead of using her graduation speech to celebrate the triumph of her victory, the school, and the teachers that made it happen, she channeled her inner Ivan Illich and de-constructed the logic of a valedictorian and the whole educational system. In doing so, is now one of my heroes.
Erica originally posted her full speech on Sign of the Times, and without need for editing or cutting, here's the speech in its entirety:
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. … Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim … is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but
only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
This speech took a lot of confidence to get in front of her entire class, classes family, teachers, and administration and bash the school systems we know today. I can honestly say though that she has some very valid points in her speech. One of these points is the fact that kids are not taught life lessons and ways to cope with situations they will face in life. They make you study for tests that you cram information so you can make a good grade and then you forget everything you just studied so you can cram more information for the next test. Children are just put through a institutionalized system. They are not truly being able to critically think and use there full potential. Another point she puts emphases on in her speech is to ask questions. Do not just believe everything they tell you. Ask questions and critically think about what you are being told. Analysis this data and question it. This is what I got from one of my now favorite speeches.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Additional Assignment - Mr. McClung's World
After examining Mr. McClung's class blog these are my outcomes and conclusions.1. What do you know (or have you found out) about Mr. McClung that is reflected in the way he has constructed his class blog? One of the major things that stood out to me is that how organized and well his blog was put together.
2. Comment on what you would say about Mr. McClung as an educator. Mr.McClung looks like a teacher who takes pride in seeing his students do well academically.
3. I asked above that you read Mr. McClung's "rules" and think about them. What do they say about Mr. McClung, his teaching, and his connection with his students? What is your reaction to these rules (and guides) as a student and as an aspiring teacher? He has a very hands on and interactive teaching style where he makes sure to keep students involved.
4. What was the first thing under Everyone needs? Why do you suppose that is the first requirement? Everybody needs a day planner. I recently bought a day planner but never use it.
5. Note the penalties for being late (under Homework). Compare them with my penalties for being late. Comment. For everyday your homework is late it is a letter grade off. This is similar to the homework policy I have in several of my classes at South Alabama.
6. Read carefully his paragraph about what he hopes to accomplish with his blog. Comment and apply to your own aspirations as a teacher. His blog is very well put together and is made so that parents can easily keep track of their child's work in the classroom.
7. I asked you to review at least two Useful Links in depth after reviewing all of them. Which two did you review in depth? Describe each of the two. How might each be used? Why do you think each made Mr. McClung's list. The first link I chose was Steve Spanglers Science Toys. The reason I chose this blog is because I feel it would help find ways to get the students to relate science and fun toys together. The second link I chose was ToonDoo which is a website that lets you create your own comic. This could be helpful for several different reasons in an technological education setting.
8. Under Internet Safety I asked you to read carefully the rules Mr. McClung sets forth for safely using the Internet. Comment on these rules. Are there any you would add or subtract? I felt that the set of rules that he had laid out for his class were very well thought through. He allowed the students enough room to learn but enough guidelines to keep them safe and out of trouble.
9. In the C4K part of this blog I asked that you look carefully at one of the categories under which you assigned post was filed. What did you find? Select one of the posts in the category and review it for me. "Just Like Riding a Bike" was the name of the post I commented on it was dealing with basically having time off and having ti get back into the old routine.
10. Mr. McClung uses Edublog as his blog host. In some ways it may seem more "advanced." But Blogger has many abilities that we have not covered in EDM310. This leads to this question: Is there anything (or things) that Mr. McClung can do with his blog that you would like to do in Blogger? His blog is very well organized and easy to navigate. It has alot of useful information put together to look organized.
11. In what ways does Mr. McClung make his blog useful to parents, teachers, administrators, students like you, and others? His blog is easy to find and navigate so even parents with only a small amount of technological intelligence could handle easily. THis allows them to keep up with their children in school with little effort.
12. How does Mr. McClung's 8th grade blog differ from other blogs you have visited including other 8th grade blogs? Why the differences do you think? His blog is so well put together and can be used as a great example for people who plan to be teachers in the near future like myself and others in EDM 310
13. Add any additional comments you think would be useful in analyzing Mr. McClung's World in depth. I only one day can hope to have a blog that has half the information that Mr. McClung's blog has to offer. His blog is organized, easy to find and also easy to navigate through.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Blog Post 11
First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class
The video was mind blowing to me, that kids of that young of age could be doing so well on the computers. The kids in the video looked like they knew their way around the computers better than most adults do and they were only in first grade. I only wish I had a teacher that valued teaching technology as much as Mrs. Cassidy does to her young group of kids. I feel if I would have had an influence like her in my life I would be better prepared for my technological journey I have started. This video shows that you are never too young to begin using technology as a building block in education. Technology can be used to keep kids interested in the curriculum. I thought that it was very nice of her to invest her time in a Skype interview with last semester EDM 310 class. I can only hope that there are more teachers like Mrs. Cassidy out there in the educational field. She has been incorporating technology in the class room for a very long time, ten years to be exact.
The video was mind blowing to me, that kids of that young of age could be doing so well on the computers. The kids in the video looked like they knew their way around the computers better than most adults do and they were only in first grade. I only wish I had a teacher that valued teaching technology as much as Mrs. Cassidy does to her young group of kids. I feel if I would have had an influence like her in my life I would be better prepared for my technological journey I have started. This video shows that you are never too young to begin using technology as a building block in education. Technology can be used to keep kids interested in the curriculum. I thought that it was very nice of her to invest her time in a Skype interview with last semester EDM 310 class. I can only hope that there are more teachers like Mrs. Cassidy out there in the educational field. She has been incorporating technology in the class room for a very long time, ten years to be exact.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Comments for Teachers 3
Bits ‘n Bytes is a blog created by Ann Carnevale (Instructional Technology Specialist), and geared for the elementary teachers of Plainville Community Schools, in Plainville, CT. Her blog was really educational.
For my first comment I commented on her post Should We Use YouTube In Primary Classrooms. This is What I had to say:
Hi Ann,
I am Justin Hyde, and I attend the University Of South Alabama, and I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. I think that using YouTube in todays classroom is a great idea. More teachers in todays society need to be more acceptable of technology in schools and this is just one of many quick and easy ways to do this. There are many educational videos on YouTube for children of many different ages.
For my second comment I commented on her post Website Wednesday. This blog post was about a couple different websites that are free and that have a lot of educational information in different subjects. These websites can be found at her in her blog Website Wednesday This is what I had to say:
Hi Ann,
I am Justin Hyde, and I attend the University Of South Alabama, and I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. I thought that there were many different things that could be useful to me when I become a teacher in the near future. Thank you so much.
Blog Post 10
I felt like both of these stories Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home and Morgan Bayda's blog post were both about teaching kids information they will never need if they even remember most of it.
Morgan Bayda's
Morgan Bayda's blog post was about a kid that was enrolled at the University of Nebraska but dropped out by choice because he felt he was paying to be taught useless information, when in reality he has a really good point. He talks about how his teachers only reading power points and having there test on random facts from these power points. Your grade is on how well you can memorize facts for one test.
Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home
This poem starts out talking about the acutally not letting the kids bring their pencils home because children who do score less on big state testing but then it goes on to explain what they are actually trying to say. They talk about teaching our children useless information that they will never need in life.
Morgan Bayda's
Morgan Bayda's blog post was about a kid that was enrolled at the University of Nebraska but dropped out by choice because he felt he was paying to be taught useless information, when in reality he has a really good point. He talks about how his teachers only reading power points and having there test on random facts from these power points. Your grade is on how well you can memorize facts for one test.
Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home
This poem starts out talking about the acutally not letting the kids bring their pencils home because children who do score less on big state testing but then it goes on to explain what they are actually trying to say. They talk about teaching our children useless information that they will never need in life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)