Project #2 Final PLN

Throughout EDM 310, I have learned so many resources and tools that I can use to better myself as an educator and incorporate technology into any lesson. For my final personal learning network, I went back to Symbaloo. It has grown over the last few months as I have been in this course with resources such as Padlet and Blogger and iCurio. I really like Symbaloo because all of the resources that I have learned about are in one place. It is hard to believe that EDM 310 is almost over and the end of the semester is creeping on us. I will never forget the resources that I have come to understand and love in this class. It will make teaching technology way more fun, as well as way more effective. 

Blog Post #14

For blog post 14, we were asked to create a post that Dr. Strange didn't include in our semester. I thought and thought about what I could do, and I finally realized what I needed to work on. I found myself looking at videos and blogs and other resources that we have learned, and I finally decided that I didn't need any of that. EDM 310 is all about technology and how we can use it as educators in the classroom. For the assignment that I am creating, I am going just at the surface of what this class is truly about. More than that, I'm going to dig into the minds of myself and potentially other EDM students. 

Assignment: Answer the following question in a blog post. Be sure to include detail and explain your answers thoroughly. 
In your opinion, based on the learnings from this class and prior to this course, what are some pros and cons regarding technology in the elementary school classroom?

I chose to do this assignment because it focuses on the elementary school, and it is an important question regarding technology in it. 

Part 2: Do the lesson

Technology is something that is taking its toll on the world, very rapidly in fact. Every corner you turn, there is an app for that or a new electronic device coming out or even a new trend on

social media. The important question is "Is technology a good thing or is it hindering our students?" Technology is everywhere, and there is nothing that any of us can do about it. I don't want to do anything about it. It is a great resource. 

Teaching is something that will start in the lives of students as soon as the day they are born. They learn to hold their head, talk, walk, and read. Students don't stop learning. However there is one thing that I think technology in the classroom is preventing. When I was in school in elementary school, I learned by using hands on activities. I wanted a way to be creative or I wasn't going to learn anything. I feel that technology takes that away. I understand that you can have project based learning and do hands on projects for a student. That isn't what I mean. I know that the most difficult part of this class was to figure out how to add technology incorporation into a lesson plan. It is hard for me to think about using it when that wasn't how I learned. 

Now before you think that I hate technology, you are wrong. I can think that it is hindering children in the way of removing that specific area of creativity in the lower level grades such as first, second, or third. I love technology, and I love what I get to offer students one day through it. Some pros of technology are that it will prepare students for the future. Jobs look for people that can do work on a laptop or desktop. It also has the ability to teach new skills and ideas. The final thing I love is that no matter what, you can get on any laptop and pull open the files that you needed. The resources are unlimited on the Internet. Unless the Internet goes out, you can access work files, social media, emails, and more with a few clicks of a button. I love what technology has to offer, and I can't wait to being using it. 

C4T Summary #4

In my first C4T post, Jenny She discussed the lead that her student Tatiana took in one of her lessons. Tatiana is a very smart girl that takes the technology that she understands, even if it is just a little, and goes from there. Ms. She allowed her students to pick a lesson to do and Tatiana took it among herself to use the resources she had to create a project. In the process, Jenny She got SNAPPED!! You don't always have to give students a lesson. Sometimes, you just need to give them the resources. 

Comment #1 - 

Hello Ms. She, 
My name is Haley Smith and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, in the United States. I loved reading your post about Tatiana. Reading this post made me so excited about preparing my future to teach in the classroom. I love that your students want to go one step higher than you ask them to go. I love how you used the phrase "I've been snapped!" I hope all of your students keep up the good work, and know that they are blessed to have you as a teacher. 
Thanks for sharing!

In my second post, She discussed her experiences with experimenting having iPads in her classroom. She explained how she would direct her students, and she even told the readers what she would do as a reward for those that go above and beyond. Getting used to the technology at your fingertips can be a difficult thing to do, and Miss She made it clear that it took some getting use to. Learning isn't for just the student; it is for the teacher too. 

Comment #2 - 

Hello Ms. She, 
I really enjoy reading all of your posts. They are so full of life and excitement from your classroom. I know you didn't need to spend much time on teaching your students how to use the iPad. My niece is three and can fly through it! I'm excited for you that you get to experiment with these iPads. Although it may take some getting use to, iPads are a great tool for the classroom. It also teaches that learning doesn't stop at the student. The teachers learn too!

Haley Smith
A student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama
My blog: smithhaleyedm310.blogspot.com

C4K Summary for November

C4K Week #1 - 

My first post for the first week of November was on Emma's blog in Ms. Horst's Grade 7 class. Emma posted about dancing, and she discussed whether it was a sport or not. She defined dancing as: SPORT~noun 1) an activity involving physical activity and a skill which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. 2) to play in a lively, energetic way. Her argument was against the people that say that dance isn't a sport. She did an excellent job with her argument. 

C4K Comment #1 - 

Hello Emma, 
My name is Haley Smith, and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I am studying elementary education in order to be a teacher one day. I really loved reading your post. The definition that people have of sports is fairly wrong. People think football, baseball, or soccer are the only “sports” worth mentioning as actual sports. They are wrong. If you work hard and remain active then dancing is most certainly a sport. You wrote this post very well. Keep up the great work!! 

C4K Week #2 - 

In my second week of November for C4K, I had Sione from Pt England School. She described that her class was going to Kawau Island. I really thought she did a great job with her post to

her blog. In her post she described the things that she will do such as swim and play volleyball and go walking. Her class will also go on a dinner cruise and enjoy Mr. Coop's cooking. 

C4K Comment #2 - 

Hello Sione, My name is Haley Smith, and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I loved reading your post on your soon to take trip! I hope you have a wonderful time at Kawau Island. I love to swim and play volleyball. I remember taking trips out of school with my class when I was in school, and they are so much fun! Have a blast, and great post! :)

C4K Week #3 - 

My final C4K of this course was a class post. I commented on Team One: Rock Stars blog post, Stacking Bottle Tops. The post focused on a picture of the bridge that the students made out of bottle tops. It took them a long time to make the bridge, but it was covered with colors and looked great! How many do you think is on the bridge? 

C4K Comment #3 - 

Hello, 
My name is Haley Smith, and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama.

I think you did a fantastic job building your bridge. This is a great way to use recycled materials to make beautiful art. I think you used 147 bottle tops. Great job! Keep it up!

Project #12 Part B

SmartBOARD Lesson Plan

Grade: 2
Standard: CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.C.8 Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately. Example: If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how many cents do you have?
Taught by: Brantley Spillman, Hilary Thames, and Haley Smith

Blog Assignment #13

Video #8 Shane Koyczan To This Day…for the Bullied and Beautiful by Haley Smith

When I was looking to see what video I wanted, my attention immediately turned to number eight, Shane Koyczan’s video “To This Day...for the Bullied and Beautiful”. Bullying is something that has always been there but lately, the bully victims and bully numbers have grown. This video not only covered bullying; it also covered goals and future aspirations that all of us have or have had at one time.

We are asked constantly as kids and even now as adults in college what we wanted or want to be when we “grow up”. Something that Koyczan mentioned is that it is an unfair question. The reason is it presupposes that we can’t be what we already are. Why couldn’t I just stay Haley growing up and there wasn’t any more to that. Why do we always have to think of something to become. Another issue with this question is that so often we don’t give the people that ask us the answer they want. If a teacher asked us, we are told “be more realistic” or “that is a stupid answer” or even “you won’t ever become that”. In order to please everyone around us in what we want to be, we have to become someone we are not. The way that Shane put it was we must sacrifice what we are to inherit the masquerade of what we will be. Our dreams are something that are so important to us but there are some people that will easily drop our dreams and dismiss them like they are the worst possible thing on earth. Why are our dreams so easy to dismiss? Why do our dreams get called silly or foolish or impossible? In a way, the way that our dreams and goals and hopes are treated, it is bullying. Calling someone stupid due to a dream of being an astronaut is mean and selfish. There is nothing nice about tearing down someone’s dreams.

Bullying is something that can be found everywhere. Public school or private school both have issues with bullying. Everyone knows the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. That is WRONG! Words hurt more than anything. Bones and bruises heal, but words are stuck to your being until you decide it is time to let go. Even then, the remains are still buried in your body and mind. Each school has an arsenal of nicknames that only get bigger and bigger: stupid, spaz, dork. Kids are being called all sorts of names daily at school. I loved what Shane said about beauty. He said “If you don’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a new mirror. Stare a little longer because there is something inside you that made you keep going despite everyone trying to tell you to quit. Put a cast on your broken heart, sign it, and say ‘THEY WERE WRONG’.” In school we always cheer for the underdog. The one that isn’t so great at basketball or football. When one of those people makes the winning basket or the winning touchdown, we cheer and go crazy because the tried their hardest. Why do we cheer the underdog on? We can relate to him or her. We see ourselves in them. We are more than a car abandoned sitting on empty. We are people. We must not judge ourselves by the pain we suffer but by the beauty in us.

Video #6 Mae Jemison: Teach Arts and Sciences Together by Hilary Thames

It’s funny to think that in this video Teach Arts and Sciences Together, this speech  given by Mrs. Mae Jemison was over ten years ago because every bit of what she had to say goes along with what is happening in today’s time as well. We as educators tend to have an attitude of , just as Jemison mentions, “whatever happens, happens.” and she used a great quote from Lewis Carrol, “If you don’t much care where you want to get, then it doesn’t much matter which way you go” that sums up this attitude. That’s the problem with today’s education system, we have too many not caring about what happens, or which way they get there. With this quote, Jamison begins to speak on her topic of revitalizing arts and sciences.  

Our generation has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. From the shift of the farming age to industrial age, the preceding generations, our generation has taking a leap into an information

age. We want all the information we can obtain and we want it now! Just think about it, two to three seconds tops to pull up the news on your smartphone. Students in the school systems are, just as this generation, thriving for knowledge and with closed minds they are not allowed access to all that an open minded person is. Creativity is the key to opening our students’ minds and stressing arts and sciences pushed open the doors of each student’s mind. With subjects, such as math and history, a student’s mind is not allowed fully opened opportunities, they simply call for a student to memorize and recall facts and equations. However, arts and sciences gives way for students to place thinking caps on their heads and being to be creative and think for themselves. Jemison uses another great quote from Albert Einstein, “The most beautiful thing we can experience the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science,” to further this idea. When children begin to experience mystery, their eyes are opened to a whole new world.

Video #5 Kakenya Ntaiya: A Girl Who Demanded School by Brantley Spillman    

I recommend this video to everyone. Ms. Ntaiya’s determination and personal experiences were truly inspiring to me. Hearing her life’s story from her own mouth made more of an impact than if I had simply read her story. I will give technology props for giving me that opportunity. In addition, if I could choose to work with another teacher’s class “collaboratively” with my own class, this would be my pick

Ms. Ntaiya is a native of Kenya who rose against traditional values and found true joy in learning.  Her background triggered memories of when I lived with a student from Kenya, from Uganda, and from Angola. All four of us were housed at the same time in a single college dorm room.  I was only 19 years old from a small town in southern Georgia. I immediately respected the “African” culture. Each of their stories made me realize what privilege and freedoms I had

been raised with, even with my working class parents.  

Fortunately, Ms. Ntaiya was able to leave her hometown to pursue more education in America. Her determination was single-minded. One example is when she spoke of undergoing the tradition of “genital mutilation” (female circumcision) so as to return to her local school. With any society or culture, there will be people who want change and/or equality for local traditions or status quos.  However, like most situations, it is easier said than done.

I believe this video was, by far, the most touching for me to watch this semester. Although, I have said this before after watching Randy Pausch’s last lecture, I stand corrected.  I hope my children have this determination when attacking obstacles in their lives. When teaching students how to appreciate their own freedoms and applying determination to obstacles, interviews/lectures of firsthand experiences, like this, can offer a strong learning impact that I can appreciate technology offers.  Although, for an even larger impact, it would be amazing to have Ms. Ntaiya come to speak in my classroom so as my students can ask questions and generate meaningful discussion.

As a spoiled culture, we should learn from stories of this nature.  Life is short, fight for what you believe.  In the end, we can only hope people remember what footprints we leave behind.  Ms Ntaiya has left an influential footprint for both her own culture and ours, here in America.  She will be remembered as a hero for not only women, but for every individual that has challenged the norm in any way.

Project #15

Blog Assignment #12

How To Escape Education's Death Valley By Haley Smith

I really enjoyed watching this video because it focused on the “No Child Left Behind” Act that

was put in place in schools all across America. American schools are such a beneficial program because there is more money, smaller class sizes, and the schools are always trying to improve. If that is the case, then why is the dropout rate in America 60%? There are three points that Ken Robinson made that causes American schools to be so unsuccessful. The first reason was that humans are naturally diverse. The example that he gave of this is that if a couple has two children, the two children are completely opposite without ever learning anything. No Child Left Behind is based solely on conformity, not diversity. A child that exceeds in arts, humanities, and physical education isn’t going to get the right attention that a student that exceeds in math and english. The artsy student is going to fail in the eyes of the state because he or she can’t pass the standardized test. Robinson made a point that there is an “epidemic” of American students diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. All “ADD” is is a childhood. Kids aren’t going to sit still especially if they aren’t engaged. Teachers should give students a broad curriculum that focuses on each talent not just a small range of them. The arts are important because it speaks to a part of a child’s mind that is untouched. 


The second point is humans are naturally curious. If a teacher sparks curiosity, a student will learn. Children are natural learners. Teachers are the life flow of successful schools. Teaching is a creative profession not a delivery system. You can’t expect to use burp back education. You have to mentor, stimulate, promote, and engage students. Make them want to learn. Teaching and learning must go together. You can be engaged in the task of teaching but if students aren’t learning, then you as a teacher aren’t achieving. The teachers role is to facilitate learning. We must get out of the routine, and we must use our powers of creativity and imagination to do what we have to do. 

The final point is that humans are naturally creative. As teachers we must awaken the powers of creativity in our students. Instead of doing that, we have a system of standardization. The issue with that is that tests are only on specific criteria rather than all talents. If someone is having trouble because they aren’t good at math but awesome at soccer, they are defined by their failure at math. In a sense, we “leave him or her behind”. Education isn’t a mechanical system; it is a human system. Every student that drops out has a unique reason for doing so. We need to create  a movement that turns into a revolution in education. 

Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms By Brantley Spillman

What can we learn from Sir Ken Robinson? Ken Robinson is a speaker, author, and educational advisor for the Arts.  Mr. Robinson petitions in favor of the Arts to non-profit organizations, government departments, and various educational programs throughout the country.

While watching Ken Robinson’s lecture, “Changing Education Paradigms,” my initial assessment of Sir Robinson’s video was, “how cool is that written cartoon that writes key points of his lecture on a white board!?”

Mr. Robinson opens his lecture by stating that everyone agrees that, “there is a problem with our current educational system”.  He further states that, “every culture wants to educate their children so that they have a sense of cultural identity.”  However, Mr. Robinson believes that by taking this approach, we are trying to embrace a future in education that correlates with what our cultures have done in the past not empowering students for what is to come.  He doesn’t explicitly say this approach is wrong but I am assuming he does not agree with this approach.  His argument is that millions of kids are alienated while using this approach. Specifically, modern education is creating survivors. I am not sure Mr. Robinson offers many suggestions to change these approaches; he only offers complaints of the system's limitations. His suggestions, specifically, ask for educators and parents to stop giving difficult/distractible children ADHD drugs, such as Adderall and Ritalin, to gain conformism from the child but to, instead, let these children embrace the Arts. Dispose of grade levels, and have these students work in groups to maintain their attention.  Honestly, his suggestions remind me of communism: it looks great on paper, but does it really work when implemented. I find two problems with this ADHD discussion:

1) What if you are a child who does not respond or learn well using the Arts? Are you tossed aside for me being math-minded? How is this not just swinging the exclusive learning pendulum the other direction? Now only the arts-minded will thrive.

2) I am not sure if he was arguing that ADHD is not real? Is it a figment of exhausted educators' and parents' imagination who just haven’t tapped into that child’s innate need for the Arts? I am not arguing that American culture doesn’t love a good pill to fix something that could be fixed by lifestyle change, but I challenge him to stand in front of a set of parents that have found some relief and normalcy by putting their child on these medications. I believe his argument is idealistic and may be too simplistic.

I did, however, like how he compared the current school layout to that of a factory setting.  I had never realized or even tried to compare a classroom to a factory before this lecture: bells that start/end tasks, task-designated rooms, and product-oriented projects. I do agree with Mr. Robinson that our current educational system has issues. There should be some value and freedom to commend a student on their learning process rather than the end point. However, I feel it is easy to point out problems, but very difficult to find solutions.  Correct me if I am wrong, but I did not hear any solutions in his talk. I only heard complaints about the educational system that seems to have gotten him where he is today: a relatively successful lobbyist for the Arts in the educational system. Maybe he should admit that the "broken" system did do something right for him and we can expand on that?

Overall, I appreciated hearing his argument. I can appreciate the problem with our current educational system in that 'certain students' are never given the opportunity to thrive. Obviously, we, as educators, have the difficult task to reach these students in some way. If technology offers a means to gain these students' attention, then I am all for it. If the Arts program offers a means to gain these students' attention, then, again, I am all for it.

How Schools Kill Creativity By Hilary Thames

Creativity is something that I am going to stress on a high level to my students. I believe, just as Mr. Robinson, that it is just as important as any core subject. So when I received the opportunity to watch his video  How Schools Kill Creativity, of course I jumped right on it! Mr. Robinson spoke on the way that the education system as it is today attempts to corral children into conformity, making the argument that all children are born with creativity but it is “educated” out of them. He says that creativity comes from the absence of fear of being wrong, however, the school systems of today make being wrong the one of the worst things you can do as a student. In my classroom i am going to promote creativity by not discouraging children after a wrong answer, but encouraging them to find the correct answer. Mr. Robinson stressed the point that the children in school today will not retire until 2065. He also mentioned that we, as educators, don’t know what is going to come about in the next five years, much less the next fifty. This is why I am going to promote creativity in my classroom. We look at University professors as the ones who “ won the education game” however, when we do not know where education is going how can that be determined. The times are beginning to change more rapidly with each year and we need creative students who are not conformed to the usual restrictions of education to help pioneer this coming change. As Mr. Robinson said, the amount of students to graduate in the next thirty years will be the highest number of students to graduate since the beginning of education making degrees nearly worthless and jobs almost impossible to find. Therefore, I am going to encourage children to come up with new ideas, and not just have them bound by the answers the textbook tells us is correct. New creations come from things that were either unthought of or previously looked down upon. Allowing my students to think outside the box will open their realm of thinking beyond what the school system wants them to know and into the leaders of innovation in the society of tomorrow.

C4K Summary for October

C4K #4: The R Word
My post that I had for the first week of October was Colin from Mrs. Ripp's class. I really liked what I read this week because it was on the use of the "R" word. This is a word that is hurtful to people that can't help who they are. Colin explained to his audience that the word is hurtful and that the best thing that we can do is to not use it. He told his readers that people are using that word for more than the true meaning. They are using it to bully and make fun of different people. 

C4K Comment #1

Hey Colin! My name is Haley Smith, and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I really liked reading this post. I know that I have said this word in the past, but when I was in high school I took a pledge to not say it anymore. This word is hurtful, and it is unfair for those that can’t control their body and what is going on in their head. I hope you pledge not to say it. Great thoughts!! :)

C4K #5 - 8-9 Chpt

Out of My Mind is a book that apparently a lot of students are reading. This is the second post this month on this book! Anyway, Brodie's blog post this week was based on chapters 8 and 9 of the book. He discussed that Melody might be jealous because her sister can see and Melody can't. He also mentioned the dog in the story, Buttercup. Buttercup is Melody's guide dog. The final thing that Brodie posted on was that the author, Sharon Draper made him confused when he read the story. 

C4K Comment #2: 

Hey Brodie! My name is Haley Smith, and I am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I am studying in school to be an elementary school teacher. I was assigned your blog to read and learn from students just like you! I really like your post. I have never read Out of my Mind, and I watched the book trailer in order to understand a little more. I like that you stated your opinion on Melody being jealous and also being confused. Keep working at it, and one day you will understand quickly! Keep reading! Great post! 

C4K #6 - (No Title)

For my third comment in the month of October, I had Keathan's blog from Mrs. Schroeder's class 4E. His blog post was about how his day was going. He discussed the things he did the day before and even the things he planned to do that night like going to a friends house. Although his post was difficult to read because all of the words were abbreviated, I still feel he did a good job.  

C4K Comment #3 - Hey Keathan! My name is Haley Smith, and I am a student just like you! I am in college at the University of South Alabama. I was assigned your blog this week for a class I am taking called EDM 310. I really enjoyed reading about your day. I think that blogs are a great tool to share things such as fun stuff about your day and what you like to do! Keep up the good work and keep blogging! 

C4K #7 - This is my movie about the three little pigs

My final comment for the month of October was on Korobeau's blog. I commented on the video that he made for the three little pigs. This was simply the story we all know and love but with his own touch to it. It has the words and the pictures that we know as the story. 

C4K Comment # 4 - Hey Korobeau! My name is Haley Smith, and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I really loved watching your movie. You did a great job with the story and the animals and construction of the houses. This was one of my favorite stories growing up as a kid. I hope you continue to make movies and work hard because you can go somewhere with this! We may have the next big director on our hands! Great job! :)