So the fall semester of Fall 2012 is basically over. Just final assignments and final exams left and the first semester is all finished up. I have learned a lot in this semester and hope to continue to learn and build my knowledge from here on out. I also look forward to researching and learning about new technologies that can be incorporated into my future classroom. I kind of wish this class was later in my university time, say right before my internship and I would be as familiar with the new technologies as I am today from ECMP 355. The reason for this is because we all know how fast technology is changing. But networking with fellow students and researching on my own to find new technologies is part of the business and I look forward to it! So thank you ECMP 355!! It’s been a slice!
KHS 232
So I am in KHS 232 rhythmic and dance class here at the University of Regina and since I have no blog for that class but I do for this one I thought I would share with you for a good laugh. Very funny and cute!
Technology Teaching Resources
Just a list of some some cool resources we learned about in class today for teachers and incorporating technology.
– Mind Mapping program called MindMeister
– Voki
– Play Spent
Tech Task #7
When surfing blogs I noticed a lot of amazing content within the blogs. I know and I can relate to this is that sometimes you can forget or at the very least put aside the refurbishing and posting to the blog and then it becomes less interesting and less viewed by peers. But with say for example Ms. Cassidy’s classroom blog she has her own and her students blogs to continue to update. I think it’s incredible the amount of work Ms. Cassidy puts into her own blog and the work into her students. I also think it is a great idea as for her to provide internet resources for family and friends of the students to be able to research and observe as their school year progresses. I think it is very evident the amount of work that goes into a blog just by the posts and the quantity towards the posts more than the quality. That’s not saying quality isn’t important but I think that understanding your posts is very important. I noticed a lot of creativity and the organization of the blog that is most important and eye catching to me. Regarding to blogs that aren’t so well done because in my opinion there really isn’t a bad blog. I mean to a degree you can have just despicable blogs but at the same time you have to give some credit that they are incorporating technology into a portfolio or writing source. I think that lack of organization and confusing blogs with direction and lack of contribution would be my ideas for blog that lacks the important qualities.
ECMP 355 Major Project
So I have been absent from this blog for 12 days now. There is a reason and I do have regrets about not coming on here and not posting more frequently. I have thought of it believe me I have, and I know that when the time comes that when I am a teacher and I have a website for my students’ parents to visit and research what we are learning and what is for homework etc. I am going to need to be updating more frequently. Otherwise what is the point, a website will begin to be forgotten about if the viewer never sees anything different or updated. That’s part of life really, anything will be forgotten if whats supposed to be there is different and interesting material but not updated frequently. So my excuse for my lack of posts the last while is the ECMP 355 Major Project. I have been working on it for quite some time and feel confident that I am finished. Below is the link to the project I created. I compiled it all into a Prezi Production so all of my lesson plans, unit plan and technology uses in the classroom are included within the production. Just click the link and you should be off and running. If this link does not work (which it should work) I have also posted it to my blog on the side bar. You can just click that too and you should be able to see my Major Project. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for taking the time to watch it if you do.
ECS 100
This is a video we watched in ECS 100 class learning about White Privilege. It is very good as Tim Wise the person in the video connects History events of whit supremacy and present events. Kind of mind blowing. Just thought I would share.
US Election 2012
I am obviously Canadian and I cannot control the American Election, but I am kind of a political nut and it interests me. But going on tonight as we do our class at the convenience of our own home it is incredible to see the different uses of technology by the CNN, FOX, CBS news stations. They are using what looks like modified or a different version of a smart board and just the way everything is presented looks so cool. Just a reflection and thoughts during class in my living room which is pretty cool. Guess I have the formation of this class today as online groups via Skype and Adobe to thank to be able to see this. Thanks ECMP 355!
Reflection of November 6 Class
This is the list our group came up with on our Do’s and Don’t’s of a Good Blogfolio
In my group was Kaelyn, Hillary, Brittany and Alyssia
ECMP 355:
Do’s of a Good Blog
– organization
– short and sweet responses
– videos and pictures
– variety of content but all relative
– appropriate content
– unique and new findings
– links provided
Don’t’s of a Good Blog
– unattractive
– cluttered
– disorganized
– grammar mistakes
– use of slang
– very long entries
To answer the Online Discussing Questions I really enjoyed viewing and observing my fellow students and peers blogfolios. It was really neat to see how they approach setting up and formatting their blogs. I found it even more interesting to check out Brittany’s blog as her theme is the same as mine and so I can use hers as a reference and use it to format mine a little different as I feel she has done an amazing job setting up her blog. I never really found myself being pushed away from any of my fellow students and group members blogs. They have all done very impressive work with their blogs and should be proud of the way they have their own blog set up. If there is anything I was unable to do is read the longer reflections or watch the longer videos or movies just due to the lack of time. But i will become more involved in observing more of these videos, articles and reflections posted as this class moves forward.
I found this online class very interesting and ultimately cool for lack of a better term. It was so interesting. I have never done something like this before. To use Adobe and Skype and have our class and group discussions for class assignments worked so well and was convenient to be able to work from home! At first when making the list on Google Docs and trying to listen to hear on Skype and see if everyone was up and running and formatting the list was a bit of a challenge. But it took our group no time at all to understand and work well as a group. Such an exciting thing to experience and I look forward to learning more ways and understanding even more technology into the classroom or in this case our living room, kitchen etc. Such a great experience, thank you ECMP 355!
Quote from fellow Student
This is a quote I read in the Hillary Mayer’s Prezi Tech Task. I found it very moving and something to really base your teaching philosophy on!! “If we teach our children as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow” John Dewey. Thank you Hillary!
Cyberbully
This is a movie called Cyberbully on Youtube.It is a very intriguing movie about bullying within the internet and social media. A must watch!
Brendon Fornwald 