My EDM310 Blog Assignments are now Complete!!! WOO HOO!!

Hey Class,
I have had a lot of fun with you guys in here this semester. I agree with Dr. Strange that we are definitely the most entertaining bunch! I hope you all have a great summer and now that this is sounding like a cheezy yearbook signature in 9th grade, I'm gonna get going! Thanks for a great semester!

Angela

What I've Learned

Wow, I can't believe this class is over! I came in here thinking I knew enough about computers to make it, but I learned so much!
1. I learned a lot about spreadsheets. They were completely new for me, and I'm glad I have that knowledge now.
2. I was very excited to learn how to create my own website. I had a lot of fun with that.
3. I even learned a few new things like symbols, and superscripts in Word that I was unsure about before.
4. I was made aware of all of the free programs offered by Google that I will most likely use again outside of this class.

Thanks Dr. Strange

Wikipedia

I have always been a little skeptical about the information on Wikipedia, and after reading these articles, I will be very hesitant about trusting it again. I realize the concept of Wikipedia is for it to be collaborative, and compiled of different sources, but I think there needs to be a screening process when people edit the information on it. I don't think Wikipedia should ever be used as the only source for anything important. It can only be trusted if it is compared with numerous other legitimate sources.
I think that, like most of the internet, Wikipedia has a lot of good information. However, I think people should be especially careful when using information from this site. Research should always have more than one source anyway, so using Wikipedia isn't all bad, if it is done along with other sources that could be considered more legitimate.

Mind Sets

I just finished watching the Standford podcast on "fixed" and "growth" mind sets. The experiment was to determine whether or not children that were taught growth mind sets did better in school. One group of students were taught only study skills throughout 8 sessions and they remained in the fixed mind set. They believed that their intelligence was badsed on inherited traits. They were very discouraged even in the activities they took part in, and they often were very concerned about failure. After the 8 weeks, that group showed no changes in their grades. Along with study skills, the other group were taught to have a growth mind set. They were taught about how the brain grows with hard work and passion. They were also taught how to accept their mistakes in order to learn from them and grow in knowledge. This group learned how to apply these skills to their school work and get better grades. At the end of the experiment, the teachers could pick out which students were in which program based on their work and having now prior knowledge of group members.

I could really use the findings of this experiment in my classroom to encourage my students to work hard and learn. They have to realize that education takes some work, and if they all put some effort into it, they all have the same opportunity to grow. I was quite intrigued by this experiment and the discoveries that were made. I plan to teach my students to all have a growth mind set and that if they want to, they can learn just about anything!

iTunes Podcasts!

Alright, I just got finished exploring the wonderful world of iTunes University and I just have to say that it might be one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I am just fascinated at how someone has turned what was originally meant to only provide hours and hours of pointless, brain draining entertainment into something educational. I watched the video about booming sands. I found it completely thrilling. All of these videos would be excellent supplements to lessons in the classroom. I know that I am a visual learner, and having something to watch and actually demonstrate what goes on in science helps me understand the concept so much better than some boring teacher lecturing straight out of the book.
I really think these podcasts are an excellent tool to use in the classroom. You can find a lot of really cool ones on pretty much every subject that is taught. Using technology in this way also makes the students pay attention more because they think it's really cool! We are fortunate in many ways to be teaching in a world with so many advances that make our jobs more thrilling! I just hope I can keep up!