LL13 - Final Thoughts

What I have learned:

1. Shelfari, blogs, wikis, wordle, GoogleDocs, social bookmarking, RSS feed, Twitter, Audacity
   
2. The main theme in instructional strategies that I learned this semester was to assess each individual student's needs and address them accordingly. I think this flows to each discussion we had in class about instructional strategies, and is of key importance.
   
3. The most important thing about technology in communication is that it takes away the restrictions of time, availability, and distance. With current technologies, people can even see each other and talk while thousands of miles apart.
   
4. The opportunities for technology use in the classroom are endless. From distance learning for sick students to class wikis, from collaboration on documents to research. My favorite technology for use in the classroom is the ability to create a class wiki that the entire class can collaborate on.
   
5. While I used to be nervous presenting, I am not any more. I think this is from lots of experience in other classes, but it also helped that the class was small and we knew each other fairly well. As I have become less nervous, however, I have stopped preparing as much for presentations, which is a disadvantage.
   
6. Problems with internet safety have been over-exaggerated in the media. However, it is important to monitor students' usage of the internet while they are in the classroom. Also, teachers need to impress upon students the importance of internet safety in their homes as well.
   
7. There are many ways to assess students' learning, but the most important thing is to create a standard for grading. Also, students should know what the standard for their performance is before they begin an assignment.
   
8. It is important to be able to see the bias in the media because there are so many exaggerations and deceptions going on today. Students need to be able to tell which networks are more liberal or conservative, and how to decipher their messages accordingly.
   
9. How to compose lesson plans! I had never had another education class that I had to write lesson plans in, and I never realized how much work they are! Rubrics are an important aspect of this, which I had not really considered before this class.
   
10. The learning log was a great way to reflect, but maybe not as many entries where we have to watch long videos. It got tiresome sometimes. It would have been nice to have another break or two during the class, as it was hard to sit still for that long. The class was quite enjoyable overall, but definitely a lot of work.
    

LL 12 - Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences

My Learning Style - Auditory
Intelligence - Body Style (Kinesthetic)

The intelligence that the quiz came up with for me shocked me. While I am a dancer and enjoy moving around and playing sports, I have never really incorporated this into my studies and schoolwork. I find most of the suggestions for using this in classes annoying, actually, and would never want to trace letters or spell words out in magnets to learn their spelling. In the past I have found that I am much more inside my head than that, and learn best hearing things, as the learning style suggests. That is why I pick up so much information in lectures, and do well on lecture-based exams. However, writing things out also works well for me. I am not really a visual learner, though, so these seem to contradict each other in some ways. Since I was 6, though, I have been involved in dance classes, soccer, and other sports. I am always bouncing around and dancing without realizing it, so I guess this assessment does not really suprise me. I feel as though if students knew what their learning style was before entering a classroom, they would use it as an excuse for not wanting to do things that do not line up with their learning style. For instance, if the teacher was going to give a presentation, a student might "zone out" and then use the excuse that they aren't an auditory or visual learner.

LL 11 - Instructional Strategies and Technology Integration

6. Cooperative Learning - I feel that one of the biggest problems with group work for students is the difficulty in getting groups together outside of the classroom. Another problem occurs specifically with papers, in that it is difficult for all students to work on them at once. GoogleDocs is a great tool for groups. Whether students are working on a research paper, graphs, or a powerpoint presentation, all members of the group can access their assignment via this online resource. In fact, I am using GoogleDocs in a business writing class in order to write a proposal as a group. We each take a specific part of the proposal and edit it on our own time. Then, as a group, we will edit it and make sure it is complete. The only drawback to this approach is the possibility of a lack of continuity in the project if it's split up and lack of interaction with group members.

7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback - I think the most useful tool for this would be a class wiki. On it, students could make suggestions as to what they want to learn in a unit. Also, teachers can post what is expected of students in each unit before it is due, like a class calendar. Then students will know the objectives. Creating rubrics with programs like Rubistar and Excel is very easy, and they can be posted to the wiki as well, so that students know what is expected of them before they begin an assignment.

8. Generating and Testing Hypotheses - This could be achieved by using simulations. Students could formulate hypotheses, and then set up an experiment or project on the computer. This would work especially well with projects that either would take too long in real life or are too expensive. One example would be a trebuchet. We discussed in class how a student could set it up online before actually creating the real trebuchet. It would be too expensive to do a trail and error creation of such a big project.

LL10 - Why Play is Vital

My clearest memory of play in childhood took place when I was about 4 years old. My family had just moved to Louisville, KY from my birthplace of Cincinnati, OH. Most of my family lived in Cincinnati and it was a hard move for all of us. We missed my grandparents, aunts, and uncles, as well as all of our friends. For the first winter in Louisville, my dad had a brilliant idea. In Cincinnati, we hadn't had a large yard or driveway, but in Louisville we had lots of room. Dad took me to the store, and we bought a huge inflatable dragon pool toy. When we got home, he blew it up, and we began taking turns riding it down the driveway. I rode the dragon with my sisters and parents, and soon enough the neighborhood kids were joining us. It was such fun, and I will never forget it.

This play experience was definitely a family bonding experience for me. My dad is a doctor, and was in residency at the time, so it was an unexpected time with him. Seeing him ride the dragon down the driveway was quite a sight! This led to me being so connected with my family, as did other experiences playing with my family. Also, it helped increase my confidence because I was able to make friends through this activity. Some of these friends turned into my best friends that I got the chicken pox with, went to school with, and even watched the Kentucky Derby together.

LL9 - Open Letter to Parents

Dear parents:

In Ms. McKinney's class this year, we are going to be spending lots of time on the classroom computers. The students will be working on various projects using Weblogs, Microsoft Office, and various other online resources.

In order to keep you abreast of projects in the classroom, I will be posting everything we are doing on the class web page. This letter will explain most of the resources that we will be using, but if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at my classroom phone or by e-mail.

Wikis
One resource we will be using throughout the entire year will be a class wiki. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Wikipedia, and this will work in a similar fashion. I will create a home page, from which there will be sub pages with assignments, readings, and extra information. Students will be expected to check the wiki daily after school. The wiki is unique in that students can edit it themselves, so that they can post assignments to it. I will monitor the students' posts, and inappropriate information will be removed.

Web logs
Web logs are also referred to as blogs. They are essentially online journals. We will be using these as reflection tools in the classroom. After we complete a unit, students will be required to write a blog entry detailing what they've learned. This will be a way of monitoring how effective the teaching methods are.

Podcasts
Podcasts are commonly used in the media. They are recorded sound bites about a specific subject. We will be addressing the media's use of them and then recording some of our own. These will then be posted to the wiki.

Online Security
The school computers have the highest level of security. Sites with inappropriate content are not accessible. Proxies will also be blocked to the best of our ability, to avoid a different way of reaching those sites. Personal information posted online will be limited to first names. Not even the school name will be posted on the wiki, so as to prevent any problems.

Assessment
Students will receive individual grades on each assignment. Blogs will be 10% of students' grades. The wiki itself will not be graded, but the individual work on it will be.

I am looking forward to spending this year with your children in my class. Please contact me at any time with any questions or concerns.

Ms. McKinney

LL8

1. We are making teenagers safe. Dr. Finkelhor says that people assume that the people being affected by sexual predators online are young children, but in actuality they are teenagers and older. Dr. Ybarra highlights that a main reason these teens are at risk is the fact that they have participated “in sexual conversations” and other risky behavior. Another problem is online bullying, which affects every aspects of young peoples’ lives. Ms. Boyd also points out that youth with history of abuse of any sort face online dangers.

2. We are making young peoples’ experiences on the internet safer. Ms. Lenhart points out that many youth are already “protecting pieces of information about themselves from others”. Dr. Ybarra also notes that in the past, legislation and declarations have been made with instinct, not data to back it up. She says that by doing this, “we miss our target”. Kids who are bullies are an important target because they are now bullying online as well. As of now, most people do not think that the internet is well-patrolled; it is seen as a “no man’s land”, according to Dr. Finkelhor. This image needs to be changed as well. The last topic the panel discussed was pornography in e-mails especially, and students are trying to use e-mail less because of this.

3. These decisions will make it imperative for teachers to entice students away from the internet. Danah Boyd says that boredom in school leads to drinking, which is only possible through relationships with 21 year olds and older. This is closely related to online relationships with adults. Also, the message that keeping personal information closely guarded in case of an attack will have to be reversed. While it is important to be safe with personal information, the warning that has been sent out to teens thus far has presented a sense of fear that is not warranted, according to Ms. Lenhart. Dr. Finkelhor says that an important thing to work on is the mobilization of bystanders online.

LL7 - Learning Artifact

1. In this class I've learned about Twitter, which I had heard of but never really used. I also learned about a few concept map web sites, which I think would be extremely useful in the classroom. Those are probably my favorite tools I've learned about.
2. The teaching strategy that have been most influential to me was just the idea of walking around the classroom. While I have done this while volunteering in schools, it never struck me why this was so important until Mr. Sessums did it in class. This is probably the first class I've had where the teacher made an effort to continually wander around the classroom. It keeps me focused on what we're discussing, as well as convincing me that he cares about each person in the class. Just the impact of watching this has truly effected the way I plan to teach, even though it isn't really something that was focused on as much in the book.
3. I would like to learn about the effectiveness of videos in the classroom. I have always liked watching them because it gives a break from the teacher talking, but am not sure how much most students really pay attention to them. Is there a good time vs. a bad time to use them in the classroom?


This picture made such a profound impact on me when I first saw it. We have discussed in class the concept of learning with technology, and not from it. These little girls exemplified this for me. They could not be more than 3 years old, yet they are using technology together, with no instruction. While I'm sure their parents or some other adult taught them how to get on the computer and start up the learning process, it is obvious by the look on their faces that they are learning something new. Perhaps the girl in front is even teaching her friend how to do something. Teaching does not just come from teachers, but also from peers. These girls are teaching each other, as well as learning from the technology in their hands.

LL6 - Learning Tools

1. Skype
2. I chose Skype for a few reasons. I have heard so much about it recently from many of my friends, either ones studying abroad or those still in Gainesville, that I wanted to check it out. Plus, my boyfriend and I web cam all the time, but it is a fairly inconsistent program, so I thought that this might be a good solution.
3. I think the biggest advantage to using Skype in the classroom would be the opportunity for students to communicate with other students around the world. When I was in elementary school, we had pen pals by writing letters. Now, students can get on Skype and either IM or video chat with other students. If they are trying to learn each others' languages, this could be of great assistance. With such advantageous technology in our grasp, why not use it? A huge advantage to Skype is that most aspects of it are free and applicable to life at home as well. Teachers can educate students in online safety and how to use Skype, and then they can chat with friends, family, and "pen pals" from home.
4. One problem I could forsee with Skpe would be internet security. If students were to get on it at home, or even at school without the correct supervision, they could run into online predators. Students might be able to access the parts of Skype you have to pay for, but I'm sure the school can put blocks on that. Since "sexting" is such a problem in schools now, using Skype for similar activity might be an issue in the future.

1. iTunes
2. I chose iTunes because, although I have used it a lot for my personal music collection, I had never really thought about how it could be used in the classroom.
3. I was discussing the use of iTunes with my dad, and he is quite the intellectual. He said that he has been using iTunes for a while to download lectures from different universities on topics he is interested in. I had never explored this feature, and it is actually really neat. It's nice that if students want the opportunity to get more information about something they're interested in, they can do it here. This is called iTunes U. Teachers can use this in order to brush up on certain topics, too.
4. The information would be over the heads of a lot of students, but in upper level high school classes it could be used, especially for students who are bored in their regular classes.

1. SurveyMonkey
2. SurveyMonkey is another tool that I've used personally but never really considered using in a classroom. My friends have used it a lot for personal quizzes.
3. As a teacher, I could use this tool to create surveys for students. They could either be just used as an assessment early in a unit to see what I need to focus on, or to see if students like certain things about my teaching methods. It could also be used to determine what topics are of most interest to students, if they have a choice in what I am teaching.
4. SurveyMonkey could be used by students to create hurtful surveys about classmates. As long as the work students do on the site is monitored, I don't think this would be a problem.

LL5 - Reflecting on Lesson Plan 1

1. I really liked the fact that my lesson plan involved a few different technological parts. There was the concept map, which I actually really enjoyed putting together, research on the computer, the actual simulation, and the data input. I did not like that I tried to put all of the parts in one lesson, and think in reality I would split it up so students were learning about earthquakes for at least a few days before they began this lesson.
   
2. The lesson was active because it forced students to use technology to put together not only a report but also a spreadsheet of their data. It was authentic because the simulation they used demonstrated a real-world problem. They actually influenced the outcome of the earthquakes by their own actions and decisions.
   
3. I would split this into more than one lesson, or at least take out the research aspect I think. It is too much for one lesson.
   
4. A little risky. I'm sure most students would never have used a simulation such as this one before, and it would be a great new experience for them. While data input and papers are not risky at all, the concept map is a pretty new idea as well.
   
5. My lesson plan was biased in that I have always considered earthquakes so interesting. Because of this, I probably spent a lot more time on the subject than I would others, just because it is interesting to me. Granted, I find most students are interested in the destruction they cause, but I would need to make sure this subject is balanced with other plate tectonics and earth sciences.
   

LL4 - Lesson Plans

Effects of Earthquakes on Buildings

• http://www.microsoft.com/education/earthquakes.mspx
• Subject area: Earth sciences
  
• Grade level: 7-12
  
• Students will learn hands-on the effects of earthquakes on buildings. They will talk about architectural plans and then model the earthquakes on a program. This lesson will focus on simulating earthquakes of different magnitudes and types and seeing how this affects buildings.
  
• Educational goals: Study and learn in-depth about earthquakes.
  
• Assessment: Grade students' answers to questions in the main activity section, as well as how accurately they present their data.
• I really liked that this lesson included a program for simulating the earthquakes. I think it makes it that much more real and stimulating.
• I did not like that the focus was mixed between the building structure and the earthquakes; it seemed like too much information to take in at once.
• I would like to know how the program works more in-depth so if there are any technical problems they can be addressed.
  

The Ultimate Guide: Human Body

• http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/ultimate_humanbody/
• Subject area: Science/anatomy
  
• Grade level: 9-12
  
• Students will see segments of the video The Ultimate Guide: Human Body and discuss them. Then they will use online resources to go into more detail on what the purposes of the specific systems of the body are.
  
• Educational goals: Learn about the human body and how its segments relate to each other, while also using and developing research skills.
  
• Assessment: Based on how much the student participated in class discussion, as well as the writing he/she did on the in-class research.
• I really liked that this lesson plan used video, the computer and discussion.
• I did not like that it was so broad, as there are so many systems in the body it would be better to split this up.
• I would like to know if there are more materials made by The Ultimate Guide, such as a workbook, to go with the video.
  

Castle Builder

• http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/castle_builder/
• Subject area: History/Art
  
• Grade level: 7
• Students will research the Welsh daily life in this time period, including aspects of castle construction from this time period. Use a variety of online resources for information on castle aspects. Students will then make a blueprint of their castle, and a model. To make this more technologically enhanced, the model could be made on a computer program.
  
• Educational goals: Develop research skills, learn about Welsh life in the time period specified.
  
• Assessment: Make sure the student has done their research, included all of the castle specifications, and creativity.
• I liked that this used students' creativity and research skills all in one.
• I did not like that it didn't seem realistic in that the normal Welsh people probably would not have lived in a castle.
• Could this project be done with other cultures as well? I.e. Chinese homes/castles?
  

LL3 - RSS Lab

Starting out this assignment, I was not sure at all what to expect. Setting up the RSS feed was so simple though, I thought that I had not finished. It took me a little while to figure out that I was done. Discovering what happens when you add sites to the feed was an experience. It also took me some time to play around with it and see how it worked. Once I added all of my sites and fooled around with the Google Reader for a while, it was so simple I could not believe it. The only problem I had was how overwhelming the amount of new information was. News sites come up with a ridiculous amount of new stories every hour, and it is difficult to keep up with them. On the other hand, regular blogs are not updated as often since there is only one author and they write on a whim.

I am subscribed to Yahoo! News, The New York Times, FOXNews, and AOL's lead stories. Also, I added two blogs from blogspot, one mostly about decorating styles and architecture, and the other about food and creative recipes. Another blog I've subscribed to is the Alligator's sports blog. Harper's Journal, The New Yorker, and The Weather Channel round off my subscriptions.

In a classroom, a feed reader with news stories would be a good way to start off the day and keep students updated on what's going on in the world. It could also be extremely helpful if a student is doing an assignment and needs the most up-to-date information for their data.

My Educational Philosophy

Most of my educational experience has been, of course, while I was in school. Based on this experience, I have come to a few conclusions about education in general and also teachers' responsibilities. I see education's biggest purpose as readying students for life after school. This is not to say that teachers should teach their students how to change light bulbs and the essentials of a clean house, but most skills that are taught should have an application that will genuinely help students in the future.

Based on this assessment, the purpose of teachers is to teach as many students as much as they can. I am not much for the idea that teachers should not move on with material until all of the students have mastered it. However, I am not saying that they should drive forward with material and just leave those struggling in the dust. Teachers serve as both an instructor and support system to their students.

I believe students learn best when the concepts they are learning are applied to a real-life example. For example, while many students dread word problems, I always thought that they were the best way to teach and test math skills. My goals for my students are for them to at least try to reach their potential. I would like them to be engaged in class. I think that all students have the capacity to learn, as long as they put forth an effort. Teachers owe their students concentration, support, and effort.

LL1 - Questions

Going into this course, I was not quite sure what I would experience. Now, after the first class, I expect that we will learn about all of the objectives in the syllabus. I also think that it will be a lot easier to stay awake and concentrated in class than I anticipated. Three hours is a long time to focus, but this class should be stimulating enough to prevent too much daydreaming or "spacing out".

In order to keep the class stimulating, I expect my classmates to participate in group discussion and activities. I also think that it will be extremely helpful if everyone comes to class with the required work and reading done, and be fully prepared.

I think that an important aspect of this class will be the instructor. I think that Mr. Sessums' role will be not only to instruct at times, but also to facilitate discussion between the students. That would make this class very interesting and keep us focused. I would also like for him to allow us to express our thoughts and opinions without consequence, and encourage creative thought.

I know a fair amount about computers and technology, but am excited to learn about the new resources Mr. Sessums is introducing us to in this class. One problem I anticipate is getting used to Macs, since I am a PC person. Could we please have a more in-depth review of Macs, or at least be given the opportunity to explore them during one class? I was also wondering if we will be learning how to use the new technologies that are being put into classrooms, such as SmartBoards and the projecting systems.

Following my statement of expectations for Mr. Sessums, I leave you with this:

Have a wonderful day!