Special Assignment

Best Blog Ever!

This is an in depth examination of Mr. McClung's Wonderful Class Blog. What I have found out about the way he has constructed his class blog is that he is very passionate about it, which leads to a fabulous and successful blog. He describes it as, "the vehicle that drives majority of the technology in his classroom." The blog serves as a daily newsletter that helps keep the parents, students, teachers, etc. in check and informed about what's going on in the classroom with assignments, projects and things of that nature. There are tons of resources for parents, students and teachers that are severely useful and easily accessible. His blog is very organized, clear and clean. He uses it for informative purposes, media tools, fundraising resources, a learning tool, communication to everyone needed, a central home base for those that need it and so much more. It's incredible!
As an educator, Mr. McClung seems to be very creative! I love his "class-yes" ideas and "teach-ok" and "hands and eyes".... for example, when he says "classidy class" they have to say "yessidy yes!" lol! I believe this is brilliant. I think it's a great way to get the class involved and refocus their attention. I would've loved this as a young student. Maybe not all students love it at first but if the whole class HAS to do it (and they do), and once they get used to it, I'm sure it becomes second nature. As an educator he also seems to care on somewhat of a deep level or he wouldn't have posted "internet safety" tips, rules and regulations.
His class rules, coming from a loving place I should add, seem very strict and straightforward. He has high expectations in every area such as being late, class participation, etc. However, I think that's what makes for a successful school year, a teacher who cares enough to not be your friend but be your leader and sometimes that entails a few tough guidelines to get your troops headed in the right direction! All the while. he seems fun though and I wish I would've had him when I was in 8th grade.
A day planner was the 1st thing under "everyone needs" because like I mentioned above he appears to be quite organized and neat and tidy, and for a teacher that has high expectations to the level that he does, these students wouldn't make it very far without a planner. Plus, maybe he is trying to get them prepared for the real world and don't most adults use day planners? I know I do!
Late penalties are pretty reasonable, like yours Dr. Strange, except that life only gets harder the older you get and in college, not only are we older with more responsibilities such as work, spouses, kids, other jobs, exercising to stay healthy (if you can find time) etc. but we also have other teacher's expecting the same exact work from us. So I guess what I'm saying is it's ok to work high schoolers to the bone because they have no life. But what about us tired/old/BROKE college students? Guess it's getting us ready for the 'Real World' though huh? Aren't we in it already? I'm pretty sure when I'm doing the same work everyday, life will be easier than randomosities to make my professors happy week to week... just sayin...
Personally, I love the fact that he puts so much into his blog and has such high hopes for it being the "vehicle" that drives all the technology in his classroom! I think it's a great idea and tool! A lot like EDM 310 and what Dr. Strange teaches and offers! I also adore his communication skills (via blog) to the parents, students, faculty administrators, and general public! Sweet of him to care... that'll go far too! I aspire for this technological level in my classroom. Hopefully I can take it to this level and use it to the extent Mr. McClung did even in the special ed rooms!
One of the useful links I enjoyed was "guys read." This might seem a bit weird given that I'm female and all but I figured it could be useful for me because I'm a girly girl, only child, who did not grow up around boys and isn't really used to teaching them, not quite comfortable around them, don't know what makes them tick or what they're interested in. So not only would it be a great tool for their entertainment but also for mine as well! The second link I explored was "from the basement" with all kinds of musical artists and some of the work they've done/performed. I think it's phenomenal that he is so passionate about music and incorporates it so much and so well into his students' educational lives. It not only will broaden their horizons and expand them in ways that couldn't be explained, but also may even lead to unknown passions and talents they may never have discovered otherwise! Perfect! All these useful links made his list A.) because they have something in common with Mr. McClung and what he wants to accomplish B.) they pulled his attention/interest somehow and brought him in C.) Maybe he saw something on one of these links that he didn't know how to touch on and figured that it was important enough to make it a link... I don't know but whatever his methods were, I deem them valid and legitimate because I can feel it through his blog.
His "internet safety" rules seemed pretty perfect to me, although I don't know much about internet safety. It concerned me though because I have my last name and real name up on a lot of things on my blog, facebook, twitter, and so forth. Should I change that?
I was assigned the German Gnomes from the "World Language Festival" and the only other comment besides mine was a girl who seemed to absolutely love the project and proposal that a couple of his students did about an infomercial. She seemed a lot like me actually, only giving good positive feedback with a few questions here and there. The only thing is that her grammar might have been off a couple of times but I'm no one to judge because I'm far from being grammatically perfect!
Now, when it comes to doing something with my blog that Mr. McClung does with his, yes I believe I can find something. I would love to be able to navigate my more clearly and be more organized in it's creation. Right now I seem to be doing ok I guess but when I'm a teacher with unlimited amounts of students, parents and teachers with access to my blog, I would love for it to be flawless. For the parents, teachers, students, etc, he makes his blog material so efficient and resourceful, easily accessible, clean, thorough (the list could go on and on).
Compared to the other 8th grade blogs I've seen (not a lot), Mr. McClung's takes the cake!!!!! By far!!!!!! I find it hard to criticize anything about his blog. I'm having to rack my brain truly and I just can't seem to find anything. Maybe if it's brought to my attention but on my own I'm stumped. But I have seen some boring, useless, confusing, and not worthwhile blogs, especially when compared to Mr. McClung's!
I think he did a FANTASTIC job on his 8th grade class blog and believe he will go far in the education world and that he will take his students with him! The world is his oyster for him and his students and the sky is the limit for them as well! I just hope they all wear sun shades because their future is magnificently bright ; D
I just had to!

C4T #3

"What Ed Said"

My first post on the "What Ed Said" blog was on his post titled, "10 Steps to Successful Tech Integration." I thought this pretty perfect considering that's pretty much what EDM is all about. He mentioned some great points/tips/suggestions that can help with tech integration in schools. It's not only for students and their education but also for teachers and all of the faculty and staff to better the communication, creativity, enhancement, and of course education for the school! Brilliant!
My second post called "Learning Through Inquiry" and was all about how true learning comes passionate questioning and a true thirst for knowledge. Under a brief summary of his collaborative session from the previous year explanation and all that entails, he gives you significant bullet points of the main ideas he is trying to get across. These consist of ideas such as, 'learners discover new ideas for themselves and test/experiment with new ideas and solutions to problems, learners must engage with big ideas, teachers don't have all the answers, learners should make connections on past and present experiences, etc and so forth. All great points to bring to the table that I enjoyed putting in my vault and will retrieve when needed :) Under all this he posted a great photo that from the "Inquirer" that not only goes with the theme of what he is saying, but also can mean more than just what he meant for it if you use your imagination and creative "learning" skills!

Blog Post 10

"An Open Letter To Educators" thanks to Morgan Bayda.

This was a great post that I had fun diving into. Morgan Bayda was very relatable and seemed on the same page that I'm on... I've never had so many group projects until getting into EDM and a couple other education classes. This aggravates me so much because what were the first 2 years of my college career for? Before I really knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life or what my passions were. Why don't professors make the most out of your school debt that you're about to be buried in and challenge your creativity, force you out of your comfort zone, and push you to your limit. I'm just now coming into this, and I'm in my fourth year of college! Tragic! I've never made friends in a class until now when I'm forced to do projects, communicate and collaborate with my classmates and go farther than I have ever gone in a classroom setting. It's not because I didn't want to make friends in class it's just that I didn't know how to and was afraid. It breaks my heart to think of the relationships I did not make and the learning I could've received, having been more comfortable in that setting, or having made a "study buddy" etc and so forth. Dan's video didn't necessarily make me want to drop out of school but it definitely made me want to brainstorm ways to not become that kind of a teacher and to force technology into my education/teaching career! Thanks to Dan and Morgan both!

C4K #4,#5,#6

EXPLORING INNOVATION
First I commented on the "Exploring Innovation" post because no one had posted anything on it and I just felt the urge! It was a nifty little gadget they put up that is supposed to help them "explore" more words that deepen the meaning of "innovation." Some words already up were: new words, creativity, ideas, and inquiring. There were more words but not all made sense lol. I added "different" to the list because even though different is a common word you hear often it adds character to a world that is consumed with sameness and likeness and 'different is bad.' But 'different' is not always bad. Just because something seems uncomfortable or unsure doesn't mean you shouldn't go there, just be cautious and take it head on!

CULTURE VIA ARTS
Next I commented on a post by Lucy, Keilani and Ruby about "how culture is reflected through the arts." Such a fabulous project for learning about cultures around the world. They did a great job interpreting and displaying what they learned and how they did their work! I love getting to see what projects these kids get to do. Gives me great ideas for when I'm a teacher! Can't wait!

RESPECT
Finally I got to comment on a blog post where they mentioned blogging and "how to get started." First they started with R-E-S-P-E-C-T and how it applies to blogging. Under RESPECT they left some great points important in the blogging world! These points sounded familiar to me and then I realized where I had heard them before... Dr. Strange, lol! Just kidding! But not really ; )
I added my 2 cents with how I'm going through the same lessons and exercises to take the same actions. Funny how R-E-S-P-E-C-T can be used all over the world, even when it comes to blogging!

Skype Interview Project

Smartboard Presentation!

This Smartboard presentation was so fun! Not only because of my awesome partner Jessica Battles but also learning how innovative and interactive, interpretive and interesting the Smartboard can be. Now, I must admit we had our difficulties but once you get the hang of it, it's worth it. We created a form (aka "test") that goes with the Smartboard presentation that would be given to the class sometime after the actual presentation. It consists of the material we mentioned but is in test form and maybe asks it in a little bit different way. We created this for kindergarteners and had 10 questions concerning the information we presented. The presentation and the test are a collaborative project that go hand in hand with each other, as you would see in a real classroom setting. This project was not only fun because of my partner and fiddling with the Smartboard but also because it excited me for the future of when I am in an actual classroom with my real life students and get to teach for real!

PLN Progress Report 1

My Twitter

I am using Twitter as my PLN! I chose Twitter because it seemed the easiest for me to navigate, control and seek help when needed! It is very popular right now and 'everyone is using it' ; ) I can follow inspirational leaders and in turn follow people that they follow! For instance I found one of my classmates who helps me constantly and is very studious, and when she "follows" certain people, I "follow" that person too! It's a beautiful circle! I can also follow friends on twitter (and vice versa) and they can see my progress or what I've been up to lately. Hopefully I am inspiring my friends to follow leaders, educators, etc with using Twitter as a PLN. I got this idea from Allie and Anthony, both of whom I highly look up to. I wouldn't be able to make it through EDM without these two! Having a PLN is so useful and convenient and I didn't believe it until I started actually following through with and going through the motions of using Twitter and reaping it's benefits. When I watched all those videos (especially the one about the young student who has a PLN) I didn't fully grasp the concept. I am a physical learner, so until I physically "DO IT" on my own... I don't get it!

Blog Post 9

Mr. McClung's "what I've Learned This Year" really hit home with me. Unlike a lot of education majors that I am taking classes with, I have yet to Student teach so the only teaching experience I have is teaching dance and babysitting (not much to go by). So, with this, I often get discouraged because I feel inadequate at times and want to throw in the towel. But one part in his post made me feel better... It was the 2nd paragraph under "Be Flexible" and it basically said 'get over the perfectionism because that will never make it and don't beat yourself up over imperfect lessons or students, etc. All you can do is try your absolute best and "do it with a smile on your face." This is something that I always do and consider myself to be a pro at so after reading Mr. McClung's post, I believe I will make it through my first year of teaching with really hard work and a smile on my face. :D

Blog Post 8

"This is How we Dream" was a really cool concept of incremental change vs. fundamental change, and how one should not only consume the multimedia but also compose and produce the multimedia used, for the purpose of bettering the future of media and how it's used in the educational world. I like how he mentioned we should "share freely" the things we compose and create as to add to (and not just leave at a stand still) the information and availability of the tools that are out there. Thanks to this class, I believe I will be prepared to write with multimedia and teach my students how to do this as well!
When watching "EDM 310 for Dummies" and "The Chipper Series" I was inspired to possibly make a video of "what not to do's" for this class. I realize that's kind've what "Chipper" did but I was thinking more along the lines of listing out deliberately what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's that way "dummies" like me that need more self-explanitory techniques can see it more blantantly and deliberately as opposed to an "actress" who we know is brilliant and it's more relatable and obvious instead of just comical. And maybe this can be watched in the middle of the semester as opposed to the beginning that way they understand it more and know more about the topics, projects, and assignments, because when I watched "chipper" at the beginning of the semester I just thought it was a funny video and didn't take it seriously. I also didn't know the 1st thing about edm 310 and what it was entailed.
The "Learn to Change, Change to Learn" video was beautiful. The title alone is inspirational and moving and mad me think to myself, "I must 'change' in order to properly and effectively 'learn'!" Technology is not something that we can control because it will continue to grow and develop a new environment and we just have to go with it! It's about community and building relationships, not just about technology. It's about connectivity and easy access, not just about information and learning. It's so much more!!! I love and totally agree with the arguments made in this video! Thanks Christie Odom!
I LOVED "Secret Powers of Time" not only because of the amazing creativity and artistry, but also because of the fabulous points brought up in this video. It went a lot deeper than I thought it would and maybe even went over my head a bit, lol. I liked this video because it wasn't only about education and technology, but also about spending time with family, friends and even sleeping more! My favorite point brought up in this message was "understand your own time perspective and that of others." The other video "The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," was just as cool! The concept of higher incentives lead to worse performance in the cognitive area. When a task gets more complicated, when it requires creative thinking, money as a reward did not work! I believe this, because rewards aren't necessarily how/what I work for (I'm probably one of a very few select group that is this way; I can't explain myself). These videos both explained the affect of growth in people's education and their drive for success in different ways. The 1st one was saying motivate with love, passion and family and the 2nd one was saying, motivate with free will and allow people to self-direct and self-control for healthier more positive outcomes! I totally agree and I believe I can master both of these techniques because I feel like I already live this way for the most part. Of course I'm far from perfect and will always be inclined to constructive criticism, change, growth and constant renewel of myself to better my students learning environment! Both of these videos also stressed the EXUBERANT IMPORTANCE of time and how everyone should strive for managing it properly. The saying "time is on your side" has never sounded so sweet to my ears! Hence the clock : )

Short Movie Project 11

C4T #2 summary

For C4T I got to comment on Mrs. Lisa Thumann's posts. The first one I chose was about google earth and everything that it has to offer for your students such as investigating earthquakes to historical voyages and events, real world math, "how-to" lessons and tons of learning tools and resources for geography, science and math. It was funny because someone had just mentioned google earth to me and was telling me all they knew about it and the next thing I know I'm assigned to a teacher whose 1st post was about google earth! Love it!
Next I commented on her "broken cookies contain fewer calories" post about how she had to meet her daughter's girl scout cookie quota in order for them to get their badges. I found great pleasure in reading this because she left a GREAT point at the end... "using social media can increase your reach!" And I totally concur with that statement!

Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture was so inspiring! How amazing is it that he was so close to death and he's smiling and happy and laughing and energetic! Incredible! First of all he is an amazing speaker, no doubt about that. As opposed to being full of sorrow, it was a humorous and enjoyable lecture! Second, I learned so much from this one hour of my life, listening to this lecture because he brought up so many amazing points.
The first point that caught my attention was 'when you screw up and no one is telling you, that is not good.' This to me meant either no one cares enough to help you better yourself and/or you're too far past the point of help. Both, not comforting. He also stressed the importance of being specific, bringing something to the table, and the power of enthusiasm, all of which are such influential statements that truly can lead to positive change in a person or a situation.
He spoke a lot about "brick walls" stopping the "other" people who didn't want it bad enough and that's something I was glad was brought to my attention. I don't ever want the "brick wall" to stop me or my students. Patience shined through this man's lecture when he said "wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you! Another great point teacher's should run with. Our students aren't always going to learn something immediately but that doesn't mean they're incapable... just wait longer! Here are some more verbatim's I'll take with me to the classroom:
Choose to be a Tigger over an Eeyore, never lose my child-like wonder (hence why I chose elementary and special education), helping others and being loyal is a two-way street and never give up!
Even though I cried tears I tremendously enjoyed spending an hour of my life watching that lecture... Thanks Dr. Strange!