Blog Post #13

For my thirteenth blog post I was assigned to watch two videos. The first video I was required to watch was Back to the Future by Brian Crosby. The second video I was required to watch was A Vision of Students Today.

Back to the Future by Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby is an elementary teacher. He is using technology in his class and having his students become more interactive. In his class they begin to think out of the box. The children use many applications to share information that they are learning and information they are organizing. The students in his classes use their laptops, which are individual. The many applications they use are wiki, flickr, blogs, and skype. Children enjoy what they are doing in his classes. The children began interacting with people all over the world. These students began to expand their personal learning networks by sharing their projects and blogs around the world. The main point of the video is that we need to use the 21st century tools to empower students to learn.

These students looked like they were enjoying what they were learning. Mr. Crosby did something amazing, something I wish all teachers would do. He included his students in the teaching. Students took the information that was provided to them and organized it in their own personal way by blogging and writing their stories. I think students learn better while they are working with something, when they are included in something. Teaching this way enables the students to save the information in their brains, rather than learning and then forgetting it after they take their tests. The use of the technology in class was great. The students were using it in a productive manner. I think that if educators include technology in their classrooms they need to follow a few rules. They all need to be knowledgable about the technology they will be allowing their students to utilize and they need to set rules for the use of the technology.

A Vision of Students Today

This video was created by Michael Wesch with the help of 200 student at Kansas Stae University. This video points out many aspects of life that college students face today. Their schools make them do certain things that make no sense and hinder them. From buying textbooks they will never open to sitting in a class with one hundred other people. Education is changing. Education is expanding. Even though education is changing there are so many people who want it to remain traditional. This idea is out-dated and ignorant.

From the viewpoint of a student, the education system is in need of a serious overhaul. This is the 21st century, where most people have some type of mobile device in their back pocket. Why are we sitting in a lecture hall with one hundred student? Why is the teacher in the front of the classroom writing on a board the people in the back cannot see? Technology has improved so much, why don't we utilize it? I spend six-hundred dollars on textbooks this semester and I have rarely opened them. I have killed so many trees throughout my college careers. Technology is a part of our lives, school is a part of our live. Why can't we have both at the same time? Learning can be improved so much if more schools forked up the money to buy the technology that is desperatley needed and to train those to use it.

From the viewpoint of a teacher, I think most would like not having to develop a bigger right or left arm from writing on a chalk or white board. I believe that if an educator is trained or knowledgable about technology, they can use it to teach their students. Teachers do not have much say when it come to the money alotted to them. That needs to be dealt with. Presidents of universitites need to realize that technology is not a disease. Technology might be expensive and ever changing, but it will improve the student's live. Student who interact more with their education, rather than sitting in a classroom, learn better and more. They begin to foster their own abilities and strengths. They begin to focus more, because they become interested. Technology is the future, why not embrace it now?

C4K Summary for November

C4K#1

For my first November C4K, I was assigned Matthew K's blog post, Summer Event. Matthew is an eighth grade student in Mr. Boylen's class in Iowa. His post focuses on the many activities that he too part in during the Summer. He describes many things in great detail. Some of his descriptions were very funny and interesting. I did think he could have tried harder to write grammatically correct, though. I enjoyed reading his post. I can see some of the innocence that kids have within his blog. After I read his blog, I left him a comment:

"Matthew,
Hello! My name is Nancy Nelson. I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned your blog for one of my classes. I am required to comment on it and at the end of the month I will publish a summary about it. I must say that your blog post was very interesting. you were very descriptive about everything. I absolutely love Call of Duty Black Ops. I think that is the best Call of Duty that has been produced yet. I am a novice when it comes to the Xbox, but that doesn't stop me from trying to play. Which Xbox game is your favorite? I can honestly say that I have never played a Ps3 console. I still have the box0-like Ps2 console from the early 200's at home. Lame, I know. Did you try anything else other than the chicken cooked in soy sauce at the Samoan restaurant? I have never eaten Samoan food. It must have been a very different experience. I love the Fourth of July and fireworks. I have hit so many cars while shooting fireworks, this includes my own, that I have lost count. How was the movie, The Amazing Spiderman? I have yet to see it. i heard it was good, but I don't have much time to see movies anymore. Do you like writing blogs for Mr. Boylen's class? I enjoy writing blogs in my class. I would like to write like you though. Just free write. if you want to contact me, please do so. i have a twitter account @NancyN91 and my blog nelsonnancyedm310.blogspot.com. I enjoyed your blog!
Thanks, Nancy Nelson"

C4K#2

For my second November C4K, I was assigned the blog of IBelliej. The blog post I commented on was Veterans Day. This blog focuses on Veterans Day. The blog consists of what veterans have done for this country and and why is should be remembered. The blog also features a very moving picture. After reading the post I commented as follows:

"Hello!
My name is Nancy Nelson and I am a student in EDM-310 at the University of South Alabama. Your post is very provocative. You make great points that are straight forward. I can clearly see that your have a firm stance on what veterans mean to this country and to you. Do you have a family member that has served in the military? Did you attend any special services for Veterans Day? I agree with you completely that we should be thankful and salute those who died to give us what we have today, most importantly our freedom. Thank you for your post. I enjoyed reading it very much. If you would like to contact me, please do by my twitter account @NancyN91 and my blog nelsonnancyedm310.blogspot.com."

C4K #3

For my third November C4K, I was assigned DPEE Annual Fun Run 2012!. The post consisted of a short video of photos taken during the fun run. The children in the photos looked like they were having fun. After watching the video I left my comment:

Hello! My name is Nancy Nelson and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in EDM310. I was assigned your post to comment on. I found the video to be really nice. The kids looked like they had a blast and I bet they did. I wish more schools would do this with their students. I believe that my niece and nephew would love to have a fun run and they would definitely be involved in it. There was a fun run type activity at my grade school and I enjoyed it very much. I hope you do this every year and give the kids something to look forward to. If you would like to contact me please to so through my twitter @NancyN91 and my blog at nelsonnancyedm310.blogspot.com.
Thank you, Nancy Nelson

Progress Report on Final Project

Progress Report

My group and I have been working on our final project and we still have much work to do, but we work very well together. We chose to partake in the 50 years contest and we are enjoying ourselves. We have decided how we are going to set our video up for the best way to get the point of the video to the audience. I do not want to give anything away, so I am going to leave you with this. Group Awesome has great ideas and we are using those ideas to make a great video!

Final Report on PLN

My personal learning network has increased substancially during this semester. I have found many educators and people who can help me throughout my career as an educator. I believe that the most important part of my PLN is my fellow students who I have interacted with during EDM310. I continue to use my Twitter to meet and talk to educators. There are many parts of my PLN that will further my ability to learn and educate.

Blog Post #12

For this blog post, I was told to create my own. I am studying to be a history teacher or social studies teacher, I just think history teacher sounds better. I decided to focus on my favorite time in history and the most interesting historical figure, Hilter and the Nazis. The blog post I created is stated and outlined below.

1. Watch Hitler's 1934 Speech at Nuremburg.
2. After watching the video, write at least one paragraphs about how Hitler pulls the people in by introducing the topic of a "fixed pole" and how only the strong will be allowed to be in the "Party" in the new Germany under Hitler and the Nazis.
3. Read The Nuremberg Laws.
4. After reading the laws, discuss how the "Jews" were being pushed out of society and what constituted someone to be labeled a "Jew" in at least one paragraph.

After creating the assignment, I was required to follow my own directions and do the assignment.

1. After watching Hitler's 1934 Speech at Nuremburg, I found that Hitler mentions the notion of a "fixed pole" as it relates to a stable government or leader. The German people were unsure of who they were and what their country was. They did not like the Weimar Republic, because they had agreed to the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty caused Germany to be unstable and poor. The Republic did not have the support of the people, but when Hitler entered the picture. he was like a savior to the people, he was their leader. He was a man that would make their homeland strong again. The "Party" refers to the new Germany and the Nazi Party. Hitler was all about the "Aryan" race. He wanted Germany to be pure and larger. He wanted all the Germanic speaking peoples into his empire. He wanted the best and only the purest Germans to be a part of his country an his new Germany for the next 1,000 years.

After reading The Nuremberg Laws, the "Jews" were labeled and socially demeaned. Jew refers to those who practice the Jewish faith, but to Hitler and many before Jew was a separate race not a separate religion. According to Article two or the FIrst Supplementary Decree of November 14, 1935, one is not considered a Jew if one or two grandparents practiced the Jewish faith. A Jew is also one who is descended from at least three grandparents who practice the Jewish faith and were part of the Jewish religion community. Jews were not allowed to vote, because they were not considered citizens of the Reich. They also have no tight to hold public office.

C4T #3

For my third C4T assignment, I was required to comment on two posts from Dare To Care blog. This blog is written by Denise Krebs. The blogs motto is "Creating, Contributing, Communicating, Connecting, Collaborating & Curating."

The first blog post I commented on was Precious Water. This post provides many pictures that show people from Kenya using Hipporollers to carry water from their water sources back home. She provided a short discussion of the problems that people face because of water shortage. The comment that I left was:
"Denise
Hello! My name is Nancy Nelson. I attend the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Al. I am taking a class, Edm 310, which has assigned your blog to me to comment on. I am required to read two of your blog posts and comment on them. In a few weeks I will then post these comments and a short summary of your posts on my blog at, nelsonancyedm310.blogspot.com. I am so happy that your church has opened their hearts and pocketbooks to help these people who are suffering. I have never heard of hipporollers and I beleive they are a blessing to whomever uses them. Having the children of your church experience the weight of the barrels is a great way to get them more involved. Did any of the adults in your church do the same? I hope that your church will raise the money to provide hipporollers to those who desperately need them in Africa. If you want to contact me, please do at my twitter @NancyN91 and through my blog.
Thank you, Nancy Nelson"

The second blog post I commented on was Global Cardboard Challenge. This post reflects on what her seventh grade science class did in respect to the Global Cardboard Challenge. Her student created cardboard creations such as: catapults, cranes, hand bumper cars, and even basketball hoops. They were very creative. She also provided two videos, Caine's Arcade and Caine's Arcade 2:The Global Cardboard Challenge & Imagination Foundation. Caine is a young boy who created his own arcade. This arcade that he created is made out of cardboard! This is amazing. Caine seems like a very devoted individual. This is such an inspiration. If you are reading this, please watch the videos. They will surprise and interest you very much. The second video,Caine's Arcade 2:The Global Cardboard Challenge & Imagination Foundation, is about how the immediate changes began to take place for Caine and the video maker who was his first customer. Caine began a cardboard revolution by just using his creative mind. Its so wonderful. It made a difference all over the world. For my comment I was unable to leave one on this particular post. After discussing the issue with my professor, Dr. Strange, we came to the conclusion that I need to mention that there were some difficulties. I enjoyed her post very much, because it was meaningful. It pointed out dreams and the creativeness of children. We, as educators, should continuously nurture our student's creative minds. This creativeness may be their future! Why should we decide what they needs, when we can walk with them on their personal journey?

Blog Post #11

Little Kids...Big Potential

In this post I will discuss Ms. Cassidy and her approach to the use of technology in the classroom. I will discuss her techniques, the benefits, and the impediments of these teaching techniques. I watched Ms. Cassidy's video, Little Kids...Big Potential and watched the Skype video between Dr. Strange and Ms. Cassidy.

Ms. Cassidy uses many tools in her classroom for her students to utilize. They use blogs, wikis, videos, Skype, and even their Nintendo DS's. Ms. Cassidy provides her students with ways in which they can learn by using the technology that they are faced with each and everyday at home. She allows her students to create blogs. These blogs benefit the children by way of writing. The student's writing skills improve after using blogs, just as they would while writing with paper. They become more focused on what they write because others from around the world and just up the road will see them. Their parents are now able to discover how their children are utilizing the internet and how their writing is improving. Ms. Cassidy teaches her students that thee need to be careful when they use the internet. She teaches her students that they need only use their first name. She also teaches them what sites are safe and which sites they are allowed to use. The students use videos to learn about many aspects of their education including the alphabet and counting. The students also use Wikis to learn about topics such as tradition and rituals from people around the world. Her students also use Skype. Skype is utilized by communicating with professionals in a field of study to help the students learn about the topic they are discovering. They also use Skype to communicate with students from different states. Ms. Cassidy's students use their Nintendo DS's to learn about problem solving and sharing.

in her interview with Dr. Strange, Ms. Cassidy explains many things. She explains that she started using technology in her classroom because she was given five computers to utilize. She explained that students love to use technology and enjoy learning using it. The parents are able to see their students development. She explains that some educators are comfortable with the traditional way of teaching without the use of technology. This is an issue because technology is part of the lives of the kids in this generation and will become a larger part of the lives of future generations. I don't think there would be impediments with technology in the classroom. I thinks students need to be taught how to utilize it effectively without giving out private information. They ned to learn that some sites are not allowed. I think that teachers might become dependent on the technology. They might depend on videos about certain topics to teach their student, rather than do their job. I think many students would begin to use programs on computers that should not be used in the classroom. Students might become dependent on spell check. They need to learn how to spell and write if they are going to become bloggers. I think that the price of education would increase, because technology would be demanded more in classrooms. These are a few issues that I think might be consequences of the new technology era in schools.

Blog Post #10.5

A World Where Grades Will be Left Behind

For my 10.5 blog post assignment, I will be posting about A World Where Grades Will be Left Behind. This article was written by Mary Beth Marklein. This article focuses on free and individual learning. Udacity is a online start-up program that is overseen by Sebastian Thrun. This article explains the change that is happening in education. This vision states that there will be no grades and that each student will learn individually and have fun doing so. This idea is all about individual learning.

I can see that this has a lot of controversy, at least in my mind. This article states that one class will have tens or hundreds of thousands of students in that one class. Where is the instruction? Where is the teacher? Where is the relationship that is so important between a student and the teacher? Students learn in many different ways and making the learning fun is a great idea, but I think that this approach is stepping over the line. It is too radical in my opinion. Free classes is a great idea, I would love that. I don't see this as a possibility in such a capitalistic society.

As I have said so many times before in many of my previous posts, I believe there should be a decent median between traditional teaching and the use of technology to classrooms. Grades are a difficult topic for many educators and students. I have grown up in schools that use grades to decide practically everything. Grades can be seen as a hinderance in a student's education. Students begin to focus on their grade, rather than focusing on if they are learning the information. I think grades give students something to strive for. Sometimes that student goes too far and misses the point. I believe that grades need to be in school, but there needs to be a change in how they are perceived and handled by students, teachers, parents, and the educational boards. Overall, I do not agree with this very visionary approach to learning and teaching. This is my opinion and others will disagree with me and I expect that and welcome it. I love a little debate!

Project #11 Green Screen

C4K Summary for October

C4K #1
For my first C4K of October I was assigned Sopsha's blog post, How cats and dogs are similar and different. The title is self explanatory. Sopsha wrote about the differences and similarities of cats and dogs. I left a comment that looked like this:

"Sophia,
I love that you wrote about cats and dogs. I am an animal lover and I especially favor these two animals. Do you like both cats and dogs, or do you like one more than the other? Do you have a cat, dog, or both? I must say that your grammar was wonderful and your examples are very funny. The cats that I have owned have always scratched my furniture. Dogs really do not like heights, do they? I don’t think I have ever met a dog that liked heights. All the cats I have owned love to be high. Have you ever had any cats jump on you from a high shelf? I have! Thank you so much for providing this post for me and the rest of the world to read. If you want to contact me please feel free to on my blog at nelsonnancyedm310.blogspot.com.
Nancy Nelson"

C4K #2
The blog post Design Your Words is an explanation of how to do a presentation well and gives examples and tips. My comment was:

"Hello,
My name is Nancy Nelson and I am a student in Edm 310 at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned your blog post to read and comment on this week. I found your blog post to be extremely informational and very well written. I assume that you planned this post ahead of time. I very much enjoyed reading your post. I used to despise presentations that my teachers would present with each slide filled with only text. I wish all my teachers would read your blog post and learn how to present. After reading your blog, I will definitley use the tips that you gave when I present a topic. I am studying to be a teacher, so this information will help me exponentially when I begin. Once again, I enjoyed your post very much. If you wish to contact me please feel free to through my twitter @NancyN91 and my blog at nelsonancyedm310.blogspot.com.
Thank you, Nancy Nelson"

C4K #3
The blog post Uglies is a decription of the book Uglies. My comment was:

"Hailey,
My name is Nancy Nelson. I attend the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Al. I was assigned your blog to comment on this week. I have never heard of this book. Is the title “Uglies”? I was unsure. It sounds like you liked this book very much. I must applaud you on the fact that you made the book very appealing and interesting by your short summary. Were you required to read this book for your class or was it just for recreation? If you want to contact me please do by my twitter @NancyN91 or my blog at nelsonnancyedm310.blogspot.com."

C4K#4
The blog post October 19th from the blog Epic Alberta is a short video showing many aspects of Alberta, Canada. The comment I left for Carson was:

"Carson,
Hi! My name is Nancy Nelson. I was assigned your blog by my professor at the University of South Alabama. I really liked you animoto video about Alberta. I can see that you are very proud of your homeland. I have always wanted to travel to Alberta and see its beauty. I have heard so much about it. I read one of your other posts that said you liked hockey. Thats awesome. Are you on a hockey team or do you just play for fun? I have never played it, but I have watched it on televeision once or twice. So you live in the Rocky Mountains? It must be amazing in the winter! If you want to contact me, please feel free through my twitter @NancyN91 and my blog nelsonnancyedm310.blogspot.com.
Thank you for your video, Nancy."

C4K#5
For my final C4K for the month of October I was assigned the post Irish Blessing from the blog Vitulli and Santoli: Eyes on Ireland. This was posted by two professors at the University of South Alabama while they are in Ireland for the Ireland International Conference on Education. The post consists of a single picture. This picture houses a beautiful and meaningful Irish blessing. After reading the blessing, I left a comment for Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli. The comment I left was:

"Dr. Vitulli and Dr. Santoli,
I am a student in Edm310 at the University of South Alabama and I have been assigned this post for my C4K. I have heard this Irish blessing before and found it to be very moving and meaningful. It made my day to read this because it is nice to read something that gives someone hope and put a smile on his or her face. it is worded beautifully and flows very well. Have you had much time to sight see? I have Irish blood in me and I have always wanted to visit Ireland. I am jealous! My family has a seriously Irish name. I do not carry the name, but it was the maiden name of my grandmother. Even though my Irish blood is small, I still feel proud to be part Irish. I hope the convention is going well and you both have a safe trip home. If you would like to contact me, please do so through my twitter @NancyN91 or my blog at nelsonnancyedm310.blogspot.com.
Thank you for the post, Nancy Nelson"

Project #14 SmartBoard