C4T #3

Summary #1
The title of this post is Algorithmic Education. “Any teacher that can be replaced with a computer deserves to be. -attributed to David Thornburg.” Mr. Genereux’s post revolves around this quote. He explains that if professional educators are willing to let technology predominantly do the teaching for them then they should be replaced by technology. A classroom picture of kids taking their accelerated reading test on an iPad was posted on Facebook (on the local school districts page) and this sends Mr. Genereux into deep thought. He then thinks back on the time when his child's school was slow to adapt to incorporating technology into the classroom. Now that schools were comfortable with showing the world kids using technology in the classroom Mr.Genereux wasn’t sure how to deal with this. Ultimately he decided to post that he felt they were wasting mobile technology. Within moments Mr. Genereux deleted his comment because it was truly out

of context. He then thought that he should respect teachers a little more because they are teaching his kids. Using technology is a tricky thing and teachers should restrain from letting technology “run” the classroom. Every teacher should gain complete understanding of technology (iPads, computer programs, etc.) before using it. The goal of this is to “program not be programmed.” He then discusses the “intelligence” of the computers that we use even if we don’t understand them. An example given is Google’s auto-suggest, without even knowing we are being greatly influenced. If we first had knowledge of the computer program we would notice this and wouldn't be so susceptible to it. Mr. Genereux says when a school adopts a technology like Accelerated Reader, it is accepting the embedded intelligence and limitations of the computing environment used as well as that of the technology’s creator. We then no longer have room for students who reading interest are outside of the Accelerated Reader Program. So in turn Mr. Genereux think teachers should only use Accelerated Reader as a supplement to teaching. An irreplaceable teacher will understand that being creative with technology is a must, but we should not let technology define us. Only using technology to administer test is a “waste.” Mr. Genereux stresses that just because something is on a test doesn't mean that it’s valuable. He also says that the teaching position has become less creative and personalized. Why? This is because of the rules made by people “far away from the classroom.” He also fears this will happen not only for teachers but doctors as well.

Comment #1
This is a very interesting post. Technology is being used more and more in the classroom, but it is up to the teacher on how to use it. Since teachers are given "rules" on what they can and can't do using technology in the classroom can be tricky. I agree that any teacher that can be replaced by a computer should be. Technology is a very good thing but teachers should learn how to use it in supplement to a lesson. The teaching position should be more and more personalized instead of the other way around. We are all still learning as technology evolves, but we should also make sure we understand it before using it.

Summary #2
The title of this post is A New Word and A New Pope. Bill Genereux explains that the word “selfie” was recently added to the online Oxford Dictionaries. A selfie is a photo

that one has taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. Mr. Genereux also tells about how the new pope took a “selfie” a few young people. It is debated that since this wasn’t just the pope in the picture that is not a “selfie” it is a “groupie.” He then explains that years ago the photographer was never in their own picture, but with new technology on mobile devices a rear-facing camera makes this possible. The comparison of “blog” and “selfie” is also made in this post. Mr. Genereux says that neither, a blog or a selfie, has to be from a self-involved, narcissistic point of view.

Comment #2
As a "young person" I tend to take selfies all the time. They typically are of me only, but some moments cause for multiple people to be in the picture. A moment like meeting the pope is unforgettable so why not take a selfie. Most selfies are taken as a spur of the moment thing anyways. I also agree that selfies and blogs do not have to be from a self-involved, narcissistic point of view.

C4K Summary for October

Childs name- Sadie Pickle
Summary- In this post Sadie gave the link to informational videos on Little Angel Service Dogs. Service dogs are not just for the blind. These dogs can be for people with diabetes, seizures, or a number of other things. Sadie also asked a few questions about service dogs. Some of the question asked where: What other jobs do dogs do for people? What are some things you can do to help when you see a service dog? She also answered questions on the chapters she had to read for class.

My Response- My name is Demetrius Hamner. I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I loved the videos on service dogs. I never knew all of different rolls they could play. Dogs are not only there to keep up company , but they also help us in any ways. Your questions are really something to think about. I will be sure to look into this more.

Childs Name- Izzy
Summary- In this post Izzy drew a tree with animals to describe levels of the forest. The tree was colored very well and every animal drawn was labeled. The animals drawn where the Magpie, Northern Flicker, Ground Squirrel, and a Beetle.

My Response- My name is Demetrius Hamner and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama located in Mobile, Alabama. I really liked your drawing. The tree was very colorful and I liked how you labeled all of the animals. Very good job.

Childs Name- Armando
Summary- The title of this post is Sinking the Words. Armando describes what the earthquake at Church Christ was like for him. He was eating lunch when everything started to shake. He then gives his three wishes on the changes he would make to the rebuilt Christ Church. The first wish is tourist attraction which consists of an amazing water park. The proceeds of this would help rebuild houses, buildings, and save jobs. The second wish is to have more support on tall buildings. Armando thinks of this because he doesn’t want the Christ Church to have to get rebuilt again. His support for the new building would be having wheels or solid supports that go deep into the ground and are stuck to the foundation. His final wish would be more transportation. The transportation would be to help tourist get to the waterpark or other places around the Church Christ.

My Response- My name is Demetrius. I really enjoyed reading your speech. If your three wishes where to come true I think it would help a lot. The water park wish was my favorite because I enjoy going to water parks. I am so sorry that you experienced an earthquake I know that was very scary. I hope the Christ Church is rebuilt to your liking.

Childs Name- Chloe
Summary- The title of this post is Out of My Mind: Reading Response #2. Chloe gives her second response to the book Out of My Mind. She briefly explains problems of the character, who is unfortunately restrained to a wheelchair, Melody. One problem is that Melody gets frustrated about not being able to change the channel on television. Chloe says that things would be better is she just had a remote control. Another response Chloe gives is that maybe Melody could have a button on her wheelchair that lets people know that she is frustrated. The last response Chloe gives is that maybe Melody could have new words on her board to expand her vocabulary.

My Response- My name is Demetrius Hamner. I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama located in Mobile, Alabama. I liked your suggestions to help Melody. Each suggestion was very thoughtful. Although I have not read the book it seems very interesting. Good Job.

Project #14

Lesson Plan Overview created by Group Dufy
Above is the link to our Project Overview. This lesson plan focuses on Grade Level Standard 3: Writing narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. It is intended for Grade 2. The project duration will be approximately six days with 45-60 minute sessions a day. After they finish this project, students should have an understanding of what an autobiography is and how to write one.
Project Calendar by Dufy
Project Rubric by Dufy

Blog Post #10

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture is a very inspiring speech. Randy was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who suffered from pancreatic cancer and was given only a few months to live. This however, didn't stop him from making an incredible speech on his childhood dreams coming true. Some of his many dreams were to: Win stuffed animals, be Captain Kirk, and be a Disney imagineer. Each dream of his didn't come true in the way he thought it would but with time and hard work he came as close as possible. Pursuing his dreams was very complicated, but no matter what he followed his heart and learned from each dream.

As we mature and become adults we should let nothing stop us from being all that we can be. Randy showed me that no matter what dream we have, little or big, we should let nothing or no one get in our way of achieving it. As a teacher we will have students that will want to give up, but we must inspire them to do well and continue to try. He also helped his students learn hard things while having fun, this is a legacy he doesn't mind living with. Randy stressed the fact that each student should learn to be self-reflective. Self-reflection is something I am learning currently learning to do and I find this to be very important because we need to learn to be honest with ourselves. We must also respect authority, but also question it.

What did I learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch? I learned that teaching will always be a little complicated, but as teachers we should always stay positive and try to motivate our students. Learning is very complex. The way we learn is up to us. Randy learned by pursuing his dreams. Each dream gave him great experience and he always kept a positive composure. Life experiences will always teach us something we should just be prepared. Life also gives us things that we cannot change, but must learn to live with. Randy had to deal with his cancer and he couldn't change the fact that he had it. He did stay positive, pursued his dreams, and taught people worldwide. In the end life is all about how we deal the hand we were given. Will you be the one that gives up because someone said it was impossible or will you continue to reach the goals you set out for yourself?

Blog Post #9

Back to the Future is an educational video in which Brian Crosby, a fourth to sixth grade teacher at Agnes Risley Elementary School in Sparks, Nevada, discusses the ways he improves student learning in his classroom. When this video first started, it confused us a little. Why? Well, Mr. Crosby informed us on the background on his students and just how little they were exposed to. The majority of his class came from low income homes and had very little knowledge of their surroundings. Less than half of his class knew which city, state and country they lived in. This video shows the difference in the knowledge of students from middle-income and low-income schools. He has students use technology to connect with the outside world and learn from it. The students have their own blogs that they use to post their classwork on to meet state standards. Mr. Crosby reinforced the fact that every teacher should be creative, passionate and imaginative. We learned that you shouldn't judge students on where they come from, because with the right methods of teaching, every student will be able to become an A+ student. They are more than capable of learning the advantages of technology and utilizing it.

Blended Learning Cycle is a video in which Paul Anderson, a high school AP Biology teacher in Bozeman, Montana, teaches us what a blended learning cycle is. A blended learning cycle is a combination of the blended cycle and the learning cycle. The blended cycle consists of three parts: mobile, online and classroom. The learning cycle consists of five parts: engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate.

An easy way to remember the steps in this cycle is the acronym QUIVERS; Question, Investigate, Video, Elaboration, Review, Summary quiz. Mr. Anderson uses this in his classroom to help his students learn. Each step of this method was to confirm the understanding of the students answer to a driving question. If the student was not able to complete one step of this method, then they were not able to move on to the next step. What can we learn from Mr. Anderson? We learned a new method of teaching. Every good teacher knows to ask a good question. Mr. Anderson’s steps make it easy to make sure students understand your questions. QUIVERS is a method we would use in our classrooms to keep our students engaged and check their understanding.

Making Thinking Visible is a video by Mark Church. He starts by putting his class into small groups. He wants them to think about the topic of human origins. He lets them interpret the topic on their own and create a headline, or question, that helps them start their thinking process. After further discussion of that unit, the students will go back to their headlines and see if their view on the topic has changed. This is a very good method of learning to help students become critical thinkers. What can we learn from Mr. Church? We learned to let students think for themselves. If you pose a question, the students will find a way to answer it. This is a method of learning that we all could use in our classrooms to encourage our students to think critically and learn to combine their thoughts with others as well.

By: Demetrius Hamner, Michelle Detar, and Miriah Grantham

Blog Post #8

My Post
As I searched the internet I came across two very good learning websites. One is called Eduplace and the other one is called Jump Start. Eduplace is a basic site, specifically for second grade, that gives tools to help plan your lesson. It consists of a glossary, manipulatives, graphic organizers, and of course games. All these tools are specific for second grade learning. This learning tool could be used often in my classroom mostly for the games

and manipulatives. Jump Start has educational resources for pre-K through sixth grade. Some of the resources are games, worksheets, lesson plans, and much more. The movie Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon are some of the themes used for the different games. Each game is available not only online but on a number of sources like the iPad, Nintendo Wii, Mobile Device, and Nintendo DS. As you can see Jump Start stays up to date on 21st century learning and that is why it grabbed my attention. This is something that I will use in my classroom on a daily basis to reinforce what we have learned or even introduces something new. The many worksheets, lesson plans, and activities will be of great help in my classroom. Each curriculum is based on national and state standards so my students will always be learning efficiently. Jump Start is also a great way to keep my class interactive in learning. This site will help make the boring or more difficult topic fun.

Miriah's Post
One of the great sites that I stumbled upon was called Tech4Learning. This is a great place that encourages what we are learning in EDM310. It can be accessed by Parents, Teachers, and Administrators. It gives you all sorts of interesting information including “How to create a 21st Century Classroom”. It offers guides of common core standards that must be followed and “award winning” programs to download and use in your classroom. There is also a “connect” tab on the homepage that allows you to connect with other teachers, see lessons, and the work of other students. Another interesting site that I found was called The 21st Century Teacher. Here you can find articles, blogs, and videos that offer tips for 21st century learning. I would use both of these websites as an educator. Not only do they offer you great advice, but they also allow you to connect with other educators from all over and share ideas, which is very helpful for creating your own “21st Century Classroom”.

Michelle's Post
I am currently observing in a third grade classroom for three of my other classes. My mentor teacher, Ms. Williams, told me about some great sites that she uses to get worksheets and activities from. One that she told me about was Teachers Pay Teachers. I created an account with Teachers Pay Teachers so that I could access the tools that it provides. Teachers from all over can sell their original works to other teachers. You can sort your options by grade level, subject, or price. This is a great tool to use when you need extra help on certain subjects. My mentor teacher uses it in reading, because many of the students have a hard time grasping how to find the main idea of a passage. I would use this tool whenever I wanted my students to have a little extra practice on what we have already learned. The prices are cheap, and its quality work that you are buying. Some other great tools that it provides are: bulletin board ideas, classroom decorations, PowerPoints, rubrics, and so much more! Teachers Pay Teachers is an excellent site for teachers in all aspects.

Project #9

Podcast by Group Dufy

C4T #2

Summary #1
In this post, Digital Storytelling 106: Open, Participatory, Student-centric, Socical...the Future Mr. Rheingold addresses the online learning community for students. He also uses works of Jim Groom as a “platform” for the way he thinks the future of what online learning should be like. Every student has a digital identity and that is very much important, but is the way today's students learn online really the “future?” Mr. Rheingold says no, in fact he speaks on a new way for students to learn online. Since there isn't one kind of knowledge there shouldn't just be one kind of pedagogy. He includes the work of Jim Groom and says that it should be well known. Mr. Rheingold uses many of Jim Groom’s thoughts on student learning some of which include students creating their own WordPress. He even goes on to talk about students creating their own assignments if they don't like the original one assigned. Mr. Rheingold gives a quote from Jim Groom, “Twitter became the platform for everything that is missing in online learning – that hallway space, the space where you are joking around, the interstitial spaces that aren't tested on and aren't assessed – but it's where all the learning happens. I don't care if it's Twitter or Google Plus – you create your own tool – but being in a space where you feel you can invite and engage a community is very important.” This post was really to get everyone to think about just what the “future” of students learning would be like. Should things change?

Comment #1
When I read this post I immediately thought about my professor Dr. Strange. In our EDM310 class we are learning how to create a positive digital identity also. I would have to agree with all of your points on today's digital learning. The thing that stood out the most to me about this post is your proposed improvements. Being able to create your own assignments would be very interesting. I hadn't heard of Jim Groom before this post, but now I will make sure to read into his work further. I think I will be able to learn a lot from him.

Summary #2
In this post, When Students Say They Want to Change the World Listen: Angela Maiers, Mr. Rheingold says that teaching matters and that doing something that matters is being someone that matters. He then goes on into explaining the works of Angela Maiers. Ms. Maiers started a movement called Genius Hour. This movement takes “show and tell” to another level. It is very important that each student knows just how important they are. Genius Hour lets students take on a topic that is important to them. This allows each and every student to be able to make a difference and change something. Genius Hour is now being implemented in schools all over. In Mr. Rheingold’s video you actually see how passionate Ms. Maiers is about helping students make a difference.

Comment#2
Genius Hour seems like a great way to help students be more independent. I agree that every student should know that they matter and should express that to the world. I think that as educators if we help them do this then each student will be able to leave their mark somewhere in the world in a positive way. A student will never know what they will be able to change until they try.

Project #13

Investigating Insects

Lesson Plan #1 Created by: Miriah Grantham and Demetrius Hamner for Project #13
Above is a link to my Project Overview. This is a lesson plan on a Science Project called Insect Investigation. Students gather their information by identifying strange insects in a mini-investigation. They are to present their finding to the classmates and the rest of the school. This is targeted for 1st grade students and it takes about two – one hour sessions to complete. This plan covers many 21st-Century standards as well.


Link for my Project Calendar
Link for my Essential Elements Checklist

Blog Post #7

By: Demetrius Hamner, Michelle Detar, and Miriah Grantham

In Project Based Learning Part 1, Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps discuss the usage of project-based learning. Anthony Capps is a former student of EDM310 and is now a teacher in Baldwin County. Projects were once viewed as something you did at the end of a lesson to show what you had learned. Now, they are viewed as a way of teaching the material. Project-based learning is when you use actual projects to help students learn their objectives. Projects shouldn't just be used to reinforce what you have learned, but it should be a tool to learn. One example that Anthony gave us was a letter that his students wrote to Congressman Jo Bohner. He explained that each student wrote an individual letter and peer reviewed each one of their fellow classmates letters. They then picked the eight best letters and mailed them. This was a great way to show the importance of peer editing, collaboration, and project-based learning, which are very important tools to bring to the education system.

Project-Based Learning Part 2 gave great insight on all aspects of a classroom. As a teacher not every parent or student will agree with your choice of teaching, and we have to expect that. There are no limits to learning, so we should never limit our students. Always encourage them to go above and beyond. Project-based learning is a great tool for students of all levels. Simple projects such as writing a narrative script can be useful in retaining information about certain subjects. Students have fun while they learn, and they actually want to learn the material. I think that students will be more eager to learn if the learning process presented is engaging for them. Project-based learning is just that. Students are learning to think for themselves. It’s like you’re handing them a lemon, and they make amazing lemonade out of it.

In the video, iCurio, Anthony talks about what iCurio is. iCurio is a great tool for students to use and help them stay organized. Students can use iCurio to search websites that have been filtered for educational purposes. Students look up information on the internet all the time, but most of the time we forget where we got our information from. iCurio puts a stop to this, because it is a great way to retain information about the subjects we searched for. iCurio is a great program for students, because it will give them acceptable results when they search for information, and it is safe and secure. iCurio is also a great way to find course standard related topics.

In Discovery Education, we learn what Discovery Education is and why it is useful. Discovery Education is used for student searches, and teachers can use it to find fascinating videos that correlate to their lesson. Anthony says that by giving a child a video that goes along with their text, they are retaining a lot more information. Visual demonstrations help students retain the information. One of us has actually seen this program being used by one of our mentor teachers. She used interactive models, songs, and stories to help explain her lesson. The kids responded very well to this. This is definitely something we could benefit from in the classroom setting.

My Post
In Additional Thoughts About The Lesson Anthony tells us about the components of a lesson. Looking at a plan we must break it down into yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily. There are a few questions we should ask ourselves when constructing a project for our students. Is this project meaningful? Will it cover the material needed to be learned? Can this project get my students attention? Will I be able to meet all of my goals? What can I do to measure their progress? Creating projects for a lesson plan is hard work and it is not to be rushed. As a teacher we should take our time and do it the right way.

Michelle's Post
In Use Technology- Don't Teach It, Dr. Strange and Anthony talk about how to use technology in the classroom. Anthony tells us not to teach technology but to use it for assignments. Students in this century have the ability to learn how to use technology on their own. We learned this in the beginning of the course when we watched Dr. Mitra give children in third world countries computers, and they quickly taught themselves how to properly use them. Technology is something that children now are very familiar with. Most of them could probably teach adults a few tricks. As a teacher, I would much rather use technology than paper supplies. Technology is free. Students who may not be able to afford paper supplies can definitely benefit by the classroom technology. They have a vast variety of different tools to use. It’s beneficial because they are learning the course objectives and learning to use those tools. We can show them how to do it, but we should let them teach themselves with their assignments. Students will be proud of what they have accomplished, and we will be proud that they have learned a new skill!

Miriah's Post
In this video,The Anthony- Strange Tips For Teachers Part 1 Dr. Strange talks to Anthony Capps once again. They both discuss the things that we, as educators, should prepare ourselves for when we become a teacher. They both give great tips, such as, we must constantly learn and model that behavior, be flexible, and get your student engaged. The one that stands out to me most is: It is hard work, but it can be fun if we let it be fun. This is an statement I completely agree with. While observing classrooms for my other classes, I have seen all the work that goes into being a teacher. I have heard a lot of people say that teachers just sit there and do nothing when their students are not there( for example, when they are in P.E. or at lunch), and I have personally seen that is not true. They are preparing for the student to come back, grading papers, rearranging the classroom, etc. This requires a lot of creativity, which is where the fun part comes in. Both Dr. Strange and Anthony Capps gave us some good tips to bring with us to the Teaching Field.

Project #2

My Personal Learning Network
Staying connected is very important as a teacher. A Personal Learning Network gives you quick access to the many tools that you use for educational purposes. To show the progress on my PLN I created a symbaloo. Symbaloo is a website that lets you create links (as tiles) for the tools you use on a regular. Along with creating your own tile you can also search for tiles to add. My symbaloo has links to my blog, the class blog, and more. This is just the beginning and I can't wait to add more.

C4K Summary for September

Childs Name- Dark Chocolate Delight
Summary- "This I Believe" was the title of my students post.He started by giving a quote by Bruce Lee. "I say empty your mind be formless, shapeless like water. Now you put water in a cup it becomes the cup, you put water in a bottle it becomes the bottle, you put water in a tea pot it becomes a tea pot. Now water can flow or it can crash be water my friend." He then went on explaining, that this quote ment for him, no matter what continue to strive for the best and never let the negative things get to you. This student had been transferred from New York to Alabama and was having a hard time adjusting because he wasn't able to play football anymore. Although he was having a hard time he still stayed positive. Negative rumors were being passed around to the point he started to loose focus and get in trouble. When that started to happened he just looked up to his role model, Bruce Lee, and got back on track in school.

My Response- My name is Demetrius Hamner and I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. When I read your post I was brought back to memories of my high school days when I had to transfer schools. Leaving my friends was a very hard thing to do, but unfortunately I had to deal with it. I applaud your positive attitude on not being able to play football, staying positive is very important. I love your encouraging quote from Bruce Lee. Adjusting to different situations is a part of life and although you are hearing rumors never let that stop you from being the best that you can be. When you are feeling discouraged just think “What would Bruce Lee do?” Also, reading you post, I saw a few errors that I make from time to time. Example “..i don’t agree with or just do it..” Make sure to capitalize all “I”s and proof read. Overall your post was great!

Childs Name- Scarlet
Summary- In this post Scarlet was asking if anyone read the "The Very Bad Book" by Andy Griffiths. Scarlet also asked how everyone would rate this book because she needed help on her book report answering one last question.

My Response- My name is Demetrius Hamner and I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class. I am a student at the University of South Alabama located in Mobile, Alabama. Although I haven’t read “The Very Bad Book” I have heard it was a great. Everyone I know gives the book high ratings.

Childs Name-Maroroa
Summary- This student posted a "wanted post". Maroroa created a wanted poster for Jack (from Jack and the Bean Stalk). In his wanted posted he included a description of Jack and what he was wanted for. He also gave facts like the place Jack was last seen, that he is fast and a physical description with a picture. Maroroa set a $1,000,000 reward for the capture of Jack.

My Response- My name is Demetrius Hamner. I am a student in EMD310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. Great wanted poster. I liked how you gave facts about Jack and what he was wanted for. Nice picture of Jack.

Childs Name- Ariana
Summary- The title of my students post was "Once a Luddite, Not Always a Luddite". Ariana talked about how she was new to taking online classes. She loved to use the traditional way (paper and pencil) of learning. When it came to using technology she struggled. Ariana decided to step outside of the box and try online classes and she is loves it. She was introduced to Google docs, drop box, and more. Google docs are one of her favorites because it helps her stay connected with her group members that are in another country. Ariana is learning to be more patient and open-minded to new ways of learning.

My Response- My name is Demetrius Hamner. I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. If anyone would have asked me, back in my high school days, about online classes I would have reacted in the same way. I love technology, but when it came to learning I needed to be in an actual classroom with a teacher. Now I understand just how important technology is in the classroom. Learning how to use “unfamiliar” technology may sometimes be difficult, but it will pay off big time. I am very happy that you stepped outside of your comfort zone and took an online class. It is always good to be open-minded to learning things. Google docs are also something that was introduced to me a few weeks back and it truly is a life saver.