My thoughts on IT365

I really enjoyed this class this semester. I learned so many great things about technology and how I can use them in class. I really wish we had time to do more projects. This class also provided the opportunity to see how what ideas other prospective teachers had. Dr. Beedle you did a great job and taught me so many new things this year. Thank  you!

Blogfolio

Britney Slack

May 7, 2013

IT 365

 

Blogfolio

Introduction:

This assignment opened my mind to using technology using technology. The standard it covered is standard 3c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats. I can use this in my classroom to introduce the students so that they can get familiar with technology or I can use this on my website to introduce myself to the parents.

 

Concept Map:

The concept taught me how to use inspiration 8. I had never used this software before. I think it will be useful in a classroom for the same type of lessons we used it for in class. This assignment covered standard 1d: Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments . It can be used to teach different parts of a subject and adding links and photos to help the students learn along the way.

 

Khan Academy:

This was a great project. It opened me up to something new. I think this would be great in for children because if they are not understanding things they can go to Khans site and learn it or get extra help on their own. It is something they can do with their parents and they can do it at their own time and pace. This assignment covered standard 3c: Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.

 

Voki:

Voki is a great way to get technology involved in the classroom. The teacher can use this system to introduce assignments and capture the student’s attention. It is a great way to bring something interesting to your typical classroom setting. This assignment meets standard 2a: Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity

 

Gap Minder:

Gap minder can be used to compare our country to other countries around the world. This assignment will allow children to get a glimpse of how the world is different and yet the same when comparing certain things. This assignment meets standard 4d:   Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools.

 

 

World Peace Games:

This was so interesting to me. It showed me that kids can save the world. The children were in control and thinking like adults, but with pure hearts and minds. I think that this activity would be great for kids to participate in. It allows you to see what children would do in real life situations and how smart and talented they really are. The world peace games met standard 2c: Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. It also met standard 1 b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools

and resources.

 

Movie Maker:

Movie make taught me you can tell a story using anything. I think kids would enjoy this in a classroom because they can use it to tell the class a story about an event or make up a really funny story just for entertainment. This is assignment covers standard 1a.Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

 

Xtranormal:

Xtranormal can be used to share a lesson or tell a story among other things. This covers standard 3a: Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations  It is a great way to let kids get involved with technology. I think it would be great for each of student to create their own xtranormal movie and connect it with a lesson to make it educational and fun.

 

Software and Hardware Terminology:

This would be a great way to learn what students know about computers before you actually put them on them. It even taught me a few things about computers that I did not know. This is covered under standard 3a Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

 

Website:

The website is a great thing to have because students can use it to keep up with what assignments are due and parents can keep up with what is going on in the classroom, where and when students will be traveling, and to get in touch with the teacher. The parents will also have access to supply list, rules, calendars, and etc. This is covered by standard 3c Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.

 

 

Deveron's First Year: Movie

Sent to teacher

xtranormal

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/14334811/teacher-lounge

Atlanta Cheating Scandal Reverberates

I did not get to read the entire article because you needed a subscriptions. BUT the part that i did read I find it very offensive towards schools that are really working hard to improve there school levels. It takes a way from those schools and teachers that deserve the recognition and bonuses. It also makes them liars and thieves. They committed a crime against the states and rob other schools of there progress because now if a school really does improve to such an excellent rate it is going to raise suspicious and causes the state to double check and inspect the school. As for the teachers, principal, superintendent, and etc they broke their code of conduct and ethics code that they agreed to upon receiving their license. So they should face the charges that they are faced with, but on the flip side if the state did not put so much pressure on schools to get the scores up and offer awards to the teachers that are responsible I think that just maybe this could have been avoided.

To (All) the Colleges That Rejected Me

She is saying that being herself was not good enough for the colleges she applied too. She feels that in order to have been accepted she had to do all of these amazing things including taking advantage of other peoples misfortunes. She is upset that all of her years in high school she thought she was sure to get into college just by doing what she did everyday. But now she is in the real world no one just gives you anything. I mean at home she had her freedom where no one really cared, but that is just not how college or life works. She should have done her research on the schools she applied to early on and see what kind of things other people had to offer and get into some of those same things. It's not fair because of all of those expectations take up a lot of your time to where you have no life, but you cannot change things that is just the way things are. If they accepted everyone who applied just because you made good grades, what would make their schools stand out? Nothing would make them special. Good clubs, organizations and so on are always harder to get into so you have to do extra.

LALEE'S KIN

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
The people are illiterate, all they have are each other, the school has limited funding, and they cannot find certified teachers that are willing to work in the Delta. The people in the Delta are stuck in a cycle and they really do not know where to start to break that cycle.

HOW DO WE FIX IT?
Get teachers who want to help the children succeed; teachers who can understand their background and not judge them or put limitations on them. The students need to start with basic grammar, spelling, reading, context clues and then on to basic math. They need to work on it everyday and be encouraged to want more out of life. The state needs to send more funds to help get them the materials they need to be successful.

WHY IS IT STILL AROUND?
They still cannot get any certified teachers and there is no money. This is all the people know so it is hard for them to change when they do not have any help. Learning starts at home, but if the parents or care takers are illiterate they cannot teach the children simple as that. The people are living in poverty and they have bigger issues than sending their kids to school or taking time to try and help them with their work. School really isn't a big deal for most of them.

Gapminder

Countries Picked:Italy, United States, China, Brazil, Jamaica, Russia, Mongolia, Madagascar, and Pakistan
Chart Title:Education: School Enrollment: Primary Completion Rate
Charted Information:Primary Completion Rate is the percentage of students completing the last year of primary school. It is calculated by taking the total number of students in the last grade of primary school, minus the number of repeaters in that grade, divided by the total number of children of official graduation age.
What I found: The chart ranges from 1997 to 2005. The united states is second on the list. We have more students moving on to the next grade level than the other countries I selected. Brazil was number one and Madagascar was last on the list. This information gave a little insight on where our country stands when it comes to our young children going to the next grade level or repeating the same grade level in primary school. This got my attention because I am going to be a teacher of course but also because I anted to know what the percentage rate was in other countries compared to ours.
How I can use this information in class: I would use this with an older class such as 5th grade and have them to research countries and schools and to tell me how often children go to school, how many are being retained, or not returning. This lesson would cover geography and research papers. They will be gaining information on other countries and students their age.

Voki: Ms. Slack's Classroom

Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education

What Khan is doing is amazing. I never heard of these videos before today. He has a great idea. People learning at their own pace and being able to go over things as many times as they need to can make a world of a difference and not just in a classroom. I am going to visit this website now because I am very interested in working on my weaknesses and becoming better in math. I just think this is a wonderful thing. I just cannot stress that enough. This website has the ability to take learning to a whole new level. No longer will students be left behind, they have the opportunity to learn everything there is to know about math.

Sequestration cuts will shortchange students, universities say/ K-12 student database jazzes tech startups, spooks parents

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/03/02/cuts-will-shortchange-students-universities-say.html

The budgets cuts are a scary thing when it comes down to the future of education. I do not even want to imagine such a thing.  There are so many people who cannot afford to attend school on their own and if the government cuts the aid their will truly be no hope in expanding their education or the future of our country. Without the aid of the government many programs will be cut and many people will not be given the opportunity to succeed. Where is our country heading? What will our future look like if we do not come to a decision that is best for our people and out future?


http://news.yahoo.com/k-12-student-database-jazzes-tech-startups-spooks-121116195.html

In a way I like the program and how it tailors to students need individually. I just don't understand why they need all of the students personally information. They can assign a fake name or I.D number to associate with the students school file to recognize who they are. I think with this information being put in a system without parent permission allows for hacking and who knows what else. With all of the things going on in the world with identity theft I just would not feel comfortable with this.

Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity

I agree with what Mr. Robinson said because creativity is an important part of a child's life. Schools today are discouraging and breaking the creativity of children because they are more concern with what is marketable for the future. By this I mean that math, science, English, and etc are important for obtaining a successful job in today's world. Although this is true imagination is the key to life because if you can believe it you can achieve what makes you happy.

John Hunter World Peace Game

He means that he is above his students, as if they are looking up to him and he has to make everything okay.
He used a game because games are appealing to children of all ages. Kids find games fun and competitive.
They play prime misters, Generals in the army, they are apart of the united nations
John Hunter is the facilitator 
It shows them no matter who wins a war in the end both sides still lose. Life is a precious gift and the student have to feel that you will always lose people in war.
Passionate for his students and the world, world advocate, and caring
I agree because with this particular game everyone sees things in a different way and have different opinions and views. What one child thinks the other may not and you cannot say that they are wrong. So as a teacher i feel that my students will learn and achieve different thinking and analyzing skills.

Computer Tips

Find Text Quick With Ctrl-F

This is one of those important computer tips that you will use all the time. One of the things I find myself doing most frequently is trying to find one specific word or sentence within a much longer document or web page. Happily, if you know what you’re looking for, Windows makes it easy to find it. In almost every application, you can type Ctrl-F (F for Find) to find a word or series of characters. Ctrl-F works in Microsoft Word and Excel, all major Web browsers, Notepad, and many other applications. Go ahead and give it a try right now in your Web browser.

Shift ctrl -3(whole) or 4(parts) - screen shot (do not need to know)
Print screen
ctrl S- save
ctrl P-  Print
ctrl Z- undo
ctrl alt del- menu/ restart
ctrl 2- double space
ctrl 1- single space
Alt tab- switch between open programs
Transfer big files.com- send large documents for free up to 2G
ctrl T- open a new tab
ctrl V- paste
ctrl C- copy
ctrl B- bold words
ctrl W- close tabs
ctrl L- left align
ctrl R- right align
ctrl E- center
ctrl A- select all
ctrl I- italize
Creating passwords: use a number, symbol, and capitol letter









I wish I was more comfortable with using access. I used it during the BTLE and I passed, but it's just not something I would feel comfortable using again.

Food Pyramid Concept Map

Food Pyramid

I.       Fats, Oils, & Sweets

A.    Sodas

B.    Chocolate

Chocolate comes from the cocoa tree. There are many different kinds of chocolate such as dark, white, milk chocolate and more. Although it is eaten for pleasure it is not healthy to consume too much on a daily level. There are good and bad health risks. Chocolate increase the heart rate and brain activity, but it also positively affects the circulatory systems.

1.    Snickers

II.     Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese

A.    Cheese

1.    String Cheese

B.    Whole Milk

Milk comes from mammals, mainly cattle. It provides calcium,  protein, vitamins A and D, and phosphorus. Milk is high in saturated fats but along with other varieties, skimmed milk is an alternative. Three cups of dairy products are recommended a day.

III.    Meat,, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans & Nuts

The meat group is the major source of protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12. Many of these nutrients can also be found in dry beans and notes. Meat mainly comes from the muscles of animals. There are alternatives to eating meats such as tofu. It resembles meat but is made from cheese, eggs, and soy. It is suggested that 2-3 servings a day should be eaten by adults and it should be 4oz or the size of a deck of cards.

A.    Fish

1.    Catfish

B.    Turkey

IV.    Vegetables

Vegetables are apart of the plant family. The only part of the plant that is considered to be a vegetable is the root, stem, and the flower. Vegetables are low in fats and calories. The contain many vitamins and minerals. It is important to eat a variety of vegetables because they all contain different vitamins and minerals.

A.    Broccoli

B.    Greens

1.    Mustard

V.     Fruits

A.    Pepo

A pepo is also known as a many- seeded berry. It has a fleshy seeded interior and a hard rind. It also has the characteristics of the fruit of the gourd family. Some examples of the pepo fruit are: watermelon, squash, pumpkin, and cucumbers.

1.    Watermelon

B.    Berries

VI.    Rice & Pasta

A.    Long Noodles

1.    Spaghetti

B.    White Rice

The Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students

http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

This article talks about how the student's and teacher's roles have changed.The students are now actively involved in learning and the teacher is no longer in the center of the room. She is now allowed to move around the classroom. It also discuss how technology can be good for students because it motivates them to want to do the work and boost their self- esteem. It increases peer work and allows for students to socialize doing the group activity. Along with many other things it increase the technical skills of children as young as elementary school and it has proven that they are now capable of handling more complex tasks. In my opinion all of these are well achieved and it has indeed improved our students in wanting to learn and come to school. 

What is software

Software is technology that tells the computer what to do (instructions): Example: Microsoft
Hardware are the parts of  the computer: Example: The keyboard
CPU stands for: Central Processing Unit ( it carries out instructions from motherboard. It is the brain)
RAM stands for: Random access memory (It is a form of computer data storage)
ROM stands for :Read only memory (Storage that cannot be modified)
A hard drive is used to store data
A server is a central processor that many devices can run off of. Example: Google

The Machine is Using Us

I found the following things interesting: title defines the content not the form, digital text is different from written text, form is separated from the content, a blog is born every half second, we are the web, the web is made from html (hypertext markup language) documents,we put in and organize the data, we are teaching the machine every time we search a web page.These things stood out because it is basically saying we are what is keep the web going. We gave it birth. We are the heart of the computer and it is changing so much that it is now a 2.0 version. I don't really have a question about the information because everything was going by so fast on the screen, but I do understand that technology is increasing and it will forever continue to change.

The Dirty and Dangerous Side of Tech

Before reading this article, I never knew that our technology devices had such a negative effect on the environment and the human body. I knew that there were some chemicals and elements in them, but I did not know that the danger was as serious as it is. I always assumed that the manufactures had guidelines to follow when making things and I thought that the government made rules and regulations to protect the environment and its people when in the work place. Apparently, the bar is not set very high for these companies. Another thing is that i did not know that when you send the phones back to the manufactures to be recycled that they only take out the good parts and just toss the rest in the trash. I know they throw them away, but I assumed that they had a process and was disposed of properly. What I can say is after reading this article I do plan to do my part and not buy electronics so often and to recycle them to a company that dispose of them properly.

Pay Attention

By incorporating technology into the classroom to keep the students interested and more engaged in learning will help me to become better teacher. It will also provide my students with an advantage of keeping up with technology and how to use it in today's changing/ growing world.

Kids are already using technology anyway so teachers and schools should get on board. Majority of the kids in school do not feel like they are learning any thing useful so bringing everyday technology into class to help them learn will increase positive feelings towards school. Phones and iPods are the big thing right now so we should use those to keep our students attention.

Yes, technology has a place in my classroom because this is the technology age. Kids are born into this age so I cannot expect them to learn the way I did. I will have to use the things that are interesting to them and involve the technology that is advancing today.

Te'O

It's Sad What People Will Do For Attention!! In the Ron Mckelvey story, I really believe that everything he did was unnecessary, simply because you do not have to be a certain age to go to college or tryout for the football team. He could have enrolled and tried out as himself and if he was good enough ( and apparently he was) he would have made the team. The fact that he was deceitful and desperate shows that some people will do just about anything to get attention and fulfill their own selfish desires. The Te'O story is just plain sad. He was so desperate for attention that he went through the trouble of making up a fake girlfriend and telling the public she died six hours after his grandmother. That was extremely dramatic talk about an attention seeker!! But lets say I did believe his story for a moment. How could he be so gullible at his age? I know that people are mislead all the time online, but how can you allow yourself to fall head over heels for a person you have never met. Another reason why I believe he made his "girlfriend" up is because he said they went to Hawaii. How can you say you went somewhere together and when the public find out she is not real you claim to have no knowledge of that. It's up to the people to decide what they think of other people, but it is up to the individual to present to people who they really are. In my opinion they both were attention seeking individuals who would lie to fulfill their needs.

About Me

My name is Britney Slack and I am from a small town in Mississippi called Centreville. I have a 7 month old son named Deveron Jr and he is my everything. I am a junior at the University of Southern Miss, where I am studying elementary education and special education. I transferred from Jackson State University last spring. I enjoying spending time with my family and friends. I have a dog named charlie who is very active. I'm a very easy person to get along with and I am looking forward to making new friends and creating new experiences in this class