Blog Post 5

The iSchool Initiative
Travis Allen makes some valid points in the video,The iSchool Initiative. He is trying to fix the problems within our public education system , to keep teachers from losing their jobs and budget cuts from being made. This video talks about how much money that the school system would save by using the iSchool. This video also talks about all the applications that are already available. All the applications available will cut out the extra cost that come along with keeping a school running such as; calculators, text books and copy paper. Travis feels that this program will help the students become more efficient , the teachers become more accessible and the parents become more involved.
The question that Travis ask in the beginning of the video is "Does technology belong in the classroom?" I feel that technology most certainly belongs in the classroom. Technology is advancing everyday and we need to teach our future leaders how to use it. The iSchool Initiative could help revolutionize the way the classroom functions by allowing the students, parents, and teachers to become linked together. This will do the one thing that I feel is absolutely important and that is parent involvement. Now, that everyone is so busy, parents tend to assume that their children are doing what they are suppose to be doing. This will allow them to have access to their children's classroom, homework and school calendar.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir, I couldn't believe what I was watching. I was astounded by this video. I think that it is awesome that the technology that we have today allows us to be able to sing in a choir while we are miles away from each other. I loved this video.
Teaching in the 21st Century
I feel that the way Kevin Roberts sees teaching changing is that students will work more with technology to do their daily classroom activities such as turning in homework. Teaching in the 21st century video makes you question what kind of teacher you will be, will you teach based on facts, content or skills. By using technology, you can incorporate all those ideas into your classroom by teaching your students ways to use technology properly. This will give your students the opportunity to be efficient. This will change the classroom entirely. As a future educator, technology will help us stay in communication with our classroom to eliminate confusion and will make our job easier. Even though we are the filter for information now we can still ensure that our students learn skills that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Flipping the Classroom
I watched the videos,Why I flipped by classroom,Dr. Lodge McCammon's Fizz Flipping the classroom,and Flipping the classroom- 4th grade STEM. This idea of flipping the classroom is a wonderful idea. This will allow each student to come into class ready to work This also allows them to be able to watch the instructions over and over for help. Flipping the classroom will help all the students needs by giving them instruction prior to coming into class and will help them be prepared with questions that they may have.

My Sentence Video

C4T

Free Technology for teachers by Richard Byrne
Mr. Byrne has a blog where he post free technology for teachers. This site is very useful for all teachers and students. On September 9th, Mr. Byrne published a post on Pixlr Grabber. This is a screen capture tool used in Google Chrome. This free download allows you to edit a picture that you grab from your screen while using the Google Chrome as your search engine. I commented on his blog thanking him for this tool and how I planned on using it to do one of my assignments for class. On September 23rd, Mr. Byrne published a post on Haiku Deck this is an iPad app. This app will allow you to create a presentation and edit it. He even offers ways to show your presentation using VGA dongle, Reflection app, and Apple TV. I commented on his blog post again thanking him for this wonderful piece of technology because this app is something that I can use in school. I am a follower of his on twitter. He shares information on twitter as well as on his blog. His whole blog is filled with useful information with many links. If you have time sit down and rummage through his post do so, because believe me his has something for everyone. He post on a regular basis with something new to contribute. When he introduces a new technology he explains how to use it in detail. This is useful for people like me that needs a little shove in the right direction. So over all his blog is extremely helpful for students, teachers, and even the average Joe.

Project #5 Presentation

Blog Post 4

1st graders create their own read along audio book
1st graders create their own read along audio book, listening to this books helps you understand how fully involved the students are in this project. The change in their voices, while reading, let's you know how much enjoyment they are getting out of this audio book. Dinosaurs in the dark script was created by the teacher, it is an interview process, off a book they were reading in class. I like this idea because some children don't like reading aloud, I know I still don't. I feel that if you get them involved in activities like this, that allows positive encouragement, at a younger age it will help them blossom into confident individuals and eliminate personal insecurities. This site shared a free online converter that will help me with my own podcast.
Flat Stanley
Flat Stanley was amazing. The students in this class created Flat Stanley podcast because they were inspired by Dinosaurs in the Dark. The students in this class done a great deal of work and it paid off. This project involved investigating. The students were assigned a place and they had to explain how they got there from their classroom in Jacksonville, FL. They explained what they experienced along the way, things they saw, things they felt, things they smelled, and even a little history. I could envision what they were describing just by their choice of wording. My favorite was the boy that swam to Michigan, you could hear the excitement in his voice. I would definitely use this activity in my future classroom. As for my podcast, this project helped me realize that by using the appropriate description words that your listener could actually see what you are describing.
Podcast Collection
Podcast Collection by Judy Scharf is a very useful website. I joined Curriki, so that I would be able to download all the printable instruction sheets. This site will be very useful for my own podcast and I am very excited to be able to use what I have learned from the site. This site give you step by step instructions on how to use Audacity, the recording tool. It gives you instruction on how upload your voice recording to the internet and how to submit it to Itunes. Judy Scharf helps you jump start podcasting in the classroom by sharing with you possible topics and grading sheets. My mind is already reeling with topics for podcasts in my future classroom.

Blog Post 3

Peer Editing
I've never thought there were steps to peer editing. This was not a topic I learned about in detail at school until now. My mom taught me that you always say nice things, even when you don't want to. I personally don't take criticism well because of my mother's teachings. I feel like nice words should be said despite the circumstances. However, after watching those videos I learned that criticism can be positive and if done correctly, by following the steps, it can also have a positive outcome.
The main focus for the videos is self improvement. The Slideshow,Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, is constantly reminding you to stay positive. Paige Ellis' Blog,What is Peer Editing? video, and the slideshow focused on peer editing but they only skimmed the surface by only hitting the high points; staying positive, beginning with a compliment and warning you against what not to do. The video,Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes, went into detail. This video was cute but yet very informative. The class making the video talked about every aspect of peer editing from Loud Larry to Social Sam. They created cute names to identify each probable mistakes in peer editing that could cause a student to be embarrassed.

Technology in Special Education
Technology in Special Education
Technology has improved the special education classrooms in many ways. It helps engage the students in their lessons. It helps them turn in work faster and it also is used as a communication device for the non-verbal students. Even though these students have cognitive delays they are using technology like; computers and iPods to show the world that they too can learn.
The technology that I learned from this video that can be used in my classroom is audio books by iPod touch. This will help the students that need help reading silently to read the books they have been assigned. Another technology that I liked in this video was the application on the computer called zoom text. This will help students that have trouble reading small text by zooming in on the word, making it larger and easier to read. New technology comes out daily, I am excited to see the advances I will have at my disposal when I graduate.
Apple.Education Apps.com
ABC pocket phonics is the app I researched. This app teaches students letters, sounds, and writing. You can customize each student's profile on this application based on the student's needs. Some students are unable to write but are able to use their fingers. This app allows them to trace the letter with their fingers, while tracing the letter the student will hear the sound each letter makes.
Harness your Students' digital smarts
In,Harness your Students' Digital Smarts video you see the students learning how to use technology so that it may be applied to their everyday lives. In this video, Mrs. Davis' students are teaching the class how to use Open Sim. The class along with Mrs. Davis are learning this program together, they are teaching each other.
Mrs. Davis helped create a site called Digiteen. This site allows the students to communicate with each other, to research and discuss topics online. Digiteen allows to communicate their opinions on certain school topics. Mrs. Davis also helped create the flat classroom project. This project allows students to experience the advances of information technology. Mrs. Davis is making an impact on these students because technology is growing and we all need to adapt.

Wordle

Blog Post 2

Video # 1
Did you know?
Did you know 3.0-A John Strange 2012 Version and Did you know 3.0 contained an abundant amount of information that I did not know. These videos opened my eyes and mind to the rank in which technology is placed in our lives today. The importance of technology grown more everyday due to the high levels of usage. Today technology runs every aspect of our lives including our personal lives.
In my opinion, the technological growth of other countries should push America to excel above and beyond. Our population may be smaller compared to other countries but that shouldn't stop us from growing with the rest of the world. Today everyone has access to some form of technology.

Video # 2
Mr. Winkles wakes
In the video Mr. Winkles Wakesby Matthew Needleman, the character wakes up after 100 years to find the whole world has changed. He is astonished by all the technology everywhere in the office setting and in the hospitals. He just wishes the world would be like what it was before 100 years of sleep. He then comes to the school where it looks as if the world hasn't changed that much.
Mr. Winkles wakes makes you think about technology in schools. In this video the questions that come to mind are; Why hasn't technology improved in the classroom? Why does Mr. Winkle have the familiar feeling like 100 years ago? Have we failed to conform to the technological advances in the classroom? In my opinion, technology plays a large role and as future educators we should learn just how important it is.

Video # 3
Sir Ken Robinson
The video of Sir Ken Robinson:The Importance of creativity really hit home with me. He got my mind thinking about the importance of creativity in classroom. Sir Ken Robinson states in his video "Creativity now is important as literacy." He talked about how children are brave and will try anything. In his video, he also stated "That our schools are educating them out of their creativity." This video makes you think about what you will do as a teacher and how you will help your kids learn.
In my opinion, if we facilitate creativity this will allow children to learn in their own way. Children are naturally creative, they just do not know how to harness their creativity. As a future educator, I want to teach myself and my students how to harness creativity and use it to help us learn together.
Video # 4
A day made of glass
In the video,A day made of glass, they showed you what Corning is planning to do in the future. All the technology in the video was exciting and overwhelming. To know that some of the technology shown in the video is available today is the part that is exciting. Corning is on the brink of expanding our technology as we speak.
In my opinion, I believe the classroom would change all together with Corning's new technology. These things would help children learn in a fun and exciting new way. The board and the work surface in the classroom would capture the attention of all the students. This kind of technology wouldn't just help the classroom but it would help the entire school.