Project 15

Blog Post 13

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is all about learning. There are many different courses of study and lesson planning that you can access on this site. There are also many websites with many resources listed that can aid in your teaching career. Podcasts are also included. Under ALEXville, you can “communicate with your colleagues, keep up with the latest ALEX news, and follow various ALEX Professional Learning Communities!!” ALEX is educational learning on a website. 

 

Progress Report on Final Project

My final project will be about how my first class will use technology.  I will be doing my project with Jameson Branch and Aaron Fiveash.  We will each discuss how our first class will incorporate technology, offer suggestions to one another, then collaborate on the most effective way in using technology in the classroom. 

My Sentence Video

Blog Post 12

Watch this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLbJ8YPHwXM

In your opinion, do you think PC should have won the fight?  If so, why?

In this video, technology is being used to describe technology.  What did you like about the way the video was produced?

Compare Mac vs PC in your own words.  What would you add or take away from this movie and why?

In your opinion, do you think PC should have won the fight? If so, why?

PC should not have won the fight. As a whole, the Mac is faster. Every program built for the Mac is built “for the Mac.” This makes the Mac much more technologically efficient. The Mac also runs off Linux, and does not need any special virus protection programs.


In this video, technology is being used to describe technology. What did you like about the way the video was produced?

I enjoyed the humor in this video. The fight scene made the movie interesting as well as informative. The transformer, fictionally, is a big technological advancement. This is representative of the way computers, Macs especially, are evolving in the world.


Compare Mac vs PC in your own words. What would you add or take away from this movie and why?

I would add something like the PC bogging down with everyday tasks such as a frozen screen or “program is not responding”. Macs can freeze up from time to time, but during everyday operations, there are few, if any, problems. Also, I would make the Mac look stronger than the PC instead of having them look the same, with the exception of their color. I would also add more types of transformers and on a much larger scale.

Project 6 Summary

How often do you play video games?

Six out of seventeen people never play video games, and only one person plays video games every day. This shows that video games are either not as popular among students as I had hoped, or they are simply too busy to play video games every day, like myself.
Most preferred strategy or RPG type games. Only one person chose “shooter” and one person chose “sidescroller”. Strategy and RPG games require a lot of thinking, so it is safe to say that the majority of the responses came from intelligent thinkers.
Everyone owns between one and three game systems except one person, who owns over nine. In the past, more people have owned more systems, most likely because they were children at the time.
When it came to choosing your favorite game, one answer was prominent; “Mario”. More people recognize and have played “Mario” more than any other game, eleven out of seventeen to be exact.
Only one person would rather play video games at competitions. Seven would rather play video games with friends, and the remaining would rather play video games while at home alone.
Four people knew what year the first home video game console was created. Four others knew what home console was the first. Only one person knew both.
When asked if video games affect children’s behavior and schooling, most agreed that there is more effect than not.

Blog Post 11

Ms. Cassidy's approach to the use of technology in the classroom is very effective. She has her students blogging, creating websites, creating videos, using skype, and even using Nintendo in effective educational ways. Ms. Cassidy has everything carefully planned for the protection and eventual success of every student.

Most teachers don't want to use technology because they don't want to work harder. It's easy to simply read chapter to chapter, take the quiz at the end, and call it a day. But to take it to the next level, setting up websites and blogging for students, is much more challenging. Also, teachers may be afraid to step outside of their comfort zone. They fear that if they change their “standard” routine, thing will not turn out for the better. Some teachers may also use the “cheating vs. collaborating” excuse. As long as students do their own work and make up their own mind prior to collaborating, then it can't be considered cheating. The teacher should phrase the question in a way that forces the student to answer in his/her own words.

I would use every technique Ms. Cassidy has to offer. How my students benefited from the results of these techniques would decide if I were to keep them in the new curriculum. Any problems that occurred, I would simply fix them one at a time. I would go through whatever means necessary to modify the particular problem so that nothing like it happens ever again. The pros far outweigh the cons. Not only are the students learning more about what they will eventually need to know in the technological future, but I would be learning as well.

C4K 3-7 Summary

The 3rd C4K was an animated movie by a girl named Kaycee of people getting onto a boat and crossing a river.  I told her that I liked her video and sound effects in the video.  The 4th C4K had artwork on origami-like figures.  A student named Jack crafted them.  I told Jack how much I liked his artwork.  The 5th C4K was about why we blog by a student named Daniel.  I complemented his concept on blogging.  The 6th C4K was most interesting.  A student named Oliver wrote a “goofy” blog.  It did not make complete sense, but it was not supposed to either.  It was also very creative.  The 7th C4K was about foot races in Northwest Arkansas.  The post was very descriptive at showing  the specifics for the race.

Project 14

Learning music through Finale

C4T #3 Summary

On the week of the 24th, I commented on a teacher's blog.  The problem is, I can't seem to remember which teacher it was.  There should be only one possible option, but somehow I can't find where I commented.  So I posted two comments this week on two different posts for the same teacher.  Here is my summary. 

The first blog post is about how teachers' evaluations are not representative of their work.  The virtual evaluation of teachers is simply satisfactory or unsatisfactory, this based on only a select number of visits by an administrator who has other things to worry about.  If our teachers are not being evaluated truthfully and effectively, how can we expect that our students will be successful in school?

The second blog post is about how some students are digitally shouting, that is, they see commenting and such as a means of showing how much more their way of viewing something is superior.  Unless students are taught how to collaborate effectively, they can easily being to "shout".  The post also gives several handouts that are quite helpful in teaching students how to communicate with each other in a positive manner instead of shouting.