Blog Post #13

E-Media Fast 

This is a blog post about having to go 24 hours without using technology and it is impossible in this generation. Mostly everything we have is a development of technology. Most people think of there cell phones when they think of technology. Technology is more than that. Technology is television, cars, remote controls, bank cards, game systems, etc. So to say someone went 24 hours with technology means they laid in bed all day and walked to eat and having dollar bills to pay for food and do nothing else the rest of the day.

I will technology in my classroom. I will not have a choice. technology is evolving faster than we as people realize. I do not like that the school system is so late is adopting more technology in classrooms but it is coming along. When I become a teacher I will embrace the technological advances of the generation. I will always consider myself a man of the world and that wont stop because I am a teacher.

Project #14 SmartBoard Instruction Part 1

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts - Special Post #12A.

Not all, but several schools in the United States do not encourage students to be creative or allow them to be curious. The reason being is because teachers tell students to do a project and they tell the students that the ideas are endless, but yet on the grading sheet there is a list of "dos and don'ts". I think teachers stick with the same boring routine of teaching because they are afraid of change and do not know other ways of teaching and using creativity. A curriculum can be developed to increase the curiosity and creativity of students. Students are born with curiosity of things and also with creativity. Teachers have to be up for a change. They have to be willing to have fun with the lessons and interact with the students. Teachers need to be reasonable and not set high expectations for their students They need to be willing to consider their students opinions. Teachers can ask questions with each lesson that require the students to think critically. I can be very creative when the opportunity calls for it. When I am give a task and there are no guidelines for how it is to be done then I can show or present things that you maybe has not been seen or thought of before. Being creative is something that keeps kids interested in learning. Its not just teaching them math but teaching them ways that make it fun at the same time and still learning at the same time.

Blog Post # 12

How will you teach me in the 21st

Watch this video posted from a student at Full Sail University where she he completing her Master's degree in Education Media and Design Technology. After watching the video, give a short summary of what you plan to use digital media and story-making  to further students education when you become a teacher.


Students learn in various different ways therefore, there needs to be several ways in helping students to learn the different subjects. There are many uses of technology in the classroom as well as in the world today. Digital media is a great tool to help students understand concepts better because they are able to visualize the subject. I will use digital media to go over lessons. The use of technology helps students learn from different perspectives. When using just the normal pen and paper, some children's creativity does not get expressed very well. But if you use the computer, the possibilities for the work to be created by the student is endless. In my classroom in the future, one major thing that I am going to use is the internet. Technology allows people to communicate and collaborate with others around the world. Technology allows people to communicate and collaborate with others around the world.

Progress Report on Final Project #16

Characters: Teacher, students, 1 super hero We are creating a movie about how students seem like the day is dragging on and on and they are bored with the "normal lectures" that teachers give. We all know that sitting in a classroom for 7 hours a day can seem like forever especially when all it is is lecture and note taking. Have the superhero come in and show how a normal lecture could be turned into a fun, interactive, and creative day for the students. We collaborated on this project by using the following tools: Google Docs: To gather ideas and plan the video Telephone/Texting: To plan meeting day to record video Email: To write up the movie script Flip Camera: Use to record the video iMovie: To finalize the movie and add music to the background Sara Cardwell Allison Cullars Katelyn Gill Jonathan Freeman

Blog Post #11

Little Kids....Big Potential
 I think it is a great idea that these first graders have their own blogs. All comments left on a child's page needs to be positive. The comments the students get from other people really inspire their work. The children are learning various types of internet tools. The students  are able to share their ideas and gather more information from other people and sites on the internet. Mrs. Cassidy is helping  the students open their minds to new technologies and allowing them to explore their creative side.

The Skype Interview

 I really enjoyed Mrs. Cassidy’s Skype interview. She said that she had been blogging for ten years and decided to get the students involved. She talked about the wide range of audience that students are able to communicate with. She says that we are handicapping our students and ourselves if we do not take advantage of the technology tools that are available to us. She then talked about the different uses of Skype and how it allows the students to listen to lectures from different teachers or professors  around the world. Skype is a great part of technology that teachers can use in their classrooms to further their students education.  Education is taking a turn, like our world, into technology and teachers who refuse to learn how to use technology are doing more damage to the students by not using technology.

Blog Post #10

To Teach Or Educate

I believe that teachers are doing a small part of both teaching and educating in the classroom. I feel as if the kids look up to the teachers in a sense that they are teaching them the things that they will need. The major reason that I became a education major is because I want to make a difference in children's lives. I feel as if a teacher has a very large impact on the student and will make "changes" in their lives. Also, the definition of educate according to the video is illuminate, enlighten, inspire, and power. Those are some very strong words that describe educate. 

Dont let them take their pencils home 

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home is a post about a School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist who talks to Mr. Spencer about allowing his students to take pencils from the school to their home. I was confused when I started reading, because he and someone else were politely arguing over whether allowing students to take pencils home was a good thing or not. Of course, I finally understood that it was a metaphor for personal computers. Children who use pencils at home instead of pens have a lower score on the standardized tests that they have to take in school.  This is due to parents in low income families not having much contact with computers in any environment other than one meant for entertainment, so they view computers as entertainment.

Blog Post #9

Mr. McClung’s What I’ve Learned This Year (2010-2011) 

In this post he talks about all the changes he encountered in that school year such as, it being the first year that he taught at the same school two years in a row and the first year being a computer applications teacher. It was also his first time being a cross country coach.  He said that with so many changes, it was easy to learn and reflect, and in turn share this reflection with us.  

The first thing he discusses is “Know Who Your Boss Is”.  This year he learned that it is easy to get wrapped up with trying to please everyone. He said, he started to just be himself and not worry so much about the perception that others have of him. While he was being “consumed,” he realizes that he was neglecting his students’ needs for his full attention. He needed to remember the main reason  we got in this profession in the first place and  that was for the kids. 

A word of advice he gives is “Don’t Expect Others to be as Excited About Change as You Are”. We cannot allow others to stifle our excitement and joy that we experience in teaching or in life. Teachers that had the  fire and excitement for the teaching profession seem to somewhere lose the excitement along the way. He then tells us about how much of an optimist he is, even when it comes to things other teachers tend to not be interested in such as professional development sessions. 

He also says “Don’t Be Afraid to be an Outsider”. He learned that not falling in line with the rest of the crowd and being an outsider is not a bad thing. He did not eat his lunches with the other teachers in the lounge, because he ate with his students. By doing this, he made a better connection with his students. 

The final word of advice Mr. McClung gives us is “Don’t Get Comfortable.” says that comfort and security does  not motivate individuals. . He makes a good point that while teaching is a stable job and it’s easy to become comfortable. Teachers need to step out of there comfort zone to reach out and help students. The teaching profession needs individuals that are passionate and willing to exceed the demands of the regular teaching schedule. 

Mr. McClung What I have Learned this year (2008-2009) 

Mr. Joe McClung's first year as a teacher was spent in Noel, Missouri. His first year was spent trying to impress his superiors that he did not focus on the students like he should. He was controlling things way to much. He would beat himself up for lessons that did not go the way he planned. Over the year, he learned several different ways on how to improve his classroom and to help other teachers. He also learned that he should be flexible because what he plans on teaching and most important decision he made during the year was to stay positive. He also learned to get rid of his high expectations for the students. Teachers need to be reasonable with their students and not make to high of expectations for them.