Mr. McClung

This post was really interesting to read. I try to get all the advice i can about how to make through the first year of teaching alive, and his post had some very inspirational advice. He did not let the negative critisism from his other employees get him down and he did not try to do things the way they wanted him to. His message in this was to not sweat the small stuff and dont try to plan every detail to perfection, because nothing will ever go as planned. Enjoy your class and get to know them because they are what make teaching and learning more rewarding than actually trying to go with the plan. The students learn from the teachers but the teachers learn from the studetns as well and that is what makes an excellent teacher. His words and advice is something i will carry with me and always remember when i start my teaching career.

Wikipedia??

I have never used wikipedia before in my school education simply because of this "untrustful information." I have known about this for years since middle school and i dont think it should be an acceptable source for references. There are better educational websites out there that contain more reliable knowledge. In my opinion i think that wikipedia is only going to get worse and less creditable and the only way for it to improve is to make it a self-authorship website instead of a research engine.

Practice

Kelly Hines

Kelly Hines made some really good points in this blog. She talked about how teachers need to be better learners in order to become better teachers. Your teaching career will be more ease and enjoyment if you learn how to adapt to new concepts of teaching. A teacher needs to take new directions and risks in the classroom that way you can find out what works and what does not work. The children need to be shown how to learn at their own understanding and not just giving the tools to do it. Technology is an aide and can further their education if its used correctly, and that is where the teacher steps in. and that is why the teacher needs to be perpetual learners.

A Vision of students today

This video was very awesome because it is so totally true about college. My experiance has been somewhat the same, but i still feel like most teachers dont really take the time to know your name because they are too worried about teaching the materials and getting the students to pass that way they can say they did their job. Students are more focused on their lives and surroundings and memorizing the materials for the tests, than actually learning the info so they can carry it with them in their career. I think that since students are multitaskers and cannot go one minute with the use of cell phones or computers, teachers need to find new teaching methods that appeal to students using technolgy. we need more of an interact classroom where the students get out of their desks and participate than a lecture classroom where the teacher talks the whole time. College would be more fun if the students got to take part in their own learning.

ICT in the MFL Classroom

I watched the Intergrating ICT into the MFL Classroom. This video was very educational on how podcasts and videocasts are now becoming the new generation of T.V.. Some teachers have introduced podcasts to their students as a way of enhancing their learning and keeping them interested in their studies. The children enjoy it as much as the teachers do because it lets them take part in activities in the classroom, which has shown to improve kids learning skills and it also helps increase test scores.

It will be very interesting to see how often podcasts are done in the classroom years from now, that number will be impressive im sure. It was also neat to know that in elementary and middle schools, children who are out sick or for other reasons can get their assignments online through their classroom podcasts. thats a wonderful idea because it doesnt let a child get behind on their studies or miss a part of their education.

Tech Literate Teacher

The Videocast from last semester was very well done on how they presented the information on how to be a Tech Literate Teacher. The ladies spoke very well and were well prepared to do this Videocast. I think it would have made it better if the ladies looked at the camera when they spoke and each had a fair turn to speak. Two ladies sat there very quietly and looked like they felt uncomfortable, while the other two ladies spoke from their opinions and own experiences. It was a educational video to watch but it would have been better if the ladies had more energy and excitement.

PodCasts

In all of the Teacher's Podcasts, all of them had the same feel as to how they were done except for one of them. They were all audio podcasts using skype or someother type of audio. The Teaching with Smartboard was audio and video because they had to demonstrate how you can use the smartboard in your classroom. I like these podcasts because they can record their audio messages from thousands of miles away and its not even noticable until they said something about it. They were very casual about delivering their message. Most times it has that lecture feel to it where every minute is about the lecture, but they had a very laid back and comfortable feel to them. They were very interesting to listen to but also very helpful about how to introduce podcasts into the classrooms.

In Kidcast, Dan was talking about the difference between audio and video podcasts. He mentioned that audio is safer for children and it also enhances children's listening skills. Video podcasting takes more time to set up because of the worries about lighting, sound, and rehearsing your information because you have to make sure your giving your attention to the camera. Audio is portable and can be accessed where ever there is a radio. The 80/20 ratio is a very creative way to help kids with their pocasts, 80 percent content and 20 percent production. This ratio will help kids in the long run because they will have learned more information because they didnt have to waste time on setting up for a video podcast.

EdTech Talk was a bunch of people communicating on skype discussing what it takes to a professional in the classroom. Listening to the other podcasts and then listening to a Skype call was very interesting. All of the guests gave their opinions on how to become a better teacher and mentor.It is better to have a routine in the classroom, that way everything in the lesson plan will get taught. Helping kids is the most important role you can take to become more professional, helping them study and answer any questions they may have. Kids look up to teachers and trust them that they will help them succeed and further their knowledge.

This Week in Photography was about new technologies available and if its right for you and your kind of work. They discussed different brands and the pros and cons of each brand. This podcast was sort of interesting to listen to because i had no clue some of these devices were even available. They are very laid back and casual too about how they are doing their podcasts, very funny about how they relate James Bond to technology.

MacBreak Weekly is a couple of guys getting together talking about new technologies of Mac. They discuss how technology has increased for podcasts and the different tools available to help the process of podcasting. The App on IPhone lets you record the audio for podcasts, but the newer version lets you record videos now. Snow Leopard is the newer version of Leopard for Mac and they said its cheaper and faster to get at the Apple store rather than Amazon. There is always going to be updates to computer software and its important for teachers to learn and use these updates to help better educate their kids on new technolgy.

Did You Know 3.0

When i was watching this video alot of the information was overwhelming to understand the first time, but the second time i watched it, it made me think about what is happening to our future. Our country is moving at a slower pace than the rest of the world which makes are future more uncertain. Technology is taking over our lives and if it doesnt slow down or stop it could possibly be running our lives for us. I mean it has gotten to the point where instead of going out and dating, people are looking for their spouses online on match making websites. Instead of going to hang out with friends, people are texting and using myspace to communicate. Instead of going to doctors and therapists, people are researching their problems on medical websites and google. Why is everyone realying on technology to solve their problems? What is gonna happen when we have more technology devices than we do people? It needs to slow down so we can adapt to the changes going on around us, but technology is enhancing so quickly that we are having to adapt to it.

Hey everybody

My name is Lauren, im 21 and i grew up in daphne and have been here my whole life. I transfered to South this semester from Faulkner and so far i love it. Im majoring in Elementry Education and i want to teach anywhere from 1st grade to 5th grade. My mom and my older sister are teachers so i pretty much know my way around a classroom. I work at a Daycare in Spanish Fort and i teach the 24 months to 30 months and i love everything about my job. I work full time and go to school full time but i will always find a way to have fun in between. The beach is my favorite place to be, flip-flops are my addiction, and cooking/eating food is my stress relief. I go to church at Cotes: Church on the Eastern Shore in robertsdale and its a very down to earth, low key kind of church and i love going there to worship. Anything else you want to know about me just ask!

Fall 2009 Blog

Hey my name is lauren!