Thursday, December 8, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
C4T Summary for Teacher Tom
My first comment on Teacher Tom's blog was on his How to Honor Veterans post. He went over the proper way to honor a veteran in his post and gave some words of wisdom to the readers. I talked about how we have some companies that honor veterans and some companies that basically treat them like the scum of the earth. I explained how my uncle served in the Air Force for 26 years and is still struggling to this day now that he is out and has trouble getting help. Tom also mentioned how this country has been in war for so many years that people don't really realize how long it has been (off and on). I think his blog is awesome and will visit again (even if it is just to read some posts).
My second comment on Teacher Tom's blog is based on his post where he is trying to get the kids to draw pictures of still life. I state that they are doing what a typical 3 - 5 year old kid would do although he knows that. I also mention how they are learning even if they are not doing what we would do and they will remember what they learned when they get older.
Final Progress on PLN
Final PLN Progress Report
My PLN is coming along but not in the way I would that I expected. I truly didn't even realize my PLN was growing. I have got back in touch with old friends that are teachers; I am now following and have several new educators following me on twitter. I have checked out many teachers blogs and continue to visit their blogs when they post new items. I have found a teacher debate site -Education Debate that have several controversial subjects posted on it that I love to comment on. I have commented on students blogs from around the world and will visit these kids’ blogs again. Although I have been on Facebook for some time, I now know how to use it in a group session and will be able to set up an account for my class. I have found several mathematics sites that I will use as resources that I wouldn't have thought of had it not been for this class.
All of these resources that are and have been at my fingertips for some time are now part of my PLN. So, I guess I would say that my PLN is now much more complete. This is not to say that it can't continue to grow but this is a great start and can only get better from here.
My PLN is coming along but not in the way I would that I expected. I truly didn't even realize my PLN was growing. I have got back in touch with old friends that are teachers; I am now following and have several new educators following me on twitter. I have checked out many teachers blogs and continue to visit their blogs when they post new items. I have found a teacher debate site -Education Debate that have several controversial subjects posted on it that I love to comment on. I have commented on students blogs from around the world and will visit these kids’ blogs again. Although I have been on Facebook for some time, I now know how to use it in a group session and will be able to set up an account for my class. I have found several mathematics sites that I will use as resources that I wouldn't have thought of had it not been for this class.
All of these resources that are and have been at my fingertips for some time are now part of my PLN. So, I guess I would say that my PLN is now much more complete. This is not to say that it can't continue to grow but this is a great start and can only get better from here.
C4K Summary for November
C4K November Summary
In C4K #9 Oscar created a short Lego movie of the life story of Nelson Mandela. I told Oscar that I had been to South Africa and had stood in the very cell that Nelson Mandela spent a good part of his life in. I briefly explained to him what the cell was like and told him that if he ever had the chance to visit South Africa it would be worth the trip.
In C4K #10 Jaden wrote about a "Student Blogging Challenge: Game" he was participating in and I commented on how well he was doing in the game. He also has some questions at the end of his post and I answered them. My answers to his questions were as follows:
I have an avatar on my kids Wii console. That is the only avatar that I am aware of. Maybe I should check the web just to make sure I don't have any more.
My favorite book is the Holy Bible. I like the King James Version, New King James Version and the Amplified Bible. I read this book almost every day.
I have played several pranks on people. I played a prank on a co-worker not too long ago at work. Unfortunately, this co-worker got a little upset but eventually they got over it.
I am not participating in the game although it sounds like something fun that can be done in our class. I may have my professor look into it for next semester.
I informed Jaden that he had an excellent blog and to keep up the good work.
In C4K #11 Roman wrote about their fireworks day which reminds me a lot of the 4th of July here. He had fun jumping on the trampoline and watching the fireworks and then the smoke after the show. I told him I had never heard of fireworks day and how it reminded me of Independence Day here. It is definitely a sight to see and I let him know that I learned something new that day.
In C4K #9 Oscar created a short Lego movie of the life story of Nelson Mandela. I told Oscar that I had been to South Africa and had stood in the very cell that Nelson Mandela spent a good part of his life in. I briefly explained to him what the cell was like and told him that if he ever had the chance to visit South Africa it would be worth the trip.In C4K #10 Jaden wrote about a "Student Blogging Challenge: Game" he was participating in and I commented on how well he was doing in the game. He also has some questions at the end of his post and I answered them. My answers to his questions were as follows:
I have an avatar on my kids Wii console. That is the only avatar that I am aware of. Maybe I should check the web just to make sure I don't have any more. My favorite book is the Holy Bible. I like the King James Version, New King James Version and the Amplified Bible. I read this book almost every day.
I have played several pranks on people. I played a prank on a co-worker not too long ago at work. Unfortunately, this co-worker got a little upset but eventually they got over it.
I am not participating in the game although it sounds like something fun that can be done in our class. I may have my professor look into it for next semester.
I informed Jaden that he had an excellent blog and to keep up the good work.
Blog Post # 14
Jose Picardo - The Language Teacher
In Jose Picardo's website he sets it up like a mix of a social media page and a blog page. He provides several links for people to follow (teachers and students) and he also allows for comments on his page and he responds to them so everyone can see them. His webpage reminds me of Mrs. Yollis webpage but hers is set up mainly for her students and their parents and his seems to be set-up more to share with anyone that visits his page. His page of resources is amazing as he lists a lot of resources from A to Z. The time that he has vested in his webpage and the fact that he is constantly updating his page means he is dedicated to the success of his students and wants to help other teachers succeed as well.
Beyond his webpage, he posts a top 10 video on YouTube where he is again attempting to help other teachers by providing a list of helpful tools when working with their students. What I found interesting is that he basically states in his video that teachers should work with the students instead of being stuck in their ways that aren't working. He encourages the use of technology and allows students to use the tools they have to help them learn. What's funny about this is that I have suggested that I would do this with my classroom as long as it didn't take away from what I was trying to accomplish. His students probably like him because he appears to be fun yet effective. His methods make a lot of sense and therefore should be tried and he wants all to be successful. I would suggest that most teachers check out his website and add it to their PLN as a powerful resource. More importantly, I invite them to watch the video and see what ideas they could use in their classrooms.
In Jose Picardo's website he sets it up like a mix of a social media page and a blog page. He provides several links for people to follow (teachers and students) and he also allows for comments on his page and he responds to them so everyone can see them. His webpage reminds me of Mrs. Yollis webpage but hers is set up mainly for her students and their parents and his seems to be set-up more to share with anyone that visits his page. His page of resources is amazing as he lists a lot of resources from A to Z. The time that he has vested in his webpage and the fact that he is constantly updating his page means he is dedicated to the success of his students and wants to help other teachers succeed as well.
Beyond his webpage, he posts a top 10 video on YouTube where he is again attempting to help other teachers by providing a list of helpful tools when working with their students. What I found interesting is that he basically states in his video that teachers should work with the students instead of being stuck in their ways that aren't working. He encourages the use of technology and allows students to use the tools they have to help them learn. What's funny about this is that I have suggested that I would do this with my classroom as long as it didn't take away from what I was trying to accomplish. His students probably like him because he appears to be fun yet effective. His methods make a lot of sense and therefore should be tried and he wants all to be successful. I would suggest that most teachers check out his website and add it to their PLN as a powerful resource. More importantly, I invite them to watch the video and see what ideas they could use in their classrooms.
C4K #10 Assignment
Mrs. Yollis' 3rd Grade Class
Mrs. Yollis' 3rd Grade Class in California is different than most 3rd grade classrooms. The main difference is that they are very technologically savvy. As a matter of fact, they probably know more than I do know and definitely more than I did when I was in 3rd grade a long long time ago. Their class sessions consist of more than just learning, reading, writing, and arithmetic. It includes learning how to interact with the world and using resources to help them learn.
November is Family Blogging Month in Mrs. Yollis' class and this means that they are able to blog with family members, hold interesting conversations, learn new things and share with the rest of the classroom. I read on the blog that one of the students where blogging with their dad who was in New York on business. Isn't it wonderful to be able to stay in touch with your parents even when they are thousands of miles away? Recently, the kids in Mrs. Yollis' class raised $227.75 for UNICEF and their class goal was $25. I wonder if this has anything to do with their world connection. They also had an interesting Skype session with their friends in Australia where they learned about each others' hometown. Mrs. Yollis' class blog has links to other education class blogs they follow, a cluster map that now shows that over 75,000 visitors have come to their site and it even shows the comments that were left for her students. The class blog is very useful for the students and pretty easy to navigate for visitors.
I absolutely love the way Mrs. Yollis has a link that says Meet Mrs. Yollis and she has on there a picture of herself when she was in third grade. She also has pictures of herself out having fun so her students know that she has a life outside of the classroom as well. At the same time, she has a link called Meet the Bloggers! where she introduces her class and some of the things they like to do. This allows the visitors to understand what the kids like and where they come from. On Mrs. Yollis' website she has links to several sources parents and kids alike can use to aid them in their learning. Everything is so easy to get to and all so very useful for anyone that visits the site. There are many more links and fun things on her website but all useful for those trying to learn. There are a lot of things going on in California and teachers are really exploring and trying new things. Mrs. Yollis' class is the class of the future and Mrs. Yollis is building a brighter future.
Mrs. Yollis' 3rd Grade Class in California is different than most 3rd grade classrooms. The main difference is that they are very technologically savvy. As a matter of fact, they probably know more than I do know and definitely more than I did when I was in 3rd grade a long long time ago. Their class sessions consist of more than just learning, reading, writing, and arithmetic. It includes learning how to interact with the world and using resources to help them learn.
November is Family Blogging Month in Mrs. Yollis' class and this means that they are able to blog with family members, hold interesting conversations, learn new things and share with the rest of the classroom. I read on the blog that one of the students where blogging with their dad who was in New York on business. Isn't it wonderful to be able to stay in touch with your parents even when they are thousands of miles away? Recently, the kids in Mrs. Yollis' class raised $227.75 for UNICEF and their class goal was $25. I wonder if this has anything to do with their world connection. They also had an interesting Skype session with their friends in Australia where they learned about each others' hometown. Mrs. Yollis' class blog has links to other education class blogs they follow, a cluster map that now shows that over 75,000 visitors have come to their site and it even shows the comments that were left for her students. The class blog is very useful for the students and pretty easy to navigate for visitors.
I absolutely love the way Mrs. Yollis has a link that says Meet Mrs. Yollis and she has on there a picture of herself when she was in third grade. She also has pictures of herself out having fun so her students know that she has a life outside of the classroom as well. At the same time, she has a link called Meet the Bloggers! where she introduces her class and some of the things they like to do. This allows the visitors to understand what the kids like and where they come from. On Mrs. Yollis' website she has links to several sources parents and kids alike can use to aid them in their learning. Everything is so easy to get to and all so very useful for anyone that visits the site. There are many more links and fun things on her website but all useful for those trying to learn. There are a lot of things going on in California and teachers are really exploring and trying new things. Mrs. Yollis' class is the class of the future and Mrs. Yollis is building a brighter future.
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