Final Blog Post

Final Progress Report PLN

My PLN has been growing continuously throughout the semester. When I began my PLN, my focus was only on one thing; writing. Since I began, I have realized that writing isn't everything, and I shouldn't focus my entire PLN on only one thing. My other passion is music. Throughout the semester, I have dealt with and talked to many different musicians. I also received a mouthpiece consultation from a GR representative. I can only hope that my interactions with higher level musicians grows as my PLN becomes more involved. This is not the end. I will continue to meet new people, blog, tweet, and anything else needed to simply learn. I have also started a writing project with two of my cousins. We write on Google docs every other day or so. What we write is a bit out of the ordinary. We collaborate on fictitious writing while critiquing each others' writing. We also critique writings from fiction writing websites. Doing this helps us to become better writers, and we are doing what we love. My writing PLN is limited to certain types of fiction because that is my favorite. However, I hope to extend my PLN and learn to enjoy other types of writing.

Final Project: on how we will use technology in our first class

Final Project: Len Jenkins, Jameson Branch, Aaron Fiveash

C4K Nov. and 12/5

The 8^th C4K was about the trulli, which were homes in a village in Italy. I offered more information on the trulli and discussed with her my Australia experience. The 9^th C4K was about traditional Maori instruments. There was a video with some children playing the different types of Maori instruments. I told them that I was a music major and thoroughly enjoyed listening them play the instruments. The 10^th C4K was about a student named Sam who plays the trombone. I told him that I was a music major and that I played trumpet. I also told him that he could ask me for help with music if needed. The 11^th C4K was about a student named Bennett. He wrote about his class's cranberry project. I told him that doing all these projects was a great learning experience. The 12^th C4K was about a book that a student named Yasmine read. She wrote a summary on it. I told her that I liked her summary and how she used many little details to explain things.

C4T 4

For C4T #4, I commented on Steven W. Anderson's post about how "revolutions start with one".  The movie was about a group of people in a park.  One person got up and started doing a dance.  He faced ridicule from people he did not know.  Shortly after he started dancing, someone else joined in.  Soon, more and more people kept joining.  The idea here is that it all started with one person doing something that no one else would have the courage to do.

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.

Blog Post 10

Dan Brown discusses how institutionalized education has been around for many years, and that education should continue to adapt to the informational age. He explains that "if institutional education wants to survive in the information age, then institutional education needs to do more than just adopt a few new tools." Brown goes on to discuss how information, in the distant past, was quite valuable. Over time, that value has decreased because everything is free on the internet. I liked when he discussed how information in colleges is there, but only if we can pay for it. He explains that this will eventually go away, and all information will be free on the internet. In some ways, this has already happened. The question is raised, however, "what about the economy?" How will the freedom of information affect the economy? Many things that we used to have to buy separately are all available either on the internet or in other convenient uses. When we talk about small things, the economy is irrelevant. But when large scale things like education are brought up, every aspect, including the affect on the economy, positive or negative, must be considered. How this "new" education is going to affect everyone as a whole is most important. The video was going great until Brown said that he dropped out of school because "it was interfering with his education." Regardless of what the school was doing to "his" education, what will he tell his potential employer? At this point, Brown along with other dropouts with no college degree will have difficulties converting the minds of college graduates, teachers, and administrators to a "better" education. I decided to comment on the video before reading Morgan Bayda's post. I did not want anything pointing me in any particular direction. We both share similar views, especially about Brown's decision to drop out of school.

These two questions act more of an identity finder than anything. Figuring out what your question is can identify you as a person. When people try to find their question, it is often difficult for one of two reasons; they don't feel important enough, or they feel "too" accomplished. When deciding what my sentence would be, I had trouble for both of these reasons. To decide what I would write, I thought about my life and the effect I had on those around me. I consistently try to affect people in a positive way, no matter what it takes. I treat everyone the same, regardless of any discriminatory mindsets. Everything I do, or at least try to do, points to the Golden Rule.

“I always try to do what is right, following the Golden Rule, and remain a neutral party while insisting respectfully a peaceful resolve.” (Len Jenkins)

Additional Assignment 3

I think the most important thing Sir Ken Robinson discusses in this presentation is how students are getting penalized for getting distracted. There are so many distractions for students, and if the teacher cannot facilitate their interest, why should the be expected to be bored? There was nothing about the video that I disagreed with. Everything Robinson discussed was relevant and could be defended. When it comes to the college of education, there are some congruences. The design of the college has not changed much in recent years. Though a change is ongoing, the same “one teacher, boring lecture to many students” idea is still in effect, with the exception of EDM 310 of course. Students in the college of education, unlike those in grade school, are less classified by age or level. Younger students who are smart often excel at the same rate or even quicker than students that are older. Students are only held back by their own willingness to learn. To address the issues that Robinson raises, I can make more people aware of these issues though studies showing the differences. In one setting, I would have the average classroom full of students with one teacher and a boring lecture. In the other setting, I would have many students in a classroom full of technology, interacting with each other and collaborating new ideas with a fun learning process. After a time, I would evaluate each class and discuss their performance with colleagues. This would be one way to get people to open up their eyes and see that education must change to facilitate learning in the technological age. I enjoyed this presentation, especially the diagram that was drawn. It really helped to see what was going on with visual representations. If I had to do a presentation, I would most likely play the role of author. One of my passions has always been writing, and I would be content in writing a script for a presentation of any kind.

How to read marching band drill coordinates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nH3zvaxthA

Skype Interview Project

http://screenjel.ly/cjBTwBUfvkg

Blog Post 9

What I've Learned This Year

In this essay, Mr. McClung shares his experience as a first year teacher. McClung elaborates on key points that he considers important. He talks about “reading to the crowd”, focusing on how teachers place too much emphasis on teaching the material, and little if any emphasis on making sure the students comprehend and understand what is being taught. What McClung said that I liked the most was “in order to be effective you have to be able to let your audience drive your instruction.” This does not mean that you have to always let them drive your instruction, but you should give them the opportunity when presented. McClung also talks about “being flexible.” He explains that lesson plans are not always going to go according to plan. Being a music major, we as conductors have a lesson plan from rehearsal to rehearsal. That lesson plan changes, however, from piece to piece. Sometimes, the students will surprise you and do something well that you may not have expected, and other times they will do worse than you expected. Whatever the case, being flexible is always the best option. McClung is correct when he talks about “Communication”. It is one of the most difficult skills to develop. Most people now, with social networking and such, can easily say things online because there are no direct effects. Communicating in person, however, is much more, well, personal. Most people are afraid of confrontation, but confrontation does not always have to be negative. Constructive confrontation is better than no confrontation. I enjoyed the part about “being reasonable.” McClung says that “our job as teachers is to simply pick them(the students) up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again.” He explains that we can still have high expectations for the students, but that we should “not scold them for not coming through.” I have had quite a few teachers that were not reasonable. When students would fail, those teachers would simply look at them as if in disgust or disappointment, and offer no help. What sort of message does this send to the students? McClung also tells us “don't be afraid of technology.” He reassures us that “technology is our friend.” We should all embrace technology and use it to our advantage. McClung sent a strong message when he said that we should “listen to our students”, and that “we may be the only ones who do.” While there is no need to learn every detail in our students' lives, we should have some knowledge of what their life is like. Without this knowledge, we cannot communicate effectively with our students and we become nothing more than another teacher who doesn't seem care about anything but work. Finally, McClung makes a good point when he talks about learning; “why not soak up as much as you can?” The question is “why not?” What is stopping us from becoming efficient in our own field of study? How can we expect the students to learn new material if we are going to be hypocritical and refuse to learn more ourselves?