Sunday, January 25, 2015

Bog Post #2: What Will Teaching in the 21st Century be Like?



1. Mr. Dancealot

The central idea in the video Mr. Dancealot was how NOT to teach. In every class session he lectured about basic definitions of various dance moves from a PowerPoint, and when he would attempt to reenact those dance moves the students views were blocked because he would reenact them standing behind a podium. Even when one of the students got up to try to engage in learning and attempt the dance moves the professor yelled at the student to sit down because he was trying to teach a dance class. When it came time for the final exam the students were required to physically perform the moves they learned about without any previous experience. I, personally, do not agree with Mr. Dancealot's style of teaching. I believe teaching in general should require some sort of experience or activity based on what is being taught, especially in elementary classes.


Image of collaged words pertaining to 21st century education2. Teaching in the 21st Century

In the video Teaching in The 21st Century, Roberts did a good job at explaining how much technology has changed in teaching. A lot of our teaching today versus five or ten years ago is a lot more engaged in technology. I enjoyed the part where he asked several questions, and then asked how we would figure out the answers to these questions. It made me realize how much we really do rely on technology for the answers, because a lot of those questions I could not have answered without having to search the Internet. Roberts makes a really good point when he states that though the Internet is an important part of learning, students should be taught to use reliable sources and not to believe everything they read on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 


3. The Networked Student 

I personally enjoyed watching The Networked Student. As a future educator, a Connectivism learning atmosphere seems like it would be a valuable experience for a student and is something I would more than likely be willing attempt. I fully believe that students of the 21st Century should be given the opportunity to virtually learn. Students need to be engaged in learning methods beyond pencil and paper. In Connectivism based learning environments the majority of the students learning is being done through educational Internet sources. According to the video, even though most of what the student is learning is virtually and independently, they still will be assigned a teacher.  The teacher will be there to assist with any further help that is needed, and is the one teaching the student how to effectively use their learning network. I found myself half way through the video second-guessing if a student in this environment sincerely needed a teacher. I was reminded that teaching goes far beyond instructions, teachers are there to morally support and encourage the child through their learning process whether it be virtually or face-to-face interaction.

4. Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

 The thesis of Davis' video Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts was that technology has become very important in the classroom. These students got to create things such as a virtual city, blogs, and a flat classroom and wound up teaching the teacher more about the activity than she taught the students. Even though this class was virtually based the teacher was still interacting with the students guiding them step-by-step through the process. The students were excited about what they were learning because they were being able to create it and share with the class and teacher what they created. I enjoyed the video because to me it was a great example of a virtual based classroom where the teacher is still a need to the student.

5. Who's Ahead in the Learning Race? 

After watching Dr. Stranges video Who's Ahead in the Learning Race? I would have to come to the conclusion that the Elementary students are ahead by a long shot. Me being an Undergraduate student, I have yet to use iMovie and I have had my MacBook Pro for almost four years. I also just started learning about blogs an how to effectively use them to my advantage. I think it is wonderful that at such a young age children are being able to engage in learning through technological devices, but I also think that as a future educator teachers should be taught more about using technology so that we can better teach our class. 

6. Flipping the Classroom

Image of a flipped classroom Flipping a classroom is very new to me, but I am always open and eager to learn about new things. I personally do think it is a useful approach, but I feel that it has a big setback. Not every student has access to a computer at home, and though the in the video it states that students who do not have this access at home will be able to use a school computer the morning of. Isn't that still taking away from the whole approach behind flipping? Flipping the classroom was created so that instruction time would be cut out and so that students who needed remediation could go back and hear the directions over again and be able to work out practice problems at home. If a student does not have access to this at home how is that suppose to happen? Just a question I have pondering. Other than that one set back I think flipping the classroom would be a useful approach, because as stated in the video our students do need to be prepared for jobs that will be available when they graduate and pencil and paper wont be worth much anymore.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Blog Post #1: What About EDM 310?


I  have heard my fair share of rumors about EDM 310, and terrified is an understatement. Just a few of the things I have heard is that this class is a lot of work and can become overwhelming if your time is not managed properly. I have also heard that in order to pass this class you have to work for your grade. Nothing in this class is given to you unless you earn it. My biggest fear for this class is that I am not going to be able to manage my time as well as I want. I'm hoping that soon I learn how to manage all of this so that all my work can be done well and turned in on time. 


Image of ABC on a chalk board

I took my first 300 level course last semester and loved it! It was nothing compared to my regular 100 level courses. It was more hands on and what we learned actually pertained to my major, and so I am hoping EDM 310 is the same. The most difficult thing for me in this class is going to be what I'm most afraid of, and that is my time management skills. I plan to address this difficulty by doing my best at staying organized and doing everything I can to stay on top of my time management. I have several unanswered questions about this class and I plan on using the available help to answer those questions, such as Dr. Lomax, Mr. G, and the lab assistants. I hope to learn as much in this course as possible so that I can be aware on how to incorporate technology in my future classroom. 

Practice Blog Post


  • Who I am 
  • Why I chose to become an Educator
  • 21st Century Educators
  • Passions of mine
I'm Johanna Logan. I'm in my Junior year at the University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. For the past two years I've worked at Woodridge Learning Center as a teacher. My first year there I was the 2K teacher, and for about the last year I've been one of three teachers in our baby room. I'm a mother to a big fat fluffy orange cat named Clarke, as weird as it may sound he literally gets treated like a child. I've lived here in Mobile my whole life, and I love it! Nothing beats being 45 minutes away from a beach! I chose to attend USA mainly because it was a local hometown college, I find comfort in knowing that home is right down the road. I'm a pretty crafty person if I do say so myself, my new found craft addiction is antiquing furniture. I have yet to do a piece on my own, but I've helped my mom redo many pieces that she has sold. It's a neat experience to see something old become new again.

 My spoiled rotten feline, Clarke. 

Education is in my genes! My mother owned an inner city child care facility for almost 15 years that me and my sister basically grew up being a part of. For as long as I can remember I've always loved to learn, more importantly teach. I remember as a child in class always being the first person to volunteer to help a classmate who couldn't quite figure out what it was we were doing. I get some mushy feel good satisfaction out of knowing I helped contribute to someones success or achievement.  

Education today is far more technologically based than it was when I was a child, and especially more advanced than it was years before that. Today kids are learning interactively through things such as the SMART board, iPads and other learning tablets. It's astonishing to know that a child at such a young age can navigate an iPad easier than I can. With technology becoming such a huge part of learning now, I'm eager to see what all will be being used to help children interactively learn when I start teaching. 

Sunset from the top of Mt. San Jacinto - Palm Springs, California.

My most significant passion is traveling. I've been to several parts of California, Washington D.C., Georgia, New York, Mexico & Jamaica.  Oh what I would do if I could travel the rest of the world. It's one thing to read about a certain place or thing or to see pictures of it, but to actually experience it in person is so rewarding.
I also enjoy my job, I love going into work each day and being greeted with smiling faces. Being a care giver to infants is such an awing experience. From first foods, to first words, all the way to first steps. It's an overwhelming joy!
One thing I wish to get better at is probably being more on top of my reading. I use to love it as a kid, and as I grew older it was a hobby that got pushed to the side as new ones came along. I want the children of my future classroom to be able to learn from me the importance of reading, and not see it as a struggle or a bore.
                                                                                                                                                            
                                       
Jacobs first steps!

I hope to be the kind of teacher to my students that my teachers were to me, if not better. My Kindergarten teacher is one of the many who have inspired me to follow this dream of mine. Even after 14 years we still keep in touch and she continuously reminds me to never give up. Being a teacher who leaves a life long impact on a student is possible. Never give up on your dreams!