Final Reflection

Blog Assignment 14

For this week we were assigned to check out Jose Picardo's blog titled Technology and Education Box of Tricks.  The blog is set up differently than  most of the blogs we have visited this semester.  Most of the other blogs read like a scroll.  You just scroll down and there is the archive of the blog.  This one is set up much more like a website homepage prompting you to click into different articles.  I think it's a nice change of pace.  You can tell the writer of the blog is very technologically advances because the website is intricate.

One of the best features on this blog is the link he has provided for resources for teachers.  When you go to this page it is an alphabetical list of exactly what it claims to be, educational resources.  Its great all kinds of programs and websites for teachers to use.  He also provides a brief description of what the resource is next to each entry.

He also has a great YouTube video called "Top ten tips for using technology in the Classroom." He offers a lot of good advice like using music, blogs, Skype, and YouTube.  He says that it is very relatable to the students to use technology in the class room. We have used most of the mediums he suggests in the video in our EDM310 class.  It's a good video and a great website.  I am definitely adding it to my PLN.

Final Report on my PLN

Well, my PLN (Personal Learning Network) has grown a lot over the past semester in EDM310.  It is very important as an educator to have a rich PLN.  Constantly getting new information and learning how to be a better teacher should be a top priority.  I have been using my bookmark tabs to keep up with all the blogs that I follow and other websites I like to frequent.  At the behest of one of my group members from Team Gryffindor, Adrienne Babb, I have recently started using Symbaloo.  It works great as a homepage.  What Symbaloo does is it allows you to to place tiles on your homepage for all of your bookmarks.  I have a lot of the blogs that I follow on there along with other websites I use a lot like twitter, South Alabama's home page, and Blogger.  I can also put some of my personal websites on there as well like facebook, yahoo sports, amazon, and YouTube.

I have learned a lot in this class this semester.  I have learned a lot about becoming an educator and what you must do in order to be a successful one.  An enriching PLN is crucial in this process.  I will always be continually looking for ways for my PLN to grow.  I love to learn so this network is very important to me.

C4T post 4

For the last C4T of the semester I was assigned Kelly Tenkely's blog iLearn Technology.  The blog is all about integrating technology in the classroom.  The first post I commented on is titled "Quixey: Your go-to app search for ALL platforms!" In this post she writes about how finding apps can be and arduous task if you don't know specifically what you are looking for. She says that Quixey uses a "functional search" process that searches for apps by device and type.  She says it is great for use in the classroom because it works so quickly and is very easy to navigate.  Here's a link to the Quixey website check it out for yourself!  Works great! 

My comment: Thanks for this post.  I use Apple products and it can be very difficult sometimes navigating the app store.  This is a great search option.  Thanks again!

The second post I commented on in the blog was titled "Friday Recap: poems, painting and an app." The blog started off with a brilliant poem written by a 5th grade student named Emma at Anastais Academy.   The poem was in the style of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" but this poem was titled "Twas the Night Before Braces." It's really funny be sure to go over and see it on the iLearn Technology blog.  The blog then goes on to recap what she has been up to for the past few days.  She has pictures of some of the paintings some students made of pencils taught to them by a local artist.  Looks like they had a great time. Because the blog did not really express an opinion I didn't really have much to say in my comment.

My comment: "That poem is great!  Its awesome to see young minds at work."

C4K post 3

For my first C4K of this month I was assigned to comment on Mr. McClung's class blog.  The post I was assigned was one from 10/17 and it had to do with "The Divine Right of Kings." In the post Mr. McClung talks exactly about what the title suggests.  He provides a quote from King James IV of Britain, from 1609.  Where King James talks about how the kings should be viewed as gods because God himself views them as gods.  Looking through some of the other posts from this blog I wish I could have been assigned another like the one about Ben Folds, I love his music, or "The Onion," one of my favorite websites and also one of America's finest news sources.  I was confused a little because it appears that Mr. McClung himself was the author, but I left a comment anyway.


My Comment: "Hi, I am also a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I am planning on being an English teacher, and when teaching pieces from this time it will be important to show how kings were viewed by their citizens. Thanks."




In the second post for this month we were assigned different posts in Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog.  I was assigned to comment on a post that was first posted back in October.  This post was about the students in her class Skyping with some other students all the way across he manifest of the United States in Connecticut.  In the skype session the students from Mrs. Yollis' class presented the students in Connecticut with facts about California then in turn received facts about Connecticut from the students.  They also shared many other things like favorite recess games, classroom mascots, and other traditions that the classes participate in.  It looks like they had a lot of fun!


My Comment: "Mrs. Yollis, I'm a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama.  I really enjoyed reading this post.  It looks like the students in both classrooms  had a great time.  I love your blog.  It has really taught me a lot about using blogging as a tool in my future classroom.  This was a great activity that makes learning fun.  Thanks!" 


In the last C4K this month I was assigned Sarona who is a student at the Pt England School in Auckland, NZ.  She is in room 14 and her latest post was about an assembly she attended at school. The assembly was about space.  Apparently the teachers in the school had broken up into teams and presented different things about space to the students. Groups presented movies, dance numbers, and other fun facts about space.  It sounds like she had a great time.  


My Comment: "Hi Sarona.  It sounds like you had a lot of fun in the assembly.  Space is really fun to learn about.  You did a good job writing this post.  Keep up the good work!  Have a great week!"

Final Project - Team Gryffindor