Goodbye!

Goodbye All! You can keep in touch with me via MySpace Or Facebook. Just look up my name. Dr. Strange, sorry I couldn't Skype you. My computer crashed yesterday! And I tried to put a picture with this blog, but then my words wouldn't show up!

What I Learned

I don't think there was anything that I didn't learn in this class. I'll have to admit that there are some things I would like to forget, such as iTunesU, simply because I didn't understand it and it didn't seem beneficial to me. I found a lot of things in this class intellectually challenging. iTunesU was challenging simply because I had never used it before. I don't even own a iPod! Making videos and things of that sort was also challenging because I'd never done that before, either. I admit I was bored at times during class. It felt that sometimes all we were doing was sitting there. As for being Technologically Literate, I think that I am more now than I was when I first entered the class. There are some things that I know how to do now that I didn't. I think I will maintain my literacy from now until I teach. I think that Google Forms/Documents is probably what I will definitely use the most.

Seven Stupid Things And Smart Things Teachers Do

I think one smart thing that teachers can do is to make conferencing real-time. It's important to keep your students' parents up-to-date on how their child is doing, but sometimes, the parents can't always come to the school. To e-mail, post newsletter on online, calling them, e-mailing them, or even texting them, is a whole lot easier. It's easier for the parent who work different shifts to hop on the computer and e-mail the teacher.
I think the most stupid thing on this list is watching porn while at work. The computer at work is not your personal computer. It shouldn't be used to do things you would normally do at home, may it be watching videos or sending e-mails to everyone you know. To see these two lists, click here.

My Project

To see the project on Randy Pausch, click here.

Comments4Kids

I thought Comments4Kids was a great assignment. It was really neat to see how excited the kids got about a comment to their blog. It's also neat how they would write back and respond to us. It's so cool to see that someone from around the world cares about what is going on over here and that they're interested. It's also a good assignment for us, as well as the kids over there, to learn how to blog. It definitely keeps us connected.

At The Teacher's Desk

I think this website is good for first time teachers. Other teachers get on here and talk about what they've been doing and they give tips about their blogs. One teacher needed probability problems, so he went to Twitter and people he didn't even know were helping him find them! I think this website is important because it could definitely help out those first time teachers with ideas for their class. They could get on and ask other teachers for advice on what to do. Click here for the website.

PS22 Chorus "Landslide"

I think it's important to publish a student's work on a blog because it lets the whole world see what they can do. This chorus published themselves singing, and because of it, they got to sing at Madison Square Garden at a Fleetwood Mac concert. They probably had no idea that would've even happened. And with the other blogs we've seen, those kids probably had no idea that people from across the country would even see their work and comment them. To see the video, click here

ACCESS

This program helps students to prepare for the AP exams. It also helps them prepare for their graduation exams, which I understand have now been taken out of some schools. You can review for a multiple of classes and I think it would really help students to prepare for their tests. To visit the ACCESS website,

ALEX

I thought that ALEX was a great website to use. It would definitely help out new teachers. It gives you ideas on what to teach so you won't get lost. You can click on any subject and grade and it will help you out. It breaks down everything for you. It shows you what you can do with your children each week. It has every subject from english and math, to languages and driver and traffic safety education. I think this would definitely help out a lot of people and encourage others to use it. To visit the ALEX website, click here.

I think these skills are needed, but I don't think I have all of those mentioned. I can get on the Internet and navigate my way around, but that's about it. I definitely need to work on it. To check out the video on New Media Literacies click here.

Wendy Drexler

In some ways, I could see how it may be easier to be a teacher of a networked student. Basically, you could just tell them what to find and learn about, and they could. You would be there for support when they get stuck or need guidance. On the other hand, if you're not that experienced with the Internet, etc., it may be harder for you to help them out along the way. I know that I still need help when it comes to these kinds of things. To watch Wendy Drexler's video click here.

This Is How We Dream

This video was about how we used to get our information. We used to go to the library and gather books, now we just turn on the computer. I know that technology is rapidly increasing and getting better by the day, but right now, I don't think I could do this. I would hope to know how one day and teach others about it.

"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

I think that what Mr. McClung said was true. A lot of teachers don't care about their students and just give the lesson, and then they expect you to know it automatically. Therefore, it is important to be reasonable with your students. Also, to not be afraid of technology and never stop learning is important. Like we've already covered, how are you going to be able to teach your students new things if you aren't willing to keep learning?

See Who's Editing Wikipedia

During high school and my two years at Faulkner, I was told to never ever use Wikipedia for a resource for any papers or projects. The information was all supposedly wrong and we'd be failed if we used it. I think it's good now that people who edit information on the website can be caught and their IP addresses can be identified. The people that log in can be tracked by their user name. Maybe this way, you can trust Wikipedia a little more. Now that they're cracking down, I don't think that you shouldn't be able to not completely use it all, but just definitely make sure that you compare it to other websites when doing a paper or project.

Did You Know? 4.0

Again, I just have to laugh because it's just all so true. The facts are crazy! It's weird that the news channels only get about 10 million visitors every month, while popular websites get about 250 millions visitors every month. I don't know why that seems like a shock for me, but it is. I guess I assume everyone still watches the news for information, when even myself looks to the Internet for some news. I can believe that the average teenager receives about 2,272 texts a month. I myself love to text. I don't know what I'd do without it. Then again, what did we do before cell phones?

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Randy Pausch's speech is so inspirational. One thing he teaches is that there are "brick walls" that show you how much you actually want something. Sometimes they're flesh; other times, not. They show you who really want to achieve something and those who don't and they let you push forward.
He thinks and teaches that you should have fun while learning. With his projects, his students didn't know they were learning anything because they were having so much fun with everything they were doing. The main thing he wanted to have was fun.
He also teaches you to never give up. He didn't get into Brown or Carnegie Mellon, but he found other ways to eventually be there. If at first you don't succeed, try again. He also believes that you should always tell the truth and to help others along the way. You should always apologize and you should focus on other people, not just yourself.
He also teaches that you shouldn't complain and you should just work harder. Also, take the feedback that people give you and don't fuss about it. Put it to work. I think his main thing is just to not ever give up. He didn't, that's for sure.

Fisch: Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I don't think it's okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher. Basically, it is the same as being a teacher 30 years ago who couldn't read or write. As he said, in order to teach it, we have to learn it. If we don't know what we're doing, how can we expect to teach other people about it?
Also, like Fisch said, back then you could be technologically illiterate and still get by. Now, if you don't have any kind of "technological training," you're going to be completely lost. You most likely will not be successful in whatever you're trying to do. We need that 20/20 Vision.

It's Not About The Technology

She makes a point whenever she says that you have to be a learner, as well as a teacher. I never thought of it until she said it, but if you put all the teachers into a room together, their experiences would be different. I can't imagine what some of the teachers who started teaching twenty years ago have to learn or have had to learn. To us, I think it comes second nature. To turn on the computer and do stuff comes naturally, I guess. She also made a good point when she said that technology is useless without good teaching. If you don't have a teacher that is willing to learn new things, how are you going to be able to learn any of it?

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

I had to laugh whenever I saw the statistics, because they are SO true! College kids do multi-task, and have to, for that fact. We do buy books that we never use and some people don't even come to class...their parent's money down the drain. It said that you could be $20,000 in debt whenever you graduate. That seems like alot and can be depressing when you think about it, but at least we are lucky enough to even have the chance to go to college. As the video said, some people make just $1 a day. Like it said, some of the things we come into contact with won't help us out later on (the scantron sheets). It's just amazing to see the statistics and to see how true they are.

What I Learned...

I learned alot from watching the other podcasts as examples. They were very informative. The podcast done by the third graders was very cute and they did a great job.
Some things I learned were to speak up and sound excited. Also, you can use sound effects to mark transitions in your podcast. You can also give credits at the end. Also, give yourself plenty of time to create your podcast! It doesn't seem like it'd take alot of time to create, but it really does, especially if you want it to be good!

Last Semester's Podcast

After watching last semester's podcast, the main thing I thought that could maybe be improved was to look at the camera. I'm not sure if the students were supposed to or not, but if they were, that could be an improvement.
Also, it would also help if some of the students could've spoken up some. That would be another thing I could do to improve my own podcast when I do it.

Video in the Classrooom

I thought this was true. Sometimes the only way to get kids to read or enojy reading is to put something fun into it, like a computer. Sometimes you just have to make it fun.

Podcasts

At first, I was confused on what to do. I'd never gotten on iTunes before. After a little bit of playing around, I've got it down a little. The SmartBoard Lessons were done with people who were many miles apart. It's amazing to see how far technology has come and that two people can be connected with the click of a button. Ben and Joan teach you about classroom management and they both give alot of information.
EdTech Talk teaches you about Google docs. It shows you how to make Google easily accessible to your classroom. Now, you can design your own templates and really make it your own.
MacBreak Weekly talks about two kids who just got back from Japan. Again, it's amazing to just see how two people can be connected. Overall, the podcasts were good. Some were boring, but you were able to skip parts of them.
I think that after I play around more on iTunes, I can better understand them. Maybe I won't be so lost next time, and my podcast will be like the examples.

Vicki Davis: Harnessing Your Students' Digital Smarts

I do not like this idea as much. To me, it was like the children are just going to class because it's a time where you can Twitter and text. It's fun. Why can't they just sit in a classroom with paper and pencils like I did? It never hurt any of us.
Before you know it, no one will ever have to go to school. They can just sit at home and turn on the computer and do their work. What's going to happen to us teachers? Don't get me wrong, I love technology. But, there is a such thing as too much.

What Is Next Generation Learning?

I thought that having all the technology in that school was a bit much. I don't think you need all of that to learn. Playing Wii just because it helps you focus better? Come on. Submitting your homework online was something I never had to do until college. I couldn't imagine doing it in middle school.
The "polls" the kids took in class was interesting. Harry said that it helps the teachers know if they're getting through to their kids. He said it also helped the kids because they didn't have to raise their hands or speak out in class if they're shy. I think that's taking away from the whole classroom experience and it's impersonal. I was shy during school, too, and seeing other people speak out made me want to do it as well. They need to come back to reality and realize that technology isn't going to teach your children everything they need to know in life.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

This was a good video. Whenever Robinson was talking about the lady who helped choreograph "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera," it made sense. Now, we do put kids on medication who can't sit still or who can't focus in the classroom. All they need is an 'out.' Let them be creative, instead of trying to calm them down. I'm not saying the children don't need any medication at all, but just try and see first.
Whenever he was talking about being wrong because of fear, well, that's so true. Most people now are afraid of being wrong. Mistakes are the worst thing you can make, according to some. We do stigmatize mistakes. Everyone's afraid of being creative because of what someone else may say.

Did You Know? 3.0 and Mr. Winkle Wakes

"Did You Know" was really neat. It had interesting facts, and some were also surprising. It's amazing to see how far we've come in this world. Where would we be without technology? We wouldn't even have this class. But then again, where would we be without it? We'd be much more dependent on ourselves and others. We'd actually have to do things on our own.
It's sad to see, though, that a college student getting his/her four-year degree, may not even need the information they learned in their first year by the time they're almost done with college. Can we keep up? Some computers may be smarter than us all by 2013. We won't even need to think anymore. It's just a race against ourselves...let's hope we win.
"Mr. Winkle Wakes" makes you think. Again, it's really neat to see how far we've come in this lifetime. I mean, I even remember when cell phones first came out. They were huge and some even plugged into your car. Now, some are as small as your hand and can even access the internet.
Again, there's the scary reality that technology could overtake us. In the video, Mr. Winkle was glad to see that school didn't change. That is promising. If we let technology overtake everything, then we forget where we come from.

Welcome!

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog. My name is Dara McDowell, as you have probably noticed. I will be 21 in 2 weeks. :) I work as a hostess at Wintzell's Oyster House in Fairhope. I am at South to major in Elementary Education, probably just like you are. I already have received my associate's degree from Faulkner State. So, just feel free to comment if you'd like.