Judging, Judging.. Judged!

After reading alot of our classes bloggs, and putting alot of thought into the order, Ive made my list.

1. TeacherTube- Its for teachers by teachers, enough said.
2. WikiSpaces / Pegby - I really hate when I get stuck with a group and I do all the work, these are nice sites to keep the group in touch. Plus Wiki would be nice to keep parents in touch with teachers =]
3. Prezi - Anything to help make powerpoints more than a bunch of sentances is worth a spot.
4. SmartBoard - Im a hands on learner and writing on the board helps. I love chalk boards and white boards, so clearly a Smartboard is ten times better.
5.Superteachingtools- more speficly  Classroom Jeapordy- I Love this idea, Jeapordy was always a fun way to review and make thigns fun in the classroom!
6. Wordle- Everyone at some point needs help with english and poems.
7. Wicked- As stated above, Im hands on and learning via games is a major help! Alyssa- Very zippy!
8. Animoto- I always wanted to know how to get that flawless picutre collage with music and text for graduations or birthdays.
9. Ask Dr. Math- For those last mintue math homework questions you need help with.
10.HyperPhysics- Well a good Physics tool is always needed.

It was actually hard to decide what order to put these in, but I did it!

"Cool Tool for School", WikiSpaces

I started off this project with a simple Google search. I ran across this E- learning tools and resources for schools and education. I scrolled down and saw a familiar name, Wiki. I used Wiki for my high school teaching assistant job. This site allowed the teacher aids from every period to stay connected and work on our upcoming events as one rather than spending extra time to meet up.

      My tool for school is WikiSpaces, I made a Wiki as if I were a teacher. Over 6 million students and teachers have used Wikispaces in their classrooms since 2005. Class schedules and goals, notices for parents, and showcases of student work could all be online in minutes.. I can make a file for each student or a file for each topic. Then I can put pages in each file with notes, questions or assignments. We can post comments or post discussion topics.  I can make the wiki look anyway i want, I can let certain people edit it or post on it.  I can look at recent changes and see up to date comments. I can even link a blog to it. Once you get into wiki and start using it, you'll see how easy it is for students to stay connected on projects or stay in touch with the class.  

      I would recommend using this for older students or between parents/teachers. I most likely would use wiki between myself and the parents that way they know what is going on and they can discuss with me without a meeting.

You never think it can happen to you... Boy can we be so wrong..

One community brought to tears.. There is a dark cloud over Chardon Ohio this week.

Tj Lane a junior at Chardon High School, arrived at school Monday morning with a hand gun and a knife.. Students were carrying on like usual, the first bell rung and they headed to class.. My brother, Johnny, was in the cafe and left to go to class in room 203. Tj stood up in the cafe and took aim at three students and fired away, from less than five feet away.. He then ran down the hall took aim again hitting  2 more students, .. The ass. football coach Mr. Hall chased Tj out of the school where he fled on foot.. Mr. Ricci was in his room when the lockdown was put in place with the first shots being fired.. He heard moaning in the hall and dragged a wounded student into his room, where he did first aid. He let the student, Nick, call his mom and dad and his girlfriend on Riccis cell phone. My brother was right down the hall under a computer table crying.

I woke up this morning to my mom calling my phone at 843 that morning, I actually ignored her call then realized it was odd for her to call so early since she knew I had class at ten.. I called her back and the first thing she said was "There was a shooting at the high school.." I couldnt help but start crying and cut her off asking "Is he Dead?!"  My mom at this point was balling like my self.  In the midst of the two sentances I was up with my pants on and just a bra on standing in my house hallway. My mom said "I dont know, I cant get ahold of him, the school isnt answering" and I had my mind up I was going home. My roommate had awoken thinking it was my back again since two weeks before I woke crying and went to the hospital.. She came out seeing me crying on the phone.. I know I asked if I can come home, and my mom said "No, but I have to keep my phone open, Ill text you as soon as I know anything" She was already at the school outside waiting.. She later texted me saying students were coming out, but she didnt see Johnny.. For what felt like an hour I waited, trying to find a news channel covering the story but Erie didnt have anything, so I went online and got all the stories.  At 900 my mom called me "Hes alive, Im with him". I heard Johnny in the background crying.

I have never been so afraid in my life.. I never thought anything like this would have ever happened to me or even to my high school.. We dont live in that kind of town..  Tj ran down the road to his car where he turned himself into to bystanders. He was arrested on woodin road, he had a gun and knife on him.

Throughout the day rumors flew of the students who were shot, and who the shooter was. Daniel Parmertor, Joy Rickers, Nick Walzack, Demetrius Hewlin, and Russell King were the five students attacked. Sadly the day dragged on as names were being said as to have passed away, finally the news would confirm each deceased. One by one, all the way till midnight. Three students have passed: 1. Daniel Parmertor, 2. Russell King , 3. Demetrius Hewlin.. The other two students are still in serious condition.. 

I knew the shooter Tj Lane, He was a freshmen when I was a senior.. He was in my, along with 4 other seniors, mentoring class.. He was a quiet kid, but I never ever would have thought he could do this... Never.. He clearly was disturbed to be able to do this..

One school, One community, Five victims.. Our hearts beat as one as we all sit in awe, crying and wondering why did this happen to us.. I thank god for those teachers who saved my brother and so many others, along with thanking the Police and the FBI and The Swat team..

Our school will never be the same, our community will never be the same.. Those students who witnessed their friends being slain, will never sleep right again.. I couldnt even make it an hour today with out crying... 2/27/2012 <3

I could post a million videos about this, but itd be easier to just google, Chardon High School Shooting 2/27/2012, watch what you like but it isnt easy to read the stories or watch the interviews.. I link several words here to important articles but there are so many more.. Please the only way to not repeat history is to know it..

Money, Money, Money, MONEY!!!!

Sorry in advance about this long blog and my ranting.. It’s a touchy subject for myself and I’m sure many others.              Think about how much you pay for college?.  Now think about how much in aid you received last year compared to this year?.  Big difference isn’t it?  That’s because of state and government aid has been cut yet again for students going for higher education.  I read a Policy matters article on congressweb.com , where they talk about how tuition prices have gone up and how state and government funding has been cut. They are basicly shutting the door on opputunity for students...

                In the article it has the top 10 higher education state policy issues in 2011. I will direct you to the two I’m discussing, number 4 and 5. “Given sustained financial pressures on students and families, combined with ongoing state budget crises, state student aid programs will be further stretched in 2011.” I know this is an old statement but it’s a current issue, we have been hit with the start of the cuts this year. President Obama has gone away with the ACG (Academic Competitiveness Grant) which affected me and I’m sure many other students. I’m not clear on his reasoning’s and honestly I don’t care to understand.  That’s not the only one he has gone away with, which is the sad part.  The report “cautions that “the worst might still be yet to come at the state level” due to states’ economies lagging the national economic recovery.”  And we thought it was already bad, I hate to think about how much it’ll be next year for me to attend school. The states have lessened the amount of aid given to their students which was based on need and metric. I currently have already racked up 10,000 in loan debt for when I graduate (I’m only a sophomore) and I still pay almost 1000 a semester on top of my loans for housing, books, programs, and class material. During the 2011 year, published tuition prices continued to “escalate at a level far exceeding inflation. According to the College Board, published in-state tuition and fee prices at public four-year institutions—averaging $7,605 in 2010-11—increased $555 or 7.9 percent compared to 2009-10.” That’s also in-state rates, which I’m an out of state resident.  Why does the cost keep rising? I realize states that rely on proceeds from cigarettes or the lottery is in danger, but there has to be another way to supplement the money. Education should not be this hard and costly to achieve.

            What I don’t understand is why college is so expensive in the first place? What does our money really go towards?  It’s clearly not put aside for books for the students, that’s just another tab the student has to run up. It clearly doesn’t go to busing all students. Sure we have a few buses that well drive students around the campus or up town or to the mall. Students should have to pay a fare for those and dis-clude it from tuition. Majority of students don’t even use it and we are paying other students free gas rides. We rarely get paper copies of anything anymore, so our money isn’t spent on paper.  I know the construction on campus isn’t funded by our tuition but why not use alumni donations to lower the cost of attendance? Overall I just please need someone to explain this to me.

                 I understand I’m probably being closed minded about some issues but this just doesn’t make sense to me.  Let’s take away the students ability to pay for higher education.  Therefore lowering the number of students with degrees, who will someday run this country. Makes sense right?!  To save our world tomorrow we need to help the kids today. That’s why I want to be an education major. I want to teach the bright minds of tomorrow and help those students who will someday be taking care of me.

To Tweet and Post Or Not To Tweet and Post???

       In our last class we spent majority of the class discussing our peaks and pits about PowerPoint, twitter, facebook and more, when it comes to the classroom.  Our class seems to be in agreement that those tools aren't appropriate for all age groups.  I stand firmly, as you can tell in all my posts, that there is no need for pre-k to 3rd grade using social networks in or out of the classroom. They need to learn by experience and hands on things, and by asking questions to teachers or parents.  Like mentioned in class kids these days are already glued to their phones and facebook/twitter why would we want to start kids even earlier? I do however think Teachers regardless of what grade they teach, should be staying connected though social networks. It does provide helpful ideas and tips every teacher could use.  But i do feel there is a point when its too much. It is hard as a college student having to maintain a blog, twitter, gmail, facebook, read the book, and cant forget all our other classes.  Oh plus our normal emails, then the schools email, and also D2L. I could only imagine how a teacher would feel. We do need to make sure we stay connected with the real world and try not to lose our face to face skills. There are ppl out there already that have lost those skills, and I just don't want my students to become those ppl.
   I know how to work facebook (Alicia Pierce), gmail and I'm becoming pretty comfortable with blogger (Here and now, The Start of it all) , but Twitter (AliciaMP21) i honestly don't understand the point? My first impression is its pointless and a waste of my time. Ill give it a try and I hope in class ill gain the reasoning behind tweeting... we'll see i guess.


* Something to chew over:
   Haven't you ever been in class when your teacher puts on a PowerPoint or overhead sheet and expects you to take notes and still listen to what they are saying? They read the material and go on to the next idea while you are still writing the last topic out. If teachers still stuck with paper copies students could focus more on the discussion and it'd help the learners who need explaination first then work it out...  

I need to become a networked learner...

While reading the pln's chapter two, Im realizing i need to open up more to the technology in the classroom. But like the book says "it all begins with your individual practice", which is where this blog comes in, Im trying to incorporate it into my life.  The book also mentions Twitter, Diigo, Facebook, Google Reader and Blogger. I use two of those network sites, although i didnt realize that until now. I use facebook and blogger. I dont really understand the point of twitter, and i have no idea what Diigo or google reader is.. I love how the book admits on page 37 paragraph 2, that "face to face networks" are still very important and needed. Towards the end of the chapter, it talks about being in the talking to an "empty room" effect. I feel thats the pharse Im stuck in. Im just posting becasue i have to not because i have readers or followers waiting. I havent hit that moment when i realize why Im doing this or how well this help me grow as a teacher? I guess I understand the books view that haveing networks in your personal life can help you broaden your views, opinions, and ideas, but in class we talk about how we can use it in class. Thats what where Im having trouble. Im more of a Rudolf Steiner kinda teacher, I discourage tvs and computers at least until later ages.. The chapter ends with "Your netwrok will grow, and your learning will never be the same." Im looking forward to having a growing network and having my opinions changed with my learning styles being perfected..

A Powerpoint?

My first reaction to putting together a powerpoint to use in my future classroom was lets say a little less than exciting.  I had no idea where to start or what I could even put into a lesson on a pp. I had to look through all the standards and find one that would be easy to put in a pp. Which was hard because I  want to teach younger students and i feel things are better taught with a hands on approach. If i were to use this pp in a classroom it would be in conjuction  with fake monies. That way its a hands on thing. Because of this project i di learn a few new things. I learned how to embed a pp in a blog! (Win for me) I also got to play around with pp more and become more famialiarized with the functions. Although i could not get certain things to load i worked around it and found other ways. Im not entirely sure I got my lesson totally through on the pp, but i tried.