Playing with Google for Educators

There is a lot of writing and information to overwhelm any person that has an attention deficit disorder. There are also some sites that you have to download in order to use that application. This site has a lot information to offer teachers in many different areas such as science, astronomy, reading comprehension, along with classroom ideas, and activities.
I myself might one day use this site for resources in my own classroom. I am just not sure how as of yet since I have never actually taught a class before.

Educational Philosophie

This week we were to work on our educational philosophies. Then we were to look at a few different sites and go over other educational philosophies and see what we could understand and figure out. A lot of the philosophies seemed to have some similarities and a fair amount of the blogs had complaints regarding the educational system today. Of all the philosophies I could most understand and relate to David Truss's you can find it at http://pairadimes.davidtruss.com . He originally wrote it May 23, 2007. He then revised it on May 2, 2009. He did not write any specific pedagogy in his philosophy, however from what I gather he supports and inclusive multicultural, and diverse form of philosophy. He supports engaging his students and giving them the supports they need to become responsible, successful, lifetime learners. He believes that all teachers should be actively involved with their students education. I also think that he believes in the use of Blooms Taxonomy in regards to becoming creative and critical thinkers.

A few things I am greatfull for this semester

I have had a lot of frustration this semester learning a lot of new technology. I am also grateful for some of this knowledge and technology. I have been able to set up and use the wiki for another class. It enabled us to get an A on our cooperative learning project. The wiki made it easier for us to communicate and cooperate rather than send multiple emails and phone calls. The information that we needed to share was right in front of us. I still have a lot to learn in regards to the wiki but am willing to spread my wings. I do not care for twitter. I am not sure what purpose it could be used for in an elementary classroom. However I have learnt more about it and am able to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to let my children to use it.

video blog

Hi all this week we are supposed to talk about video blogging. Let me tell you it is not an easy thing to do. I had a difficult time with this project. I had to keep redoing the video. I was having techinical difficulties. There is not enough room at the desk so that I could use the webcam. The quality from the webcam is not great. It was not the best experience for me. I do not think I will be creating any of these for my classes. however they are now doing web classes for children that are ill so that they can still have a education while obtaining treatments to try and get well from things such as cancer. Which is a good thing.

I just wish it was not such a difficult thing to do and I had equipment that would do a better job and I could just pause it instead of having to redo the whole thing. Well enough about my complaining. I hope you will be able to see and enjoy. Missy

Schools Kill Creativity

Sir Ken Robinson was funny and whitty. I was going to prepare myself for another boring video but again for a second time in a row I was impressed and my interest was kept. Sir Ken said that our children are the future. We have been teaching them to be school professors instead of creative individuals. I like and appreciate his take on the lady that is a famous choreographer that was a young girl that was unable to sit still was a dancer and went to dance school instead of being diagnosed with what is known today as ADHD. I agree with what he said but also disagree with what he said about medication and turning the creativity off. I have ADHD and now that I am on medication I am finally able to sit down and read a chapter in a book for school. I also do not keep my husband awake all night any more with my shaking in my sleep. I am not on so much medication that my creativity is hindered. I never had much talent to begin with. I sing off key, have poor balance, and cannot draw worth dirt however I do like to sew and do needle work. My creativity is making things with my hands. Give me a quilt to sew together any day. My daughter also has a disorder that makes it so that she would never sleep and her mind was always on the go 1,000 miles an hour. She is now on a dose of medication that would put a full grown male to sleep. However because of the chemical imbalance in her brain it slowes her down enough to start to listen and pay attention to others. However my husband and myself watch her to make sure she is still herself. That is one of the important things for us. She can sing, and draw, and act. She is able to write the story's she creates in her mind now on paper where she could not do that before. We do not want her over medicated but we do want her happy and healthy. She will watch a movie and suddenly pause it and start drawing a panther or a horse or a dog. She even draws our pets. I do agree however that sometimes a standard school is not right for every one. She could not make it threw a regular school day in a standard school system. The school system finally agreed when she was in 7th grade to send her to an alternative learning school. She is now thriving at school also. I agree that there are a lot of children that are out there that are having their creativity stifled. Music and art are of the first programs to be cut with this no child left behind program. However that is another thing to blog about. I have my opinions and they do not belong here at this time. Hooray for Sir Ken. Keep up the good fight to keep our children healthy, moving, and creative.

Bad Power Points

This week we are supposed to blog about our experiences with bad power point presentations.

I have to say I have been subject to some bad power point presentations that made me want to go to sleep. They were basically a lot of notes that someone was reading to the class. They did not ask questions or make it interesting.

Another power point that I have to say was one that was too distracting. Words were all over the place spinning and moving around. They used rainbow writing and funky shaped words. It also had flashing pictures. This power point was a little over the top and then some.

In our studies they talked about the 3+1+1 rule. Do you think that teachers should explain this rule to their students if they are going to create a power point presentation?

Blog about Hans Rosling's Presentation

Mr. Rosling's presentation in my opinion is by far the best video you have had us watch in class thus far. He makes you laugh and keeps the material more interesting. He was talking about data bases and how we need to get the publicly funded data bases more accessible on the Internet without our having to pay for it. He also mentioned the big advancement from the UN where it is no longer impossible to do this but that they cannot. He also talked about the child mortality rate in the different parts of the world and how if used properly the data bases can tell us so much more. Looking at a big lump number does not tell us as much about an area as looking at the different values that make up that number.

This week‘s blog is about Bloom’s Taxonomy

This class is the first time that I have been exposed to Blooms Taxonomy. It is also the first time that I have ever been exposed to creating web pages and Web Quest. I have never been introduced to or heard about a higher level of learning, along with how to go about using Bloom's Taxonomy. In some aspects it reminds me of asking open ended questions to make the students think more and then no one is wrong with an open-ended question. It is not easy creating open ended questions and it is not easy thinking about how to create higher level learning with the Bloom’s Taxonomy.
I think that learning how to use the Bloom’s Taxonomy theory is challenging and will be difficult for me to get the hang of but think that it will help me to challenge and help my students grow in their academic carriers. Just as open-ended questions will also help me to help my students on the road to a positive self-esteem and academic success.

Week 6 comments on the Pitfalls - Dr. Bernie Dodge

This week we are supposed to respond to the video regarding the web quest by Dr. Bernie Dodge.
Dr. Dodge said that a good web quest should be unique and something not readily found in your textbook. It should be creative and easy to follow but also cause the user to use their minds and attempt to reach their full potential.

Web Quest

We are supposed to write about our work on learning how to create and build a Web Quest this week.
Well it sure has been interesting. I had a difficult time being able to pull up a template and down load it after deciding which one I wanted to use. Then I was having fun trying to change and put information into it. I am still having a difficult time and it is not looking like or working like I thought it would.
I know that Web Quest are meant to be fun and interesting however I am not so sure about that. I know that it is definitely hard for the creator. Especially trying to use blooms taxonomy and follow the regulations and guidelines.
Searching for the web sites was also fun and interesting. I found that Web crawler was very use full. I then had to decide which sites would be appropriate. If I was not already concerned about children being on the Internet I sure would be now. It takes a long time to find just the correct words and wording to get what you are looking for on the Internet.
Every thing was made more difficult for me since my computer is not working the correct way. It keeps freezing up on me. I keep loosing the work I have done. Applications keep not responding and closing down. You have to save what work you are doing every sentence because the computer does not want to work correctly.
On top of that it takes me about three tries to send an email.
All in all it is a very frustrating week.
Well for blogs this one is a long one and it seems more like a venting session tonight. I hope every one else is having better luck Missy

Creative Commons

In regards to creative commons I am impressed. It is a website that lets you down load and use music and other things for podcasts, video’s remixes and such. If you are selling what you use it for then there is a license that you need to pay for to use the music or what not. Otherwise it is free for non commercial use. This music is not big label music it is ordinary musicians trying to get their music out to the world without a big record label that you need to sell your music to. I also found a song I liked on the album independence day now I need to figure out how to down load it so that I have it for future listening pleasure.

Another Web Page Site to add to our list

I found another site for free web pages. It is http://s1.webstarts.com/
I actually added another web page to my list it is http://s1.webstarts.com/MBullard/index.html
This web site is in between Weebly and Google in difficulty. It has a lot of options and potential if you do not get frustrated with all the extras.
I still am not sure which web page will be my permanent portfolio as of yet. Missy

Web Pages

This week I am in confusion. I hope that I am doing things alright. I am having a hard time creating web pages and am attempting to add links to the three web pages to this blog.
Missy
http://mbullard.weebly.com/
http://mbullard.yolasite.com/
http://melissabullard.wordpress.com/
http://sites.google.com/site/mbullardsite/

The Next 5000 Days of the Internet - Kevin Kelly

In reflection to what Kevin Kelly, had to say in The Next 5000 Days of the Internet Mr. Kelly talked about what has happened since the start of the technological beginning of computers and the Internet. He also talked about what he perceives to happen in the next 5000 days of the Internet or approximately 13.698 years.

When I think about what he said it makes sense that we will become even more dependent on computers and technology. I mean it is replacing things like the library card catalog system and we need to learn how to use computers just to check out a book at the library. Doctor's offices, and Hospitals are converting to Electronic medical health records so you can go any where and have access to your medical records if there is a computer and you have the correct access codes or programs.

They are trying to program computers to help people with injuries to walk again and people that are blind to give them some sort of sight. People are becoming very dependent on wireless telephones and cell phones. There are some people that actually do not know what a party line is. They think that a rotary phone dial is odd or different. I was on the phone the other day with someone and they wanted me to do something and kept talking to me. I think they assumed that I had a portable phone. I had to interrupt them and say if they wanted me to do what they asked me to do that they had to stop talking with me because I cannot do it while on the phone since it was attached to the wall.

Another example is the fact that music was something you had to go to or play an instrument or sing, then there was the music box where the metal strips twanged when the bumps went by them, Then to more complex machines like Victrola. We Then it moved to different types of vinyl records. We cannot forget the radio. Then to the different types of cassettes like 8track, then tape cassettes. Then there was the big rave the Walkman and the outrageous price that went with them. Then came the Cd's which replaced the Vinyl LP's. And the portable CD player replaced the Walkman. And now their are IPod's and Mp3 players which have replaced the portable CD players.

I do not know what the next 5000 days will bring since technology is changing so fast and the big computers and electronics are getting smaller but also holding much more information and able to do so much more than what it could just a few months ago. It is a scary prospect to think that eventually computers will be in control and know every thing we say and or do.

comments regarding the Internet detective tutorial

Hello,
This week we needed to do a tutorial called the Internet detective. The tutorial had a lot informative information. I would have liked to of known this information when I first started school. A lot if it seemed to be a review for me at this point since I had to learn through trial and error, along with many hours on the web.
Missy

Welcome to My School Journal Blog
I hope you enjoy your time here.
Your comments are welcome.
Missy