Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Summary Post C4T #1

I followed a blog by Henrietta Miller, named Classroom Chronicles. The first post I commented on, Personal Goals, she discusses her goals of the new year. The majority of her goals concern becoming more technologically literate, such as continuing to blog, using technology in the classroom, and to reach out to other educators. One particular goal she has is to enter and be selecting for the Google Teacher Academy. To enter to submits a one minute video, which can be watched on her post. In my comment I congratulated her on her video and told her how her goals and video have convinced me that I need to set some of the same goals for myself. I need to become more technologically literate so that I can provide a more modern classroom.
In the second post I commented on, My advice to new teachers, Ms. Miller gives some advice to new teachers. She discusses how the university she attended did not prepare her for her first year as a teacher. In her advice she mentions twice to always smile, always stay organized, plan ahead, and if you need help ask other teachers. She also talks about how teachers should use twitter, facebook, and blogs to communicate with teachers to get help coming up with ideas for the classroom. In closing, she talks about teachers remembering why they became teachers in the first place, and that is because you want to help kids. In my comment to the second post I told her about EDM 310 and how we are learning to bring technology to the classroom. I told her about my first experience in a classroom as an educator and how it made me realize how teaching is going to be harder than expected.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Blog Assignment 2

1. While watching the video Did You Know?, by Karl Fisch, the first thing that really shocked me was the statement about the top ten in-demand jobs of 2010. This got me curious and happy that the number of different jobs seems to be growing. When I tried looking up whether this was true or not I found some who say it is and others who do not, because the list still included nurses and teachers.
The video shows how influential the internet is in our everyday lives. Being able to immediately do research on the facts that the video states shows exactly how much new technologies are affecting our lives today. The internet allows us instance access to just about any information one would need. This video really makes me think about whether or not there will be a time when everyone will completely depend on technology.

2. My first reaction after watching the video Mr. Wrinkle, by Mathew Needlemen, was to laugh because EDM 310 is all about changing this perspective. Even though the world has changed tremendously over the past hundred years, in many cases teaching has remained the same. The most technology I learned about, besides how to use Microsoft Word, was going to the computer lab once a week in middle school.
I think it is very important for teachers to be able to use new technology that is available today in their teaching. This could not only make things more interesting to the students, but it will make it fun for students. A teacher who can teach a class on a Smart Board with games and activities, seems way more interesting to me than a teacher writing on a chalk board.


3. In the video, The Importance of Creativity, Sir Ken Robinson does a remarkable job of stressing the importance of the creative arts and I think he is funny. The kids that fill the classrooms around the world are the most creative minds in the world. Kids need to be creative and need to be given the opportunity to be creative. He talks about how there are people in schools who push students away from the creative arts, because they say you'll never find a job in art or a job as a musician.
When Sir Ken Robinson tells the story of Gillian Lynne, the only thing I could think about is that doctors every day are telling kids they have a learning disability, prescribing some medicine, and never looking back on it. People who are telling kids they have a learning disability are majority of the time holding that child back. Creativity is something that teachers should let flourish in their classrooms and never restrict their students from being creative.

4. The fist thing I thought about after watching Cecelia Gualt's interview was the difference between how education is being taught at her school compared to just about every school in America. The 25 percent dropout rate in America is something that needs to change. I feel like a lot of the change is going to have to come on behalf of teacher's ability to get their students interested in learning.
In Cecelia's case it seems as though she has a teacher who teaches her students about the new technologies of the world and how to use them. Her teacher is teaching the students things that will help them succeed in the world today. I think students like Cecelia Gault are the reasons why teachers should be technologically literate.

5. While watching the video Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts I thought about how important it would be for all schools to have a teacher like Vicki Davis. Computers, cell phones, and the internet are all useful tools a teacher can use with their class. From watching the video her students are doing things with computers that I wouldn't even to know where to start. They are being taught a skill that will actually be very useful to the rest of the students education and when they enter the workforce.
The importance of incorporating technology into the classroom is something that is becoming very important. Technology is growing daily and students need to be taught how to use the new technology at an early age so they are not lost by time they make it to college.


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Wordle 1

A Wordle that includes words from my first blog assignment

Blog Assignment 1

My name is Henry Michael Nonnenmacher. I was born in Mobile, Alabama on May 22nd, 1990. I have lived in Mobile for my entire life, and have attended private school my whole life until attending South Alabama. I attended South Alabama because it was the school that offered me the best scholarship. I have a huge family for example, I have six older sisters and nine nieces and nephews. Some of my interest include reading about any kind of history and music as long as it is not country. I'm currently a double major in History and Education. I decided to major in education because my goal is to one day get a teaching job in a country in Europe or Asia. Since I was little I've always had a fascination with traveling and wanting to see everything I could. I decided to major in History because I enjoy reading about history, it has always been an interest of mine since I was little. I enjoy reading anything about pre-modern history.