Blog Post #14- Final Reflection

Final Group Project #16

Project #13

I must begin by saying that collaborating through the use of technology is not as easy as it seems! For Project 15 and Project 16, my group and I communicated mainly through text messaging and e-mails, which seems to have been the most efficient way of contacting one another. We tried using Google Hangout, which I had never heard of, until one of my group members, Michael Bishop told us about it. Google Hangout was different from Skype and Oovoo, I did not know that whoever was speaking at the moment was the person who would be shown on the screen, I thought that something was wrong with my computer. It was not funny at first, because the rest of the group members thought the same thing. We all laughed about it afterwards, whenever Michael Bishop told us how it works. Ultimately, I am happy that we were able to get the Projects done, even if there were difficulties.

Final PLN Summary

My Final PLN consists of people's blogs that I follow, such as my Instructor Dr. strange, a few of the lab assistants that have been helpful throughout this whole semester, and teachers from my C4T assignments. I certainly do enjoy reading the blogs of others, because their posts are very helpful and informative. Also, I have on my PLN certain websites that I visit everyday, such as Facebook, Twitter, BLogger, YouTube and my Google account. I have some of my favorite people on their such as the Kardashians, Oprah, and my favorite basketball player Kobe Baryant. Having a PLN has really been helpful, because it's like you have every website/page that you visit regularly in the same spot.

Blog Post #13

I must honestly say that I failed the attempt to not use any type of battery or electronically powered technology for a full twenty-four hours. My first attempt, I thought to myself "Oh this would be easy, I could turn my phone off at 10 p.m., wake up and go to work from 6 a.m.- 2 p.m., after work, get some studying done, since I always neglect my phone whenever I'm doing school work, and get some rest." I figured by the time I had done all of this, it would be 10 p.m. again. It was a slap in the face! I am the type of person who has to have music when I study or do any kind of assignment, so I have to get my iPod. The second attempt, was very difficult also, because my group members and I had to complete our Smartboard assignment, and we could not meet face-to-face to interact, so using technology were the only resources. We collaborated through text, Google Hangout, tried Skype, and also through e-mails. That only lasted for a good thirty minutes. The last time I tried so hard to not use any type of technology, I was visiting my family members at my mom house, and everyone was saying how they had been texting and calling me and that I was not responding. I told them what I was doing, except for my youngest brother, because he was not in the family room. Therefore, when he came into the room he had his phone in his hand and he showed me a funny YouTube video, and I watched it, forgetting that I was putting myself to the test! I do not think that in this society today, that anyone is able to get through a full twenty-four hours of not using any technology at all. If so, it would be astonishing! I mean there is technology all around us, music from radios, TV, iPod, in the grocery stores, gyms, and in the areas of employment. This furthermore lets me know that my future students will be raised in a technology-based environment. I, personally do not think that there will be any effects of them growing up in this type of environment. They are technology to be honest, because we need the younger generation to show us the ropes of using computers, high tech cellular devices, and games. With the outpouring numbers of new devices being assembled and sold on the market, I think that it would be the hardest for children to go on an "e-media fast". At least, I was raised before there were cell phones, and although i played video games in my younger days, I also enjoyed playing outdoors, until the street lights came on. Many children nowadays do not do that, which is now one of the main factors of obesity. I can say that this would be a great project that others can share with their family and friends. I tried to share it with my family, but no one wanted to participate.

C4T #4

For my last C4T I was assigned to read recent posts for Dorothy Burt's Blog "Manaiakalani". She is a teacher in Auckland, New Zealand.  In the first post Dorothy Burt talked about how students enjoyed the fact of using a Netbook to take an exam, more so over the use of pen/pencil and paper. It was stated that the students scored higher when using a Netbook, because they were able to type faster. My response "My name is Derkesha Dale and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I can honestly admit that from my own experience, I am not good with taking notes, especially if I have to write them down. I think I was blessed with a mental ability to listen and remember what was said in a lecture, in general. I think that doing tests using technology is better than the old paper and pencil technique, because technology is being used widely throughout the world now, and more people are becoming familiar with it. It will save a lot of trees also."


In the second post, Dorothy Burt talked about the students reflections after their first year of using of Netbooks. There were both positive and negatives reflections of using the Netbooks. The Positives were that the students were able to type and comment faster, even if they typed slow, they were able to edit their work, without it looking all messy, the use of Netbooks focused more on self-directed learning, where the students were able to access the class blog site, YouTube, Google, and specific sites like Maths Wizz, by the students having their own Netbook, it enabled them to write on their blogs more frequently, and they were shared with others, whereas writing in a book, no one could read them, and also games were fourth on the list, they were not mentioned much. The negatives of having a Netbook were, the speed of the internet frustrated the students, the battery life was poor, and the paint app on the Netbook was a dissatisfaction. My response to this blog was ''Hello once again, my name is Derkesha Dale and I would like to say that this post was very informative. I have not had any experience with the use of a Netbook, but I see that it has its ups and downs. I think that the students being able to see their mistakes and letting others see them is a good idea. When I was in grade school, I can remember writing papers and no one, but the teacher would read them. I think it is very important as a future educator to incorporate technology in my classroom. I t is expanding worldwide and I want to keep up with it. Thanks for the informative post again."

Project #15- Smartboard Part 2

Final Report

My group members and I have pretty much been communicating through email and texts. We are gathering our information and hopefully, we can get our filming done at the beginning of this week.

Blog Post #12

Watch this Video:Children and Technology 3:34
Do you feel that there is a conflict with children being more technology literate nowadays? If so, explain? What do you feel are some of the downfalls of using technology? With the use of Wii game console and its sports and/or fitness games now being played, Do you think they are equal to outside activities (such as playing tag, hide-and-seek, hopscotch, dodge ball, and etc...)? Follow the requirements when writing a quality Blog Post  Writing a Quality Blog Post

Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts-Special Post #12A

I feel that schools in the United States are destroying the development of creativity in students. I feel that budget cuts in the school systems are relatively an important role in students learning and having an open mind. Without extra money or support, so many teachers are being laid off and by doing this, there is no "free time" for the students or teachers. I think that being creative coincides with physical activities, such as exercising and recess. Students get bored easily just by sitting at a desk all day with their heads in the books. A change can be made if the teachers incorporate certain drawing activities throughout their regular subject lessons to keep creativity alive. A teacher actions play a primary role in students creativity. I learned a long time ago that you should listen to children and not put them on mute whenever they are talking or asking a question. All teachers should give children their undivided attention and most importantly not judge them. As a future educator, I would like to have an open-minded and non-judgmental

classroom. If incorporating drawing into Math, Science, Reading, History, and English lessons will keep my students attentive, then I am all for it! Communication is the key that leads to all roads of success. Everyone stemming from students, teachers, parents, and all school administrators should be in agreement with such.

C4K April

For the Month of April I was assigned two students, both from different areas of the world. The first student that was assigned to me was a boy named Jadein H. He lived in Canada. Jadein's interests were collecting comic books and video games.Jadein's first blog post was actually a Book Trailer, which I had recently been introduced to. It was about a book called Silverwing. Silverwing was about a bat named Shade, who was lost and had to battle his way back to his family. Jadein did a great job with the book trailer. Jadein did not update his Blog, so I had to go back to the most recent post left before the book trailer post. This post was about Jadein's 2012 New Year Resolutions. Jadein talked about how New Year's began. It was in Mesopotamia 4000 years ago, in Sumer. He stated that Mesopotamia was one of the first civilizations and Sumer was a kingdom in it; currently Iraq. In his post, he said that back then New Year resolutions were not about quitting smoking and losing weight, merely about growing healthy crops. Jadein had categories of New Year Resolutions and they consisted of Personal Goals, Global Goals, Local Goals, and School Goals. He wanted to go outside more, blog more, recycle to keep the community clean, work and study more, and complete any school-related work on time. The next student that I had was a seven year old girl named Vinolia, she was a student in Ms. Priscilla Lavakula class in New Zealand. Vinolia had a short video, where she mentioned some of her favorite things. Vinolia's favorite color was Red. Her favorite place to eat was at Burger King. Vinolia talked about her family members and some of her friends.I commented on her blog and I told her that my favorite color was Green, and that I often eat at Burger King.

Project Report

My Group and I have collaborated through e-mails, texts, phone calls, and Google Hangout. We searched the Mobile Pacing Guide website and found a certain lesson that we would like to teach. Each one of us have our own sections. My group plans to meet up sometime this week to finish our project.

Blog Post #11

This week's Blog Post assignment was to watch the following two videos, which were Skype interview with Ms. Cassidy and  First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class. I was amazed at the fact that the kids in Ms. Cassidy's class knew how to use technology so well. I must admit that before enrolling in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class, I was not used  to blogging, connecting with classmates on a weekly basis, or using PLN's, just to name a few. The students used blogs to improve their handwriting skills, as an online portfolio for their work, and for feedback purposes. They know that you have to say nice things and be safe on the internet. They also used web pages to find valuable information on the internet, choose pages to help them learn, and also the web pages can be accessed at home. I admired the fact that they used Wikis to know what traditions or rituals were, and also as a learning tool for ABC's. I can relate to the students use of video to plan their assignments. because a few of my classmates and I have done that. Nintendo DS was used in the classroom for the purpose of being better problem solvers and knowing when to share. I am glad to have watched Ms. Cassidy's skype interview. It almost seemed as if I was there. Ms. Cassidy has been using technology for ten years. She only started off with five computers, which were Sunray, and they had no programs, just monitors and a keyboard. She was able to use the computers as a reading center, and was federally funded by the government. She has only incorporated using blogs in her classroom or five years, and video for two. Even though she's been through several principals throughout her career, she's had a supportive technology coordinator, who has helped her along the way.  There were questions about the protection of her students, and in order to protect them and make sure they were safe, Ms. Cassidy  sent forms home on the first day of school. I agree with the fact that Ms. Cassidy mentioned that "Technology is not going away, it's here to stay". As a future educator, I plan to use a wide range of technology in my classroom such as blogging, Skype, and Wikis. It is very important to stay up-to-date with technology, because you want to be able to assist the students with their learning and not bore them with regular book, pen, and pencil work. The use of technology will make learning fun and it has the ability to increase the interest of the students and their learning.

Blog Post 10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

After watching this video, I have came to the conclusion that to teach and to educate are two different things. To teach is a verb, in which you show or explain how to do something, encourage someone to accept as a fact or principle, give information about or instruction in, cause someone to learn or understand something, induce by examples of punishment to do or not to do something. To educate, means that you will illuminate, enlighten, inspire, and empower the students. An educator is one who gives intellectual, moral, and social instruction. Also, a mentor, an experienced and trusted advisor. One who guides a person, who advises, and shows the way. I never really thought that there was a difference in teaching and educating, until I watched this video. I would like to be an educator, because I am willing to go that extra mile to make sure that I make a difference in my students lives and learning. I will not be categorized as a  "paycheck teacher". I understand that as an educator, you have to be willing to work overtime in order to have a successful classroom. An educator is one who students would want to look up to or ask for advice on any given subject or matter that they may have. At the end of the video, there was a very important phrase,  "Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education" -MLK.   I totally agree with this phrase,  because you have to be motivated to learn and you have to maintain who you are at all times around your peers and the students.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

Although I had to read the post a few times, I must say that I enjoyed reading it. I agree with everything that was posted.  Focusing on the solution more so as to the problem was a great approach. Sometimes, you have to prove people wrong and Tom Tom did this to Gertrude. The fact that Tom meets with parents to give them an insight on what students are learning is great. At home students can use the "pencils" as a way of learning, even if they play a game of 'Hangman", which Gertrude thinks to be sick and twisted. Tom explains that he does not hold the students accountable, because as long as they are learning, everything is ok. I agree with Tom in this post, because we as adults have to be mindful that children have a different way of learning and that technology is being used widely throughout the world. Things are not the same and the use of technology will only expand, that is why I feel that Tom brought the parents in. It was to make them familiar with the use of the computers.

C4K March

The first student that I had for the Month of March was a girl named Clair. In her blog she talked about having a sleepover. She invited four of her friends over. She had gotten 20 gifts and she was excited about all of them. Later that night at her sleepover, her and one of her friends were playing the kinect and the lights went out. I commented and told her that I never had the pleasure of having a sleepover and I wish that I could have. I also mentioned that whenever her power went out that, that it did not stop the party.

The second student that I had the pleasure of following was Jadein. In Jadein's recent blog post, he made a book trailer about a book called SilverWing. SilverWing was a book about a bat named Shade who has to battle his way back to his family. I enjoyed his blog, because the previous week before he was assigned to me, I had the chance to work with making a book trailer. Jadein did a good job with making his trailer.&nb

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C4T #3

Thurmann Resources
I had the pleasure of following and commenting on Lisa Thurmann's blog. She was a very busy teacher, the first week I commented on her blog, was when she was going to speak at the first ever West Essex Tech Symposium on March 17, 2012. It was a free event that was accessible to everyone who would be in the New Jersey area. The event was designed for K-12 teachers, media specialists, administrators, school boards and interested community members on the innovative use of technology. The second week I had to go back to a previous blog post because she had not updated since the first post that I commented on. The second post was about how busy New Jersey would be in the Month of March. There were plenty conferences going on in the Month of March, such as Digital Content in the Classrooms, Maximizing the Possiblities of a Connected World, First ever Technology Symposium, and the first NY/NJ Google Apps Summit.

Blog Post #9

What I've Learned This Year

First, I would like to say Thank You Dr. Strange for assigning the students of EDM31O and myself to read such amazing selections. The first thing that instantly caught my eyes was the fact that Mr. McChung stated that he made an important decision for the year and it was to "Stay Positive". I feel that as an educator, one must always portray a positive outlook for the students sake. Most students look up to their teacher for support, because some are not given that love and support at home. What I'm trying to say is that educators cannot pose a negative sense towards the students, even if there are a million things going on around them that they are not comfortable with. Communication is another factor that he wrote about. Communication is important in any situation especially for an educator. You must be in touch with fellow peers, parents, and most importantly students. With the rapid expansion of technology, like Mr. McChung talked about, we should not be afraid of it, in fact we should keep up with it. Listening is essential to students also, it makes them feel that they are able to trust their educator and they are able to go to them for advice or just to talk. As a future educator, I always think to myself "How am I going to act as a Teacher?" From reading Mr. McChung writings, I know that I will be lenient, I will listen to my students, I will make my classroom environment fun and full of learning possibilities, and I understand that I will have to make a "fool" out of myself at times in order to make the lessons have some meaning. Mr. McChung did a great job with all of his writings and I am grateful to have had the chance to read them.

Project #14 SmartBoard Instruction Part 1

Project 12- Book Trailer

Project 11

Blog Post 8

This Is How We Dream

In these videos Richard Miller talks about the effective use of technology and creativity in the classrooms. Teachers and future educators, myself being one of them, need to know that technology will change. It will not just be based on books and the use of pens and pencils. I feel that technology will eventually eliminate the use of books in the classrooms and everything will be accessible on the Internet. Richard Miller mentioned that "We as educators must be in the business of sharing ideas freely", I agree with him, because if you have knowledge about something, why not share it? Someone may be wondering the same thing and with the valuable information you are attaining, you could quite possibly help them out.
Richard Miller uses the Mac computer as an example of our work space. The desktops or laptops are becoming more accessible to individuals, because basically everything is online and it is right at the click of a button. Mr. Miller says that "Our Future Is Now" and we need to adapt to the changes, in order to be accurate whenever we are trying to teach our students the correct way of using multimedia. With the use of multimedia everything will be up-to-date and students will not have to look further for information.
I cannot honestly say that I am prepared to write with multimedia, because like with all other things in life, you have to practice in order to perfect the project. In the future, I think that upon my knowledge of multimedia, I will be able to teach my students, and they will be able to obtain the knowledge and be prepared to write with multimedia.


Blog Post #12 Carly Pugh
I enjoyed reading Carly's Blog assignment and I loved her teaching philosophy. Carly's post was well put together and I was thinking, this girl must have had a lot of time on her hands. I know that once she got started she was on a roll. It was very informative, because not only should we just watch videos, we should be saving them to our favorites for purposes like Carly has used. Carly's assignment would be very interesting for future classes because it will give students a sense of multimedia use. My favorite link in her blog post was the video about "Disability means possibility". We as individuals cannot and should not judge others on them being different or as we would like to say "not normal". Having a class write about 


The Chipper Series and  EDM for Dummies
First of all, I would like to say that the Chipper video was hilarious! The future/present scene was the funniest. Chipper tried her very best to explain to Dr. Strange about her definition of procrastination and why she felt like she was right. Dr. Strange allowed her to talk, but he also implied on the fact that the same points would not be given for late work, which is unacceptable. No way was Chipper going to change the definition of procrastination  in Wikipedia, LO! I am not proud to say this, but I thought about dropping the course. Then, I had a reality check and it made me realize that dropping the class only meant failure and that I would have to eventually take it again. The good thing about Chipper's video was the fact that after that she has been through, she was able to make up her mind and go back to school. I would like to participate in the "Ed for Dummies" video, because I would like to act out that you have to dedicate at least 9 hours to class every week or else, you would be falling behind! I would imply imply imply on the deadlines, and the fact that the lab is accessible to all students and that there are lab assistants who are willing to help.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I think that this video should be watched by all educators who do not believe that we should incorporate technology within our classrooms. This video informs us on how educators feel about the use of Social Sites and internet changes within the classrooms. Allowing students to use and apply the internet with their learning would be a great idea, because it gives them a sense of independence. There is a way to block sites that are not appropriate for students and we may just have to do that, but I fell that blocking their use of the internet would only put them behind from learning what is important. Most kids go to school to learn more than what they are learning at home, and if the teacher is willing to provide students with knowledge about certain things, rather than bore them, then their work would be appreciated.

Scavenger Hunt 2.0
Before actually beginning the Scavenger Hunt, I watched the video Discovery Education Web 2.0 visited Discovery Education website, Web 20.11, then actually I started the Hunt on Web 2.0 Tools. The tool that I located, that was similar to Twitter and/or Facebook was Edmodo. "Creating a Professional Learning Network (PLN) is a valuable way to ensure your growth and satisfaction as an educator – and now you can use Edmodo to build your PLN!  Use the “Search Teachers” function on the right side of the screen to find colleagues and educators you’ve met at conferences and professional development events. Connecting with them allows you to send direct messages and share content to each others libraries. Edmodo Communities provide a valuable forum to gather professional feedback, exchange ideas, and share content and lessons that you can integrate immediately into your classroom curriculum." Prezi was the video tool that I found. You are able to make your own videos and import/export YouTube videos. You are able to customize your Prezi and work together as a group anywhere.  Poll Everywhere was found in Mobile Tools. 

Replace audience response hardware with Poll Everywhere

Blog Post 7

The Networked Student Upon completion of watching this video, I am aware that teachers will still exist. I understand that technology is growing and will continuously do so, but teachers are still needed to teach students the positive and negatives of internet use. Not every site has reliable information and with a teacher by a student's side this will be good. By doing so, the student's will know which sites has resourceful information that they are able to use. As a future educator, I am aware that technology will be a big part of my teaching career, and I am willing to do anything possible to keep up with it, so that I am able to answer any questions that a student may have.
The idea of having a PLN is great. It allows for one to be more advanced with searching for information to use. You are able to interact with classmates, peers, your teacher, and other people from around the world. If you may have a question regarding facts, you can ask your teacher, or any one that you are networking with. The PLN allows for students to take control of learning with others to strengthen their learning process. They are able to find worthy websites and also share the sites.So, "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" The networked student needs a teacher because she is the one who teaches him how to build this network, and take advantage of opportunities. She offers guidance when the student gets stuck. She teaches the student how to communicate properly and ask respectfully for help from experts, differentiate between good information and propaganda. She shows the student how to vet a resource, how to turn a web search into a scavenger hunt, and get excited when the student finds that pearl of content. The teacher helps organize those mountains of information. In her heart, she hopes that the student will maintain his network for his future, even after leaving her class.
A Seventh Grader's Personal Learning Environment(PLE)
My PLN is similar to the Seventh grade student, because I admired the fact that she had her tiles arranged with personal and school being on the bottom. I feel as if you should start from the bottom(being the hardest) and working your way towards the top. My tiles along the top are for recreation purposes such as health, fitness, sports, horoscope, shopping, and iPhone apps. These are less important and I feel that if I complete the bottom ones first, then I may have time to play around with the top ones.

Project 10 PLN

Timetoast Timeline Project 9b

Blog Post #5

Don't Teach Your Kids this Stuff.Please?
Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff.Please? was a sarcastic post, in a good way to me! Dr. McLeod used plenty of irony when writing this post. He mentioned that there is cyber bullying, cheating, and predators online. He encourages them to continue the use of pen and paper, and not to rely on internet use. Basically, he is saying that everything that is going on in the internet world is not good. At the end of the post, it is like a slap in the face, because he says that he is letting his children do everything that he told the parents, teachers, and mentors not to let their kids do! His kids will be more advanced with the use of technology, while other kids will be behind.

The iSchool Initiative Seventeen year old Travis Allen is responsible for making a power point presentation on YouTube for the approach of what he calls the iSchool. in this approach, Travis Allen is convincing everyone to "Go Green", meaning that less paper will be used, classes would be smaller, less money will be spent, and the iSchool is accessible to students, teachers, and parents. Grades, lunch menus, and formulas for Math and Science are just a few of the things that are available on the iSchool. Students, teachers, and parents using the iSchool will be more technology literate. the fact that you can find almost anything on the iSchool is very important. More importantly, there is limited access to websites that are not beneficial to the use of schools, such as social networking. I think that this is a great approach and would like to see it used in schools effectively.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir Wow!! Is all that I can say after watching this video. It is amazing that one man can bring 185 people together to sing and perform 243 tracks, which one happens to be "Lux Aurumque". The people are from 12 different countries. Their voices are amazing and for them to have never seen one another in person is a bit shocking. This goes to show that internet use along with technology in general is rapidly expanding. ANYTHING is possible with the use of the internet and I think what Eric Whitacre put together was amazing. A big thank you to Jennifer Chambers for this video, I have never seen anything like this before.

Teaching in the 21st Century  by Kevin Roberts was an eye opener. In this video he talks about how any questions can be answered anytime, anywhere by kids within a second from the use of the internet. As teachers, we need to understand that technology is not going anywhere and keeping up with it is a must! I know that students think this is the best approach, but we as educators need to realize that if we answer a question, and the students think that it is wrong, they will go to their main source, the internet. Internet use is not always reliable, and teaching kids how to search correctly and be able to support their findings will be a great help also.

Reading Rockets While viewing the website I came across an important fact that I did not have any idea of, which was "Did you know that learning to read is a challenge for almost 40 percent of kids? The good news is that with early help, most reading problems can be prevented. The bad news is that 44 percent of parents who notice their child having trouble wait a year or more before getting help.Unfortunately, the older a child is, the more difficult it is to teach him or her to read. The window of opportunity closes early for most kids. If a child can't read well by the end of third grade, odds are that he or she will never catch up. And the effects of falling behind and feeling like a failure can be devastating." I think this was important, because we as educators and even parents, have to notice a child's struggle, before it begins. There are tutors who could help, and engaging children in reading programs throughout the week would be beneficial.
 I can remember growing up in a single-parent household, and my mom made sure that we were on track with our reading, as well as our other work. Before, we could go outside and play after school, or even watch TV, we were supposed to read a book, or make sure our homework was completed. In today's society, you do not see a lot of that going on. I feel that if we can go back to the old days and incorporate some of the things that we have learned or ways we were disciplined, the kids of today would be so much better than what they are.

Blog Post #6

Randy Pausch Last Lecture I would like to say that I am honored to have watched  Randy Pausch's Last Lecture video. For a man who was battling an illness and was told he only had three to six months left to live was so full of energy. It is amazing that he knew he was going to die within a certain time span, yet he did not let that interfere with his everyday life. He was not moping around or concentrated on it throughout his speech. Randy Pausch mentioned that you have to play the cards that you are dealt, and I love this saying, because so many things in life we often wish we could change. We as people have to understand that God is in control, and he does everything for a reason!
Randy Pausch mentioned that he had several childhood dreams which consisted of Being in Zero Gravity, Playing in the NFL, meeting Captain Kirk, winning stuffed animals, being a Disney Imagineer, authorizing an article in the World Book Imagineer. While listening to his childhood dreams, he mentioned that one of his assistant football coach said to him that "When you are screwing up and nobody says anything anymore, that means that they gave up, your critics are your one's telling you that they love you." I took this statement as a way to accept criticism from anyone, anywhere, at any given moment. There are some people who want to see you doing better and they will push you in order to make sure that you go further in life.
I learned from this video that you cannot go into life without accepting the help of others or being a part of a team sometimes. I know it is hard to ask for help or look for handouts, because some people have a tendency to "throw it back" in your face what they have done for you. The Building Virtual Worlds course seems to have been exciting for the students, and I know that with Randy Pausch as an instructor they had an awesome experience. The students bonded and involved other faculty members, and families within their experience.
In the final minutes of the video Randy Pausch mentioned that in order to get people to help you, you have to tell the truth, be earnest, apologize when you screw up, focus on others, not yourself! You cannot get there alone. He also mentioned that "When you do the right things, good things happen", and I believe in this saying, because you have to be loyal to everyone around you, even if they are not the same towards you. Being the bigger person means that you will always come out on top.  Overall,  this video was very informative and I took notes on how to get to where you want to be in life. DON'T COMPLAIN, JUST WORK HARDER!!

Podcast Project 8

My Timetoast-Project 9a

Project # 6 "This is My Sentence"

Blog Post 4

The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom

Harry Dell talks about the benefits of Podcasting in the classroom. This is mainly for students born after 1980, which he refers to them as “Millenials”.It is amazing how many hours children spend on Games(10,000), Phones(10,000), TV(20,000), IMs(250,000). It seems so unreal, until you actually think about it. As stated, Podcasting allows differentiation in the classrooms. Podcasting is a student-centered activity and allows for a project-based learning approach. A Podcast is relevant info on-the-go. I think Podcasting is a great idea, because it is accessible to children anytime, effectively. Especially, if they happen to be out sick from school.

Judy Scharf Podcast Collection

Judy Scharf’s website on Podcast Collection had valuable information, such as the Benefits of Podcasting, Tips to Succeed, and a Time Schedule for Creating a Podcast. The idea of allowing students time, and choice of topics as necessary, for their podcast gives them a sense of development. As far as how to use a Podcast. I also learned the definition of Podcast, which is Broadcast and iPod put together.

Langwitches Podcasting with 1st Graders

This blog about Podcasting with first graders was interesting. The children seemed to enjoy the fact that they had an audience. The skills addressed throughout their Podcasting assignment were: listening, speaking, presenting, comprehension, storytelling, performance, voice acting, oral fluency, media, and technology. Allowing the children to work in group allows for them to open to their peers and share ideas and/or examples. In my class, I would also use music, editing, and sound effects.

Blog Post #3

Technology In Special Education
As Lacey Cook stated "Technology is an essential tool in the classroom, because it facilitates students participation". I totally agree with her statement, because with the way technology is being widely used throughout the world, everyone should have knowledge of how to use computers, iPods, iPads, and other gadgets. For example, the child Corbin in the video was using the iPod touch as an enhancement tool. He used to have to get someone to read aloud to him, where as now it is a silent reading tool and he is able to keep up with his classmates.

I would technology for special needs students as an enhancement tool.  Technology can be an asset in plenty of ways. I never knew special needs were able to use computers as a learning tool. After watching the video I was in awe! The students basically type out what they are trying to say which allows for easier communication at a faster pace. My vision for my future class is to incorporate technology. I will need to know how to use it effectively and make sure my students understand as well.

How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism
I chose the My First Words app helps autistic children with their vocabulary. The app will keep the autistic child's attention, because they are able to keep repeating what appears on the screen. This app is great, because it helps with a wide range of vocabulary for the kids, making way for expansion.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count
What does the changes mean to me? As a future educator, I am aware that I will be efficiently using technology throughout my classroom. The way that technology is growing, I will need to be up-to-date with it. The astonishing rates amazed me!! I did not know that such things were happening at the rate they were. I'm almost afraid to even get certified as a teacher, technology may take over!! Lol

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
After watching this video I was just shaking my head. Seem like every thing they showed was true, or atleast I thought it to be true, because I am a college student. The one thing that really stood out was the fact that the teachers rarely know any of their students names. I have been in college for quite a while and I cannot count on one hand how many teachers knew who I was without looking at the roll or simply calling upon me to participate. I must admit that I text, tweet, get on Facebook, and other internet sites during class. I know this is wrong, but it's just something that is done. The fact that some students are going to school for a certain field and it possibly won't be a job for them in the future is a bit disturbing.

Project #5- Google Presentation

Project #3

I was assigned to read and comment on Aviva Dunsinger blog posts.  Luckily my assigned teacher updates her blogs regularly and she also replied! The first blog I read and commented on was about the use of Twitter in the classrooms.  My comment was "Hi, my name is Derkesha Dale and I am currently enrolled in EDM310. As an assignment, I was assigned to read your most recent blog. After reading your blog, I found it to be very interesting. I like the way that you are incorporating social networking, such as Twitter, within the students and in the use of classrooms. This is a great way to enhance the students learning abilities. This makes the students eager to learn and not get easily bored with just book assignments.
My twitter address: @CHIK_WIT_BRAINS
My URL: http://dalederkeshaedm310.blogspot.com/" and her reply "Thanks for your comment! I’m glad that you found the post interesting. I think that social media can make learning engaging, but it is also great for differentiation: allowing students to have choice with the tools that they use and how they use them, so that they can all experience success.Enjoy your course! Aviva"  The second blog posts I had to read and comment on dealt with the students being able to efficiently demonstrate subtraction with the flip camera and the use of building blocks. My comment was " I enjoyed watching the videos on how the students learned to subtract. I think that the students using the Building Blocks as a way of learning is fun, instead of the traditional way “counting your fingers”. When I was a child I did not have the advantage of using Building Blocks, I had to draw however many lines there were and then cross them out as indicated. For example, if the problem was 12-8=4 , then I would draw twelve straight lines cross out eight, and count the remaining lines and I would have four left. Therefore, I think incorporating new ideas and especially technology into students learning environment will be a big help." Aviva Dunsinger reply: "Thanks for your comment! I think that having various tools to use is great, and giving students a chance to explain their thinking is even better. Aviva"

My Wordle

Blog Post 2

Did You Know? 3.0- A John Strange 2002 Version

Originally this video was by Karl Fisch and Scott McCleod. Did you know ? 3.0- A John Strange 2012 version implies that the world is changing, and The United States is behind in education. The crazy part of it, is that china has more honor students than we do people. One fact that I found interesting was that the first text was sent in 2002. The increasing numbers were incredibly shocking. Although others may disagree, but in my opinion, to think that China would be the number one English speaking country in the world, is an embarassment to us as United States citizens. Essentially the question is Are You Ready To Be An Educator? I think what the video implies is that as an educator, you have to be willing to accept and adapt to the rapidly changing technology around us today.

Mr. Winkle Wakes created by Matthew Needleman

After one hundred years of sleeping, Mr. Winkle wakes, and finds that technology is being widely used in office buildings, hospitals, and schools, just to name a few. Mr. Winkle notices that amongst all of the places that technology was being used, the school was the least to occupy the computer. Schools should be one of the main environments where computers are used, due to the fact that the “real world” is constantly changing. This video stresses the fact that technology is changing, and being used basically everywhere around the world today. Books get you through school, where as computers get you through life. If you are technology literate it gives you more of an opportunity to expand in the classrooms and outside of schools.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

In this video Ken Robinson compares creativity to literacy, saying that it is just as important. He stated that “You have to be prepared to be wrong, or you will never be original”. As a society we are so focused on doing what we think “ we know” is right and are afraid of making mistakes. We are growing out of creativity, which I find to be true. Anyone working in the education field should want to be creative and making mistakes should not be an embarassment, more so a learning experience. As well as Math and Language, Art and Music should be at the top of the list. Some children learn through movement and are able to focus and learn more.

A Vision for the 21st Century Learning by TEDS

I think that the students should be taught through technology, as well as books. In today’s society, kids being computer literate, enhances their learning. By doing this students would be more interested and their learning skills would be efficient. Students would want to participate more and not just focusing on memorizing from books. With that being said, I strongly agree with teaching children of the future through technology.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts

Harness Your Students Digital Smarts’ is about a school in rural South Georgia, where Vicki Davis is a technology-based teacher. She believes every child should learn in a comfortable environment. She makes sure that they are able to teach her and their fellow classmates new lessons. She incorporates software, Wiki, and blogs into their learning experience. I feel that it is good for her to mention new words into the lecture, and the students automatically know to Google the words to find out what she is talking about. I like Mrs. Davis’ teaching style, because it allows the students a wide range of learning, not just in classrooms, but using computers also. I love the fact that the students have certain projects that they must present, this allows the students to open up to each other.

Blog Post 1

About Me

Hello everyone, my name is Derkesha Dale, I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. I am a Junior at the University of South Alabama, where I am majoring in Elementary Education and Special Education. I am twenty-four years of age, with no kids, no pets, and I'm single. I live alone and I can honestly say that I enjoy it. I enjoy shopping, reading, working, and exercising. Lately, I have been strongly interested in exercising, because I find that it takes stress away and exercising allows you to free your mind. I do not exercise to lose weight, merely just to tone up. I try to exercise at least three times a week.

One of the main reasons that I am pursuing a degree in Elementary Education, is because I love working with and around kids. As a future educator, I want to make sure that every child that I come across excels in every aspect of learning. I have heard of "paycheck teachers" and I am not trying to be one of those. I have a passion for teaching, and I am willing to give my all to make sure that the students are in a comfortable learning environment with the support that they desire.

Randy Pausch and Time Management

I do not know anything about Dr. Randy Pausch. This was my first time hearing of him from watching his video. After watching the video, I have learned that time can be wasted if we stress or procrastinate. Dr. Pausch mentioned a saying "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail" which I find to be true, because too many people in today's society do not have an actual "to do list", including myself. To do lists are very important, I think everyone should invest in them, because too often we ask ourselves "Where has the time gone?". If we actually sit down and plan daily, weekly, or maybe even monthly, we will have an actual idea of where our time has gone and what we spend more or less time on. After reading through the Time Management articles, I think that they all are helpful. You must have a purpose, goals and objectives, and you have to plan, without these you would totally be lost.

Practice Post

My first post