What I learned in Strange's EDM 310 class this semester.

I learned so much this semester I don't even know where to start. I came into this class with very little computer knowledge. I am leaving this class with a lot of computer knowledge. I really enjoyed working with Google's free services because I am all about free. I also loved creating my own website. I plan to keep working on that even after this semsester. One thing I would have liked to have learned more about was Microsoft Powerpoint. We worked with Google Presentation but not with Powerpoint. I like Powerpoint better because it has more bells and whistles. I would have liked to have learned how to use all those bells and whistles. Dr. Strange also made instructional videos outlining the tasks we had covered in class. I did find the videos on spreadsheets very helpful. Overall my experience in Dr. Strange's class was awesome. He definitely knows a lot about technology.

Wikipedia-Friend of Foe?

In my opinion definitely a foe. I have never used Wikipedia and don't ever plan to. The problem with Wikipedia is that anyone can change anything. There is no way to know if the information you are getting is true unless you cross check and to me that is just a waste of time. I feel you should go to a reliable source the first time around to save yourself the extra work.

I am glad to see that someone has come up with a device that can track who changes what on Wikipedia. Virgil Griffith, a graduate of Cal Tech, has developed a device that tracks the IP addresses of the people making changes to Wikipedia. The results might surprise you. Companies such as Diebold and Walmart have made changes to entries that showed them in a negative light. Many politicians have altered information and so has the CIA.

So how do you avoid getting false information and looking like an idiot when you do a report or presentation with that false info? DON'T USE WIKIPEDIA!!!!!!!! I REPEAT! DON'T USE WIKIPEDIA. Just my opinion, take it or leave it.

"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets

Stanford University has a video podcast available through iTunes University that discusses the benefits of promoting a "Growth" mindset in classrooms. A study was conducted that consisted of an 8 session workshop for a classroom. One half of the class received only study skills lessons while the other half received study skills lessons and a "growth" mindset lesson. The "growth" mindset lesson included teaching the students that their brain is a muscle that can grow and learn new things. Students were taught their intelligence is not something that is "fixed" but something that can develop and grow. The "growth" mindset lesson puts an emphasis on continuing to develop your intelligence throughout one's life. The grades of the students who received only study skills continued to decline, while the grades of the students who received the study skills lessons along with the "growth" mindset lesson showed a significant improvement.

This discussion affects me as a teacher because I need to promote a "growth" mindset in my classroom. Each student needs to know that they can succeed. They need to know that they have the ability within themselves to learn new things and apply those new things to their lives. I believe the "growth" mindset lesson is a good one and plan to look into it further and maybe even use a "growth" mindset lesson for all my classes.

PBS-WGBH Teachers' Domain

WGBH, a PBS affiliate in Boston, provides a service through ITunes University called Teachers' Domain. WGBH provides video clips that have been taken from PBS shows such as NOVA and Frontline/NOVA. All of the videos are geared toward science and would be useful for elementary school teachers and middle/high school science teachers.

I watched two of the videos from the 9-12 grades Teachers' Domain resources. Both videos came from the same NOVA episode, "City of Coral", but they were on different aspects of the coral reef. The first video, A Night in the Coral Reef, featured the creatures that come out at night in the coral reef. Marine Animals such as the octopus, sea urchin, and porcupine fish. The second video I watched, Energy Flow in the Coral Reef, explained the process of photosynthesis in the reef. It also showcased a lot of marine life that is prominent in the coral reef during the daylight hours.

I believe this service could be very useful in the classroom. The videos are broken down in to particular subjects, allowing teachers to choose material that is specifically relevant to their lessons. I would use these videos as reinforcement of material taught in class. I would also have students take notes on the videos and then have discussion of those notes afterwards.

I Tunes University

ITunes University is a service of Apple's ITunes. It enables students to have access to educational content from universities across the country. It also provides students with a way to take the information with them, so to speak, by using an IPod or IPhone.

I believe that ITunes University could be of great use to me as a student. Since ITunes University allows content such as lectures and programs from other universities across the country, it could be a great tool for research. As a teacher, ITunes may not be suitable for elementary age children, although I do believe there are a few programs geared to that age group, however, it would be suitable for grades 9-12. I feel it could be beneficial to high school students because it would expose them to some upper level education that they may not have access to otherwise.

For more information regarding ITunes University visit http://www.apple.com/education/itunesu_mobilelearning/itunesu.html.

Karl Fisch-"A Formula for Success?"

Karl Fisch's Best of the FischBowl February 2007 post, titled "A Formula for Success?", expresses his concern for the way mathematics is taught in schools today. Being a secondary education/math major, I found this post expresses my feelings about teaching mathematics. Math is often taught by giving a formula and then plugging in values. Oftentimes, there is no instruction on why the formula is what it is instead, students are told that it is what it is just because. They are given no explanation as to why and how the formula came to be. This method is not acceptable.

To truly understand math you need to understand the why and how of mathematical applications. You also need to understand and realize how those mathematical applications apply to real life situations. For example, when learning percentages will be used later in life for determining sale prices or determining what percentage of their salary will be deducted for taxes. Giving students examples of real life situations involving math may help them to understand how important it is to understand mathematical processes.

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Technologically Illiterate Educators

Karl Fisch, a teacher at Arapahoe High School in Colorado, says "If a teacher today is not technologically literate-and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more-it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write". Harsh words, but I have to say that I agree with him. Twenty years ago, people were able to get jobs that did not require much knowledge of technology. Today, however, it is getting more and more difficult to find occupations that do not require knowledge of technology. It will only get more difficult in the future. Most workplaces of the 21st century use technology of some kind, therefore, if eductors don't technologically prepare their students then their students will have trouble being successful. It is a teacher's duty to be up-to-date on technology so that he/she can properly prepare his/her students for their future.

International School Blogs

This picture is from the Montfort Secondary School blog site located at http://www.montfortschool.blogspot.com/. Montfort Secondary School is a catholic school located in Singapore. Their blog is used to keep parents informed of upcoming school events. There are also links to infromation for Montfort alumnus as well as information about the school band and sports teams. There is also a link to the Montfort Secondary School Official website. The blog also has a list of videoclips of sporting events and other school functions but there are no clickable links to these video clips.

This picture is from the blog of Hiroshima International School which is located in the Chugoku region of Japan. Their blog is accessible from their school website or you can get there directly by clicking http://www.hiroshima-is.ac.jp/news. The blog is used by all grade levels to showcase projects that they are working on. This picture is of grades 4 and 5 working on their science projects. you can read the latest posts or you can view newsletters by grade levels. There are also links to posts about infromation technology and sports.

Using Blogs in the Classroom

This picture is from Mr. C's Class Blog at http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/. Mr. Chamberlain is a teacher at Noel Elementary School in Noel, Missouri. He seems to use blogs a lot in his classes because he has a lot of different blogs. His class blog consists of student blogs where students answer specific questions that he has asked them to answer. This blog seems to focus on science with videos of experiments and streaming video of his class. Some students have even started their own personal blogs where they post whatever is on their mind. Mr. C seems to be a teacher dedicated to using technology to educate his stucents.

This is a picture of an art sculpture done by a student at Memphis University School (Lower School student). This blog, located at http://musowls.blogs.com/lowerschool/, serves as a source of information for parents of Lower School students of Memphis University School. It contains information about upcoming events as well as important information that may relate to parenting. There are also links to the MUS homepage and links where you can check up on your child's assignments and grades. Thsi blog seems to be a great resource for parents who want to stay on top of their child's education.

Using Google Presentation

ACCESS

Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide (ACCESS) is a program designed to offer classes, to high school students, that may not be offered at their school. ACCESS does this by using technology. There are 3 different class types to choose from. The web-based course is a course that uses the internet for instruction while the videoconferencing course utilizes audio/video equipment to present lectures in streaming video. There is also a blended course type that uses both the internet and videoconferencing.

Many rural and low income schools are limited in the types of courses they can offer due to inefficient funding and teacher shortages. ACCESS makes it possible for students to take courses such as advanced placement classes or classes needed to obtain an advanced diploma. Basic english, math, science, and history courses are also available as well as foreign language classes and electives.

Adding a Photograph to My Blog

Click on the photo icon. Browse to find your photograph. Open. Click OK. Select a location for your text. Select a site for your photograph. I recommend small pictures unless you want to cover your blog. Photograph taken by Jan Giddens December 2007.

Using ALEX in the Classroom

I believe that I will use ALEX very often when I become a teacher. The lesson plans option would be a good resource for getting ideas for projects and such. The professional learning option would be a good resource for finding opportunities to grow in my teaching abilities and strategies. ALEX offers many educational tools all in one place which is very convenient. I will use ALEX to find educational information that I may need.

ALEX is also useful for students and administrators. I believe I would use ALEX to refer my students to specific websites. I also believe I would use ALEX for distance learning if it is available wherever I teach.

Alabama Learning Exchange

Alabama Learning Exchange(ALEX) is an online resource for teachers, administrators, and students that offers educational tools, news, web links, lesson plans, and professional development information. It also offers a personal workspace option and information regarding distance learning. ALEX is full of valuable information that is very useful for educators and students.

The lesson plans and personal workspace options go hand in hand. You can use sample lesson plans that aree available or create your own and store them in your personal workspace. The website links and professional learning options provide links to educational information and professional development opportunities. There are also links to educational news sites and ALEX also offers links for administrators and students.

Fischbowl Video

As I watched this video I was reminded of how much technology has advanced since I was in high school. In 1993, when I graduated high school, computers in the home were not commonplace. I had minimal access to computers at school but the use of those computers was not common either. Needless to say, when I returned to college last semester, as an adult with little computer experience, I was forced to quickly learn about computers and their benefits to my educational process. I often find myself asking my eleven year old son and eight year old daughter how to do things on the computer. When I was eight years old my main educational concern was spelling words and arithmetic, not Internet browsers and PowerPoint projects. Since 1993, just 14 years ago, technology has increased three times over with new innovations being discovered everyday. As a educator it is important for me to stay on top of technological advancements so that I can use technology as a beneficial educational resource.

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my very first blog. I hope everyone enjoys my madness.