Sunday, May 5, 2013

Blog Post #15

Part 1

I'm not sure I would change much about what I wrote in my first blog assignment. I will still keep my strategies about teaching. I will, however, add a few things I learned this semester. I will incorporate SmartBoard technology into my classroom. I will use blogs in some way. I'm not sure how yet. I think the green screen was pretty cool, so I'll try to use that, too. I will find book trailers to introduce the books I'm going to read and have students make their own podcasts. I love the idea of working as a whole instead of in groups or individually. It will help me get to know my students and help ensure that they understand what I'm teaching. This class has made me even more excited to teach, especially now that I know so much more about how other classroom are run. I definitely look forward to teaching now more than ever!



Sunday, April 28, 2013

Last C4T

Teachernz

Comment #1:
The blog talked about the PACT program thing and how it would be a terrible idea. I was really confused about what they were talking about. They used really big words and I could not follow what was being said. I commented and just said thank you for this information!

Comment #2:
The blog post talked about how a 9 year old kid mad a Doc ( I'm guessing in Google ) and has been tweeting with parental permission. I think that's so cute. They talk over Twitter, too. I commented and said that I was really proud of that student for creating a doc and tweeting! And that I wished I had learned to do that stuff when I was that age.

Final PLN Summary

PLN Summary

So, this semester I have realized I'm terrible at remembering things. I have a hard time remember times and where I leave my keys and park my car. That has nothing to do with my PLN except that it helps keep me organized and if I do forget something, I can always go back to it. I found a website called SpringPad it's pretty awesome. I can make a notebook for each category. I could make one for school and for students. It's just really cool. I also use Pinterest a lot. Since I follow a bunch of the teachers and school stuff, I've been getting a lot of cool ideas for my future classroom. Of course everyone is on Twitter and SnapChat, Facebook, and other social media. I like that on YouTube we can make our own playlists. That's pretty awesome and I'm so glad I know about it now. I always find really cool stuff on there and never know how to find it again. Since we can make playlists, I'll be adding a lot of educational videos to it for future references. I believe my PLN has come a very long way and I'm super proud of it. I think this class has helped a lot with making me have to be self-motivated and have to manage my time wisely.

C4K Summary

Aubrey W.

She wrote about where she's from and what it's like in her city. She asked some questions at the end of her blog and I commented back and said, "Hey Aubrey! I live in a small town in Alabama. We have cows and lots of land. The closest thing we have to an attraction in Alabama football and Alabama Adventure. It has rollercoasters and a waterpark. I enjoyed reading your blog!"

Logan
He talked about his Easter weekend and everything he did. I went camping and saw fire dancing and explored and saw wildlife. He was in an egg run on Easter. He also went to the movies and saw the Croods. I replied and said he had an exciting and busy weekend and that it sounded like fun. I said I wanted to learn how to fire dance and I told him to keep up the good work.

Blog Post #14

CourseSmart



The article talks about how the program works and it gives the details of how it's used in a classroom with Mr. Guardia. It's being implemented by schools like Texas A&M San Antonio, Clemson, and Stony Brook University. A few people said it was like Big Brother all over again. Because some classes are virtual, the teachers don't know if the textbooks are being read or not, so this company put some technology together to make it where the teachers will know if they open their books.

As a teacher, I sort of like the idea. It would help me keep up with my students' progress and really be able to see if they're reading what I ask them to read. On the other hand, I could just give a pop quiz and see if they're reading or not, too. It would show if someone was having a rough week or if someone was cramming the night before. I don't see how it's any of my business what my student's do, though. As long as they're making good grades, I should stay out of their personal lives.

As a student, I would absolutely HATE this!! The teacher doesn't have to know my business. If I want to take notes on a piece of paper then I should be able to. I'm paying to go to school. It's by my own choice. We have Big Brother everywhere we go, and I don't think they should be in our textbooks that we pay for. Just thinking about them putting something into our books makes me mad. I'm not a big fan of reading textbooks. Actually, the books that I've bought while I've been at South have all gone unused except for 3. And that's for this semester. Last year, I used one book. As a student, I think learning should be more interactive with each other and not all in a textbook. Life isn't black and white. I know math should be in a book because that hardly changes, but some stuff could be taught in a whole different way than some textbook. I just really don't like that idea.

Questions for the teacher:
Do you like this technology?
Do you think it would work for 30 students, 300 students?
Is this program really necessary?
What are the pros and cons of using it?
Is it more beneficial to you or to the students?
How do you interpret the information?
Will you want to use this in the future?

Questions for the students?
Do you like this technology?
Will you open your textbooks more?
Does the fact that you're being watched, make you nervous?
Does it bother you that you don't have a say in what type of books you buy?
Would you prefer not to have textbooks?
Has reading your books helped you on your quizzes?
If the school you're in now chose to incorporate CourseSmart into your textbooks, would you change schools?

For the comment on the website, I'd probably say: "This seems like a great idea, but in reality it's putting more work on the teachers. They have to keep up with that score as well as grades. Students are already being watched, told what to do, adding this CourseSmart to their textbooks will not help them. Some will continue reading their books and some will change their study habits. Students stay stressed about school as it is, adding this to the equation just piles on the load. It's an awesome idea, but I wouldn't buy it.

Blog Post #13

Blended Learning Cycle



Mr. Paul Anderson talks about his classroom and how it became blended. His approach is the QuIVERS approach. It stands for Question, Investigation/Inquiry, Video, Elaboration, Review, and finally, Summary. I see it as something like the method you use when you use the scientific method. He wants his students to have a question or wonder about something and then want to figure out the answer- which would be the investigation part. His review is awesome because he has videos for them to watch, some are even live. The summary is a quiz, that's timed to make sure they understand the information before they move on to the next chapter or subject. The students can take it a few times until they get the score they want, but they can't take it so many times that they don't have to study or anything.

I like his approach a lot. In the comments on YouTube, it says he uses some program, Moodle, to keep his classroom organized and scheduled correctly. I like that, too. I think this QuIVERS is a good way to make sure you stay on track with your students. It's also super organized and it'll show the students exactly what you expect out of them throughout the school year. I might just use it in my classroom.

Brian Crosby

He's a pretty cool guy. I like him and I sure wish I could have been in his classroom. He seems like he's really in it to teach the children and because he cares about their futures. I loved his idea of the balloon camera. I would have loved to be able to do something like that. I bet the pictures were amazing. It's crazy how he got so many responses from all over the world. It made me happy to see that he included Celeste in his classroom like that. It was super cute how all of his students pretended to be sleeping when he introduced her. I like that he can have fun with his students and not lose control of the classroom. They still have respect for him and everything. I bet those students will take whatever they learned in his class with them where ever they go.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Progress Report for Final Project

This is what we have so far! We're going to make a movie!

Survival Guide to EDM310

Top Ten Must Knows

10. Go To Class

9. Have the proper equipment

8. Making Positive Comments
•C4K

•C4T

•C4C


7.Working with others
•be open

•be friendly

•do your share


6. Think for yourself assignments
•blog post assignments

•project assignments

•activity assignments


5. Don't procrastinate

4. Open up about 9 hours to do the work

3. Be open to working with new technology
•green screen

•SmartBoard

•2. Be able to write grammatically correct
•Give example of typing a poor post

•Give example of typing a great post



1. Stay positive because Dr. Strange is here to help you not Fail you.
• A teacher who pushes is a teacher who cares.


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Blog Post #12



We all have dreams and goals. We've had them since we were young. Our parents and friends would always ask us what we wanted to be when we grew up and they would ask why. My answer to that was, "just because." In this blog post, write two or more paragraphs telling about what you wanted to be when you grew up and why. Also, tell if that has changed and if it did, why you think it changed. If it's still the same, are your reasons for wanting to do it still the same? Follow the requirements in Writing a Quality Blog Post.


When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher. Starting in preschool, I would line my dolls and horses up and teach them. I even went as far as having my mom and grandparents sit around in the living room and listen to me. I would sing and sing for hours, making them clap and sing with me. No one knew where that was going, but they still let me do it. I would have "routines" made up and perform them on the trampoline and they would have to sit there and be quiet. I wouldn't let them talk. We have hours worth of home videos of me doing this. I think with them letting me "teach" them, they supported me and encouraged me. In first grade, I would go to the teacher supply stores and buy (my mom or granny would buy) gradebooks and those grading card things. I LOVED to pretend I was a teacher. By fourth grade, I had teacher edition textbooks, a podium, and a markerboard. If you didn't have one of those then you couldn't be a great teacher. By middle and high school I started really thinking about what I wanted to do. I changed my mind probably a million times and by the time I graduated, I had no idea what I wanted to do. The first two years of college, I wanted to be in communications or just major in English since that was the one thing I was good at. My boyfriend at the time convinced me to do nursing. He said it was good money and that I was smart enough to do it. Whether I really wanted to do it or not, I convinced myself he was right. I applied to the nursing program and got accepted. However, that summer really opened my eyes to what I would have to do for the rest of my life and NO I didn't want to be a nurse. So, here I am, waning to be a teacher again.
It changed, but only briefly. I know that God made me to be a teacher and I was silly for not following my heart to begin with. I am so excited to be a teacher and I can't wait! I'm not doing it for the money or health benefits. I'm doing it because I love kids and because seeing a smile on their face will make my day ten times better.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

C4K Summary for March

Camila
Camila was writing a letter to Ormie. He's a pig and wants some cookies. He likes to dance, too. She was giving him some hints about what he should have done. She added a PS and said to share some cookies with his friends. I commented and said an escalator was definitely safer than an airplane. And sharing cookies is always a good idea. I told her to keep up the good work!

Eva
Eva made a character to self blog post. She said she was like Dovewing because she noticed little details most people didn't. She said she worried about things, too but they were different things. She also said they were different because she was a person and Dovewing was a cat. I said I was the same way and that I worried about things, too. I told her it would all be ok. Then I said great post!

Cooper

Cooper posted about making a video of making cool basketball shots. He said he made a shot with one hand, two hands, and even underhanded. He said sometimes it took more than one take to get the shot right, but it was still cool. He said he made it for Genius Hour. I tried to watch the video, but it wouldn't load. It would have been cool to watch though. I commented and said that it was probably a cool video and I wish I could have watched it.

Blog Post #11








Watching the Skpye conversation and the video of the kids, it really opened my eyes even more to see that teachers are really trying to get the kids to use technology. The world is changing everyday and we must adapt to the changes. I thought it was so cool that the EDM310 class got to Skype with Ms. Cassidy!

Ms. Cassidy has her students do blogs and she even has a webpage for them to use. I like how she said she got really into technology when she received those 5 computers. I know that must have been a blessing! It would be for the teachers of Fayette for sure. By using those blogs, the students have to use correct grammar and type it as well. I also like that she doesn't allow her students to use their last name on their blogs. No one wants a creeper!

The wiki was pretty interesting. I think I'll allow my students to use a Wiki. I like that you can use it to do research about other countries and find useful information on there. That would be a good group or individual project. I saw that they looked up rituals and traditions. EDM310 even made a wiki! That's really cool because they could use it.

The students getting to use Skype will probably change their whole outlook on life and the world. I wish we would have had that opportunity when we were kids. We didn't even have cellphones, much less get to talk to people around the world! I'm so glad Ms. Cassidy is letting her students do that because they will always remember those times they got to talk to kids all over the place. I know I would. I hope when I'm a teacher that I can use Skype as effectively as she does. That would be very beneficial to the students as well as to me.

The Nintendog is a bit much for me. I don't know if I would use that as a teacher. I would like to use more face to face skills to teach math and all of those types of skills. It's a good concept and I'm sure the students love it. I'm just not a big fan.

Ultimately, I think she is a great teacher and I hope I can incorporate technology into the classroom as well as she does. I hope whatever school I work in at least has a computer lab. Seeing all of these teachers using technology so easily makes me excited for the future. I'm glad they are open to change and actually willing to change for the students benefit.







































Blog Post #10

Adventures in Pencil Integration

This picture was so confusing the first 1492098050234 times I read it. I finally decided to read the comments people posted in response to it and I understand it a little better now. It's making fun of the Mac vs. PC commercials. I think this would be a lot funnier if I got the Mac vs. PC commercial. I like the guy's blog though. He responds to the comments he gets and everything. To explain this comic would be to say, you buy a cheap pencil, you have to deal with what you get. There's some kind of quote for it but I can't remember it at the moment. But if it's cheap, it'll most likely break. If it's expensive, it might be worth it in the long run to spend that much money on it. Maybe it won't be such a hassle to deal with and maybe it won't break.

Christian Teacher

Why were your kids playing games?

Being a Christian Teacher. That's exactly what I want to be. I LOVED reading his post. It gives me hope out there that I can be who I am as a Christian and still be a great teacher. I love how he said he sees God everyday in school. How cool is that? God really is everywhere. Pray may have been taken out of schools, but God is just as present now as He was when we had prayer. Reading this makes me more excited than ever to become a teacher! Being a Christian teacher is exactly what he says it is: " It's about acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God." Micah 6:8. No, I'm not going to be one that's not open to new idea and I'm certainly not going to be a stick in the mud about things.

Don't teach your kid's this stuff please?

Well that certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Scott McLeod is known as one of the best leading academic experts on K-12 technology leadership issues. He is currently the Director of Innovation for "Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8" in Iowa. He is also the co-creator of the video "Did You Know?" that I previously blogged about. He also wrote his own book called What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media.

His post was a witty, sarcastic poem that outlined the way society views technology. I'm sarcastic and I barely caught on to what he was doing. I think he's trying to get the point across that technology is good and useful. Technology is a great aspect to learning, and if used in the right, academic way, it can be very influential on a student's academic journey. Today, we use technology in more ways than we even realize on a daily basis. If we prevent our students from being able to use these resources, how can we expect them to survive in the real world, especially now?

In Scott McLeod's post, he outlines many of the cons that administrators, teachers, and parents give about the use of technology. He says that we "shouldn't" allow students to get on social networks because of cyber-bullying, or we "shouldn't" allow students to search the web because they will look at porn. These negatives are so overly used it is irritating. In my opinion, bullying will occur no matter what in any student's academic career. If it's not through the internet, it will be through whispering in the halls and pointing fingers or ganging up on someone at lunch. It will happen. It always does. It's happened to me before and I still struggle with bullying now. It's all part of life.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Summary Post C4T Teacher #3

Diane''s Digital Discoveries

She put a link on her blog to go to a website about image editors on the internet. There was Instagram, Phoenix, Google's Creative Kit, etc. There were some that I didn't know about and I learned a lot about them. Each one just gave an overview of each editor. I commented and said thank you for these tools. I said that I would use them in the future on my photos.

Diane put a link to "12 Most Picture Perfect Ways to Ensure You're Legally Using Online Photos." This was just telling some ways that people get in trouble by using someone else's pictures on the internet. The site said that just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean that you should. I just said thank you for these wonderful tips and that I had no idea we could get in trouble for using someone's picture.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Blog Post #9

What I Learned This Year – Volume 4

Mr. McClung made some very good points. I was surprised to read that he was worried about what his peers thought about him as a teacher. I feel like we all tell each other not to worry about what others think of you, but that's easier said than done. I don't think he's the only teacher that's worried. I know that I'll probably struggle with that, too. I want everyone to think I'm a great teacher and I sure don't want anyone to be mad at me. I have that problem now where I get stressed if I know someone is mad. I think it's best to just stick with being concerned of how you're viewed by your students and the people above you. I like that his question was always, "Are the kids having fun?" That's a great way to be and I will probably always carry that question with me wherever I go. I never want my students to be bored or not want to come to class.

I wish more teachers would learn their lesson about becoming too comfortable as a teacher. I had so many teachers like that growing up. Even in middle school, I could tell when a teacher had been teaching the same stuff for a million years. It was boring and I hated going to class. I'm sure it gets to be a routine and you stop having to study up on everything for your students. I want to be the kind of teacher that has something new every year. I'll be exhausted I'm sure from all the planning, but in the long run it will be worth it. I know now my friends have tests from people that took the same class and they use those to make good grades on the test. The teacher never changes the test. I definitely don't want to be like that. I'm glad he's going to challenge himself to become a better teacher. Hopefully all teachers do that.

The update on his blog said that he was going to move to Woodland Jr. High School and be an administrator. I hope we continue to hear about his learning experiences there!


What I've Learned this Year 2008-2009

I really like this teacher's way of thinking. He points out that most teachers do not make their lessons student-focused. I believe that's true for the school I went to. I hope to be the teacher that everyone loves and I want to have my lessons student-focused so that they actually learn and don't just memorize everything to pass and forget it when they leave. Communication is the best medicine. Period. No matter what situation you're in, it's always good to talk it out. I'm TERRIBLE at communicating. I'm getting better though. I like that he said, " Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." I agree 100%. We're supposed to be supportive as teachers and guide them in the right direction. As technology continues to advance every day, I don't think many teachers will be as afraid of it as they were back in 2008. I like that he did a survey at the end of the year. I want to do that with my students. I want to be the teacher that listens to my students. Every kid needs someone like that. Lastly, he says to never stop learning. How could we stop? The world is changing everyday so we must be willing to adapt.

At The Teacher's Desk


Thursday, March 7, 2013

Blog Post #8




Dr. Richard E. Miller

I liked how he started the video with explaining how far we've come. A book that used to mean so much to us is now only .59 on Amazon. That's crazy talk! He explained that some of the changes were just incremental instead of fundamental. That confused me a bit, but I finally understood what he was talking about. The actual work isn't changing, just how we distribute it. It's funny that he said he article would slowly end up in the trash. He's probably right about that because some people just don't want to take the time to read anymore. Some people don't have the time, either. I like that everything is more web-based now. It can be a problem though when everything is on the internet or computer and we depend on them 100%. What happens when something prevents the computers from working or something? That's already happened to me and I was completely lost. I don't like depending on a computer so much.

Dr. miller also told how he works with his collegues to collaborate over the internet to make projects and things. That's pretty cool and it takes time. I know it's a very convenient way to work together on something. I didn't know we could go on the internet and find how senators voted. I will be checking up on that in the next election. I don't see how that will do me any good, but it's still nice to know the information. You never know when you might get asked to be on "Who wants to be a Millionaire." Also, I like he said we could use videos from YouTube or somewhere to make movies. Like with the Obama election and everything. That's a really good idea.

I've never really known what Itunes U is. I must go check that out at some point. It sounds like it would do me some good because of all the books and movies out there for school students. I'm not sure how I feel about the whale hunt. That makes me sad. It's cool that we can get behind the technology and see how something on the internet is created. I've always wondered how someone makes a website.I hope we do start using FinalCut in our classes. That would be cool. It's crazy to think that if something had been sent to computers for publication that it would take 2 years and there's no telling who would read it and where it would go. But with the internet, people can see and read it instantly. That has definitely been a huge influence in our society. I believe I am ready to write with multimedia. I'm not sure I'm ready to start making whatever that guy was making right before we had to cut the video off. That looked difficult. But using Pinterest and Twitter, Google, blooger, and all the great websites for teachers and students, will not be a problem. My students will use some form of technology. I'm not sure which kind. I'm sure it depends on the school system.

Carly Pugh

I wish I was as creative as Carly. That gene skipped me and went straight to my sister. I am working on it though. The videos in her playlist will come in handy someday and I will probably go back and watch them. I love how everything will stay on the internet so that we can use this as reference when we become teachers. I like the video that is of the schools that children deserve. It's true. We do need schools that are filled with creativity and encourage kids to be their own person instead of trying to make everyone the same. The video that said those that are crazy enough to think they can change the world, do, is probably the best quote ever. I completely agree with that. I wish schools encouraged students to try new things and to think outside the box. I know I will. No more than ever there is diversity in the schools. Parents aren't really used to having such diverse populations in the schools and sometimes I think children pick up on that. We may be from different parts of the world and have different cultures, but we are all humans. Kids don't know any different so we don't need to let them know that we do. I just wish kids could continue to see beyond the skin color and accents. We all want the same things in life. Let's work together instead of fighting.
The "When I Grow Up" video is precious. You don't realize how much influence you have on kids until you see how they act and hear what they're saying. I hope no teacher ever says they want to be a hobo. No matter how cute the kid is saying it, it still scared me. Teachers need to stay positive and always have good things to say. You might marry the wrong person, but there's a right person out there and you'll find her. Eventually. The little kid with all the questions for his teacher about computers and the internet is great. All teachers need to know how to use one and be able to teach kids how to use them correctly and safely. I think a teacher's job is broadening now as the world is learning new things.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

I think a good video for this class would a normal person does throughout the day and doesn't spend 9 hours a week working on this class. And then at the end show what happens.. they probably fail or don't make a good grade. Then would just tell some things that helped me get the grade I got for this class. Number one would be to always be on time!!! It's hard to get that in people's heads these days. Especially mine. Once someone gives me an idea for a video, I can come up with more ideas. Right now I'm completely blank!

Learn to Change, Change to Learn

I agree with what the people in this video are saying. We need to step it up as teachers. One man said that technology really isn't a choice anymore. He couldn't be more right about that. It really is about the relationship and community you build with your students. I like the way these people think. Everyone needs to think like them! However, I'm not sure I like the community system idea all that much. I think we should still have a classroom setting. That works for must students. I like the idea of having field trips and all that fun stuff. That's what keeps in interesting and fun. I hated the boring essays and book reports. It made me hate reading. But when I was in 5th grade I had to write my own story. I had to illustrate it and bind it. I had to put a cover on it like it was a real book. I love crafty things like that. That made me want to read. Not those book reports. I agree with that one man that said the jobs these students now will have when they are older won't require the right answer type of approach. They will definitely be called on to use their creativity and synthesis skills. The world is changing so, we, as teachers, must change with it. Our ways of teaching have to change to prepare the kids for the future.

Web 2.0

Animoto- it's free for Iphone and Droid users. That's a plus! It has high definition everything. So your pictures will be looking GOOD. It's not so free if you want to go Pro with it. If you're really picky about pictures and whatnot, this probably isn't the way to go. But on the plus side is has over 1000 commercially owned songs that you could put with your video. This specifically says there are no "cheesey templates." We're good to go now. It also has lots of different text fonts to use. There are testimonials from previous users. There are commercials done with this. That's pretty cool if you ask me!

Comic: Orange by Emily Barnes:

Poll:










Tuesday, March 5, 2013

C4T #2

I commented on a blog titled, Keeping Kids First by Kelly Hines. She recently changed her blog's title and it's at a whole new website. It's now called, In the Trenches: Thoughts and Ideas from a Classroom Teacher. Her blog on February 10 talked about her using a video read aloud in the classroom for students. She gave reasons why it was a good idea to use it. I agreed with some of them, but I do not agree with her on others. I do not agree with her about everyone loves being read to no matter how old you are. I have never enjoyed that and I always hated when the teacher did that. I probably liked it when I was young, maybe 2nd grade and younger, but after that, no thank you. She said it was a good way to monitor the kids' listening skills. She is right about that. You can definitely tell who pays attention and who doesn't. She also said it was a good built-in make up lesson plan. That is true. I commented and just said I agreed with her reasons why it was good to use the video read aloud books. I didn't say I didn't agree with her about everyone liking it though. I also thanked her for the links to some cute videos that I can show one day when I'm a teacher.

Comment and Post #2: Kelly Hines put the video of Mayim Bialik- Blossoming to Science on her blog. It was really inspiring. She talked about science was hard for her while she was on the set of "Blossom" and that her tutor taught the cell like it was one of Picasso's famous paintings. She said that's when she fell in love with science. She went on to get her PhD in neuroscience. Now she's Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory." They go to her when they have questions about neuroscience since her character is a neuroscientist. I commented on it and said thank you for posting the video and that it was really inspiring. I said it helped me not to be afraid to admit that I'm a nerd and that I like English. I love to read. So what? I think it'd be great if more people weren't afraid to be themselves.

Comment and Post #3: Kelly Hines told how her students were learning how to divide whole numbers and making fractions. She told the whole process of how she gave them notecards and told them to make up their own problem. Then on another notecard write the answer. Then on another one they drew a picture. She put the girls'in a box and then the boys' in a box and switched them and then had them put them all together. It was really cool. She left a link on her page so we could see some pictures of the work. I commented and said that was really good idea and thank you for posting. Here's the link to her blog.
In the Trenches

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Project 10



I believe I will be teaching elementary school children. I'm not sure if it will be Kindergardeners or 6th grade students. I found a site that is free and teaches kids math. It's called Math Blaster. I had the actual game on my computer when I was growing up and I LOVED it. I'm pretty sure I would play that game now if I could. I think I finally scratched that cd up so much it quit working. It's supposed to keep kids interested in math and help them learn. They also get to save the galaxy while they're playing. What kid doesn't want to do that? I would use it during class as maybe an incentive.I think it costs money to be a memember, but you can still play for free. If the student's did really well on a test or homework then they could play the game during class while the other students did work. OR if the school has enough computers then I'd take them to the computer lab and that's what we would do all during class. I like to mix things up and not make everything so boring and class-like. I'd expect students to know their multiplication tables faster or know how to add/subtract faster if that's what we were learning in class. I chose this because I loved it as a kid and I think other kids would love it, too. It may be a little different than when it was an actual game, but I still think it will be very beneficial to any student.

Podcast Project #8



Progress Report for PLN



I've started my PLN. It can definitely use some work. I've got to find some people to put on there. I'm still learning about it. I chose Symbaloo to use as my PLN. I might change it to the other one. It might be easier to understand. I just need a lot of work on mine and maybe get someone to help me. Otherwise, I think it'll be great and can use it in the future!

Blog Post #7



Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

WOW. That man was incredible. God certainly used him. Not only was he a great teacher, but he was a great father and husband. The birthday surprise and second head fake made me hae tears. Before watching this video, I was thinking it would be just another informative video for us all to watch and rewatch way down the road. I didn't think it would be so moving and inspirational. This is the kind of video people need to watch more often. It shows that hard work does pay off and that everything isn't just handed to you. I'm so glad we had to watch this!! Thank you Dr. Strange for sharing this with us.

As for teaching methods and learning, Dr. Pausch just talked about how he pretty much created classes to teach for students. He had that one class where they would have to create a world (the one with the scary bunny thing) and present it to the class. They started letting the public watch and even had parents come sit in. I think that is a great way to get kids to want to learn. There was also a girl that said if you teach something in a storytelling way, it helps them learn better, too. I agree. He took them on field trips and showed them real life scenarios that they could work with. He genuinely cared for his students and their success. How cool is it that EA guarantees that they will hire Carnegie Mellon's students? I think that's awesome. The student's gave feedback on other students when they had to work in groups. It would show each student what their peers thought of their group skills. ( Not sure how to word that.) I think that is a very useful idea and will probably somehow work that into my classroom. The more I'm learning about all this technology and the way things are going now, makes me want to teach a higher level so I can put all this to good use!

I think Dr. Pausch was a great teacher. I think he continued to learn about people and things throughout his whole life. That's what keeps a person well-rounded. You have to have an open mind and be willing to learn something new. One of the most important messages of his whole lecture was that he said in other words, never give up. He said there would always be a brick wall, but it wouldn't be there to stop you, just the other people. He never gave up on his dreams. He also said that we learn indirectly or by a head-fake. I'm starting to agree with that.

Dr. Pausch's lecture was about achieving your childhood dreams. He talked about his childhood. How he wanted to be Captain Kirk, play in the NFL, reach zero gravity, and work on the Disney team. He told how he set out to reach those goals. He told what he learned along the way and that yes, there would be a brick wall. He didn't let the brick wall stop him, though. He climbed over it and kept going. He talked about working at Carnegie Mellon and working with the staff and students. He was a pretty funny guy. He was always positive in everything he said and never had a mean thing to say about someone. A summary won't do his lecture justice. I think EVERYONE needs to watch that video. It will change your whole outlook on life. I know it did mine.


Thursday, February 28, 2013

C4K Summary for February

Ellie
Ellie's story was about a shark at Shark Beach. She said it looked like a torpedo and then the teacher made everyone evacuate the water. I commented on it and told her that I enjoyed her story and was glad that the shark didn't attack. I told her I look forward to reading more of her stories.

Ja'Corian
Ja'Corian wrote about his life. He said he was 8 years old and in the 3rd grade. He told all of his favorite things and when his birthday was. He told who his family was and that his life was good. I commented on it and said a few of my favorite things. I asked what his favorite thing to learn about in science was because he said that was his favorite subject. I also asked if he played any sports. He said he liked basketball so maybe he plays basketball, too. I said I was glad his was good. Every kid's life should be good.

Taunese
Taunese told a story about a girl chewing gum so much that she looked like a cow. Taunese is from New Zealand!! Too cool. I replied and told her I loved her story and the fact that the girl would stick her gum on the elevator buttons and people would touch it. Why haven't I thought of doing that before? I told her to make sure she uses the correct for of the word, "there." Other than that, it was a cute story.

Ellie F
She wrote a story about a dog chasing a squirrel. The dog's name was Meatloaf. I laughed at that. She noticed the leaves had changed colors, and that they were "yellow, reddish-pink." I think that's cool that a little kid notices things like that. I commented and told her the story was really cute and that the leaves changing colors reminded me of where I'm from. I told her the dog in the story reminded me of my dog and I asked if she had a dog.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Blog Post #6





The Networked Student

I learned that we are not the only class that is sort of doing this whole network teaching thing. I learned that we are not the only students being challenged to learn and teach ourselves. Students have to use different conections to teach themselves. It's a great way to meet new people and get different opinions on everything. They can offer their own opinions to other blogs and know when they update it.

The students can listen to podcasts and support his learning. Itunes has podacasts from some top universities and anyone can listen to them. They can use skype and other social bookmarking tools. Students can share what they have learned with the world as well.

It's still good to have a teacher. They offer guidance when a student is confused or gets stuck. The teacher shows them how to communicate properly with the world. The teacher hopes that when the student leaves the classroom, they will maintain their network and use it in their future. She wants the students to "use it to solve the world's problems." I believe Dr. Strange has the same beliefs.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment

I liked the girl's PLE. It was actually really cool. I liked the way the computer screen looked and how organized she was. I wish I could be that organized for this class. It would be a life saver! I think our PLN is a bit more advanced than theirs is obviously. But it's still advanced and makes the students have to be responsible. I'm glad that's what our educational system is doing these days. It's finally holding students responsible for their actions. It's also keeping student's from being able to get by with doing nothing in the classroom. I like how both of our classes keeps us involved and the teacher is just a supplement. We teach ourselves and if we have questions, the teacher is right there for us. I'm not sure how doing a report on an animal qualifies you enough to hold it, but I suppose it's a little different where she's from. I like the use of technology but then again, I don't. I wish things were more hands-on and interactive in the classroom. For instance, with our class I wish we could all be in class and do our podcasts together as well as our blogs and other videos. As much as I hate group work, I love the idea of us all being together and looking stupid together. I watched other My Sentence Videos and I would like to make a group one some day. I think that would be really fun and not lame at all.

Point of Interest :)


Kelly Hines, my C4T, put this on her blog. I love this. You'll love it, too if you love "Big Bang Theory" or "Blossom". I didn't know how to just make it a link. It's easier to watch this way anyways. ENJOY!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Blog Post #5



Who is Krissy Venosdale?

Krissy Venosdale has been teaching for 10 years and is currently teaching gifted children. She has been to Space Camp and has loved it every time. She decorates her classroom with a different theme each year. You can even take a tour there. (Who knew?)

She is a teacher that wants to have the coolest and most exciting classroom of all the teachers out there. She wants to be remembered by her students. She wants them to take something away from their time together, too. She wants her classroom to be busy like the world and for her students to be creative. She wants it to be a habit. She wants learning to come from experiences, not just pages in books. She wants a child's gifts and struggles to be recognized and addressed. Krissy Venosdale is exactly the kind of teacher I want to be.

If I Built a School

Like she said, I have no idea how a school would even be started. Maybe one day I'll get the sticky note and can build my own school. Honestly, I think my school would be a lot like hers. It would be so colorful and exciting. It would have a cute WELCOME sign for the students. The principal, secretary, and all the teachers would be friendly. There would still be rules the students would have to follow, but kids wouldn't break them. The library, of course, would have the huge tree house. That is a wonderful idea. I want my school to be a lot like the Children's Hands on Museum in Tuscaloosa and like the McWayne Center in Birmingham. How cool would that be? I don't think the students would ever want to leave. Movie time in an Imax theater? YES PLEASE! I know I would be in Heaven. There would still be homework and tests to make sure the kids were still learning. Technology would be integrated into the curriculum. The lunches would be healthy and yummy at the same time. All students would be included in everything. No one would be left out. There would be classes on learning to tell the truth and trusting people. There would be field trips to all the cool places in the state, maybe some even out of state. I want the students to enjoy learning and being there. There would be NO SAT's or OLSAT's or any of that. No way. I liked her idea of the parking spot and having a student write what the teacher meant to them on it. That's definitely going to happen at my school. I guess I'm going to start buying lottery tickets so I'll have a chance at winning and actually building this school now.

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

If that's not amazing, I don't know what is. That blew my mind. I think that is a great use of the internet. I wish more people would do incredible things like that instead of putting garbage on there. Stuff like this could change everything if more people would be open to the ideas. I love this and I think he should do more of these!

Teaching in the 21st Century

I feel like Kevin Roberts is on the right track. I believe he is correct. I think all teachers should think and teach the way he does. He made some good points about entertaining and engaging. School should be engaging and students should have to put some effort into it. They should constantly be learning. This is going to affect me in the future by making me want to be a better teacher. He has already given me the motivation to be a better teacher than the ones I had growing up. I want students to enjoy my class and take something away from it when they leave. I know technology is going to be a big deal as the years go on. Now I am looking forward to being able to use it in my classroom. It will make for some interesting discussions and some pretty awesome projects made by students.

Flipped Classroom

I like the idea of flipping the classroom. It's a good way to get student's to engage in the material and in learning. I think it was really cool that Katie Gimbar actually Frequently Asked Questions videos for the parents, students, and whoever else had questions. I don't know how well some students would benefit from this if they are the type of learner that is a visual and hands on learner. I understand that they can watch the video and do the problems at home, but personally, I would have a hard time learning like that. I like being in the classroom and having the teacher physically there to teach and help me throughout the class time. I might use it in my classroom. I might not use it 100% and have all the learning material on videos. I will probably use the videos to maybe add some bonus questions on tests or for other things. I like the idea, but I wouldn't want someone to not learn because that's all the teacher does. It does save time, but I'm still old fashioned about teaching in the classroom.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Blog Post #4

Podcasting with First Grade

This blog talked about how the teacher went about creating a podcast. It was really cool. I lliked how she took a few students out at a time to record them talking. I also liked how it helped the students follow along if they got lost. It's a much easier way for students to learn how to read and it keeps them interested in the story when they are the ones reading out loud. I will definitely be using this type of style in my classroom. The more I can get my students to interact with me, the better the school year will be for me and them. Learning about all this new technology makes me excited to become a teacher even more than before!

Langwitches Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting

After reading this blog I realized that teaching styles have changed dramatically since I was in elementary school. I absolutely LOVE the way this teacher taught these students. I would have loved to learn Hebrew when I was young. Having them read a story and then having to put it back together in the correct order is just one of the many ways they are having to use their brains to get things finished. They are even learning a new language and learning how to use context clues. It's easy to read a story to children and then have them tell you what it's about. They might remember for a few hours but when it comes test time, they might forget. I just really like this idea and hopefully I'll be able to use this one day. It's one of my favorite things I have learned about so far.

Flat Stanley Podcast

I am a huge fan of Flat Stanley. I had one when I was younger that was taller than I was. My friends mailed it to me after I moved so they could see all of the places and things I was seeing. Like the children in this podcast, I wanted to be turned into a Flat Stanley and I really didn't see why I couldn't be. I think this is another great idea to get the kids interacting in learning. They are having fun and don't realize that this is school and that they are being taught something. I'm sure they will talk about this when they are seniors in high school. Listening to them tell the story made me smile. I love their creativity and them using different tones of voices to tell the story. It's like I was actually there. This was great. They each have such cute voices and accents. Jasmine has got the cutest little voice I have ever heard. I loved her story, too. My favorite was Emily who went to Alabama. She said "Roll Tide." I definitely like this teacher!

My Podcast

I learned to put emphasis on some words as I'm telling the story. It has to be like the person listening is really there. You don't want to be monotoned. I know I can be creative and be myself in my own podcast. I can't wait to do one!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

C4T Blog Post #1

Steven Anderson wrote about Formative Assessment in his Web 2.0 Blog. He talked about different kinds of ways to get students to tell the teacher when they didn't understand something. They could use Post It notes on a wall or several different kinds of web-based formative assessements. He explained the assessments. There is Wallwisher, Lino, TodaysMeet, UnderstoodIt, and many more.

The Wallwisher and Lino provide an online corkboard for students to put virtual sticky notes on it. UnderstoodIt is a free website the teacher can set up. The students can go to the specific website and check if they understand a topic or not. If they don't, they click the button that says they don't understand and the teacher can see it in real time. TodaysMeet is interactive as well. The teacher put certain questions about the subjects they covered in class that day and the student goes to the website and answers the questions.

I responded with a comment about how it would have been very nice if I had had those types of assessments for students. It would have kept the amount of kids from failing and dropping out from being so high. The Post It notes is a great idea because it is annonymous and keeps the students from being made fun of by other students. I said it would be difficult for students without internet at home to participate in the interactive assignments on the internet, but that it couldn't be an excuse because the schools all have computer labs now.

2nd Post

In Steven Anderson's January 30, 2013 blog, he talked about spending time at the Florida Educational Technology Conference. He was a speaker. He left links on the post so we could see what he talked about and what his presentation looked like. He also left us a few links to other presenters' websites and presentations. I looked at a few and it was a bunch of links to web tools.

I responded with a comment telling him thank you for posting all of the links for us to use and view. I also said they would come in handy when I become a teacher someday. There wasn't much I could comment on.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Special Blog Post #1

WolframAlpha

When I did the search, I found that India is bigger than both China and the United States. I must have missed school the day we went over that because I sure thought India didn't have that many people. They have 1.21 BILLION people and China has 1.35 BILLION people. The United States only has 301 million. I thought that was a lot. I can't imagine what their shopping centers are like. I also found that the US's population has stayed about the same throughout the years while the other two countries' populations have increased dramatically.

I compared Mississippi and Alabama. It told me the states' full names and when they joined the Union. It told me the capital of each state, too. Alabama had 4.803 million people and Mississippi had 2.979 million people. That's quite a bit of a difference. Alabama has 69.9% White people and 26.1% Black people. Mississippi has 59.9% White people and 37% Black people. It told a bunch of other stuff about the states like how many businesses they had and how many voters. It told about the schools and the state symbols, too.

I compared apples to oranges. Apples have 91 calories and 482mg of protein. Apples have 45mg of saturated fat. An Orange has 71 calories and 1.4g of protein. They have 36mg of saturated fat. Oranges have way more vitamin c, iron, and calcium than apples. I learned that oranges are just so much better for you than apples. However, apples are easier to eat.

I think this tool would be helpful in a classroom. If students had to do a research project, they could go to this site to answer some questions they had about a certain topic. Or even if they are curious about something, they could find the answer. It could be useful, too, in helping them study for a test. Some information might not be covered in a textbook. They could go to that website and look it up. It could be useful on a test.

I could make up quizzes from certain searches on that website. I could make up homework assignments that aren't so boring. I could make it interesting. I might have a question about something and need to look it up. It's just simple and fast. It's not difficult like having to go to the library and get an encyclopedia. However, I will probably ask my students to use one at some point in the year. I think every student needs to know what they are and how to use them. I say my students my get curious about certain things, but I'm the same way. As I was doing my comparative searches, a little box popped up on the side of the screen and it asked me what was on the other side of the world from my city. Of course I had to know. Unfortunately on the other side of the world from where I'm from is nothing but an ocean.

Social Media

The numbers just kept going and going. I actually sat and watched them change for a few minutes. It's unbelievable how much technology has influenced our lives. It's only going to be even more important to us as time goes on. As for me, I think I'll be able to stay with the constant changing in technology. I think I was introduced to it at the right time. As young adults, we have had to familiarize ourselves with everything and that has only helped us in the education field. Teachers are having to switch over to smart boards and those overhead projector things and honestly, some of my teachers in high school had no idea what they were doing.

I'll be able to use the technology in the classroom as well as explain it to students. I can incorporate Facebook and Twitter into my classroom if I chose to. I am excited and nervous about the technology and how it will effect the students. I know there will be negatives but hopefully the positives will outweight the negatives.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Blog Post #3

Peer Editing

I offered a a few suggestions on my C4C's blog post. I was just really confused by some of the things she was talking about. If there were any embarrassing mistakes I would have emailed her and told her about them. I don't like to point out things like that in public. There were a few positives. I liked how she told the story of her being in school and the teacher trying to get her on ADHD medicine. I know that's terrible, but it kept her post interesting. Otherwise, it would have put me to sleep.

I learned that there is a good way to critic someone's writing and a bad way. It's always good to stay positive and not negative. I am an optimistic person so staying positive is easy for me. I hate it when someone is very vague with me so I try to stay specific. I learned that is a good way to be.

The top 10 mistakes video was too cute! It's good to have some of the qualities each of those students had. I'm not picky but I am social. I've been in those situations before where I didn't really care what my friend was telling me. I learned the hard way to pay attention to what my peers tell me.

The Mountbatten

I learned that this resource would be very useful in a classroom for the blind and deaf students. It's a great tool to keep the students included on a daily basis. I didn't realize teachers were using this sort of technology already. When I was in school, the special children had their own classroom and we never saw them except during lunch. They didn't have any classes with us and they didn't each lunch with us either. I'm glad to see that this technology is helping them be part of a normal classroom because that's all children want to do these days. They just want to fit in. I also learned that it can transfer and save files. I am just amazed at how a simple machine can do so many things. If I had a student with a disability such as being blind or being deaf, I would use this resource everyday. I would make sure they knew how to use it and were comfortable with it. If it's possible then they would do their schoolwork on it. I might even suggest other students use it as a way to learn braille. It would benefit them in the long run.

Assistive Technologies

After watching these videos, I've come to realize that the school systems are actually improving. People really do want to help children feel more included and normal. I don't think the problem is solved 100% yet, but it's getting there. There will always be children with disabilities. We'll always need some way to teach them the things we teach the children without disabilities. Professor Art Karshmer said teaching math was one of the hardest things to do. It certainly looks like it to me. His way of teaching easy to complex math is just the start of other ways to teach students. It's going to take a lot of experiments and trials to figure out the best way to teach them.

If a student has a learning disability in my classroom, I will make sure he or she is learning at their level. I won't take away from the students without a disability, but I will make sure I'm doing all I can to help that student. I don't want the students without a disability to feel like they are dumb and I'm trying to teach down to them. It will be a learning process for me as well as for the students. I'll definitely have to learn as I go and maybe watch other teachers do it, as well. I am open to any ideas for how to teach students with a disability in the same classroom as students that don't have one.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smart

This video completely opened my eyes to a whole new way of teaching. I realize now that I don't really have a choice about whether or not I want to incorporate technology into my classroom. The decision has already been made. Ms. Davis has probably changed many students' lives just by being the kind of teacher she is. She's helping them teach themselves and learn from themselves. By asking the students to teach the class something, it's helping the students be more confidents with public speaking. I wish more teachers were like her. It's also keeping students from being lazy and not paying attention in class. It's keeping learning interesting.

I like the idea of the flat classroom and the other teaching tools she uses. I like how she makes almost everything interactive. I think the Flat Classroom Conference that the students attended helped open the students' to so much more. Things like that will make students more well-rounded and open to new things in the future. Ms. Davis is ultimately preparing these students for the future and they will be better prepared for the technological advances.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Blog Post #2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version

I was shocked by how many people use technology today. I knew it was getting more and more popular, but not as popular as it really is. YouTube has changed quite a bit since it first came out. There are so many advertisements before and after each video. It's so helpful though because you can find practically anything you need on there. I'm glad teachers are incorporating these technologies into their classes.
The first statistic in the video completely blew my mind. 25% of the population of India with the highest IQ's outnumber the whole US's population. That is amazing. First of all, when did India get to be so smart? Secondly, since when does India have that many people? 48 hours of YouTube videos being uploaded every minute is pretty amazing, too. I do wonder how people actually figure these things out, but still, that's two whole days of watching videos. With the top ten jobs not even being invented yet, it makes me wonder what those jobs will be. I hope to still be around when they are invented.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

I found this video quite entertaining. I understand now how much times have changed, even in the past 5 years. I bet George Washington is enjoying watching us live our lives. I bet things would have turned out differently had they had the kind of technology we have today. I don't know what kind of things they had 100 years ago, but I know today is a huge step up from back then. I imagine if I have been asleep for 100 years and woke up, I would probably want to go back to sleep. There's no way I would understand how anything worked. I'm thankful to be a part of these changing times because it's a lot easier for me to adapt to them than someone who isn't familiar with them.
Technology today is helping save lives as well as speeding things up for everyone. We live in a much faster pace than people did 100 years ago. I think that has actually shortened our average lifespan because everyone stays so stressed out. It't not healthy. X Rays have been so influential in the health world. People 100 years ago could have saved so many people if they had been able to use that machine. School has even changed in the past 5 years. Everything is becoming more online and interactive. It's teaching students to be responsible and helping them learn.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

Ken Robinson's story of the little girl drawing a picture of God was great. I love that. Sir Robinson is quite funny. I had a hard time following him sometimes. He made some good points about the school systems educating the creativity out of kids. The joke about the kids being wisemen and saying, "Frank sent us," instead of frankincense, was probably the best joke I have ever heard.
Sir Robinson says that teachers educate from the waist up and focus more on their heads. I'm not sure what that meant. He said that all our lives people try to tell us that we shouldn't do what we enjoy doing or like doing because we'll never get a job. For me, that's exactly what happened. I haven't always been on the 'teacher track.' My dad always told me I would never get a job as a teacher and that I might as well give up before I got too deep into school. I finally came to my senses and decided I'm going to do what I'm good at and what I love doing. I still think degrees are worth something; it shows that we accomplished something.

Future Schools and Change

I think schools will be a lot different than they are now. There will be more technology and interaction with teachers all over the world. I won't be surprised if kids could even stay at home and go to school. Hopefully the lunches will be better all over the country. If technology can change in schools, then I think so can the food. All students deserve at least one good meal a day.
I think tests and quizzes will be different, too. I don't think they will be more difficult, but I think teachers will expect a lot more from students. Kids these have gotten lazier and don't think they should have to do as much school work. You have to earn your degree. It shouldn't just be given to them. I love the idea of all classes not being burp back. That is one of the best teaching methods. Thank you Dr. Strange for doing that for students.

Pinterest

I would use all of those ideas in my classroom. Actually, I already do. I love the idea of it being a social networking site. It's a great way to get ideas from other teachers and find out what does and doesn't work. I'm very big on organization and it's a great way to stay organized. I hate clutter and Pinterest keeps it from getting that way.


Vicki Davis: Teaching Ideas and Apps:

I loved this board. It keeps things kid friendly and in today's times. It's not boring and provides useful tips on how to keep your classroom 'hip.' The pin that says "I teach. What's your superpower?" is my favorite. I have such admiration for teachers because it is such a difficult and time consuming job. I like the pin that was about ways to meet your classmates. Everyone should use those tips as an icebreaker for students. Even adults could use it every now and then.

Rachel Friedrich: Technology:

Who doesn't love the Reading Rainbow song? This board is great. It even has a Wheel of Fortune interactive game for students to play with. I love music and silly songs and this is just the board for that. It's also guy Bill Nye- The Science Guy. He's a legend.

Pinterest could be useful to me because it will help me keep my thoughts organized. When I find a new teaching trick or a cool new video to watch, I can pin it to my board and revisit it whenever I want. Students can do the same thing with projects and things. I'm not sure I would use it in my classroom because I'm not a big fan of technology. Unbelievable, I know. I like paper and pens. Students can use it outside of class just like they can use Twitter and Facebook, but I'm sticking to notebooks and pencils, markers and chalk, that sort of thing.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Blog Assignment #1

About Me
My name is Emily Barnes. I am 21 years old. I was born in Gulfport, MS but I have lived in Fayette, AL pretty much my whole life. I have one sister that is 13 and in the 8th grade. She is a majorette for the middle school. I have moved all over Fayette County and lived in Biloxi for 6 months while my mom was married to my sister's dad. I graduated number 9 in my high school in 2010 and was in Phi Theta Kappa while I was at Bevill. I transferred from Bevill and ended up here.

My cousin, Jill, went to South last year and I had recently gone through a really bad break up and wanted to be as far from Fayette as I could. She told me I should come visit and see if I liked the college. My mom and grandparents weren't thrilled with how far from home it was but I knew I needed to get away. I told them that I would pray about it and if I was supposed to be at South then I would know as soon as I walked on campus. Sure enough, I got here for USA Day during the spring last year and absolutely fell in love. I knew this was home. I called my mom right away and told her this is where I needed to be. I got all the paperwork filled out and everything was set. I attended Orientation and I moved on campus in August.

I am in Kappa Delta Sorority and Silver Wings. I also help out with JagTV. I love horses. I have been riding since I was 6 years old and I started horse showing when I was 7. If I could, that's all I would do all day everyday. It's my life. I have a horse named Clue. I got him right after I turned 15. It was the best birthday present ever. I taught him how to jump and get lead changes. He taught me to have patience; LOTS of patience. He is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. I like to swim and go camping, too. I love playing sports. I play tennis and softball. I played on a flag football team at Bevill. I like to read and watch movies, too. I have to admit it though, I am a nerd. I like to play video games. Black Ops is my favorite. I can play the trumpet and piano, but that's not my favorite thing to do. I like to stay active and be outside.

When I was little, I played teacher. I started out just lining my dolls up and talking to them. As I got older, I sat pencils out in front of them and pretended like they were taking notes and tests. When I was in 4th grade, my teacher gave me her teacher edition books of our old textbooks. That pretty much made my year. I got a podium and a marker board for Christmas. Instead of going to the mall to get toys and cool stuff, I went to the teacher store and bought teaching supplies. I have always wanted to be a teacher. It's something I think I will be really good at doing. I love being with kids and being a teacher just makes sense. I want to be that teacher that makes a difference in a kids life. Not a big difference, but just someone they remember and actually teach them something.

Imaginary Classroom
I am a visual and do it yourself learner. I will have games for the kids to play to learn their math or reading skills. They will be able to comprehend simple math and reading words. I'll probably start each day with a question or something pertaining to the day's teaching. Just to get their minds focused and ready to learn. I'll have the basic spelling and vocabulary tests at the end of the week, along with a few bonus words. I am a big fan of flash cards, so I'll use them throughout the week to help teach.

I'll be teaching somewhere around 1st - 3rd graders. They learn by repetition. They like to do activities throughout the day to learn, too. They learn by coloring and cutting and pasting. I'll show them videos and then get them to do the same as the video. I'll have rewards for the ones that show they know and understand what I'm teaching.

The tools I will use are flashcards, videos, powerpoints, songs, books, and games. The students will get in groups or have partners and have a certain task they must complete. I'll give homework, too. I'll let them write it on the board and help the rest of the class understand it.

My classroom will be colorful. It will keep kids interested in learning. I will have some kind of calendar that the kids can use to help learn the days of the week, months, and countdown to summer. I will have cute name tags on the desks or tables. I will have disciplinary incentives for the kids. If they get so many gold stars by their name then they get a prize out of the treasure chest at the end of the month. I will have a line leader and a caboose for when we go outside of the classroom. And I will definitely have class outside every now and then.

Randy Pausch and Time Management
In Dr Pausch's video, "Time Management," I learned that I'm not the only one that procrastinates. I learned that others have that problem, too. I also learned that I was not the only child to ask my mother, "Why?" after she told me to do something. Now I realize that it's actually ok to ask why and what happens if I chose just not to do it. I learned that it's better to do the right things adequately than do the wrong things beautifully.

Dr Pausch said, "Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement." That couldn't be more true. I've learned that we are probably going to make some bad decisions but it'll only help us out in the future. We'll make better choices based on our experience. After all, "You can't fake experience." I learned that not planning at all is planning to fail. I have a problem with not planning everything for the week. I think if I did actually have a plan, then I wouldn't forget everything I have to do all the time.

Dr. Randy Pausch died when he was 47 years old of metastasized pancreatic cancer. He was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. His last lecture was more for his family as a video memory for them. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.