Blogfolio

1. Introduction Video

My first blog post was an introduction video.  For this assignment one of our classmates filmed us.  In the video I told a little bit about myself.  I told things such as my name, my major, my family information, and why I want to become a teacher.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 3c.  The standard says communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.  The introduction video meets this standard because instead of just writing about myself I had to use the technology of the flip camera and my blog to upload a video.  This activity can be used in my future classroom first to introduce myself to my students and parents and then the students can also do an introduction video for themselves.  This is a good activity because the students will be more excited to introduce and tell about themselves if technology such as the flip camera and internet are involved.  This activity may allow shy students who do not like to speak in front of the class express themselves in a different way.

 

2. Concept Map

            The second post for my blog was a concept map.  In class we created a concept map on a topic of our choice.  We were required to have a certain number of subtopics and encouraged to be creative.  I really enjoyed this assignment.  Since doing this assignment I have learned the benefits of using concept maps in different ways.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 2a.  This standard says design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.  I believe the concept map meets this standard because it gives the students a new way to learn.  The concept map organizes information in a creative and fun way providing a great visual to any lesson.  We had to use our creative side to complete the assignment in a way that would make the assignment appealing to young students.  I will definitely use this assignment in my future classroom.  I will use it to review or introduce a lesson I will be teaching to highlight the main points of the lesson.  I will also use this assignment by letting the students create concept maps to show me what they have learned about a particular lesson.  This assignment is good because it helps bring all the main ideas together in an organized and creative way.  I think it is great for any classroom and will be used in my future classroom for sure.

3. Khan Academy

            Khan Academy was a great resource to learn about.  This is a program that allows students to work on and accomplish lessons outside of a normal classroom. This is a great resource for students to work on their problem areas even if they do attend a normal classroom setting.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 2b.  This standard says to develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to purse their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.  This assignment meets this standard because it does exactly that.  This website allows the students to work on the problems they need to understand in order to reach their goals.  Students are allowed to choose which areas they want to work in so they are managing their own learning.  Finally, the program tracks the student’s progress for them.  This is a great way for the students to see their improvement over time.  This resource could be used in my future classroom for the students who may need extra help on certain problems.  They can further their understanding at home by practicing more of the same problems.  This program could also be used as an assessment program to be able to see which areas my class is having problems with.  I think this is a great program to see individual progress.  This assignment was good because I had never heard of this program before the assignment.  Also this assignment was good because it will benefit me in my future classroom by having a good way to assess my students or just as a resource to have extra practice time.

4. Voki

            Another assignment we complete in this class was a Voki.  This is an online resource which allows the creation of a talking cartoon.  I used this project to create a classroom pet.  She first introduced herself and welcomed the class to their first day of school.  In the future I would have used her to introduce new topics or bring announcements to the class just as a fun way to give information to the students.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 3c.  This standard says to communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. This assignment meets this standard because this is a great way to send information to the students and parents creatively.  I would use this in my future classroom much like I used it in my example.  I would use this program to relay information to my students about lessons or upcoming events creatively.  This program would catch the student’s attention better than a newsletter.  This assignment was good because it taught us another creative way to send information out and grab the student’s attention.  This is a way to use technology in the classroom for good or even to introduce yourself. This program could be used many times throughout a school year.

5. Gapminder

            Gapminder is an online resource which allows you to see statistics around the world for a wide range of time periods.  I found this resource very interesting because of the wide range of categories available and time periods.  The assignment meets the NETS standards 3d.  This standards says to model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.  This assignment meets this standard because it is a great information source for students to use in order to analyze, locate, and evaluate data.  The possibilities on this website are vast.  In my future classroom I could use this website when teaching a history lesson.  This would be a great visual for students to understand the difference between one part of the world and another.  I could also use this website for research about students around the world.  This assignment was good because we learned how to work Gapminder and determine different statistics.  I think this website will be very helpful in the future.  I am glad we were introduced to this website.

6. World Peace Game (Ted Videos)

            I must admit after watching the Ted video on the world peace game I was a little confused on exactly how the game worked.  However, I do find it interesting that students were able to wrap their minds around and even solve such major issues that we have in the world today.   This particular video meets the NETS standard 1b.  This standard says engage students in exploring real world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. The Ted video meets this standard because in this video and other videos students can be introduced to real world problems and those problems can be discussed after the video.  I can use Ted videos in my future classroom because students would much rather watch videos than listen to another lecture.  I could even use this specific video to learn ideas about the game if I wanted to play a game similar to this in my classroom.  This assignment was good because it opened my eyes to just how much children can accomplish at such a young age.  This assignment was also good because I had never heard of Ted videos.  After looking around on the website I found some videos that will be helpful for me when I become a teacher.

7. Movie Maker

            Movie Maker was one of my favorite projects in this class.  For this assignment we were required to bring in pictures that would tell a story, add music, add text, and turn the story into a movie.  This project took time and creativity to make it just right, but it was all worth it to see your final movie.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 1a.  This standard says promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.  I believe this assignment meets this standard because we were required to tell a story in a new way.  We also had to be creative in order to make the story flow, be interesting, and appealing.  This activity can be used in my future classroom in the same way we used it in IT 365, simply to tell a story of the student’s choice.  We could also use this method to make creative remakes of a history lesson we learn or even remake short stories we read.  Either of these would put a new spin on the story and make it more fun and interesting for the students.  If technology is involved the students are more willing to learn.  This is a good assignment because it gives students the opportunity to express themselves in yet another way.  This assignment teaches them to be creative and is fun at the same time.  This activity is also good because it can put a new spin on subjects such as English and history.

8. Xtranormal

            Xtranormal is a website which allows you to create conversation between characters.  You can choose your own characters, setting, motions, and voices.  We used this website to create a public service announcement for students.  I thought this was a very neat way for students to learn about a public service announcement.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 4c.  This standard says promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.  This assignment meets this standard because we were using technology to teach about responsible actions and behaviors.  This assignment can be used in my future classroom in the same way we used it, to inform students about appropriate behaviors and actions.  This can also be used to teach dialogue when studying literature.  This assignment was helpful because we were able to use our creative side to tell students about things they should and should not do.  This assignment was also good because we learned a new tool to use for communication in our future classroom.

9. Software and Hardware Technology

            The software and hardware technology assignment allowed us to learn what different parts of the computer are and do.  We learned parts such as RAM, hardware, software, and CPU.  Some of these parts I was not sure of what they did.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 3a.  This standard says demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of content knowledge to new technologies and situations.  This assignment meets this standard because it helped us to become more fluent in the technology systems.  We learned the jobs of different parts of the computer which will help us to become more fluent in technology all together.  In my future classroom I can use this assignment to familiarize my students with different parts of technology.  It is important for students to know about technology because technology surrounds us no matter where we are.  This assignment was good because it helped me to understand technology better.  This is helpful because I need to be familiar with technology because it is a large part of the world we live in.

10. Websites

            Creating a website was my other favorite assignment in this class.  For this assignment we were required to create a website for our pretend classroom.  The website had to have four different pages on it and different required information.  This was a great experience that I know I will benefit from greatly in the future.  I was glad we learned how to do this now in preparation for the future.  This assignment meets the NETS standard 3b.  This standard says to collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.  This meets this standard because my website would have everything the students, parents, co-workers, and anyone else would need to know about things going on inside and outside of the classroom.  This can be used in my future classroom to keep parents informed about information they need to know.  On the website they can find information about me, contact information, assignment information, and calendars of events.  This would be my way of mass communicating with those who need to know about my classroom.  I will be using a website in my future classroom to keep everyone informed about what is going on.  This assignment was good because it helped me prepare for my future.  When I need to create a website for my first classroom it will be easy for me to do because I completed this assignment.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to take IT 365.  Before this class I had very little knowledge of the many resources out there in the technology world.   Now that I have taken the class I have learned of many resources that will be very beneficial in my future classroom.  I was able to learn many things in this class from the basics of the computer to the advantages and disadvantages of technology and even the many helpful resources to use in the future as I mentioned before.  I believe this class was very beneficial to me, I really learned a lot.  I feel as far as the technology side of teaching goes I am better prepared than before.  I feel I have learned what I need to get me started in integrating technology into my classroom. I really liked how we used blogs to turn in our work because this can be done in any classroom and is a very useful tool I did not think about before this class.  I believe my weakness in this class would have to be knowing the different parts that make up the computer, however I do feel I have improved. I also seemed to have trouble when it came to uploading the concept map and video.  This is one thing I still need to improve on.  I believe I was good at incorporating creativity into my assignments and I was very proud of the way my movie turned out.  I really enjoyed the movie assignment.  Overall, my experience in this class was wonderful.  I was able to learn so many new things and I now have many useful resources for my future classroom because of this class.

Atlanta Cheating Scandal

   Upon reading this article about the Atlanta cheating scandal I so shocked and stunned that something like this would take place.  It is ashame that teachers and school faculty would go to such great lengths to make their school look better than it really is.  I can not believe the amount of people that were in involved in this scandal.  The rank should not really mean that much to you if you know you cheated to get there.  On the other hand, you are just being the wrong role models for the students in your school if you participate in such an act.  Instead of putting all of the time and work they did into cheating they should have been planning on how to actually improve their school in an honest way.  I was outraged after reading this article. 

Sharing is Fun!

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/14334809/sharing-is-fun

To (All) the Colleges That Rejected Me

I think Ms. Weiss is trying to say you have to be perfect to get into college. I would have to say I disagree with this. Yes, you do have a better chance if your resume' looks good, but hey that is how it will be the rest of her life with anything she wants to do. I think she should have used her opportunities in all the things she listed and maybe participated in some of them. No, I do not believe colleges are looking for you to do tons of events, but it is nice to know that a future student was involved during high school. This leads the college to think you can better the college in some way. I do think many people feel this way and she is expressing for those who did not have the voice to speak. I feel she was disappointed because she was in an Ivy League school when she could have just been excited for getting in to good schools.

Lalee's Kin

What is the problem? Poverty and illiteracy still exists among these people in the Delta. This leads to the school being put on probation because they have the lowest test scores. Why is it still around? This still exists because there is a lack of funding for the school to properly educate the children. The children are also uneducated because the parents do not have the means to teach them, they are uneducated themselves. How will we fix it? I believe it all goes back to the education they are not able to receive because of the lack of funding. Parents should take in to consideration if they can provide for more children before they have more children.

Gapminder

I think gapminder could be a really helpful and handy visual to use in my classroom one day. It allows the students to see statistics of many subject areas and over a long period of time. I like how you can choose the information you do and do not want to see. This is a neat website. I used gapminder to look at the countries of China, the United States, Finland, and Mexico. Since I am very interested in education I chose to look under the category of education. I decided to compare these countries under the topic of percentage of boys who completed primary school. Although Mexico shoes steady improvement and is constantly rising they are still the lowest with 71 percent. China does significantly better in the category. China comes in at 96 percent. They remain in the same area of percent without decline or improvement. Next, the United States come in very close with China at 98 percent. This does not really surprise me, this is around where I would expect us to be. Finally, with no surprise Finland comes in on top with 104 percent of completion. I figured Finland would be on top which is why I chose them to be in the comparison. Gapminder allowed me to easily make observations about these statistics.

Julie the Classroom Dog

Khan Academy

I think the idea of Khan Academy is really neat.  I like how the students are able to work at their own pace of learning.  The students can take as much or as little time on a concept as they need.  I believe this is key and very beneficial for the students to fully grasp the concept before moving on to a new concept.  The way this is being used in the classroom is very interesting to me.  When the students use this for their "lecture" at home and are allowed to actually work problems in the class the teacher is allowed to see the progress the students are making first hand. The teacher is now allowed to work with their students more because of this program.  I also like this program because the progress is tracked in great detail to be viewed later.  I think this is very helpful for the students and teachers so that the problem areas can be addressed as needed. This is useful for the teacher to see which areas she needs to addressed in more detail in class for the students.  Overall, I think this is a very useful program and bring great benefit both inside and outside of the classroom.

New Articles

Sequestration cuts will shortchange students, universities say
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/03/02/cuts-will-shortchange-students-universities-say.html

I believe it is very important for these cuts not to be made.  Education is a very important and money should be given to education.  It is a terrible thought to cut the funding that sends many students to college to further their education.  These students may have no other way to pay for education besides the grants they recieve.  If you cut these you are also cutting their education and affecting their future. 
 
K-12 student database jazzes tech startups, spooks parents
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22712955/k-12-student-database-jazzes-tech-startups-spooks

To me this is a big expense for something that is not vital to the schools.  I do not believe it is right to insert students' information into database systems to be used for research, especially if permission is not granted from the parents.  I feel this database is being used to make profit more so than it is to benefit the children.  The children should be the main focus if you are really trying to help them. 

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

I agree with many things he said.  I believe the school system focuses very heavily on the subjects of math, science, english, and history.  This leaves little room for creativity. Some students learn better when using their creative side.  We should allow students to have more freedom to express their creative side.  We should not shut out their creative thoughts, we should allow them to express themselves in the way they feel appropriate.

John Hunter: World Peace Game

1.  He has taken all of the qualities he liked from his previous teachers and uses those things in his classroom now.  He would not be where he was today if it weren't for the people who taught him.

2.  The game was a way to allow the students to have fun interaction while learning at the same time.  This would be much more effective than just listening to a lecture about world problems and how to solve them.

3.  The children play the roles of Prime Minister, goddess of the weather, there is a destroyer, and there are also army generals. 

4.  John Hunter called himself the facilitator.

5.  The condolence letter allows the students to really think about their soldiers before they go into a war that may not be necessary.

6.  John Hunter is a creative thinker who cares about his students and wants them to learn the most they can.

7.  I think it is important for the students to learn to think on their own, so yes I feel he was successful.

Technology Tip

The new tip I learned was that you can combine shapes on Powerpoints. The Combine Shapes command is not available on the ribbon. To access this command, it must be added to the Quick Access Toolbar. Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar… button on the Quick Access Toolbar and select More Commands. In the Choose commands from: drop down, select Commands Not in the Ribbon. Scroll down and select Combine Shapes. Click Add and OK.
I would like to learn more about how to use the SmartBoard in the classroom.  I know this can be a very helpful tool, I am just not sure how to work all of the features.

Other Tips:
Ctrl+F=find words in documents 
print screen = screen shot
Ctrl+S = Save
Ctrl+Z= undo
Ctrl+Alt+Delete = start/end programs
Ctrl+ 2 = double space
Ctrl + 1 = single space
Alt + Tab = switches between open tabs
Transferbigfiles.com - Transfers large files up to 2G
Ctrl + C = copy
Ctrl + V= Paste
Ctrl + B = Bold
Ctrl + W = closes current tab
Ctrl + R = right aline
Ctrl + L = left aline
Ctrl + E = center
Ctrl + A = Select all
Ctrl + P = Print
Ctrl+ I = Italicize
For passwords use capital letter, number, and symbol

Color Wheel Concept Map

Video

I.       Primary Colors

Primary colors are the colors that can not be made by mixing any other colors.  The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.  When these colors are mixed with one another they can create the secondary colors.  If a primary color is mixed with a neutral color it will create a tint of color.  All other colors come from these three colors.  If we thought of the color wheel as a family the primary colors would be the parents.

A.    Red

B.    Yellow

C.    Blue

1.    Cool Color

The blues and greens of the color wheel are known as cool colors.  These colors usually represent cooler temperatures.  These colors are associated with water, ice, and the sky.  You would use cool colors to represent the calm in the picture.

II.     Secondary Colors

A secondary color is a color made by mixing two primary colors together.  If you mix the primary colors red and yellow for example, the result is the secondary color of orange. The other two secondary colors are green and purple. The primary colors must be mixed in equal proportions to receive the exact secondary colors.  These colors are sometime described as the "children" of the Primary colors. 

A.    Green

B.    Purple

C.    Orange

1.    Warm Color

The reds, yellows, and oranges of color wheel are known as warm colors.  These colors go along with warmer temperatures such as the sun or fire.  These colors also represent warmth, comfort, or energy in a work of art.

III.    Tertiary Colors

Tertiary colors are created by the combination of a primary and secondary colors.  Therefore, there are two colors that make up a tertiary color.  There are six tertiary colors.  Tertiary colors add great variety to the color wheel.  Usually the primary color is listed first in the name.

A.    Yellow-Orange

B.    Red-Orange

C.    Red-Purple

D.    Blue-Purple

E.    Blue-Green

F.     Yellow-Green

IV.    Neutral Colors

The neutral colors are gray, black, and white.  Neutral colors are the color that are neither warm nor cool. Neutral colors result from the combination of two complementary colors.  These colors are also included in the earth tones.  These three colors mix very well with any of the other colors because they are neutral.

A.    Black

B.    Gray

C.    White

V.     Complementary Colors

In the color theory, two colors are called complementary if, when mixed in the proper proportion, they produce a neutral color (grey, white, or black).  Complementary colors are exact opposite of one another on the color wheel. The high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant look especially when used at in full clarity. These are the colors you normally see together because they look best together.  The complementary colors are yellow and purple, red and green, and blue and orange.

A.    Red and Green

B.    Blue and Orange

C.    Yellow and Purple

Technology in the Classroom

After reading Technology in the Classroom: The Good and Bad my eyes were opened to some new facts about children and technology.  This article start by explaining a scenario with a kindergarten teacher who already uses technology in his classroom with children at such a young age. However, the students were able to take one lesson and connect it to many other things they learned previously on the cell phone and ipad available to them.  I personally do not think this is a bad way to learn.  The students are more engaged when using technology rather than listening to a teacher lecture.  One comment in the article suggests technology is used for purposes of being a pacifier or babysitter.  However, when used in the classroom in the right way it can be used for learning purposes. 

The main thing we should take into consideration when allowing children to use technology is the difference between engagement and addiction.  There is a difference.  If the children are using technology for useful purposes rather than entertainment, technology can actually be a great way of learning.  As parents and teachers, I feel it is our duty to know the difference between the two and the purpose for which the child is using technology. According to the article, "More than half of all children ages 8 and younger have access to a mobile device at home, either a smartphone, a video iPod, or an iPad or other tablet". The children are obviously using technology, so we should make sure it is used as a learning tool.  Although I agree with technology use, I also agree with the article that children should also have time to learn other needed skills as well.  There should be a healty balance between the two. 

Computer Terms

What is software?
Downloadable material to be used on the computer for certain purposes. Gives intructions to the computer so it can run what you want it to run.
Ex: Microsoft Office

What is hardware?
Anything you can touch on the computer is known as hardware.
Example: Keyboard

What is CPU?
Central Processing Unit- carries out instructions from your keyboard for example (like the brain of the computer)

What is RAM?
Random Access Memory- non-volatile, helps the computer to run at faster speeds

What is ROM?
Read Only Memory- saves information even if the power is shut off

What does a hard drive do?
The hard drive is used for storage of materials you can access later.

What is a server?
A very large central processor that many devices can run off of.
Example: Google

The Machine is Using Us

The digital text we use on the computer is more movable and workable than written text.  We use the computer so much that we are used to this kind of text.  In fact, we are the ones responsible for the computer.  Essentially we are the machine.  We are the ones teaching the machine new ideas.  This is true because we are the ones who are responsible for organizing the data on the web, we are the ones who make the computer run.  In fact, we are so involved in the web that a blog is born every 1/2 second.  To me that is a shocking fact.  To sum up, because we are the machine we should rethink the information we tell the computer.  We should rethink our identity to the computer.

The Dirty and Dangerous Side of Tech

Before reading this article I never really thought about what may be inside of my computer or smartphone.  Honestly I would not have thought about poison being inside of these devices.  However, I learned that after my use of the device is over the real harm begins. Three major events take place and can be very dangerous.

Mining is the first of those events.  During the process of mining land is destroyed which results in poisons being released.  The next event is manufacturing.  Someone's job is to put these devices together.  That person most likely comes in contact with these poisons.  The final event is end life.  Most of the time when we "recylce" our old devices only the wanted parts are taken out and the rest of the device which contains poisons is just thrown away.

Even though some poisons have been banned new unknown products are being used.  In efforts to reduce the amount of poisons we could buy these new devices less often, see how environmentally friendly the device is, and recycle the device yourself so you know it is in the right place.

After reading this article I am now aware of the many dangerous poisons which are inside many of the devices I use daily.  I learned it is important to use these devices carefully. Also, when it come time to get rid of the device I should properly dispose of it myself.  I should also make efforts to be conscience of what devices I buy and how often. 

Pay Attention

This video encourages me as a future teacher to engage my students by using technology.  Students today already use many forms of technology everyday.  Why not use this same technology to help the students learn in an exciting way in the classroom?  This form of teaching would ensure the student's attention and excitement. I believe technology use in the classroom would always keep the lessons new and interesting.  This video opened my eyes to new ways to use cell phones, ipods, and other electronics in the classroom that I had never thought about before.

The fact that very low percentages of students who will actually graduate from highschool felt as if the work they are doing in school would actually help them in there future careers.  This is a shocking fact to hear because these are the students who are graduating and going out into this world to hopefully make a positive impact.  These students are going to school to gain more knowledge to take out into the world, yet these same students feel the work they are completing in highschool has little meaning and effect on them.  I believe the students should be eager to learn new things and technology could be the key to that.

Technology has little use in most of my current classrooms.  Only in two out of my five classes do we actually use technology outside of the classroom for assignments other than writing papers.  Maybe if we use more technology in our classroom students would be more engaged in the lessons. In my future classroom I  would really like to use technology when possible.  This video allowed me to see many ways technology can be used in the classroom that I did not even think about before.  I believe this would keep my students interested and eager to learn in a new way.

Manti Te'o

Honestly I am not sure what to think about the Manti Te'o situation.  I do not know why anyone would want to make up an online girlfriend.  I especially would not do this if I knew it would blow up in the news.  However, if his friend played this joke on him or if he was truly set up I feel really sorry for him.  It was said that his grandmother and girlfriend died on the same day.  To me that is ironic and hard to believe, so i see why this may have been a hint.  If he really thought he was in a relationship and found this out on the same thing that is just a cruel joke.  I feel if you are going to be in an online relationship you should do some research to make sure the person is who they say they are.  It would be very easy to lie to someone you do not have to meet.  I feel this is a terrible thing to do, but unfortunately this kind of thing happens quite often.  Another similiar event occured for Texas when a player faked his identity to continue playing college football.  I do not believe it is right to fake your identity to keep living in your glory days.  There is really no need for faking your identity at all.  He was to old to be playing football with  college students.  I think he should have moved on with his life instead of stealing someone's identity.  He should have known he would caught when he was in the spotlight.

About Me

My name is Kristyn Arnold. I am currently a sophomore at Southern Miss.  I am working to get my degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in English.  I love working with children, so I knew long ago I wanted to be a teacher. I can not wait to become and teacher one day.  The main reason I want to become a teacher would have to be to have a positive impact in a young child's life. I am the oldest of two children.  I have one younger brother who has become like a friend to me the older we get. I really enjoy spending time with my friends and family.  They mean everything to me and I do not know where I would be without the support of my friends and family.