Podcast

Podcasting is a new method of communication allowing anyone to create audio files and post them to the Internet for others to download and listen to at any time. These audio files can be downloaded to a personal computer or handheld device such as an iPod. Podcasting has rapidly become a new medium for both commercial and home-grown talk shows on multiple subjects. The relative ease of production and low costs associated with the making of a Podcast has opened this new medium to the masses. This lesson gives teachers an overview on starting a student-produced Podcast at their school and in the classroom. The Podcast to be created can take on multiple themes. Some teachers are using Podcasting an an alternative to student produced newspapers and television shows. Others are using the medium to reproduce lessons for absent students or for students to present oral presentations of reports and assignments. There are multiple possibilities for using the Podcasting medium. This lesson focuses on producing a student-created Podcast as medium for student expression, news, interviews, and related themes specific to the student's own school.

Alabama Virtual Library

The Alabama Virtual Library is an extremely helpful resource. It makes research easy for elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels. Encyclopedias and search engines are provided within and designed for each category. The AVL is an great resource for the classroom and I definitely intend on using it. It makes researching so much easier, because it provides the student access to legit sources such as journals, articles, encyclopedias, and so on without having to actually go to the library.

Accessibility for All

Mr. Sullivan's Accessibility for All presentation was very interesting and informative. I never knew so many different, useful resources were available to the deaf and blind. It was amazing to see how these things worked first hand. I never knew there were computers made for the blind or programs that read everything on the computer out loud. These resources are important to me as a teacher, because I will have use them to accommodate blind students in my classroom. I'm so glad Mr. Sullivan presented to us, because I learned many interesting things that will help me in the future. Also, I am visiting the Institute for the Deaf and Blind in November for my SPE 400 course, and now I will have a little better understanding of what it is like for them to use computers and learn.

Google Thinking

The Google article was interesting, although I do not agree with most of what it says. There are many cons to Google/the internet/technology, but I do not think Google is making us stupid and comparing technology to LSD is pretty ridiculous. I think technology is impersonal, but there are many pros to it as well. Google allows you access to many online resources and makes research so much easier than only using the library. If Google is in fact changing the way we think, I feel it is more beneficial than detrimental.

My Google Presentation!

ALEX

ALEX or the Alabama Learning Exchange is an easily navigable site that provides resources for every course of study. The courses of study section is very detailed and includes every grade and category making it easy to find objectives to meet every standard. The section is not limited to core courses, it extends to many other education classes and electives. ALEX provides educational web links for students, teachers, and administrators making information attainable to all groups. ALEX also provides lesson plans suitable for every grade and subject and a workplace for teachers to create their own lesson plans. I think this feature is the most helpful for teachers. Another helpful feature is the professional learning in that it provides teachers with professional development opportunities, teaching and learning tools, and the best, most effective practices. This will definitely be useful to me, majoring in Secondary Education and English, because it provides resources for English Language Learners and Special Education. Another thing great for teachers are the tips and tricks on technology and pedagogy.

ACCESS

ACCESS, or Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide, does just that by providing interactive online videoconference labs in which coursework and teachers are made available and shared statewide. For instance, a student enrolled in a school in Tuscaloosa can take a course through a school located in Mobile, through interactive sites that provide audio and visual links connected to a specific course that may not be provided by his/her home school. ACCESS is especially beneficial to schools that have limited higher level courses in that it provides students with access to Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses.
I think ACCESS would be extremely useful, because it provides additional courses, higher level and elective, to schools that may not have enough funds or teachers to have that class.
ACCESS also provides flexible scheduling and access to basic core courses that allow students to make up credits lost due to course failures or incompletions making it possible to graduate on time. I think this is one of the best things about ACCESS, because it gives students a chance to catch up and complete the class.
ACCESS is beneficial to both students and teachers. Teachers get to collaborate with other teachers from far away schools thus learning various teaching methods and engaging in culturally different school settings. I think the program would help teachers keep students' attention and promote more student involvement, because it is more relevant to their technology-based lives than bookwork.

About Me!

Hey! Welcome to my blog! I was born and raised here in Mobile. I graduated from Theodore High School in 2006. I am a junior double majoring in Secondary Education and Language Arts. Teaching is my passion! I cannot wait! I am already collecting "quotes of the day" and "words of the day" to use in my classroom :) I also hope to get my certification in sign language so I can teach it as well. My mom was deaf and taught it to me when I was little. I teach sign language to children's church at Theodore United Methodist. I am also in a young adult group there called Christians In Action. I love being with family, friends, and my boyfriend, Steven, we have been dating seven years this November. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005, this combined with the deaths of my mom and grandparents, all from cancer, have made me become very appreciative of the little things. I have learned not to take life or people for granted, and I thank God everyday for my blessings. I love being outdoors, the beach, camping, fishing, playing sports, church/youth, scrapbooking, painting, reading, road trips, volunteer stuff, and so on. I'm very outgoing, super-nice :) and love to talk to everyone!