Blog Post # 14

I would like to start by saying I have already added this site Box of Tricks to my symbaloo! I think it is a great resource not only in itself but it has so many doors to other resources. This website has so many great ideas, and great things for you to do in your classroom. The video was something that I think could help so many teachers with their material they are teaching. It would definitely give it a little life, more so than it has already. I really liked the idea of using iTunes because I know that it is used by so many people. I believe its a great idea to be interested in what type of music your students listen to and maybe surprise them with a song is power point if it is relevant sometime. I know that would have caught my attention in high school. Another great thing that was brought up in the video was using interactive activities. We have learned about interactive activities in EDM310 and EDU301 when dealing with the smart boards. I have enjoyed putting together different games for all the projects we have had to do. The one thing I really like seeing in the video was how Mr. Picardo talked about using what the students already have their "gadgets." I think that if we give the students opportunity to use their own gadgets then they would not be so focused on texting their friends but also about learning how to use they phones or media players for an educational use. I really enjoyed this blog assignment and like I said before I will be using this resource in the future if not only to keep me up to date on new technology but also different things to use in my classroom.

Blog Post #13

My Teacher is an App

For this blog post I chose option #2. Which is to read this article My Teacher Is an App. I really enjoyed this article. This article is about how schools are changing. Students of all ages have many options of where to receive their schooling from of course with their parents permission. This article describes the full-time online schools, integrated online classes within in school classes and then just the regular traditional full-time in school. These online schools offer classes for students starting in Kindergarten all the way up through their senior year of high school. This article describes many advantages and disadvantages to all three types of schooling. They talk about how each school's students do on their standardize tests. This article taught me many things I did not already know about these types of schools. I think that kids need to have the opportunity to make friends on their own and learn social skills. I agree with having high school students required to take online classes to introduce what they are like to them. I believe that if they do require students to take online classes in high school at least one they get an understanding of how they work and wouldn't get stressed out if when they go to college with some classes only offered as an online course. I also agree that to each its own and online schooling is what the child makes of it in the end.

Project #16 (FINAL PROJECT)

Missed Metaphor Special Assignment

I do not understand why I didn't get the metaphor. I kind of understood it wasn't really about "pencils", but I guess I didn't understand how to word what I was trying to say. So I'm glad to do this extra post about metaphors.
As educators I think we can review and teach more in depth about metaphors and make sure our students understand them. I think that when learning and teaching about metaphors we should use them very often. Not just teach them one week and then don't use them or talk about them. If they're used in a book or something and the students didn't notice or say I think that us as teachers should make sure to point it out to them.
I believe we use metaphors to make reading more enjoyable. Not only reading we use metaphors in daily life also. I think we use metaphors to make things more interesting.

Project #15 SmartBoard Instruction Part 2

Blog Post #12

For this blog post I want you to explore YouTube Teachers's Channel.
Watch this video You Tube Star Teacher Academy Interview w/ Enrique Legaspi(3:07)
Write a paragraph or two about how this can help teachers organize their lessons they are teaching and how YouTube can be integrated in the classroom and help the students.
I really think that this channel is very interesting and has a lot to offer us. This is another way to integrate technology in the classroom.

Part # 1 C4K #10 Mrs.Yollis' 3rd Grade Class

This week we were assigned to examine Mrs. Yollis' class blog. Mrs. Yollis has been teaching for twenty-five years. She is a 3rd grade teacher in Los Angeles, California. She has taught a variety of classes and has also taught fifth grade. I also found on her part of the blog Meet Mrs. Yollis that she is also a student. She just recently finished her masters degree in Integrating Technology in the Classroom. In Mrs. Yollis' class this year she has 22 students 11 girls and 11 boys.
The most recent post on Mrs. Yollis' class blog caught my eye. Skyping with Australia . This post is a great example of how to use Skype within the classroom. I think that was a great opportunity for both of the classes especially since it was the afternoon at one end and the other it was the morning of the next day! Another post that I enjoyed was the one I was assigned for this week C4K. This blog post was posted October 10, 2011. Bloggers submit word problems, This post was about Mrs. Yollis' class learning a new type of word problem and actually showing us how it is done. This post was interesting because it wasn't only Mrs. Yollis' class doing the word problems. Other classes from around the world were sending Mrs. Yollis' 3rd grade class word problems to solve.
Mrs. Yollis' class has had 2,746 visitors since the cluster map was put up in October of 2010. Our EDM cluster map tells us that we have had 48,860 visitors since January 2010!
I will definitely be looking forward to seeing more on Mrs. Yollis' class blog. I really find everything they do in her class very interesting and fun! I hope the school I teach at is this technologically inclined!

Project #12 Skype Interview

Progress Report on Final Project

For Project 16, my group is going to do a survival kit for EDM 310. It will explain a few things to help future students of EDM310. We have met quite a few times and are getting everything ready. We have some great ideas we just need to make sure we have all the specifics and we are excited about the survival kit!

Blog Post #11

Little Kids....Big Potential
This video was great! It really makes me excited that kids that young are starting off with all this technology. Like Ms. Cassidy said "Kids and technology go hand in hand". I believe that is so true considering we have 3 year olds that are playing games on their parents phones and all. I think this video is showing us a great way of how Ms. Cassidy uses technology in her class. She uses blogging and Skype and even has a great class webpage for her first graders.

Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy
This Skype interview was great. Ms. Cassidy talked a lot about how technology has helped her in her classroom. I think technology is a great aspect to schooling to get kids interested in coming to school. Its a new way to do all of the things you did before in school. With technology kids don't have to write they normally type, but writing still should be taught. Web pages and blogs are great tools to use in the classroom also. I will definitely have a class blog when I become a teacher. I like how Ms. Cassidy has a web page with lots of different learning games and links to sites to help her kids out. I like that idea of them knowing what to do on that one site and it has all these different places it takes you, so I will have to remember a web page also to use in my classroom. I think Skype is a great learning tool. I think its great that Ms. Cassidy's class has used Skype with a class in Alabama and did skits or something through that. Its a great tool for the kids to see other children their own age and how they do things in their classrooms too.

C4K Summary (October)

C4K#5

I commented on room 3's wallwisher this week which is post #10. Their blog is Kids with a view and they're from New Zealand. Their wallwisher was all about questions to ask another class from Kentucky.
This is my comment: Hey room 3, my name is Kimberly Lefferson and I attend the University of South Alabama. I am currently enrolled in EDM310 a class for future teachers. I like the wallwisher with all of the questions for Kentucky. You all have some great questions. Keep up the good work, learn as much as you can and have fun! I look forward to reading your new posts!

C4K#6

This week I was assigned to read Walker's blog. He is in period 6. His post is about why we had school on Columbus Day. He explained because Christopher Columbus wasn't the first person to discover America the Native Americans were.
Here is my comment: My name is Kimberly Lefferson and I am a student at the University of South Alabama, and am currently enrolled in EDM310 where I was assigned your blog. Walker, I really enjoyed reading this post. You are right to say you wouldn't make friends or people who were in a spot before you move just because you wanted it. I definitely wouldn’t do that either! Great job writing and I understand why I as well as you had school on the tenth! Keep up the good work!!

This class blog also had a name generator. The name that was picked for me was Dalton period 5. His post was about the human esophagus. He is really interested in Science and how the body works.
This is my comment: Dalton, my name is Kimberly Lefferson and I attend the University of South Alabama. I am currently enrolled in EDM310 and I found your blog by the name generator. I like science and health as well. I think that the human body (as well as the esophagus) is really interesting! You seem really exited about the human body as well! Keep up the good work and keep up with what interests you the most!

C4K#7

This week I was assigned Anna's blog. All she had to say was that "she writes because she wan'ts to."
Here is my comment: Hey Ana, My name is Kimberly Lefferson and I am a student at the University of South Alabama and currently enrolled in EDM 310 a class for future teachers. It's great to hear you like to write and just because you want to. I hope you keep enjoying to write! Keep up the good work!

C4K#8

Stevenson's Blog Post
This week I was assigned to right on Post #17. This post was an animation of the Australian Outback by Stevenson. As the animation video went on he states some facts about the animals he has illustrated.
This is my comment:Stevenson,
I am a student at the University of South Alabama and currently enrolled in EDM310 a class for future teachers. I really liked how you created and animated The Australian Outback. It was very colorful and looked great! I also liked that you narrated it and added some fun sounds at the end. Good Job and keep up the great work!!