Lasting Legacy

The next assignment for EDM310 was to watch a video by Randy Pausch. Not the first time I have had to watch this in college, but the first time I viewed it with educational implications. Wow, he covers a lot of information in just over a hour. This is worth the time.

What kind of legacy will we leave to those we come in contact with. Will you make an impact on the life of those you come in contact with. When you get to the end of your life will you regret the way you lived or will you know you did it all the way you wished you did, did you make your mark? Did you teach the children in a way that makes you proud?

Encourage those you are around to make their dreams to come true! No matter how silly they may seem. When you aim for the moon you may reach the stars! The journey for the dream may lead them to a different path, that will make them a very happy person.

Not every person gets to do the glory stuff! Every person has to be able to do the dog work! Without the basic, fundamental parts, the rest of the machine will not work. This goes for every thing, work, play, games, the endless list!

The idea of taking a large class and breaking them in groups , so they may work on projects. Whatever project they desire, and then presenting it to the class. Rotating the students so that they work with others, giving them the chance to work with all sorts of people, share ideas, learning team work, networking and sharing ideas and knowledge. This is the kind of learning that should be in our classrooms, the students would be excited to learn.

Sometimes it is not about what you do, but how you do it. It is not who you are, but how you present yourself. Not about where you have been,it is about reaching goals.

Personal Learning Network...

I would have never imagined so many people blogged, let alone so many teachers. Just the other night, I was on Facebook, and just for fun tried a search on Special Ed. Teachers. Low and behold, up comes pages there, too! There are list and list, follow teachers on twitter, Mr. Chamberlain has become one of my favorite to follow, and if it is humor from a teachers point of view you wish to read this is the place to do it! I am finding the possibilities are endless!
This will take you an entire list of blogs, I never get very far, because I get interested and read and read. There is so much to learn from other peoples ideas and experiences.

Instant Thoughts

I do not think I can stress this enough, what a great time we will teach in! Today I bought a netbook, this computer is smaller then my first cellphone! It has capabilities beyond those I would have imagined when the cellphone was introduced eons ago. I can listen to music, read, listen to podcast, watch movies, play games, learn,chat with friends, the list is endless. The most amazing thing is many of these things can be done from a cellphone that is no bigger then half a pb&j sandwich! Technology has changed so why are we not using it differently?

In the video 'How We Dream', Richard Miller emphasizes how gadgets can take the place of books and be used to teach students. Look around, this "stuff" is what the students are familiar with. We would not speak to English speaking students in Greek. Why then would we try to teach them with outdated materials and techniques?

Technology has the capability to make learning more interesting. Programs allow lessons to be animated(not like a cartoon. When things move and pop out the student is more likely to pay attention and remember the material presented. The ability to interact with the presentation will also help the attention span and have positive results in the classroom.

Learning Is Personal

Now that netbooks and iPads are here, why spend so much on textbooks? For the price about two of my books this semester I could have bought the laptop I am using right now. With this laptop I can access more information then those two books contain combines and then some. I can obtain so much information connected to the web, I could read for days on end with out stopping and never read the same thing twice.

Now with this idea in mind, why would I ever need a teacher, or ever need to be one? We all need guidance, there is someone out there smarter or who knows which direction the answer lies in. There has to be someone to get yo back on track!A leader to keep things in check.

With this being said, I think developing a personal learning network, and finding information from others, using iTunes U and other credible resources, any student is on the way to better understanding and knowledge of any subject out there!


Authentic?

The Machine Is Changing Us

If you read this blog, and have not watched this video, you really should... What has this world come to? WHATEVER? Who cares? Does it really matter? Actually to me it really does! Perhaps to you it is insignificant, but to someone who has the idea of changing the world one person at the time, everything matters.

Just because we communicate on the web, we post on Facebook or read it on a blog, be yourself. WHATEVER, you do, I am not here to judge you, I want to know you as a person, I want to see you express yourself, your thoughts. Jut be aware, WHATEVER you put out there, it is out there for all to see! If I could give one word of wisdom, only because it is the one thing I , myself would improve on, watch spelling (there is a spell check feature for almost every platform out there/use it!!)

WHATEVER you do, where ever you go, be yourself! Your worth it, and so it the person next to. Take the time to make a difference. Do WHATEVER it takes! We are going to be teachers, we will be making a big difference, for the rest of someones life. Some lives that have not yet begun!

Outside of Education

Click here to go to my personal Blog!

Inspired by what I have learned in this class, I have started blogging my own poetry!
Thank You Dr.Strange for teaching me about blogging!

Comments 4 Teachers

I followed Meaning of Life or 42 as my Comments4Teachers assignment.

I explored a link to learning theories the idea, "Learning is about behaviour change", really stuck in my mind.It reminded me about Dr. Strange talking about Burp Back Education, when Mrs.Holmwood talks about teaching outside the core curriculum, I see this as a rebellion to teach what the student needs, in a way they will remember. So often educators are given instructions are given to teach a test not teach so they remember the material. She has created a slap poem for a class that she took that is awesome!

Mrs. Holmwood has made a video that is exactly the experience most of us are getting in EDM310 right now! Her video does a wonderful job taking the viewer through a tour of the possibilities, which I am finding to be endless. I had to look up Second Life, that was a new one for me. Guess, I can barely keep up with reality!

Mrs. Holmwood has helped her students create a great site on YouTube, her students are full of talent and she have found it! She has helped them take their hidden wonders and bring them out for the world to see! It is wonderful that she take the time with her students to learn and try new things. I will visit "CinemaOwls" often, so I can check out the latest production.

Comments 4 Kids

Check out Regan's Blog!

It is great to see kids are able to express their thoughts, what ever they may be. I was impressed that I was not the first to comment to this blog!

Field Trip!

Google, Not Just for search anymore!

Take your class on a trip and never leave the building! Dr. Alice Christie has created a site with many resources for teachers( and parents alike) The activities she has planed will not only get the participants using technology, it integrates hands on learning. It is one thing to read something and something different to experience it! No, we can not go to every place we will teach, read or learn about, but a virtual visit can create an experience that will leave an impression on the mind.

The part of Dr. Christie’s web site I like the most is the idea of using Google Earth in the classroom. Children may already be familiar with this platform, but if not it is very easy to learn to use. The tool is free making it more inviting for the educator to incorporate into the lesson. She gives some lesson ideas on her site and also directs the reader to Google, who also provides many great ideas. The topic possibilities are endless, from math to geography. When a student can apply what they have studied they are more likely to remember what we are teaching.
Dr. Christie's Google Ideas
Google Earth for Educators

Why Use iPods?

Give the same exact lecture to every student. Seem impossible? Once upon a time yes, but with today’s technology it is reality! You , the teacher make a pod cast, publish it to iTunes and there you go, the same lecture for every student. One of the things that make this better then saving your breath and giving you more time to work with the students, is the idea that the material can be played back by the student every time they wish to hear it.

Many teachers/professors have already taken the time to use this service, making many titles/subjects available to those who seek knowledge. There are books that have been read and published, or lectures explaining difficult subject matter. They are all there to download and listen to free of charge.
Check Here for Collection of Stories and Poems

These ideas may have you wondering does this really work? Duke University handed out iPods to students in 2005. What a wonderful idea! This has taken off and become more wide spread in the class room. Why neglect technology? It should be embraced like this and used to broaden the mind in every way possible.

Nope! Not an excuse to skip class. The studies are showing that the addition of iTune U to a class or a pod cast achieve higher scores on test. The student still has to do the work, like take notes and pay attention to the lecture. Maybe this is not quite practical for the old generation of learners but those who are a future generation are familiar with this kind of stuff, they will welcome this as their teachers.
Ways to Use Your iPod to Study & Learn

Wii Are Inspired!

Click to Check Out Endless Oceans

How awesome is this? A class of children who are inspired by the game Endless Oceans/Wii! This week, I was directed to their teachers blog. She has taken the time to post pictures of them busy at work. They created eye catching pop art.

It Is All About Instinct...

Wiki Never Know-

Do an online search and Wikipedia will be on the top of the list. Clever idea, every one can contribute to the article, but is what you read the whole truth? Is appears that the editors of some of the post are people with motives. Sure, I would not want something negative about me on the web, but at the same time people/companies should live exactly the way they would want to be written about. If anyone can change a post, who better then the company that is getting a bad image from what someone else perceives as the truth? Now that tracking is available to see who changes what, it is more evident that the content of Wikipedia is not reliable and should not be used as a source of reliable information.

An Important Decision-

We have chosen the profession of teaching, the reasons are diverse, but to all of us something in the classroom calls us. I can not help, but to think of how often I see my own children being taught to take a test.Not the who, what, when, where or why, just the right answers to the questions. It is truly about listening to the students and working with them so they understand what they are taught. I once had an instructor who said, "Knowledge with out understanding is dangerous". Part of the real danger can be on the part of the teacher. We have tons of knowledge but do we understand how to teach what we know? Can we communicate in a way the student understand? Each and every student! Can we be flexible and not expect perfection. The students work hard and they are just as disappointed when they fall short of a goal as we are when this happens. Use all the tools available, including computers and great strides will occur in the hunger of understanding. We should never stop learning, new things happen every day, the world is always changing! The one thing we should never forget is to continuously listen to the students. We can accomplish all the desired goals if we listen. We can understand what the student needs in all areas, mind, body and soul.

These are The Leaders of Tomorrow

Check out Evan's Blog!

I am amazed but what Mrs. Cassidy can accomplish by using technology with her class!
Check out Evan's blog, it is like being part of his eduction journey.

Google: The Purfect Companion

Click to Check Out My Google Presentation

Google Docs has an awesome array of tools! All of these tools have potential in the classroom. The above presentation was very simple to make and if this is used right will capture the student's attention.

Comments 4 Kids

Click here to go to find Noah's Blog

What a great thing that these kids get to post about the stuff they do at school! I can see this being used to help motivate students to journal, instead of the old composition note books! The above link will take you to the blog I posted on!

Something Extra

Click here to go to NPR podcast.

This is an interesting podcast about the way kids use search engines

to find information on the internet. Take this information and make

your students better users of the internet and their time!