Blog Post #7

Randy Paush's Last Lecture

The first thing that struck me when I finished Randy Paush's Last Lecture was all the different learning techniques he offered and put out there.Critics are the ones who tell you that you have messed up but they are also the ones that still care.I will use these lessons in my classroom. Really use his words and inspire children everywhere. I like what he said when he said, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." Everyone goes through life and makes mistakes and errors, and by those mistakes is where you find experience.

One of the things that Randy taught me was just because you didn't reach your childhood dreams, or any dreams for that matter, doesn't mean that you have failed. Maybe by not achieving those dreams you got something better in return that you never even planned on. It's important to help enable other people's dreams. How good must it feel, to know as an educator, you have helped someone take a step closer to their dreams? I want to know that feeling, and I will one day.

Key points that I loved were the more simple ones. Like make sure to have fun! And to always be loyal. To make sure to never lose the child like wonder. He made sure to mention to help others and to care abut other people. Focus on others...if you watched the whole video, you know when he said that is when he brought the cake out on stage for his wife's birthday. I was crying like a baby.

Its not about acheiving your dreams. Its about how to lead your life. That was the key to the lecture. I cried more than once throughout his lecture. What kind of man could be so strong? I will never forget this man's lessons. They will help me to get through the remainder of my school years, and then I will use them to help other students get through theirs.

" Brick walls are not there to keep us out. They are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things. Brick walls are there for the other people. The people who give up on trying to tear down that brick wall because they don't want it bad enough."-Randy Pausch

Project #9

PLN Post #1

I started my Personal Learning Network this week. I set my homepage to Symbaloo, which is amazing! At a few swipes of my fingertips against the keys of my computer, I have every major website I use ready to be clicked on. I have put up my social media, my e-mails, and a few other websites I find helpful. I will continue to search for educational and learning tools to be added to my page.

Project #8

C4K February

My first C4K is on the summary of Ashley's blog. Ashley began her post giving some background information about WWI. She then goes on to explain how it came to be that we won the war. It was because of the secret weapons they used in the final battles. Those secret weapons were created by William Lucas, the grandfather of George Lucas. If you don't know who George Lucas is, he is the creator of Star Wars. Those secret weapons were.....Light Sabers! I found her blog post completely hilarious and also completely plausible. I left her a comment letting her know she made a good argument and that I really enjoyed reading her post.

My second one was on Brian's. He wrote about how bad sugary soft drinks were and how they are a big cause of obesity. He believes they should be banned. I commented and told him that I completely agreed. He had a lot of good points and it was well written.

The third post  I read was an 11-year old's named Wyatt.  He wrote about a short story he read in a magazine about this couple who went over to Russia and were abducted by these men. They were held captive by these men and tortured for 11 days before they were found. The title is called, "11 Days in Hell." Wyatt went into detail about more of what happened. I could tell he was really excited about this story, and he wants people to read it. I commented and told him that I thought that the story was a little scary but that I thought he did a great job describing the events that happened.

My fourth C4K was a girl named Emily. She wrote about self-expression. She said whenever you see her you will see her in her blue-jeans, cowboy boots, and t-shirts because that's how she expresses herself. Through her clothes. I commented and told her that I thought that was really cool and that it's so important to be comfortable with herself. 

Project #10

Finding the Right Tool

I plan on becoming a middle school history teacher so I researched a few possible resources I could use in my future classroom to enhance my student's learning experience. I found a website that actually gives you a list of the best history websites you can find on any subject! (http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.php) You can find any website on history; from mid evil history, American history, world history, military history, etc. It gives you websites for different maps and also gives you websites for games on history! I found another website that gives you plenty of primary documents, pictures, and even animations that would be fun for kids. (http://free.ed.gov/) I found one last website that I really thought would be useful. (http://www.intel.com/education/teachers/) This would not just be a tool for history teachers, but for all teachers. It gives you resources and diagrams and tools that would help in the classroom on a daily basis. Like, how to asses projects, looking on the inside of computers, showing evidence and seeing reason tools. I plan on using all of these in my future teaching career, and finding more tools as I continue on this journey of learning.

Blog Post #6

Wendy Drexlers' The Networked Student

I just watched "The Networked Student", a video made by Wendy Drexler. The video was made to help students, parents, and even teachers, and professors to understand how important networked learning is now and will be in the future. I like how it said in the video, that the tools aren't as important as the connections made possible by the tools. Wendy Drexler encouraged her students to self-teach themselves and learn how to connect with other people on there own. I think this is important because it is helping to make connecting with other people around the world a popular way to learn and grow as individuals and teachers.

Creating a PLN (Personal Learning Network) is not a hard thing to do. It just takes some research. You find different websites, search engines, or any tool that can help you to enhance your learning experience. You can also connect with other people to see what websites they use, and vice versa. The video lets you know that blogs are a good tool. Not because they are all 100% fact, but because other people's opinions can help to give you better insight.

The 21st century student diagram is a great process. It helps you to get started on your PLN and lays it out for you in a simple form. It's a great start to help you understand how networking works. So why does the networked student even need a teacher? I don't know if he/she needs a teacher but he/she definitely needs an instructor. It's the job of the instructor to show how to get started communicating, offer guidance and insight, how to search for the right sources, to know the difference between a scholarly source and a not-so scholarly source. Wendy wants the students to leave her class and be able to maintain their learning network and to be able to communicate and help make a positive change through being a networked student.

I watched another video about a 7th graders personal learning network and all I have to say is, Awesome! Mine isn't that advanced yet. She has it organized and really knows what she is doing on it. I may be only 20 years old but all my science classes back in middle and high school were textbook and paper oriented. I bet learning the way she is has to be funner than when I did. She does her own research and is able to look at stuff her teacher post about assignments and lessons. I thought it was really cool.

Project #6

"This is My Sentence" Video

Blog Post #5

If You Built A School

I looked at Krissy Venosdale's blog and discovered that she is a special education teacher and has been teaching and loving it, for 10 years! The name of her blog is Venspired. She says that her students and classroom inspire her. She wrote a blog about what her dream school would look and be like if she could build one. I thought that it sounded incredible. I imagine mine would look more like a huge home. It would have classrooms but it would also be subjects that the kids choose. No more state curriculum or exams! It just puts pointless pressure on students and teachers. There would be a dance hall, a theater, band room, marine biology center, a green house, swimming pool, wood-workshop, mechanics class, basketball court, tennis court, science lab, technology lab(which would include computers, ipads, cellphones, video recorders, and more). The possibilities are endless. The walls would be covered with projects and photographs, and articles, and just whatever the work is done by the students. It would be a second home. Not where kids have to come to school, but where kids want to come to school.

Virtual Choir

I just got done watching Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir- 'Lux Aurumque' on you tube and I have to say, Wow! I didn't even know something like that was possible. 185 people performed Lux Aurumque. It doesn't sound all that amazing until you find out that these people didn't do it all together. They never met each other. The performance was put together over the internet and then posted to you tube. The music was beautiful and it's crazy to watch, knowing these people never rehearsed or practiced together. What a great idea he had! and what a great tool to be used in connecting with other people in the world.

Teaching in the 21st Century

What does it mean to be a teacher in the 21st century? I watched Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts and I agree with many of his view points. What does it mean to be a teacher when most people know how to use a computer. And if most people know how to use a computer this more than likely means that they know how to use the internet. You can find out anything you want to know anywhere and at anytime. My favorite search engine is Google. There are countless ways. Google, YouTube, Facebook, twitter, Bing, Pinterest, cellphones, ipods, ipads, etc. The ways are endless. I like the statement in the video: Teachers are no longer the knowledge of information, they are the filter. Anybody can type a few words in a search engine, but who will be the ones to teach students how to communicate information. Should the basis of school be learning facts or taking quizzes? I think not. It should be based on skills. We need to try harder and do our best to come up with ways to teach students the skills they need to know.

"Flipping" the Classroom

I love this idea. I had already wanted to do something similar to this going in to teaching. I believe that studying outside of the classroom off of the computer is a great way to do homework and really comprehend material. The kids who are terrible at math (like myself) can re-watch the videos and gain more understanding from that. It's a great replacement for the boring homework and you can do more actual math and practice in class with the students.

Blog Post #4

1st Graders Create Their Own Read Along Book

I think this is a great idea. The teacher took some students out of the classroom to record their voices, while another teacher kept reading to the students in the classroom. They were recording the book they were reading.It's great that these students are making their own read along books. Especially in this day in age where so many students have trouble reading. This is a great process and I respect these teachers who put so much effort into it. I'm sure the children enjoy playing the voices of the characters in the book. I bet it makes it funner for them to learn how to read!

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection

I really enjoyed reading the material by Judy Scharf. She explains to you exactly what a podcast is, the benefits of a podcast, different tips on how to make your podcast successful, and even a time line for creating a podcast.

Flat Stanley

Yet again this was another really cool idea. I really, really like Langwitches blog. This time she had her students read "Flat Stanley." Then she had them make their own Flat Stanleys that would be "sent" around the world to wherever they chose, and they would tell about their adventure in the podcast. Those made the children look and research their place to really see what it is like. I think this is a great way to incorporate all types of learning, and this shows there are no limits to the ideas you can come up with.

Special Blog Post #1

In my search on WolframAlpha I discovered that according to the 2010 estimates there are about 2.88 billion people in India, China, and the United States. I also searched these countries individually. India's population is 1.21 billion. China's is 1.35 billion. The United State's is 309 million. Look at those population differences!

I think WolframAlpha is a great tool. You can search and compare almost anything on this simple to work tool bar. It gives you the luxury of having an extensive amount of topics already ready to click on. Search people and history, the weather, statistics and data analysis, chemistry, mathematics, and many more!You can also upload stuff. You can put in data input and file input. The possibilities are countless. There motto is, "Bringing broad, deep, expert-level knowledge to everyone..anytime, anywhere."

The social media count is amazing. I knew how quick and easy it is to do stuff on Facebook and twitter. But to see that much interaction going on at one time is eye-opening.

C4T #1

I read first Jeff Delp's post, "It's About the Experience." Jeff is a principal and his students and campus took the opportunity to be involved in a Verizon commercial. He talked about the children and how excited they were. Not about what the finished product would look like, but about the experience of it all. I commented on his post and let him know how great I thought it was that the kids wanted to be involved and were excited. I also thanked him for reminding me that the journey is just as important as the destination.

I read another one of his posts, "Today I Will." His post was just a simple reminder that with the new year ahead of us, it is important not to rush life, and to not worry about the future too much. I commented on his post and let him know that he reminded me to live in today. To make my day worthwhile instead of constantly worrying about tomorrow, or next week, or next year. Live in the Today!

Project #5 Presentation