My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

I enjoyed being in this class with all the wonderful people. I have made friends and learned things about other people. Also we all worked well with each other. It has been a blast and thank you very much.

Final Blog Post

This was a very informing class. I never knew how to do the things on Microsoft Office until i was in this class. EDM 310 should be required for all majors that has anything to do with computers and organization. I think the only thing that I would have liked to learn in this class was to make a website. Overall i would recommend this class to many people. Learning Access and Powerpoint are very important when using computers and technology.

Week 12

Itunes University is an application made by Apple. It incorporates different universities with the Apple Ipod or Iphone. The application lets anyone, anywhere, download different lessons or information from universities all over the world. There are thousands of videos that a student or teacher can view. The great thing about Itunes U is that all the lessons are free to download.
Students can now learn while working out, driving, eating, and virtually anything else. The itunes U is a great thing for teachers to help the students learn more about a subject. Also teachers can upload their videos so that the students may view them at anytime. This program is very new and I am sure there will be more upgrades in the future but for now this program is great for learning and teaching.
To learn more go to http://www.apple.com/education/itunesu_mobilelearning/landing.html

Week 11

The Apple Ipod is a wonderful thing to have in the classroom. The ipod is something that can make college life especially much easier. With the ipod students and teachers can store many different things into one small piece of equipment. It can be used for recording in the classroom. The recorder can also be helpful when studying in groups or peer-to-peer activities. Teachers can have different music files for the students to download and study for a test. The ipod also holds notes that may be uploaded and studied on the go. The ipod has a small design that can be taken anywhere. Students are more likely to study when it is more convenient. The large books are no longer need to be carried around.

The ipod is a big help in foreign language classes. I am taking a foreign language and there is not a better way to learn the language other than listening to it. With the ipod students can listen to their classes on the go while driving or even exercising. Apple has now made the ipod touch which take the old ipod to another level. If the ipod touch was to be used in the classroom the capabilities are endless.

In 2004 Duke University gave first time students a new apple ipod. The students and teachers incorperated the ipod into the classroom. Students that used the ipod said that it helped with everyday school use. They use the ipods for many thing such as portable access to course content such as lectures, songs, historical speeches, foreign language content, iTunes Music Store, Blackboard course management tool, and podcast. The ipods increased communication throughout the campus and the students. Overall the use of ipods has greatly increased the technology in the classroom. To learn more on how ipods helped this university go to http://cit.duke.edu/pdf/reports/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf .

Week 10

I found information on Dr. Christie’s site on the topic of podcasting. Podcasting can be used in the classroom for many different things. “Podcasting provides a window into the classroom”. Podcasting is like digital story telling. Also, it can be fun and every educating. Fun is an essential in the classroom. Students and teachers can interact through podcasting.
I think that podcasting is a great thing that teachers should use more often. These days almost every student has an ipod and podcasting brings things the students like in connection with learning. When the students are interested in what they are learning then the learning part comes a lot easier.

Week 9

I have always heard that Wikipedia was not a good site to reference because it is not vailid. I had no idea why everyone said that but after reading these articles I know why it is not vailid. The website can be changed by anyone anywhere in the world. Many different pages have been changed and research shows that many of the changes are made by the companies that the page is about. There is a scanner that a raduate student Virgil Griffith created to track down the source of the change. One example is Walmart, they changed the wikipedia article on them when it came to the wages that their customers were making. I think that this shouldn't be right and people should not be able to change the pages. I don't know if Wikipedia will ever be valid but maybe oneday they will accomplish it.

Week 8

I chose to look at the August blog called “Creating Personal Learning Network” in Karl Fisch’s, “Best of the Fisch Bowl 2007.” This blog was interesting because personal learning networks can be created by students and teachers. These personal learning networks are places that people can go to learn new things. There are many different resources that can be used. The teachers have taught the students how to find information on different things. Students find different websites for one topic of interest. Also valid websites are learned and what websites are invalid. The students are to learn how to provide more valid websites for other people to look at.

This is a very good thing for students to learn. Every student needs to know that not every website is a good resource. This helps the students with the technology of the internet and how other people can change it. This assignment was created to have students create trustful websites and also added to the assignment the students were asked to put a little bit of personal touch to it. Now the students are more aware of the internet when they start to write a research paper or just browse blogs, Personal Learning Networks, and any other forms of media.

Week 7

This blog is telling teachers that they need to be able to use technology in the classroom. Students do not get everything they need in the classroom if the teacher is not using all of the resources available. Technology is the newest thing in the classroom and it has brought the teaching standard up. A teacher today that can't use technology is like a teacher 30 years ago that can't read or write.
I agree that teachers should use technology in the classroom. A teacher that isn't using technology is going to be left behind and the students do not learn in the best way. Technology is the number one thing in education today and it should be used by everyone.

Web Accessibility and Adaptive Technologies

Steve Sullivan came to the class and talked about the ways disabled people can access the internet. There are many different uses for people who might be blind for instance. He is legally blind himself and helps others who are blind as well. There are things that the disabled can use to magnify the computer screen. Also there are different hand held devices that can be used. He passed a couple of these items around the class.

Week 6

http://e3eclat.blogspot.com/ Is a 5th grade teacher's blog for her classroom. The school is located in Tauranga, New Zealand. The blog has pictures and video of the things the kids do and also information on many different things that goes on in class.



This blog is of a 1st grade class. Miss Owen's is the teacher and they are located in B.C., Canada. The blog is really for the parents they can go online and see what their kids are doing in the classroom. There are different pictures of all the activities they have done. Not many people post things on the blog but it is a great way for parents to keep up with the activities the kids are doind.http://missowensblog.blogspot.com/

Week 5

Technology is improving every single day inside the classroom. Many teachers are using blogs throughout the United States to keep up with the children. I found many different blog sites that teachers have put up and had kids report back.

One blog that I found was of a 9th grade science class. The teacher had information about herself and what she teaches. Also each class hour has its own link to go to. On the home page of the blog there was information on what was done that day in class and what is due for that day. Students do not post blogs but they do each have a place to post things. This blog is mainly used for students to be able to see what is going on in class. If the student is absent one day they can go to the blog and see what they missed. Mr. Collin, the teacher, also has links so the kids can find more help in the class. The link to the blog is http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=676161&blogger_id=187221

The other blog I found is of a fourth grade class. The teacher has posted different things about what has been going on in the class. There are also pictures of her on vacation so the kids can keep up in the summer time also. I like the idea that she keeps the kids involved in the blog for things other than school. It is important to stay intouch with students in other ways than just the classroom. Also in this blog she has different things that went on in the year with her students. The bolg can be seen by future students and parent so they know what to expect in the class. Mrs. Elliott's class blog aslo gives students links to help with homework and to improve things such as spelling. The link for this blog is http://elliottsbeachparty.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html

It is very important for students to stay intouch with teachers other than in the classroom.

Week 4

This blog is about the short movie, "Shift Happens." I enjoyed watching the video because it gave information that I had no idea about. The entire movie is about the change in technology throughout the world. Things are changing so very rapidly now that in the years to come the computer will exceed the human brain. The World Wide Web has helped bring alot of the technology. People are now connected to each other that are in completly different parts of the world. The technology for the future will even be greater than it is now and we can't even predict how great it will be in the comming years.



The changes in technology are going effect the children that are being born now. We all need to be prepared for the changes. The movie puts out facts that let people know the many different things that are changing. "Shift" means the change or shift in the world going on today. The movie was originally made for a small group of people. Through technology now many millions of people have seen the video. This one video has raised many questions about the children of the future. More questions are being ask about wether people will be prepared for the "Shift" that is going on.

The movie can be found here. http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/did-you-know-20.html

Week 3

ACCESS Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide are a great program for the improvement of education in Alabama. The program allows students to have a greater advantage to AP classes. Classes are all over the internet and students can access them anywhere. This program lets students broaden their learning experience. Classes can be taken even if the high school does not offer it.
There are 6 objectives to the ACCESS program. The objectives are to provide access to advanced diploma courses, additional course offerings, advanced placement or dual enrollment courses, remediation and supplemental resources. Also to Leverage existing resources and distance learning offerings, and provide teachers with additional multimedia and technology tools to enhance instruction.
This program was brought into action in November of 2004 and had $10.3 million. The program was created by Bob Riley’s Task Force on Distance Learning. The plan is suppose to be completed by 2010 with all the objectives complete. The overall goal is to provide quality instruction to students to improve their education experience.
There are many different courses offered on this online program. It is a great program for students and it will benefit many different students. This program enhances the students opportunity to further their education while still in high school. The state of Alabama has gained a great program and I am sure the program will continue to improve.

Week 2

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is a free site to help teachers, students, and even parents of Alabama. Teachers can go into ALEX and find many different things to help them teach. Lesson plans can be found for K-12 teachers helping them get a different view of what to teach in their classroom. This program is to help better the overall teaching programs in Alabama.

Students can search different topics of study and find many different things to help them learn the subject. Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) helps teachers resource different things for student and also helping them in their classroom. This is an online program so students can access the program anywhere, not just the classroom.

ACCESS, Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide is another program helping Alabama better their education program. The programs lets students take programs online that they are not able to take at their school. This program takes technology to the next level and uses it for good. K-12 students will not have any limitations to their education anymore.

These programs are wonderful in the production of a better education program. ALEX is something that everyone in education can find useful. The ACCESS program helps student widen the possibilities of education. It also lets all students in Alabama be on one level of education. This level is at the highest point it has ever been at and the possibilities are endless.

Hopefully this program will help not only Alabama but also other states. If it is found that these programs help raise the education levels other states will slowly be moving into programs such as this. When more people get involved with these programs the more improved they become. All of this is to help better the student in every way possible and the learning potential is great.

First Post

Hello my name is Lauren Lewis. I am 20 years old and I can't wait to turn 21. I am from Lake Charles, Louisiana. I love it in Lousiana it is amazing and I will definetly end up there when school is over. My mom wants me to go back home and finish school but I made a big leap and came to south. I hope all goes well this year and I can stay in Mobile.

My first two years of college was in Mississippi at Jones County Junior College. I just transfered to USA this semester and so far I like it. Jones County was great fun but very very small school and there was nothing to do but get into trouble. I tend to have fun without putting much thought into what I am doing, but all in all I am level headed.

I have played softball since I was five and I am still going to play until someone tells me I can't, or I hurt myself. I am in secondary education math. Math is my strong subject but I don't find it "fun". When teaching school I want to coach the softball team. Softball is what I find enjoying and fun but also hardwork.

I have two sisters that are everything to me and I miss them alot. I love hanging out with my family when I am home, and if I am there long enough I go to the clubs with my friends. I have one dog and she is the biggest wennie dog I have ever seen. When I am not at school I like to get online and watch tv. My family is my support system and I don't like doing things that they don't agree with.

I like meeting new people and having fun. I love to go out and dance. I am looking forward to doing alot of that here at south but I am not familiar with the area so it will take sometime. I am very outgoing and easy to get along with.