My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

I enjoyed this class with you all! We have learned a lot together! Good luck on your finals and the rest of your schooling. Maybe we will meet again in another class! See you all soon!

WEEK 16

Things I learned in EDM 310:
1. How to manage a blog (even though I procrastinated at times).
2. How to create a website
3. How to use many google features (spreadsheets, igoogle, etc.)
4. Picaso! (I use it very often now!)
5. HTML codes

Now that I think back, I realize how much I learned form this class. I will defiantly take it with me into my classroom! My favorite was making the website. I will use it... in fact it was very valuable, because I did not know how to make a website.

Week 14

I have used Wickipedia many of times. I never realized that someone could change the article. I wonder how much information I read using Wickipedia that was not true? In the future I will use Wickipedia with a little more caution. I feel that it may not be the most reliable source. If I were to use it, I would defiantly back it up with more sources.

Week 13

The video gets me anxious about getting into a classroom. I cant wait. Many future educators are slightly unsure of how it will be like in the classroom, but as for my self I just can't wait to get into the classroom. I believe they call this the fantasy stage. There is still so much to learn, but this video makes me excited.... excited that I will be able to make my students realize that anything is possible and they must reach for the stars. The video does make a future educator wonder what it is like to actually have their own classroom.
I want to be a teacher that makes an impact on all of my students. I want them to leave my classroom knowing that all is possible. Each student learns differently so that is why teachers are so important to unpack the knowledge.

Week 12

iTunes University seems to be very helpful. I watched the video on suns. I would consider using these videos in my classroom one day. There were a few to pick from, but I just watched the one on suns. It took a really long time to download, because I am using a computer at work with Bellsouth Internet. It is usually pretty fast, but the video must have been slightly large. I would show the video in my classroom, but I would download it ahead of time, so it would not take away class time.

Week 9

iTunes University is "transforming learning on campus, off campus, and where there's no campus at all" (www.apple.com). iTunes University allows students to search, download, and play course content. It is used just like you would download music. Search the title and download it... as simple as that. Students would have access to it 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. It never closes. It is always open for use. Students can use any computer to access iTunes, in fact all you need is just an internet connection. Students could even transfer the material from the classroom right on to their iPod or their iPhone. It is so convenient that you could even listen to a lecture while taking a walk. Schools could open all or a part of their content to the public. It would allow alumni, parents, and anyone else who wanted to view the lessons. I believe that in the next 10 years this is going to be a normal way for instructors to give lessons.

Web Site

Here is a link to my web page http://robinsonledm310s08.googlepages.com/.

Gmail

My gmail is robinsonledm310s08@gmail.com.

Week 8

Duke University began intergrading iPod use in their classrooms in August 2004. It is a great way that students can record their teacher’s lectures and replay it back at a later time. If a student misses class, they can download the lecture off of iTunes. It is a great way for students that write slow to replay the lecture and make sure they get all of the information. I believe that the cost of an iPod is quite expensive, but the students at Duke University are getting more then what it is worth. They seem to even like to use them off campus on interview and other important factors. One student said that it paid off at the end of the semester, because she had an A. So, therefore, their grades are improving from the use of iPods in the classrooms.

The difference in an iPod and a regular voice recorder is, in fact, you can see the person talking on the iPod. IPods are like mini video camera, but you can download and upload information to them. They are also used for storing picture, music, games, and you name it and it can probably be done. I believe they are effective in the classroom, because they offer so much to just be a single device. Ipods are a wonderful device. I own an ipod and I love the availability right at my fingertips.

Week 7

I chose to read the November article, in which was about the school getting wireless internet. I enjoyed the article very much, because I wondered to myself before read the article, why do they need wireless internet. The answer to this schools reason was that our society demands it. When you really think about how useful the wireless internet is and how much the students are getting out of it, then you appreciate it. I believe that students are really benefiting from it. It will offer them a way to use the internet more efficiently. It will provide the students will more resources.
If you think about what todays most widely used research tool, of course, it is the internet. I believe that schools that provide wireless internet is certainly increasing the range of resources to their students. I would love to teach at a school that offered wireless internet, because not only are the students benefiting, but the teachers are also.
I loved this quote from his blog:
We are moving from:
“do your own work” to “work with others”
“just in case” to “just in time” learning
“hand it in” to “publish it.”
- Will Richardson

Week 6

I believe it is very important that educators must be aware of technology. They should be able to use the computer quite well. I believe that there are essential points of a computer that will better the teacher. A teacher should strive to learn how to use a computer. They are very helpful. I use the computer everyday. I rely on it very much, in fact, I will use the computer frequently in my classroom.
Teachers that do not know how to use a computer, should learn. I agree with the blog. I do not think that you should be able to graduate from college now without at least the basic computer skills. He also says that teachers should not be proud that they can not use the computer. I hear it all the time, "we did not have computers when I was in school." I think they should learn. I believe teachers should set an example for the students; meaning that teachers should strive to learn the basics of a computer. If teachers do not strive to learn the computer then why should their students put forward effort if their teachers are not trying.

Pictures With Title and ALT Modifiers

I love this picture, because Math is my favorite subject!

Week 5

Sandaig Primary School is located in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Their blog offers parents, teachers, students, and the community to get a brief understanding of what is going on inside the school. It shows activities that the students are participating in and allows the parents/teachers to comments back. I really enjoyed this web blog, because it offers a way to let the whole community to get involved. This school looks as if it has great parent involvement from the blog. Check it out, Sandaig Primary School Blog


Lakewood School is located in Kenora, Ontario. This school offers links to three different teachers. I believe that this school was on a great start with this blog. The school itself had the blog, then each parent or student could click on their teacher. It was like each class had their individual blog, but also a blog for the whole school. This blog has not been updated since December. It needs a little work but looks like it is going to be very successful! Check it out, Lakewood School Blog

Week 4

Robert S. Hyer Elementary has a blog page designed by the principal, Greg Smith. He uses the blog to announce important information to the teachers, students, and parents. He has videos of programs they held at school, so the assembly can be viewed even if the you were not available to be there. He announces important dates, in which allows parents to say informed of what is going on. He also has links to other web pages that may offer valuable school related information. Many parents/teachers comment on the blogs, in which allows them to be apart of the happenings at the school. I believe that this is a great idea and in fact a great blog that keeps the whole school up to date with what is going on. Check it out!! http://hyerprincipal.blogspot.com/

George Hall Elementary is located right here in the Maysville community in downtown Mobile, Alabama. The technology group of the school started a website, in which it also offers a blog. It allows parents, teachers, students, and the community to stay connected with all the school happenings. It is dedicated to the student work on grade level field trips, but is not limited to just that. I believe that this school has a great idea, in which it had many comments from parents. It in fact keeps everyone outside of the school involved. It is broken down by grade level. Each grade level has valuable information about what that class is doing. The only thing that I believe that could improve was there was not any pictures, but this school is really “on top” of things. It is a great blog! http://georgehall.wetpaint.com/

Week 3

ACCESS is Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide, in which is a statewide distance learning program. It is going to use technology to offer advanced level academic classes and elective classes to students in schools. It is meant to offer more than just what is required in the regular classroom. It is funded by the state. Governor Bob Riley announced this program in his State of the State address in 2005. It is set to ensure Alabama students will have the ability to take an advanced level courses and electives that might not otherwise be available to them. It is especially for those students in smaller, rural schools, who do not have access to these programs.
The program will have courses taught by highly qualified and Alabama certified teachers. There are already 100 schools using this program. I have not heard of this program till now, but I am sure that Baldwin County will be next in line to receive the program. I think it sounds like a great program. The only down flaw is that it is only offered to higher learning classes, in which I am not sure why the regular classes are not going to be offered. I hope that this program turns out to be a good one. It sounds as if the state is on a good start to an efficient program!

2nd Post Week 1

I can tell that the ALEX resource will be a great useful tool when I become a teacher. It offers for many lesson plans, in which I saw to be great lesson plans. I believe that when I get ready to teach a specific subject and I am just not sure what the best way to go about teaching it, I could use the ALEX resource to get ideas. It has games that can be great learning tools for the students. As a teacher, I feel that I will defiantly use the lesson plans link to gather ideas. It offers lesson plans in every single subject for every single grade level.
I have already learned that the best teachers continue to gather more ideas and information from helpful resources as well as different teachers. I can not explain to you how much information is available to teachers. It is a well distinguished web site that has a lot to offer. I will defiantly spread the word to any teacher that has not explored the web site. I get excited thinking about all the fun activities that I will be able to do with my students, in which this web site offers.

Week 2

The Alabama Learning Exchange is a great resource for teachers. It offers numerous resources. It provides information for teachers of all ages. Under the course of study link, a teacher can pick any topic. Once the topic is determined the teacher can choose which lesson is being taught. It provides examples and even shows how many lessons plans are provided for the lesson being taught. It has different web links for the teachers, students, and administrators. If you are the teacher, under the web links that are broken down by subjects, it provides information via the internet.
I clicked through the web site trying to learn all the available options that the website had to offer. I noticed that my favorite link was the lesson plans link. Under the lesson plans heading the teacher can actually pull up lesson plans in any subject. The teacher can select the grade they are teaching and a list of all the lesson plans the web site has comes up, right at your finger tips. I believe that all teachers should take advantage of this useful web site. Take a look

Week 1

Wow! Where is technology taking us? Will it ever stop or will it continue to grow? Both questions pondered my brain after I watched Karl Fisch’s, “Did You Know” movie. I could not believe it when he said that 520,000 words were added to the English language, in which is about five times as many since Shakespeare’s time. I wonder how many words will be added to out language in the next 100 years? Did you know that if www.myspace.com was a country it would be the eighth largest? It blew my mind when he said that in comparison to how many members are apart of myspace. Everyone should definitely watch this movie. It really makes you realize how technology has grown. Check it out http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/did-you-know-20.html.

This is My First Post

Hello! My name is Laura Robinson. I am looking forward to this semester at South. I just transfered from Faulkner and I look forward to meeting all of you! Anyways, we are all missing the Championship game! It does not really matter to me, but I would rather a SEC conference team win and by the way ROLL TIDE!