Post 10

An Open Letter to Educators

I am reading this post as an assignment for my EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I am majoring in Elementary Education. This video was almost like a slap in the face. I mean, it's not like I wasn't aware of this information, but it's almost like i want to ignore it in a sense. If I really want to be honest the first time I have learned anything new in years is right now in Dr.Strange's micro-computing class. He has many doorways we can look through and gain knowlegde and information from. He doesn't baby us and he gets right to the point. Instead for standing up there and saying blah blah blah he gives us assignments like this one and it opens ours eyes. This is one of the best blogs I have read/listened to. It applies directly to my situation and every other college student for that matter. All I can say, is I can't wait for the classroom to go completely technical, and as far as books go...... we don't seem to need them. I have 4 different books and like you said I haven't crack one of them yet!

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

What's My Sentence?

My sentence...... Gosh what is my sentence. This is not an easy question. I suppose my question for now would be:

Instead of asking yourself if you are technologically literate, ask yourself if you are fluent with technologically!

Was I Better Today Than Yesterday?

I would like to think that I am better today than I was yesterday, but I think many factors can weight into that question. Well, I would have to say yes, overall I think that I am better today than yesterday. I say this, because everyday that goes by I learn and understand more and more things. This applies to school material and life lessons.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

So this was a great post! She begins talking about how children in low-income areas usually have lower standardized test grades due to the fact of having only pencils to work with, whereas students in a more middle class or high class area have computers to help them learn. These children who are in low-income areas need computers in todays growing world of technology in order to stay up-to-date, and to be able to at least stay within the "average" of the standardized scoring.

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Max

Max is in Mrs.Gilbert's 5th grade class and made a post on what red ribbon week means. As most of you probably know, red ribbon week means drug free awareness week. He stated how he will never smoke. I replied to his post by saying that is one of the best promises one could ever make to themselves.

Additional Assignment 3

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Paradigms

I feel that the most important thing that Sir Ken Robinson said in his presentation is, "We have two type of people, academic (smart people) and non-academic (non-smart people)." He goes on to state that the problem with that is many brilliant people think that they are not, because they have been judged against this particular view of the mind. I agree with just about 100% of his views of education. I see eye to eye with Sir Ken Robinson when he says that our children are living in the most intensely stimulating period in the history of the earth. I think any one who is a student or even someone who is not would also agree with him. It is true that students today spend more time on the computer, iPhone, iPod, t.v etc. However, I can not totally agree with him when he says that these things are causing children to be put on ADHD drugs.

post 9

What I've Learned This Year

Mr. McClung has done a excellent job with giving tips to future educators. I agree with just about everything he said, but one of my favorite lines was when he said that lessons should be student centered, not teacher centered. I'm sure we have all had a bad teacher at one time or another and maybe some of us do right now. We all know that it's not any fun and now that we are a bit older I would say that alot of that bad teaching could be chalked up to lessons not being student center but teaher centered. It takes more time to have a student centered lesson plan apposed to a teacher centered lesson, but if you want your students to learn then your going to have to exccept the fact that it takes time and most of all patience.

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Ryan B

6th grade/Iowa 

Hi Ryan,

I am a student of Dr.Strange’s EDM 310 class at the University of South alabama and was assigned to read your post. I hope you continue to make more post. Bogging is a great way to learn and keep in touch with classmates and family.

Project 9b

Disney Timeline:

Project 10

1st Progress Report on PLN

I have decided to use Symbaloo to organize my PLN(personal learning network). I have instant access to facebook, twitter, blogger, e-books, gmail, my online banking and many more. I have tried several different things to organized my sites, but this seems to be my favorite. I didn't know about it until I watch the video Dr.Strange assigned us to watch. You should try it, I love it.

Post 8

This Is How We Dream

The fact that we have become such a technologically enhanced society we no longer have any limitations of what we can access. Writing a paper is something you can do without leaving you home. Therefore, if you get sick or your child gets sick you can still manage to do you work at home without a problem. There is not such thing as a closing time. The internet is always open. Anybody and find anything. What more could we ask for as a student, teacher or just a person in general? Not only can we find whatever we need to put together a project or learn how to do something, but we can also make whatever we want. Presentations, movies, slide shows, recordings, and the list goes on. Pen and paper is not in the past but we are no longer restricted to it!Reading and writing is not longer only about pen and paper but about technology as well. Teachers and not look toward technology to help improve and motivate their students to learn the information that needs to be taught and learned. Todays world like Dr. Richard E. Miller has said, "Has also gone completely virtual". This semester I only had to buy one book which wasn't so cheap. It was about $100 and I have only opened it twice since this semester has started. However, I can't complain but in pervious semesters I was having to buy 4 and 5 books at almost the same price. Books are now downloadable from the internet and the price is cut in half if not free many times.

The chipper Series and EDM 310 for Dummies

The Chipper Series is sending the message that just because your work is done doesn't mean anything. Your work must be done and ON TIME!!!! If you have a job to report to you must be on time. In the real world being late is not excepted. If your teacher shows up late are you not irritated? Sure you are. Well the same goes for you with your work. Does Dr.Strange have a right to be irriated? Sure he does. I would like to create a video on "just how important education really is" for elementary children.

Critiques of Smartboards

I think smartboards were a great invention. It makes it easier for the teacher to teach and easier for the student to see. I remember when I was growing up the chalkboard could be so.... vague sometimes. The teacher would write to big or too small. Then there were times when I couldn't understand what the teacher was writing at all. However, I do believe that smartboards can be over used. There are just so many programs you can use in order to help a child understand certain things that chalk and a blackboard may not. I know that I wish I grew up when smartboards were being used in the elementary school. I have looked up a blog that is owned by a teacher who is all for smartboards. You should check it out.

Teachers Love Smartboards



Additional Assignment 2

Sugata Mitra:  The child-driven education

1.  I believe that if learners are motivated then yes they can teach themsleves, but like you said they must be motivated.

2.  If those motivated people are kids can they teach themselves?  hmm.... I say why not?  I think too many people don't give kids enough credit.  They have every resource in the world to teach themselves and many that come across something they don't understand will ask someone.  However, for the most part I do believe that they have the ablity to teach themselves.

3.  What conditions are neccessary for kids to teach themselves, or for anyone to teach themselves?  I feel that everyone has a different condition for teaching themselves.  Some people may need it to be quiet, some may need a bit of sound.  It just depends on that individual.

4. I feel that internet access has a lot to do with an individual teaching themselves something today.  There are children that do not have the ablity to have such technology but they also have the ablity to learn if they are motivated.

5.  Motivation has the biggest role in learning.  No matter the environment or technology avalible, if they are not motivated then they will not learn.

6.  What roles do a problem, a question or multiple problems or questions play in the process? The more problems and questions a child has the more he/she is going to learn.

7.  How do you motivate someone to learn?  Well honestly I don't feel that anyone has the power to make another person to learn.  The individual has to be (once again) MOTIVATED to learn.

8.  I am motivated to learn because I actually want to be something (a teacher).  I also look back at some of my friends who became nothing and that alone keeps me motivated.  However, there was a point in time that I could care less about learning.

9.  Can anyone who is not motivated to learn learn?  Yes and no.  I say both because they hear and might be able to remember it, but on the otherhand I do not believe that they will be able to utilize it in the future.

10.  Yes I teach myself.  I do this on a daily basis with EDM 310 as well as with math. 

11.  I believe that a teacher plays a role in the since of guidence and mannerism more than anything else.

12.  If a child is not motivated to learn then they are simply not going to learn.

13.  I think too many teachers shove certain things on their students.  In the video he said he dropped of a computer and the children taught themselves.  Therefore, children are very much able to teach themsleves.

Project 8-Podcasting

Get Your Own Free Hypster.com Playlist.

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Seek to Understand, Not to be Understood

This is a highschool student who had to write a paper. I must first say that she had a wonderful title for her paper. I believe that this is a girl who really has her act together. She made many great points about education. She realizes that education is not just about academics, which in my opinion is a break-through. There are too many kids that do not realize what school is all about until it's too late, but this is not one of them. I believe she will excel through-out her college career.

Loretta

I comment on Lorettas blog about her parent/teacher conference. She had the feelings that most children do. We all get worried before a parent/teacher conference even if we know that we have straight A's. This is a normal feeling. she went on to explain that everything turned out just fine (which is usually the case). However, the teacher did say that she needed to work more on history and sports. This is normal as well. Everyone can't excel at everything. All we can do is try our best!

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Jeremy 

I was assigned to comment on Jeremy's post.  He made a post about how he really enjoys playing on his scooter after school.  I commented back by saying that I thought that was great because it seems as the years go on more and more children choose to play video games opposed to playing outside.

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Esrah

I was assigned to post a comment on  a student named Esrah who is in the 4th grade at Pt England School in Auckland NZ. He decided to write a creative story about skydiving.

My name is May Krasovich. I am a student of Dr.Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. My major is Elementary Education I remember when I use to have to write creative stories for school. Those were always the most fun to write. You did a good job with your choice of words and your punctuation was good as well.

Project 9a TimeToast

Thomas Krasovich

post 7

Randy Pausch

Mr. Pausch Made a great list of things to recognize in ones life. I mean really, if you had one last lecture to give what would it be? Now that's something to think about. Well he decided to talk about his childhood dreams. Although he didn't fill them as one would expect, but I don't think there are too many people who do. He fulfilled them in the sense that he got a taste for each idea. His number one dream was to achieve zero gravity and well, as we just saw he achieved it in his own way.

If i had to think about one dream that I had as a child it was to be a teacher. I think everyone wanted to be a teacher at one point in there childhood. As children we look up to our teachers because we know that they are there to guide and teach us the right way to do things. Not only do teachers teach the curriculum, they also teach manners.

Another dream he had was becoming a Disney imagineer. After going in circles with several people he was finally able to get a shot at it. He landed a spot with working on the Aladdin Project for Disney. He describe being able to work on the Aladdin project as a once in 5 years opportunity, and he's right. That kind of opportunity doesn't just happen you must be determine and work hard. One lesson I learned from this speech, is never take no for an answer. Do what ever it takes to get to your goal (well, within reason that is). What I'm trying to say is don't take one persons word and ride on it. Find a second source and moat of all pick and choose the words you use in a conversation.

After working with them for six months they ask him to stay. He continued to explain that he loved being an imagineer with all his heart, however he was not willing to give up teaching. He also stated at the same time that "if" they told him that, if he decide not to keep the job then he was never allowed to step foot back in the building that he would be willing to give up his teaching career. However, that's not what happened. They opt to let him have his cake and eat it too. He could keep his teaching career and work as an imagineer one day a week. what more could you ask for?

Post 6

A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment

This student is more more organized due to the help of technology. Everything she needs is on one page. I would love to know as much as she does without having to think twice about it, and Dr. Strange's class has put me on that path. We have learned how to use audacity, blog, twitter (although I'm still a little confused with that one), skype, make videos and post them, add links to blogger, twitter, delicous and the list goes on. However, it is not second nature for me yet. I still have to think and remember hard how to do certain things but with time there will be no problem. The more I use it the more I will learn, remember and understand how to do everything. I would most definitely save this video on my favorites so that I can go back and learn how to use the same websites she has in order to use them with my students.

The Networked Student

What is connectivism? Connectivism is a theroy that presumes that learning occurs as part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties. In other words, we learn from the ones around us. A lecture is no good if your not understanding or retaining the material. Although many people learn differently I haven't heard of too many people not learning something from hands on, and that's exactly what technology is. It is a constant hands on learning experience. With technology a student can find what helps them the most and stick with it. Once again we are no longer limited to what we can find or do in order to learn.

The Machine is Changing Us

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Beth Still

I comment on Beth Still's post on September 26th.  Her post was about her creating a presentation to Nebraska Administrators. is a women who is absolutely dedicated to making a difference in education. She also uses Skype and Twitter to help keep her students connected throughout the world.

My name is May Krasovich.  I am a student of Dr.Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama.  I agree that administrators should be willing to enhance their school with technology in order for teachers all over the world to communicate with one another.  Talking to other teachers allows us to stay open minded, learn from others and also allow others to learn from us.  I feel that many times people are afraid of change and learning something new (technology).  I think it's wonderful that you are pushing the issue of having more technologically enhance tools in the classroom to further your students ability to learn and your ability to teach them.  I will be keeping up with your post as part of my EDM310 assignments.  If you would like to read more you can check it out 

My Blog 

I commented on her post on October 3rd.  Do As I Say and Not As I Do.  This post was basically about giving her students a second chance to make up their assignments.  I honestly feel that more teachers should do this.  Theses children are in the primary years of learning and are in the process of learning how to be responsible and on time.  I don't ever recall any of my elementary teachers doing this.   I think for the most part they gave extra-credit and most of the time it had nothing to do with the work that I missed.  Therefore, if I didn't do the work because I didn't understand it I still didn't get help because the extra credit work was usually just busy work!