Project 7:Vocaroo Faulkner Reading

Project 8: Teaching Xtranormal Use (With Google Documents Presentation)

For this project, I decided to make a Google documents presentation that teaches how to use the xtranormal text to animation website we used in project 14. Hope it is helpful.

Comments 4 Kids (Final Update)

Week 9: For this week I commented on Moturoa's 2010 blog from New Zealand. This was the post I looked at. Here is the comment I left: "Hi, I am an Education Student at the University of South Alabama, taking a class called EDM310. I am sorry to hear that someone pooped in your school pool as well. At least the link to the site with the game was pretty fun and instructive. Hopefully, that won't happen to you guys in the future."

Week 10: The blog I posted on for this week, Mrs. Kolbert's Class blog was very good. I commented on "Leo's" blog post called "St. Patrick's Day." Here is my comment: "Hello, I am also a student at the University of South Alabama EDM 310 (Educational Media), I know that you are always supposed to wear green on St. Patty’s day. I also know that it is a sign of respect for the nation, and since I am part Irish I love it. James Joyce is one of my favorite writers, and he was Irish, so I like St. Patrick’s day for that reason too."

Week 12: I commented on the "Team One Rock Stars" blog. I left the following comment on Mahana'a post, entitled "Get read, set, go!" : Mahana, Hello, I am a college student at The University of South Alabama. I am reading and commenting on blogs in school all over the world for a class called EDM 310. This was a really nice post. I liked the drawing and I am glad you liked the obstacle course. Keep up the good work."

Week 13: I visited Room 14 and commented on this post by "Eleva" Here is what I said: "Eleva,
Hello, I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am reading and commenting on blogs all over the world for a class called EDM 310. The skating limbo game sounds like fun, even though I know I am a terrible skater. Keep up the good work, your class's blog is very impressive."

Week 14: I commented on Mrs. Kathy Cassidy's class blog. I looked at a post by "Hayden" about baseball and hockey. In the post, Hayden says that his dad taught him both baseball and hockey. I told him that I played baseball in college and that we don't get to play hockey very much in Alabama.

Project 6: Report on Skype Use

So, before this class I had very little knowledge about "Skype." I was skeptical about the credibility of the program, because I have thought that video chatting was somewhat suspect for a while. Now, after a semester of EDM 310, I have realized that Skype can be a very useful tool. The first time I got to participate in a Skype call was actually part of a business conference that someone I know was in with their fellow AT&T employees. They reported that Skype was invaluable to them because they are on so many trips. I also really liked the video's of the different educators who spoke with our class and Dr. Strange through Skype. It seems to me that I may one day definitely need Skype in my class. I like the fact that you can call anyone in the world, speak to them face to face, and not have to pay a dime for it. Over the course of the semester, I have made a few Skype calls to friends and family and have gotten used to the program. I am glad I now realize its advantages and how useful it is.

Project 12: Google Earth

I decided to do my Google Earth presentation about a trip I took back in the summer of 2006 to California. Hope you like it.

Here is the link to my trip.

Project 15: Interview

For this project, I interviewed Jamie Lynn Miller about technology in English classrooms. We discuss blogs, Google docs, PLN's, and Google Lit Trips.

Project 14: Substanitive Project

Well, at long last here it is: Project 14 (with Brittany Lewis and Sam Blackman) using this website (called xtranormal). Xtranormal allows people to create their own animated videos. We decided to make ours about two teachers who are discussing technology in the classroom.

Project 10: TimeToast Timeline

I liked using this website. The interface was user-friendly and easy to navigate. I think it could be useful in my classroom potentially by having students make time lines about literary works and or authors. I decided to make this time line about the band "Modest Mouse" and their sophomoric rise to artistic excellence and subsequent fall from grace. I had fun making this project and hope you all enjoy it. A link to it can be found here.

Week 15: 7th Graders PLE and "Two Questions That can Change Your Life"

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (PLE)

With this video, we can see yet another example of just how good the students of today are at technology based projects. It was interesting to see the ways that this student participates in a "paper free" science class. I really liked the way that this student highlighted the freedom that students are afforded with technologically based classes. One thing this student also pointed out was that electronic assignments are not like book work. Students seem to not feel as bored when doing tech assignments. This video also did a good job of illustrating that information still must be verified as valid, even if it is being posted on a blog. It was unfortunate to hear that this student has yet to hear back from the professor they emailed about their project, but in the future I feel more students will be able to get electronic feedback from teachers/professors.

All in all, I feel like my PLN or PLE (whichever you prefer) is somewhat similar to this 7th grader's, but they definitely seem to have a more advanced hold on these 21st century tools. They are doing work that is based on electronic media, such as blogs and google doc presentations, and at least attempting to share it with peers and academics alike. This student has definitely embraced the digital age and it is exciting to see. I am continuing to expand my own PLN and it is growing daily. There are so many outlets for learning and sharing online, and this video is yet another example of how effective these can be.

Two Questions That can Change Your Life: Daniel Pink

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

This video was profoundly thought provoking. Basically the two questions it asks are very simple: A.) What is your sentence and B.) Am I better today than I was yesterday? The first question involves what sentence would accurately summarize one's life. For instance, Abraham Lincoln's sentence would be "he preserved the union and freed the slaves." This was a new thought for me. Asking this question of yourself can be self-reflexive to an extreme point. In the end, I feel like my sentence is really not ready to be written yet because I have not progressed far enough in my life to really accurately place anything. I have a lot of long-term goals that I want to be my sentence, but they have not been realized as of yet. The second question is actually one that I am familiar with, and actually have been practicing since I was 15 years old. One of my dad's oldest friends has been a long time principal in Tampa Bay, Florida. When I was about 15, he told me about this question and I have actually tried to use it. It has been helpful, the only problem than can occur from it involves when you are not sure if you can actually evaluate yourself. All in all, both of these questions seem ridiculously valid and pertinent in people's lives.

Week 14: A Look at Technology in English Classrooms

Technology in the English Classroom

Since we've been given a little room to create our own topic this week in the blogosphere, I decided to examine some material about my field: Secondary English Language Arts. This video was interesting to me for two reasons: 1. It was by someone who is in the same field, and 2. It dealt with an actual approach to curriculum that involves technology. The video outlined an assignment that calls for students to write their own blog from the perspective of a character of their choosing from relevant class material. In the case of the example blog, "soda pop" from the classic The Outsiders was used. The video also suggests that students can use any variety of literature that they or the teacher wants.

I am excited about the potential possibilities that blogging may have on my classroom. Again, I feel like I can't say it enough, teaching in this field is completely dependent on student engagement, and I am all for anything that can keep their attention. Blogging, at least for now, seems like something worth experimenting with. I don't necessarily think it will be a "cure-all" for the engagement issue, but kids today are definitely fascinated with technology. I think a key to the blogging assignments is having students actually get feedback for their work. If this is accomplished, it seems like the sky is the limit. I was hesitant about their utility for a while, but I have slowly been becoming a bigger fan of them. They seem fresh. What do all of you think out there? Would you have appreciated having a blog assignment when you were in middle/high school?

Week 13: The Zax and PS 22 Videos

Dr. Seuss: The Zax

Before beginning any type of overarching discussion of the importance of students posting work on blogs, I want to address this video because I feel it speaks to the mindset of some. Before anyone can really accept newer educational techniques, they must be willing to have a flexible mind. By flexible, I mean willing to look at, and evaluate, viewpoints and ideas which are different than their own. I feel that anyone who really considers themselves an academic must be willing to have opinions that are in flux. If teachers become like the zax, they will find themselves stuck in a spot that will remain archaic.

PS 22 Video

Well first of all, this video was a little bit impressive. This group of kids definitely can sing. They really seemed passionate about the music, and showed enthusiasm about performing. I think that it is important that students at the very least have the option to post their work to blogs. I think it's good that videos like this are available for all to see. I think that allowing students to connect and collaborate via blogs and the net is an exciting opportunity in the 21st century.

I can't help but feel like the "Dear Kaia" post from last week is one example of how vital student blogging can be. If Mr. Chamberlain's students had not been blogging in school, they never would have gotten to learn everything they did from their experience with Kaia and Jabiz. This is the type of change that educators should be open to. The key is to remain unlike the Zax, and be willing to alter our course as we need to.

I also feel like the Skype conversation with Mrs. Kelly Hines serves as another indicator that student blogs, and online sharing are a positive force in the educational world of today. It is incredibly fascinating that our class was able to have such an informative discussion about technology with an active professional teacher. If her students were not blogging and sharing their work on the web, our class would have never been able to learn from, and gather information about the way things are out there in the actual teaching world of today.

Our EDM 310 "Comment 4 Kids" assignments has also served as another good example of how student's work on blogs can be very beneficial. Getting to read actual student's work, from actual classes that are using technology today has been an eye opening experience. It's given me an idea of what kind of blog assignments teachers are using right now. This type of curriculum is something that it is brand new, so it's nice to be able to look at some examples of the different types of work that students and teachers are doing.

Week 12: Dear Kaia and Mr. Chamberlain's Class

Dear Kaia

"Dear Kaia" is a blog set up and run by Jabiz Raisdana, but is presented from the view point of his daughter Kaia. Kaia and Jabiz live in Qatar, but their story is pretty remarkable in terms of its possible connection to 21st century technology and education. The story begins on the "Dear Kaia" blog. Jabiz had been reading The Last Child in the Woods and wanted his daughter to experience nature in a meaningful way. He and Kaia decided that they would go on a nature walk near their home and document the things they saw with their digital camera. The walk and subsequent photography were later compiled into a photo essay on Kaia's blog, which is where things start to get interesting.

Mr. Chamberlain's Class

Mr. Chamberlain's class was taking part in a comment for kids project and they came across Kaia's blog and photo essay. Despite the fact that Mr. C's class was in Missouri, they were able to make connections with Kaia across geographic and cultural lines. They posted comments, but quickly heard back from Jabiz (via Skype), who informed them that Kaia cannot really read and comprehend their comments. The class then decided to create a voice thread presentation of their comments and send them back to Kaia. Of course, the entire thing turned out to be a huge success that started to gain some notoriety.

The Intrepid Teacher, and What it All Means

As Jabiz says on his blog , he was really blown away with this whole experience. He is quick to point out that Kaia still cannot really understand the importance of what she has been a part of, but no doubt as she gets older she will grow to appreciate and draw from the experience more. He does point out that he has some trepidation about having his daughter make connections with people over the internet, and having them post pictures of her in their own youtube videos.


On the surface, this story could be passed off as being an insignificant encounter on the internet. Just a few pictures of a nature walk were shared, but this I feel signifies what is becoming a major shift in the Educational paradigm. These people were able to share ideas and experiences in a way that would never be possible without technology. Everyone involved with this story learned a lot. What I feel is most interesting too, is that Kaia was able to actually ENJOY the learning process. By sharing her learning experience online and getting such positive feedback, she will no doubt begin to foster a love for learning, and not only that, but a love for learning that includes technology. As far that the privacy issues, I believe that as long as parents, mentors, and educators do a good job of showing their students/children how to properly surf the net for information and connections, they can remain safe.

Project 5: Survey

I decided to make my survey about something that I could at least attempt to apply to my field (Secondary Education/ Language Arts). My hypothesis was that students who read more will be better suited to: A.) Enjoy writing and B.) Achieve good scores on writing assignments. All in all, my results are not really that indicative of anything in particular. 62% of my subjects read 5 books or less over a six-month span. 81% reported that less than 2 of these books were required for school. 88% reported reading less than 5 books on their own time. The interesting thing is that 94% said they get A's or B's on all of their writing assignments. This was somewhat troubling for me, and frankly I question the honesty of some of my subjects. 69% also reported that they enjoy writing, which in my estimation, should have been 94% since that many said they get A's or B's. Either way below are links to both my survey and results.

The Reading and Writing Connection Survey

Results for The Reading and Writing Connection Survey

Podcast Goodness

Here are a couple of links to our EDM310 class Podcasts and my specific group's (Myself, Brittany Lewis, and Sam Blackman) Podcast about Google Lit Trips.

It's Time for Technology Talk


Google Lit Trips PodCast

Comment for Teachers Part 3

For this portion of the "Comment for Teachers" project I commented on Paula White's blog "Reflections of the TZSTeacher." I responded to two blog posts: one about setting up a community of learners in classrooms, and one about interactive whiteboards. My first comment was about creating a community of learners and read as follows:

"Greetings,

My name is A.W. Faris. I am a Secondary Education/ English major at The University of South Alabama. I am taking a class called Educational Media (EDM 310) and was directed to your blog as part of a class-wide project. I really enjoyed reading this post. I feel like too many teachers today simply go through the motions of teaching kids “factoids” that are really just part of state requirements. I think that kids get a lot more out of an education that teaches them to be free, independent critical thinkers. I understand, however, that this can be a difficult line to walk at times for educators. It sounds like you are doing a really good job of this in your class. I like the fact that you create a support system that allows your students to at least attempt to solve their own issues amongst themselves. Thanks for posting"

The second was about Interactive Whiteboards (IWB's). Here is a transcript of my comment:

I think you are definitely posing some very difficult and thought provoking ideas here. In my opinion, the main problem with whiteboards does seem to be the availability and accessibility of them. If I had to state where I stand (out of the two possible) I would say that I am not for their use, yet. I think that as time goes on, technology like this will be much more accessible for more educators. I think right now, these technologies are so new, that some kids tend to make a sort of mockery out of lesson plans centered around them. They view some of these technologies more as toys than actual useful educational implements. As time goes on, and more teachers have interactive white boards and smartboards in their classrooms, I think kids will become much more responsive to learning with them. These technologies are exciting, but we must remember they are still in the fairly infantile stages of their development. This is really exciting post. Good stuff!

A.W. Faris
University of South Alabama
http://www.arthurfarisedm310.blogspot.com
http://www.edm310.blogspot.com"

Comment for Teachers Part 2

For this portion of the "Comment for Teachers" assignment, I commented on the "Intrepid Teacher" blog of Jabiz Raisdana (found here). This was yet another very interesting professional blog from an actual educator in the classroom of today.

The first post I commented on was titled "Big Wheel Keep on Turning." The post listed and described some of the assignments, reasons for assignments, and the basic overall progress of the class. My comment read as follows:
"Hello,
I am one of Dr. Strange’s students at The University of South Alabama in EDM 310. My blog can be found at http://www.arthurfarisedm310.blogspot.com. I will be commenting on three of your posts on this blog as part of our class-wide “comment for teachers” project. I am very impressed that you have such limited resources at your disposal, yet are able to provide your students with a technological education. I think that the shift toward for technologically based media for education is inevitable. It’s good that you have your students using gmail and collaborating online to become more knowledgeable. Many of the things that you have your students doing is exactly what we are doing in Dr. Strange’s class. Keep up the good work, and you’re right it is great to be doing something that you love."

The second post a commented on "Nature of War," detailed an assignment that Raisdana was using to get his students to think about the deeper concepts of war. He posted a video of one of his students actual presentations, it is very good.


I commented with this: "Incredible. I think it is overwhelmingly important to teach students to do more than memorize dates, facts, names, ect… They need to be taught to actually analyze the overarching themes, and critically evaluate events and data. You have done an inspiring job of that with this assignment. The sample video you posted is amazing, it illustrates that your students are really evaluating and making deeper connections with the condition of war. This is really great and exciting work."

The third and final post I commented on dealt with the compatibility of new technology like the Ipad, with the older way of reading and writing (See video at the top of this post). I commented the following:

"In my opinion, the key problem here seems to center around some of the recreational activities that technology is often used for these days. For kids, I believe this makes them only associate the devices they are using with games. Some of these games and technologies seem to condition the user to only respond to very quick “flash in the pan” emotions. The problem here is that reading literature, and comprehending words and language can be a somewhat demanding and slow process. I worry that apps like these teach kids to be averse to slower and more complex thought processes that really are necessary for true lingual evaluation and learning. As long as the true intellectual process of interacting with words is preserved to some degree in these apps, I think they could be useful.

A.W. Faris
EDM 310"

Comment for Teachers Part 1

For my first comment for teachers assignment, I followed three weeks worth of posts by Alan Strange. Strange is a teacher in Canada. Strange is a teacher in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada. His blog can be found here. The topics of posts I commented on ranged from merit pay for teachers, students' responses to teacher's methods, and a school where students and teachers collaborate to make rules.

The first comment I posted was titled "It's not What we Teach." In this post, Strange points out that the actual material taught by instructors is not as important as how the students respond to it. My comment read :

"Greetings,

I am a Secondary Education major at the University of South Alabama. I am currently in a class called Educational Media (EDM 310).I have been assigned to read your blog and comment for the next three weeks’ posts. I will be summarizing my comments and posting them on my blog at http://www.arthurfarisedm310.blogspot.com. This post was definitely very interesting for me. It seems true that sometimes there is a disconnect between students and their teachers. I think that the ability to keep students engaged in and understanding the material the way we, as educators, want them to can be really tough. Pedagogical self-evaluation seems to be one of the most vital tools for all educators. The good ones can keep a definitive pulse on the attitude of their students."

My second comment was to a post about The Summehill School. In Summerhill, teachers and students are free to co-create rules and regulations for their school.

"Really insightful post. I really like the Summerhill model as being a potential framework for new classrooms. I get really excited when I read about educators who are investigating the possibility of revolutionizing the way we instruct and educate the generations of today. I want to be on the forefront of a newly evolved and more efficient secondary education world. The only draw-back I see to this model is that it would take some amount of time, in my estimation, for a freedom based model like Summerhill to be fully operational. In one school I have worked in, I know for a fact that the students have been so conditioned to the authoritarian model that they would run wild with the new freedom. They would make outlandish proposals that would never be realistic. In my eyes, it would take a shift at the lowest grade levels first before a k-12 implementation could be used. It’s all still exciting stuff though."

My third comment was about a post on the flaws of merit pay for teachers.

"I think that right now merit pay is just simply too good to be true. It would be wonderful if there was a fair way to evaluate teachers’ and students’ success and reward the teachers who were performing at the highest level. Sadly, we live in an incredibly flawed world where things like merit pay are just too utopian for the education system of today. Right now, it seems that each of us can really only do the best we can. I would rather be paid less and KNOW my students were getting quality, useful instruction than be paid more and have students who really had not learned anything valuable while they were in my classroom."

I really liked the critical stance that Alan Strange took on these posts. I think it is vital for teachers to be both critical and self-evaluative.