Final Reflection

Final PLN Report

For my PLN, I used Symbaloo. This semester in EDM310 has taught me so much about what websites and people can help me to further my learning. My PLN has grown steadily over the past few weeks. I tend to be very organized and this tool helps me a lot. I plan on adding more as time goes on to help my PLN to grow. I also plan on using this tool in my own classroom one day with my students to help keep them organized,keep them entertained, and build their own personal learning network.

Blog Post #14

In Jose Picardo's Top Ten Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom he gives a list of thing that help keep students focused in the classroom. The list is as follows: 1.Streaming Video, 2.Music, 3.Teleconferencing, 4.Interactive Exercises, 5.Interactive Whiteboard, 6.Podcasts, 7.Blogs and Wikis, 8.Social Networks, 9.Internet Tools, 10.Gadgets. Some thing in this video, such as music, I would have never thought of using in the classroom. Teachers are always searching for ideas to keep their students focused in class while also keeping them entertained. This video is a great way of doing so.

In his blog Box of Tricks, he gives a list that are resourceful websites for teachers, listed A-Z. I was scrolling through the list and noticed we used some of these suggested in EDM310. This blog is suggested websites for teachers as well as students.

Blog Post #13

For this assignment I chose option 2, My Teacher Is an App by Stephanie Banchero and Stephanie Simon. This article explains the differences in online schooling and the benefits it has. There are many different forms of online schooling to choose from. You can have some classes online, or all of them. Some schools are starting to make it required to have at least one online class to help prepare the students for college in the future. Some students prefer to do all of their online schooling at home because its is easier to express themselves in front of a keyboard instead of a class full of students.
There are also benefits for online schooling. Teachers can have more students and more time on their hands due to the computer grading assignments, and no lesson planning. Online schooling also saves a lot more money than traditional schooling.
There is one thing about online schooling that I myself do not agree with. I think that all kids should be enrolled in a traditional school, because there is more to school than learning. Meeting and interacting with new friends is a really important part of school to me. The friends I made in grade school have helped make a big part of the person I am today.

Final Project #16

C4K Summary Post 3

For my November C4K assignments I had some really amazing kids! My first C4K was Taylor G in Mrs.Yollis class. It was a Halloween story titled "The Candy Kitty". It was so cute and I really enjoyed reading some of the other students Halloween stories.
My next C4K was sixth grader Max L from Auckland, New Zealand. His post was about attending the Junior film festival and how much he enjoyed the experience.
This semester, I have really enjoyed reading and doing the C4K assignments. It is possibly my favorite part about the class. I have found so much entertainment from these students blogs. They all have done amazing work!

C4T #4

My first C4T assignment was to write on OnlineSchools.ORG's Education Debate. The post was titled "Is Success Really About Failure?" by Michelle Luce. I summed this post up to say that everyone needs a little failure and disappointment in their life to become successful. Without failure, you will never strive harder to succeed. Giving everyone credit or rewards is not fair for those who work hard to stand out and be the best. We have to allow our students/our own children, to experience difficulty and failure in order to go far in the future.

The next assignment was a post by Elise Morrigan titled "Online Schools: Where Parents Become the Teachers". It is a program that is kind of similar to our online college courses, but for grade school students. It is kind of like homeschooling, but the difference is that there is an actual teacher that calls and interacts with the student. Students will get out of the schooling as much as they put into it. If they fail to do well then they will not pass. The parents are the teachers at home that help the student to do well and finish their work. I think that this form of schooling is a good idea.