Comments for Teachers #4

For my final teacher Dr. Strange assigned me Dragonsinger57. This teacher's name is Jo Fothergill. She lives in New Zealand. Ms. Fothergill states on her blog about being a teacher is "it’s about creating a place where kids are inspired, enthused, excited about discovery and learning ". I found that very inspiring. I hope to be a teacher like her one day that inspires my students and I make the classroom a place they want to be.

The first blog I read was about her classroom. Life in Room 12. There are three videos to watch about her classroom. You can click on the above link Life in Room 12 to read the blog and watch the videos. The videos are about the things they do daily in the classroom and the technology they are currently using too. The second blog I read by Ms. Fothergill is short and sweet to the point but my favorite. It is called Not obsessed at all. This blog is a picture of Apple computer products. I have to say that I am in the same boat with Ms. Fothergill. I love Apple too! Once you start using anything by Apple, whether it is a iPod, iPhone or computer you fall in love.

I have enjoyed reading the blogs written by teachers all over the world. It really gives you an insight into another teacher's classroom. It is also a great resource for future teachers. I hope to one day be a blogging teacher and maybe I can help someone too.

Final Report on PLN

I am happy to say that I have added more to my PLN. It now contains the ALEX page from an earlier blog and several teacher blogs. I hope it only grows more throughout my remaining college years and then as I begin my teaching career. I can see using this PLN in my classroom one day.

Comments for Kids April 2011

For Comment For Kids in April 2011 we had several blogs to read. We not only read blogs from children but the Teacher's blogs too. So below you will find comments I have posted on student's and teacher's blogs. The one that really hit home for me is the one written about right below to Mr. McClung. I also enjoyed reading Ms. Yollis' class blog by Jaden. It was very well written and I love the idea of a mascot for your blog page. Below though you will find all of my comments.

Hi, Mr. McClung. My name is Olivia Bush and I am a student in EDM 310 with Dr. Strange at the University of South Alabama. Please feel free to look at my blog http://busholiviaedm310.blogspot.com/.

I have read your blog from Lesson Three-The Quest for The Perfect T-Shirt. I cannot wait to see what design your class chooses for the Susan G Komen for the Cure t-shirt. I lost my nephew this past December to AML Leukemia. He battled this cancer for 19 months. During the 19 months though his family and friends did several fundraisers to help take care of his medical expenses and the family’s everyday expenses. The best fundraiser that was done by far was the one with the cool t-shirt. They made two and friends of Jarrod drew the designs for the shirts. The shirts had a cool picture on back and our family motto was “Jarrod Bush Beating Leukemia” on the front. These t-shirts and doing some other things raised the most money for Jarrod. It was such a blessing and I do have to say we all still wear our shirts proudly. We also did orange (the color for Leukemia cancer) rubber bracelets (they had Jarrod’s motto on them) to go with the shirts and they raised a lot of money too. That might be a class idea that you can use to go along with the t-shirts.

I can’t wait to see what your students choose and I hope your class raises the most money! I know you will with the “perfect t-shirt”.



Hi my name is Olivia Bush. I am college student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama in the United States. I am working on a degree in Elementary Education and I am taking a class called EDM 310. It is a technology class for teachers. I have a blog that you can check out at http://busholiviaedm310.blogspot.com/. I will be writing a post about your blog and some others that I have read at the end of this month.

Thank you for sharing your blog with me. I really enjoyed reading about your Trade Day. What a neat way to learn about other countries. Will you be continuing to do Trade Day in your class? I can imagine you enjoy PE and getting to play football. Football is a huge sport in the United States. My college just recently started their own football program and it is going really good.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with us on your blog page. I look forward to reading it more. I wish you the best in school.

Olivia



Hi my name is Olivia Bush. I am college student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama in the United States. I am working on a degree in Elementary Education and I am taking a class called EDM 310. It is a technology class for teachers. I have a blog that you can check out at http://busholiviaedm310.blogspot.com/. I will be writing a post about your blog and some others that I have read at the end of this month.

Thank you Jaden for sharing your mascot, Mr. California! He looks so cool and sounds like he is a very busy chipmunk. How do you keep up with him? I really like your idea of a blog mascot. I think if I decide to have a blog mascot I would use an elephant. They are my favorite animal. I think this is a great idea for my future students in my class. I can’t wait to use it!

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on your blog and your mascot. I wish you and Mr. California the best in school and all you do.

Olivia Bush



Mrs. Yollis; Classroom Blog

Mrs. Yollis is a third grade teacher in California. She has just recently finished her Master’s degree in Integrating Technology in the Classroom. What a neat degree. When she is not teaching, Mrs. Yollis is traveling and learning more to bring back to her classroom. Mrs. Yollis is a very inspiring teacher. The following is about her classroom blog and a glimpse into her classroom and all the information she is providing the world. Please feel free to click here to look at her blog first hand.

This is a great tutorial for students to learn how to use a still camera and video camera correctly. Students are always eager to use these instruments and really need some sort of training to do so. This is even great for adults.

Mrs. Yollis’ blog is very useful and informative tool for not only students but adults too. I have been really inspired by this blog to have one for my own class one day. I would love to create one that is not only useful to my students and parents but for other family members of the students, and teachers.

Blog Assignment # 13

The Alex Website

This is the first time I have been introduced to the Alex website. What a useful tool the state of Alabama has developed. It is also known as the Alabama Learning Exchange. It is a great place where teachers from all over can share ideas and exchange lesson plans. It is also opening the door for teachers to become more technologically literate by using this internet option for their classroom and their self. It has links like, Lesson Plans, Podcast, Personal Workspace and Serach Engine that can all be accessed right there on the Alex page.

What a great tool for future teachers like myself. It will provide me with so many resources at a click of a button. It is a page that I will add to my PLN (Personal Learning Network). I am sure I will be using this website in the very near future.

Blog Assignment # 12

BLOG POST

Watch the following video: "Community Trumps Content" By Jeff Utecht

After you have watched this video write a substantial blog about your thoughts on how students are more technologically literate now. The Education system needs to keep up with modern technology in order to keep up with the students. Also tell me something about Jeff Utecht.

This video is Jeff Utecht speaking at a teacher conference. Jeff is a International Educator and a Educational Technology Consultant. He is currently based in Bangkok Thailand.

Jeff begins his speech by discussing a revolution that is going to happen and how it is going to come from the students. Students that are being surpressed by the lack of technology in classroom. He even makes it funny by saying (which is so true) that this will happen through FaceBook. Which if you have watched the news lately you will know how true that is because Egypt is a perfect example of that concept. The students today are so technologically literate because that is all they have ever known.

He goes on to discuss when computers were invented and I can so relate to this. When I was growing up, we did not have cell phones and computers were used to type papers and play basic games. Not today though. I have two children who know about cell phones, the internet and gaming devices that have almost life like characters. They are growing up in a world like Jeff said that they have always been connected. If they need to talk to anyone they are always avaiable, whether it is by cell phone, text messages, instant message or some sort of social media. They also have the ablitity to know what is going on in the WORLD, not just their immediate world, at anytime.

Students have so many advancements now and these advancements are not being implemented in the school system. In schools teachers are still living in what students believe is the "Stone Age". Teachers are still using chalk boards and books. Students have more access to media and learning tools in the home. They can go home and with a click of a button study a subject from their class in depth more than the outdated book sitting in front of them at school.

We are going to loose students in trying to keep them in the "Stone Age" to technology because they are light years ahead of us already. We are also doing them an injustice by not bringing technology to the classroom. They are our future and their future is nothing but technology. Future teachers are even receiving degrees in Educational Technology today.

In my opinion, yes, students may eventually come in and try to take over the school system and bring it around to more technologically literate system but good luck to them. The problem is not only teachers being technologically illiterate but the schools system cannot keep up. School buildings are to old and outdated that they are not capable of holding all it takes to bring technology to classroom. (Like all the cables and wires it takes to make computers run) Also school systems are struggling financially so bad that they are just grateful to not loose teachers to budget cuts, so where is the money going to come from to provide technology? How can we as the future generation of teachers make these changes? What is it going to take to start a teacher revolution before the students beat us to it?

I really enjoyed this video. It is well worth your time to watch. Jeff has a very good point. Now we just need to find a way to bring school systems around to being technologically literate and keep up with our students. Students are growing and changing as fast as the world of technology. They deserve nothing but the best and they look at us, the Educators, to do that for them.


Note: I found this video on Twitter a while back. I really enjoyed it and even re-tweeted it and also put it on my FaceBook account for others to see. I found this tweet originally from Stephen Akins @akins14. Thank you Stephen for the great and inspiring tweet and thanks Dr. Strange for getting me into Twitter. I never thought I would be a twitter person but now I am and I like it just as much as Facebook!

Progress Report on Final Project

My group for the Final Project in EDM 310 includes Laura Bishop, Rachael Gammill and Dana Johnson. We will be posting our Final Project in the near future. We are not telling what is now though because it will be a surprise when we are all done! So stay tuned for that Final Project!

Comments for Kids # 9

Mrs. Yollis Classroom Blog

Mrs. Yollis is a third grade teacher in California. She has just recently finished her Master’s degree in Integrating Technology in the Classroom. What a neat degree. When she is not teaching, Mrs. Yollis is traveling and learning more to bring back to her classroom. Mrs. Yollis is a very inspiring teacher. The following is about her classroom blog and a glimpse into her classroom and all the information she is providing the world. Please feel free to click here to look at her blog first hand.

Meet the Bloggers!

This her class. She has twenty-two third graders. Eleven girls and eleven boys. How neat to have an even number of each! Her students have many hobbies and they list them on their page but their favorite thing is blogging!

Video: How to Comment

This is a video for Mrs. Yollis’ visitors. It teaches the readers of the classroom blog how to comment on the blog page. This is a very useful resource. There are many visitors that, this is their very first time even looking at a blog. What a great way to teach them how to navigate through the blog and leave their positive and encouraging comments for these third graders.

Learn HTML Code!

This a page full of ways to use HTML codes. Dr. Strange gave us a link to Mrs. Yollis earlier in the semester to teach us how to use HTML codes. I have to say that without Mrs. Yollis and Dr. Strange I would have no idea how to use these codes. I am still learning new ones and how to use them. They are very resourceful tools to use when blogging.

Learn About California!


This is a video about the state Mrs. Yollis’ and her students live in. The video gives you insight to the state of California. Mrs. Yollis hits all the high points. The the state’s population, information about their governer, the fact that California is the 31st state, the state flowers, birds and even an insect. She also gives the two largest tourist areas, Disneyland and Hollywood! This is a wonderful addition to the blog especially for people who do not know anything about the state of California.


Learn How to Shoot Great Digital Images

This is a great tutorial for students to learn how to use a still camera and video camera correctly. Students are always eager to use these instruments and really need some sort of training to do so. This is even great for adults.

Mrs. Yollis’ blog is very useful and informative tool for not only students but adults too. I have been really inspired by this blog to have one for my own class one day. I would love to create one that is not only useful to my students and parents but for other family members of the students and teachers.

Blog Post # 14 Special Assignment

I understood the metaphor that Tom Johnson used in his post regarding pencils and computers.  Mr. Johnson used a metaphor to descibe how students use their computers as a gaming or playing device rather than as a tool to improve their academic skills.  I felt I wrote a more indepth paragraph about the metaphor because Mr. Johnson also had a link to another teacher, Larry Ferlazzo.  Between to the two post, I felt the post discussed a deeper issue of not only the students using the computer for games but parents that do not have any computer skills and cannot help the student/child use the computer in any other way.  Children who use a computer at home still need guidance and direction and this cannot be achieved at home with a parent if the parent does not know how to properly use the compter.  So the computer (if there is one in the home) becomes a gaming device. 
I also do not believe that computers lower testing scores.  Even if a child is using a computer to play on, rather than using it for academics they are still learning the way around the computer and soaking up some type of knowledge that may end up being beneficial in the future classroom.  We bloggged about a teacher that used a "Virtual World" with her students and the teacher did not know how to create certian things but her students did.  The teacher learned from her students and I will take a chance and say that those students knew how to do that because they played on a computer.  So in the playing with pencils metaphor I do understand.

Here are some metaphors that I have encountered or have used myself:

"Between a rock and a hard place"
"My plate is full"
"I am on overload"
"It is so hot outside you could fry an egg on the ground"
"I'd rather shoot myself in the foot"
"They are so slow, that we will be here until next Christmas"

As educators we can give examples of metaphors to our students to intoduce them to the students.  We can also use them in the classroom and apply them to our class to see if students are understanding the concept of a metaphor.  Also have the students write some down that they have encountered like we are doing in this blog.  Have the students come up with their own and see if they make sense and work.  Maybe have the students blog about metaphors and get responses from others around the world.

Metaphors are a figuire of speech.  We use metaphors to describe a situtation that we may be in.  To give an understanding or to relay a concept to another person.

Project # 15

I choose "The Polar Express" because this is a favorite book in my family. Just a couple of years ago we went to Calera, Alabama and road on a "Real" Polar Express. It was so much fun! They read the story and we had milk and cookies. Santa also climbed on to the train to visit with the kids and give out gifts. I highly recommend this book and the trip to Calera to ride the train.

Project # 14 Teach Someone

This project was about teaching someone something that might help them in EDM 310. For me, I thought it might be helpful to put together a slide show about the FORM Document that Dr. Strange requires to go along with the SmartBoard presentation. For my group and me, when we meet and sat down to do the FORM we had no idea what Dr. Strange was even talking about. So with the help of another student (who we did not get his name but thank you so much) and Anthony Capps we discovered what Dr. Strange wanted and became more technologically literate. Thank you Laura Bishop, Rachael Gammill and Dana Johnson for working so hard with me on that project!

Blog Assignment # 11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class

Ms. Kathy Cassidy is a First Grade Teacher in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Watching her class video (you can click on the title of this blog and watch) and listening to her Skype conversation with the EDM 310 class from last year really hit home for me. I have a son in first grade who would love to be in this class especially with the opportunity to use his DS. I am so jealous and wish we had this kind of classroom now for my children.

My son is in private school where they do have more advantages than other schools but yet they are still way behind. My son attends a computer lab but they are only teaching him about how computers work. I wish I was graduating this semester so I could be the teacher that brings this technology to the classroom now because we are not giving our students all they deserve or need by not teaching them about technology.

I cannot wait until I begin teaching and can bring technology to my classroom. I want to have a class blog like Ms. Cassidy's blog and also a classroom page. I think my future students would benefit from using the SmartBoard, blogging, Skype and using learning games on the DS. I think even parents will love the idea of being able to see what their child is doing and learning in the classroom by being able to look on the computer at anytime. What advantage that will be versus just having to either write a note or setting up a conference with the teacher.

I believe my impediments for using technology in the classroom are going to be the lack of funds to have the computers needed for each child. Also the lack of time if there are not enough computers, being able to allow each child enough time on the computer. Also there may be parents, other teachers and even administration that are either set in their "old fashion ways" or just scared of technology that might hold back on the advances that I would want pursue in my classroom.

Hopefully through with my blog now and being able to be involved in my son's school we can begin to open the door to technology. The world is changing and education has to change with it in order to give the future generations everything they need to succeed in the world. I know that is what I want for my future classroom and my own children now.

Blog Assignment # 10

An Open Letter to Educators

This blog is by Morgan Bayda. Morgan is a new teacher in Canada. She points out in the above blog that you can click on to read and watch the video by Dan Brown added to her blog (or you can just click on his name a watch the same video from here) that North America is still teaching the old fashion way. Ms. Bayda and Dan Brown both discuss how the Education system is behind in today's time. I agree with both of them. I still have classes were I sit and just take notes off of an overhead projector. Those classes are long and I have to say I need lots of caffeine to stay awake. Regardless though, the classes are still required in order for me to receive my very important diploma that I have to have in today's world in order to get a good job. The Education system from elementary to college all need to be changed and brought into the modern world. I believe that is only going to be done though by students and educators working together to make those changes and actually putting it into play. People that are already in the Education system instead of complaining on blogs should try and step up to the plate and do something. Students like Dan Brown, what good did it do him to drop out of college? I think that he is just using the "behind education system" as an excuse to not finish what he started. If he had really wanted to make a change in my opinion he would have stuck it out and tried to work with the educators and/or school board to change his classroom learning environment. If he can take the time to make a video about how bad things are why doesn't he take that time instead and do a video to petition his classmates and his college to make changes? Just saying.
So if people really have a problem with the education system today stop complaining and start doing or otherwise I just feel like they truly don't want the change and like it just the way it is.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

This blog I believe is about how teachers see a problem and not a solution. It is about lower income families and schools. It is also based on a teacher's blog that I have followed during this class. Larry Ferlazzo's blog about "My Take On Home Computer Usage Can Lead to Lower Test Scores". How can sending a pencil or having a home computer at home lower test scores? I really don't see it. If anything I am sure it helps not only the student but the parent too learn how to use something or do something that they have never done before. Sometimes education is not just about the student but the student's parent(s) too. The parent may not have any idea how to help their child and the educator has to step in and help not only educate the child but the parent too. To educate goes beyond just a student sometimes but into a family or a community.

Special Assignment

I have read and reviewed a blog by a teacher named Mr. McClung. He is an 8th grade teacher in Woodland Jr. High in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He teaches several subjects. They include social studies, Arkansas history, computer applications and cross country track. You can tell by reading Mr. McClung’s blog that he is very organized, he enjoys teaching, he is very involved with his class, school and community and is ready to grow his students in the classroom and outside the classroom.

Mr. McClung’s rules are very inspiring. They are firm yet they create an organized learning environment. My favorite part of his rules are his “Expectations”, “Stay Positive”. What a great way to start the rules. He makes it clear to the students what he expects out of them and then lays out the rules. I am a firm believer in rules. Even now when I substitute for teachers at my son’s school, I lay out my expectations and rules for the class while I am in place of their teacher. I believe in doing that you, first get the respect of the students, secondly it keeps order in their classroom and last it keeps the class in a positive environment with less stress. Without some sort of order there will be no learning.

The Day Planner! What a great tool to teach time management and how to keep up with class assignments and test dates. How can you ever live without some sort of day planner. I have always, since a very young age, keep a calender and/or day planner. I even still have some of them and it is really neat to look back and see what I accomplished, that day or even that year. Now I use one on my cell phone. (Going Green) This teaches organization and responsibility. This will greatly benefit these students for the rest of their lives.

Mr. McClung does not play when it comes to being late on an assignment. He takes off a letter grade per day. What a motivator to not be late or be a procrastinator. I know I would not want to loose a whole letter grade for being late. Glad Dr. Strange is not as hard on the students in EDM 310.

I checked out several of the links in McClung’s blog but the two that really grabbed my attention were Plagiarism Checker and Twitter Times. How useful are both of these blogs. You can click on the names of these two links and it will take you straight there to check them out.

Mr. McClung is very serious about Internet safety which is a great thing. You can not ever be too safe with children on the internet and it is our job as teachers to protect these children. His rules are very clear and precise.

I read Lesson Three- The Quest for The Perfect T-Shirt. This blog hit home with me. His class as drawn pictures to go on a t-shirt for a fundraiser for the Susan G Komen for the Cure. My family has done this same thing for my nephew who we lost this past December to AML Leukemia. My nephew Jarrod, had some friends who drew up some designs to go on the back of a t-shirt for a fundraiser for him. They helped to raise a lot of money for him and his family. So I can’t wait to see what design Mr. McClung’s class chooses from their classmates drawings and see how much money they raise.

I really like the layout at the top of the blog. I like how you can click on the different parts like “Welcome” and “Mr. McClung” and it takes you right to what you want to know. I would love to learn how to use Blogger more effectively and add more things. I hope after EDM 310 is over I will have time to sit down and set my page up with more information and different things.

Mr. McClungs blog is very useful to parents, staff and students. There is no excuse for not knowing what is going on in the classroom or what the students need. He is very organized and all the class information is there. He has ways to get in contact with him too. In fact while I was on his site, I noticed a button in the top right hand side of the page that said “chat with Joe McClung”, so when that button is green, he is available to chat right there online. He has it all covered, from what is going on in the classroom, his expectations of the students and how to get in touch with him if need be.

This blog is very different from the other student blogs I have read. This is more of a classroom blog. It is a very informative classroom blog. It is also a very community active classroom blog. This is a very busy class and you can tell that the students are being taught in a non-traditional way (which is good) and that they are applying their creativity and brains in this classroom. I believe I could use this blog as an example to one day set up my own classroom blog whether I am teaching first grade or sixth grade. This blog is very organized and informative for not only the students but staff and parents as well.