Electronic Contact

I have been in contact with both my step sister, Salley, and her husband, Kenneth. They both teach at Lawrence County High School in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Salley teaches English and Kenneth teaches History. I have lived in Baldwin County for about 9 years now and really didn't realize how far ahead they are from my home town of Lawrenceburg. While I was emailing back and forth with my sister, I realized she didn't really understand a lot about the technology that is available to the schools today. Besides using some computers, Lawrence County is still using most of the same technology they used when I went to school there 2o years ago.

When I asked Salley and Kenneth to explain some of the technology that they use today it was still mainly the basics like Overhead projectors with transparencies and CD's and DVD's. The most high tech they really get there is having a portable laptop computer lab with wireless Internet. Salley did say she liked to use PowerPoint with projection using her own laptop computer. She also uses instructional software. Salley felt that it was a great way to enrich the students who needed enrichment and offered remedial help for those who needed it. The con of the programs where some students wanted just to play and not really do what the program needed them to do.

Both Salley and Kenneth used the classroom management software. this is the computer based grade book program to manage their grades and communication with parents. This articular program offers the parents Internet access to their student's progress, assignments, etc. They said by using this program they could easily access progress reports for individual students as well as look at classes as a whole to see how lessons were received and if their goals were achieved. They both expressed the con as relying totally on the computer. They said it is imperative to have a backup for this in case of computer problems.

Kenneth more than Salley tried to use online textbooks in his class. Kenneth said he uses this tool with his students as enrichment to the regular classroom. This program offers quizzes and additional work that the students can use to help reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. He feels the main con with this that many students didn't use the tool from home wither because of lack of initiative on no Internet access in the home.

They did tell me that Columbia State College who has a building on our high school grounds is doing a computer based distance learning program with the advanced diploma students. This program is to help the graduating seniors earn college credits before they graduate. Neither Salley not Kenneth are involved with this program. Other than that the schools in Lawrence County are sadly deprived of the technology that most schools now have.

It is very sad for me to think about my hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee being so deprived when it comes to their students learning. I have listened to Ms. Averitt and other teachers speak of the technology that is available and I don't understand why every school doesn't have the same opportunities. I am very glad though that I have my kids in a school system that makes this type of technology readily available.

My EDM 310 Blog Assignments are Now Complete

To all my classmates, I would like to apologize for not being able to put forth the effort that I would have like too. Due to the way my life is at this point I feel very lucky to have made it at all. I really enjoyed meeting all of you and hope each of you have tremendous success in your endeavors. This is a time in life that is difficult for everyone but if you all dig deep and make it through the classes that you must take the rewards are incredible. Just make sure to never overlook the students in your class and realize they each are individuals and have a very different story in life. Don't judge them. Listen closely. There may be that one student who is reaching out to you and need you more than your teachings. This is an area that is the most important aspect in teaching. It is one that can't be taught. You must open your eyes to the students, close your ears to the other teachers and judge each student individually by what they show you not by what others are saying.

Good luck to all of you!

Thank you Ms. Averitt for giving me understanding when I needed it most. This has been a struggle but the issues that are about to hit my family is a battle I will continue to fight. Thank you for being what a teacher should be.

What I learned in EDM 310

Well considering the way my life has been for the last six months I am lucky to have even made it through the class. This has been very difficult for me considering I have always been an over achiever. The class was not exactly what I expected, I had never really heard of blogging or podcasting so that was very new for me. I'm not really sure how I feel about it because I never had the time to put forth the effort that needed to be. For me this was very time consuming at a time when I didn't need anything else added to my plate. Saying that I do want you to understand where I can see this would be very beneficial in several areas in today's classes. For me and my class, I would have to do some creative thinking on how to use it in a Physical Education Class.

When I took this class I was hoping to learn more about the actual computer areas like power point, spread sheets, and excel to name a few. I feel I am not where I need to be and feel almost computer illiterate. I enjoyed the work we did in those areas and feel more comfortable using them, I just wish we would have had the opportunity to get more in depth with the actual computer programs. I feel they will help me more in my area of expertise.

I did enjoy the class even though I was unable to be the student I would have liked to have been and feel I would have learned a lot more at a different time in my life. I will continue to learn how to use what you have taught me and try to teach myself more.

Week 15

The first podcast was about Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School's gardening program. The name of the program is The Edible School Yard and it brings the teachers and student's together to plant, maintain and harvest a real garden. By implementing this program, the students are learning and don't realize it. All the students have to work together to make the garden be a success which teaches teamwork and responsibility on so many levels. The teacher's also use different aspects of the garden to teach the kids in areas that may not be possible any other way. This allows all the kids to stand out and shine while they are taking great pride in their work.

The second podcast, "The Global Village Activity," was about students walking in the shoe's of the less fortunate. I really liked the idea of this program because so many people don't realize just how good they have it and how hard life is for other people. This program puts students into small groups with limited suppliesto surviv. They have one night to experience life as a hungary, cold, less fortunate individual. This allows kids to have a liitle insight on how hard life is for the unfortunate around the world. i would love to think it would give them some understanding and really make them think about others instead of being so self involved. Maybe by doing this more individuals will consider helping instead of looking the other way.

I felt both ideas that were brought into the class room were very beneficial. I think they both taught a part of life that you can't learn by text books alone. I loved how both programs taught team work and made the students think beyond the class room. These programs allowed the students to go to a different level of thinking where it wasn't just about book smarts but was about how to live in an everyday life.

I really felt these two podcast could almost be linked to one another. On one hand at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School they were teaching how go grow a garden that is a necessity in life that most individuals have no clue how to do. Then by using it along with the Global Village Activity it would help people around the world survive a little easier. If some of these countries could to be more self sufficient maybe the world wouldn't be is such sad shape. They would at least be able to feed themselves and have an easier time surviving.

ACCESS LAB

Anne Gardner and I chose to visit Daphne High School to observe the ACCESS lab and speak with John Roh, who is the teacher that heads the facility. He gave a tour of the lab where he demonstrated the technbology and answered any questions we had.

The lab was set up in a rectangular room with rows of tables from front to back. There were two flat screen TV's, one in the back of the class and one in the front of the class. The TV in the back of the class was used to monitor his students in the class and the classes at other school through video casting. The TV at the front of the class was for the student's benefit to view assignments and material being learned in the class.

Along with the two TV's was an Activ board at the front of the room. It can be interactively used by the teachers and students alon with their computer notebooks. This is very captivating for the students. The active board can be used in all areas of teaching. What I really found interesting about it was the fact you can actually

Pros and Cons of Blogging

Blogging was something I had heard very little about until this class. I never had really seen a blog before and had certainly never blogged myself. The only time I could even remember hearing the word blog was on a talk show and I guess I really didn't pay attention because until this class I had no idea what blogging consisted of. I'm not really sure how I personally feel about it at this point. My life has been so time consuming it has been very difficult for me to find the time to really put forth in this area. However, I do see were blogging good be beneficial to a lot of class rooms. Not really sure how beneficial it would be to a physical education class.

If I were a teacher in a subject like English, I could see were blogging would be very beneficial to both the teacher and the students. Students are more interested in working on a computer these days and what better way for a student to be creative than using their blogs to peak their interests. They are able to express themselves for not only their teacher but other students in their class, their school and basically other parts of the world. They can share their opinions, thoughts, and questions to make their learning experience more interesting.

Teachers can use blogging to monitor the progress a student is making in their class. She can ask the questions and have them write on the topic and expand their thoughts. They can then have the students read other classmates work and see how each student interprets what has been taught. By doing this it allows a more creative way of teaching where the students receive a more well rounded view of the subject being taught.

As for the negative, I feel blogging is very time consuming. The way school classes are these days, it doesn't allow kids to have a life. When you add blogging to the mix that gives them even less time. If you substitute the blogging for their creative writing it wouldn't be quite as bad but I feel like we are already losing so much by taking pen and paper away from students. Yes I know that today's world is a technology world but what happen to the golden days of making things personal.

I read Joyce Fisk's class blog and felt she had very interesting views on the subject matter from week to week. She seemed to take the needed time to research her material and write a well thought out blog. I enjoyed her opinions and views on the subject matter and felt that by reading her posts I found myself changing my thoughts and views on some of the related areas.

EDM 310 Podcasts

The first podcast I listened to was an interview of Dr. Strange. You could tell he has been doing this for years from the clarity of his voice to the way he kept the audiences attention. Dr. Stranges voice was loud and clear and his words precise. His interview flowed well and you could tell it was not being read or that it had to be thought out while it was being recorded. I felt he definitely kept my interest from beginning to end.

The second podcast I listened to was by Nikki Hunter, Christi Turner and Tiffany Blocker on the issue of "Burp Back Education: How it can be eliminated". I felt they did a very good job explaining what Burp Back Education was and why this type of teaching process needs to be eliminated. I did feel at times that they were reading the material and that their voices became monotone. There material was interesting and well thought out and although their were brief pauses I felt they kept the interest of their audience. Their podcast was easily followed and felt was a good job.

ACCESS Distance Learning: A Work in Progress by Henryetta Alexandra, April Jones and Ashley Reed was the third podcast I listened too. These ladies did a great job gathering their information on ACCESS and delivered it in a way that was easily followed. There voices seemed clear during most of the of the podcast and I felt it was a well thought out and shared lecture. I felt the group leader did a good job keeping everything flowing and bringing the rest of the group in at times that were appropriate. There were usual mistakes that would be corrected during preparation and practice but I feel they did a good job.

My last podcast dealt with technology used in the classrooms at the University of South Alabama. I was a little let down by this podcast. I didn't feel that they were prepared with the information they needed to make this an informative podcast. I didn't really learn what the technology is that is being used or how it benefits USA's teachers or students. This podcast could have been more informative and easier followed.

As for mine and Anne's podcast. I know that we could have done a much better job. We did not come in as prepared as a lot of the other groups and I had a tendency to talk faster than I should have. We made a lot of typical mistakes that could be corrected from practice and being more comfortable with he situation.

Maine Department of Education "Mathematics with Technology

The first podcast I listen to was by Judy Chandler from the Maine Department of Education. Her podcast was "Mathematics with technology episode 1" dealing with the use of technology in classrooms teaching mathematics. Judy found that most teachers are very stubborn when it comes to the subject of technology in the classroom. Most teachers don't see the need for and and don't understand what a significant role the use of technology has on the world today. If that isn't enough they just don't think they can find the time to use the technology. They feel the only way to prepare their students for their exams is to complete the textbooks. What they don't see is by adding the technology the students become more interested and want to learn. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics tells us that technology is essential when teaching mathematics because it enhances the lessons that are taught and makes learning more effective. They also say technology is one of the six major principles in creating a high quality mathematics education classroom. Both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Judy say their are many technology tools available to help engage students in a multi-sensory, more productive learning environment.

The second podcast was "Thinking Mathematically- Episode 2", also by Judy Chandler. This podcast deals with the old fashion ways of teaching mathematics. Basically the textbook lessons. This is the way all of us were taught and which would also frustrate a lot of us. This was moving through the textbook lesson by lesson. Teaching in this manner would let a lot of kids get frustrated and get farther behind than they should be. Most teachers would continue to move through the books leaving those students that weren't understanding behind and confused. If the technology would have been implemented the students would be able to use a hands-on learning experience, using visual models, providing differentiated instruction and offering alternative ways to demonstrate learning. The teachers also need to stay involved by asking questions that focuses and guides student thinking and motivates them to use critical thinking. Judy Chandler focuses on one key point: "teachers should always use their resources and skills to help their students to "think mathematically".

It is very nice knowing that the technology is out there for us to explore and use to motivate our students. We now have so many tools available which will help us to meet the learning styles and needs of all our students. This will help enhance learning at all ranges for all ages. By listening to this podcast it just gives you a small idea of the extent and effectiveness that technology will have on our students today. It will allow our students to have hands-on learning that will motivate them to learn at another level.

I felt like Judy's podcast did a good job with expressing the importance of incorporating technology in the classroom. My only problem is finding a way to include it into a physical education program. I would like to find a way to incorporate the technology and questioning in my classroom to encourage critical thinking. I feel like this podcast has made my mind spin trying to find different ways that technology can be used. I feel like this podcast has motivated me to see what all is out there for my classroom.

1st Grade- MCDS Huckleberry Room

I listened to a first grade boy tell a story he wrote and dedicated to his father. His father was taking a trip to Costa Rica to visit a friend so he wrote a story about a yellow car and a robber. The name of the story was "The Car In Costa Rica" and the little boy was named Will. The story is about a yellow car in Costa Rica that has been accused of being the getaway car for a Robbery. He really did an excellent job writing and reading the story.

I was very impressed with the creative writing and imagination of Will. He really impressed me not only with his story but with his ability to tell the story. I would have thought he would seem more frightened than he did. He spoke very well and clearly, every word was heard clearly.

I feel like podcasting would be an exciting tool for kids of this age. I can just see the excitement on their face when hearing their voices and what they sound like telling their stories. I feel like it would also be very exciting for the teacher also. While listening to your students, you can hear their strengths and weaknesses and be able to focus more on the areas that aren't as strong as others.

As a physical education teacher I don't know that this will be a tool that is implemented very easily in the class. I would like to think I could figure out a way to use it but even if I did I'm not sure the school would allow it or just see it as a waste of time. I do feel like this would be a great asset to other areas of education and would love to see my kids using this technology.

Podcasts from EDM3102008

The first podcast I listened to was "Possiblility for using Facebook in an Educational Setting". I chose this particular post because I have just recently been introduced to the Facebook world. This post made me curious on just how Facebook can be used in the classroom. The two girls that were speaking on Facebook did a pretty good job for their first podcast. Even though you could tell they were reading a script, you could tell that they had spent time rehearsing what they were saying. The biggest thing I noticed was their voice decibles. The needed to speek a little louder and needed to be a little more dramatic and not as monotoned. By doing this it would be easier to follow and be more interesting.

"Can You Tube be used for Educational Purposes?", is the second podcast I chose. I basically chose this podcast to learn a little about You Tube. Not being able to spend the time that most can on the computer I am computer deficient and am trying to learn more. The three students in this podcast seemed a little more ready for the their podcast than most. Their voices had a very good tone and carried well so it was much easier to understand. I felt the boy in this group seemed more well prepared or versed on what he wanted to say than the two girls. The girls were easily detected for reading their scripts and I also felt at times their voices changed throughout.

I feel that listening to the podcast would probably have helped me if I would have had the time. If the time would have been available for me then I feel by listening to these podcast I would have been more aware of common mistakes made by all students and maybe I could have corrected it in ours. I know that reading from a script makes you sound very boring and very monotone. If you practice and prepare it helps to make the podcast more interesting and enjoyable to listen to. It also helps prepare you to use a clear and conversational tone of voice instead of a boring tone.

"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Minds in Learning - Standford University Challenge

The video podcast for this week was "Growth" vs. "Fixed" Minds. This particular podcast is a study performed by Stanford University. The study explores two different mind sets. One was the fixed mindset. This group believed that intelligence is based on a fixed trait and that learning has no revelance on how intelligent a person is. The other group believed that learning has to do with growth. That their intelligence and how smart someone is depends on what and how much a person is learning. That they become smarter due to education and perserverance for a better and improved mind. The example they gave were of a baby. As a baby grows he in return learns and without the growth there would be no learning.

The study devided the students into two groups. The first group were the "fixed" mindset group. They were given certain learning and study skills to complete certain tasks. Because of the mindset of this group, their was lack of motivation. So, instead of taking the study skills and using them to their advantage, they dismissed them and they ended up with declining grades. The second group was the "Growth" mindset group. This group was not only taught study skills but also growth concept. This group nourished what they were taught and their grades improved and were very successful.

As teachers we aspire to never stop learning and find creative and interesting ways to implement this behavior into our students. I feel it is very important to teach our students that learning is a process that will take us down many paths. Some of those paths we will encounter mistakes that must be overcome for our minds to grow and learn. Without this type of learning and mindset, we close off a part of learning that should be nurtured so we can use our brain capacity to the best of our ability. Learning is a never ending process for everyone. It doesn't matter how old we become, learning will always be an important part of our life.

Podcasting

Podcasting is a very interesting and useful tool for todays classroom. It allows the class to be focused on the lesson content and helps the teacher determine the progress a student is making in the class. It is an evaluating tool to know where the students knowledge begins, its progression through research and study and also allows the students to learn from the information the other students are presenting.

After attending many field trips with my son's already this year I became personally interested in podcast #53. I am now wishing their teachers used this technology for their advantage and truly believe the students would have retained more knowledge from the field trip. By using podcasting on field trips, students are asked to think about and record what they think they are going to experience on the trip and what they may already know about that particular subject. They are then asked to record their experience at different times during their field trips and what they have actually learned. This is a great way for students to learn more and retain more knowledge of the field trip and things they may not have known.

The Smartboard Lesson #149 was also very interesting. The smartboard allows the teacher to to post notes about the content of the lesson. It is a great way for the teachers and the students to use a hands-on technology approach in the classroom. By having the smartboard connected to the computer it allows the teacher and students to use a large screen projected on the wall for easy use and readability. They use a touch screen on the computer to manipulate the system for it to be projected on the wall for everyone to see and use with ease. This technique also allows students and teacher to use video conferencing with other schools around the world to expand their knowledge and views on many different subjects and areas.

Podcasting is definitely a very useful and informative tool to use in today's classroom. It is one of today's technologies that will help expand the students thinking, interactive and communication skills like we have never seen before. Students and teachers can reach each other and classrooms around the world to experience areas that would otherwise be impossible. I can only hope that our schools and classrooms will take advantage of the technology that is now at our fingertips.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture deals with pursuing your dreams and breaking down any walls that may stand in your way. He states in his lecture "If a brick wall is in front of you then you must work harder to achieve it because the brick walls only determine how badly you want to achieve this." Who better to to teach this great lesson of life than Randy who has and is battling a brick wall daily. Randy is an inspiration to us all, never letting that brick wall stop him. He defies the meaning of giving up and tries to help everyone understand the meaning of determination and achieving your dreams no matter what walls are put before you.

During the lecture Randy listed many of his childhood dreams that to most would seem impossible, but to Randy nothing was impossible. Randy always managed to find a way to find some piece of his dream and make it into reality. For example, his dream for floating in space. This dream only becomes reality for a handful of people over many hardworking years. Randy took this dream knowing this and made it reality by making it a project for him and his class. The project wasn't exactly what his dream was but he found a way to get as close as he good and learn many lessons from it. He managed to do this with most of his dreams. I believe it was more of a way to learn how to achieve than to experience the actual dream. By doing this he built his knowledge over the years and would eventually be the man he is today. Not only for himself but for all of us who dream but who never have the determination to follow our dreams.

Pausch also tries to instill in all of us just how important the people in our lives are. How they actually help to mold our lives and who we become. It teaches us how to look for the good in everyone and use that good to help improve our lives. We learn to work hard, listen to our peers and take everyday lessons to make our lives successful. Randy also explains just how important it is to show our thankfulness and gratitude to the people in our lives for our lives to be truly meaningful.

In the last section of the lecture Randy expresses the importance of lessons learned and how in order for us to learn totally from the lesson we must experience it in a fun childlike manner. He feels that learning the true meaning of life and our dreams can only be truly achieved when we are having fun. Pausch expresses the importance of knowing its ok to screw up but we must be in an area of life that we know its ok to admit it and apologize so we can focus on others and not ourselves. That we learn the true lessons of life from others and that is the only way to be totally successful.

Classes blogging in New Zealand

Rachel Boyds class is a 6 & 7 year old class at Nelson’s Central School in New Zealand. They use their blogs daily in almost every aspect of the class. They use their blogs to do their daily creative writing and reflect on their activities and what they learned the day before. My personal favorite is using it for their daily picture blog. Everyday they go out and take one picture around their school and then each child comes back to class and blogs about the picture. I feel this is a very creative way for their kids to use their visual ability to find the perfect picture of that day and then write what that picture means to them and what they see in the picture. I feel this is a very interesting idea for any classroom and would love to implement it in my classroom when I teach again. http://room9nelsoncentral.blogspot.com/


Jody Hayes class is also a classroom in New Zealand. This class is at Our Lady’s of Lourdes School of 9 – 11 year old students. I couldn’t decide if I was more interested about the school or the blogging. This seemed like a very artistic school and they blogged daily and displayed pictures of what they were doing in the class and what trips they prepared for. They called themselves navigators and are navigating their audience through what they call a journey of the leadership in their schools. They were basically teaching their students how to be leaders using the virtues of cooperation, excellence, creativity, enthusiasm and courage among many others. This teacher has found a way to unite the classroom in every aspect of the class and keep them interested in what is going on in the classroom. http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1638

Using Blogs in the K-12 Classrooms

The teachers at East Orange, New Jersey have developed a blog site called Scholastic Community that allows all K-12 teachers in East Orange to be in direct contact and receive feedback from students, parents and the community. The home page is a message board that tells exactly how to get where you need to go and a list of blogs that have been posted. It has a message board for teachers and parents and a second message board for kids.
This particular site also posts teachers, educational tools, announcements and a most interesting program called Read 180. It allows every student from the community that is a member of the Read 180 program to share their experiences and there successes with other members. It also allows them to post their recent achievements in both teaching and learning. This is definitely a site that every teacher should take a look at. http://community.scholastic.com/scholastic?category.id=TeacherBlogs

At Butlerville Elementary school they have a very successful blog site stemming mainly from a

very interesting program that embodies all aspects of education. This particular site is called escrapbooking. The E in escrapbooking stands for electronic, educational, engaging, expressions. This allows students to reflect on ideas and share perspectives using process and product. It is a creative way to determine if a student has met standards and provides concrete evidence of a teachers performance. Escrapingbooking is a way to combine journals and logs with visual aids such as pictures, video, audio, etc. to evaluate a students performance. This is a creative way of combining old school learning with today's technology so students learn but also have a fun time doing it. http://escrapbooking.com/basics/index.htm

Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide "ACCESS"

Access is a multimedia resource that allows all students, to take advanced diploma courses to better prepare them for college or today’s workforce. Students are able to access other teachers and classrooms across the state by internet and through television to attend classes their school may not offer. They are able to receive instruction from various teachers with different teaching styles that will allow them to better increase their knowledge, interaction and communication skills. The students are able to enroll in duel classes to earn college credits while attending high school. This will put all students in this state on equal ground in ensure they all receive a high quality education with the opportunity to attend various colleges.

I truly believe that ACESS is an excellent program that has been designed with the idea of improving educational opportunities to all students across the state. The state of Alabama is in great hopes to implement this educational program in all schools across the state by 2010, giving every school the same educational benefits. All teachers will be monitored to make sure they are increasing their knowledge and effectiveness in the classroom and the students will be monitored to ensure progress is being made and that they are learning on their proper educational level. To learn more benefits of the ACCESS program go to the ACCESS website, http://accessdl.state.al.us.

ACCESS

Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide, also known as ACCESS, is a program that is being adopted throughout several schools in Alabama. It is a technological resource that allows high school students to take different courses via the internet. Students can access classroom's statewide and take many courses that will help prepare them for college. They will learn to navigate the web and computer with ease adapting to different teaching styles in areas that deal with core, advanced, honors, AP, remediation, elective and supplemental courses. This program gives students learning benefits that have never been available before.

Not only is this an exceptional program for students but there is also several benefits for teachers that participate. They will be able to view many different teaching styles that may help them develop there own programs and share them with other schools. This will allow them to be critiqued and critique other teachers to improve their programs and this learning technology. It will also open doors to extended resources that they can use or modify for their own benefit. With ACCESS eventually being expanded to all schools in Alabama the teachers and students will finally have opportunities that they have never had before.

ALEX

ALEX, Alabama Learning Exchange, is a website that was developed as a tool for educators, administrators, students and parents to access information on every course offered in the public schools. It was set up for easy use by listing grade levels and the courses that each level will use throughout the year. Anyone can use it. All you have to do is click on the subject and grade level to view information in that particular area. Many teacher’s across the country use this website to view and use lesson plans that have been shared in hopes to give them ideas on how to deliver concepts in a creative manner. Since ALEX is being updated regularly it gives the user a chance to combine several lesson plans in one to create your own way of teaching with the most current information available.

ALEX is a very valuable tool for teachers and administrators. It allows them, by creating their own account, to view shared work but also to have their own workspace to enhance their own ideas and ways of teaching. As a teacher, we are always looking for ways to learn and receive professional instruction from other administrators and teachers. This program allows us to receive this instruction so that we can develop in all areas and deliver a more knowledgeable lesson to our students with the best and most recent information. As a previous teacher, renewing her certificate, I am very excited and will make very good use of this educational tool.
http://alex.state.al.us/

Plagiarism and Copyrights

Plagiarism is when a person uses someone else’s ideas, thoughts and words for their own personal use in school, work and other areas. It usually occurs because someone either writes exactly what the other person has written or too closely to what they have written trying to paraphrase. Most people believe, especially younger students, that as long as they use some of their own thought’s and words then it would not be considered plagiarism and until they are taught differently and develop a better understanding this will continue. Another way to plagiaries is to directly buy or steal someone else’s work. This has been a popular way in the past but with today’s technology it is very easily discovered, making it very hard for someone to pass the work off as their own. The last way a person can plagiarize is usually done unintentionally. This happens when someone uses another person’s words intentionally but unintentionally forgets to write their source in their paper giving credit where credit is due.

The Copyright Act is a law that has been in affect since 1976. It was put into place to protect the artist, whether in music, art or literature, from being pirated by other individuals. It protects the use of published or unpublished works, for ones own use, without permission from the creator. This is most commonly used in the illegal reproduction of DVDs and CDs with the intent to sell or just freely give to the public, friends and family. Even though this law was put into affect to protect the creator from someone taking and using their work, most people disregard it. The copyright act is still in place but until there is a way to discover and identify when an artist work is being reproduced and distributed illegally it will continue to be a part of everyday life around the world.

Alternative Computer Devices for the Visually Impaired or Blind.

I was very impressed by the computer technology for the seeing impaired and the blind. The Hal is one of the systems I was particularly impressed with. It is software that has been developed to allow the blind computer user to interact and communicate by using a speech synthesizer or a Braille display. It will allow the user to know exactly what they are typing by announcing words or characters and by pressing a single key it allows the entire document to be read. The Hal can assist the user in navigating complex websites with ease and to use window menus and icons. It is very impressive software that has many more specific uses and I am very interested in learning more.

The Mobile Speak Smartphone is definitely today’s greatest break through. The phone allows the visually impaired and blind to us cell phones like normal people. Its features allow the user to hear what normal users take advantage of. It reads the screen giving feedback on data coming through the phone. Every screen of the Speak Smartphone is read to the user where they will not need assistance using the phone. They always know the numbers they are dialing, who’s calling them, whose texting and what is being text. It provides information on signal strength, battery level, number of missed calls and unread messages, just to name a few. The visually impaired or blind have every opportunity to have a normal life thanks to speech feedback of the Mobile Speak Smartphone.

All About Me!

Hello, my name is Kim Hinojosa and I am a single mother of three beautiful boys. My oldest son Brant is 17 and attends Spanish Fort High School. My middle child is 8 and my youngest is 5 and they both attend Rockwell Elementary. I am originally from Tennessee where I graduated from Lawrence County High School and received a full paid scholarship in volleyball to a division one college. During my time playing at Middle Tennessee I set several records that still stand at the university and received several awards including student of the year, academic All-American, APHERD Professionalism Award, All-State, All-Region and was captain of the volleyball team. While I was playing volleyball I was working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. I graduated with honors and received my diploma in 1998.

After receiving my diploma I attained a position as the physical education teacher and head volleyball coach at Robertsdale High School. During the two years there I worked 98 hours a week, was a full time mom and allowed my son to play one sport each season. I was tired, warn out and ready for a break. I had been dating a guy for five years and finally agreed to marry him. I ended up pregnant a short time later and stopped teaching to raise my youngest two sons. While raising them my teachers certificate expired and that is why I am now at USA college, to get my certificate renewed.

Now I am a student and a mother of three. The only things that keep me sane is being able to enjoy my hobbies. I scuba dive, play tennis, golf, am an avid weight lifter and the biggest fan of all three son’s in everything they do. So, I am now looking forward to teaching, raising my kids and getting my new part time business off the ground.

Well, now you know a little about me and you will learn more during my presentation. I will discuss my kids and how remarkable each are, my home town where I came from and where I feel I am going. You will see a few of my interests, my friends and other very important people in my life. I hope you will find it interesting and will enjoy yourself.