EDM 310 Class blog

Monday, November 24, 2014

Blog Post #5 Part 2

PLN




PLN is a personal learning network. Around the 5th week of school, I began creating my PLN. I used my PLN to help me connect with teachers, students and others around the world through technology such as twitter, blogging, ect. I first began using people Dr. Strange first recommended in the blog assignment. Now, I am starting to develop my own PLN on my own and choose things and people I want to add to it. For example, I really enjoyed reading  Mrs. Morris's Blog that I added her Blog to my PLN that way I can access it easily at anytime.

C4T #4: Integrating Technology In the Primary Classroom

screenshot of Mrs. Morris Blog

Mrs. Morris Blog

Blog 1:
Mrs. Morris discussed the importance of blogging and ways to incorporate in your classroom. She discussed 3 main topics: Blogging is all about literacy, Build blogging into literacy rotations, and Create digital portfolios.

Comment:
Hi Mrs. Morris,
I loved your blog! I am currently a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I just recently became familiar with blogging and I love everything about it. I was alway curious to how I could incorporate in when I become a teacher. Your blog gave me some great advice! I can’t wait to use it!

Blog 2:
Mrs. Morris also discussed how this school year she wasn't teaching because of just having a baby but she could still keep up with Education through technology. She also gave many links about blogging and how to make a classroom blog and how to get parents involved.

Comment:
Hi Mrs. Morris,
My name is Kayla Cooper and I attend the University of South Alabama. I am in EDM310 and just recently became familiar with blogging. I absolutely love it and when I become a teacher I plan on using it in my class. So all of your links about how to start a class blog and how to get the parents involved are very helpful to me. Also, congrats on the new baby!



Wednesday, November 19, 2014

C4K for November

picture of comments

Matthew's Blog:
He talked about what a citizen was and he stated that there were 4 types of citizens which are: a digital citizen, a global citizen, a Canadian citizen, and a local community citizen. He described a digital citizen as being one who is apart of a social media.

My Comment:
Hi Matthew,
My name is Kayla Cooper. I am from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I enjoyed reading your blog. I found it very interesting. I have the same question that Lauren has in the above comment. What is a Global citizen?

Matthew's Blog




Adam's Blog:
He made a post of a video of him standing in the mirror and then a picture of a cornfield and then a picture of him standing in the cornfield. He combined the two images to make the last image. He seems very creative and I was very impressed by his blog.

My comment:
Hi! My name is Kayla Cooper. I am from Mobile, Alabama. I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I enjoyed looking through your blogs. You seem like a very creative guy! Keep up the good work!

Adam's Blog




Samantha's Blog:
She posted about her trip to the Rocky Mountain. Her post was very descriptive and organized. She not only told the readers about her trip but she used descriptive language to portray the picture of her trip.

My comment:
Hi Samantha,
My name is Kayla Cooper. I am from Mobile, Alabama. I attend the University of South Alabama. I enjoyed reading your blog post! It was very descriptive and organized. I would love to take a trip to the Rocky Mountains.


Samantha's Blog


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Blog Post #14

Teaching Can Be a Profession by Joel Klein
picture of Joel Klein

Problems with Teaching in Teaching our children can be a profession:
1.Problem with picking teachers
2.Problem with seniority


Solutions to these problems stated in the article:
1. Don't just pick teachers because they have a college degree
2. Just because a teacher has been there longer, doesn't mean they are better then a teacher who just got hired.

Joel Klein stated in his article that in order to make teaching more professional, schools shouldn't just choose anyone with a college degree. I agree with this problem to a certain extent. I believe that if they did earn their degree, they should be given a chance. They did work hard for it. I do agree in looking into how well they did in college as far as test scores and grades. I wouldn't hire someone who barely made it into a well populated income school. It is not fair to the ones who have been working for year in a low income school.

He also stated that there was a problem with seniority. When lay off's come, it usually works as seniority stay and the recently hired leave. But it is not always fair that way. It should be the one with the least effective teaching strategies leave. So, I do agree with Joel and his solution in his article about this problem completely.

There are many other problems in Education that need changing such as: giving far more school choices to families, using technology to improve teaching and learning, adopting a knowledge-based curriculum and starting education before a child is 5 years old. Joel seems to think that if he could change one it would be to professionalize teaching. I agree with him. Teachers and education need to become more professionalized.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Blog Post #13

How Is Technology Useful In Education?

Create a blogpost that states your opinion of why technology is useful in Education? Persuade others who believe otherwise into believing that technology is useful in Education.

Here are a few videos to help you get started:

Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education: iPad, Tablet, Computer, Listening Centers

Technology in the Classroom: Digital Media

Importance of Using Technology in the Classroom

You may find your own resources, but please cite in your blog!



My post:

technology

I personally believe that technology is useful in Education. Just like the video,Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education: iPad, Tablet, Computer, Listening Centers stated that students love it. As teachers or future teachers, you want your students to be engaged in what you are doing. If students love using technology then why not incorporate it into lessons so it helps students stay engaged. Not only did the video state that it is something that students love, but it also stated that it is professional. And as a teacher, you want to be professional.

Also in the video, Technology in the Classroom: Digital Media I like how it showed how a classroom has changed over time and how technology is changing. As technology changes, teachers should never stop learning and continue to learn the new technology to help keep their students up to date with it.

If I had to give 3 reason to persuade someone that technology is useful here would be my reasons:
1. Students love it
2. It engages students
3. There are may tools out there to help you learn new technology(Not knowing how to use it should never be an excuse)







Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Project #10- Interview with Mrs. Peters

Blog Post #12

What assistive technologies are available to you as a teacher? Select a few and discuss how they may be useful to you.

Group Blog Post

Raven- Teaching Math To The Blind

Teaching Math to the Blind
Teaching Math to the blind
Teaching math to the blind is very difficult. Braille is the language that a blind person uses to read or write. The problem with braille is that it is very linear. Blind students are not able to how even the most simple math problems are two dimensional. When given an addition problem, a hearing student would normally line up the numbers to solve the problem. A student that is blind would see the problem on the same line.

Deaf Student Hearing Student

1234+4567 VS. 123 +4567

Art Karshmer is a professor at the University of San Francisco School of Management and Chairman of the Department of Technology. He developed a system that translates the 2-dimensional concepts of mathematical problems into a single dimensionality of braille to allow a blind student to understand those concepts into their visual cortex through touch and electronic feedback. He believes that students that are blind are barred from the study of all of the core or "stem " sciences that rely on math as their root language. His system uses small blacks with braille numbers that can be placed on a grid and can be read to the student. The block itself can also be scanned and read aloud by a computer. With this system, a braille student is able to lay out a math problem that same way a sighted student would see it on paper. Using this device with blind students can help build a foundation that will help them in their future studies.



Lindsey- Assistive Technology For Vision and Hearing Impaired Kids

Assistive Technology for Vision and Hearing Impaired

In the video Assistive Technologies for Vision and Hearing Impaired Children , we learn facts about children in Australia who have hearing and vision impairment. This video shows many images of children using different forms of assistive technology in the classroom. From this video we learn that on average, one Australian child is identified with impaired hearing every day! One in every 2500 children have vision impairment. We see these students participating in class and activities just as everyone without disabilities would do. This is a very inspirational video that proves to us that all children can interact with one another in and out of the classroom.

The video chose was Assistive Technology Rocks My Classroom! This video is about a girl named Elina, who has a physical disability called athetoid cerebral palsy. This disability makes it hard for Elina to use her muscles for everyday activities such as: eating, walking and even talking. She started using assistive technology when she was just nine years old. Using assistive tech Elina is able to do things like: draw, paint, write in cursive and speak! She has accomplished so many things by using this technology. Elina and her classmates even taught others how to use this technology at an international conference! Elina is a perfect example of how assistive technology can help students with disabilities accomplish long term goals and overcome so many obstacles.

Amanda- The Mountbatten
The Mountbatten


The The Mountbatten, is an amazing tool that is used to type braille. This tool provides feedback to the individual as they are typing. It says each letter out loud as each button is pushed. This makes it very easy for someone who is blind to avoid making mistakes while typing. The mountbatten is a handy tool that allows files to be sent and received from a computer. It can also save files for next time when a student needs a break and wants to return to their work later. It is great for someone who is just starting to learn braille. By using this tool, students who are blind will not feel as left out during group projects in class.

The next video, Russel Hinderman using the Mountbatten, is a video I found on my own. In this video Russel is shown learning how to use the Mountbatten. He seems very eager to use the tool. This video shows that the Mountbatten can indeed be used by young students. I think this tool could be handy for anyone! The Mountbatten allows teachers to guide their students in the right direction as the tool does the talking. I think this brailler is something that is very easy to use, and can be very helpful even if students don't have a teacher sitting next to them as they type. Blind children could also use the Mountbatten for independent learning exercises.


Kayla- iPad Usage for the Blind
iPad usage for the blind

In the article How The Blind Use A IPad it explains how a blind person uses the iPad. Apple has many programs an apps for the blind. Apple has a built in screen reader and this helps the blind because a screen reader reads the screen for you. For example: when you click over an app, the screen reader will read the app to you. Apple also has a Braille Display. According to this article, "a refreshable Braille display is an electronic device that displays visual information (text) as Braille (text) on a Braille display." For a blind person the Braille display can help them type and use keys. The iPad and other apple products are great tools for not only the blind but for anyone.

This video iPad usage for the blind shows a blind man explaining how he uses the iPad. This video is amazing to me because not only did I just explain that a blind person can use the iPad but the video actually shows a blind person using the iPad. He seems to not have any trouble with it. I believe apple products are great for everyone. They make them easy to use for anyone.

Monday, November 3, 2014

C4T #3 for Blog: Peoplegogy

Picture of Dr. Will's Blog


Dr. Will's Blog


Post 1:
Dr. Will discussed the importance of google and how helpful it is for teachers to use in their classrooms. He said it was easy to learn for students and teachers. It is easy to create assignments. Grading is easy with google. He used screenshots and pictures to show how to do certain things through google. His blog was very helpful and informative about google.

Comment:
Hi Dr. Will,
My name is Kayla Cooper and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am studying to become a teacher. I LOVED reading your post about google drive. I am just now learning how to use google drive and love it. I think it is a great source for teachers to use with their students. I love all your tips and information in your blog. It was all very informative and helpful.

Post 2:
Dr. Will posted an interview with two Google certified instructors. Their names are Chris Aviles and Naomi Harm. They explain the basic information you need to know for the Google Teacher Academy. Things such as: the application process, their experience in GTA and their duties now after GTA.
Here is the Link to the Interview: The Scoop on Google Teacher Academy

Comment:
Hi Dr. Will,
My name is Kayla Cooper. I am from Mobile, Alabama. I attend the University of South Alabama and I am currently studying Elementary Education. I recently commented on your previous blog and I have been following your blog post since then. I enjoy reading your blogs. I love this blog post and the interview you posted with Chris and Naomi. The video was very informative about the Google Teacher Academy. I really did not know much about it until this video. I have always loved google but recently I have developed a new love for it. It is a great tool and I will be using it when I become a teacher.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Blog Post 11

What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?

Image of PBL



Back To The Future
I really enjoyed watching this video. It was really neat to watch the experiment that Brian Cosby did with his class. He not only got his classes attention but he used technology to get other people in different states involved. This video just goes to show people how technology can connect people all around the world.

Blended Learning Cycle
The first thing that I found very interesting in this video was how he cited that he used twitter to connect with someone around the world. To be honest, before starting in EDM310 I never though that twitter could be a helpful tool in education but I am beginning to see twitter differently. The second thing that I learned in this video was what the blended learning cycle was. It is when you combine "Online, Mobile, and Classroom"(Blended Learning) with "Engage, Explore, Explain, Expand, and Evaluate"(Learning Cycle).

Teaching Digital Citizenship In Elementary School
This video was a very good video that shows people how technology is good to use in classrooms and how elementary schools are using it.  This video shows how elementary classrooms are using it to make comic books.

Project Based Learning
This video is all about PBL. It explains that in PBL that the students make most of the decisions on their own and how PBL is a great tool in education.

Roosevelt Elementary's PBL program
This video shows how Roosevelt Elementary uses project based learning in their school. Project Based Learning is where students use projects to gain more knowledge. Projects help students retain information better then just telling them the information. It requires them to use the information they have received.