Final Attempt for Project Google Earth Tour

All else has failed.....after 10 attempts to upload my Google Earth Tour, Castles of Pembrokeshire, I am going to follow Dr. Strange's advise and just insert a link to my tour....Castles of Pembrokeshire

Many Thanks to Mr. Sullivan and Class H

Mr. Sullivan,
Many thanks for all of your help with EDM310 this semester. Best of luck to you as you finish your graduate work. To Class H....Just listening to all of your college stories made me smile...thanks for all the laughs! Thanks for not making me feel like the "old lady" even though I am 20 years older than most of you! Have a great summer and good luck!

An Honest Reflection of EDM310 (Final Exam Part 1)

1 What have we covered in class? The question is what did we not cover? The vast amount of websites and tools that we used for EDM310 was overwhelming at times. Some of the information was useful and very interesting. Some of the information and tasks were just that...task...chores really. Some of the tasks I became really good at and some tasks still give me nightmares. I better tackle this question with 3 lists. I will title them, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Each title should give you an idea of my thoughts and feelings....

The Good
*Posts I read gave interesting perspectives and new outlooks on teaching
*Comments4teachers for great teaching ideas
*Comments4Kids for encouragement that kids are still enjoying school
*Google Forms, Docs, and Spreadsheets boosted my confidence level because they were very easy to use!
*ALEX offers great new ideas
*Other teachers and students outside our region...Hallelujah! Fresh new ideas!
*Blogging was new and different and I think maybe I was a little too honest, but blogging helped to share my ideas....whether you agreed or not!
*Wikis and presentations made me explore with technology more. Teachers should be lifetime learners.
*Picasa was great for photos although I still like to order my prints from Snapfish and Shutterfly.
iTunes and iTunes U are great for subject offerings via the Internet...great for long distance learning.
*Videocasts were fun to work on with others. It took teamwork which is something we have to learn if we are going to work with # children and # other teachers in a school.
*I think I am very professional. My very first principal stated in one of the very first faculty meetings..."If you want to be treated like a professional, you have to dress and act like one." That is a great statement!

The Bad (These were a chore!)
*Movie Making should be left to the professionals! I am too anal and tried to make it perfect and I was never going to make a perfect movie, but at least I did make 3! I was proud of myself!
*Podcasts were just too boring! I must be ADD...
*The future of our schools is a debate that no one will ever win. I don't have the time, energy, or patience to argue (debate) the issue. There will never be enough money for schools. Teachers will never be paid enough. Facilities will never be efficient enough....it goes on and on and on!
ACCESS is not for me...I am certified PK-3

The Ugly (These things should be deleted forever!)
*YouTube (do you really want to get me started with "my overprotectiveness" (is that even a word?).
*PLN's for me because I am just not that organized!
*Twitter
*Skype- just call!
*GET RID OF Comments4Classmates because these people are so late with their posts! Just do it! I can't do my work if you don't do yours...
*Google Earth didn't work most of the time....one of the most frustrating websites to make a tour! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Technological Literacy...a terrific term for how to make someone's self-esteem go down the drain! Some tasks would build up my confidence and others made me feel so dumb!

2 Was there something else?
Seriously, I think we covered it all, didn't we? I don't think my brain can absorb one more technological task!

3 My Ugly List above should give you insight into my thoughts about things/tasks we had in EDM310 that were dreadful. Of my list, I have to say comments4classmates was the biggest waste of time!

4 EDM310 did not excite me. I took the class because I had to for ALSDE. I thought I would learn something that I could use with my Kindergartners. I learned things about technology, but it's not useful. Maybe I can use the SmartBoard concepts that we talked about in my classroom, but that is just about it!

5 & 7 I don't think I was intellectually challenged. The class had more "opinion based" concepts. I was more challenged by the Google Earth Tour Project. That was not intellectually challenging, just frustrating! I still don't think I did it right. I could handle every task and solve every glitch except for this project! ARGH!!!!!I wasn't bored with the class, just frustrated with some of the tasks.

8 & 9 Am I technologically literate? I honestly don't know! I have to rank myself as being SOMEWHAT technologically literate? I am more aware of technology tools at the end of EDM310 than I was in the beginning of the semester. I hope that was one of the goals or objectives. I cannot honestly answer your question on how I will maintain or improve my tech literacy? I am going to rest my eyes and take a break from this monitor, keyboard, and mouse for a while.

My "teaching ideas and resource" PLN began here:

http://www.theeducationcenter.com/tec/
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html
http://edhelper.com/
http://www.abcteach.com/
http://teacher.scholastic.com
http://www.kinderteacher.com/
http://atozteacherstuff.com/Lesson_Plans/lessonplans-kindergarten.shtml
http://www.eduhound.com/
http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten.htm
http://www.readwritethink.org

Here are some additions for the books and classroom items I will need to implement my teaching ideas:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.half.ebay.com/
http://www.ebay.com/
http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/home/home.jsp
http://www.carsondellosa.com/cd2/default.aspx
http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/
http://www.schoolbox.com/
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/

Week 15 (April 25)

After viewing the video,7th Grader's PLE, I was amazed at this student's organization, focus, and dedication to her work. It was interesting to hear the student talk about how much freedom she had at school when dealing with her PLE. Her large amount of freedom gave her the "inclination to be responsible". I wonder... how many 7th Grade students are this responsible? Would the number of students who used their freedom to work on their PLE outnumber those students who used their freedom to "surf" the web for leisure? Think about it....
My PLE is an absolute "wreck" compared to this student's PLE or PLN. Yes, I could definitely learn a great deal from her. It's great to see teachers learning from their students. Our students have a great deal to share...teachers are (or at least should be) lifelong learners.


Two Questions That Can Change Your Life was a very thought provoking video. What's my sentence? I hope my sentence is "She was my favorite teacher. She made learning so much fun." Was I better today than yesterday? Well, the answer to that question is "yes" on some days and "no" on other days. Life can affect the answer to that question...whether it be in my personal life, professional life, or my students' lives. Each day presents a new and unique challenge.

Project 8 (Teach Something Using Technology)

I teach Kindergartners. One of the hardest skills for 4-6 year old children to learn is how to tie their shoes. I find the "bunny ear" method to be the easiest approach. How To Tie A Shoe

Project 14 How Do Students Use Technology at Home and at School

This video was created using Window Movie Maker

YouTube

Project 15 How is Technology Used in Schools Today

This video was created using a Mac (Photo Booth and iMovie)

Project 7 Voice Thread

My VoiceThread project was a response for my Comments 4Classmates assignment by adding an audio comment on Kayla Daughtry's blog post for Week 13.

Project 13 (Videocast)

Challenges for the Class of 2022 was based on the Kansas State University experience which was the video we watched for our first blog post for EDM310.

Project 10 (A Timetoast Timeline)

We bought our first digital camera in 2004. Taking pictures has never been easier!
Kids...They Grow So Fast!

Do You Skype? (Project 6)

Well I have tried Skype, but I do not use Skype on a regular basis. My school has blocked Internet sites like Skype, Twitter, Facebook, etc. for security reasons according to our computer teacher at my private school. My former school in CA does allow Skype access so I did Skype my former colleagues while they were at school and I was home. Thank goodness they are in a time zone that is 2 hours behind me. It was great to see their classrooms and the children's work. It was a great way to get some ideas from a great group of talented teachers, and I was 2500 miles away. Yes, you can take pictures, but there is something to be said about hearing a friendly voice. It really made me smile to hear a voice that I haven't heard in so long. The best part of Skype.....it is FREE!

Week 14 (April 18) Is Being Overprotective about Internet Use Really Bad?

•Conflicted over Safety: Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse reported that most teens surveyed are aware and concerned about the risks of putting personal information out in the open. Fifty-nine percent say having personal information or photos on a public site is unsafe, and 26 percent say they know someone who has had something bad happen to them because of this. Still, 62 percent of teens post photos of themselves on blogs or social networking sites and greater than 40 percent name their school or the city in which they live.
•Prevalent Cyberbullying: More than one-third of teens surveyed have been cyberbullied, perpetrated cyberbullying or know of friends who have experienced or perpetrated it, and 68 percent think it is a serious problem. About 4 in 5 teens (81 percent) think that bullying online is easier to get away with or to hide from their parents than bullying in person.
•Engaging in Sexting: Nineteen percent of teens surveyed have engaged in sexting -- sending, receiving or forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photos through text message or email. Sixty percent of teens who sent sexts say they send photos to their boyfriend/girlfriend, but 11 percent say they have sent sexts(1) to someone they don’t even know. Eighty-one percent of teen sexters are under 18.

Teach Children to Remember the 4 R’s …

•Recognize techniques used by online predators to deceive their victims.
•Refuse requests for personal information.
•Respond assertively if you are ever in an uncomfortable situation while online. Exit the program,log off or turn off the computer…
•Report, to law enforcement authorities, any suspicious or dangerous contact that makes you uncomfortable.


Larry Magid's post, Child Safety on the Information Highway was written in 1993 and revised several times until 2003. In his post he listed these risks about the "Information Highway":

•Exposure to Inappropriate Material
A child may be exposed to inappropriate material that is sexual, hateful, or violent in nature, or encourages activities that are dangerous or illegal. Children could seek out such material but may also come across it on the web via chat areas, social networking sites, E-mail, or even instant messaging if they’re not looking for it.

•Physical Molestation
A child might provide information or arrange an encounter that could risk his or her safety or the safety of other family members. In some cases child molesters have used chat areas, E-mail, and instant messages to gain a child’s confidence and then arrange a face-to-face meeting.

•Harassment and Bullying
A child might encounter messages via chat, E-mail, on their social networking site or their cellular telephones that are belligerent, demeaning, or harassing. “Bullies,” typically other young people, often use the Internet to bother their victims.

•Viruses and Hackers
A child could download a file containing a virus that could damage the computer or increase the risk of a “hacker” gaining remote access to the computer; jeopardizing the family’s privacy; and, perhaps, jeopardizing the family’s safety.

•Legal and Financial
A child could do something that has negative legal or financial consequences such as giving out a parent’s credit-card number or doing something that could get them in trouble with the law or school officials. Legal issues aside, children should be taught good “netiquette” which means to avoid being inconsiderate, mean, or rude.

In January, 2010, Mr. Magid's post, We need to rethink online safety, agrees that it’s true that there are criminals who use to the net try to exploit people and find children to abuse. But that’s also true in our communities and — sadly — even in some homes. What’s also true about the Internet is that you can’t sexually abuse someone through a screen. You can try to lure them, you can shock them, you can upset them but you can’t enact any physical harm — that has to be done in person.


The debate of pros and cons about Internet Safety will continue forever. The most important aspect is that parents should be parenting....teaching their children about the proper uses of the Internet. Overprotective, yes, Dr. Strange, I admit that I am an overprotective parent. I teach 13 Kindergarten children who have protective parents, as well. Thanks to the Internet, I can find thousands of documents to support both sides of this issue. God bless the freedom of speech!

Project 5 (Survey and Survey Results)

Project 5 Survey
Survey Results

My "Future Plans Survey" was of interest to me because most of the students in my EDM310 class are 20 years younger than me. I wanted to see what their plans were for the future. I was surprised that many of the students who responded cannot speak a second language, many plan on teaching in Mobile, and many plan on going to graduate school. Why did I choose these questions? I received my BS in Early Childhood Education at South Alabama in 1988, taught in the Mobile County Public Schools System for 5 years, moved to San Francisco Bay Area and taught for 11 years in a public school and lived in a foreign country (Wales) for 2 1/2 years. I never thought I would have all of those experiences, but each one has had a major impact on my family, me, and the way I teach. I sent my survey to 63 people, but only 27 responded. I thought the number of responses was poor.

Comments For Teachers (Week 13-14)

Jeff Utecht's post, What's Your Container?, provided excellent organizational ideas for finding/storing/locating resources on the web. Sometimes our biggest challenge is “where did I put that…?”.

Jeff Utecht's post, Games and Bugs, gave a summary of what the teachers at the International School Bangkok have been working on in the first Certificate of Educational Technology and Information Literacy program (COETAIL). The teachers involved in (COETAIL) are actually learning something that they are able to put into practice in the classroom. The teachers have been working in the program for 4 weeks and during the fifth week they were able to put into practice in the classroom what they had been learning. I bet the first graders loved that Cotton Strainer video!I was most impressed with the P.E. teachers...they were using technology and sharing with their colleagues! Great job! Being able to use technology in every classroom is an amazing task! Kudos to you, Jeff, Kim and Dennis!

Comments 4Kids (Week 14) Final Assignment

Comments 4Kids
This week I read a post by Mr. McClung, a middle school teacher at Woodland Jr. High in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In the post, Lesson Three: Eggs Are Not People, Mr. McClung writes about being "bombarded with the “egg babies” that his female students received in their home economics class. I can imagine that Mr. McClung is a very patient teacher. I think that is a "must" for any middle school teacher, but he certainly had reached his limit of patience with these "egg babies" judging by the tone of his blog post. His closing statement sums up his feelings: "I’m so done with hearing about these egg babies…and I see another egg baby in my room I just might crush it." This was probably one of the funniest blogs I have read this semester. Thank you Mr. McClung for making me smile! I left an audio comment for Mr. McClung on his post.

Week 13 (April 11)

I loved The Zax video! Dr. Seuss was and always will be a genius! Unfortunately, some teachers will "never budge from their tracks", but we have to if we are keep up with the world around us. Change is not easy and I will be the first one to admit it!

WOW! The PS 22 video was amazing! Kudos to the teachers and students at PS22. I think is important for students to post their work to blogs so students, teachers, parents, administrators (anyone interested in learning) can learn from and teach each other. Mr. Chamberlain's blog post allows parents to view the activities in class via the class stream link on his class blog. I feel it helps the parents to see and better understand what is being taught in the classroom. It adds consistency for children when parents use the same teaching techniques at home (especially for my Kindergarten students). Kaia's blog is another excellent example for children to interact with other children around the globe. Students/children are communicating and sharing ideas using technology. The world is at their fingertips and only a click away.A Vision of Students Today
was one of my favorite videos for an EDM310 blog post assignment. The reflections and questions posed by these students were very profound and made me, as a teacher, really think about how I teach my students.



Comments 4Kids
Tracey's favorite thing at the Pt. England School camp was going down the slide. She was very descriptive about her feelings of being scared, but then she saw the light at the bottom and "SPLASH!" into the cold water. My Kindergarten students would love to have a school camp with such a cool slide.

Week 12 March 28- April 4

Mr. Raisdana, the Year 7, 8, 9 English, History, and Geography teacher at the Compass International School in Doha, Qatar,and Mr. Chamberlain, a teacher in Noel, Missouri, were introduced to each other by Mr. Raisdana's 3-yr old daughter, Kaia. They did not meet in person. They were introduced via technology, YouTube and Twitter. Mr. Chamberlain's students and Kaia are learning from each other, but not in the classroom next door. These students are thousands of miles apart on different continents. Mr. Chamberlain's "transparent walls" theory makes this interaction possible.

"Is the risk of exposing ourselves and our children online worth the connections that will be made and the lessons that will be learned?" asks Mr. Raisdana. I must admit that I am still very cautious about exposing my own children (and my students) on the web. Mr. Chamberlain is correct, however, when he said that he can always turn off the computer. Kudos to Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. Raisdana for their insight into learning in the future. I am going to have to read,
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.


Comments 4Kids
Lucy at Pt. England School in New Zealand learned how to play Simon Says. She said it was tricky.Lucy seemed very excited about the new game. This was her first movie this year and she seemed a bit nervous, but she did a great job! It is wonderful to see children discovering that learning and playing new games can be great fun!

Comments for Teachers (Week 10-12)

Caren Carrillo's post, "Checking for Understanding: Assume There Will Be Questions",
offers a new approach to rephrasing the old addage of "are there any questions?". I taught Third Grade last year and there certainly was a "stigma" in the beginning of the year about asking questions. I wish I had Ms. Carrillo's idea of "What questions do you have?" last year.

Caren Carrillo's post,"Review Activity: What's the Word" discusses the use of games as a classroom activity to help her review concepts that have been taught. I love the idea of review games. The wonderful part of these games is that the children are really learning from each other while they are having fun, and they do not realize it. My students are so involved when they are playing learnning games. "Top-It" (a math game like "War" or "Battle") is one my students' favorite games. Learning can be fun! Learning while you are playing and having fun is a winning combination in my classroom. I agree with Ms. Carrillo regarding the idea of not keeping score...it does defeat the purpose.

March 22 (Week 10)

In Morgan Bayda's post, An Open Letter To Educators, she compares her college learning experiences in class lectures vs. her Computer Ed classes. Her experiences of not being allowed to talk except to her professor vs. open communication with others seems to have had a dramatic impact. As teachers, we need to learn from our experiences. Do we let our children interact with each other or do we treat them like robots who only respond when spoken to? Teachers need to realize that children learn so much more through interaction with their peers and others. Now having said that...we have to keep a balance of that interaction inside the classroom focused on the classroom discussion vs. idle chit chat.

My first two years of college classes at USA were similar to Morgan's experiences. A big difference, however, was that the internet wasn't really an option when I started or finished my ECE degree (1984-88). During my last two years (Field work and ECE specific courses)my professors did know my name. I truly felt they were interested in how I felt about my field experiences and what I found to be helpful and maybe not so helpful. Kudos to my professors, Dr. Mary Jo Harris (retired) and Dr. Shaw (who is still at USA). I did use my textbooks. It was all we had for our information. I feel like a dinosaur!


Comments 4Kids
Eric in Mrs. Kolbert's class had a link on his blog about An Animal That Can Live Forever. The article about this "immortal jellyfish" was really cool. We live along the Gulf of Mexico and we have seen many jellyfish, but I don’t think we have seen the turritopsis nutricula species along our shore of the Gulf. Sounds like this amazing creature may be coming our way.