Blog #13

I think ALEX is basically a new teacher's best friend. It is designed to provide teachers with the most recent, best resources for teachers to use in their classroom. This can be from sample lesson plans, to interactive activities. It would be very helpful by showing you what other teacher's lesson plans look like and allows you to piggy back off of it rather than starting from the ground up. ALEX has received the 2007 Honorable Mention as well as the 2008 and 2009 Digital Education Achievement Award. You can choose from any subject you can think of. You can even create your own personal page of workspace. There are endless possibilities with it. If you think about it, ALEX has it and can do it.

I think that ALEX is extremely beneficial for new teachers because it gives them an example to work from. New teachers don't know the ropes when they first start out and ALEX allows them to have a good start and an example to refer to, rather than trying to figure everything out on your own. I think as a teacher I would definitely use the resources as templates or examples and create my own. I love that I have a reference to look at while trying to plan things. But, I don't think teachers should make the mistake of using every lesson plan as it is. I think teachers should only piggy back off of it but implant their own methods and plan.

Additional Ass. #5

I believe Mr. Spencer had many valid points with this post and found this blog very interesting. I love math and although we can use metaphors for many other aspects of teaching, I think starting with the subjects students tend to shy away from is a great place to start. I personally was taught in school that this was the way to do it because the teacher said so. I was never given a reason or explanation just a formula and a piece of paper. Although some things are hard or "dangerous" to explain, we as teachers should feel obligated to try and try our hardest. Simply not explaining and not making them think is more dangerous if you ask me. Thank you so much for all of you post.

Blog #12

1. Watch this video of Charles Vaught Poem and summarize your thoughts about it. Think about what he had to say, and tell if you agree or disagree with him.







I really agree with most of the ideas he had. He once said, "It's scary to know we once survived without technology". This is so true. But now it's like we totally depend on them for almost all of our enjoyment. I do believe the goal of technology was originally to free us some time. Being lazy, we took that idea and applied it to almost every aspect of life. By having so much technology, people are becoming less and less patient. People can't even stay in line at a red light for a long time without getting upset. When "back in the day" they didn't have lights. So it seem this impatience turns into being ungrateful. Although technology is yet advancing, who knows what it will implant into our blind minds?

How to Draw A Flag

How to teach on smart board

C4K

Meredith N. is in the 6th grade and likes her freedom of speech and expressing her thoughts. She reminds me so much of myself and in my way of thinking. Although all my thoughts aren;t mentioned on these blogs, I do feel this way myself. She talked about how excited she was about how she felt, and I think that is awesome for a kid her age.

JK McClung had a blog in "keeping the switch turned on." Teachers need to do all they can to keep the attention of out students ingaged in a lesson. We need to keep the atteention of our students to ensure that they get the best possible benefit from the lesson. To do that, we must keep the students involved in the lesson to help them stay interested in learning the material. Mr. McClung said, "We as teachers need to be aware of how challenging and relevent our lessons we present to our students are."


Mrs. Yollis 3rd grade class talked about good times in Italy. In Italy, they measure in kilometers and not in miles there. Kilometers is a little less than a mile (which is called the metric system). This means their towns are smaller than ours and living conditions ofcourse are different. Many things are done the "old fashioned" way. They make their shoes and repair them, they deink out of pumps, and pump water then have to take it upstairs to take baths.

C4T

C4T #3

Kim Cofino had a video on her post of Jane Goodall. She spode at YIS about he life story. The story centered around her supportive mother and the help she provided to her as a young child. She helped in a way that wasn't scornful, but of pure concern and comfort. This is actually the right way of parenting, but many parents don't have positive role models of parents growing up, therefore, their parenting skills would show sometimes.

An example she gave was: She had a handful of earthworms to bed as a toddler and her mother's reaction was not of disgust, but of laughter. Being honest and concerend. She taught her that the earth worms simply needed soil to survive. I think the way we talk to out children and also peers can have a big effect on the outcome of a situation.


C4T #4

Jeff Utecht wrote a post on his thoughts of technology. His guess was, every mobile device in 3 years will have the built-in ability to connect to a cellular network. Their already doing it, but it will just become part of the hardware of every mobile device. I believe this to a certain extent. I don't belive their will be connection to every device, but I do believe it will be to most of them (more than present time).

He also said we need to stop making excuses for all the time spent connected to the internet and realize that this is actually the world we live in now. This is so so true. We are in a technological world and technology is only advancing. People should get with it or get left without it. We live in a socially connected world. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Skype, etc... 92% of employers now are or plan to use social-networks.

Blog #11

Ms. Cassidy's Class

Ms. Cassidy's approach to the classroom is a very needed addition to every classroom. Because technology is getting so advanced, technology should be implanted in every class for educations sake. If I was a skills teacher I would definitely put this technique in my class. For kids to be equipped with the proper skills they would need for learning in future tense, technology is a must. By having these skills and learning them so early, advancement will definitely take place.

There is no telling what jobs will be availible in the near future, but we know that technology will be apart of them. Theirs no reason a teacher should hold back a students education of technology. Most teachers are teaching "ol fashioned" but that should soon die out. Ms. Cassidy Is preparing her kids for the future, but will teachers to come help or hinder? We know how creativity seems to fade away with age because of education. By older teachers not being knowledgable of technology, will they help students loose focus of future?

Additional Assignment #3

I would have to say that this video kept me in tune the whole time. I thought everything he said in this video was atleast partly true. He asked, "Why seperate kids by age groups in schools when they don't all think the same?" This question is a great debatable question. I agree with the consumption though. Their are many kids that think on higher levels that others their age, but their just known as the "smart kids". Teachers and mostly everyone thinks everyone and every kid should all be on the same learning level. Which is not true. Instead they are classified as having a disability or extremely smart. I believe their can be absolutly nothing wrong with a student but they might just learn slower or faster.

What can I do to address this situation? It might sould strange but I feel we all should come into the knowledge of this idea and open a variety of minds up to come together with an idea that can unplug the "ol-fashioned" state of learning. I believe this idea of transformation in schools should be put into direct effect.

If I was given the task to complete an opinionunated idea as this sort, I would base mine on schools. It would be sort of the same as this one but I would add more input on arts and how the schools don't focus as much on them. I like to draw and I would probably play the artist in the group along with input on the message.