C4T Summary #2

For this C4T I commented on two of Michelle Luce's post. The first post was called "Is Success Really About Failure" and the second post was called "'Leader in Me' Program Gives Jobs to Elem. Students".

The first article was interesting because Michelle mentioned and explained how failure is what we need to grow and get better. She also spoke about how not letting our children experience failure is not helping them become successful in the future. I told her in my comment that I was almost ready to debate the posting if it had stated that failure was not needed but on the contrary the post stated just about everything I believe to be true. The post stated that we basically need to be tougher on the kids and allow them to experience failure to be better prepared for the world. It's a tough world out there and if we "baby" our kids, they will be ill-prepared for the world to come.


The second article spoke about a program in Coffeen Elementary school that gave the children responsibility in the schools. They had jobs while they were there and were treated just like they would be in an employment situation where they would be paid. I stated in my comment that I like this program because it teaches the students how to be responsible at a young age. I also stated that with responsibility comes productivity and productivity breeds success. Not just for those companies that will hire these children but for anyone that is fortunate enough to be able to work with these future well-prepared adults.

Blog Post # 10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

While this video is very inspiring it doesn't really change how I feel about education and teaching. I would say that I teach and educate because if you try and separate the two, your end results are probably not as favorable as you would like. I believe it is impossible to educate someone without teaching even if you are not trying to teach. It is your actions that teach when there is no intended educational or learning purpose but those watching are constantly being educated by what you do and say. To teach (as defined by Merriam-Webster Online)is:

1. to cause to know something
2. to cause to know how
3. to accustom some action or attitude
4. to guide the studies of
5. to impart knowledge of.

To educate (as defined by Merriam-Webster Online) is:

1. to provide schooling for
2. to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill, trade, or profession
3. to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction
4. to provide with information
5. to persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way.

As we teach today and in the future our main purpose should be to educate or develop our students mentally, morally, and aesthetically so they are able to perform in modern society. We want them to know the information we provide to them (educate them mentally) and we want them to know how to find the information if they didn't have a teacher around (condition to act in a desired way). So, you clearly have to teach (the subject matter and by being a role model at the very least) so your students are educated and trying to separate the two is nearly (if not totally) impossible. A teacher's work is never done and that is why teachers must be cognizant of what they do and say even when they leave the "office".

I plan to work around the clock teaching my students and other kids around me even if it is not the subject matter I normally teach. My behavior, my attitude, and my general presence will serve as a guide for those around me. I teach by being who I am and imparting knowledge when I can but educate everyone around me even if it is unintentional.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!

At first glance one may wonder what in the world is Tom Johnson talking about. What do you mean by don't let them take the pencils home? We don't use pencils anymore. Tom Johnson lived in the 19th century and was at the forefront of innovation. So, like Dr. Scott McLeod, author of Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? Johnson argues that if we don't allow our children to embrace and cultivate with the new technology they will be behind in the future. Although different, both McLeod and Johnson warns of the impact the technology (as small as a pencil is today) will have on the future. They also joke about all of the dangers involved with the technology that exists during their times. It is almost like they were born of the same breed.





Johnson reached out to the administrators, challenged the research, and denounced the value of "burp-back" education (drill and kill bubble test) and the way students learned then. He had a good point when he said "I take issue with that research. The only measurement of learning was a drill-and-kill bubble test. How is that measuring authentic learning?" Truly, how is that a measure of authentic learning? When students go out to get jobs today and even then, they are not given a standardized test (most of the time), they are tested on what they know and can do by their performance on the job. So, it is not always about a limitless array of knowledge (unless you are on jeopardy); it is about how valuable you are in the workforce which you can prove by your performance at any job.



Take, for instance, Mark Zuckerberg (founder and CEO of Facebook) and Bill Gates (founder and CEO of Microsoft). They have been able to forego the higher educational system because of what they know and have created based on that knowledge. There was no need for them to take a standardized test to prove they were smart. They let their product do the talking for them. And, when you are hired to work at one of these establishments, they do not test your general knowledge or care how you performed on the ACT or SAT, they want to know if you can program so you create better operating systems. With the onset of the pencil in the 19th century, it was not how well you could fill in a bubble but what you could create with that pencil and paper. What words would come out of that very imaginative mind of a student? What impact can you make with your writings?



Johnson wanted to prove that the pencil was not the bad thing. It was a tool for innovation beyond what one could imagine at that time. Regardless of whether or not the students used the pencils to write poetry or novels, they were creative when they used them at all, even if it was just for Hang Man or the pen pal networks. Johnson tried to "see the light" in this technology and help others understand that "yes" this is unfamiliar territory, but the possibilities are endless with a pencil. The point is...it's not about the pencil at all; it's about how far you are willing to go to explore and except the advancements of the future.

Blog Post # 9

What I Learned This Year (2009-10)

In this blog post, Mr. Joe McClung provides the reader with information about his second full year of teaching and all of the challenges he faced. Although, Joe had taught for a full year, there were still some differences he encountered that made teaching this year a whole new ball game. Mr. McClung had to teach history and social studies with very minimal materials this year after he was accustomed to teaching science and being provided with everything he needed. Can you say adaptation? Well, adapting is something Mr. McClung had to do and had to do quickly if he wanted to remain successful in his career.

This was a year of many firsts for Mr. McClung. It was his first time teaching 3 different subjects in the same year, first time teaching social studies and history, and his first time working in a large school district. Did I mention it was his first time teaching in a Jr. High setting? Can you say teenager? Well, Mr. McClung can now say the word and understand the difference between 6th graders and 8th graders. I am a parent of an eighth grader and can clearly see the difference from 6th grade to 8th grade and that is just one child. Imagine going from a classroom of kids (literally kids) to teenagers who think they know it all. Just learning how to deal with the different mindset is challenging but when you throw in new subjects like history and social studies, you create an entirely new dynamic that most would just say they can't deal with and "throw in the towel". Add on top of that the animosity you receive from an administrative staff and you have pure chaos. Well, Mr. McClung was able to be triumphant despite all of the challenges he went through and can hopefully say he came out victorious.

Mr. McClung decided to be an innovator. He didn't want to become the "ghost of history teachers past" so he decided to allow the students to have a brain and use it to the best of their abilities. He didn't want the students to rely on him for answers; he wanted to students to use critical thinking and find the solutions on their own or just provide an "educated opinion". He knew that everyone saw events, history, and current actions in their own way so who was he to say that they were wrong. Let the students have a voice. You never know what sound might come out.

Mr. McClung gave three powerful advice statements.
1. Find your school mom
2. Check your ego at the door
3. Don't be a control freak
The reason I say that these are powerful advice statements is because as teachers some want to portray themselves as all mighty and all knowing but the truth of the matter is that we are learning just like the students. Just because we know the subject matter doesn't mean that we have looked at it from every possible point of view. Finding a school mom was basically finding someone that could help you if needed (it didn't have to be a mom or a woman, just someone that wanted the same thing you did, success!). Checking your ego at the door meant that you needed to be open to what the students had to say. Yes, they may be wrong but give them a chance to explain their point of view and explain why they are incorrect or accept their opinion as their point of view. Finally, don't be a control freak meant, give some freedom. As long as the students are learning and will be successful on the exam, give them the opportunity to be themselves as long as they are not hindering others.


Finally, Mr. McClung said "Don't lose sight of what is important" and "It's what you learn after you know it all that matters" and I believe these go together because they both touch on the student as the teacher and the teacher as the student. What I mean by this is that if you are continuing to learn and grow as a teacher you understand more and more, regardless of what you go through, that the students are the most important and you learn when they learn. Also, if you think you know it all, you have a lot to learn because there are so many varying opinions contrary to your beliefs and if you are not open to receive these opinions, you are missing out and your world is very dim. Let the light come out of the students and shine so our world can be brightened.

What I Learned This Year (2010-11)

In Mr. McClung's third year of teaching he learned more about this profession than he probably wanted to. Now, he can see that this is as some would say just a "job" (although I disagree that it is) just like any other and you will have some that are extremely enthusiastic about their career (like him) and others that just want to be done with the day, week, month, and sometimes year. He states "I feel like the teaching landscape is full of individuals that once had a fire and excitement for the profession but somewhere along the way they joined the darkside." Unfortunately, in this scenario and it does exist all over the world, the students are ultimately the ones that suffer because to these teachers it is just a job and they often times don't care if the students learn or not.


Mr. McClung also learned who the boss was. Many teachers think that it is the administrators because they are the individuals that sign your paycheck but the children are the reason teachers exist. They are the boss and without their success we have no success. Mr. McClung said "Our decision making process should always be student centered and not centered around pleasing adults." He states this because the other adults in the school system should be looking to see what the students have learned and how they behave and not other teachers. It is all about the student (boss) and making sure they are successful. If our students’ education is first and foremost, everything else will fall into place and teachers have no other choice but to be successful. He also stated that we should not be afraid to be an outsider because being an outsider that is excited about the students learning is what a teacher should be. Mr. McClung eats with his students, jokes with his students, and spends time with them to try and know them better. What better way to gauge a student’s knowledge than spending time with them and learning how they think? If we know how our students think and learn we can test them in a way that is much more effective than the standardized test and perhaps help them become better testers. He is doing this and by doing this has a better handle on the students than the strict teacher that doesn't even know all of his/her students' last name.

Finally, Mr. McClung states that we should not touch the keyboard and not get comfortable. If we "touch the keyboard" or in other words do the work for the students we are not helping them become independent self learners. They are watching us do their work and believe that we will continue to do their work for the rest of their lives. Also, if we get comfortable, the work will become mundane and we will continue to do the ins and outs and forget about the students.

Joe McClung has learned a lot in his first 3 years of teaching and some of it has dealt with the students but a lot has dealt with him as an individual. He has begun to understand the role that a teacher must play and how that role will impact our future and the future of the students. It is not Ok to stay stagnant and have mediocre success. A teacher performing at the highest level has the best interest of every student at the forefront of his/her mind and strives to make sure every student is successful. He will be successful in the long run if he continues to learn, grow, and keep the students first.

Project # 13 Smartboard Instruction Part 1

Project # 12 Book Trailer

Blog Post # 8

This Is How We Dream

This is how we dream is a video that introduces us to multi-media capabilities (specifically "the cloud") and helps clear the "blurred line" between the past and our present and future. Interestingly enough the professor started speaking about how he grew up in a paper world, had visions of working in a paper world, and is now working in an electronic world. Not only is he working in an electronic world, he is using the web to perform tasks that would have been done in the past on paper. He also put together some collaborative work using the web that (in the past) would have taken several resources (which would have had to be collected from all over) and would had taken a lot more time to complete. This technology has opened up several avenues where they didn't exist before and is making inventions (virtual) possible anywhere in the world.




The world we live in today allows us to share experiences from anywhere and aides us in teaching ourselves and others. In part 2 of This Is How We Dream he speaks about what should be done in the universities and in the world and how it will impact everyone. This is how we dream today; virtually. We live, build, and work in cyberspace. So, why aren't we teaching in cyberspace? We need to understand that the world will move forward and universities need to help students become better "dreamers" and explore all of their possibilities. Unlock the hidden treasures found in the minds of many great people that have remained locked up for so many years. Invest in the future fundamentals and watch creativity come alive. This is how we dream today but it should no longer be a dream.




Carly's Post

Carly's Post shows what type of person she is and gives you an insight as to how she might teach. Though she writes a lot and very well, her use of creativity and videos only strengthens what she has down on paper or the computer. I am not a reader or writer like Carly but her teaching style might have me reading and writing more than I normally would. She does well with using multi-media and wants her students to use multi-media as well. The good thing is (I hope) that she will be teaching English literature or something like that. She will still run into students that are reluctant to be as excited as she is about writing, reading, and learning but what she wants to do may help them learn. The video I found most useful was the disability means possibility video because it showed that people are people and we all like what we like regardless of what we look like, sound like, or act like. I believe Carly wants to get this out of her students by writing and creativity on their blogs or whatever technological advancement will exist during that time.

EDM310 is Different

Well, the primary message of the videos was you need EDM310 so you are aware of what is out there in the world and are prepared for the many different situations you will face. In the Chipper Series, Chipper tried to do without school and found out she needed school to really be successful with what she wanted to do. In EDM310 for Dummies the girls found out that all of this technology is out there but trying to learn all of it and understand can be overwhelmed. Even trying to understand how to learn these things can be difficult. So, you can see that help is often times needed and is available if you know where to look. Take the time, do what is necessary and you will be successful.

After watching these two videos I believe I would like to participate in a video that is dialogue like the Chipper Series. It doesn't have to be with Dr. Strange but I want people to see and understand why certain things are needed. It doesn't have to be school; it can be a subject I would like to teach like Math. I hear a lot of students say that they don't know why it is needed and a good video that shows how we use mathematics on a daily basis sounds like a good video for people to see. We could also do a video on the benefits of social networking or face to face communication over the web using features like Skype. I could possibly do a video on any of these things or other videos where we are teaching or debating a good topic. They are all good video topics for me.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn



In Learn to Change, Change to Learn the individuals talked about our education system today and the lack of technology in the school system. These individuals understand that technology is needed for students to be successful today. The classroom of yesterday is extinct and the 21st century classroom looks much different. One lady in the video said "If I could remodel a classroom of today, I'm not sure it would be a brick and mortar classroom" and later basically stated that a classroom was more of a meeting place. This means that the classroom would be a supplement but learning will take place in the world "in the cloud".

I, unfortunately for the current school system, agree with what they are saying in the video. It is unfortunate because I will be looking to come in and make changes for the students that will go against the "status quo". I will be the teacher that says "yes" we can try this and "yes" let's check out schools in other parts of the world to see how they solved this problem. The days of the teacher being right all of the time and everyone else needing to listen to the teacher and that is it is gone. Everyone will be challenged and at some point you will be able to defend your decision or accept defeat. Students have too much power in their hand. Why do they need a teacher? It is definitely not to learn the information because they have Cyberteacher for that. They need leaders, guiders, and role models that can help them sift through information and defend their thesis. Teachers and schools are needed but not the way they used to be. It is time for a change and that change is happening now.

Project # 11 Why I want to become a teacher video

Blog Post # 7

Dr. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

First and foremost we need to understand that the last lecture "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" was not just a lecture for the audience that was there. It was a life lesson for his children which is something he wanted to leave with and for his children while he could. He knew they wouldn't understand what he was telling them now, but in the future, it would be something inspiring for them from a dad that loved them deeply.

From Dr. Pausch's last lecture you could see what type of person he was. Why is this important? It is important because a person's teaching style comes from their personality. I believe you can usually quickly assess a person’s personality and from there determine how they will teach. Dr. Pausch said in his lecture, there is good in everybody and you just have to wait to see it. Based on that comment alone, you can see that he was not going to give up on his students and it was proven throughout his career. His lecture was like he said "how to lead your life" because he believed that if you lead your life the right way, your dreams would come to you.




Dr. Pausch enjoyed having fun with what he was teaching and telling interesting stories. His life was an open book for all of us to see and grow from. He definitely wanted you to learn but he also wanted you to have fun while learning. He taught one very valuable lesson. It was to never give up on your dreams. If you give up on your dreams, you end up settling and happiness is never achieved. Dr. Pausch did what was necessary to make sure his students were successful. He showed gratitude to those that helped him become successful and he was able to use "head fakes" throughout his career to get his students to learn.

Dr. Pausch achieved so much because his students learned and grew from their experiences with him. The ETC masters program he created was an example of this. It is amazing that companies were guaranteeing his students jobs once they finished the program. It is also amazing that the semesters were simply planned with only 5 projects but the end results were priceless. The students wanted to do well for Dr. Pausch and that is a tribute to the way he worked with students. They were like this because he allowed them to be creative with their work and was not quick to tell them they failed. Mistakes are bound to happen; it's what you do after the mistake is made that determines the quality of your work.


Dr. Pausch was a dying man but he did not want anyone to pity him. He had accomplished his dreams and had lived a wonderful life. Yes, he could have lived longer and done even more for the world but it was his time to go. The mere fact that we are still talking about him today and everything he accomplished means his quality of work was excellent. A man should not only be known for what he is doing now but also for the accomplishments he has achieved in the past. If you want your life to speak to others and to be known long after you are gone, you have to make a mark. Dr. Randy Pausch did this in more ways than he could ever think of. Dr. Pausch was a scholar, inspirer, lecturer, learner, and most of all visionary. His vision will continue to live on in all that knew him and especially in his children.

Project #10 My PLN

This post is about my PLN. It is a beginning PLN with not much to it. So far it contains things like my Facebook account, Twitter, email, and weather. I expect that it will get better with time but for now it is a start. As I move on in EDM 310 I expect to gather more resources and be able to add more to my PLN. Human Resources are not difficult for me to obtain but first I must reach out on the web to gather these resources. My PLN will grow in this information age and I hope that it will be a model PLN for my students to see.

Summary of C4T Posts

C4T on Dianne Krause's Blog


My C4T summary for this month is for Dianne Krause’s Digital Discoveries blog. Her blog is dedicated to providing educators with information on the latest technology “in the cloud” and she invites these educators to check out this new technology and sites.


In my first comment, I commented on a post about We Video. This is technology allows individuals to edit their videos online from wherever they are. I told Dianne that I checked out the We Video site and it looked interesting enough that I might sign up to use the free service. It was because of her post that I was able to even find this new technology and I thanked her for the post.


In my second comment, I commented on a post about What’s Your Learning Style and Getting Attention in the Laptop Classroom. I let her know how the post and link to the site about learning styles were useful. I informed her that I took the quiz and found out what type of learner I was. I told her how that will help me as a teacher because I will be dealing with students with several different learning styles and have to adapt to each one. Probably most importantly, I told her how the EDM 310 class was preparing the students how to become 21st century teachers. Because we are learning about all of the tools available on the web and how to use them we can better assist students with their learning. Lastly, I invited her to check out my blog and the class blog. Her site is an excellent resource for educators.