Additional Post # 1

1. Why did you miss the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post, or, if you "hit the nail on the head", why do you think you understood the metaphor and why do you think that others in the class missed the metaphor?
I am a very straight forward type of reader, Sarcasm is not the first thing I look for in a post. In a video, sarcasm is very apparent to me and I can pick up on it in a second. With reading this blog post, it did not jump out at me. I have to read it over and over again. The metaphor, to me, was hidden within the post.

2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them?
I come across metaphors on a daily basis. On Pinterest, I saw a perfect example of one. "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." That is one of my favorites. Also, What a Wonderful Day to be a Cow is a great book full of metaphors. "It's not exactly rocket surgery"and "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it" are just a few that I've heard today.

3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use metaphors?
Most students do not understand the exact definition of a metaphor. A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea. I know that students have all heard of angel hair pasta, or that they would "kill" to own that video game. We use metaphors daily! Maybe students just don't know how to recognize them off the top of their head. I think that if more exercises were done on metaphors, students could strengthen their use of metaphors.

4. Why do we use metaphors?
I think people use metaphors to involve that creative aspect into it. For example, noodles. No one likes to eat plain noodles. We all love alfredo sauce, meatballs, and parmesan cheese on our noodles! That right there is a metaphor. Taboo subjects can be discussed with the use of a metaphor, too. Without metaphors, communication amongst people would be boring, dry and not entertaining in the least.

Blog Post #13

This was one of the hardest assignments that we have had this semester. Basically, my days include having my cell phone, my computer and television all nearby. Without these devices I didn't know what to do at first, then I got productive with my day. Cleaning my dorm room, catching up on some reading from one of myfavorite book series were just a couple of the things that I did, but were not on top of my to do list. I would have done homework but the computer was forbidden. It was nice to just relax for the day and not do anything I didn't want to. I'm not going to lie and say that it was easy, I had to start over a couple of times due to a phone call from my parents and a message from my sorority that was crucial to see at the moment. I had told my friends that I was going to be MIA for the day, and though some of them had forgotten, and called or texted me, they were supportive. It was actually nice to be cut off from the world. Having all of the technology taken away made me appreciate the things in life that I often overlook. For Dr. Baggett's class we were assigned a tree to draw, and there is a beautiful tree right outside of our sorority's house. Since I had no other obligations, I decided to go outside and start sketching that tree. It was a peaceful kind of day and I would have never taken advantage of it had I been inside on facebook, watching television. I will definitely try to incorporate these kind of days into my life more often! When I have my own classroom, I imagine that my students will be even more into technology than today's students. Most of them will know even more than I do! That's scary to think of. Of course I will have technology in my classroom, but there will also be a balance of blogwork and work that involves markers and gluesticks. I believe that balance is key!

C4K #11

I was assigned Jonathan's blog this week, his post was about how to make comet ice cream. I had never heard about this type of ice cream until I read this post. It is basically just ice cream, but you add in crumbled cookies. I told Jonathan that this was such a creative idea and that I would have to try it!

Project 15

Blog Post #12

Watch the video The Future Of Learning and write a one to two paragraph response on how you think classrooms in the future will be centered around. For example, will books still play a huge role or will technology? Will there still be the need to even come to class or will the Internet act as a teacher?

Classrooms in the future could be just as they are now, or they could be more highly developed. No one can tell the future, but if I could, I would say that there is without a doubt in my mind that technology will take over the classrooms. Look how far we have come today. When I was in 3rd grade the closet we got to the Internet was the game Oregan Trail. Schools all over the nation are starting technology with their students earlier and earlier. For example, my cousin in Kindergarten is a whiz on the computer, and thinking back when I was that age, there is no comparison between her abilities and mine. I am excited to see these students so very involved in the technology aspect of school at this time and I can only imagine how much more involved they will be in the future.

Project #14 - Skype Interview

Final Project Progress

Our group has gotten together a couple of times to discuss some ideas for our final project. We have a couple idea up our sleeve but nothing is set in stone yet. Each of us email and every time we do, someone has a new idea that could possibly top the last one. I am really excited how our project pans out, and I'm excited to see how Dr. Strange and our classmates react to it as well.

Part 1 of C4K #10

Mrs. Yollis' classroom blog is very inspiring! Anyone who intends to become an educator of any sort, they should take time to look at all of the effort that is within her blog. There are countless pictures, numerous links that tie into her points, and creative projects for her students. I mean, look at this! Most third grade classrooms do not have a happy birthday video recording planned for that week. Her students are incredibly lucky that she is so enthusiastic about her career! Look how many people are viewing her blog right now. That is truly something to be proud of. After searching throughout her blog, I really got excited about how I am going to incorporate technology like this into my classroom! Prior to viewing her blog, I did not know that it had won several awards. Even if you were not a student on Mrs. Yollis' class, with theis blog, you could still know exactly what goes on in her classroom. This blog is kid friendly and exceptionally useful to any new teacher. Mrs. Yollis' classroom blog is without a doubt one of my favorite blogs to get ideas from. I cannot wait to get started with my own classroom of eager students one day!

For the second part of C4K, I commented on Mrs. Yollis' post on the dog her and her husband babysit for a while. She mentioned that having an animal teaches children responsibility, which I totally agree on. She asked if we had any animals and I said that I had a Teacup Poodle, Fiona. Mrs. Yollis asked if Fiona requires attention from my parents and I, and she does. I said that we didn't really mind because Fiona is part of our family.

C4K #7 #8 & #9

I was assigned Ms. Dorby's classroom for the C4K #7. Her class was to create an animal made up from two existing animals. (ex. and elephant and a mouse...) How creative! I would love for my future class to do something along those lines for a project! I wrote back and said that I would love to see pictures of the student's animal creations. All of the student's descriptions of their new animals were so cute and hilarious to read through!

For C4K #8, Lorenzo's blog had a picture of the Eiffel Tower, and then below it, it has Lorenzo's interpretaion of it. His picture was awesome and he really got the details of the tower included into it! I praised him on his work and said to keep it up!

My next student was Jack, a student who was in a history class that really took advantage of technology. He said that he took this history class by word of mouth basically. This history class was technology based, and he loved every second of it! I loved that he actually enjoyed it! Most students just want to pass the class and get it over with, but Jack truly enjoyed his time there. I wrote to him telling him about how in high school I had some boring classes, and if there had been technology in it I would have loved it more. He was an exceptional writer, too.

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's class having a blog is a great idea. Even though I wouldn't necessarily think that first graders are ready for the blogging world, she introduces it to her students quite well. She mentions that they are protected and that their parents are fully aware of what their children are doing. She keeps them safe by only posting the child's first name, not their last. Safety on the Internet would be my number one concern as a parent, and I feel like Ms. Cassidy does an excellent job at that. She also mentions that there are pictures but they do not match the student's name. Ms. Cassidy made a point that technology will not ever go away. She is absolutely correct! Even at this young as an age, technology is crucial to these students. She teaches her students to use correct etiquette. Like technology, etiquette is important at a first grader's age. It is never too young to learn. The only thing that would possibly stand in the way of the Internet in my classroom would be keeping the children safe. Ms. Cassidy's tips on safety are exceptional. I know as a first grader, I was so excited on that day that we got to use the computer. So I can only imagine how excited my class will be using it regularly! I will definitely introduce the Internet to my elementary class in the future. Ms. Cassidy has given me some useful fun ideas to introduce to my class!

Blog Post #10

Do you Teach or Do you Educate? is a video that describes the difference between teaching and educating. I have always wanted to become an educator, and to insprire children is worth it all to me. Teaching children, in my opinion, is the minimum I could do. Being an educator involves so much more. When I shadowed my third grade teacher for a highschool club, she said one thing that will forever stick out in my mind. She said, "students are with their teachers 5 days a week, for several hours a day. You know these children inside and out pretty much." I took that as, you have to be a constant role model to these children. I want my future students to be able to be comfortable around me. Unfortunantly, some children will see their teachers more than they see their parents. As sad as that is, it is true. I want to be more than just a 3rd grade teacher to them, I want to better their lives in some way.
I fully intend on being an educator rather than a one-sided teacher. By one-sided, I mean that they just assign problems, read book chapters, and grade tests... yeah, that's it. Get it? I want to be so much more to my students. I want them to be excited to come to my class and to truly want to learn. I can be an educator by myself being enthused. Generic projects that have been around since your parents time won't be included in my curriculum if I can help it. I remember teachers who have done this with my class, and I now realize how much of an impact they have had on me. I am excited for my role not only as a teacher, but as an educator!

C4T#3 - 1

I was assigned to Jenna Bentley's blog this week. Her blog post was about the 'glass empty/glass full' type of people. I wrote back and mentioned that personally I though that I am the glass full person. I said that I am the first person to just breathe and take a step back when situations get overwhelming. She also mentioned a book Life of Pi in her post. From my interpretation, Pi is going through many tribulations with his life and what he wants from it. He believes in something greater and that is what is carrying him through those rough patches of life. I would like to read that book, I told her. Overall, her blog was so enjoyable to read!

Blog Post #9

In Mr. McClung's post What I've learned This Year 2008-09 He talks about what to expect...and to completely forget it. He mentions how initially he thought it was all about him, the teacher. He soon realized that it is always 100% about the students. I've had teachers that just didn't want to teach that day and they just put in a movie for us. Okay, I admit it, I enjoyed it a few times, but seriously? How is that helping our education? I look back now an appreciate those teachers that pushed our class to meet it's full potential. For Mr. McClung to realize that it is not about the teacher, but rather the students, shows how he has grown in his teaching career.
In his other post, What I've Learned This Year 2010-11 I noticed that there was still the focus on 'student centered' learning. I am impressed by Mr. McClung's mentality as a teacher! He seems like a very hands on type of teacher, and from what I read from his blogs, any student would be lucky to have him to call their teacher. In this post he also mentions that he tries daily to maintain a positive outlook. Have you ever had one of those teachers that is just in a sour mood constantly? and you feel like you can't ask them questions without getting their wrath? Mr. McClung seems the complete opposite of that! Mr. McClung has grown in so many ways as an educator and I know that his students appreciate all of his efforts.

Project #13 - SMARTboard

Blog Post #8

This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2 based on the Internet and how much it affects us every single day. Imagine life today without Internet...for any question we have, 99% of people search the Internet. I bet that if the Internet was not around tomorrow, people would not know what to do with themselves. The Internet keeps people in sync with life outside of their own "bubble." We learn the majority of things from the Internet and it is only going to get more and more advanced.
I believe that I am prepared for multimedia. I get some really fantastic ideas from the Internet everyday. The Internet is constantly expanding, and I try my best to keep up with it. It is a tool that not only can help myself, but it will help my future as a teacher. There are millions of projects for students, teaching methods, and advice for brand new teachers, that yes, are ALL found on the Internet.
I will be teaching elementary students, so their knowledge of the Internet will be less than a college students, of course. The students will absolutely be mindful of the Internet. I can incorporate youtube clips into my lesson for that day, or I can provide them with an internet website to help them practice that week's voacbulary words. I think that if they are exposed to the Internet at an early age, they are way ahead of the game. We as teachers are responsible for giving our students every possibility of succeeding and the Internet is that main source.


Carly Pugh's Blog Post #8is so original! She nailed Dr. Miller's philosophy right on the head. For her to think so outside of the box on this assignment, she is going to be one successful teacher to many luck children. Her ideas will surely get people more inthused about teaching than they already are. Literature is not usually an exciting topic to most, but having students get creative with the videos they find benefits them in numerous ways. Carly's ideas I think would certainly fit perfectly into the classroom.

The Chipper Seriesand EDM310 For Dummiesvideos perfectly depict EDM310. This class is very hard to keep up with if you are a procastinator, like Chipper. The Chipper Series can very well happen. She decided that she wanted to do things her way, which meant doing the bare minimum and dropping out of school. She finally gets it through her head that she needed to change. In EDM310 For Dummies, it shows how frustrating students get with this class. I wish the book mentioned in the video was real!
If I were to create a video, I would definitely give adivce and pointers to all the new comers to EDM310. My video would hopefully ease the panicking minds of those students.

Learning to Change, Changing to Learn is a video that I think all should watch, especially those who believe technology is not necessary in the classroom. "Technology is not really a choice." is a quote that was mentioned, and it could not be any more right. Stop resisting technology! The commentors on this video were educators from all over, stating opinions on how technology should be in the classrooms more. I believe that they are right. The teaching methods that have been around for years, need to be updated and technology is only going to improve the methods exponentially.

C4K #6

I was assigned to Kabie this week. Her blogpost was on not eating. She thought that if she didn't eat that she would lose weight. I responded back to her saying that you have got to eat for your body to be able to run. Food is essential for doing daily tasks. I also told her that if she liked to run, she could run around her neighborhood. I ended my comment by wishing her the best of luck.

The second kid I randomly picked was Anthony. His post was on how easy his science test was, and how it involved density. I responded saying that I am glad that he thought his test was easy and that he deserved to get an A. He also mentioned that he is conducting an experiment on how long it takes the Earth to rotate. I told him that I am curious to see how his expermient turns out, and that he wrote a great blogpost.

Project #11

PLN Project #10

For my PLN my Symbaloo consists of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, Blogger, and the clothing store, Urban Outfitters. It is all so convenient to have all of my most used websites in one place. The websites that I have now are the basics for everyday. I will probably add Wikipedia and Google to my list.

The social websites are all necessary to my life, Facebook is one of the ways I keep in touch with my family from different states. Twitter is where I follow my favorite celebrities and also where I keeo close with family members. Pinterest is a new obsession that I just got introduced to. Basically, you look at people's pictures that they have posted to inspire you for art ideas, clothing styles, or recipes. Anything yu can think of, it is on Pinterest. As far as Youtube, I subscribe to many "beauty gurus" that make videos informing their subscribers about skincare, new makeup brands that they love, and tutorials. Urban Outfitters is where I like to shop online. They have numerous clothing styles that I really enjoy and it is nice for them to be one click away with Symbaloo.

Instructional Timeline #9b

Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture video was really eye opening to me as a student. I did not know previously to this video that Mr. Pausch had passed away. He seems so high spirited in this video, that one would never know that he was battling cancer. We need more people like Mr. Pausch in the world of education. So many aspiring teachers get distraught over the little things and I think that Mr. Pausch's mentality could be inspiring.
This video was full of inspirational quotes. My favorite was, "When you're screwing up and no body's saying anything to you anymore, that means they've given up." That could not be any truer. Mr. Pausch's coach was there to push him and make him angry at him for a reason, to make him a better player. Sometimes tough love is what can make or break a person. Even though Mr. Pausch did not actually get to play in the NFL, he mentioned that he got more valuable knowledge out of it. It may not be what he expected, but out of it he got something of more value to him.

One of the other quotes that really got to me was, "Brick walls are there for a reason, they let us prove how badly we want things." Nothing in life comes on a silver platter (for most people) so, we've got to work for it. Working for it only makes us appreciate it that much more. If obstacles get in your way, and they most certainly will, persevering through can only mean the best is yet to come. Mr. Pausch made it very clear to the audience that pushing through is what you have got to do.
When Randy Pausch wanted to be an imagineer, Disney kindly sent back the nicest "go to hell" letter, he said. That ties in with the brick wall scenario. Mr. Pausch said that that brick wall is there to keep people out who don't want it badly enough. I can not agree more. Sure, all kinds of people woulve love to be an imagineer, but those who want it badly enough are the ones who will actually work towards that goal.