Checklist Corrections

I have corrected several mistakes in the Checklist. Please change you Checklist to match mine.

1. The Mandatory Classes for Week 8 are Tuesday March 5 or Wednesday March 6 depending on the class section in which your are enrolled (Lines 97 and 98) (Thanks to Whitney Bizjak for this correction)!

2. The Mandatory Class meetings in April will be Tuesday April 9 or Wednesday April 10 depending on the class section in which your are enrolled (Lines 146 and 147)

Line 157 (C4K#10 Last C4K is duplicated on Line 164. Remove from Line 164

Limited Staff Thursday February 28

The Lab will be open Thursday February 28 from 9am-6pm.

However, it will be staffed ONLY from 1:30-3:00

Carly will be in Montgomery at Higher Education Day.

I will be having cataract surgery.

Bailey will be in the Lab at 1:30 and will stay until 3:00.

2013 Education Summit

You're invited to attend the 2013 Education Summit on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 in the Mitchell Center 8am - noon. Come and go as you can. Free admission with your USA ID. This summit will address the role of the community, business/industry, K-12, and post-secondary in the accomplishments and challenges around graduating Mobile County public school students with 21st century workforce readiness. This includes field expert panelists and Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor of The State University of New York as the featured keynote speaker.

Special Points of Interest:
• Redesigning high schools to graduate students prepared for success in college and the workplace
• Continuum of supports from community and business/industry leaders to ensure students graduate ready for career or college

Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor, The State University of New York

Chancellor Zimpher is active in numerous state and national education organizations and is a leader in the areas of teacher preparation, urban education, and university-community engagement. As co-founder of Strive, a community-based cradle-to-career collaborative, Chancellor Zimpher has been instrumental in creating a national network of innovative systemic partnerships that holistically address challenges across the education pipeline.

Chancellor Zimpher currently serves as chair of the Board of Governors of the New York Academy of Sciences and of CEOs for Cities. From 2005 to 2011, she chaired the national Coalition of Urban Serving Universities. She also recently co-chaired NCATE's blue-ribbon panel on transforming teacher preparation. She previously served as president of the University of Cincinnati, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and executive dean of the Professional Colleges and dean of the College of Education at The Ohio State University. She holds a bachelor's degree in English Education and Speech, a master's degree in English Literature, and a Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Higher Education Administration, all from The Ohio State University.

Alert!

You should not be publishing your C4K summaries until the first Sunday of March. That is when the summary post is due for your February C4K assignments. If you have published your summary post already, go back, edit it, and SAVE it. After you have finished all C4K assignments in February you can publish it.

My Sentence Deadline Extended

It has been suggested to me that the deadline for the My Sentence project be extended for three reasons: last week was Mardi Gras and the lab was closed; on the on the other 'class day" we had mandatory class; and you have to use a Mac to do the My Sentence Project and for some that means using the Macs in the Lab. I listen and have agreed to stop the clock (like the Alabama legislature sometimes does). The new deadline is midnight Wednesday February 20, 2013.

Congratulations Lauren Brannan, Mobile County Elementary Teacher of the Year

There was a very nice interview in the Mobile Press-Register today Sunday February 17, 2013 (page 4A). The interview of Lauren Brannan, Mobile County Elementary Teacher of the Year, was conducted by Rena Havner Phillips.

Here are some highlights of what Mobile County Elementary Teacher of the Year Lauren Brannan had to say:

RHP: What is the best part about teaching?
LB: Watching people learn and watching people change their thinking, both teachers and children. Usually, the hardest part is the teachers. We were taught a certain way. We were taught to teach a certain way. But ... children get excited about learning...I get to see that in the computer lab every day. Instead of reading a book and doing a worksheet on it, they get to do the learning themselves. They are in control of their learning. They will do research themselves...So, just watching them get excited about about having some control over their learning: That's the best part.

RHP: What is your biggest challenge as a teacher?
LB: Getting my kids to get excited about learning. They are in a technology age, so they keep me on my toes, having to learn about new technology. That’s what excites them. If you are not involved with technology as a teacher, it can be rough to keep [the students'] attention. Luckily, I'm in a school that supports technology...We are a Bring Your Own Device school. We have iPads.

RHP: What makes a good teacher?
LB: Someone with a big heart, a lot of patience, someone who's creative. Someone who is a lifelong learner...You've never arrived at being a great teacher. You have to keep going.

RHP: Please talk about how technology has changed the way teachers teach.
LB: Children are excited about learning. They have more control over their learning, and it’s more authentic, more exciting, more realistic. They’re getting skills out of these project-based learning activities we’re doing. They’re getting 21st-Century skills, and those are skills they’re going to need in the workforce. They’re going to have to learn how to work with others, how to be creative, how to solve problems on their own. It’s not just the content; it’s not just the standards...

RHP: Do you have any advice you’d give your fellow teachers?
LB:Don’t be afraid to take on challenges. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Always continue to be a learner, and do your own research. And just keep the children and the learning front and center. Always, the learning comes first.

RHP: When your students leave your classroom, what do you hope they have accomplished?
LB: I hope they have learned to learn for themselves. You can't always be dependent on a teacher. we are not the end source for information. We're not this container full of information [with] the right answer. I want them to find the answer by themselves when they have a question. I want them to be problem solvers. I want them to be creative and be comfortable with showing their creativity. I want them to be 21st century learners. Emphasis added.

Laura Brannigan is the Technology Support Teacher at J.E. Turner Elementary in Wilmer.

Do her remarks sound familiar?

Congratulations Lauren Brannan!

The printed version and the electronic version of this interview are slightly different. I have drawn from both. The electronic version can be found at Q&A: Elementary Teacher of the Year: Lauren Brannan. The print version I used was the Baldwin County edition for February 17, 2013, p. 4A.

Update February 15, 2013

1. If you missed the Mandatory Class meeting this week you must contact me by email and/or by phone to discuss your absence.
2. The summary of the missing items on your blog are in a Doc Status of Blog Requirements Checked in Mandatory Class. As you complete the assignments edit the Doc. Edit ONLY the information about YOUR Blog.
3. Maybe this will make it a bit easier for you to complete the missing items. When using these instructions remember that you can ususally get a larger version of any image in a blog just by clicking on it.

a. Your photo of one person that is a headshot. Add the photo by going to Blogger, click on the down arrow next to your name

click on Blogger profile

click on Edit Profile at far right

find the picture you want to use and Upload it.


If you do not have a picture that meets the requirements, use the one I took of you. To get it go to the Emergency Access to EDM310 Instruction Manual (link on Class Blog under Essential Materials for Students and Visitors).

At the top of the page click on your class in the line that starts with Subpages:.

Find your name. Click on the Down arrow on the right.


b. To add working email and Twitter links you Add an HTML/Java Script Gadget by going to Blogger and clicking on Layout in the left column

Follow the instructions for writing the code that are found on p. 13 of the Activities Instruction Manual.

In addition, add a link to your Twitter page. To do this you must know how to write the code to create a link (or use the Link button in the Gadget). To learn how to write a liknk (which you MUST know how to do in order to add a link to a blog comment), follow the link on p, 13 to Mrs. Yollis' HTML Instructions for 3rd Graders. Be sure to add the break code after each line.

Here is what my gadget looks like when filled out. To enlarge the picture, just click on it.

Check carefully. Save. Then Test Your Links

c. To add the Class Blog Feed you Add a Gadget called Feed. You must then add the URL to the Class Blog to it.

d. If you do not have a Blog Archives gadget, add it from the Add a Gadget list. It will be found on p. 2 of the Gadgets so scroll all the way down and click Next Page.

e. The put the gadgets in the order, drag them up or down in your list of gadgets.

f. To add images to your blog, click on the image button in your post construction area. Find picture you want to use on your computer or iPad.

g. To add the Title tag and Alt tag modifiers for the images you add to your post, follow the instructions in Step 3 on pp. 9-10 of the Project instructions.

You can always go to the Lab for help. The Lab Assistants will NOT do your work for you but they will help you figure out what you are doing wrong by asking a lot of questions or even demonstrating how to do it and then letting you do it yourself. That is the ONLY way you will learn to do it.

4. If you have not read the post that is immediately below this one (Inappropriate C4K Comment), do so now. In addition, two posts will appear soon about inappropriate C4T comments. Read them when they appear.

5. Watch the Class Blog Feed on your Blog. When a new post appears, read it. You can also regularly visit the Class Blog!

Inappropriate C4K Comment

I have received a report from Mr. Cometti at Fairhope High School which is quite disturbing to me. Fortunately he is a graduate of EDM310 and he believes in the power of blogging. In addition, he moderates the comments left on his students' blogs. Here is his email to me:

Thank you [NoNoNoNoNoNoNo] for commenting on one of my students blog. They really look forward to the comments every week. Comments give them motivation to continue blogging and producing quality work. I hope you realize how important these comments are to my students. Please consider your words carefully in the future.

Here is the link to Zane's post.


Below is your full comment. I am sure you can [improve] upon this comment.

My name is [NoNoNoNoNoNoNo] and I’m in the EDM 310 class. I got your blog to read and comment on. Is this post a joke? It shows absolutely no understanding of World War One. It is nothing but incoherent babbling. The 1900′s is a long time period, when exactly was the war? I have never heard of ketchup gas. Did you by chance mean mustard gas? The Nazi party was not involved in the first world war. Saying that Jesus won the war is far from the truth. Hundreds of thousands of people were slayed during the war for no real victory. It was a brutal war of attrition that America and its allies happened to come out on top.

"Is this post a joke? It shows absolutely no understanding of World War One. It is nothing but incoherent babbling."

As a future educator, I hope you learn to make positive criticism to your students. ...[There] is no reason for you to talk down to him. He is simply a child that is trying hard to be funny to his peers.

"I have never heard of ketchup gas. Did you by chance mean mustard gas? The Nazi party was not involved in the first world war. Saying that Jesus won the war is far from the truth. Hundreds of thousands of people were slayed during the war for no real victory. It was a brutal war of attrition that America and its allies happened to come out on top."

Your comment to Zane displays your inability to pick up on the attempted sarcasm of a 14 year old kid. ... He purposely changed it to ketchup gas. He doesn't think Jesus won the war. His use of sarcasm is evident in his title "No, this one is for real, promise." ... he is trying to write creatively. This blog post was part of a creative writing assignment in a history class. As his teacher, I will inform him of his mistakes. I talk to my students constantly about the dangers of using sarcasm in their blog. Your job is to introduce yourself, lead with a positive comment, maybe offer a suggestion, and ask the blogger a question. Please consider the age of the students blog you are commenting on.

Regardless of Zane's poor use of sarcasm, you need to learn how to make positive comments that provide constructive criticism. As a future educator, I hope you consider your audience and choose your words carefully in the future. I am deleting your comment and I would recommend that you make a new one for a grade in your class.


Thank you,

Justin Cometti

Now for some heart to heart discussion from me:

NoNoNoNoNoNoNo must not have read my instructions in the Class Blog post Comments for Kids Starts This Week. Let me quote from that post:

"BEFORE you leave a comment for a kid you MUST read the instructions at the top of the Doc and the material in the links found elsewhere in this post. The kids ARE NOT YOUR PEERS so you approach you comments differently than you approach the comments you leave for your classmates."

And in the concluding section I write this:

"2. You must find out about the teacher and the school BEFORE you leave a comment. You are a visitor there. Know where you are and with whom you are interacting! This is extremely important!
3. The primary purpose of your comment is to be an audience for the students and to encourage them to learn. You are not their peer but a visitor. Ask a question. Be supportive and encouraging."

I would also like to call your attention to p.15 of the Project Instruction Manual. There I write:

"General rules:

1. Comments must be substantive in nature and appropriate for the intended audience. In other words, write for 3rd graders if it is a 3rd grader’s blog. Write for a teacher if you are doing a Comment for a Teacher (C4T).
2. One of the best set of instructions on how to write good comments is by Gracie. Gracie was a third grade student in Ms. Yollis' class in the Spring of 2011. Read Gracie's post Quality Comments.
3. All comments must be proofread and free of spelling and grammatical errors. Have you read Some of You Won’t Make It Through 3rd Grade ? If not, do so now. I do NOT want to find out that your comments have been rejected by a teacher (3rd grade or not) because of spelling or grammatical errors. For heavens sake! You are planning to be a teacher, correct? Here are the techniques Mrs. Yollis’ 3rd grade class follows in writing comments. Mr. Chamberlain, who teaches 5th grade, also has a list of useful advice when commenting on the Comments4Kids website. You should master these techniques as well."

I will edit this to read "I do NOT want to find out that your comments have been rejected by a teacher (3rd grade or not) because of spelling or grammatical errors OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON.

Obviously NoNoNoNoNoNoNo did not follow these requirements. You are practicing to be a teacher. This is NOT what a teacher would write to her or his 9th grader.

When you leave a comment for a kid you are a guest in the teacher's class. Behave like that!

We learn from our mistakes and from the mistakes of others. This is an important learning opportunity. Take advantage of that opportunity. I DO NOT WANT any additional feedback from teachers like this.

One Additional Comment:

Teachers often moderate comments. You can understand why when you read this account of NoNoNoNoNoNoNo's comment. If the teacher does moderate comments, you will not see yours appear. Again I quote from p. 15 of the Project Instruction Manual.

"6. Some teachers moderate the comments left on their personal blog and/or on the blogs of their students. This means that you may not see your comment until it has been approved. That may take one day or many days. You do not have to worry about it since you will summarize the post and your comment and you will post these summaries to your blog on a regular basis. This also applies to C4T and C4K."

Oh My!

The Special Blog Post #1 was due last night (Thursday February 7, 2013 at midnight). We now have 101 students in EDM310. Twenty-eight have not done the assignment. That is 28% of the class who are not regularly reading the Class Blog or who read it but forgot to do the Special Blog Post assignment despite the emphasis that our school systems put on being able to memorize. And despite my warnings in the mandatory classes that there would be three or four Special Blog Assignments which would be announced ONLY in the Class Blog to make sure you were reading it all the time.

Are you one of those 28? Probably not because you are now reading the Class Blog. If you did not do the Special Blog Post Assignment #1 and you happen to see this, or if a classmate asks you whether you did the Special Blog Post or not, I am going to give you a chance to reduce the penalty for not doing this post if you complete it by midnight Monday February 11.

You must read the Class blog daily. Since we meet as a class only once a month, I must have a way to communicate with you. I do that through the Class Blog.

Confused? Catch Up and Catch On by Jacey-Blair

This Wednesday at 6:00 pm amd during the Lab Hours 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm Jacey-Blair Chandler will help you Catch Up and Catch On to the many ins and outs of EDM310. Come Wednesday evening and help her sweep away your confusion! Leave a comment on this post if you have something in particular that you would like Jacey Blair to cover.

In the picture you see Jacey-Blair with her special broom that clears away all Confusion. Watch the movie below and ask her how she (and Elizabeth Brooks) did it.
Jacey-Blair and the Jag Brooms

C4K Starts This Week

Your first C4K assignment is now in your Google Docs. BEFORE you leave a comment for a kid you MUST read the instructions at the top of the Doc and the material in the links found elsewhere in this post. The kids ARE NOT YOUR PEERS so you approach you comments differently than you approach the comments you leave for your classmates.

I think C4K is one of the most important parts of EDM310. You will be commenting on kids blogs throughout the world. But you must PREPARE for this activity before you undertake it. Here's how:

1. Read/watch all material for which links appear in the section for Projects#3, #4 and #7 in the Projects Manual, p. 18
.....a in the opening paragraph
.....b in the General rules numbers 1-5 (on p.18) and 6c (on pp. 19-20)

2. If your C4K assignment has a Class Blog, look it over. See what you can find out about the class and the assignment. For Week 1 I have done a bit of that for you. Where possible I have listed the teacher's name, the school, and the grade. YOU must explore every week. Don't just treat this as a quick assignment. Think about the way the teacher is approaching instruction, how she uses blogs and for what purpose.

3. PROOFREAD your comment. Do not have it rejected because of your failure to use good grammar, to spell correctly, or to avoid texting techniques.

4. In this first iteration, C4K will take more time than it will later in the semester. Invest quality time in this assignment. I assure you it will be beneficial to you in the future.


Some Additional Reminders:

Many of these students have been blogging since September.

Three Special Reminders
1. If the student to whom you are assigned does not have a post, choose another student and notify me (at edm310help@gmail.com) of the student you selected instead.
2. You must find out about the teacher and the school BEFORE you leave a comment. You are a visitor there. Know where you are and with whom you are interacting! This is extremely important!
3. The primary purpose of your comment is to be an audience for the student and to encourage them to learn. You are not their peer but a visitor. Ask a question. Be supportive and encouraging.
4. Remember that you will be required to identify the class and your student and to summarize the student's post and your comment in a blog post on your blog. Start that post NOW! If you do not you will forget the class, the student's post and what you wrote. Save instead of publishing until the date specified in the Checklist.

Going in the Wrong Direction

Fifteen blogs were not done on time and two more were incomplete. We are going in the wrong direction. Was it the Superbowl? I hope not.