Petcha Kutcha

For my Petcha Kutcha I chose to talk about dance. I have been dancing for 19 years and it is without a doubt my one true love in life. Dance is one thing in the world that has never let me down and has made me who I am today. Dance is a world of freedom and expression for me. The feeling of performing and dancing to a song that touches your soul is an overwhelming feeling that cannot be expressed in words, it must be felt through dance. Dance is my strongest passion, I hope to share that passion with you through my presentation.

Finally! =)

Finally...the link to my voicethread! =)

I barely have time for one life...

...let alone a second life.


I find the virtual world such as second life fascinating and kind of crazy at the same time, however, I don't understand how someone can have enough time to do such things as second life when I find that I barely have time for what is going on in my real life. I have never been one for things such as avatars, wiki's, etc so it seems a bit hard for me to get into something such as second life. The only reason I am able to check facebook lately is becasue it's available on my phone. If it weren't for my iPhone I'd probably never use the internet or check my email.

I do find things such as avatars and games such as The Sims to be pretty neat, I just don't have time for them. It seems kinda of that you can create another character or yourself or a character or whoever you want and create a life for that character, it's like a sense of fairytale that you can control. Being able to do and create such things and use them to communicate with people around the world shows how far we have come with technology, it's unreal sometimes. I find that this would be a good and different educational method. I find that since we have the ability to let people communicate with others everywhere we should take advantage of that, especially in the classroom. It teaches are kids to be much more open minded to people "different" then they are, it might be a great way to introduce and teach topics on race and gender biases. I also found that this orientation was a bit much and very loaded. This might be something a student in junior high or high school finds a bit more simple however, it might not be visable for my 2nd graders.

This orientation video was rather boring too. It continuely talked about how there is just too much information people need to be informed of before proceeding in second life, so much information to the point if I actually had time to do something like second life I would not want to sit through countless directions just to learn how it works. Things like this are difficlult for me because I HATE listening to directions, call me stubborn but I like to figure things out like this for myself and just play with things until I have figured out what I need to know. I would probably learn things like this much faster if I were to watch/listen to directions but I can't seem to do it. I found this video hard to focus on and the voices were very monotone which reminded me of my 9th grade History teacher that never really sounded excited about anything.

Favorites!

I did my survey over favorite sports!

Take my survey so I can see what your favorite sport and sports team is!!!

Here are the results I have so far....

My answers:
My favorite sport is: Football
My favorite team: The Oklahoma State Cowboys and The Chicago Cubs
I prefer college football and pro baseball!

13 Going on 30!

It's a little hard to believe that Sam is only 13 years old. Her knowledge of technology is unreal, especially considering she taught herself most of what she knows. Sam uses technology for school, to interact and communicate with friends, play games, and also to help others. Whatever problem Sam comes across she finds a way to solve by using technology. Sam's digital portrait is amazing for any age, especially a young teen. Though I do not claim to be any type of technically savy person, I do have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing when it comes to the use of technology. On numerous occasisons I have had to help my mom or MeMa with something on the computer, I even showed them how to open a facebook account, they now have their own farm and town! :) When it comes to technology I most certainly have the most knowledge in my family. Sam is such a knowledgable young teen and if more kids were to have her knowledge and understanding of technology they could open doors to new forms of education.

When in my own classroom one day in the near future, I will have assignments and activties that will encourage my children to think outside of the box and not be limited in their educational experiences. I believe this will allow my kids to explore endless possibilities. I want my students to passionate about what we do in the classroom and be able to take what they have learned and use it outside of the classroom. I want my class to be able to express themselves creatively as well.

Mrs. White's Wiki's...

Paralley Play or Collaboration.

I personally thought Mrs. Whites video about using wiki spaces was very informative and a great video to be shared in the classroom. She touched base on numerous ways that students can post their thoughts and ideas, and even questions about certain subjects they may be struggling with or are just simply interested in knowing. Wiki pages can be used for education, as well as entertainment purposes. Mrs. White's knowledge of wikis and such sites is very appearent and it something that s benefical to students.





Having the access to the supporting wiki, WikiThink available was nice since the video was a bit hard to see. I really enjoyed and could connect with this video. I have in several cases attempted to use new forms of technology and found myself confused and a bit overwhelmed. This video offered so many different options and information that it would seem impossible not to have comments or blog topics to discuss. I would love to use a video such as this one in my classroom to help students to use their voices in a different and exciting way. I believe kids would enjoy using something such as wiki pages because it's somewhat looked at as a 'grown up' thing and kids alway want to do what the 'big kids' are doing, so to speak. I think that Wiki sites and other sites like the Parallel Play or Collaboration have loads of potiential to serve as educational outlets for both students and teachers. I do hope to share things like this with my own classroom.

There's no place like home....

Thank goodness for the slides that corresponded to this video or I would have been a bit lost. Though this video was rather lengthy and overwhelming it had some good information available. It was a carefully planned and creatively thought out video. When gathering, sharing, and organizing information on the web it can be rather stressful if you do not know how to do certain things or aren't sure of what you are looking for, this video helps you to approach situations such as that in a calmly manner without feeling overwhelmed.




The idea of using the Wizard of Oz the musical to explain the ways of the web was very creative. I personally love the Wizard of Oz. However, I found that this video was entirely too long. Someone wanting to learn about applications and blogging might not want to watch an hour long video, plus by the time the video starts and end there is so much in between I found that I was forgetting what happened before. Though the idea was a different approach, it was hard for me to stay focused for that long. The message being potrayed is great and I like the thought behind it but I think it could have been cut down in length.


I do hope that I am able to have the oppertunity to use such applications and the web in my future classroom, using a song to teach kids is always a great way to gain their attention. However, I will be teaching kids who are still learning to tie their shoes so using an hour long video would not be an option for their attention span would more than likely be shot before the first song. Kids at that age may not be capable of understanding the terminology nor will they have as much access to computers as the teens in this video. Overall, I liked the general idea and message of this video but wouldn't have minded if it was a bit shorter.

DigiTeens

Digiteens was a great video that explores how teens learn, share, and use technology. This video is teens helping teens by using their knowledge of the digital world to create help videos about harms and concerns when using technology. Things suchs as: online shopping, texting while driving, and how to properly use social networking sites are addressed. Throughout the video it shows teens creating wiki characters to help interact and share information with one another. This video really showed me how aware some teens are about these issues and tht they are able to use their knowledge and become teachers themselves for kids their age as well as younger children. This is an excellent way to reach out to teens because it is being addressed in a way that they understand.

Though I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a rather technologically savy generation it doesnt even compare to today's generation and their use of technology, it kind of makes me feel old when I see the technology access and advances kids today have and I'm only 21. I am glad though that I was never exposed to things such as cyberbullying. Being taunted at school as a teenager is hard enough to deal with, now teens today can't seem to esacape the bullying because it coninues at home when they are checking their facebooks. I do believe it is important for teens today to know to how properly use technology and things such as social networking sites, they need to learn rules and boundaries primarily to keep themselves safe. The Digiteens do a great job at trying to reach this goal.

I really did enjoy this video and would like to incorporate it into my classroom one day, however teaching kids at the average age of 7 may make that task a bit difficult, they may not be ready to realte yet. However, it could suffice as a good precaution to children about the dangers of technology and the harm cyberbullying can create, it would make for a great preventative.

Project: Loving to Learn

This video did an excellent job at informing me of the various was children learn and engage in education by relating what they are learning to what they love. I realized even more so after watching this video that kids are more likely to be involved in the learning process when the learning process is something they can actually personally relate to.



Things such as learning to building robots, creating blueprints, and science experiments are great ways of taking education and classroom work and turning it into something that children can actually use in their daily lives, as well as skills they will need to know in the future. By doing experiments such as these children are much more likely to pay attention to you as a teacher and will be more willing to participate in class. The kids that were interviewed during this video are proof that experiments like this have them extremely excited about learning, which is something all of our children need. Kids need to be able to have the want and desire to learn, or they won't in fact learn anything.


Though building robots was never something I got to experience as a child I do recall that anytime and experiement or project was involved into a lesson I was about ten times more willing to work hard on that project, inadvertenly I eneded up learning more about the subject matter then if I'd just read something from a book. As a kid in elementary school having day where we were able to just create different things was exciting and it made me want to continue learning and actually stay at school. Something as small as creating your own story book to making a volcano makes a learning experience that much more interesting and memorable, it also makes that information stick. Children of all ages need hands on projects, even high school kids. As teachers, if we focused more on projects rather than drilling memorization skills we may become better educators, our children may begint to learn more. Children need to enjoy school adn learning, if your classroom could learn to ove learning you would probably be amazed and how much they do in fact learn.

Sweet Treats!

Yum yum! =)

Addiction:

A 21st Century Love Affair with Destruction:



I found this video to be a bit overwhelming at first but I grew to like it once the information was being presented. I believe Michaela did a great job at talking about the stats of and reality of drug use and it's addiction. I think having a young voice speak about such things is an incredible thing. I am not sure however if I would have included the legalization of marijana a topic in this video. I found the information to be a bit hypocritical and somewhat 'out of the blue.' After going along through the video listening to the affects of drugs and alochol and how they are gateway drugs I wasn't sure how that could lead into her discussing if we should follow the Dutch government. She did however do her research on the Dutch government and the pros and cons to the legalization of marijana. It's a bit hard for me to agree because I don't believe it should be legalized, I believe with our country and socitey the way that it is with drugs and addiction it would only lead to more addictions of harder drugs. Overall, I thought this was a great video!

Luis

I really enjoyed watching this video of Luis and his love and involvment with technology. Unlike most teens his age, he is not only using technology as a means for social networking but to help out his family and further his education. Most teen and even young adults simply use forms of technology as a social aspect rather than an edcuational learning tool. I admire Luis and the things that he does to help his family, like online banking and bill pay with his mother. His mother and father grew up less fortunate and in a different time and are attempting to make a better life for their children, it's amazing that this 18 year old kid is helping out the way that he does, without being asked. He is also planning for his furture by using all these forms of technology, especially by traveling to different locations around the world to discuss and present information on technology. I believe there need to be alot more teens like Luis in our schools today.

Who I'm following....

I am now blogging buddies with Sarah and Cara from Mrs. Kreb's class. They are keeping this blog to create poetry and other writings.
I also chose to follow Meet me at the Garden Gate blog. It is a blog designed for parents to allow them to see what their child did in school that day. I think this is an excellent and easily assesible site for both parents and teachers.

I comment on both Kirsti's blog as well as AMACK.

Edutopia - Nafiza!

I really enjoyed this video. I find that Nafiza is doing a great job at what she is doing. At first I was a bit taken back for it seemed as though all she did was play video games that were not educational, however, technology does have to be just for fun and not always for educational purposes. I can most certainly relate about her addiction to technology. My cell phone is used as myalarm clock, I do not in fact own an actual alarm clock. I also always have my iPod in, music is something I cannot go a day without, therefor having something such as my iPod is an essential and easily assesible item.




I found that the different games the Nafiza had that allows for teens to get a better understanding of what is happening in the world around us was an excellent thing. The news can be somewhat difficult to understand, especially for people of that age, by making something available to them that they are able to understand invites teens to be more involved and active in the world and the issues that may be occuring in other countries. I found like game about Darfur a bit disturbing at first because it was made into a game when in real like the situations occuring there are horrific, however, it made me see that it helps teens and young adults to grasp a better understanding of how life really is for those who live in places such as Darfur. I know that when watching the news or reading different ariticles I too do not always understand everything that is being said, so having a different means of media to help explain that helps me to have a deeper understanding of what is going on around the world.

Digital Youth Portfolio for Nafiza.

I believe Nafiza is doing a great job and using technology in an educational manner, as well as for entertainment value. She seems to be a great student with ideas to help other teens, like herself. She is not just using technology as a means to pass the timewhen she is out of school but she is using it to reach out to others and help.

Peek for a Week

Peek for a Week in Room 9.




Peek for a Week is an excellent education tool and technique that can greatly help and encourage children to learn in the classroom as well as outside the classroom. By using a variety of media outlets children have endless possibilities for learning. Means of technology allow for education to not be so dry and traditional, by using technology you are incorporating what kids are interested in with learning, it makes for a much smoother and exciting learning experience. Bringing technology into the classrooms steers way from what is considered traditional schooling, which I find to be a good thing. Children do not learn the way they once did, they do not even learn the way I did when I was in elementary school

I find that this would be a great thing for parents as well! Parents can visually see what their children are working on and this may allow for them to be more hands on and involved in their child's education. Additionally, they will be able to track their child's progess.

These types of techology weren't even available to me as a child in school. However, I do remember how exciting "lab" day was, where as a class we would visit the computer lab for about 45 minutes and have to choice to play different games that were available. I find that this media outlet is an incredible learning tool and experience for both the child and the teacher. I hope that I am able to teach in a school that allows for this type of learning. I would most certainly like to give my kids these opportunities to learn in ways that I did not. I want to be able to proive my students with these luxuries that can enrich their education greatly. We are living in such a technological time that we must take advantage of it in every asect possible.

Blogging Buddies!

I found this to be a very interesting a unique way for younger children to learn how to blog. It is a creative and fun activity students can enjoy while being able to use technology they way they would like. With students now days being so technologically driven and having such a strong want to play with computers using blogging as a teaching method is a great idea. The blogging buddies is an excellent resource for helping children to self correct such things as grammar and spelling. They are in some ways teaching themselves instead of being told what to do all the itme. Having the blogging buddies system is also a great thing for children because they have a mentor they can look up to and model. Kids now days need to be able to have good rolemodels and older students that they can look up to and resemble. I remember in elementary school we would have different high school students come in to our classroom and read with us. I thought it was the coolest thing. I loved being around older kids and I looked up to them a lot. I find that it's somewhat of the same concept and I think its a great idea for children, it also gives them something to really look foward. Kids do not always care much for reading and writing, so by making the subjects something they can look forward to they are more prone to putting forth more effort and actually enjoy what they are doing. I think this would be something I could use in my classroom. I hope that I am fortunate enough to teach in a school system that can afford the computers so that I too can set up a project similar to this one. Something like this would however be rather difficult for schools that cannot afford computers.

Cameron!

After watching the video about 11 year old Cameron, first of all, he is a stud! It's unreal even how much kids in a younger generation know so much about technology when I myself though I knew a lot. He seems like a very busy kid and its amazing he has time to do all that he does. Being a dance teacher I am around kids Cameron's age nearly everyday and it's amazing the things they have when it comes to technology. I have students that have cooler ipods and phones than I do. All my students, of every age it seems, have a facebook account with more friends than I have. It's a bit unreal how much technology is available to children now days. Cameron seems to use his knowledge of technology in a benecifal way not just for social networking but for education and for helping others as well. His technology habbits are also there to help him improve himself. If more students like Cameron could find a way to use their technology as more of an education purpose versus an social network they might be better off. I would love to be able to use videos such as the ones Cameron has created in order to give kids in my classroom a different outlook on subjects they are learning, especially math. Because the generation I will be teaching is so wrapped up in technology they will be more intuned to learning something via facebook than reading it out of a book. I believe the new style of teaching through technology is amazing, if done correctly. Our times have changed, there for the ways of learning must change too.

About Me! <3

My name is Kara-Don Thompson, most people call me Kara-Don or KD for short. I am 21 and a junior at UCO. I am an early childhood education major in hopes of becoming an 2nd grade teacher here in the Edmond School Discrict. I am a dance teacher at two different dance studios in Edmond. I have been dancing for 19 years and couldn't imagine my life without dance. I love watching American Idol and Keeping Up with The Kardashians. I like to spend time with my friends and boyfriend and have an awesome family. I look forward to this semester for after this I will only have a year left of school. I cannot wait to be a teacher. Being a teacher is the only thing I have ever imagined myself doing. I grew up with great teachers and had always hoped of being like them one day, so being a teacher only seems natural to me. I am a bit unsure of how to manage a classroom or in fact teach children something other than dance moves. I am nervous about this semseter because I am taking two math classes and I absolutly suck at math. That is all for now!!