Goodbye for Now

Saying goodbye is hard to do! They say it gets easier with time!

Looks like we survived another semester and we will live to learn another day. I would like to think Mr. Wakeman and my classmates for making this semester very entertaining and educational at the same time. The blog assignment sheet says it is time to say goodbye but I do not think it has to be. If we take all the information we have learned in this class we can stay connected for years to come and help each other survive another semester and ultimatly make it to our finish line.

Last Post

This class has been like a roller coaster ride through technology of the future. This semester in EDM 310 I have been introduced to more technology then I have my entire life. Before this class I had no idea what a blog is now I successfully manage two blogs. I had also never heard of a podcast but in the duration of this class I listened to several podcasts and even created my own video podcast. Before this class I thought iTunes was just a place to buy songs but know I know it can be used as an educational tool. You can download podcasts of classroom lectures, lectures from the best universities and educational podcast show on iTunes. I also meet new amazing people through class assignments such as Kaia, Dr. Christie, Wendy Drexler, Michael Wesch and so many more that I will be sure to form a PLN with in order to help me as a new teacher.

I would have enjoyed learning more about skype in class. I would have loved it if we could have skyped someone in class together. I also think it would have been nice to stay home one night and have Mr. Wakeman conduct class through skype. One thing we discussed that I did not feel was that important was Twitter. I think we spent to much time on twitter and I did not find it very useful to stay connected with my classmates because no one ever checked their account. I believe no one ever checked their account because they did not have the time also because they had to many different accounts to check. We had to check our South Alabama email account, USA online, personal email account, google email account, twitter, delicious, youtube, and wikipedia just for this one class. I believe it was to much stuff to keep up with so a lot of people did not check everything on a regular bases.

The things in this class that excited me was reading and watching stories about how technology had changed their life for the better. I loved having class discussion every week about our blog post. It gives us a chance to express our feelings and view someone elses opposite view at the same time. This activity intellectually challenged use on several different levels. Students had to know and use computer skills, thinking skills, and social skills in this activity. I just found this to be an useful classroom activity because it keep everyone engaged rather then put them to sleep like a lecture.

I found the class time was usually quite boring besides blog discussion. I believe we should have done more work in the classroom rather then outside the classroom. Everything I learned this year what outside the classroom. Every Monday night I had the delima should I go to class so I do not get points removed from my final grade for being absent or stay home and actually work on all the homework I had for this class. I believe this class should be an Internet class with a lab if anyone needs assistance.

Although with that being said I did learn a lot this semester. I went from being completely technologically illiterate to being technologically literate to a fairly good extent. I believe I can use all the skill I learnt in EDM 310 in all my future classes at South Alabama and by doing that I will not only maintain my knowledge but improve it as well.

My PLN

For my PLN I decided to search for blogs with classroom management tips. One of the blogs i found was Tim Fredrick's ELA Teaching Blog.I found Mr. Fredrick's blog very intriguing so I tried to make contact with him on November the second but I have yet to hear from him. One topic Mr. Fredrick's blog discusses is teaching students to have a positive attitude and I believe not enough teachers do that. I believe teachers are meant to teach more then just the facts in a text book, we need to teach them good life skill. By teaching students to have a positive attitude they become self motivated and their chances of success in life doubles. I think having Mr. Fredrick as a part of my PLN will help me accomplish these tasks as a teacher. He has experience in this area so he can lend helpful words of wisdom.

I also dabbled with other classroom management blogs such as:
Teaching Kindergarten and sometimes they teach me
"Oh Behave"
A Problem Solving Blog For Street Savvy Teachers
But in the end I must say Mr. Fredrick's blog was my favorite.

Classroom rules & 7 stupid and brilliant ways to use tech.

Everyone knows there are good teachers and bad teachers in the school system. Mr Doug Johnson discusses seven positive and negative characteristics teachers exhibit with technology. Mr. Johnson's list titled Seven Stupid Mistakes Teachers Make With Technologywas shockingly accurate. I remember several of my teachers and professors exhibiting these characteristics. I believe those teachers made stupid mistakes with technology because they did not know much about technology and they "think technology in schools will go away" so they didn't want to take the time to educate themselves about it. Those teachers were soley focused on themselves and doing the bare minimal to get by. I believe these teachers are to blame ,to a certain extent, for my own personal lack of technology knowledge. As a teacher I will do my best to expose my students to new technology every day in order to not only teach them but to inspire them to learn more.

Mr. Johnson also created a list calledSeven Brilliant Things Teachers Do With Technology that gives examples of how good teachers use technology. This list is basically a complete opposite of the other list. When I first viewed this list it hit me that I do not remember any of my teachers using technology in these ways. 80% of teachers use technology like the first list stated and only 20% of teachers use technology to its fullest extent, the way it was meant to be used. More teachers and principals need to read this list and incorporate it into their schools. Technology is not leaving the classroom it is taking over the classroom, so as teachers we need to embrace it.

Technology is taking over the classroom, so we should change our rules to better suit the environment. I enjoy reading the new classroom rules the most because it was so innovative yet applicable. The new rules simply made minor changes to age old rules in order to give the students the best learning environment. Classes no longer have to take place in a classroom. Students can take online classes anywhere they can get an Internet connection.

At the Teacher's Desk

At the Teacher's Desk is a teacher blog space. Here teachers can make posts about challenging and eventful situations they have encountered and other teachers can leave comments about how they would handle the situations. The teachers desk is a great example of a personal learning network(PLN)for teachers. I read several post that I believe will be helpful to me as a new teacher.

Using Technology for Effective Communication was one of the first posts that caught my eye. This post listed several ways to communicate with people around the world not only by phone but also by using the Internet. Communication is an important part of a teachers job. Teachers have to communicate with students, parents, other teachers, principals, and special classroom guests. One forms of communication the post suggest is twitter because it is a quick direct message tool. The only problem that I seem to face when using Twitter is that people do not check it on a regular bas sis. This past week I experienced this fault first hand. After missing class due to the storm I direct messaged everyone on Twitter and I only received one message back.

Another post that intrigued me was Using Skype to Connect ESOL Students with Foreign Language Students. We have recently began discussing skype in class and I think it is a wonderful toll that teachers should take advantage of. Skype presents a whole new way to teach and learn. When using skype to learn about different countries around the world students learn more then any text book could ever teach. They learn about technology, geography, language, culture in as little as fifteen minutes. Skype allows students to experience different cultures without leaving the classroom, its like a field trip only a lot cheaper and less stress full.


The Pencils and Crayons to be Banned in Schools post also caught my eye. This post caught my eye for a slightly different reason though, it was humorous. I feel teachers need to have a good sense of humor in order to keep from going crazy. This post played on the fear of the unknown. People feel technology will corrupt the classrooms because they are afraid of change. Teachers should not be afraid of technology but should embrace it because it was created to make their lives easier.

This was a great collaboration professional block that i will bookmark and visit time and time agin as a new teacher.

Michael Wesch

Michael Wesch

Micheal Wesch discussed several controversial topics in his lecture but the key points surrounded the relationship between culture and media. Wesch took his viewers on a trip back in time as he discussed the evolution of the media and the different stages of culture. The lecture was eye opening in both a positive and negative way for me. It was eye opening to see the direct effect that media and culture have on each other. Technology has allowed great advances to make life more pleasurable. People can connect directly with other people around the world which can be used in several positive was unfortunately I feel it is not. The effect media has had on culture and vis versa was frighten to me. Like the "MEAH" stage, the Simpsons started. This turned a generation of children into ungrateful non enthusiastic demanding children aka spoiled brats. The media and technology allowed them to turn in to worthless forms of life. The media was entertaining them silly until it became the crutch it is today. Society as we know it today could not function without the media but that does not mean the media is correct. It brain washes children into self centered egotistical human beings.

Why is it important students post thier work to blogs?

I believe having students post their work on blogs like blogger.com and other ways on the Internet is a great idea for several reasons. If students are submitting all their work on line then paper copies will begin to become obsolete. This will decrease pollution and save the beautiful oak treesfor shade. Another advantage of using blogs is that when you publish a post not only can the teacher and your peers view it but anyone that has Internet access can as well. This allows students to view their peers work and learn from them. Also by posting blogs you have to power to effect people that seem worlds away. For example when the elementary students of the PS22 Chorus in New York City posted Landslide they had no idea the effect it would make on people.Stevie Nick's manager heard that song and it touched her so deeply that she invited them to preform in Madison Square Garden for Sleetwood Mac show. That was a great opportunity for those students that they would have missed out on if they never posted their work. Just like Dear Kaia her father posted her photo essay to show family and friends but it ended up in a class room in Missouri raising awareness about the Last Child in the Woods. Blogs can also be used as a resume. Future employers can view your blog to get a better grasp of who you are and your work ethic in order to help them decide if they should hire you or not.



Blogs are no doubt the new for learning. Blogs are also useful tool for businesses and other careers. Several teachers have blogs in which they talk about crisis they have been faced with in the classroom and productive ways to solve them. This forms some what of a life line in which other teachers can give advice or it could also serve as preparation for future teachers such as myself. Blogs are useful tools that are becoming more and more prevalent and I believe they are a great tool to use in the class room.