Special Assignment #1

“Dictionary.com” defines a metaphor as “a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol. “ I definitely think that metaphors can be very tricky. I had to read Mr. John Spencer’s Post, “Don’t Let Them Take Pencils Home”, where he uses a metaphor of pencils in the place of computers. Many of the students in EDM 310 didn’t quite get this metaphor so Dr. Strange assigned this assignment to us based on whether or not we got the metaphor Mr. Spencer used. Dr. Strange wants us to answer these questions:

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?
2. What metaphors have you encountered since I asked you to create a log of them? (Include in your
    list of metaphors all those that you encounter whether the source is oral, audio, video, print, or
    your own thoughts.
3. What other things can we do as educators to help our students to understand and to use
    metaphors?
4. Why do we use metaphors?

I did not get the metaphor right away. I knew it was a metaphor because why should kids take their pencils home?? The problem I had was deciding what the metaphor was relating the pencils to. By the time I read through it the third time I knew it was about computers. I knew the post wasn’t about pencils; it wouldn’t make any sense at all if it were. The class is primarily based on technology and how it is important to education and a classroom setting, and by putting two and two together, I figured out it was about computers.

I only encountered a few metaphors since we were told about this assignment. Here is my list:
1. "It’s raining cats and dogs"
2. "You are the sunshine of my life"
3. "The world is my oyster"
4. “She has a heart of gold.”
5. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
6. “It’s cold as ice.”
7. "She stabbed me in the back."
8. "Money doesn't grow on trees."

How can we teach metaphors? That is a very good question. I think the best way to learn this is by example. This can be a challenge in its self though. Everyone uses metaphors every day. I know every time it rains I find myself saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs outside.” Everyone knows how to sue a metaphor, they just don’t know why or when to use one. I feel it comes down to the person’s mental capability. Teachers need to teach metaphors in a way that a student and comprehend and understand.

Metaphors are used to put a concept into terms that someone can understand better. Problems happen when a metaphor is not commonly used. I like a little mystery in my day and metaphors help with that. Why say exactly what we mean, when it's more interesting to use metaphor? Metaphors, as a writing device, are useful to reach many people. Metaphors are useful for making a topic that is hard to understand easier for someone to grasp if they can relate to it.

Metaphors are everywhere. They happen without us trying to use them. When a metaphor is used properly it can make many things clear to the readers. When it isn't use correctly it can lead to further confusion. When people misunderstand a metaphor is not due to the misuse of the metaphor itself, but merely to the expectations of the audience. More than likely they are thinking too hard, or not thinking enough. The cues are there it all depends on whether the person understand and sees the metaphor.

Blog #13

Twenty Four hours without using technology.  I there is no way I can do that.

That is all I could think about when I saw this option for this blog.  I really believed that there is no way I could do this.  Jill Lazzari and I were talking about it on Monday and she made it seem like it could actually be easy.  The only problem is I live on my phone.  It’s my alarm clock, it reminds me of when to go to class, club meetings, I get my e-mails, Facebook updates, and Twitter updates all on my phone.  No one really calls me on my phone so I knew that wouldn’t be a problem.  All I could think about was there was going to be some kind of emergency.  I decided to get on Facebook real quick and let all my friends and family know what I was doing. So, at 1 A.M. on Tuesday morning, I prayed that there wouldn’t be an emergency for the next 24 hours and then I started my technology free journey.    

My first attempt failed. Tuesday is my busiest day.  I have class all day long so I had no problem going to my classes without using any technology all day.  After class, I decided to go to Wal*Mart. I got half was there and realized that I had been singing along to the radio the whole time.  I was so upset.  Thirteen hours without technology and I have to start all over? It is an understatement to say I was not happy.  So, I got back to my dorm at 2 o’clock and started all over again.

Thankfully my roommate was at work so I didn’t have to worry about the TV being on when I arrived home.  First I decided to clean our dorm.  This was hard because I always listen my iPod when I clean, and I got bored real quick.  I still cleaned the whole place top to bottom which took two hours.  I was really hoping that it had been longer when I looked at my watch, but sadly, it wasn’t.

Now I’m wandering around my dorm trying to find something to do.  I wanted to write in my journal, but my journal is on my computer, so I wasn’t able to do that.  Then I realized that I have a whole book case of books I have barely touched this semester.  I picked up my half finished book and read. And read, and read.  Thankfully I’m a slow reader cause when I finished the book it was 8 o’clock.  I decided to take a shower, get something to eat, and go to bed; which is weird in itself, because I never get to bed before 12 A.M. these days.  

I woke up at 8 o’clock the next morning.  I went to bed at 10 the night before, so that’s 10 hours. I can’t even remember the last time I got 10 hours of sleep in one night.  I am so thankful for those 10 hours though.  Now I only have 9 hours left.  I am in the home stretch, and so happy about it.   

After my morning class I went to the library.  I was planning of studying for physics by doing some problems from the book, but I can’t use my calculator.  I read over my physics notes for about 30 minutes and got so bored I had to do something else.  I decided to move to some homework for my second class.  Forth-five minutes later I realized that I was staring out the huge widow in front of me, and had barely even looked at the book in front of me.  I looked up at the clock behind me and realized I had five minutes to get across campus for my next class.  I wasn’t too happy about that.  I tend to lose myself all the time when I’m studying, listening to music, or randomly staring out the window, so I have an alarm on my phone to remind me to go to class.  

Being without was phone and computer was really hard.  I can live without the TV and radio, but my music is really important to me.  It was really hard to go without my music.  I use music to lift me up and make me happy when I feel down.  Being without my computer was just as hard.  I’m not sure what I would do if I didn’t have my own computer.  Being without my phone was the hardest.  I live on my phone.  I have so many calendar reminders on my phone to remind me of things I have to do daily, and I can never remember them all without my phone.

After my last class I only had two hours left.  When I got back to the dorm, my roommate was home and she had the TV on.  For a brief second I freaked out.  I did not make it 22 hours to just have to start over.  Then I realized that she turned the TV on, not me so I’m all good.  The funny thing is I didn’t even watch the TV; I picked up another book and started reading again.  I don’t think I would have even realized that it was 3 o’clock, if my roommate hadn’t started a countdown, haha. 

I’m glad that I made it though.  I had a feeling that I could always do it, I just knew it would be difficult.  I don’t feel like I take advantage my technology at all.  I do feel that some people wouldn’t be able to function without their phones, iPods, radio, computers or even their gaming systems.  I think it would be very hard for students these days to take an e-media fast.  As the years go on we use more and more technology in our daily lives.  As the years go on we will rely more and more on technology.  I hope that we never see the day where we are completely dependent on technology we use.  

I think it would be a fun activity for everyone to try.  I know that not everyone would succeed-especially on the first try like me.  I think that everyone could benefit from not using any technology for a day.

Project 15: SmartBoard Part 2

Blog #12

My Blog Assignment

Blog Post Assignment

Read Mr. Scott McLeod blog: "We Can't Let Our Educators Off The Hook".
Read and summarize Mr. McLeod’s blog then answer the following question in two to three paragraphs. “Do you think it is really okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate digital technologies into their instruction?”

My Blog Post

"We Can't Let Out Educators Off The Hook"

This blog by Mr. McLeod is about how he feels educators can’t reject technology or choose not to take advantage of the new tools for education. I agree with Mr. McLeod when he says “I think most teachers don’t even realize that there’s a decision to be made.” Some teachers might not even know about the new technologies that they can use in their classroom. Many teachers have probably never been introduced to the amazing technologies available to them now-a-days. More than likely they don’t follow blogs or listen to podcasts either. Most of the teachers out there are your average educators who “aren’t aware that there’s a whole other world that they have easy access to.”

He goes on to say that since many educators haven’t used or possibly seen this technology, how are they supposed to understand and have conversations on the impact of these technologies that their student’s need. He says that the educators that do know about the technologies only represent a very small portion of the all the educators out there. He says, “We’re the minority, the outsiders, the ones who talk using strange terms involving words with far too many missing vowels.”

Mr. McLeod believes that we cannot let educators off the hook. He says

“teachers or administrators or librarians or education professors, they have a
voluntarily-assumed, paid responsibility to be relevant to the needs of
children and education TODAY and to prepare graduates as best they are able
for TOMORROW. Otherwise, what are educators there for?”

He also says that with the new technology available today there is no excuse for being ‘unable’ to learn and use technology in the classroom. He states that technology and social media tools are very simple to use in this day and age. This is very true. Everyone can blog, or create a wiki, or podcast just as easy as it is to create a facebook status or post. Mr. McLeod then says that the reason most educators do ‘get it’ is because we know the world is changing and we want to change with it. He says that learning to use new technologies in the classroom is “what life-long learns do. That’s what effective educators do. That’s what we owe our children.” He even says that we are all still learning when it comes to technology. Mr. McLeod then states that it is up to us to prepare our students. Our students deserve to be prepared for a world with the technologies they will be faced with.

I could not agree more with Mr. McLeod. There are so many new technologies out there today and so many outlets on how to learn to use them. As an educator I feel that by using these technologies I am helping and preparing my students for their future, and by not using technology I am disabling my students. I believe that teachers should have available to them new teaching technologies, and that they should definitely use the technology given to them and not let it collect dust in their classroom. By using technology in our classrooms we are enhancing our teaching as well as better preparing our students.

C4K: Mrs. Yollis' Class Blog

I really enjoyed reading "Mrs. Yollis' Class Blog". She has her blog set up in a very organized and helpful way. I found all the links she posted helpful. The "HTML Codes" link was the most helpful for me. I actually used this page early in semester. She has the important codes listed you can use within a blog like the hyperlink code and how to make your text italicize or bold. She also posted some codes for fun shapes like ♥ , ★ , ☆ and ♔; these were my favorite.

She also has links that take you to her website and to her student’s blogs. It is really awesome to see all of her student’s work. I like how her students can post their work on the site and can also communicate with students around the world through the class blog. Mrs. Yollis also has a list of educational blogs that her class follows. I enjoyed looking through the ones she has listed. They can be helpful for teachers. I liked the little animations she had on the side also. The "joke of the day" and “photo of the day” was a fun and nice touch.


I feel I have gained a lot of knowledge about the benefits of blogging for students, parents, and teachers while visiting her blog. I love her motto, "Learning and Sharing Together." Her classroom seems like a great place any child would be lucky to be in. I really love the fact that she has involved the parents in the blog as well. I believe parents will be more inclined to interact with their students for many reasons with the added links for them. It is easy for parents to look at the blog while at work and see the work done by their child, or even get a heads up on a up and coming project. Also, on Mrs. Yollis' blog, there is a link to Mrs. Yollis' website which has games, homework pages, help for homework, and other fun links for parents and children to enjoy.

I loved the"link" created for teachers who are interested in finding out how to blog. This wiki is filled with tons of different resources that would are useful to teachers who want to start blogging. Mrs. Yollis' blog has had over 72,000 visitors from all around the world in just a year and a half. It’s great to see that her blog is being read and use by so many people.

My Progress Report for the Final Project

For the final project, I am in a group Lindsey Gipson and Jill Lazzari. We are making a short movie demonstrating how to use technology in the classroom. The purpose of this movie will be to show future teachers how use different technology in their classroom every day. We each will play a part in the movie. Lindsey will play the part of the teacher, and Jill and I will be students. We will use a SmartBoard, an iPhone, Twitter, Google, and Podcast in the video.

I'm really excited to see how this project will turn out. I know it will be a lot of fun and I can't wait to have it all put together.

Blog Post #11

First Graders In Ms. Cassidy’s Class

In the video about the First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's class entitled ‘Little Kids…Big Potential, it is great to see all the kids working with the different technology available to them in the classroom. I also love the fact that they are all like little experts now. The kids seemed to really enjoy the using the technology too. Seeing how the kids work with technology really encourages and inspires me to use it in my classroom. In the video, Ms. Cassidy has her students use many different programs to help her students learn better. Some of the different things her students create are wikis and blogs. Ms. Cassidy also had a blog for her students and parents to look at. This is a great way for parents to see what their children are learning.

In the "Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy" video, Ms. Cassidy talks about how technology is here to stay and it will never go away. She also talks about the portfolios her students create. Portfolios are also a great way for parents to see their children’s progress.

I really liked learning about Ms. Cassidy's class. I enjoyed seeing them learn and talk about the different technologies that they use. I will definitely use technology in my classroom that will help my students learn. However, instead of using a blog I will use a Podcast to keep parents informed. I want my students to use the internet to learning like Ms. Cassidy's students, and I want them know the importance of being safe on the internet. I feel like I learned a lot from Ms. Cassidy and I am excited to use these technologies in my classroom.

Project #14 Skype Interview

October C4K Summary

1. The first blog I read for the month of October was by Brian. His blog was all about him. Brian talks about how he loves to play basketball, lacrosse, and football as well as reading, playing video games, and hanging out with his friends and family. He hopes to become the next NBA All-Star. I know I’ll be looking out for him.
2. The second blog I read was by Bradie. In her blog she told me that she is learning to read high frequency words and basic addition facts. She showed some screen shots of her progress also. It looked like a lot of fun and I like how her class is using technology to help them learn.
3. The third blog I read was by Tori. In her blog she posted some very useful singing tips. She mentioned taking classes and breathing properly. She also posted a link to a nice video I could watch.
This C4K had two parts. For the second part of this assignment I was randomly assigned to a blog post by Kacey. Her blog was about cells. She included some very interesting facts like that the ostrich egg cell was the largest cell. I love biology so I really enjoyed her post.
4. My forth blog I read was by Amelie. In her blog she spoke of the Coops Shot Tower in Melbourne Central train station. I want to visit Melbourne so bad! Now I definitely have to add Melbourne Central to my list of places to see. It seems like a really fun place to visit.
   
5. The fifth blog post I read was by Enyahlee. In her blog she talked about the Auckland Sky Tower in New Zealand. She had a wonderful animation that explained that it is the tallest tower in New Zealand and people actually bungee jump off the top. I think that sounds like so much fun, I would have to muster up all my courage though.

Blog Post #10

After watching the video Do You Teach or Do You Educate?, I definitely wish to be an educator. I really liked this video and how it how it showed the difference between a teacher and educator. The video describes a teacher as someone who becomes a teacher to only teach. They show you information to you, and expect you to spit it right back on a test. Teachers like to show and explaining how things are done. Punishment is an option when something isn't done the way they want it done. The video describes an educator as someone who inspires you; a person who wants to educate you while being your mentor and a person you trust. That is the person I want to be during my career.

I decided I wanted to become an educator last year. Before then I was working on my degree in Biology. I have been working with youth through 4-H for four years and I really enjoy it. I was a regional and state reprehensive. Having the kids look up to me for advice was really humbling. I like my experience with 4-H and wish to continue it though education. I want to be the person that kids can learn from, a role model, and as well as come to for anything.

In the blog, Don’t Let Them Take The Pencils Home, by John Spencer, he writes about a conversation between him and the School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist named Gertrude. Gertrude tells him not to let his students take home pencils and paper, because that it could result in lower standardized test scores. She also talks about starting a parent pencil program. Gertrude says how parents don't even use pencils at their job so they don’t even know how to use them. I had to read a few comments to fully understand what the blog was about and make sense of it. The pencils actually represent computers. I definitely believe that parents should know how to work the technology their children are using in their classrooms. This way, when the students come home the parents can help them. If parents don't know how to use a computer, then could attend a program, like the one Mr. Spencer talked about, so they can help their children.