EDM310 Class Blog Nominated for Edublog Award

You can VOTE for EDM310 as Edublog selects the Best Use of a PLN 2010.

Click on the link above and VOTE. EDM310 would appreciate your vote, but you should also seriously consider voting for Comments4Kids. If it had not been for Mr. Chamberlain and his insistence on commenting on kids' blogs, the world (and EDM310) would be very different.

Thanks.

Luidia eBeam

Check out this link for a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment to make the whiteboard in the classroom interactive : e Beam.

If you have any experience with the Luidia eBeam in the classroom, could you post a few comments? I was interested in knowing more about FREE applications available to use with it to support the variety of subjects. My daughter's school has purchased a few and the kids love it! I am currently trying to raise funds to purchase one so that both third grades have a dedicated eBeam rather than sharing.

Thanks for your input!

Happy October everyone!

Jackie Gorski

Another Creative Product from EDM310 Alumnus Dillon Rogers

Dr. Strange! ~
I made this for an LP on Alcohol Awareness in one of my health classes.

I absolutely could not find an appropriate video on YouTube or for free that would get the point across to younger students about the basic ideas of alcohol (K-3rd graders). So, I made this video Alcohol is a Drug.

This took me about 1 1/2 hours to make between editing photos and making it look perfect in my own mind, but is the most simple video I have ever made and anyone could definitely do this as a theme for several different units. I used iPhoto, made a slide show and pulled it up into iMovie. I edited it just a tiny bit more, but then I uploaded it to YouTube and stuck it in my LP! Now I can share it with anyone. :)

I will literally jump at any opportunity a teacher gives me to do something creatively. I haven't had as many opportunities this semester (it makes me miss EDM), but don't worry, I'll never give up!

Please feel free to share with the class or anyone else you know and critique for what you will!
Thanks again,
Dillon Rogers

On The Lighter Side

Such serious stuff on here all the time...I thought I would lighten things up. This is what we have to look forward too!!!
Click Here!

Mr. Chamberlain Needs Some Help!

Mr. Chamberlain sent via Twitter "I would love some #comments4kids on this third grade singing post It's A Grand Old Flag! (1:30) and Boo (:35)"

OK EDM310 Alumni. Let's leave some comments on Mr. C's Blog. Just click the link above, listen, leave a comment. Thanks!

Classroom Hack: Creating Postcards Using Student Work

Here is a quick way to let your students show off their artwork and get in a quick lesson on writing postcards. The picture above is a postcard I made in class from picture a student drew to go along with a media history assignment. I took the pictures and printed them onto card stock and cut them out. Then I had them write a postcard explaining the assignment and had them mailed. Soon the parents will get a surprise in the mail!

You can do the same thing with pictures of the students as well. Why not take a picture of the science experiment they are doing, the activity they are doing in their PE class, or them working on a computer? There is something special about receiving handwritten mail and it is even more special when it is from someone you love!

Please note: If you are using a laser printer you need it to heat up before running card stock in it. I print 25-30 blank pages first before I run the card stock through so it heats up enough that the toner sticks to the paper.

Universal Design Tool: VozMe.com

While I have had the VozMe code on my blog for several years, it has just been brought to my attention that VozMe can be used in two other wonderful ways.

VozMe allows text to be read aloud. One way to do this is for the publisher of a site to add html to the site that allows a button to be placed on the site. You simply highlight the text you want read aloud and then hit the button. The text is then read to you.You can also download the audio as an mp3. This is great for accessibility when the site owner has the technical skill to add the code. 

Another way to use VozMe is to copy the text you want to have read to you and go to the VozMe website. Paste the code into the box and hit the Create MP3 button. You can even choose between a male or female voice. Very simple to do and the audio can also be downloaded this way.

The third way, and in my opinion the best, is to add VozMe as a favorite or bookmark to your browser. You will need to find the instructions for your preferred browser on this page. Once you have the bookmark, all you have to do is highlight the text and click on the bookmark. It will open a new page and read the text too you. You can again choose from a male or female voice and download the mp3. How cool is that?!

Special thanks goes to Ira Socol for pointing these functions out to me. If you are interested in Universal Design (and you better be!) read Ira's amazing blog SpeEdChange. 

A New Me On the Horizon

In response to Elo Martin's Blog Post 2:

From working for Dr. Strange with EDM 310 students, I have learned couple valuable lessons about myself which relate to your comment. The first is this-- I enjoy the struggle to find new information most days. I have not always been that way, but I am now. Many students do not know what it means to be confident in their struggle. It is important to let them DISCOVER the value in the battle to find an answer/solution/reason to their problem. You said that you to appreciate learning things by "doing research for yourself"-- I wonder how many people in EDM would honestly agree.

The second thing I have learned, is that it IS A CHALLENGE, not to just do something for a student in need. After you have explained something five times-- its easy to kneel down, go through the motions in 2.5 minutes and say, "okay, now you try." Instead, I should begin by asking, "what have you tried so far? Why hasn't it worked? What are you going to try next?"

This little reflection has set me on a mission to evolve, I hope you're ready for the change!

Anthony

Notes from Alba Middle School

To find out how you can become more involved scroll down to find our invitation to you!


Additional information to come, including: The USS Alabama Project, The 30th Parallel Project, Operation Educate Judy Stout...

Dr. Strange committed us to:
1.) Sending an EDM team to help teach blogging in order to create a public place for Alba students to display their work to an authentic audience.
2.) Create a Youtube Channel for the affiliate high school to publish their videos. (does anyone have any suggestions for places to publish and view videos that are not ban from public school systems?
3.) Invited them to display their work at the University after their PTO display.

Hagler Projects
1.) Ms. Hagler and her associates are working on a documentary from their book In the Path of the Storms.
2.) They are also taking strides to "SOS, Save Our Ship" by taking pictures of the USS Alabama as well as teaming up with a high school teacher who is contributing a mural to the effort. They are planning to display this at the battleship site and beyond.
3.) Lastly, and possibly most relevantly to EDM, they are embarking on an adventure that has them connecting to classrooms around the world located on or near the 30° parallel.

Ms. Hagler and all those involved, we would love for any corrections, additions, comments, or new ideas that you have to contribute-- any edits necessary are welcome!

CLASSES!

So here I am finally starting all of my education courses....wow...this merged curriculum is crazy! Thankfully I am a good student, but unfortunately I worry way too much. To the EDM 310 students now, just do your work. Plain and simple. If you can't/won't do your work now in school then why/how would you teach in a school? See my point? So do your work and I promise you will be fine!! You will learn a ton! I am not even in PreSequence yet and my classes are already killing me and I just needed my alumni blog to vent to.
So thank you all! :)

The Doc's Alter Ego

Papa J is courtesy of Louis and Clark Productions.

Reflections on My First Week of Teaching EDUC 210 Technology for Teachers

I am requiring my EDUC 210 students to write a reflection from each weeks readings and class discussion. Obviously I need to model this as well. Here is the top three things I learned from the first class:

1. I talked way too much. I need to allow time for conversations to develop, and not to dominate the group time. While it is true that I have a lot of experience (and a lot of opinions) this class is not about me. I can't get to know my students if I don't let them talk.

2. Developing a one hour a day class is much different than developing a one night a week class. I need to better anticipate difficulties my students may have. For example, when a student at school has a problem in class. We can find the solution the next day. When I have a similar problem with the night class, that student will have to wait a week for help unless we can sort it out through a call or email.

3. A group of pre-service teachers can really get me excited. Who doesn't want to talk shop with people so excited about what they want to do?

I am really excited for the next class. Now that I have the first one down and I feel much better prepared for the next one, I am ready to jump back in and share and learn together.

New Alumni

Hello fellow alumni! I had the honor (?) of taking the EDM class in the summer. Everyone said I was crazy! They all told me horror stories of the time constraints for the class, but I didn't believe them. Boy, was I wrong! My first post was "Dr. Strange must be speaking Greek!" But my second was "Woo hoo! Learning Greek!" Yes, the course was a challenge, but one I was felt I was ready for. I'm one of those people who never sees a problem, just opportunities. So, I jumped in with both feet kicking! This is my second degree. I spent 10 years in the military. I've been to third world countries. And I coach youth sports. This was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But I am so glad for it. I learned a phenomenal amount in an extremely short period. But I fought through the challenges and came to realize so much about myself and the tasks I can really do. I would like to thank the entire EDM staff for their help, guidance, and friendship. If I can ever do anything for any of you, just ask!

New EDM 310 Students

I was searching the internet for information for a paper I am writing and accidentally (maybe it was fate) came across this picture and thought about Dr. Strange and his new EDM 310 students.

I remembered how I felt when I first walked into his classroom carrying my new, shiny laptop. I was so proud of my new computer and really felt like this would be an easy class. I already knew a lot about technology. After all, I was already on Facebook and I had made LOTS of purchases online. Then Dr. Strange goes over the syllabus and explains his expectations for this class. Was he crazy? I felt like grabbing my laptop and running out of the door. Then I thought about all the challenges I will face as a teacher. Will I be able to run from them? No. So I decided to accept the challenge and I am glad I did. I learned so much from this class not only about technology, but about myself. I am now more willing to accept challenges with a grin (most likely someone in my PLN has gone through the same challenge before) and go the extra mile to create a technological footprint I will be proud of.

People talk about 'getting their feet wet' when they are learning something new. My advice to new EDM 310 students, forget about just getting your feet wet, jump in and start swimming. Trust me. The water is great!

Happy Birthday Stephen!

Special thanks to Olivia for the delicious Cake.

Congrats to All Future Teachers in EDM 310

Congratulations to all of you future teachers that have the privilege of learning under Dr. Strange. Open your minds to learning everything and more, in ways that YOU get to determine. Take in the entire EDM310 experience. Collaborate with your colleagues. Don't set the bar for yourself, just go as far as you can. If you do just that, then a top grade will be easy to earn. Even more importantly than the grade, you will be entirely satisfied with your performance. Don't focus on the A, focus on the experience of learning with few boundaries. Now, don't get the wrong idea that the recipe for success in this course includes "let it happen." Oh, no. The recipe for success includes what you put into it. Discipline, desire, and determination make this a class that you will want to take again.

Now is a great time to prepare the technology aspect of your future classroom. The next 16 weeks is a first draft. Right now, you have the time to begin outlining your technology plan and get some things in place for your professional life, without students, parents and principals demanding your time. Have Dr. Strange tell you his secrets. He has tons of them!

Don't miss out. Make it ALL count. Get ready to enjoy the ride.

An EDM310 Alumni,

Jackie Gorski

PS- Dr. Strange has had no input to this. I really wanted to share this with the new folks, since I am an oldie (but a goodie :)).

Internet Safety

I heard about this on Chicago local news, and I thought I'd share it with everyone: The Illinois Attorney General website has offered safety training modules for teachers and parents of children who access the internet regularly. Keeping children safe while instilling responsible online behavior in children are growing concerns with growing technologies. With worksheets and training for children from third grade all the way through high school, children learn everything they need to be safe and responsible online - from bullying to piracy.

Go to the Illinois Attorney General - Safeguarding Children website to learn more and access the training modules and endless links to other relevant tools.

Around the World Multiplication

This video shows students playing "Around the World" with multiplication. This is a flash card drill game where students compete to travel around the circle. To start the game two students race to answer the multiplication (or any other kind of flash card) problem. The winner moves to the next student around the circle and race them. When the winner loses they sit in the new winner's seat. The game continues going around the circle until one student ends up at the seat they started at. The students seemed to really enjoy the game.

In case you were wondering how USA teacher preparation was graded by the Alabama Department of Education...

This is a link I came across this morning when browsing the Alabama Department of Education website for certification information. We did well. All A's! Dr. Strange - I don't mean to focus on the grade. :)

Jackie

Click on this link.

EDM310: A History, Flowchart

Here are a few images of the flowchart Jamie Lynn and I have created to document the order of which assignments, contacts, tools and resources have been added to the course-- if you see any revisions that need to be made, or have any additions that should be included, please leave a comment and we will add it asap. Flowchart.com is what we have been using with great success; unfortunately, it is still in the beginnings stage and it is being problematic when it comes to publishing to PDF. However, we will keep trying... so be sure to check back and suggest changes!

Kindergarten teachers hold a huge responsibility!

Kindergarten teachers worth $320,000!

I read this article posted on Yahoo's home page, and it verifies my beliefs that kindergarten teachers have an enormous influence on children's futures. As my five-year-old little sister enters kindergarten this fall, I can only hope that her teacher instills strong values and learning habits in her, just as I have been trying to do her entire life.

I personally think good teachers are worth millions, but a six-figure income doing what I love sounds great to me!

William Chamberlain Prize Fund Established. First Recipients Announced

The William Chamberlain Prize Fund has been established at the University of South Alabama. Annual awards will be given to one or more students in the College of Education who have demonstrated an unusual interest in and ability to use technology in learning.

Mr. Chamberlain announced the first winners of the prize in a ceremony Saturday July 24. They are:
Poppy Bednorz
Anthony Capps
Paula Casallo
Jackie Gorski
Jamie Lynn Miller


Each prize winner was awarded $ 150.

Congratulations to all the winners.









Bill Chamberlain, Jamie Lynn Miller, Jackie Gorski, Anthony Capps, Poppy Bednorz, John Strange. Paula Casallo not pictured.

You're Invited!

We need EDM's best students to help us out, and if you are still perusing the Alumni Blog, you are likely the perfect candidate. This is the kind of project the WILL change lives and give Mobile schools an upgrade-- don't let this opportunity pass you by. Contact Anthony Capps or Jamie Lynn Miller for when, how's, and why's at awc802@gmail.com or jamielynn519@gmail.com

When considering this project, think to yourself-- "What would Randy do?"

Join Mr. Chamberlain for a Conversation and Lunch

Mr. Bill Chamberlain will meet with students Friday from 9- 1 in the EDM310 Lab. Come talk with a master teachers who has contributed so much to EDM310.

If you are present at 1:00 pm I'll take you to lunch at my expense.
John Strange

Amazing TedX Denver Talk By Brian Crosby

Mr. McClung is back! Check out his year 2 reflection!

Mr. McClung has posted his reflection from his second year of teaching on the summer semester EDM310 blog. Check out his reflection.

Our PLN continues to evolve.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Jackie

How Would You Use A Smart Phone in the Classroom?

from Wikipedia.com

I will be buying my first smart phone on Thursday. Dr. Strange don't be too shocked but I will be getting the Droid X from Verizon. I chose this phone because I don't have 3G coverage with AT&T so the iPhone makes no sense and because the X has a very large screen. (I must be spoiled with my iPad;)

I plan on using the smart phone in my classroom and school and will soon be writing a post about how I will be using it. I would really like for a few of you to think about how you might use one in your classroom. Assume you have permission to use it from your administration and parents.

A Life Without Limbs: Nick Vujicic

Today I was viewing Shelly Terrell's blog, and I came across a video she had posted. This video is extremely moving, and I think it could really minister to anyone. I think it is especially great for teachers because we will have students like the man in the movie. Our influence as teachers will have a huge impact on our students' lives. This video shows how one man's encouragement and belief can change another man's life.
To View The Butterfly Circus

Nick Vujicic's Website: Life Without Limbs

Forget Blogging... Start Glogging with Glogster.

Hey everyone! I stumbled over this website after watching a video about a twelve year old girl's PLE. Glogster is similar to blogging, but it is way more interactive. You can add backgrounds, pictures, videos, sounds, and movement to your glog. A glog looks like a virtual poster/ad. I found this one glog below, and I realized how great it would be for classes. This is one I could use in an English class, but the possibilities are endless. Glogster is a great tool to use for anything! I hope you enjoy!

Not Only Math : An Excellent Example of a Teacher Sharing her Knowledge, Experience, and Tools to Help Students, Parents and Teachers Alike

(This is the CoolMath.com Logo - I love it!)

This site is interesting in a number of ways. I was looking for a fun resource for math games that would be appealing to kids in Kindergarten, 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade when I learned of CoolMath.com.

To all my teacher type friends... This site is a great add to your personal learning network. For those in Math Education, the material is priceless. For those not of the math sector, read Karen's account of how she brought her student success rates from 35% to 75-80% just by revamping her teaching approach.

The math teacher proffesional development section is super fantastic.

Hope the summer is going great for all!!!!

PS- It's free. :)

Shelfari

For all you book lovers out there, Shelfari is the site for books and readers. It is a place where you can add books that you want to read, are reading, and have read. You can join groups, add friends, and discuss your favorite books. I found this site through my RED 352 teacher, Dr. Tunks. She has required us to add books to our shelves as we go through the class. I absolutely love literature, so I have already added over 50 books that I have read and loved. I have also added a widget to my blog. You can either click on it, which is located to the left, or click here.

A Question

I had a conversation on Twitter yesterday where I was discussing with two other teachers how pre-service teachers should be educated. Basically we were discussing when pre-service teachers should have classes on education theory, how much time they should practice teaching before they were given their own classroom, and how veteran teachers should assist new teachers.

For example I argued that pre-service teachers need much more time working in a classroom with a veteran teacher than the usual 8-10 weeks. I really think they should have two years of team teaching with a vet and they should take theory classes after those two years. I think the theory makes much more sense after having experience.

So, my question to you pre-service teachers is, "What would you prefer?"

May 4: National Teacher Appreciation Day

I just wanted to say thank you to all the teachers that have made a difference in my life. So many times, teachers go unnoticed. If it wasn't for teachers, none of us would make it in life. As a future teacher, I hope I improve my students' lives and encourage them to pursue their dreams. I am so appreciative of the teachers who have encouraged me and believed in me, even when I no longer wanted to continue my education. Dr. Strange, thank you for accepting my random, quirky sayings and beliefs. I have loved this past semester, and my life will forever be changed. Mr. Chamberlain, thank you for helping our class and assisting with our blog. You are an amazing teacher, and I look forward to the many things you have to offer us. For all the future teachers, I encourage you on your educational journey, and I look forward to keeping in touch! Thanks again for a great semester!

Continuing to Build My PLN

Even though the semester is over for me, I don't feel like I am done with EDM 310. I think this is the first class I have ever taken that I will continue to work on even though I am not formally required to. I wrote on my final exam that I felt more like a collaborator than a student in Dr. Strange's class. Does anyone else feel that way?

I am continuing to build my PLN in my "free time". I was looking for some new sites to add to my PLN and came across this site: 100 Best Blogs for Teachers of the Future. I wanted to share this with you because it seems like a great resource. There are a variety of blogs listed here on many topics from blogs by student teachers to blogs by special education teachers. I hope you find it helpful.

Vocaroo

I recently tried Vocaroo as part of an assignment for EDM. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use. I also liked that it was free. I used Vocaroo to create a little message from the Librarian on my Library Blog. I started thinking of all the ways I could make Vocaroo work for me. I want to record one of my K5 students reading a book. I would like to record some books and post to the blog. Weekly recordings of what's happening in the Library is another idea.

My question was/is does anyone know enough about Vocaroo to tell me if it is capable of doing the things I want it to? I just really like that it was so easy but easy is not always best.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Paula Casallo

What is going on in our local schools?

I stumbled across this presentation when I was browsing in You Tube for a videocast to post to my blog. Tabitha Greenlee and Dina Tillman compiled this video for an EDM 310 Project. Mobile County Schools-The information Society video is below. I thought this would give our distant collaborators an idea of where we are and how we are using technology in our local elementary school district of Mobile County. Thank you Tabitha and Dina for the insight.



While I was doing service hours in the Mobile County School System this semester I was introduced to several interactive games available for free on the web. Timez Attack was my favorite. This application is using multiplication to progress through the game. Timez Attack is on the level of your popular video games. See the following promo - success and confidence guaranteed.

Attitudes are Important

This past week I have been so frustrated with the University of South Alabama. I transferred here this past August, and I was able to register for 300 level English classes. I had already completed EH 102 and several literature classes. I did not have to take EH 101 because I made a 3 on the AP English Exam. The community college I transferred from accepted it, and everything was great. Until, I was told I could not apply for candidacy until I had taken EH 101 or taken the Clep test. My 3 was not enough, they will only accept a 4 or 5. Being the determined person I am, I would not accept this. I have passed all my English classes with an A, and I am currently in a 400 level course. I have also passed all the state examinations. Therefore, I contacted my English teacher, and he got the Head of Freshman Composition to write a letter on my behalf.

The State Board of Education does not require me to have both EH 101 and 102; however, South will still not accept my score or the request from the English Dept. I think this is absolutely ridiculous. How can a school let someone take 400 level English classes without EH 101? They should have realized this mistake when I first applied. This system is so corrupt, and it definitely does not make sense. Obviously, I am highly qualified in English, and I personally do not think I should have to retake a test to get out of it. Almost all universities accept a 3 on the AP English exam, and South accepts 3s for all AP exams except the English one. Although I am quite frustrated, I have quickly realized that my attitude is quite important, and the way I respond to certain situations can either help or hurt me. I think this is something to think about. As teachers, we are always going to find ourselves in difficult and unfair situations. We have to choose to keep a positive attitude and stay strong, even though we will be suffering under the system's corrupt bureaucracy.

Great Education Blogs: 2¢ Worth

I thought that one of the best ways for me to help out pre-service and new teachers would be share the blogs that I read. The first blog I recommend is 2¢ Worth by David Warlick. It was the first education blog I found and the one I read first. I chose this blog because it focuses on learning. A good reminder of what we are all about.

On another note, do you all have rss readers? If not I would suggest using my favorite Bloglines. It is easy to use (although you might Google Reader better for integration purposes.)

Get Ready, Get Set, Post!

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but
set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love,
in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

As you continue your educational journey (which you must continue throughout the rest of your life!) you have been given a rare opportunity. Believe it or not, shared professional blogs are not common. You are on the frontier of personal learning networks.

What makes a shared professional blog so powerful? I find At the Teacher's Desk a wonderful place to write something that I have been thinking about. It is a place where I know at least a few people will read it. There is nothing worse than writing in a vacuum.

Even though you are at the very beginning of your professional journey, you are not new to education. As a matter of fact, you are experts; experts at being students. You must constantly reflect on your student careers to help guide you in your teaching career. You remember the teachers that cared and the teachers that didn't You remember the classes that you learned a lot from and those that were a waste of time (college health? seriously?) You must learn your lessons from these experiences and use them in your own classroom.

Do not be afraid to be honest, share your experiences especially your failures. You will not only help everyone that reads the post, you will also prove yourself to be an honest, reflective teacher. When you are willing to share your experiences, everyone benefits (most of all your students!)

Finally, if you choose to write for this blog you need to commit to being supportive of the others that write here. Leave them comments. Tell them what you think. Share with them what you have learned.

From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother;
Shakespeare's HENRY V

Having a strong support system in place may be the difference between your success and failure as a teacher. Lean on each other, push each other, empathize with each other. Always remember, you have decided on a career that forces you to think of yourself second, the students must always come first.

Yay!!

Yay!! I accepted the invitation!!!

Happy Birthday EDM310 Alumni Blog!

Here it is! If you would like to be a writer or contributor, email edm310alumniblog@gmail.com