Response to Michael Tabor's Blog Re:Education concerns

Name of the Blog to click on to find out more: Michael K. Tabor, Education of the Aughts
1) Michael Tabor's blog first 80% deals with higher education issues and comments that range from the light hearted suggestions to incoming freshmen on entrance appl's to the seriousness of the polar differences of our approach/attitude with regards to public education in comparison with two other super powers. The other 20% of his blog relates to non-edu issues, which include a personal pic to why the NFL is playing in the U.K.? Exactly my response, Whaaaaaaaaat? and why? His approach as I stated ranges from seriousness to the light hearted but I appreciate his concern from this point of view as an educator. 2) I believe that educators of all grades and back grounds may see this blog and its issues useful, in that people that are in the actual trenches will know what is being talked about in the "real, BIG" outside world of higher education. All of the subjects Mr. Tabor discussed are to do with our students and we need to begin to deal with some of these issues as a child enters school and in attitude immediately. (Re: sexual assaults and attitudes toward education by everyone down to state and the federal government.
3) One important issue I will comment on is the attitude and approach of public education. I often wondered if any one noticed the difference in attitudes among and in comparison with other countries. My whole education career, either while I attended grade school and during my college career I wonder why we as Americans place little value on our education from the beginning stages of mind development to attitudes of importance of edu to the esteem in which we hold our educators. Why as a super power do we pay so little to the education of the minds that will continue our country after we are gone??
4) I think it is useful for people that actually care about the issues Mr. Tabor is obviously concerned about higher education and ethical behavior.( PEOPLE THEY GO HAND IN HAND, speaking to the sexual preditiors out there!) and I also note that Mr. Tabor while addressing some serious issues he does not seem to take himself to seriously.

Response to Duke's Ipod Program

In August 2004, Duke University distributed 1600 ipods to first year students to encourage creative ways of technology education and campus life. The evaluation focused on benefits and effectiveness of the ipod as an academic tool for students and faculty.

There were five major categories of academic use by the faculty at Duke;
1) Circulation of course content
2)As a classroom recording tool
3) As a field recording tool
4) As a study support tool
5) As file storage and file transfer tool

The benefits of the $500, ooo project were one of many, for both faculty and students the convenience perspective, lack of reliance on books and other physical tools. Flexibility on logistics and location which reduced time spent at labs and libraries. The recording feature was an effective tool regarding oral assignments, interviews, etc. Student engagement and interest increased. And lastly, it enhanced learning support for individuals.

As a kindergarten teacher, when the time comes it may be a near future aspect of the classroom. As in Carrolton District, they are using with students with English as a second language. It is suggested for mastering vocabulary, phonemic awareness and uses in mathematics. I think it is a great idea to because it helps connect the home with the classroom. Parents will become more involved and interested to know if their children are playing or working on homework, etc. It encourages interaction of both parent and child which is essential to children's success in reading skills. I find most interesting that it may inspire more enthusiasm with math which is a subject that I was not encouraged in as a child. I realized it was taught as a hated thing because my teacher hated it. So if I embrace a way to increased my ability with math and peek my interest I will pass that on to my students that math is not to be feared or hated.

Response to Cultural Revolution

In regards to my previous post on the disappearance of print. My position has not changed as much has been a bit broadened and enlightened by the publication "Cultural Revolution". I never realized just how prevalent and how intense the "revolution" of the silver disc and how print is really in danger. Creating and authoring media is a powerful tool with children. It motivates them to be more creative and excites them to learn more about what they are studying and the media involved in the lesson. However, I don't believe that it will ever disappear altogether because of old folks like me that enjoy the smell of old leather binders and dusty book halls. Also, in my classroom, now and in the time I will teach, in early elementary classes it will not be able to disappear altogether because of the learning process for children of writing, phonics, and spelling lessons but it will come to pass slowly as the use of computers already exists. In the class room integrating media with the use of books is additonal benefits for students in that they can look, touch, feel, create and author media of there own.

Web Album Assignment #2

Louie and Chica competing for sofa space.

Prince Laurence Alexander
Born January 5, 2007

Maria's Web Album Textiles 3

Beautiful Textiles of India by Fashion Designer Andrea Serrahna, Oakland, Ca.

Maria's Web Album Textiles

Serrahna Fashions show diversity in textiles.

Maria's Web Album Textiles

Fashion show at Serrahna's. Andrea showing raw silk scarves.

Seymour Papert

Seymour Papert is the world's foremost expert on how technology can provide new ways to learn. His current educational project is as an advisor to Nicolas Negroponte's One Lap Top Per Child. The mission of the foundation is to provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment, and express themselves thru educational software. The children at main focus are children outside of the first world that otherwise do not have access to technological learning opportunities. To give the OLPC a jump start it is starting a "give one, get one free" campaign. It is like our buy one get one free, which means one for OLPC, and one for yourself. Not a bad deal to help less fortunate children.
Mr. Papert is also on among many advisory boards, MaMaMedia which specializes in a structionalist learning theory inspired applications to help develop digital literacy skills for children around the world. His advice regarding technology based educational methods is sought internationally by governments agencies in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Mr. Papert's work continues to be recognized with many awards.

practice disney picasa

This is pooh bear greeting a fan!
Famous setting!

My picture changed to sepia tone in picasa

My Picture Changed to Black and White in Picasa

 

Week 5, Paper's future

I do agree with the authors view that paper/printed matter is becoming a thing of the past unfortunately. I love to read and there is nothing like cracking open a book and the feeling of getting lost in a story. I do this to step out side of my own life, for information purposes, and to keep up to date with current/world events. I agree that newspapers are becoming a thing of the past because there are not newsstands as far as the eye can see as when I was growing up. Every corner had a stand it seemed. I could however do with out the print of newspapers because of the waste factor. But literature I do not see it disappearing. I hope not anyway. The death of print will affect me personally because I love books. I have many, many boxes of books. I plan on having a room full of books as I saw once when in high school I was at a friends house. Her parents had one room totally dedicated to walls and walls of books and two fat comfortable chairs in which to read them. I was forever enthralled with the experience of reading. It is a pleasure and a luxury to be able to set and read.
As far as which one is more important, I believe that is equally important for children to read and listen.. They learn by both methods. I see this in my 9 month old son. He watches my mouth as I speak, sing or read to him. He also is almost always listening to me. He likes to look at his books as I read to him at suppertime as well. With the first graders that I tutor in reading, they read every night. The school system has not given up on books because it a very necessary part of their learning process. And they seem to enjoy every minute of watching,hearing and reading a story unfold.

Week 5

My first website of a school using blogs in the classroom is from Mrs.English's classroom blog Room 104 in Aurora High School, Aurora, Nebraska. Click on room 104 to see their classroom blog. The site is regarding her 12th grade class. It focuses on her literature and her class of college composition students. The blogs focuses on students creating their own literature blogs to discuss various books. There is also a section aimed at her college composition class with responses from students about their assignments. Here is a picture of Aurora High School in Nebraska.

The second website is A classroom blog for an 8th grade American History class. Mr. Langhorst's Web Classroom blog can be viewed HERE. This is a very exciting website for students. It is chocked bull of pictures, resources for students and teachers, activites, games, links, and heavy into community involvement. It is a true history students dreamsite. I will be using this as a resource for my future classroom. See this link for pictures to view.

ALEX IN THE CLASSROOM

I plan to use ALEX for lessons plans in my kindergarten classroom. I will also use ALEX for professional instruction

ALEX

ALEX stands for Alabama Learning Exchange. This is an online resourse for educators. ALEX includes lesson plans, courses of study, workspace for teachers, web links and personal learning for educators. It also provides distance learning and search within thinkfinity.org which is a organization founded by Verizon. It is a digital learning platform designed to improve educational and literacy achievement for students. ALEX offers access to Alabama Virtual Library. AVL is available to all students, teachers, and all residents of Alabama.

ACCESS Resources

ACCESS stands for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide. It is a distance learning through the Internet through the Alabama Department of Education that provides web based opportunities of high quality instruction to all Alabama public high school students. For example there are a variety of courses from English, Latin and Math.
Courses are taught using Interactive Videoconferencing or IVP. For students ACCESS offers a variety of courses which include, mathematics, English, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, Health, and Art History. Courses also include electives such as career/technical coordinated studies, psychology, writing and global studies. For educators this allows for new and innovative ways to motivate students, expand their teaching knowledge and share their expertise with students statewide. For parents, this may be the way their child may benefit fro Advanced Placement or college level courses.

Creating Links and Adding Pictures to a Blog

To add a link to a page we can either write out the html code or use the tools that Blogger has built in. The tool to add a link looks like a link of a chain. This is a link to The Fischbowl a blog used in training teachers in technology at the Arapahoe CO High School in Littleton , CO.

This is a picture of Arapahoe High School

You Tube Response to Globalization Video

Shift Happens; Globalization
Even though globalization is a natural occurence in industrial countries and an inevitable consequence to social success it is nonetheless frightnening to me the actual concept of change, global change. One aspect is how fast change happens. The fact that a half of the information acquired from a four year degree will be half outdated is also shocking. Even though it is the nature of technology. It seems that the creators of the technology average bears like myself could just buy "inexpensive" add-ons rather than having to completely repurchase a system would sure be a kinder way to progress.

Maria's Power point presentation

Hello Class!
My presentation if music was available would be "These are a few of my favorite things." No not when a dog barks but to begin with is a picture of my son. I am a first time mom. My son, Laurence Alexander, will be 8 months old on Sept. 5th. Pre-Louie I traveled when possible and I also lived in Berkeley, California.
First off, I traveled to Spain thanks to my sister being in the Navy. My step-father is from England so I was able to visit my grandmother there. While there we drove northeast to Scotland's Edinborough Castle. I have also included pics of my favorite friends and favorite pastime, wine tasting in wine country, C.A., also my favorite and first trip to Marin Headlands, Point Reyes. When someone tells you the pacific is cold and blistery believe it. The wind is like ice. My first time skiing was a few years back in Snow Mass, Colorado. I am not able to enjoy these things at the moment. My son and school is priority now. Even though I am devoted to my son, I will enjoy these things when I finally graduate. Afterall, now my reason for returning to college after so long has more meaning which will benefit our futures together. I look forward to all of my classmates presentations. Maria Sangilan

Maria

A little about me. I am a non-traditional student with a new son that is about to turn eight months. I have always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher so here I am trying to graduate before I am eight years old.lol. I now am tutoring first graders at Dodge Elementary. I love it. Until two weeks ago I was a preschool teacher at Weinaker's Montessori School here in Mobile.
When I decided to return to college I was living in Berkeley, California. I hope to visit,not live there, again someday.
I am enjoying my new son, he is an angel. I enjoy my friends, family, books (not all academic), music and sleeping. Unfortunately, I have not slept since January 05, 2007. I look forward to all that I will learn in this class.

P.S. Dr. Strange I apologize for not doing my blog before now. I lost my mind and my notebook from Monday.

Fall 2007 first blog

Maria Sangilan's first blog of fall 2007 at 4:20 p.m. EDM310. I am excited about creating a PPT unfortunately I need to get more materials for my slide show....