Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Blogfolio!!!


  1. Intro Video:  The first assignment we did in IT 365 was to make an intro video and successfully upload it to the blog that we created.  This activity met the NETS-T standard 2, which is to “design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments.”  We videoed a classmate as they came up with a little bit of information that they wanted to share with the blogger readers.  The problems that I encountered were that I couldn’t come up with enough to say about myself which resulted in the video not being long enough and since it was our first uploaded assignment, I didn’t know how to use the website yet.  By thinking about what I wanted to add to my introduction and asking questions to clarify how to upload it, my problems were resolved.  In my classroom I can have students do introduction videos as an icebreaker the first day of class.  It is a fun way to get used to technology and allows them to use their own device (BYOD).  This assignment taught me that there are other alternatives to a written blog.  They say a picture is worth 1000 words and I believe that a video is worth even more.  It gave you an insight to who each person was and how they interacted with a creative assignment like this.    

  1. Ted Videos:  I didn’t know about TED videos until this class.  It is a real honor if you are asked to speak.  Every TED video that we watched in class about educators, made me realize how diverse this world is and how there are truly good people with good ideas still in this crazy world we live in.  This assignment fit Standard 5 which states that it will help “engage in professional growth and leadership.”  Watching these videos really opened my eyes to the creativity and dedication that some teachers have to this profession.  You can tell that their view of life has changed because of the kids that they have taught, and you know that the students who have these wonderful teachers are lucky to have teachers that care about them and their growth.  The only problem that I saw with these videos, and I don’t know if I would even call it a problem, is that it is the speakers personal opinion on the subject that they are speaking about.  I can use these videos to help me get ideas on certain topics to teach to my students.  Depending on the grade level I will teach, I could even show my students some of the TED videos.

  1. Concept Map: The concept map assignment in inspiration was one of my favorites from the entire semester.  This assignment fit Standard 2, "design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity."  I used inspiration in high-school so I was familiar with the program already, but I learned much more about it through this course.  I learned that you could add pictures, and link websites directly to it.  The problem that I had with this assignment was time management.  It takes me a long time to make up lesson plans, and this one took even longer because I had to incorporate technology, something I’m not too familiar with.  It taught me how to solve the problem and I can use the program more easily that I used to be able to.  It is a more user-friendly website than I originally thought it was.  I could use this in my classroom, and plan on it.  I can either present my information to the class by using a graphic organizer or web map, or I could have the students to create a web map by taking their ideas and getting them on paper.

  1. Do Not Track Me:  I learned that more people track you than you know.  I am so surprised everyday how many people follow what I do on websites as simple as Yahoo email.  I had heard about credit card fraud happening, but it came more of a reality when  saw that people were following me and seeing what I was doing.  I still have this program on my computer and feel more safe when searching the internet.  The standard that this assignment fits is Standard 4 which, "advocates, models, and teaches safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources."  The problem I had with this assignment was that I couldn’t figure out how to download it to my home computer.  I eventually googled the steps to take to download it, and in no time it was working.  I could use this in my classroom when I am talking about internet safety.  It is something that everyone should have on their computer so one day when we have a BYOD day, I will give step-by-step instructions on how to download it so they are more protected online.

  1. Augmented Reality: The app fit the Standard 1 which, “facilitates and inspires student learning and creativity”.  This assignment was really cool.  It was an iterative app that brought things to life.  Students can view a picture in a museum, take a picture of it and the app will give you even more information on it.  It is taking learning to a whole different level.  The problem that I see with this is that, will every child have a device to use this app?  If not, then some children are being given more information on certain topics, and others aren’t.  The solution I see is If the school provided ipads to each student then this would play out well.  I hope to use this in my classroom someday, because it is a way to use technology in an effective way so that it enhances the students’ learning.  It is something that will make students curious and interested in learning.  I learned that there are so many applications out there that are meant to enhance learning, and that I should explore more and use them.

  1. Voki: This assignment met the NETS-T Standard 3 which allows teachers to, "collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation."  I learned that there are kid friendly types of online communication services.  I learned how to create my very own Voki who looks like me.  Students will enjoy connecting with other students and parents can contact me if they have any questions.  I can use this in my classroom by posting homework assignments and quick messages that I want the parents to see each day.  The problem I saw with this is that I had a hard time putting my Voki on the blog, but we all figured out how to do insert it instead of putting the link, so that solved the problem. 

  1. Web 2.0 sites: We took several class periods to go over all of these websites, and I truly believe that it was worth it.  I learned of so many websites that I can use in my future classroom.  Games to play, ways for me to present my information, ways my students can make graphic organizers, search engines that are appropriate and so much more!  The NETS-T standard that fits this assignment is Standard 2 which “develops technology-enriched learning environments that enables all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals.”  We met this standard because we learned about a variety of websites that we can use to learn ourselves and teach our students.  The problem I saw with this assignment is that not all of the websites worked.  One of my search engines didn’t have any results when I searched “Lakes in New York.”  The solution is to look for other websites that did work and to use on of those instead.  We covered a broad range of websites, so I know there is another one that will satisfy yours needs. 

  1. Website: The NETS-T standard that fits this assignment is Standard 4 which “promotes and models digital citizenship and responsibility.”  The reason I chose this is because a lot of us did a website on digital citizenship.  These websites taught life lessons that could save lives if a child in need came in contact with it.  I learned how to create a website!! My computer illiterate self never thought I could say that!  The problem I faced was that I couldn’t figure out how come people created their websites so elaborate.  I browsed through the templates and chose one that I liked, but the colors and alignment never met my expectations.  A solution to this would be to just play with it more and learn the ins and outs to using sites.  I can use this in my classroom as a way to present information to the class.  If I teach high-school or upper middle-school I could put students in groups and have them complete an assignment and presenting their information gathered on a website.
  1. Movie: This was the last assignment that we did.  It was a good way to end the semester.  The NETS-T Standard that it met was Standard 1 which, “facilitates and inspires student learning and creativity.”  By creating these movies, we got to see everyones creative side and how they learned how to put the movie together with music, animations, and more.  I learned how to make a movie using pictures and captions.  You see these types of videos on YouTube all the time, but I have always wondered how to make them.  I like that we chose pictures that told a story about our lives.  It was a good way of getting to know everyone in the class.  The problem I had with this assignment was that the program wasn’t on my normal computer.  The solution was to move to an empty computer in the back that had the Movie Maker on it.  I would like to use this in my classroom to make a slideshow at the end of the year and email it to each student and their parents.  It will show growth and change and will be a good good-bye present from me, their teacher.  


Course Reflection:

Coming into this class, I knew it would be difficult for me.  I want to start off and say THANK YOU for putting up with my question asking, I know it can be very difficult.  You made the class fun though, despite my feelings towards technology.  And my eyes have been opened to many wonderful things that I will take with me when I teach in the near future.  I have learned how to use technology in the classroom, and that is the most important thing that I needed to get out of this class.  My strong points are definitely organization and lesson plan writing, which is why I think my Inspiration Concept Map is the best thing I did this semester.  My weak points are using technology in general and getting programs to work for me.  It is definitely a user problem, I am technologically challenged.  My strong points are organization and lesson plan writing because that is what I am comfortable with doing.  Through this class though I have pushed myself in the technology department and learned a lot of helpful tools.  I now appreciate technology more and know that technology can be effective if you introduce it and use it in the right way.  My weaknesses are getting programs to work and using general technology.  Some of the ways that I can improve this is by using technology more often.  Becoming aware of the programs I struggle to use, and getting someone to teach me how to use it properly.  I can only hope that each student in my class is given an ipad to use.  This would be ideal because I could download apps that I wanted to use in my class on each one of them.  I am excited to use smart boards in the classroom.  I think smart boards are an interactive technological tool that every classroom should have.  It makes it fun for the students to take turns “playing” on it and at the same time helps them learn.  I have enjoyed this class because you value our opinions and make aware not only the good, but also the bad that comes along with technology.  Cyberbullying is a bigger problem than I thought it was, and through this class i have become more interested in the subject.  I feel capable of being able to teach a lesson on digital citizenship and the importance of online safety.  One of the most important things, I believe, we learned about was the Common Core State Standards.  We used them in assignments and we read numerous articles about the topic.  I wasn’t for it at first, but now I see why it could be beneficial to our students.  I learned that technology is always changing and that I have to keep myself updated on the new devices and programs coming out.

From Advisees (Blog #26)


The article explains a lot about the technology we have learned in this IT class.  The SAMR model is a model that shows the progression of technology and its learning.  I really like the idea of having a Learning Management System (LMS) in the school environment.  It is a easy way for children and their parents to keep up with their assignments, grades, and important messages.  LMSs can be used instead of 5 flyers being sent home each day that no parent actually takes the time to read.  Interactive whiteboards are a great way for students to learn through technology.  Since younger kids use technology more these days, it is a way to get them interested in learning.  BYOD is something that is being implemented in the classroom, but it is highly important that teachers know how to deal with it.  It is only going to be effective if teachers know exactly how to use it where it enhances the students‘ learning.  Teachers are given all of these tools to use, but they need to know how to use them. 

A Conversation With a “Bad” Teacher (Blog #25)


This is a really heartbreaking story.  It is sad to know that this school, and I’m sure many more, just want the scores to be there.  They could care less about the students and if they are actually learning.  They think as long as they are passing, there is nothing wrong.  John Owens wrote a book about his teaching experience to share with the world the real importance of school.  Being a teacher is one of the hardest jobs because you have to see all of the struggles that your students will go through.  Some may be struggling with school, but lots of children will be having family problems.  The story of the child who was raped broke my heart, because administration didn’t even care enough to let social workers come in and speak with her about it.  She wrote that story because she needed to tell someone, because she trusted John Owens enough to tell him the truth.  When Owens went to tell the principal of the problem, they blew her story off saying that it wasn’t true.  How horrible?? Children need someone who they can trust.  You should get to know your students, and you should care about your students!  Yes you want them to pass and “make the grades”, but it is so much more than that.  These children need to be taught how to be a citizen in society.  They need to be taught life lessons and work ethic.  This school treated its students like they were just a number, something that could become a statistic.  We need to make sure that education is more than just that.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Kids Can’t Compute--And That’s A Problem (Blog #24)


       Author Mike Elgan wrote this article to bring awareness to society.  He believes that it is a misconception that people think that kids these days are computer geniuses.  He states that the computer savvy people in the world today are aged 22-55.  His reasoning behind his belief is that kids these days do not know how to make websites, run trouble shooting, and build computers.  They don’t know the “how and why” that makes a computer work.  He agrees that kids are using computers more, but he sees young people entering the workforce everyday who know nothing about computers and the internet.
By this point I’m sure you know that I am not a big fan of technology.  Here is my opinion on Mike Elgan’s article.  He is correct when he says that kids these days don’t know how computers work and what makes them run.  Technology changes faster than anything else in this world, and in just a few short years has become a majority of everyones life.  I remembering having a razor phone that was used for texting and calling only, and now I have an iphone that has internet, GPS, and so many more interactive apps that help me out daily.  So my point is, kids don’t need to know how to build a computer or even how it works.  Problems can easily be fixed with an app or the internet.  No I don’t think that kids are geniuses for solely knowing how to use technology and an Ipad, I just believe that technology is all they have ever known.  It is not their fault that they don’t know how to use computers like they did 40 years ago, but technology will never go back in time so I personally don’t see it as that big of a problem.

Common Core in Action (Blog #20)


Common Core is something that we are all learning about and how we will use it in the classroom.  For teachers who have already been teaching, and now are being asked to include common core into their already made lesson plans, it is not as easy.  Reading and English teachers are having to implement state standards, but so are all of the other teachers.  You wouldn’t think that science would be able to incorporate these new changes, but indeed teachers have found a way to make it happen.  These teachers are giving students non-fiction literature articles to read and then giving them the assignment of writing about it using evidence from their readings.  This is a way to combine science, english, and reading into a lesson.
They had their students pull out main points of the text and be able to explain it thoroughly.  This is something that you could do with graphic organizers.  Have students take, like the article states, biofuel vs. fossil fuel and talk about how they are similar and different.  They are learning about science, but using their english and reading skills to help me complete the assignment.  You can do this with any subject, and that is the main point of this article.  Taking the common core state standards and applying them to everyday activities is why education is moving in this direction.

Evolving Classroom Education (Blog # 19)



This was a short but information-filled article.  It talks about the advances that technology is going to have in the near future and the effects it is having on the students right now.  This article introduces BYOD, NUIs, PLEs and more.  BYOD is known as bring your own device.  NUIs use body movements to provide outcomes like the Nintendo Wii and Just Dance games.  PLEs allow students to pick resources that fit their age level and even interest.  
I am not a lover of technology.  On the other hand my nine year old brother has every type of technological device possible.  From the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 Kinnect, Computer, Ipod, Ipad, Nintendo 3DS, Nook, and more, he has got it. So why do my parents keep buying him all of these devices?  The technology world is genius, that is why.  Nintendo Wii just came out with the Wii U and my sweet, SPOILED brother is getting one for Christmas.  Technology changes almost as fast as the speed of light.  There is always a new addition, upgrade, or game that the technology gods come up with.  My brother has all of these things because all of his friends have them, and he has to keep up so that they can all be on the same level and play the same games.  This whole BYOD thing blows my mind.  When we were young we didn’t have phones, and when we did get them there wasn’t the iphone with internet service at the touch of a button.  We got a detention if we were caught with our phones in high-school and now just a few short years later, they are asking children to bring in electronic devices.  I understand using the internet in a resourceful way and having children experience it first hand helps them learn, but I’m still skeptical about all of this.  I will have to get used to it though because there is no turning back now.  It is all uphill from here!

Link to Website (Blog #22)

https://sites.google.com/site/stopbeingabully101/home

Educause Sprint 2013 (Blog #23)


After reading this article, I was confused.  They were talking about MOOCs like we were supposed to know exactly what that was.  After googling and finding out what a MOOC was, it was much easier to understand. MOOCs are basically massive online classrooms.  This article talks about how we are now in the “connected age.”  So where is the difference between an online course and MOOCs?  Well this article explains that these type of classes are becoming more and more popular and that one student could finish in 3 weeks, and another student finish in 8.  It is all about doing the work in your own timing and finishing the content.  I don’t know if I like the idea of this, but I personally don’t like change.  Everyone learns differently, this is definitely not for me but I could see where it could benefit a lot of people, especially people who work full time.  Meeting with professors would be a negative to this type of class, because if they don’t respond to emails (like a lot of teachers don’t) then how will you understand the material.  If these type of classes are cheaper, then this could allow people who can’t afford college to be able to “attend.”  Online books are cheaper than hard copies as well, so there is a another money saver benefit to MOOCs.  Colleges have to pay to implement MOOCs though, and it is very expensive.  No matter what changes and stays the same, universities “need to rethink their IT infrastructure and IT services.”

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Web (Blog #21)

Madison: Mindmeister is a website like inspiration. It is a graphic organizer creater that allows you to do a slide show and zoom into each bubble point. It isn't a free site but would be worth the money if you use it regurally in the classroom. SpiderScribe.net: also a concept map organizer. You can move around the organizer, insert pictures, word documents, and even locations. It is for an older audience and often is used in the business world. Buying a package would allow for more designing. Erika: bubbl.us is a free concept map organizer website. You have to make an account to use it. You type in your main topic and it creates a bubble. You can import pictures just like inspiration. linoit.com: You dont have to sign up. You can post notes, post pictures, word documents, calendars, etc. You can make lots of boards and different designs. Useful in the classroom. Callie: duckduckgo is a kid-friendly search engine that directs their information to where it should be. There is a filter bubble that brings it to reliable resources. It doesnt have pages, it keeps loading as you scroll down. gogooligans.com: is a search engine for educational searches but it doesn't work or load Rebecca: padlet.com is a site where you can post a question and have your students all answer it. It shows up on the screen so you can tell who has answered it and who hasn't. text2mindmap.com is another organizational tool. It didn't work for Rebecca. Brittney:stormboard.com is a question asking/answering site where you can ask questions and have the students answer them. They can also like the questions to show you which questions they understand. Ally: kidtopia.com is an informational website that has a wide variety of subjects and lesson plan topics that we could use effectively. The problem is that there are a lot of ads that dont apply to education that pop up while you are trying to research. Victoria: slimekids.com is a website that allows you to view lots of different search engines. You click on one and it takes you to another search engine. It is like a directory. Tommi: Pearltrees is a website that combines pinterest and a concept map. It would be useful in the classroom if you explained how to use the website first netvibes.com is a website search engine that allows you to get all of your ideas on one place. MK: Glogster.com is a website where you can create poster boards. MK created a history timeline. It has dates and you can create and add pictures and videos. Then you can print it! audacity.com is a website where you can records music, speeches, and even your notes in class. It is one of the best free music recording website out there. Lauren: vimeo.com is a video watching/creating website somewhat like youtube. wordpress.com is a blog site where you can connect with friends and follow other people with similar interest. It has a lot of flexibility compared to blogger but it is more complicated. Deanna: evernote.com is a website where you can save ideas, tasks, projects, etc. You can take notes from class. You can search within your notes. Easy way to keep up with all of your notes. Nicole: Compfight is a website that is for locating images for blogs and reasearch. It is free to download and allows you to download different sizes of the picture. It gives you a good variety of pictures. diigo.com is a multi-tool to manage notes. You can share ideas through groups. Emily: blabberize.com is a website where you can insert images, cut out the mouth and make it say something else. You can use it to tell notes in an interesting way or to add something funny to a school project. www.easel.ly is a website to take your brainstrom information and to share it in an unique way. You can use it in the classroom and can pick differrent visual themes to keep it new each time. Brittneii: animoto.com is a website where you can make your own videos, add backgrounds, and make collages. bookbuilder.cast.org is a website that you can use in your classroom for your students to learn how to create their own books. You can change the language which would be helpful in a French or Spanish Jordan: weebly is a website that helps people make their own websites and blogs storyboard: is a website that allows you to search videos and personal stories. It is an australian made site. Tiffany: tagul is a website very similar to wordle but it isnt as limited. Easy to use!You can choose different fonts, colors, and shapes like a bus, a heart, ect. edmodo: is a website that is basically facebook for teachers. They have it broken down into subjects so math teachers can connect with math teachers. jacqueline:socrative student is a questions/answer site for kids to pick teams and answer questions. Jonathan: podbean is an itunes like website. As a teacher you could put your lessons up on it. Its audio and video pixton: is a website that alolows you to make comic strips where the characters can interact. Jennifer: icloud is a way to backup all of your information infogram is a website to create graphs

Monday, October 14, 2013

Ways of Preventing Bullying (#17)


I think an important thing to remember is that bullying effects children sometimes physically, but more importantly it always effects children emotionally.  To prevent  bullying in schools, you can make students take an elective class about cyber bullying.  High-schools all over have already started doing this.  This class brings awareness to the students, and makes them truly realize how detrimental it can be.  Starting at an early age, students become bullies or are bullied.  To stop bullying from happening in elementary schools, you can have a seminar on uniqueness and equality.  People are different.  They look different and they act different.  Just because someone doesn’t act like you or look like you doesn’t mean that they deserve to be talked about or bullied.  Create, as a school, a conduct code, a mission statement, and bullying report system.  It is important that children feel like they can tell on a bully.  Students need to know that if they stand up for a child being bullied that they will not be bullied in return.  As teachers, our role is to be aware of what is going on in the hallways, lunch, and recess.  We need to be approachable so that students feel like they can trust us and tell us if someone is being bullied.  Most importantly, we need to build a safe environment for children .

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Augmented Reality Snags a Coveted Spot in Classrooms (Blog #16)

It is about giving you more information on the information you are studying. How cool?  "Augmented reality uses technology to blend the real world with interactive and enhanced content."  Since there is an increase in the usage of mobile devices and augmented reality apps, it is becoming more and more common for them to be used in K-12 classrooms.  These apps allow students to use their creativity, explore, and think critically into their own learning.
     This was one of the hardest articles to write about only because I have never heard of augmented reality apps before.  They sound very efficient though!  I would like to learn more about it and use it in my classroom in the future.  The students in Theresa McGee's classroom seem to really enjoy using the smart devices and apps to learn.  If you can get students excited about learning, then you are doing a good job as a teacher.  It can be used for professional development purposes for my future as well.

Five Essentials To Create Connected Students (#15)

     Vicki Davis came up with 5 essentials to creating connecting students.  She wants children to be connected to the outside world and society, but she wants them to be able to be connected in the right way.  Using hash-tags, not for fun but for educational purposes.  Connecting to authors by blogging, knowing how to create wikis, sharing on Twitter, etc.  She wants them know how to properly publish something online.  She wants her students to be able to engage in a conversation and learning how to be a conversationalist through the internet is a great way to learn.  Being able to be a strategic disconnecter is important as well.  Lastly, she wants her students to be creators, not consumers.
     My favorite though, has to be essential number 4: A Strategic Disconnector.  She states, "while connecting is important, disconnecting is essential."  Procrastination and distractions are easier to do now that we have smart phones, apps, and the internet right in our hands.  We as a society have lost the ability to communicate by word of mouth.  We are wonderful at connecting through the internet now.  Sometimes I wish technology was where it was when I was a young child.  Phones were used for calling, and that is it.  We need to have well-rounded lives and should be ale to put our phones down to do homework, or work.  We should be able to put our phones down and not check them for an hour while we eat dinner with our families, yet society as a whole says it is ok to text and search the web at all times.  I think technology is good if used properly, but we are not using it properly anymore.  We are over-using it.

21st Century Skills: Why They Matter, What They Are, and How We Get There (#14)

     Ken Kay argues that in order to succeed in the world today, you must have 21st century skills.  The world is changing everyday and if you don't keep up with what is going on in society, then you are going to have a difficult time contributing to your work field.  Kay states that, "only people who have knowledge and skills to negotiate constant change and reinvent themselves for new situations will succeed."  Without these skills people are going to have to settle for low paying, low skill jobs.  He believes that the public education system right now is not preparing all students for the economic workforce or citizenship opportunities in general.  It is skills such as adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity that are included in the 21st century skills.  Right now only 70% of students and only 50% of minorities are graduating on time with regular high-school diplomas.  Kay says that, "even if all students earned a high school diploma and mastered traditional academic subjects, that they still would be ill prepared for the expectations of the new economy."
     I agree with what Ken Kay is saying.  Students in society today need to learn how to think, learn, solve problems, communicate with peers, collaborate, and contribute to society as a whole.  When I read this article I automatically thought of the changes that are being made to eduction now.  Common Core is trying to teach students how to think critically and solve problems on their own.  But as I read more into the article, I realized that the 21st century skills are more than what common core stand for.  These skills are looked at as "good to have" skills instead of "must have" skills, which is really what it should be.  Overall, students should be taught knowledge for college and career readiness but also need to be taught these 21st century skills so that they can take the knowledge they have and transform it into creative and purposeful learning.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Why Tough Teachers Get Good Results (Blog #13)


Joanne Lipman believes that the key to teaching is to be tough and strict.  Society and the US as a whole have strayed away from many things that Joanne wants to bring back.  She believes in “strict discipline and unyielding demands.”  She knows that memorization and lecturing are looked down upon, but believes that other countries are doing better in education because they still practice these teaching methods.  Constructive criticism and feedback should be given, and often.  She believes that “kids who understand that failure is a necessary aspect of learning actually perform better.”  Another big point that Joanne makes is that teachers who were optimistic have greater academic gain with their students.  This means that positive reinforcement is good for children in the classroom setting.
    I thought that this was a very well-written and knowledgeable article.  I heard once, “When you are a teacher, do not smile until Christmas.”  You have to be their disciplinarian, not their friend.  Even though I still firmly believe in getting to know your students and building relationships with each of them, you should still treat them like they are your students.  My teachers in high-school would not accept our friend request on Facebook, but as soon as we graduated, many of my teachers wanted to be my Facebook friend so that we could keep in touch.  I babysit 3 children after school.  I have rules set for the car, and for when they get home.  They know what I expect of them, and I have fun with them once they get their homework finished.  The parents have told me on multiple occasions how the children love me, but how they love me too because I am strict with them.  I explained to the parents that during school the teacher is in charge, and when they get to their house they think that is is their house so they are in charge.  They learned real quick that Ms. Madeline is in charge and means business and that in fact I have rules and expectations for them.  I learned a few things from this article that I will take with me as I go onto teaching.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Ispiration Comments (Bog#12)

Erika: Where the Wild Things Are is an adorable theme.  I like the fill in the blank sentence with an emotion and action!

Jacqueline: Very creative clip art. I love the chalk board that you can type over. Cute games, but maybe too many.

Mary Kathryn: I like the bear art project where they write the beginning, middle, and end of the story on the arms and legs.  Cute idea of having them go home and find their own buttons.

Jennifer: Very clean, organized graphic organizer. Very good lesson plan, but I would make this assignment for older children.

Amanda: Context clues is a good theme, because it is very important that they can use context clues to understand what they are reading at this age. Good balance of activities.

Jordan: I like the art project as well as hard activities to push the students to do their best. Hurricane victims coming to visit is a great idea. Small group work is great! Good organizer!

Jonathan: This is a good lesson plan for 8th graders. Ideas and activities will get them involved and engaged in the topic.




Do Not Track Me (Blog#11)

After talking about safety online in class, I really expected more companies to be "tracking" me.  I went on few different websites to compare the results.  On Yahoo I blocked two trackers, on Fox News I blocked nine trackers, On ABC.com I blocked ten trackers, on BrainyQuote I blocked six trackers, and surprisingly on Facebook I blocked five trackers.  I was most surprised about Facebook because of all of the hacking and advertisement that they have all of the time.  I will definitely keep this on my computer.  I like knowing that I can block companies from knowing what I am doing on their websites.  I hope that this protects my identity such as credit card information as well!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Safe Practices for Life Online (Blog #9)


  1. Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
  2. The consequences vary!  Students are feeling guilty, are being arrested, are getting suspended, and even in some cyber-bullying instances, committing suicide. 
  3. Definitions:
Sexting- sending inappropriate sexual text, pictures, and videos
Cramming- false or misleading charges on a bill
Cookies- little pieces of information sent to your computer from websites that keeps information about the user
Trojan Horse- a hidden virus that makes you think it is something else
Phishing- online stealing/theft usually via credit card
Spyware- a software that monitors the usage of a computer
Rootkit- gives unauthorized access in a computer to an intruder
Zombie- a hacked computer

4. Your screen name can be seen by anyone so you want it to look professional. All of these are silly and/or have a negative reputation that goes along with them.

5. You don’t want to be portrayed as a person in anyones face, have the reputation of being a bad boy, look desperate and tell others you are looking for love, call yourself hot or fat, or call yourself a super flirt.  It is not professional and if these were people trying to get jobs, they would be disregarded just by these screen names.  

6. Too much information can be harmful, especially for students.  All of these screen names reveal the persons full name, and a number which could be their age, school number or birthday.

7. These are all bad screen name choices.  They are bad because some of them reveal too much information while others are too generic.  Most of these have a negative connotation and they do not identify who the person really is.

8. MadV4! and GKVKKMKV3 and Love_To_Teach2

9. After rating my password, I received a 3 for my score.

10. Most common-Others who know personal things about the student guess their password.  Least common- Other students see the password as the student enters it on a keyboard.

The Padagogy Wheel-Bloom's Taxonomy (Blog #8)



The Padagogy Wheel using Bloom’s Taxonomy is a helpful way of pointing out some applications that students can use in and out of the classroom.  Some that stick out to me are the Inspiration App, the Skype App, the iMovie App, and the Bump App.  Its cool to know that all of these Apps support and go along with Bloom’s Taxonomy.  We are already using Inspiration to make graphic organizers and this is a good tool to use for all subjects.  It allows students to point out the main topic in an article or project and to better understand the information.  The Skype App could be useful because you could let the students meet other students from across the world by setting up a Skype session in the classroom.  Another application that I want to use in my classroom is the iMovie App.  I can teach a topic and get the students engaged by having them act out a play.  You can use iMovie to record the play and even add effects such as sound and slow motion.  Lastly I want to talk about the Bump App.  This is an App that my 9 year old brother uses and loves.  Since he doesn’t own a phone yet, but has an iPad, he can communicate or “text” through this application with his friends and classmates.  The students in the class all have an account and it allows him to ask questions about homework or even just talk over the weekend.  Overall, it is wonderful to use technology in the classroom when you know how to effectively introduce it.  I will be more than happy to use all of these Apps when I become a teacher in the future.

Concept Map Caterpillars and Butterflies (Blog #10)




Caterpillars and Butterflies
W. K. 8
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.


I.       Go outside and explore

We are going to go outside and observe nature. We will be looking for caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies.  We will go back inside and learn about them! I will break the class up into four groups and give them a disposable camera. The students will take pictures of what they see. I will also bring in real butterflies for the class to observe.

Look for caterpillars
Look for cocoons
Look for butterflies

II.     Butterfly Life Cycle

Come inside and watch the video, off of Youtube, on the butterfly life cycle. Break the class up into four groups and have them act out each part like charades.

Eggs > Caterpillar > Cocoon > Butterfly

III.    Paper Plate Butterflies

Let the students design their own butterfly using a paper plate. View the blog to show them how.

Make the antennas and body out of construction paper
Decorate a paper plate and cut it in half

IV.    The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Read to the class, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Erik Carle.

Math assignment:
The very hungry caterpillar eats...
1 apple
 2 pears
 3 plums
 4 strawberries
 5 oranges
 1 piece of chocolate cake
 1 ice cream cone
 1 pickle
 1 slice of Swiss cheese
 1 slice of salami
 1 lollipop
 1 piece of cherry pie
 1 sausage
 1 cupcake
 1 slice of watermelon
 1 green le
af

Make a Graph by asking each child to put a mark by whatever fruit they like the most.

V.     Different types of butterflies

There are lots of different types of caterpillars and butterflies. Search the Internet for pictures of caterpillars. Learn about different types; poisonous vs. harmless, furry vs. smooth

Poisonous vs. Harmless
Hairy vs. Bald





Thursday, September 12, 2013

Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy (Blog #6)

What is the purpose of the college and career readiness standards?

Expectations were too broad
All states were following different curriculum
One set of standards for all of the states



What are the benefits and challenges of the shift to reading and writing non-fiction texts?

 Informational Technical, Historical text
To write informative text
To apply knowledge
More writing
Challenge- does not include special needs

What are the benefits and challenges of having standards for Science, Social Studies, and technical subjects?

Challege- does not include special needs children

Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core (Blog #7)


Integrating arts in the classroom is often overlooked.  This is because teachers are insecure about using arts, especially their own artistic talent.  Every child’s needs are different.  By using arts in the classroom, a teacher can make sure each child is learning in a way that makes sense to them.  They are learning socially, emotionally, and intellectually by using arts in the classroom.  Our society thinks highly of the arts.  Think about all of the movies, plays, concerts, museums that you like to visit and see.  There are few key things you can do to make sure that you are using art integration correctly.  Some of the key things are to talk with art teachers, dance teachers, drama teachers, and classroom teachers to find a balance and objectives that want to be accomplished.  Creating a lesson plan that teaches both art and an academic subject is another great component when trying to integrate art into the classroom.  
I think this is a great way to get students interested in a subject that they would not care for otherwise.  It is a way of getting students moving and learning.  I think this will build great leaders in the classroom instead of followers.  By using the arts, students can learn through different activities.  Everyone learns differently, but everyones mind thinks artistically in some way or another; For some it is through music, dance, drama, and art.  Incorporating this into learning allows children with all different types of art abilities to connect.    

Thursday, September 5, 2013

"John Hunter and the World Peace Game" Reflection (Blog #5)

"So many people doing so much good."  John Hunter is a public school teacher from Virginia.  He was in an out of college but finally committed to education.  He got a teaching job working with gifted children.  When he watched the video he didn't see himself as a teacher.  He saw each of his teachers who shaped him.  He wanted interative learning so he came up with a game.  Now that game has evolved into a 4 by 4 plexi glass figure with outer space and the world.  This was to let these 4th graders fix economical problems and global problems.  As I'm watching this video I can't help but think about my outlook on life when I was in 4th grade.  I knew nothing of the outside world.  I was sheltered! These children are learning real world problems and, by themselves, learning how to fix them.  What a wonderful loutlook on education.  The best thing you can do as a teacher is to let children explore their imagination. 

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Common Core's Fundamental Trouble (Blog #4)


Another great article.  It just makes me not like the Common Core even more than I already do, which scares me.  I know that this is what I am going to be teaching by and I need to get used to it, or think about changing my profession (which isn’t going to happen.)  I had heard about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reform, but did not realize that is was the results from these assessments that made the U.S. aware of where our children stand in education.  The results from the once-a-year testing and assessments showed that “millions of students were not meeting existing standards.”  So why make it harder??  I believe that the NCLB program showed that pressure and testing is stressful and children buckle under pressure, so why would they want to make the test even more difficult?  The only thing that this is going to do is make more students drop-out.  I think about the ACT.  That test was torture for me.  I was so anxious and nervous about the test that I threw up the day of the test, each and every time I took it.  I finally stop taking it, because of the way that it made me feel.  I cannot imagine taking a test and knowing that I am going to fail.  And I cannot imagine giving a test, as a teacher, and knowing that 80% of my class is not going to pass it.  
This program shows no type of positive reinforcement, which a student and child needs!  Even Common Core supporter Charlotte Danielson states that, “The test items I’ve seen that have been released so far are extremely challenging.  ...That’s what I mean by train wreck.”  We need to get teachers and parents into the review panels, so that they give their opinions on the program, and work through the problems that they are seeing in the classroom and at home.  My opinion still stands, Common Core is going to be detrimental to the school system.  I hope I can soon be enlightened about some positive things this program has to offer.  

The Biggest Fallacy of the Common Core Standards (Blog #3)



The Common Core Standards “...discourage, they do not encourage.”  I enjoyed this article because this is my view on the sticky subject.  Although I am not a teacher yet, just the few things that I have heard about the changes towards common core have put a sour taste in my mouth.  Why do we need this change?  If it is to make sure that the children in North Dakota are learning the same things as the children in Louisiana, then this is unnecessary.  The article explains that we already have the National Assessment of Education Progress which compares the states to one another.  This change is to make children college and career ready.  I do not believe that changing the curriculum is going to make a child more ready than what they are being taught now.  Many children go to college after high-school and move onto getting a job, and the ones that do not go to college try to find a job in society.  
All that the Common Core is going to do is discourage children from going to college.  When they do not pass these standards, which are out of their reach, they will think of themselves as ignorant and not have enough self-esteem to move onto college.  Drop-out rates are about to sky rocket because of Common Core, which will lead to more teenagers getting minimum wage jobs.  Actually I see no good in the program!  I think that Common Core is going to take the fun out of teaching.  Our lesson plans will have to be prepared around what we have to teach instead of what we want to be teaching.  We might not even need to make lesson plans anymore, since the curriculum and what to be taught will be directly in front of us in the manual.  Before I am on board with the whole idea of Common Core, I am going to need to be educated on both sides of the subject, since right now I am only hearing the negativity of it.

Monday, August 26, 2013

How Teachers Are Integrating Tech Common Core


       Elementary School Principal Fred Sitkins likes the idea of common core and the technology advances that it includes.  He is excited to bring technology into instruction and thinks that the timing is perfect since society is moving towards technology and ipads are available for children in the classrooms.  He thinks that this connects children to the world, to deeper thinking and exploring.  Using different apps, students can take notes and share them with their peers, and teachers.  Sitkins likes that in the classroom a teacher can show a video, or article off of the internet or a student can look up a word or definition when they need help.
Personally I am scared of common core and adding technology to the classroom.  I do think it is necessary, but computer class can cover the basics.  I think testing online is going to be difficult, especially for a young child.  I think ipads are good if they are using them for learning, but a child can also have access to games that are not educational.  Then we have students playing at school instead of learning.  I think if Common Core is going to bring technology into the big picture, that the ipads should be blocked to certain websites and games.  Only put educational, helpful games onto the ipads.  Lastly I think that teachers should be able to turn the internet off during testing so that a student is not able to cheat.  I like the idea of technology in the classroom, I just think it needs some restrictions.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Introduction

My name is Madeline Varnado! I am a 20 year old Elementary Education major and when I grow up I hope to become a second grade teacher.  I want to be a teacher because I love children, have a young brother, and have babysat since I was 14.  I currently live in Hattiesburg, MS but I go home and visit my family often in Bogalusa, LA.  I live with my mom, dad, and 9 year old brother.  In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with friends and attending the movie theater.