Blog Post # 2

Hello everyone, and welcome to Blog Post # 2! For this assignment Dr Strange instructed our class to watch a series of videos and answer questions about them. Below are the results of the assignment. The first video was titled Professor Dancealot. "Professor Dancealot" is a short, satirical video that is set in a college dance class. In the video Professor Dancealot, the class instructor, sets out to welcome the students into the exciting world of dance. The course begins normal enough, but quickly spirals downhill as the students become less interested and more confused as the semester grows longer. Professor Dancealot demonstrates several dance steps, however, he does so while standing behind his desk. The desk shields the demonstration from the students. When one student tries to mimic and practice the dance moves he is told to sit down by Professor Dancealot. Further into the video we see the students sleeping and the class size shrink. Towards the end, Professor Dancealot tells his class that there will b an open note and open book test coming up. When the students show up to take the test, they are obviously unclear as to what to do. I feel like the central message behind the video is to show that students learn better when students are allowed to be involved in the instruction. The author makes the case for this by showing that the students had no idea what to do for their "test" at the end of the video. They were never allowed to ask questions or participate in any part of the class. I agree with the point the author makes because as a student, I learn better by being allowed to participate, ask questions, or otherwise be involved in the class. The second video is the John Strange version of Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts. Roberts shows us different ways that teaching is changing in the 21st century. His theory is outlined below: I. Ways students can find information without the aid teachers A. By reading blogs B. Social media C. Internet search engines II. Ways teachers can show students what to do with the information they find A. Validation B. Communication C. Collaboration D. Problem Solving E. How to leverage information F. How to synthesize information III.Teaching professionalism to avoid unauthorized or illegal activities A. Plagiarism B. Copyright Infringement C. Slander D. Piracy E. Confidentiality IV. Managing technological tools used by students A. Engaging the students with technology B. Avoiding entertaining in the classroom with new technology Roberts sees teaching as moving forward with the aid of technology but warns that students must be taught the proper way to use new technology. I agree with Roberts that teachers should not be afraid of any new technology, but should embrace it and use it to their advantage. I agree strongly with Roberts about teaching responsibility, caution, and the proper methods of using any new technology to students. I feel that teaching students properly will enable them to use new technology while still requiring them to think on their own and use their own ideas. The third video is entitled The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler. This video, through simple animation and narration, shows the modern student uses modern methods to achieve the ultimate goal of learning. Methods used by the student are: I. Building a network A. Assessment of information B. Validation of information II. Searching for information A. Google search engine B. Library database C. Blogs 1. Subscribe to blogs 2. Post blogs III.Sharing information A. Social bookmarking site B. Other students' bookmarking sites IV. Teacher Necessity A. Guidance B. How to build network The teacher's role in the classroom of "The Networked Student" is different from that of teachers past. The main difference is that the teacher doesn't provide the facts and basic information. Those items are found by using modern technology such as social media, blogs, and search engines. The teacher's role now is to guide the student in the right direction and provide assistance along the way. This method breaks away from the method of providing facts to the student and expecting the student to memorize them. The new method requires the student to think for himself and put forth effort in order to learn. I like this method of teaching because it requires students to learn how to research and puts an end to "spoon feeding" students. This method also enables students to prepare for the real world on a smaller scale and will eliminate the shock the student might receive otherwise. Our fourth video is from the site edutopia.org It is entitled "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts" by Vicki Davis. The thesis of this video is to teach students to be thinkers. My reaction to her argument for teaching students to be thinkers is to agree 100%. I feel that in the past students expected to be "babied" and "spoon fed" without having to put forth much effort at all. In my opinion, this has caused students to become lazy and suffer from a lack of common sense. By requiring students to become thinkers, it shows them that putting forth effort can be rewarding. The fifth video is by John H. Strange and is entitled Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?. The answer to that question is simple: Elementary! I am currently an undergraduate and from what I can tell, I am far behind the elementary students at Gulf Shores Elementary School. By teaching the elementary students at such a young age to use technology, they are being prepared to succeed later in life. As an aspiring baseball coach, I was allowed to substitute article number 7 for video six. Bringing the Locker Room into the Classroom is an article written by Craig N. Owens. The primary tool I would use would be collaborative learning. Athletic practices often involve team leaders taking other players aside and working with them to succeed. The reasoning behind this is for the betterment of the team. The same principle can and should be used in the classroom for the betterment of the class. Both the classroom and an athletic team share one common goal - success!

Blog Post # 1

This blog post is entitled Project 1. The purpose of this blog post is to answer a number of questions relating to EDM310.
Prior to taking EDM310 I had not spoken to anyone who had previously taken the course, so I had no idea what to expect.  Although I am somewhat proficient with computers, I was somewhat apprehensive because it has been many years since I have taken a computer course.  One of the fears I have about the course is not being able to keep up with the younger students.  The last college computer course I took was in 1997, and it was basic Microcomputer Applications.  Lots of changes in technology have been made since then!
In high school I took a computer class as an elective. We began by learning simple computer commands, computer language, and even learned about resistors. During the term, Windows 95 was released.  We then began using Microsoft Excel and Power Point as those programs were beginning to become popular.  The computer course i took when I first attended college was similar to the one I took in high school.  We had a manual and did projects throughout the manual as assignments.  In some ways, EDM310 is similar to that because we still have a manual and projects to do.  The major difference now is that it is paperless. The previous two courses focused on basic computer operation.  EDM310 expects the student to already be familiar with computers and build upon that knowledge.
If I had to pick a single most difficult thing that I will face in EDM310, it would be dedicating the 9 hours needed per week for success.  I am married and have three children, one of which is a special needs child.  I also work about 25 hours per week.  Most of the time, I work until my place of employment closes and I do not get home until 11:00 p m.  I do realize, however, that it essential to dedicate a minimum of 9 hours per week for success.  In order to do that, I will have to cut down on wasted time doing non-productive things and spend that time focusing on EDM310.
I have a general idea about EDM310, however I still have a thing or two that I am not sure of.  For instance:  What is the purpose of blogging?  What are appropriate topics to blog about?  I think the best way to answer those questions is to be thorough in my work and trust where the instructor is taking me. The first part of the journey may confusing and even scary but it will eventually lead to an exciting conclusion!

Practice Blog Post

I.  Introduction
    A.  About myself
    B.  Past career
II.  Education
    A. Why I wanted to be a teacher
    B.  Being a teacher in the 21st century

My name is Josh Garrett.  I am 36 years old.  I am married and have three children - Aubrey, 12;  Michael, 6, and Mason, 3.  I am from Jackson, AL and have lived there my whole life.  In July of 2013 i made a decision to leave my job of 16 years and pursue a different career.  I was a Sergeant, employed by Jackson Police Dept.  During my career at JPD i received multiple awards, including Officer of the Year, Life Saving Award, DUI enforcer, Drug Buster and multiple other commendations.  I was even featured in the FBI publication "Law and Order" along with my partner for our efforts in saving the life of a citizen.  I also received a Resolution passed by the Alabama House of Representatives recognizing the same incident.
During my employment at JPD I was involved with the local schools and also taught several classes at the department's Citizen Police Academy.  That is where i realized I wanted to be a teacher.
Some of my hobbies include:  Photography, playing golf, and watching sports.  I am also a Class II baseball umpire with the Alabama High School Athletic Association.  I enjoy listening to music, such as White Stripes, Nirvana, and Green Day.  My favorite tv shows are Family Guy, Deadliest Catch, and Pawn Stars.http://media.photobucket.com/user/mberumen16/media/Temptation.jpg.html?filters[term]=family%20guy&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=5
I decided to attend USA because of its reputation for educating teachers and its proximity to my home.  To me, being an educator in the 21st century requires more than just creating a lesson plan and throwing facts out to students.  Now, educators must embrace new technology or the students will suffer.  Also, teaches must now take into account the individual ways each student is able to learn.  One thing i also learned from my experience as a police officer was that each student's home life affects their ability and drive to learn.  Those differences should be considered as well.

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My Test Post Title

This is my First Post.  I clicked the HTML button which I should always do in EDM310.  I am now a Blogger!