Wednesday, March 2, 2011

project 11

Project 10 Personal Learning Network


In setting up my Personal Learning Network, I have been watching videos and learning what a PLN is. I have also talked to several people that I know are very good in this area, such as Mr. Anthony Capps.
I have setup a twitter and facebook account and have started learning about how to do things on them. I have also set up a blog and have become very comfortable with using the blog site. I now have a G-mail account too. I feel that EDM310 has made me more creative and opened me up more, so I can continue working on my Personal Learning Network.

Blog Post 8


Watch Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 & 2
I would say at this moment, I am not prepared to write with multimedia. I hope by the time I start teaching, that I will be able to use multimedia though. I plan over the summer to learn everything I can about a computer and how to use it. I plan on going back through the materials in EDM310 and practicing everything over and over again until I feel that I am comfortable as doing the project like knowing my own name. I also plan to continue taking courses until I feel I know what I need to know to help my students.
I think by the time I start teaching I will be able to do Collaborate Learnign with mt students. I know I can put creativity in my students. I agree that our workplace in the future will be our laptop or desktop computers.
The Internet is a good way of sharing knowledge. It is amazing to see numbers and materials change before our eyes on the Internet. It's also amazing to see people sharing ideas fully and to see people responding to things that are happening around the world. I agree that change can be good for our students.

Edm310 is Different
The video that I would like to create would be of Tina Turner. Back on her 24/7 tour, when I went to see her in New Orleans, it was like a dream come true. I would like to design the clothes worn, pick the band, and pick the backup singers. But, most of all I would like to put myself dancing with her on stage. It would be cool to put myself in her image and perform like her.
The video EDM310 for Dummies was funny but true. I think probably half of the students that take this course feel the same way the students did in the video. If there was a real book EDM310 foe Dummies, I would buy one. I think it was an entertaining way to get stress out and also a way to voice what they were thinking.

Watch Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I agree with this video on Learn to Change, Change to Learn. After being out of school for twenty-seven years and then coming back to school, I can tell you that some parts of the cirriculum have not changed(like math or science), but other parts are totally different.
I think the real problem with teachers changing is they are scared of technology( especially the older teachers). For teachers to teach a subject they must be able to do the subject themselves. I think all the schools should provide teachers with a program that helps the teacher understand the advances in technology. Then teachers will change so they can learn. Teachers must come out of their comfort zone and change for their students. We must change in order to hold our country up to the standards for the rest of the world to see.

The Secret Powers of Time & The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Both of these videos were very good and interesting. Mr.Zambardo really hit it with my son, he is sixteen and fits right along with this research. In the fact that by the time a boy is 21 years old he has spent 10,000 hours playing video games alone.
I also argue with Mr. Zambardo about the 6 main time zones that people live in, two focus on the past( probably me) the good old times. Two focus on the present, live for pleasure, avoid pain, which he called Hedonistic. Two focus on the future. I also think he hit the purpose of schools is to take present oriented little beasts and make them future oriented, and that students create a world in which they live in when playing video games. Even game makers realize this, and now are even starting to make 3D games. Some kids will never fit in a traditional classroom. They become bored and will perform bad in school. They have to be able to control something in the classroom, so learning can take place. The main point in this video was kids are totally different than we were as kids and we must change our schools to keep them engaged in learning. In America a child drops out of school every 9 seconds( mostly boys), this was unbelievable to me.
In Mr. Pink's video his research was very interesting. The two points were:(1) If you reward something do you get more of the behavior you want or (2) If you punish something do you get less of the behavior you want? He used money as a motivator. His research was very impressing about the fact if you don't pay enough people what they want, they won't be motivated, so pay people enough to take the issue of money off the table. The fact that three factors had to be performed and personal satisfaction beat money for motivation was, dutonomy, mastery, and purpose. All three of these factors must be in our lives. We need to feel satisfaction in what we do.

Blog Post 7


Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
This was an unusual lecture. I was shocked when Mr. Pausch said my father always said to go ahead and let the elephant in the room out. I could not believe his attitude for a man dying, with ten tumors in his liver. It was a very good lecture and I really learned a lot from his lecture.
A lot of Mr. Pausch's quotes and sayings were very interesting and they made you really stop and think. The one "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted" and most of what we learn, we learn indirectly (or by "head fake"). This really rang a bell with me. My dad always use to tell me as a child, if you want advice you need to ask someone that is a lot older than you. Experience to me is a learning process. If you want to learn something then experience is the best teacher.
I definitely agree with him about Being an Imaginer. The Brick Walls are there for a reason: Thet let us prove how badly we want things. I have always been told never give up on your dreams, and after listening to this lecture I can see why I was told this. This man has never given upon anything.
The saying "Decide if your a Tigger or Eeyore" really makes sense to me.Also, the saying "Never lose your child-like wonder" really sticks out to me. People forget as they get older about having fun, being helpful to others and keeping a positive attitude.
Enabling the Childhood Dreams of others was a powerful message in Mr. Pausch's lecture. When you look at a child and their enthusiasm you know the meaning od joy.
Have something to bring to the table, Fundamentals are a must and watch how you say things. This was a very important message in regard to loyalty is a two-way street.
The closing of this lecture had tears rolling down my face when he said, "This lecture was not for you(the audience) or myself, but for my kids." Mr. Pausch showed how important it was for his kids to keep a positive attitude, even after his death and how important it was to him for their success.

Blog Post 6



Watch The Networked Student
On the question why does the networked student even need a teacher, the answer is clear? Every class needs a teacher. A teacher can teach the students how to build their social networks. The teacher is a model for their students and can also show the students how change can affect their lives, all students need someone to look up to.
I am a learner that needs to be shown how to do something and then practice it. Sometimes how a teacher reacts to you can make a big difference. If I have a teacher that believes in me, then most of the time I will do better in the class. I believe students need that special touch sometimes that only a teacher can do.
The site is great for showing the connection of blogs, communication of how students create their own book connections, and so many more things. But, I think every classroom still needs a teacher.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
It was amazing to me that a seventh grader could do all of this on her Personal Learning Environment. I just got started using facebook and still not every familiar with all of the stuff on it. I think it was a great way for any student to learn and keep up with their work. The idea of pocket tanks was a well organized program for anyone.
The idea of Peer Review reports was really interesting for students to let other professor's grade their papers and give the student back information on their assignment.
Comparing this seventh grader's Personal Learning Environment to mine would be a joke. She is so much more ahead of me. This lets me know that I must get busy and become more technical in technology to teach these students of the future. Her site was great. I am going to make my sixteen year old son watch this also.

Arguments for assignment 3
In the two critiques of smartboards, Why Smartboards are a dumb Initiative, and Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards, they argue that smartboards are a waste of money. Bill Ferriter says that "I'm willing to argue that even with time and training interactive whiteboards are an under-informed, and irresponsible purchase." He says I probably two or three neat lessons with it, but there was nothing unique about those activities.
Michael Staton also thinks that smartboards are a waste of money. Staton thinks they enable you to efficiently save content on the whiteboard, though you can do this without a smartboard in various other ways i.e. screenshot, screencast, use microsoft one note and press "Save with a projector." The reality is the "save the brainstrom" possibilities are endless on a much smaller budget. If I was teaching I would be thankful for a smartboard onlt because I am a gadget geek.
But Eliza Bang and many other teachers love the smartboard. Mrs. Bang gives an example of students in a third-grade class using the board to demonstrate solutions to a math problem. As each child sketched their answers, the solutions were saves as seperate files on the teacher's computer. "It really helps with motivation." As a platform for encouraging group work its amazing. Other teachers say kids have Nintendo Gameboys, Xboxes, and all of these fun interactive things outside of the classroom, the smartboard matches the experience that the kids are having out of the classroom.
Professor Knowlton says "The real virtue of the interactive whiteboard is in showing students how to use the computer." "Instead of handing a kid a laptop and saying good luck" it's nice to be able to model something for them This information came from the website: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2005/06167710