Welcome Summer 2012 Students

EDM310 starts again!

Wrapping Up the Semester

Some Final Things You Must Do

1. Post your video self reflection by midnight Sunday 5/6/12. Complete instructions are under Blog Post #14 found on p.18 of the Blog Instructions. Note: All material after p. 18 of the Blog Instruction Manual is not really public information. IGNORE IT!
2. Complete the questionnaire (Final Reflection/Exam) by Sunday 5/6/12. The link has been sent to your gmail address.
3. Complete Project #13 by telling us what worked and what didn't in your effort to do Project #15 without meeting as a group. Post summary on your blog.

Foliotek Instructions Spring 2012

You need:
1. The URL for your EDM310 blog
2. The URL for the the EDM310 Class Blog. You should know that by now. And you are probably reading this while on the Class Blog so I do not have to repeat the URL here.
3. You will have to know the seven standards for EDM310. They are in the Syllabus on pp. 2-3. I have also listed them here with the categories under which they fall:

Literacy: Oral and Written Communications (iii)
(3)(c) 1.(iii) Knowledge of media communication technologies that enrich learning opportunities.
Literacy: Technology (i, ii and vi)
(3)(c) 4.(i) Knowledge of available and emerging technologies that support the learning of all students.
(3)(c) 4.(ii) Knowledge of the wide range of technologies that support and enhance instruction, including
classroom and school resources as well as distant learning and online learning opportunities
(3)(c) 4.(vi) Ability to evaluate students’ technology proficiency and students’ technology based products within content areas.
Professionalism: Ethics (ii and iv)
(5)(c) 5.(ii) Knowledge of safe, responsible, legal and ethical uses of technologies including fair-use and
copyright guidelines and internet-user protection policies.
(5)(c) 5.(iv) Ability to practice safe, responsible, legal, and ethical use of technology and comply with school and district acceptable-use policies including fair-use and copyright guidelines and Internet-user
protection policies.
And, for Elementary Education majors ONLY, change from Teacher QTS on left to K-6 Teacher Education. Then click on General Special Education and add the two files to this standard:
Special Education: 290-3-3-.34 (2)(g)2.(iii) Knowledge of assistive technology, including assessment for and use of assistive technology devices.

4. You will have to know how to access and how Foliotek works. Watch the Video
You can also watch the movie Foliotek Instructions Fall 2010 on YouTube. WARNING. The movie was done in 2010 and the standards have slightly changed. The standards now associated with EDM310 that are listed in this post are those you MUST use.
If YouTube gives you problems, you can watch, or download to your computer the Foliotek Instructions from My Gallery.
5. REMEMBER that for your first standard you Add a File and then click Add External File or URL and then CORRECTLY paste the URL (be sure there is only ONE http://). You do this for BOTH URLs
6. REMEMBER that after your first standard is complete you ALWAYS Add File - Add Existing File and check both URLs.
7. REMEMBER you must check to see that you have added both the Class Blog (Friendly Name: EDM310 Class Blog) and Your EDM310 Class Blog (Friendly name: Your Name’s EDM310 Class Blog). Go to Files in the tabs in the middle at the top of Foliotek. Look for the Friendly Names EDM310Class Blog and Your Name’s EDM310 Class Blog. There should BE ONLY ONE OF EACH. If there is more than one you did not follow the instructions (see #6 above). You will have to remove the offending files. You will need help from one of the lab assistants.
8. You must check to make sure that the link works and goes to the correct place.
9. You must make sure that all 7 of the standards are assigned to each of the “files” (really URLs)
10. You must then ask for one of the EDM310 staff members to check your Foliotek. This must be done IN PERSON during the MANDATORY CLASS Wednesday 5/2/12 (4 pm and 6pm) or Thursday 5/3/12 (11:00 and 2:00).

Additional Blog Assignment Due Sunday 4/22 at Midnight

Last week I asked you to begin thinking about several questions related to creativity, curiosity and education. Here are some of those questions:

1. Do schools in the United States systematically destroy (or inhibit) the development of curiosity and/or creativity in students? If yes, why does that happen? If no, how do you counter the argument of Sir Ken Robinson that schools do undermine the development of creativity in students?

2. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the curiosity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?

3. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the creativity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?

4. Can a teacher's actions increase the curiosity of students? If so, what would be those actions?

5. Can a teacher's actions increase the creativity of students? If so, what would be those actions?

6. What would help you become more creative? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process?

7. What would help you become more curious? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process?

Write an essay addressing these questions and post it on your blog. Use this as your Title: Creativity and Curiosity: My Thoughts - Special Post #12A.

The quotation that serves as a picture was taken from Curiosity Fuels Creativity: Teaching your kids to be curious by Elli.

Now I'll try and stimulate your curiosity. Who is Elli? How can you contact her? Will you do so? Why or why not?

Another suggestion: Read Educating the Next Steve Jobs from last Saturday's (4/14/12) Wall Street Journal. If you have trouble with that link try this one: Alternate Link

How Do You Contact Tom Johnson?

How do you contact Tom Johnson?

Skype John T. Spencer @johntspencer

Mr. Spencer writes some of blogs and books under the pseudonym Tom Johnson.

Kathy Cassidy Skype Interview

It has been reported that there has been difficulty in accessing the Kathy Cassidy video. This is because the server on which the movie resides has been down. It is now up, but in case it goes down again here are links to the Cassidy interview on YouTube. Since YouTube has time limits, I had to break the Cassidy video into three parts.

Part 1 of Kathy Cassidy Interview
Part 2 of Kathy Cassidy Interview
Part 3 of Kathy Cassidy Interview

C4T Corrections

Several students have notified me that their C4T #4 teacher was the same as their C4T #3 teacher. If they contacted me by 4/11/2011 I have reassigned them and the correct assignment is shown on the tab C4T#4 Original (4/1-4/22).

Other students may have had different teachers on the Original Assignment tab. If so, they can continue with that teacher or use the assignment on the MODIFIED tab.

FOR THE REST OF YOU, use the Tab MODIFIED C4T#4 (4/1-4/22) with is at the BOTTOM of the Doc. READ THE EXPLANATION BELOW.

Modern spreadsheets have tabs which are really additional pages at the bottom of the spreadsheet. Look at the bottom of the C4T (or C4K) Doc. You will find tabs for other pages that are part of the spreadsheet. Look at the pictures below:

Original TAB Selected

MODIFIED TAB selected

Corrections

DATES CORRECTED

I had several dates that disagreed with one another. Here is a summary of Due Dates for projects 13, 14, 15

Project #13 - A written summary of what you did in collaborating solely through technology for Project #15 (and perhaps some of #16). This is an experiment. We want a summary of what tools you used, how you went about communicating, what worked, what didn't. Post this summary on one person's blog. Repeat on others OR provide link to posted summary. Due Sunday May 6.

Project #14 - Basics of SMARTboard Use - Individual video - DUE April 1 but due to date confusion we will accept until April 15.

Project #15 - Collaborative SMARTboard lesson/instruction - DUE April 29

Project #16 - Final Project - Collaborative - DUE May 6

Easter Sunday - Lab Open - No Staff

The EDM310 Lab will be open Sunday March 8 but it will not be staffed.

The Power of C4K

tasteach has left a new comment on your post "C4K Joins the World Blog Challenge - Revised 3/27/...":

G'day Dr Strange and students,
Here is a link to an quality comment written by one of your students Brooke.

Tasteach (Ms. Sue Wyatt) is one of the founders of the World Blog Challenge. She is a retired teacher in Tasmania.

Brooke's comment was left on Natalie's Blog Post: Make It Global - Spread the Word

You should check out Natalie's post to understand the context. I have copied Brooke's comment here of you do not go to the original source.

Brooke LadnierMarch 30th, 2012 at 3:43 am Reply
Hi Natalie,
My name is Brooke Ladnier and I am a student in EDM310 at The University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I was deeply touched by your video. I attend a local church here in Grand Bay where I live(It’s about 30 miles south of Mobile) and we take part in mission work in Guatemala and El Salvador. I have been on 5 mission trips and I understand your passion to bring the word of God to people around the world. It can offer such healing to people, especially those who have been through warfare like the video described. I do have a question that maybe you can answer for me. In the video one of the men stated that the church was partially responsible for some of the killing that was done. Do you know what happened or why the church was involved? I am going to be commenting on your blog for the next 3 weeks so hopefully you will have some new posts for me to read! I really enjoyed this one. Keep up the good work.

What Have We Learned?

That students and teachers from all over the world look forward to and appreciate your C4K comments.

By the way, what do you know about Tasmania? Find out!

Condolences to Laura Holifield

Her father passed away last night.

IMPORTANT MESSAGES about C4K Blog Challenge

MESSAGE ONE

You CANNOT do all three C4K comments at once. You MUST wait until next week to do #2 and then wait until at least April 9 to do post #3. The kids do not leave a post a day. And maybe not even a post a week. If that happens, I will have a substitute for you. Send me an email.

This assignment is a THREE WEEK ASSIGNMENT.

MESSAGE TWO

Several students have said their kid has only one post, or they have only an old post. What do I do? The answer is Encourage them to post again. Asking them a question and telling them you are eager to read their next post might do the trick. You are their mentor. How would YOU encourage more posts where you CANNOT REQUIRE them to post?

C4K Joins the World Blog Challenge - Revised 3/27/12 at 12:58 pm and at 6:57 pm

For the next 3 weeks C4K will engage EDM310 students as mentors in the WORLD BLOG CHALLENGE sponsored by Edublogs. You MUST read the post Info For First Time Visitors on the Student Blogging Challenge website BEFORE you do the C4K assignment for this week (and the next two weeks)! Follow all appropriate links on the Student Blogging Challenge site to make sure you know what you, as a mentor, are supposed to do and how you are to do it.

You will leave comments for your student as shown on the C4K Doc for 3 straight weeks (3 different comments). PROOFREAD Your comments. Express interest. Be supportive. Ask questions. You could suggest a post they could write after you check out their hobbies on the student participant’s page. You could also share some of your experiences in blogging.

I was told that all of these students are seniors in high school. This appears to be incorrect. We have some 7th graders assigned to us for sure. So ignore the grade level shown on the C4K Doc. CORRECTION: I thought the column with 12 in it was the grade. WRONG. It is the age. So most of you will be reading 7th graders' blogs. Another Strange mistake. We all make them. The important thing is to find it out and make the correction. If you are afraid to make mistakes you will accomplish far less than those who do and correct their mistakes. (But not those who do make mistakes and don't correct them!)

Many of these students have been blogging longer than you have. Some are beginners. All are mastering the skills of blogging and commenting as I hope you are.

In there appears to be a problem with your assignment, send me an email immediately (strange.john@Gmail.com). For example, if your student has not made another post by your visit in Week 2 (or Week 3), let me know and I will provide instructions about what to do. My thinking now is to set up a reserve list. Information will be posted on the class blog when I figure it out.

You are representing EDM310. Represent us well!

C4K Summary Report for March

There will be only one student in your March C4K Report. I cancelled the first full week of C4K and we will combine all 3 weeks of the Blogging Challenge into the April report. That leaves only the C4K that you did last week for the March Report.

Need a Partner for A New Group?

If so, add your name to the list or call one or more people on the list that is available in a new Doc called Need A Group Partner

SmartBoard Instruction Wednesday 3/21 6 pm by Anthony Capps

Anthony Capps will do a 45 minute to one hour demonstration of how to use the SMARTboard Wednesday night from 6-7 pm in the Lab.

Come if you can and are interested.

New Groups Doc for Project #15 and #16 Registration

A new Groups Doc for Project #15 and #16 should now be in your Docs (To edit) so that you may register members of your new groups. One person in each group should assume responsibility for completing the Doc for each group.

Groups must be registered by these dates:
Project #15 - March 25
Project #16 - April 8

If you are not in a group and and not registered on the Projects 15/16 Doc by these dates you will be barred from completing projects #15 and/or Project #16.

Midterm Evaluations

You have evaluated yourself and I have reached a tentative evaluation for all EDM310 students. My assessments are incomplete because:
• They do not include evaluations of all assignments due Friday 3/9 or Sunday 3/11. I have only data on whether they were completed by Sunday midnight or not
• I have not consulted the Lab Assistants
• I have not thoroughly examined the records to see if some assignments we show as NO (Not Having Been Done) are now Late. Late is better than No, but not by much.

I will send an email today 3/16 to all students whom I have assigned a D or an F at midterm requesting that they meet with me to discuss the differences in our evaluations. Perhaps my records are wrong. Perhaps these students don't understand that all work must be submitted on time and if there is a pattern of Late or Not Done work you will get a D or an F.

HOWEVER, I have not set an appointment if you gave yourself a D or an F and I agree with that assessment. If any of you wish to meet with me, send me an email requesting an appointment.

I also have not set appointments for the 10 students who did not complete the questionnaire which automatically results in a grade loss of one letter. In this case it just lowered Ds to Fs.

There was more discrepancy between my grades and student grades than ever before. Here are the data.

My Grades
F-13
D-25
C-20
B-24
A-42
A Superstar - 2
Total 126

Self Assigned Grades
Did not complete questionnaire - 10 (automatic D or F in all cases)
F-1
D-2
C-9
B-35
A-69
Total 126

85 students gave themselves a grade that was within one grade of the grade I gave them or equal to the grade I assigned.
29 gave themselves a higher grade than I did.
51 agreed exactly with me.
I gave 5 students a higher grade than they gave themselves.

Link to Questionnaire Sent

You should have received a Gmail with a link to the Questionnaire at about 3:30 pm yesterday. It is to be completed (hopefully by Friday midnight 3/9) but the real deadline for the Questionnaire and all assignments due this week is midnight Sunday (3/11).

If did not get the link to the Questionnaire, check your Gmail again and then send me an email (strange.john@gmail.com).

Have a productive and fun Spring Break.

A Very Important FaceBook Exchange

A Very Important FaceBook Exchange

Terri Wagner I'm kinda excited. I decided to give Prezi a try on Project 9b and did it. Not sure how awesome the results are, but I did it! Ck out the Space Shuttle Prezi on my blog and let me know how you think I did. Does anyone else feel they do A effort with B2C results?

John Strange Throw out the A, B, C thinking. This is what is important: "I'm kinda excited. I decided to give Prezi a try on Project 9b and did it. Not sure how awesome the results are, but I did it!"

You took a chance and tried something new. You learned how on your own. You did it. You are obviously proud of your accomplishments. You should be. My prediction: You will do a better job next time. And the next. And you will do more! That is what learning is all about! Learning should never end!

Terri has asked for feedback. Leave her a comment on her Prezi Project 9b post!