Final Project 16

Richard and I began contemplating what we would do for our final project. Being that we both have experience using and monitering various discussion boards on the internet, we chose to create one for edm 310. We invision this tool, if Dr. Strange so chooses, as another place to both access and discuss the material we have covered in edm 310. Right now the board is on a freeware server so it will need more effective hosting if it is to be what Richard and myself invisioned it could be. For me, it would be a great place for students to share more of their experiences and work amongst one another. Feel free to register and look around

Final Report PLN

I feel like my PLN has expanded since my last report; now, through ALEX and Smart Exchange, I have found even more invaluable resources to aide me in my future educational endeavors. These two resources can inspire creativity, and provide a look into what other teachers are doing in their own classrooms. Also I think following Mr. Chamberlin on twitter, especially given his penchant for retweeting other fine educators, will be a great place for me to go to open up a dialogue with others about education. I have continued to subscribe to other educators blogs that I found to be especially inspiring, and I have book marked all of the teachers and classroom websites/blogs that we have visited thus far. Overwhelmingly my PLN will become a template for the things that I will be implementing in my own classroom.

Special Assignment: Metaphors

In lieu of blog post 14, we were asked to examine the use of metaphors like the one we encountered in Mr. Spencer’s Pencil Me In Blog. Here we saw the idiocy behind many peoples view on technology, and its affects on students; the use of “pencils” here is a great way to show just how important technology is. No one would say that pencils might be harmful to students test scores or cause them harm, but yet we say that about the pencil of the 21st century, the laptop. This particular example demonstrates just how metaphors are used; the use of one word or words, and the concepts related to them, to explain the idea behind another. But metaphors go beyond using to unrelated words to explain a concept, it is also something that should give great insight into what someone is trying to convey. Again look to Mr. Spencer’s example to better understand the power of language; he is trying to convey that computers and technology are just as important to educational endeavors as pencils. The first time around I understood that the “pencils” did represent something else that was related till technology, but it wasn’t until I actually began to post my thoughts that I realized it was a direct response to another blog post regarding 1 for 1 computers for students. I don’t believe, at least I hope, none of my fellow classmates believed that this post was actually about pencils, but perhaps a little further investigation is warranted to better extrapolate
As far as a log of the metaphors I have been encountering recently, they are pretty much the common ones that people use in their everyday lives such as “Achilles heel” or “put on the back burner”. The best one I Think so far has been the “meat in the sandwich” used to describe the sustenance of a point or conversation. I believe the commonality of most of the metaphors I have encountered is evidence of the direction educators must take in order to better aid students in understanding the use of metaphors. So many of us don’t even notice the metaphors that we use on a daily basis; if teachers would start by explaining some of these common metaphors meanings, as well as how the function to better elaborate the idea they are attempting to convey, perhaps they could better grasp the concept of the metaphor and how powerful it is in language.

Final Video

C4T Summary Post

This has probably been the most in-depth blog, in regards to individual teachers, I have been assigned. Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano is an educational jack of all trades; she is both a foreign language teacher and the recipient of a masters in instructional technology. Her credentials alone speak to how qualified she is to comment on the use of technology in the classroom.


The first post I encountered on her blog was about developing a PLN. The post was a basic outline of the numerous different things that can be a part of one's PLN, and there was also a slide show accompanying the post that went into a little more detail on the topic.

I responded:
April 17th, 2011 at 11:17 am
Dear Silvia,

I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class, and i just wanted to say thank you so much for all of the material available on your blog. Also thank you for the numerous slide shows; they are a wealth of information. This particular post was of great interest to me because we are posting status on the development of our own PLN as a part of our class assignments. so needles to say any information is always appreciated.
Again thank you so much for your contributions.


The next post was on the general concepts of technology and its relation to education. Given Silvia's knowledge of the matter, I took some of her statements to be very important for teachers to remember. The basic premise of the post was that technology is most effective when used by teachers who are "good" without it.

I responded:
May 1st, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Hello Again,
Just like everything else i have had the pleasure of reading on your blog, this piece is so enlightening! Your point, that great teaching is based on teachers and not supplemental “add-ons”, is one that i feel like a lot of people miss. Technology will not make a below average teacher a great one, especially if they lean on technology in order to support their ineffective teaching methods, but can be an invaluable tool for good teachers. I loo forward to continually checking in with you for more great insight like this. Feel free to stop by myblog or Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 blog.

Blog Post 13

Alabama Learning Exchange (aka ALEX) is a website for teachers that contains a plethora of resources. A project of the Alabama Department of Education, ALEX is designed to share educational materials among teachers, parents, and administrators. The website has everything from web links to a virtual storehouse of podcast, and all the traditional subjects are represented, as well as some you might not expect like physical education and drive/traffic safety. With the diversity of material available, ALEX is an invaluable resource to all educators, even those that do not traditionally use technological approaches.
While i found the podcast area to be interesting, especially since that seems like a great resource for both students and teachers, it was the Lessons Plans section that really caught my attention. Each subject has its own set of lesson plans, completely searchable lists based on grade level, and those sections contain an abundance of lessons geared toward a specific grade range. But what makes the site so amazing, at least to me, is the opportunity it creates for collaboration; teachers can submit lessons as well as alter existing materials. It reminded me of the smart exchange website, but better geared to the Alabama Learning Standards that each subject should meet.

ACCESS Distant Learning (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide) is the first thing we have discussed in this class aimed at equality. The initiative is admirable, seeking to grant access to a variety of opportunities for students with the greatest need, but seems to be missing the idea of "equality" that they so admirably declare in their mission statement. The areas they are attempting to address, which are vaguely laid out, are not addressing so many of the institutional practices that are aimed at excluding students of color.

Final Project Report

AS of right now, Richard and I are planning on doing something regrading a forum/discussion board. Hopefully next week we can hammer out more of the details.

Project 15

Blog Post 12

One of the things that I believe would be a great supplement to the material of this course is viewing modern trends in education in regards to technology. With that being said, find at least two articles, using either Google scholar or some other reputable source, to find recent articles that talk about how technology is benefiting education or students. Hopefully this assignment will help students learn to do quality research, and also open up discussion on where they see the future track of education. In three to four paragraphs, summarize the main points of each article and give your own commentary on what you have read. Outdated Teaching is failing our children is a great editorial piece on the modern environment of education, and what will happen if we don’t change it. Some statistics that jumped out at me from the article were the steady decline in graduation rates since 1970 and the drop of the U.S. from 1st to 12th among developmental countries. These two facts alone point to a frightening future for the field, but there are ways to capitalize on the “natural” tendencies of children that can help to help the future of education and the nation. The article talks about research and The Montessori model. This model, based on individualized, self-directed learning, equates these experiences to those of video games in regards to captivating attention when technological learning is implemented in the classroom. Instead of continuing to hold on to the “good ol’ days” of education is creating a void between students and the traditional classroom setting. Online High Schools Helping Students Avoid School Bullying is a more positive view of how technology can impact the lives of students. It also demonstrates a different aspect to the positive impact of online education. The article describes how online high schools, like James Madison High School, are eliminating the negative impacts of bullying in traditional schools. I believe a story lie this is important because not only does it give more support to the positive affects of online education, but it sheds light on an aspect of traditional schooling that some of us have a tendency to overlook.

Blog Post 11

A look at Ms. Cassidy first grade class is a look into what education will, and should, look like. Probably the most remarkable part of this story is how Ms. Cassidy used the limited resources she began with to start her off on a journey into a revolutionary style of teaching. The ways she uses the technological resources to benefit her children’s education is just as remarkable as how she arrived at her current methodology; in a time where there is a mass disconnect between teachers and the parents of students, Ms. Cassidy has created an online portfolio that eliminates many of the issues facing parent teacher relations in the 21st century. This online writing also facilitates feedback on the children’s work that, if done properly, will help development of written and communicative skills. For me, as an avid proponent for the benefit of videogames, the use of the DS is a creative way to capture children’s attention; promoting problem solving, as well as continuing an evolving understanding of language semantics, through a medium that easily captivates children’s attention is perhaps one of the best uses of technology I have seen thus far. This is undoubtedly one of the most influential approaches that we can learn from as future educators; using your students likes and interest as a tool for education can do nothing but aide the state of modern education. Keeping an open mind seems to be the most important tenet of the teachers we have seen do such innovative things in their classroom; only through a desire to embrace new, and often difficult, approaches will keep education on the cutting edge of innovation.

Summary Post C4T#3

This C4T assignment has been my favorite thus far, even though the fischbowl is close. I had the astute privilege of reading Scott McLeod's dangerously irrelevant blog, and it was definitely a great insight into how teachers in classrooms view technology.

The first post I commented on was a "what if scenario" regarding technology. The purpose of much of the post was to bring to light how so many of the common complaints about education could be fixed through methods that a freely available online or by computer usage.
My response: Mr. McLeod I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at the university of South Alabama. I find your statements to be quite poignant; we are on the verge of a revolution in our society in regards to technology. Education, through association, is a major stronghold against these advancements. The overzealous desire to keep the “traditional” methods of education alive will be the downfall of its future.

His most recent post was taking what we know about the state of modern trends, and extrapolating from thoes trends what the future means for education. My Response: Mr. Mcleod, Again you have blown my mind sir; with what we know about modern trends regarding media and how we consume it, it is easy to deduce what education needs to look like in order to remain relevant. Implementing these trends into education will be the pivotal question in how important education will be to our society again fee free to visit my blog if you are interested in other material we are covering in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at South Alabama.

Blog Post 10

The ideas expressed by both Dan Brown and Morgan Bayda are evidence of a lack of education in institutional based learning. The discontent that these individuals experience fostered undoubtedly impacted their faith in modern institutional instruction, and in Dan’s case caused him to abandon the process altogether. Normally this would be the part of my post where I explain how technology, and most importantly the things we are learning in EDM 310 class, is the cure for what ails the current system. Instead I would like to react to the general argument made by these two individuals with an idea that does not even broach the topic of technology, but deals with outdated pedagogy. The ultimate complaint here is a lack of interaction among students, and subsequently a lack of stimulation, in the traditional classroom setting. This has nothing to do with technology or its use in the classroom; this is a problem that would present itself in even the most technologically integrated classroom if the traditional power structure on which education has been predicated continues to go by unchanged. My own experiences have found instances of the same complaints made by Brown and Bayda, but often times those classrooms were some of the best technologically equipped, and often times implemented, in the college of arts and sciences, but the best “education” I have experienced thus far came in classroom that consisted of one textbook and 24 other students. We never used a smart board or power point, or even notebook paper if one was so inclined. What we did have was a remarkable instructor who was eager to learn with us; an individual who was willing to listen to how we interpreted the seminal works of literature we encountered throughout the semester rather than rely on centuries of scholarly research. He would listen to what we had to say, and use those interpretations and feelings to direct us toward an understanding of the scholarly interpretations while never demeaning how we felt about the work. This zeal for using our predisposed knowledge and ability to formulate opinions to convey what we needed to know is what inspired me to pursue a career in education. Needless to say I acknowledge that not all students in the classroom felt the same as I did about the experience, but this brings me to a problem that I would like to address regarding the comments made in this post and video, especially in the statements made by Mr. Brown. In the video Brown states that traditional institutional instruction is not adequately preparing students for their future jobs. While this argument does have some volition, it points out a critical flaw among the youth of the information age; these youths want to learn, and subsequently work, how they want. A sense of extreme self entitlement is a flaw that will affect so many young people throughout there lives, especially in the workforce. Traditional institutional education methods are preparation for meeting expectations in the workplace, and teaching one to conduct themselves appropriately in such an environment. Brown cites that the landscape of corporate America is changing, even sighting Google as an example, but such examples only represent a fraction of corporate America. Many of the experiences students have in the workplace will still resemble Dilbert, and therefore must be prepared to deal with such an environment and the expectations that come with it. Ultimately the sentiments of discontent among both Bayda and Brown point to larger problems among institutions than whether students can twitter one another or blog about the use of computers in History class, but instead point to a contradiction in methods and expectations; only when those two opposing viewpoints are brought into some type of balance can the discontent be addressed. Perhaps I am missing the point behind the Don’t Let Them Take Pencils Home post by Tom Johnson, but it seems to me that the real issue here is the idiocracy surrounding the “pencils”. If any method does not fit into the optimal test taking data for students, many administrators, and sadly teachers, see it as a danger to performance. This is the crux of the problem in the capitalist bureaucracy surrounding education; if it does not help funding, which is determined by standardized testing, it should be eliminated. These aims are in an effort to deprive children of the education they need to provide social mobility. The businesses that fund education have a vested interest in keeping certain sectors of the population “dumb” in order to drive worker compensation down. By putting so much importance on standardized testing, we have ensured that any real educational endevours have no place in the classroom.

SKYPE INTERVIEW

THIS IS WHY MY WIFE ROCKS!!!

SMARTboard Project

Glad it's finished! I threw in some cartoons for the kiddies!!

Summary Post C4K 4-6

My C4K assignment 4 was Room Mr. Harris room 19 blog; the class is a year 7/8 class in Auckland, N.Z. My students name was Jonty, and his post was very on topic with EDM 310. His post was regarding the new school acquaition of Netbooks. He was very excited at the prospect of not only learnong through this new format, but also with connecting with other students.

C4K assignment 3 was a first grade class from the same school. The really interesting aspect is how well the students comment, even across grades, on other students work.

My final C4K assignment 6 was a very interesting topic. The class was a Year 5/6 in Tauranga, N.Z These students had been studying how greek art was influenced by its culture; in keeping with this theme they had a slideshow of the work the class had done mimicing some of the greek techniques and culture.

Blog Post 9

McClung’s “What I’ve learned this year” contains some useful insights into the realm of education; a first year teachers reflections on his experiences allow us to “learn” from his lesser comings. Firstly McClung addresses the way his lessons are structured. By being overly concerned with how other professionals see his lessons and curriculum, McClung is loosing sight of the audience that really matter, his students. The beurocratic environment that surrounds education can be taxing, but if a teacher can remember who he or she is actually there for, perhaps education can be come truly enlightenment rather than indoctrination. Secondly McClung reflects on his inability to remain “open” in the classroom; an obsession with rules and regulations, or in this case an attachment to your own ideas of how things should go, can lead to missing real educational opportunities. When students show an interest in something, go with it; an ability to improvise and work with students predisposed knowledge is a great asset for any educator. He moves on to addresses communication. For me this is speaks to one of the elements of education that has been lost in recent years; as a group, teachers must work together to achieve the maximum potential of the educational environment. Teaching should, and once was, a collaborative medium. We encourage students to believe that “two heads are better than one”, but seem to ignore that anecdote when it comes to our own profession. He also touches on communication, but in regards to students. So many teachers have a need for authority or order that they loose touch with there students, and thereby dismissing any input they might have. McClung points out that such an exchange is important for growth as both a professional and individual. Lastly he addresses that teachers should not be afraid of technology; while more elaboration might have been warranted, especially considering the purpose and goals of edm 310, the idea rings true. So many people are afraid to move technology into the classroom for fear of how it will affect the traditions of “schooling”. Our society, and by association, and our children are changing; if we do not use every asset we have available to make education relevant to 21st century students, considering all the information we could ever teach them is only keystrokes away, we will loose the battle in preparing them for a globalized future.

Blog Post 8

The ideas laid out in Miller’s “How We Dream” lecture are the foundations of what education means moving forward; the influx of technology into our daily lives has dramatically changed our world, and that affect has found its way into the classroom. This new digital age has changed many of the ways we view so many of the longstanding methods regarding print media; just simply visit your local big box retailer and you can find their own take on the e-reader, and even traditionally print mediums have made their way into digital prominence.

So what does all this information mean for the students of tomorrow? The predominance of their exposure to literature will be through mediums such mediums, and teachers must have working knowledge to capitalize on students predisposed knowledge. The ready availability to a wide range of texts, many of which are difficult to locate in print, make the movement toward e-readers a logical step for the future of education.

But more importantly than the specific breakthroughs in ways to consume “print” media, the impact of the digital influence on information is without question the biggest impact of multimedia on educators. The ever evolving information that is available to all individuals in the 21st century is astounding; educators must stay abreast of how to navigate this informational thoroughfare in order to better use such knowledge for the benefits of their students as well as their own.


Both “EDM 310 for Dummies” and “Chipper” were well thought out, and entertaining in the educational context of the intended purpose. While I found these videos somewhat informative, other videos regarding the actual process talked about in EDM 310 for dummies would be exceptionally helpful. I personally have no desire to participate in such video related endeavors but will always offer up harsh criticism whenever possible.
That being said, I feel that the attitudes displayed in the “chipper” video shed a harsh light on the attitudes of many students regarding their own education.


Learn to Change, Change to Learn is a video that features educators sharing their thoughts on the change technology has made in the classroom. They begin by talking about the environment of communication that kids of the 21st century participate in daily; this type of environment can be ideal for enriching materials and promoting discussion. They continue to talk about the flaws in the traditional brick and mortar schools, which there are many, and how it needs to become a place for communal projects rather than a confining space that limits the creativity of its occupants.

The most important part of the video is the opportunity teachers need to hav a network of proven strategies that work with 21st century students. In order to enable students with the skills they need for the jobs of the future, collaboration is a huge tool in accomplishing such lofty aims. A community of shared interest in education in a technologically advanced way can foster new ways to take advantage of the endless amounts of information that we have at our fingertips.


The Secret Power of Time speaks volumes to me about the nature of future learners. 10,000 hours playing video games by the time a male turns 21; this astonishing statistics has real implications for the future of these students. By placing such interactive participants in their environment into one that is bound by control and power dynamics, we are setting these students up to develop aversions to the classroom environment that we all know. This animated short regarding how the passage of time and the three types of thinkers past, present, and future shows just how we can use technology to aide these different types of individuals when we encounter them in our classroom

Drive was a very enlightening video. I had no idea of the results of any such research, and that was a wealth of knowledge. Basically the video describes the results of multiple tests run by top economist regarding motivation and its relation to monetary incentives. While at first it seems almost implausible, but soon you begin to think about what kind of effects monetary reward systems actually have. Implementing this type of rewards system you have effectively changed the focus from the creative ingenuity that people display naturally to some pressure filled, anxiety ridden game. This information is great for anyone who has to learn how to create an environment that depends on productivity.

Project 11

Project 10 PLN update

My Pln is continuing to grow as the semester rocks on. The C4T assignments have given me several resources to follow via my rss feed that help me in my pursuit to be an educator. Twitter has been another valuable resource; With teacher like Mr. Chamberlin and other EDM 310 students past and present, twitter has allowed me to engage in discussion and acquire insight outside of my educational classes. I am using Delicious and tweet deck to organize all of this valuable information

Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture" is a remarkable discourse on how one can attain their childhood dreams, but more importantly it is about perseverance and self empowerment. The concepts Professor Pausch outlines are powerful concepts that can be used to help anyone achieve the things they have always dreamed of doing. While glaring his own physical ailments square in the face, Pausch imparts a great amount of wisdom that all individuals can use to achieve their own goals.

We all remember our career aspirations as children; the advent of modern television brought so many worlds into each of our own that we undoubtedly we became fascinated with some unique profession that many told us was unobtainable. Pausch’s dreams reflect some of this same idea. A product of the sixties and seventies, Pausch was privy to an era where anything seemed possible; this generation of human achievement stoked a fire inside Pausch that would propel his creative forces. While many of his goals may seem mundane, such as his desire to win very large stuffed animals, the way he went about attaining these goals is what is truly inspirational.

One of the aspects he discussed multiple times was “walls” and how these affect you pursuit of your dreams. This concept is true to all of us; no matter the numerous professions I sought after, there have always been things that deterred me from continuing. What makes Pausch’s thoughts regarding this so poignant is his attitude; he states that those walls are to keep other people out. While this statement was received with laughter, it is probably the best advice he imparted. This never say die attitude is exactly why he was able to achieve the amazing things he did during his lifetime.

Pausch’s lecture really applies best to teachers when he discusses how to enable others dreams, which he stated can be more rewarding than fulfilling your own. Pausch’s firm belief in the creativity of the human mind is evident. Pausch is an example of many of the principals Ken Robinson discussed earlier in the semester; By growing up in a generation of education that was not solely focused on the standardized test performance, Pausch was able to not only foster his own creativity, but also that of others.