Final Farewell

To My Fellow Classmates:

I had a wonderful, learning experience in the Tuesday/Thursday 4pm EDM 310 class. Many of you were very helpful. I hope that we all succeed in the future. I wish everyone the best and I hope you all be the best educators that you can be!

Signing off,

Erica Burrell

Summary of What I Learned in EDM 310

1. Think about the many things we covered in class: blogs, wikis, presentations, Google Docs, Google spreadsheets, Picasa, podcasts, videocasts, YouTube, posts you read, PLNs, Twitter, other teachers and students outside of our region, comments4kids, iTunes, iTunesU, accessibility issues and the use of html tag modifiers to address some of those issues, who you are as a professional, Google forms, data bases, Google Earth, Delicious, ACCESS, ALEX, Foliotek, technological literacy, the future of schools, your "intellectual trail". Did I miss anything? Take each of these and consider what you learned and how or if it may or will be useful to you as a teacher. and as an individual in this "modern age." List what you learned and comment about it if appropriate. List as many things as you can think of. If you did not learn anything from this class, say so. I hope, however, that was not the case.

You left out Skype! I learned much from this class. Here are a few of the concepts that I will most likely continue to use...

I enjoyed learning how to blog. It was very interesting and a great way to stay connected with others.

Using Google Docs, Presentations, Forms, and Spreadsheets was also very helpful. Before this class I was unaware that Google offered these programs.

I used to think that YouTube was just a place for “funny videos”. I guess I was wrong. YouTube is also a place for learning things in which I didn't know about.

I really enjoyed Comments4kids. I was excited about reading post from younger children and giving them my opinion. I hope they were excited as I was when they read the comments.

iTunes University was very interesting to learn about. I did not know that it had features where you can listen to a professor's lecture. It excites me even more knowing that it will be used here at South Alabama next semester.

I enjoyed writing my professional blog. It really made me think about who I am and who I want to be as a professional.

I am glad that I learned how to use Delicious. I think this website is going to be very useful to me in the future.

ACCESS and ALEX were two websites that I feel will be helpful in the future. I am glad this was a requirement to read and write a post about each!

I really enjoyed using Skype. I was able to Skype a few of my classmates when needing help for assignments. I am also able to connect with some of my family members from around the world. My aunt (who is in the Air Force) recently went to Korea. There she cannot use a cellular phone. We contact each other via Skype!


2.Are there things you would like to have learned in this class but did not?

No, this class met my expectations.

3.Are there things you learned in this class but wish you had not (and you will try and forget them or not use them as soon as possible)?

I am glad I learned the things that I learned. Some of them will probably slip my mind in the future but not intentionally.

4.Did this class excite you in any way? I mean excite, as opposed to "was useful" or "was interesting" or "I did it"? If No, say that. If Yes, tell me what excited you, why, and how.
To tell you the truth, I was not excited about coming to this class. Sometimes, I felt lost. I really did not know what was going on at the time.

5.Did you find anything in this class to be particularly "intellectually challenging"? If so, what? Why do you think it was "intellectually challenging"?

The podcasts and videocasts were a bit challenging for me. Mainly because I did not know how to approach the assignments. Once I understood things a little more. I was okay.


6.Were you bored by this class at any time? If so, what bored you and how might that be corrected?

I was bored at times mainly because I did not know what was going on at times.

7.Would you change this course in any way (add things/delete things or anything else)? If so, give me your suggestions. Since I am always changing this course I could use your input!

In my opinion, there were too many blogpost to do. Other than that, I wouldn't change much!

8.Are you Technologically Literate at the moment? To what extent? Low Some Medium Good Great

I would say that I am somewhat Technological Literate. I believe I have a long way to go.

9.How will you maintain or improve your technological literacy between now and the time you graduate? … the time you start teaching?

I will continue to use my PLN and learn from others. When I start teaching I plan to incorporate everything that we learned from Google into my classroom!

My Personal Learning Network

My Personal Learning Network (PLN) is still a work in progress! Although I have come a long way in using one, I would love to go further. My PLN currently consist of my Twitter account, my class blog, and At the Teacher's Desk. I have learned many things, thus far, by using these networks. This is a great way to share ideas. You can also learn a variety of different techniques from others. I look forward to learning more. I hope that in the future I can encourage my family, friends, and colleagues to establish them a PLN!

Believing, Inventing, and Implementing Technological Pedagogies

It is very interesting to me how an ordinary student at South Alabama can come up with extraordinary ideas. In Anthony Capps blog post, he explained in detail of how Mr. Miller emphasizes technology. I agree with Anthony. I do feel that it is “the educator's responsibility to help their students discover what they love”. If an educator teaches a lesson in a boring way, then the students most likely will dislike the subject (for a long time). In all, Anthony did a great job! Keep up the good work!

Technology and Classrooms

After reading the lists, Doug Johnson's Seven Stupid Mistakes and 7 Brilliant Things Teachers Do With Technology and New Classroom Rules by Education Innovation, I thought they were pretty interesting. The topics were really something to think about.

I believe the two most important from the Seven Stupid Mistakes are:

1)THINKING ONLINE COMMUNICATION IS EVER PRIVATE. I think this is very important (especially if you are a teacher.) I have heard several cases on the news in which teachers have gotten fired due to some of the content on their social network pages. I believe that people should be very careful when it comes to things like that.

2)NOT SUPERVISING COMPUTER-USING STUDENTS. I believe that students/children should always be supervised while they are on the computer. Although some students may not go to a prohibited website intentionally, some students do. As stated in the list, some students know how to get around the blocked websites. This is why I believe that monitoring the students is extremely important.

The two most important from the Seven Brilliant Things Teachers Do With Technology are:

1)EMPOWER KIDS WITH TECHNOLOGY. I feel this is important because technology can help students understand material better. All classes should be equipped with some type of technology. Students should be able to learn in an environment filled with technology. I believe that technology is not going anywhere, so why not incorporate it in the classrooms?

2)ACCEPT THE WORLD OF CO-LEARNER. I believe this is important as well. Teachers should have an opportunity to learn from their students. I bet when I become a teacher some of the students will know more about technology than I will. This could be a wonderful opportunity!

The two most important from the New Classroom Rules by Education Innovation are:

1)COME TO CLASS ON TIME, OR LOG INTO YOUR ONLINE CLASS ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT, WHENEVER IT IS MOST CONVENIENT TO YOU. Wouldn't it be great if everyone understood materials and content while taking online classes? I have taken a few on-line classes in the past and some were understandable and some were not. On-line classes would be very convenient to many. I like the idea of online classes. I wish USA offered more classes online.

2)BE QUIET IN LINES, HALLWAYS, AND RESTROOMS, UNLESS YOU ARE AT HOME AND LOGGED INTO YOUR ON-LINE CLASSROOM, IN WHICH CASE YOU CAN DANCE AND PLAY MUSIC. I like being able to do what I want to while doing classwork. For example, watching television while doing homework keeps me stimulated. I really enjoyed reading the New Classroom Rules!

Once again these lists were interesting as well as informative!

At the Teacher's Desk

At the Teacher's Desk is a very interesting blog. The first post I read was about banning pencils and crayons from schools. I thought that this idea was ridiculously silly. All I could think while I was reading it was “Is this for real?”. It was very interesting though! Another post that I read was “Robert Burns Haunts Me”. This post informed me that no matter how prepared you are be prepared in case something goes wrong. He made a good point in this post. The next post I read was “Using Technology for Effective Communication”. I read the particular one regarding contacting parents through Facebook. I thought that was a brilliant idea. I think this blog is very useful for teachers!

Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? : Make Up

In this blog, Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? by Karl Fisch , I agree with Mr. Fisch to a certain extent. For example, I do agree that teachers should have some technological capability. But I disagree that they should be embarrassed if they let the public know. I do believe that technology will be apart of everyone's lives eventually. Not everyone is ready for this technology change in their lives.

I love the analogy that Mr. Fisch gave, "I was never any good at math either." He says that teachers keep making excuses which is not acceptable. I agree. Instead of making excuses, why not learn how to to the task. Technology can be very helpful to everyone whether we know it or not!

Project 10 Podcast and Project 11 Presentation

Project 10 Podcast: Useful Internet Sites for Elementary Teachers


If you want to listen to our podcast CLICK HERE. We focused on Useful Internet Sites for Elementary Teachers.



Project 11 Presentation- Electronic Books vs. Paper Books: Pros and Cons

Toward a New Future of Whatever: Michael Wesch

I just realized how far the word “whatever” has come after watching this video by Michael Wesch. To me, the meaning of “whatever” replaces many words during conversations. Instead of people saying what they want to say they just substituted it for the word “whatever”. I really enjoyed watching the video. It really made me think about the way I use the word “whatever”.

As far as YouTube, I learned a lot of information in which I was not aware of. I also thought that the people talking into their web-cam thought it was weird to do so. YouTube helps many people see the differences throughout the world. It can be educational, informative, and even entertaining. I will most likely show appropriate YouTube videos in my classroom, in order for the students to get a break from me teaching and see that there are many other ways of learning on YouTube.

Student Blogging

I think blogging is a great way for students to express themselves. In most cases, self-expression is being overshadowed in education. Like the students at Point England School , blogging can be a very educational and exciting experience. Students can also communicate with other students around the world.

Blogging can be very helpful to students. I, myself, would probably enjoy blogging more, if it was not a weekly required assignment. I do feel that it is important though. I plan to use blogging in my classroom. It is a great way to keep students involved with their schoolwork. I will try to focus on letting the students suggest what it is that they would like to write about. Overall, blogging did help me understand my views, as well as my classmates views, on different topics.

Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide (ACCESS)

Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide (ACCESS) is a website that provides high-quality classroom courses & teachers through technology. Because some schools can't afford offer advanced diplomas and advanced courses, This website provides access to many of these courses. Educators as well as students benefit off of this program.

I feel that this website can be very helpful for students who want to advance. It is great to have a resource like this. Students can learn so much. I will be sure to use this resource to help me when I become a teacher.

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)

The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is a website where statewide teachers can exchange their ideas and lesson plans with one another. ALEX is not only a great resource for teachers but for students and parents as well. The website is beneficial to everyone who visits it! It is very easy to navigate. It provides resources for all grade levels and subjects.

I believe that ALEX is a wonderful tool. When I become a teacher I will be sure to create me a personal workspace. This website seems to be very helpful for new teachers as well as current teachers. This could help others become familiar with how other teachers teach in their classroom. I am glad that I learned about this useful website!

Kaia

After reading the post, Dear Kaia, on Dr. Chamberlain's blog, I started to believe that the power of technology can really be amazing. I think that it is wonderful to have people from around the world notice some of the things that we do through the internet. I know that Kaia is a very intelligent young girl. I hope that she understood what was going on through the voicethread that Dr. C and his class made for her. Voicethreads seem to be very help for children Kaia's age!

I know that Mr. Raisdana was very surprised. Like he stated in his blog, he didn't know if it was a good idea to expose his daughter online. I, myself, would be unsure as well. It appears that her exposure turned out to help her in a positive way. Hopefully, this experience will encourage Mr. Raisdana and many other parents and teachers as well.

The New Media Literacy Skills

The New Media Literacies Project is a program that helps us explore social skills and cultural knowledge while dealing with the media. This project will also help others understand the importance of being literate. When I viewed the New Media Literacy Skills video, I thought the skills were very clear. I feel that these skills will be needed in the 21st century so that we can be effective people.

I, myself, possess about five of the New Media Literacy Skills. I possess judgment, appropriation, performance, visualization, and multitasking. I feel that it is important to be able to possess all of the skills. I hope to one day get that accomplished! Having said that, I feel that my skills will increase because of the use of everyday technology and also the future technology to come.

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler

The way the Networked Student video was displayed was very unique. I thought it was neat how there were paper cut-outs of the explained material. I, myself, do not like the concept of connectivism. The way that I see understand it is that we learn from other diverse people's social networks. It is a good idea to see other's opinions on what they think about a certain topic, but I don't think I would like the idea of learning the material completely on my own.

I do like the fact that many resources are available for the student to learn. I am sure this type learning helps students expand their knowledge in a variety of ways.

Am I prepared to be a teacher of a networked student you may ask. I do not think I am. I feel that this type of learning could be very complicated for me. Maybe if I actually tried being a networked student myself, I could see the pros and cons of the whole thing. Maybe it is not as confusing as it may seem.

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream

I don't think that I am ready to start writing with multimedia. I know that I learn and comprehend better by reading and writing compared to watching and listening. Dr. Miller's way of using multimedia seems to be very useful. I do think that it is great that much of the information that you need when doing research can be found on the internet in the comfort of your own home.

Multimedia looks like it can be very helpful and easier for some. I feel that I will probably be able get use to teaching through multimedia as the years progress. Once I learn how to do it, I feel that my students will be able to catch on. Because technology is increasing rapidly, I am pretty sure that some of my students will already be able to write with multimedia by the time I am ready to teach them.

I feel that Dr. Miller's idea of visual representation is a plus when it comes to learning. I do agree with him. There will be a time where word-processing is completely out of the picture. Overall, I am not to keen of using multimedia. Although I do think it is a helpful tool, I am just not ready for these type of changes.

Week 6: Comments4Kids

I got a chance to comment on Jenna's (a sixth grader) post! She was talking about International Act Like A Clown Day which is June 12. I told her that this day sounds like fun. I told her that I would look funny if I dressed like a clown (I guess that's the point, huh?).

Using iPods

I think the idea of what Duke University did for their incoming freshmen was a great idea. I never owned an iPod. I thought an iPod was just for downloading and listening to music. I see that it does a lot more than that. From what I read, it looks like a pretty useful tool. It is a great device for students in any grade level. This tools allows you to go as far as recording and replaying your class lecture. This idea more than likely lowered the college drop-out rate. I think that all university and college students should have a device of some sort.

I also noticed that there were both benefits and barriers with the device. One benefit is that it allows students to be more active and to participate in classroom discussions. One problem is that it would be difficult for the iPod to store a variety of information. Even with that, I still think it would be a great tool for studnets everywhere!

Don't Waste Your Time

I found that Itunes University is a very helpful tool. After viewing the presentation,Don't Waste Your Time, I now know that you can find useful information in iTunes. I learned that this application include lectures, lab demos, as well as campus tours. All of their downloads are free.

iTunes University is a great tool for using podcasts and vodcasts. This could help me because if I am looking to research a few things for my classes as a student, I could always turn to iTunes University to see if they have any useful information. As a teacher, I could maybe get ideas from this application and it could be used as a learning tool while I am teaching.

Apple Launches Major Green Effort

The post, Apple Launches Major Green Effort, talked about making Apple products enviromental friendly. I, myself, am all about going green. Apple is trying to find ways to reduce carbon emissions from its plastic manufacturing. They have been working on this problem for years now. Apple is now trying to encourage recylcling.

I feel that this is a great idea. I think that all companies should endorse recycling and being environmental friendly. While we are talking about recycling, I think I will encourage my students to recycle as well. I will encourage them and set an example by placing plastic bottles and aluminum cans in the recycling bin.