EDM 310 Class Blog

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Blog Post #12

As someone who is slightly obsessed with things being in their proper order, I cannot believe I am doing this.
No, really.
But I was laying around being completely unproductive in my pajamas eating wheaties when I decided I should probably do Blog Post #10 as it was currently unfinished due to my overflow of inspiration and creativity and genius, due to my ever-present and overwhelming A.D.D. The thought struck me that I could not resist.  I had been looking over the blog posts left for the semester a couple of days prior to this, and noticed that this Blog Post, #12, was one that was completely of my own design! You can imagine my fit of joy followed by a fit of self-loathing for being so darned indecisive. But, I digress.
I was inspired to add random but somehow related videos to Blog Post #10, and found such an array of enticing and inspiring choices that I could not pick just a couple and simply had to share them.  You're welcome.  :D
So, here is my assignment.  I won't take all day getting to it. For this assignment, we are to brainstorm an assignment that we feel is a good enough idea that Dr. Strange himself should have assigned it.  The things we have done and learned this semester have been wonderful, but as we are learning in this class, with technology, there is always more!  I like being able to think for myself, and would definitely let my own students do this.
The instructions for my assignment that I believe Dr. Strange should have suggested are as follows:
At this point in the semester and everyone's journey as a future educator, we should all be thinking about our philosophies as teachers.  We have watched some really great videos this semester and taken full advantage of YouTube.  I would like for you to create a YouTube playlist with videos that:
1). describe the kind of teacher you would like to be
2).show ways you can motivate your students
3). offer tips on classroom management.
4). offer tutorials on programs you have learned about in this class that you like so much you would like to use (podcast, iPods, PLN's, etc.)
5). are on topics related to your field of study; for example, if you are going to be an English Teacher, include videos about Shakespeare, poetry, novels, things of that nature.
6). describe what a good teacher is and what a bad teacher is
7). ways to improve modern education as we know it
8). have been used in other blog posts from this semester.  It could be a video you had to write about or one posted on the blog of a fellow classmate, teacher, or classroom's blog.
9). center around creativity.
10). advocate challenging, motivating, encouraging, and supporting students (but still maintaining professionalism)
Your YouTube Playlist needs to be published, and needs to be titled with your name, and EDM310 Blogpost.  You do not need to include all of these topics, but you need to include at least 5, and your playlist needs to have a MINIMUM of ten videos.  I would then like you to explain how these videos describe your teaching philosophy and relate to things you have learned in this class.  Also, what could you do with them in your teaching environment?


I even created my own playlist because good teachers teach by example. :)
In my playlist, there a few that are inspirational because, in a perfect classroom students actually have to think.    I want them to feel that inspiration, and know where to find it, what to do with it.  For example, what things inspire us most?  What things have come out of small sources of inspiration?
  I know this sounds a little too simple, but the video Think Different explains how those who dared to try new things, embrace new ideas, use their voice, etc. have made a difference and changed history.  I know it's a long shot, but someone needs to push kids and make them think, what if they were the next Steve Jobs or Einstein or Arnold Schwartzenegger the Governator, even?  You don't have to think big, just think different.
I believe the next few selections are about diversity, acceptance, inclusion, celebrating differences, and empathy.  Because, in the words of old school Sesame Street, we all sing with the same voice, the same song!   Though we may not notice our similarities, do we not all share our hope for humanity and invested interest in the common good?  To sum this up perfectly watch the super short video titled, disability means possibility.  I think this would be a great video to show to your class and then ask them to write briefly about how they could change their perception or their peers' perception of people who are different from us.
The next few videos are on creativity. This is very important to me because, by my very nature, I am a writer. I soak in new things and search for more new things constantly to talk about or write about.  The video Creativity to the Rescue examines what would happen if children were allowed to think about how the world around them could be and should be and not explicitly told this.  I would love to have an English classroom where students were encouraged to imagine themselves as characters and their own lives as autobiographies or bestsellers and think outside the box about what major plot point could happen next.  The assignment I am dying to give my students would be to re-imagine and re-write the ending of a famous story or novel.  Think of the possibilities!
This is what our students deserve!
I also added videos with tips on student teaching and that satire the daily activities in the classroom.  Who doesn't want to be prepared for what hoops and hurdles lie looming ahead?
Even with all the obstacles and red tape, I think that I can make my classroom entertaining.  Although I am the stereotypical English teacher in love with all things Jane Austen, obsessed with Victorian and also American literature, I am also creative at finding ways to make these things interesting.  The only way to accomplish this is to reach them on levels they know and understand.  The traditional practices of assigning readings and essays and book reports are in the past. Allowing them to find their own resources, form their own opinions, read educational blogs on related topics, and write in their own blog, would be much more effective, I believe.  Also, videos, podcasts, audio books, and things like that would also be great projects.  I just want everyone to love Mr. Darcy and Little Dorrit and Tom Sawyer as much as I do.  I also added videos on my favorite writers, like Charles Dickens and F. Scott Fitzgerald and many others.
 Visuals are a great help, in my opinion. Not everyone loves to read as much as I and some others do, maybe it takes getting them interested in the story and the characters, and then the words that paint that picture.  Modern technology can assist in the education and growth of our youth, and there is more out there available than videos.  I think they could be very useful when combined with blogs and podcasts and other things.Videos alone are  not an answer to our problems, but they can make us think: what other seemingly simple things can we employ to help us?  To keep the attention of our digital learners?

After spilling all of my thoughts, I leave you with this:

16 comments:

  1. Carly,
    I think your playlist assignment is a great idea. I like how you included videos about many different topics in your playlist. I especially liked the "When I Grow Up" video. I hope that I am able to follow God's direction for my life, as well. I think that YouTube is a powerful tool. These videos have the potential to enhance our future classrooms immensely. You have inspired me to start exploring YouTube more so that I can find videos which will be useful in my future classroom.
    Sincerely,
    Rebecca

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  2. Thank you, Rebecca! The idea for this assignment came to me out of indecision. I saw a lot of people were talking about another teacher's blog or video to comment on and talk about, and wanted to do the same thing. I spent hours upon hours looking through YouTube videos until I had added about 25 of them to my favorites. I figured, knowing me, it would take a lot less time to just make a playlist of all of them than to actually have to narrow it down. I think from the different types of videos I "assigned" it could help a person think of lesson plans or ways to use them. You can easily sign in to your account and view them all later but you may forget where to look for the ones you just wrote about on your blog! Get ready for hours and hours spent on YouTube because it gets highly addictive! You can also follow the link in the post to my actual playlist and see if those are useful.
    Thanks for commenting. :)

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  3. Carly,

    I am also majoring in English, and after reading your post, I strongly agree with your teaching philosophy. Your idea to create a YouTube playlist is absolutely genius, and I love the topics you have chosen to include. I also think it is important for teachers to have a philosophy and be able to showcase what they believe and want from their students. You sound so creative, and I know your students are going to love you as a teacher. You have even given me some great ideas to use in my future Language Arts class. My favorite part of English is the literature aspect, and I cannot wait to start exploring more videos and connecting with teachers. I know this assignment would be beneficial for all students, so I am definitely going to let Dr. Strange know about your idea. Keep posting your creative ideas, and I can't wait to see what else you come up with! :)

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  4. Jamie,
    Thank you so much for your comments and feedback! I have such a big head right now! Haha jk. It feels good to be complimented on something that I value so much as a part of myself (creativity) and to be reinforced in my plans to be a teacher! Literature is also one of my favorite things and I, for some reason, want everyone else to love it too, or at least see its importance. It excites me that someone else finds my ideas useful also. I hope they can benefit other future teachers. Look forward to hearing from you again!

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  5. I love this post, Carly. The idea is great. I agree, it's important to figure out what your philosophy as a teacher is, and it's better to do so early on.

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  6. Thanks Chelsea! I really enjoyed putting together this most more than some of the others because I feel the same way :)

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  7. Beyond Magnificent. Not only is the objective important - your teaching philosophy - your technique is great. This is the best example of what Dr. Miller means when he talks about writing with multi-media. I am not sure how to do this for the next class, but you certainly have set a very high bar. I will figure out a way!

    Outstanding. Fantastic. Wonderful. Add any superlatives you want to add.

    Thanks!

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  8. This is very high praise! Thank you Dr. Strange! I am glad that you like this post. I put a lot of thought and effort into this blog post and got a little lost in it. Thank you also for the opportunity to create our own blog post. :)

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  9. From one English major to another...great post and awesome ideas!

    Amanda

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  10. Carly, wonderful post. I enjoyed reading and I actually sat and watch all of the videos you gave us. It really gave me some ideas to use in my future classroom. It is definitely a great idea to find your philosophy early. I am not planning on being an English teacher but I know that I could incorporate these ideas into history and or sciences. Thanks again and wonderful post.

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  11. Dear Carly,
    This is such a cool idea that I didn't even know existed. I have recently become pretty addicted to YouTube and am thankful for this idea. I will begin putting some of my personal favorites aside and possibly create a playlist of my own. I hadn't seen any of the videos you posted and watched them all. The book trailer video was superb and considering that is the project I have in front of me, it was also quite helpful. I could continue to praise the video selection, but I will sum it up with "fascinating." You really brought a lot to the educational table with this blog post. Thanks for sending us future educators in the right digital and creative direction.

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  12. Hi Carly,
    I really loved you post! This is such a cool idea and very exciting. I have never had a YouTube playlist but this really makes we want to have one now. Great Job!

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  13. Carly,

    Thank you for this awesome and creative idea. This really made me think about what kind of educator I want to be and how I want to model myself to my future students. I also learned about things that I never thought of. I think the YouTube assignment is a great way for us, future educators, to learn and realize our possible potentials and where we want to go from where we are right now.

    Right now, I am studying to become a K-6 educator but I want to be an art teacher as well. Honestly, I think it really doesn't matter if I want to be K-6 or an art teacher. The only thing that matters is I will strive to be the best educator (whichever kind) I can be, help those in need and impart my own knowledge to them! I think no matter what kind of educator a person wants to be, they have to have the dedication and responsibilities as well.

    The usage of YouTube is magnificent! I know I learn a lot from YouTube and I use it frequently to look for reviews, how-tos, suggestions and other things. It's a very useful and valuable source. It is definitely a great thing for future educators to get use to. We can find so many great videos that can help us in our future classroom. I love the fact that it's a place where people share their ideas and impart it onto others. This will really help us. The usage of technology is amazing.

    I think this post cleared up some of my stress (of who I want to be, why, for what purpose). I thank you and Dr. Strange for leading us to this wonderful post! Many of the tasks you listed are not something people generally think about. I also found it funny that you were procrastinating. You added a genuine touch to the post. Honestly, I read this post last night and did most of my EDM310 work before midnight! I tend to procrastinate when it comes to my school work and it's really hard to get rid of it. I guess that is the cast because I never had anything go wrong yet. This is where I really need to better understand my responsibilities as a student and as a future educator!! It's odd because when it comes to my job and work (I use to work with K-1 and 4-5th graders), I am always on schedule and do things before deadline. I am a bit A.D.D. as well. For one minute I would be looking at videos, then another minute I would be drawing and etc. When I was watching some of the videos for the assignment, I get distracted when I'm 5 minutes in. I would have to re-watch. Maybe this is why I take so long with my posts! While I'm distracted, I also think of many ideas but I have to get back to reality and work on my assignments!! Ahhh!!! Procrastination is going to cost me!!!

    Anyway, loved your post! Thank you for your help in EDM310 as well! :)

    Regards,
    Anna Zhuo

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  14. Carly,

    This was an outstanding display of multimedia. Your video kept my attention, because of your wonderful use of multimedia. If you are not already a teacher, you will be a great one. You really taught me a few lessons throughout your blog. When I have children, I would like them to have a teacher like you. You truly brought media to our attention; the tools you used definitely made your presentation blue ribbon. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Phillip Hall
    EDM310

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  15. Carly,

    Phillip again. Love your Think Different video. Thanks for teaching me how to incorporate meaningful videos into my writing. Wow!

    Phillip

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  16. Carly,
    I thought this entire blog post was absolutely amazing! I plan on teaching English, as well, and I am always looking for helpful tips to incorporate into my classroom. Not only did you show how YouTube and modern technology can be useful in helping students think for themselves and be learners on their own, but you emphasized having passion for what you teach and for your students. I think that is something that most teachers really lack these days. I will definitely have to refer back to these videos and search more of my own for the rest of my time in school and when I have a classroom one day. Thanks for all the ideas, and stay on fire!
    Kelli Francis

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