Blog Post 6

The video The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler explains about a student who attends 21st Century High School three days a week and online the other two days of the week. The student has no textbook and must research information on his topic of American Psychology. His teacher believes in connectivism which allows to to connect with other students through social media.

The question "why does the networked student even need a teacher?" was asked at the end of the video.The video goes on to explain that the teacher is there to help the student build a network and explain how to use it. The teacher is also there for guidance when the student gets stuck and teaches the students how to communicate properly. Being able to tell the difference between good information and non useful information is also a reason that a networked student needs a teacher. Last but not least, the teacher explains to the students how to turn web search into a scavenger hunt.

As I was watching this video I began to think that a networked student didn't really need a teacher. However, the video explained exactly why a networked student does need a teacher. For example, the student wouldn't know the proper rules for web searching. I believe that there should be more classes like this on in high schools and even in middle schools. It would prepare students for future schooling and jobs. I believe that I am ready to teach children about web search and show them the potential that they have.

After watching the video, A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment,I believe that every school should allow the classes to be like the one in the this video. There are many pros about having a class online. It would teach students to be very organized and creative. Having a class online allows students to express their creativity more than doing busy book work. It also is help to have everything you need for the class right in their computer. I am very excited to learn more about technology and the way that I can use it in my classroom.

Project #7 C4K Summary 1

The second students' blog that I commented was in Mrs. Kilgo's Class and his name was Evan. Evan briefly stated that he wanted to go to Paris to see the tower and to see the arts in Paris. I commented back stating that I would also love to go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower. I also said that I would love to try some French food.


The third C4K that I was assigned to read was St. Elmo Explorers. The blog post , "Day One, Success", was about a class that was given iPads from the famous, Lucy Buffett. I think that it is a wonderful action that Ms. Buffett provided children with technology that will help them grow and learn. In today's society, the world is filled with technology and I believe that children need to learn and love technology.


The forth C4K that I was assigned to comment on was Laura's blog post, where I would love to visit and why on the class blog, Student Blogging Challenge. Laura listed ten places that she would love to visit and why. I explained that traveling around the world and seeing different places would be extremely fun. The places that Laura wanted to travel were Greenland, Chad, Madagascar, Bahamas, China, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil. I agreed that would love to visit the Bahamas too. I think the water would be such a beautiful site to see.

Project 8

title= Devon, Nikita, Eric

Project 9

Blog Post 5

Scott McLeod J.D., Ph.D is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky and he is also the founding director of CASTLE. He was also a co-creator of the Did You Know? videos. After reading his blog post, Don't teach your kids this stuff. Please?, I was a little confused. I don't agree with most of his points that he is trying to make. However, I do understand his point of the safety issue. I believe that you should teach children safety of the internet, as well as in the "real world". In my opinion, children should love technology and learn about it. In today's society, the world is all about technology and so children will definitely need it to succeed in their future.


I can honestly say that I enjoyed watching the The iSchool Initiative (Mobile Learning0 and the Travis Allen's ZeitgeistYoungMinds entry (Mobile Learning) iSchool Initiative videos. Travis Allen was just an ordinary teenager that wondered why teachers were being laid off and class sizes were getting bigger. It is very hard to learn in a class where the teacher barely knows your name. Therefore, Allen created iSchool. The iSchool is basically a school or classroom on an iPod that allows the teachers, students, and even parents to access the work easily. It is also eco-friendly because everything is done electronically. Travis Allen believes that if the schools were to switch to iSchool the cost of paper, ink, books, and projectors would be eliminated.
Before taking EDM 310, my thoughts of iPads in the classroom were not what they are know. I just thought it was a waste of money and the students could not benefit from it. However, just five weeks into EDM 310 my thoughts have changed. Especially after watching Travis Allen's videos. I think that the iSchool is a wonderful idea. Not only would it benefit the teachers, but parents and students as well. I love the fact that everything the teacher needs is in the palm of his or her hand, as well as the students and parents. I am extremely excited to see if this project ends up in the school systems.


After watching Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir I was speechless. It is absolutely amazing what the internet can do. I mean how can you do that? Make 185 people that have never met or preformed together, a virtual choir. I am anxious to see what else the technological future has in store for the world.


In the video Teaching in the 21st Century, I believe that Kevin Roberts does a great job of explaining what it mans to teach in the 21st century. Children should be able to express their creativity in what they love so they would have a better understanding of what they want to make of their lives. Roberts explains that drilling children with information and expecting them to remember it is not the key. He goes on to explain that children should engage in education and have a hands on experience. I feel that teachers should teach their students to engage in what they love. I also believe that students should engage in technology because it has so many answers. As an educator, I plan to teach my students to engage in everything that they do because that is the information that will stick with them.

My Sentence Video

Blog Post 4

The first video that I watched about podcasting is The Benefits Of Podcasting In The Classroom by Joe Dale. I never knew how a teacher could incorporate a podcast in his or her classroom before watching this video. As a teacher, I plan to have a website created for my classroom and I would have podcast for every lesson that I teach. Therefore, if a student had to miss school they could listen to the lesson that they missed. I also believe that it would help parents understand what their children are doing in the classroom. I learned from this video that a student can download a podcast to an iPod or mP3 player and listen to it anywhere, which is a wonderful thing in this generation.


The second blog that I read about podcasting was the Eagles' Nest Radio & Class Blog, which is a blog that contains podcasts by third graders. The class did such an excellent job with the podcasts. They had been learning about sharks in class so they decided to interview a shark expert through a Skype video conference and put it on their blog. The third grade class also travels back into time and entertains their listeners with information about Ancient Rome. The blog, "Eagles' Nest Radio & Class Blog" is a great example of how technology is being used in the classroom.


The third article that I read was called 100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better. After reading this article I believe that every student should have an iPod. I honestly never knew that my iPod could be used to help me study. The article, "100 Ways To Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better" taught me about every application, tutorial, podcast, study guide, tool, and download that I could use on my iPod. My mouth literally dropped while I was reading this article because it is amazing that classroom help is right at the tip of my fingertips. I can honestly say that I will be downloading and using my iPod more than ever after reading this article.

Project #5

Blog Post 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
By: Michael Wesch

The movie "A Vision of Students Today" is about students who don't seem to enjoy school. Different students hold up signs stating facts about what students really think about school. For example, one sign stated that the person had been on Facebook during class and not listening. As a student I can understand from their point of view. School sometimes is not the most exciting thing. I can get side track real easy when doing my work or listening in class. However, as a teacher's point of view it could be very frustrating. I would not be a happy teacher if I was teaching to a class of students who didn't care about school. I know sometime down the road I will have those types of students. I believe that it is my job to excite those children about school and their future



It's Not About The Technology
By: Kelly Hines

The blog post "It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines explains that teaching is not just about technology. She explains that technology is a great tool but she doesn't agree that it should be the first thing to initiate in the classrooms. Hines goes on to explain that there are four things that every single teacher should recognize in order to positively and effectively impact the lives of the students of the new generation. The first thing is that teachers must be learners and be up to date on the current trends and tools. The second thing that Kelly Hines explains about is that teaching and learning are not the same thing. She believes that if you teach something and a students doesn't understand then it's useless. The forth thing is that technology is useless without good teaching. Technology is a wonderful tool and can be used to a your advantage.The last thing that Hines explains about is you should be a 21st Century teacher without using technology.

As I was reading this blog post, I began to realize how much I agreed with Kelly Hines. I believe that teachers should use the technology that is given them in an effective and useful way. I have seen too many teachers let their technology go to waste because they don't want to learn how to use it. I also agree with the fact that we should teach our kids with relying on technology to do the work for us.


Is It Okay To Be A Technological Illiterate Teacher?
By: Karl Fisch

"Is It Okay To Be A Technological Illiterate Teacher" is a blog post explaining why teachers should have technological literacy. Karl Fisch explains all educators must have some sort of basic level use of technology and if you don't then it's not something to be proud of. He goes on to explain that some people think that it's okay to not know how to work a computer. In today's society, all people should know some use of technology. Fisch explains that in the 1990's you could be successful and be technological illiterate. However, every year it is becoming harder and harder for people who are technological illiterate to be successful.

I believe that all teachers should be technological literate. We obviously live in a society where technology is all around and it keeps growing. Students should see that technology can advance their lives in many ways. In order for students to learn about technology, teachers must know how to teach it.


Gary Hayes Social Media Count
By: Gary Hayes

It is so crazy to see the numbers of the social media counts race in just seconds. It is hard to believe that technology is growing so fast in just one minute. I can't imagine what the numbers will look like in just one day. The numbers are breath taking to me. For example, 37,000,000 SMS messages sent in just 195 seconds or 90,000 iPhone apps downloaded in 275 seconds. This media count is a perfect example of what our society will be like in 20 years.

As a teacher, I believe that I should keep up with all of the social trends and share them with my students. For example, It is very important for teachers to show students what technology is capable of because those students are our future that will be filled with technology.

Project #3 C4T #1 & #2 Summary

The blog that I was assigned to comment on was Ideas and Thoughts by Dean Shareski. The first blog post that I commented on was called "Not better, But Different". Mr.Shareski posts a picture of a family that is all sitting together but everyone is reading either a book or magazine. He then posts another picture that is similar, but the family is either on a laptop or an iPod. Dean Shareski goes on to say that some people would see the first picture as being a great family evening together. However, he explains that being on the internet or listening to a podcast on iTunes is just as important as reading a book. Shareski shares a third picture at the end of his post with the same family interacting with each other. In my point of view, books and magazines can "destroy a community or family" as well as technology. I am a strong believer in spending quality time with your family. However, I also believe that alone time, whether it is reading a book or surfing the internet, is very important too.

The second blog post by Dean Shareski that I commented on was called "Why Joy Matters". Mr. Shareski participated in an event called Unplugged in which him and his fellow colleagues created a product called "What Matters Now". "What Matters Now" is book that is being released one chapter at a time. The chapter that Dean Shareski wrote and shared in his blog post "Why Joy Matters". The chapter explains that some children are not happy at home and their only escape is when they come to school. However, some schools are are stripping the joy from the classrooms. Teachers have been told that the most important things are test scores and different curriculums. Mr. Shareski states, "A joyful learning environment might be the most important thing you create for a child".
I could not agree more with the quote from Dean Shareski. I have had some school years when I dreaded going to school. I believe that it is very hard to learn in an environment like that. Children need a fun and joyful learning environment that they enjoy going to. As a teacher, I plan to design my classroom to be a joyful environment where my students look forward attending. I want my future students leaving my classroom at the end of the year being joyful learners and excited about the next step in their life.

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know? 3.0
By: Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod
This is a great video that sums  the growth of technology in five minutes.  It was amazing to see the  numbers of technology use dramatically increase over a few year span. I can remember when  my family got our first computer and we barely used it. Now, I could not live without my laptop. This video states that the first text was sent out in 1992 and now the text sent out and received per day surpasses the total population. I can only imagine what the numbers will be in five or ten years.
 The children of today need to learn at an early age to be familiar with technology because they are our future. They ware being prepared for technological jobs that haven't been discovered yet.  Technology is always changing and it is to our benefit to keep up with it.  This video also explains that the world is changing year to yea as well. There is more information  in one week of New York Times than a person would come across in the 18th century. As the population grows and the world changes, so will technology.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
By: Mathew Needleman
In the video Mr. Winkle Wakes, Mr. Winkle wakes up from a 100 year sleep to find that he was lost in a world full of technology. He seen that machines printed out pictures and documents. He also seen that people all over the world could talk to each other and see each other on a small screen. Feeling sick, Mr. Winkle went to a hospital and found  the same type of machines as he found in the office building. He still was feeling sick and uncomfortable so he left. He later found comfort in a school. The school kids sat in their desks and listened to the teacher. Mr. Winkle found only one of those machines, but no one was using it.
In the world today, we know how important technology is. Mr. Winkle feels sick and uncomfortable because he is unfamiliar with the technology surrounding him. However,  many jobs today require some knowledge with technology. Mr. Winkle feels comfortable in the school because no technology was being used. Technology is very vital in schools because the children are the future and so is technology.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance Of Creativity
By: Ken Robinson
In this video, Ken Robinson explains the importance of creativity in education. He begins by saying that humans have a variety of extraordinary creativity. He also states that education will be taking us into an unknown future and we have no idea of what the future holds for us. Ken Robinson goes on to say that creativity is just as important in education as literature. He tells of a story of a little girl drawing God but not knowing what He looked like. He goes on to tell another story of a little boy who forgot his lines in a play. Robinson is explaining through these stories that children will take chances even if they are wrong. He goes on to say that if you are not prepared to be wrong then you will not come up with anything original. In the world today, adults are scared of being wrong and mistakes are the worst things you can make. Ken Robinson doesn't understand why schools don't teach things like dance everyday like they do mathematics. Children that have the ability to be creative grow up thinking they are not. Public schools are the world do not value creativity. Therefore, students never get the chance to be creative. Robinson explains that intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct.
In the world today, so many children grow up with the knowledge that they are not creative. I believe that parents have an impact on the creativity of their child just as much as the school system does. My parents encouraged me to do many creative things in my childhood. In the schools, children are not able to express their creativity as much as they need to.

Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
By: Cecelia Gault
When Cecelia Gault interviews Sir Ken Robinson he explains that the curriculum has to change in schools by balancing science and arts. He goes on to say that schools need to make better use of technology so that the children of our future will have a better understanding of technology. Cecelia later asks Ken Robinson about three myths on creativity and what they are. The first myth is that only some people are creative. However, Robinson believes that everyone is creative. The second myth is that creativity is only about certain things, but you can be creative with anything. The third myth is that you are either creative or not. Robinson believes that you can teach people to be more creative.
When I become a teacher, I hope to teach my students to be creative with everything that they do. I believe that children learn better by being creative and having fun. I also plan to incorporate technology with almost everything that I do in my classroom.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
In a small town of rural Georgia, teacher Vicki Davis uses every type of technology to connect her students to the world. She explains that every child has the ability to learn. However, only certain children can learn and succeed with paper and pencil.  Vicki Davis understands that every student is different and has different interests and strengths. She customizes her curriculum to help the students. She also teaches her students to become familiar with different types of technology and learn how to use it effectively. Some teachers believe that they need to know everything before they teach. However, Davis explains that isn't true because her students teach her new things. Her students connect with other students all over the world by creating the Flat Classroom project.
I admire the way Vicki Davis teaches. She lets her students explore and learn new things by themselves. I also  admire the fact that she teaches her students to use different types of technology. I believe that if every elementary, middle, and high school incorporated more technology in their schools some students would be more successful.