Blog Post # 5

If I Build A School

Krissy Venosdale teaches gifted education teacher in Missouri. She strives to give her students a creative outlet. She loves science and all technology. She is passionate about no bulling and makes her classroom rules to make kids respect each other.

 Mrs. Venosdale talked about her dream of building a school in her post. She has dreams of making school fun, and not loaded down with state testing.She wants to add as much creativity as she can into a school day. She wants the school to be painted bright and feel welcoming. She doesn't believe in a set curriculum, but instead learning how to think deeply about what was being taught. I must say I love the idea about the fish tank! Who couldn't sit and watch fish and just think?  I think her dreams are fantastic, and also I also envision a classroom of kids who got excited about being at school because it was fun to learn.

If I was building a school I would make the school earth friendly. I would teach the importance of recycling and reusing. The high cost of building a school good for the environment and good for saving energy would be worth it from the amount saved in the end. As I said in a past post I would love for my school to have a garden. Where the student can learn to care for it, which will teach responsibility.

The food can be donated to local food banks, be donated to the school cafeteria, or the school could have a farmers market and the money be put back into the school. Children should be taught to give back to good causes. Classes now are full of children mentally "checking out" because it's not interesting to them or not taught in a way that makes the lesson fun. I want my students to know that they being meaning to the school. Kids do not learn the same thing, at the same time, or even on the same level as each other.

 I would break kids up into classes according to the way they learn, whether it be hands-on, lecturing, or visual learning. There will be a variety ways to make grades, not just sit down testing. There will be fun group projects that makes kids excited. Teachers will be there to guide the students rather than dictate. My school will be viewed as a community.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

This video of the virtual choir gave me chills! This video took at bunch of people singing from their homes and put them together and matched their voices to make the choir. I really enjoyed it, and music like this draws me in every time. All the different people and just the kind of echoing of their voices reminds me of angels. I've never seen anything like this, and once again I can't believe it's even possible. What's next? I would watch more videos like this.

Teaching 21st Century

This video makes me realize that we don't need to be taught only facts anymore. I have never realized of thought about the fact that we can learn everything on our own using the resources we use everyday. This makes me wonder if some teachers are wasting time in the classroom, or possibly could reach some students better if they would open their eyes to other ways to teach. The thought that a struggling student could learn in ways that the teacher isn't willing to teach is mind boggling. Students now should be taught how to go about finding information and answers using their resources. Making the child search teaches them how to use the media and also how to find new facts as they search. Hopefully soon more classrooms will implement the use of technology so that the students will thrive.

Flipping the Classroom

Flipping the classroom is a concept that makes more time in the classroom actually learning and discussing lessons. The children are to watch their math lesson at home and come in ready to work. I love this and will use this method if possible. So much time is used teaching lessons and very little time is used for teachers and students interacting with strategies. I believe that once they use this method on all subjects it could be monumental in the way classrooms and schools are ran. I would use this by each night doing a different subject, or two short subject per night in order to get ready for the next day. I believe this will be a huge time saver.

C4T #1

Lee Kolbert, from A Geeky Mom is wild about technology. In January she share about the upcoming Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC). This conference was open to any K-12 educator to provide them them with up to date technology strategies. They have valuable speakers at this conference to discuss the brain and how it learns. For the first time at the 2013 conference they will be highlighting schools that have excelled in technology and are striving. An exhibit will will be avalible for teachers to browse new tools for technology.
 My response: I introduced myself and told her that the conference sounded like something I would love to be a part of one day. I think it's a great motivator for teachers to get out and learn new things for their own classroom. I told her I was excited to follow her blog and to see how she liked being at the conference.

Lee, on her 2nd post explained the ways social media would be involved with the FETC. There are a variety of ways you can keep up with what's going on if you are not able to attend. Twitter, Facebook, Google +, and YouTube are some of the ways to stay in touch. Also, a mobile app will be available to keep up with schedules and maps.
 My response: I told her that it was wonderful that this type of service was available for people that were not able to attend this kind of conference. Social media is such a huge part of most people's lives that they would sure reach a multitude of people. The app is also a great concept, and idea to use for maps and schedules for when certain situation arise. I thanked her for giving this information out to the public.

Project # 5 Presentation

Blog Post # 4

Flat Stanley Podcast

I just love flat Stanley, and so do my kids. In fact we have a Flat Ally at our house! Ally is my middle daughter and in kindergarten. I listened to the Flat Stanley podcast done by children from all over the world. This was so entertaining to listen too! How lucky for these kids to get the opportunity to learn and work on a project with so many kids from all over. They showed so much enthusiasm for this project. Their use of expression while reading this was great, it's so good to learn these skills at a young age to be a good reader. I love how they got to learn facts about all the countries that Flat Stanley got to go too.


Langwiches-1st Graders Create Audiobook 

Langwiches post is about first graders creating a read-along book by recording the children reading, and the teacher making the script. This is such a neat idea to do with students of this age.This is a great way for  students to see the beginning and end of an in depth project, and all the work that gets put in it. As a person that loves to read, and help children learn to read I loved that the children used there "reading" fingers to follow along with the podcast. It's a good thing that the teacher made them write about their experience, not only to teach the kids to write their thoughts, but so the teachers receive feedback on how the kids liked the project.

Curriki- Podcast Collection

The Curriki site is so full of information! I know I would use this if I ever got the chance to podcast with my class. This was good for me personally to read because it gave a simple definition of what a podcast was. I like that it's got examples for student and also a rubric for you to have for grading. It's so important for kids to learn these skill early. It will enable them to keep up with the fast pace of technology. I myself, still have so much to learn, but how exciting to get the opportunity to learn these skills!

Special Blog Post Assignment # 1

Wolfram

Wow! This site was so neat! In fact my nine year old sat, and looked up rock information for her lesson in school this week. I love how the random facts pop up at the bottom. This will 100% be used in my house again and again. You can use this site at a tool to get students to go and learn a new facts each week and get them to share and talk about it. That will be a good idea to get them to interact with each other, and get a feel for technology all at the same time.

I found using Wolfram that the population between India, China, and the United states were:
India- 1.21 Billion
China- 1.35
United States- 309 Million
So, it obvious that India and China are much more the same size compare to the United States.
I also did two more comparative searches. I decided to try a smaller scale and search two cities population.
Bay Minette, Alabama- 8,044
Mobile, Alabama- 195,111
The difference is huge!  Next, I did it by state.     
California- 37.69 Million
Alabama- 4.803 Million

The Count

I do believe I could watch this all day! I'm amazed at how fast those numbers are moving. It just means that we, as teachers also have to learn and keep up at a fast rate. The numbers are not going to slow down. I'm still always so shocked at the amount of money spend on gaming.

I'm not a gamer so I just don't understand. I looked at how much was spent in the last year and couldn't help but thinks that money could be used to go toward a much bigger national debt, instead of a game. But, that's a whole other issue I have with a lot of things.

Blog Post #3

Peer Editing

I believe, if done right peer editing can be beneficial to students of all grades. It allows people to make their work better. I think if you make a point to keep a positive tone then the whole critique will be more pleasant for you, and the person you are critiquing. Also, starting out with a compliment is a good way to ease into the editing, and critiquing part.

Compliments are important when you are editing, it will help the other person feel as if they are not being put down in a negative way. So you should always start by saying how well they did in certain parts of their work. I learned to be clear in the way you critique, so there's no confusion over what they could have done different. It is so easy to make small mistakes in spelling ,and grammar. so peer editing is a great way to help your writing skills improve.

I believe that if one of our peers has just minor mistakes, then it should be published on their blog. There is no reason if the editing is done in a positive way that the other person should be embarrassed. Now, if there is a multitude of issues in their blog, then maybe an email explaining how to fix the problems. Also you can always add some advise or tips to the student.

The Mountbatten

The Mountbatten Braille Machine is an advanced machine used to produce audio feedback to blind students. This machine can also send and receive file to a computer. This machine would be useful in helping a blind student feel included in the classroom. also this machine will allow the teacher to properly teach the student their lesson. I'm proud of the way technology is used in these sort of ways. These machines that aid the disabled will always stick out in my mind more than others. I have a special place in my heart for the disabled.

Teaching the deaf/blind

I could not imagine being either deaf or blind, but for those that are, I believe are extremely hard workers. Technology has gone leaps and bounds with inventing programs, machines, and electronics capable to assist in these students learning. To me, one thing that is slightly annoying is the ladies voice on the Ipad. I know it's a small matter for such a big advance in technology, but I could hardly finish the video. The concept is amazing, I just can't imagine having to hear that on a constant, daily basis.

I think at first the teacher, student, and parents will have to work together a lot. Not only to get to know each other, but to also learn to work together to learn the new devices. The teacher can go to additional workshops to ensure they know the appropriate amount of knowledge about the particular programs. I believe, that a student that is deaf or blind would flourish with these resources, and become a great learner.

Harness Your Digital Smarts

I really enjoyed this video, and the way Vicki Davis teachers her students. She really pushes her students to learn new things, and in return her students end up teacher her a few things. It's interesting to me that she said, " when you only have pencil, and paper only a certain type of person can succeed." This sorta hits home for me. I get absolutely bored to tears when having to sit and do pen, and paper work, and always have. I love being able to be hands on, and using other means of learning, or teaching rather than doing worksheets of something similar.

I like that Vicki Davis takes the time to customize the students work according to how they learn. That says a lot about what kind of teacher she is. I love that these students are given the opportunity to learn the different learning trends, and blog with other students around the world. Her students will be given an early in life outlook of how other live, and learn.

Blog Post # 2

Did you know?  

Did You Know? 3.0- John Strange version

 The "Did you know" series was was interesting to me because I love random facts! This video put a lot of things into perspective, and was a wake up call to me. We as a nation need to take a closer look at our education system, and make some major improvements. What are the other countries like China, and India doing right? "Just 25% of India with the highest IQ's outnumber the entire United States population" this fact took me a while to get my head around. Why can't America have this?

I do believe technology is simply something everyone has to adapt to, but I also believe people use it in useless ways. Most people walk around with their eyes glued too a phone, or in front of the television playing the newest video game. Students in America have every resource to become great, intelligent people, but they are not utilizing those resources! This made me realize just what I was getting into becoming a teacher. This will be a hard job, but I'm ready!

Mr. Winkle Wakes

 Mr. Winkle Wakes 

First of all, I almost had a sense of panic for Mr. Winkle. In this video Mr.Winkle woke after 100 long years to the hustle and bustle of this lifetime. I couldn't imagine waking up for the first time to this world of ever changing technology. Mr. Winkle acted like many of us would in his situation, very confused! He is so over stimulated in the beginning he feels like he has to get away from it all!

It wasn't until he entered a quiet, calm classroom that he was able to relax. He seems relieved at the fact that the computer, which was the only piece of technology in the room, was actually in a corner collecting dust. I feel this is probably what its like to a majority of older people that haven't kept up with technology. Most feel it's nothing but a headache, and simply don't want to even learn. Once again, people need to be taught these skills because one day soon the simple use of pens and paper are going to be a thing of the past.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

The Importance of Creativity

Sir Robinson's speech was about how America has made creativity unimportant.  I think it's sad that children who are interested in the arts are told that those things will never amount to anything. Who's to say that?  There is nothing better for me, as a mom, to get a piece of artwork from my kids, or too see them dance. Most kids are so happy using those outlets to express themselves. I like the fact that Sir Robinson explains that math is just as important as art. Who says that one subject is above the other? It is drove into their heads that they need to learn math, and sciences to have a successful job.

I'm glad he said more people are graduating in the art fields than before. Maybe more people are realizing how important it is to have creativity. I want my kids at home, and my kids in my future classroom to never be scared to try new things, and actually use their mind to create.
Pinterest

Four Ways to Use Pinterest in Education

I love Pinterest, and it is probably my favorite website. You can use this for educational purposes, and also for finding ideas about your own personal hobbies. I think it's a great idea for students to use Pinterest to spark their imagination about a project, or ever homework help. Their are so many ideas about word walls, and the daily five that I have already pinned on my personal Pinterest wall. I believe it has the potential to make better teachers due to the amount of creativity on the site. It's a great motivator for teachers that are in a teaching clump. I would definitely look on Pinterest for lesson plan ideas, and also inspiration for future projects.

The 20 Best Pinterest Boards About Education Technology

Oh wow, that was a lot of good stuff! I will take me weeks to go through all of those great resources! Since I'm in elementary education, Charity Preston's board was very appealing with all of her educational apps. I really loved all her Smart Board timers. That really helps child grasp a concept of time, and the tasks they need to complete within that time frame. I will use Eric Sheninger's board for myself because of all the Twitter tutorials!

Project #2-Wordle

Blog Post #1

About Me:
Hi! My name is Rebecca Stuart. I've been married for nine years, and have three little girls. I have lived in Alabama my whole life, along with my parents and sister. My mom graduated from USA with a degree in education nine years ago, the day before my oldest daughter was born. My husband also graduated from USA in 2008 with a degree in Civil Engineering. So there was no question I would continue the tradition.

Honestly, it never crossed my mind to be a teacher until I got a temporary job at a pre-school. I loved to see those little faces light up when they learned something new. After that I enrolled right away, and knew this was exactly what I was supposed to do. I also have been the PTO secretary for two years. That has been a rewarding job, but time consuming due to the lack of parent involvement. I love being at the school helping any way I can.

When I graduate from USA I have plans to pursue my masters in Reading Specialist. I developed a love for teaching children to read after taking the literacy class last semester. I have always been an avid reader, and I luckily passed that down to my children. I also love crafting, DIY projects, and photography. I am a Pinterest junkie. I feel somewhat lost when I don't have a project going. My husband, on the other hand gets pretty nervous when I tell him, "I have another idea."

My Classroom:
My desired grade is 3rd grade. I love that age the most, and many are eager to learn new things. I am enthusiastic about having a hands on classroom, mostly because I feel it's easier to learn with that style of teaching. As a child I learned best by having my hands moving, and being involved in the work I was doing. If not, my mind was wondering, and I was focusing my attention on many other things rather than what my teacher was saying.

I want my students to develop a love for reading. Having good reading skills can help in all other aspects of life, as well as being able to comprehend other subjects. I will have a word wall as the main focus of my room. This will help my students be able to have an interactive way of learning vocabulary, and spelling which will enable them to be efficient readers.

I'm very new in learning how to work and use a Smart Board. But, I'm beyond amazed at its capabilities! Things have come a long way since over head projectors! I plan to use a Smart Board for my classroom to help in all aspects of my teaching.  I love that it gives the children another way to interact in a hands on way. I think the idea of using them to communicate with other classrooms is an amazing way to educate kids in the different ways people live.

This year at our elementary school I started a school wide program that involved every grade. Each grade is responsible in the care, and up keep of a section of the school grounds. Each grade chose a section of the school to plant flowers or any type of plant, and many add to their section through the year. This helps to keep the school looking nice all year, and not just when we have special visitors coming. When I'm a teacher I hope to do this for my class. I love the idea of a school wide, or even community wide garden. This will help get the children out doors and out of the traditional classroom setting. This will teach them hard work and responsibility.

Randy Paush on Time Managment: 
This was my first time hearing of Randy Pausch, and his views are great for young, new college students. I am much more efficient in managing my time now, than when I was a teenager. I believe it comes with maturity, and age. I agree with Randy Pausch on his idea of doing the worst thing on your to-do list first. I'm a definite list maker, and I make one everyday and frequently add to it. With having three kids I would be a mess without a list. So getting the biggest thing finished first would be a weight lifted early in the day. Sometimes you do need to ask yourself  how important things on your list are, so you don't get overwhelmed with many tasks. One thing I vowed to get better about is procrastination on big projects this semester. Not all the time, but the few times I did procrastinate it put me in a stressed mood.
Time Management

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