I've really enjoyed being in this class with everyone. I wish everyone the best and pray that you all fulfill your goals and dreams. I learned so much! I hope that everyone else learned a lot as well and enjoyed this class as much as I did.
May God bless you and keep you and yours safe. Have a wonderful, happy summer.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
What I've Learned in EDM 310
I have learned so much in this class! I had never used Power Point or Excel in my life. I'd never even heard of a podcast! Now I know how to use these technologies and can't wait to make use of them when I begin teaching.
This class has far exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be tough, really tough. It wasn't challenging in that it was difficult, it challenged me to keep on top of the latest technologies. I'm convinced that if I don't keep up, my students will leave me in the dust.
Use of technology in the classroom today is simply essential. And it's exciting! I can't wait to get out there and make use of what I've learned!
This class has far exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be tough, really tough. It wasn't challenging in that it was difficult, it challenged me to keep on top of the latest technologies. I'm convinced that if I don't keep up, my students will leave me in the dust.
Use of technology in the classroom today is simply essential. And it's exciting! I can't wait to get out there and make use of what I've learned!
ACCESS Lab Tour
I chose to tour the ACCESS lab at Fairhope High School. Mr. Williamson, one of the vice principals of the school gave me the tour on Wednesday, April 22, 2009. The ACCESS lab at Fairhope High School is set up to serve 40 students with a laptop for each student. A white board is set up at the front of the classroom along with a projector. There are also two flatscreen televisions, one at the front of the classroom and one at the back.
One of Fairhope High School's teachers, Ms. O'Neill, is now in Northern Anartica. She will be studying a species of fish that can survive in sub-zero waters. She will be in contact with her students at Fairhope High School via the ACCESS lab. For information you can log onto Fairhope High School's website at http://www.fairhopehs.com/.
ACCESS stands for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide. It provides students with access to classes that are not offered at their school via the internet, videoconferencing and other technologies. It is a wonderful program that helps educators provide students with equal opportunities for learning.
ACCESS still has hurdles. The main hurdle is cost. The systems and equipment are expensive. Many schools just simply can't afford them. Also, ACCESS is now only available to high school students. I'm hoping in the future it will be available to all students.
Electronic Contact
Jamison, Kelli, Andrew, Abigail
and baby Maddie
My electronic contact is my cousin, Jamison Creel. Jamison is thirty-five. He's a pastor at the Mount of Olives Church of God and director of the Jerusalem Urban Discipleship Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Jamison teaches History, English, Social Studies and whatever else is needed at Jerusalem School. He lives on the Mount of Olives with his wife, Kelli and their four children.
Jamison's blog, Life and Ministry on the Mount of Olives, can be reached at http://abushakra.blogspot.com/. The following are a few of his posts from that blog:
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Teaching
My wife Kelli and I are both certified school teachers. She's an elementary teacher and I am certified in high school social studies. Because of this we have always used education as a gateway into the community here. We teach English, History, Religion, or whatever as a service to the people here. My ministry, here in Jerusalem, has always revolved around students and schools. We now have a team of interns here at the church and so I, naturally, have them doing a lot of work in local schools. Mondays and Wednesdays are our long days. On Mondays and Wednesdays we leave the house at seven and drive an hour to a little West Bank village called Aboud. Aboud is one of the few remaining villages here that is largely Christian. The Church of God has a school there. (I detailed their struggles in a previous post.) We are there for three hours, from 8-11, teaching English. We leave there and go to Jerusalem school where we teach Bible classes and aid teachers for three more hours. When that is over, I send the interns to Ramallah to teach another English class, this time to University students. I stay in Jerusalem and coach basketball. The Ramallah classes end at six and the interns get home a seven, just in time on Wednesday for Bible study.
It sounds, from reading this, like I'm a slave driver. And, honestly running full-speed from seven to seven can be taxing, but it's worth it because we encounter a different segment of the population at each stop. In the village, we are trying to be a blessing to village dwelling Christian Arabs. At Jerusalem School, we are working with secularized, Westernized, wealthy Arabs. And, at Ramallah we are working with a more "normal" segment of the population. I guess you would call them city Muslims. Educationally, I think that it's important to understand that the Arab world is not homogeneous. There are great variations between different regions and people groups. My students are exposed to this by interacting with some of the different segments of the society. I also think that it's important for ministry. By getting to know all of these different people, we get a chance to be witnesses to them. All of this work is paying off. Thursday night, we had about thirty people here for our youth night. The vast majority of them were kids we know from Jerusalem school. I would ask you to pray for us on Mondays and Wednesdays. They are long hard days, but they are also when we do most of our relationship building. Pray that God will put the right people in front of us and that He will gives us the right words to say to them. We don't want to work just to do something. We want to impact the land and society here for the Kingdom of God.
********
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Learning the Land: Caesarea
Now that we have students here at the discipleship center, part of what we are doing with them is teaching them the land of Israel and how it relates to their Bibles. This past Friday, we took them to the Mediterranean coast to see Ceasarea. I was a history teacher before I became a pastor and the historian in me gets excited to go to the places where important events happened.
Caesarea was Herod's capitol city. He built it in Greco-Roman style with aqueducts, bath houses, and theatres. The city, which has a very limited natural supply of fresh water, was made possible by Roman engineering. They built an aqueduct that brought water from Mt. Carmel, over 70 miles away.
The Romans also invented hydraulic concrete, concrete that hardens under water. Herod made extensive use of this substance in Caesarea. He built two giant piers that extend out into the ocean and create an artificial harbor to facilitate shipping. He also built a palace that extended out into the ocean. One of its many luxuries was a swimming pool that was bordered by the sea on three sides. Herod built his palace extending into the sea because it was beautiful, but also because he was paranoid. He kept a boat docked at the end of the palace at all times. The boat was there so that he could escape if he needed to.
The palace was later taken over by the Roman governors. I wondered as I walked there Friday, just where Paul stood before Felix and Festus. The Bible says that Paul was sent for, so probably somewhere in the palace. It's pretty cool to walk around thinking "maybe Paul stood here" and trying to imagine the scene.
Caesarea is also important in recent Biblical archeology. For years, critics of the Bible complained that there was no extra-Biblical source naming Pontius Pilate. They pointed out that the Romans were great record keepers and that there should be some document somewhere with his name on it. They used the absence of such a document as evidence against the Bible.
When Israeli archaeologists began to excavate Caesarea they made an interesting find. The found a cornerstone for one of the buildings there. The cornerstone had an inscription. In Latin it said roughly, " built under Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea." It's funny how the truth defends itself.
As the weeks go by, and as we visit more of the country's sites, I'll keep you posted on what we see and learn.
********
Abu Shakra???
Several years ago I was volunteering at a local Christian missions school that ministers to Arabs. I was teaching religion and history to high-schoolers. The girls in my tenth grade history class decided that Mr. Jamison was too much to say and not sufficiently descriptive. They started calling me Abu Shakra. It means "father of the blond". The name stuck and for quite some time I answered to it. I don't get called that as much as I used to, but I think that it is pretty representative of my life here. First of all it was given to me and used by the Jerusalem students that I love so much. Secondly, it symbolizes a life lived in a place where every single person who sees you immediately knows that you are a foreigner. And lastly, it's exactly where I am now. I am currently the father of four beautiful blond children.
and baby Maddie
My electronic contact is my cousin, Jamison Creel. Jamison is thirty-five. He's a pastor at the Mount of Olives Church of God and director of the Jerusalem Urban Discipleship Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Jamison teaches History, English, Social Studies and whatever else is needed at Jerusalem School. He lives on the Mount of Olives with his wife, Kelli and their four children.
Jamison's blog, Life and Ministry on the Mount of Olives, can be reached at http://abushakra.blogspot.com/. The following are a few of his posts from that blog:
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Teaching
My wife Kelli and I are both certified school teachers. She's an elementary teacher and I am certified in high school social studies. Because of this we have always used education as a gateway into the community here. We teach English, History, Religion, or whatever as a service to the people here. My ministry, here in Jerusalem, has always revolved around students and schools. We now have a team of interns here at the church and so I, naturally, have them doing a lot of work in local schools. Mondays and Wednesdays are our long days. On Mondays and Wednesdays we leave the house at seven and drive an hour to a little West Bank village called Aboud. Aboud is one of the few remaining villages here that is largely Christian. The Church of God has a school there. (I detailed their struggles in a previous post.) We are there for three hours, from 8-11, teaching English. We leave there and go to Jerusalem school where we teach Bible classes and aid teachers for three more hours. When that is over, I send the interns to Ramallah to teach another English class, this time to University students. I stay in Jerusalem and coach basketball. The Ramallah classes end at six and the interns get home a seven, just in time on Wednesday for Bible study.
It sounds, from reading this, like I'm a slave driver. And, honestly running full-speed from seven to seven can be taxing, but it's worth it because we encounter a different segment of the population at each stop. In the village, we are trying to be a blessing to village dwelling Christian Arabs. At Jerusalem School, we are working with secularized, Westernized, wealthy Arabs. And, at Ramallah we are working with a more "normal" segment of the population. I guess you would call them city Muslims. Educationally, I think that it's important to understand that the Arab world is not homogeneous. There are great variations between different regions and people groups. My students are exposed to this by interacting with some of the different segments of the society. I also think that it's important for ministry. By getting to know all of these different people, we get a chance to be witnesses to them. All of this work is paying off. Thursday night, we had about thirty people here for our youth night. The vast majority of them were kids we know from Jerusalem school. I would ask you to pray for us on Mondays and Wednesdays. They are long hard days, but they are also when we do most of our relationship building. Pray that God will put the right people in front of us and that He will gives us the right words to say to them. We don't want to work just to do something. We want to impact the land and society here for the Kingdom of God.
********
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Learning the Land: Caesarea
Now that we have students here at the discipleship center, part of what we are doing with them is teaching them the land of Israel and how it relates to their Bibles. This past Friday, we took them to the Mediterranean coast to see Ceasarea. I was a history teacher before I became a pastor and the historian in me gets excited to go to the places where important events happened.
Caesarea was Herod's capitol city. He built it in Greco-Roman style with aqueducts, bath houses, and theatres. The city, which has a very limited natural supply of fresh water, was made possible by Roman engineering. They built an aqueduct that brought water from Mt. Carmel, over 70 miles away.
The Romans also invented hydraulic concrete, concrete that hardens under water. Herod made extensive use of this substance in Caesarea. He built two giant piers that extend out into the ocean and create an artificial harbor to facilitate shipping. He also built a palace that extended out into the ocean. One of its many luxuries was a swimming pool that was bordered by the sea on three sides. Herod built his palace extending into the sea because it was beautiful, but also because he was paranoid. He kept a boat docked at the end of the palace at all times. The boat was there so that he could escape if he needed to.
The palace was later taken over by the Roman governors. I wondered as I walked there Friday, just where Paul stood before Felix and Festus. The Bible says that Paul was sent for, so probably somewhere in the palace. It's pretty cool to walk around thinking "maybe Paul stood here" and trying to imagine the scene.
Caesarea is also important in recent Biblical archeology. For years, critics of the Bible complained that there was no extra-Biblical source naming Pontius Pilate. They pointed out that the Romans were great record keepers and that there should be some document somewhere with his name on it. They used the absence of such a document as evidence against the Bible.
When Israeli archaeologists began to excavate Caesarea they made an interesting find. The found a cornerstone for one of the buildings there. The cornerstone had an inscription. In Latin it said roughly, " built under Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea." It's funny how the truth defends itself.
As the weeks go by, and as we visit more of the country's sites, I'll keep you posted on what we see and learn.
********
Abu Shakra???
Several years ago I was volunteering at a local Christian missions school that ministers to Arabs. I was teaching religion and history to high-schoolers. The girls in my tenth grade history class decided that Mr. Jamison was too much to say and not sufficiently descriptive. They started calling me Abu Shakra. It means "father of the blond". The name stuck and for quite some time I answered to it. I don't get called that as much as I used to, but I think that it is pretty representative of my life here. First of all it was given to me and used by the Jerusalem students that I love so much. Secondly, it symbolizes a life lived in a place where every single person who sees you immediately knows that you are a foreigner. And lastly, it's exactly where I am now. I am currently the father of four beautiful blond children.
********
Jamison's passions are God, his family, his students, and the people of Israel. He truly puts himself out there for them. Israel is a dangerous place to live these days. My family and I do not watch any news segments about Israel or read anything in the newspapers about Israel because we worry enough about Jamison, Kelli and their four young children (all under the age of six) as it is. Jamison rarely tells us any bad news because he doesn't want to frighten us with what they must face living in a war torn country. They choose to stay there and face the dangers because of their love and devotion to the people.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Week 15 Blog
The first podcast I listened to was "The Edible Schoolyard." It was recorded by some students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkley California. The teachers used a garden to teach the students about science and life skills. The students would work in the garden daily and were eventually able to harvest their crop and cook what they had grown. They learned about photosynthesis, the life cycles of the plants and water cycles.
The second podcast I listened to was "A Night in the Global Village." This was my favorite of the two podcasts. Students and their teachers from the Rocky Mountain School of Expenditionary Learning in Perryville, Arkansas went to the Heifer Ranch. The Global Gateway Program had set up different 'areas' at the ranch resembling different parts of the world - Thailand, Zambia and other countries - affected by poverty and hunger. The teachers and students were assigned and taken to an area and 'left there', overnight, with very little resources or supplies. They got a taste of what it was like to live as the people in those countries for just a few hours.
Both podcasts depicted hands-on learning. In the first podcast, the students got to enjoy the fruits of their labors. In the second podcast, the students - and teachers - had to learn to maximize the use of their limited resources. They also experienced something that will impact them for the rest of their lives.
I'll never forget my second trip to the Bahamas. I'd gone the first time when I was five and all I can remember was swimming and playing with the Bahamian kids. I think my grandfather didn't show me the hidden side of the Bahamas because I was little. I was fifteen when I went back. The beauty of the island and the towering hotels was still just as beautiful as I remembered. But then I was shown what was behind all of that... the slums, people struggling to put food on the tables. It really opened my eyes to the fact that things are not always what they appear to be. I once teased my grandfather about being a missionary to the Bahamas. I never teased him again after that trip. I got a major shock of reality.
The second podcast I listened to was "A Night in the Global Village." This was my favorite of the two podcasts. Students and their teachers from the Rocky Mountain School of Expenditionary Learning in Perryville, Arkansas went to the Heifer Ranch. The Global Gateway Program had set up different 'areas' at the ranch resembling different parts of the world - Thailand, Zambia and other countries - affected by poverty and hunger. The teachers and students were assigned and taken to an area and 'left there', overnight, with very little resources or supplies. They got a taste of what it was like to live as the people in those countries for just a few hours.
Both podcasts depicted hands-on learning. In the first podcast, the students got to enjoy the fruits of their labors. In the second podcast, the students - and teachers - had to learn to maximize the use of their limited resources. They also experienced something that will impact them for the rest of their lives.
I'll never forget my second trip to the Bahamas. I'd gone the first time when I was five and all I can remember was swimming and playing with the Bahamian kids. I think my grandfather didn't show me the hidden side of the Bahamas because I was little. I was fifteen when I went back. The beauty of the island and the towering hotels was still just as beautiful as I remembered. But then I was shown what was behind all of that... the slums, people struggling to put food on the tables. It really opened my eyes to the fact that things are not always what they appear to be. I once teased my grandfather about being a missionary to the Bahamas. I never teased him again after that trip. I got a major shock of reality.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Week 14 Blog
I chose to read all of Joyce Fisk's blogs. She and I seem to have the same philosophy in our approach to teaching; and she is a stay-at-home mom, like me.
Technology is growing at such a rapid pace today. I can imagine the frustration that technology coordinators can have with 'those' teachers (as Joyce put it) that do not use technology in their classrooms. Their students suffer for it, in my opinion. Technology is essential and to not use it can make your class boring, very boring indeed. Students learn when their schoolwork and classes are exciting, informative, and interesting. Like Joyce, I am also eager to learn about new technologies and use them in my classroom.
There are many pros about blogs. I agree with Joyce. Having a class blog would hold your students to a whole new level of accountability. However, what about your students that do not have the internet? This is one of the cons. Some people have very limited access to the internet. Some students only have access at school. Another pro is that your students and parents would have easy access to information through your blog. No more asking "Do you have any homework today?" or "What are you doing at school? What are you learning?". You can just log on and go to your child's classroom blog and see for yourself.
Technology is growing at such a rapid pace today. I can imagine the frustration that technology coordinators can have with 'those' teachers (as Joyce put it) that do not use technology in their classrooms. Their students suffer for it, in my opinion. Technology is essential and to not use it can make your class boring, very boring indeed. Students learn when their schoolwork and classes are exciting, informative, and interesting. Like Joyce, I am also eager to learn about new technologies and use them in my classroom.
There are many pros about blogs. I agree with Joyce. Having a class blog would hold your students to a whole new level of accountability. However, what about your students that do not have the internet? This is one of the cons. Some people have very limited access to the internet. Some students only have access at school. Another pro is that your students and parents would have easy access to information through your blog. No more asking "Do you have any homework today?" or "What are you doing at school? What are you learning?". You can just log on and go to your child's classroom blog and see for yourself.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Week 13 Blog
EDM 310 Podcasts
The first podcast I listened to was the one I did with Lynda Rigsby: "What I Learned from the 'The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch'". In this podcast, we discussed Randy's Last Lecture and the impact it had on our lives. We discussed his life's philosophies, his teaching techniques and his life experiences.
I felt that our podcast went pretty well. I do wish that Lynda and I had met and gone over our podcast more outside of class, but that's life. We had both gone over our individual parts over and over, so our podcast went a lot more smoothly and lasted longer than I expected.
The second podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Useful Internet Sites for Elementary Teachers" hosted by Briana Browder, Andrea Richards, and Kristen Younce. They discussed four different websites that they felt were very useful for elementary school teachers. ACCESS, Starfall, Scholastic, and Funbrain.
I really liked this podcast. It was informative and "flowed" well. You could tell they had gone over their podcast together, were prepared and knew their material.
The third podcast I listened to was "Can Facebook Be Used As An Educational Tool?" hosted by Samantha Mason, Kandis Dyess and Jessica Kiser. Their podcast was also good. It did have some pauses and you could tell they were reading. It didn't flow as well as the second podcast I listened to, but they knew their material and the podcast was informative.
The fourth podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Source Materials for High School Teachers on the World Wide Web. " hosted by Anne Gardner and Kimberly Hinojosa. Their podcast wasn't as 'scripty' to me as the others and you could tell they really knew their material.
The first podcast I listened to was the one I did with Lynda Rigsby: "What I Learned from the 'The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch'". In this podcast, we discussed Randy's Last Lecture and the impact it had on our lives. We discussed his life's philosophies, his teaching techniques and his life experiences.
I felt that our podcast went pretty well. I do wish that Lynda and I had met and gone over our podcast more outside of class, but that's life. We had both gone over our individual parts over and over, so our podcast went a lot more smoothly and lasted longer than I expected.
The second podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Useful Internet Sites for Elementary Teachers" hosted by Briana Browder, Andrea Richards, and Kristen Younce. They discussed four different websites that they felt were very useful for elementary school teachers. ACCESS, Starfall, Scholastic, and Funbrain.
I really liked this podcast. It was informative and "flowed" well. You could tell they had gone over their podcast together, were prepared and knew their material.
The third podcast I listened to was "Can Facebook Be Used As An Educational Tool?" hosted by Samantha Mason, Kandis Dyess and Jessica Kiser. Their podcast was also good. It did have some pauses and you could tell they were reading. It didn't flow as well as the second podcast I listened to, but they knew their material and the podcast was informative.
The fourth podcast I listened to was "Pick of the Day: Source Materials for High School Teachers on the World Wide Web. " hosted by Anne Gardner and Kimberly Hinojosa. Their podcast wasn't as 'scripty' to me as the others and you could tell they really knew their material.
Week 12 Blog
The first podcast I listened to was 'Mathematics with Technology' hosted by Judy Chandler of Maine University. According to Judy, some math teachers are reluctant to use technology in their classrooms because it is too time consuming. Others feel that technology isn't necessary; that you are going to have students who 'just don't get it'. Judy stresses that the use of technology is essential in the classroom. She says that it enhances students' learning and engages them.
The second podcast I listened to was 'Thinking Mathematically' also hosted by Judy Chandler. In this podcast she re-emphasizes the importance of technology in the mathematics classroom. Students are engaged instead of memorizing steps from their texts that they will, more than likely, forget after a while. They go beyond their textbook and incorporate skills and techniques that will help them succeed.
I believe that technology is essential in the classroom. If we do not embrace technology today, we will be left in the dust tomorrow! We owe it to our students (or future students) to provide them with the best possible education. I feel that it is impossible to truly provide that without technology.
The second podcast I listened to was 'Thinking Mathematically' also hosted by Judy Chandler. In this podcast she re-emphasizes the importance of technology in the mathematics classroom. Students are engaged instead of memorizing steps from their texts that they will, more than likely, forget after a while. They go beyond their textbook and incorporate skills and techniques that will help them succeed.
I believe that technology is essential in the classroom. If we do not embrace technology today, we will be left in the dust tomorrow! We owe it to our students (or future students) to provide them with the best possible education. I feel that it is impossible to truly provide that without technology.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Week 11 Blog
"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets in Learning
Our assignment for this week was to watch the '"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets in Learning' video podcast published by Stanford University. In this podcast, the speaker talked about how some students have a 'fixed' mindset about intelligence. They feel that intelligence is a fixed trait. Other students believed in a 'growth' mindset. That their intelligence is built and improved by studying, education and perseverance. Stanford University did a study to see how the growth mindset affected learning.
Half of the students in the study were taught the growth mindset concept and study skills. The other half were just taught study skills. Those that were taught the growth mindset concept flourished. Their grades improved and they were very successful. The other half saw no significant improvement, even though they were taught study skills.
This impacts our world today. There is no way you can be successful without this positive growth mindset. As educators, we should aspire to never stop learning and teach our students to do the same. In an ever-changing world where technology is always expanding and growing, it is essential that we stay on top of things and encourage our students to do so as well.
Our assignment for this week was to watch the '"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets in Learning' video podcast published by Stanford University. In this podcast, the speaker talked about how some students have a 'fixed' mindset about intelligence. They feel that intelligence is a fixed trait. Other students believed in a 'growth' mindset. That their intelligence is built and improved by studying, education and perseverance. Stanford University did a study to see how the growth mindset affected learning.
Half of the students in the study were taught the growth mindset concept and study skills. The other half were just taught study skills. Those that were taught the growth mindset concept flourished. Their grades improved and they were very successful. The other half saw no significant improvement, even though they were taught study skills.
This impacts our world today. There is no way you can be successful without this positive growth mindset. As educators, we should aspire to never stop learning and teach our students to do the same. In an ever-changing world where technology is always expanding and growing, it is essential that we stay on top of things and encourage our students to do so as well.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Week 10 Blog
I listened to Willowcast #18/Radio WillowWeb, a podcast from Willow Elementary School. This podcast was given by first graders and was hosted by a six-year-old boy named Nick. It was about our solar system. They started out the podcast by talking about Mars then moved on to Venus and the other planets. They also talked about the moon, the stars and the sun.
These children completely blew me away with their grasp on the knowledge; they really 'got it'! I found myself excited and a bit jealous! When I was little, we didn't start learning about the solar system until about third grade. Back then, focus was on the three 'R's... reading, writing and arithmetic. I wish I'd been exposed to that kind of knowledge when I was their age.
Podcasts are amazing tools. I can just imagine my students' excitement upon hearing their own voices when listening to their podcast online! An advantage of a podcast is that you hear what your students have learned. You know they've 'got it'. A disadvantage of podcasts is that not every child has access to the technology outside of the classroom.
I will implement podcasts in my classroom. I want to do podcasts performed by my students and podcasts that I will personally perform to help my students with their lessons, homework, and preparation for tests.
These children completely blew me away with their grasp on the knowledge; they really 'got it'! I found myself excited and a bit jealous! When I was little, we didn't start learning about the solar system until about third grade. Back then, focus was on the three 'R's... reading, writing and arithmetic. I wish I'd been exposed to that kind of knowledge when I was their age.
Podcasts are amazing tools. I can just imagine my students' excitement upon hearing their own voices when listening to their podcast online! An advantage of a podcast is that you hear what your students have learned. You know they've 'got it'. A disadvantage of podcasts is that not every child has access to the technology outside of the classroom.
I will implement podcasts in my classroom. I want to do podcasts performed by my students and podcasts that I will personally perform to help my students with their lessons, homework, and preparation for tests.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Week 8 Blog
Podcasts from EDM3102008
I listened to two podcasts: "Possibilities for Using Facebook in an Educational Setting" given by Allison Midgette and Shaundretta Bethel and "Reflections on The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch" by Brett Kittrell, Jenny Mosley, Taylor Irvin and Bree Smith.
You could tell they were reading from a script. You could hear the pages rustling and they were very 'sing-song'. You could also tell they were nervous, which is understandable since these were their first podcasts. They didn't flow as well as they could have. Perhaps with a little more practice, these things could have been elimated.
I can't be too critical. When Lynda and I did our podcast, it was our first as well. I wish we could have got together and rehearsed our podcast before we actually recorded it, but we did not get that opportunity. Maybe next time, we can.
I listened to two podcasts: "Possibilities for Using Facebook in an Educational Setting" given by Allison Midgette and Shaundretta Bethel and "Reflections on The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch" by Brett Kittrell, Jenny Mosley, Taylor Irvin and Bree Smith.
You could tell they were reading from a script. You could hear the pages rustling and they were very 'sing-song'. You could also tell they were nervous, which is understandable since these were their first podcasts. They didn't flow as well as they could have. Perhaps with a little more practice, these things could have been elimated.
I can't be too critical. When Lynda and I did our podcast, it was our first as well. I wish we could have got together and rehearsed our podcast before we actually recorded it, but we did not get that opportunity. Maybe next time, we can.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Week 7 Blog
For this assignment I listened to several podcasts.
The first set of podcasts I listened to was Smart Board Lessons hosted by Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger. They discussed the importance and resourcefulness of the use of Smart Boards in classrooms today. They had comments from students whose teachers had implemented Smart Boards in their classrooms. It also gave you advice and instructions on setting the Boards up and what to include in them.
The second set of podcasts I listened to was Kid Cast. This podcast actually had kids doing podcasts on particular topics. The third set of podcasts I listened to were Connect Learning hosted by David Warlick. He discussed many topics. My favorite was 'What is the purpose of Education?'. I also listened to a couple of EdTech talk podcasts which are hosted by Susan Van Gelder. These were podcasts of teachers discussing the latest technologies and strategies that help us provide our students the quality learning that they deserve. I also listened to MacBreak weekly and This Week in Photography.
There were a couple of podcasts that I checked out on my own. One was a series of podcasts called Study Cast hosted by Mr. Brent Coley. This was my favorite. In his podcasts, he discusses what he is teaching in the classroom. He even 'walks' them through the lessons, providing outlines that they can get online or from him in class. His students can listen to the lessons, go along with him using the outlines, once, twice or however many times they need to until they've truly 'got it'! I want to do this for my students!
Another series of podcasts that I checked out is Teaching Tips by Teachtopia hosted by Sabrina Weissler. These tips are for teachers and parents. There is so much information out there. Podcasting is definitely going to be a useful tool in classrooms today and in the future.
The first set of podcasts I listened to was Smart Board Lessons hosted by Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger. They discussed the importance and resourcefulness of the use of Smart Boards in classrooms today. They had comments from students whose teachers had implemented Smart Boards in their classrooms. It also gave you advice and instructions on setting the Boards up and what to include in them.
The second set of podcasts I listened to was Kid Cast. This podcast actually had kids doing podcasts on particular topics. The third set of podcasts I listened to were Connect Learning hosted by David Warlick. He discussed many topics. My favorite was 'What is the purpose of Education?'. I also listened to a couple of EdTech talk podcasts which are hosted by Susan Van Gelder. These were podcasts of teachers discussing the latest technologies and strategies that help us provide our students the quality learning that they deserve. I also listened to MacBreak weekly and This Week in Photography.
There were a couple of podcasts that I checked out on my own. One was a series of podcasts called Study Cast hosted by Mr. Brent Coley. This was my favorite. In his podcasts, he discusses what he is teaching in the classroom. He even 'walks' them through the lessons, providing outlines that they can get online or from him in class. His students can listen to the lessons, go along with him using the outlines, once, twice or however many times they need to until they've truly 'got it'! I want to do this for my students!
Another series of podcasts that I checked out is Teaching Tips by Teachtopia hosted by Sabrina Weissler. These tips are for teachers and parents. There is so much information out there. Podcasting is definitely going to be a useful tool in classrooms today and in the future.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Week 6 Blog
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
I just finished watching Randy Pausch's Last Lecture for perhaps the fifteenth time in my life. Wow! What an amazing man! And what a positive, uplifting message! One of my favorite quotes by Randy is: "We can't change the cards we're dealt, but the way we play the hand." I'm reminded of that almost daily. The fact that my son, Jonah, has Autism sucks. It sucks big time! But I can't change that. What I can change is how I play the cards that life has dealt me. I can choose to wallow in sorrow or to rejoice in Jonah's triumphs. I choose the latter.
Randy was an inspiration to his family and to millions around the globe. He has left a legacy of hope and joy behind him. He could've lived the remainder of his life as an 'Eeyore' and no one would've blamed him. But instead, he chose to live his life as a 'Tigger', boucing his way out of it with a smile... and no regrets.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Week 5 blog
International blogs
The first blog I've listed is Nelson Central's Room 9 class blog. Nelson Central is in New Zealand. There are twenty-three students in the class, ages six and seven. The teacher's name is Rachel Boyd. This class's blog has video and pictures of of the students participating in activities and projects throughout the year, from January to November of 2007. You can check out this blog at: http://room9nelsoncentral.blogspot.com.
The second blog I'm listing is Mrs. McNamara's class blog from Australia. Mrs. McNamara teachers year 5. She has twenty seven students in her class. This blog includes the class's goals for the year, video and pictures from activities and projects, as well as other information. You can check out her class's blog at: http://mrsmcsclass.blogspot.com.
The first blog I've listed is Nelson Central's Room 9 class blog. Nelson Central is in New Zealand. There are twenty-three students in the class, ages six and seven. The teacher's name is Rachel Boyd. This class's blog has video and pictures of of the students participating in activities and projects throughout the year, from January to November of 2007. You can check out this blog at: http://room9nelsoncentral.blogspot.com.
The second blog I'm listing is Mrs. McNamara's class blog from Australia. Mrs. McNamara teachers year 5. She has twenty seven students in her class. This blog includes the class's goals for the year, video and pictures from activities and projects, as well as other information. You can check out her class's blog at: http://mrsmcsclass.blogspot.com.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Week 4 blog
Mrs. Lori Elliot of Nixa, Missouri has a blog for her fourth grade class. She has a well of information available in her class's blog. She includes information for parents, pictures of class outings, pictures of the students participating in class projects and the students' comments about their experiences. You can visit her class's blog at: http://teachers.emints.org/F406/elliott/.
Mr. C of Noel Elementary has a blog for his class. He has video of his students' involvement in class experiments and their reactions. One of their experiments was making boats out of both Ivory soap and aluminum foil. They added marbles/pellets to see how many the boats could hold before they capsized. The winner, I imagine, was the one whose boat held the most marbles/pellets. You can visit his class's blog at: http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/.
Mr. C of Noel Elementary has a blog for his class. He has video of his students' involvement in class experiments and their reactions. One of their experiments was making boats out of both Ivory soap and aluminum foil. They added marbles/pellets to see how many the boats could hold before they capsized. The winner, I imagine, was the one whose boat held the most marbles/pellets. You can visit his class's blog at: http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Week 3 blog
ACCESS stands for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide. It is a program by the Alabama Department of Education. ACCESS gives students opportunity to take advantage of courses, electives and acitivities that may not be offered at their school. The vision of ACCESS's vision statement is "The State of Alabama will provide equal access to high quality instruction to improve student achievment through distance learning opportunities." Courses are made available to students by the internet and through videoconferencing.
I'm looking forward to visiting one of the ACCESS sites. I wish this had been available when I was in school. The high school that I attended did not offer very many advanced courses. I'm glad that students have these technologies and services available to them today.
I'm looking forward to visiting one of the ACCESS sites. I wish this had been available when I was in school. The high school that I attended did not offer very many advanced courses. I'm glad that students have these technologies and services available to them today.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Week 2 Blog 2
According to the Bates College Statement on Plagerism, Plagerism is defined as "the representation of another person's words, ideas, or information as if they were one's own." If you 'site' another's works, words, ideas or information, you must give the person(s) credit or you are guilty of plagerism. For example, if I had just simply typed in 'Plagerism is defined as the representation of another person's words, ideas, or infromation as if they were one's own' and not sited Bates College Statement on Plagerism, I would have been guilty of plagerism, blatantly guilty.
According to the United States Copyright Office, Copyright is '"a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literay, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intelluctual works.'" I am currently writing a book. As the author, I am protected by the Copyright laws. My book has been protected from the moment it was begun, created. I was not aware of this until I read the laws and guidelines set out by the United States Copyright Office.
According to the United States Copyright Office, Copyright is '"a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literay, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intelluctual works.'" I am currently writing a book. As the author, I am protected by the Copyright laws. My book has been protected from the moment it was begun, created. I was not aware of this until I read the laws and guidelines set out by the United States Copyright Office.
Week 2 Blog 1
ALEX stands for the Alabama Learning Exchange. ALEX is a program that was created by the Alabama Department of Education. It is a website... a one-stop resource for teachers, parents and students. Resources include lesson plans, websites and interactive activities. ALEX is an ongoing project. It improves as more information is added.
The Courses of Study link allows you to view lesson plans and goals for specific age groups for the course you will be teaching. The Web Links link takes you to a list of helpful web links. The Lesson Plans link allows you to enter your own lesson plans or view the lesson plans of other educators. The Personal Workspace link allows you to create your own workspace. The Distance Learning link takes you to ACCESS, which provides activities and courses for your students that may not be available at your school. The Professional Learning link provides you with resources that will help you provide your students with the best possible education.
My father is a homebound teacher for Mobile County. ALEX has been a great well of information for him. I know it will be for me too.
The Courses of Study link allows you to view lesson plans and goals for specific age groups for the course you will be teaching. The Web Links link takes you to a list of helpful web links. The Lesson Plans link allows you to enter your own lesson plans or view the lesson plans of other educators. The Personal Workspace link allows you to create your own workspace. The Distance Learning link takes you to ACCESS, which provides activities and courses for your students that may not be available at your school. The Professional Learning link provides you with resources that will help you provide your students with the best possible education.
My father is a homebound teacher for Mobile County. ALEX has been a great well of information for him. I know it will be for me too.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Week 1 Blog
There are so many tools available for individuals with disabilties to use. One of these tools is Braillesurf 4. This tool is for individuals that are visually impaired. It allows the individual to 'read' text by it being displayed on a braille bar or being spoken by a speech synthesizer. Another is EMACSPEAK. It's free on the Internet. It gives auditory navigation through the net. Other tools, like Marco Polo and EIAD also help individuals with other disabilities.
My son, Jonah - who is autistic, has used some of these technologies in his classroom. Icons and auditory prompts have helped him navigate on the computers there. And we are in the process of applying for a keyboard/facilitator for him to have with him at all times to see if it will help increase his language. So, this is impacting my family directly.
My son, Jonah - who is autistic, has used some of these technologies in his classroom. Icons and auditory prompts have helped him navigate on the computers there. And we are in the process of applying for a keyboard/facilitator for him to have with him at all times to see if it will help increase his language. So, this is impacting my family directly.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Welcome Note
Hello and welcome to my blog! Pull up a chair and get comfy.
My name is Jennifer Lenox. I am a thirty-seven-year-old single mother of one child - a beautiful little boy named Jonah. Jonah is nine years old. He was diagnosed with moderate to severe Autism when he was three. Life at my house is never dull. Raising a child with Autism is tough, very tough, but it's also an adventure! Every day I learn something new from my little angel. You learn to appreciate the small things. Every word that they speak is like a jewel. I love yous are diamonds!
My major at South is Special Education. I want teach children like Jonah. It's my passion, where my heart is!
Jonah and I live in Fairhope, right on Fish River. You can walk out our front door, walk a few yards, and dive in! We love it here! My mother lives above us. I have an aunt that lives next door; another one a few doors down; and a grandfather on the same street. My mother is the eldest of six... five girls and one boy. They all live close by.
When it warms up, it's really a blast around here. My cousins (and there's a lot of them!) come over practically every weekend and we hit the water. I love swimming, kayaking and watching our kids swim and play. My favorite thing to do on a warm summer morning is to sit out on the front porch with a cup of coffee and watch the sun come up over the water.
I'm looking foward to getting to know everyone.
My name is Jennifer Lenox. I am a thirty-seven-year-old single mother of one child - a beautiful little boy named Jonah. Jonah is nine years old. He was diagnosed with moderate to severe Autism when he was three. Life at my house is never dull. Raising a child with Autism is tough, very tough, but it's also an adventure! Every day I learn something new from my little angel. You learn to appreciate the small things. Every word that they speak is like a jewel. I love yous are diamonds!
My major at South is Special Education. I want teach children like Jonah. It's my passion, where my heart is!
Jonah and I live in Fairhope, right on Fish River. You can walk out our front door, walk a few yards, and dive in! We love it here! My mother lives above us. I have an aunt that lives next door; another one a few doors down; and a grandfather on the same street. My mother is the eldest of six... five girls and one boy. They all live close by.
When it warms up, it's really a blast around here. My cousins (and there's a lot of them!) come over practically every weekend and we hit the water. I love swimming, kayaking and watching our kids swim and play. My favorite thing to do on a warm summer morning is to sit out on the front porch with a cup of coffee and watch the sun come up over the water.
I'm looking foward to getting to know everyone.
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