Personal Learning Network II

I have not added very many websites to my PLN. I have really benefited from the ones I found though. I am always interested to see what Mrs. Baggett has to say. She goes on so many interesting adventures, and she's great about posting information and pictures. I also really enjoy At the Teacher's Desk. I feel as though I'm learning a great deal from this person, and they don't even know it. I comment on their posts occasionally, and I think I will begin to interact with all my PLNs much more since this class is coming to an end. I will have more time on the computer to look into their blog posts. There are so many useful things. I also like to see what Dr. Strange has to say. He is the best about updating his blog. I think my PLN will be a very valuable tool for me in the future. It's already proving itself to be very interesting now. I hope that my professional blog will be included on someone else's PLN one day. Once I'm in the classroom, I will gladly share what I learn with others. That's one of the major perks of an educational career. We can learn so much from each other!

Au Revoir

The semester has ended, and it's time to say goodbye. I have enjoyed this class, but as I look forward to summer, I must say that I'm glad it's over. I'm glad all my classes are over. I plan on enjoying a nice summer relaxing! I hope we can all continue to grow, not only in technology, but as educators as well. It would be nice to keep in touch, and see what everyone is doing in their classrooms in a few years. So...for now, goodbye!

Technology Presentation

Teacher Interview

I completed a teacher interview with Mrs. Robin Dunnam. She is a K-5 teacher at Gilliard Elementary School on Dauphin Island Parkway in Mobile, Al. She had some very good words of wisdom.

1.Why did you become a teacher? What should motivate someone to be a teacher?
After working in daycare, camps and Vacation Bible School, Mrs. Dunnam knew she loved working with children, and that she was gifted with the ability to present something to a child in a way they could understand it. If you want to be a teacher, you have to know that you like working with children because you will be in a room full of them for 8 hours every school day.
2.What do you like about being a teacher? What are the rewards?
The biggest reward that comes from having a teaching career is the time that Mrs. Dunnam has for her own three children. She has learned how to manage her time so well that she can be there for her children's after school activities. She also loves being around the children in her class.
3.What are some of the challenges and difficulties you face?
Some of the decisions made by the higher authorities don't always make sense to the teachers. The main difficulty is accepting things that you can't change. The class sizes are very large at Mrs. Dunnam's school, but there is nothing she can do to change this.
4.How did you decide on where to interview for a job? Which district, school, etc? Please describe the application and interview process.
Mrs. Dunnam knew someone with a connection to school where she began her teaching career. The application includes a lot of requirements with the central office such as a TB test, proof of graduation, and fingerprinting and photograph. The school board determines where there is an opening, but the principal of the school makes the final decision as to whether you're hired or not.
5.Why did you select the grade level you teach?
At such a young age, the children are still respectful and eager to learn. They look at the teacher in awe because they see her as a giver of all this knowledge. Apparently, K-5 is not as fun as it used to be, but it is still a very entertaining grade to teach.
6.Why did you select public school over private school for your teaching career? What are the differences between teaching in public school and private school?
Money was the main reason Mrs. Dunnam decided to teach in a public school. When she began teaching, the private schools were not paying teachers as much as the public schools.
7.What knowledge, attitudes, and skills are most necessary and useful for a teacher?
A teacher needs to be caring, and they should also have a sense of reality. It is very important to balance these two attitudes. You must also have a sense of responsibility for the children that you teach. You are responsible for their learning, but you can't pay their power bill or buy them new clothes. It's just a matter of doing what you can for the child.
8.How is your competency as a teacher assessed? Who does this assessment?
The new plan called Educate Alabama is the official way that teachers are assessed. The state has trained employees to do this assessment. This process is completed at least once a year for new teachers, but after you've been teaching for awhile, it occurs every couple of years. There are also informal evaluations by the principal at least once a week.
9.What are your duties and responsibilities other than classroom teaching?
You have to make sure that you are prepared for the next week or the next day. Also, because Mrs. Dunnam lives in the community in which she teaches, she must be sure to act like a professional educator when she's out in public grocery shopping, at church etc. You have to be a role model for the students. Everyone at her school has afternoon duty because the dismissal process is so strenuous. These duties are usually determined by the principal so it depends on the school.
10.Do you belong to a professional organization? If yes, what does it do for you? If no, why don't you belong to one?
Mrs. Dunnam does not belong to any professional organizations because she does not feel she has the time. She does not hold this as a high priority.
11.What is your typical daily and weekly work schedule? How many hours do you work per week?
Mrs. Dunnam gets to school a little early and leaves a little late every day to avoid having to do much at home. This is easier for her to do because K-5 does not have the intense grading that other grade levels require.
12.Why do teachers burn out? How do you avoid this?
Teaching is a very demanding career. There is a lot of “do it because I said so” which some people just can't handle. Teachers are at the bottom of the totem pole. To avoid burn out, you need to have balance between your career and your life. This will help you enjoy teaching much more.
13.How much time do you spend on things such as record keeping? What specific records do you keep? What is the importance of keeping accurate records?
Keeping records is much easier now because it is all done on the computer. Doing it by hand was more time consuming. A teacher must keep attendance, grades and discipline records of the students.
14.Who chooses your textbooks and trade book? Who decides curriculum and methods to be used?
The state of Alabama chooses the textbooks and curriculum for all schools.
15.What is your best advice about classroom management?
You have to be firm and persistent. You can be kind and loving, but you can't let them get away with anything.
16.How do you motivate your students?
Mrs. Dunnam tries to make the learning fun so it's motivating in itself. She also has the negative motivational tools like taking away fun time if they don't do something.
17.What is the best way to deal with discipline problems?
If there is a large discipline problem, the first step is to speak with their parents. After this has been done, you just have to remain persistent. Don't let a student get away with something one day that you wouldn't let them do another day. Let the students know what you expect so you can avoid as many discipline problems as possible.
18.How are you held accountable for your responsibilities as a teacher?
Teaching responsibilities begin when you clock-in in the morning. Your reports have to be turned in on time. The office and principal keeps up with who is performing their responsibilities. Testing also holds teachers accountable. If your students perform badly year after year on tests, it is going to reflect on you as the teacher.
19.What are the demographics of the school where you teach? Do you feel prepared to teach all of these groups? Which are you most and least comfortable/prepared to teach, and why?
Mrs. Dunnam's class is 95% free lunch and 90% African American. The school is one of the lower in socioeconomic standing. Most students in her class live in rental property. Most of the parents are working little money and have more than one job. There is a teacher in each grade level that takes all ELL and special ed in her classroom. They are not separated from the general classroom, but they are all in one class. Mrs. Dunnam has been this teacher in previous years. She feels very prepared to teach these students because the system is very good at making sure you are capable. Mrs. Dunnam is less comfortable teaching special ed. It's not because she does not feel prepared to teach them. She likes to see the “light come on” when a student understands something and with special ed, you are less guaranteed to have this.
20.Do you multiculturize content, approach, discipline or classroom management? If yes, how? If no, why not?
Mrs. Dunnam has noticed a change in multiculturalization over the years. These days, Christmas is Santa Claus and Easter is the Easter Bunny, but teachers do not go beyond that. You have to be very careful because not all students believe the same things. She does not feel that her school is as multiculturalized as they should be.
21.What do you do to accommodate an English Language Learner when they are in your classroom?
The ELL students that Mrs. Dunnam has taught have been so eager to learn the English language that any accommodations made have not been that major. She may have to stop by their desk a few more times to make sure they understand or pair them with a peer that can help to explain things.
22.How do you communicate and collaborate with parents and guardians?
At her school, each student is given a planner. The student must take this planner back and forth from the teacher to the parents daily. Each parent knows to check the planner each evening for homework and notes from the teacher. Mrs. Dunnam checks each students planner in the morning for notes from the parents. There are progress reports sent home throughout the year to keep the parents informed. Other than this, there are face to face conferences occasionally.
23.What is the structure of the school administration? Who reports to whom at school? How are the school board, superintendent, and central office involved? Do teachers do administrative work?
Under the present administration, the principal makes the final decision in the school. The principal must report to the supervisor and members of the central office before she can approve of anything. There is a clear line between teachers and administration, so teachers do not do any administrative work.
24.What do you think about standardized testing? How does it affect your teaching?
Standardized testing does affect Mrs. Dunnam as directly in a K-5 classroom because she does not administer them to the students. In K-5, she must make sure that she covers all the objectives in the state curriculum. If she does not prepare them for 1st grade, they will fall behind and this will become obvious when they take their first standardized test in 3rd grade.
25.If you could improve anything about your job, your school or your district, what would you change and how?
If Mrs. Dunnam could change anything about her job and school, she would have less children in her classroom. She would also like teacher's aides that are not there to help the teacher, but to help the students. It would not just be for students who are having trouble, but also for those who are ahead of the rest.
26.Describe what your duties would be during each of the following emergencies: fire, tornado, intruder/lockdown, student with a weapon in class, and medical emergencies.
In the case of a fire or tornado, there are specific procedures for each classroom. These are given by the principal and state. For a fire, she is responsible for lining up the children and escorting them out the nearest exit to the playground. For a tornado, she must escort the children into the hallway and have then kneel down. For lockdown, she must lock her door and close all window blinds. The students must gather in a corner of the classroom and sit down. There are specific runners during each emergency that check to make sure everyone is doing what they're told and that no one has been left in the bathroom, etc. Your role is clearly defined in the safety plan given to the teachers at the beginning of the year. For medical emergencies, you send the child to first aid. If it is an immediate emergency, she buzzes the office using the intercom system and they send someone to her room and call 911.
27.What is your best advice for someone considering a teaching career?
If you are considering being a teacher, you must know that you are very busy during the day. Organization is key.
28. Are your children in public or private school? Why?
Each of her children went through public school. They did the magnet program for a few years. She did not want her students to attend the school where she taught, but she also did not want to pay for them to attend a private school. She has strong feelings that at a private school, the education the children receive is only as good as the teacher in the front of the classroom.
29. How does your family show support for your career?
Her family shows support by being patient. She is sometimes short with her children after dealing with 20 kindergarteners all day.
30. Did you have a favorite teacher when you were in school? Do you duplicate her methods?
Mrs. Dunnam really liked her 3rd grade teacher because she showed her students that she was interested in things outside of the classroom. This really fascinated her. It's different when teaching K-5, but Mrs. Dunnam does try to show her students that she genuinely cares about them.

Google Earth

This is a tour of Google Earth of all the amusement parks I've visited in the United States. It begins in Disney World in Orlando, Fl. It then goes to Great America in Santa Rosa, CA. After this it shows you Cedar Point in Ohio. The tour ends at Six Flags over Georgia in Atlanta.

Teach Someone Technology

For this assignment, I was advised to teach others about at least one aspect of technology we learned in class and how to use it. I chose to teach others how to blog. I find blogging very useful and very fun so I think others could really get into it if they had the opportunity. Below you will find a list of procedures to create and maintain your own blog.

Creating and maintaining a blog:

1. Visit www.blogger.com.
2. Click on "Create a Blog" in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
   
3. You will need to answer each of the questions posted. Don't forget to check the box saying you agree to all terms and conditions of the website!
   
4. After all questions have been completed, click "Continue."
5. You will then be prompted to name your blog. You may choose any name you wish. You will also have to create a blog URL address. This may also be anything you wish as long as it does not match a URL address that already exists. To see if the address you chose is ok, click "check availability" right below the area where you typed the address.
6. Once you have named your blog and created a personal URL address, you are ready to get started!
7. To get started, you need to personalize your blog. To do this , we will first change the background template. Click "Customize" in the top right corner of the screen. Then, click on the tab that says "Pick a New Template."
8. Choose the template you like by selecting one of the circles next to the name.
   
9. If you wish to customize your blog even more, you may choose the tab that says "Fonts and Colors." Here, you may choose from many different fonts and font colors. Simply select the ones you like and click "Save Changes."
10. If you want to rearrange the items on your blog, press the "Page Elements" tab. This will allow you to rearrange your blog, as well as add new gadgets such as text boxes or links.
    
11. That should finish your blog customization. To return to the home screen for your blog, press the orange "B" in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
    
12. Once you have returned to your blogger dashboard, you should create a profile. To do so, click on the link that says "edit profile" on the left of your blog title. Here you may put as much or as little as you'd like. You may even add a picture to your blog. This picture will be shown next to any comments you leave on other blogs as well. Don't forget to hit "Save Profile" when you're finished.
    
13. Now, it's finally time to create a blog post for your blog. To do so, you should return to the Blogger dashboard by clicking on the orange "B."
    
14. Under the title of your blog, you should see a highlighted area that says "New Post." Click on this to create a post. This will take you to a blank blog document.
15. Before you begin typing, be sure the tab at the top of the text area shows "Compose" highlighted. This will make your life much easier.
16. There is an area for a Title to your post above the actual text document. Simply type in a title here.
17. In the text area below, you may type whatever you wish to say in your blog post. The top of the area shows you various commands you may use.
18. At the top of the text document, you may change the font and font size. You may also make the font bold or italicized. The next button gives you the option of changing font color. You are also given options for centering text, right hand margins, left hand margins, or full screen margins. There is a numbering and bullet option as well. There is a spell check button, and the eraser at the end allows you to remove all formatting from the post.
    
19. I skipped a few buttons at the top that needed further explanation. The button that shows a chain link allows you to embed links into your blog. For this, you highlight the words you wish to take you to a link and click on that button. A window will appear asking you for the URL address of the website you wish to embed on your blog. Simply type in the URL and click "ok." The words you selected should now be a link to that website.
    
20. You also have the option of adding pictures to your blog post. To do so, click on the picture of the landscape at the top of the text box. You may browse your computer for saved images, or you may use one from the internet by intering the URL. Choose the layout and the size of the image you prefer and press "Upload Image." You may move the image anywhere on the blog post that fits the layout you chose.
21. The last option given to you is to embed a video to your blog. To do so, click on the film reel at the top of the text document. Browse your computer for a saved video, give the video a title for your blog post, check the box saying you agree to all terms and conditions, and press "Upload Video."
22. Once you have finished a particular blog post, you may either save it as a draft by clicking the blue button below the text window that says "Save Now," or you can publish it to your blog by pressing the orange button that says "Publish Post."
    
23. You always have the option of editing posts by returning to the Blogger dashboard and clicking "edit posts" under the title of the blog.
    

Blogging is very easy, and it just gets easier the more you do it. You will catch on quickly I'm sure!

Week 14 Blog : Due April 25, 2010

Honest Reflection

1. There are so many programs out there that I did not know existed. I think one major thing I've learned from this class is that if I need something done, there is probably a program out there that can help me do it quicker and easier. I loved the blogs because it opened my mind to a new way of learning in the classroom. I learned quite a bit about Google in this class. I had no idea you could make a powerpoint presentation on Google. Before, I simply used Google as a search engine only. GoogleDocs has so much to offer. I still have not really become fascinated with Twitter. I'm more of a Facebook girls I suppose. I've always loved YouTube because you can find practically anything there. iTunes and iTunesU are nothing new to me. I used iTunes immediately after buying my iPod my sophomore year in high school. iTunesU was popular at Auburn University where I spent my freshman year of college. GoogleEarth is interesting, but I don't really know what its use could be. I suppose it would be an interesting way for students to see sights around the world. The podcasts were really fun. It's pretty fascinating to know that I am on iTunes. I think my favorite assignment all semester was the Comments4kids assignments. I'm majoring in early childhood/elementary education so kids are obviously one of my passions. It was great to see how hard these children were working in class. It was also great to see the assignments the teachers created. It gave me some great ideas! Those were the projects that had the most impact on me.
2. I can imagine that there is so much left to learn about technology, but I had little to no idea that what we did learn in this class even existed. I have no idea what else we could have possibly learned.
3. There really is not anything I would like to forget necessarily. There may be some things that we learned that I may not use in my classroom, but it doesn't mean I want to forget how to do it. Some things may be a little too complicated for me to attempt at first, but as I become more comfortable in my teaching career, I will become more comfortable trying new things. I think everything we learned in this class is useful.
4. I can't really say that this class excited me, but that's mainly because I don't have a profound interest in technology. This class excited my interest in technology if that makes any sense, but that's as far as I would go.
5. I wouldn't say that the blog about teaching someone technology was intellectually challenging, but it did make me think in a new way. It was difficult to give detailed instructions to someone when I did not have a way to give them visual instructions as well. It wasn't a challenging project, but it did take me a bit longer than most other ones because I had to determine the best way to explain everything, and I had to make sure I did not leave any step out of the equation.
6. The time spent in class was sometimes boring. Most of the projects we did could have been completed at home with no class at all. This is actually being corrected, if I understand correctly, by slowly making this an online class. I think this is a great idea. The only time I really needed an instructor was when I needed an assignment explained further. As long as instructors were available to students when they needed additional help, making this an online class would be a great idea.
7. I can't really say that I would add or delete anything from this course. I'm sure in the future things will change, and new things will need to be added. Deleting things from the course is not necessary because, even if I did not feel as though I benefited from something, someone else may have gained quite a bit from the experience. I don't think the workload was overwhelming. I think some things should have just been explained in more detail.
8. I would say that I'm in the middle on a technologically literate scale. I've definitely increased my literacy through this class, but I still have so much to learn. I think I learned a great deal that I can use in the field of education, and that was my major goal in this class. I feel as though I've succeeded.
9. I plan on keeping up on the blogs and websites in my PLN. I feel these sources will help me stay up to date on the latest in technology for education. Also, I think we will be seeing more technology used in our classes at South. (At least I hope this is the case.) I hope to never be very far behind in technology.

Two Questions

I watched a video about two questions you should ask yourself daily. The first is "What's my sentence?" This may not make any sense to you now, but it comes from the quote, "Every great man is a sentence." This means that you could be described as a great person in one sentence. Your sentence could be something along the lines of " I helped educated children" or "I created something useful." This gives each of us a goal.
The other question we should ask ourselves daily is "Am I better today than I was yesterday?" This is a very straight-forward question, but it's great motivation. We should all strive to be a little better each day. We don't have to be the best, but we can all improve on parts of our lives I'm sure. I could improve my patience one day. The next day, I could work on procrastination. It's another goal we should have for ourselves.

Comments4Kids

This weeks comments4kids assignment led me to Matthew T.'s blog about the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He really seemed to love this sports team and had high hopes for them winning all of their games. I hope they do well!!

Week 13 Blog : Due April 18, 2010

Topic of Choice

I really enjoyed comments4kids in this class because I was able to see the various ways teachers integrated technology into their classroom. Before entering this class, I did not know the depth that technology was used in some classrooms throughout the world. When I was in elementary school, we were lucky to have computers in our classroom. The majority of the computers in the school were located in the computer lab. When we had our designated time to go to computer lab each week, we would play educational games for math, spelling, reading, etc. These games counted for a grade. Sometimes, if we finished our work early and had nothing else to do, the teacher would let us take turn on the 2 computers in our classroom. For this enrichment activity, we would often play the game Oregon Trail. Thinking back, this game was not that fun, especially when compared to games kids play today. I really like how teachers integrate blog posts into their classroom as well. Apparently I have been underestimating the children of today. They know how to maneuver around a computer better than I do. My favorite class to visit was the Pt. England School in Auckland, NZ. I was actually assigned to post a comment on their blog this week. They have such creative kids that were blessed with such a creative teacher that allows them to gain the experience of using technology in the classroom. We are in for something new!

Comments4Kids

This week, I was assigned to comment on the post called "Cloud Animals" on the blog by Pt. England School in Auckland, NZ. We have interacted with this class all year. They always have so many wonderful things to post to their class blog. The post I was assigned to comment on was about the activity they did in class. They went outside and laid on their back. They looked at the clouds in the sky and listened to the wind in the trees. It served no other purpose other than getting the children out of the classroom from what I could see. They apparently were assigned a descriptive blog post about it which is a wonderful way to incorporate learning and nature. I think nature is a great tool for learning, and I'm hoping to use it in my classroom!

Comments4Teachers Weeks 13-14

I was assigned to comment on John Spencer's Blog. I'm very glad I was assigned to his blog because he has some WONDERFUL things to say. The post I read for the first week was called "What Kids Can Teach Us About Community." I loved what he had to say! There is so much we can learn from children, and making friends is at the top of the list. Children rarely judge. They classify everyone they know as a friend. They do not understand "acquaintance" or "co-worker." They have fun together, and they do not suppress their feelings. Sometimes it's better to get your feelings out. Grudges and gossip do not make for pleasant relationships. We all need to open our eyes to what we can learn from children.

This week, my post for John Spencer's blog was on a topic determining the different loves he has for his children and his students. I really liked this post because it's an issue I foresee myself having in the classroom. I become very attached to children, and I know that once I see these children 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, I am going to develop a bond with them. I may see some of these children more than their parents do. This is going to make me want to act somewhat like a parent to them, but Mr. Spencer broke it down very simply. The love of a teacher and the love of a parent are very different, but both are very important. I want to be a loving teacher that truly cares about my students. I don't want to focus on them passing my class. I want to focus on them succeeding in life.

Personal Learning Network

My personal learning network is not the largest, but I am very confident that it is still great! I am following At the Teacher's Desk which is an "experiment in professional learning, collaboration, and sharing of ideas." It is a great blog with a ton of useful information as a future educator!

I am also following Mr. C's Class Blog. Dr. Strange seemed to really like the ideas and methods he posted to his blog so I knew he was a "must-have" for my PLN.

Finally, I am following my AED (Art in the Elementary School) teacher, Mrs. Baggett. Her blog, Pondering Paige, is extremely interesting. Also, I want to use art as much as possible in my classroom, and her blog has some wonderful thoughts and ideas to do this.

Week 12 Blog : Due April 11, 2010

Dr. Seuss- The Zax



This video is very eye-opening. The world going to continue to advance, and we have the choice to follow along or stay still. In the video, we see that the Zax decided to stay still, yet the world grew around them. This is an inspirational video for anyone, but it is especially important for current and future educators. We have the opportunity to share this message with each of our students. Don't stand still and watch everything continue around you. Be a part of it!

PS 22 Video

This is a great example of how posting student work to the internet can have wonderful outcomes! These kids obviously worked very hard on this production of the song, and I'm sure it meant so much to them to be asked to sing in Madison Square Gardens. Had their teacher not posted their work to a blog, they would have never been given this opportunity.
We have encountered various instances when posting things to a blog have had wonderful outcomes. One example is Kaia and her blog. She is so young, yet she has already been given multiple opportunities that otherwise would have been impossible for her to have. You should definitely take a look at Kaia's Blog. Another great example of posting student work to blogs is Pt. England School Room 18. They integrate blogs into their class routine, and the children really seem to enjoy it and benefit from it. We have had the opportunity to comment on some posts by this class, and they are doing wonderful things! Another fabulous example is Mr. C's class at Noel Elementary School. Similar to the children at Pt. England School, Mr. C's Class integrates blogs into their daily schedule. It is a wonderful way for children to show their work to others, for parents to see what's happening in the classroom, and for others all over the world to see the great things these kids are doing! Mr. C's class is also the ones the class that gave Dr. Strange the idea for Comments4Kids.

Comments 4 Kids

This week, my comments for kids was for Kaitlynne. She is a student at Pt. England School in Auckland, New Zealand. She is in the 6 year old classroom, and her first post was a video of herself called "Kaitlynne's Holidays Story." She also has a picture she drew which includes herself and her house. I think she did a wonderful job!